《Ultimate Firepower》 Chapter 1 - 1 1 Moment of Life and Death ?1: Chapter 1 Moment of Life and Death 1: Chapter 1 Moment of Life and Death Gao Yi awoke. Pain, coldness, and an overwhelming sense of weakness¡ªall these sensations stemmed from a wound located near his heart. Beneath him felt icy and metallic to the touch, while someone whispered nearby. The smell of disinfectant permeated his nostrils, mixed with a heavy stench of blood. Was he about to die, or was he already dead? His eyes cracked open slightly, and Gao Yi saw two figures in white coats, one on each side of him. White coats¡­ Were they doctors? Then, was he saved? But behind the white-coated doctors stood a middle-aged man in a floral shirt who seemed very excited. ¡°He¡¯s still not dead? How can he not be dead after taking a bullet to the heart?¡± ¡°This kid is a Mirror Image Man, meaning his organs are reversed compared to a normal person. His heart is on the right side. Congratulations, boss¡­ This heart can fetch a hefty price.¡± The doctor¡¯s words plunged Gao Yi¡¯s heart further into an abyss. The boss laid his hand over Gao Yi¡¯s heart, where the beat was so faint it was nearly imperceptible. But with his experience, he could tell the heart was still beating. ¡°Fantastic!¡± the boss turned around and urgently said, ¡°We didn¡¯t prepare a transport box for the heart transplant; hurry and get one, quick! This is a heart that could be worth millions!¡± Listening clearly, Gao Yi had to understand the gravity of his situation. He had long known he was a Mirror Image Man. His survival up to this point was because the bullet meant for his heart had only struck a lung lobe. Nonetheless, a lung shot could still rob a person of their mobility. The main issue now wasn¡¯t the pain; the extreme weakness was the truly lethal element. There were no restraints on him, no anesthetic injections, because those who wanted his organs had considered him as good as dead. However, Gao Yi lacked the strength to stand. But Gao Yi was not in despair, nor was he confused; he knew what he had to do. He had to draw out the last vestiges of potential from his dying body. At five, he practiced Hsing Yi; at thirteen, he began learning Eight Trigram Palm; at sixteen, he started to master Baji Fist; at nineteen, he took up Heart Connect Technique. Gao Yi didn¡¯t practice mere forms; he was trained in genuine Kung Fu, with both form and function. Although a lifetime of Kung Fu couldn¡¯t stop a small bullet, as long as he wasn¡¯t dead, he had far more chances to create miracles than the average person. As long as he wasn¡¯t dead, there was a chance. The doctor didn¡¯t rush to operate because he needed to make thorough preparations¡ªpreserving a live heart demanded high standards. This gave Gao Yi a sliver of time, and time was exactly what he needed most now. Suddenly another voice rang out. ¡°Boss!¡± A man approached the one called boss, whispering, ¡°The furnace is ready for four; once he¡¯s done, we can put him right on.¡± Rage, extreme rage. He couldn¡¯t die, and even if death was inevitable, he made sure he¡¯d take down these organ traffickers first. At this time, the one referred to as the boss picked up a phone and began dialing. ¡°Hello, how¡¯s the match¡­ It matches? Fantastic! I have more good news¡ªthe donor¡¯s heart is intact! Because he¡¯s a Mirror Image Man, his heart is still usable!¡± The boss paused for a while, then cheerily continued, ¡°I¡¯ll start the procedure here immediately. Additionally, I suggest you negotiate a higher price with Mr. Matthews¡­ Trust me, there¡¯s a reason to raise the price.¡± The boss listened intently to whatever the person on the line said, then firmly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll keep it simple: the donor killed an assassin from the Andic Group barehanded, took a bullet to the lung, and has survived over three and a half hours. Doesn¡¯t this physical condition merit a higher price?¡± Gao Yi could hear the conversation. He felt no fear, only rage, coupled with an extreme sense of urgency. ¡°Everything is ready, boss.¡± ¡°The doctor is ready, I¡¯m about to make an incision, hurry up on your end,¡± he concluded. The boss ended the call, approached the operating table, and greedily appraised Gao Yi¡¯s body. Four people, eight eyes, at that moment all locked on Gao Yi. The boss rolled his neck, gestured with his hand, and then joyfully commanded, ¡°We¡¯ll take everything¡ªheart, liver, spleen, kidneys, even the corneas, especially the heart that¡¯s so valuable. You two must be careful.¡± After giving instructions, Fifth Brother began to retreat, lifting his phone to record Gao Yi, saying, ¡°Wait, let me get this on video¡­ Okay, now.¡± The doctor¡¯s knife descended toward Gao Yi. Gao Yi¡¯s eyes flew open. The doctor didn¡¯t notice Gao Yi¡¯s eyes because he wasn¡¯t looking at his face. In a burst of action that belied his grievous injuries, Gao Yi shot up a hand and grabbed the doctor¡¯s wrist. A shrill scream of terror escaped from the doctor he had grabbed. Gao Yi, with a speed incongruent with a mortally wounded man, sat up; his left hand, braced against the operating table, rose and twisted rapidly. Snatching the scalpel from the doctor¡¯s hand, he plunged it into the carotid sinus in the doctor¡¯s neck. A move both foreign and familiar. Familiar because Gao Yi had practiced it countless times; foreign because he had never used it against another person before. Blood began to spray, covering Gao Yi¡¯s head and face. As the doctor on the right collapsed, Gao Yi twisted to his side, driving the scalpel straight into the left doctor¡¯s eye. The blade sank in as his palm, resting on the scalpel¡¯s end, shoved forward until the hilt buried itself, and his hand rammed into the doctor¡¯s face. The two standing by the operating table froze in shock. The middle-aged man, the boss, took an instinctive step back¡ªbut only one step. Gao Yi felt slow, weak, and helpless. The intense sense of powerlessness was disagreeable to Gao Yi, who had never felt so drained in his life. Lacking strength, he chose the most energy-efficient method, targeting the most vulnerable spots of his enemy. Gao Yi¡¯s seemingly feeble fingers jabbed directly at the boss¡¯s eye sockets. But to the boss, Gao Yi¡¯s movements seemed inconceivably fast. His fingers met slight resistance and, despite his current weakness, it was not something as delicate as an eyeball could withstand. Blinding an enemy couldn¡¯t immediately be fatal, but it was the quickest way to neutralize their combat effectiveness. A piercing scream erupted. Gao Yi, on the left, with a tray full of surgical instruments within reach, had already grabbed another scalpel as the boss raised his arms wildly. Gao Yi¡¯s hand penetrated the defensive arms, stabbing into the boss¡¯s throat, then slicing through half his neck. One more person remained, who finally drew a pistol from within his clothing. If not for Gao Yi¡¯s severe injury, this person would have had no chance to draw the weapon. Gao Yi could only muster the effort to keep himself from collapsing; he had no more strength to throw a punch. No strength, but fortunately still skilled. Leaning forward, Gao Yi¡¯s right hand shot upward, suddenly seizing two spherical objects and crushing them. The monkey stealing the peaches: a move he had never had occasion to use, nor had he thought highly of, yet in his extreme weakness it became a lifesaving technique. All he could manage was a darkening before his eyes and a spinning head. Another screech rang out as the man, finally armed with a gun, doubled over in pain and started convulsing uncontrollably, inadvertently bringing his head within striking distance of Gao Yi. Right hand stealing peaches, left hand brandishing the scalpel, plunged into the neck of his final opponent. None of this took much effort, but it still made Gao Yi feel the room spin around him. He leaned on the operating table, waiting for the intense dizziness to subside, gathering enough strength to act. The first thing he did was take the gun into his grasp. After all, a gun is best; a mere pull of the trigger can take a life. He had never touched a gun back in his own country, had never even seen one. But Gao Yi at least knew how to shoot. With a gun in hand, no matter how weak, one still had the power to fight back. The earlier screams likely drew attention, and Gao Yi could already hear footsteps. He lay on the ground, hiding the pistol behind the bodies. Just as he finished this, the door was suddenly kicked open. People shouted loudly, but no one entered; now, there appeared to be only five corpses in the room. Yes, Gao Yi looked more like a dead man with his bare body, chest wound, and face smeared with blood. Two confused individuals entered one after the other. One held a gun, the other brandished an iron hook. They spoke rapidly, horror-stricken, yet Gao Yi couldn¡¯t understand them. As they entered simultaneously, Gao Yi raised his hand; a gunshot rang out, and the person with the gun trembled violently and collapsed cleanly. At less than three meters, even a novice shooter could hit the head of a man. The gun remained effective; Gao Yi pulled the trigger again. The bullet hit the man with the iron hook, but the second shot was less impactful. The man rushed Gao Yi, bringing down the hook with force. Another shot, and yet another¡ªGao Yi fired twice in rapid succession, then swiftly ducked his head as the iron hook slammed with force next to his ear into the tile. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Uncontrolled, the hook-wielding man toppled over alongside Gao Yi. The gun barrel rested atop the man¡¯s head, and with a final shot, the fourth bullet finally ended the last adversary. Gao Yi breathed deeply. Blood frothed from his mouth and the bullet wound on his chest. He didn¡¯t know if the gunfire would attract more people, but he now had no energy for anything else. Gao Yi glanced around and assessed his surroundings. The room wasn¡¯t large but quite bare, with white tiled walls and floors, containing only an operating table, several machines around it, and a couple of stands. No windows were visible to see outside, but Gao Yi surmised there had to be a cremation furnace somewhere. Struggling, he rose and grabbed a wad of cotton from a stand beside the operating table. Stuffing the cotton into his chest wound, Gao Yi experienced an excruciating pain that seemed to tear at his soul. Trembling uncontrollably, he managed to pack the wound, which, perhaps psychologically, appeared to prevent the loss of air through the bullet hole. He opened the door slowly and looked out. Clearly, beyond lay a temple, and where the base of a pagoda should be, firelight flickered. In the temple, it was called a reliquary pagoda; outside, it was known as a cremation furnace. The bodies burning in the furnace and Gao Yi were unrelated. Looking around, there were no other living souls¡ªexpectedly, not many would be needed where evidence needed to be destroyed so thoroughly. So, was it finally time to seek help? Chapter 2 - 2 2 Emergency Call ?2: Chapter 2 Emergency Call 2: Chapter 2 Emergency Call Gao Yi returned to the operating room and struggled to squat down to pick up the boss¡¯s fallen mobile phone. The mobile phone was still operating and had not gone black; the screen displayed an ongoing video recording when he picked it up. Gao Yi just wanted to make a call for help as soon as possible. He unhesitatingly exited the video recording function, but after exiting video mode, what he saw was an English APP page. Below the option to submit the video was a submission box marked with ¡°ok.¡± Gao Yi just wanted to make a call quickly. He swiped up to reveal the back button and chose to exit the page directly. He couldn¡¯t call the police or make emergency calls directly because Gao Yi felt that under these circumstances, it was best to seek help from the embassy. But Gao Yi quickly realized that he couldn¡¯t make the call. After dialing, there was no response at all, not a sound from the phone, no matter how much he pressed, the phone¡¯s essential calling function had no response. The number was definitely correct; Gao Yi had memorized the embassy¡¯s 24-hour helpline. The owner of the phone had been making calls earlier, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem with the phone. Gao Yi switched to the emergency number, dialed again, but the result was the same; the calls could not go through. Could it be a problem with the SIM card, or perhaps this phone was never meant for making calls. Having tried twice and with no time to waste, Gao Yi set the mobile phone back on the ground. He crawled around the room, trying to find another phone. But there were four corpses in the room, and only the boss had a mobile phone on him. Two more bodies were outside, but at this moment, Gao Yi was seeing stars; he knew he had reached his limit and could pass out again at any time, or even die. He could only pick up the unusable phone again, but this time Gao Yi didn¡¯t dial numbers in vain; he brought up the interface he had closed to run in the background. If the boss hadn¡¯t been making a call, then he must have been using a communication app. The page had no call function, but after Gao Yi backed out of the page, several more options appeared on it. The page was exceptionally simplistic, and although it was in English, Gao Yi could roughly understand. There were four options in total: Complete, Fail, Help, and one marked SOS. The bottom option was the red font SOS, which implies an emergency distress signal. Emergency distress? This phone belonged to the head of a criminal organization involved in human organ trafficking, he was just using this phone to contact someone, so who could this emergency distress be for? It couldn¡¯t possibly be meant for a victim like himself, right? But Gao Yi pressed it without hesitation. He was going to die anyway, so what harm was there in trying? If this was a platform, then the people Gao Yi was asking for help from had nothing to do with the boss he had just taken down, and that meant there was hope for rescue. If those who respond to the emergency signal were the boss¡¯s associates, then Gao Yi really didn¡¯t mind taking down two more if he had the chance. Calls couldn¡¯t get through, but after selecting the emergency distress option on the page, it only took a few seconds before Gao Yi heard a faint voice through the phone¡¯s earpiece. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Gao Yi heard the voice, saw hope, but he wasn¡¯t very good at speaking English now, not completely incapable, but he had some problems with communication. ¡°help me, save me¡­¡± Instinctively uttering his native language, after waiting for a moment, the person on the other end immediately responded in not very fluent Chinese, ¡°You¡­ er¡­ need¡­ help, or rescue.¡± The words were spoken haltingly, but each was pronounced distinctly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been shot¡­ save me¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I will locate your position, how much¡­ amount are you willing to pay, oh no, I mean how much reward money?¡± Gao Yi hesitated for a moment, then tentatively said, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have any money.¡± ¡°Good luck to you.¡± ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t have money now¡­ if you save me, then I will have money, I offer, I offer US$ 100,000?¡± Gao Yi really didn¡¯t understand what these words meant, neither did he know how much it would cost to save his life, so he tried stating an amount. ¡°Okay, USD 100,000, please wait, I will find people willing to help you for rescue, will you move from your location?¡± US$ 100,000? Actually, the unit Gao Yi had quoted wasn¡¯t in US Dollar, but now didn¡¯t seem like the time to correct that. ¡°I can¡¯t move, hurry, I¡­ am dying¡­¡± ¡°Understood, the reward has been posted. For you to be better assisted, can you describe where you¡¯ve been shot?¡± ¡°Chest, lung, lung¡­¡± ¡°Okay, good luck again, goodbye.¡± The customer service representative¡¯s Chinese got more fluent, but he didn¡¯t mean to say more, the call ended abruptly. Gao Yi didn¡¯t know who he was asking for help, but now it seemed unlikely they were associates of the boss; it felt more like a reward platform, and this gave him some hope. He didn¡¯t throw the phone away, as it would provide the fastest confirmation of his status as someone seeking help. He placed the handgun on the ground, hid it beneath the surgeon¡¯s white coat at an arm¡¯s reach. After doing this, Gao Yi sat down by the operating table. He closed his eyes and didn¡¯t move. Gao Yi looked very much like he was completely dead, but he wasn¡¯t only alive; he was even conscious. If the person coming was a savior, that would be the best outcome; if they were associates of the boss, Gao Yi wanted to take a couple more down with him. About half an hour later, soft footsteps approached again. Someone hurried to the doorway but did not enter. After observing for a while, finally someone entered the blood-filled operating room. Using the corner of his eye¡¯s faint light, Gao Yi saw that it was a caucasian man. The caucasian walked into the operating room, first looked around, saw the several corpses on the ground, and finally his gaze settled on Gao Yi slumped against the operating table. Gao Yi was naked, and the gunshot wound above his left chest was apparent, as was the mobile phone in his hand. Shot in the heart, he should be dead by now, and he also appeared to be dead. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But dead people don¡¯t seek help. The caucasian looked puzzled, but he approached Gao Yi without hesitation, first reaching over to pull out Gao Yi¡¯s mobile phone, and then his right hand immediately pressed down on Gao Yi¡¯s neck. While the caucasian bent down to inspect Gao Yi¡¯s gunshot wound, he suddenly kicked out, booting the handgun hidden beneath the doctor¡¯s coat away. ¡°Hid a gun, still thinking of fighting back¡­ Eh?¡± After a surprised gasp, the caucasian shouted, ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet, come in.¡± Two Southeast Asians who had been guarding the entrance promptly slipped inside, one of them looking at Gao Yi and frowning, ¡°This is the target we¡¯re supposed to save? But he¡¯s already dead.¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s not dead yet.¡± ¡°How could he not die with a gunshot to the heart.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s not a gunshot to the heart.¡± The Southeast Asian also pressed his hand on Gao Yi¡¯s neck for a while, then exclaimed in surprise, ¡°He¡¯s really not dead.¡± Once they confirmed Gao Yi was still alive, the Southeast Asian whispered, ¡°He¡¯s not dead now, but the chances of him surviving are slim, and we can¡¯t get paid for a dead man, give up, this mission won¡¯t get any reward money.¡± Hearing this, Gao Yi could be sure. That website was a reward platform, and these people were indeed here to rescue him. Gao Yi opened his eyes slightly and then spoke in an extremely weak voice, ¡°Save me, will give money¡­¡± Both men stepped back, clearly startled, and the Southeast Asian began cursively whispering in Thai, while the caucasian was extremely surprised, exclaimed, ¡°He can still talk!¡± Gao Yi strained to lift his eyelids, once again weakly saying, ¡°Save me¡­ will give money¡­¡± The caucasian was both shocked and delighted, immediately replying, ¡°Did you kill these people? You took them down after being shot?¡± With the current situation, what was the point in denying it? Gao Yi said powerlessly, ¡°Yes.¡± The caucasian seemed to make a decision, speaking urgently, ¡°I can save you, but your medical fees are extra, not included in the reward money!¡± Gao Yi no longer had the strength to nod; he could only whisper, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Deal means the agreement is concluded; hearing this word, Gao Yi finally let go of the breath he was holding. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t persist any longer, his head tilted, and he finally passed out. The caucasian eagerly flipped Gao Yi¡¯s eyelids and felt for the pulse on his neck; he had to make sure whether Gao Yi had fainted or died. Confirming Gao Yi still had a faint pulse, the caucasian immediately said, ¡°Save him, I¡¯ll prepay the medical fees, I¡¯ll also advance you twenty thousand dollars, even if he dies, you can still get twenty thousand dollars, if he lives, I¡¯ll pay you the full forty thousand dollars, whether he¡¯s dead or alive you won¡¯t lose.¡± The one with the gun agreed without hesitation, ¡°Alright, the only question is, do you have the money?¡± The caucasian exhaled and instinctively rubbed his nose, assertively replying, ¡°Yes!¡± The Southeast Asians gave a nod, shouting loudly, ¡°Bring him to the car, emergency, to the hospital!¡± Two more Southeast Asians entered the room, slinging their guns behind their backs, they lifted Gao Yi quickly and left through the door. And the caucasian didn¡¯t rush to leave; he began to examine the corpses meticulously, and with each inspection of a corpse, he became more excited. The caucasian was thrilled, while the Southeast Asian looked on with a worried expression, whispering to the side, ¡°We should leave quickly, don¡¯t attract trouble.¡± The caucasian confidently said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s secluded here, no one will come for a short while, fancy making some extra cash?¡± The Southeast Asians looked wary towards the caucasian, asking carefully, ¡°Extra cash?¡± ¡°This is the waste disposal site, these dead are Scavengers, the Dark Web is willing to pay for the destruction of this scene. Would you like to earn this money? If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯ll handle the business.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just cleaning the site, of course.¡± The caucasian immediately picked up the phone, the interface he opened was almost identical to what Gao Yi had seen, with just a few more options. He tapped the phone a couple of times, after entering a page, he made a voice call to an online human customer service. Shortly after, the caucasian whispered, ¡°I¡¯m reporting a possible information leak at the waste disposal site, all Scavengers are dead, now I can clean up the traces, may I ask how much reward money the Dark Web is willing to offer?¡± ¡°Twenty thousand dollars, final payment after performance evaluation.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± The caucasian hung up the call and said to the Southeast Asian, ¡°Four thousand, we split two thousand each, just need to burn everything here with gasoline, isn¡¯t this an easy way to make money?¡± Chapter 3 - 3 3 Im Going to Earn This Money ?3: Chapter 3 I¡¯m Going to Earn This Money 3: Chapter 3 I¡¯m Going to Earn This Money Gao Yi woke up. It hurt, and he felt extremely weak, but this time his back wasn¡¯t ice-cold. As he gently opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the IV drip hanging above him. Looking down from the IV drip, he saw the infusion tube, then a machine, and following the machine, his eyes landed on a man sitting in the corner. Why am I here, what happened? Gao Yi, just having woken up, was somewhat groggy, but with just a little recollection, memories rushed in like the tide, causing him a wave of heartache. He truly felt the pain in his heart because Gao Yi suddenly realized he hadn¡¯t actually been rescued. The man sitting in the corner, that was the creditor! Gao Yi wasn¡¯t the type to default on his debts, but it seemed he had promised a compensation of one hundred thousand dollars. Ten dollars, he could think of a way to obtain that, but one hundred thousand dollars, even if Gao Yi were beaten to death, he wouldn¡¯t have it. One hundred thousand dollars was equivalent to 600,000 yuan. Six hundred thousand¡ªwhat could he sell to get that amount? Gao Yi hadn¡¯t been afraid even when close to death, but now, he was truly frightened. The upcoming scene wouldn¡¯t be a problem for those debtors unwilling to pay up, but for Gao Yi, who felt uncomfortable owing even a penny, he was afraid of the embarrassment of being pressed for debts he couldn¡¯t repay. His brain frantically working, Gao Yi¡¯s mind flashed through countless thoughts but did not entertain the idea of defaulting. If he didn¡¯t want to default, then he had no choice, he had to face it bravely. Gao Yi decided to at least greet the man first. ¡°Er¡­ah¡­¡± His throat was dry and painful, like there was a lump of charcoal stuck in it. He wanted to speak, but when he opened his mouth, only strange noises came out. The sound that Gao Yi made immediately caught the attention of the caucasian man. The man woke up, raised his head, looked at Gao Yi in the hospital bed, and then suddenly stood up and quickly stepped closer to him. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°Water¡­¡± His voice was extremely hoarse, but finally, Gao Yi managed to get a word out. The caucasian man seemed to be prepared; he took a straw from the bedside, and placed it directly into Gao Yi¡¯s mouth. ¡°Drink, you¡¯re finally awake! You¡¯ve made it!¡± He wasn¡¯t thirsty, but the dryness in his throat finally got some relief, and Gao Yi didn¡¯t drink too much water before releasing the straw. The caucasian man happily and contentedly said, ¡°The bounty is one hundred thousand dollars, medical expenses are 31,046 USD. How will you be paying? Just to let you know, I don¡¯t take checks!¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. After hesitating for a long time, he finally whispered, ¡°My belongings, my documents¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been cleared by Scavenger, all your possessions including documents and bank cards must have been burnt. But don¡¯t tell me without these things, you cannot pay the bounty.¡± An excuse? Yes, everything being burnt was the best excuse. Gao Yi suddenly felt a sense of relief, then, with a look of shock, he said, ¡°Everything¡¯s burnt? Then I really can¡¯t pay you, I¡¯m sorry¡­ But don¡¯t worry, I will definitely pay you.¡± Gao Yi spoke in English, and his English was not good, so he stuttered slightly. The caucasian man¡¯s face fell, he said indifferently, ¡°To save you, I¡¯ve advanced 31,046 USD in medical costs, plus, I¡¯ve prepaid twenty thousand dollars in rescue funds to our partner. Now that you¡¯re alive, it means I need to pay the remaining twenty thousand dollars immediately.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s complexion started to look ugly as he swallowed hard. The caucasian man said sternly, ¡°I haven¡¯t received the one hundred thousand dollars you promised, yet I¡¯ve already fronted 71,046 USD, and according to the emergency assistance clause, the Dark Web won¡¯t give me a single dollar. If I can¡¯t get the money, all the loss is on me, so now I only have one question.¡± His eyes shifted downward, staring intently into Gao Yi¡¯s eyes, then the caucasian man said very severely, ¡°Do you have the money?¡± Gao Yi closed his eyes; his mind was in disarray, and finally, he whispered as soft as a mosquito buzz, ¡°No, not at the moment¡­¡± Opening his eyes, but not daring to meet the caucasian man¡¯s gaze, Gao Yi whispered, ¡°But I will definitely repay you, I mean, I will will give you the full amount.¡± The caucasian man was not in a hurry; he looked at Gao Yi for a long time and then suddenly said, ¡°Actually, I anticipated this situation, yet, I still chose to save you.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t need to think much to understand. There had to be payback for the effort; since the man saved him not for money, naturally, he saw some use in Gao Yi. ¡°Let me introduce myself, my name is Luca Traus, I¡¯m a broker. So, what¡¯s your identity? Assassin, mercenary, Scavenger, arms dealer? Intelligence merchant?¡± Luca leaned in a bit, then said seriously, ¡°Since you¡¯ve used the Dark Web for help, you¡¯re not just a target that needs to be cleared, are you?¡± Gao Yi responded to Luca with silence. Luca didn¡¯t look disappointed or angry; he even smiled. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t keep silent anymore; he whispered, ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary person, but since you were willing to save me, then you must have a solution for me not having money to pay you, right?¡± Luca said easily, ¡°Yes, I have a big job in hand, I need a Chinese assassin who specializes in unarmed close-quarters killings, and you fit the bill very well. Most importantly, the mission has a bounty of one million dollars, one million!¡± After emphasizing one million, Luca waved his hand and said, ¡°I have no interest in probing your origins or knowing your secrets. Now I take on this big job, I will handle its operation, we get the bounty and each of us takes half. That way, not only will you have money to repay me, but you¡¯ll also make a considerable profit. What do you say, partnership?¡± Chapter 4 - 4 3 Im Sure to Earn This Money_2 ?4: Chapter 3 I¡¯m Sure to Earn This Money_2 4: Chapter 3 I¡¯m Sure to Earn This Money_2 Indeed, it should be that way, and it was that way. Gao Yi came to terms with the situation and, without any hesitation, said, ¡°I am not an assassin, but I can collaborate with you. However, you need to answer some of my questions first.¡± ¡°As a partner, I can answer many questions for free, but if you refuse to cooperate, then I¡¯ll have to charge. I must make that clear upfront.¡± Whether he charged or not didn¡¯t really matter; I couldn¡¯t pay much anyway. The most pressing question for Gao Yi was still what exactly had happened. But how should he ask that question? After pondering for a moment, Gao Yi asked gravely, ¡°Who were the people trying to kill me yesterday?¡± Luca smiled and said, ¡°First, let me correct a mistake: you¡¯ve been unconscious for four days, so it wasn¡¯t yesterday. The people you killed are Scavengers, those responsible for disposing of bodies and cleaning up traces.¡± Gao Yi said urgently, ¡°No, not those I killed; the ones who shot me.¡± Luca took out a cell phone, which was indeed the one Gao Yi had found on the body of a Scavenger and used to call for help. ¡°This phone was taken from you. It contains some information you might want. First, those Scavengers received a temporary mission from the Dark Web, commissioned by a high-level account. As far as I know, this account is closely related to the Andic Group.¡± After he finished speaking, Luca placed the phone on the bedside table next to Gao Yi, then said seriously, ¡°The Andic Group¡¯s assassins were responsible for finishing you off, while the local Scavengers, who also deal in organ trading, were supposed to clean up after you. This is a reasonable guess. Now tell me, why does the Andic Group want you dead!¡± Gao Yi shook his head in confusion. Luca said earnestly, ¡°I have no intention of prying into your background or discovering your secrets. I haven¡¯t even asked for your name. But since we¡¯re going to collaborate, I need to know what kind of trouble you¡¯ve gotten into. So, please be honest.¡± Gao Yi wore an expression of helplessness and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m just a tourist in Thailand; I haven¡¯t caused any trouble. I just found a boxing gym because I wanted to have an exchange with the people there.¡± ¡°What boxing gym?¡± ¡°KT Boxing Gym.¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A look of understanding immediately spread across Luca¡¯s face as he went on, ¡°Good, continue.¡± ¡°I had just entered the gym and didn¡¯t even know who to greet when suddenly two people burst in and started shooting everyone. I was shot, and by the time I passed out and woke up again, I was in an operating room about to have my organs harvested. Then¡­ you know the rest.¡± Luca, showing interest, said, ¡°Then you killed six Scavengers, posted a call for help on the Dark Web, and held on until I showed up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Luca exhaled and said, ¡°Which means, you were accidentally injured, or let¡¯s say, incidentally cleaned up?¡± Gao Yi was silent for a while, then nodded. Luca seemed much more at ease and said, ¡°That¡¯s a relief. It wouldn¡¯t be an issue for us if you were just a collateral accident. If you were the target of the Andic Group, that would be a huge problem. But since it was an accident, there¡¯s really no issue.¡± In a low voice, Gao Yi asked, ¡°What¡¯s the background of the Andic Group?¡± ¡°The Andic Group is an assassin organization, the biggest one. Once the Andic Group takes on a mission, it¡¯s sure to be completed. That¡¯s as good as dead.¡± Gao Yi had already heard of the Andic Group, just reconfirming what Luca had said. There¡¯s something he didn¡¯t know whether to mention or not: Gao Yi didn¡¯t only kill six Scavengers; he also killed two gunmen. After a moment of silence, Gao Yi asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you know who issued the order to the Andic Group?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Andic¡¯s business secret and the core secret of the Dark Web. How could they let me know? But I know that KT Boxing Gym is involved in Black Boxing. Perhaps it was someone who lost big money and got angry, so they hired the Andic Group to take out the boxer who caused their loss. This kind of thing is common.¡± For Gao Yi, such an unforeseeable catastrophe was akin to the sky falling, but for Luca, these events were quite common. Luca said casually, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to investigate your background, but at least give me a name, then tell me about your skills. That way, we can cooperate better.¡± A name was just a name, real or fake; obviously, Luca didn¡¯t care. Gao Yi looked at Luca, then suddenly said, ¡°My name is Gao Yi. My expertise is in Kung Fu. I have been practicing Kung Fu since I was five years old, without missing a single day.¡± Luca was startled for a moment, then pointing at Gao Yi, said, ¡°Wait, Kung Fu, Chinese Martial Arts? Are you telling me, you took out those Scavengers with Kung Fu?¡± ¡°Yeah, any problem with that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke; Kung Fu is just for show.¡± ¡°The Kung Fu I practice is meant for killing enemies, not just for show. Never mind, you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Luca said seriously, ¡°Yet, the way you took out those Scavengers looked more like an assassin¡¯s work. As for Kung Fu¡­ never mind. If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, that¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t try to fool me with that¡ªI¡¯d rather believe you¡¯re actually a Black Boxing fighter from KT Boxing Gym.¡± Gao Yi was already accustomed to the misunderstandings and stereotypes people had about Kung Fu. In the eyes of most people, the image of Kung Fu was highly polarized¡ªsome firmly believed that Kung Fu could do anything, even defy gravity, while others were certain that Kung Fu was nothing more than a scam. And those who thought Kung Fu was just a scam were becoming increasingly numerous because Kung Fu truly lacked any remarkable achievements to show off, at least not any that the general public could see. In their eyes, all the so-called Kung Fu Masters were frauds. Chapter 5 - 5 3 Im Sure to Earn This Money_3 ?5: Chapter 3 I¡¯m Sure to Earn This Money_3 5: Chapter 3 I¡¯m Sure to Earn This Money_3 So, it¡¯s no wonder Luca would say these things. Gao Yi sighed helplessly and said, ¡°The Kung Fu passed down in my family is Hsing Yi Boxing. My grandfather began teaching me Hsing Yi Boxing when I was five years old, and then when I was thirteen, he took me to learn the Eight Trigram Palm¡­¡± Luca laughed and said, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t care what Kung Fu you use, I only care about your ability to kill people with your bare hands. Okay, now let¡¯s talk about how we can collaborate, and speaking of collaboration¡­¡± Gao Yi said very seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me, I am talking about the inheritance of my school; this is a serious matter.¡± Luca had no choice but to make a gesture of invitation. Gao Yi continued, ¡°I started practicing Eight Trigram Palm at the age of thirteen, learned Meng Family Baji Fist at sixteen, and by nineteen, I had obtained the boxing manual and continued the Six Hearts Connect Technique, which had been interrupted for more than thirty years.¡± Gao Yi spoke very seriously and solemnly, even though he knew Luca couldn¡¯t understand a word, but this was about inheritance, and if he was going to talk about it, he couldn¡¯t omit a single detail; it was his duty as a Kung Fu inheritor. He had to let Luca listen to the end; it was a matter of etiquette and dignity. After finishing talking about his lineage, Gao Yi sighed and said, ¡°Kung Fu is a technique for killing, not quite like what is shown in the movies; it¡¯s not that magical, but it¡¯s more efficient.¡± Luca nodded continuously and said, ¡°Okay then, if you¡¯re good at Kung Fu, that means the Kung Fu is good. I actually only care if you can efficiently kill targets with your bare hands.¡± Gao Yi said, quite perplexed, ¡°But in my view, Kung Fu is useless in this era. I am strong, but just one bullet and I¡¯m dead. I¡¯ve survived until now only because my heart is in the wrong place.¡± To Luca, the things Gao Yi spoke of were somewhat disconcerting. ¡°You¡¯re wrong, how can Kung Fu be useless?¡± Luca said sincerely, ¡°Using a gun to kill is indeed very simple, but you have to understand, for an assassin, in the vast majority of situations, there¡¯s simply no opportunity to use a gun, not even a chance to carry or use any weapon.¡± ¡°Uh, that makes sense.¡± Luca said excitedly, ¡°You were born to be an assassin, you¡¯re a natural-born killer. Let¡¯s collaborate; Kung Fu can make you a lot of money!¡± Can Kung Fu really make money? Until today, Gao Yi had always been skeptical. The poor tend to be learned, the wealthy tend to be martial; practicing Kung Fu costs money. Since he was a child, Gao Yi had to eat better and more than others; food expenses were a major cost. He spent a great deal of energy on Kung Fu, and his academic performance in junior high was not good. He barely made it to high school, and eventually, he just graduated from a junior college with a degree in tourism management¡­ After graduation, he couldn¡¯t find a job. He was reluctant to work on a construction site, moving bricks, and felt that delivery work was too torturous. After many years of practicing Kung Fu, he had a skill and couldn¡¯t settle for these jobs. The best would be to be a movie star, but unfortunately, nowadays people don¡¯t watch Kung Fu movies anymore, and besides, Gao Yi¡¯s fighting style was not visually appealing. Then Gao Yi thought he could make a big income becoming an internet star, so he started live streaming. After three months, he gathered over 140 fans and made sixteen dollars before giving up. Streaming wasn¡¯t his thing, Gao Yi felt becoming a fighting star wouldn¡¯t be bad either. But training in real Kung Fu required a partner; as a child, it was Gao Yi¡¯s grandfather who partnered with him, but as he grew into his teens, his grandfather grew old and his health was not good, so he could no longer partner with him. By the time he reached college, there was no opportunity to compete or spar with anyone. Gao Yi began challenging online so-called Kung Fu masters who were popular on the internet, and each time, none of them made a sound after being challenged; everyone was a master online, but in person, everything was fake. The worst part was when one master just lay down upon engagement, and in the end, Gao Yi had no choice but to sell his house in the county and compensate that old fraud with one hundred thousand dollars. Then Gao Yi realized something, to become a fighting star, he could not spar with those traditional martial artists; there were too many charlatans. Then Gao Yi started looking for gyms, to fight those who practiced Sanda and mixed martial arts. This was the correct path until Gao Yi ended up injuring a Sanda instructor. Sanda could indeed fight, and you had to go all out. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t hold back and ended up paying four hundred thousand in compensation. Finally, Gao Yi thought it was better to come to Thailand because from what he saw online, the fighting environment here was much better. As long as he could enter a boxing gym, he could have sparring partners and get familiar with the rules and styles of the ring. Maybe one day he could become a big star. But then, he was shot once, and had his heart not been misplaced, he would have died. After so many years of practicing Kung Fu, all Gao Yi had was net earnings of eighty dollars and had hemorrhaged fifty-two thousand dollars, accumulating an external debt of one hundred thirteen thousand and forty-six dollars, and a bullet hole in his body. At this point, the only thing limiting Gao Yi¡¯s earning potential was a moral factor. There was nothing more to consider; Gao Yi looked at Luca and said, ¡°First tell me who that target worth one million dollars is. I also want to state upfront that if you want me to kill a good person, an ordinary person, I won¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Does a good person have a bounty of one million dollars?¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After questioning Gao Yi, Luca confidently said, ¡°The target is Gray Horace, a warlord from Liberia who has occupied a significant territory. His controlled territory is a living hell; he was tried in absentia by the neighboring country, Sierra Leone, for crimes against humanity and sentenced to four hundred sixty years. What do you think about taking out this kind of person?¡± Such a scumbag; killing him would be delivering divine justice! Gao Yi said without hesitation, ¡°We must collaborate; this money, I¡¯ll definitely make it!¡± Chapter 6 - 6 4 A Match Made in Heaven ?6: Chapter 4 A Match Made in Heaven 6: Chapter 4 A Match Made in Heaven Gao Yi finally found a way to make money that suited him perfectly, as if it were tailor-made for him. If Gao Yi weren¡¯t so well-suited to be an assassin, then Luca wouldn¡¯t have risked losing a lot of money to save him. Now that Gao Yi was alive, Luca¡¯s investment had a very promising return prospect. This was a match made in heaven. ¡°You¡¯ve made a very correct decision!¡± Luca was obviously very pleased, the moment Gao Yi agreed to cooperate, he seemed to have already seen a lot of money. For Gao Yi, now that he had decided to cooperate, he had to take the initiative. First, Gao Yi wanted to know what the Dark Web was all about. ¡°Now that we have agreed to cooperate, could you please tell me what the Dark Web is.¡± Without hesitation, Luca said, ¡°The Dark Web is a transaction platform, like the Amazon of the Underworld, except the items traded on the Dark Web include everything you can imagine, of course, all illegal.¡± ¡°Including assassin services?¡± ¡°Not just assassin services, but also mercenaries, intelligence, human trafficking, all illegal goods transactions, the Dark Web has everything you need.¡± ¡°Including emergency rescue services, like how you guys saved me?¡± Luca became a bit more serious and shook his head, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s slightly different. The emergency assistance service you chose is a perk offered by the Dark Web to platform partners or merchants.¡± ¡°What do you mean by perk?¡± ¡°All transactions on the Dark Web incur at least a 10% service fee, whereas the emergency assistance is free of charge; that¡¯s the perk.¡± ¡°Can anyone use it?¡± ¡°Only Dark Web registered merchants can use this feature; ordinary users don¡¯t get to enjoy this perk.¡± Gao Yi looked at the phone Luca had placed beside him and asked, ¡°Is it a special phone? Or can ordinary phones access the Dark Web?¡± ¡°Ordinary phones can access the Dark Web. What you¡¯re holding is a Dark Web registered Scavenger¡¯s phone, the lowest level Scavenger. His phone doesn¡¯t have identification features, so you could use it to ask for help, but some higher-level merchants and high-tier clients have custom phones that can identify users and even self-destruct.¡± Gao Yi picked up the phone that he had taken from the Scavenger, pressed it, and it remained dark. Luca shrugged, ¡°Even if you could hack this phone, without the account name and password, you definitely can¡¯t access the Dark Web.¡± Gao Yi put down the phone with a wry smile, ¡°Then why did you give me this phone?¡± ¡°The items you¡¯re holding, of course, need to be returned to you, that¡¯s basic professional courtesy in the service industry.¡± ¡°Service industry¡­¡± Well, an assassin is indeed in the service industry. Gao Yi took a look at Luca and asked, ¡°So, are you an assassin?¡± ¡°I¡¯m registered as an assassin on the Dark Web, but I¡¯m just a middleman, or an intermediary, you can call me a broker if you like, but I never take on assassin work personally.¡± Luca was quite forthright, and Gao Yi liked people who were honest. ¡°Then can I¡­ register an account on the Dark Web?¡± ¡°You can register as an ordinary user at any time, but if you want to register as a service or supplier, there are only two ways: an invitation from the Dark Web or a recommendation by a high-tier registered user.¡± Luca spread his hands, ¡°But I don¡¯t recommend you register, because there are many police officers from different countries fishing on the Dark Web, or intelligence agencies. Once you register, you¡¯re basically stuck in the Underworld.¡± That was a problem. Gao Yi really did want to make a big score, but what he was thinking was to take the money home afterwards and enjoy it as a legal and public citizen. After all, Gao Yi was a man born under the red flag, and so far, he had never actively wanted to do anything illegal, so entering the Underworld as a registered assassin was somewhat naturally repulsive to him. If he didn¡¯t register, then he could only take jobs through Luca, but that wasn¡¯t a problem either. Gao Yi owed Luca money and could only pay off the debt after making money through this cooperation; even if he wanted to register, Luca wouldn¡¯t agree, nor would he be likely to recommend him. So whether to register or not could be decided after this mission was over. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Okay, I think I get it. You take an assassination job from the Dark Web, and I carry it out. Then we split the commission, is that how it is?¡± ¡°Yes, but let me first explain, according to the rules of the trade, as a middleman, I can charge up to 30% of the service fee, but this time we are partners. I am not just responsible for taking on the job, but also for the initial intelligence work and the post-mission extraction, so splitting the commission is very reasonable and fair, do you agree?¡± Luca only mentioned whether splitting was fair, but he didn¡¯t mention the fact that he had saved Gao Yi¡¯s life. In Gao Yi¡¯s view, since Luca had saved his life and even fronted the money at risk, based on these, the two of them should split the commission. ¡°I agree, an even split is quite fair.¡± Luca nodded and smiled, ¡°I had a feeling when I saw you that I had to save you. After saving you, I was sure to make a fortune!¡± ¡°Uh, actually, you didn¡¯t need to add that last part¡­¡± Gao Yi was once again impressed by Luca¡¯s honesty, and then he reluctantly said, ¡°Then tell me about the details of this mission.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush on this; we can talk about it once you¡¯ve fully recovered.¡± ¡°But in my current state, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything for at least two months, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay; this public job has a long deadline, and right now, I also need to collect information on the target, which takes some time. It coincides nicely with you recuperating.¡± Luca seemed reluctant to explain in detail, and Gao Yi felt he couldn¡¯t force the issue, he thought for a moment and suddenly asked, ¡°What do you mean by a public job that anyone can take?¡± ¡°A public job means it¡¯s available to everyone; it¡¯s just posted on the assassin¡¯s trading platform. Whether it¡¯s one of those assassin organizations ranked at the top on the Dark Web, or a newcomer assassin like you, anyone can take on the job. There are no restrictions on methods or time; whoever completes it within the bounty period gets the money, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Besides public jobs, are there any other types of jobs?¡± ¡°Of course, there are also custom jobs directly linked to assassin organizations; for example, the target must not be found to have died from murder, or the target must drown¡ªthings like that.¡± Gao Yi wanted to ask Luca if the job he wanted to take on was difficult, but he felt it was not appropriate to ask just after waking up. What if Luca said the job was very dangerous, with a high likelihood of death? Should Gao Yi refuse or continue the partnership? So it was best not to ask this question for now. Gao Yi pondered for a while and then suddenly asked, ¡°Public jobs can be taken by anyone; how do you verify who took down the target? How do you collect the bounty? Like those Scavengers, when they were going to kill me, they used a phone to record, is video verification needed?¡± Luca smiled, ¡°You¡¯re quite clever. Yes, some jobs do require Dark Web verification, and it¡¯s with the Dark Web¡¯s own recording feature. You can¡¯t just submit a video as evidence. As for photos, they¡¯re even less likely. There have been cases of deceiving employers and the Dark Web to pay with fake videos. Since then, photos and videos have both been disqualified as evidence.¡± It made sense; the employer wasn¡¯t going to personally verify if the target was truly dead, and nowadays, with powerful software, the person on the other end of a video call might be fake; naturally, a video or photo cannot be taken as evidence alone. Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying we have to live stream it to the Dark Web? Doesn¡¯t that mean it can only be done by two people acting simultaneously?¡± Luca shook his head, ¡°Not necessarily, there are many ways to do it, but most public jobs indeed have to be live-streamed, and then the Dark Web sends the saved video to the employer, guaranteeing its authenticity.¡± Gao Yi frowned, ¡°So, I¡¯ve got to record it, huh? That¡¯s evidence of the crime, right? Being an assassin is such a hassle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hassle, but what money in this world is easy to make?¡± Again, speechless. After a moment¡¯s silence, Gao Yi finally said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s act once I¡¯m healed. Um, if the target is taken down by someone else before I¡¯m healed, there¡¯s no need to go, right?¡± ¡°If someone beats us to it, then we¡¯re just out of luck.¡± Luca looked at his watch, then with a look of resignation, said, ¡°Alright, now I have to go and settle the final payment. If I delay any longer, people will start getting anxious. You rest up, this place is very safe, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything. I wish you a speedy recovery, goodbye.¡± Chapter 7 - 7 5 Naturally ?7: Chapter 5 Naturally 7: Chapter 5 Naturally Gao Yi¡¯s periods of consciousness grew longer, and his sleeping spells shorter. However, the days he awoke were not easy, for there was nothing Gao Yi could do while conscious. No phone, no television, just a nurse to exchange a few words with, but the nurse spoke only Thai, and besides greeting her with ¡°Sawadeeka¡±, Gao Yi had nothing else to say. Moreover, although the nurse was a woman, she was short, dark, overweight, and unattractive! It was not until the fifth day of Gao Yi¡¯s awakening, when he could finally sit up in bed instead of just lying down, that Luca finally returned. Upon entering and seeing Gao Yi sitting up, a smile appeared on Luca¡¯s face. Closing the door of the hospital room, he stood at the entrance and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re recovering well. Your injuries were severe, sitting up so soon is quite remarkable.¡± Gao Yi had been eagerly anticipating Luca¡¯s arrival, so he was genuinely excited and quickly said, ¡°You finally came, why did you disappear after leaving? Can you get me a phone? I¡¯m just lying in bed all day, and it¡¯s incredibly boring.¡± Luca spread his hands and replied, ¡°The doctor has forbidden you from using a phone. It¡¯s not good for your recovery. Just bear with it for a few more days until you¡¯re better.¡± Gao Yi paused for a moment and finally said, ¡°Alright¡­¡± Without hesitation, Luca continued, ¡°I came today to check on you and to pay the bill. Your medical expenses are now $36,422 USD.¡± Not seeing him for days, and Luca¡¯s opening was to remind Gao Yi how much money he owed. Gao Yi was stunned for a moment, then realized he was indeed afraid of hearing those numbers. ¡°That expensive¡­¡± Luca seemed offended and immediately replied, ¡°Expensive? Do you think this is expensive? In the United States, you¡¯d have to add a zero at the end! The medical standard in Thailand is quite good and comparatively cheap. You need to understand your situation; it¡¯s illegal for the doctors to treat you, it is¡­ well, pretty expensive.¡± Previously saying it wasn¡¯t expensive because the medical fees in Thailand are not considered high, and the standard is relatively high in Southeast Asia. Changing his statement to ¡®expensive¡¯ because Luca remembered it was he who had advanced the money. Gao Yi felt quite ashamed: ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, I just blurted it out. I don¡¯t have money, and I feel bad for always making you advance the payments, I really do feel embarrassed.¡± Luca¡¯s expression eased a bit, but he still stood by the door, sizing up Gao Yi for a moment before suddenly asking, ¡°You¡¯re not having second thoughts, are you?¡± Gao Yi looked puzzled and replied, ¡°Second thoughts? What second thoughts? Oh, you mean you¡¯re worried I won¡¯t cooperate? No such thing, I¡¯m a man of my word, I never go back on it.¡± Luca nodded, then he smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Rest up, I¡¯ll go talk to the doctor. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ you¡¯re leaving already?¡± Luca opened the door backwards and retreated out of the room, then closed the door behind him. The hospital room wasn¡¯t very large, but there must have been at least four or five meters between the bed and the door. If Luca really just came to visit Gao Yi, he should have come closer to the bedside to talk. Gao Yi sat on the bed, stunned, staring at the door when suddenly an idea struck him. Luca always stood by the door because he was on guard! Even after being near death from a gunshot, Gao Yi had killed six people. Although his injury hadn¡¯t fully healed and he couldn¡¯t even get out of bed, Luca still felt the need to be cautious. No wonder Luca never got close after entering the room. Realizing this, Gao Yi wasn¡¯t angry. Right, assassins are always highly cautious, and since Luca was also Gao Yi¡¯s creditor, his caution would be even greater. After all, if Gao Yi suddenly attacked Luca and then dragged his greatly healed body out, it wouldn¡¯t be an impossible scenario. This let Gao Yi to deduce that Luca¡¯s refusal to give him a phone to pass time wasn¡¯t out of concern for his health. Luca¡¯s big-money mission was to assassinate a warlord named Gray Horace. Since he was a warlord, he would likely be a high-profile figure, possibly identifiable with an internet search. If Horace were a simple character, Luca wouldn¡¯t need to invest in the seriously injured Gao Yi. So it was quite simple: Gray Horace must be a dangerous character of high threat, and Luca probably feared that Gao Yi would refuse to cooperate once he knew this. Having understood all this, Gao Yi still wasn¡¯t angry. He just marveled at how cunning the underworld could be. But then, thinking about it, could underworld figures afford to be straightforward? Putting himself in Luca¡¯s shoes, Gao Yi thought Luca might be feeling quite troubled at this moment. A close-combat partner who was superbly formidable, whose background and history were unknown, completely unfamiliar and without any trust¡­ How would Luca control him once he fully recovered? How would Luca ensure that he would definitely repay the debt, or for that matter, ensure that he wouldn¡¯t just kill him? Now, Gao Yi felt it was justified for Luca to be cautious, but then, if Luca was wary of him, should he be wary of Luca too? Thinking it over, this problem wasn¡¯t easy to resolve. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So, what could Luca do to break this stalemate? Or in other words, what could he do to build some initial confidence? If Luca couldn¡¯t establish trust, then what should he do? Gao Yi pondered long about this, putting himself in Luca¡¯s shoes, the only way seemed to be letting him see the possibility of making a lot of money from cooperation. It was about temptation, but a mutually beneficial kind, not just giving money. That was what Gao Yi thought, and on the tenth day, he got his answer. That day, with the nurse¡¯s help, Gao Yi managed to get up from bed and walk a few steps, and had just lain down again when Luca arrived. He knocked on the door first and then pushed it open, pausing for a moment in the doorway. This allowed Gao Yi to see the two Southeast Asians standing behind him. They looked robust, with bulges around their waists¡ªsurely they were armed. Luca didn¡¯t close the door this time, he took a few steps forward and stood at the foot of Gao Yi¡¯s bed, his face full of concern as he said, ¡°You can get out of bed now, that¡¯s really quick. Ah, your medical expenses are 45,000 USD, I¡¯ve just paid off all the outstanding balance. Your medical bill won¡¯t get any longer.¡± Gao Yi glanced at the two Southeast Asians at the door and thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Your friends?¡± ¡°Oh yes, my two friends.¡± This time Luca had brought bodyguards. Thinking about it, it made sense. The first time they met, Gao Yi had just woken up, so Luca dared to stand by his bed. The next time he was awake and could sit up, Luca only dared to stand by the door. This time, since Gao Yi could leave the bed, it was natural for Luca to bring bodyguards to intimidate him a bit. Should he speak frankly or play dumb? Gao Yi decided it was better to be straightforward to avoid Luca feeling tense every time they met, which wasn¡¯t good for their cooperation. ¡°I have a disease, a very serious one.¡± Luca stared at Gao Yi, his face showing fear as he trembled, ¡°You have a disease on top of your injuries? What kind?¡± Luca¡¯s voice started to tremble. ¡°Poverty disease.¡± ¡°Poverty disease? What do you mean?¡± Never mind, Luca didn¡¯t catch the joke. Gao Yi earnestly explained, ¡°I have a severe case of poverty disease. It¡¯s hard to cure for most people, but for me, it¡¯s easy to cure¡ªI just have to trade my life for it.¡± Luca suddenly understood Gao Yi¡¯s meaning and replied in resignation, ¡°You could have just said directly that you¡¯re poor. Why use such an obscure metaphor? I just told you the amount of the medical fees, I didn¡¯t ask you to pay right now.¡± Gao Yi also felt helpless, smiling wryly, ¡°I mean I¡¯m very poor, I need to make money to repay debts, I must cooperate with you to make money, so you don¡¯t have to be so guarded against me, don¡¯t fear that I¡¯ll kill you and default on the debt, now do you understand?¡± Luca didn¡¯t grasp the Eastern style of subtlety, but with things clarified to this extent, he finally understood what Gao Yi meant. Luca¡¯s face showed no embarrassment, and he seemed much more relaxed, remarking, ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, this is very good, very good¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m someone who repays kindness and acknowledges debts, you¡¯ll understand more about me later, but for now, can we discuss the details of the task?¡± After pondering for a moment, Luca spoke earnestly, ¡°In the Scavenger¡¯s operation room, I saw that your heart was shot but you didn¡¯t die, and there were four bodies around you, all fatally wounded with a single blow. Most importantly, I confirmed that you had acted after being severely injured. At that moment, I knew you were the person I was looking for..¡± Gao Yi remained silent, quietly listening to Luca. ¡°I admit, I was a bit too excited back then, after all, in my years in this line of work, I have never seen someone as¡­ as ruthless as you, so I took a gamble and placed a heavy bet on you!¡± Gao Yi spread his hands and replied, ¡°Then I can only say you gambled correctly.¡± Luca smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to complete a big job, one that could make a lot of money and earn fame. Now my opportunity has come, mate, and so has yours.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it, I¡¯ll be ready to proceed as soon as I¡¯m fully recovered.¡± Luca glanced outside at the two bodyguards, then he leaned in and whispered, ¡°Just answer me one question, were you really not an assassin before?¡± Here it came, as expected, the juicy part before the big job. Gao Yi immediately replied, ¡°I really wasn¡¯t an assassin.¡± Luca exhaled, looking somewhat disappointed, ¡°Then we can¡¯t go straight for the big job. You¡¯ll need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of an assassin¡¯s work and gain some experience. After all, being an assassin isn¡¯t just about outright killing someone, what do you think?¡± ¡°I think¡­ that makes sense, let¡¯s start with a few smaller jobs to get some practice.¡± ¡°Good, since we¡¯re partners, it¡¯s only natural that we discuss which tasks to take on. Come, take a look, here are a few suitable tasks which are also close by. Pick one.¡± Luca felt good, feeling that everything was on track. He pulled out his phone and handed it to Gao Yi. Gao Yi also felt good; as he had anticipated, initial trust between the two was established, and they could now proceed with beginner assignments. Chapter 8 - 8 6 Three Tasks ?8: Chapter 6 Three Tasks 8: Chapter 6 Three Tasks He was somewhat excited; finally, he could see the public assignments on the Dark Web. The page was very clean, without the tiered assignments Gao Yi had imagined, but at the top of the assignment interface, there was a regional option. Gao Yi found out the region was Asia, Thailand. The first title at the forefront of the assignments was ¡°Public Assignments,¡± and the only title of the assignment was just an amount. The top-ranked assignment in Thailand was for US$ 100,000, an amount that immediately enticed Gao Yi, so he clicked on it without hesitation. After clicking in, there was a very detailed assignment description. After all, as a public assignment, all the information about the target to be assassinated was there, including photos, names, addresses, occupations, and so on. In short, if you want to kill the target as quickly as possible, you should provide as much detailed information as possible. Gao Yi felt that the Dark Web must also play a very important role in this, such as the authenticity of the information, which should be the responsibility of the Dark Web. The most lucrative assignment, worth US$ 100,000, but Gao Yi just glanced at the target¡¯s information and immediately chose to give up. The reason was none other than that the target was a major general. A towering figure like a general, and the price for his life is only US$ 100,000? That must be a joke! Gao Yi would not assassinate a general for US$ 100,000, no matter which country¡¯s general it was. This was not about wanting to make money, this was about whether one could stay alive or not. Luca also saw the page Gao Yi was browsing, and with a somewhat helpless chuckle, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s skip this one. Nobody is really foolish enough to spend US$ 100,000 on a general¡¯s life, nor is anyone foolish enough to take only US$ 100,000 to knock off a general. So, this assignment is actually a warning from a competitor. Look at the date; the bounty expires in twenty more days.¡± Gao Yi exited that page without taking a closer look. The second-ranked task was for 50,000 USD, and Gao Yi clicked on it to find that this time the target was a woman. A very beautiful woman with an incredible figure. There were photos from all angles and detailed information, including name, address, and even her license plate number. Gao Yi was curious, for this woman didn¡¯t look old, and he wondered why she would have a bounty on the Dark Web. The information was very detailed and the task requirement was very clear: the woman must die in an accident and must not show any signs of being murdered. The benchmark for judging success was if the police declared the woman¡¯s death an accident, then the task would be considered successful. If the police declared the cause of her death to be murder, then the task would fail. Gao Yi looked at Luca, puzzled, and said, ¡°What¡¯s with this woman? Can you explain?¡± Without hesitation, Luca said, ¡°It¡¯s simple. This woman is some rich man¡¯s mistress, and now this mistress has become a trouble. The simplest and most convenient way to get rid of the trouble quickly is to spend some money to get rid of her. Of course, for a rich man, it¡¯s a small amount of money. Yet, the person who issued this assignment should have some money but is just new to the Dark Web, that kind of nouveau riche.¡± ¡°How do you figure?¡± ¡°To get rid of a mistress, why should a real wealthy mogul bother going to the Dark Web to hire someone? Just send any person to deal with it.¡± Luca seemed very experienced, and indifferently said, ¡°Then 50,000 USD isn¡¯t really a small amount either. Look at this woman¡¯s car, the luxury items she wears; they are brands that the middle class can¡¯t afford and the moguls wouldn¡¯t bother to buy. Consider the amount of the task, 50,000 USD, it¡¯s already quite a lot in Thailand, and that the issuer is willing to pay 50,000 USD for her life instead of giving her the money, it means this woman¡¯s appetite far exceeds 50,000 USD.¡± Luca spoke with authority, and Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Do you know her? Or know some rich person?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know her, but looking at the timing of the task, it¡¯s a one-month deadline, which means the issuer is in a hurry. Then the task has been up on the Dark Web for eleven days now. Eleven days without anyone taking on the task, what does that tell you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It means the task is a bit troublesome. The real registered assassins think the input is not worth the output, so I think this woman¡¯s identity isn¡¯t so simple. Hmm, she¡¯s not a celebrity, but she must have certain fame; the kind that would cause trouble if killed, most likely an online celebrity with about one hundred to three hundred thousand followers. And this point wasn¡¯t mentioned in the information provided by the client. This client isn¡¯t being honest.¡± Gao Yi looked at Luca, surprised, as Luca confidently said, ¡°Just look it up and you¡¯ll know. Hold on.¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Luca then took out another phone, searched online for a moment, and soon said, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s an online celebrity, with one hundred and forty thousand followers on Facebook.¡± ¡°Wow! How did you figure out the number of followers?¡± ¡°The method is simple. If she had enough followers, she wouldn¡¯t need to be a mistress to a not particularly wealthy man. But if the number of followers is too small, not enough to be called an online celebrity, then she would have been killed already.¡± Gao Yi really began to admire Luca. Luca proudly smiled and said, ¡°This task is doable; just arrange a car accident. It¡¯s just that figuring out the target¡¯s movement pattern will take time, and we¡¯ll also need to avoid others¡¯ eyes, which is a bit troublesome.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do this task.¡± Gao Yi spoke very seriously and earnestly. Luca shrugged and said, ¡°50,000 USD, indeed, does not seem to be much worth it, plus there¡¯s your health¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about whether it¡¯s worth it or my health; I¡¯ve said it before, I will only kill the bad guys, otherwise I can¡¯t get past my own moral threshold.¡± Luca was taken aback, then said, ¡°Does this woman count as a good person?¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s not really a bad person either. Anyway, I won¡¯t kill her. It goes against my principles.¡± Luca scratched his head and said, ¡°Alright, I respect your choice, and the underworld is never short of scum, you have plenty of targets to choose from.¡± Gao Yi exited the page of that woman¡¯s task, and then he saw another task for twenty thousand and three hundred dollars. Upon clicking in and just seeing the photo, Luca sighed and said, ¡°This task isn¡¯t suitable; it¡¯s only a twenty thousand-dollar commission, but the target is a very dangerous one, so it¡¯s not worth it.¡± This target suited Gao Yi¡¯s tastes, as the information showed that the target was the boss of a human trafficking and telephone scam group. In all of Thailand, there were only three assignments. If this twenty thousand-dollar assignment was also unsuitable, then there would be no assignments. Gao Yi curiously asked, ¡°Why is it unsuitable?¡± ¡°Because the risk is high and the reward is low; this task has been hanging for at least three years, and the target is still alive because twenty thousand and three hundred dollars is simply too little.¡± Gao Yi asked, quite curious, ¡°You know about this task?¡± ¡°Of course, all the assassins in Southeast Asia know about it. Hmm, the client is a father who lost his daughter; he offered all of his wealth as a reward to kill the bastard who caused his daughter¡¯s death. But the problem is, only twenty thousand dollars is too little. So, when the one-year deadline came, the client added one hundred dollars to the bounty to maintain this public assignment. This task is quite famous, but nobody takes it.¡± After Luca finished speaking, he planned to take back his phone, saying, ¡°There¡¯s nothing in Thailand. Let¡¯s take a look at nearby regions. There are always suitable tasks for us.¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Gao Yi avoided Luca¡¯s hand and looked at the phone, delighted, ¡°To start my assassin career with a task that acts in the name of heaven, this is perfect. Never mind the money, I¡¯ll take this task.¡± Chapter 9 - 9 7 Can Become Famous ?9: Chapter 7 Can Become Famous 9: Chapter 7 Can Become Famous ¡°Pursuing fortune under the guise of justice, what could be more beautiful in this world?¡± The only flaw was that this mission seemed indeed more challenging. First off, the information was insufficient; the task¡¯s details should have been provided by the client, but there was only one rather blurry side-profile photo. His name was Zhao Jinlu, and his public persona was the boss of Asian International Investment Company, often active in Shan State and occasionally residing in a small town under Chiang Mai. That was all the information they had, which compared to the female internet celebrity they¡¯d investigated before, was extremely vague for this target. But none of that mattered; Gao Yi looked at Luca earnestly and asked, ¡°How do we take on this mission?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t grasped the situation yet.¡± Luca was somewhat taken aback and with a sense of resignation said, ¡°Actually, the woman was the mission I wanted to accept. First, it pays well, and secondly, it¡¯s not too difficult. All we need to consider is the cleanup afterward, and once we¡¯re done, we leave Thailand. But you said no to that mission, and I respect your principles.¡± Grabbing the phone from Gao Yi¡¯s hand, Luca, with a helpless expression, continued, ¡°But this mission is different. To start with, the fee is only twenty thousand and three hundred dollars, not to mention the target is a fraud company¡¯s boss involved in human trafficking. So he¡¯s wealthy, and he always has a lot of armed bodyguards around him.¡± ¡°A lot of bodyguards?¡± ¡°Yes, armed bodyguards. Listen, the target is also a Dark Web client. He knows there¡¯s a bounty on his head. Although he can¡¯t make the Dark Web cancel the mission, he can certainly beef up his own security. So, you can imagine the difficulty level!¡± Gao Yi was somewhat bewildered and said in amazement, ¡°Are you saying that this target knows there is a bounty on him, so he is always surrounded by many protectors?¡± ¡°Yes, so you must understand, the target will not venture out easily. Even if he does, he won¡¯t leave any good opportunities for someone to take action.¡± Luca spread his hands helplessly and said, ¡°Twenty thousand dollars isn¡¯t a lot, but there¡¯s always someone willing to try. The fact that this target is still alive means he¡¯s not easy to take down.¡± ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Luca shrugged and replied, ¡°Because this mission is quite notorious, the client had posted a sympathetic thread on the Dark Web detailing the tragic fate of his daughter, hoping someone would help him with his revenge.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Of course, no one was willing to help. Heroes are just something from comics and movies. The Dark Web is overrun with scum! Then the target discovered the bounty. He asked the Dark Web to remove the post accusing him, and in turn, he offered two hundred thousand dollars for the client¡¯s head.¡± ¡°And then? Did the Dark Web agree to it?¡± Luca let out a sigh and said, ¡°Of course not. The Dark Web doesn¡¯t allow such reputation-damaging situations to occur. Once a client posts a bounty, it¡¯s absolutely forbidden for the targeted individual to place a counter-bounty on the client.¡± Gao Yi felt that should be the case, believing that even the Dark Web, being a product of the Underworld, must maintain some credibility and rules. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Even the Dark Web has to follow rules. What happened next?¡± Luca went on, ¡°The Dark Web didn¡¯t cancel the client¡¯s request but did delete the emotional plea for help.¡± ¡°So, they just left up a mission that nobody wants to take?¡± ¡°The Dark Web¡¯s minimum standard is twenty thousand dollars, meaning the minimum amount for a public mission is twenty thousand dollars, plus a twenty percent service fee, and the time limit is one year, maximum one year.¡± Raising a finger, Luca continued, ¡°After the time expires, the Dark Web will give the client a choice whether to continue the bounty. If they choose to do so, they must pay another twenty percent of the bounty fee, and the bounty has to be increased, but there¡¯s no limit to how much. That¡¯s why the client for this mission only adds one hundred dollars each year, on top of the four thousand dollars service fee.¡± Gao Yi frowned and asked, ¡°So, we¡¯ll definitely get paid for completing the mission?¡± ¡°Yes, the money has already been paid to the Dark Web. When it¡¯s time, the Dark Web will pay out, and you don¡¯t need to worry about not receiving the money.¡± Learning a bit more about how the Dark Web operates, Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, ¡°There isn¡¯t much money in this mission, but I want to take it.¡± The expression on Luca¡¯s face was troubled, and he whispered, ¡°Listen to me first. If we take on this mission, we first need intelligence. We have to know the target¡¯s detailed situation, and to get that, we either have to gather it ourselves or buy it, not knowing how expensive it will be.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Also, we¡¯ll need to take action in Shan State. I don¡¯t know which city exactly, but without a doubt, we¡¯ll need to leave Thailand and enter North Myanmar, which is dangerous. The moment either of us sets foot in that kind of place, especially me, we stand out too much.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°The target is likely under protection from local armed forces, so even if we do take down the target, we still need to make a safe retreat. Honestly, I think the twenty thousand and three hundred dollars might end up at a loss for us!¡± After finishing, Luca added gravely, ¡°Other than drug-addled junkies, who would be foolish enough to take such a mission? And registered assassins are even less willing.¡± Gao Yi hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°If others won¡¯t, I will! It sounds like a bad deal, but have you considered the fame we could gain by completing this mission?¡± Suddenly struck by this notion, Luca hesitated, then said uncertainly, ¡°Well, fame¡­ Fame isn¡¯t so bad.¡± Gao Yi spoke very seriously, ¡°This is my first mission; I¡¯m not about making a lot of money, just getting practice and getting known. I¡¯ll do it for your fame as well. Killing such scum would satisfy me, and for you, as long as you don¡¯t make a loss, it¡¯s profit. Small profit, but high turnover, right?¡± Being moved by the prospect of fame seemed to have an effect on Luca, and he wavered. After deep thought and a somewhat pained expression, Luca casually went on, ¡°I¡¯ll try gathering some intelligence. If it¡¯s not too expensive, we can think about it.¡± Luca suddenly agreed, seemingly not so principled after all. Glancing back at the two bodyguards outside the door, Luca sighed and said, ¡°You¡¯ll be taking action on this mission, but I need to take care of the intelligence, the preparation for entry and exit, and front all the initial costs. So, I want to split both the investment and the commission evenly. Agreed?¡± ¡°I agree!¡± Luca clapped his hands, rubbed them together and then reached out his right hand to Gao Yi, ¡°So it¡¯s decided. Once you¡¯re fully recovered and we¡¯re certain we can accept the job, I¡¯ll take the next steps.¡± Gao Yi, perhaps afraid that Luca would change his mind, quickly gripped his hand. The actual earnings didn¡¯t matter much; after all, Gao Yi felt that the money he owed Luca couldn¡¯t be repaid with just one mission. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So taking on a satisfying mission made good sense. ¡°There is just one problem, during the time I can move around but haven¡¯t fully recovered, could you take me out for firearms training? I¡¯ve never really handled guns and am not familiar with them.¡± For Gao Yi, his first-ever touch of a gun had resulted in killing a man, but his knowledge of firearms came solely from movies and things he¡¯d read online. Despite his impressive record, he truly wasn¡¯t skilled with guns. As an aspiring assassin, not knowing how to handle a firearm was unacceptable. Gao Yi¡¯s request was reasonable, and Luca agreed succinctly, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll take you to a shooting range, but let me be clear, you¡¯re paying for everything. I¡¯m just fronting the costs.¡± Chapter 10 - 10 8 Morning Hearing of the Way ?10: Chapter 8 Morning Hearing of the Way 10: Chapter 8 Morning Hearing of the Way Gao Yi was indeed seriously injured this time, but he also recovered much faster than others. Having been trained in martial arts from a young age, his physique was different from that of ordinary people. By the time twenty-something days had passed, Gao Yi was able to leave his sickbed and move about freely, and after a whole month, he was finally able to leave the clinic that had saved his life. Since the last time he came with two bodyguards, Luca hadn¡¯t visited again. However, this time Luca showed up not with bodyguards but carrying a rather large shopping bag. Tossing the paper bag onto Gao Yi¡¯s hospital bed, Luca said expressionlessly, ¡°Five hundred and twenty-four US dollars in total. Change your clothes, and I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± What could be worth over five hundred dollars? Gao Yi thought Luca was trying to swindle him, but as he started pulling items out of the paper bag, he realized that Luca was quite meticulous. A cell phone worth 499 dollars, brand new and unopened. Additionally, the paper bag contained a pair of shorts, a T-shirt, flip-flops, underwear, and a shopping receipt. The receipt showed amounts in Thai Baht, but after rough conversion, it indeed totaled around twenty-five dollars. Gao Yi put on the new clothes and took the new phone, walking out of the hospital room. Once able to get out of bed, Gao Yi made rounds in the small courtyard of the clinic every day. Although he had only seen the doctor a few times, he was quite familiar with the only nurse there. Today, he was going to leave, and Gao Yi wanted to bid the doctors and nurses farewell. However, when he left the hospital room and then the courtyard, he didn¡¯t see anyone to send him off. Well, no send-off then. It was a back-alley clinic, after all. There must be some rules of their own. By ¡°outside,¡± Luca meant outside the clinic. When Gao Yi went through the only little door to the outside, he found Luca standing there, looking dejectedly into his cigarette. Turning his head to glance at Gao Yi, Luca threw the cigarette he had only taken a couple of drags from onto the ground and stamped out the butt with his foot. He nodded towards a scooter parked right at the door, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± A scooter? Really? Gao Yi got on the scooter, traveling down the country¡¯s tarred roads, feeling the free wind. Although it was quite sunny, the feeling was indeed very good. The clinic was quite remote, a fair distance from downtown Bangkok. Riding the scooter, it took almost an hour to get there. Close to noon, Luca finally brought Gao Yi to a place, a busy stall with ceiling fans overhead and no enclosures around it, making it very hot. Luca didn¡¯t speak, so Gao Yi kept silent as well. Following Luca to a square table, Gao Yi watched as Luca sat down and, with a straight face, picked up the menu; Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but ask at last. ¡°Did I¡­ offend you or something?