The eight guards watching the researchers outside had already been dealt with!
As Ye Cangtian led the four out, Xu Shi'an and Gao Xiong emerged from the corners with four others, forming an eight-person patrol team to continue forward.
Patrol teams consisted of eight people per team, which was why Ye Cangtian had arranged it this way!
Shangguan Yanran and Professor Yuan and the others numbered four. Coupled with Ye Cangtian, Xu Shi'an, Gao Xiong, and Hao Zi, it was exactly eight people!
However, their patrol squad looked rather odd.
Shangguan Yanran was petite and naturally attracted attention. Moreover, there were three frail elderly professors who even staggered when they walked!
Occasionally, they couldn't help but cough a few times!
It was fortunate that it was the latter half of the night; otherwise, if they were seen in broad daylight, they would be exposed at a glance!
Soon, everyone bypassed the plaza and headed towards the beach. They were running out of time, with only one minute left out of the ten minutes.
Once this time was exceeded, they would be discovered.
Exiting the plaza, they passed a sentry post. The beach was several hundred meters ahead.
The four guards standing at the sentry post yawned and glanced at the approaching patrol team. One of them checked the time and muttered, "A minute early. You guys are quite proactive!"
Ye Cangtian lowered his hat and changed his voice, saying hoarsely, "My stomach's not feeling well. We're going to the beach early to relieve ourselves!"
Although there were more than one public restroom on the island, there were too many people, and the temporary latrines were filled with stench. Therefore, many patrol teams would take advantage of patrolling the beach to relieve themselves there.
The guards at the sentry post didn't suspect anything. They chuckled and cursed, "Go further away, don't stink us out," and said nothing more!
Ye Cangtian continued to lead everyone towards the beach.
However, the staggering steps of the three professors behind them and the intermittent coughing still drew the attention of the sentry post. "Wait a minute, what's wrong with those three?"
"They've been up all night, their bodies can't take it anymore, and they've caught a cold!" Ye Cangtian smiled back.
"Is that so! Their physical condition is too poor. Alright, it's almost dawn. Get some good rest after your shift!"
The guard at the sentry post yawned and added a few more words before waving them away.
Everyone continued to advance.
After walking only a few dozen meters, they heard the guards at the sentry post behind them exclaim in surprise, "What? You're the patrol? Then where are those few?"
Ye Cangtian looked back and saw the guards at the sentry post communicating with another patrol team. The people in that patrol team also looked bewildered and glanced at Ye Cangtian and his group.
Gao Xiong also saw this and sighed, "It seems we're going to be discovered!"
The patrol rounds were ten minutes apart, and it was exactly when the next patrol team arrived at the beach.
Their timing should have been just right, but after chatting with the guards at the sentry post for a couple of words, they were delayed by a minute. In this one minute, they were exposed!
"They are fakes! Capture them!" The soldier at the sentry post shouted from a distance.
At the same time, the alarm sounded instantly!
Ye Cangtian immediately shouted, "Flee!"
Although there was only one patrol team and four guards at the sentry post at the moment, once the alarm sounded, armed guards nearby would arrive in less than a minute.
The island was not large, so once alerted, support could reach any corner in minutes.
What Ye Cangtian was worried about were not these armed guards, but the members of the Dark Association. Nearly a hundred Yellow-tier and over ten Black-tier powerhouses, if they pursued, no one would be able to escape!
"Bang bang bang..."
Gunshots rang out!
However, the first shots were not fired by the island guards, but by Feng Ling, who was in the reef to provide cover, and the sniper Xiao Le, the three of them.
The beach, several hundred meters away, seemed not far, but with three elderly professors and an ordinary woman, their speed couldn't be much faster.
In an instant, reinforcements from behind quickly arrived, and gunfire erupted continuously.
Bullets whizzed past everyone!
A bullet nearly hit Shangguan Yanran. Fortunately, Ye Cangtian was quick-witted, grabbed her waist, and pulled her towards him, saving her life.
However, amidst the dense spray of bullets, someone was hit!
Professor Yuan was shot, spat out a mouthful of blood, and collapsed on the ground.
"Teacher!" Shangguan Yanran cried out.
"Don't worry about me, you go!"
Professor Yuan waved his hand at everyone. He knew he couldn't escape. Even if he managed to escape by chance, he would die! He knew his own condition very well.
Everyone hid behind the reefs. The dense bullets prevented them from showing their faces.
Shangguan Yanran covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
Just then, a figure shot out directly. Several bullets whizzed past the figure. It was Ye Cangtian!
He was incredibly fast, covering several meters in the blink of an eye. With one hand, he grabbed the severely injured Professor Yuan's body and frantically dodged bullets, returning to the reef.
Everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. With such dense bullets, only Ye Cangtian dared to go out and rescue someone!
However, even though they were hiding behind the reefs now, they were completely unable to move. Bullets kept flying, hitting the reefs with a "bang" sound.
The armed guards on the island had gradually converged, and in the blink of an eye, one to two hundred guards were firing their weapons.
Guards were also flanking from both sides.
Even Yellow-tier members and Black-tier powerhouses were rushing from a distance at incredible speeds.
"We're about to be surrounded!" Xu Shi'an grumbled dejectedly.
Gao Xiong and his team members were also silent. It seemed this rescue operation had failed!
Ye Cangtian couldn't help but frown and curse, "Why are these two guys getting less efficient?"
He was scolding Scorpion and Viper.
Just as he finished speaking, streaks of fire shot up from the sea, directly towards the armed guards on the island.
"Boom!"
"Boom boom..."
Xu Shi'an and Gao Xiong looked back. On the sea, a dark iron monster had surfaced.
The submarine surfaced and fired shells towards the crowd. The island's armed guards were completely thrown into disarray, and an unknown number of them were killed by the shells.
Of course, while these shells caused considerable damage to ordinary soldiers, any agile Yellow-tier member could dodge them the moment they landed.
Ye Cangtian picked up the severely injured Professor Yuan and said to everyone, "Go!"
Everyone immediately ran towards the sea.
With the cover fire from the submarine's shells, the island's armed guards couldn't continue firing at them!
The distance of two to three hundred meters felt like thousands of meters to everyone. When they reached the seaside, they were exhausted and breathless.
A speed boat happened to approach. Viper, sitting on it, waved to everyone, "Get on board, everyone. Wasn't your Brother Viper timely enough?"
"If you had been two seconds later, do you believe I'd throw you into the sea to feed the sharks?" Ye Cangtian snorted coldly.
"..." Viper gave an awkward chuckle.
Ye Cangtian said no more. After placing Professor Yuan on the speed boat, everyone else climbed aboard. He said to Xu Shi'an and Gao Xiong, "Get everyone back to China safely!"
"Ye... Brother Ye, what about you!" Shangguan Yanran said urgently, her address changing in her haste.
"I have other matters! Alright, you should leave now!"
"Everyone hold on tight!" Viper wasted no time, directly increasing the throttle. The yacht instantly sped off, heading towards the submarine.
Meanwhile, Ye Cangtian glanced back at the island.
He wasn't in a hurry to leave now. He had finally managed to infiltrate and become a Black-tier steward; if he left now, wouldn't his identity be exposed?
In the distance, a group of Yellow-tier members and Black-tier experts were rapidly approaching.
Ye Cangtian immediately sank into the water and then disappeared!