The bald man's expression was unpredictable, and he tapped the metal rod in his palm repeatedly.

The henchmen behind her, however, had gleaming eyes, clearly also tempted by Lu Yao's words.

"Boss," the guy called Ah San leaned in and whispered, "What this woman said seems to make some sense, so maybe..."

"Shut the hell up!" The bald man slapped him on the back of the head, making him stagger.

The bald man looked at Lu Yao again, his cloudy eyes now filled with scrutiny.

"You're kidding me?" he scoffed. "If you two were really important people, would you have ended up in this godforsaken place?"

Lu Yao did not argue, but simply looked at him quietly.

"Believe it or not," she said, "but you can take a gamble. If you win, you'll get more than just a diamond; if you lose, you and all the brothers behind you will be buried with us."

Her voice was not loud, but very firm.

The bald man stared at her for a long time, still hesitating whether to believe Lu Yao's words.

Just then, the sound of a car engine came out again, causing everyone to subconsciously look up.

Another fleet of hovercars approached from a distance.

Baldy and his henchmen instinctively took a few steps back, watching the approaching cars warily.

"Damn it, what day is it today?" the bald man cursed under his breath. "Who notified Zhao Qu and his gang?!"

Lu Yao and Zhou Jinlu exchanged a glance, both of their eyes flashing with seriousness.

Zhao Qu's men arrived quickly. Before the hovercar had even come to a complete stop, someone had already leaned halfway out of the window and was whistling in their direction.

"Hey Tiger, what a coincidence! You're here to snag a bargain too?"

A lean man with a pointed face and monkey-like cheeks jumped out of the lead car. His eyes darted around, and he paused noticeably when his gaze landed on Lu Yao.

"This woman..." He licked his lips, "Tiger, that's not very nice of you. You found some good stuff and didn't even let the brothers know?"

Tiger's face instantly turned ugly.

"Zhao Qu, shut the hell up!" he shouted, his neck stiff. "I was the one who found those two first!"

Zhao Qu chuckled and strolled over slowly, followed by a dozen or so equally thuggish henchmen. Unlike the bald man, his henchmen were all carrying energy guns.

"You found it first?" He tilted his head. "So what? On this turf, whoever grabs it first gets it. Have you forgotten the rules?"

Tiger's face turned ashen, but he dared not say anything more.

He only had a few metal rods in his hand, while Zhao Qu had a genuine energy gun.

This fight is unwinnable.

Zhao Qu watched with satisfaction as Tiger Brother shut up, then turned and walked towards Lu Yao and Zhou Jinlu.

His gaze swept over the two of them before finally settling on Lu Yao.

Lu Yao even felt the other person's gaze linger on her abdomen for a moment before they clicked their tongue and said, "Take him away!"

The other party didn't say anything and tried to take them into the car.

Lu Yao knew very well that this group was far more elite than the bald man's group, which was evident from the energy guns in their hands.

But she still mustered her courage and asked, "Where are you taking us?"

"Little wench, you'd better shut up now, or we're not like those cowards." Zhao Qu sneered, gesturing for his henchmen behind him to hurry up.

Zhao Qu's henchmen immediately surrounded them, their energy guns aimed at Lu Yao and Zhou Jinlu.

Zhou Jinlu shielded Lu Yao behind him, his light brown eyes coldly fixed on Zhao Qu.

Zhao Qu raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconcerned.

The two were pushed onto one of the hovercars.

The carriage was very basic, with a few rows of hard seats, and the air was filled with the smell of engine oil and sweat.

Lu Yao and Zhou Jinlu were placed in the last row, with two armed henchmen sitting in front of them, staring at them menacingly.

The car door closed, and the roar of the engine made my eardrums hurt.

The hovercar turned around, kicking up clouds of dust, and headed in the opposite direction from where it came from.

Looking through the dirty car window at the dilapidated wooden houses receding into the distance, Lu Yao wondered where they would be taken.

She turned her gaze away and looked at Zhou Jinlu beside her.

His face was frighteningly pale, cold sweat was still pouring from his forehead, and his injured leg hung limply.

"Zhou Jinlu," she called softly, reaching out to take his hand.

His hands were cold, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

Zhou Jinlu turned his head and smiled at her, "It's okay, don't worry."

The hovercar traveled for about twenty minutes on the bumpy dirt road before finally stopping in front of a heavily guarded villa.

This villa was completely different from the dilapidated wooden houses on the barren planet. The gray-white walls were tall and thick, surrounded by high walls with electric fences on top, and four armed guards stood at the entrance.

Lu Yao and Zhou Jinlu were taken out of the car and escorted into the villa.

After walking through a long corridor, they were ushered into a spacious hall.

The hall was decorated in a magnificent style, which contrasted sharply with the desolation outside. It had everything: leather sofas, crystal chandeliers, and a huge holographic screen.

However, before Lu Yao could see all this clearly, the man who had been walking in front, looking fierce and threatening them with a gun, suddenly turned around and knelt down on one knee as he stepped into the hall.

Lu Yao stopped in her tracks, completely stunned.

She looked at Zhao Qu kneeling in front of her.

"You..." She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Zhao Qu raised his head, his shrewd eyes now filled with fervor and awe.

"Holy Maiden, I have finally found you!" His voice trembled. "I am the seventy-sixth generation follower of the Procreation Cult, and I have been lurking in the barren star system for many years, waiting for your arrival!"

Lu Yao's pupils contracted slightly.

Procreationists!

"We received news of your disappearance and have been searching for you. We never expected to find you! Your Excellency, please rest assured, no one here will dare harm you again." Zhao Qu finished speaking, stood up, and instructed his henchmen behind him, "Quickly, fetch a doctor! The best one! Also, have someone prepare hot water and clean clothes, and get the best guest room ready!"

The henchmen exchanged bewildered glances, clearly still reeling from the shock of their boss's sudden change of expression.

"What are you all standing there for?" Zhao Qu glared at him. "Go now!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The henchmen scattered in a noisy commotion.

Zhao Qu turned back to Lu Yao, the fierceness on his face completely gone, replaced by piety and attentiveness.

"Your Excellency, please have a seat. The room will be ready soon, and you can stay here with peace of mind. We will also try to contact General Fu and Actor Xie. Mr. Zhou can rest assured that we will contact the Zhou family as well." He walked quickly to the sofa and personally arranged the cushions. "We have also notified Lin Xi, and she will be coming over soon."

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