¡± Luca¡¯s attitude toward his partner wasn¡¯t exactly hospitable, especially on this great day of discharge. Why the perpetual look of someone owed money? Yet after he raised the question, Gao Yi realized he did indeed owe Luca quite a lot of money. Luca lowered the plastic menu, revealing a pair of eyes that looked unfriendlyly at Gao Yi. After a pause, he finally lowered the menu completely. With an upward turn of his mouth showing a friendly smile, Luca said stiffly, ¡°You haven¡¯t offended me. To celebrate your full recovery, let¡¯s celebrate.¡± After saying that, Luca waved a waiter over and ordered, ¡°Two charcoal-grilled prawns, two servings of pineapple fried rice, two bottles of beer, thank you.¡± Luca didn¡¯t speak Thai, so Gao Yi could understand, and hastily said, ¡°I can¡¯t have prawns¡­ they are¡­ they are¡­¡± Gao Yi meant to say prawns were taboo, but he didn¡¯t know how to say that. Seeing the confused look on Luca, Gao Yi simply said, ¡°Bad for the injured.¡± ¡°I never heard of that. Why would prawns be bad? Fine, you order.¡± Gao Yi felt Luca¡¯s expression was quite disgruntled when he handed over the menu. Was it that begrudged to treat someone to a meal? After all, he owed tens of thousands of dollars on the side; was it worth getting upset over one meal? Gao Yi didn¡¯t think it was the case. He glanced at the menu and pointed to a dish of charcoal-grilled pork neck meat for the waiter, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll have this, and then this.¡± Definitely no pineapple fried rice. Regular fried rice would do. When the waiter left, and once he was gone, Gao Yi said to Luca, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you shown up recently? I¡¯ve been looking forward to you taking me shooting every day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been indisposed lately; I¡¯ve been making preparations.¡± Luca sighed deeply, then placed a tiny SIM card in front of Gao Yi, saying, ¡°Install the SIM card, and I¡¯ll send some information over. You¡¯ll understand once you see it.¡± ¡°Information? S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. You¡¯ve found intel?¡± Luca nodded and said softly, ¡°Yes. The intel wasn¡¯t too expensive. It cost a total of five hundred dollars, that is, two hundred fifty dollars for each of us.¡± Gao Yi hesitated while taking the card, then nodded and said, ¡°Hmm, and then?¡± ¡°But the news isn¡¯t good; the target is now in Tachileik, not too far from us, but he always has six bodyguards around, four of whom carry long guns, and two bodyguards who are always close by to protect him.¡± Handling the phone in search of where to insert the card¡ªa fruit-brand device he hadn¡¯t used before¡ªGao Yi struggled. Unable to help himself, Luca took out his phone, tapped a few times, and placed it in front of Gao Yi, saying, ¡°The target goes out frequently. He often leaves home and goes to his company, which is good news. But don¡¯t forget the six bodyguards that are always with him.¡± Gao Yi realized his earlier thoughts were too simplistic. He had thought the target was just a wealthy person protected by a few bodyguards, but he had instinctively assumed these bodyguards would be unarmed. In the environment Gao Yi was familiar with, guns were exceedingly rare. Applying domestic habits to guess the behavior in a lawless place was not a good idea. It wasn¡¯t until he saw the clear photos, four people with AKs slung over their shoulders standing behind a middle-aged man in a white shirt, that Gao Yi suddenly realized his target wasn¡¯t someone to be taken down easily. ¡°Uh, the bodyguards¡­¡± Seeing the guns, Gao Yi felt a subconscious fear, having only just been shot himself and discharged from the hospital. Luca continued, ¡°The good news is that the target often goes out with only two bodyguards lately. The bad news is, this won¡¯t last much longer, and we may not make it in time.¡± Gao Yi looked at Luca and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The target¡¯s on vacation currently, often going to a new entertainment venue in Tachileik. He doesn¡¯t bring many people when he goes out to play, but when he goes to his company, he¡¯s accompanied by at least six bodyguards. The new building for his company is about to be completed, and after he returns to his work routine, he¡¯ll no longer visit the venue daily. Unfortunately, our target is a workaholic.¡± ¡°How much time do we have?¡± Luca spread his hands and replied, ¡°The target¡¯s company will start operating in the new office building on April 20th, and today is April 13th, meaning we have at most one week.¡± One week, that was indeed a tight timeframe, and even Gao Yi felt the pressure. Luca said softly, ¡°You¡¯ve just recovered; I don¡¯t think you can take action within a week.¡± In the meantime, as the food was served, the conversation paused, and they began to eat and talk while eating. Finally tasting delicious food after a month on a hospital diet, Gao Yi felt everything was tasty. He dug in without saying much, eating heartily. When the meal was nearly finished, Gao Yi said confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my health. I might be weak, but killing someone is not a problem. What concerns me is that I¡¯ve yet to practice shooting.¡± Luca raised an eyebrow and remarked, ¡°Gun skills can¡¯t be learned in a few days. If you just want to get familiar with firearms, we can go this afternoon. If you want to learn good gun skills¡­ forget about it.¡± ¡°Just to get a feel for it. Let¡¯s go shooting this afternoon, and then we¡¯ll find the target tomorrow, how about that?¡± This time Luca was genuinely surprised. He looked at Gao Yi and said, ¡°You¡¯re in more of a hurry than me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one for dawdling. Once decided, I act quickly. Knowing where the target is and having an opportunity, why not act fast?¡± Having said that, Gao Yi added confidently, ¡°As the saying goes, ¡®To hear the way in the morning is to die content in the evening.''¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Learn the location in the morning, kill him in the evening. It was said by Confucius. You know who he is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s a good proverb. It suits an assassin well.¡± While chatting and finishing the meal, Luca wiped his mouth with a napkin. After a series of taps on his phone, he suddenly said, ¡°Our meal totals eight hundred twenty-two Thai Baht, plus twenty Baht as a tip. That¡¯s four hundred twenty-one Baht each. I¡¯ll cover for you first, and you can pay me back when you have the money. Don¡¯t worry; I jot it down accurately; it won¡¯t be wrong.¡± Gao Yi paused for a moment, then replied, ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary. This meal is on me. Just put it down as¡­ nine hundred Baht in my account.¡± ps: Thank you to Moon Song Qiufeng for their Silver League membership, and thanks to Weiyu Aijin, Captain, Iron Rod, jaclkerly, firsita, Qian Xunyue, and Sweet Candy for their League leadership. Old Water here expresses his gratitude to everyone. Chapter 11 - 11 9 Psychological Shadow ?11: Chapter 9: Psychological Shadow 11: Chapter 9: Psychological Shadow In Thailand, it is legal to own guns, so there are quite a few shooting ranges, and the prices are not very expensive, but for ranges aimed at foreign tourists, the prices are indeed high. This time wasn¡¯t for practicing shooting but for Gao Yi to familiarize himself with the use of firearms and the feeling of shooting, so it would suffice to shoot a variety of guns with about ten bullets each. The staff brought out the guns, counted the bullets, and began to load them. Three handguns: the Beretta 92FS, the Glock 17, and the M1911, which are almost always available at Thai shooting ranges. Four long guns, also the most common types at the range, included an MP5 submachine gun, AR15 and AKM automatic rifles, and a double-barreled shotgun for firing buckshot. Luca was naturally familiar with guns, and he said with composure, ¡°The .22 bullets are meaningless. Mainly familiarize yourself with the shooting sensation and recoil of 9mm bullets. I have chosen the Beretta 92FS and the Glock 17 for you, the most common pistols. As for the 1911, just give it a try.¡± After the handgun bullets were loaded, the staff member installed the magazine into the 92FS and handed it over to Gao Yi with a serious warning, ¡°Never point the muzzle at anyone at any time, and place the gun on the table after you¡¯re done. Understand?¡± Because Gao Yi was obviously Chinese, the staff member, who was of Chinese descent and spoke Mandarin, explained the precautions for shooting earnestly. After placing the gun in Gao Yi¡¯s hand and showing him how to hold and aim the gun, he racked the slide, turned off the safety, and said in English, ¡°You may fire now.¡± Firing the gun was too simple. Gao Yi held the gun with both hands, aimed at the handgun target ten meters away, concentrated, held his breath, and fired a shot after carefully aiming at the center of the target. The recoil shook his hands, and the muzzle uncontrollably jumped upward before naturally pointing back at the target. The electronic target¡¯s screen immediately displayed the score¡ªseven rings. Luca commented from the side, ¡°Not bad.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s hands were steady and strong, but the recoil of the handgun couldn¡¯t be controlled by strength alone. Although the muzzle was generally aimed at the target, he needed to aim anew at the bullseye. After careful aim, Gao Yi fired the second shot, and the target evaluator instantly provided the score¡ªfour rings. The second shot wasn¡¯t as good as the first. Gao Yi concentrated and held his breath for the third shot¡ªsix rings. ¡°Try firing with one hand.¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With Luca¡¯s prompt, Gao Yi felt it was worth a try and switched from gripping the gun with two hands to one, hitting an eight ring with his fourth shot. Single-handed seemed more accurate than using both hands, but just as Gao Yi thought so, he missed the target completely with his fifth shot. ¡°Why did I miss the target? I clearly aimed properly. How did this happen?¡± Gao Yi was baffled and then became angry. He had carefully aimed for over ten seconds only to miss the target, which was something he found unacceptable. Luca was indifferent. ¡°You took too long to aim. Try a rough aim next time. Honestly, handguns don¡¯t need to be that precise, really.¡± Gao Yi was dissatisfied and unconvinced, but after following Luca¡¯s advice and finishing the remaining five bullets, he had to face reality. The reality was that Gao Yi wasn¡¯t a shooting prodigy, but he wasn¡¯t clueless either; he was just an ordinary person. After ten shots, one missed the target, his best shot hitting nine rings and his worst four. In general, his performance was very much in line with a complete beginner¡¯s level. After shooting with the highly accurate Beretta 92FS, Gao Yi switched to the Glock 17. His first impression was that the Glock felt more comfortable to hold, lighter, and more natural when aiming at the target. After firing ten bullets, Gao Yi realized the benefits of the Glock¡ªit genuinely seemed much more beginner-friendly. With the all-steel 92FS, he had achieved ten shots and nine hits for a total of 52 rings. With the Glock 17, he managed ten shots with ten hits, totaling 63 rings. The lowest was five rings, and the highest was eight, but the Glock was indeed more stable in Gao Yi¡¯s hands. The outcome disappointed Gao Yi, but Luca was quite satisfied. ¡°Not bad, good shooting,¡± Gao Yi could only pin his hopes on the larger caliber M1911. The thinner grip of the 1911 felt more comfortable for him, and he thought that might improve his shooting performance. The 1911 was also heavy, but to Gao Yi, the heavier feel was more comfortable. However, the result was the same¡ªnot terrible, but definitely not good either. After firing seven rounds, Gao Yi placed the empty gun on the table, unable to suppress the look of disappointment on his face. ¡°Seven shots, 45 rings at ten meters¡ªthat¡¯s not bad for someone shooting for the first time. But why do you look so disheartened?¡± Gao Yi shook his head. ¡°I must shoot with precision. I should be a sniper; performing like this, I¡¯ve let the Gao family down¡­¡± Luca looked puzzled. ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± Gao Yi shook his head again. ¡°Everyone in my family shoots accurately. I should too. But perhaps I am more precise with long guns. Let¡¯s try with those!¡± Sensing a newfound hope, Gao Yi suddenly thought that maybe if he wasn¡¯t accurate with handguns, he would be with long guns, possibly a natural-born sniper¡ªa not so small possibility. But the hope was quickly dashed because the results clearly showed that whether Gao Yi shot with handguns or long guns, he was just at the level of an ordinary person. Neither great nor terrible, blending into the crowd¡ªan average person like seven out of ten. Not being a prodigy jarred Gao Yi, but Luca thought it was perfectly normal. ¡°Your level is that of a beginner. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re discouraged. It¡¯s okay; you just need regular practice. The more you fire, the more precise you¡¯ll get.¡± Luca consoled Gao Yi with a few words, but he did not plan to start training him that day. Gun skills aren¡¯t developed in a day or two and certainly not on Luca¡¯s dime. Gao Yi wanted to shoot more, but Luca had had enough. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Getting familiar with these guns today is enough. You know how to use them, which is sufficient. We have a lot more to do. It¡¯s time to leave.¡± Half-coaxing, half-persuading, Luca pulled a reluctant Gao Yi out of the shooting area. Breathing a sigh of relief, Luca said, ¡°We have a lot to do, including getting you a passport. You won¡¯t even be able to fly without one. We need to depart tomorrow, so we have to take care of this today. Then I can book the tickets, and we won¡¯t need to drive to Chiang Rai Province¡­¡± ¡°A fake passport? We can buy one on the Dark Web, right?¡± ¡°A real passport, just not yours. Let¡¯s go; I¡¯ve arranged to meet the seller. Just pick one that looks somewhat like you.¡± Gao Yi wasn¡¯t too concerned about the passport matter; he was still steeped in the disappointment of not being a shooting prodigy. As he got onto Luca¡¯s motorcycle, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Can a person really train to improve their shooting skills?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Like those assassins in movies¡ªnever missing, hit wherever they aim¡­¡± ¡°First off, assassins rarely use guns, and not all assassins are shooting geniuses, so most assassins¡¯ shooting levels are just average. Of course, some gunmen have skilled gunplay, but they are the minority and very rare. More importantly, we usually call these people ¡®gunmen,¡¯ not ¡®assassins.''¡± Luca started the motorcycle but didn¡¯t rush off. He turned halfway around with patience and explained, ¡°Using a gun is an assassin¡¯s last resort, a reluctant choice. If you want to be an assassin, you should consider how to approach your target more effectively, not just on improving gun skills.¡± ¡°I still want to improve my gun skills.¡± ¡°Then go to the United States. Find yourself a good gun, one that can improve your shooting skills, and get a professional shooting coach. Practice every day, practice well. After tens of thousands of rounds, you¡¯ll get there. But right now, you need to focus on completing your current mission. Got it?¡± A good gun, a good coach. Gao Yi nodded. ¡°Understood, thank you.¡± Putting the bike into gear and twisting the throttle, Luca, still puzzled, asked, ¡°Why are you so obsessed with shooting?¡± After a moment of thought, Gao Yi replied with a sense of helplessness, ¡°Because I¡¯ve been shot. It takes many years to train in Kung Fu, but it can¡¯t block a bullet fired by just anyone with a flick of their finger. So guns are mightier than Kung Fu. Since guns are mightier than Kung Fu, of course, I must train with guns. That¡¯s why.¡± Chapter 12 - 12 10 Opportunity ?12: Chapter 10 Opportunity 12: Chapter 10 Opportunity The Dark Web is not omnipotent, but with money, it nearly is. Gao Yi held a passport he had bought from the Dark Web, which was convenient for a face-to-face transaction. A passport cost four hundred US dollars, chosen from dozens of passports. The photo on the passport resembled Gao Yi somewhat, enough to deceive foreigners at a glance. The passport was real, but its original owner had probably been taken to a park in North Myanmar to become a scammer, according to the seller. Moreover, the visa on the passport still had twenty days left, so Gao Yi wouldn¡¯t have any problems traveling in Thailand with it. As long as there was no need for fingerprint or facial recognition, there would be no problem. He had flown from Bangkok to Chiang Rai Province using the fake passport to purchase a plane ticket and had boarded smoothly. But now he needed to use the passport to get through the Thai-Myanmar border customs, which still made Gao Yi feel somewhat uneasy. ¡°Remember your name. You look a bit nervous; why be nervous? I told you, there will be no problem.¡± Luca took Gao Yi¡¯s passport, pulled out a 500 Baht note, grimaced and tucked the money inside the passport. Then, he closed the passport and said, ¡°Now even if there¡¯s a problem with your passport, it won¡¯t be discovered. Act natural, you are too timid.¡± Gao Yi was not really timid, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty when using a fake passport. Holding the passport, Gao Yi took a deep breath and whispered, ¡°My name is Huang Longxiang, born in 1990¡­¡± Mentally noting the information on the passport, Gao Yi handed it to the clerk, who first looked up at him, then opened the passport, saw the 500-Baht note, took the money, stamped it, and it was done. Gao Yi¡¯s worry didn¡¯t materialize; he arrived in Tachileik smoothly. Chiang Rai Province, Meisai City and the downtown area of Tachileik are connected; a river divides the two cities and serves as the border between the two countries. The customs are at the bridgehead. Once out of the customs inspection station, there were many taxis. He had intended to take a taxi, but several MPVs and a minibus caught Luca¡¯s attention. Each of these vehicles had signs in several languages on their windshields. The ones in Chinese said ¡°entertainment venue¡±, and the English ones read ¡°casino¡±, which meant the same thing. Luca unhesitatingly headed toward an MPV, and upon arriving, he directly said to the driver, ¡°Take us to the casino.¡± The driver shook his head; he didn¡¯t speak English but spoke in Mandarin, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for someone. If you¡¯re VIPs, call someone to send a car, or take that bus, it will leave on time.¡± Gao Yi understood and relayed the driver¡¯s words to Luca, who seemed quite dissatisfied and reluctantly boarded the small bus with about a dozen seats, quickly switching to a pleased smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be a free shuttle bus to the casino, that¡¯s great. We can go directly to the casino and check the situation.¡± According to the original plan, Gao Yi and his companions should have first gone to Tachileik, found a place to stay, then started looking for opportunities. But now, perhaps because of the free casino shuttle, Luca changed his mind. No problem, go directly to the casino to scope it out. The minibus already had four passengers; after waiting about ten minutes, a few more people got on, and then it left on time. After driving for about ten minutes, it delivered Gao Yi and the others to the most bustling area within the downtown of Tachileik. Tachileik was quite a large city on the border with Myanmar, spreading over a large area, with relatively narrow streets and poor road conditions. There were no tall buildings, but Gao Yi noticed there were exceptionally many KTVs and nightclubs. The final stop of the bus was a place that looked out of place compared to its surroundings. Not very tall, but the entrance was lavishly decorated, and a prominent sign for the entertainment venue was hanging at the entrance. Gao Yi had thought that the casino would be some sort of underground establishment, the kind that must be hidden away tightly, but he then realized that casinos were legal in Myanmar. The minibus parked steadily; the passengers couldn¡¯t wait to get off and directly entered the casino. Although taking the casino¡¯s bus didn¡¯t necessarily obligate one to enter, Luca looked around and said to Gao Yi, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Now it was Luca calling the shots. Whatever he said, went. Gao Yi glanced at the resplendent casino, suppressed his curiosity, and turned to follow Luca to a row of shops on the other side. Gao Yi caught up with Luca, and whispered, ¡°Is this the only casino in Tachileik?¡± ¡°No, there are several.¡± ¡°Are we looking for this one?¡± Luca nodded, ¡°Yes, this casino is the biggest and most luxurious. It has a VIP hall and is the most frequent destination of our target.¡± That¡¯s enough, Gao Yi thought, and as he turned back to look at the casino, he whispered, ¡°Do you think the target might come today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, but we are just here to observe and familiarize ourselves with the environment. So, it¡¯s best if the target shows up, but it doesn¡¯t matter if he doesn¡¯t.¡± Luca seemed very relaxed, but Gao Yi was a bit nervous, and he couldn¡¯t help but look back again at the entrance of the casino. The entrance had only a few staff members wearing suits and ties, standing in the heat without air conditioning to welcome guests, which looked quite formal. Opposite the casino was a small restaurant, and since the road was not very wide, it provided a convenient vantage point to observe everyone entering and exiting the casino. They chose a round table by the entrance. Luca placed a backpack containing their personal items on an adjacent chair and told Gao Yi, ¡°We¡¯ll eat here, rest, and wait until eight o¡¯clock. Regardless of whether the target shows up or not, we¡¯ll go into the casino to get familiar with the interior.¡± The intelligence showed if the target was coming to the casino, it would be between five and eight in the evening. He wouldn¡¯t come too early but definitely wouldn¡¯t be later than eight o¡¯clock, and if he were to leave, it would certainly be before eleven at night. It was now almost six o¡¯clock; by eating and waiting a bit, the timing would be just about right. Having recently recovered from an injury, Gao Yi indeed felt quite weak; after a day of hustling, he was both tired and hungry, so Luca¡¯s plan was quite appealing to him. Once settled, Luca nonchalantly whispered, ¡°From my experience, it¡¯s impossible to bring a gun into the casino, so even if the target has bodyguards, they won¡¯t have guns. What shall we eat?¡± Gao Yi whispered back, ¡°Anything. Will the casino¡¯s security not carry guns?¡± ¡°The internal security won¡¯t carry guns. If you were a gambler and your guard carried a weapon, you would feel uneasy too. Of course, the casino certainly has armed security, but they wouldn¡¯t be in obvious places and wouldn¡¯t appear too quickly. So, I think it¡¯s still most convenient and safest to act within the casino.¡± After whispering, Luca slightly frustratedly said, ¡°But escaping after making a move inside is a problem, especially if the target is gambling in the VIP hall, and I don¡¯t have experience with what the security is like there.¡± ¡°We can also get into the VIP hall to just have a look around, not to gamble.¡± Luca hesitated for a moment, then whispered, ¡°Without enough chips, you can¡¯t enter.¡± Gao Yi was speechless. At that moment, three vehicles simultaneously stopped at the entrance of the casino. A Land Cruiser led the way, an Alphard was in the middle, and another Land Cruiser followed. Seeing the vehicles, Luca suddenly said, ¡°The target has appeared.¡± Gao Yi abruptly looked up and then saw a middle-aged man get out of the Alphard on his side of the car, but nobody got out of the Land Cruiser, and the staff responsible for welcoming guests did not go to open the door of the Land Cruiser. ¡°That¡¯s the target¡¯s car, no doubt, but how come the armed bodyguards are also following?¡± Luca seemed a bit surprised; as Gao Yi continued intently watching the target, Luca quickly whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t stare like that, it¡¯s too obvious.¡± Three people came down from the Alphard, a robust-looking man, and two other men, one a young chubby man dressed in clothes full of logos, and the other was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. The ordinary-looking middle-aged man was the target. The branded young man seemed to be his friend. Gao Yi quickly averted his eyes and then casually said, ¡°I only saw one bodyguard.¡± ¡°There was another in the leading car. He got down.¡± There were four people in total, all looking Chinese. They briefly paused at the entrance of the casino and, after the three cars drove away, the four figures also disappeared at the entrance of the casino. Luca breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Four people, bodyguards in the cars behind and in front, and they are armed bodyguards.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. The casino staff know them and know that there are bodyguards in the cars behind and in front, so no one went to open the door because they know the people inside won¡¯t get down. One of the bodyguards is like a security director; he¡¯s responsible for commanding all the bodyguards.¡± After saying that, Luca thought for a moment, then whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about this here. Let¡¯s eat, then find a hotel to check in.¡± Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, ¡°What if we act as soon as they come out? I think this is a good opportunity.¡± Luca was shocked and exclaimed, ¡°Are you crazy?¡± After his surprised outburst, Luca lowered his voice and said, ¡°Today is clearly an unusual situation, the target has brought more bodyguards. Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. We eat, then we leave, just like that.¡± Gao Yi seemed relaxed and said, ¡°The target indeed might have brought more bodyguards today, but didn¡¯t you notice? He and his bodyguards seem very relaxed.¡± Luca seemed anxious and a bit angry. He looked back to make sure nobody was standing next to them before warning, ¡°Listen! If he was relaxed, he wouldn¡¯t have brought so many bodyguards! Do as I say, we eat, then we leave!¡± Gao Yi was somewhat disappointed, but it was not essential for him to act today. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was just saying they seem relaxed. I¡¯m not insisting on acting immediately. I respect your experience, and I will definitely follow your lead.¡± After calming Luca down, Gao Yi carefully said, ¡°I¡¯m not insisting on acting right now, I¡¯m just letting you know that I can tell when someone is nervous or relaxed, alert or complacent. Kung Fu is about finding an opponent¡¯s weaknesses and striking. I think the target is full of weaknesses, and taking him down could be done in an instant, so I said this was a good opportunity.¡± Luca¡¯s expression softened, and after thinking for a while, he said, ¡°Have I ever told you that you are a born Assassin? Now I¡¯m sure of it, you are a born Assassin. Now that we know the target isn¡¯t so tense, that¡¯s good. There are plenty of opportunities.¡± Gao Yi had a trait; once he saw an opportunity, he couldn¡¯t let it go because, based on experience, some opportunities, once missed, might never return. Now that Luca was in charge, there was no choice but to listen to him, especially since Luca was more experienced. It was just a bit disappointing, so Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but glance again at the entrance of the casino. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 13 - 13 11 Right Now ?13: Chapter 11 Right Now 13: Chapter 11 Right Now As an assassin, Gao Yi definitely lacked experience, so he listened to everything Luca said. But having an opportunity right before him yet not seizing it, preferring to wait for a future chance, made Gao Yi somewhat uncomfortable. With regard to Luca, Gao Yi had concluded five points. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. First, Luca was rather stingy. Second, Luca was very sensitive to numbers, especially when it came to amounts of money. Third, Luca was not someone adept at making plans. Fourth, Luca was a particularly decisive person; his ideas might not always be correct, but once he made up his mind, he would act quickly. Fifth, Luca was open to persuasion; he had his own opinions but wasn¡¯t stubborn. Not very good at understanding people¡¯s hearts, but Gao Yi excelled at categorizing individuals. Human nature is complicated, Gao Yi liked to label people he knew, sum them up simply, and then he would know how to interact with them. After several encounters, Gao Yi felt that Luca wasn¡¯t the kind to have all strategies figured out, ruthless and heartless, sticking strictly to the plan. And Luca being persuadable and not stubborn was a good thing. If you told Luca that they must kill the target right now, Luca would certainly disagree, but if you shared your findings with him, and there were good reasons and opportunities, Luca would surely change his mind. It¡¯s just that Gao Yi didn¡¯t have any particularly good methods right now. The target was full of flaws, and his two bodyguards looked tough and capable, but that was just a fa?ade. Gao Yi could tell that the vigilant demeanor of the two bodyguards was a professional necessity, not a true sense of tension. Nevertheless, even if the target and his bodyguards felt secure, Gao Yi couldn¡¯t just go up and attack. An assassin is not a kamikaze; killing the target means completing the mission, but whether one can escape is the responsibility to oneself. ¡°Brother, think about it, if we kill the target here, how would we escape?¡± Luca was eating fried rice with a spoon, and without looking up, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t know, we¡¯d need to carefully scout the escape routes inside the casino. If it happens outside the casino, it¡¯s much easier. There are no good opportunities outside, uh¡­¡± Luca lifted his head, glanced at the casino entrance, then suddenly added, ¡°If there¡¯s another chance like this, we¡¯ll do it at the entrance.¡± Gao Yi nodded, then casually remarked, ¡°So, if we do it at the entrance, how would we escape?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple, just hailing a cab and we¡¯d be gone. Just don¡¯t get caught by the police, and once we¡¯re in Thailand, we¡¯ll be fine. If all else fails, we can swim across the river or just hide and cross the border at any random place.¡± The two cities are right next to each other, with residents freely moving between them every day. They go through customs because it¡¯s convenient. If customs were closed, a small river in the city couldn¡¯t stop people determined to cross the border. At this point, Luca seemed struck by a thought. He looked at the casino¡¯s main gate and frowned, saying, ¡°Hmm, what are you thinking, that you want to persuade me to act now?¡± Gao Yi shook his head and responded, ¡°No, I¡¯m just thinking about our escape route. We need to plan that first. Also, how much would it cost for the two of us to stay one night here?¡± Luca answered without hesitation, ¡°It¡¯s cheap, but for safety, we need to stay in a high-end local hotel, about fifty to sixty US dollars¡­¡± Luca¡¯s mouth suddenly twitched. Gao Yi nodded, saying, ¡°Oh, fifty or sixty, that¡¯s not too expensive. No problem, I thought it would be five or six hundred a day.¡± Luca sighed and then whispered, ¡°I know you want to kill the target today, but¡­ we haven¡¯t taken the job yet.¡± ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± Luca whispered, ¡°To get the reward, we first have to accept the job, then provide evidence to the Dark Web that we¡¯ve completed the mission. Once the Dark Web confirms the evidence is ok, the money will be paid to us. But now, I haven¡¯t even accepted the job.¡± ¡°When can you accept it?¡± ¡°Anytime. I planned to observe first and make sure that this job can be completed before accepting it. That way, it won¡¯t affect my completion rate.¡± Gao Yi stated indifferently, ¡°Anytime, huh? That¡¯s convenient.¡± With people like Luca, you don¡¯t tell them what to do; you let them come to their own conclusions. Now, Luca seemed hesitant, torn. After mulling it over, Luca suddenly said, ¡°If we act today, it¡¯s not impossible, but I¡¯m worried about your body, you¡¯ve just been discharged from the hospital, you¡¯re weak¡­¡± Gao Yi, at 1.82 meters tall and originally weighing 170 pounds, though he trained in martial arts all year round, his muscles weren¡¯t particularly distinct. His facial features were also soft, giving him an unaggressive appearance. There seemed to be no muscles seen on his body, a thin layer of fat on his stomach hiding any abs, only his neck was slightly thicker, making him look a little out of proportion. But after a month in the hospital from a gunshot wound, Gao Yi had lost over twenty pounds. Now, his face was noticeably sharper, and his whole demeanor was clearly weak; he indeed felt listless. These were all inevitable results of recovering from serious injuries. Gao Yi was aware that his physical condition was roughly only thirty to forty percent of his normal state; he was very weak. But even in this state, he was still much better off than when he had just been shot. Gao Yi just smiled and said softly, ¡°I am still weak now, but killing the target doesn¡¯t require much effort.¡± Luca was tempted. He looked at the casino entrance and then at Gao Yi, hesitated for a moment, and then said, ¡°Then we¡­ uh, let¡¯s observe a bit more today and see how the target leaves.¡± Luca was about to agree, but he remained cautious. Though tempted, he ultimately didn¡¯t make the rash decision to act immediately. And that¡¯s understandable. Which normal assassin would dare to do such a thing? Gao Yi was impatient, but not to the point of recklessness. Luca backed off again, and while Gao Yi was indeed a bit disappointed, feeling Luca was too indecisive, he was not in a hurry to get angry. Under normal circumstances, Luca was very cautious, and a bit of caution is never a bad thing. The target had entered the casino, and once inside, he would usually not come out until eleven o¡¯clock. The day was passing just like that. Since deciding not to act, it would be good to go back early and rest. But unfortunately, just as Gao Yi was thinking of resting early, he saw the three cars that had dropped the target at the casino reappear. It hadn¡¯t even been half an hour, and now the cars that had left were back, this time waiting at a traffic light not too far from the casino entrance. They might not be there to pick up the target; it could be for others coming to the casino, but there was a high chance they were there for the target. What if the target was just dropping off a friend to play and not playing himself, or if he had something come up and needed to leave? Who knows what the situation was, but this was definitely an opportunity. If the timing was right, they could act; if not, they would stand down. Gao Yi felt he had the initiative and saw no reason to hesitate. Gao Yi stood up and whispered, ¡°The target¡¯s cars have returned. Accept the job now, right now, quick!¡± Luca looked at Gao Yi in surprise and said, ¡°What? We still can¡¯t be certain the job can definitely be completed, rushing to accept the job¡­¡± Gao Yi whispered, ¡°Quick! Now! Accept it!¡± Chapter 14 - 14 12 It is a good time to die in the evening ?14: Chapter 12 It is a good time to die in the evening 14: Chapter 12 It is a good time to die in the evening Luca saw the target¡¯s car coming again, and under Gao Yi¡¯s urging, he hurriedly took out his phone. ¡°What are you trying to do? What are you trying to do?¡± Luca was somewhat flustered, but Gao Yi calmly said, ¡°The car coming means either picking up the target to leave or bringing someone else here. Either way, we might as well get ready.¡± Luca wanted to say something, but he felt that Gao Yi¡¯s words did indeed make sense. Gao Yi urgently whispered, ¡°Hurry, the car has already passed the intersection. No, I have to go there!¡± ¡°Wait a moment, hey! You¡­¡± Gao Yi had already stood up, taken out his phone, and walked out of the restaurant. Watching the progress of the three cars, adjusting his pace and speed, Gao Yi who had just left the restaurant dialed Luca¡¯s number. Without shouting, they could only communicate via phone. Luca answered the phone, his voice low and urgent, ¡°What are you doing? What are you trying to do, come back!¡± Gao Yi put the phone to his ear, bowed his head, and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just going to check it out, start taking on the task.¡± Luca had two phones; he was holding one to his ear talking to Gao Yi, and hurriedly opened the Dark Web on the other, then frantically entered the page for receiving assignments. Getting onto the Dark Web wasn¡¯t so quick; it required identity verification. Luca had just entered the open tasks page but already saw three cars parked in front of the Casino. Gao Yi stood on one side of the Casino¡¯s entrance, not rushing closer but still talking on the phone with Luca. ¡°Where are the cars, did anyone get picked up?¡± Gao Yi meant to ask if Luca had taken on the task yet. If Luca hadn¡¯t taken on the task yet, they definitely couldn¡¯t make a move. ¡°I¡¯m on it, I¡¯m on it! What are you doing? Don¡¯t be impulsive, damn it¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being impulsive, I¡¯ve never been impulsive¡­¡± While Gao Yi was speaking quietly, he saw the door of the Alphard open. A common sense, a door opens, and obviously someone¡¯s getting in or out. But since no one was coming out of the car, it clearly meant someone was about to get in. At that moment, Gao Yi turned his head to look inside the Casino door and, sure enough, he saw the target already at the entrance. He would get in the car right after stepping out, a mere five meters at most. The target¡¯s two bodyguards were following behind him, one on each side, their eyes looking rather watchful, but they were not prepared to strike immediately; they were seemingly not ready for immediate action. There¡¯s only a thief for a thousand days, not a guard against a thief for a thousand days; even if the target knew about his bounty and had hired two competent bodyguards, it had been over three years now, and even if he was tense, he couldn¡¯t always maintain a high level of vigilance. The target had grown accustomed to life with a bounty on his head, and so had his bodyguards. Though their eyes looked fierce and vigilant, it was only a deliberate act due to their job requirements. With just a glance, Gao Yi could discern many things, so the moment he saw the target appear, he made a decision without hesitation. Not much thought was needed, as he felt the timing was right. Gao Yi walked toward the target, but not directly. The target walked out right from the middle of the Casino¡¯s main entrance, while Gao Yi took a path along the edge. The paths of the two would not meet, staying separated by at least three meters. The bodyguards just glanced at Gao Yi, then did nothing to guard against him. This was the Casino; they couldn¡¯t just stop a guest from entering. Gao Yi kept holding the phone and said, ¡°Did you get it? I¡¯m there!¡± It was something that couldn¡¯t be explicitly stated, yet couldn¡¯t go unsaid. Gao Yi didn¡¯t receive a response from Luca, and as the target bent to get into the car, one bodyguard was eyeing Gao Yi, while the other made a head-protecting motion inviting the boss to enter the car. Just then, as he walked past, now standing sideways to the target, Gao Yi didn¡¯t turn around but made a swift, unexpected sidelong movement towards the target. Moving with the agility of a monkey and the swirl of a millstone, using the step technique of the Eight Trigram Wandering Palm, Gao Yi had indeed acquired its true essence. Still holding his phone, stepping sideways and launching a punch, the three-meter distance was closed in a single stride. Then, in the startled and perplexed gaze of that bodyguard, Gao Yi lowered his body when he was almost face-to-face with the bodyguard, leaned his shoulder in, and with a shake, the bodyguard swooshed out. The Eight Trigram Wandering Palm moving into a Hsing Yi Stick Mountain Lean, short power transferring into long power, the short power injured the person, while the long power shot the person out, clearing the space as not to cause trouble. The target, who had actually put one foot in the car, hadn¡¯t even realized what was happening. Gao Yi grabbed the target¡¯s hair with one hand, pulled hard with his right hand, forcibly tilting the target¡¯s head backward out of control, then squeezed past between the target and the car body, and with a raise of his left arm holding the phone, abruptly rested it on the heart of the bodyguard propped against the car door. Tai Chi deceit, Eight Trigram slide, nothing more poisonous than the Heart Connect Technique. Flowing Eight Trigram Steps moving into a Hsing Yi Stick Mountain Lean, followed by the Drilling Heart Elbow with the Heart Connect Technique. A series of smooth, connected moves, and the two intimidating-looking bodyguards couldn¡¯t even make a sound. After dealing with the two bodyguards, Gao Yi now faced the target. Ideally, it would just be a quick end to the target now that he was exposed, all his vital points laid bare before Gao Yi¡¯s eyes. There were too many techniques to choose from, so many that Gao Yi wasn¡¯t rushing to strike. He grabbed the target¡¯s neck with his right hand and said into the phone with his left, ¡°Did you get it?¡± Luca had finally taken on the assignment. Just as he accepted the task, he heard Gao Yi¡¯s question. ¡°I got it! But I need to provide proof, wait a second¡­¡± Luca selected to submit evidence, and in his rush, he opened the video mode, yet he couldn¡¯t see the target and Gao Yi. ¡°I can¡¯t see you guys, the car is blocking¡­¡± Luca, holding his phone, rushed out of the restaurant and moved to one side, trying to capture the scene of Gao Yi finishing off the target. Gao Yi, holding the target¡¯s neck, pushed the target forward, causing him to stumble backward. Soon, the two were by the side of the car. At this moment, the Casino entrance¡¯s staff finally started to react. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Let him go¡­¡± ¡°Security! Security!¡± Gao Yi hadn¡¯t forgotten that the vehicles on either side had armed bodyguards. Now he finally pocketed his phone, maneuvered to the target¡¯s back, locked the target¡¯s neck with one arm, and, pointing at nearby staff, yelled, ¡°Back off!¡± The target was choked, unable to speak and completely unable to move, his feet instinctively kicking wildly. At this time, the people from the two vehicles finally got out, four small-built locals, each brandishing a gun as they stepped down from the cars, and promptly aimed at Gao Yi. Having a gun pointed at him. Gao Yi suddenly tightened his grip, then released the target, and fiercely said, ¡°Tell them to put down the guns, otherwise¡­¡± Otherwise what, Gao Yi didn¡¯t specify; he merely said it to disturb the bodyguards¡¯ mindset. Earlier, the bodyguards had stayed inside the cars without emerging, and the car windows were very dark, so even though he knew it, he wasn¡¯t too scared. But now, with the gun pointed at him, Gao Yi realized the fear. However¡­ Gao Yi didn¡¯t believe that these bodyguards had bullets chambered and safety off the whole time. The bodyguards came from the vehicles both in front and behind, surrounding Gao Yi in a fan shape. But Gao Yi could see that the safety on the AKMs held by two bodyguards on his right side was off. A bodyguard on his left side, as Gao Yi yelled, flipped the rifle around, his left hand moving to the right side of the gun to pull the bolt. In the moment before the bolt was released, Gao Yi suddenly released the target and charged towards the bodyguard, who was only three meters away. Just as the bodyguard pulled up the bolt, let go, and the bolt snapped back into place with a click, Gao Yi was already in front of him. Seven steps away, a gun is fast. Within seven steps, a gun is both accurate and fast. But within three steps, it was Gao Yi¡¯s unbeatable domain. As Gao Yi reached the gunman, the man hadn¡¯t even managed to flip the rifle back around. Gao Yi grabbed the gun and pushed it aside. His left hand swung in a strike at the gunman¡¯s ear. A Single Wind Piercing Ear, this strike landed, and the gunman instantly fell, no wobble, no sound, just a slight twitch afterward and no more movement. Faced with a gun, Gao Yi¡¯s instinctual fear made him use a lethal move uncontrollably. He twisted the hand holding the barrel, flipping the gun in the air, and Gao Yi grabbed the rifle¡¯s handle and then pushed the gun backward, securing it under his right arm. He had just learned it yesterday, and now it was proving useful already. Gao Yi knew he needed to at least know how to handle a gun, even if he couldn¡¯t master using it yet. Releasing the target and seizing the gun, then immediately spinning back to the target¡¯s side, as the target instinctively tried to get up and run, Gao Yi once again grabbed his neck in one smooth motion, and bellowed, ¡°Put the guns down!¡± Facing an expert. The three gunmen hesitated. But Gao Yi was resolute. Holding the gun in one hand, he fired at a gunman on his left. The left-hand gunman was difficult to manage, so he had to be dealt with first, and with the close distance, Gao Yi¡¯s one-handed shooting was still accurate. The shot bodyguard fell, and the remaining two gunmen quickly set their guns on the ground as Gao Yi fiercely shouted, ¡°Scram!¡± The two gunmen turned and fled, while the Casino entrance staff also dispersed. Luca came over, holding his phone towards Gao Yi, his voice trembling, ¡°Now¡­ please make him face me, get a clear shot of his face¡­¡± Gao Yi turned the target so Luca could clearly capture the target¡¯s face. Then with a sudden pull of his left arm, the still-struggling target immediately ceased his struggles, his eyes bulging out. ¡°His neck is broken!¡± Gao Yi was exceedingly confident, but Luca anxiously said, ¡°Wait, wait! It¡¯s¡­ not clear enough, we can¡¯t confirm decisively that the target is dead!¡± Was it that troublesome? But it was manageable. Gao Yi let go, leaving the now lifeless target to lie on the ground, then quietly said, ¡°Got it.¡± Having a gun in hand, Gao Yi aligned the gun muzzle against the target¡¯s head, and with a bang, a splatter of blood, the bullet blew up the target¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Luca, jumping up and down, exclaimed, ¡°This is very dangerous!¡± Luca was carrying a backpack, wearing another, and holding his phone, dancing around on his feet in a comical manner. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go! Get in the car!¡± There was already a car ready here, no need to look for one. Gao Yi quickly picked up the gun from the ground and tossed it into the car, worried that someone might pick it up and shoot at him after he left. Gao Yi jumped into the car and aimed the gun at the driver¡¯s head, sternly said, ¡°Go, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The driver started the car, while the Land Cruiser that had been occupied by the bodyguards didn¡¯t move. Gao Yi looked back through the car window and saw the Casino entrance wasn¡¯t bustling because no one had come out to check yet. Luca in the car submitted the evidence, and then, the evidence was almost instantly approved. Stunned for a moment, Luca suddenly said, ¡°We took the job, provided evidence in just two seconds, live from the scene, and completed the mission in only sixteen seconds. Uh¡­ we¡­ seem to have¡­ set a record¡­¡± Chapter 15 - 15 13 The First Income ?15: Chapter 13 The First Income 15: Chapter 13 The First Income It was the dry season, and the Meisai River was shallow and narrow, turning crossing it by swimming into just a matter of willingness. On regular days, the reason people from both countries went through customs was simply because it was easy. Although it was a tropical zone, Meisai was mountainous, and wearing wet clothes in the night breeze was quite cold. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Luca, half nervous and half frozen, stammered unable to speak clearly. Gao Yi swiftly took off his wet clothes and pulled out a T-shirt and shorts from his bag to wear. Even though he was in shorts and a tank top, dry clothes made it less cold. Gao Yi had just recovered from a serious injury and certainly didn¡¯t want to catch a cold again. ¡°Change clothes, then let¡¯s hurry. Do we wait here for others to catch up to us?¡± Luca, who should have been experienced, was also speaking unclearly and seemed a bit confused, but that was understandable. He was usually just an agent and rarely involved directly in actions. This time he actually participated in the action, then was chased by armed forces from Tachileik, had to abandon the car, run fiercely, and finally swim across a border river, so it was good that Luca could still talk at all. ¡°I¡¯ve been in this field for ten years, and I¡¯ve never seen anyone like you!¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Luca eventually managed to get his words out. Half resentful and half relieved after speaking, Luca turned to check the riverbank behind him, then hurriedly took off the bag on his back and dug out his own clothes. Gao Yi packed two small stones into his discarded wet clothes and threw them into the river, then he whispered urgently, ¡°Hurry up, hurry up¡­¡± After Luca clumsily changed clothes, the two climbed the riverbank. Although they were still wet and muddy, looking somewhat shabby, they no longer had to worry about a large-scale pursuit. ¡°Should we move overnight?¡± Gao Yi asked quietly, to which Luca immediately nodded, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re an obvious target, we definitely need to leave quickly, get moving, and then divide the money.¡± It was just the beginning of the night, and there were many people and vehicles on the street, finding a taxi wasn¡¯t difficult. They weren¡¯t completely safe yet, and Gao Yi¡¯s biggest fear was being caught by the police, but apart from that, he really wasn¡¯t afraid of anything. The taxi took them directly from Meisai County to Chiang Mai. The journey took about three hours. After that, they took a tuk-tuk for a loop, followed by a walk. After circulating a few times like this, they basically completed the entire escape. And the time had just reached midnight, same day back and forth, very efficient. It was not until they settled into the room and declared the mission completely over that Luca finally said with satisfaction, ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± He took out his phone, logged into the Dark Web to check, and then immediately a smile appeared on his face, ¡°The reward has arrived, this really is the fastest mission ever. Two seconds to accept the mission, sixteen seconds to submit the evidence, the verification took only one minute, precisely fifty-four seconds, then the reward was deposited, wow, this feels great!¡± Luca had always said he had never seen someone like Gao Yi, but he didn¡¯t say Gao Yi¡¯s method was wrong, so Gao Yi took Luca¡¯s words as compliments. ¡°The money arrived so quickly, that¡¯s great!¡± Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but rub his hands together, as he had been penniless for too long and really needed some money. The only issue was whether Luca, the creditor, was willing to give him the money. Gao Yi looked eagerly at Luca, but Luca was straightforward, ¡°We agreed that I would cover the costs and planning, and you would execute; the commission is split equally, so you have ten thousand one hundred and fifty dollars.¡± ¡°Alright, but how do I get the money? In cash?¡± At this moment, Gao Yi suddenly realized another problem: he didn¡¯t have a bank card or an ID card to open a new one, so unless Luca gave him cash, he couldn¡¯t get the money. ¡°Of course not in cash, it¡¯s Bitcoin.¡± ¡°Bitcoin? Assassins settle in Bitcoin!¡± Bitcoin was beyond Gao Yi¡¯s knowledge. He had read about it online and knew it was a digital currency, but it was his first time learning that assassins received payments in Bitcoin. ¡°The whole Dark Web uses Bitcoin; it¡¯s the best choice, ensures safety, and after you get the Bitcoins, you can sell them on trading platforms to convert them into cash, thus bypassing the money laundering process, safe and efficient, with almost no transaction fees.¡± Gao Yi listened but didn¡¯t quite understand; he just knew Bitcoin was secure, saved money and trouble, and was virtually tailor-made for laundering money, but how was he supposed to receive the money? ¡°So how are you going to give it to me?¡± ¡°You register for a Bitcoin wallet app, hit receive, and there will be a QR code, I scan and send it to you. As for how you¡¯ll apply for a bank card or credit card, that¡¯ll be a matter for later.¡± Luca instructed Gao Yi on how to proceed, then emphasized repeatedly, ¡°Make sure to set a password you can remember, make sure it¡¯s a password you can recall, and make sure it¡¯s a password that even if you lose your phone and change devices, you can still use.¡± ¡°Why, have you had a bloody lesson?¡± Luca¡¯s facial muscles started twitching, he paused a long time, eventually said, ¡°I¡¯ve got an account with thirteen point seven Bitcoins in it, but I only remember the account and forgot the randomly generated password¡­¡± ¡°Err, how much is that?¡± ¡°Todays price is two thousand forty dollars per coin, so that¡¯s twenty-seven thousand nine hundred forty-eight dollars lost.¡± ¡°Err, your math is pretty good¡­¡± Luca sighed, waved his hand, and said, ¡°Bitcoin¡¯s prices are very volatile; there is a chance of appreciation, but my habit is to convert them into cash immediately after receiving them because I¡¯m worried about the Bitcoin market crashing; converting to cash savings is still better.¡± Gao Yi thought the same; he instinctively rejected the idea of electronic money, feeling that money was safer in a bank than just a line of numbers online. But Gao Yi had no card to deposit money, so he said helplessly, ¡°But I don¡¯t have a card or a bank account, even if I did deposit it into my old domestic account, I¡­ I can¡¯t remember the account number.¡± Luca shook his head, ¡°Then you wait until you¡¯ve got a card to sell off the Bitcoin, um, I¡¯ll pay you five Bitcoins first, worth ten thousand two hundred dollars, and you still need to give me fifty dollars, so deduct it from the cash.¡± Being an assassin, his first income felt somehow inappropriate. Gao Yi thought maybe he should just repay the debt with the money, but also felt inconvenient without any cash on him at all, so he decided to owe it first and pay off a large sum later. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more Bitcoin, and you give me two thousand dollars in cash, how about that?¡± ¡°1990 dollars.¡± An assassin and an agent, haggling over ten dollars right here, Gao Yi felt embarrassed. ¡°Give me 1900!¡± Gao Yi, true to his generous nature when poor, really didn¡¯t mind parting with those extra dollars due to his ego and the impression it made. Luca silently took out a stack of cash from his bag, counted nineteen notes, then put some small bills, and finally pushed some Thai Baht towards Gao Yi. ¡°1990 dollars, I don¡¯t want to take advantage of you; it should be exactly as much as it needs to be.¡± The money was accounted for, and Gao Yi pocketed the cash, even patted it in his pocket, then said, ¡°The money I owe you, I¡¯ll pay it all back after the big job, now you can tell me about that big mission, right?¡± Luca hesitated for a moment, but soon said, ¡°Your personality is somewhat reckless. I worry that you¡ª¡± Gao Yi sternly said, ¡°I am not reckless; I am trained in Kung Fu. Do you know what the essence of Kung Fu is? It¡¯s finding the opponent¡¯s weaknesses, striking those weaknesses, being patient if there is no opportunity, creating opportunities when none exist, and decisively seizing them when they do. I will advance if I can, and I will retreat immediately if I should. Do you understand?¡± Luca paused for a while, then finally shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you. Well, let¡¯s discuss this task then, it¡¯s time to plan.¡± Chapter 16 - 16 14 The Plan is Quiet ?16: Chapter 14 The Plan is Quiet 16: Chapter 14 The Plan is Quiet Gao Yi felt that with this mission as groundwork, he should have established enough trust by now. With sufficient trust in place, naturally, he could move on to the next mission, and whether that big mission would bring in big money was secondary. The key was whether it could allow him to clear his debts. But Luca¡¯s demeanor suggested he still had some hesitations, and when Gao Yi mentioned planning the next mission, he actually hesitated. There had to be a problem, definitely a problem. ¡°Um, about the big mission, actually, there¡¯s no rush. This mission was meant to let you get a feel for being an assassin, to get familiar with the whole process from getting close to the target to completing the assassination, but¡­¡± Luca spread his hands, a look of helplessness on his face, ¡°But you did it too quickly. We were just going over to scout and you went straight to taking action. I admit it was very satisfying, beautifully done, but it didn¡¯t achieve the intended effect.¡± The original intention of this mission was for Gao Yi to practice, but well, he turned it into a show of skill. Working too quickly was also a problem, something Gao Yi hadn¡¯t anticipated before. However, since Luca was still unwilling to disclose the big mission, there was indeed a problem. Even if practice was necessary, if you needed to familiarize yourself with how a conventional assassin operates, they could always talk about the big mission first. They could at least clarify what kind of mission it was, so Gao Yi would be mentally prepared and could study the characteristics of the big mission accordingly. That would be the normal approach. Now Luca refused to discuss specifics of the mission, and it was obvious that he didn¡¯t want Gao Yi to know. There could only be one possibility. Suddenly Gao Yi said, ¡°This big mission is too difficult, has already claimed the lives of many assassins¡­¡± Luca¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°You know?¡± Gao Yi had guessed, but he hadn¡¯t guessed wrong, and Luca gave himself away with just one bluff. ¡°I didn¡¯t know before, now I do. Alright, stop trying to hide it, just speak up if there¡¯s something.¡± Luca remained silent for a while, but eventually nodded, giving in, ¡°Alright, I have to tell you the truth, yes, this task is difficult¡­¡± He watched into Gao Yi¡¯s eyes, trying to gauge his reaction. Seeing no change in Gao Yi¡¯s expression, Luca continued in a low voice, ¡°This mission has already killed six assassins, and two mercenary groups also nearly perished because of this mission. So, the difficulty of this mission is indeed high.¡± Gao Yi sighed. He wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know what to say. After struggling for a while, Gao Yi sighed deeply again, ¡°One million dollars?¡± Luca began operating on his phone, then showed the amount displayed on the screen, ¡°You can see for yourself, it¡¯s one million dollars. I definitely won¡¯t lie about the reward.¡± Gao Yi gave a wry smile, ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m asking if I can see the specific requirements of the mission, and any other detailed demands. I¡¯m just curious about what a one million dollar mission looks like.¡± ¡°This mission is a semi-public assignment, it has been around for three years now, and nobody has been able to complete it.¡± ¡°I just finished a mission that hung around for three years, and this one is also three years?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s just a coincidence. Also, this mission is unlike the previous one; it¡¯s an open-ended assignment from the day it was posted. That is, the client has already paid the full amount to the Dark Web. No matter whether the mission is completed or not, the Dark Web will not refund the reward; it will simply keep the mission posted until someone completes it and claims the reward.¡± After thinking for a moment, Gao Yi surmised such missions were like an unredeemable pawn in a pawnshop. ¡°Six assassins dead, huh¡­¡± Observing Gao Yi¡¯s expression turning a bit odd, Luca quickly said, ¡°But this mission isn¡¯t impossible to complete. One million dollars, those assassin organizations don¡¯t care about it, and the assassins who did get killed were no good. They were just too dumb. I¡¯m different; I have a complete plan.¡± ¡°You mentioned that two Mercenary Groups also perished.¡± Luca laughed, ¡°The target is a warlord. He¡¯s got at least three thousand troops. What a joke it would be for two small Mercenary Groups to try and forcefully take down a warlord!¡± ¡°Hmm, do you really have a good plan?¡± ¡°Yes, let me explain to you.¡± Luca again raised his phone, leaned in close to Gao Yi, and showed him a photo on the screen. The photo depicted a black man, bulky and large, dressed in an ostentatious military uniform, donning huge sunglasses, and surrounded by at least a dozen armed guards. ¡°Gray Horace, fifty-two years old, the leader of the Liberian anti-government army, controls about three thousand troops. His domain includes just one city, Suakoko.¡± Taking back his phone, Luca continued, ¡°Did you spot the problem? This is in the rainforest region of Liberia, extremely poor, and the city of Suakoko has less than fifty thousand people¡ªalmost exclusively black. Thus, any foreigner entering would be discovered almost instantly; it¡¯s practically impossible for outsiders to get close to Gray Horace!¡± Gao Yi furrowed his brow, ¡°Then, a yellow-skinned person entering would be even more likely to get noticed. Why would you still look for an Asian assassin?¡± Luca¡¯s laughter had a hint of pride, ¡°That¡¯s the central point of the entire plan. Suakoko has a Chinese restaurant, and Gray Horace visits at least once a month!¡± Gao Yi had a moment of realization, ¡°So, you need an Asian assassin capable of taking down Gray with bare hands!¡± ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s it! Of the previous six assassins, four were black. They thought their skin color would protect them, but that wasn¡¯t the case, since any outsiders entering Suakoko and approaching Gray Horace made it as if they had ¡®I am an assassin¡¯ written on their faces.¡± Luca waved dismissively, continuing, ¡°The other two were Caucasian; one pretended to be a businessman, the other a documentary filmmaker, but these disguises were useless. For Gray Horace, it¡¯s simple: kill all who dare approach him, just that easy!¡± ¡°Wait for the target to approach me, and then I¡¯ll have the chance to strike. But there¡¯s a problem. If this city is so closed off and the military is loyal to the target, even if I succeed, how would I escape?¡± Gao Yi looked sidelong at Luca, speaking in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you think I would be very likely to die in your plan?¡± Luca shrugged, then with a perplexed look said, ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a risk, but you¡¯re an assassin, aren¡¯t you? Why should you make five hundred thousand dollars if there¡¯s no risk?¡± Gao Yi found himself at a loss for words. Indeed, there¡¯s no easy money in this world. But surely Gao Yi couldn¡¯t be expected to risk his life for someone else to make a fortune. Debts had to be paid, but not with his life. If Luca couldn¡¯t come up with a good plan and really intended to set him up to die just to collect the money, Gao Yi wouldn¡¯t be polite about it. Others tried to scheme against Gao Yi first, so what¡¯s the big deal if Gao Yi decided to default? ¡°Five hundred thousand is hard to earn, but one million is easier, right? Is there a chance that I kill the target and then get taken out by his bodyguards, while you claim the one million and declare the mission a success? Could that happen?¡± Luca retorted angrily, ¡°How could that be! Would I do such a thing? I will, of course, plan your escape route!¡± ¡°How¡¯s the escape?¡± Luca spoke defiantly, ¡°Haven¡¯t figured that out yet.¡± Gao Yi thought that managing not to beat Luca to death right now was already the biggest reward he could give him. Seeing Gao Yi¡¯s displeased look, Luca still insisted, ¡°The reason I didn¡¯t tell you the plan is that I haven¡¯t thought of a way to retreat. You kept asking. If you had waited for me to perfect the plan, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem to worry about, right?¡± Once again, Gao Yi was left without words to reply. Right, one can¡¯t blame someone for an imperfect plan they haven¡¯t finished yet¡ªawkwardly worded, but that¡¯s the truth. After pondering for a moment, Gao Yi finally said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start brainstorming a good plan together now.¡± Luca sighed with reluctant agreement, ¡°A true, formidable assassin can spend a year preparing and then in one second kill the target without anyone noticing, without any abnormalities, such that nobody even knows the target was murdered. That¡¯s the highest realm.¡± Studying Gao Yi closely, Luca shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re obviously not that type.¡± Gao Yi nodded; he acknowledged the truth in Luca¡¯s words. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°There¡¯s another kind of assassin, one who through ample preparation creates an opportunity for a certain kill, silently takes out the target, and withdraws quietly before anyone perceives it. By the time someone notices, the assassin is long gone.¡± Luca gave another sigh, his face filled with resignation, ¡°I hoped you were this type of assassin. My preparations were for this ideal scenario, but it¡¯s clear that you¡¯re not.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s style was simple: approach the target, take him out, and be done with it. Seamless perfection was impossible for him, silence beyond his capacity. It was the seven-in and seven-out kind of fighting that was Gao Yi¡¯s style. However, the precondition was that the opponent shouldn¡¯t have guns. Gao Yi sighed and then said, somewhat helplessly, ¡°Silently take out the target, and be gone before anyone discovers¡­ haha, your plan is no better than having none. I¡¯d say¡­¡± He suddenly paused. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Luca frowned slightly. Gao Yi, looking at Luca¡¯s expectant eyes, somewhat embarrassed to say more, prodded, ¡°Come on, tell me!¡± Gao Yi cautiously said, ¡°Well, silently take out the target and everyone around him, and be gone before anyone else notices. Could that also count as the second type?¡± Luca stared blankly at Gao Yi, then perked up, dumfounded, ¡°What did you just say? I think I understood you, but I don¡¯t quite grasp what you mean.¡± Gao Yi resigned himself to being frank, ¡°Just take out everyone, and naturally, no one will know I was there. If I kill Gray Horace, his bodyguards will notice. So, what if I also take out all his bodyguards?¡± Luca sucked in a breath, ¡°Looks like I didn¡¯t misunderstand your point¡­¡± Since the words were out, Gao Yi continued, ¡°Could Gray eat a meal with hundreds of onlookers? Even if people surround the entire restaurant outside, there would be at most two or three people inside, maybe five or six, or seven or eight?¡± Watching Luca remain dumbfounded, Gao Yi waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯ll take out everyone inside, quietly, and then naturally, no one will discover, right?¡± With what little reason Luca had left, he pondered a moment, then nodded, ¡°Makes sense¡­¡± He blurted out ¡°makes sense,¡± then quickly shook his head, his voice urgent, ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not right. How can you be confident of instantly killing several people? If someone fires a gun, or even shouts, how will you wrap things up?¡± Now Gao Yi felt his plan was feasible, and without hesitation, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll strike when I have a chance; if there¡¯s no opportunity, I¡¯ll wait! If the chance isn¡¯t good, can¡¯t I just quietly watch the target finish eating? What if I move the next month he comes to eat, is that not alright? If not one month, then two, if not two, then half a year. Earning half a million dollars in half a year is fast enough, what else could make that much so quickly?¡± Luca gawked, standing up and pacing in a small circle before stamping his foot and stretching a finger towards Gao Yi¡¯s nose, exclaiming, ¡°You damn genius! We¡¯ll go with your plan!¡± Chapter 17 - 17 15 There Must Be Some Problem ?17: Chapter 15 There Must Be Some Problem 17: Chapter 15 There Must Be Some Problem Luca seemed a bit overambitious and underqualified. That is to say, Luca wanted to make that one million dollars, and he thought Gao Yi suited his plans perfectly, so he decisively saved Gao Yi¡¯s life, finding himself a reliable executor for his plans. Then, that was it. The idea was good, and he had the boldness, but when it came time to take action, Luca¡¯s abilities couldn¡¯t match his ideas, which was exactly what being overambitious and underqualified entailed. As for the mission at hand, Gao Yi felt he needed to gather more information first. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on with this restaurant.¡± Luca raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°I¡¯ve tried gathering some intelligence on this, but there¡¯s nothing online, so there¡¯s no progress for now. We¡¯ll know once we visit the site ourselves.¡± ¡°How do you expect me to enter this restaurant? What should I do once inside? What can I do to make the target approach me voluntarily?¡± Luca, unfazed, responded, ¡°I have only a vague idea, a concept. I definitely won¡¯t waste time and energy studying a plan that can¡¯t be implemented without the right person.¡± Gao Yi stared in astonishment and then said, ¡°So, you mean before you met me, you hadn¡¯t really looked into how to execute it?¡± Luca, somewhat helplessly, said, ¡°I¡¯ve been working on this lately. I have started gathering intelligence, but it¡¯s hard to get anything substantial.¡± Luca was unrelilable, truly. Although Luca indeed had more experience, that was all it was. Gao Yi pondered for a long time and then suddenly said, ¡°Why does the target visit a Chinese restaurant once a month?¡± ¡°Because he loves the food there.¡± That reason was too compelling and indeed accurate. Gao Yi could only continue, ¡°Why? Is it because the food is exceptionally delicious?¡± ¡°Of course, what else could it be?¡± Luca thought Gao Yi¡¯s question was rather silly, so he looked at him as if Gao Yi was the foolish one. Gao Yi sighed and asked, ¡°So, what type of cuisine does this restaurant serve? What are the flavors like? Is it the most famous restaurant locally? Is it the only Chinese restaurant there? Is the owner Chinese or local? Are the chefs Chinese or local? You want me to blend into this restaurant, what role should I take on, chef or waiter?¡± Luca waved his hand and said, ¡°Your questions are valid, but we need to see the place in person to get answers. I can¡¯t do that soon; Suakoko is too small and too poor, and there¡¯s no information available about it on the Dark Web because there are no connections there with the Dark Web.¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi, without hesitation, said, ¡°Then how do you know that the target eats at the same Chinese restaurant every month?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from the Dark Web again. It came from a previous assassin broker, who tried to leverage this point, so he spread the word in the circle that he needed a collaboration with a Chinese. But there are too few Chinese assassins in the circle, and the assassin he could find was Caucasian, who couldn¡¯t blend in, and blending into the restaurant was useless anyway, so the plan was scrapped.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t know whether to feel lucky or disappointed. After thinking it over, he decided he should feel fortunate for his luck. Just the lack of Chinese assassins led Luca to invest in saving his life on a vague idea¡ªif that wasn¡¯t luck, what was? After a moment of reflection, Gao Yi nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I understand now.¡± ¡°What do you understand?¡± ¡°I thought you had a complete plan that only needed implementing. But now it seems we have to start planning from scratch.¡± Luca spread his hands and said, ¡°Yes, as an agent, I¡¯ve found the right mission and the right assassin. It¡¯s up to you to figure out the specifics of the plan and the execution.¡± Luca admitted it easily, but Gao Yi felt dazed. Finally, Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°But I¡¯m not an assassin!¡± ¡°But you are now.¡± Being forcefully charged with such a task wasn¡¯t pleasant, but Luca made too much sense for Gao Yi to object. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s prepare to go, but are you sure you can handle the preparations?¡± Luca nodded and then said solemnly, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll take care of the preparations. I¡¯ll prepare your passport and visa immediately, then we¡¯ll go to Liberia first, and after preparing there, we¡¯ll enter Suakoko.¡± Gao Yi pressed his hand against his forehead and said, ¡°A Chinese restaurant¡ªI have to use the advantage of my skin color, either as a chef or as a waiter.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gao Yi, visibly annoyed, said, ¡°But do you think it¡¯s possible for me, a Chinese man, to work as a waiter in a remote tropical rainforest town in a restaurant?¡± Luca shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s unlikely; using local staff is obviously cheaper. But it¡¯s not impossible; having a Chinese person as a live advertisement in a Chinese restaurant is quite normal, though the most likely possibility is for you to work as a chef.¡± ¡°Do I look like a chef?¡± Luca scrutinized Gao Yi carefully, then shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not apparent, but since you ask that way, you¡¯re definitely not a chef.¡± Gao Yi said despairingly, ¡°I can cook some basic meals, but I¡¯m not a chef. I can¡¯t make any complex dishes, which means if I want to infiltrate a Chinese restaurant, I need to start by learning how to cook¡­¡± Luca nodded and then said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re right. If you can¡¯t, learn. Assassins are multi-talented because they have to be multi-talented.¡± ¡°Do you know how hard it is to be a chef?¡± Gao Yi was furious, glaring at Luca, and said loudly, ¡°Do you know how complex Chinese cuisine is? Do you know how long it takes to train as a chef?¡± Luca said earnestly, ¡°How picky do you think the taste buds of a small town in the rainforest in Africa are, or rather, do you know how easily satisfied they might be?¡± Gao Yi took a deep breath and then helplessly waved his hand, saying, ¡°Stop talking, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to continue this mission if we keep discussing this.¡± Luca shared the sentiment but still said with an innocent face, ¡°I just want to state again, my plan is not yet perfect, so I¡¯m not planning to embark on this mission immediately. You were too eager, it was your constant questioning that made me tell you about this mission.¡± Gao Yi waved his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s sort out the passport, manage the visa, and head to Africa to figure things out there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll start preparations right away. Also, I need to remind you that the internet connection in Suakoko is very unstable, so we might not be able to live stream the evidence, and I also might not be there when you act¡­¡± Luca looked at Gao Yi solemnly and said, ¡°We might need another way to verify, like public news combined with any evidence we can provide. Whether it¡¯s public news or catching up with evidence afterward, at least we need a clear shot of the target¡¯s face, so make sure you don¡¯t smash the target¡¯s face up!¡± Gao Yi, slightly impatient, said, ¡°No chance of that happening, it¡¯s a mere coincidence this time. Next time, even if there¡¯s a similar situation, I can just aim for the heart, right?¡± Luca nodded, then couldn¡¯t help but look at Gao Yi¡¯s chest. Gao Yi, annoyed, said, ¡°Stop looking; I¡¯ll hit both sides until it¡¯s rotten, until the target is certainly dead! Damn it, all I have are my hands; how on earth can I assure the target is definitely dead? Should I prepare some kind of weapon?¡± ¡°Definitely can¡¯t shoot the head with a gun, but don¡¯t worry, the Dark Web has many forms of verification. Live streaming is just the simplest and most convenient, but it¡¯s not the only way. We¡¯ll figure something out.¡± As they discussed more difficulties, Luca gave an embarrassed smile and then tried to change the subject. ¡°Why I say you are a natural-born assassin is because you¡¯re a Mirror Image Man; your vital points are not located where they usually are in others, which means you have a slight edge¡ªan assassin rarely shoots someone in the head to ensure death. Even the Andic Group assassin made a mistake not realizing you were still alive. Ha, ha.¡± Gao Yi was unconcerned and said, ¡°Who says the Andic Group doesn¡¯t shoot again? They put a bullet in everyone¡¯s head.¡± Luca¡¯s laughter stopped abruptly as he stared at Gao Yi in amazement. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? The Andic Group¡¯s assassins didn¡¯t have a chance to shoot me again because I killed them all!¡± Gao Yi said proudly, ¡°Two people, two gunmen, I killed one first and then, after getting shot, I killed the other. How could they shoot me again?¡± Luca stood up, looking extremely astonished and panicked as he stared at Gao Yi and said, ¡°You¡­ you killed two Andic Group assassins?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Luca swallowed hard, his face blank as he said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± ¡°You never asked.¡± Luca put a hand on his forehead, murmuring, ¡°Fuck! Shit! No wonder the Andic Group had to hire a local Scavenger¡ªthey needed to clean up their own assassins¡¯ bodies¡­¡± Gao Yi frowned and asked softly, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Luca sighed and nodded, ¡°There¡¯s a problem, a big problem¡ªoh no, now I¡¯m in trouble too¡­¡± Gao Yi frowned, ¡°What kind of trouble? Are they going to retaliate?¡± Luca took a deep breath and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what problems, but I know there will definitely be problems. The Andic Group doesn¡¯t allow its missions to fail.¡± Gao Yi immediately said, ¡°But their target wasn¡¯t me.¡± Luca helplessly said, ¡°No one knows if the Andic Group will retaliate. We don¡¯t know what happened or what¡¯s going to happen next, but we¡¯re already in big trouble! Let¡¯s stop talking here; we need to leave, leave this place, leave Thailand, right now!¡± Chapter 18 - 18 16 Making Money Is Important ?18: Chapter 16 Making Money Is Important 18: Chapter 16 Making Money Is Important He didn¡¯t dare to stay for even one more day, not even changing his passport, and immediately rushed to Dubai at the fastest speed. Why Dubai? It was simply because it offered a visa on arrival and then facilitated easier transfers to flights destined for other places¡ªthat was all. Upon arriving in Dubai, Luca still appeared heavily burdened with worries. Gao Yi noticed that Luca¡¯s fear was genuine, given that he willingly spent money to stay in an expensive five-star hotel. It was a five-star hotel, which Gao Yi had never stayed in before. He was curious about everything inside, but after learning that the hotel¡¯s daily room rate was as high as two hundred dollars, he first felt heartache over the steep price and then thought it wasn¡¯t too bad for the two of them to share a room. Then, before Gao Yi had a chance to truly enjoy the five-star hotel¡¯s services, Luca managed to buy flight tickets, and they flew from Dubai to Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone was visa-free for Chinese people, and Gao Yi could enter with the passport he had on hand. Also, Sierra Leone was a neighboring country to Liberia. This frantic journey was almost entirely spent on planes, with no opportunity for a proper conversation. And now, even after arriving in Sierra Leone, having run far away, Luca still looked as if he was facing death. Gao Yi really couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°What exactly are you afraid of? Just because Andic is the top assassin organization?¡± Luca shook his head, then nodded, and tried to smile, trying to appear indifferent, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, uh, the Andic Group is formidable, but that¡¯s not why I¡¯m afraid of them. No, I¡¯m not afraid of the Andic Group.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even speak clearly anymore, and you say you¡¯re not afraid?¡± Gao Yi frowned at Luca, then suddenly said, ¡°Do you have some enmity with the Andic Group?¡± Luca sharply turned to look at Gao Yi, fear in his eyes. Gao Yi was startled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re the one with a grudge against the Andic Group?¡± Gao Yi had always thought Luca was scared because he, Gao Yi, had killed two of the Andic Group¡¯s assassins, but Luca¡¯s reaction made it clear that it wasn¡¯t just his own issue or rather, not only his issue. ¡°I¡¯m not! I didn¡¯t! Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Luca¡¯s triple denial came with a hint of panic. Gao Yi, impatient, said, ¡°Come on, stop pretending. Your fear is beyond what¡¯s normal. So, you¡¯re not worried about me having a problem, you¡¯re worried about yourself, or perhaps it¡¯s because my issue combined with yours makes you feel more at risk, more terrified, right?¡± Luca looked lost, ¡°You¡­ Really¡­ Not an assassin?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to talk, do it fast. If not, let it go.¡± Luca nodded, whispering, ¡°Yeah, better not to talk.¡± Gao Yi was exasperated; he had just wanted to nudge Luca into confessing by taking the contrary stance, but Luca really chose to keep silent. ¡°You knew I was a target of the Andic Group, but you weren¡¯t scared then. It was only after you knew I¡¯d killed two people from the Andic Group that you started to feel scared.¡± Gao Yi was just making a wild guess, but Luca¡¯s situation was too obvious. Even though Gao Yi wasn¡¯t good at reasoning, a simple follow-up led him to a reasonable conclusion. ¡°You figure the Andic Group, being a large assassin organization, wouldn¡¯t bother avenging a Scavenger or waste effort chasing down a minor figure they killed along the way. But now that two assassins have died, they would seek revenge, and that¡¯s why you¡¯re scared. No, if they wanted revenge, they¡¯d go after me, and I¡¯m not scared. So why are you scared to death?¡± Luca¡¯s face remained fraught with worry, but he showed no reaction to Gao Yi¡¯s words. Suddenly, Gao Yi thought of a possibility and said, almost in disbelief, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re also someone who got mistakenly targeted by the Andic Group? No, not mistakenly. You are a survivor the Andic Group failed to kill!¡± Luca¡¯s expression finally changed, and looking at Gao Yi, his eyes filled with terror. Then, he said feebly, ¡°What kind of person are you, exactly? How do you know my¡­¡± Luca stopped pressing because Gao Yi¡¯s conclusion was based on following the clues. ¡°You really are someone the Andic Group wants to kill?¡± Gao Yi wasn¡¯t scared; he was just surprised, so he asked urgently, ¡°Why? What happened to you?¡± Luca swallowed and hesitated for a moment before blurting, ¡°I¡­ I was¡­ I once was¡­ a staff member for¡­ an assassin.¡± Gao Yi looked at Luca for a moment, ¡°Staff member? Like a follower?¡± Luca¡¯s mouth twitched, and he finally nodded, whispering, ¡°Yes, just a follower. You know, almost all famous assassins have their own crews, and I was part of such a crew.¡± ¡°A famous assassin, you were under his command, and then this assassin was killed by the Andic Group?¡± Luca nodded, murmuring, ¡°Basically, yes. But the assassin I followed belonged to a renowned assassin organization with a long history.¡± Glancing at Gao Yi, Luca continued in a low voice, ¡°I wasn¡¯t part of this organization. I just was¡­ how should I say it¡­¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t qualified to join this assassin organization.¡± Luca glared at Gao Yi with disgust, but in the end, he nodded. Gao Yi¡¯s summary was accurate, even if it was a painful truth. ¡°So what are you afraid of? The Andic Group¡¯s target isn¡¯t you. You¡¯ve been fine until now, and you¡¯ve been working as an assassin broker, so it indicates that you won¡¯t have any issues in the future, right?¡± Luca whispered, ¡°Previously, the¡­ ah, the assassin who introduced me to this business was very powerful and very famous. No one knew his real identity, yet the Andic Group managed to set a trap that wiped us all out. I had just joined, so I luckily escaped. Maybe I wasn¡¯t important enough to attract the Andic Group¡¯s attention. But it¡¯s different if I¡¯m with you.¡± Gao Yi found the situation rather troublesome and pondered for a while before asking, ¡°Who was the assassin you worked for? How long ago did this happen?¡± Luca hesitated for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s been six years.¡± ¡°Six years? Then what are you afraid of? If there were any real danger, you¡¯d be long dead by now. Oh, I see. You¡¯ve got a psychological trauma.¡± At this point, Gao Yi suddenly remembered something and his face changed. Luca couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, did you think of something?¡± ¡°When we completed the task, my face was captured on camera. You must have been captured too.¡± Luca said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about. The casino entrance surely has surveillance.¡± Gao Yi grimaced, ¡°The whole process of me taking action was also live-streamed to the Dark Web. Could that be dangerous?¡± Luca shook his head, ¡°That was recorded through the Dark Web¡¯s own video feature, only the evidence reviewers on the Dark Web can see it. It wasn¡¯t a live broadcast for everyone, so don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m just afraid that the casino surveillance might get into the hands of someone who could then release a warrant for us or put up a bounty on the Dark Web. That would be troublesome¡­¡± Gao Yi said cautiously, ¡°Yeah, do you think they would?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m scared!¡± Gao Yi was also not sure, now begun to worry as well, but after thinking it through, he shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Which casino would admit to having someone killed at their entrance? They¡¯d be trying to hide it, not expose it voluntarily.¡± ¡°Er, maybe.¡± Gao Yi continued, ¡°You know what Tachileik is like. How could their police issue a warrant for us, let alone spend money on a Dark Web bounty?¡± ¡°Hopefully that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Luca was still absent-minded, while Gao Yi said with a look of utmost care, ¡°Stop thinking about it. Right now, let¡¯s focus on one thing: let¡¯s complete this big task first, earn the money. Even if we think about hiding, we first need enough money to do so.¡± Luca immediately agreed, ¡°I completely agree. Even if we want to escape, we need money to do it. Let¡¯s do the task first, and earn big!¡± Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 19 - 19 17 Mutual Guarding ?19: Chapter 17 Mutual Guarding 19: Chapter 17 Mutual Guarding It¡¯s really hard to see how Luca came up with the word ¡°staff.¡± But since Luca had once been an apprentice to a famous assassin, his abilities might be limited, but his insights were genuine. Luca said an assassin needed to be versatile, so Gao Yi really had to learn a craft. It didn¡¯t have to be particularly proficient, nor could it be, but it needed to be broad. And he really had to master it to a certain extent, at least to the point where it looked convincing and not just somewhat convincing. Just looking convincing was not enough; it could be deadly. That was the principle, so Gao Yi had to learn to be a chef. This first step in being versatile was to practice culinary skills. The first step in practicing culinary skills was to see what kinds of Chinese restaurants there were in Freetown, to eat at all the Chinese restaurants in Freetown, and to taste what the locals liked. Sierra Leone and Liberia are neighboring countries, and neither country is very big; there are definitely differences in their dietary habits, but ultimately they are quite similar. ¡°Sorry, I really can¡¯t eat anymore¡­¡± At the first restaurant they tried, Gao Yi really wanted to smash the place because, apart from having a sign that said it was a Chinese restaurant, everything else was local. The owner was Black, the chef was Black, the waiters were Black, and the customers were Black. The dish they came up with, some kind of chicken stew, was just sweet and spicy. An intense sweetness masked the gaminess of the chicken, and a heavy spiciness covered up all other off-flavors. Then, seeing the locals pour the sweet and spicy thick stew over rice, then mix it with their hands before bringing it to their mouths, Gao Yi immediately lost all appetite, but still thought it might taste good despite its appearance. After forcing himself to take a bite, Gao Yi realized he was indeed right. With a look of resignation, he glared at Luca and said in a low voice, ¡°You dare say this is the most popular Chinese restaurant in Freetown?¡± Luca glared back at Gao Yi and said quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t judge local tastes by your own dietary habits. You think this is a pile of dog shit, but¡­¡± Looking at the soup bowl in front of him, Luca suddenly said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that, now I can¡¯t eat it either.¡± Gao Yi had no appetite at all. He wasn¡¯t one to waste food, and he had indeed noticed that this dish was the most popular item in the restaurant, as seen on other tables. However, even though Gao Yi braced himself emotionally, he still backed off when he actually had to eat the dish. ¡°This isn¡¯t Chinese cuisine, and there are many Chinese restaurants in Freetown. I think we can totally find a normal Chinese restaurant. Let me treat you to some real, delicious Sichuan cuisine.¡± Luca shook his head, then said with a tragic look, ¡°Listen, this restaurant is the locals¡¯ favorite Chinese place. You can question their taste, but you have to accept their taste. If they like it, then you must like it too.¡± After that, Luca took a spoonful of the mixed rice and put it into his mouth, then said while eating, ¡°It¡¯s actually not that¡­¡± He turned his head, spit out the food, and then started coughing loudly, soon adding, ¡°Sorry, sorry, I choked¡­¡± Gao Yi was inexplicably frustrated, and waited until Luca¡¯s coughing finally stopped, then said quietly, ¡°Man, you didn¡¯t have to go so hard.¡± Luca shook his head, saying softly, ¡°I highly suspect that the Chinese restaurants in Suakoko are of this type, which is to say, the target likes this taste!¡± Gao Yi looked desperate. Luca continued, ¡°Face reality. You¡¯re unlikely to be a waiter, being a chef is the most likely way to blend in. If the target likes this taste, then you must learn to make it. Once you get to Suakoko, it will be too late to learn.¡± Gao Yi looked around, making sure no one could hear his conversation, then said quietly, ¡°The target is also a big shot. Do you think he likes this taste?¡± ¡°Britons aren¡¯t poor, what kind of ghastly stuff do they make? Dietary habits, pal, you¡¯ve got to learn to accept them. You can find cuisine from all over the world in London, but Suakoko isn¡¯t London, nobody¡¯s there to elevate the taste of the people of Suakoko!¡± No choice then, eat up. Gao Yi tragically stuffed his mouth full of rice. The rice was hard, the dish was sweet, and spicy. Fortunately, tasting it was enough; there was no need to actually finish it. The two of them struggled to eat enough to at least get a sense of the taste, then silently walked out of the restaurant. Then, both of them sighed simultaneously. After a long while, Gao Yi suddenly said, ¡°How about, add some money?¡± Luca nodded and said quietly, ¡°I¡¯ll try to find another way.¡± Paying more was for intelligence, finding another way was also for intelligence. Suakoko was too remote, too isolated; getting information was not easy. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Liberia was not at war now, but Suakoko had been occupied by Gray Horace, which was effectively a lordship, so the Liberian government had economically blockaded Suakoko. They hadn¡¯t completely sealed it off, but Suakoko¡¯s contact with the outside world was truly limited. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t go there, and the only people who could enter Suakoko were businessmen with connections and backgrounds. Methods that might work in big cities were all but useless here, unless Luca was willing to spend a lot of money to hire a dedicated intelligence broker to go to Suakoko and gather intelligence. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to get useful information. Useful information included things like the name of Gray Horace¡¯s favorite restaurant, its location, what the building looked like, who the owner and chefs were, and mainly what the cuisine tasted like. It wasn¡¯t necessary to delve into Gray Horace¡¯s taste; knowing the restaurant¡¯s characteristics was enough. Gathering information about the restaurant was very simple; just go there once. But precisely because it was such a simple task, it was one that Gao Yi and the others could not accomplish. Suakoko was too isolated; once inside, they would inevitably draw attention. Figuring out the restaurant¡¯s characteristics there was simple, but if they couldn¡¯t blend in as waitstaff or chefs, then they would be at a disadvantage. Gao Yi had thought that they could just slowly gather information, but after today¡¯s meal, he felt that perhaps they should just give it up. ¡°Getting a person to just go to Suakoko for a look, how much would that cost?¡± Luca said quietly, ¡°Ten thousand dollars.¡± ¡°That expensive!¡± Luca looked desperate and said, ¡°You think it¡¯s expensive? The Liberia Intelligence Bureau has always had ties to the target. If I buy intelligence from official Liberian channels, through any channel, it could potentially be leaked to the target. What do you think?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ troublesome.¡± ¡°If we just find a local person and give him a thousand dollars to go to Suakoko for us, do you believe he would just make something up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem¡­¡± Luca shook his head and said, ¡°We can only look for professional intelligence brokers, source from Africa, have them go there once. Ten thousand dollars is the minimum, not even typical for an intelligence broker, but that¡¯s all we can do.¡± Gao Yi was silent. Luca said quietly, ¡°No way around it, ten thousand dollars. I¡¯ll try to find an intelligence broker to go.¡± Gao Yi suddenly said, ¡°There¡¯s only one way, we split up. You go to Suakoko to scout, get concrete intelligence, then I¡¯ll come over.¡± Luca looked at Gao Yi, hesitated a moment, and said, ¡°It might be better if we stick together.¡± Is it really better to stick together? Of course, the answer is no. Anyone could see that splitting up and working cooperatively was the best choice. But now they couldn¡¯t split tasks because Gao Yi didn¡¯t quite trust Luca, and Luca trusted Gao Yi even less. Gao Yi was worried that after killing the target, Luca would abandon him and run off, then hoard the reward. Luca was afraid that Gao Yi would run away, then he¡¯d never be able to recollect his external debts. Although Luca also knew that Gao Yi could just kill him and similarly deny his own debts, so being together with Gao Yi was actually more dangerous. But the problem was human nature, and Luca¡¯s personality flaws played a role. The two had established enough mutual trust to maintain this cooperation, but it was far from real trust. Gao Yi knew where the problem lay, but it wasn¡¯t easy to resolve. Both going to Suakoko, even if they stayed separately and acted separately, the target was still too obvious. He really didn¡¯t know how such a partnership could continue. After pondering for a long time, Gao Yi suddenly said, ¡°Gathering intelligence, learning to cook, blending into a restaurant, waiting for the target to show up, this plan won¡¯t work. It¡¯s too complicated, takes too long.¡± Luca scoffed and said, ¡°This plan is already very simple, even too simple. You know how long a real assassin would take¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not some real assassin, and neither are you; you¡¯re just a middleman. Stop talking like you¡¯re some famous assassin.¡± Luca was choked up, then said to Gao Yi, ¡°You, you¡­¡± Gao Yi just has one drawback, he likes to speak the truth, and the truth always hurts. ¡°I¡¯ve decided. We¡¯ll act separately. I¡¯ll go to Suakoko, you just prepare to help me escape.¡± Luca was stunned, then said, ¡°You¡¯re going alone?¡± ¡°My plan is very simple, get close to the target, take a chance, and kill the target.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no then.¡± ¡°What kind of plan is that?¡± Gao Yi scoffed twice disdainfully and said, ¡°You don¡¯t trust me and I don¡¯t quite trust you either, so I¡¯ll go by myself, and you only need to make sure I can leave.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Gao Yi continued, ¡°Give me your Dark Web account; I¡¯ll use the built-in camera feature to record the target¡¯s death as evidence, but I won¡¯t submit it. Since the target is also a big shot, his death will at least be big news in Suakoko. A little investigation by the Dark Web would confirm that the target indeed died, and the video would be proof enough that I did it, which should be enough to claim the reward. Finally, I¡¯ll take the phone with the evidence, and once you help me get out of Suakoko, we submit the evidence and wait to divide the money. Clear enough, right? If you don¡¯t come for me, I can¡¯t leave Suakoko, I die, and you don¡¯t get any money. This is my plan, do you agree?¡± The submission of evidence wasn¡¯t set in stone; surely the type of evidence chosen would depend on the actual circumstances. Gao Yi¡¯s idea was enough to prove that he killed the target and to claim the reward, but as long as the phone with the evidence was in his possession, he wouldn¡¯t worry about Luca running off on his own. For Luca, as long as Gao Yi entered Suakoko, it really wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to leave, which was a plan he could accept. Without hesitating too long, Luca nodded heavily, saying, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that!¡± Chapter 20 - 20 18 Since Im Already Here ?20: Chapter 18 Since I¡¯m Already Here 20: Chapter 18 Since I¡¯m Already Here The first step was to travel from Frawdon in Sierra Leone to Monrovia in Liberia. The second step was to figure out a way to get from Monrovia to Suakoko. Deep within the rainforest, Suakoko was connected to the outside world by only one road, leading to Monrovia on one end and to Samoe in Guinea on the other. Liberia was one of the least developed countries in the world, and Suakoko was among the poorest of the poor. The only road was nearly impassable during the rainy season, and now that it was about to enter the rainy season, it meant that Gao Yi would find it extremely difficult to leave Suakoko by land. Monrovia was under the control of the Liberian government, but the road from Suakoko to Samoe, and nearly half of Liberia¡¯s territory for that matter, was in the hands of Gray Horace. By the way, the Liberian government forces totaled two thousand men, while Gray Horace¡¯s army numbered three thousand. The reason Luca felt comfortable letting Gao Yi go to Suakoko alone without fearing he would run off was because their only means of transportation was a small plane. Luca personally delivered Gao Yi and, once the mission was accomplished, would personally retrieve him. Although this did not guarantee complete safety, it was the most appropriate method they could think of for the time being. How to contact, when to initiate action, when to evacuate¡ªall of these details would be discussed later. That was the plan, full of holes and carelessly devised, but since Gao Yi was willing to charge through it blindly, Luca naturally did not stand in his way. The only problem now was that the plane included in the plan was really a bit too run-down. A jet airliner couldn¡¯t land in Suakoko; Gao Yi and his crew were left with no choice but to use a twenty-year-old, eight-seater propeller plane. The plane aligned with the runway, descended, kicked up a cloud of dust, and then Gao Yi jumped out onto the runway. The plane didn¡¯t even need to turn around, it continued down the dirt runway for a short distance before taking off again. Luca had flown away, now only Gao Yi remained. Gao Yi was somewhat bewildered. If you could call a dirt path a runway, then this place could technically be called an airport. At the end of the runway was a small shack where a few people stood on the outside, the passengers waiting for the next flight. What should he do next? Look for a car? Did taxis even exist here? To Gao Yi¡¯s surprise, there were indeed taxis. Several black men saw Gao Yi, and a black man wearing a T-shirt and shorts, though bizarrely topped with a knitted cap, started waving at him. ¡°Ni hao! Taxi, car!¡± Gao Yi was momentarily dazed because the black man, seemingly oblivious to the climate, was greeting him in Chinese. The world is truly a wondrous place, almost fantastical. Drawn without realizing it, Gao Yi walked over, and the black man approached him. When he reached Gao Yi, the man exaggeratedly said, ¡°Boss, need a ride? Ten dollars, ten dollars to the city center.¡± Though he had an accent, he spoke quite fluently. Caught off guard again, Gao Yi held up one hand, saying, ¡°Five dollars!¡± ¡°Eight dollars! And you get to sit in the passenger seat.¡± ¡°Five dollars!¡± The black man put on a pondering look, then stretched out his hand, saying, ¡°Okay, friend, a little cheaper.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay when we arrive.¡± The driver smiled an honest smile, saying, ¡°Alright.¡± The few people nearby showed no interest in the spectacle and no one treated Gao Yi, the foreigner, with any strange regard, prompting Gao Yi to ask, ¡°Are there many Chinese people here?¡± ¡°Lots. There are many timber traders. Boss, are you looking to buy wood? I can take you there.¡± The driver appeared quite young, not very tall¡ªabout 1.7 meters¡ªand was skinny. He seemed somewhat sly, yet there was also a semblance of simplicity about him. It was odd to see both cunning and simplicity manifest in one person; for the first time, Gao Yi doubted his own judgment. ¡°Where¡¯s the car? Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°No, no, I still have another passenger. I have to wait to pick them up. Please wait a moment; their plane will arrive soon. Five dollars doesn¡¯t get you a private ride, boss. Five dollars is the back seat price.¡± ¡°Alright then, wait. Back seat?¡± The driver chuckled and said, ¡°Passenger seat is ten, back seat is six. I¡¯m giving you a friend¡¯s price for five, friend¡¯s price for my friend.¡± If it¡¯s the back seat, so be it. If he had to wait, he¡¯d wait. Gao Yi stood to the side and ended up waiting for an hour. ¡°Hey, when are we leaving?¡± ¡°Very soon, very soon. The plane is delayed, just wait a bit longer. Boss, what¡¯s your honorable surname?¡± ¡°No need for honorables¡­ Huang. You even know how to say that!¡± The driver¡¯s smile was simple, as he held up two fingers, saying, ¡°Just a little bit, not much, a little bit. My name is Jitoka Rim, but you Chinese people like to call me Little Hei. You can call me Little Hei, boss.¡± ¡°Who taught you Chinese?¡± ¡°Boss, I learned from the wood-buying boss, the construction team boss, the restaurant boss; all from bosses, boss.¡± Too many bosses made it a bit confusing, but Gao Yi keenly caught the mention of the restaurant boss and immediately grew excited. Stay calm, don¡¯t give anything away. With an air of indifference, Gao Yi said, ¡°Oh, restaurant boss? So there¡¯s a Chinese restaurant here?¡± ¡°Yes, in the city, boss. I¡¯ll take you there for a meal, then to your lodging. There¡¯s also the Black Pearl, girls, everything, boss.¡± Little Hei¡¯s smile was genuine as he made a cross sign with his two fingers, saying, ¡°Just ten dollars, boss. I¡¯ll take you anywhere you want to go.¡± ¡°What restaurant?¡± ¡°The Chinese Restaurant. It¡¯s delicious. Expensive for us, but cheap for you, boss.¡± It seems normal to have Chinese food for the first meal upon arriving in Suakoko. Gao Yi thought for a moment, then said, ¡°We¡¯ll see when we get there, let¡¯s find a place to stay first. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re asking for too much.¡± Be cautious, stay cautious, don¡¯t be too eager to agree. Everything happening here could be known to the target, so don¡¯t rush. And never show that you have too much money or that you¡¯re too generous. The reason was simple: Gao Yi intended to infiltrate the restaurant. If he were wealthy, why would he seek work as a waiter or chef? He had to display spending habits that matched his income¡ªfrugal but not lavish. Gao Yi silently recalled the tricks Luca taught him while patiently waiting. After a brief wait of two more hours, just as Gao Yi was on the verge of exploding, a plane finally landed. A small twenty-seater plane, and about thirty people emerged from it in a flurry. Then, without a word from Little Hei, the new arrivals began to head towards him. Not everyone had the money for a ride; Gao Yi counted twenty-two people following Little Hei towards the vehicle. Among these people, two were in suits, and about a third were women, mostly in skirts, with various items on their heads. Gao Yi began to panic, thinking he might have made a mistake. When he saw the vehicle, Gao Yi knew he had definitely erred. It was a pickup truck, one without a suitable descriptive word, except to say it was extremely decrepit. Twenty-four people including the driver, not to mention himself? Gao Yi felt a sense of dread. He paid, then those people adeptly climbed into the pickup¡¯s bed, some sat on the roof, and at least six headed towards the cab, while a man in a suit attempted to open the passenger door. Gao Yi bolted forward, opened the passenger door, and plopped himself in. The dissatisfied suit-wearing man muttered a few words, then after some shuffling and position negotiation, settled in the back seat. Little Hei took his time before getting back to the vehicle. Showing a set of white teeth, he grinned at Gao Yi, saying, ¡°Passenger seat, ten dollars.¡± Gao Yi dutifully handed over the ten dollars, this time without bargaining. He might have been ripped off, but let it be; Gao Yi accepted and endured it. The smell inside the car was already unpleasant, now it swiftly filled with a baffling and agonizing scent. The vehicle struggled to move forward along a relatively smooth road. There were houses along the road¡ªtypes too numerous to tally, from wooden shacks to plastic tarp shelters, and huts made of mud and branches. In short, there were all sorts of oddly shaped homes. It felt like the car had only traveled about five kilometers when Gao Yi could see more normal-looking houses. With streets and pedestrians, they had entered the city area. Gao Yi truly regretted it; had he known it was this close, he would have walked. Little Hei parked at an intersection with a wide road and not many people. The people from the truck disembarked, spreading out languidly. Soon, only Gao Yi was left in the vehicle. ¡°Boss, want to eat, or find a hotel?¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Little Hei got back into the car, his white teeth shone brightly as he smiled cheerfully. Gao Yi thought for a while and said, ¡°First, let¡¯s¡­ eat.¡± No help for it, he still wanted to see what the restaurant was like. Little Hei started the car, and this time, they drove much faster. Gao Yi kept an eye on the surroundings. His vocabulary was limited, so he could only think of one word to describe it: rundown. This is too rundown! There were traces of asphalt roads on the streets, but the evidence of asphalt only seemed to result in bigger bumps. Large holes within small holes, it truly was preferable to just have dirt roads. Soon, Little Hei¡¯s car stopped, in a place Gao Yi didn¡¯t know how to describe. A few fixtures looked like earthen stoves blackened with soot, with iron sheeting propped up by pillars as a roof. Underneath it were five tables, and at one end was a small room, by whose door sat an old black man. Gao Yi had a bad feeling; he looked nervously at Little Hei. Little Hei revealed his white teeth in a broad smile, saying, ¡°Boss, we¡¯re here, Chinese City Restaurant.¡± Little Hei even pointed, and Gao Yi followed the direction to see that there indeed hung a sign on the edge of the shelter with crooked letters: Chinese Restaurant. After suppressing his feelings over and over, to the point of being unable to contain them any longer, Gao Yi muttered under his breath, ¡°Fuck me!¡± Chapter 21 - 21 19 Peers ?21: Chapter 19 Peers 21: Chapter 19 Peers ¡°There must be other restaurants, there must be other Chinese restaurants, there must be, there has to be.¡± ¡°If not, then it¡¯s all over.¡± Gao Yi looked at Little Hei with pleading eyes, thought for a moment, and decided to say discontentedly, ¡°Aren¡¯t there any other restaurants?¡± ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s only this one Chinese restaurant, boss.¡± That¡¯s troublesome. If the restaurant really is just this shack, then all the plans are void; there¡¯s not even a wall, everything inside the restaurant is clearly visible from the outside, how could any moves be made? Gao Yi didn¡¯t dare to appear too anxious, with a look of disdain he thought for a moment, and finally said reluctantly, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just eat here then.¡± Little Hei smiled silently, and just as Gao Yi was about to get out of the car, he suddenly felt something was off. The restaurant owner didn¡¯t seem eager to attract business, and Little Hei hadn¡¯t mentioned that they could eat right now. Gao Yi let go of the car door he was about to pull open, asking, ¡°What will you do while I eat?¡± Little Hei grinned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take off then, boss.¡± As expected, Little Hei just wanted to coax him out of the car; he didn¡¯t care whether it was mealtime or not. ¡°Uh, suddenly I¡¯m not hungry anymore. Why don¡¯t you take me to the hotel first?¡± Little Hei didn¡¯t start the car; he just looked at Gao Yi and said with a smile, ¡°Boss, you can hire the car for the day, one hundred dollars.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Suakoko wasn¡¯t that big; Gao Yi could just walk on his two legs, why hire a car? But from the look of it, if he didn¡¯t hire the car, Little Hei seemed only willing to drop him off here. ¡°I won¡¯t hire the car; just take me to the hotel first.¡± Little Hei thought for a moment before finally making a decision. ¡°Alright, boss, if you need a ride remember to find me, the price is negotiable.¡± Little Hei started the car, and it continued moving on the deteriorated street; Gao Yi was looking to gather information, so he asked with a tone of disdain, ¡°Little Hei, don¡¯t you have better restaurants here? Something cleaner?¡± ¡°There are, boss. There are four restaurants around here, it¡¯s just that they are a bit far, boss.¡± ¡°Clean ones, I¡¯m talking about clean ones.¡± ¡°They are all very clean, boss.¡± All very clean? Gao Yi recalled the restaurant he had just seen; it couldn¡¯t be associated with cleanliness by any stretch. If he said they were all very clean, then that meant none were clean. An ominous feeling started to become reality. A city of fifty-six thousand people and only four restaurants? ¡°What do people here eat?¡± ¡°They eat whatever is available, boss.¡± Little Hei was still smiling brightly, then courteously he said, ¡°Everything is expensive here especially gasoline, so my car is quite cheap, boss, you can ask around, boss.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll consider it, I¡¯ll contact you if needed. How do I contact you?¡± Gao Yi meant to ask for a phone number or something; it had become a habit, or rather an instinctive reaction. But after pulling out his phone, Gao Yi suddenly realized, could there be any signal here? As expected, Little Hei smilingly said, ¡°There¡¯s no electricity here, nor signal, boss. We don¡¯t have cell phones.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s face paled slightly as he said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be able to make phone calls?¡± ¡°Only hotels have WiFi; hotels have generators. Can¡¯t make calls but can access the internet, boss. They also have air conditioning, Chinese bosses all stay there.¡± Bad news, the local infrastructure was completely collapsed. Good news, there was still a hotel that offered WiFi. Bad news within the good news, needless to say, the hotel must be very expensive, extremely expensive! Gao Yi silently prepared himself to be fleeced. The car traveled the city streets for about ten minutes, not much faster than walking, and eventually stopped in front of a two-story building. Outside the entrance of the small building was an enclosure made with Iron Wire, with a small booth at the gate where a black man stood, hanging a rifle on his body, lazily watching Gao Yi and the others. A hotel with armed security? Before Gao Yi could ask, Little Hei took the initiative to say, ¡°This hotel is owned by the General. It¡¯s very safe here, Chinese bosses all stay here, boss.¡± After saying this, Little Hei turned in the car and pointed in a direction saying, ¡°That¡¯s the shop, also owned by a Chinese boss, very convenient for buying anything, boss.¡± This is General Gray Horace¡¯s hotel? Gao Yi knew he had to get out of the car. He picked up his backpack, got out, and asked again, ¡°How do I find you if I need a car?¡± ¡°I come here every day, boss, just book in advance. Boss, make money, goodbye boss.¡± Little Hei drove away, leaving Gao Yi with no other option; he looked at the security guard at the door, then still carrying his bag, he entered the hotel. The hotel¡¯s first floor had about ten square meters of space, which could tentatively be called a lobby. Inside, there were seven or eight plastic chairs, and incredibly, there was a ceiling fan spinning overhead. Four people were sitting in the lobby, all Chinese! Gao Yi, just entering, felt somewhat unsure how to proceed, and the seated four stopped their conversation upon seeing him. A man who appeared to be in his forties, not very tall, chubby, with thick lips, and looking very honest, sized Gao Yi up briefly then immediately asked in heavily accented Mandarin, ¡°What business do you do, boss?¡± Who asks about someone¡¯s business right after meeting? Something was off about this place. Gao Yi casually responded, ¡°Uh, I haven¡¯t decided yet, just looking for opportunities.¡± Everyone laughed, then a shrewd-looking middle-aged man waved his hand and said, ¡°We¡¯re all in the same business. Where did you make your fortune, brother?¡± Gao Yi really didn¡¯t know how to handle the situation, he hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Where did you bosses make your fortune?¡± The honest-looking middle-aged man laughed, ¡°I¡¯m working in Minhou County, mainly in panels.¡± The shrewd-looking man said, ¡°I¡¯m in Yuzhu, brother, everyone here works with timber, let¡¯s all make money together. Sit down and chat, get to know the market situation so as not to disturb it, okay?¡± What did he mean by that? Gao Yi thought for a moment, then he roughly understood. These people were timber merchants; they were competitors, yet they had formed a price alliance, aiming to suppress local timber prices. Hence, their immediate dive into such topics upon meeting. Gao Yi looked at the other two people, both appeared younger, and one of them seemed somewhat fierce; that person was probably a bodyguard or minion. Plans had to be adjusted, it seemed unfeasible to make a move at the restaurant now. Perhaps he should pretend to be a timber merchant first to understand the situation before making any decisions. After thinking for a moment, Gao Yi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll settle in first, then chat later.¡± Chapter 22 - 22 20 Self Driving ?22: Chapter 20 Self Driving 22: Chapter 20 Self Driving The room had two single beds, white sheets stained with some unwashable marks, two chairs, and a small round table with an ashtray on it. The key feature was a very old window air conditioner, and there was also a separate bathroom. The hotel had no front desk, just a chubby boss who was very enthusiastic. He could also speak Chinese, but the words that came out of his mouth were ice-cold and ruthless. ¡°Four hundred dollars a day.¡± The conditions were not even as good as the most basic motels in China, yet the price was more expensive than a five-star hotel. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi gasped in shock, afraid he had misheard, he confirmed again, ¡°Four hundred a day, not four hundred a month?¡± The expression on the boss¡¯s black face did not change, still a warm smile, but he said firmly, ¡°A day, four hundred, no bargaining. Only here there¡¯s air conditioning, only here there¡¯s WiFi, only here you can charge your devices. All rooms the same price, boss, four hundred a day is not expensive.¡± He answered all of Gao Yi¡¯s questions directly, leaving Gao Yi no more room for nonsense. Four hundred a day, it wasn¡¯t a question of Gao Yi being cheap or not, it was that he truly couldn¡¯t afford it. But he had to stay the first day, because if he didn¡¯t stay, Gao Yi wouldn¡¯t be able to contact Luca. As Gao Yi hesitated, the boss suddenly said, ¡°Four hundred for a room, not four hundred per person. It¡¯s actually not expensive for two people to share a room.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay one night first.¡± ¡°Pay first, then register.¡± The boss took out a notebook and settled down in the room Gao Yi was going to stay in, and naturally asked Gao Yi, ¡°Where does the boss come from, what do you do, how long will you stay?¡± Gao Yi was stunned for a moment. It was already strange that the hotel required registration, but even stranger that they had to ask what guests were doing. Seeing the confusion on Gao Yi¡¯s face, the boss made a helpless expression and said, ¡°This is General¡¯s requirement, all guests must register¡­¡± No wonder, six assassins had fallen into Gray Horace¡¯s hands, in such a secluded place, any little movement, any new face, Horace could know immediately. ¡°I¡¯m from Monrovia, I¡¯m in the wood business, how long I¡¯ll stay is yet to be decided, depends on the situation.¡± The boss scribbled something on the paper, his head still not lifted, he said, ¡°Okay, just asking casually, you are Chinese, registration is very easy¡­¡± After the registration, the boss stood up, came over to Gao Yi, and said, ¡°Please pay, do you want to eat at our hotel? We can provide lunch and dinner, only ten dollars a meal.¡± Gao Yi hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°Okay, um, I¡¯ll wait, let¡¯s talk about it later.¡± Carrying a large amount of cash would attract suspicion, and not carrying any was also impossible. Gao Yi had brought six hundred dollars and the equivalent of two hundred dollars in Liberian currency. But now, he was about to spend four hundred dollars on his first day. ¡°What¡¯s the WiFi password?¡± ¡°Eight eights.¡± As Gao Yi took the money out of his bag, the boss noticed that the thickness of Gao Yi¡¯s cash wasn¡¯t substantial, and suddenly when taking the money, he said, ¡°You can share with someone else, I also hope you can stay longer.¡± After giving Gao Yi a tip, the boss got up and as he left the room, he added, ¡°Now all the guests here are Chinese, you can ask around, maybe someone is willing to share with you, goodbye.¡± After the boss left, Gao Yi sat on the bed, thinking of contacting Luca directly, but then felt there was no point in doing it right now. The hotel was controlled by Gray Horace, it was easier to expose himself if he asked locals. There were several Chinese people downstairs chatting together, he had no choice, if he wanted to get any information, he had to start with them. Gao Yi got up in a hurry, rushed downstairs, and went back to the hotel lobby, only to find those same four Chinese people sitting there. ¡°Greetings, bosses¡­¡± Affected by the situation, Gao Yi unconsciously used the title ¡°boss¡±. He looked at them, hesitated for a moment, but still pulled up a plastic chair to sit next to them and asked softly, ¡°I just want to ask, how much do you pay for a room per day?¡± Several of them laughed, then the chubby boss said, ¡°Four hundred a day, same price for everyone, no matter the duration.¡± Gao Yi looked distressed and said, ¡°That¡¯s too expensive¡­ I can¡¯t afford it.¡± ¡°No choice, things have changed. My surname is Lin, you can call me Old Lin, young brother, what¡¯s your name?¡± Gao Yi replied softly, ¡°My surname is Chen, Chen Fei.¡± The man who seemed shrewd was impatient to beat around the bush with Gao Yi, he went straight to the point, ¡°Nowadays, only those in the wood business are willing to come here, are you doing it on your own or managing the business for your boss?¡± Gao Yi was somewhat at a loss with this kind of blunt questioning. Claiming he was here for tourism would insult their intelligence; claiming to be here for business required that there actually be business to do. If he said he was in the wood business, in front of two real wood merchants, he would give himself away as soon as he opened his mouth. After thinking for a moment, Gao Yi finally said, ¡°I heard it¡¯s profitable here, so I came to check it out.¡± He avoided a direct answer, just came to check out the situation. And while Gao Yi spoke, he wore a look of displeasure and wariness on his face, indicating his strong disapproval of being questioned. Old Lin laughed and said, ¡°Xiao Chen, we mean no harm. You see the situation here for yourself. Those of us willing to do business here are just looking to make tough money, taking risks. So, we have a market price. If you want in, just follow the market price, so everyone can profit, right?¡± So they wanted to monopolize the prices. Gao Yi nodded and asked, ¡°Oh, I understand. May I ask what the market price is?¡± ¡°Mahogany, one hundred dollars a log, African Yellow Rosewood with a diameter over one meter, five hundred dollars a log, Black Wood with a diameter over one meter, five hundred dollars, and one meter fifty or more, one thousand dollars. Those are the three types here, just give your prices based on this market rate.¡± Before coming, Gao Yi had also gotten a rough idea of wood prices, so he was truly taken aback by these quotes. Those prices, they could barely cover labor costs, right? The surprise on Gao Yi¡¯s face was noticed by the others, and Old Lin smiled, ¡°Little brother, we¡¯re aiming for mutual benefit.¡± Without rushing to push Gao Yi away or use other methods, they directly tried to bring Gao Yi into a pricing alliance. Judging by this, it seemed the local wood output was substantial, and the two people present couldn¡¯t handle it all. Not understanding the wood business, but well aware of basic human nature, Gao Yi nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take a look first. If I really get into the timber business, I certainly won¡¯t break the market rates.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s reply satisfied both men. Old Lin smiled and said, ¡°Boss Chen is young and promising. We should collaborate sometime.¡± Gao Yi did not respond, instead, he put on a pained expression, ¡°Brother, I just got here and I¡¯m unfamiliar with everything. I don¡¯t even know where to go for food. May I ask what do you usually do for meals?¡± Pained expressions appeared on everyone¡¯s face. ¡°This problem with food is indeed tricky. The meals cooked by the hotel are basically inedible, there are only a few restaurants. When you arrived, did Little Hei take you to the Chinese Restaurant? For now, you can only bear with that place for a couple of days.¡± As a fellow Chinese, he was actually recommending that so-called Chinese Restaurant? Gao Yi was stunned. He said bewilderedly, ¡°There¡¯s no place to eat?¡± All of them nodded at the same time, then the shrewd man said with resignation, ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s nothing to eat, it¡¯s just hard to swallow. This damned place has no electricity, no water, no oil, no internet, you can¡¯t even rent a house to live in.¡± Old Lin no longer smiled, as he spoke with resignation as well, ¡°There used to be a Chinese-run restaurant, but it couldn¡¯t survive and closed two years ago. The locals couldn¡¯t afford it, and even if we went every day to support the business, we were too few. Moreover, it was too expensive for us to bear, so it went under.¡± ¡°The most important thing is safety; it¡¯s just not manageable.¡± ¡°A liter of gasoline is twenty dollars, and it¡¯s hard to find.¡± ¡°This place is getting worse; it¡¯s unlivable.¡± The four articulated their complaints in unison, and Gao Yi had heard enough to understand. Gray Horace was formidable. He had completely taken control of the city. Then, Liberia had completely blocked off the city, which resulted in no electricity, and without electricity, all the basic infrastructure had ceased to function. Even if they wanted to use generators, that would require fuel, but since Horace controlled the petrol and diesel supplies, the fuel prices had skyrocketed. So, was it possible that Gray Horace¡¯s dining out once a month at the Chinese Restaurant wasn¡¯t because the food was great, but because he had no other choice? As Gao Yi pondered this, someone said, ¡°Actually, that black guy¡¯s chicken dish is alright, the flavor is pretty decent.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s edible.¡± Regarding that one restaurant they¡¯d seen, two out of the Chinese people actually rated it as alright and edible. Gao Yi was shocked once more. And at that moment, Old Lin put on a smiling face again, ¡°Just go to that Chinese Restaurant, you can eat there for a couple of meals to get by. If it¡¯s really unbearable, just go to that small supermarket and buy some instant noodles. Switch back and forth like this, and you will manage for a while, long enough until you leave.¡± Gao Yi suddenly said, ¡°Why not rent the hotel¡¯s kitchen and cook for ourselves? Cooking for ourselves should be okay, right? Or give a bit of money to the boss¡­¡± Their faces changed dramatically, and then Old Lin whispered seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t do that, absolutely not! Brother, that can cause trouble. It doesn¡¯t matter if you have to endure some hardship eating, just bear it for a few days. Since you¡¯re not staying here long, if you stir up trouble, none of us can do business anymore.¡± No need to infiltrate any restaurant, that wasn¡¯t necessary. Gao Yi¡¯s heart thumped with excitement because he had found a way. ¡°Then¡­ why doesn¡¯t the General just hire a cook?¡± Old Lin chuckled sadly and then whispered again, ¡°The General is very cautious, let¡¯s drop the subject. As long as you understand the situation, that¡¯s all that matters. Absolutely do not cook meals in the hotel, it¡¯s really not an option!¡± Gao Yi was puzzled, and as he looked bewildered, Old Lin had to repeat, ¡°If you cook for yourself, before long, the General might come for a free meal. You understand the situation here, don¡¯t you? If I say, if the General comes every day, how can we continue to do business? So you must never use the hotel kitchen to cook!¡± The middle-aged man who had not volunteered his name spoke gravely, ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble for yourself. A little hardship with eating is nothing to endure it will pass after a few days. You¡¯re not staying here for long. But if you bring trouble, then none of us can do business.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s heart raced, he was thrilled, he had an idea. ¡°Then¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be simply solved if the General found a cook for himself?¡± Old Lin forced a smile, then whispered again, ¡°The General is very careful, let¡¯s just leave it at that. As long as you get what¡¯s going on, that¡¯s good enough.¡± From Gao Yi¡¯s understanding, being careful meant not allowing outsiders into your home, so Gray Horace would not hire a chef to serve him exclusively. But not willing to hire a chef, yet willing to venture out daily to scrounge for meals? That didn¡¯t make sense at all. Gao Yi said with a puzzled face, ¡°That¡¯s not right, if he¡¯s cautious, why would he come here to eat?¡± Even the amiable Old Lin became a bit anxious. He said very seriously, ¡°Ah, he¡¯s very cautious, which is why every meal requires clearing out the place. People like us can¡¯t even leave our rooms, someone has to monitor the chef, and they must cordon off the whole hotel. It¡¯s a lot of trouble! Anyway, we¡¯re not trying to harm you, and you shouldn¡¯t cause trouble for all of us. Cooking meals in the hotel is a definite no-no, it really won¡¯t do!¡± ¡°I was just curious and asked. I definitely won¡¯t cook in the hotel,¡± Gao Yi assured them quickly, then with an air of resignation, continued, ¡°This place won¡¯t do. I¡¯ll discuss it with my boss. If it¡¯s truly impossible, then I should just leave. You guys talk, I¡¯m going to make a call.¡± Finding an excuse, Gao Yi returned to his room. Then, not daring to make a phone call, he sent a text message instead. ¡°Situation largely ascertained, infiltrating the restaurant won¡¯t work, the entire city is thoroughly controlled, accommodation costs four hundred dollars a day.¡± After sending the message, Gao Yi made up his mind, then wrote another text. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to open my own restaurant!¡± Chapter 23 - 23 21 The Man at the Top of the Contempt Chain ?23: Chapter 21 The Man at the Top of the Contempt Chain 23: Chapter 21 The Man at the Top of the Contempt Chain Gao Yi had already nearly finished his work on the first day of his arrival. He had completed his reconnaissance, formulated a revised plan, and immediately implemented the new plan. The first step of the plan was to try the food. Little Hei would come around the hotel every day because he wanted to pick up some work, and the people staying at the hotel didn¡¯t have many other options. Taking a ride in Little Hei¡¯s car, they arrived at the famous Chinese Restaurant, where Gao Yi had to taste what kind of dishes were good enough to captivate Gray Horace. Now wasn¡¯t the time to act like a penniless vagrant, but rather like someone with a little bit of disposable income. It¡¯s the logic of desperation to infiltrate a restaurant to work for Black people when one is at the point of utmost poverty, but if one has some savings, then opening a restaurant is the logical step. They couldn¡¯t wait until dark because there was no electricity, and it would be hard to see while eating. The Chinese Restaurant¡¯s signature dish? He didn¡¯t know what kind of chicken it was. There were a total of four stoves. None were in use at noon, but now they were all lit, topped with blackened iron pots. They used firewood for fuel and didn¡¯t have a blower, thus, no stir-fry dishes were available, only stews. And the pots didn¡¯t even have lids, so ash floated freely into them. The owner, who was also the head chef, kept checking on each stove in rotation. When he felt it was about right, he directly took down the pot, poured its contents into an aluminum basin, and then served it to the waiting diners. There were only four tables, four stoves, four aluminum basins, and also four tables occupied by eighteen customers in total. The portion sizes weren¡¯t small. Each pot stewed about half a chicken with a thick, gloopy sauce that didn¡¯t look particularly appetizing. Before seeing how the restaurant operated, Gao Yi had decided to treat Little Hei to a meal. After observing that the dishes were fixed-priced and served in set portions, he felt a need to invite Little Hei to dine. After all, there were only two of them, Gao Yi and Little Hei, while the table with the most people seated six. Those who dined here were all local rich folks, eating the rice provided by the restaurant. Others brought their own staple foods. Gao Yi looked several times at what they brought, a pasty white substance that at first glance seemed quite like ice cream. It was cassava, which Gao Yi had tried in Sierra Leone. Their chicken dish had arrived. The restaurant did not provide chopsticks but spoons; however, that was no problem, as Gao Yi brought his own chopsticks. ¡°Eat, don¡¯t be shy.¡± There was a huge stainless steel spoon in the aluminum basin. Gao Yi poured some soup over his rice and then picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. Waiting for a taste bud assault, he surprisingly encountered a flavor he had not tasted for a long time. It was rather spicy, slightly sour, but the chicken had no off-flavors, was a bit tough, but that was due to the quality of the meat¡ªfree-range chickens were used, so the texture of the chicken was actually quite good. It tasted reasonably good, indeed better than anything he had in Sierra Leone. And then? There was no ¡®then.¡¯ As a Chinese person at the very pinnacle of the food chain, with a disdain for all lesser culinary offerings, this dish could only be considered passable, serviceable, alright¡ªit would do. There¡¯s no high or low when it comes to eating habits. A southerner might not endure eating noodles meal after meal, and to narrow it down even further, an Old Guang probably couldn¡¯t endure having Hunan cuisine every meal either. It would distress Gao Yi to eat rice at every meal, and to make him eat sweet tofu pudding would drive him insane. But there must be a regional hierarchy in the levels of cuisine. Gao Yi had enjoyed the food in Thailand. Gao Yi thought burgers were quite tasty. Gao Yi found the barbecue he had in Dubai to be exceptionally good. Gao Yi also had a meal of sushi once, and to be honest, he found it delicious. Pizza was tasty, and Korean barbecue was also something Gao Yi liked. But! Please note this ¡®but¡¯! The combined representative cuisines of all the countries in the world pitted against a provincial team from China¡ªSichuan cuisine leading the charge, Shandong cuisine holding the line, other teams step back, such as Huaiyang cuisine and Hunan cuisine, just to watch, it would be shameful to compete together. With Gao Yi¡¯s superficial knowledge and meager wealth, he couldn¡¯t even eat his way through his entire hometown, let alone the whole country. Yet, none of this stopped him from being a man atop the food snobbery peak. It¡¯s like standing at the pinnacle and looking down upon the lesser mountains. That was how Gao Yi felt at the moment. Taking a moment to reflect, in Gao Yi¡¯s limited experience, this stewed chicken was no match for Big Plate Chicken, Cangzhou Hotpot Chicken, Braised Chicken, or the Iron Pot Stewed Chicken he had back home. He didn¡¯t compare it to the ones he hadn¡¯t eaten, like White Cut Chicken, Three-Cup Chicken, and the like. Those were too high-end and beyond comparison. Just having a taste gave Gao Yi confidence, and he soon fell into deep thought. If he were to open a restaurant, what should he make? Considering local conditions, the only fuel was firewood, without a blower there wasn¡¯t enough heat, chicken was the most common ingredient, but condiments were surely scarce, he might as well focus on making a stewed chicken dish. This restaurant also specialized in stewed chicken, so how could he outperform his competitors? He didn¡¯t know how to make Big Plate Chicken, Braised Chicken, or Hotpot Chicken. After some consideration, Gao Yi realized he only knew one method¡ªthe stewed chicken known to every family north of the Yellow River. If forced to give it an academic name, it would be Rural Iron Pot Wood-fired Stewed Chicken. To add some novelty, he could include the Northeastern Iron Pot Stewed Pancake, changing the cornmeal or wheat pancakes to cassava pancakes. To enhance the novelty and adapt it to local tastes, he could make the chicken spicy and add sugar to the cassava! He also needed to innovate with the service to open local customers¡¯ eyes. He could make it extremely spicy, make the cassava pancake so sweet it¡¯d be cloying. He refused to believe this wouldn¡¯t draw the target customers! Gao Yi was lost in his thoughts, whereas Little Hei was entirely focused on eating. When Gao Yi finally made up his mind and glanced up, he saw Little Hei scooping the soupy rice into his mouth with his hands. Despite the hunger, his appetite suddenly waned a great deal. Gao Yi looked down and asked nonchalantly, ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious, thank you, boss.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t want to reveal his plans to open a restaurant, so he just casually asked, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s in this dish?¡± ¡°Chicken, cassava chunks, eggplant, nothing else, boss.¡± Gao Yi nodded, wanting to continue the conversation but unsure what else to say. ¡°Eh, you guys like eating chicken so much; how come I never see you eating other kinds of meat?¡± ¡°Chicken is cheap, mutton and beef are too expensive. It¡¯s very hot here, and we don¡¯t have electricity or fridges. Mutton and beef spoil in one day if not sold; chickens can be kept in cages, and you just grab one when you want to eat, boss.¡± Gao Yi asked casually, not expecting Little Hei to provide such a professional response. ¡°That makes sense, the native resources nurture the locals. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It¡¯s just that this chicken¡­ well, it¡¯s just edible.¡± Little Hei laughed, ¡°Every Chinese boss says that.¡± Gao Yi suddenly asked, ¡°What do you think if I open a restaurant¡­¡± Little Hei stopped eating, looked at Gao Yi with surprise, and said, ¡°Here? Boss, if it¡¯s expensive, we can¡¯t afford it; if it¡¯s cheap, you won¡¯t make money.¡± Gao Yi nodded and asked, ¡°How much is this meal?¡± ¡°Around ten dollars.¡± Gao Yi was taken aback, ¡°That cheap?¡± Relatively speaking, with the price of other things, this meal was indeed very cheap. Little Hei spoke helplessly, ¡°The things we can¡¯t produce are all expensive, and the things we do produce are cheap. Boss, you¡¯re here because our timber is the cheapest, right? This is called exploitation, the industrial scissors gap.¡± Gao Yi nearly tumbled off his chair. He looked at Little Hei, utterly astonished, and asked, ¡°Who taught you that?¡± ¡°A boss. He said they used to be like this too, but they went from buying chicken feathers to making small commodities, then selling the goods all around the world.¡± Little Hei shrugged philosophically and added, ¡°He ran a shop here for six years, then¡­ he left. Now he has sixteen chain stores in Monrovia. He was a good guy, stingy, but no other faults.¡± Gao Yi absentmindedly responded, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re quite impressive.¡± In a low voice, Little Hei said, ¡°When my previous boss left, he sold me his six-year-old car, it cost me six years¡¯ worth of salary. Now, I earn a lot and am respected, so it¡¯s not that I¡¯m impressive, but my boss is.¡± As Gao Yi¡¯s train of thought was interrupted, he finally said after a pause, ¡°So what do you think about me opening a restaurant for Chinese people here, charging them at least one hundred dollars per meal, at least, they¡¯re all rich and can afford two or three hundred, so I believe the restaurant could work.¡± Little Hei shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s your business, your judgement, your call.¡± Confidently, Gao Yi said, ¡°Right now, I just don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a good place to open a restaurant. I can buy all the necessary kitchenware and spices from other places and have them shipped here. Do you know any place that would be suitable for a restaurant?¡± Seeing that Gao Yi seriously wanted to open a restaurant, Little Hei, filled with curiosity, asked, ¡°Have you run a restaurant before? Are you a chef?¡± Gao Yi nodded, confidently replying, ¡°Yes, I am a chef.¡± Little Hei smiled, showing a mouthful of white teeth, and said, ¡°Before my former boss left, he sold his shop to a Chinese man at a high price, and then¡­ well, you know. That¡¯s what makes him the most impressive.¡± Gao Yi was puzzled because as they were discussing the restaurant, why did Little Hei start talking about his previous boss with such admiration again? Little Hei extended his greasy hands and said, ¡°There are two shops, the largest general store in Suakoko and a restaurant. After the General took over, the restaurant couldn¡¯t operate anymore, so the new boss closed it. Now, everything in his restaurant is idle, and if the rent is right, I think the new boss would be happy to rent it to you.¡± Chapter 24 - 24 22 Efficiency First ?24: Chapter 22 Efficiency First 24: Chapter 22 Efficiency First Time is life, efficiency is money. Being a man of action, Gao Yi found the biggest small supermarket in Suakoko on the very day, and within five minutes had struck a deal with the only local Chinese owner. For three thousand dollars a year, the supermarket owner was overjoyed to rent the restaurant space to Gao Yi, and even gifted him three boxes of noodles worth ten dollars each for free. When he returned to the hotel, Gao Yi first sought out several bosses staying there to help him exchange some cash. He had brought too little cash, and since he needed a thousand dollars for the restaurant rent, Gao Yi exchanged two thousand dollars from a few timber merchants. Transferring the money to the timber merchants¡¯ bank accounts was straightforward, and they would provide the cash. At first, the bosses were reluctant to exchange the money, but knowing Gao Yi intended to open a restaurant, they even neglected the risk of getting cheated, decisively handing out the cash and stated they would provide more if necessary without charging any fees. Gao Yi had completed all these activities on the same day. The next day, Gao Yi spent twelve dollars to hire twelve locals to clean for him for a day. On the third day, the spices and three cast iron pots Luca had bought in Monrovia arrived, and Gao Yi had the locals continue cleaning. The third day was exceptionally efficient. The hotel bosses believed the locals were too inefficient, so all seven guests of the hotel collectively volunteered to help Gao Yi clean the kitchen. They built three stoves in the backyard and arranged for a truckload of wood scraps for fuel. By the third day, Gao Yi¡¯s restaurant was ready for business. It was a proper restaurant, not only having a building but also equipped with two round tables and four square ones. Iron Pot Stewed Chicken required constant heat, and the chicken had to be cooked before serving pancakes, but it was obviously not feasible to eat continuously around a stove in a hot restaurant with no air conditioning. It wasn¡¯t that Gao Yi hadn¡¯t considered other methods, but frying chicken and serving it directly to the tables would be easier if he knew how to do it. So, Gao Yi¡¯s solution was to dig holes in the middle of three tables, and after stewing the chicken and cooking the pancakes in the iron pot in the backyard, he would carry the whole pot into the restaurant, place it on the table with the holes, then lift the lid and start eating. Except for the lack of fire underneath, everything else was pretty similar. It was a make-do solution but it still worked. Still on the third day, after a day of hard work, the bosses found themselves in an argument. ¡°That idea of yours is incorrect. Iron Pot Stew can be used for ribs or goose, but how can you do Iron Pot Stewed Chicken? Listen to me, make pan-fried chicken; it¡¯s the simplest!¡± Plump Boss Lin, a connoisseur of food, reportedly had a fortune of at least ten million, but he insisted on showing off his hometown specialty, pan-fried chicken, and invited everyone to try it. The boss named Wang, who initially only wanted to set rules for Gao Yi and changed his attitude upon learning about the restaurant plan, supposedly had a fortune surpassing Boss Lin¡¯s. He had brought three minions, so his voice was the loudest. ¡°Pan-fried chicken? I¡¯ve never heard of it. Have you all tried chili chicken? Stir-fried chicken is also good! It¡¯s absolutely delicious, let¡¯s have mutton stewed tomorrow, for today my brother will make chili chicken for you to try.¡± The supermarket owner, eager, said, ¡°Do all three, since today is a whole chicken feast, I¡¯m treating everyone to chicken soup, Turkiye chicken soup, really fresh!¡± Gao Yi couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he earnestly said, ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯m trying to open a shop, let¡¯s at least try the dishes!¡± When Boss Gao spoke up, the other bosses fell silent. In the end, Boss Lin reluctantly said, ¡°Then let¡¯s do the pan-fried chicken tomorrow, let¡¯s start with stir-fried chicken and Boss Chen¡¯s Iron Pot Stewed Chicken today, and some chicken soup wouldn¡¯t hurt either.¡± The chicken had been slaughtered, and the plan was set: three pots, three stoves, and rapid progress was made by everyone involved. Gao Yi was also planning to try his hand when the others appropriated the work that was meant for him. Watching Gao Yi¡¯s slightly awkward bustling around, Boss Lin couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Ah, Boss Chen, I have also had Iron Pot Stew, but this doesn¡¯t seem quite right. Aren¡¯t your chicken pieces too small? And you didn¡¯t blanch it either. Look, this is how I¡­¡± Gao Yi realized he should have opened a buffet, not a restaurant. Let the guests cook, serve, and even wash their dishes, then still have them pay. With nothing much to do, Gao Yi decided to steal some skills. As long as he watched these people cook a few meals, he figured he could probably become a chef here. Of course, the prerequisite was fooling the locals. As smoke rose and laughter filled the air, just when everyone was looking forward to a feast, someone quietly approached the observing Gao Yi. ¡°Boss Chen, hello.¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi turned and looked at the person greeting him, only to find it was a hotel guest he was meeting for the first time today. Both being from China, but this man had never interacted with Gao Yi before, perhaps today¡¯s delicious food had enticed him to join the others. Looking about thirty, slightly shorter than Gao Yi but sturdy, dressed in a quick-drying shirt, with a neat haircut, he seemed quite honest. ¡°My name is Lin Xianghua, I¡¯m pleased to meet you, Boss Chen.¡± Gao Yi nodded politely, ¡°Boss Lin, nice to meet you. In the future¡­¡± Before Gao Yi could finish being polite, Lin Xianghua shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not a boss, I work for one. I¡¯m just checking things out.¡± Interestingly, his story was similar to what Gao Yi had fabricated. Gao Yi laughed, ¡°Still a boss, still a boss, Mr. Lin, where are you from?¡± Lin Xianghua spoke Mandarin quite standardly, sounding like a northerner, but with an occasional accent, making him sound like a southerner as well. Gao Yi had just asked casually, but Lin Xianghua quickly said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m from the south of China, uh, Boss Chen, I¡¯m encountering some problems and would like to ask for your help.¡± ¡°Say it, say it.¡± Lin Xianghua looked distressed, ¡°My boss sent me to see if business was good here. I¡¯ve been here for half a month now and it doesn¡¯t look promising. Then yesterday, my boss suddenly decided not to do business here and asked me to return, but I¡¯ve spent all the money he gave me¡­¡± Gao Yi still had a smile on his face, but his mind was already sounding alarms. Lin Xianghua continued with a helpless look, ¡°Boss Chen, you are running a shop here alone, you can¡¯t possibly handle it all by yourself. What if I work for you? I don¡¯t ask for much, just three hundred dollars, three hundred dollars a month, how about it?¡± Gao Yi was rather surprised, as he initially thought Lin Xianghua was going to ask for a loan. But Lin wasn¡¯t asking for money, he wanted to work. Living in a four-hundred-dollar-a-day hotel, now asking for a three-hundred-dollar-a-month salary? What was this, a meeting of minds or encountering a peer? Either Lin Xianghua was foolish or he was taking Gao Yi for one. Either way, Gao Yi¡¯s answer was simple, ¡°No, thank you.¡± Gao Yi regretfully shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m just running a small shop, I really can¡¯t afford to hire anyone, and as you can see, I don¡¯t need to. If you¡¯re looking to earn your travel expenses, I think you could work for Boss Lin, he is in need of people.¡± Lin Xianghua paused, then turned to look at Boss Lin. He hesitated a moment, ¡°This¡­ uh¡­¡± With no way out, Gao Yi looked away, then quickly said, ¡°Ah, I need to go tend to the pancakes, sorry, I must get busy.¡± Lin Xianghua was left standing there, looking troubled and not too bright. Gao Yi suddenly began to doubt his own judgment. If Lin Xianghua was really a peer, surely he wouldn¡¯t be this foolish? Could a fool be an assassin? While Gao Yi was puzzled, Lin Xianghua suddenly made up his mind. He then approached Gao Yi and whispered, ¡°Boss Chen, the hotel is too expensive. I¡¯ll work for you, no salary needed, just food and lodging, how about that?¡± Could it really be that he had no other options and just wanted a meal and a place to stay? Gao Yi took another look at Lin Xianghua, stepped closer to him, sighed, and patted Lin¡¯s back. Very firm, the latissimus dorsi muscles well-developed but not overly large, not the muscles specifically worked out for aesthetics. Gao Yi, feeling helpless, said, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help. We just don¡¯t know each other well, and this place is lawless. I can¡¯t just take you in. Try asking the other bosses, sorry.¡± Acting intimate but delivering a rejection. After speaking, Gao Yi quickly added, ¡°It smells so good, can¡¯t wait any longer, is it almost ready?¡± Gao Yi felt his acting was too stiff, but no matter what, he wouldn¡¯t keep Lin Xianghua in his shop. This time Lin Xianghua did not persist. All three pots contained chicken, and the first to be ready was the stir-fried chicken. Boss Wang excitedly shouted, ¡°Done! Bring the pot over, come on, first try my brother¡¯s cooking.¡± Boss Wang hadn¡¯t cooked himself, but one of his minions was skilled. People, unable to wait, gathered in the restaurant. They placed the iron pot on the specially designed table, and with chopsticks in hand, no one bothering to sit, everyone began to taste. ¡°Not bad, really good!¡± ¡°Delicious, delicious¡­¡± Once they started, they couldn¡¯t stop. If not for thinking about the chicken still stewing and pancakes awaiting in the backyard, Gao Yi would have refused to put his chopsticks down. However, at that moment, the restaurant¡¯s door was suddenly pushed open. Gao Yi turned his head and was stunned, and the others, looking up, also froze, placing their chopsticks down. A black man, extremely muscular, wearing a camouflage uniform and a beret, stood at the restaurant door. He looked at the people gathered around the table, then turned to look at the pot on the table, and after sniffing deeply, he nodded and said, ¡°Smells good.¡± Speaking in English, one of Lao Wang¡¯s minions replied in English, ¡°Chicken.¡± After the exchange, the black man stepped towards the table. He looked inside the pot, sniffed again, and nodded, ¡°Smells really good.¡± Gao Yi remained silent. Lao Wang looked at his minion, who hesitated for a moment, then whispered, ¡°He says it smells very fragrant.¡± Boss Lin chuckled, ¡°Should¡­ should we invite him to try some?¡± It was unclear whether the black man understood Boss Lin¡¯s words, but he seriously announced, ¡°The General is coming.¡± The minion immediately said, ¡°He says the General is coming.¡± Everyone exchanged glances. Gao Yi was impressed. He thought his own efficiency was high, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated Gray Horace¡¯s efficiency to be even higher, lured straight here by the scent. Truly masterful. Chapter 25 - 25 23 Recognition ?25: Chapter 23 Recognition 25: Chapter 23 Recognition The General is coming. Those who frequently conduct business in Suakoko knew all too well what it meant when they heard that the General was coming¡ªit meant it was time for you to leave. A group of people all donned masks of pain and suffering. Although no one dared say anything, the expressions on their faces betrayed how they felt. Gao Yi was in even greater pain. The target had made his appearance, but he had come too early, too suddenly. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t make his move. First of all, there were too many people around¡ªseven Chinese people at that. If he took action, not a single one would be able to escape. Another problem was that Gao Yi wasn¡¯t prepared yet; he hadn¡¯t had the chance to notify Luca. Even if he succeeded, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave Suakoko. Old Lin was already getting ready to go. He didn¡¯t show any sign of dissatisfaction, but rather a gesture of helplessness, ¡°Since the General is coming, we should leave first.¡± ¡°No.¡± The very robust black man chuckled, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit longer before leaving.¡± While they were talking, the sound of a car engine approached. With the roaring of the engine coming to a halt, the subsequent sound that followed was the clattering of boots on the ground. Soon, four black soldiers appeared, all carrying guns as they entered the restaurant. Though dressed in camouflage like the men who had entered first, these four soldiers wore helmets instead of berets and donned bullet-proof vests. The most troubling aspect was the fact that these four soldiers all had their guns raised as they entered, and they immediately aimed them at the people inside the restaurant, ready to fire at the slightest provocation. Gao Yi, who harbored a psychological shadow, couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat panicked, with the barrel of a gun pointed at him, he felt as if he might have been exposed. Unable to help himself, he glanced at the other patrons and found that they didn¡¯t seem particularly nervous. They acted as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the four guns were mainly aimed at two people: Gao Yi and Lin Xianghua. Wouldn¡¯t it just be my luck to be dragged down by this idiot? Gao Yi didn¡¯t have to wait long before two more people entered from the doorway. To his surprise, the new arrivals were a black man and a white man. There was something off about the black man, but Gao Yi immediately felt he wasn¡¯t a local. The newcomer carried a scent of perfume, and from his posture, demeanor, and body language, there was an air of condescension. The white man, in his forties, didn¡¯t seem particularly remarkable, but he was holding something tablet-like in his hand. It looked like a tablet, but it was several times thicker. The first black man to enter pointed first at Lin Xianghua, then at Gao Yi, and said, ¡°He¡¯s new here.¡± The white man then lifted the tablet and pointed it at Gao Yi. Gao Yi didn¡¯t know what the tablet was for, but instinctively he felt uneasy. Fortunately, the only confusion he showed on the surface was simply that of befuddlement¡ªas for the nervousness, wouldn¡¯t anyone in this situation be anxious? Could it be facial recognition? Or something else? The white man held the tablet towards Gao Yi for not very long, then lowered it, staring intently at the screen while the black man leaned in and whispered, ¡°Any match?¡± ¡°No.¡± So they really were conducting facial recognition. Gao Yi¡¯s heart raced; he now feared that images captured of him in Tachileik could be his undoing. But soon enough, the white man set the tablet down, ¡°No problem.¡± The very robust black man started laughing, ¡°Great, thank you.¡± The white man just nodded, his tone nonchalant, ¡°No problem, goodbye.¡± With those words, he turned and left, followed by the four armed soldiers as they lowered their weapons and walked out. Waiting for his companions to leave, the robust black man blew a soft whistle. Then he smiled at Gao Yi, ¡°You¡¯re a chef?¡± Gao Yi was still somewhat uncertain. He didn¡¯t know whether he should pretend to speak English or not, but pretending to be fluent when he wasn¡¯t would be difficult, and it would be even harder to pretend ignorance of the language if he was fluent. Nodding, Gao Yi, with his heavily accented English, said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a chef.¡± The black man chuckled, offering his hand, which Gao Yi hastily reached out to shake. ¡°My name is Sangbanda, I¡¯m the escort captain for General Horace. You can call me Major.¡± ¡°Major Sir, nice to meet you.¡± Still appearing nervous, Gao Yi responded, but Sangbanda politely said, ¡°Welcome to Suakoko to open a restaurant. We really welcome you. Is this your signature dish?¡± ¡°Oh, no, this is just¡­ a part of it. The main dish is still in the pot out back.¡± ¡°May I try it?¡± ¡°Of course, of course, please wait a moment.¡± Gao Yi hurriedly went to the backyard with a tense look, while Sangbanda was already familiar with a few others. He chuckled, ¡°Looks good and smells good too. I have to try this.¡± Sangbanda didn¡¯t know how to use chopsticks, nor did he reach for a spoon; instead, he directly picked a piece of stir-fried chicken from the pot and tasted it. After taking a few bites, his eyes suddenly bulged, ¡°Good!¡± Old Lin, noticing the opportunity, handed him a spoon, saying, ¡°Please¡­¡± The others watched, agitated internally, yet not daring to show any peculiar behavior. In the meantime, Gao Yi came back carrying an iron pot, which he placed on another table, removing the damp cloth used as a pot holder, and deftly lifted the lid. As the steam dispersed slightly, he immediately addressed Sangbanda, ¡°Major, please.¡± Sangbanda appeared surprised, having never encountered such a way of eating, especially when he saw the ring of pancakes stuck around the edge of the pot, piquing his curiosity even more. Sangbanda was tasting the food on behalf of the General, possibly also testing for poison. He took the spoon from Old Lin¡¯s hand and scooped out a piece of chicken, putting it into his mouth. Then Sangbanda burned his mouth. Yet after Sangbanda swallowed the chicken, he said with an unexpected tone, ¡°Good, really good!¡± Nervous, Gao Yi relaxed a bit upon hearing the praise and immediately offered, ¡°Would you like to try this?¡± Using a small shovel, he scooped up a piece of cassava pancake. Gao Yi himself had never tasted such pancakes; he didn¡¯t even know if they were any good. Besides, the pancakes were slightly burnt due to the chicken delaying its cooking time. Sangbanda tentatively bit a piece of pancake, then showed a look of surprise. Then, with delight, he finished off the small pancake in a few bites. Gao Yi served Sangbanda a sugar-added pancake with a flattering smile, ¡°Try this.¡± ¡°Very, very, very good!¡± Sangbanda began to gorge himself while Gao Yi stood by, attending to him. Sangbanda¡¯s arms were thicker than Gao Yi¡¯s legs. The girth of his neck matched that of his head, signaling that he was certainly a hearty eater. By the end, he had finished off an entire chicken and twelve attached pancakes. Satisfied after his meal, Sangbanda said seriously to Gao Yi, ¡°Delicious! A fantastic treat!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°The General will come to eat at ten o¡¯clock tomorrow morning¡ªbe prepared beforehand.¡± ¡°Yes, of course, it¡¯s my honor.¡± Sangbanda stood up, burped contentedly, and said, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Without any further conversation, Sangbanda, ignoring everyone else, wobbled out of the restaurant. Tomorrow at ten in the morning, it was all set. Gao Yi inwardly rejoiced, but when looking at the other restaurant owners, he feigned confusion, ¡°What¡¯s¡­ what¡¯s going on here?¡± Old Lin responded with a helpless smile, ¡°That¡¯s business around here for you.¡± Gao Yi, genuinely baffled, ¡°Were those two taking our pictures earlier?¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No, those were Americans, tasked with¡­ protecting the General.¡± ¡°Americans?¡± ¡°Liberia was founded by freed slaves sent back by the United States. Later, some locals seized power and then civil wars ensued. The General is backed by the United States. After he lost in the civil war, he took over this place, and the Americans even dispatched people to protect him.¡± Boss Wang wanted to clarify this for Gao Yi, but Old Lin, looking a touch nervous, whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s drop the topic; knowing this much is enough.¡± But Boss Wang wasn¡¯t interested in yielding, as he was quite upset, and continued, ¡°Those two are from the CIA, this isn¡¯t just our guess¡ªSangbanda told us.¡± The CIA involved as well? But it made sense. No wonder previous assassins had failed. Gray Horace did indeed have skilled protectors around him, unlike other warlords. Old Lin spoke with a hint of regret, ¡°No more of that; the chicken in the pot has gotten cold.¡± ¡°Luckily, there¡¯s still soup.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make another pot! We have to enjoy ourselves today, because once the General arrives tomorrow, everything is sure to be locked down.¡± Listening to the conversation, Gao Yi said in astonishment, ¡°A lockdown just for a meal?¡± Old Lin replied with a wry smile, ¡°Just this year alone, two assassination attempts on the General have been thwarted. Do you think it¡¯s unwarranted? Thankfully, we are all Chinese, and Chinese people are considered safe. So they¡¯re more relaxed and the checks are simple. If it were a black person or a white person, they¡¯d delve into three generations back in a heartbeat. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Let¡¯s cook!¡± Gao Yi gave Lin Xianghua another look. Lin Xianghua had arrived even earlier and must have been checked, but since everything seemed fine up to now, it ought to be alright. Yet Gao Yi also felt identified by the CIA, and nothing had come of it. Lin might as well have had ¡°assassin¡± written on his face, but then again Gao Yi considered a real assassin wouldn¡¯t be this foolish, so it was all very conflicting. Could it be possible that Lin Xianghua was also new to the game and therefore wasn¡¯t in the CIA¡¯s database, hence nothing was dug up on him? Moreover, the General would be coming tomorrow, and Lin Xianghua had also heard. If Lin Xianghua was indeed from the same profession, might he beat him to the punch? Thankfully, General Horace was cautious enough. As long as Gao Yi kept quiet and didn¡¯t allow Lin Xianghua to mingle in, even if Gray showed up to eat, Lin Xianghua wouldn¡¯t be able to get close. The more he thought, the more troublesome it seemed, so Gao Yi decided to stop thinking about it. Contact Luca and have Luca come to back him up tomorrow. If there was an opportunity tomorrow, act; if not, leave directly. Because if no opportunity arose tomorrow, it would mean there wouldn¡¯t be any more chances in the future. So, a swift battle it will be. Chapter 26 - 26 24 Consumables ?26: Chapter 24 Consumables 26: Chapter 24 Consumables To get in touch with Luca, he had to stay at the hotel. Gao Yi had been sleeping in his own restaurant for two days. Aside from the unbearable heat and mosquitos that seemed intent on sucking a person dry, the biggest trouble was the lack of internet. Gray Horace¡¯s rule had turned Suakoko into a primitive jungle. Still, Gray Horace was polite to the Chinese, as they were the only ones willing to buy lumber, and selling lumber had become Gray¡¯s sole source of income. The army relied on military aid from the United States, but the money from selling timber landed directly in Gray¡¯s pocket, which meant he could pocket at least several million US dollars a year, no matter how cheap the wood sold. He heard all this through idle chit-chat at meals. After dinner, Gao Yi didn¡¯t need an excuse to follow the other bosses to the hotel naturally. The hotel was less than a hundred meters away from the restaurant in a straight line, just a three-minute walk. Local people were strictly forbidden from entering the hotel, but since Gao Yi was with a few other bosses, at least he could mooch some internet without issues. However, upon returning to the hotel and sitting down with a few others in the lobby, only Lin Xianghua went back to his room, while Gao Yi sat there and sent out a message blatantly. Casual chatting while messing with his phone seemed quite normal. ¡°Grand opening at ten in the morning tomorrow.¡± It was just one sentence, but Luca understood what it meant. Luca hardly waited upon receiving the message before he immediately replied. ¡°So soon? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Sure, be there on time, and you can wait for me in the sky. When you see the signal, descend.¡± ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll come to pick you up tomorrow.¡± Gao Yi hesitated for a moment before sending another message without thinking too much. ¡°There¡¯s a strange guy, of Chinese descent, I think he¡¯s in the same line of work.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°He looks kind of dumb, but he has passed a test¡­¡± Gao Yi roughly described Lin Xianghua¡¯s situation, then put down his phone and continued to chat with others. After arriving at the hotel, these people would avoid sensitive topics, as the hotel was directly controlled by Gray Horace. After some time, Gao Yi pretended to casually check his phone again and saw Luca¡¯s reply. ¡°Consumables.¡± The English phrase left him confused at first, as he didn¡¯t understand it. He took a moment before he used a translation app to clarify that it denoted consumables. ¡°What do you mean by consumables?¡± ¡°Consumables, we call them expendables. Mercenaries call them cannon fodder. The guy you¡¯re talking about is definitely new to the business, a consumable. If not a threat, no need to pay him any mind.¡± Thinking of Lin Xianghua, Gao Yi felt the term was quite fitting. A greenhorn who didn¡¯t know his ass from his elbow, blundering in as if headed for certain death, he might just be someone sent to scout out the situation. Suakoko was so peculiar, gathering intel wasn¡¯t easy. Since Luca had turned to him, it was possible that others turned to Lin Xianghua for the same purpose. Considering this, Gao Yi suddenly worried whether he was just a consumable to Luca as well? The more he thought about it, the truer it seemed. Thankfully, he had some leverage over Luca, so Gao Yi wasn¡¯t worried about being abandoned. If things went south, Luca wouldn¡¯t see a penny, and would end up down by tens of thousands of dollars. After ruminating a bit more, Gao Yi excused himself from the gathering and returned to his restaurant alone. This time, although Lin Xianghua was present throughout, he didn¡¯t offer to work for Gao Yi again. It seemed like he might genuinely give up. Of course, Lin Xianghua might have other plans, but that was no longer Gao Yi¡¯s concern. After a good night¡¯s sleep, Gao Yi got up the next day, packed all his belongings into his bag, and placed it behind the door of the room where he slept. If it came down to a fight, he¡¯d just grab it and go. Gao Yi had just finished packing when he heard someone shouting outside, ¡°Boss, boss! Come out!¡± It was just past seven o¡¯clock in the morning, and Sangbanda was back, this time with six subordinates, two of whom carried something like metal detectors. ¡°Good morning.¡± Sangbanda greeted Gao Yi politely before gesturing to his men, ¡°Check thoroughly, but don¡¯t mess anything up.¡± Gao Yi was speechless at how strict the security was; it was just a warlord after all, did it need to be this professional? Sangbanda took a seat and gestured for Gao Yi, ¡°Sit down, wait, it won¡¯t take long.¡± Four men began sweeping the restaurant, which didn¡¯t have much to hide, but a soldier with a metal detector still scanned around diligently. Gao Yi asked listlessly, knowing the answer, ¡°What¡¯s that? A metal detector?¡± Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Indulging his inquiries despite being obvious seemed the norm to Gao Yi. Sangbanda didn¡¯t find anything wrong with Gao Yi¡¯s curiosity and proudly explained, ¡°It detects not just metal but also explosives.¡± Gao Yi inwardly breathed a sigh of relief; he was glad he didn¡¯t rely on any weapons, or else it would have been tough to pass such a stringent check. Before long, all six soldiers reported back to the restaurant. One of them announced, ¡°Sir, no abnormalities, no weapons.¡± Sangbanda nodded, then pointed to Gao Yi. Immediately, a soldier began scanning Gao Yi from head to toe, causing the metal detector to emit a sound. Gao Yi stood up, placed his phone on a nearby table, opened his arms, and was scanned again. The second time, there were no sounds, but as the soldier with the detector stepped away, Sangbanda stood up, indicated for Gao Yi to open his arms again, and started patting him down. Sangbanda wasn¡¯t much taller than Gao Yi, just a bit over his stature, but he was very thickset. He didn¡¯t look so imposing from afar, but up close, his presence was notably oppressive. Gao Yi felt a bit insecure. Sangbanda was so robust; his ability to take a hit must be strong. If it came to a hand-to-hand fight, could he deliver a fatal blow without alerting Sangbanda? And was it possible that the soldiers around Gray wore bullet-proof vests and helmets? If so, many deadly moves wouldn¡¯t be so deadly after all. Gao Yi felt things were getting tricky. After Sangbanda finished checking, he stepped back two paces and smiled, ¡°All clear now, how long for your food to be ready?¡± Gao Yi had no watch; he picked up the phone from the table, glanced at the time, and said, ¡°Half-past seven, I have to rush. It should be ready by ten.¡± ¡°Okay, go ahead.¡± Gao Yi turned to head to the backyard, but to his surprise, Sangbanda followed, along with two other soldiers. All the way, even while he was cooking? Gao Yi silently fetched a live chicken from the coop, placed its head on a chopping board, grabbed an axe, and with a swift chop, decapitated the chicken. Sangbanda stood nearby, watching curiously as Gao Yi hustled around. The hot water was ready; he plucked, gutted, and cleaned the chicken, then took the whole bird into the kitchen to chop it up. He wasn¡¯t very adept at these tasks because, although he could cook, he had never killed a chicken before. This lack of expertise showed while he worked. As he placed the chopped chicken into a bowl, Sangbanda suddenly asked, ¡°You don¡¯t seem very familiar with this, are you really a chef?¡± Gao Yi replied helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ve only used pre-slaughtered chicken before; we don¡¯t need to kill chickens where I¡¯m from.¡± Sangbanda shrugged and commented, ¡°Good excuse.¡± The rest of the cooking process appeared a lot smoother, making Gao Yi look halfway like a professional chef. Three men watched him throughout, never taking their eyes off of him. Even when Gao Yi needed to use the bathroom, a soldier watched him intently and never turned away. But Gao Yi didn¡¯t need to prepare for anything else. His greatest advantage was the opportunity to act at any moment without revealing anything if he didn¡¯t make a move. So, all Gao Yi had to do was cook; no other preparations were necessary. Chapter 27 - 27 25 A One-Time Deal ?27: Chapter 25 A One-Time Deal 27: Chapter 25 A One-Time Deal The time reached 9:50 pm. At this moment, Sangbanda, who had been keeping surveillance on Gao Yi, suddenly got up and left the backyard. Gao Yi lifted the lid of the pot. Holding a basin, he patted the cassava dough into the shape of pancakes, sticking them one by one onto the rim of the pot. But today, Gao Yi had spaced the pancakes on the pot¡¯s rim much wider apart. The iron pot was originally small to begin with. When filled up, it could only accommodate twelve pancakes, and after deliberately sticking fewer, Gao Yi managed to attach only eight. They didn¡¯t smell as good as yesterday, and the color wasn¡¯t quite right, but Gao Yi wasn¡¯t panicked inside. In any case, it was a one-off deal; he didn¡¯t expect any repeat customers. At that moment, Sangbanda came back. He addressed Gao Yi, ¡°The General has arrived. Listen, I talked you up a lot yesterday. Today, you¡¯d better not let the General down. Now, serve the food.¡± The courtyard was small, with the kitchen on one side and the dining area on the other. Sangbanda stood at the doorstep of the dining area, a good five or six meters away from Gao Yi. Less than two meters behind Gao Yi stood a soldier watching him intently, and to his right, separated by a pot, stood another soldier. The distance was too far. The two soldiers would be easy to deal with, but Sangbanda was too distant. Moreover, Gao Yi didn¡¯t even know how many people were guarding Gray Horace, nor how many soldiers were outside the restaurant. It seemed it wasn¡¯t time to make a move. Gao Yi took two wet cloths, placed them on the handles, and carried the pot down. Then, with soldiers on either side, Sangbanda stepped into the dining room first. ¡°Here we come!¡± Gao Yi called out, and then he carried the iron pot over and saw three people sitting around a round table. A plump black man looked at the iron pot in Gao Yi¡¯s hands with full anticipation. Yes, it was him, Gray Horace. The other two had come yesterday, one Caucasian and one black. At this moment, they sat on either side of Gray. The two people from the CIA had come as well. Gao Yi¡¯s heart tightened, but fortunately, he wasn¡¯t yet panicking. There were also four soldiers, all in bullet-proof vests, with helmets, but they stood behind the door on either side, about three or four meters away from Gray. Together with Sangbanda, there were eight people in the dining room, and there were two soldiers in the backyard. Glancing out the window, Gao Yi didn¡¯t spot any additional soldiers. The security measures were already tight, and Gray, eating a meal, wasn¡¯t likely to really bring dozens of people with him. There probably weren¡¯t more people outside, and even if there were, there shouldn¡¯t be too many. So there was no need to be scared; at worst, this opportunity would just be given up. Gao Yi put down the pot and earnestly said, ¡°Be careful of the steam, please make way.¡± He removed the lid, letting steam emerge. Gao Yi stepped aside with the lid, and Sangbanda, now standing behind the target, seriously warned, ¡°General, be careful of the heat.¡± Gray Horace peered into the pot and said curiously, ¡°It looks good.¡± After speaking, Gray turned to Gao Yi and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve heard your cooking is exceptionally delicious. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± The two Americans showed no sign of expectation. They glanced at Gao Yi together, and then the Caucasian picked up a pair of chopsticks. Gray Horace also picked up a pair of chopsticks and, happily, said, ¡°Please.¡± Gray Horace took a piece of chicken thigh, while the Caucasian picked a piece of chicken breast. Gray Horace put the chicken thigh into his mouth, closed his lips, savored it for a moment, and suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s a bit salty, the spiciness is just right, and a longer stewing time would have been better. Not bad.¡± Gao Yi felt that Gray had good taste. Using his chopsticks, Gray eagerly went to take a pancake that was stuck on the rim of the pot. It seemed Sangbanda had strongly recommended it to him. ¡°General, use the spatula.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t approach. He simply made a motion of scooping with the spatula, and at this moment, Sangbanda stepped forward and took the small spatula laid on the table. Gray signaled with a hand, telling Gao Yi, ¡°You do it.¡± Gao Yi advanced and took the spatula, as if he could feel the gaze of Sangbanda on his neck. Right next to Gray, Gao Yi had no thoughts of making a move. He scooped out a pancake and placed it on Gray¡¯s plate, saying, ¡°This is a plain pancake, without sugar, it¡¯s very tasty soaked in soup. This one has sugar in it.¡± After placing pancakes on the plates in front of all three men, Gao Yi put down the spatula and stepped back, slightly nervous, ¡°If the pancakes aren¡¯t enough, I can make more anytime. It¡¯s quick.¡± Gray nodded in satisfaction. He wasn¡¯t eating quickly, but he was very focused. It was getting hot. In addition to a pot full of hot steam, even though there was no fire inside, the two Americans were quickly breaking a sweat. After a while, Gray, having eaten three pancakes, suddenly said, ¡°The sweet ones are good.¡± The American black man beside him nodded too, saying, ¡°Yes.¡± Gray tilted his head, and right away, Sangbanda leaned in, ¡°General.¡± Gray pointed at Gao Yi and said, ¡°Give him a generator, plus a hundred liters of diesel fuel. Next time I come to eat, there should be air conditioning.¡± ¡°Yes, General.¡± Sangbanda looked at Gao Yi, who hastened to say, ¡°Thank you, General.¡± Gray smiled and said, ¡°Do well, I¡¯ll come here often. Can you still make these pancakes?¡± Gao Yi immediately nodded, ¡°Right away, very fast, ten minutes.¡± Gray waved his hand, and Gao Yi immediately turned and went to the backyard. Sangbanda wanted to follow, but Gray stretched out a hand, and so Sangbanda stopped, whispering, ¡°General.¡± ¡°I like this place, the flavor is good. How do you two find it?¡± The Caucasian just shrugged and said, ¡°Seems fine.¡± Gray smiled and asked, ¡°I meant how does it taste, will you come with me in the future?¡± The Caucasian hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°The taste¡­ But the environment has improved a lot, at least it looks much cleaner. We could come more often.¡± ¡°I like these little sweet pancakes. I will come often.¡± Gray laughed heartily and turned to Sangbanda, ¡°So we need air conditioning here. Send the engine and diesel over. Let¡¯s see if his air conditioning works. If it doesn¡¯t, bring an air conditioner over. Set up a small room especially for it.¡± Gray stopped Sangbanda to instruct him, which conveniently freed up Gao Yi. Gao Yi returned to the backyard. He added some wood to the stove first, waited a moment to make sure Sangbanda hadn¡¯t followed, then his mind raced as he decided what he needed to do next. To hell with it, if there was an opportunity now, then go for it. The key was, making pancakes required a fire, and when Gao Yi said that the pancakes would be ready in ten minutes, that was clearly unrealistic. Based on that alone, he had to act. So it was from the moment he observed the situation outside that Gao Yi had decided to take action. Gao Yi brought out the basin full of cassava dough, and pretending to toss some wood in the stove, he glanced back to check the positions of the two soldiers. One was directly behind him, and another less than two meters to his left. Glancing at the door to the dining area from the backyard, there was nobody there. It was time to act. Gao Yi stood up, and then suddenly stepped back. Without turning around, he clenched his right fist with just the middle knuckle protruding and struck the soldier to his right in the back of the head with swift speed but seemingly little force. Stepping back, standing up with a hammering blow, and then swinging his left arm out, he struck the left side soldier in the back of the head with the edge of his palm. He reached out, his right arm embracing one, his left arm dragging the first fallen soldier. There was no choice; force was hard to gauge when striking the back of the head, and he carefully laid down the two soldiers who had turned into corpses. Holding the basin with one hand, he walked two steps forward, casually picking up the axe he had used to chop off chicken heads and placed it in the cassava dough basin, covering it with the lid. A weapon was necessary because Gao Yi lacked confidence in instantly killing Sangbanda unarmed, so he chose the axe. The axe¡¯s handle was not long, only about thirty centimeters. It had been used for a long time, its wooden handle greasy, and the axe head poorly made, but it didn¡¯t matter. The size of the axe was suitable, and it was heavy enough. Gao Yi carried the basin to the dining room. Everyone was still chatting and laughing. Gao Yi put on a sycophantic smile and placed the basin on the table. With his left hand, he lifted the lid, blocking the view, while his right hand gripped the handle of the axe. Sangbanda didn¡¯t pay much attention since Gao Yi and Gray were separated by an American black man. ¡°Eh?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi suddenly let out a surprised low voice as he looked towards the pot, and, just as Sangbanda couldn¡¯t help but look at the pot as well, Gao Yi suddenly stepped back and, driving force through his right leg and crossing over with his left foot, swung his right hand in a circle, bringing the axe down with a crash. The Eight Trigram Steps were all about the element of surprise, cryptic and unpredictable. Circling past the American black man, sparing the sole target, Gray, Gao Yi¡¯s first target was Sangbanda. With the most unexpected first strike, it had to be on the toughest opponent. Gao Yi paid special attention to Sangbanda, so his first blow was especially for him. The hammer head crashed directly into the spot just behind Sangbanda¡¯s ear. The hammer head smashed into Sangbanda¡¯s skull. Gao Yi pulled back the axe, and his left fist hammered down hard on the back of Gray¡¯s head. Killing Gray was just that simple: unanticipated, one sudden strike, and it was over. The axe pulled back in his right hand came down on the temple of the American black man to the right, and then, Gao Yi stepped over the fallen Sangbanda, swung the axe held in his right hand as the white man tried to back away in a hurry, and crashed the axe down, embedding it deep into the man¡¯s brow. Quick as a falcon swooping for its prey, in an instant, Gao Yi had hammered four men to death without anyone emitting a sound. Turning around, Gao Yi lunged at the four soldiers behind the door. ¡°Ah¡­¡± One soldier opened his mouth to shout, another aimed a gun at Gao Yi, and a third directly swung his rifle to bash Gao Yi¡¯s face with the butt. Ducking and darting to the side, Gao Yi threw a punch with his left hand at the throat of the soldier who was about to scream, and his right hand wielding the axe crashed down on the forehead of the soldier aiming the gun at him. Dodging the rifle butt aimed at his face, he forcefully smashed the axe down on the back of the fourth soldier¡¯s head, then turned around and brought the axe down on the soldier swinging the rifle butt. No need to use the blade of the axe, a smash would do just fine. Having a weapon in hand was a good thing; it allowed for a higher margin of error. In just a few seconds, all eight people in the room were taken out, and hardly any noise was made. Gao Yi pulled out his phone and started recording. He approached Gray, pulled the slumped over Gray back to reveal his face, shot a close-up, and then fiercely chopped the axe on Gray¡¯s neck. ¡°The target is dead, mission accomplished, it was me!¡± Speaking during the recording could serve as evidence. Once the video was done, Gao Yi turned and left. Now, it was time to escape. Chapter 28 - 28 26 Whats Going On ?28: Chapter 26 What¡¯s Going On 28: Chapter 26 What¡¯s Going On Gao Yi glanced out the window and was shocked to discover a truck parked outside, surrounded by over a dozen soldiers. Looking in a different direction, he spotted another truck. Gray Horace hadn¡¯t brought hundreds to dine, but the waiting crowd outside still numbered at least thirty. With thirty people, Gao Yi knew he stood no chance of escaping. Fortunately, Gao Yi never planned to make a run for it straight out the restaurant¡¯s front door. Regarding the escape, Gao Yi didn¡¯t have a clear plan. Seizing opportunities as they came was his motto, improvising on the fly was his attitude towards life. Back in the courtyard, he grabbed his backpack from the door of his sleeping quarters and made a beeline for the wall. Just as he leaped and was about to grab the top of the wall, he heard someone behind him bellow with all their might. ¡°The General is dead¡­¡± Who knew how they¡¯d found out, but Gao Yi managed to act without detection, and even after eliminating his target, nobody noticed until he was climbing over the wall. Considering the circumstances, this was a fairly good outcome. With hefty strength from his arms and a boost from his right leg against the wall, Gao Yi scaled the two-meter-high barrier. Though not professional, Gao Yi always did his homework on the lay of the land. Suakoko was indeed a city, but it was built with little planning. Storefronts facing the street were somewhat orderly, but the buildings towards the back were haphazardly constructed. Side streets ran in every direction, all higgledy-piggledy. If he could just make it quickly through, he should be able to get away. That ¡°should¡± was the entirety of Gao Yi¡¯s plan. However, not long after Gao Yi vaulted the wall and started to run, his ears caught the sound of frantic footsteps. Slowing his pace, he peeked around the corner and saw four soldiers with guns rushing into the alley next to the restaurant. Gao Yi took off in the opposite direction. Running east from behind the restaurant, he didn¡¯t know where he was headed, but it was away from the direction of the hotel with the high concentration of Chinese people. He didn¡¯t want his actions to endanger others. But now that wasn¡¯t an option. Running east meant catching bullets, so he had no choice but to go west. In fact, west was the better choice; the buildings were connected for at least a few dozen meters with no alleyways, making it harder for Horace¡¯s guards to corner him. No time to think of anything else. Just run. Gao Yi rushed forward, head down, and spun to look back. Indeed, two pursuers were on his tail, and then gunshots rang out. Gao Yi dove towards a wall on the left. The wall wasn¡¯t high, and Gao Yi clambered over it with an awkward scramble, landing in a chaos-strewn yard. Without hesitation, he sprinted towards an open gate. Passing through the gate, he found himself on a trash-littered path. Right now, any path or alleyway will do for escape. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, as Gao Yi burst out of the twisting alley onto a relatively wide street. But then, he involuntarily came to a stop. To the right was the hotel. The gun-toting security guard at the hotel entrance was, with a bewildered face, gripping his weapon. Looking left, the restaurant entrance was a mess. Soldiers stormed inside, and some were running down the street in his direction. The hotel and the restaurant were just over a hundred meters apart. He had just run the distance nonstop, arriving at the hotel entrance. Another presence caught his eye; it was Little Hei. Upon realizing that the situation had turned chaotic and hearing gunshots, Little Hei was frantically making his way towards his car parked in front of the hotel. His station was at the hotel entrance because people might need the car, and he wasn¡¯t inside it because nobody would willing sit in a parked car. In an instant, Gao Yi made his decision. ¡°There¡¯s an assassin!¡± he shouted toward the hotel security guard before rushing straight for the hotel. The security guard at the hotel entrance watched Gao Yi rush in but, out of habit, struggled to see Gao Yi as the target he should take down. On the contrary, after Gao Yi shouted, the guard inevitably turned his gaze towards the soldiers. Gao Yi burst through, sprinting into the hotel. As he ran, Gao Yi pulled out his phone. Entering the lobby, he saw that the Wi-Fi had connected; reluctantly but without hesitation, he chose to upload the video evidence. Inside the lobby, Lin Xianghua stood agape and despairing. Gao Yi hit upload, then he sent a voice message to Luca. ¡°The evidence is up, collect the money! Consider it my way of repaying you for saving my life!¡± Though he was loath to let Luca benefit, Gao Yi wasn¡¯t about to let others take advantage. If by chance he had not been able to upload the evidence, and Lin Xianghua took photos of Gray¡¯s dead body to post on the Dark Web without competition, that would have meant a big win for him. Luca had at least saved Gao Yi¡¯s life. Despite mutual distrust and precautionary measures between them, in his hopeless situation, Gao Yi chose to let Luca reap the benefits. It was Luca¡¯s account that uploaded the damning evidence. Firm evidence that would ensure Luca nothing to do but, as long as he kept living, collect the one million dollars from the Dark Web. In an exceedingly brief moment, Gao Yi completed all this. Then, after shooting Lin Xianghua a glance, he turned to run again when Lin shouted in despair, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, run!¡± Lin Xianghua bolted from the hotel, charging toward the hotel security guard, who was still focused outside, wholly unprepared for Lin¡¯s assault. Lin Xianghua landed a punch, knocking the guard out, then grabbed the guard¡¯s rifle, pulled the bolt, and the AKM in his hands began to roar. Little Hei was nearing his car, utterly startled by the commotion. Forsaking the car door, he barked in panic and darted aside but, after a few steps, despairingly screamed as he dashed toward his vehicle. Bullets began to whirl around the automobile, striking the ground and whistling, but Little Hei couldn¡¯t care less. In a life-or-death moment, he chose to save his car. Lin Xianghua knelt on one knee, only shooting in short bursts. With each shot, a soldier fell, while those running couldn¡¯t hit him accurately. ¡°What the hell?¡± What was this situation? Gao Yi was dumbfounded, planning to escape out the hotel¡¯s back door, but now seeing the current scene, he suddenly sensed an opportunity. Little Hei scrambled into the vehicle, started the engine while a bullet came through the A-pillar, veered and struck the windshield, causing a loud crack and a bullet hole. ¡°Ahh, ahhhh!¡± Little Hei shuddered in fear, yet his hands were quick; he slammed the car into reverse, and the pickup started to back up. ¡°Drive, drive!¡± In moments of urgency, one resorts to their mother tongue. Despite the language being incomprehensible, Gao Yi understood by Little Hei¡¯s expression that he was swearing. Gao Yi hopped into the back seat. As Lin Xianghua kneeled beside the security booth shooting, he suddenly stood up, rifle in one hand, he clutched the back of the rapidly reversing pickup and effortlessly leaped in. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tumbling in the truck bed, hitting the sides, Lin Xianghua steadied himself, rose to his knees, and nestled on the roof, firing two shots amid the violent shaking. Finally, Little Hei wailed, ¡°Are you insane? For crying out loud, what¡¯s all this!¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± Gao Yi was at a loss but after a brief pause, he harshly demanded, ¡°Take me to the airport! Now! Or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Gao Yi¡¯s sudden fierce demeanor scared Little Hei so much that he was speechless for a moment before bursting into tears, ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ I¡¯m doomed¡­¡± With an anguished face, Little Hei¡¯s cry was utterly irksome, but the way he quickly spun the steering wheel was impressively cool. Gao Yi felt terrible inside, his only thought was an apology. Suddenly, Little Hei turned to Gao Yi, pleading through tears, ¡°Take me with you, or I¡¯m dead¡­¡± ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll take you! No problem!¡± Gao Yi glanced back to see only two legs, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s the situation with the person in the back?¡± ¡°What?¡± It was a needless question. In utter bewilderment, of course, one would turn to those nearby for answers. ¡°We¡¯re going to the airport. I¡¯ll take you along; I¡¯ll get you a new car!¡± Gao Yi could only promise grand rewards, not knowing what else to say. The distance from Suakoko¡¯s city center to the airport was short. Within minutes, they saw the familiar runway, but at the control tower at the end of it were soldiers rushing out. There were no soldiers guarding the place last time, but this time, why were four soldiers emerging from the cabin, guns aimed directly at Gao Yi and his companions? ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± Gao Yi felt a deep sense of despair. There was no way he could make it past the bullets to the four soldiers ahead, incapacitate them, and then have Luca¡¯s plane land and take off. Gunshots pounded on the roof; Little Hei instinctively slammed on the brakes. Once the car stopped, Lin Xiangnan, from the back, roared, ¡°Get out of the car!¡± What was happening? Even with a mind sharp as a tack, Gao Yi couldn¡¯t fathom what was actually going on. Lin Xiangnan leaped from the truck bed, walked up to the front, rifle aimed at the soldiers at least three hundred meters away, frantically said, ¡°Get out, I¡¯m out of bullets! But I can distract and scare them. You two head for the woods. Staying here means death!¡± Gao Yi reflexively asked, ¡°Why are you saving¡­ you¡¯re out of bullets?¡± Irritated by the abruptness, Lin Xiangnan snapped, ¡°I counted for thirty shots, but there were only twenty in the gun! Go now!¡± Gao Yi jumped out of the car, giving Lin Xianghua a look. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he conceded, ¡°Or maybe, let¡¯s just run together.¡± With a look of despair, Lin Xianghua replied, ¡°It¡¯s no use; I¡¯m exposed. They¡¯re here for me, not you. Stick with me, and you¡¯re as good as dead. Run!¡± Little Hei was already sprinting. Seeing Gao Yi and Lin Xianghua not moving, he stopped and anxiously called from the grass verge, ¡°What are you waiting for? Run!¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t bolt. Instead, he stepped aside, briefly considering before saying, ¡°Could it be a misunderstanding? How about you run first, and we¡¯ll talk while we escape?¡± Chapter 29 - 29 27 Unexpected ?29: Chapter 27 Unexpected 29: Chapter 27 Unexpected Gao Yi ultimately felt guilty letting Lin Xianghua be a scapegoat. Although he had been worried recently about Lin Xianghua getting a big advantage, when Lin Xianghua shouted for them to escape first, Gao Yi felt embarrassed. One should be decent and not cheat Lin Xianghua just because he¡¯s simple-minded. Gao Yi¡¯s personality is straightforward: treat him with respect and he will return it tenfold; if someone tries to cheat him, he won¡¯t hesitate to retaliate without any guilt. His main principle was clear: he had pursued the righteous path of Kung Fu all his life. Moreover, Gao Yi really wanted to figure out what was going on with Lin Xianghua. When Gao Yi suggested they split up while on the run, Lin Xianghua hesitated for less than a second before responding, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ve been betrayed and can¡¯t escape. You¡¯ll have a chance if we split up, go on, no more talking!¡± Alright, Gao Yi didn¡¯t want to die, especially not foolishly staying behind to face death with Lin Xianghua. Gao Yi ran towards Little Hei, and after leaving the muddy path and running into the bushes at the road¡¯s edge, he suddenly turned and asked Lin Xianghua, ¡°Out of bullets?¡± ¡°No more! Get lost!¡± Gao Yi felt relieved, then he shouted to Lin Xianghua, ¡°I killed the General!¡± After saying that, Gao Yi turned and ran. After a moment of shock, Lin Xianghua suddenly shouted, ¡°You¡­ stop!¡± Lin Xianghua chased after Gao Yi quickly. He ran and jumped through the bushes, holding an empty gun in his right hand and reaching out to grab Gao Yi¡¯s back with his left. Gao Yi stopped, turned, and caught Lin Xianghua¡¯s left arm with a quick twist, then wrapped his right arm around Lin Xianghua¡¯s neck, pulling him close. Lin Xianghua was choked by Gao Yi. ¡°I was just kindly telling you to run. Dare to move and I¡¯ll kill you!¡± He let go and dropped Lin Xianghua on the ground, then continued running towards the woods. Little Hei, however, hopped in place a couple of times before suddenly asking Lin Xianghua, ¡°Can I run with you?¡± Lin Xianghua roared helplessly, ¡°I have no one to meet up with, follow him!¡± The two chased after him, and despite wearing only slippers, Little Hei quickly overtook Gao Yi and led the way. Gao Yi was still recovering from a serious injury. Although fighting wasn¡¯t greatly affected, his weak body was glaringly apparent when sprinting at full speed. Lin Xianghua caught up to him from behind, franticly asking, ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± Ignoring Lin Xianghua, Gao Yi continued running into the depths of the forest. They ran a distance, with Gao Yi feeling his legs were as heavy as lead, completely unable to run further, and suddenly stopped. ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore. Stop and I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡± He really couldn¡¯t run anymore; it wasn¡¯t that he was in pain, but running made him feel utterly drained, as though he hadn¡¯t eaten all day and then ran ten thousand meters. Since he couldn¡¯t run anymore, Gao Yi simply stopped. Little Hei continued running ahead while Lin Xianghua abruptly stopped beside Gao Yi. Afraid to reach out, Lin Xianghua pressed on, ¡°Why stop? Just talk while running.¡± Gao Yi burst into action; he grabbed Lin Xianghua¡¯s neck, his right leg stretching out, slightly flexing his hand around Lin Xianghua¡¯s neck causing him to fall backwards. Lin Xianghua considered himself somewhat skilled in combat, but next to Gao Yi, he felt like a child. Gao Yi growled, ¡°Tell me, what kind of person are you?¡± Dying without understanding was not an option for Gao Yi at that moment. Lin Xianghua looked dumbfounded for a moment before instinctively trying to free himself from Gao Yi¡¯s grip, realizing quickly his situation with only a slight force from Gao Yi. ¡°I am a mercenary. I came for reconnaissance¡­ I told the people who hired me yesterday that I couldn¡¯t kill Gray Horace, and then they sold me out today!¡± Gao Yi paused, ¡°A mercenary? Reconnaissance, sold? How were you sold?¡± Lin Xianghua furiously explained, ¡°They called Gray Horace, told him someone was here to kill him, and for US$ 100,000, they would reveal who the assassin was. That¡¯s how they sold me!¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So that¡¯s how it is; that¡¯s possible? It works like that? Letting go of Lin Xianghua¡¯s neck, Gao Yi blankly said, ¡°Damn, you really are just expendable¡­ What cannon fodder!¡± Lin Xianghua angrily sat up, then furiously said, ¡°We better keep running, idiot!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore¡­¡± Gao Yi eyed Lin Xianghua with ill intent, and just as Lin Xianghua suddenly twisted to run away, Gao Yi swiftly grabbed the back of his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t run, carry me!¡± Lin Xianghua was stunned, and just then, Little Hei, having run a bit and realizing no one was following, returned and demanded from the front, ¡°What are you guys doing? What are you doing, Mabao? What¡¯s going on¡­¡± Little Hei¡¯s cries were filled with despair. Regardless, Gao Yi didn¡¯t care too much; since Lin Xianghua seemed to have enough strength, he clutched Lin Xianghua¡¯s neck with his left arm and leaped forward to mount Lin Xianghua¡¯s back. Lin Xianghua staggered forward a few steps, involuntarily stretching out his arms to support Gao Yi¡¯s legs, then incredulously said, ¡°We can do this?¡± Despite saying so, Lin Xianghua wasn¡¯t slow when running. Of course, it was much slower than running alone, but running into the woods, they couldn¡¯t go very fast regardless. Gao Yi urgently shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not letting you carry me for nothing. You were sold out, but I have people waiting to pick me up, we¡¯ll get you on a plane! Consider us even after saving your life!¡± It was hard to say who was saving whom, but now Gao Yi was draped over Lin Xianghua¡¯s back, yet offering Lin Xianghua an escape route. Little Hei was stunned. After a moment, he ultimately decided to position himself behind Gao Yi, reaching out to support some of Gao Yi¡¯s weight and help Lin Xianghua. After feeling like they had run a great distance, suddenly the forest¡¯s edge erupted with dense gunfire. Lin Xianghua dived to the ground like a fierce dog pouncing on food, while Gao Yi, quick and skilled, rolled and then tried to grab Lin Xianghua¡¯s neck but heard Lin Xianghua urgently yell, ¡°Stay down, lie flat!¡± Gao Yi hesitated, then swiftly lay flat from his crouched position. Little Hei was the last to lie flat on the ground. ¡°Where have we run to?¡± Disoriented in the woods, not knowing how far or in which direction they had run, it seemed like they had been caught up to, otherwise the gunfire wouldn¡¯t be so close. Just then, Little Hei, sounding utterly despondent, said, ¡°It¡¯s over, we¡¯ve circled around and come to the airport.¡± ¡°The General is dead!¡± ¡°The General is dead!¡± The shouting wasn¡¯t as clear as the gunfire, but many people outside seemed ecstatically vocal. What¡¯s the situation here, what is this situation? Gao Yi blankly looked at Lin Xianghua, then he noticed Lin Xianghua staring back at him with clear and foolish eyes. Better ask someone else. Gao Yi whispered, ¡°Little Hei, what¡¯s going on?¡± Little Hei murmured, ¡°The General is dead, the General¡­ but there¡¯s still Sangbanda.¡± ¡°Sangbanda¡¯s also dead.¡± Little Hei froze, then appeared extremely shocked as he said, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, I killed him myself.¡± Little Hei¡¯s lips trembled as he exclaimed, ¡°But the Americans are still here! They decide who the General is, anyone can be General.¡± ¡°They¡¯re also dead, I killed them, definitely dead.¡± Little Hei suddenly jumped up and waving his arms, shouted, ¡°The General¡¯s dead; why should we be afraid? Sangbanda¡¯s dead too; they¡¯re all dead! What do we have to fear? Fear what? What bullshit!¡± Gao Yi was taken aback, urging, ¡°You¡¯re mad, get down!¡± Little Hei sidestepped Lin Xianghua and dove towards Gao Yi lying on the ground. Gao Yi dodged Little Hei with a roll. Stretching his arms toward Gao Yi, Little Hei yelled, ¡°Liberator! You are our liberator!¡± Gao Yi was a bit confused. Lin Xianghua suddenly asked, ¡°You guys¡­ all want the General dead?¡± Little Hei roared, ¡°Who likes living like this with no electricity, water, gasoline, food, medicine, goods, or roads? You like it? Of course, we all want that General dead, everyone, everyone wished for his death! No one could be worse than him; you killed him, you are the liberator, our hero.¡± Gao Yi slowly sat up. Little Hei waved his arms, pointing in the direction of the voices, bellowing, ¡°Listen to the crowd cheering, now it¡¯s the Guards who should flee!¡± Gao Yi slowly stood up, twisted his neck, and said, ¡°Uh, well, why don¡¯t you go out and check the situation?¡± Little Hei dashed off quickly. That¡¯s when Lin Xianghua suddenly asked, ¡°Are they all really dead?¡± ¡°Really, I can¡¯t send Little Hei to his death by lying.¡± Lin Xianghua paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, ¡°Can¡¯t believe it¡­ how did you do it?¡± Gao Yi wasn¡¯t about to reveal his methods to Lin Xianghua, so he nonchalantly said, ¡°Poison. Why do you think I run a restaurant? Of course, to be able to poison people.¡± Chapter 30 - 30 28 Concealing Identity and Name ?30: Chapter 28 Concealing Identity and Name 30: Chapter 28 Concealing Identity and Name Originally, there weren¡¯t many people at the airport, but now, there were hundreds gathered beside it, and many of them even had guns. Seeing such a scene, Gao Yi¡¯s first impulse was to hide, but under Little Hei¡¯s instigation, he chose to be brave instead. He had no choice but to go out; Luca¡¯s plane was still in the sky, and he had to leave no matter what. ¡°Are you ready to receive the cheers of the people?¡± Little Hei was full of excitement as he pointed to the crowd outside, saying, ¡°You are heroes!¡± Gao Yi was a bit panicked; he just wanted to leave and collect his bounty, not to take on the cheers of the people. Pulling Little Hei aside, Gao Yi whispered, ¡°What has your former boss taught you? The word ¡®people¡¯ shouldn¡¯t be used carelessly, and besides, I don¡¯t want to be a hero. I can¡¯t show my face.¡± Showing his face, what for, to seek death? Killing Gray Horace would be seen as a heroic act by the locals, but Gao Yi had also killed two CIA men. Being a hero was difficult and undesirable. At that moment, Lin Xianghua suddenly said, ¡°Why not be a hero? Now that the general is dead, who cares about avenging him? Even the general¡¯s loyal subordinates must now be busy vying for control of the army and the city.¡± Gao Yi looked at Lin Xianghua in surprise, ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Oppressive government is fiercer than a tiger,¡± Lin Xianghua said adamantly. ¡°The general¡¯s rule over the past three years has made everyone here detest him. Even his subordinates must now distance themselves from him. Some will definitely join the government forces, but government forces can¡¯t enter and regain control of this city. So, the ultimate outcome will be a military fragmentation, superficial political unity, and economic liberalization. Staying here as a hero has its advantages. Even though this city will soon fall into turmoil, aren¡¯t we here for the war? The low-intensity conflict here isn¡¯t highly dangerous, but the returns are substantial.¡± Lin Xianghua talked on and on, still holding the rifle in his hands, now empty of bullets. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to let Lin Xianghua take the fall. But wouldn¡¯t it be appropriate for Lin Xianghua to accept the cheers and become a hero, embracing this immense wealth and status? After pondering for a moment, Gao Yi smiled at Lin Xianghua, ¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡± With a look of emotion, Lin Xianghua asked, ¡°What, you¡¯re thinking of staying too?¡± ¡°No, no, no. You as a mercenary staying to make a call to arms is fitting, but not me. I¡¯m not even good at fighting.¡± Gao Yi wasn¡¯t good at fighting; in fact, he hadn¡¯t even entered the ranks of assassins, so becoming a liberator was out of the question. Most importantly, two CIA men were dead and the United States wouldn¡¯t give up on Liberia. This meant that he should leave while he could, or be targeted and finished. But it was different if Lin Xianghua wanted to take on the responsibility himself. Gao Yi cautiously said, ¡°If you want to stay and make a big impact, then brother, I wish you a lot of wealth. Just say you killed the general; that won¡¯t be a problem, right?¡± Lin Xianghua hesitated, ¡°Hmm, not impossible, but I think you are quite¡­ um¡­ dangerous.¡± Gao Yi stepped forward, pulling Lin Xianghua aside, ¡°We¡¯re different, you see. I¡¯m an assassin, and you¡¯re a mercenary. I operate in the shadows, and you in the open. Now that I¡¯ve done my job, I¡¯ll leave. This title I¡¯ll leave for you to use ¨C this is what you call a win-win, mutual benefit!¡± Lin Xianghua thought for a moment, glanced at Gao Yi a few times, and finally agreed, ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll say I killed the general, um.¡± Both felt like they had gotten the better deal. Gao Yi quickly turned to Little Hei, ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Little Hei shook his head with great excitement, ¡°No way, definitely not. With the general dead, the blockade will surely be lifted soon. I have a car and can make a lot of money. Why should I leave? There¡¯s so much I can do. Now my three wives and eight kids can have a good life¡­¡± ¡°What!¡± Gao Yi looked at him in shock, ¡°Three wives? Eight kids?¡± Little Hei said proudly, ¡°What of it? With my income and status, isn¡¯t that normal? Soon I¡¯ll take two more wives.¡± Well, nothing more to say; different strokes for different folks. At this time, Lin Xianghua waved his gun and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s agree then, I¡¯m the one who killed the general. Little Hei, spread the word for me. I¡¯m willing to continue fighting for them, and then you can get me in touch with the forces that have the power to contend for this city.¡± Little Hei nodded eagerly, ¡°No problem.¡± Gao Yi whispered, ¡°Then, since you two have decided to collaborate, I wish you success. Just let this be our little secret.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I definitely won¡¯t blab.¡± Both readily agreed. Gao Yi looked at Lin Xianghua, ¡°Before I leave, tell me which mercenary group sold you out, and explain exactly what happened.¡± Lin Xianghua replied without hesitation, ¡°The Plunderers, the Plunderer Mercenary Corps. I was originally with the Black Swan Mercenary Group, which just suffered heavy losses and was forced to disband. Then the leader of the Plunderer Mercenary Corps approached me, and I joined them. They tasked me to do some reconnaissance here to see if there was a possibility to take out Gray Horace.¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°And then? How did you know you were sold out?¡± Lin Xianghua said with resentment, ¡°Yesterday we ate together, and I figured infiltrating your restaurant could get me close to Gray Horace. But after seeing Sangbanda last night, I felt there was no chance, so I contacted the leader of the Plunderer Mercenary Corps after I returned, telling him that it was unlikely to take out Gray, and informed him of the situation. Then this morning, a friend in the Plunderer Mercenary Corps secretly told me I¡¯d been betrayed, for ten thousand dollars.¡± Gao Yi needed to understand the situation before leaving. Listening to Lin Xianghua now, it matched up, but what he couldn¡¯t figure out was the exact time Lin Xianghua was sold out. ¡°The specific time.¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know exactly when the Plunderers decided to sell me. My friend found out and notified me right away. I immediately went downstairs to leave, and then I saw you.¡± It seemed to be a coincidental timing, or perhaps Gray Horace didn¡¯t personally handle such matters. Overall, Lin Xianghua¡¯s explanation seemed reasonable. Gao Yi let out a sigh and then asked Lin Xianghua, ¡°Alright, I get the picture. Hmm, the CIA had seen you with facial recognition last night, were you identified too?¡± ¡°Yes, I got identified.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they discover you¡¯re a mercenary?¡± Lin Xianghua broke into a smile, ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not famous; how would I end up in the CIA¡¯s database?¡± Gao Yi asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you not in their records?¡± Lin Xianghua shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He couldn¡¯t ask much more. Gao Yi exhaled and said, ¡°Alright then, leave me a way to contact you, and you two go enjoy the cheers. I wish you grand plans and great success¡­ and full control of power.¡± Chapter 31 - 31 29 Scapegoat ?31: Chapter 29 Scapegoat 31: Chapter 29 Scapegoat The airplane landed, kicking up a gust of dust as it stopped past the most crowded area of the runway. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s happening!¡± Luca seemed a bit scared as he looked at the crowd outside and stammered, ¡°What happened, what¡¯s going on?¡± People jammed the sides of the airport runway; some were singing and dancing, while others fired guns into the air, creating a somewhat frightening scene. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°They¡¯re celebrating!¡± ¡°Celebrating what?¡± ¡°Celebrating me taking out the target!¡± Gao Yi boarded the plane and casually said, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb their celebration, let¡¯s get going!¡± After closing the airplane door, the plane turned around on the runway. A group of people waved at the airplane, and only after it took off again did Luca collapse into his seat, exhausted, and said, ¡°Let me see the evidence you took, tell me how you managed it.¡± ¡°The evidence has already been submitted.¡± Luca was surprised; he blinked and then with a puzzled look said, ¡°What do you mean, already submitted?¡± ¡°It means exactly that; I thought I was done for, so I rushed into the hotel and chose to submit the evidence. That way, even if I died, the reward would go to you and not fall into someone else¡¯s hands.¡± Luca was stunned for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, you were always worried I¡¯d keep the reward for myself, but in the end, you submitted the evidence yourself.¡± Gao Yi said indifferently, ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll repay my debt. The situation was very dangerous, I knew once I made my move, I¡¯d be dead, but I¡¯d rather die and repay you.¡± Gao Yi certainly couldn¡¯t tell him that it was just a reckless decision to act at the moment. After all, Luca could never truly know the truth, so obviously, he had to show some presence of integrity. Luca might not have really been touched, but at least in that moment, he seemed somewhat moved. Gao Yi took out his phone and handed it to Luca, saying, ¡°Take a look.¡± The page was on the evidence upload completion waiting for review phase, at least proving that Gao Yi indeed chose to upload the evidence. Luca took the phone, turned it on, and saw the scene of Gao Yi in action. Navigating among corpses strewn everywhere, he grabbed Gray Horace, who was leaning over a desk, and the shot of the axe hitting his neck was incredibly clear, even lingering on the image for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s no problem now, absolutely no problem. There¡¯s no signal here; the reward might have already been sent.¡± Luca was pleasantly surprised; however, after finishing his sentence, his tone changed as he said, ¡°It seems like there were many people here, and you just took out the target like that?¡± ¡°Eight, and two more in the backyard, at least thirty people outside. I was thinking at the time, I¡¯d rather die but still repay you, so never mind the numbers, just do it.¡± Gao Yi stated calmly, then pointed to the body lying next to Gray on the phone, whispering, ¡°Two from the CIA, no way around it, had to take them out together, no problem, right?¡± The phone clattered to the cabin floor, and Gao Yi quickly picked it up, then he saw Luca looking confused and saying, ¡°CIA¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Luca, still in shock, said, ¡°Two of them?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because the target was protected by CIA agents that it was so hard to kill.¡± Luca covered his face with his hands and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Any problem?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Luca retorted, removed his hand from his face, and with an almost crying expression said, ¡°Buddy, first you took out two killers from the Andic Group, and now, two from the CIA. The target might be okay to kill, but CIA agents¡­¡± ¡°I had no choice. It was a reflex action. There¡¯s one thing I need to ask you.¡± Gao Yi also grew serious, thought for a moment, then whispered, ¡°Last night, those two CIA agents used something like a tablet to scan my face. I know they were doing facial recognition, but did they take a photo of me? Could I be entered into their database?¡± Luca pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said, ¡°No, the CIA carrying out facial recognition on you is normal; they have a huge database. If it¡¯s linked with the immigration system, they would be able to find out if you have US citizenship or if you applied for a US visa, but usually, CIA¡¯s database only holds people they are focusing on, like terrorists or exposed assassins, mercenaries. If you had already been in the CIA¡¯s database, they would have recognized you instantly.¡± ¡°What I¡¯m concerned about is whether I¡¯ve been recorded.¡± ¡°No, the CIA can¡¯t possibly enter every face captured by cameras into their database, that¡¯s impossible. If you were part of a notorious mercenary group or long-established local power, then you might be recorded, but not a newbie like you.¡± Luca¡¯s explanation somewhat reassured Gao Yi, but Luca still looked worried and said, ¡°But two CIA agents died here; the US will definitely investigate, so the chances of you entering the CIA¡¯s sight are quite high. Buddy, you¡¯re in trouble.¡± ¡°What if someone else admits to taking out the target?¡± Luca was dumbfounded again, then surprisingly said, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a Consumable, the one I told you about, who is willing to admit he took out the target. He¡¯s from the Plunderer Mercenary Corps, but he was betrayed, so he¡¯s pretty furious.¡± Gao Yi smiled, then lowered his voice, ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to say this, but in the end, I couldn¡¯t hold back and told this Consumable that among the people I took out were two from the CIA, and then, he decided to admit to taking out the target under the name of the Plunderer Mercenary Corps to enter a local militia and to take over the power vacuum left by the target¡¯s death.¡± Luca raised his hand and said, ¡°Wait, you found a scapegoat, and he¡¯s willing to draw the CIA¡¯s attention to himself?¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t call him a scapegoat; it sounds too harsh. He¡¯s doing it willingly.¡± ¡°Does he have a problem? Is he out of his mind?¡± ¡°Basically doesn¡¯t seem to have much of a brain. Here¡¯s the situation: the Plunderer Mercenary Corps sent him to scout because only Chinese people don¡¯t draw much attention here. Then, last night, he spoke to the chief of the Plunderers, and they decided to sell him out, then demanded US$100,000 from the target, who gave them ten thousand, and they sold him.¡± Luca slowly exhaled and said, ¡°Selling the Consumable to make a profit off waste, that¡¯s something the Plunderer Corp would do¡­¡± Before he could finish, Luca pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, ¡°The Dark Web won¡¯t reveal who completed the task. I was planning to come forward publicly since this assignment is well-known, but now I have to give up. I¡¯ll also put the word out, just say that the Plunderer Corp took this job. Good, very good, the Plunderer Corp is doomed, the scapegoat is set, we¡¯re safe.¡± Chapter 32 - 32 30 The Flowers of the Garden ?32: Chapter 30 The Flowers of the Garden 32: Chapter 30 The Flowers of the Garden The plane landed at an airport on the outskirts of Monrovia; it was still a dirt runway, still in a desolate countryside. It wasn¡¯t possible to divide the bounty on the plane, but once they got off and had signal again, they could immediately find out whether the task was completely finished or not. The result wouldn¡¯t disappoint. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the public task list, Gray Horace¡¯s mission had already disappeared, meaning the Dark Web had acknowledged the target was dead. The reward of one million dollars in Bitcoin was already in hand. Luca took a deep breath; his right hand held his mobile phone while his left hand swung through the air as if smashing a wall a dozen times¡ªthough without a cheer, his joy was exploding. After a long while, Luca forcibly suppressed his excitement and whispered to Gao Yi, ¡°Back to the hotel, to split the money!¡± ¡°Why not just do it here?¡± Splitting the money at the hotel¡ªwhat if three or five big guys were hiding in there, ready to shoot Gao Yi as soon as he entered the door? Gao Yi didn¡¯t want to be expendable, nor did he want to be swallowed up by others after the deed was done. The one thing the underworld didn¡¯t lack was scum; you play the villain first, then the gentleman. First, get the money in hand, then even if Luca killed him, he couldn¡¯t take the Bitcoin away, which naturally would minimize any thoughts he had of double-crossing. Luca didn¡¯t say much else, he immediately responded, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s split the money here.¡± Luca had two mobile phones, holding one in each hand, he looked at the one in his left, entered several digits with his right, and continued tinkering back and forth. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m calculating how much you owe me, the expenses I¡¯ve advanced for you, divided cost of meals¡­¡± Gao Yi was taken aback, then dismissively said, ¡°Stop calculating!¡± Luca looked at Gao Yi; Gao Yi waved his hand and continued, ¡°Give me three hundred thousand. Two hundred thousand will definitely settle what I owe you, and the extra is my way of thanking you for saving my life.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Luca was taken aback by Gao Yi¡¯s words and paused for a while before he lowered his head and continued to crunch numbers. ¡°The total is one hundred fifty-three thousand and thirty-six dollars. I¡¯ll give you three hundred forty-six thousand nine hundred sixty-four dollars.¡± ¡°I told you, give me two hundred thousand¡­¡± Ignoring Gao Yi, Luca kept working with his calculator, saying, ¡°The price of Bitcoin today is 2830 dollars; I should give you one hundred and forty point six Bitcoins.¡± After some operations, Luca said to Gao Yi, ¡°We¡¯re even now, huh, Bitcoin¡¯s price has risen quite a lot.¡± Luca was very stingy, extremely stingy, but he didn¡¯t take the extra forty thousand dollars that Gao Yi was willing to give. Gao Yi, puzzled, asked, ¡°You¡­ why don¡¯t you want my money?¡± ¡°Cooperation is cooperation, the amount should be just right. The money you owe me can¡¯t be less, but I don¡¯t want what I shouldn¡¯t have. I said the moment the deal is done, the distribution shares are set. I can¡¯t break the rules, nor can I change my principles.¡± Luca spoke with gravity, and after finishing, his expression suddenly changed, and he smiled, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve paid you what you deserved, if you want to thank me, you can give me something else¡­¡± Gao Yi was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, but eventually said, ¡°Wishful thinking.¡± Luca waved his hand in dissatisfaction, then took a breath and said, ¡°Alright, now the mission is completed, the money is split, so then¡­ we should go our separate ways here.¡± Mission completed, time to part ways. Luca did not dare to stick with Gao Yi¡ªthis Gao Yi had anticipated, but he didn¡¯t expect Luca to be so straightforward. Gao Yi spread his hands and asked, ¡°Collaborate in the future?¡± ¡°Better not, you really scare me.¡± Luca looked helpless, laughed bitterly and said, ¡°Your style is too frightening, but most importantly, you killed a person from the Andic Group, and I have the same trouble.¡± ¡°What trouble can you talk about now?¡± ¡°Have you heard of the Garden?¡± ¡°No.¡± Luca spoke softly, ¡°The Garden was formed in Paris in 1848, established by King Louis Philippe I to assassinate those who opposed him. The director was called Gardener, and although Louis Philippe I soon went into exile in the UK, the Garden continued to exist, secretly continuing until now.¡± Old Europe, where organizations bear ancient histories, and assassin organizations are no exception. Luca seemed to drift into memories and said gently, ¡°Then, within the Garden, there have always been four flowers: Tulip, Rose, Lily of the Valley, and Iris¡ªfour famous assassins, and later a codename that represented honor and achievement.¡± ¡°Which one did you follow?¡± ¡°Tulip.¡± Luca didn¡¯t hold back, he shook his head with a sense of helplessness, ¡°The Garden is empty now, there¡¯s only the Gardener, no flowers, because the Garden and the Andic Group went to war and then, the Andic Group eradicated all flowers of the Garden. I was lucky, I hadn¡¯t officially joined the Garden yet, I had just joined Tulip¡¯s team.¡± Gao Yi understood; he nodded, ¡°No wonder you¡¯re afraid of the Andic Group.¡± Luca sighed and said, ¡°After Tulip died, I hid for a while, and when I discovered the Andic Group wasn¡¯t after me, I dared to come out. Using Tulip¡¯s unused Dark Web account, I started being a middleman, took a few tasks, made some money, but now, I can¡¯t continue to take on tasks with you. Your way of completing tasks is too unique, too fast, and if you continue in this line, you¡¯ll definitely draw the Andic Group¡¯s attention.¡± Gao Yi smiled, ¡°So, being too dazzling isn¡¯t good either.¡± Luca spread his hands and asked, ¡°What are your plans next?¡± ¡°I want to go home.¡± ¡°Can you go back? Do you have a passport? Even if you get a new passport, how will you explain traveling from Thailand to Africa? If you go back to Thailand for a new passport, have you considered that what you did in Tachileik might be discovered by China?¡± Luca smiled softly and said, ¡°You can¡¯t go back. You¡¯re born for this line of work, and even if you do try to return, you¡¯ll have to come back out, because you can¡¯t live an ordinary life. You¡¯re destined for adventure.¡± Gao Yi nodded and laughed, ¡°So, I¡¯m just thinking about it for now. I have a lot of things to do; I have money now, the first thing is to find a place to practice my gun skills¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me your plans, don¡¯t tell anyone your plans. Now, I¡¯m going to help you out, I can be your referee to register a Dark Web account, then you can operate on your own.¡± Gao Yi smiled, ¡°You seem to know what I want to do, okay, you recommend and I register.¡± Luca made no move, hesitated for a moment and then suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more piece of advice. Originally, I wasn¡¯t planning to suggest anything, but you chose to upload the evidence straight after completing the task, I think you¡¯re trustworthy. So, I want to offer you an additional path.¡± ¡°What path?¡± ¡°The correct path of an assassin.¡± Luca took a breath and said, ¡°You¡¯re very strong, truly remarkable. The Garden is short-staffed and they would definitely want to train you, to accept you, and you could become the most beautiful flower in the Garden. You need support, people to help you stand against Andic. If you¡¯re willing to join the Garden, your future path will be much easier.¡± Gao Yi thought for a moment and laughed, ¡°Let¡¯s just register for now, we¡¯ll discuss the Garden later.¡± Luca shrugged, ¡°Let me know when you change your mind. For now open the Dark Web, I¡¯ll help you register an account. Have you thought of your username, what do you want to be called?¡± Chapter 33 - 33 31 No More Than Three ?33: Chapter 31: No More Than Three 33: Chapter 31: No More Than Three The Dark Web couldn¡¯t stand the light, so it required extreme secrecy. But the Dark Web was also a transaction platform; since it was a platform, it needed to expand its customer base as much as possible and increase its reputation within the target demographic as much as possible. Under the conflicting needs of secrecy and reputation, a referral system became the only choice for the Dark Web. To maintain secrecy, newcomers had to be introduced by existing members, and to maximize influence, having just one referrer became a necessity. Luca was an agent, his account level wasn¡¯t very high, but it was enough to refer someone else. And the method of referral was simple: he would enter the referral page on the website, obtain a twelve-digit dynamic code, then send this code to Gao Yi, who would enter the dynamic code, and that was it. Put plainly, it was an invitation code. ¡°Why does it have to be used within five minutes? I¡¯ve sent it, hurry up and use it.¡± Gao Yi copied the invite code, a complex combination of letters and numbers, then found the registration page on the Dark Web. He clicked on it, entered the code he had copied, and the page immediately moved to the phase he was familiar with. Name the account, set the password twice, just that simple. ¡°Why does it have to be done within five minutes?¡± Gao Yi felt a bit of a headache, and helplessly said, ¡°I have a problem, I haven¡¯t figured out what name to use yet.¡± ¡°Then think of a name and apply again¡­ wait, I can¡¯t refer anyone anymore. My next referral is¡­ in a year from now!¡± Luca stared, wide-eyed, flipped his phone around to show Gao Yi the screen, with the fonts and timing, then said in amazement, ¡°How come it¡¯s a year from now!¡± Gao Yi became somewhat anxious and said in shock, ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never referred anyone before, how would I know!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you read the prompts before applying?¡± ¡°Do you read the website prompts before registering for an account? Tell me, have you read the registration notices of any app or website before signing up!¡± Luca was also becoming a bit desperate; he hurried over to Gao Yi¡¯s side, saying, ¡°Hurry, hurry up and register! S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Besides me, no one else can refer you!¡± Gao Yi¡¯s brain fogged up, the more he rushed, the more frantic he became. He hastily set a password, ten digits, the same one he used for all his accounts. The password would do, but the username hadn¡¯t been decided yet. ¡°What to name it, and it can only be in English? Damn it, what to name it¡­¡± With the timer counting down, he had delayed for just a bit, but now less than three minutes remained. Gao Yi typed in a word. He chose Lonewolf. Someone had taken it. Blood Stab, Hidden Stab, Dark Stab, Night Stab, all taken. Ultimate Killer, taken. He entered several clich¨¦ words in a row, all taken. Luca urged from the side, ¡°Hurry up! Hurry! Choose an impressive name, it¡¯s very useful for getting business, pick an easy one to remember, pick a¡­¡± Gao Yi shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡± Less than a minute left, Gao Yi¡¯s brain raced at high speed, Luca urged from the side, ¡°Call it¡­ rose!¡± ¡°How do you spell it?¡± Vermin and pests, birds and beasts, heaven and earth, local customs. Gao Yi felt like his brain was about to explode, but he couldn¡¯t think of any usable word. ¡°Falke! Just choose anything, your nickname, anything, a number, prioritize with an A at the beginning, it¡¯ll rank you higher, just register already!¡± Luca kept shouting, making Gao Yi¡¯s thoughts even more chaotic. Less than twenty seconds remained, Gao Yi¡¯s fingers swiftly typed two words. no three. Busan, literally. He entered it, clicked confirm, done, registration successful. Gao Yi breathed out as if drained, Luca looked at Gao Yi¡¯s username, puzzled, and said, ¡°Busan, what kind of weird name is that? I told you to use numbers, not words! Whatever, at least you¡¯ve registered. Uh¡­ although the username can¡¯t be changed, that¡¯s okay. In a year, you won¡¯t be very famous, so you can think of a good name then and just stop using this account.¡± Gao Yi replied with a look of resentment, ¡°That is my nickname.¡± ¡°Nickname? You have a nickname? What kind of weird nickname is ¡®Busan¡¯?¡± Gao Yi was a bit annoyed, somewhat regretful, overall indignant, and then he bitterly said, ¡°My nickname is not¡­ not¡­¡± His English was not good, not knowing how to say it, Gao Yi switched to Chinese, resentfully saying, ¡°Never more than three.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Meaning never over three moves. My Chinese nickname is ¡®Not more than three punches¡¯; later it became ¡®Never more than three.¡¯ When I registered, I did not know how to translate it, so¡­ it became no three.¡± The entropy of information in Chinese was too high, and couldn¡¯t be accurately conveyed in English. With the seconds ticking away, Gao Yi really didn¡¯t know how to translate it accurately. And indeed, Gao Yi¡¯s nickname was ¡®Never more than three.¡¯ One move to kill the enemy, two to injure, three to control. In a duel between masters, subduing an opponent without harm is much more difficult than killing them. Gao Yi would only ever take up to three moves in a fight, so those who wholeheartedly respected him called him ¡®No More than Three Fists,¡¯ and others called him ¡®No More than Three Moves.¡¯ ¡®No More Than Three Fists¡¯ later became simply ¡®Never More than Three,¡¯ so the young Gao Yi had made a name for himself, one of ¡®Never More than Three.¡¯ Just like ¡®Unparalleled Hand¡¯ Sun Lutang, ¡®Divine Marksman¡¯ Li Shuwen, ¡®Sword Immortal¡¯ Li Jinglin. The reputation was made back in China, mixing it up with those practicing traditional martial arts, but a reputation was a reputation. In a hurry to come up with a name, Gao Yi naturally used the one he was most familiar with and proudest of. He just couldn¡¯t translate it¡ª¡¯Never More than Three¡¯ turned into ¡®Busan,¡¯ and it had to be ¡®no three,¡¯ not ¡®No3,¡¯ since the latter could easily be mistaken for meaning the third. Gao Yi did not want to be thought of as ¡®the third,¡¯ so ¡®Never More than Three¡¯ could turn into ¡®Busan,¡¯ but could not be misunderstood as ¡®the third.¡¯ And that¡¯s how things ended up like this. ¡°Busan, Busan, hmm, okay, although it doesn¡¯t really mean anything, lacks characteristics, nor is it forceful or elegant, and isn¡¯t easy to remember, at least you¡¯ve got a name.¡± Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It does have meaning.¡± Ignoring Gao Yi¡¯s objection, Luca continued, ¡°Congratulations, starting today, the assassin world has one more assassin codenamed ¡®Busan.¡¯ I wish you¡­¡± Luca paused, thought for a moment, and finally said, ¡°I wish you all the best.¡± There didn¡¯t seem to be anything else to say, so Gao Yi simply replied, ¡°You too, take care.¡± Luca nodded, fell silent for a moment, and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say, so that¡¯s it, goodbye.¡± Gao Yi did not ask Luca where he was going or what he was going to do, and Luca did not ask Gao Yi either. Since they had decided they wouldn¡¯t work together in the future, there was no need to ask anything more. If fate willed it, they would meet again; without fate, they would forget each other in the world. After all, that¡¯s life. Chapter 34 - 34 32 Goodbye ?34: Chapter 32 Goodbye 34: Chapter 32 Goodbye Gao Yi had practiced martial arts from a young age, he couldn¡¯t go out to play like other kids, so he had few friends and had grown accustomed to loneliness. Separating from Luca wouldn¡¯t bring too much emotional impact to Gao Yi, nor would he be afraid of needing to go at it alone in the future. After all, one must rely on oneself, something Gao Yi had gotten used to a long time ago. Now, it was time to think about where to stay, he¡¯d first go to Monrovia, find a hotel, and then¡­ Gao Yi suddenly realized a problem, he didn¡¯t have a bank card, no credit card, even though he had a lot of Bitcoin, he had no way to convert it into usable cash. And now he had less than one thousand dollars in cash left. That miserly, self-serving Luca, why didn¡¯t he think of exchanging some money? Gao Yi figured it out, then he sprinted at full speed. Fortunately, Luca hadn¡¯t gone far, fortunately, no overly sentimental words or actions were exchanged when they parted. Otherwise, what followed would have been very awkward. He was just tens of meters behind Gao Yi, and when Gao Yi was less than ten meters from Luca, Luca suddenly started sprinting too. Luca must have heard the rapid footsteps behind him, he was too cautious, before figuring out the situation, he would rather look foolish, misunderstand, or seem strange. Better to just run first. ¡°Stop running! Halt!¡± Luca ran faster, he definitely heard Gao Yi¡¯s shout, but he didn¡¯t even turn his head. Gao Yi¡¯s mind was quick, he didn¡¯t allow a clich¨¦d scenario to unfold, so he chose a very normal way to handle things. ¡°I¡¯m broke!¡± Gao Yi yelled, and hearing this crucial sentence, Luca finally understood why Gao Yi was running, so after another dozen meters, he slowed down and stopped. ¡°What are you running for? Asshole! Can¡¯t you act normal for once? Don¡¯t you know that¡¯s really scary?¡± Luca was even more furious, standing in place, he turned around and cursed at Gao Yi, who also began to slow down, but by the time Gao Yi stood in front of him, all the swear words were swallowed back down. ¡°Why are you running?¡± Gao Yi was annoyed, he said disdainfully, ¡°What¡¯s going through your mind, if I wanted to finish you off, would I let you run dozens of meters away first?¡± Luca lowered his voice urgently, ¡°Of course I ran when someone was chasing me! Should I stupidly wait to get killed? How would I know what you were planning! Why couldn¡¯t you give me a heads-up first and explain what you were doing, is that so hard?¡± ¡°From tens of meters away, how was I supposed to call you, of course, I had to run over, otherwise how would I catch up if you got in a cab, was I supposed to shout that I¡¯m broke from behind you?¡± Both were angry, Gao Yi from exhaustion, Luca from irritation. But after mutual blame, it was over, Luca knew what mattered after all. With an annoyed roll of his eyes, Luca murmured, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say you were broke earlier?¡± ¡°I¡¯m broke, don¡¯t you know that? Do I need to tell you? I don¡¯t even have a bank card, and I can¡¯t get one right now, asshole, as my agent, shouldn¡¯t you have prepared this for me? I¡¯m not refusing to pay you, you cheapskate!¡± ¡°Falke! You reckless idiot, you¡¯re an Assassin! How can you let someone else get a bank card for you? How can you let someone, who clearly won¡¯t work with you in the future, handle such important privacy for you? Do you want me to buy you plane tickets so I¡¯d know where you¡¯re going? Do you want me to book you a hotel room so I¡¯d know where you¡¯re staying? You¡¯re an Assassin! Falke! You¡¯re an Assassin, how can you let someone else do this for you, I¡¯m not your agent!¡± Luca was incredulous. But then Gao Yi suddenly forgave Luca, his voice lowered, ¡°Right now I just have a fake passport, how do I convert Bitcoin to money without a bank card, I¡¯ve got less than one thousand dollars in cash, even if I want to leave, I can¡¯t!¡± Luca held his head in his hands, then he said in agony, ¡°You¡¯ve registered an account, haven¡¯t you! What is the Dark Web for? You can buy identities, passports, bank cards; everything can be done on the Dark Web, even if this is Monrovia, if you pay enough money, someone will fly over immediately bringing you everything you need.¡± Gao Yi was stunned, then he whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve checked the Dark Web many times, there¡¯s none of that!¡± ¡°As a visitor, of course, there isn¡¯t, but now you¡¯re a registered user, an official one, you¡¯re a registered Assassin. I¡¯ve told you earlier, congratulations on becoming an Assassin, aren¡¯t these things you can simply pay for what the Dark Web is for? What are you thinking? I told you!¡± Gao Yi gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Then can¡¯t you speak more clearly, don¡¯t hint around, okay? I¡¯m new to this, don¡¯t you understand what that means!¡± ¡°Think with your brain what the phrase ¡®money can buy anything¡¯ means! The universal currency of the Dark Web is Bitcoin, you¡¯ve got money! You can buy anything!¡± Yeah, I¡¯ve got money, Over three hundred thousand dollars, not a small sum, but Gao Yi wasn¡¯t used to this fact yet. Gao Yi looked blankly at Luca and whispered, ¡°Uh, I also have money¡­¡± Luca waved his hand, took a deep breath, and after he had calmed down a bit, he murmured, ¡°Now you know, you know what to do now, so you won¡¯t chase me anymore, right?¡± Gao Yi had been on guard against Luca, but now, they had just separated and then quickly met again, a very clich¨¦d conversation later, he suddenly felt there was no need to be so tense. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the bank card on my own, where I go is my decision, but right now¡­ there¡¯s no need to hurry to leave.¡± Luca waved his hand helplessly, then he looked around, opened his crossbody bag, and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve got over four thousand dollars in cash here, I¡¯ll give you two thousand now, enough for you to book a hotel and a plane ticket, then you go to a busier city, place orders on the Dark Web for everything you need, remember, find those merchants that are willing to trade on the Dark Web. You only pay after confirming the deal is complete, even though it¡¯s much more expensive, it¡¯s reliable. Don¡¯t foolishly pay upfront, verify everything is okay before you pay.¡± Gao Yi took the cash Luca counted out, and conscientiously transferred Bitcoin to Luca. After completing the not-so-much-a-trade transaction, they walked side by side forward. Gao Yi said grumpily, ¡°How do I contact you in the future?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t contact unless necessary, if you need to, use the Dark Web, I don¡¯t have a permanent phone number.¡± Do not ask what people are up to, do not ask where they¡¯re going, so Gao Yi held back his curiosity, just whispering lowly, ¡°Which country is better for me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me again? If you ask, I answer, then don¡¯t I know your preferences?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Gao Yi paused, he really wasn¡¯t accustomed to Luca¡¯s caution, but after hesitating, he finally said, ¡°You tell me, if I can¡¯t trust you even this much, then who can I ask?¡± Luca sized up Gao Yi, thought for a moment, then whispered, ¡°As an Assassin, your style will get you killed fast, so I suggest you go to Europe, at least there are fewer people with guns in Europe, but if you want to advance faster, spend less, have more assignments, then go to the United States. Oh, and you still want to improve your gun skills, so the United States is more suitable. But keep in mind, the United States is Andic Group¡¯s stronghold, even though Andic is pushing hard into Europe, their strength in the United States is definitely stronger.¡± ¡°Is it cheaper to go to the United States?¡± ¡°Yes, you can sneak in, and there are more people making fake US passports, so the prices are relatively cheap. If you want to sneak in, it¡¯ll be about three thousand dollars, if you want to buy a visa, it¡¯ll be about twenty thousand dollars, if you want to buy a Green Card or a real passport directly, then the price is unpredictable, it¡¯s all luck.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it, I may not go to the United States, I¡¯ll have a look first.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Luca hesitated, but finally said, ¡°Buddy, I know you¡¯re going to the United States because your expression has betrayed you. Listen, you can¡¯t be like this now, I advise you to seriously learn what being an Assassin entails. Right now, the only ones who can teach you, who are willing to teach you, is the Garden!¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t want to hide anymore. ¡°If I join the Garden, I¡¯ll probably be tied to the Garden, I can¡¯t decide for myself what I can or can¡¯t do, right, buddy? Easy to get on a pirate ship, hard to get off. Assassin organizations only let you in, not out, right? I don¡¯t want to join any Garden!¡± Luca spread his hands open, then he murmured, ¡°Alright, you want to remain free, but that comes at a high price, it¡¯s hard to accomplish things alone, many assignments can¡¯t be done by just one person. You choose freedom, but what you may lose could be your life.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go then. If I need help, I¡¯ll find it myself, I¡¯m not entrusting my fate to an assassin organization.¡± Gao Yi still refused to join any assassin organizations, at least not right away, without considering it carefully. Looking at Luca with no reaction, Gao Yi hesitated, then suddenly said, ¡°We may be different, but if you run into any trouble, let me know. If I can¡¯t help, I won¡¯t, but if I can, I will.¡± Luca stopped walking, hugged his head, turned in place, then looked at Gao Yi with a helpless expression, saying, ¡°How can you¡­ how can you¡­ how can you¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Luca sighed deeply, ¡°Listen, if you ever take on tasks, be very careful with those intermediaries, because nine out of ten are geckos ¨C geckos make their money off newbies like you. While they help you take on assignments, you¡¯re one of the targets too; once you take out the target they take you out to claim the full bounty. Falke, I¡¯m not hinting this time, do you understand?¡± Gao Yi was new but not dumb, so he understood. Frowning, he sized up Luca and said, ¡°You¡¯re not a gecko too, are you?¡± Luca took two steps back, then he gritted his teeth, ¡°Of course I¡¯m a gecko, you should be asking who isn¡¯t one! But we won¡¯t be working together anymore, don¡¯t look for me or help me, just be careful in the future! I don¡¯t want to see your name disappear from the Dark Web in three years!¡± With a fierce wave of his hands, Luca said sharply, ¡°Goodbye! No, let¡¯s never meet again, don¡¯t follow me!¡± Luca turned and left, Gao Yi chuckled behind him, ¡°As if I¡¯m so eager, psh.¡± Luca stopped, then he still stood his ground, turning his head slightly. Gao Yi laughed, ¡°Remember, let me know if something comes up, maybe if I¡¯m in a good mood I¡¯ll lend a hand, goodbye to you, Albatross.¡± Albatross was Luca¡¯s Dark Web account, named so because the first letter of albatross is A. Luca scoffed disdainfully, walked straight to a beat-up car, pulled open the door and got in, casually gave a destination, then lay back in the rear seat. After the car had driven a bit, Luca couldn¡¯t help but turn his head out the window to look back, but he immediately drew back his gaze as if shocked, fell silent for a moment, and said annoyed, ¡°Naive young man, help me? Heh, just pray not to die yourself first, haha¡­ Falke!¡± Holding back and holding back, until he could hold back no more. Luca finally pulled out his phone, took a deep breath, and dialed a number. When the call finally connected, Luca said softly, ¡°Hello, Gardener, I am Tulip Flower Leaf, I¡¯ve come across a very talented young man, a very capable young man, a very¡­ uh¡­ unique young man.¡± ¡°Oh, unique?¡± With a light sigh, Luca said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to become a flower, but I think¡­ you might want to keep an eye on him, his account is called Busan, um, that¡¯s it.¡± Chapter 35 - 35 33 Taking the Initiative to Visit ?35: Chapter 33: Taking the Initiative to Visit 35: Chapter 33: Taking the Initiative to Visit Books are less valued until they are needed. Gao Yi knew very well that his English was poor. He could handle simple everyday conversations, but words he didn¡¯t recognize were completely alien to him. After registering a formal user account that could also accept tasks, Gao Yi had truly entered the Dark Web. He definitely needed to check the assassin rankings, which were essentially a list of service providers similar to the stores on some treasure website, with a long list of names from top to bottom. The ranks ranged from high to low, labeled as ABCDEF, with AAA being the highest and F the lowest. The highest AAA rank had only one name, Zilch. As for the Andic Group, which Gao Yi was interested in, it was ranked AA at the top; however, next to the name Andic was a parenthesis adding the word ¡°organization.¡± This meant both assassin organizations and individual assassins were included in the same list. The top individual assassin was Zilch, at 3A level, unique in that category. Andic Group, a large-scale assassin organization, also stood alone at the top of the assassin organizations¡¯ list. Further down was the A rank, the Garden that Luca had recommended to Gao Yi twice was in this rank, which was quite high. However, within the A rank, there were four individual assassins and five assassin organizations, with the Garden being the last in the A rank. This meant that the Garden, as an assassin organization, was ranked lower than four individual assassins. Below were plenty of B rank and C rank, and Gao Yi, of course, was in the lowest F rank. In the lowest F rank, Gao Yi¡¯s position was in the middle, alphabetically, with only six people in front of him out of seventeen in total. Contrary to Gao Yi¡¯s expectations, he thought the competition in the lowest rank would be fierce, but it turned out that most assassins were concentrated in the B, C, and D ranks, while the lower E and F ranks actually had very few people. Purely a newcomer, it seemed he could only choose from public tasks as the likelihood of someone seeking him out specifically was almost nil. Then Gao Yi began to pay attention to this top-ranked assassin organization. Gao Yi didn¡¯t know what the word Zilch meant and had to look it up online; he learned it meant insignificant or might also refer to an insignificant person. The top-ranked assassin was called insignificant? Also, the initial letter was Z, meaning the only AAA rank assassin on the entire Dark Web had purposely used a word beginning with Z as their name. This ¡°insignificant person¡± really had confidence, the kind that reached the extreme. Leaving the assassin page to explore the Dark Web¡¯s main hall, Gao Yi could see all kinds of services and a variety of goods. The most popular items on the Dark Web were women, firearms, various banned drugs and, of course, the fake documents that Gao Yi needed. However, the various videos claimed to circulate on the Dark Web were absent as they were too low-grade to be traded here. Gao Yi needed fake documents, so he entered a specific smuggling section and chose his region. He found no specific option for Liberia, only a general West Africa section, and located within it three snakeheads offering smuggling services. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After further searching, two of the three snakeheads couldn¡¯t use the Dark Web¡¯s third-party assurance services, leaving him with only one option. He contacted the merchant directly via private message. ¡°Hello, I need to travel from Liberia to the United States.¡± After about two minutes, the snakehead replied. ¡°No business in Liberia, you need to make your way to Nigeria.¡± After the snakehead responded, Gao Yi immediately asked, ¡°How much?¡± ¡°To arrive in Mexico, from Mexico to California, ten thousand dollars, the risk is your own, there will be someone to meet you after arrival, confirm payment before leaving.¡± Ten thousand dollars was not expensive, but going through Mexico was not ideal. Essentially, entering California from Mexico meant first arriving in Mexico and then, led by local gang-affiliated snakeheads, rushing across the US-Mexico border. After crossing, one would remain undocumented in the United States. Gao Yi didn¡¯t want such trouble; he wanted a one-stop solution, so he immediately said, ¡°I want legal residency.¡± This time the snakehead paused for a moment before replying, and quoted a price Gao Yi found unacceptable. Two hundred thousand dollars, two hundred thousand dollars would allow Gao Yi to fly to Los Angeles and pass through customs. Then Gao Yi decisively chose the ten thousand dollar option. There were too few people offering high-end services in West Africa. Gao Yi felt it was best to minimize costs and get to Mexico first. In Mexico, there were many people providing smuggling services, so Gao Yi planned to first reach Mexico, then find a high-end service provider there. What cost two hundred thousand in West Africa might just be twenty thousand dollars there. While Gao Yi was negotiating a price with the snakehead, he suddenly received a private message. On opening the message, it was from a more upscale assassin, who directly inquired if Gao Yi, being in West Africa, was interested in taking on a high-priced, low-risk commissioned task, among other things. Had he not known Luca, Gao Yi might have been deceived. This was an intermediary who sought out consumables after discovering a new account. Gao Yi simply ignored this net-casting intermediary, curious about how the other party knew he was in West Africa. Then he began checking his settings, only to discover that the Dark Web also had a rough location feature, showing he was located in the West Africa region, which any diligent person could directly discern his position. He quickly hid his address information, but in that short time, Gao Yi received two more private messages. One offered a sale of suitable weapons, low price and high quality, available for contact anytime, with delivery to the door, payment via the Dark Web after satisfaction, appearing to be a real tradesman. Another indicated having numerous tasks urgently needing partners, suggesting contact if Gao Yi was interested, but such people didn¡¯t merit any attention¡ªit was just another intermediary fishing with direct hooks. Unless utterly ignorant, not even a novice would be fooled. Gao Yi simply wanted to quietly make his way to the United States, with a few hundred thousand dollars in hand, enough for him to live comfortably for a long time. As for tasks, well, those could wait. But just as Gao Yi was about to finalize the transaction with the snakehead, he received yet another message. This message was different. It was a direct commission from a client, not a public task visible to all, but a direct assignment given to him by the client. ¡°I have a job for you, two hundred thousand dollars, Dark Web guarantee, contact me if interested.¡± Gao Yi had only just registered. He hadn¡¯t even finished exploring the Dark Web and wasn¡¯t familiar with its functions when a mysterious task with a not insignificant price found him. This was indeed intriguing. He had intended to ignore it, but after much hesitation, Gao Yi finally couldn¡¯t resist replying. ¡°What¡¯s the task?¡± Chapter 36 - 36 34 To Pinch ?36: Chapter 34 To Pinch 36: Chapter 34 To Pinch ¡°What kind of task do you prefer?¡± Gao Yi had just parted ways with Luca, and now someone was proactively offering him a new task. If this was merely a coincidence, it was far too coincidental. But Gao Yi still wanted to see what this task that had landed on his doorstep was all about. Just out of pure curiosity. To his utter astonishment, the answer he received was this. He was stupefied. Could tasks really be customized to one¡¯s preferences? Perhaps seeing that Gao Yi had not responded for a long time, another message came through. ¡°I heard about you from a friend, and I¡¯m sure you know who this friend is.¡± This time Gao Yi knew how to respond. He replied with a ¡°know.¡± ¡°I have many tasks, and I no longer have suitable personnel to complete them, so I don¡¯t mind outsourcing some tasks for others to help finish. This is subcontracting. But I will post a new order on the Dark Web, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the bounty, nor is there a middleman to earn the difference.¡± The person on the other end was quite straightforward, so now the identity of the visitor could be confirmed¡ªit was the Gardener. Gao Yi¡¯s initial intention was to refuse, but looking at the conditions being offered, he felt there was no need to decline. Even if the task was subcontracted, why not accept as long as the price was right? After pondering for a moment, Gao Yi replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have any preference for the type of task. It depends on whether you have one suited for me.¡± Gao Yi liked tasks that offered good money, minimal trouble, and were easy to handle, but where would he find such a sweet deal? So, without further ado, he waited to see what task the Gardener would propose. After a moment of silence, a message arrived. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you work alone, so tasks that require clean-up afterward might not suit you. You have high combat skills, ideal for targets that are hard to approach, but once you¡¯re close, tough to take down. I do have a task that¡¯s perfect for you. In Mexico, a drug lord surrounded by guards. You don¡¯t need to worry about the cleanup after the hit. The commission is two hundred thousand, and the task has another advantage¡ªyou can level up quickly. One task could pull you out of the F grade quagmire and qualify you for higher-valued tasks.¡± All these conditions fit Gao Yi perfectly. It felt as if the task was tailor-made for him. Was this a test from the Garden? If he completed this task well, would he gain the Gardener¡¯s recognition? Without much hesitation, Gao Yi sent a message back. ¡°Thanks for your consideration, but no thanks. I¡¯m not planning on taking any tasks at the moment. We can collaborate another time.¡± Gao Yi still chose to refuse because he didn¡¯t want to be controlled or work for someone else. It was better to be self-aware and not bite at the bait thrown his way. He didn¡¯t want to enter any Garden and become an Assassin under someone¡¯s control, so even if the Gardener seemed harmless, it was nonsense. The rejected Gardener didn¡¯t show any special reaction; he merely replied promptly, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, but let¡¯s collaborate another time. We can add each other as friends, and if you change your mind, you can always contact me.¡± This time, Gao Yi didn¡¯t refuse. He casually added the person as a friend. The account name was Big Sword, probably the Gardener¡¯s alternate account. Keeping this name in mind, Gao Yi then exited the chat. Afterward, he pondered how simple yet complex the whole situation seemed. Even though they only made contact briefly, without either side being overly eager to collaborate, Gao Yi was still a newbie. The Gardener had voluntarily revealed his identity to recruit him, but Gao Yi¡¯s snub might offend him, no? It wasn¡¯t uncommon to offend someone with a single phrase and then face retribution. Flaunting arrogance for a moment, what if the Gardener truly valued Gao Yi? If his pride was hurt after the refusal, he might create obstacles to keep Gao Yi from smoothly reaching the United States or even encountering dangers, ultimately forcing him to seek the Gardener¡¯s help. That scenario wasn¡¯t impossible either. This was a dangerous world, and people were dangerous; one couldn¡¯t afford to be negligent. Gao Yi decided to abandon the contact with the West African smuggler he had been dealing with. Cheap fares were not good deals. To reach the United States quickly and safely, he would have to find someone else. With enough money, one could really buy anything on the Dark Web. Just as Assassins had rankings, people specializing in smuggling had rankings too. Gao Yi directly chose an account with the highest grade, an A-grade, which clearly stated that it specialized in handling immigration and naturalization affairs in the United States. Asking for the price was always a start. ¡°I want to enter the United States. How much will it cost?¡± Gao Yi was somewhat nervous as he sent the message, which was almost instantly replied to. ¡°Nationality, departure, and destination.¡± A confident response. After thinking it over, Gao Yi replied, ¡°Nationality: China, departure: undetermined, destination: United States.¡± He dared not directly state that he was departing from Liberia. He was concerned that he would be linked to Gray Horace¡¯s death, so he vaguely said his departure point was undetermined, waiting to see how the other party would respond. ¡°Any criminal record?¡± ¡°None.¡± ¡°Are you a registered Assassin?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure whether being a registered Assassin would be more expensive or cheaper, but since his account was registered, he couldn¡¯t deny it. Gao Yi replied straightforwardly, ¡°Yes.¡± After a slight pause, another message came. ¡°Illegal entry, US$ 50,000; regular visa, US$ 100,000; Green Card, five hundred thousand dollars; direct citizenship, five hundred thousand dollars.¡± The offer was abrupt, direct, and neat. But also, indeed, expensive. Many wealthy people couldn¡¯t find a way to immigrate and ended up spending far more than five hundred thousand dollars. Here, getting a Green Card directly cost five hundred thousand. Considering that, it wasn¡¯t too pricey, but why were the costs the same for a Green Card and citizenship? Gao Yi was still curious, but the other person added, ¡°As an Assassin, I strongly advise you choose direct citizenship, which is an internal discount price. You will certainly need multiple passports. If you obtain citizenship and maintain a long-term partnership with us, we can issue you passports from most countries in the world, ensuring your travel safety and smoothness.¡± The pitch hit right where it needed to with Gao Yi. Hesitant for a moment, Gao Yi cautiously asked, ¡°Can you tell me the difference between a Green Card and citizenship? Why are the prices the same?¡± ¡°A Green Card has more complex procedures, takes longer, and requires twenty days. Citizenship procedures are simpler, faster, and can be arranged at any time, depending on your departure location.¡± It turned out citizenship was more convenient than permanent residency. Gao Yi hesitated; he only had a bit over three hundred thousand. He didn¡¯t have enough money! ¡°You can compare prices with others. No one is faster, safer, or more affordable than us. Contact us again once you¡¯ve made a decision.¡± The other party ended the conversation decisively. So confident, so self-assured, it made Gao Yi confident they were confident they would be the ones to take care of these matters in the end. Gao Yi was conflicted. The Dark Web really did have everything for sale, but what if one didn¡¯t have enough money? Five hundred thousand dollars wasn¡¯t a small amount. Was spending so much money for just a passport worth it? Now the dilemma was this: Gao Yi was planning to find another route and leave quickly to escape the Garden¡¯s influence. But he realized he could opt for a simple, one-time solution¡ªonly he didn¡¯t have enough funds. If he didn¡¯t have enough money, he needed to find money. The fastest way to get money was to take on the task offered by the Gardener or look for a suitable mission in public tasks and see if he could earn that two hundred thousand. Wait a minute. Something seemed amiss. Suddenly, Gao Yi understood why Luca had warned him not to tell anyone where he was headed. Luca knew how much money Gao Yi had. He knew Gao Yi wanted to go to the United States. He knew Gao Yi was most likely to pass through Mexico. Even if Gao Yi didn¡¯t go through Mexico and entered the United States directly, he would still have to find the most famous and reliable smuggling group on the Dark Web. And the upfront price for that was five hundred thousand dollars. Thus, the task offered by the Gardener was highly targeted. The target was in Mexico, with a payment of two hundred thousand. Luca had just given Gao Yi a lesson on the consequences of revealing one¡¯s intents too visibly. Gao Yi refused to believe he couldn¡¯t find a task that would make him money. He quickly reviewed all the public tasks available to him. Then Gao Yi rapidly reopened the chat with the Gardener. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hello, I was young and foolish before. Can we talk about the task again?¡± The public tasks suitable for F-grade newbies were simply too miserable. They seemed not too difficult, but either they were actually very hard, the requirements were extremely high, or the pay was too low. It was simply not possible to earn two hundred thousand in a short time, nor was it likely to be easy and stress-free. Gao Yi thought that when an opportunity presented itself, it had to be seized. He also felt that he could swallow the bait and spit out the hook. The Gardener, giving face, didn¡¯t express anything unnecessary, immediately replying, ¡°I will send you the details. If everything looks good to you, I will create a specific task for you on the Dark Web. I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration.¡± A file came through, and Gao Yi examined it carefully. The target was indeed a Mexican drug lord who looked very fierce and had several hundred men under him¡ªa notable figure in Mexico. There was a photo, a name, an address, and cautionary notes. Speaking of danger, it was certainly risky. But Gao Yi thought that a drug lord had to be easier to deal with than a warlord, right? He had taken down a warlord under CIA protection. Could a drug dealer who showed his face all the time really be harder to deal with? Gao Yi still had some doubts, and he sent another message. ¡°What if the task fails or can¡¯t be completed?¡± ¡°The Dark Web¡¯s processing fee of twenty thousand dollars would be on you. I¡¯m not setting you a trap, so that is the only consequence. These terms will be outlined in the contract.¡± They had said as much. If he refused again, it would be too embarrassing. No need to hesitate anymore. Gao Yi immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯ll take on the task.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll set up the task now. Do you need help getting to Mexico? It would cost about three thousand dollars. I can assist, but you¡¯ll be the one to pay.¡± He really did need that; it was just too convenient. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t refuse. Appreciating the Gardener¡¯s professionalism, Gao Yi didn¡¯t hesitate and said, ¡°That would be necessary, thank you.¡± Chapter 37 - 37 35 It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance ?37: Chapter 35 It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance 37: Chapter 35 It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance Knowing she was a scumbag, he still couldn¡¯t help but fall for her, generally speaking, the girl must be beautiful. Knowing a man was scum to the extreme, yet still throwing oneself at him, that man might be very handsome, or perhaps sweet-talking, but the biggest chance is that this man was wealthy. Knowing the gardener had ulterior motives, Gao Yi still accepted the gardener¡¯s task. The reason was simple; not only was the gardener rich, but every condition he put forward, every move he made struck at Gao Yi¡¯s vulnerabilities, breaking down his psychological defenses. It was just too thrilling. Really too thrilling! A worthy steed is easy to find, but a good match is hard to come by. The gardener might not be a good match, but he definitely knew the goods. Gao Yi forked out three thousand dollars, and then he boarded the plane to C?te d¡¯Ivoire. Nothing unusual happened during the flight, but upon arrival at Abidjan Airport in C?te d¡¯Ivoire, things changed. First, someone was at the airport waiting for Gao Yi. Stupefied, he was taken to stay a night at the best hotel in Abidjan, then a top-level luxury car, the best in Abidjan, sent him back to Abidjan Airport. Waiting for him there was a private jet. A private jet whose name Gao Yi didn¡¯t know, with logos and letters sprayed on the tail that Gao Yi couldn¡¯t understand. Two blonde, blue-eyed bombshell stewardesses were waiting to welcome him at the cabin door, accompanied by two pilots. Gao Yi had seen what business class looked like, though he¡¯d never flown it, and he¡¯d never seen first-class in a large passenger aircraft. Now, he had bypassed business and first class altogether and was directly experiencing the feeling of a private jet. If you wanted to sleep, you could sleep; if you wanted to eat, you could eat; if you wanted to drink, there was alcohol; if you wanted to chat, someone would specially accompany you. Then, Gao Yi found out that this was a charter jet from JSX Private Jet Airlines, specially rushed over to C?te d¡¯Ivoire to pick up Gao Yi. The services and facilities on the plane wowed Gao Yi, but it didn¡¯t stop there. After the plane landed at Mexicali Airport, Gao Yi bid farewell to the lovely crew, boarded a luxury shuttle reserved for VIPs, and made his way to the airport terminal building. As soon as he came out of the corridor, there was a middle-aged man in a suit and tie, looking very formal, waiting to meet him. ¡°Good afternoon, sir, my name is Sean Williams. I¡¯ve been entrusted to greet you upon your arrival. May I ask, how should I address you?¡± Polite, meticulous, but not sycophantic ¨C just that kind of nobility that even those with hundreds of millions might not simply possess. The person who came to pick him up didn¡¯t know what to call him ¨C was this a rule in the assassin world? Gao Yi hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Call me¡­ Gao Yi¡­¡± What to call oneself? Should he bring out his nickname, Busan? That nickname wasn¡¯t shameful but was strange. Surely not Mr. Bu, and definitely not Mr. San. It was just a lack of experience. Faced with such an overly serious and formal situation, Gao Yi accidentally blurted out his real name. It didn¡¯t really matter, since Luca already knew Gao Yi¡¯s real name. Hiding it further didn¡¯t make sense. Sean bowed slightly, smiled, and said, ¡°May I carry your luggage for you?¡± He asked instead of simply taking the bag from Gao Yi, which left Gao Yi a bit unsure, but after eyeing the clearly expensive suit Sean wore, Gao Yi really couldn¡¯t bring himself to hand over the cheap brand bag he had bought for a hundred and some Thai Baht. ¡°I can handle it myself.¡± Wearing a sunscreen shirt, a low-cost T-shirt, and cheap trousers, Gao Yi felt it was better to carry his own bag. Without any extra words, Sean bowed slightly again and gestured invitingly, saying, ¡°Mr. Gao, the car is ready. Please allow me to show you the way.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± It was all too formal. Gao Yi wasn¡¯t used to it. He walked ahead, and Sean didn¡¯t move in front of him but instead followed slightly behind him, always ready to extend an arm to indicate the way whenever a turn was needed. It was a super VIP treatment, but Gao Yi found it awkward because he wasn¡¯t used to it and because he knew the saying that those wishing to curry favor have ulterior motives. When they left the airport, a black Rolls-Royce was waiting outside. The driver stood by the car door, hands at his sides, but he didn¡¯t open the door. Sean stepped ahead and opened the door, holding it with one hand and gesturing ¡°please¡± with the other, saying, ¡°Please.¡± Gao Yi paused by the car door; he had something to say but hesitated and then restrained himself. Once seated, Sean closed the door, and then both he and the driver got into the car, one at the steering wheel, the other in the passenger seat. Gao Yi was unsure where to put his bag. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he placed it beside him. The car started moving, and finally, Gao Yi said, ¡°Mr. Williams, I just want to ask, three thousand dollars, how long does that rent this car for?¡± ¡°One day, sir.¡± Sean turned around, replied politely without saying too much or asking any questions. Not knowing what else to say, Gao Yi simply turned his head to look at the scenery outside the window. This was Mexicali, a city in the desert. The road from the airport to the city looked nice, different from what Gao Yi had imagined. Thanks to the internet, Gao Yi wasn¡¯t completely ignorant of the outside world, but it still gave him the feeling of a country bumpkin entering the city. It wasn¡¯t his world. He could forcefully barge in, but he couldn¡¯t blend in. Now, even a fool would understand that all this was arranged by the gardener. Moreover, Gao Yi knew the gardener¡¯s plan was to expose him to a lifestyle he couldn¡¯t have imagined before ¨C to show him what extravagance and pleasure were like. All he had to do was join the Garden, and all of it would be within his reach. But if he didn¡¯t want to join the Garden, then all this would just be a fanciful adventure, or rather, a brief indulgence. The gardener wasn¡¯t using any dark tricks on Gao Yi; he was straightforward. If one could resist this temptation, they could continue to enjoy freedom. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If they found working for someone else pleasurable, even more so than going solo, then come and be a high-class worker. Just like that, fair and square, the main principle was mutual consent. Gao Yi still had his resistance. He was thinking about swallowing the bait and spitting out the hook. Gao Yi¡¯s reluctance to become one of the flowers in the Garden was because he felt the gardener was coming on too strong, making him a little scared. Gao Yi knew all too well the saying that it¡¯s easy to switch from frugality to extravagance but difficult to go back. And Gao Yi also understood the principle that one can only repay overwhelming generosity with devoted loyalty. Although a good product will find a connoisseur, the Garden was already in dire straits, beaten by the Andic Group. If Gao Yi was going to sell his skills and trade his life for wealth, he needed to find a good buyer. Why bother with the Garden, a leaking ship about to sink? So, Gao Yi stuck to his principle: swallow the bait, spit out the hook. With this resistant mindset, Gao Yi did not enjoy the ride. By the time the car reached the hotel entrance, he hadn¡¯t noticed the hotel¡¯s name. Once again he checked into a five-star hotel, only this time it was many times better than before. Last time, he stayed in a double room with two single beds. The service was a bit better, the beds a bit more comfortable, the lobby a bit more luxurious, the bathroom slightly bigger, the toiletries of better quality. Beyond that, Gao Yi didn¡¯t have much of an impression. But this time was different. Truly different. This time it wasn¡¯t just a presidential suite; inside the presidential suite, there were also six maids. The key here was that they varied in height, weight, and looks, each attractive in their own way, with the emphasis on a range of choices, pleasing to the eye. ¡°Welcome, master.¡± The six maids bowed in unison, then stood in line, with Sean Williams at the end of the row. He bowed slightly towards Gao Yi and said, ¡°Sir, do you have any command?¡± ¡°Ah, uh, I¡­ This¡­ They¡­¡± Sean smiled and said, ¡°They provide all services.¡± The maids bowed again in unison and then looked up at Gao Yi, appearing as if ready for the taking, with two of them even sporting a longing look. Gao Yi gulped, glanced at the frighteningly large living room, hesitated for a moment, and finally stuttered out, ¡°I¡­ am hungry.¡± Sean immediately said, ¡°We¡¯ll prepare diner right away. Is there anything in particular you¡¯d like to eat? Any preferences?¡± ¡°I¡­ have no specific requests. I¡¯d like Chinese food.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Sean made a move to leave, and Gao Yi, somewhat flustered, said, ¡°Wait a moment, they¡­ you all can go too! Leave first, please!¡± He couldn¡¯t bear to have them leave completely yet felt uneasy with them staying, so Gao Yi didn¡¯t know how to manage his words, stuttering contradictory statements, his heart in turmoil. Sean looked at Gao Yi¡¯s uneasy expression, a hint of surprise briefly crossed his face, but Gao Yi still caught the flicker of his expression change. ¡°I¡­ haven¡¯t fully recovered yet.¡± Gao Yi made an excuse, and Sean immediately bowed and said, ¡°Sorry, my oversight. Ladies, please rest in the next room for the time being.¡± Sean gestured and the maids bowed together, then left the room under Gao Yi¡¯s gaze. The last tall Western woman gave Gao Yi a sweet smile before slowly closing the door. Gao Yi let out a long breath, and Sean said, ¡°I¡¯ll immediately go prepare dinner.¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Sean waited for Gao Yi¡¯s question. Gao Yi hesitated and asked, ¡°I¡¯m just curious, they are, uh, what I mean is, how should I put it¡­¡± ¡°They are a professional service team, the best in every respect. You don¡¯t need to worry about any issues they might have. It all depends on whether you like them or not, sir.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I mean, how much does it cost for a day?¡± Sean hesitated slightly before still smiling and saying, ¡°Ten thousand dollars per person per day, sir. Please forgive my forwardness, but you don¡¯t need to worry about the cost, sir.¡± Gao Yi exhaled softly, scratching his head, and suddenly asked, ¡°How should I address you?¡± ¡°You can call me Sean, but if you prefer a more professional name, you may call me Bee.¡± Sean bowed again, smiling, cordial and polite, ¡°Any other instructions, sir?¡± Chapter 38 - 38 36 Bee ?38: Chapter 36 Bee 38: Chapter 36 Bee Mexicali¡¯s Chinese cuisine is quite famous, because there are many Chinese people here. Dinner was Chinese food, but Gao Yi tasted it without much satisfaction, so much so that he didn¡¯t feel fulfilled. Sean, perceptive as he was, had discerned that Gao Yi didn¡¯t much favor Chinese food adapted to local tastes, and promptly said, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, sir, I made a mistake. Please allow me to redeem myself. Would you prefer to switch to local specialties, traditional Chinese food, or some other cuisine?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, it¡¯s okay, let¡¯s just eat this. Don¡¯t want to waste it.¡± Sean said very seriously, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no issue of waste, only a choice of what suits your taste.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, I¡¯m actually enjoying it, uh, just thinking¡­ about those women!¡± Sean was taken aback, but he controlled his facial expression well and simply smiled calmly, ¡°Do you need me to have someone, or all of them, attend to you during the meal, sir.¡± Sir sir, the constant address made Gao Yi feel awkward, but deep down, it was indeed very gratifying. But when it came to women, Gao Yi¡¯s thoughts grew chaotic. Knowing they could be summoned at any moment, he was unable to do it. Gao Yi could not hold back, his face showing helplessness, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you understand, but what I practice is Child¡¯s Skill, that is¡­ children¡¯s kung fu.¡± Child¡¯s Skill, he didn¡¯t know how to say that in English. Sure enough, Sean looked puzzled, then spoke in a low voice, ¡°Is it like scouts¡¯ training? Or their way of practicing?¡± ¡°Neither, and not truly Child¡¯s Skill either. It¡¯s just that I started practicing kung fu when I was a very young child, and until now I haven¡¯t¡­ that¡­ uh¡­ don¡¯t know how to say it. It¡¯s because I¡¯m more focused than most people that my kung fu is better. I¡¯m not saying I can¡¯t be with women, but if I am, then my kung fu practice won¡¯t be as effective afterward, do you understand?¡± What Gao Yi practiced wasn¡¯t really Child¡¯s Skill, but he did practice inner strength, and remaining a virgin until now truly helped him, but it wasn¡¯t as if he couldn¡¯t be with women. It¡¯s just that after losing that essence of vitality, his practice definitely wouldn¡¯t be as rapid as during his period of practicing Child¡¯s Skill. These things can¡¯t be easily explained to a foreigner, and Gao Yi didn¡¯t intend to explain in detail. Just now, those six maids caused him a great psychological shock, and he really feared he wouldn¡¯t be able to restrain himself. Seeing Sean still looked confused, Gao Yi finally said, ¡°Women will only affect the speed of my punches, do you understand that?¡± ¡°I understand, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve made a mistake again.¡± Sean wore an apologetic expression, ¡°I¡¯ll have them leave immediately, they won¡¯t appear before you again, sir.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary, uh, this¡­¡± ¡°If needed, they can reappear at any time, more or fewer, anytime, anywhere, appearing exactly as you desire, sir.¡± Helpless, truly helpless. Although feeling completely seen through wasn¡¯t great, the sensation of utter freedom was too strong to resist, and with no need for embarrassment, Sean could thoughtfully fulfill all desires. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This feeling was something Gao Yi couldn¡¯t resist. The sugar-coated bullets were too overwhelming; he might have taken the sugar coating, but returning fire might not be possible. No, we must turn this situation around. Child¡¯s Skill must not be compromised. Stay calm and focused. Gao Yi calmed down for a while, then finally said, ¡°After eating, I¡¯ll get started looking over the target¡¯s information. No need to bother with anything else, you¡­ go rest. You don¡¯t need to attend to me anymore.¡± He couldn¡¯t let Sean stay any longer, otherwise, he might fall before the day was over. But this time, Sean didn¡¯t leave immediately; he politely said, ¡°Sir, if you are going to study the target¡¯s information, may I offer to explain some things? I am the Bee and intelligence is my area of responsibility.¡± Gao Yi forced a bitter smile. How to refuse? Was he to let Sean, who had the intelligence, leave, and then check the information himself, planning actions based on incomplete information? That would be irresponsible to his own life. A plain scheme, this was a plain scheme. As a Bee responsible for pollination, Sean wasn¡¯t just an attentive butler; he was also a key figure in gathering intelligence and participating in planning. A key figure in the garden. Gao Yi sighed and took another look at Sean. Gao Yi sat behind the table laden with food, while Sean stood by the table. Sean seemed to be in his forties, about 1.75 meters tall, neither tall nor particularly handsome. His appearance was hard to describe, but no matter how one looked at him, he had a pleasant demeanor that made him comfortable to behold. ¡°You tell me.¡± ¡°Okay, the target is Suleyman Ravi, forty-three years old, Mexican, 1.77 meters tall, born in a small town called Hachita near Mexicali. He started out as a drug mule from Hachita and, at twenty-seven, founded the Hachita Group which, to this day, is one of the largest drug trafficking groups in Mexicali. He is involved in all underground industries in Mexicali, many of which have a monopolistic share of over half.¡± Sean¡¯s information was much more detailed than what the Gardener had given. All strategy, just a plain scheme, letting Gao Yi know how comforting it is to have a dedicated butler and how convenient it is to have an excellent assistant! Gao Yi felt somewhat helpless as Sean continued, ¡°The target owns many properties, but he mostly lives in a mansion on the outskirts of Mexicali, located midway to Hachita. It¡¯s on a low hill with an excellent view, and the security of his mansion maintains a size of at least sixty people, about half of whom are former members of Mexico¡¯s elite Marine Corps, with around ten who are retirees from the special forces GAFE unit, and the rest are trained by Hachita Group, many of whom are from the same town as the target.¡± Gao Yi was somewhat surprised because the target didn¡¯t seem easy to deal with. It sounded like he might even be more formidable than Gray Horace. ¡°Hmm, how does the target compare with Gray Horace?¡± Sean raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°They¡¯re not on the same level, incomparable. Whether in terms of personnel quality or equipment level, Gray Horace appears as a child compared to an adult beside the target.¡± Gao Yi scratched his head and said, ¡°Okay, I just knew there¡¯d be a catch, two hundred thousand¡­¡± Taking out Gray Horace was worth one million, but tackling this Suleyman was only worth two hundred thousand. Sean calmly said, ¡°Gray Horace was worth one million because a public mission made him heighten his vigilance, always on high alert. But your target doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s been targeted, so two hundred thousand is a fair price, sir.¡± It made some sense; an unguarded target is always easier for an assassin than one on high alert. ¡°Alright, continue.¡± ¡°The target spends most of his time at home. He could go out at any moment, but intelligence is hard to come by, opportunities hard to seize. I can help watch and search for escape routes, prepare the weapons and any items you need, but you¡¯ll need to formulate the specific plan and be in charge of its execution. That¡¯s not my forte, nor my job.¡± What Sean was doing already far exceeded the duties of an employer. Again, a plain scheme, all of it. Now Gao Yi didn¡¯t even know what else he could do; it seemed all he had to manage was to get close to the target and deal with him in his preferred manner. Though it sounded like the simplest part to play the final note, why did it feel like the easiest part? Gao Yi thought for a while, then suddenly said, ¡°Does the target have any particular likes?¡± Gao Yi was still a novice, but he already knew that playing to a target¡¯s preferences was a good strategy. ¡°The target likes money and women. He has a wife and four children, and the intelligence we possess indicates that he loves his children and respects his wife enough.¡± ¡°Money and women, everyone loves those, but what does respecting his wife enough mean?¡± ¡°At least, the target doesn¡¯t bring women back to his home.¡± That was an opportunity; Gao Yi felt he had found the right direction and, somewhat excited, said, ¡°So where does the target go to find women?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know; we don¡¯t have that intelligence yet. He could go anywhere; he controls all of Mexicali and can do as he pleases. And¡­¡± Hesitating, Sean spoke softly, ¡°In my experience, I believe the target doesn¡¯t need to go to a specific place to enjoy the company of women; that¡¯s true for most men.¡± Gao Yi felt insulted, but he had no grounds. ¡°Then how many people protect the target when he travels?¡± ¡°More than ten. He has four personal bodyguards, very loyal, with strong combat abilities. In any situation, there are at least four bodyguards around the target, and his convoy has at least ten additional guards.¡± Seemed much stronger than Gray Horace. Really didn¡¯t know what to do, but this mission had no time limit; in other words, Gao Yi could use the excuse of preparing to enjoy himself here for a very long time. Gao Yi fell into deep thought, silent for a long while. Seeing Gao Yi¡¯s demeanor, Sean made no sound and even kept his body motionless as if he were a wooden person just standing there. Finally, Gao Yi looked up at Sean. Sean immediately spoke softly, ¡°Sir, do you have any instructions?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal, I¡¯m not used to it.¡± After that, Gao Yi suddenly said, ¡°Is it worth it? I mean, is it worth it for you all to court me like this? I¡¯m just a novice and I actually don¡¯t know much.¡± Sean still sported a smile, ¡°Whether it¡¯s worth it is for the Gardener to consider. Right now, all I need to do is to carry out your orders until the target is dead, sir. Do you have further instructions?¡± Chapter 39 - 39 37 What Is Called Professional ?39: Chapter 37 What Is Called Professional 39: Chapter 37 What Is Called Professional Gao Yi spent a nearly sleepless night, not for any other reason but because he faced six temptations that were readily available. But in the end, Gao Yi resisted the temptations and preserved his ¡°Child¡¯s Skill.¡± It wasn¡¯t a matter of shyness or desire, Gao Yi understood too well the saying, ¡°A man is easily steered by who provides for him.¡± Still young, finding whatever type of wealth wasn¡¯t an issue, nor was the quantity; in any case, he couldn¡¯t tie his fate to the Garden¡¯s leaking ship because of beauty. With a good excuse for himself, Gao Yi decided to have Sean remove all the maids the next time he saw her. Morning came, and with somewhat reddened eyes, Gao Yi opened the bedroom door, but as he looked at the living room of the presidential suite, he felt a sense of unease. There were no maids in the living room, but there were four male servants¡ªtall, short, fat, thin, all handsome¡ªa common feature. Glancing to the side, there were two more. If there was only one, it would be fine, but six male servants, that was not right. ¡°Good morning, sir.¡± A blonde, blue-eyed servant greeted him effeminately, while another muscular servant with a very rugged appearance and an exceptionally handsome sunny smile loudly asked, ¡°Sir, would you like breakfast prepared now?¡± Gao Yi took a step back, then he called out firmly, ¡°Sean! Sean!¡± Gao Yi¡¯s voice trembled as he called out, and after repeatedly shouting, Sean emerged from a door next to him, respectfully asking, ¡°Sir, what can I do for you?¡± Gao Yi pointed at the two male servants in front of him and commanded sharply, ¡°Get them out!¡± Sean frowned slightly again, he didn¡¯t hesitate, but waved his hand with a bit of confusion, ¡°Please leave for now¡­¡± ¡°Not for now, make them leave for good!¡± The six male servants left the suite in turn, and once the suite was completely empty, Gao Yi said tremulously, ¡°I said no women, so you brought me six men?¡± Sean replied in a low voice, ¡°Sorry, but you said no women, which means men are permissible, right?¡± ¡°No!¡± Gao Yi grew angry, standing in front of Sean, he said vehemently, ¡°I like women! Not men. I don¡¯t touch those women purely because I don¡¯t want to get too entangled with you. If I want a woman, I¡¯ll find her myself¡ªI don¡¯t need you to arrange one for my bedside.¡± Sean expressed sudden realization, ¡°You simply don¡¯t want to accept our kindness, alright, I understand, sorry for any inconvenience I caused, sir.¡± Gao Yi wanted to scold him, but facing the polite Sean, he really couldn¡¯t bring himself to say much. ¡°Don¡¯t arrange these things in the future. I just want to complete the mission successfully and get my commission!¡± Sean nodded, smiling, ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Gao Yi plopped down on the sofa, then he said irritably, ¡°Are you British?¡± ¡°Hmm, how did you know? Do I have an accent?¡± Sean appeared surprised, while Gao Yi grumbled, ¡°Only the British would do something like this.¡± ¡°I must say, that¡¯s a prejudice¡­¡± Gao Yi waved a hand, ¡°I¡¯ll go see if I have any chances near the target¡¯s home today.¡± Sean immediately became serious, ¡°Very well, sir, do you need me to prepare anything? Weapons, vehicles, the route, or any other requests, please just command me.¡± Gao Yi took a deep breath, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, I¡¯m not quite used to it, just treat me like a normal person.¡± ¡°This is my normal attitude, sir.¡± ¡°Stop calling me sir.¡± ¡°Alright, sir, then how should I address you?¡± ¡°Just call me¡­ whatever, call me whatever you like.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t know how to interact with Sean, but Sean smiled, ¡°Do you need breakfast now, sir?¡± ¡°Yes, anything will do.¡± A rich French breakfast was brought into the room, and Gao Yi wearing his robe finished his breakfast. After eating, it was time for action, but how exactly? As Gao Yi agonized over his plan of action, Sean came by and said, ¡°The car is ready. Do you need a driver, or will you drive yourself?¡± ¡°Do you guys always operate this luxuriously?¡± Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help asking, then he murmured, ¡°I can¡¯t drive, so arrange a driver, uh, just get a taxi.¡± Sean raised an eyebrow, ¡°You can¡¯t drive¡­ then you definitely need a driver. A taxi driver won¡¯t do, sir, please let me drive for you.¡± What else could Gao Yi say? He continued, ¡°You drive, fine, let¡¯s depart now.¡± If Sean was willing to follow, then let him follow. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi wasn¡¯t afraid of anything, but just when he was about to leave, Sean asked again, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t you need makeup?¡± ¡°Makeup?¡± Gao Yi was surprised, then he asked blankly, ¡°What makeup?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sean was silent for a while, then he tried to maintain a calm tone, ¡°Sir, scouting the target¡¯s residence is unlikely to bear fruit in one attempt. If you need to survey multiple times, using the same face each time is easily compromised, sir.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to disguise himself, but Gao Yi didn¡¯t know how to apply makeup, as for the legendary silicone mask, he¡¯d need to have one first. But now that Sean had spoken, Gao Yi felt there was some hope. Without asking further, Gao Yi immediately said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go with the makeup.¡± Sean smiled and gestured toward his room, ¡°Please follow me, sir.¡± Gao Yi followed Sean into the room. Sean asked Gao Yi to sit in a chair, and after examining Gao Yi¡¯s face for a long time, he suddenly said, ¡°Asian features are too prominent, difficult to mask. It might be better to make some alterations to your age.¡± Looking around, Gao Yi asked in a low voice, ¡°How so?¡± Sean picked up a large case, opened the lid, and pulled it to both sides, turning it into a V-shaped rack. ¡°Please close your eyes.¡± Gao Yi closed his eyes, Sean picked up a jar, and began to apply some paste-like substance to Gao Yi¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Concealer, it also changes skin color. I¡¯ll change your skin color first, then alter your facial structure, adding some wrinkles.¡± Gao Yi closed his eyes, and about ten minutes later, Sean said, ¡°You can open your eyes now.¡± Without a mirror at hand, Gao Yi couldn¡¯t see the change in his skin color, but he just saw Sean pick up some unfamiliar items from the box and apply them to his face, and there were also very fine, syringe-like objects tracing his face. There was a slight stinging sensation, followed by a liquid feeling solidifying on the face and pulling on the skin¡ªtight and uncomfortable. ¡°Don¡¯t speak.¡± Gao Yi wanted to ask, but before he could open his mouth, Sean read his thoughts and stopped his question. Gao Yi had no choice but to close his mouth and patiently wait for Sean to apply his makeup. After about half an hour, Sean finally let out a gentle breath, then he picked up a spray can and sprayed twice close to the scalp, then began to ruffle his hair. ¡°Right, just wait a little.¡± Sean opened another case full of glasses, Gao Yi turned to look and found it packed to the brim with spectacles. ¡°Have you ever worn contact lenses?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you put them on, tilt back your head, look up, like you¡¯re rolling your eyes. Good.¡± Gao Yi felt a coolness in his eye; he involuntarily blinked. He then felt a foreign sensation in his left eye, and at that moment, Sean picked up another contact lens from a small plastic box, saying, ¡°Right eye, quickly, don¡¯t blink.¡± With the contact lenses on, it wasn¡¯t over yet. Sean looked at the case full of glasses, picked out a pair with metal frames, the aviator sunglasses, and fitted them onto Gao Yi. After a brief glance, he promptly removed the aviators and swapped them for square-framed sunglasses. ¡°That should do it.¡± Sean nodded satisfactorily, then smiled, ¡°Now, let¡¯s change your fingerprints.¡± ¡°Fingerprints can be changed?¡± Sean opened a box with many small compartments, most labeled. Gao Yi glanced at them and noticed the labels seemed to bear names. Sean muttered to himself, ¡°Asian, Asian, Asians are too few¡­¡± Looking slightly helpless, Sean picked a label, then spoke firmly, ¡°Extend your left hand, spread your fingers.¡± Gao Yi stretched out his left hand, palm up. Sean carefully opened a multi-layered transparent plastic box, and with a small tweezer topped with a silicone cover, gently picked up a transparent film from the box, then, holding Gao Yi¡¯s thumb with his left hand, he applied the film with the tweezer in his right hand. After smoothing the plastic film thoroughly, Sean moved on to the next finger. It took an hour to apply all ten fingerprints. Finally, Sean exhaled gently, ¡°All set, please have a look.¡± Gao Yi stood up, following Sean to the large mirror in the bathroom. At first glance, Gao Yi could hardly recognize the person in the mirror as himself. A man in his mid-forties with somewhat greasy hair, wearing sunglasses, appeared. When Gao Yi removed the sunglasses and could clearly see his own eyes, he noticed they were smaller. It was somewhat eerie. Sean spoke calmly, ¡°The contact lenses change your iris pattern to thwart iris recognition technology. The facial alterations ensure your facial image won¡¯t be captured and retained, your fingerprints have been changed and should stay put for seventy-two hours, the palm print adhesive won¡¯t come off for twenty-four hours unless you wash with makeup remover, and the hair styling product simulates the effect of hair oil to prevent your hair from falling out as much as possible. Unless someone captures you and tests your blood, you won¡¯t leave any traces.¡± This was professionalism. Gao Yi said from the heart, ¡°Impressive!¡± Sean smiled, ¡°This is just the most basic assistant skill, sir. Please wait a moment, I¡¯ll apply a simple makeup too, and then we can set off.¡± Chapter 40 - 40 38 Details ?40: Chapter 38 Details 40: Chapter 38 Details Having applied makeup, it was natural to change clothes as well. Mexicali City lies in the depths of the desert valley, where the temperature difference between winter and summer is substantial. In the summer, temperatures can easily soar above forty degrees, while during the chilliest days of winter, they hover around four or five degrees. It was now April, not too hot yet, with daytime temperatures hovering around thirty degrees and nighttime around fifteen to sixteen degrees. There was a significant temperature difference between day and night and the ultraviolet rays were exceptionally strong. Gao Yi wore a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of sunglasses. Such attire was very common in Mexicali and didn¡¯t stand out as unusual at all. Sean no longer wore his suit. Instead, he had changed into a red plaid shirt and jeans, along with a pair of flashy boots, topped with a ridiculously large cowboy hat that looked both exaggerated and comical. The car was a Kia Rio, a common sight in Mexicali, albeit a bit small. Especially when Sean, with his exaggerated attire, got in, it looked even more comical. ¡°Why are you wearing such an outfit?¡± Sean smiled and said, ¡°Because Americans like it.¡± Gao Yi looked him over and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone else dressed quite like you.¡± ¡°An exaggerated outfit draws people¡¯s attention to my appearance. They think this American hick must have something wrong with him to dress like this, instead of wondering whether there¡¯s any danger in me approaching them.¡± Sean shrugged, rolled down the window, and spat outside before continuing, ¡°As an assistant, when I dress like a 19th-century cowboy, it might attract unwanted attention, but it helps you by reducing vigilant scrutiny. This is called shifting the centre of attention.¡± Gao Yi learned something new again, and he sincerely said, ¡°I¡¯ve learned something, thank you.¡± Sean answered every question Gao Yi asked and explained without reservation. An overt strategy was indeed an overt strategy. It gave Gao Yi a sense of what it was like to have an experienced assistant by his side. Sean drove out of the five-star hotel¡¯s parking lot and slowly made his way onto the street. Mexicali was tightly secured at the US-Mexico Border. The city itself was quite large, and there were plenty of pedestrians, even fully armed police officers on duty at the corners of the streets from time to time. There were many tourists, and without a doubt, most of them came from the United States. It was already late when they set off¡ªnow it was past ten in the morning. Even then, one could already spot scattered street prostitutes, most with thick legs and big bottoms, loitering at the intersections in skimpy clothes. All the while, Gao Yi took in the street scenes until he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are we just going to keep circling around the city area?¡± ¡°Yes, we need to maintain the appearance of tourists from the moment we depart. We must be ready to be investigated from the start of the mission, as we might have to wait a while before getting a chance to approach the target. These are all precautionary measures. Although the chance of being specifically noticed and investigated is slim, we must be prepared to face an investigation.¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sean slowed down the car, lowered the window, and yelled to an unattractive woman on the roadside, ¡°Hey, how much?¡± The woman approached, and just as she was about to lean on the window, Sean sped off suddenly, rudely shouting, ¡°Bitch, haha¡­¡± Watching in astonishment, Gao Yi heard Sean calmly say, after rolling up the window, ¡°Just greeting a local. If a woman is already waiting for clients at the roadside in the morning, it means she¡¯s being controlled, and here, only the Hachita Group could control her. Our actions will leave a lasting impression on her, and there¡¯s a good chance she will tell her pimp about us. This way, we¡¯ll have left an impression with the Hachita Group; a rude, stupid, ignorant American tourist. Hence, even if we are discovered during reconnaissance and questioned or investigated, we¡¯ll have established a clear and harmless image.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Gao Yi understood Sean¡¯s intention, but he immediately asked, ¡°But why leave such an impression?¡± Sean shrugged and responded, ¡°Simple, do you think an assassin would bother doing something like this?¡± Gao Yi had an epiphany and said, ¡°They definitely wouldn¡¯t. I completely understand now. This means that today, during our reconnaissance, if we happen to be noticed and investigated, the impression we¡¯ve left will significantly lower the guard of our target. Therefore, as long as we don¡¯t act, they won¡¯t treat us as assassins.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not just about being an assassin, though. This tactic can effectively conceal any identities that might pose a threat to the target, such as mercenaries, police officers, members of rival gangs, or even the CIA. In short, preparations for concealing our identities must start with the details. Many assassins expose themselves before they act because they neglected their preparations. However, that¡¯s unavoidable, because it¡¯s difficult for one person to carry out all those preparations.¡± Every seemingly absurd action had a thought-provoking reason behind it. Now, every word Sean said was of great value to Gao Yi. As for the difficulty of doing all these preparations alone, that was Sean¡¯s subtle hint, which Gao Yi chose to ignore. ¡°What about tomorrow? If we come back tomorrow, will we change our disguise? So today¡¯s preparations are just for today¡¯s reconnaissance, and tomorrow¡¯s investigation will require another cover operation.¡± Sean turned to look at Gao Yi and said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re a quick learner.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± It was indeed quite pleasing to be praised. This time, Sean didn¡¯t beat around the bush anymore; he drove the car out of the city. The highway was quite good, and the car moved quickly, but the landscape beyond the city limits was unremarkable¡ªjust a monotonous desert with only agave and cacti on both sides of the road, enough to make one sleepy. Not wanting to fall asleep and struggling to make conversation, Gao Yi suddenly said, ¡°If the target is a drug lord who everyone knows about, why do we need to take action? Everyone knows where he lives; doesn¡¯t Mexico want to kill him?¡± Sean smiled and said, ¡°More than half of Mexicali¡¯s illegal business is controlled by the target. The mayor works for the target, so do the police, and the target even gives lots of money to the CIA. How can Mexican officials take down the target? It¡¯s likely that anyone wanting to challenge the target would be killed by him first.¡± Gao Yi asked curiously, ¡°I know Mexico has launched a war on drug traffickers, but it seems the results aren¡¯t great. I¡¯m just curious, are drug traffickers really that hard to deal with?¡± Sean replied incredulously, ¡°Knowing Mexico¡¯s current situation, why don¡¯t you understand how difficult the Mexican drug war is?¡± Gao Yi genuinely didn¡¯t know because he hadn¡¯t paid attention to Mexico before, so now he was just genuinely puzzled. ¡°I just don¡¯t get it. They¡¯ve brought in the military, bombing with cannons, charging with tanks¡ªcan a country¡¯s army really be afraid of a bunch of drug traffickers?¡± Sean was taken aback and said, ¡°Tanks? Cannons? You didn¡¯t know that the Mexican army doesn¡¯t have tanks? Also, they don¡¯t have large-caliber artillery, so how could they bomb with cannons?¡± Now it was Gao Yi¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°What? A large country with a population of over a hundred million doesn¡¯t even have tanks? No artillery? You¡¯ve got to be kidding, how is that possible?¡± Gao Yi couldn¡¯t comprehend, and he couldn¡¯t believe that Mexico lacked tanks and artillery. Sean curled his lip and said, ¡°The Mexican army doesn¡¯t just lack tanks and artillery; they also lack armed helicopters, all for a single reason¡ªthey¡¯re too close to the United States.¡± With this explanation, Gao Yi understood. After a moment of silence, Gao Yi exhaled deeply and said, ¡°Too far from Heaven, too close to the United States¡ªthat¡¯s what it means.¡± ¡°The Mexican military only uses light weapons, so drug lords can have better armed forces than the government, stronger and more formidable. Alright, we¡¯ve arrived,¡± explained Sean. Sean turned his head and said, ¡°Look to your right, there¡¯s a small path. The estate on top is the target¡¯s property.¡± Gao Yi had already seen it. A low and gentle hill, surrounded by agave and cactus, but near the middle of the slope, there was a patch of woodland. It covered a large area, with vast empty space all around, and if they parked by the roadside, it would be easily noticeable. Sean didn¡¯t stop the car, nor did he slow down, driving straight past it. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are we just going to drive past and leave it at that?¡± Sean¡¯s tone was indifferent as he said, ¡°Do you have a plan? Let me remind you, stopping will definitely be noticed. It¡¯s impossible even to get close to the mansion, let alone enter it.¡± Gao Yi knew that stopping meant exposure, yet a fleeting glance meant surveillance was impossible. A city under control, an extremely closed small environment, the tight security, and a target who rarely left home. Gao Yi knew why the Gardener considered this mission a test; it was indeed very challenging. But since Sean always answered his questions, it was better to directly ask him. Gao Yi calmly said, ¡°This mission is difficult. Do you have any good ideas?¡± Sean didn¡¯t answer Gao Yi¡¯s question this time, but simply smiled, ¡°This is your job, not mine. If there was a way, the Gardener wouldn¡¯t have needed to hire you, right?¡± The response made too much sense. Gao Yi thought for a bit and decided to change his question. ¡°If we need to wait for the target to leave, do you have a way to monitor him?¡± Sean didn¡¯t answer right away, nor was he in a hurry to refuse. After pondering for a while, he finally said, ¡°To conduct surveillance, the only way is through equipment, like battery-powered cameras. But setting up such cameras, once discovered, would mean exposure of the operation, leading to extreme caution from the target.¡± Having a method was enough. Gao Yi bluntly said, ¡°It¡¯s okay; if it¡¯s exposed, we¡¯ll abandon the mission¡ªjust two hundred thousand dollars. I can afford not to earn it.¡± Sean was momentarily at a loss for words and did not know how to respond. Gao Yi smiled and continued, ¡°But if it¡¯s not exposed, then we definitely need to try. No need to monitor the mansion directly; just watch this road. You surely have the equipment, right? Bring it out.¡± Chapter 41 - 41 39 Whats the Use for a Hammer ?41: Chapter 39: What¡¯s the Use for a Hammer? 41: Chapter 39: What¡¯s the Use for a Hammer? The surveillance equipment was just two cell phones, completely unmodified except that they were connected to a power bank. The assassin¡¯s electronic devices were not always high-end; issues that could be solved with a cheap cell phone did not necessitate any especially high-tech gadgets. The cell phones were placed not too far from the roadside, hidden in the shadow of a clump of sword agave, with just a camera lens peeking out toward the highway. The setup was arranged this way because the target, upon leaving home, would likely not be in just one car. By monitoring traffic from both directions on the highway, if no vehicles passed on the western side of the target¡¯s estate, but the eastern camera captured one, it meant the car must have come from the target¡¯s estate. Then, there was nothing to do but endure the tedious wait. From arriving around noon until four in the afternoon, the cameras recorded numerous vehicles, but none had come from the estate. ¡°Is this really okay? Just waiting like this?¡± Gao Yi knew his question was pointless, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling impatient. ¡°You can go back. Long-term surveillance like this is actually the assistant¡¯s job.¡± Sean wouldn¡¯t call him ¡®sir¡¯ in the field, but when Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help asking, Sean once again gave an excuse that Gao Yi found hard to refuse. If the rough and tiresome tasks were left to the assistant while the assassin only delivered the lethal blow, could Gao Yi really refuse to join the Garden? Gao Yi was indeed conflicted, but he could identify the core issue. ¡°Even if I joined the Garden, who would be my assistant? Would it be you?¡± Gao Yi stared at Sean, posing a soul-searching question. Yes, Sean seemed very capable, with an attitude and abilities that made for an excellent assistant. But if Gao Yi joined the Garden, would Sean still be his assistant? If it were someone like Luca, what use would Gao Yi have for him? He might as well work alone. But Sean seemed well-prepared for Gao Yi¡¯s question and replied with a smile, ¡°It depends on the mission. It may not be me, but you will definitely have a dedicated assistant. If you are strong enough to become one of the Garden¡¯s flowers, you will get a team, a team that serves only you.¡± Gao Yi waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Forget it. I knew it, how could I possibly get top-tier support right from the start? I¡¯m new, so I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be given a new assistant. Only a well-known assassin like me might get paired with a good one. In that case, joining the Garden seems pointless, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Sean replied seriously, ¡°That¡¯s not the case. You should already know that the Garden is not in the best shape now. We have professional assistant teams; what we lack are terminators who can deliver the lethal blow¡ªthe core of an assassin team. To put it simply, an outstanding assassin. So if you perform well, you¡¯ll get a top-tier team.¡± A mature, stable top-tier assassin team for a newcomer like Gao Yi¡ªan outsider¡ªwould make him feel like a superfluous appendage. The more they spoke, the less appealing joining became, but Gao Yi¡¯s emotional intelligence wasn¡¯t so low as to immediately reject the offer. He simply put on a thoughtful expression, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Sean would seize every opportunity to influence Gao Yi, but he wouldn¡¯t push too hard. The two fell into silence again, continuing to watch the small screen. Gao Yi could now let Sean do all the work, but with only one car, he couldn¡¯t leave even if he wanted to. Just when boredom was setting in, Sean suddenly perked up, then urgently said, ¡°There they are, five cars¡ªit¡¯s the target!¡± Gao Yi instantly became alert, while Sean had already engaged the gears and pulled the car away from the roadside parking spot. ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead. We¡¯ll drive slower to merge with the target¡¯s convoy as we¡¯re about to enter the city.¡± Sean also explained briefly before driving the car onto the highway at a normal speed. Not too fast, nor too slow, just a small car cruising at regular speed until the target¡¯s convoy overtook them. The sound of horns blared from a distance, urgent and persistent. Sean glanced in the rearview mirror before pulling to the right side of the highway. The first two vehicles were black Range Rovers; the third, a Rolls-Royce; followed by another Range Rover, and trailing was a large pickup truck. Something covered by tarpaulin was in the bed of the pickup, tall and with a shape that wasn¡¯t quite clear, but Gao Yi couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it was a machine gun. A drug lord¡¯s convoy parading so brazenly through the city was indeed audacious. The convoy whizzed by without slowing, and Gao Yi and his partner followed at a leisurely pace, watching the vehicles grow further away until they disappeared from sight. ¡°Can we keep up with them?¡± Sean sighed, ¡°It¡¯s uncertain. We can only guess the target¡¯s destination now. Once he enters the urban area, there are too many places he could go¡ªthe corporate headquarters, his city home, the nightclub, or maybe a restaurant.¡± ¡°Restaurant?¡± Gao Yi perked up at the word ¡®restaurant¡¯ because he felt it was the most convenient place to make a move. He liked when targets went to restaurants. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible he¡¯ll go to a restaurant.¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sean checked his watch, ¡°It¡¯s four-thirty now. It¡¯s too early for dinner; the clubs aren¡¯t open yet. There¡¯s no significant need to return to a city residence. Plus, considering the target¡¯s luxury cars, I think he might be meeting someone important. But if it¡¯s for business negotiations, this time seems a bit late. So¡­ let me think.¡± After pondering for a moment, Sean pulled out his phone and made a call, ¡°Check if Suleyman¡¯s made any big business moves recently or if there¡¯s been any major official changes in Mexicali, especially around five o¡¯clock when some departments close.¡± Sean hung up, and Gao Yi asked curiously, ¡°You can check that?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s public information, enough for an accurate judgment.¡± Sean slowed down as they approached the city limits and the traffic began to increase. About five minutes later, Sean¡¯s phone rang. He answered, ¡°What¡¯s been found?¡± After listening for a while, Sean hung up and turned to Gao Yi, ¡°The target entering the city at this time is most likely meeting the new police chief of Mexicali. The new chief takes office today, and given his position, he can¡¯t meet at the target¡¯s estate. So they¡¯ll likely meet at a discreet location to complete their discussion first.¡± It all made sense; it seemed miraculous at first, but upon reflection, it was a logical deduction. ¡°Then what? Knowing the target is meeting someone, do we have a chance to move?¡± ¡°This is for you to judge. As you¡¯ve seen, the target is protected by at least twenty bodyguards. While we¡¯re not limited in methods, a head-on assault would have unfavorable outcomes.¡± Taking down a target under heavy guard was precisely where an assassin¡¯s value lay. It wasn¡¯t an assassin¡¯s style to gather a large force and confront the target directly. Gao Yi considered for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s lucky we encountered the target outside on the first day.¡± Sean didn¡¯t respond, just kept driving aimlessly. Gao Yi sighed, ¡°Too bad we don¡¯t know where the target will meet. It would be ideal to wait for the target to show up, but whether there¡¯s a chance or not, we can¡¯t guess from here.¡± Sean stated indifferently, ¡°The target might host a meal, but if he¡¯s treating the new chief, it¡¯s likely at a mansion in the urban area. If he¡¯s eating alone, it could be a frequent Mexican restaurant he likes. The food there suits his taste.¡± ¡°What restaurant?¡± ¡°Pario Restaurant, a traditional Mexican restaurant named after the head chef. It¡¯s high-end, though not extravagantly so, and popular among old-school Mexican elites.¡± There was no reason to hesitate. Gao Yi immediately said, ¡°We¡¯ll wait for the target at the restaurant. No matter what he¡¯s doing today, we¡¯ll wait there. If he goes, I¡¯ll have a chance to make a move.¡± ¡°Alright. Do you need any weapons?¡± Sean was straightforward. Once Gao Yi had decided, he was ready to assist. Gao Yi pondered and asked, ¡°A gun¡­ can we get one?¡± ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s not much choice. Today was just reconnaissance; I didn¡¯t bring a gun. If you decide to use one, I¡¯ll go prepare it immediately. Which gun would you like?¡± Gao Yi was curious, ¡°You think I can get close to the target with a gun?¡± ¡°Not likely to get close to the target, and more likely to be exposed beforehand.¡± Gao Yi said, frustrated, ¡°Then why are you offering me a gun?¡± ¡°You are the assassin; I¡¯m just assisting. You are the one who terminates the operation. Which weapon to use is your decision.¡± After sighing, Gao Yi said, ¡°Then there¡¯s no need for a weapon. Hmm, will the bodyguards wear bullet-proof vests, helmets?¡± ¡°Bullet-proof vests for sure; the target¡¯s bodyguards are very professional. They will definitely shield the target with their bodies, so they¡¯ll wear vests and carry bullet-proof shields. As for helmets, that¡¯s less certain, but the guards in the pickup are likely fully equipped like special forces, certainly with heavy bullet-proof vests and helmets.¡± After finishing, Sean thought a moment, adding, ¡°I should also mention their light weaponry and armor will certainly be the best in the world.¡± Gao Yi realized that Suleyman would be harder to kill than Gray Horace and escaping afterwards would be even more difficult. Instead of overthinking it, he considered what he would do if he got an opportunity. Since bullet-proof vests were standard, he needed a suitable weapon. ¡°Prepare a hammer for me.¡± Against bullet-proof vests and helmets, a hammer designed to penetrate armor was effective. It wasn¡¯t that Gao Yi preferred hammers; it was a necessity. Sean seemed taken aback, hesitating before asking, ¡°A hammer? What kind?¡± ¡°Any kind, but not too big. Length¡­ ¡± Gao Yi gestured with his arm, ¡°No longer than my forearm, smaller hammerhead the better¡ªit¡¯s easier to hide.¡± Sean looked at Gao Yi, still in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re the first assassin to ask me for a hammer. I really¡­ okay, I¡¯ll find one right away!¡± Chapter 42 - 42 40 Footwork ?42: Chapter 40 Footwork 42: Chapter 40 Footwork The hotel was known, and although it was uncertain whether the target would go, there was always a high probability, so it was worth blocking them. Not gambling, just blocking. If they were blocked, it meant the target was meant to die; if not, it meant the target¡¯s life was not yet meant to end. Sean continued to drive around aimlessly; he desperately needed to find a hardware store or even a general store would do, but it was precisely in such urgent times that he couldn¡¯t find a hardware store that should have been everywhere. After driving around for a while, Sean became impatient. ¡°Where can I buy a hammer¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute, over there.¡± Gao Yi pointed to a large construction machinery repair shop not far away. As long as it was a repair shop, there would definitely be a hammerhead; it didn¡¯t take much thought, and besides, a hammer didn¡¯t have to be bought in a hardware store, buying one they used at the repair shop would work just as well. ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll go buy.¡± Sean stopped the car, and whispered to Gao Yi, ¡°Stay in the car and don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll go buy two hammers and come back.¡± Sean got out of the car and hurried over to the repair shop. It took about ten minutes inside, and Gao Yi was getting impatient; it was just a hammer, it shouldn¡¯t take this long. Finally, Sean came out, with a hammerhead in each hand. One was an ordinary Hammer, and the other was a large Iron Hammer they had custom-made, with a big head but the handle was a section of threaded steel welded on. ¡°Take a look, will this do?¡± Gao Yi took the Hammer; there was nothing wrong with it, as horns were basically the same all over the world. However, the head of this hammer was a bit long; even holding it in his hand, a section of it was exposed, making it easy to spot. As for the self-made Iron Hammer, it was worse; the head was too big, probably weighing four or five pounds. Four or five pounds didn¡¯t sound too heavy, and it wasn¡¯t too heavy to use, but for a Warhammer, a four or five pound head would need a long handle to be practical. The hand hammer used as a cold weapon in ancient warfare was never too heavy; two pounds was enough, three pounds was quite significant. Too heavy a hammer required a great demand on the way it was swung. If a heavy hammer was swung and missed, it meant loss of control, and the time needed to regain control of the hammer would be long, while a lighter hammer was different; the lethal force it generated when swung was absolutely sufficient. Even if one were wearing a helmet, a fierce strike could silence them, and it allowed for maximum flexibility. The weight of the Hammer was acceptable, just not very convenient to conceal. Gao Yi took the Hammer and waved it gently in the car a couple of times, then said, ¡°This will do.¡± With a push of Sean¡¯s left hand, a shiny object slid out of his sleeve, then he whispered, ¡°There¡¯s a third one, which I had them make on the spot, take a look at this.¡± Gao Yi glanced at it and exclaimed with extreme surprise, ¡°Smart! You are smart!¡± ¡°An inch and a quarter bearing ball, welded to a cut tubing wrench, it¡¯s all been ground smooth, no sharp edges.¡± A shiny, glittering big Iron Hammer, which was a bearing ball, with a section of cut tubing wrench behind it; the tubing head was thicker and served perfectly as a handle. Weighing it, this improvised hammer also weighed four or five pounds, but the weight was evenly distributed throughout, not overly head-heavy. It was easy to handle and didn¡¯t give the sensation of the wrist snapping from a missed strike. He slid the hammer into his sleeve, grasping the not-too-large head with his hand; when his hand covered it, it really couldn¡¯t be seen from the outside, and the heavy feeling was reassuring to hold. ¡°This is the one, very good.¡± Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but say to Sean, ¡°Are you always this thoughtful in your work?¡± ¡°Your requirements were clear, the head couldn¡¯t be too big, the handle couldn¡¯t be too long, they had a welding machine, a cutter, a socket wrench, so I had them cut a socket wrench and weld a bearing ball on. I tried smashing it a couple of times inside; it¡¯s very sturdy.¡± ¡°Okay, this is the one.¡± Gao Yi tucked the hammer into his sleeve, gauging the length, he pointed ahead and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head to that restaurant.¡± It wasn¡¯t time for dinner yet, and Gao Yi felt he should first scout the area, get to know the layout of the restaurant, facilitate his action when the time came, and make it convenient to escape. Looking for hammers had delayed them a bit, and it was just past five o¡¯clock, but according to Mexican habits, it was too early for dinner. The restaurant was easy to find, but once Sean got there, he didn¡¯t stop. He just drove past without even slowing down. ¡°Why not stop and take a look?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t stop; it¡¯s too easy to expose ourselves. We don¡¯t know if the target has sent people to clear the restaurant in advance. You need to understand that, as a narcotics boss, even if Suleyman occasionally goes out, he will make sure of his safety. For Suleyman to have lived this long, he definitely has a very professional security team around him.¡± As Sean said this, he searched for a suitable place to park nearby, then he said with delight, ¡°Lucky us!¡± There was no designated parking area on the roadside, but ahead a car had just left a parking spot on the side of the road, and Sean didn¡¯t hesitate, he turned the car and parallel parked right into the spot. The only downside was that the rear of the car faced the direction of the restaurant, which meant they would have to twist around and look back to observe. ¡°Perfect, the front of the car would have drawn more attention aimed towards the restaurant. It would be troublesome if we stayed in the car all the time. Now we need to get out and walk around. If we stayed in the car, we would likely be noticed, so let¡¯s head to a different block.¡± Once the stakeout reached a professional level, it was troublesome. Gao Yi whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk somewhere else first, come back when it¡¯s about time. You wait in the car, and I¡¯ll go eat at the restaurant. If the target also goes in, I¡¯ll make my move.¡± Sean was stunned for a moment and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit¡­ rash? If you see the target in there and make your move, what about the guards outside? Are you planning a suicide assassination?¡± ¡°Um, we¡¯ll see how it goes when the time comes.¡± Sean didn¡¯t have much to add, the rule was the Assassin decided when and how to act; he just gave a simple reminder, there was not much else he could do. Gao Yi opened the car door and got out, and Sean followed suit. They had only walked a few steps down the road when Sean suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, you¡¯re just one step away from a perfect disguise, but that will take time to practice.¡± With that, Gao Yi was intrigued. ¡°What¡¯s missing?¡± ¡°Your gait. Everyone has a different walking pattern, step length, body posture, foot placement¡ªthese are all distinctive features. Even if you¡¯ve changed your appearance, if someone captures your gait, it¡¯s still easy to recognize you. But it takes a long time to practice and change your gait; it could take years¡­ oh, wow!¡± Sean stammered because he noticed Gao Yi¡¯s body posture and step had changed. ¡°Are you talking about this?¡± Gao Yi switched from a normal walking posture to the Eight Trigram Palm steps, with each step lifting his leg differently, leaning his body slightly forward, and greatly shrinking his stride from the normal sixty centimeters to about fifty centimeters. The Eight Trigram Steps are crucial to Eight Trigram Palm practice, and having trained for so many years, they had become second nature to Gao Yi. Suddenly, Gao Yi changed his footwork again; this time his step became wider. Though he was walking at a normal pace, the way he lifted and planted his feet was quite different. Eight Trigram Palm had its own steps, and so did Hsing Yi Boxing, which he could switch to with ease. Sean, still baffled, said, ¡°Have you trained this?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about something else, forget it. But if you¡¯re talking about this, it¡¯s too simple.¡± Gao Yi spoke nonchalantly, ¡°Changing my step is as easy as eating or drinking for me. If you want me to walk a certain way, I can stick to it. If you want me to walk in a completely new way, no problem.¡± Sean was still incredulous, ¡°That¡¯s impossible, that¡¯s unscientific, it defies human physiology. How is that possible?¡± ¡°Practice. Start training from birth, oh, that¡¯s an exaggeration, from the age of three, then practice for twenty years, you could do it too.¡± Sean paused, hesitating for a moment before finally voicing his opinion for the first time. ¡°You¡¯re a genius, a natural-born assassin!¡± Gao Yi did not respond; he¡¯d heard plenty of such comments, not missing one from Sean. The two continued on their way, and then they saw the target¡¯s convoy coming towards them. After the convoy passed completely, Gao Yi wanted to head back, but Sean grabbed him, ¡°Something¡¯s not right. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Nothing about today is right.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The target couldn¡¯t have ended his meeting so quickly, and it¡¯s a bit early for dinner. Our luck today doesn¡¯t seem to be that good.¡± Scouting on the first day and encountering the target leaving was definitely good luck. Even inside the city, they had tracked the target¡¯s movements and predicted where he might appear¡ªthat was also a sign of good luck. So Gao Yi didn¡¯t understand why Sean was saying their luck wasn¡¯t good. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Isn¡¯t the situation good now? The target is going to dinner, I also go in, smash him with a hammer and run, you drive to pick me up afterward and we leave, the plan should be okay, right?¡± Gao Yi was even considering turning back and heading towards the restaurant, but Sean spoke with resignation, ¡°I¡¯m dressed for scouting, with my behavior and appearance prepared for reconnaissance. Now with this look, appearing near the target again will inevitably arouse suspicion. Then, if the target has not finished the negotiation, it means he¡¯s not in a good mood, and in a bad mood, he might do something out of the ordinary.¡± After speaking, Sean let out a breath, ¡°If the target is in a good mood, he might choose to enjoy a meal with the public, but if he¡¯s in a bad mood, he might close off the entire place. He¡¯s accustomed to thinking over issues while dining, so, I think he¡¯s probably had the restaurant entrance blocked already, not allowing anyone in.¡± ¡°Shall we take a look?¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a look.¡± The two turned around, took a look, and noticed a truck parked on the side of the road with people standing in the bed, and there were also people standing on both sides of the restaurant entrance, even bearing firearms. Indeed, the restaurant was closed off, and this time Gao Yi hadn¡¯t managed to get inside ahead of time. Sean whispered, ¡°There¡¯s no chance now, let¡¯s go.¡± Yet, Gao Yi was not willing to give up just like that; he hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°No, let¡¯s wait a little longer, there might be a chance.¡± Chapter 43 - 43 41 Turning Back is the Shore ?43: Chapter 41: Turning Back is the Shore 43: Chapter 41: Turning Back is the Shore Sean thought it was dangerous, Gao Yi thought there was an opportunity. This scene seemed familiar; it was the same situation last time with Luca. What is called a crisis? Sean saw the danger and Gao Yi saw the opportunity. It could only be said that Gao Yi¡¯s perspective and the way he handled things were different from others. His main trait was being unique. Now it was Sean¡¯s turn to make a choice. Unlike Luca, Sean clearly didn¡¯t lack money, and he was not just a mere broker. From the strength Sean had demonstrated, he should have been a core member of the Garden, or at least played the role of a top assistant. So, Luca might have chosen to take the risk, but Sean wouldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t need to risk joining Gao Yi on his adventurous exploit. ¡°This is not an opportunity! Come back!¡± Now, Sean¡¯s tone was not just compliant; his face grew cold, filled with an undeniable authority. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t argue, considering they were less than a hundred meters away from their target, so even if he had his opinions, he still had to turn around and follow Sean back. The pedestrians on the street had all started to steer clear of the restaurant entrance, and the movements of Gao Yi and Sean wouldn¡¯t attract any attention. Originally planning to eat dinner, upon seeing the doorstep occupied by menacing drug dealers, they turned around and left, which was a normal choice. Sean pulled open the car door, got inside, and sighed with a look of helplessness after Gao Yi closed the door behind him, ¡°No matter what you planned, today was just for reconnaissance. The clothes I prepared are not suitable; these were meant for scouting, not for taking action. I¡¯m sorry, we cannot make a move today, it¡¯s my responsibility.¡± Gao Yi replied quietly, ¡°No, why can¡¯t we take action?¡± ¡°Because there are two bodyguards at the door! And in that pickup, there are at least four people ready to shoot, they can even use a vehicle-mounted heavy machine gun. Are you planning to kill the guards and enter the restaurant? Fine, assume you kill the guards at the entrance and then kill the target inside, what then?¡± Sean pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, lowering his voice, ¡°They saw us together. If you go in, those people outside would of course start shooting me! So even if you are willing to risk it, I am not. I don¡¯t want to die with you due to your recklessness.¡± Sean finally spoke the truth. He was worried that Gao Yi insisted on a suicidal mission, and that action might drag him along too. This was a normal human reaction, and Sean thought Gao Yi was marching to his death. So forcibly pulling him back was not a bad thing, better than letting Gao Yi throw away his life while he turned and ran away. So Gao Yi didn¡¯t get angry; he just whispered softly, ¡°The target is inside the restaurant, it¡¯s a rare good opportunity.¡± ¡°How is inside the restaurant a good opportunity! This isn¡¯t his home; this is a restaurant, the target¡¯s guards will be on high alert!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a restaurant, I can¡¯t even get into the target¡¯s house.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Sean didn¡¯t know what else to say. He started the car, and as he drove off, he urged, ¡°Then look for other opportunities. As long as you¡¯re alive, there¡¯s hope to complete the mission, but if you¡¯re dead, there¡¯s no chance!¡± ¡°Why is it death? Haven¡¯t you noticed the two guards at the door didn¡¯t even draw their weapons? As for the guards in the pickup, would they aim at the restaurant door? Isn¡¯t there a process of aiming before shooting? By the time they react, I¡¯ll have already gone inside.¡± Sean was disappointed because he now thought Gao Yi was an idiot. ¡°What you need is to kill the target, not to enter the restaurant!¡± ¡°But once I enter the restaurant, I¡¯m sure I can kill the target. The restaurant isn¡¯t big, space is limited, and the tables and chairs are numerous, which means the target¡¯s bodyguards won¡¯t spread out too far or get too distant from each other¡­ they won¡¯t be able to increase their distance in time¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still worried about the bodyguards increasing their distance? My God, are you an idiot? You should be worried about the bodyguards being too close, ready to shield the target at any moment, intercept you, kill you, and escort the target away!¡± ¡°It¡¯s different, I¡¯m not like others.¡± ¡°What¡¯s different about you! Will you not die if you get shot?¡± Gao Yi earnestly said, ¡°Within three steps, I¡¯m invincible.¡± Sean scoffed, ¡°The target has two personal bodyguards, he brought four cars, two people now at the entrance, at least four people in the pickup, and at least nine men in the three SUVs. Even if we eliminate three drivers, that leaves three guards per vehicle, meaning there are eleven bodyguards in total. Subtract the two at the entrance, at least nine within the restaurant.¡± Sean did the math for Gao Yi, then puzzledly said, ¡°Even if you¡¯re invincible within three steps, what about beyond three steps? How do you plan to handle the bodyguards more than three steps away? Can you outpace a bullet?¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Well said, bullets are faster beyond three steps, but I won¡¯t let anyone be beyond three steps from me!¡± Gao Yi said resolutely, ¡°Nine bodyguards, with two guarding the entrance. I walk in, take them out first, then that leaves seven. Wouldn¡¯t someone be in the kitchen keeping an eye on the chef? That¡¯s one less person again, leaving six bodyguards. From your experience, how far would these bodyguards stay away from the target?¡± ¡°Uh¡­We wouldn¡¯t take action under these circumstances anyway!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s you, I wouldn¡¯t miss this kind of opportunity. Although it looks risky, it¡¯s because of this seemingly flawless protection that everyone lets their guard down. Even if the two bodyguards next to the target are particularly vigilant, they can¡¯t stop me!¡± Sean sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re an idiot or a madman, but I¡¯ve already tried to stop you. Alright, if you really think this is an opportunity, then go for it!¡± Sean¡¯s words were spoken in frustration, since they had already left, he did not believe that Gao Yi would really go back to his doom. Thus, he thought Gao Yi was merely bluffing, just as much as blaming the cancellation on himself. ¡°Fine, take me back. If you¡¯re afraid, wait for me from afar, but you must come to pick me up after I succeed.¡± Sean was stunned, and said in disbelief, ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s such a great opportunity, where else could I find another? Let me out, then you can turn around or wait here, I¡¯ll run this way.¡± ¡°You, you¡­¡± Sean, somewhat angry, slammed on the brake and then said coldly: ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll wait for your good news.¡± Gao Yi wasn¡¯t just boasting, nor was he scared, he pulled the car door and stepped out. Now further from the restaurant, but without taking a detour, Gao Yi got out of the car, looked forward to ensure he hadn¡¯t attracted too much attention, then lowered his head and started walking towards the restaurant. ¡°WTF¡­¡± Sean cursed vehemently, then whispered under his breath, ¡°The initial investment is a waste, idiot!¡± Sean took out his phone, swiped it a couple of times, and a spreadsheet appeared on the display. Some of the spreadsheet fields were filled in, while others were left blank. Name: Busan. Age: 23. Height: 181 cm. Weight: 76 kg. Personality: Cautious? Reckless. Opportunistic? Hobbies: ?? Execution: ? Judgment: ? Patience: A Makeup Ability: F Infiltration Ability: F Fighting Ability: ? Shooting Skill: ? Termination: ? Watching Gao Yi¡¯s retreating figure, Sean fiercely wrote an F behind Judgment. This was an evaluation form for new recruits, using the standard Western classification system. F was the lowest grade, meaning the worst, E meant extremely poor, and then upwards from there was dcba. Surpassing A would be AA, and the ultimate would be AAA. AAA is the highest Western rating, AA corresponds to S-grade, while AAA corresponds to SS-grade. The sheet Sean held categorized the skills needed for an assassin. Evaluating new recruits, he rarely gave an F grade, since those who came into the Garden¡¯s view couldn¡¯t be that bad. It was rare for someone to have an F in even one or two skills. The barrel theory determines an assassin¡¯s ability by the shortest plank. As a new recruit, Gao Yi¡¯s hobbies and how strong his command execution was still hadn¡¯t been observed by Sean. As for fighting and shooting skills, of course, Sean had no opportunity to see those either. But Sean already knew about Gao Yi¡¯s level in makeup; since Gao Yi completely couldn¡¯t do it, it naturally got an F. Infiltration ability represents the skill to approach a target, and Gao Yi, being East Asian, wasn¡¯t particularly at a disadvantage, but wasn¡¯t at an advantage either. Since Sean didn¡¯t observe any special performance from Gao Yi, it had to be an F. Looking at it all, Gao Yi¡¯s only superlative talent was his Patience. As a usual tactic used by the Garden to enlist new recruits and test their temperaments, Gao Yi showed great restraint with allure, even more so with men, enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle but didn¡¯t show particular addiction, so fairly Sean gave the highest rating, A. But now, Sean thought Gao Yi was just a fool, so he quickly wrote an F for Judgment. A new recruit with almost entirely the worst abilities, what, should they keep him for entertainment? The Garden wasn¡¯t a charity; they expected returns on their investments, but now it seemed the Garden¡¯s initial investments were only feeding the dogs. The other fields weren¡¯t even necessary to fill out. Fighting Ability Sean couldn¡¯t see, Shooting Skill likewise, so those remained blank. As for Termination, the last and most crucial category, Sean wanted to immediately give an F, but since Gao Yi hadn¡¯t taken action yet, he had to wait a little longer. Just wait and see. See if Gao Yi was killed, or determine that he had died, then this observation could finally conclude. Sean held the phone, resisting the urge to mark an F, and coldly watched as Gao Yi got closer and closer to the restaurant. Maybe Gao Yi would just walk past, or perhaps, he would turn back. Sean decided, whichever it was, as soon as he saw Gao Yi give up, he would enter an F, then he would directly drive away. He was not going to wait to support an idiot who liked to boast; Sean didn¡¯t have the patience for that. Gao Yi was going to turn back; that was Sean¡¯s prediction, and his Judgment was superb, so, Sean dared to bet Gao Yi would turn back. Chapter 44 - 44 42 Off the Charts ?44: Chapter 42: Off the Charts 44: Chapter 42: Off the Charts Gao Yi¡¯s heart was also very tense, but he was not afraid. As long as he didn¡¯t make a move, he would just bow his head and walk past. The drug lord¡¯s bodyguards wouldn¡¯t kill on sight in the streets. But, the closer he got to the restaurant, the more nervous Gao Yi became. The opportunity seemed too good, and if it was too good, he couldn¡¯t help but take action. At the entrance of the restaurant, there were two bodyguards who appeared very alert and keen, but both of their hands hung naturally at their sides. This alone was enough to judge they weren¡¯t ready to strike or draw a gun at any moment. Several cars were parked right in front of the restaurant, on the street, even blocking half the lane, but no one dared to honk. Although the car windows were very dark and one couldn¡¯t see inside, Gao Yi didn¡¯t believe those bodyguards were aiming their guns at the restaurant entrance the whole time. He passed by the restaurant¡¯s windows. With a slight turn of his head, he could see inside. Inside the restaurant, there were people sitting at only one table, facing the window, but not sitting right next to the window¡ªthere was some distance. The only one sitting could only be Suleyman; then, two people stood on either side of the dining table, and another four stood behind Suleyman. It was unlikely for anyone to dine in a restaurant facing a wall. The bodyguards certainly wouldn¡¯t block their boss¡¯s view, especially with many people guarding outside. It wouldn¡¯t be possible for someone to spray bullets at Suleyman through the window, so this was another stationing that could be anticipated, although not predetermined, but inevitably predictable. Since the danger had been minimized to the lowest degree, Suleyman would naturally sit like this, and his bodyguards would only stand as such. But in this case, Gao Yi could only take action. Gao Yi lowered his head, leaning outward as if he had just discovered two burly men standing at the restaurant entrance and got startled. He had forgotten about his facial disguise but didn¡¯t know if his expression looked natural. The two bodyguards both kept their eyes on Gao Yi, their looks sharp and ferocious. Gao Yi hurriedly lowered his head and quickened his pace, walking a curved line to pass them quickly. The bodyguards had seen too many people react this way, so their stares at Gao Yi were just to scare him and they didn¡¯t really become alert. The entrance of the restaurant was two meters wide, with one bodyguard on each side, which seemed a bit difficult to handle at the same time. To eliminate Gray Horace was to have created an opportunity for close combat, even gaining everyone¡¯s trust, with no one on guard against Gao Yi. This time was different. Although the bodyguards weren¡¯t particularly vigilant about Gao Yi, if he were to make a move, he still needed to force his way in. He walked past the first bodyguard, past the restaurant entrance, and past the second bodyguard. He could either walk straight past without looking back, then think about how to explain to Sean. Or he could make his move directly. There was no need to turn around to take action; he mustn¡¯t turn around. As long as he didn¡¯t turn around, the bodyguards wouldn¡¯t detect anything unusual. Before making a move, the shoulders move first, before kicking out, the hips move first; this was common knowledge in fighting. However, Gao Yi had practiced Eight Trigram Palm for many years, and at this moment, even if a fighting expert was staring at his shoulders and hips, they wouldn¡¯t notice anything amiss. The true essence of the Eight Trigram Slide lay precisely in this. It appeared as if he was just walking normally, yet suddenly Gao Yi¡¯s body slid to the left rear. Silent and unannounced, he smoothly retreated. When he turned around, Gao Yi swung his left palm and relaxed his right hand, tossing it. It wasn¡¯t like what was shown in the movies, where the hammerhead first slides down the hand before being swung to hit; that would be too slow. As Gao Yi swung his arm, he let go, allowing the hammerhead to slide out from his sleeve. As he tossed the hammer, his right hand was already moving downward. As soon as his right hand felt the handle, he gripped it tightly, and the tossed hammerhead struck directly on top of the bodyguard¡¯s head. Not a moment was wasted, nor any force. The hammer struck the skull of the bodyguard on the right side of the entrance, with almost no bounce back. Pulling back the hammer, he dashed forward, his left shoulder heavy, leaning in. Eight Trigram Wandering Palm followed by Hsing Yi Stick Mountain Lean; the bodyguard at the left side of the entrance was thrown out. No need to swing the hammer, no need to punch, the second bodyguard was taken care of. Using the rebound, he spun around, sliding his foot, pushing the door open, entering. Pushing the door, entering; no bodyguards behind it, all six guards were at Suleyman¡¯s side, no further than four meters away. Entering, charging. Suleyman looked up, his face blank. Suleyman¡¯s left bodyguard was the closest to Gao Yi. He raised his left arm, and his right hand reached for his waist to draw his gun, shouting loudly with the shortest syllable to warn. ¡°Ha!¡± As the bodyguard warned, Gao Yi moved forward quickly, directly facing the threat. Now was the time when Hsing Yi Boxing had the fastest footwork. Gao Yi proceeded between the aisles of tables toward Suleyman¡¯s table to the right, with the first bodyguard on the right and no one on the left. Gao Yi quickened his steps, the back foot pushing the ground, the front foot leading, the back foot following, advancing rapidly at the fastest speed. With no feints, only speed, he reached the front of the first bodyguard, who had already gripped the gun handle, drawing the gun halfway. Quickly stepping past, stepping meant to pass by the frontal enemy, striking from behind. He swung his right hand, swinging it across, striking the back of the head with the hammerhead at the exact moment the gun-drawing bodyguard half-turned without completing the turn, down he went. Passing by the dining table, Flash Step, moving the left foot half a step to the left, followed by sliding the right foot to the left, the body turning, further away from the dining table, arm¡¯s length from the second bodyguard. Creating space, Stepping, the back foot drives the front foot forward one step, the back foot follows half a step, the force quick, fierce, short, and rigid. The plain and unadorned Half-step Burst directly hit the bodyguard¡¯s upper abdomen, down he went. The two bodyguards left and right in front of the dining table fell simultaneously, no time difference. Suleyman now directly faced Gao Yi. Gao Yi chose to spare Suleyman. Stretching his step, the right foot drew a circle stepping sideways half a step to the right, the left foot took a step forward, the body rotating 90 degrees, bypassing the dining table, passing by Suleyman. Following with an inching step, the back foot stepped forward, the front foot stepped upward again, the back foot adjusted half a step closer, between the guards in the back row. The bodyguards were experts, formidable. Four bodyguards in the back row. Left One and Left Two pulled out guns and aimed at Gao Yi, firing. Gao Yi bent his arms to block, lifting Left One¡¯s gun barrel, the gun fired, the bullet missed. His right foot shot out, directly hitting Left Two¡¯s arm, the gun fired, the bullet missed. Gao Yi¡¯s left hand grabbed and pulled the gun, with another shot, Left One lost balance and fell towards Gao Yi. Right foot retracted, body slammed sideways, pulling Left One, right shoulder slammed into Left Two¡¯s chest. Mountain Clinging with unfaltering short power, followed by right hand swinging the hammer, directly hitting Left Two¡¯s head, Left One and Left Two fell together. Behind, Right Three hurled forward attempting a bear hug takedown, while Right Four with his left hand made a motion to protect Suleyman, rushing towards Suleyman while raising his gun at Gao Yi. Flash Step, left foot moved half a step to the left, the right followed sliding to the left, the body rotating, dodging Right Three¡¯s flying bear hug takedown. Following with a jumping step, the back foot pushed off the ground, the body leaped, the iron hammer swung in the air, striking down Right Four¡¯s handgun, landing followed by inch stepping forward, Heart Punch, left punch from below upwards striking Right Four¡¯s left rib, right hand swung the hammer crashing down on the face. The face struck by the heavy hammer, blood spattered, Right Four fell silently. Twist Step, turning back, chasing the fallen Right Three, as he was raising his head, the hammer came crashing down, bursting his head. All bodyguards down, Suleyman pushed the table, staggering forward trying to escape. Gao Yi leaped over the dining table to get behind Suleyman, as he was about to swing the hammer down, a thought crossed his mind and he withdrew the hammer, instead extending his left arm, grabbing Suleyman by the back of his neck, pushing him forward as they both sprinted towards the door. Suleyman stumbled ahead, unable to stop. Gao Yi looked back, no enemies behind. At the entrance, Suleyman struggled again; Gao Yi reached forward with his left arm around Suleyman¡¯s neck, squeezing tightly, as Suleyman instinctively tried to pry off Gao Yi¡¯s left arm without resisting. Pushing Suleyman forward into a collision, he pushed the restaurant door open, facing five men who had just jumped out of a vehicle. Four guards dressed in bullet-proof vests and helmets had just gotten out of the car and were scattered in front of the pickup. On the other side, a man wearing a T-shirt waved his hands at Gao Yi, shouting loudly. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He didn¡¯t understand Spanish. Gao Yi had no time to think, he hid behind Suleyman and pushed him towards the four bodyguards in bullet-proof vests as they charged forward. If the guards dared to shoot, both Gao Yi and Suleyman would be dead. But Gao Yi bet the guards wouldn¡¯t dare shoot at Suleyman. Upon reaching them, Gao Yi suddenly pushed Suleyman towards the two guards on the left, while he flashed towards the right side. Using Stepping, the back foot lifted a virtual step forward, while bundling his body, squatting as a feint, the left foot forcefully shot forward, gaining advantageous ground. The heavily armored guards, four in total. Gao Yi¡¯s left hand grabbed Right Three guard¡¯s rifle, pushing the barrel towards Suleyman, ducking below the barrel, his right hand swung the hammer, striking Right Four¡¯s knee side. Bone shattered, rising, the hammer swung back, hitting the lower edge of Right Four¡¯s helmet in the back of the neck, the bone shattered, Right Four fell. Twist Step, using rebound force to swing again, smashing Right Three¡¯s top head, hitting the helmet. Thunderous sound, the hammerhead flew off, just the handle left. Although the hammer broke, Right Three still fell at the sound. Gao Yi wanted to support the falling Right Three with his left hand, too weak to sustain, immediately leaning forward, using his left shoulder to raise Right Three, using the guard as a shield, heading towards Left Two who had been instinctively held by Suleyman. Within three steps, he shook his shoulder, dropping the shield-guard, the steel handle of the hammer struck down, hitting Left Two¡¯s wrist, Left Two¡¯s rifle fell unable to hold. Gao Yi stroke again, the hammerhandle hit the helmet with a loud noise but to no effect. The hammerhandle scraped along the helmet, retracted the handle, and stabbed again, the blunt handle piercing under the enemy¡¯s chin, Left Two collapsed to the side. His left arm extended again wrapping around Suleyman, a hug throw tossing him backward, right foot kicked out, hitting Left One¡¯s knee, the guard leaned forward, the gun fired, the bullet hit the ground. Gao Yi pulled Left One¡¯s helmet with both hands, right knee struck, hitting Left One¡¯s chin, let go, and down went Left One face first silent on the ground. Turning back, Suleyman had fallen, crawling on the ground trying to stand. Spin around to look at the fifth yelling man, who suddenly stopped shouting and then turned to flee. Gao Yi chased, catching up behind the fifth man, running with a punch coming down, the fifth man plunged forward to the ground, limbs twitching twice before no more movement. Turning back, no enemies in sight. Suleyman on the ground, trying to rise on his knees. Rushing over, again and again and again, he strangled Suleyman¡¯s neck, lifting him up. Looking around, no sign of Sean. Regrettably, Gao Yi gestured in Sean¡¯s supposed direction, then dragged Suleyman quickly walking forward. In the distance, Sean gaped in disbelief, unsure whether the scene before him was real or illusion. Finally, Sean shuddered, then his fingers landed on his phone. Sean couldn¡¯t think, almost instinctively, tapped an A. Trembling hand, a large shaking amplitude, a series of As appeared on the phone. AAAAAAAAAAA, A filling up to the space unable to contain, until the termination skill field maxed out. Chapter 45 - 45 43 Hijacking ?45: Chapter 43: Hijacking 45: Chapter 43: Hijacking Suleyman was already half-dead, but he was, after all, still alive. The arm around his neck was like a pair of iron pincers that he couldn¡¯t pry open no matter what he did. Moreover, any attempt to struggle only made the iron grip tighten, nearly choking him. When he was forced to stop struggling, the grip would loosen slightly. So Suleyman had no choice but to stagger along as Gao Yi dragged him for about a hundred meters. To anyone watching, Suleyman truly resembled a dog. Sean¡¯s car finally arrived. Gao Yi felt at ease, and Suleyman could be relieved too. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Sean was sincerely apologizing, but Gao Yi interrupted urgently, ¡°The man¡¯s here, no problems, right?¡± Sean¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, ¡°Why did you bring him here?¡± ¡°You really think I¡¯d believe that I killed the man inside the restaurant? There wasn¡¯t time to take a video as proof, so I had to bring him out for you to see.¡± Gao Yi did not let go of Suleyman. While talking, he dug out his phone from his pocket and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the video and upload it myself, give me a hammer.¡± As he released Suleyman, allowing him to collapse onto the ground, Gao Yi leaned in to grab a hammer from inside the car. He could certainly kill Suleyman with his bare hands, but it wouldn¡¯t be visually impactful, not direct enough. For a smooth ransom collection, it was better to use a method that left no doubt the target was dead. ¡°I believe you, of course I believe you!¡± Sean said urgently, ¡°I¡¯m the client, I don¡¯t need a video for proof.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do, this job came from the Dark Web, I need to make the Dark Web believe.¡± Gao Yi raised the hammer, and at that moment, Suleyman pleaded tremulously, ¡°No! Please don¡¯t!¡± Just then, a person ran out from the restaurant. He was holding a pistol, aiming at Gao Yi and them, but quickly picked up an M4 rifle from the ground and aimed it at Gao Yi. It must have been someone left in the kitchen. The earlier fight ended too quickly, before the inside people could react, and as a result, the bodyguard who was left inside didn¡¯t rush out to his death. At this distance, the distant bodyguard didn¡¯t shoot because he saw Gao Yi pick up Suleyman once again. Sean said urgently, ¡°Get in the car, use the target as a shield; he¡¯s useful, quick.¡± Gao Yi opened the back door and shoved Suleyman inside. Sean drove off before the door even closed. Gao Yi said self-critically, ¡°There were still people alive, sorry, I messed up¡­¡± Sean was silent for a moment, then finally spoke softly, ¡°You stormed in alone! You took out everyone! You captured the target! You call this messing up! Then what are we¡­ what are the rest of us?!¡± Suleyman¡¯s trembling voice offered, ¡°No matter who you are, no matter how much you earn, I¡¯ll pay double! No, five times more!¡± Gao Yi saw that the bodyguard had started to follow them from afar. ¡°There¡¯s someone following, what do we do?¡± ¡°Shake them off first,¡± Sean responded hurriedly, while Suleyman, now a bit calmer, was curled up in the backseat, trying to save his own life. ¡°Gentlemen, please listen, you¡¯re assassins, right? It¡¯s about money, isn¡¯t it? I can pay you a lot! A lot! Name your price, how about it?¡± Gao Yi was truly unswayed, but when he looked back, he noticed that it seemed like more cars had joined the chase. ¡°There are more of them now!¡± Suleyman whispered, ¡°This city is full of my people! If you kill me, you won¡¯t be able to escape, why not let me go and leave with a large sum of money? If you¡¯re worried about my revenge, then take me to the United States, take the money and let me go, how about that? How much do you want? Let me name a figure, will two million dollars do? No? I¡¯ll add more, five million! I¡¯ll give you five million, in cash, all unmarked bills. I¡¯ll prepare a car for you, or whatever you say, anything goes.¡± The job was worth two hundred thousand, and now the target was willing to give five million to save his life. Was Gao Yi tempted? No, he didn¡¯t even consider it. Playing both sides was not in Gao Yi¡¯s character, and more importantly, he wasn¡¯t foolish¡ªfive million sounded like a lot, but whether he could even get the money was one thing, and another was if he would live to spend it. Just then, a flurry of dust kicked up in front of the car, and it took Gao Yi a moment to realize that the pursuers behind them couldn¡¯t hold their fire any longer. They opened fire, not daring to shoot directly at the car, but at the ground in front of the car, as a warning. Gao Yi grabbed Suleyman and barked, ¡°Roll down the window, stick your head out, if they open fire, you¡¯ll be the first to get shot!¡± Suleyman obediently did as told. He rolled down the window and while waving his hand, he shouted with all his might, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! No shooting!¡± After pulling Suleyman back in, Gao Yi asked embarrassedly, ¡°Now what?¡± He could easily handle ten men, but being chased and shot at? That genuinely scared Gao Yi. Being skilled in combat was useless when those behind him had machine guns. Sean suddenly said, ¡°No choice, abandon the mission, take the money.¡± Gao Yi was stunned, but Suleyman urged, ¡°A wise choice!¡± Sean continued in a chilling tone, ¡°Ten million dollars, in unmarked bills. I know you drug dealers have plenty of cash. Now, have your men bring the money to the United States border.¡± Suleyman quickly responded, ¡°Okay, no problem, ten million in unmarked bills, loaded in a car, waiting on the other side of the US border for you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take you to the other side of the US, and after we ensure our safety, we¡¯ll release you!¡± Suleyman murmured, ¡°It won¡¯t work if¡­ ¡± Sean slashed, ¡°Kill him!¡± Gao Yi immediately raised the hammer. Suleyman yelled out, ¡°Okay, okay! Whatever you say goes, I¡¯ll comply with everything!¡± Sean suddenly hit the brakes, as two police trucks had blocked the road ahead, and both vehicles were carrying machine guns in their beds. Sean slowed down, turned the wheel hard, and the car headed off in a different direction, while the machine gunners on the police trucks refrained from firing, watching them take another route. Judging by Sean¡¯s speed, he wasn¡¯t going particularly fast, and the number of cars trailing them was growing, at least a dozen, with the closest just twenty or thirty meters away. Luckily, they had Suleyman in the car, or else they¡¯d have been shot full of holes by now. Sean exhaled deeply, turning slightly to address Suleyman, ¡°Do you have a phone?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Call your people, have them back off, then we¡¯ll discuss where to deliver the money.¡± Suleyman glanced at Gao Yi, he could negotiate with Sean, but without a word from Gao Yi, he dared not even move. That was the oppressive feeling borne of fear. Gao Yi¡¯s cold stare was enough to sap Suleyman of the courage to even twitch. Gao Yi nodded, so Suleyman quickly pulled out a phone from his pocket, pondered for a second, and dialed a number, also considerately setting it to speakerphone. The call connected, and Suleyman immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s me! I¡¯m not dead!¡± There was a flurry of loud shouting, and Suleyman quickly commanded, ¡°Speak English!¡± Sean stated coolly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand Spanish.¡± Gao Yi was displeased and whispered, ¡°Speak English, I don¡¯t understand Spanish.¡± Suleyman promptly said, ¡°Get ten million dollars ready, I¡¯ll tell you where to bring it in a moment. And tell everyone, don¡¯t try anything sneaky, do nothing.¡± ¡°Yes, boss, are you okay?¡± Suleyman snarled, ¡°Of course I¡¯ve been kidnapped! Do you even need to ask, you idiot, back off, keep your distance!¡± Suleyman hung up the phone and turned to Gao Yi, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Gao Yi waited for Sean¡¯s response, which, after thinking, was, ¡°Where do you think it would be a good place for the exchange? Somewhere that would make you feel safe, and us as well.¡± Suleyman cautiously suggested, ¡°How about at the customs port of entry? Of course, on the US side. My men can¡¯t all get over there, so you don¡¯t have to worry about retaliation after releasing me. And I definitely won¡¯t seek revenge, I swear to God.¡± Sean took a deep breath and responded, ¡°No, that¡¯s a good choice for you, but not for us. Let¡¯s pick a different city, go to Tijuana.¡± Suleyman whispered, ¡°No, Tijuana¡­ It¡¯s not my turf. I¡¯ll die if I go to Tijuana; absolutely not.¡± Sean waited, then proposed, ¡°Then let¡¯s do the exchange through your tunnels. I know you have tunnels crossing the border, how about that?¡± Suleyman hesitated briefly and agreed, ¡°Okay! The exit on the US side, you can rest assured.¡± ¡°Where is it exactly?¡± Without hesitation, Suleyman blurted out a location, knowing full well that if he hesitated, Gao Yi¡¯s hammer would come down. After some thought, Sean said, ¡°Alright, make the call. Inform your people to have the money ready at the tunnel exit on the US side.¡± Suleyman made another call, this time with more intensity after the connection, ¡°It¡¯s me, I¡¯ve been taken. Prepare ten million dollars in unmarked bills, wait at the Mexican entrance for me. Don¡¯t bring too many people, don¡¯t try to rescue me, they¡¯ll release me once they get their money. If you do anything unnecessary, I¡¯ll be in danger.¡± After hanging up, Suleyman said quietly, ¡°I called my wife with that phone. I can¡¯t fully trust anyone else. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And, I can follow you to the US for the exchange, but the money can¡¯t go ahead of me; it must pass with me.¡± Sean nodded and then suddenly commanded, ¡°Knock him out.¡± Both Gao Yi and Suleyman were stunned, but then Gao Yi raised his hand and struck Suleyman¡¯s neck. ¡°Is he out? Uh, sorry, he¡¯s definitely out.¡± First Sean asked, then immediately realized asking was superfluous, and after apologizing to Gao Yi, he took out his phone and dialed a number. Once the call connected, Sean said softly, ¡°I have Suleyman, alive, plus ten million dollars. Do you want it?¡± Chapter 46 - 46 44 Recruit People ?46: Chapter 44 Recruit People 46: Chapter 44 Recruit People Smart people catch on quickly; Gao Yi didn¡¯t need Sean to spell it out, he knew what had happened. This was a classic double-cross, no, more accurately, it was like using a tiger to swallow the wolf. It was just unclear whom he had called. Sean calmly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about who I am. We want nothing except Suleyman¡¯s death. Just deal with Suleyman¡¯s people, and I¡¯ll hand over Suleyman¡¯s corpse to you. How about it, do you dare?¡± After a moment, the phone was hung up, and Sean confidently smiled at Gao Yi, saying, ¡°Handled.¡± ¡°Who did you call?¡± Sean sighed and said, ¡°Suleyman¡¯s competitors, Mexicali¡¯s second-largest power. They¡¯re very eager to eliminate Suleyman. Normally, they can¡¯t defeat Suleyman, but now that Suleyman is in our hands, it¡¯s different.¡± Gao Yi took a breath and said, ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ quite cunning. I¡¯m just curious, didn¡¯t you think about taking ten million dollars and leaving?¡± ¡°Do you want to?¡± ¡°I really do, but I know it¡¯s not possible.¡± Sean nodded, ¡°Good, you¡¯re wise. Ten million dollars is a huge amount, a pile of cash, and it¡¯s basic practice to install GPS on the vehicles. There¡¯s no way we could take the money and escape safely if Suleyman were so easy to give in, then he wouldn¡¯t deserve to be Mexicali¡¯s biggest drug lord.¡± ¡°What else could he do?¡± Without hesitation, Sean said, ¡°He could do too much. Regardless of what you think, remember, we are just two people. Without other people to muddy the waters, we can¡¯t escape. So later, even if that money is right in front of you, don¡¯t waste time grabbing it. When I say run, start running immediately. Don¡¯t delay even a second.¡± ¡°And then?¡± Sean thought for a moment then said, ¡°Then we can watch them fight each other like dogs.¡± The plan was not complicated; it was essentially about finding Suleyman¡¯s enemies and sticking to the mission, while remaining composed despite the allure of ten million dollars. Gao Yi nodded, then he suddenly said, ¡°Can I get my two hundred thousand now?¡± ¡°Give it right now, right now.¡± Sean picked up the phone, operated it a few times, then said, ¡°Mission accomplished, pay up.¡± After putting down the phone, Sean commented with deep emotion, ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°You ask.¡± ¡°How did you do it?¡± Gao Yi thought about it then replied, ¡°Just went in, knocked out the bodyguard, went out.¡± Sean went silent for a while, then said again, ¡°Perhaps I was too brief in my question, I mean, how did you get close to Suleyman under the surveillance of a dozen bodyguards, and how did you knock out Suleyman¡¯s bodyguards and still manage to get him out alive?¡± ¡°Just went in, grabbed him, went out, oh, and knocked out a few guards in heavy bullet-proof vests at the door, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Sean opened his mouth several times, then finally said, ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient to reveal, then never mind.¡± Gao Yi said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ve told you already. If you want details, it¡¯s just one hammer per person, very simple.¡± Gao Yi and Sean couldn¡¯t understand each other¡¯s feelings. For Gao Yi, this was basic operation; asking him to elaborate was pointless. Was it necessary to explain in detail how one shopped for and picked out a fresh cabbage from the market? But for Sean, it was different. An impossible task, Gao Yi strolled in and brought back the target, like picking a cabbage, but Gao Yi wasn¡¯t browsing a vegetable market; he had plucked a cabbage from a minefield, so shouldn¡¯t one be curious how he managed it? It¡¯s just that Sean didn¡¯t understand, and therefore couldn¡¯t explain. Eventually, Sean said frustrately, ¡°Okay, I understand now.¡± ¡°What did you understand?¡± Sean replied solemnly, ¡°You¡¯re not just an assassin; you¡¯re more like a berserker, but you possess a termination skill others can hardly imagine. As long as you can get close to your target, you can terminate it.¡± After saying that, Sean continued emotionally, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an assassin like you before; you defy all norms. Although your termination skill is strong, your weaknesses are also quite clear, like your inability to handle dangers after eliminating your target, like right now¡­¡± Gao Yi looked back and said, ¡°Our pursuers are getting distant. Speaking of which, I want to ask why the hammer you gave me broke!¡± Sean was trying to rope in Gao Yi, and he didn¡¯t need to be secretive about that, while Gao Yi swiftly changed the subject because if he was as formidable as Sean said, he could have joined any assassin organization and wouldn¡¯t need a leaky ship like Garden. The broken hammer was indeed Sean¡¯s work error. Sean paused, pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°Did you say the hammer broke?¡± ¡°Yes, the bead on the hammer¡¯s head broke off from the welded point.¡± Sean apologized profusely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was my work error. Analyzing the reason, it might be because the bearing steel is high-carbon steel, which has poor weldability. It requires preheating before welding and heat preservation afterward, but we were too pressed for time and didn¡¯t do these tasks. Under heavy impact, such a hammer indeed could break.¡± Gao nodded, ¡°Alright, as long as you didn¡¯t do it on purpose, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go back and make you a new hammer immediately, using integral forging or maybe forging with a steel ball core and then riveting through the handle; that way it will definitely not break.¡± ¡°No need, I don¡¯t particularly like hammers, nor can I only use hammers. It just so happened that a hammer suited this time.¡± Sean fell silent for a moment, then said again, ¡°You see, in this operation, you don¡¯t have to worry about exposing your identity. If it were just you, you might have been exposed, and then you¡¯d never get another chance to be an assassin.¡± Gao Yi nodded, ¡°Do you really need to mention this now? Can we discuss it after we are safe? We are running for our lives here, can you please focus?¡± Sean sighed. He knew he had been somewhat impatient, then he intended to leave a better, more reliable impression on Gao Yi. ¡°No problem, we will definitely escape safely. Let me think, maybe add an extra layer of safety.¡± Mumbling to himself, Sean picked up his cellphone again, supported the steering wheel with one hand, and said into the phone, ¡°Hi, Siri, call Sand Scorpion.¡± The call connected, and Sean said, ¡°Hi, Sand Scorpion, ten million dollars. It¡¯s not a mission but a steal. You interested?¡± ¡°That depends on who we are stealing from.¡± ¡°Suleyman.¡± ¡°Suleyman? You mean the one from Mexicali? Uh, I¡¯m in Africa¡­¡± ¡°Suleyman is in my car.¡± ¡°Um, my business in Africa is done, I¡¯m now in America, but¡­¡± ¡°I only want him dead, you get me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Tijuana! I¡¯ll find a plane over. Give me an hour, I can make it.¡± Sean looked at his watch and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you the exact location when it¡¯s time.¡± Watching the phone shut off, Gao Yi finally whispered, ¡°Who was that? Who did you call?¡± ¡°The Sand Scorpion Mercenary Group.¡± Sean waved his hand nonchalantly, ¡°A decent mercenary group. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With their involvement, things will get messier and it will be easier for us to escape in the chaos, don¡¯t you think?¡± Chapter 47 - 47 45 Make a Friend ?47: Chapter 45: Make a Friend 47: Chapter 45: Make a Friend Gao Yi didn¡¯t know what Sean had planned specifically because Sean hadn¡¯t made it clear on the phone, leaving Gao Yi in the dark. ¡°Are you seriously going along without pre-agreeing on how and where to make a move, and just pulling Suleyman¡¯s rival into this and that¡¯s it?¡± As it concerned Gao Yi¡¯s safety, his question was justified, but Sean answered indifferently, ¡°Your concern is reasonable, but the reality is that arrangements can¡¯t be made. I was able to get in touch with Suleyman¡¯s rivals because I made preparations before arriving, investigating all of Suleyman¡¯s potential enemies that could pose a threat to him, but that¡¯s all¡ªjust investigations, no prior agreements. This means there is a lack of mutual trust, which is crucial.¡± ¡°Then aren¡¯t you afraid that Suleyman¡¯s rivals might kill us too?¡± ¡°Of course I am, so I contacted Sand Scorpion.¡± Sean waved his hand and continued, ¡°The Sand Scorpion Mercenary Group is the only mercenary group I know of that consistently operates around the US-Mexico Border. They¡¯re quite strong, about twenty people, and this group tends to follow rules, but I don¡¯t know them well enough to trust that they¡¯d keep to those rules when facing a large sum of money. So, I choose safety first.¡± Sean was obviously experienced, and Gao Yi, undoubtedly a novice, so things that Sean thought needed no explanation were not quite clear to Gao Yi. ¡°Hold on, what do you mean by ¡®not knowing them well enough, so choosing safety first¡¯?¡± Sean nodded, ¡°Good question. Not knowing them well means I¡¯ve never worked with them before, and relying solely on their external reputation, I cannot determine whether Sand Scorpion values money or credibility more. So, my choice was simple, ¡®Don¡¯t take the ten million dollars, give it all to Sand Scorpion.''¡± Gao Yi muttered under his breath, ¡°Ten million! Even giving them nine million would have sufficed, right?¡± Keeping an extra million always sounded good so Gao Yi couldn¡¯t understand why they had to give all the money to Sand Scorpion. Sean sighed, ¡°If you were a Sand Scorpion, you could kill two people to get an extra million because the money is right there in front of you. Most importantly, this mission wasn¡¯t through the Dark Web, and we aren¡¯t even the real employers since we can¡¯t provide the full process required for a mission. Thus, to Sand Scorpion, nothing but industry reputation and morals bind them. If it were you, would you kill two people for an extra million?¡¯ ¡°No.¡± ¡°Can you guarantee Sand Scorpion won¡¯t?¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Sean nodded and then spoke seriously, ¡°No matter how much I explain now, you won¡¯t fully grasp it. Wait a while, and once you see how everything unfolds, you will understand why I made this choice.¡± ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s wait and see.¡± At this moment, Sean seemed quite eager to play the role of a mentor, continuing, ¡°Every decision I¡¯ve made is to ensure your safe extraction?¡± It sounded too good to be true, so Gao Yi merely responded noncommittally, ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°The reason I ask for old bills is because drug traffickers definitely have a lot of cash, but ten million dollars is a large sum, and Suleyman could produce ten million dollars at any time, likely in new bills. So, asking for old bills is to buy time for Sand Scorpion to arrive.¡± After explaining why he had asked for old bills, Sean chuckled, ¡°The more detailed and numerous your demands, the more it shows you genuinely intend to release your opponent. If you agree too readily, Suleyman would never believe you. These are little tricks, but they¡¯re crucial, mostly bought with lives.¡± Gao Yi, feeling somewhat helpless, muttered, ¡°So you¡¯re saying without joining you, I can¡¯t gain this experience, and if I go alone, I¡¯d likely die, right?¡± Sean replied generously, ¡°Yes.¡± They were in it together now, so Gao Yi thought for a moment and ultimately said nothing. It was too early to say he wasn¡¯t interested in joining another assassin organization. Gao Yi wasn¡¯t stupid, and his emotional intelligence wasn¡¯t that low either. He¡¯d just have to swallow the sugar coating and fire back when necessary. As long as he knew where he stood, that was enough. ¡°He looks like he¡¯s about to wake up.¡± Gao Yi simply spoke, prompting Sean to immediately fall silent. ¡°Can you tell how long it will be before he wakes up?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I rarely knock people out; in fact, this is the first time. I didn¡¯t gauge the strength well and didn¡¯t dare to hit too hard, so he won¡¯t be out for too long.¡± Sean took a breath and spoke, ¡°Alright, now I¡¯ll say only the most crucial thing: you¡¯re an assassin, not a mercenary. Look out for yourself when the time comes.¡± The car continued to drive erratically, and Gao Yi then realized that keeping Suleyman was the right decision for today because, given the cars that appeared and disappeared behind them, without the hostage, they would have surely died several times over. ¡°I¡­ What is this¡­¡± Suleyman had woken up, having been unconscious for about two hours¡ªnot a short time, but not long enough for Sand Scorpion to arrive. So far, Sean hadn¡¯t received a call that Sand Scorpion was in position. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, you won¡¯t die,¡± Sean reassured Suleyman before adding lightly, ¡°We¡¯ll release you soon, don¡¯t worry.¡± Suleyman¡¯s eyes moved around as if he were pondering something, then stared at his mobile phone. His mobile was in Gao Yi¡¯s hands. Gao Yi passed the mobile over, suggesting, ¡°Call and check if the money is ready.¡± Suleyman took the phone, glanced at the time to check how long he had been out for, then murmured, ¡°The money¡¯s definitely ready, but why aren¡¯t you going to get it now¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t act. He just spoke lightly, making Suleyman tremble and quickly shut his mouth. Sean spoke emphatically, ¡°Because we¡¯re waiting for backup. Relax, we¡¯re professional assassins with professional ethics. If we say we won¡¯t kill you, we definitely won¡¯t kill you, especially since this job is just for two hundred thousand dollars. If you were in our shoes, which would you choose between two hundred thousand and ten million dollars?¡± Suleyman shook visibly, exclaiming, ¡°What? Just two hundred thousand? Impossible!¡± Without hesitation, Sean replied, ¡°Show him the task.¡± Sean was treating Suleyman as if he were already dead, but Suleyman, realizing this, promptly exclaimed, ¡°I won¡¯t look! I won¡¯t look!¡± Gao Yi took out his phone, pulled up the task, covered up his own name with his finger, and stretched the phone toward Suleyman, urging, ¡°Take a good look, is it two hundred thousand?¡± Suleyman couldn¡¯t help but glance. He saw his own photo, the Dark Web page, and indeed, the task was accepted for two hundred thousand dollars. Suleyman burst out furiously, ¡°That bastard thinks he can buy my life for just two hundred thousand? This is an insult¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡± His anger quickly turned into intense confusion, and then Suleyman looked at Gao Yi, bewildered, ¡°You took out so many of my bodyguards and kidnapped me just for two hundred thousand dollars?¡± Gao Yi looked back at Suleyman, frowning, ¡°Otherwise?¡± ¡°Just two hundred thousand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not killing you, would you give me two hundred thousand?¡± Suleyman inhaled sharply twice, then suddenly proposed, ¡°I¡¯ll add another ten million, making it twenty million. Will you tell me who the employer is?¡± Gao Yi felt extremely conflicted, then sternly replied, ¡°No, we¡¯re professional assassins, we have¡­ professional ethics!¡± His response sounded a bit weak, but Sean firmly declared, ¡°We can¡¯t disclose that, not for a billion. If we fail the mission, that¡¯s it. Even if we swapped for ten million, it wouldn¡¯t be a loss, but selling out an employer is absolutely out of the question.¡± Gao Yi concurred, ¡°Yeah, impossible.¡± Suddenly, Suleyman suggested, ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know too, right?¡± Sean remained silent, and Gao Yi, looking astonished, said, ¡°How¡­ how can you make such an accusation?¡± Suleyman sighed, ¡°You took the job from the Dark Web, it¡¯s quite normal not to know the identity of the employer. But you also don¡¯t know my identity, do you?¡± Sean didn¡¯t speak, and Gao Yi hesitated, also remaining silent. ¡°Novices, right?¡± Suleyman confidently posed the question and then gazed at Gao Yi, ¡°Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be unaware of my strength, nor would you have accepted the task of killing me in Mexicali for just two hundred thousand dollars.¡± Gao Yi swallowed and unintentionally glanced at Sean. Suleyman was convinced, almost arrogantly declaring, ¡°Alright, you can drop the mission now. I don¡¯t care whether you were truly going to release me or not before, but it doesn¡¯t matter now because your employer will definitely die. He can no longer hire you to kill me, most importantly, he can¡¯t pay you. Even if he has transferred the commission to the Dark Web, he definitely can¡¯t increase the bounty.¡± Gao Yi looked at Sean again, who slightly shook his head, leading Gao Yi to remain silent. Seeing their small movements, Suleyman confidently stated, ¡°Take the ten million and go, I won¡¯t blame you or pursue you. Since you¡¯re professional assassins, I have no reason to seek revenge. Even more, I can pay you to kill the employer. I know who the employer is; it¡¯s Franciska. Only he would place just two hundred thousand on my life because he can¡¯t afford more.¡± Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Who¡¯s Franciska?¡± ¡°He was once the biggest drug lord in this town, but not anymore, because I defeated him.¡± Now, Suleyman wasn¡¯t as scared. He sat up straighter, waving his mobile phone and proposing, ¡°Let me make a call, okay? I¡¯ll give you two million dollars.¡± Pointing at Gao Yi, Suleyman spoke with a somewhat restored authoritative tone, ¡°With your skills, those two million are what you deserve. Let¡¯s be friends.¡± Gao Yi licked his lips and haltingly replied, ¡°Uh, this, well¡­ thanks?¡± Sean nodded, then his phone rang, and after checking it, he said, ¡°Alright then.¡± Chapter 48 - 48 46 Melee ?48: Chapter 46: Melee 48: Chapter 46: Melee Sean sent the text he had edited long ago but had never sent. The Sand Scorpion had already taken position, and Suleyman¡¯s opponents were also well-ambushed. Suleyman¡¯s opponent was indeed Franciska, but he didn¡¯t know if Franciska would really only offer two hundred thousand dollars as he had claimed. Mexicali was a border city where a densely packed cluster of buildings lay just along an Iron Wire fence, and the United States side was a desert, requiring a few more kilometers¡¯ walk before reaching the downtown area of El Centro. Gao Yi had always thought the tunnel entrance was outside the city, but unexpectedly, on a street about a hundred meters from the border Iron Wire fence, in what seemed like an ordinary block, Sean suddenly hit the brakes. The entrance to the tunnel was provided by Suleyman and since the tunnel was not drivable, parking a truck full of money at the entrance clearly could not transport the money across. Sean spoke softly, ¡°We¡¯re here, where¡¯s your car?¡± Suleyman hurriedly said, ¡°Dude, no matter what you guys thought before, have you changed your mind now? Are you sure you¡¯re letting me go?¡± Sean nodded, but Suleyman turned to look at Gao Yi and said, ¡°You speak, you guarantee!¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t want to promise, but after looking at Sean, he finally said, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t kill you!¡± Suleyman spread his hands and said, ¡°Then how will you take the money? If you can¡¯t take the money, how could you possibly let me go?¡± Sean unhesitatingly said, ¡°I told you I have support, I found someone, let them take the money, and we both will take you through the tunnel. Once I confirm the money is safe, I¡¯ll let you go on the US side. Sounds reliable, right?¡± Suleyman hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°Okay, get out of the car!¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Sean picked up his phone and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make a call.¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sean dialed a number and while waiting for the call to connect, he whispered, ¡°Are you in position?¡± He didn¡¯t know what the other party said, but Sean immediately said, ¡°Now you come out and open the truck filled with money.¡± After speaking, Sean turned to Suleyman and demanded, ¡°Where¡¯s the money? The truck with the money? The tunnel entrance?¡± Gao Yi picked up a Hammer, and Suleyman immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll make a call! I¡¯ll make the call!¡± Suleyman quickly dialed, and once the call connected, he urgently said, ¡°Bring the truck out, let them see the money!¡± Without hanging up, following Suleyman¡¯s order, a roller gate in front of Gao Yi began to rise, and then a pickup truck backed out, blocking the not-so-wide street, turned around, and parked very close to Gao Yi¡¯s vehicle. Gao Yi looked around briefly; vehicles had blocked both ends of the street, and most astonishingly, apart from Suleyman¡¯s men, there were even several police cars. Then, what should they do next? Just then, Sean suddenly said, ¡°Do you know what to do after we get out of the car and enter the tunnel?¡± Gao Yi hesitated, because Sean had not informed him earlier about this plan, so he now couldn¡¯t distinguish whether Sean mentioning getting out and entering the tunnel was true or false. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know.¡± Gao Yi honestly admitted his ignorance. Sean said, ¡°You get out first, stay to the side, I¡¯ll handle him, and then the three of us will go through the tunnel. Once we reach the other side, it will be safe.¡± After speaking, Sean turned to Suleyman and asked, ¡°Right?¡± Suleyman immediately said, ¡°Right! But how will you take the money? Where are your people, and why aren¡¯t they coming to take the money!¡± Sean said, ¡°As long as you are in our hands, we aren¡¯t worried about losing the money. Once we get there and confirm it¡¯s safe, it will not be too late to take the money. Go on, get out, you go first.¡± Sean let Gao Yi get out first. Gao Yi hesitated for a moment, then he still opened the car door. The moment he got out, Gao Yi¡¯s legs really felt weak, and his heart was thumping wildly inside his chest on the right side. He truly didn¡¯t know how many guns were aimed at him from all around. He couldn¡¯t see a single one now, and the less he saw, the more panicked he felt. Gao Yi got out of the car and walked a few steps to the side; he reached the door of the roller gate and peered inside, but there were only four people inside, none of them holding a gun, just nervously watching him. Gao Yi felt much relieved, he waved towards Sean¡¯s car. How come he couldn¡¯t see Sand Scorpion¡¯s men or any others? For now, it seemed like only Suleyman¡¯s men had fully blocked the street. While Gao Yi was curious, Sean finally got down from the driver¡¯s seat. First looking around, Sean opened the back car door and then waved to Suleyman, ¡°Come out, slowly, if you rush, I¡¯ll kill you, your legs first out¡­¡± Suleyman first put his legs down on the ground, and by this time, he was basically assured. But just as Suleyman¡¯s feet touched the ground and before he moved, Sean suddenly grabbed Suleyman¡¯s clothes, violently pulled him out, didn¡¯t wait for Suleyman to come out, turned his head, and ran towards the roller gate where Gao Yi was. ¡°Get in!¡± Sean roared, rushing towards Gao Yi; Gao Yi turned into what looked like a garage room after the roller gate, waved his left hand, swinging the Hammer in his right. Suleyman was dragged out, he staggered a bit, stood puzzled next to the car, watching Sean. Then, gunfire erupted. At least a dozen guns fired simultaneously. Suleyman had just steadied himself when bullets started flying densely from all around, and in an instant, Suleyman¡¯s body had at least a dozen bullet holes before collapsing lifelessly. With wide-open eyes, Suleyman didn¡¯t understand what happened until his death. Sean, head lowered, just kept sprinting. As Suleyman lay dead, really dead on the street, a second round of gunfire suddenly erupted from both sides of the road centered on him, but this time the bullets were aimed at Sean. The pursuers stopped at least three hundred meters away at both ends of the street, because Suleyman had not allowed them to get closer. Dozens of guns quickly turned into a chaotic crossfire of hundreds, but since Suleyman¡¯s men ultimately couldn¡¯t fire at first, by the time they verified Suleyman was dead and turned their guns on Sean, he was already inside the roller gate. Just what he needed, that slight difference in time. Four unarmed men inside, Gao Yi took down each with a hammer. By the time Sean ran in, all four were already down. Sean pulled Gao Yi to the side, against the wall, then said, ¡°Wait!¡± With a bang, something exploded outside the roller gate, and the blast brought dust swirling in. Then bullets pitter-pattered on the walls on both sides of the gate. Gao Yi confusedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What do we do next¡­?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± It wasn¡¯t loud, but given the dense gunfire and sporadic explosions outside, Gao Yi glanced at the door inside the room and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going into the tunnel?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t!¡± Sean pointed towards the gate, ¡°We¡¯re right in the eye of the storm, it seems dangerous, but it¡¯s actually the safest place! Now you understand why I don¡¯t care about the money, right? Because it¡¯s simply impossible to take!¡± Outside, he couldn¡¯t see the battle, Gao Yi urgently said, ¡°Where¡¯s Sand Scorpion? Was it Sand Scorpion firing just now?¡± ¡°No! It was Franciska¡¯s men! They would surely start firing once they saw Suleyman, because they weren¡¯t sure if what I said was true or not. But once they spotted Suleyman, they would definitely shoot, so now that Suleyman is dead, your mission is completely accomplished and you¡¯ve even kept your promise.¡± It really was the eye of the storm, outside the fierce battle continued, but here, no bullets came directly in. Gao Yi anxiously said, ¡°But eventually they will cease fire, and if we don¡¯t leave by then, won¡¯t we end up dead anyway?¡± ¡°No, if Suleyman hadn¡¯t died, his men would have fought to the end. But now Suleyman is dead! He died right in front of his men, they will scatter, Franciska¡¯s men will keep fighting until the end, and Sand Scorpion will come for the money.¡± Confidently finishing, Sean smiled, ¡°So, the last to break in, Sand Scorpion, will be the most determined fighters. We just need to follow Sand Scorpion¡¯s men and leave. Now, we just wait!¡± The plan was simple, almost as if there was no plan¡ªsimply call everyone, let them start a massive brawl. But Sean staked his and Gao Yi¡¯s lives on this unpredictable brawl. However, Sean did indeed take on the most dangerous task for himself, since he first let Gao Yi get out of the car and enter the tunnel entrance. The fight lasted approximately just two minutes, the gunfire thinned out unexpectedly. Sean picked up the phone; he loudly said, ¡°Take the money, we are right behind this roller gate, protect us as we leave, the money is on the pickup truck! If you don¡¯t act now, someone else will snatch the money. Now that Suleyman is dead, anyone can claim this money, everyone wants it!¡± After Sean finished, the previously sparse gunfire outside resumed. It wasn¡¯t long, just over a minute, when sudden urgent shouting was heard outside; Sean looked out and said, ¡°Sand Scorpion has arrived, prepare to go.¡± Gao Yi was very close to the money truck; he watched a group of tough men in plain clothes, but each wearing Bullet-Proof Vests and fully armed, reached the pickup. ¡°The car is damaged!¡± ¡°There¡¯s money, but how to take it?¡± ¡°Falke!¡± ¡°Move the money down!¡± ¡°No, tie the truck up, drive out!¡± Checking the vehicle, checking the money, figuring out how to take the money took time, so inevitably, those outside fell into disarray. The bustling crowd outside, one of them looked towards Sean, and Sean waved and said, ¡°Hey, Sand Scorpion, no need to kill mine, should be no problem taking us along, right?¡± One middle-aged man with sunglasses tilted his head and yelled into the walkie-talkie on his shoulder, ¡°Drive over here! Clear the barricades, too much money, can¡¯t move it in time!¡± He didn¡¯t promise to protect Sean, but he didn¡¯t fire at Sean and Gao Yi either. Sand Scorpion knelt on one knee, then raised his gun and fired. Gao Yi whispered, ¡°Shall we go out?¡± Sean pointed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t rush, it¡¯s still dangerous outside, watch.¡± A mercenary leaning against the wall, firing his weapon, suddenly fell backward, his gun clattering to the ground, his face facing Gao Yi, but with a bullet hole already in his face. Sean whispered, ¡°That¡¯s a mercenary, that¡¯s battle, one can die any moment. No matter how good your Kung Fu is, you¡¯re just a person like him in this kind of battlefield¡ªa normal person who will die if shot!¡± Gao Yi immediately said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a mercenary.¡± ¡°Given your style, you¡¯re more suited to be a mercenary than an assassin, but even if you become an assassin, operating alone means you will eventually die. Think carefully, you really need us, you need aids, people to help, to help you avoid such situations.¡± Gao Yi really conceded, somewhat helplessly, he said, ¡°You didn¡¯t enter the tunnel just to show me all this, did you?¡± Sean shook his head, ¡°Of course not, I also have to take care of my own life. The other end of the tunnel surely has many people waiting for us, so definitely can¡¯t go through the tunnel. Wait a bit, let Sand Scorpion clear the way and then we can leave, just wait a bit.¡± Chapter 49 - 49 47 Something Seems Right Everywhere ?49: Chapter 47: Something Seems Right Everywhere 49: Chapter 47: Something Seems Right Everywhere The money was wrapped in plastic film, one hundred thousand in a small pack, one million in a big pack. Although it was all old bills, it was still neatly pressed, making it easy and fast to transport. Gao Yi could see clearly, but unfortunately, he could only look, not touch. Now he understood why Sean didn¡¯t want a dime, because getting this money really meant risking one¡¯s life. ¡°Prepare to retreat! Prepare to retreat!¡± When the leader of the Sand Scorpion shouted to retreat, the gunfire had already thinned out to the point where one could risk dashing out, but bullets still sporadically fell around. The Sand Scorpions spread out, forming a dumbbell shape, most of them holding guns to address threats from both ends of the street, with four people in the middle raising guns towards both sides of the street. ¡°Bring the bodies!¡± The leader of the Sand Scorpion still yelled, two men holstered their guns, they quickly ran towards a companion who had been shot in the face, lifting the body and throwing it into the pickup truck filled with money. So far, Sand Scorpion had lost two men. After two bodies were thrown into the truck, the two men tasked with collecting the bodies whispered, ¡°Boss, it¡¯s done!¡± The leader of the Sand Scorpion kept firing shots from time to time, then he stood up and said, ¡°Retreat!¡± Sean took a deep breath and said to Gao Yi, ¡°Keep up!¡± Sean ran to the door, bent over, and then saw Gao Yi bending over to pick up a gun on the ground as soon as he exited; he suddenly pushed him aside. ¡°Are you crazy!¡± Gao Yi gave up on picking up the gun; Sean pulled him by the arm to a position alongside the wall on one side of the street. Baffled, Gao Yi listened as Sean whispered, ¡°If you jump out attempting to stop this crew from leaving, are you going to shoot at the threatening or non-threatening first?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The logic was simple, but Gao Yi felt uneasy without a weapon in hand. Sean whispered again, ¡°Even if you had a gun, could you shoot accurately?¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t hesitate anymore; he started running with Sean. If Sean sped up, he sped up, and if Sean slowed down, he slowed down. The Sand Scorpions didn¡¯t just drive off; they moved slowly around the money-filled pickup with sixteen men in total. For the first time, Gao Yi had an immersive observation of a real battle, a street fight. Fortunately, it was a disorderly battle after Suleyman¡¯s death because if Suleyman¡¯s men had fought the Sand Scorpion Mercenary Group with full force, none of them would have had a chance to leave. But Franciska¡¯s men were trying to escape; they had no need to fight to the end. Meanwhile, Suleyman¡¯s men were still in chaos, their attacks were not coordinated. The leader of the Sand Scorpion wore a white shirt, NB sneakers, shorts, and a black baseball cap, with a bullet-proof vest over the shirt. He didn¡¯t look very formal, but he was very capable. The others dressed diversely, wearing various outfits; the only commonality was that everyone wore bullet-proof vests, and most had helmets. It was unclear whether the Sand Scorpions dressed this way for disguise or rush. Scattered attacks couldn¡¯t stop the Sand Scorpion¡¯s breakout retreat; even if someone popped out and fired a shot, they would be immediately suppressed by the Sand Scorpions. Overall, the retreat went smoothly, sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi also noticed something else ¨C the police cars that were there at the start had now disappeared. All the police cars left, and neither party in the engagement, including the opportunistic Sand Scorpion Mercenary Group, attacked the police cars. The police also didn¡¯t join any side. At the outset of the chaos, once it was confirmed that Suleyman was dead, the police quickly left. After all, with Suleyman dead, it was unclear who the next underground king of Mexicali would be. It was best for the police to sit back and watch, and later come out to beat up the losing side. The retreat was safe and smooth up to the area previously blocked by Suleyman¡¯s men with vehicles, but by then the road had been cleared, and a few bodies lay scattered on the ground. Gao Yi followed for a few hundred meters. Though there were occasional sniper shots, as Sean said, those who jumped out to shoot did not fire at him and Sean. The threat level was much lower. As for revenge, firstly, it depended on whether Suleyman¡¯s men had the intention, and even if someone wanted to avenge Suleyman, they couldn¡¯t figure out the identity of the Sand Scorpion Mercenary Group. Calling in a bunch of people to muddy the waters, making Suleyman¡¯s Hachita Group unsure of who the main opponent was, then fleeing in the confusion wasn¡¯t particularly clever, but it surely required an excellent understanding of Mexicali¡¯s situation. The leader of the Sand Scorpion raised his hand and loudly said, ¡°Prepare the vehicles, pull out¡­¡± Suddenly, a black ball was thrown onto the street, exploding with a boom the moment it hit the asphalt. ¡°Hand Grenade!¡± Just when they thought they were safe and could retreat peacefully, suddenly, several people wrapped entirely in black emerged from the alleyways on both sides of the still-seeming tranquil street. Sean quickly pulled Gao Yi down and whispered, ¡°Get down!¡± Gao Yi immediately lay flat on the ground. First, eight people appeared along both sides of the street, throwing more than a dozen hand grenades, then firing forcefully at the Sand Scorpions. Dressed in black combat suits, black helmets, black tactical vests, and their faces covered with black coverings, they carried a dazzling array of equipment, looking like elite soldiers only seen in movies. Chapter 50 - 50 47 Something Seems Right Everywhere_2 ?50: Chapter 47 Something Seems Right Everywhere_2 50: Chapter 47 Something Seems Right Everywhere_2 The members of the Sand Scorpion didn¡¯t lower their guard, but the special forces clad in black still achieved the element of surprise. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For a moment, bodies from both sides fell to the ground. The leader of the Sand Scorpions fired his gun in quick succession, then suddenly staggered and fell to the ground, just four meters from Gao Yi. But quickly, the leader of the Sand Scorpions got up from the ground. On one knee, he raised his gun with one hand, and with the other, he detached a hand grenade from his chest. Tossing the grenade upward, he shouted loudly, ¡°Falcon!¡± It seemed like a head-on collision was imminent, but Gao Yi didn¡¯t understand why the ambushing Black Army hadn¡¯t used more ruthless tactics and had instead simply sprung out shooting. Someone called Falcon shouted, and four people followed him, running swiftly along one side of the street. At the same time, a team emerged from an alley on the opposite side of the street. The two groups, almost face-to-face, engaged in a fierce shootout at a distance of less than thirty meters. Members of both parties fell almost simultaneously, exchanging fire, with neither side gaining an advantage. Insiders know the ropes, while outsiders follow the excitement; Gao Yi was completely clueless about the meaning of everything unfolding before his eyes. He had no idea what tactics were in play or the significance of this mutual struggle, but it just looked like both sides collided, opening fire against each other. The dead lay motionless, while the wounded writhed on the ground or continued to shoot while lying down. ¡°They want the money!¡± Sean made a judgment, grabbed Gao Yi¡¯s arm, and said with a tense expression, ¡°Suleyman¡¯s men have decided they want the money; we need to go. Follow me; get ready¡­ Run!¡± Gao Yi was ready to run forward, but to his shock, he found Sean getting up to run backward. The road they had just come from was now to be tread again. Gao Yi was completely confused, but if Sean was pulling him to run, there was definitely no mistake in following. Now Gao Yi and Sean were near the Iron Wire on the end of a building wall, but as they started to run, Gao Yi was shocked to discover that Sean was intending to cut diagonally across the open street. Sean wasn¡¯t slow, having already let go of Gao Yi¡¯s arm, he zigzagged across the not overly wide street. Gao Yi was slightly behind Sean when the two dashed across the street and arrived at a closed shop door. Sean opened the door, used his body to keep the glass door from bouncing back and closing, waited for Gao Yi to enter, then immediately stepped aside and said, ¡°Follow me!¡± Leaving the intensely fighting Sand Scorpion Mercenary Group behind, they effortlessly left the battlefield where the fiercest fighting was taking place. This was a women¡¯s clothing store. Inside there was a corpse with a rifle clutched in its hands, and a terrified woman crouched in a corner beside it. Sean paid no mind to the terrified woman; he just swept the room with a glance, then pointed at the bloodstains on the ground and said to Gao Yi, ¡°Keep up.¡± Gao Yi really couldn¡¯t make any sense of Sean¡¯s actions. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sean whispered, ¡°Francisca¡¯s people were lurking here. There were two people just now, but now there¡¯s only one corpse. An injured person has run away, so there must be a back door.¡± Sean led the way, pushing open a closed wooden door, passing through a somewhat untidy bedroom, and then through a narrow corridor. After passing a small, clean kitchen, a metal door appeared ahead. Stepping out of the metal door, a body lay face down in the alley. Sean exhaled, then nodded and said, ¡°Yes, this is the place. Let¡¯s go!¡± The two navigated through the labyrinthine alleyways, and as the sound of gunfire grew fainter, Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Had you pre-arranged this? How did you know there was a back door, an escape route?¡± Sean pointed at his eyes and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know, but I observe. This was one of the first places where the attack was launched, so it must be Francisca¡¯s people. Francisca once controlled this city for a long time; her people would certainly know the terrain, and it¡¯s quite normal for them to covertly operate this shop. Now, Francisca¡¯s people are in a hurry to evacuate, so it¡¯s no problem for us to take their route, since we are not Francisca¡¯s enemies.¡± So that was the logic, quite straightforward. But it seemed very difficult to make these judgments amidst the chaos of battle. Sean stopped, looked back, and after surveying the area left and right, he said, ¡°The situation has changed now. We just need to leave the center of the battlefield. No one is paying attention to us, no one cares about us, so let¡¯s just wait here for a bit.¡± Gao Yi whispered, ¡°But we just abandoned the Sand Scorpion and ran. Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll shoot us dead as we turn to flee?¡± ¡°What use is it for us to stay?¡± ¡°Uh, none¡­¡± ¡°Then there is no problem with leaving.¡± ¡°But Sand Scorpion came because of you.¡± ¡°I said there was ten million dollars, and here it is. I told them they needed to snatch it, and they¡¯ve snatched it. I didn¡¯t lie to them or set them up. I¡¯m not even the employer, so in all probability, they won¡¯t shoot me.¡± Gao Yi paused, then said, ¡°In all probability means you aren¡¯t certain.¡± Sean nodded, ¡°In this world, what is absolutely certain? A high probability is already pretty good. Alright, I¡¯ve imparted another valuable lesson. Now¡­¡± With an open gesture, Sean said calmly, ¡°We are now safe.¡± Something seemed off, but upon closer inspection, everything seemed quite right. Gao Yi hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°I just want to know what will happen to Sand Scorpion. Will they all die here?¡± Sean shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. If they are willing to give up ten million, then they can certainly retreat. If not, it¡¯ll depend on who¡¯s tougher. Suleyman¡¯s special forces didn¡¯t attack immediately; that means their commander isn¡¯t planning a funeral for Suleyman but wants to snatch the money at the end, which is why they suddenly appeared.¡± After finishing, Sean smiled at Gao Yi and said, ¡°In any case, we are just bystanders in this fray. Whatever happens is none of my concern, but Sand Scorpion might have to ask me for help later on. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°What would happen?¡± Sean smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll act as a middleman, help Sand Scorpion contact someone who can save them, and maybe get a gratitude fee. In that case, Sand Scorpion will have to thank me; the Mexicali Police Station will have to thank me; Francisca will have to thank me too. Everyone, except Suleyman, will have to thank me.¡± Gao Yi couldn¡¯t quite grasp the key to understanding but after combing through it carefully, he suddenly said, ¡°Only the police can save Sand Scorpion now!¡± Sean nodded and smiled, ¡°Yes, Sand Scorpion gives a couple of million to the new chief of police, who then sends his men to pick up an easy success, and everyone benefits, so why not?¡± Gao Yi understood, he got it. ¡°Your schemes are numerous; I¡¯m genuinely impressed that you¡¯ve thought this all through. But why aren¡¯t we continuing to run and instead staying here?¡± Sean looked at his watch and said, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Sand Scorpion to ask for help. If they really turn to me, I need to be a witness. You know, turncoating is all too common. My status and position are sufficient to be a middleman of weight, and as long as I¡¯m present, I can guarantee the deal proceeds normally.¡± At that moment, Sean¡¯s phone rang. He shrugged and said, ¡°Sand Scorpion¡¯s on the line, everything as I anticipated.¡± Sean took the call, and soon said, ¡°I can get the Mexicali police to help you; if you pay the police five million, do you agree? If you agree, I¡¯ll be the middleman and ensure that the Mexicali Police won¡¯t double-cross you.¡± A few words settled the deal, Sean hung up the phone, then turned to Gao Yi and said, ¡°See, in the hands of a capable Bee, things are this simple. Now do you understand my value? Join the Garden, I¡¯ll serve you especially; think about it?¡± Chapter 51 - 51 48 Deep Collaboration ?51: Chapter 48 Deep Collaboration 51: Chapter 48 Deep Collaboration The mission was over, and with the remuneration secured, it was time to leave. Having caused a major stir in Mexicali, crossing the border directly from there into the United States wasn¡¯t the best idea. However, Tijuana, being close to Mexicali, wouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem for the two to pass through customs. Still, the departure was neither happy nor smooth. ¡°Are you really leaving?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sean felt like a complaining wife. This was the first time he had ever felt this way. Before, it had always been him looking down on the new recruits, but now, it was a recruit who was uninterested in him. One only cherishes what is lost, and the most precious are the things one can¡¯t have. ¡°Can¡¯t you consider the decision a bit longer? Even if you don¡¯t want to join the Garden right now, don¡¯t rush to reject it, don¡¯t be hasty¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Gao Yi held out a hand and then said with a helpless expression, ¡°Buddy, you¡¯re great, you¡¯re very skilled, but we are really not suitable for each other¡­ Damn!¡± Feeling that his words had come off too homosexual, Gao Yi cursed, paused for a moment, and then continued, ¡°I won¡¯t join the Garden. No matter how nicely you put it now, no matter how skilled you or the Garden are, I won¡¯t be part of it. Not just because the Garden isn¡¯t in good shape right now, but more importantly, I can¡¯t let my fate be controlled by someone else. With any organization, it¡¯s easy to join but hard to leave, so don¡¯t waste your time.¡± Gao Yi also felt a bit regretful, but he remained resolute in his stance. He¡¯d rather work independently and freely, accepting the high risks, than join an organization and become a pawn. It was a matter of principle. Or in other words, better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox. After saying this, Gao Yi spread his hands with an expression of regret and said, ¡°But thank you for thinking highly of me, maybe we¡¯ll have a chance to cooperate in the future.¡± Having resisted the temptation and spit back the sugar-coated bullet, Gao Yi wasn¡¯t joining, but there was no reason to become an enemy of the Garden. So he chose to ease the somewhat heavy atmosphere. Sean sighed slowly and said, ¡°Alright, perhaps we can collaborate in the future.¡± When Gao Yi shook hands with Sean, Sean whispered, ¡°It¡¯s easy to cross the border from Tijuana. Once you get to the United States, however, what comes next is up to you. Be careful.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks, goodbye.¡± Gao Yi walked a few steps forward, pulled open the door of a car, got in, and sat in the back seat. This was an expensive-paid smuggling service, a channel Gao Yi found himself and paid for; getting a reliable smuggler on the Dark Web cost only five thousand dollars. There was no need to take advantage of any offered assistance. As the car drove away, Sean watched the taillights and cursed helplessly but fiercely. ¡°Fuck! That bastard!¡± Though he cursed, he still longed for what he couldn¡¯t have. Sean took out his phone, dialed a number, and after waiting for a long time, he said with helplessness, ¡°He¡¯s gone. He just won¡¯t agree to join the Garden.¡± ¡°Hmm, he seems very determined. If he doesn¡¯t want to join, let it be.¡± Sean raised his voice, full of frustration, ¡°Sir, he¡¯s different! His judgment is poor, he can¡¯t do makeup, his ability to get close to targets is weak, he lacks experience¡­ but all of this can be learned! And yet his termination skill is off the charts. As long as he gets close to his target, he is invincible, invincible!¡± ¡°Yes, skills can be learned, experience can be gained, so can termination means and abilities.¡± ¡°No, sir! While termination means can be learned, the termination skill can¡¯t be practiced. This isn¡¯t a matter of skill level; it¡¯s talent. Busan is unique, one-of-a-kind. His weaknesses can be mitigated, but his strengths are impossible for anyone to replicate!¡± ¡°You think so highly of a novice?¡± ¡°Yes, sir! Busan¡¯s strength isn¡¯t something that can be reflected by a score. Plus, his learning ability is actually very strong. Give him time, teach him how an assassin should work, and he can learn everything. Anything needs to be explained only once, and he gets it. He¡¯s smart; his shortcomings aren¡¯t true shortcomings.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Sean continued, ¡°My plan was to do reconnaissance, to look for an opportunity to strike, to place Busan close to our target, to see if he could terminate the target and complete the mission. But he demolished my plan, he finished the mission his way!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I thought his judgment was terrible because, to put it simply, I didn¡¯t see it as an opportunity, but he thought it was a good one. And the results show that he did it, meaning his judgment isn¡¯t bad, it¡¯s just very unique, different from everyone else¡¯s.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sean took a deep breath and said, ¡°I don¡¯t even know how he did it. I don¡¯t know how he managed it with just a hammer¡­ no, not just a hammer. He disposed of eleven bodyguards and captured the target alive, sir. If I had known his termination skill was so outrageous, I would¡¯ve planned differently.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°If I had known Busan was so capable, I would have arranged a retreat plan for after forceful action, avoiding the embarrassing situation we ended up in, having to rely on a chaotic battle to barely escape alive. Therefore, the messy ending of this mission is my fault, because I didn¡¯t fully understand Busan¡¯s capabilities and couldn¡¯t devise an appropriate plan.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sean sighed, feeling defeated and powerless, and then whispered, ¡°Sir, I feel like I haven¡¯t messed up, but Busan still won¡¯t join the Garden. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He doesn¡¯t even want to consider it. For the first time, I feel¡­ powerless.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Sean was silent for a moment, then with a tone of helplessness, said, ¡°Sir, what should I do?¡± ¡°Now you are a Gardener, it¡¯s up to you to decide.¡± Sean chuckled wryly and said, ¡°But I really don¡¯t know what to do. Forcing him to join is impossible. All I can do is use the methods of a Gardener and a Bee to lure him into joining, but this damned guy has A-level endurance. He is unmoved by any temptation. He doesn¡¯t want to be my assassin; he doesn¡¯t want to serve me. Sir, Busan isn¡¯t a good assassin right now, but he will become a top-level assassin. If he joined, he could turn around the current situation of the Garden. I trust my judgment, but I really don¡¯t know what to do, sir. You need to teach me.¡± The person on the phone sighed deeply and then said softly, ¡°Sean.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Cooperate.¡± ¡°Cooperate?¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t always think about controlling everyone. Don¡¯t assume you can control everyone. Some exceptionally talented individuals refuse to be anyone¡¯s pawn; they want to hold their fate in their own hands. For such people, you can¡¯t hope to control them; you can only cooperate with them, and deep cooperation can be enough to change the difficult situation the Garden faces.¡± After pondering for a while, Sean said with a touch of resignation, ¡°Cooperate, deep cooperation, I understand, sir.¡± ¡°Give him everything he needs. If he lacks experience, then help him grow. If he lacks the skills needed by an assassin, then teach him. Don¡¯t turn everything into transactional arrangements. Simply help, and when the time comes that you need assistance, he will naturally reciprocate. Sean, it¡¯s not about interest alone but the deeper bonds beyond interest; that is what real cooperation is.¡± Sean was glad he had made the call. After thinking it over, his tone regained confidence, ¡°I get it, sir. I know what to do now. I¡¯ll catch up to him; I¡¯ll provide the urgent help he needs.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± With a simple acknowledgment, the call ended. Sean put away the phone and glanced in the direction where Gao Yi had left. Now, the taillights were no longer visible. Sean was torn. ¡°I can¡¯t easily go to the United States¡­¡± Feeling frustrated, Sean hesitated for a moment, then suddenly declared, ¡°Screw it!¡± He picked up the phone, but this time he didn¡¯t make a call; instead, he logged into the Dark Web using a rarely used account. He rapidly placed an order for smuggling across the border; Sean was going to catch up with Gao Yi. For a Gardener, a super-talented, king-level novice like Gao Yi absolutely could not be overlooked. If he couldn¡¯t be obtained, then cooperate. Deep cooperation! Chapter 52 - 52 49 Hard to Distinguish True from False ?52: Chapter 49: Hard to Distinguish True from False 52: Chapter 49: Hard to Distinguish True from False It was already dark when they passed through customs. Gao Yi had told Sean that after the customs, they would head straight to Los Angeles overnight, as Los Angeles, being a large city close to Mexico, was a sensible place to settle. However, in reality, after clearing customs, Gao Yi¡¯s first act was to find a motel. Gao Yi had told a little lie about this matter. No harm meant, yet precaution needed¡ªdespite Sean¡¯s insistence on him joining the Garden, Gao Yi had made his refusal clear. People, harboring the intent to destroy what they couldn¡¯t possess, were not few, and given Sean¡¯s underworld connections and the precarious situation of the Garden, Gao Yi certainly had to be wary. So, after clearing customs, his first step upon arrival in the United States was to go on the Dark Web to contact the person who handled his passport, and then, following the other party¡¯s instructions, he checked into a motel instead of truly heading to Los Angeles. The US-Mexico Border was notorious for illegal immigration, so it was normal and reasonable that the group that could get him a passport had connections near Tijuana. Gao Yi managed to get some sleep in the hotel and wasn¡¯t too worried until someone knocked on his door around nine the next morning. With caution, Gao Yi opened the door to find a middle-aged man in a short-sleeved shirt, a gun hanging at his waist partly covered by his clothes, but still slightly visible, holding a suitcase with wheels. ¡°Busan?¡± The man who knocked asked the name of Gao Yi¡¯s Dark Web alias. Gao Yi nodded, then the man immediately said, ¡°Red and Blue Group. Call me Martin.¡± Gao Yi stepped back, and Martin entered, closing the door he said, ¡°Let¡¯s conduct the transaction first, pay after it¡¯s completed. I¡¯m in a hurry, let¡¯s be quick.¡± Gao Yi liked the efficiency, he immediately asked, ¡°How do we proceed?¡± Martin placed the suitcase on Gao Yi¡¯s bed and opened it; both compartments were stuffed full. Puling open a compartment, Martin casually said, ¡°Asian documents are rare, but we have them. What year were you born?¡± ¡°1994.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky, there¡¯s an identity born the same year as you, otherwise you¡¯d have to choose a nearby year for the birth certificate.¡± Martin quickly pulled out a document case, handed it to Gao Yi, and said, ¡°Open this and have a look.¡± Gao Yi opened the document case, which contained a card with no picture but a set of numbers and a name. The surname was Zhuang, and the name was Booth, anyway, that¡¯s what the pinyin spelled out. There was also a medical birth certificate issued by a community hospital in Palm Valley, which also had no picture. Gao Yi puzzled, asked, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Social Security number, medical birth certificate, and also information about the original holder¡¯s growth, education level. Just memorize it casually, from now on you are Booth Zhuang.¡± Gao Yi, taken aback, said, ¡°Replacement? You want me to replace someone? Martin wasn¡¯t in a hurry and slowly said, ¡°You can choose a Green Card instead, same price, guaranteed to get it processed, but you¡¯ll need to fill out a lot of applications, and wait at least twenty days to get it.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t want to wait that long, hesitating he said, ¡°But what I need is a passport. You¡¯re only giving me a number, what do I do next?¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± Martin pulled out a device that looked quite like an iPad, similar to those used by the CIA for identity checks. He placed the device on the bed, started it up, and then instructed Gao Yi: ¡°Stand against the wall, stand straight, don¡¯t move.¡± Gao Yi positioned himself in front of a white wall, and Martin casually took a photo. He put down the iPad, pressed a few buttons and then said, ¡°Enter your fingerprints, all ten fingers.¡± Gao Yi felt uneasy and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Impatiently but likely experienced with such queries, Martin knew better than to command Gao Yi directly and instead opted to explain briefly. ¡°Now you have a Social Security number, a birth certificate, we¡¯ll get you a driver¡¯s license next. You¡¯ll have a photo and fingerprints, then with the driver¡¯s license, Social Security number, and birth certificate, you can apply at the Administrative Bureau for your passport, and then you¡¯ll receive a legally issued passport.¡± Is this how fake identities are made? But it doesn¡¯t seem this easy to get real ones. Though Gao Yi didn¡¯t understand the intricacies, he knew better than to ask unnecessary questions. Thus, he cooperated and entered his fingerprints. Martin took the now thicker iPad, input a few more commands, then put away the iPad and said, ¡°Wait ten minutes.¡± There were two chairs in the room, Gao Yi and Martin each took a seat, then Martin proficiently said, ¡°Let me tell you about the original owner¡¯s identity. His parents were Chinese, obtained Green Cards in 1990, had a child in 1994, then they died in a car accident in 2010, the original holder dropped out of school in 2012, started wandering and died of a drug overdose in 2014 but did not have a death certificate, his identity has been kept until today for your use.¡± Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but grimace; the original owner he was replacing sure was unlucky. Martin, unconcerned with Gao Yi¡¯s feelings, continued, ¡°A good point is the original owner never had a driver¡¯s license, so it¡¯s much easier to make you one. Once you get the driver¡¯s license, you will have everything. You can live under any name you like. Just use the false name when showing IDs, or you can apply to change it.¡± Gao Yi immediately asked, ¡°Can I still change the name?¡± ¡°Yes, for extra money, I can sort it out. This is a little side hustle of mine.¡± Martin¡¯s face finally showed a sly smile. He casually mentioned, ¡°Once you have these documents, you can change your name through marriage, apply at a local court in your state for a name change, or let me help you with it.¡± Gao Yi blinked and finally asked, ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Ten thousand dollars.¡± Gao Yi thought for a moment. Something didn¡¯t seem right. When he contacted the Red and Blue Group on the Dark Web about the naturalization process, customer service didn¡¯t mention any extra fees. Ten thousand dollars is a lot for most Americans, but compared to the total expense of five hundred thousand, it seems like very little. So the name change was actually included in the total cost, and Martin was just trying to make some extra money from Gao Yi. After pondering it, Gao Yi shook his head and said, ¡°No, that¡¯s not what the customer service on the Dark Web told me. I¡¯ll have to ask them.¡± Martin, taken aback, then quickly said, ¡°Wait¡ªuh, never mind.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t want to be cheated, but he also didn¡¯t want to offend the person who was processing his documents, as the Chinese philosophy of harmony deeply ingrained in him took over. Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Should I mention that I might be buying passports from you guys frequently in the future?¡± Transactions online, processing offline, so it¡¯s natural for the staff handling the offline procedures not to know the clients¡¯ specific identities. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Clearly, Martin had misunderstood Gao Yi¡¯s identity, which seemed to frighten him a bit. Of course, he wasn¡¯t afraid of Gao Yi but rather scared that his own illicit earnings might come to light. Switching expressions, Martin was no longer as laid-back as at the start and instead became serious, whispering, ¡°Uh, sorry, I didn¡¯t know, can we¡­ pretend this never happened?¡± Gao Yi shrugged and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. What happened?¡± Martin,¡± Marked with difficulty, smiled then walked over to his suitcase, pulled out a printer-like device, and then addressed Gao Yi: ¡°What do you want to change it to?¡± From the Chinese maxim that a man should neither change his name nor alter his surname, Gao Yi was okay with having an English given name, but the surname had to stay. ¡°Uh, still call me Booth, but I want the surname Gao.¡± After operating the tablet a bit and entering the pinyin Gao Yi wanted, a printer started, and soon a card came out. The pinyin ¡®zhuang¡¯ changed to ¡®gao¡¯. ¡°Is this okay?¡± ¡°No,¡± Martin seriously said, ¡°Your Social Security card¡¯s name also needs to be changed. Keep the original documents, but your birth certificate can¡¯t be changed, though you¡¯ll get a legal document certifying the necessity of your name change to substitute the birth certificate.¡± While he spoke, the printer worked, soon a new Social Security card emerged with the name changed but the number the same. Then Martin picked up a blank certification paper, placed it in the printer, and after some operations, a document certifying Gao Yi¡¯s legal name change was produced. Handing all the documents to Gao Yi, Martin spoke softly, ¡°Keep all the original documents. With this certification, your name change is legitimate and can substitute your birth certificate. Just take this certification and your driver¡¯s license to apply for a passport.¡± The speed of process was unbelievable, and notably, the document had some powerful backing. Gao Yi picked up the certification, the largest letters on it were ¡®FBI¡¯. An FBI certification stating Gao Yi needed a name change for security protection. This document could substitute a birth certificate. Brief words, no reasons for the name change were given, but that seemed unnecessary. Gao Yi drew a sharp breath, but he didn¡¯t make it too obvious. Could it be that this Red and Blue Group was an FBI operation? FBI personnel on the Dark Web not for catching criminals but conducting business? Conducting business was one thing, but willing to establish a long-term cooperation with an account like Gao Yi¡¯s, a known assassin? Something felt unsettling. But it didn¡¯t matter, because the fingerprints Gao Yi had entered were fake, still bearing the adhesive fingerprint patch Sean had helped him apply and yet to be removed. Using fake fingerprints could complicate any future need for fingerprint verification, but that was less risky than letting someone have all his real data. After all, fake fingerprints could be reproduced at any time. Gao Yi didn¡¯t yet know how, but the technique wasn¡¯t complex; it was having the set of fingerprint data that was tricky. Even if he couldn¡¯t do it himself, Gao Yi would rather deal with the Garden, rather seek Sean¡¯s help again than hand over his fingerprints and iris data to the FBI. It¡¯s tough being out here alone, perhaps he should contact Sean again? For a moment, Gao Yi seemed conflicted, and Martin noticed, spreading his hands he said, ¡°If you want to verify the authenticity, I can accompany you to check, and you can pay once you confirm these documents are accurate.¡± Martin misunderstood what Gao Yi was conflicly about. Gao Yi shook his head and said, ¡°No need, thank you.¡± He declined Martin¡¯s conciliatory gesture and took out one thousand dollars from his bag, then as he handed it to Martin, he smiled and said, ¡°This is for your service, please accept it.¡± Martin, seemingly just a facilitator, one thousand dollars should suffice. Gao Yi¡¯s gesture meant, I can give, but you can¡¯t demand, and you certainly can¡¯t cheat me. Martin needed to know Gao Yi was generous, he took the cash, smiled awkwardly, then suddenly said, ¡°Are you in a rush for the passport? I can take you, um, things might move faster if I go.¡± Chapter 53 - 53 50 Grassroots ?53: Chapter 50 Grassroots 53: Chapter 50 Grassroots I heard that in the United States, it¡¯s not about who you know; everything is done by the book, and there¡¯s no need to find connections or rely on nepotism. But that turned out to be bullshit. Passports could be applied for online or at the post office, but Gao Yi chose the passport service center. Martin led Gao Yi straight to an office without queuing or an appointment. A few forms were rapidly filled out here, and there, the passport was made on the spot. It was even faster than instant service; no need to wait a few days to get it, it was processed on arrival, instantly. After getting the passport and leaving the service center, Martin whispered, ¡°You¡¯ve got all your documents now. You can go get a gun permit, a bank card; you can apply for any identification you need. Remember to renew your driver¡¯s license in five years and to pay your taxes. Don¡¯t get the tax bureau on your tail.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks. I¡¯ll pay now.¡± Gao Yi took out his phone and, in front of Martin, paid in Bitcoin valued at five hundred thousand dollars. Then the customer service at the Red and Blue Group made a point of asking how he felt about the service. Although there wasn¡¯t a five-star rating system, Gao Yi made it a point to sing Martin¡¯s praises to the customer service and made sure Martin saw it. One detail Gao Yi noticed: his Bitcoin had appreciated a lot. What was originally worth about 550,000 USD, within just a few days, was now worth 640,000. That is to say, because he didn¡¯t have a bank card and held on to the Bitcoin for a few more days, it appreciated almost ten percent. Gao Yi felt that if he didn¡¯t spend this money and just let the Bitcoin appreciate, that would probably be enough for daily expenses, and he might even make a windfall. If that were the case, then why not just do a couple more jobs, earn some Bitcoin, and then trade in cryptocurrency? What¡¯s the point of being an assassin? If Luca had converted all his Bitcoin into cash, Gao Yi wondered if he had cried himself to faint in the bathroom these past few days. The thought of trading flashed through his mind, and Gao Yi said to Martin, ¡°Now that everything¡¯s been taken care of, thanks. Hope to work with you again some time.¡± Martin smiled, speaking in a low voice, ¡°Could we exchange contact information? Uh, I can¡¯t access the Dark Web, but if there¡¯s any trouble offline, we might be able to help each other out. Also, we¡¯re strictly forbidden to give out our contact information to clients, but if a client requests it, then it¡¯s fine.¡± Without pondering too much about the pros and cons, Gao Yi nodded and smiled, ¡°Sure, but I need to buy a SIM card first, I don¡¯t have a phone number yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡± To get Gao Yi¡¯s contact, Martin was pretty eager; although Gao Yi had no idea what benefit Martin thought he could get from him. At a mobile phone store, a new phone with a SIM card was purchased. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi bought an additional phone number, exchanged numbers with Martin, and now had his first contact in the United States. After exchanging phone numbers, Gao Yi wasn¡¯t sure if he should share their identities, but before he could bring it up, Martin spoke softly, ¡°Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m an FBI intelligence branch agent. If you encounter any problems in Los Angeles or need any information, you can ask me.¡± Gao Yi was a bit stunned. Martin looked at Gao Yi, spread his hands, and said, ¡°Surprised? Isn¡¯t it quite normal? Who else but the FBI could process your issues so smoothly? Don¡¯t worry! We¡¯re not phishing; we just want to make some money. The higher-ups have their big-money schemes, and we have our small-time hustles, but mutual benefit is always fine. Sometimes, it¡¯s more convenient to handle things at a grass-roots level; you¡¯ll understand later.¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s great. Keep in touch; looking forward to working together.¡± Martin smiled and extended his fist to bump Gao Yi¡¯s, then left without offering a ride and drove off. Now alone, Gao Yi stood on the streets of Los Angeles with his newly acquired documents, unsure where to go. Though everything had gone smoothly, it hadn¡¯t been a short amount of time; it was already afternoon. If he was going to leave Los Angeles, it would be best to head straight to the airport. If not, he would need to find a place to stay for the time being. He decided to stay at a hotel for a couple of days and then look for a rental. He had heard that the prices and rents in Los Angeles were high but had no idea how much they would be. As Gao Yi was contemplating, a car stopped by the roadside, right before his eyes. Just as he thought the stop was a bit off, the car window rolled down, and Sean gestured, ¡°Get in.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s eyes widened. He had tried hard to shake off Sean, but how had Sean found him so quickly, and it seemed possible he had been followed all along? Gao Yi walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and sat down. ¡°You were quite hard to find. I¡¯ve been looking for you since last night; it took me twelve hours to find you.¡± It was unclear if Sean was complaining or boasting about his prowess. Gao Yi frowned, ¡°When did you find me?¡± ¡°I waited for you as you entered the passport service center. I knew you would come because I knew you must be working with the Red and Blue Group. Their process is like that. It¡¯s not a secret to many in the industry.¡± After saying that, Sean laughed confidently, ¡°You were trying hard to hide and dodge me, right? But your methods were too crude. You don¡¯t know how to effectively shake a tail. Fortunately, I have no ill intent. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t you be in danger by now?¡± ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Gao Yi¡¯s tone didn¡¯t change much, but Sean knew it was time to stop beating around the bush. ¡°I want to work with you. You don¡¯t have to join the Garden; I won¡¯t persuade you to anymore. Here¡¯s the deal: we need a good assassin to help the Garden survive, and you, as a newcomer, need someone to teach you many basic skills and knowledge. So, how about this?¡± Sean spoke eagerly, ¡°I¡¯ll find someone to teach you, and then whenever you feel ready, if there¡¯s a job from the Garden you think you can take, help us out. All the commission is yours. What do you say?¡± Gao Yi thought for a moment, ¡°So, subcontracting? You give me jobs you can¡¯t do, I get the money, and you take the credit.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sheer frankness often works well. Previously ignorant and unaware, he didn¡¯t realize how hard it was to go it alone, but now, after experiencing a devoted service, Gao Yi felt having support was indeed wonderful. It¡¯s always hard to transition from luxury back to basics. Gao Yi thought it over, ¡°Working together is fine, but even if I get paid for a job, it will be credited to you¡­¡± Sean immediately said, ¡°We¡¯ll pay extra. Since it¡¯s a cooperation, of course, it has to be satisfactory to you.¡± Since it had been a negotiation of half-push and half-pull, and Sean had already made this offer, Gao Yi naturally wouldn¡¯t play hard to get. He immediately smiled and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s cooperate.¡± Sean softly exhaled in relief. ¡°Do you have anything you need to do? If not, you should go to Europe. You¡¯ll get better training opportunities there.¡± Gao Yi quickly responded, ¡°No, I have something important to do here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Gao Yi¡¯s expression became serious, and then he said with a sense of gravity, ¡°Buy a gun! Practice shooting!¡± Chapter 54 - 54 51 Boarding the Ship ?54: Chapter 51: Boarding the Ship 54: Chapter 51: Boarding the Ship Having agreed to cooperate, their relationship had become tighter. Gao Yi no longer needed to worry about Sean incessantly trying to recruit him, and Sean no longer had to worry that Gao Yi would fly the coop as soon as he was let go. The atmosphere had become a lot more relaxed. Since they¡¯d agreed to cooperate, it was necessary for both parties to gain a deeper understanding of each other. Sean needed to reveal some essential details to Gao Yi, while Gao Yi of course had to let Sean know what he was really capable of. The car started moving, and Sean, with a relaxed expression, asked, ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to buy guns and practice shooting? Do you think that, as an assassin, you¡¯ll have the opportunity to use a gun?¡± It was both a probing question and a piece of advice. Gao Yi casually replied, ¡°Consider it a fixation. As a man, I¡¯m definitely interested in guns. Hmm, how¡¯s Luca doing these days?¡± Luca said he wasn¡¯t a man of the Garden, but the next thing Gao Yi knew, he had turned around and handed Gao Yi over to the Garden. Perhaps ¡°handed over¡± wasn¡¯t the right term¡ªmore like recommended, but, in any case, Gao Yi had entered the Garden¡¯s field of vision because of Luca. It was uncertain whether cooperating with the Garden was a blessing or a curse. Gao Yi¡¯s current question about Luca came not from a desire for revenge, but from a genuine concern for Luca¡¯s recent situation. ¡°Luca¡¯s the same as ever. He made a good chunk of change with you, enough for him to rest for quite a long time,¡± Sean replied. Since Sean¡¯s answer was devoid of any substantial information, Gao Yi realized it was best to ask more directly. Gao Yi immediately asked, ¡°Is he with the Garden?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not.¡± Sean hesitated for a moment but eventually decided to come clean. He wanted to win Gao Yi over with sincerity. ¡°To be honest, Luca doesn¡¯t have what it takes to join the Garden. His abilities are limited. As an assassin, he definitely lacks the skills; as an assistant¡­ there are no assassins for him to serve at the moment, so he¡¯s merely a former associate related to the Garden,¡± Sean explained. An associate, moreover, a former one. Gao Yi smiled, nodded, and asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s going on between you and the Andic Group?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a competitive relationship; we¡¯re attacking each other and now it¡¯s developed into a death feud.¡± Sean didn¡¯t seem too keen to talk about the Andic Group. He hastily asked, ¡°You¡¯ve got your cover identity set up here, right? What¡¯s the name?¡± ¡°Gao Busi.¡± Sean paused for a moment and said, ¡°Gao Busi? That name¡­ is memorable.¡± Foreigners can¡¯t understand the pun in a Chinese name. Gao Yi¡¯s alias was Busan, his English name was Booth, so what did that add up to? It wasn¡¯t ¡°Busan Busi¡± but ¡°Busan But Not Dead.¡± What do you get when you combine the surname Gao with ¡°not dead¡±? It¡¯s Gao But Not Dead. If it hadn¡¯t been for this auspicious play on words, Gao Yi would not have needed the original owner¡¯s name, Booth. Unfortunately, Sean¡¯s pronunciation made what was a lucky pun sound a bit off¡ªit sounded more like ¡°Dog But Not Dead.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®Dog Busi,¡¯ it¡¯s Gao, ¡®Bro Ow Gao,¡¯ say it with me, Gao~~Busi.¡± ¡°Dog~~Busi.¡± Gao Yi waved his hand helplessly and said, ¡°Practice more, and only call me by my name once you¡¯ve got it down. Otherwise, don¡¯t bother.¡± ¡°The fingerprints you submitted aren¡¯t real, right?¡± Gao Yi smiled and replied, ¡°Fake. You provided them. I wanted to talk to you about that fingerprint film¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make lots of spares for you.¡± Sean seemed more relaxed and said with a laugh, ¡°It¡¯s good you didn¡¯t give away your real biometrics. The Red and Blue Group is ultimately an FBI business, and giving them your real details would be unwise.¡± After some thought, Gao Yi said, ¡°The agent handling the arrangements just now, he¡¯s from the Department of Homeland Security¡¯s intelligence division. We exchanged contact details.¡± Sean scoffed disdainfully, ¡°The intelligence division? Ha, the trash among trash. Their job is to subvert foreigners inside the United States and to gather foreign intelligence. Think about it¡ªin the U.S., what¡¯s the point of doing that? To put it this way, there are a total of eighteen intelligence agencies in the U.S., and the FBI¡¯s intelligence division is just one of them¡ªand the lowest in terms of authority.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the FBI quite powerful?¡± ¡°Thirty years ago, it was. Before 2001, it was also okay, but after 9/11, the FBI is basically left with only significant weight in criminal investigations. Its foreign intelligence and homeland security divisions are pretty much for show. Overall, the FBI is now useless. Otherwise, why do you think they¡¯re selling identities to make money?¡± So the famed FBI is in such a sorry state now, and Martin is just warming a bench in a government office without much power, ¡°I see.¡± Sean continued to sneer, ¡°The FBI¡¯s power now is just to work cases, and even then, they have to compete with the police. Both the intelligence work and homeland security tasks have been taken over by the Department of Homeland Security. Anyone capable of intelligence work has either been transferred to the Department of Homeland Security or gone to the CIA. The intelligence division is nothing now, just a low-level functionary responsible for handling paperwork. Why bother with him? It¡¯s a waste of time.¡± Now it all made sense. If Martin held a high position with great authority, he wouldn¡¯t have risked deceiving Gao Yi for ten thousand dollars, let alone happily accept a one thousand dollar tip. Gao Yi had thought he was latching on to a powerful benefactor, but it wasn¡¯t clear who was really in the stronger position. Although Gao Yi felt somewhat frustrated, he didn¡¯t regret it. Sean didn¡¯t know, but Gao Yi understood that even those involved in petty theft could be of great use, and how much more so could someone from the FBI be, like Martin? It was a contact worth keeping, just in case it came in handy in the future. Seeing Gao Yi silent, Sean continued, ¡°I think what matters now isn¡¯t buying guns and practicing shooting. First, you should craft a hammer that fits well in your hand. What do you think?¡± Gao Yi thought for a moment and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not insisting on using a hammer, but crafting one is also a possibility.¡± ¡°Excellent. There are many weaponsmiths in the United States, and plenty can craft axes and hammers. I¡¯ll find someone to forge the best hammer for you.¡± Gao Yi had an idea of what he wanted, ¡°I know what kind of hammer to make, but I¡¯m not sure if people here can make it.¡± ¡°They definitely can. What kind are you thinking of?¡± With the experience of hammering people twice and drawing from his martial arts knowledge, Gao Yi certainly knew what the most suitable hammer would be. Gao Yi found a picture of a Golden Gourd Hammer on the internet and showed it to Sean, who was driving. Sean barely glanced at it before responding, ¡°Simple, I¡¯ll find someone to make it for you. We¡¯ll craft the finest Warhammer.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks. But about the gun¡­¡± ¡°Buy whatever you like, but there¡¯s no need to focus solely on practicing gun skills, right?¡± Sean tried to talk Gao Yi out of his plan, speaking in a negotiable tone, ¡°I think what you need right now is to learn some very basic but important assassin skills, such as makeup, techniques for approaching and escaping targets, some experience. You need to learn how to shake off a tail. What do you think?¡± Gao Yi wasn¡¯t naive; he knew Sean was making sense. Guns were just a hobby, a matter of personal interest, but assassin skills were a professional necessity and vital for survival; Gao Yi clearly knew which needed practice. ¡°Will you teach me?¡± he asked. Sean nodded but then shook his head, explaining, ¡°I can only teach you a part of it, but after all, I¡¯m an assistant, not an assassin. So, some assassin skills will have to be taught by an assassin. Don¡¯t worry about these things, I will definitely find the right person to teach you.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± Gao Yi said, sincerely expressing his gratitude, while Sean appeared quite relieved, as if Gao Yi willing to learn from him was a bargain he¡¯d found. Then, Sean suddenly said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. I¡¯m a Gardener; it¡¯s my job to fertilize and water the flowers. Even though you¡¯re not one of the Garden¡¯s blooms, since we¡¯re cooperating, I¡¯ll still do my best to help you.¡± Sean was indeed a Gardener, and it wasn¡¯t too surprising. There was just one thing¡ªGao Yi cautiously asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re the Gardener, and you¡¯re so intent on keeping this newcomer, that means¡­¡± Some things were difficult to say, but Sean took the initiative, ¡°Yes, the Garden is in a very bad state. Right now, I¡¯m the only official member left.¡± Gao Yi took a sharp breath. He knew the Garden was a sinking ship, but he had no idea it was already capsized, with only the bow sticking out above the water. Sean seriously said, ¡°Since we¡¯re cooperating, we should be honest. I can¡¯t lie to you about the Garden being powerful to convince you to work with us, but I need to say that the Garden has passed the most dangerous phase. Well, as long as we get new assassins to join, we can quickly restore the Garden¡¯s former size. I believe it will happen soon.¡± Did Gao Yi regret it? A little, but not much. The reasoning was too simple. If the Garden weren¡¯t desperate, they wouldn¡¯t have valued a newbie like Gao Yi so highly. Join the Andic Group at its peak? It could be possible for Gao Yi, but to have the boss of Andic Group plead for his membership like Sean did¡ªthat would be delusional. So, there are advantages and disadvantages. If you want to be pampered like a king, you can¡¯t complain about the shrine being too small. If you want to be clung to as a lifeline, you can¡¯t fault the ship for being too broken. Sean was already beginning to act like a busybody, taking care of Gao Yi¡¯s needs. ¡°I can¡¯t move around freely in the United States; this is the Andic Group¡¯s stronghold, so I must be cautious. We¡¯ll stay separately. I¡¯ll send you to the best hotel to stay, but I¡¯ll have to find some safe place myself,¡± Sean said, quickly showing his attentiveness and consideration, which made him seem somewhat nagging. ¡°In the next two days, I will find a suitable weaponsmith for you. If you really want to buy a gun, I¡¯ll find a good gunsmith. Then, I¡¯ll contact the right people to teach you some assassin skills. You just rest well. Oh, and do you have any personal items you need to purchase? sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Give me a list, and I¡¯ll shop for you.¡± Gao Yi was a bit embarrassed. He responded politely, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t expose yourself. I can handle these things myself. Also, I feel bad about you spending money, um¡­¡± ¡°The last thing I lack right now is money. These are just small gifts for you; don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Sean said confidently. Then he looked at Gao Yi with a hint of regret, ¡°If you joined the Garden, I¡¯d be able to pay you a salary.¡± Cooperation meant Gao Yi was on the Garden¡¯s broken ship, but free to jump ship at any time. Getting a salary meant being tied to the Garden¡¯s broken vessel, unable to leave even if he wanted to. That was the difference, so Gao Yi didn¡¯t ask how much the salary was, and in the end, Sean didn¡¯t bring it up either. Chapter 55 - 55 52 Tactical Hammer ?55: Chapter 52 Tactical Hammer 55: Chapter 52 Tactical Hammer Every morning, the first thing he did upon waking up was to go outside to the lawn and practice punching for half an hour. After finishing his punches, he ate breakfast. After breakfast, he spent the entire morning learning makeup with Sean. Makeup was a bit difficult because Gao Yi had to start with the most common cosmetics and skincare products. For some of the very basic parts, he would follow beauty bloggers online, then Sean would check his learning progress. So now Gao Yi owned a lot of cosmetics and skincare products that many girls dream of. Although he was just learning the basics, he already had an entire cabinet¡¯s worth. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then came the basic makeup techniques, such as how to use concealer, how to apply eyeshadow, how to line the waterline, how to highlight, and many more. Now, Gao Yi was at the stage where he not only knew what to do but also understood why. For women, the worst that can happen with bad makeup is looking unattractive, but a makeup failure could be fatal for Gao Yi. Because of this, he now knew more about makeup than probably ninety percent of the women in the world. As time passed, with Sean¡¯s meticulous teaching, Gao Yi should surpass ninety-nine point nine percent of women in the world in makeup knowledge. After mastering the basic beauty knowledge, Gao Yi began to learn special effects makeup from Sean or, more professionally speaking, he was learning disguise. Disguise techniques were even more challenging, including how to change skin tone, hair color, how to create wrinkles, observing how old people walk compared to young people, and so on. Of course, he also had to learn how to make fake fingerprints, which required equipment. The disguise section also included choosing clothes and coordinating accessories. The Garden was a well-known assassin organization with very high fees, so the targets they were paid to eliminate were certainly not homeless men on the street, which meant Garden¡¯s targets were destined to be either rich or noble. With this premise, Gao Yi¡¯s knowledge of clothing had to start high-end, beginning with extremely expensive custom suits, moving on to various luxury brands, especially those most people have never heard of, and even those without logos. Only then would he move on to brands with obvious logos, the so-called luxury brands in the eyes of the general public. Below that were various mainstream brands and specific types of clothing for particular occasions. Disguise was a profound subject. Gao Yi studied it every day, but he could only manage to grasp the basics in a rough-and-ready way. It could take him at least three to five years, or even eight to ten years, to master it. After learning disguise in the morning, he had lunch, then went driving for two hours. Gao Yi did not know how to drive before, so he needed to drive for two hours every day, just to practice. Sean¡¯s goal was clear: he did not need Gao Yi to become a race car driver in a short time, but he did need him to be skilled at driving, able to handle most road conditions, and able to drive most cars. Fortunately, Gao Yi showed some talent in this area and learned quite quickly, having learned to drive after getting his license. After driving, he went to the shooting range. Shooting was the most painful part for Gao Yi. The pain stemmed from dissatisfaction, from the high demands he placed on himself, and from his progress not meeting those demands. In makeup, Gao Yi had ordinary talent, but he had no special demands on himself in this area, so his progress was neither too fast nor too slow. His learning pace was satisfactory to both him and Sean. In driving, he was rather clever, learning slightly faster than the average person, but that was also because he had a good teacher. But shooting really depended on talent. When he was in Thailand, Gao Yi had practiced, and he knew then that he was just average, what seven out of ten people could do, he could do. So, Gao Yi placed his hopes in the United States. He thought that with a better gun, especially a custom-made one, he might be able to improve his shooting skills. Now that he was truly in the United States, where he could buy good guns and find good shooting coaches, the result was that among the students who mostly used custom guns, he remained the inconspicuous one. Lost in the crowd, this was the best summary for Gao Yi. Especially when moving from fixed targets to moving targets or when running and shooting at fixed targets, Gao Yi really couldn¡¯t help wanting to punch those targets down. And that was just close-range shooting. As for long-range shooting, Gao Yi still couldn¡¯t handle the impact of wind speed on the bullet trajectory, nor had he memorized the complex ballistic tables. For the same gun, a different barrel length meant a different ballistic table, and changing the type of bullet meant yet another ballistic table. And Gao Yi was not good at math. Now Gao Yi understood why most shooters stick to one type of gun for life. It was not that they didn¡¯t want to switch; they simply couldn¡¯t. The biggest expectation, the most effort put in, yet the least satisfying progress in shooting left Gao Yi truly disappointed. If the skill isn¡¯t enough, equip to make up for it; Gao Yi was inevitably sinking into being an equipment junkie. But having been in Los Angeles for two months, scoured the nearby gun shops, and frequented the local shooting ranges, Gao Yi had not found a gun that could significantly improve his gun skills, even if he dressed up a rifle like a Christmas tree with accessories. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment, and now Gao Yi was not just disappointed, he was in despair. It was day seventy-one. Chapter 56 - 56 52 Tactical Hammer_2 ?56: Chapter 52 Tactical Hammer_2 56: Chapter 52 Tactical Hammer_2 If nothing unexpected happened, today would still pass in the same rhythm. After breakfast, Gao Yi was ready to go to the makeup room to dab on some makeup, but today, it seemed something unexpected was going to happen. It wasn¡¯t so much unexpected as it was a change. After finishing breakfast, Gao Yi actively started to clean up the tableware when Sean suddenly said, ¡°Your warhammer is ready.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Gao Yi looked up at Sean and asked, ¡°It¡¯s ready?¡± Gao Yi actually didn¡¯t care much for hammers because he could kill someone with his bare hands just as well, unless he had to deal with targets wearing bullet-proof vests and helmets. But Sean seemed excited. He got up, walked from the dining room to the living room, and then dragged back a cardboard box, then another, and then another. Gao Yi was surprised, while Sean said solemnly, ¡°You only asked me for one weapon, a hammer, and it¡¯s also the first time someone asked me for a hammer, but I messed it up.¡± The temporarily made and broken hammer was Sean¡¯s everlasting pain, almost becoming his psychological shadow. Gao Yi looked at the three boxes and said, ¡°Why three boxes?¡± ¡°Because I made twelve hammers!¡± Sean opened a small box and took out a leather case. He unbuckled it and said, ¡°This is a warhammer handcrafted by ABS Weaponsmith. It weighs seven hundred and sixty grams, with the head weighing six hundred and eighty grams, forged with six hundred and forty layers of patterned steel, and fitted with an inverted walnut wood handle, total length thirty-one centimeters. Try it.¡± Gao Yi took the hammer Sean handed him and waved it effortlessly. It felt good, but it was more apt to call this an Iron Bone than a hammer. The hammerhead had several protruding iron spikes. Though not sharp, they were also not comfortable to hold in hand. Fancy and impractical looking, though it felt strangely good when swung. ¡°I studied hammer designs from both the East and the West and found that both sides use the hammerhead as the main armor-piercing weapon, and it¡¯s also extremely common as a secondary weapon. Because it¡¯s a secondary weapon, most of them are one-handed hammers, but the West commonly uses nail hammers and leaf hammers, while the East commonly uses edge petal hammers.¡± Sean was still explaining on the side, pointing at the hammer in Gao Yi¡¯s hand, ¡°As a warhammer crafted by a professional weaponsmith, is this hammer too focused on aesthetics, neglecting practicality? After all, the environment you¡¯ll use the warhammer in involves dealing with bullet-proof vests and helmets, so, after discovering this handcrafted warhammer might not meet your needs, I found another small factory and used modern methods to forge several hammerheads.¡± Gao Yi smiled and said, ¡°Bring them out.¡± Sean opened the second box and took out an all-black hammer. The hammerhead was shaped like a golden gourd, with the handle being a single piece of forged metal, the grip thickened, and wrapped with thin leather straps. ¡°This hammer, melon-shaped head, chosen from the US Fenkola Company¡¯s A2 mold steel, manufactured using CNC precision processing, the joint between hammerhead and handle designed with a curved chamfer to prevent stress fractures, heat-treated to a hardness of 52, and after passivating the surface using a sandblasting technique, it¡¯s spray-painted with black matte paint, anti-rust and anti-reflective. It weighs 2.2 kilograms, with a handle wrapped in cross-woven deer leather.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s mouth twitched as he took the hammer and said, ¡°You¡¯re thoughtful.¡± ¡°The same model of hammer was made in three different weights, each increasing by half a kilogram.¡± The same hammers, there were three of them; the hammerhead in Gao Yi¡¯s hand was nearly the size of an egg, Sean then took out two more, one slightly larger than a duck egg, and one about the size of a goose egg. Gao Yi smiled and said softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit much? Just a hammer¡­¡± ¡°I refuse to allow any issues with weapons provided by me, as for damage, it¡¯s absolutely not allowed!¡± Sean clenched his teeth as he opened the second box and pulled out another hammer, pointed the hammerhead towards Gao Yi, then Gao Yi noticed the hammerhead seemed slightly droopy, indicating it was a soft handle hammer. ¡°This hammerhead is made from CPM-3V powder metal tool steel, with high impact toughness, unlikely to chip. The hammerhead is perforated, and the handle is 1.4 cm thick steel cable, connected to the hammerhead with rivets, absolutely will not break. The greatest advantage is it significantly reduces rebound force, doesn¡¯t shock the hand.¡± Gao Yi took the soft hammer, then he smiled and said, ¡°So four?¡± ¡°Yes, this kind of hammer may require more skill.¡± Gao Yi casually swung around the soft handle hammer, indeed a bit difficult to use, mainly because when it missed hitting something, it required more skill to control the rebound. Looking towards Sean, Gao Yi said, ¡°Bring out the rest too.¡± Sean opened the third box and said solemnly, ¡°These four are long handle hammers, the shortest fifty centimeters, the longest one meter two, the handles all made from high-strength fiberglass.¡± Four long handle hammers, Gao Yi looked somewhat helpless. He hesitated a bit, but finally Gao Yi said, ¡°I haven¡¯t trained in any specific hammer technique, these long handle hammers, I can¡¯t use them¡­¡± Sean took a step forward, then he said very seriously, ¡°You may not use them, but I must provide!¡± Gao Yi sighed lightly and said, ¡°Alright, I like all these tactical hammers you provided, so¡­ thank you.¡± Sean nodded, then he said very seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve contacted a weapons master, we can go test out which of these warhammers is more suitable, and most importantly, he¡¯s an outstanding marksman.¡± Gao Yi perked up and said, ¡°Oh, a weapons master, then we must meet, when? Where?¡± But Sean said, ¡°It¡¯s in Los Angeles, today!¡± ¡°You get me! Dude, you really get me!¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi was really happy, he thought Sean had not taken his obsession with gun skills to heart, but the man had quietly arranged everything. True to form as the Gardener. At this point, Sean continued, ¡°After meeting the weapons master, I¡¯m taking you to meet a fighting expert, a legendary assassin who¡¯s skilled in various techniques. I think you urgently need to cover some basic deficiencies, so you don¡¯t need to learn fighting skills, but you have to learn some things from him. However, this person is in Europe.¡± Gao Yi felt Sean was trying to take him to Europe, and now since he was indebted, he really couldn¡¯t refuse, so might as well go, no need to be stiff about it. Most importantly, Gao Yi didn¡¯t regard himself as an expert who disdains others. Any Kung Fu Master, definitely delighted at the prospect of battle, must seize the opportunity to spar with others, and if he could find an equally matched opponent, then it was even more essential to exchange ideas properly. Therefore Sean¡¯s concern was unnecessary, Gao Yi was eager for a chance to spar with the experts. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, to Europe.¡± After finishing excitedly, in a great mood, Gao Yi said to Sean, ¡°Don¡¯t hide it anymore, I¡¯ve noticed these days, you¡¯re anxious, tell me, is there a task that needs me?¡± Sean hesitated a moment, but finally decided to be forthright. ¡°Yes, we have three months. If the Garden hasn¡¯t completed any task by then, it will be erased from the Dark Web, which means the complete disappearance of the Garden.¡± Sean sighed, somewhat embarrassedly, and said to Gao Yi, ¡°So within these three months, you need to help me complete a task, an advanced task, as a representative of the Garden.¡± The inevitable had finally arrived. Gao Yi didn¡¯t feel deceived, he had known this day would come since the moment he agreed to collaborate. Gao Yi readily said, ¡°Okay, but we need to be selective about the task.¡± Sean, overjoyed, immediately said, ¡°Of course, we must be selective. I definitely won¡¯t send you on a suicide mission, but¡­ high-level tasks are very difficult, very dangerous, you need to be prepared psychologically.¡± ¡°Having eaten this bowl of rice, I¡¯m not afraid of danger. Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s a suitable task, ideally one that allows action in the restaurant.¡± Left hand swinging the hard handle hammer, right hand swinging the soft handle hammer, Gao Yi confidently said, ¡°I think I¡¯m invincible in a restaurant, what do you think?¡± Chapter 57 - 57 53 Theres Always Something Gained ?57: Chapter 53: There¡¯s Always Something Gained 57: Chapter 53: There¡¯s Always Something Gained Americans play pretty wildly, especially when it comes to weaponry, where they enjoy unparalleled conditions. Firearms aren¡¯t banned, not to mention cold and ancient weapons, so the person Sean found is indeed a master in both cold weapons and firearms. To call him a weapons master would not be an overstatement. ¡°This is Professor Gordon Fermand. Professor Fermand served as a faculty member in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the California Institute of Technology and, after retiring, created an interesting website on cold weapons. He has conducted deep research on ancient weapons and is also extremely skilled in shooting. He was the state shooting competition winner in both 1998 and 2004.¡± Sean was introducing him to Gao Yi, who looked at the white-bearded old man before him with utmost respect. Actually, Gao Yi felt Sean¡¯s introduction was somewhat understated. What does ¡°weapons master¡± mean? The seventy-something-old man in front of them should be called¡­ What should he be called? He was at a loss for words, not knowing how to describe him. Gao Yi extended his hands and took hold of Gordon¡¯s, saying earnestly, ¡°Hello, it¡¯s truly an honor to meet you.¡± Gordon shook hands with Gao Yi and then smiled, ¡°Hello, are you ready? I can hardly wait, let¡¯s get to testing quickly.¡± Gao Yi was slightly confused because Sean hadn¡¯t told him about what he was doing, so he didn¡¯t know what twists and turns there had been. Sean laughed and said, ¡°Help me get the Warhammer down. The test dummies are already prepared.¡± Gordon laughed on the side, ¡°When you proposed testing the impact of an Eastern Warhammer on modern Bullet-Proof Vests, I became interested. I think this will be an intriguing experiment.¡± Sean and Gordon jokingly carried over the boxes. Gao Yi lifted the largest box and followed the two men, walking around a barn-like building to arrive at a shooting range. Gordon¡¯s home was in the remote suburbs of Los Angeles, in the middle of nowhere, with hills behind the house set up with many iron targets. But for now, six dummies were placed at the range, four of them wearing Bullet-Proof Vests with helmets. It¡¯s the kind used specifically for impact testing¡ªscientific-grade dummies with bones, organs, and blood circulation; their skin and muscles are translucent and look somewhat frightening. These kinds of dummies often appear on ¡°MythBusters¡± and forging competitions. And these dummies are quite expensive. Sean wanted to give Gao Yi a surprise, but at this point, he couldn¡¯t keep it secret any longer. ¡°I¡¯ve been discussing with Professor Fermand online for a long time. Then, I purchased the dummies, Bullet-Proof Vests, and made hammers to test which type of hammer would cause the most damage to a human body protected by Bullet-Proof Vests.¡± Sean spoke calmly, and after Gao Yi sighed inwardly, he said to Sean, ¡°You¡¯ve been thoughtful.¡± Professor Fermand was even more eager than Gao Yi and Sean. He put down the hammer and said, ¡°Let¡¯s start, beginning with the unprotected dummies.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that. Let¡¯s start with the ones wearing Bullet-Proof Vests right away.¡± Without much to say, Gao Yi picked up the smallest Iron Bone hammer and struck down on a dummy¡¯s helmet with a clang. The helmet wasn¡¯t damaged, and there was no obvious skull injury, but the dummy¡¯s brain did bleed. Gordon said, ¡°The helmet provides good protection. That blow would cause a concussion, but it¡¯s not a fatal injury.¡± Gao Yi put down the fancy Iron Bone hammer; indeed, it was too light, not strong enough for targets with cushioned layers inside the helmet. He picked up the smallest tactical hammer and struck down: the same dummy now exhibited more pronounced symptoms of brain bleeding, possibly losing its ability to move, but one couldn¡¯t be sure it was incapacitated. This was a 2.2-kilogram tactical hammer, heavier than the Iron Bone hammer, but the all-steel handle accounted for much of the weight, so its lethality might not be much bigger than that of a wood-handled hammer. Gao Yi switched to the No.2 Hammer, weighing 2.7 kilograms¡ªor five pounds and four taels. Though the overall weight had increased by only one pound, since the handle was the same, the extra weight focused on the hammerhead. After this strike, the dummy¡¯s helmet didn¡¯t break, the skull was intact, but the brain immediately turned into a mess, meaning even with the helmet, this strike would be instantly fatal. The hammer was definitely effective on the head. Gao Yi swung it hard against a dummy¡¯s Bullet-Proof Vest. The vest without a ballistic insert caved in slightly, but the dummy¡¯s chest organs were smashed to pieces. Even a real person wearing the vest would be doomed from such a hit. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s an incredible strike; the impact force of the Warhammer is indeed formidable.¡± Professor Fermand exclaimed repeatedly, appearing as if he had never seen anything like it. Gao Yi, holding the hammer, moved to the next dummy without hitting the head since the helmets were all the same, but this dummy wore a vest with a Third-Level ballistic insert. The material of the ballistic insert varied, including ceramic and steel, but the one Sean bought was the commonly seen boron carbide insert. And with this strike, the boron carbide insert was slightly damaged, but the dummy was almost unharmed. Hitting the helmet would kill, hitting the arms would break them, hitting the legs would break them, but hitting the torso protected by a ballistic insert was useless. Gao Yi switched to the largest Soft Handle Hammer, but the result was the same, unable to break through the defense. It was the same with the Soft Handle Hammer, no matter how large the hammerhead or how much strength used, if there was a ballistic insert, the dummy would at most suffer shock, but the organs would not suffer life-threatening damage. Without a fatal injury, it wouldn¡¯t instantly lose the ability to move, and the ability to move meant danger. Whether it was a Third-Level insert or a Level 4, it was the same; for those heavy-duty vests almost covering the entire torso, there wouldn¡¯t be an issue. But once a Long Handle Hammer was used, even the shortest 50-centimeter hammer would cause severe shock to the dummy¡¯s internal organs, and a 60-centimeter hammer would be enough to cause fatal damage. The hammerhead had roughly the same weight, but a difference in length of just twenty centimeters resulted in a substantial change. Professor Fermand provided a very professional and detailed explanation. The concept of torque and lever is simple, but Gordon conducted experiments from the perspective of validating the lethality of ancient weapons. In contrast, Gao Yi was genuinely in search of a suitable weapon for himself, and naturally, their perspectives were quite different. Long Handle Hammers were powerful but not easy to carry. Gao Yi had decided his main weapon would be the No.2 Hammer from now on; as for those Soft Handle and Long Handle Hammers, they could all be set aside. After waiting for Sean to join Gordon in striking a few more blows and almost concluding the experiment, Gao Yi finally found a moment to ask Professor Fermand, ¡°Professor, I have a question I¡¯d like to ask you.¡± Gordon was in a good mood and smiled at Gao Yi, ¡°What¡¯s your question?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very passionate about shooting and have practiced for a long time, but my shooting talent is limited. Although I train very hard, I still see no hope of a breakthrough, so I wonder if there¡¯s any way to use equipment to compensate for a lack of skill?¡± Gao Yi¡¯s question left Gordon stumped momentarily. After pondering for a while, Gordon frowned and said, ¡°Shooting relies heavily on the quality of firearms, but a shooter¡¯s upper limit still depends on the person, not the gun. The simplest example is that the same gun will perform differently in the hands of two different people.¡± Gao Yi was somewhat helpless; even Gordon said so, it seemed there really wasn¡¯t hope of achieving the status of a Sharpshooter through changing guns. But then, Gordon added, ¡°However, if you compare it longitudinally, using a customized, modified 1911 for shooting will certainly yield much better results than using a stock 1911.¡± Gao Yi felt a renewed sense of confidence, ¡°So a good gun is definitely useful?¡± ¡°Of course, but it depends on how big of a breakthrough you¡¯re hoping for.¡± ¡°Is it possible to go from an ordinary gunman to a good gunman?¡± Gordon replied without hesitation, ¡°I don¡¯t know your shooting level, your training intensity, or your training methods, so I can¡¯t draw a conclusion.¡± Alright, still no conclusion. At that moment, Sean laughed and said, ¡°He hasn¡¯t been into shooting for long, so maybe he¡¯ll improve in the future. He¡¯s urgently looking for a gun that suits him, one that can accompany him for life.¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gordon nodded and then suddenly asked Gao Yi, ¡°Are you Chinese?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gordon seemed to reminisce, ¡°I had a student, a Chinese exchange student, who designed a new type of muzzle brake that impressed me¡ªa novel, beautiful muzzle brake that effectively reduced recoil while maintaining good flash suppression, designed for small rifles.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t understand why Gordon suddenly brought up his student; curiously, he asked, ¡°What happened next?¡± Gordon smiled, ¡°He once asked me the same question you did. He was concerned if an ordinary person could become a sniper. He was gifted in firearms design, and after graduating, he went to Texas with friends to establish a firearms design and manufacturing workshop. It seems to be doing well. I think since you both have similar needs and doubts, perhaps you could ask him.¡± Gao Yi got excited, blurting out immediately, ¡°That¡¯s great, do you have his contact information?¡± Gordon shrugged, ¡°His name is Li Jie. I can give you his email, and then you can ask him your questions. Maybe he can give you a satisfactory answer.¡± Gao Yi immediately looked at Sean. This Li Jie was in Texas, which was quite far away. If he went to see Li Jie, it would delay his trip to Europe, so Sean seemed somewhat worried. Gao Yi softened his heart and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just ask for now, just a question. If we need to do anything, we can discuss it after I return from Europe.¡± Sean was reassured and quickly said, ¡°Right, we¡¯ll contact him as soon as we¡¯re back. Actually, you can also go to Texas to meet him. We¡¯re not short on a day or two.¡± Today was quite fruitful, and Gao Yi was entirely satisfied. Chapter 58 - 58 54 Junk Task ?58: Chapter 54 Junk Task 58: Chapter 54 Junk Task He found an expert who may or may not be formidable, but was very much in line with Gao Yi¡¯s needs¡ªan ace student from the California Institute of Technology who, if he also wanted to compensate for a lack of skills with equipment, would certainly have a more effective solution than a novice like Gao Yi. Having sent the email and received no reply, Gao Yi became impatient when by the next day the email still showed as unread, so he handed the matter over to Sean to resolve. Sean was efficient; it took him only a few minutes to find the studio¡¯s phone number, and then, with one call, he was dialing through. After asking briefly, Sean turned to Gao Yi and said, ¡°Li Jie has gone to Argentina, but it seems he boarded the wrong flight on his return and ended up in Ecuador.¡± Looking at Gao Yi¡¯s puzzled face, Sean shrugged and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what his colleague said.¡± Gao Yi was somewhat confused as he asked, ¡°What did Gordon Fermand say about Li Jie being an ace student from which department¡­ of mechanical engineering?¡± ¡°Aerospace.¡± ¡°The aerospace department of the California Institute of Technology?¡± In the United States, and indeed, the whole world, aside from MIT, there is perhaps only the California Institute of Technology. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But in the field of aerospace, no one dares to claim first place over the California Institute of Technology whenever it says it¡¯s second. And in Gordon¡¯s description, Li Jie belonged to that category of ¡®kids from other families¡¯. In other words, he was exceptionally smart and truly formidable¡ªthe kind without limits¡ªthat made someone like Gao Yi, a mere academic underachiever, only able to look up in admiration without entertaining any other thoughts. Gao Yi¡¯s expertise in brawling, at best, made him something of a fighter, whereas someone like Li Jie was a real genius, the truly skilled kind, the backbone of a country. Yet, could such a true genius make the mistake of boarding the wrong plane? Intending to fly to the United States but ending up in Ecuador? Sean understood Gao Yi¡¯s confusion, for when he had heard the news, he too was just as puzzled, but having lived quite a few more decades and seen all sorts of people, he was somewhat more immune to this kind of situation. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not unusual; those exceptionally brilliant geniuses might be a mess in their daily lives¡ªhappens quite a lot.¡± Gao Yi blinked and said, ¡°So he¡­¡± Sean spoke wearily, ¡°It¡¯s been two days, not exactly missing, but he hasn¡¯t returned. His colleagues say he might have gone to Ecuador to visit a friend named Frost. Eh, that¡¯s the situation now¡ªno one knows when he¡¯ll be back.¡± If Gao Yi insisted on seeing Li Jie before setting out, then he had to wait for Li Jie¡¯s return, so Sean was a bit worried, fearing too much delay, yet knowing Gao Yi¡¯s concerns, he couldn¡¯t suggest not to wait. Gao Yi, however, understood Sean¡¯s urgency. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not look for him now; let¡¯s check out the tasks instead.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s understanding visibly relieved Sean. Less than three months remained, and in the style of a conventional assassin, that time might not even suffice for preparation. The first step was to identify a target, and then one could prepare in a targeted manner. ¡°Shall we pick a target?¡± Sean¡¯s tone suggested he was asking for Gao Yi¡¯s opinion, but he had already taken out his phone and leaned in close to Gao Yi. Gao Yi took out his own phone as well. Gao Yi had now progressed from the quagmire of F-rank to the somewhat better E-rank, still at the base level. It¡¯s tough being a newcomer; the vast majority of them think only of risking their lives for money, but few actually succeed. Having the means to access the Dark Web is one thing; truly skilled newcomers, like Gao Yi, as well as those from an organization, merely linger in F-rank, quickly completing a task and immediately moving up to E-rank. Those who stay stuck in F-rank don¡¯t even count as consumables, nor do they deserve to form the foundation or base of the pyramid. The shuttlecock structure is the most common organizational setup for all illicit organizations in the underworld, meaning that the structure of the Dark Web isn¡¯t pyramid-shaped, but rather like a shuttlecock, with very few at each end. Having reached E-rank, Gao Yi could now take on public tasks for grades C, D, and E. But for Garden to maintain its status as an A-rank assassin organization, it had to take on an A-rank task, which was out of Gao Yi¡¯s reach. The two leaned in close, and a comparison quickly showed the difference, evident even in the amount of the bounty. A-rank tasks started at ten million dollars. The most irksome part was that there were so many A-rank tasks; scrolling down, there were at least more than twenty listings. ¡°Are there that many A-rank public tasks?¡± Gao Yi was somewhat surprised; he had assumed the A-rank task column would be sparse, but to his astonishment, advanced tasks far outnumbered simple ones. Sean spoke in a low voice, ¡°These are tasks that remain uncompleted for years, forced to turn public. The shorter ones have been up for two to three years, the oldest for as many as eight.¡± Gao Yi cautiously asked, ¡°What level is Gray Horace¡¯s task?¡± ¡°B.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Sean suddenly showed impatience, ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®oh¡¯ me, I hate it when people keep ¡®oh-ing¡¯ without end¡ªI don¡¯t want you picking up that habit.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Sean helplessly said, ¡°A-rank is the highest level, meaning the most difficult tasks with the highest bounties are categorized as A-level, but for a top assassin organization, picking from public tasks is a sign of failure.¡± Gao Yi was curious, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The truly successful assassin organizations don¡¯t need public tasks, or to put it another way, if a client wants someone eliminated, the most common approach is to directly contact a capable assassin organization¡ªone-on-one, direct communication.¡± Gao Yi understood and nodded, ¡°That means, if I want to eliminate someone, I would contact Garden directly. But if you take on the task and can¡¯t complete it, or if it takes too long, I¡¯d look for someone else, or just throw the task into the public pool. Is that right?¡± Sean¡¯s expression turned grim, but he nodded lightly, ¡°Yes.¡± Gao Yi sighed softly, ¡°So, nobody is approaching Garden now; to maintain your rank and status, you have to pick from the highly challenging public tasks?¡± The stark reality left Sean quite helpless; he spread his hands and spoke quietly, ¡°That¡¯s about it. But there¡¯s an advantage to public tasks: if the influence is significant, completing one can rapidly boost your reputation.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there any A-rank public task that¡¯s easier with a high payout?¡± ¡°There are, occasionally, but they get snatched up as soon as they appear.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®snatched up¡¯? Aren¡¯t public tasks open to anyone, and whoever completes them first gets the money?¡± ¡°Snatched up means someone quickly eliminated the target without giving others a chance.¡± Understood. A-rank tasks and lower ones weren¡¯t significantly different, merely harder with a higher bounty. Gao Yi put away his phone and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see what tasks are available.¡± Sean handed over his phone to Gao Yi, ¡°You have a look.¡± Tapping into the first task, the bounty was 500 million USD, targeting a high-profile individual who couldn¡¯t be named. Gao Yi promptly backed out and exclaimed in shock, ¡°Can such a person be listed with a bounty on the Dark Web?¡± Sean shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s why the KGB is so angry, making the Dark Web a prime focus of their crackdown.¡± Muttering in disapproval, Gao Yi opened the second task, then with a look of resignation, said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of looking at such tasks?¡± Sean gestured downwards with his hand, ¡°Keep scrolling. The first ten tasks are a waste of time. I just wanted you to get a rough idea of A-rank tasks; it¡¯s better to work your way up.¡± Scrolling to the bottom, Gao Yi found a task that seemed much more reasonable, despite also being A-rank. ¡°The bounty is ten million dollars, no time limit, the target is Kratoyev, a Russian?¡± Sean nodded, ¡°Yes, a Russian oligarch who fled to the UK. But forget about him; look further up.¡± ¡°Why forget about this one?¡± Sean spoke helplessly, ¡°He¡¯s too difficult to kill, too well-protected. It¡¯s a typical low payout, high difficulty, high risk, garbage task. The downside of choosing from the bottom is these kinds of trash tasks are more common.¡± Gao Yi returned the phone to Sean, ¡°You pick it then. You must have thought this through; let¡¯s not waste more time.¡± Sean smiled slightly and said, ¡°A-rank has the largest backlog of tasks. I was just letting you get familiar first. I¡¯ll make a suggestion then, and if you don¡¯t like it, we can choose another.¡± Gao Yi waved dismissively, speaking softly, ¡°Choose something realistic. The amount of money doesn¡¯t matter much; the important thing is not to send me to my death.¡± Chapter 59 - 59 55 Big Shot ?59: Chapter 55 Big Shot 59: Chapter 55 Big Shot The Dark Web was deeper than Gao Yi had imagined. From Gao Yi¡¯s own experiences, those who could accept tasks on the Dark Web were no ordinary characters, but those who could post tasks there were clearly even more formidable. Money was not omnipotent, but it certainly transcended the concept of omnipotence. No amount of money could buy eternal life; however, with money and the channel of the Dark Web, one could purchase death. One could buy someone else¡¯s death. Then the question arose, what exactly were the goods being traded on the Dark Web? Looking at the Assassin section of the Dark Web, from the perspective of the commissioners, the services provided by the assassin were the goods. For the assassins, the targets provided by the commissioners were the goods. For the Dark Web itself, both the paying commissioners and the working assassins were goods. A Dark Web-guaranteed transaction actually involved four main participants, namely the Dark Web, the commissioner, the assassin, and the most crucial yet least important: the target. From the perspective of mutual generation, the existence of the commissioner, the assassin, and the target together gave rise to the Dark Web. From the perspective of mutual overcoming, the assassin overcame the target, the target overcome the commissioner, the commissioner was to counter the Dark Web, and the Dark Web overcame the assassin. But the commissioner countering the Dark Web was just a theoretical, slight threat at most. The greatest threat to the Dark Web was merely that the tasks from the commissioners were not completed promptly on this platform, nothing more. The most the commissioners could do to restrain the Dark Web was switch to another platform. If there were several competing Dark Webs, then a commissioner switching platforms would be a threat; but if there was only one dominant Dark Web left, then switching platforms would be meaningless. In conclusion, the target was the most crucial basic nutrient in this ecological chain, and the Dark Web was the top predator benefiting the most and almost never threatened. Only by understanding the underlying logic of the Dark Web¡¯s existence and operation could one comprehend why the Garden was so eager to complete the Dark Web¡¯s task. The Garden, as a vendor on the Dark Web, would have to close down if it didn¡¯t sell. For Gao Yi, understanding this meant he knew he could take absolute initiative in this unavoidable task the Garden had to undertake. Many assassins might never understand what role they truly played on the Dark Web, and wouldn¡¯t even consider these questions. But for Gao Yi, at least he could think about what role he played in this underworld ecosystem, figure out his position and role, and then when choosing targets, at least he wouldn¡¯t pick someone whose death, even if it brought him money, couldn¡¯t be enjoyed because he might be killed first. For instance, those high-profile, powerful individuals, Gao Yi wouldn¡¯t even consider them. So Gao Yi left the choice of target to Sean. If Sean gave Gao Yi a target, it was also a test from Gao Yi to see what Sean would choose. If Sean picked an inappropriate target, then the friendship they had established thus far would end there, Gao Yi would thank Sean for everything he had done; as a return, he could spare Sean¡¯s life. If Sean selected a suitable task, even one matching the difficulty expected of Grade A tasks, yet not drawing endless investigations and assassination attempts after completion, then Gao Yi would believe Sean truly wanted a long-term cooperation and didn¡¯t regard him as consumable. So, though Gao Yi appeared like a hot-headed newcomer, he was indeed a hot-headed newcomer, but he wasn¡¯t foolish; he was very shrewd. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi was a bit nervous; if Sean chose a consumable task for him, should he turn against Sean immediately or hold back for now? On reflection, if Sean had indeed recommended a consumable task, that would mean he intended to trap Gao Yi. Having recognized that, why hesitate over any moral burden in eliminating him right away? Somewhat indecisive by nature, Gao Yi cleared this matter up for himself and sat quietly, his face expressing impatience and indifference as he waited for Sean to make a choice. ¡°There are many Grade A tasks, but not many are doable.¡± Sean obviously contemplated taking that mission; he had almost settled on one, and now that Gao Yi asked him to choose, he immediately opened a task and said, ¡°Check this out.¡± A Grade A public task, with a bounty of twenty million dollars, the target being Ditzel Eller Mondrian. The method of death wasn¡¯t specified; as long as he died, it would suffice. The fewer the demands, the tougher the job, because the commissioner no longer cared about hiding the murderous intent, indicating the target was very challenging to kill. The less detailed the introduction, the more significant the target, like this one with not even a single word of introduction meant everyone should know this target, and there was no chance of getting the name wrong, at least a world-famous person. In sum, the fewer the words, the tougher the task. After glancing briefly at the task¡¯s specifics, Gao Yi said perplexedly, ¡°There¡¯s no introduction here; who is this person?¡± Sean evidently knew the target¡¯s information by heart. ¡°Ditzel, don¡¯t you know him? He¡¯s a celebrity, a French celebrity, truly a legend. If you¡¯ve been around Europe, you¡¯d definitely have heard his name.¡± After a brief pause, Sean continued, ¡°Ditzel is a businessman, born in the 93rd district on the northern outskirts of Paris, which is the poorest, most dangerous, and most chaotic area in France. But Ditzel became a billionaire and is among the top ten wealthiest in France, especially since he also entered the political arena, served as a Member of Parliament, and his highest position was Minister of Urban Residence and Transport of France.¡± Gao Yi raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh, he¡¯s an official then?¡± Sean slightly smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he retired almost ten years ago. If he were an in-term official, I wouldn¡¯t consider him as a target.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. You scared me there.¡± Gao Yi stroked his chin, ¡°But you see, I have my principles; I don¡¯t kill good people.¡± If one considered being an assassin just a profession, why should one kill good people? The underworld is riddled with countless scum deserving death, so why struggle with conscience after killing good people and facing the psychological burden when eliminating a heinously wicked villain could feel like delivering divine retribution, bringing oneself joy and inner satisfaction? Thus, why would Gao Yi ever kill a good person? Sean smiled again and said, ¡°Relax, I know your principles. Actually, you don¡¯t even need to emphasize them. Think about it, can anyone who rose from the 93rd district and become a mogul in business and politics be a good person in the general sense?¡± Gao Yi candidly responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the 93rd district is, nor do I know the target¡¯s history. Tell me more.¡± ¡°The 93rd district is mostly populated by people from North Africa and Arabs. Ditzel is caucasian, but being born in the 93rd district, it was impossible for him to have started out legitimately, so Ditzel has been tough since his youth. He first unified the 93rd district before moving beyond it. Let me put it this way, he engaged in any business that could make money!¡± Gao Yi spread his hands, ¡°Any business that could make money, such as?¡± ¡°Anything you can think of, everything that¡¯s available on the Dark Web, drug trafficking, human trafficking, organized theft, trading stolen goods, arms trading¡­¡± Sean didn¡¯t even know how to list them all; Gao Yi waved his hand, ¡°Okay, I get what money-making businesses are there; what else?¡± ¡°Ditzel moved beyond the 93rd district in the early ¡¯90s. He had the capital, but it was after moving beyond the 93rd district that he entered a path of rapid development. He would buy businesses at low prices and sell them high. Let me put it this way, Ditzel had more lives on his hands than you and I combined, and he wasn¡¯t the kind of tycoon that climbed up by others¡¯ support; he truly rose from the bottom, bloody and real. It was only in the early ¡¯00s that he cut ties with his shady history and laundered himself into a legitimate businessman before mixing into the political sphere.¡± A real tycoon who fought his way up from the bottom is tough and not to be messed with. Gao Yi seriously said, ¡°Then he doesn¡¯t know he¡¯s been put up for a bounty on the Dark Web?¡± ¡°He knows, so he takes especially good care of his security and also uses the Dark Web to eliminate many of his competitors. As far as I know, at least not less than ten assassins have died by Ditzel¡¯s hands.¡± Sean hesitated for a moment, then with a shamefaced expression, he spoke softly, ¡°We¡¯ve received invitations to assassinate Ditzel before, not public tasks, but direct tasks traded directly on the Dark Web with the commissioner, worth 50 million dollars, but we failed and had to abandon the commission.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so¡­¡± Sean spoke softly, ¡°But because of this failed mission, we¡¯ve done extensive research on Ditzel, long-term tracking, and have gained deep insight; all these are valuable experiences. So, my first choice of target is him.¡± Gao Yi thought and said, ¡°So, taking down Ditzel won¡¯t bring about a French official manhunt?¡± ¡°No, I can assure you of that. Oh, Ditzel¡¯s tenure as a minister was short, and he was sentenced to four years in prison for bribery and fraud; now, he has no association with the French government.¡± Not bad, the target Sean chose, although sounding formidable, at least wasn¡¯t the kind that could provoke a pursuit by a major country. If that were the case, Gao Yi would not be willing to give Sean any face. After pondering for a moment, Gao Yi looked at Sean and said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already chosen Ditzel, you must have spotted an opportunity, right?¡± Sean immediately responded, ¡°Ditzel was one of several backup tasks, not the only choice. Actually, I haven¡¯t discovered a particularly good opportunity yet. What we know now is that one of Ditzel¡¯s former subordinates, who followed him for many years and is now a successful businessman after also going legitimate, is hosting a large charity dinner in a month. I speculate, I suspect, perhaps Ditzel might attend this dinner.¡± Probably, possibly, perhaps¡ªnothing definite, but that¡¯s normal. If it were easy to ascertain a target¡¯s whereabouts, assassinations wouldn¡¯t be this difficult. Sean, appearing a bit anxious, spoke softly, ¡°You mentioned focusing on tasks that can be handled inside a restaurant; I think a charity dinner might be a good opportunity, so I¡¯ve been extensively screening, paying close attention, and after a long time, I found this clue and chance. What do you think, is it worth considering?¡± Chapter 60 - 60 56 Four Uses of Chopsticks ?60: Chapter 56: Four Uses of Chopsticks 60: Chapter 56: Four Uses of Chopsticks Gao Yi now felt that Sean didn¡¯t consider him as expendable, which allowed him to follow Sean to London. Why was the target in Paris, but the first stop was London? The reason was simple: Sean needed to teach Gao Yi as much as possible in the shortest amount of time. Improvised weapons at the last minute are neither quick nor smooth. Currently, Gao Yi¡¯s strongest skill was close combat, possessing the confidence and ability to deliver lethal blows. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, what he lacked the most was experience¡ªthe skills to approach the target apart from recklessly charging forward. It wasn¡¯t possible to complete every mission by blindly charging in and eliminating the target with one blow, so learning even a little more was significant; this was Sean¡¯s expectation for Gao Yi, and it was also the reality. They took their passports and set off directly, flying all the way to London. Upon arrival in London, a luxury car picked them up, and then they checked into a hotel. Everything was arranged by Sean, providing nanny-level care, which meant Gao Yi didn¡¯t need to worry at all. After a long flight, even the young and robust Gao Yi felt a bit tired, but the energetic Sean kept busy. It wasn¡¯t until the next day, after Gao Yi had a restful sleep, that the still energetic Sean pulled him to head straight to the outskirts of London. Gao Yi didn¡¯t know where they were going; it was only when the buildings were out of sight and they had driven off the main roads onto a country lane that Sean finally turned off. They passed a few scattered houses and eventually stopped in front of a pretty white house. It was a pointed-roof house with no walls or fence, a cobblestone path leading up to the door. Flower beds lined the path, and a bit further away stood two large oak trees with a row of willow trees behind the house and what appeared to be a sizable pond. From the outside, it indeed looked like a scenic British country villa, but both sides of the villa¡¯s door were adorned with New Year couplets, and a large ¡°Fu¡± character was pasted on the door. Pointing at the house, Gao Yi, taken aback, said, ¡°Chinese?¡± Sean nodded, his face calm, ¡°Yes.¡± Sean indeed provided nanny-level care and butler-style service, preparing everything silently. But that was only the good aspect. The downside was that Sean always took matters into his own hands without consulting Gao Yi. He was used to making decisions by himself. Hence, the current situation arose. It was only when they reached the doorstep that Gao Yi realized the teacher Sean had found for him was Chinese. It wasn¡¯t that Gao Yi was unhappy, just purely surprised as he questioned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me beforehand?¡± ¡°Uh, you didn¡¯t ask, and I thought you didn¡¯t care, plus it isn¡¯t important.¡± Sean wasn¡¯t trying to hide anything; he genuinely didn¡¯t care. But seeing the astonishment on Gao Yi¡¯s face, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, Sean finally apologized, ¡°Sorry.¡± He apologized first, then with a serious face, Sean explained, ¡°I¡¯m the Gardener, responsible for nurturing the seedlings, but a gardener doesn¡¯t consult the seedlings before taking actions, nor do the seedlings ask questions. So¡­ I¡¯m used to it, I¡¯m used to making all the decisions by myself, and this time was no different. I apologize again for my oversight.¡± Waving his hand, Gao Yi responded, ¡°I¡¯m not angry, just surprised. I never expected you¡¯d find a Chinese to teach me. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Sean sighed, then, feeling a bit embarrassed, he said, ¡°In the past, I wouldn¡¯t explain a teacher¡¯s background to newcomers, but you are different. I need to clarify that this time, the teacher I found for you was once a member of the London Sanhe Gang. He is also an assassin, specializing in close-quarters stabbing, and was quite famous. He has many skills he can teach you, and as for why we¡¯re not using our own assassins, that¡¯s because the Garden¡¯s assassins¡­ are all dead.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand, no need for further explanation. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Gao Yi opened the car door, smiling as he said, ¡°A Chinese is even better. I can¡¯t wait to see what skills this master has.¡± Sean, not getting out of the car, spoke to the already stepping out Gao Yi, ¡°Stay here and learn as much as possible. I¡¯m heading to Paris today. When I feel it¡¯s time for you to visit the site, you must leave, so your time is very limited.¡± ¡°Understood, let¡¯s go.¡± Gao Yi was already eager. Sean got out of the car, adjusted his clothing, and stood beside Gao Yi. In a low voice, he said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know my identity, and he won¡¯t ask. But if he does ask, just say I¡¯m an agent. Just avoid revealing the Garden¡¯s identity, anything else you can say freely.¡± After briefly explaining this, Sean quickly walked to the front of the house and pressed the doorbell. While waiting for the door to open, Sean confidently said, ¡°You¡¯re going to be very surprised. I can¡¯t wait to see your shocked expression. Although not everything he teaches may be useful, I guarantee, the first lesson will be unforgettable for you¡­¡± As Sean was boasting about the teacher¡¯s prowess, the door opened. An old man, who should have been unremarkable, yet with his white beard and wearing a China-style robe, gave off a slightly sage-like presence, opened the door. Looking at Sean, then at Gao Yi, the old man too seemed quite surprised. Smiling, Sean greeted, ¡°Hello, Mr. Chen, I¡¯m the one who contacted you.¡± Mr. Chen looked at Sean, sized up Gao Yi, then stepped aside from the door and said in English, ¡°Please, come with me.¡± Chapter 61 - 61 56 Four Uses of Chopsticks_2 ?61: Chapter 56: Four Uses of Chopsticks_2 61: Chapter 56: Four Uses of Chopsticks_2 Gao Yi and Sean were not allowed in through the front door; the old man led them around the house to the backyard. Behind the door was an ordinary-looking living room. After entering the living room and closing the door, the old man didn¡¯t say a word of superfluous chatter. He gestured for them to follow and then led the way. The house was a typical UK countryside villa, and after walking around it, they reached a typical barn. The long barn was located on the right side of the house, while on the left side was a perfectly trimmed lawn. Walking another twenty or thirty meters forward, there was a pond, nearly ten acres in size. However, between the pond and the grass, there were two vegetable plots, one planted with leeks and the other likely with coriander, also known as cilantro. Seeing the vegetable fields, Gao Yi knew for certain that this old man was definitely Chinese. The old man opened the door of the barn, where the floor was covered with rubber mats. There was also a table with a mannequin on it. Unlike the realistic mannequin Gao Yi had used to test the hammer¡¯s strength, this one here was much simpler, but likewise made to resemble a human, just without bones and blood. The old man stood in front of the table, turned around, and looked at Gao Yi. Gao Yi bowed with his hands clasped together and respectfully said, ¡°Master Chen, I am honored to learn from you.¡± Gao Yi spoke in Chinese, causing Old Chen to frown slightly, but then he unexpectedly returned the gesture and said, ¡°You¡¯re being too polite.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, after he lowered his hands, Old Chen immediately said to Gao Yi in English, ¡°You can call me Teacher, but do not call me Master. I do not want to know your name, I will call you Student. The tuition is fifty thousand pounds, fifteen days, meals and lodging included. Please leave on your own when your time is up. Any questions?¡± Sean immediately took out the bag he was carrying, opened it, and took out a stack of cash, smiling, ¡°No problem, this is the tuition.¡± Old Chen discreetly swept the money into his pocket, then, with a serious expression, said, ¡°The teaching starts now. Student, stay. You, please leave.¡± Sean hesitated for a moment, then quietly said, ¡°Sir, may I observe for a bit? I¡¯ll only watch for a little while. I¡¯ve sent students here before, I know you have extraordinary skills, I just want to see a little. Is that alright?¡± Old Chen frowned, but he still nodded and said, ¡°Alright, you can watch for ten minutes.¡± Sean immediately expressed his satisfaction to Gao Yi, ¡°You will see a completely different style, I believe, you¡¯ll be quite surprised.¡± Old Chen ignored Sean, surveyed Gao Yi briefly, and said, ¡°He specifically asked to start with the environment of the dining area, so I¡¯ll start with the cutlery. Are you Chinese?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s start with chopsticks.¡± The teaching began immediately, without any useless chatter, which Gao Yi found somewhat unusual. Old Chen picked up a chopstick, formally began, ¡°There are two main categories of mainstream cutlery in the world: chopsticks and knives and forks. Both of these types of cutlery can be lethal weapons. Next, I will explain four main uses for chopsticks.¡± ¡°The first, chopsticks stabbing the nostrils, piercing the brain, can instantly cause death.¡± Old Chen held the chopstick in a reverse grip, swung his arm backward, and the chopstick accurately pierced into the nostrils of the mannequin. Then, he struck the hand holding the chopstick with his left hand. ¡°The key point of this move is that it must be extremely accurate, requiring long-term practice. The advantage of this move is that after the chopstick enters the nostril, it causes a series of muscles like the masseter muscle and the stylohyoid muscle to contract, making it impossible for the target to make any noise. Even if the force is insufficient to kill the target instantly, it provides ample time for a follow-up strike.¡± Gao Yi truly felt enlightened about the uses of chopsticks. Old Chen then picked up another chopstick, said gravely, ¡°The second use, stabbing the eyes. This move is a bit more difficult, requires less skill but demands the highest in strength and speed. To use this move, you must kill instantly.¡± Old Chen extended his arm and thrust the chopstick into the eyes of the mannequin. It looked simple and didn¡¯t seem to require much strength. Gao Yi immediately said, ¡°Teacher, stabbing the eyes with chopsticks seems much easier than stabbing the nostrils. Why do you say this move is more difficult?¡± ¡°Because the instinctive protection people have for their eyes is extremely strong. Furthermore, after a severe impact, the eye will instinctively evade and scream in pain. The instinctive power is very strong, and the target¡¯s head turning speed is extremely fast, possibly making it impossible to complete the next part of the move. Screaming out is extremely disadvantageous for an assassin.¡± Old Chen explained seriously why the simpler-looking move was actually more difficult, but he kept the explanation brief. The deeper, more detailed explanations would be left for the later lessons. He picked up the third chopstick, this time a disposable wooden one, made of soft wood that could easily be broken. Holding the two ends of the chopstick, leaving a large enough middle gap, he gently broke the chopstick. Those who often break chopsticks to pick their teeth know that breaking it this way makes the broken end sharp enough. Holding the broken chopstick in his hand, leaving less than two centimeters of the sharp end exposed, Old Chen blandly said, ¡°The third method, find the position two fingers below the jawline, in front of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Here lies the carotid sinus; just over one centimeter of penetration is needed¡­¡± Quickly swinging his arm, the broken chopstick stabbed into the spot Old Chen had indicated, then he released his right hand, leaving the broken chopstick stuck in the mannequin¡¯s neck. Chapter 62 - 62 56 Four Uses of Chopsticks_3 ?62: Chapter 56: Four Uses of Chopsticks_3 62: Chapter 56: Four Uses of Chopsticks_3 ¡°After the stab, withdraw quickly. This will cause rapid blood loss from the carotid artery, and the blood will spray out. Even in a hospital, it would be too late for rescue. However, this technique requires extremely high skill. A slight misplacement means a complete failure of the assassination.¡± It was only three moves, and it all took just three minutes. Old Chen¡¯s face was calm, but his eyes were filled with anticipation for Gao Yi¡¯s astonishment. ¡°Okay, these are the three moves you need to train. It¡¯s a skill that requires long-term practice. Once you grasp the knack, you can practice slowly. For now, try it yourself. Long-term training will be your own responsibility, so ask any questions you have now.¡± It sounded like four moves, but why did he stop after only three? Gao Yi immediately asked, ¡°Teacher, what is the fourth usage of the chopsticks?¡± Old Chen calmly said, ¡°The fourth usage of chopsticks, and the most important one, is¡­ eating!¡± Gao Yi was taken aback, while Sean couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Sean had a reserved personality, so he wasn¡¯t the type to laugh out loud, but the fact that he couldn¡¯t help but laugh indicated that Gao Yi¡¯s question was funny and Old Chen¡¯s answer was humorous. It seemed this was an old routine, but was eating really something to be brought up in a class at an assassination training camp? Gao Yi was confused, but he didn¡¯t press further, while Sean couldn¡¯t help but smile and said, ¡°Are these skills a completely different experience for you?¡± Gao Yi nodded. Old Chen directly said, ¡°Start practicing.¡± There was a human model in front of Gao Yi too. As soon as Old Chen ordered the practice to begin, Gao Yi immediately picked up the chopsticks. Skill doesn¡¯t depress the body; the art of killing is still an art. Gao Yi¡¯s chopstick went awry; he poked the model¡¯s nose, and his strength was so great that he broke the wooden chopstick. Without hesitation or pause, Gao Yi withdrew his hand and smoothly stabbed the half-piece of the chopstick into the model¡¯s neck, right at the position of the carotid sinus. Poking the nostril was inaccurate, but hitting the deadly spot on the neck was spot-on. The reason was simple: Gao Yi had practiced it. Dropping the broken chopstick, Gao Yi picked up another and lightened his force. One, two, three times. The third time, he accurately poked the chopstick into the model¡¯s nostril. It wasn¡¯t too hard, just a bit of practice to find the accuracy, and the rest was just becoming adept with practice. Then, Gao Yi casually picked up another chopstick from the table and kept stabbing it into the model¡¯s nostril, never failing again. Once Gao Yi shifted his focus from the model and no longer looked at it, he swung his arm and drove the chopstick into the dummy¡¯s eye, penetrating the back of the head without needing his left hand to guide. Sean¡¯s mouth fell open, and Old Chen seemed slightly dazed, his eyes wide open. Gao Yi looked towards Old Chen and respectfully whispered, ¡°Teacher, is there really a fourth usage of chopsticks?¡± Old Chen swallowed and asked, ¡°Have you practiced this before?¡± ¡°No, truly no.¡± ¡°With my usual experience, mastering this move takes at least a month, and that¡¯s fast. Are you saying you¡¯ve never practiced it before?¡± Old Chen was genuinely anxious, and his pride was hurt. Gao Yi hesitated, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you why if you tell me the fourth usage of the chopsticks.¡± Without waiting for Old Chen to answer, Gao Yi suddenly thrust two fingers into the eyes with his left hand, the middle finger knuckle protruded to strike the carotid sinus, the left hand came down to hit the dummy¡¯s throat, right hand shook, and a punch landed on the dummy¡¯s chest. The dummy didn¡¯t fly away or even fall, but a large dent formed on its chest. It wasn¡¯t a predefined move; Gao Yi just wanted Old Chen to see his punching power, speed, and accuracy in hitting the acupoints; of course, he hit only one acupoint, which in modern medical terms was called the carotid sinus. Old Chen closed his mouth; his beard twitched, and then he suddenly said, ¡°The fourth usage is to use the chopstick as a hidden weapon, throwing it to stab the eye and penetrate the brain, killing someone in an instant. However, this move is just a legend, don¡¯t take it seriously, let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With that, Old Chen pulled out a stack of cash from his pocket, grabbed Sean¡¯s hand, and placed the money in his hand, saying, ¡°You can go now.¡± Sean stood dumbstruck, holding the money, making clucking sounds without knowing what to say. Gao Yi quickly said, ¡°Chen¡­ Teacher, I just want to learn some assassin¡¯s skills.¡± Old Chen took a step back, glaring at Gao Yi with resentful eyes, ¡°Looking for trouble, aren¡¯t you?¡± Old Chen was so angry that he didn¡¯t speak English. Sean suddenly closed his mouth, then he again offered the money, earnestly saying, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s a misunderstanding. We don¡¯t need to learn fighting skills, nor killing skills, just teach him how to approach targets, the experience, the insights.¡± Old Chen didn¡¯t take the money; Sean placed the money on the table, turned to Gao Yi, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go first, you lack experience, learn well, goodbye.¡± Sean was smart; he knew staying would make it harder for Old Chen to step down, so he turned and left. As planned, Sean went to Paris to prepare, if there was any news he would call Gao Yi over; if not, Gao Yi would stay here to learn. Now only Gao Yi and Old Chen were left, Gao Yi didn¡¯t know what to learn, and Old Chen had no desire to teach. It¡¯s just unclear how to break this awkward situation. Finally, Gao Yi picked up another chopstick from the table, walked forward a few steps, turned around, and flung the chopstick from his hand. The chopstick spun twice in the air and stabbed next to the dummy¡¯s nose bridge, penetrating about a centimeter¡ªenough to make the chopstick stick to the dummy¡¯s face without falling. Gao Yi whispered quietly, ¡°Teacher Chen, the fourth usage you mentioned, is it like this?¡± Old Chen, watching the chopstick on the dummy¡¯s face, his expression alternating between cloudy and clear, finally became stern and coldly said, ¡°So, you came here to challenge us!¡± With that, Old Chen suddenly drew a semicircle with his left hand in front of him, then clenched his left fist towards the side while taking a half step back with his right foot, right hand clenched into a fist to his waist, adopting the starting stance of Hsing Yi Boxing. As Gao Yi was taken aback, Old Chen suddenly drew a gun from his right side, abruptly stood up, aimed the gun at Gao Yi¡¯s head, and fiercely commanded, ¡°Get out!¡± Chapter 63 - 63 57 Theoretical Opportunities ?63: Chapter 57 Theoretical Opportunities 63: Chapter 57 Theoretical Opportunities What era is it that you still need to strike a pose before making a move, it¡¯s simply embarrassing for practitioners. But as soon as Old Chen drew his gun with such a posture, Gao Yi only wanted to say ¡°666¡±. Raise your hand, stand up, step back, speak your mind quickly. ¡°Old man, it¡¯s a misunderstanding, truly a misunderstanding!¡± Gao Yi took a couple of steps back, his hands not raised above his head, just his palms facing outward towards Old Chen, sincerely saying, ¡°We¡¯re both practitioners of Hsing Yi, I come from practicing boxing, not from the assassins. That¡¯s why I was sent to learn from you, not to challenge you or to pick a fight.¡± After retreating five steps, Gao Yi stopped and said, ¡°How about I demonstrate a move or two for you?¡± Old Chen¡¯s face darkened as he said, ¡°Playing this in front of me, you still¡­¡± Gao Yi slowly, with an unusually slow speed, struck a starting pose, then he turned around just as slowly, his right hand smashing down in slow motion, and his left fist pitching. Just like that, from the starting pose to strapping on to performing the Black Cannon Hammer, missing a stepping move, this combo should be performed stepping forward, but Gao Yi was afraid he¡¯d get shot if he did so, so he dared not move. It was the very action that Old Chen had just made but hadn¡¯t followed through with, a routine used in boxing practice, known as a ¡°form,¡± but not used in actual combat. But Old Chen would definitely understand upon seeing it. Indeed, Old Chen¡¯s eyes widened, then he stared at Gao Yi and said, ¡°The fist as a cannon, the dragon wraps the body¡­¡± Gao Yi immediately responded, ¡°Facing the enemy as if on fire!¡± Old Chen put away his gun, a look of surprise on his face, ¡°strike the yin and yang to the left and right quickly!¡± ¡°The feet switch naturally.¡± ¡°The left and right advance should be as sharp as a sword!¡± ¡°With the mind ready, the enemy turns over by themselves.¡± Old Chen turned his right hand over, the gun subtly hidden back at his waist, then he glared at Gao Yi and said, ¡°Where did you learn this boxing song?¡± ¡°Passed down in my family!¡± ¡°Passed down? What¡¯s your surname?¡± ¡°Gao, as in high and low.¡± Old Chen sucked in a breath of cold air, then said in extreme amazement, ¡°Your family passed it down? What¡¯s your father¡¯s name? No, what¡¯s your grandfather¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Gao Yingshan.¡± Old Chen¡¯s eyes bulged out, after sizing up Gao Yi, he suddenly said, ¡°Good heavens, this, this¡­your great-grandfather¡¯s name was?¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, having recalled a bit, Gao Yi said, ¡°Gao Shunquan.¡± Old Chen clapped his hands together loudly and said, ¡°Ah, my ancestor above, you are my disciple¡¯s nephew.¡± I knew there was a connection, but didn¡¯t expect it to be so close. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth wide and said, ¡°Ah?¡± Old Chen was extremely excited and said, ¡°You wait, just wait a minute, don¡¯t leave!¡± Gao Yi stood still as Old Chen hurriedly ran past him, but quickly, Old Chen came back with a thin book. ¡°Look, look!¡± Old Chen opened the book, pulled it apart to reveal a long strip of yellowing rice paper with names written on it using a brush, resembling a family tree. Old Chen, pointing to a name excitedly said, ¡°Look, your great-grandfather Gao Shunquan, your grandfather Gao Yingshan, on this side, this side.¡± Old Chen pointed to a name, Kang Yun, ecstatically continued, ¡°My grandmaster Kang Yun, my master Liu Jitang, my name is here, I am Chen Guangxin, we are from the same sect but different branches!¡± Gao Yi was somewhat surprised, but not too much. There are not many practitioners of Hsing Yi Boxing, those who have received genuine transmissions are even fewer. If you trace back the lineage, eventually, it all connects to the same sect. Of course, that¡¯s considering those who received actual transmissions, not those who self-taught through online videos. There were no successors under the name of Gao Yingshan, and under the name of Chen Guangxin either. Gao Yi¡¯s great-grandfather and Chen Guangxin¡¯s grandmaster shared the same master, although separated by great distances, technically, they were akin to brother disciples. Following this seniority, Chen Guangxin and Gao Yi¡¯s father would be of the same generation. Gao Yi immediately said, ¡°Grand-Elder!¡± Chen Guangxin sighed deeply, filled with emotion, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d meet a disciple¡¯s nephew here, truly from the same sect, you¡­¡± As their mutual affection ended, Chen Guangxin scrutinized Gao Yi and then, somewhat puzzled, said, ¡°Why did you become an assassin?¡± ¡°I¡­ uh, coincidentally.¡± Chen Guangxin¡¯s expression stiffened, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mention it to anyone else, but since you genuinely are my disciple¡¯s nephew, I must ask, did you encounter some troubles that forced you into this line of work?¡± Gao Yi looked distressed, speaking softly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it, but indeed, I faced a major crisis and had no choice but to take up this line of work.¡± Although it was their first meeting, Chen Guangxin truly cared for Gao Yi, after observing him for a moment, hesitated, then spoke softly, ¡°Nephew, aside from our relationship, let me ask you¡­ can you get out?¡± Gao Yi thought for a moment, ¡°I can, I should be able to.¡± Chen Guangxin spoke softly, ¡°My master was in the military, and ultimately, retreated to an island. My master retired in the 60s, he had no children, and seeing me orphaned, he took me as a disciple when I was thirteen.¡± Looking at Gao Yi, Chen Guangxin continued, ¡°My master worked as a special agent for twenty years, trained under the Americans for a few years, always dealt with assassination matters, so that¡¯s what he taught me. In 1970 I went to South Asia, struggled for over a decade, ended up with nothing and smuggled into the UK, I had no other choice but to rely on my fists to make a living, but¡­¡± Chen Guangxin took out his handgun again, and said softly, ¡°But nowadays, you ultimately still need this! Nowadays, who still fistfights with you? Who still fights with knives?¡± Gao Yi nodded emphatically, ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s how it is.¡± Chen Guangxin sighed, put away his gun and said, ¡°We¡¯re from the same sect but different branches, I¡¯m a generation older than you, so I¡¯ll say this as an elder, don¡¯t let yourself be sold without even knowing it.¡± Now Gao Yi truly appreciated Chen Guangxin. Chen Guangxin continued, ¡°I became an assassin because I truly knew nothing else, but what era is this? If you can find something else to do, there¡¯s no reason to be an assassin!¡± Gao Yi spoke softly, ¡°Thank you, grand-elder, I¡­¡± Chen Guangxin hurriedly interrupted Gao Yi, speaking softly, ¡°Especially foreigners, you can¡¯t trust them easily! He might appreciate your skills, but think about it, even if you can carry out the hit, can you get away? I¡¯ve suffered a lot at the hands of foreigners, the foreigner who sent you here is a middleman, these people just treat you as expendables, do you know what expendables mean? Do you know how many students they¡¯ve sent to me, and how many are still alive?¡± Chen Guangxin meant well, Gao Yi could feel it. But what could Gao Yi say now, that he¡¯d quit? That was impossible. After a moment of thought, Gao Yi spoke softly, ¡°Grand-elder, I understand what expendables means, and I know not to trust foreigners too readily, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not expendables.¡± Chen Guangxin sighed softly, ¡°I¡¯ll say one more thing, anyone needing to be sent here to learn fighting from me, those are situations that can¡¯t be resolved with guns, truly one-of-us wouldn¡¯t send to me, a foreigner, for training, that¡¯s all I¡¯ll say, the rest is up to you.¡± Good advice is hard to persuade the damned, Chen Guangxin had done all he could, he couldn¡¯t persuade Gao Yi further. ¡°Thank you, grand-elder, I know what to do now. If I can handle this deal, I¡¯ll do it; if not, I¡¯ll back out.¡± Seeing how serious Gao Yi spoke, Chen Guangxin nodded. After this much, that was enough; saying more could backfire if Gao Yi turned on him. Going too deep in shallow waters was taboo; Chen Guangxin truly spoke because he saw Gao Yi had genuine skill and was really from the same sect, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t bother with these trifles. Gao Yi watched as Chen Guangxin stopped talking, then said, ¡°Grand-elder, why don¡¯t you teach me how to handle guns?¡± Chen Guangxin raised an eyebrow, ¡°Handle guns? Alright, since your boxing won¡¯t improve much here with me, you¡¯re much stronger than I am; I¡¯ll teach you some closely guarded skills. The gun, especially an assassin¡¯s gun, is quite different from others.¡± Gao Yi eagerly asked, ¡°What¡¯s different?¡± S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hiding, drawing, and shooting, all different. There are two schools of using guns, one public and one covert. The public guns are military and police, you get that, right.¡± ¡°Understood, carried openly.¡± Chen Guangxin patted his waist, ¡°The covert ones, on the other hand, involve special operations and criminal elements; anyway, using a covert gun definitely isn¡¯t upstanding, so hiding it is key. Then draw and shoot immediately, no time or need to aim, it¡¯s about shooting as soon as the gun is drawn, hitting sure and swift, these might sound simple, but they require training.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll train, I¡¯ll train well, grand-elder, how do I train¡­¡± Just as Chen Guangxin spoke with enthusiasm and Gao Yi listened eagerly, the sound of urgent footsteps interrupted them. Gao Yi and Chen Guangxin looked towards the door together. Sean came running, noticing Gao Yi had seen him, he immediately waved, ¡°Come out for a moment, I have something to tell you.¡± Sean sounded anxious, Gao Yi paused, then immediately said to Chen Guangxin, ¡°Grand-elder, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Chen Guangxin looked slightly startled, then whispered, ¡°Go ahead, be careful.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t think Sean intended any harm, so he hurriedly exited, approaching Sean. ¡°What brought you back?¡± Sean, looking frustrated, spoke softly, ¡°There¡¯s a snag with the target, mission cancelled, you can focus on your studies now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sean spread his hands, speaking softly, ¡°Just forty minutes ago, someone posted a bounty for Henry Labell on the Dark Web.¡± ¡°Who is Henry?¡± ¡°Henry Labell is Ditzel¡¯s top aide. After Ditzel went legitimate, he handed over the underworld business to Henry, who is now also going legitimate, so he planned a charity gala. But with the bounty on his head, and Henry, of course, accessing the Dark Web, he¡¯s decided to cancel the charity gala in Paris.¡± Sean placed his hand on his forehead, pressed it briefly, then lowered his hand and said softly, ¡°So, that opportunity is gone.¡± Startled the snake by hitting the grass, this was startling the snake by hitting the grass. Gao Yi remained silent for a moment, similarly filled with frustration, ¡°Is there completely no chance now?¡± Sean shrugged, ¡°The charity gala is still on but moved up to tomorrow, now within Henry¡¯s castle, and it¡¯s uncertain whether Ditzel will attend, so, theoretically, there¡¯s a chance, but realistically, it¡¯s no chance at all.¡± After finishing, Sean gave a helpless smile, ¡°We could switch targets, or look for another chance, but that¡¯s it, nothing can be done.¡± Gao Yi pondered for a moment, ¡°Isn¡¯t a theoretical chance still a chance? At least, we have to go and see, right?¡± Chapter 64 - 64 58 Its Too Hard ?64: Chapter 58 It¡¯s Too Hard 64: Chapter 58 It¡¯s Too Hard Paris. It didn¡¯t take long to get to Paris from London. The Eurostar high-speed train only took two hours and fifteen minutes. After arriving in Paris, Gao Yi and Sean had no idea what to do next, but they agreed to figure it out once they were in Paris. But once they arrived, they truly didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Where should we go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Sean didn¡¯t know where to go, and Gao Yi knew even less. He spread his hands and said, ¡°What should we do?¡± Sean didn¡¯t look dejected. As a mature assassin¡¯s assistant, he had already grown accustomed to the unexpected events that could cause a mission to fail. ¡°There¡¯s so much we should be doing,¡± Sean began, counting on his fingers. ¡°We should find out where Henry is hosting the dinner, why someone suddenly put a bounty on Henry¡¯s head, whether Ditzel will still attend Henry¡¯s dinner, and if the dinner really is tomorrow, who the invited guests are. There¡¯s just too much, too much¡­¡± Near the train station was not an ideal place to make plans, but Gao Yi¡¯s habit was to just start doing something, which he thought was better than doing nothing at all. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just go and do what we need to do. You mentioned finding out where Henry¡¯s dinner is being held. How do we find that out?¡± Sean replied seriously, ¡°Henry owns two castles, one in the Pentrian area north of Paris and another in the Seri area to the east. He bought a very large manor in the Seri area, which includes a golf course and a nature reserve. He spent six million euros on purchasing the manor and another twenty million euros on its maintenance and renovation. So, if Henry is to host a dinner, it can only be at Seri Manor.¡± Gao Yi was stunned for a moment and asked, ¡°How did you get this information?¡± Sean replied in a low voice, ¡°All these details are publicly accessible. Henry¡¯s purchase of the castles can be checked online at any time. After the renovation of the manor was complete, he even hosted a grand banquet there. All this information is publicly available and easy to find, it¡¯s just that not many people pay attention to it.¡± ¡°So this information is definitely accurate. Now that we know where the location is, what¡¯s our next step?¡± Gao Yi was clearly the less experienced one, but now, he was the one pushing the mission forward. This was a classic case of ¡®the ignorant are fearless.¡¯ Sean understood the difficulty of this mission and knew that after the recent complications, the mission had almost become impossible to complete. But Gao Yi didn¡¯t care about any of that; the job wasn¡¯t done yet, and he thought they should at least try first. Sean thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this all the way here. Now, let me share my thoughts with you, and then you can make a decision.¡± ¡°I make the decision?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the assassin. I provide the intelligence and advice, but the final decision is yours. No worries, let¡¯s treat this mission as a real-life training exercise.¡± With a gesture, Sean said seriously, ¡°As long as we don¡¯t physically engage, it will certainly be safe, and the training will be even more effective.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± Sean thought for a moment and said, ¡°Firstly, the reason Henry is hosting a charity dinner is also a common process among underworld figures who want to legitimize their identity. It¡¯s to tell everyone that from now on, I will only engage in legitimate business and will cease all illegal activities.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± ¡°So, this charity dinner is a symbolic event. Although he isn¡¯t as influential as Ditzel, it¡¯s a very important event for Henry¡¯s wealth and position. Therefore, the standards for his dinner will be very high. At a minimum, it must attract celebrities, business tycoons, and stars.¡± ¡°So, the higher the status of the people attending the dinner, the higher the status they confer on Henry. Got it.¡± Sean said seriously, ¡°Henry used to be one of Ditzel¡¯s hitmen and is deeply trusted by Ditzel. Therefore, Henry still bears Ditzel¡¯s mark. This means Ditzel will likely attend this charity dinner to help boost Henry¡¯s value and to prove something to his former subordinates¡ªthat as long as they perform well and remain obedient, it¡¯s possible for them to go legitimate too.¡± Gao Yi frowned and asked, ¡°But now that there¡¯s a bounty on Henry, doesn¡¯t that mean Ditzel won¡¯t attend?¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Sean said seriously, ¡°The bounty was issued today, and Henry reacted very quickly by moving the charity dinner up by a month. If it was feasible to give the guests enough time, I believe he would¡¯ve moved it to today.¡± Gao Yi, puzzled, asked, ¡°Why does he have to host this charity dinner at all? Can¡¯t he just cancel it?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do because then Henry would be ridiculed. The upper world doesn¡¯t know what happens in the underworld. Most people wouldn¡¯t know why he canceled the banquet, but the problem is that both Ditzel and Henry rose from the underworld!¡± Gao Yi lacked experience but not brains. With the conversation progressing this far, he could roughly draw the correct conclusion himself. ¡°I understand.¡± Gao Yi, suddenly enlightened, said, ¡°Let me see if I¡¯ve got this right. First of all, Henry can¡¯t just not host the dinner; it¡¯s a matter of face. Not having the dinner means he¡¯s still missing a key step demonstrating that he¡¯ll only engage in legitimate business from now on, right? Isn¡¯t that what ¡®washing one¡¯s hands in a golden basin¡¯ signifies?¡± Sean, puzzled, asked, ¡°Is there a special meaning to washing one¡¯s hands in a golden basin?¡± Gao Yi continued, ¡°So, Henry must hold the dinner, but he can¡¯t delay it because delaying would only provide those who want to kill him more time, giving his enemies and assassins more time to prepare. So, not only can he not delay, but he must also move it earlier, and as soon as possible.¡± Sean nodded and smiled, ¡°You¡¯re very perceptive. Yes, absolutely right.¡± Gao Yi continued, ¡°By reducing the number of guests invited and holding the dinner in a manor castle he has full control over, he virtually eliminates the possibility of outsiders mixing in. The fewer the people and the smaller the place, the better it is for security. The very short notice disrupts all those who want to kill him; they have no time to react or prepare, just like us.¡± ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s right.¡± Gao Yi thought for a moment and said, ¡°But then the level of guests invited has to be lowered because the truly influential and high-status people are always busy. Organizing a dinner and sending out invitations half a year in advance is the norm, or at least a month in advance. So unless it coincidences perfectly, not many people will be able to attend the dinner tomorrow, and those who do won¡¯t be very high-status.¡± Sean, serious and not too confident in Gao Yi¡¯s deduction, asked, ¡°Am I right?¡± ¡°Right, of course! So, I didn¡¯t interrupt you. Please continue.¡± Gao Yi thought for a while and said, ¡°So right now, Henry must be very busy. He needs to change his guest list; he needs to invite anyone who can attend. Since it¡¯s a charity dinner, there must be some charitable activities. Hmm, what kind of activities could there be?¡± Sean, speaking gravely, said, ¡°It¡¯s very likely to be a charity auction. Invited guests bring an item to be auctioned, and the funds raised go to some charity organization.¡± ¡°Alright, a charity auction. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So, what¡­ will be auctioned?¡± Now entering the area where Gao Yi lacked knowledge, he could only ask Sean. Sean thought for a moment and said, ¡°Artworks. Henry owns a gallery. He could bring out some paintings for the auction, then take the money and give it back to the people who bid, effectively moving money from one hand to the other. The invited guests gain both a good reputation and a painting, and so does Henry.¡± Gao Yi, speaking gravely, said, ¡°Then Ditzel must also attend. He needs to support his underling, and as long as it¡¯s safe, he will definitely attend and will bid on the most expensive painting.¡± Sean raised his eyebrows, ¡°You seem to understand these social subtleties well. ¡°It¡¯s common knowledge among the Chinese.¡± Gao Yi gestured downwards and said, ¡°So, how about we¡­ go to Henry¡¯s gallery and keep an eye on it? Since he decided just today to move the dinner date up, maybe the auction items aren¡¯t ready yet.¡± Sean curiously asked, ¡°Oh, why do you think that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. The original plan was to hold the banquet in a banquet hall in Paris; now that the venue has changed, the original high-status guests require high-quality auction items. Now that the guest status is lowered, the quality and price of the auction items must be lowered too. There should be a standard, right? A hidden rule about who pays how much based on their status, right?¡± Sean nodded, ¡°Yes, exactly right. I¡¯m curious; I never taught you these things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s common knowledge among the Chinese. So, shall we go and check out the gallery?¡± Sean frowned, ¡°But there¡¯s no use in watching the gallery. Even if he needs to gather paintings from the gallery to transfer there, we don¡¯t have any opportunities to exploit.¡± Gao Yi spoke softly, ¡°Then what should we keep an eye on?¡± ¡°Firstly, Henry is hosting a dinner on short notice, so he definitely won¡¯t have enough staff. He¡¯ll need to hire more, especially since he knows there¡¯s a bounty on his head. He will definitely need to significantly ramp up security, meaning there won¡¯t be enough security staff; he¡¯ll need to find more.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Henry and Ditzel use their own loyal subordinates to handle security?¡± ¡°Professional security and gang enforcers are completely different. Henry has bodyguards, but he couldn¡¯t possibly maintain a professional security team long-term. So, he must hire a professional security team temporarily before tomorrow¡¯s banquet, and there are only a few professional security teams in Paris.¡± Waving his hand, Sean spoke softly, ¡°Close protection bodyguards are the last line of defense. Security teams are the assassins¡¯ worst enemies, so I¡¯m quite familiar with the few capable security companies in France.¡± Gao Yi, excited, said, ¡°Are you suggesting I sneak into the security team or the server team?¡± Sean looked at Gao Yi, sighed, and then spoke softly, ¡°This is France, where both the hosts and guests are French, and both servers and security communicate in French. Do you speak French?¡± Gao Yi paused for a moment, then dejectedly shook his head. Sean spoke softly, ¡°The only realistic option is to blend in as a guest at Henry¡¯s dinner, but that¡¯s pointless. On your own, you wouldn¡¯t have a chance¡­ uh.¡± Gao Yi lifted his hand and said, ¡°Go on.¡± Sean hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°I often forget that you are not like other assassins. You can actually handle it on your own, which is a habitual oversight of mine, ignoring your greatest value.¡± Gao Yi smiled, ¡°As long as you¡¯re aware, now think about how you could get me onto the guest list.¡± Sean took a deep breath and said, ¡°In theory, the chances went from one percent to five percent, but how to mix in there, that¡¯s a bit hard, no, it¡¯s very hard¡­¡± Chapter 65 - 65 59 Proactive Attack ?65: Chapter 59 Proactive Attack 65: Chapter 59 Proactive Attack The general direction was clear, but the specifics for a breakthrough were not. For Gao Yi, the solution was simple: start moving to find the breakthrough, as the saying goes, ¡°whack the tree to shake the dates down.¡± If idioms were to describe Gao Yi, it would be ¡°better to fish with a net than to covet the fish at the bottom of the abyss.¡± In tactical terms, Gao Yi sought the enemy¡¯s weakness through action. Summed up in one sentence, it¡¯s ¡°Heroes create their own opportunities.¡± A large part of Gao Yi¡¯s behavioral pattern stemmed from the fact that he was a novice who was ¡°too new to the scene to fear the tiger.¡± While the fearlessness of a newcomer can often be summed up with ¡°ignorance is bliss,¡± it was clear that fearlessness was the main theme here. Sean, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sean had plenty of experience, so he was accustomed to planning carefully before taking action. Having lost many times and becoming accustomed to failure, Sean, having nearly seen the Garden destroyed, would naturally become overly cautious, treading on thin ice for fear that one wrong step could lead to catastrophe. Therefore, Sean¡¯s character and behavior can also be summed up in one sentence, ¡°Opportunities make the hero.¡± One proactive, the other reactive, and now the one actively pushing things forward was Gao Yi, whose personality was so direct that it bordered on recklessness. Thus, the plans he drove were bound to evolve in a straightforward direction. According to Sean¡¯s feeling, the matter was too urgent and chaotic, a jumbled mess that seemed impossible to sort out. Given a month¡¯s time, perhaps he could find a suitable, safe, and reliable method to blend into the banquet. As for Gao Yi, seeing as he knew Henry wanted to sell a painting, why not just go to the gallery and have a look? Why bother with anything else? First find a place and start from there, otherwise, what were the two of them going to do, just scratch their heads near the train station? So now that Gao Yi was leading the operation, he naturally found Henry¡¯s gallery. He didn¡¯t rush inside; a glance from afar was enough to spot a small box truck parked in front of the gallery. This was getting interesting, very interesting. Gao Yi didn¡¯t point to the gallery; he just tilted his chin slightly and said, ¡°There¡¯s a small truck at the entrance, I think it¡¯s here to load paintings.¡± Sean whispered, ¡°Very likely, got any ideas?¡± ¡°Uh, preparing the paintings today for the banquet tomorrow, isn¡¯t that a bit quick?¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Sean said, ¡°By French standards, yes, that is quick.¡± What French characteristics? Leisurely, slow. Because of these French characteristics, Gao Yi sensed their opportunity seemed to be growing. Gao Yi almost didn¡¯t think; he blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m going in to see what¡¯s going on.¡± Sean was surprised, ¡°Don¡¯t! It¡¯s too easy to get exposed, and if you¡¯re exposed, we¡¯ll completely lose our chance.¡± The fearless Gao Yi immediately asked, ¡°Even if we¡¯re not exposed, do we have a chance?¡± Sean was left speechless. As an assistant, Sean¡¯s caution was a virtue, but as an action leader, such a carefully planned character would only miss the opportunity. Gao Yi looked around and said, ¡°This is the most touristic area; it¡¯s perfectly reasonable for me to wander around. Appearing in the gallery is also reasonable. Alright, I¡¯ll have a look and let you know, you just wait for me from a distance.¡± The gallery was in the famous Paris Seine River left bank area, encompassing Saint-Germain Street, Montparnasse Street, and Saint-Michel Street, gathering many bookstores, galleries, art museums, and museums¡ªParis¡¯s cultural holy land. And the famous right bank had the Avenue of Champs Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, and a series of iconic Parisian buildings. Since it was a global tourist spot, Gao Yi felt there would be no problem with him appearing in the gallery. Hence, Gao Yi, after speaking, headed straight along the path, passing by a caf¨¦, two bookstores, and casually turned into the gallery when the small truck parked at the door slightly blocked his way and he looked up unintentionally. Walking with an easy-going demeanor and a relaxed expression on his face, Gao Yi displayed the laxity of a tourist without any disguise. Inside the gallery, a man dressed in a suit and gloves was talking to another who looked like a flunky butler, with two other people standing by, waiting. The conversation was in French, which Gao Yi didn¡¯t understand at all. Obviously, the gallery wouldn¡¯t be set up like a general store; the environment had to be excellent, and the paintings wouldn¡¯t be hanging too close together. But the artists of those paintings sporadically hung on the walls had to have some fame. Henry¡¯s paintings for charity had to come from at least a modestly famous painter, and the blockbuster piece had to be from a master artist. But could the obvious facts be utilized? Up to now, Gao Yi didn¡¯t know, so he just wandered and looked around. The few people glanced at Gao Yi but didn¡¯t take him seriously. The one who looked like the gallery manager kept respectfully introducing something to the steward. Nobody greeted Gao Yi. If there was no opportunity, he had to create one. Even if not to create one, it made no sense to drop in, take a glance and then just leave. With this plain idea in mind, Gao Yi raised his left arm and loudly said, ¡°Excuse me¡­ Where¡¯s the boss, hello, hello, hello.¡± It didn¡¯t seem very classy, but he said it with confidence, so his voice was loud, and his presence felt imposing. Gao Yi embodied this attitude. No matter what, yelling in a gallery was rude, but when a client arrives and no one greets them, the fault lies with the host. The person introducing paintings to the steward whispered something and then approached Gao Yi. He rattled off a few sentences in French; Gao Yi didn¡¯t understand a word. Gao Yi assertively asked, ¡°Do you speak English?¡± The manager switched to English, speaking not fluently, but smoothly enough, ¡°Hello, sir, how may I help you?¡± Gao Yi nonchalantly said, ¡°I just bought a castle and need to buy some paintings to decorate it. I find the paintings here quite nice; they¡¯re to my taste.¡± In France, many castles weren¡¯t sold for much; some were even sold for one Euro, but the subsequent maintenance costs were exorbitant. Therefore, it was very common for foreigners to buy castles in France, with wealthy individuals from China frequently tricked into such purchases. So Gao Yi¡¯s statement was still reasonable. But the manager was clearly busy now, so he wasn¡¯t going to waste too much time with Gao Yi, merely maintaining basic politeness, the manager smiled, ¡°You may look around first. If you like any painting, please let me know, and I can give you a detailed introduction.¡± After speaking, the manager was about to leave, but Gao Yi pointed at a painting on the wall, saying, ¡°That one.¡± The manager was startled, then he spoke up a bit helplessly and a few sentences later, a middle-aged woman came over and stood in front of both of them. The manager said a few more words, and Gao Yi, somewhat dissatisfied, demanded, ¡°Do the introduction.¡± The woman went to attend to the steward, leaving the manager to personally handle Gao Yi. The reason was simple: the woman didn¡¯t speak English, but the manager did. The manager asked someone else to deal with the steward¡¯s need, then turned to Gao Yi with a smile and said, ¡°This painting is by a very promising young artist¡­¡± Gao Yi immediately waved him off, ¡°Young artist? Let¡¯s not do young artists. Got any not-so-famous but really old, about-to-die painters? Do you? I want that kind.¡± The manager¡¯s smile struggled to maintain, helplessly saying, ¡°Sir, if you want to invest in art, the value of the investment isn¡¯t closely related to the artist¡¯s age. What¡¯s more important is to look at the artistic value¡­¡± ¡°How much for this painting?¡± ¡°Two thousand four hundred Euros.¡± Two thousand four hundred Euros, Gao Yi had no idea whether this painting was expensive or cheap; he was nearly ignorant when it came to art. But that didn¡¯t stop Gao Yi from showing off. ¡°That cheap? I¡¯ll take it.¡± With that, the manager was taken aback. But soon after, the manager bowed slightly, ¡°Very well, please wait, I¡­¡± ¡°No rush.¡± Gao Yi began to move, casually pointing at another painting, ¡°That one.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°And that one.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Gao Yi was at ease, while the manager¡¯s tone began to fill with suppressed joy. Gao Yi glanced around, looked at the painting that a few people were standing in front of, and said nothing. As for knowing about oil paintings, Gao Yi only recognized abstract and impressionist styles; beyond those, he lumped everything else into the realist category. And in this gallery, most of the paintings were realist. Only those two that Gao Yi pointed out looked somewhat bizarre. Gao Yi walked past some people, took a few steps, and then pointing at another painting, he said, ¡°This one.¡± The manager barely contained his laughter, ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want these.¡± The manager¡¯s smile was frozen on his face. Gao Yi turned and pointed toward the entrance, ¡°From that side to this side, the ones I mentioned I don¡¯t want. I¡¯ll take the rest. That¡¯s twenty-three paintings in total, right? Give me a quote, a total price. Oh, and also¡­¡± Gao Yi pointed to the painting that the others were looking at, acting naturally with a slight hint of arrogance, ¡°Is that taken? If not, I¡¯ll take it.¡± Others bought paintings by the piece; Gao Yi bought by distance. The manager was stunned; Gao Yi grew impatient, ¡°Can you sell or not?¡± The gallery wasn¡¯t big, and Henry didn¡¯t run it just to be cultured. A more important function was money laundering because art investment is strongly associated with laundering money. So Gao Yi¡¯s approach was simple; he¡¯d act as if he would buy out the gallery and see how Henry¡¯s subordinates reacted. If they didn¡¯t sell, Gao Yi would raise the price. If they did sell, he¡¯d act as if he hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°All of it?¡± ¡°All of it! My castle is big and needs many paintings, so give me a wholesale price. Don¡¯t try to fool me with any talk of artistic value. If you show sincerity, I¡¯ll clear out your store; if not, forget it.¡± The manager seemed at a loss, he looked toward Henry¡¯s steward, who whispered something, then the manager apologized, walked over, and began to explain hurriedly and quietly. Gao Yi spoke displeased, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Can¡¯t sell, right? Well, I¡¯m gone!¡± The manager, accompanied by the steward, came over, and then, the steward smiled, ¡°Sir, are you very interested in art?¡± Gao Yi scrutinized Henry¡¯s steward and nodded, ¡°What do you do?¡± The steward spoke English too, smiling, ¡°May I ask if sir would be interested in attending an art auction?¡± ¡°Not interested, auctions are too expensive.¡± ¡°Charity auction.¡± Gao Yi turned his head away, ¡°Even less interested in charity auctions.¡± The steward continued with a smile, ¡°Charity auctions might offer many artworks below market price, including this painting.¡± He pointed to the painting Gao Yi had just looked at, the steward continued, ¡°This painting is a 19th-century piece; the artist is¡­¡± The steward looked at the manager, who took over, ¡°Ferdinand George Waltermiller, a representative painter from Austria, a realist luminary known for his superb handling of light. This is his work from 1843, priced at 220,000 Euros.¡± The steward nodded, then turned to Gao Yi with a smile, ¡°However, at the auction, it will start bidding at 50,000 Euros. If you are considering investing in art, this presents a rare opportunity.¡± Gao Yi hesitated, his resistant expression softened considerably, then with a very reluctant manner, he said, ¡°A famous painter? Very famous? Uh, let me think about it. Where¡¯s the auction?¡± Chapter 66 - 66 60 Its Actually Very Simple ?66: Chapter 60 It¡¯s Actually Very Simple 66: Chapter 60 It¡¯s Actually Very Simple Walking with a subdued yet arrogant gait and holding his head both humbly and proudly, Gao Yi left the art gallery under the attentive farewell of the manager. That attitude of someone rich who is afraid of others knowing but also wants them to know, Gao Yi had a good grip on it. It wasn¡¯t until he had walked a whole block that Gao Yi finally saw Sean, who was visibly anxious. The cautious Sean naturally worried because Gao Yi had spent just over an hour in the gallery, and then Sean had followed him from a distance, making sure nobody was trailing behind before he dared to show himself and meet up with Gao Yi. ¡°How come you took so long? Did you find anything?¡± Gao Yi boasted with satisfaction, ¡°Oh, I bought twenty-two oil paintings, spending 110,000 euros, with an average of five thousand euros each. I paid a twenty thousand euro deposit and can pay the balance after the gallery delivers the paintings to my castle.¡± Sean was stunned for a moment before saying, ¡°Okay, so you¡¯ve just bought a bunch of expensive oil paintings?¡± ¡°I also received an invitation to attend a charity dinner at Henry¡¯s castle tomorrow.¡± Sean¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock, but his astonishment left him speechless. ¡°What, not appropriate?¡± Sean took a while to recover, finally lowering his voice and saying, ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ normal assassins don¡¯t do this, and besides¡­ it¡¯s a bit unbelievable. How did you manage it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite simple,¡± Gao Yi said. ¡°Henry¡¯s charity auction is short on guests, especially those who are really willing to spend money. So when a sucker like me shows up, someone will naturally want to invite me to spend some money.¡± Sean still found it hard to comprehend. The meticulous style of an assassin and Gao Yi¡¯s casualness were quite at odds, and Sean¡¯s brain struggled to catch up. After spending some time clarifying the relationships, Sean expressed his confusion, ¡°But safety comes first, right? They just invited you like that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at the problem from an assassin¡¯s perspective. Look at it from the perspective of one of Henry¡¯s underlings.¡± Gao Yi patiently explained, ¡°First of all, a Chinese person, and alone at that¡ªhow much danger do you think that poses?¡± ¡°None.¡± ¡°There you have it.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m not a threat, so what¡¯s the problem with inviting me to a charity dinner?¡± Sean said urgently, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Won¡¯t they do a background check? Those professional security teams are sure to do a basic investigation of every guest!¡± Gao Yi laughed, ¡°But the person who invited me isn¡¯t a professional security officer. It¡¯s just Henry¡¯s gofer, the boss of the loafers.¡± Sean paused for a moment, then asked, ¡°And you agreed?¡± ¡°Not yet. I have to¡­¡± Not knowing how to say ¡®playing hard to get¡¯ in English, Gao Yi thought for a moment and then said, ¡°I have to¡­ think about it to increase my credibility.¡± ¡°Then what identity did you give?¡± Sean asked anxiously. ¡°Oh, just a rich second-generation. My dad bought a castle in France, and I wanted to buy some oil paintings to decorate it. If the paintings appreciate in value, that would be great, but it¡¯s not a big deal if they don¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t care about money.¡± Sean¡¯s complexion paled as he blurted out anxiously, ¡°What? Bought a castle? Which castle? Who is your father, and what are you doing in France? All these things need a complete arrangement; otherwise¡­ otherwise, a simple check will expose everything.¡± Gao Yi placed a hand on Sean¡¯s shoulder, saying, ¡°Relax, relax! Don¡¯t be so tense. I haven¡¯t said my name, nor where the castle is located, nor what my father¡¯s name is. Moreover, I haven¡¯t agreed to attend the charity dinner tomorrow. I only said I¡¯d consider it.¡± Sean seemed resigned, ¡°It¡¯s all loopholes. As soon as someone checks, it will all be loopholes!¡± Right, it couldn¡¯t stand up to scrutiny. But why did it have to? Gao Yi didn¡¯t understand this point. He said to Sean, ¡°What happens if it¡¯s all loopholes upon a check?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re exposed! Being exposed means you have no chance to act!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t act¡ªwe can change targets.¡± The strict and cautious Sean was once again bewildered by Gao Yi. After a brief pause, Sean suddenly said, ¡°Yeah, if it¡¯s exposed, then forget it.¡± Gao Yi smiled, ¡°So what are you worried about? It¡¯s like this. One of Henry¡¯s managers, Roman Batis, is still in the gallery. He¡¯s Henry¡¯s butler, and he invited me to attend the charity dinner tomorrow night. If I decide I want to go, he will send someone to pick me up.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll send someone to pick you up?¡± ¡°Yes, but he made one request: verify that I have enough money to buy the auction items. It¡¯s not a high requirement¡ªjust 500,000 euros.¡± Sean took a deep breath and asked, ¡°In such a tense situation, would Henry¡¯s butler dare to make such a decision? Could it be a trap?¡± Gao Yi laughed and said, ¡°Ditzel has been targeted for assassination many times, but what about Henry?¡± ¡°Er, no news, but as someone not so important¡­¡± Sean paused, then nodded, ¡°Okay, Henry and his subordinates don¡¯t have any experience dealing with assassins.¡± Gao Yi smiled, ¡°Exactly. Ditzel has been the target of many assassination attempts, so he is very cautious¡ªsurrounded by experienced bodyguards. But Henry is just a gangster boss who has just started trying to go legit. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. How experienced can he be, especially his subordinates? How careful can they be?¡± Sean said thoughtfully, ¡°Makes sense. A bunch of gang members who haven¡¯t quickly shifted their mindset. They¡¯re good at dealing with gang violence, but they have no concept of high-end assassins.¡± ¡°I simply told them I had just arrived in Paris today, bored and casually spending over a hundred thousand euros as routine expenses. That¡¯s my persona. As for what I should be called, who my father is, where my castle is, how to handle the wealth verification, and which hotel I¡¯m staying in, that¡¯s your job. You handle these matters, and I¡¯ll call that butler named Roman and tell him I¡¯m willing to attend the dinner. If it really can¡¯t be worked out, I¡¯ll just ignore him and that¡¯s the end of it. It¡¯s that simple, got it?¡± Yes, it was very simple. Fortunately, Sean was just too accustomed to playing in high-ranked games, like being in the King Rank for too long and moving down to a Silver Rank game¡ªoverestimating the opponent. Once he adjusted his mindset, there was no need to worry about Sean¡¯s capability to get things done. Sean said with determination, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything. It¡¯s all manageable. I¡¯ll find someone who actually bought a castle in France, get the name right, then you¡¯ll know what you should be called. Arrange an appropriate hotel, prepare a well-funded account for you, and clothes for the dinner party¡ªI¡¯ll handle it all right away.¡± If it works, it works; if not, then let it go¡ªit¡¯s genuinely that simple. Anyway, Gao Yi thought it was very simple. Chapter 67 - 67 61 Just Do It ?67: Chapter 61 Just Do It 67: Chapter 61 Just Do It Up until now, infiltrating Henry¡¯s banquet hadn¡¯t posed much of a challenge for Gao Yi. The car stopped, and someone opened the door from the outside. Gao Yi got up, got out of the car, and took a moment at the entrance of the estate to look inside, feeling genuinely impressed. This estate was truly immense, and the central castle structure was even more imposing. A famously large castle in France, with four floors, twenty-four bedrooms, sixteen bathrooms, and a hall that could accommodate two hundred people without feeling crowded. There was no surrounding wall for the estate, but a barbed hedge served that purpose. There wasn¡¯t originally a gate, but now a large floral arch had taken on the role of one. The car was parked in front of a flower arch similar to those used for weddings, and this flowery gate was no mere decoration. It was a large security gate disguised with flowers to prevent the guests being checked from feeling offended or insulted, Of course, the security gate had metal detection capabilities, but it wouldn¡¯t sound an alarm when metal was detected. The main function of the security gate was to subject people to an imperceptible full-body X-ray scan as they passed through. If there were any dangerous items on a person, they would be clearly revealed on a screening monitor not too far away. In addition to metal detection and X-ray scanning, this security gate could also sniff out most lethal poisons, including something as deadly as cyanide, which was strictly forbidden inside. Then there was the explosive detection feature, capable of detecting explosives down to milligram levels. It could also detect traces of gunpowder particles from bullets, meaning it could pick up on the traces of smoke and residue left on the skin and clothes of those who often fired guns. This feature was particularly lethal for those accustomed to using firearms, for even if they weren¡¯t carrying a gun, the mere traces of gunpowder were enough to mark them as a threat. Hence, despite a lack of physical searches or portable metal detectors scanning over bodies, the absence was not due to insufficient security but rather because the security level was exceedingly high. This was the kind of high-level security measure employed at national events, far more dangerous to assassins than a simple pat-down. But Gao Yi was utterly unconcerned because he carried no weapons on him. Gao Yi walked through the six-meter-long security gate with light steps and a relaxed demeanor. There were at least ten security personnel near the gate, all professionals dressed as waiters. Although they appeared to be waiting to welcome arriving guests, they were ready to spring into action at any trace of threat. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seemed peaceful, but the security was in fact extremely tight. As long as there was a semblance of peace, there was usefulness. At the very least, the security staff were dressed in suits, none wore bullet-proof vests or helmets. Following the red carpet, Gao Yi made his way toward the relatively small entrance of the castle. Henry, the host, was not at the door to welcome guests. Considering he was facing the risk of assassination, a bit of impropriety seemed normal. ¡°Welcome, Mr. Zhang.¡± Roman Batis, one of Henry¡¯s key subordinates and the one who had extended the invitation, greeted Gao Yi in place of Henry. Gao Yi stepped forward to shake hands, now looking much more composed in his formal attire. ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Batis.¡± After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Gao Yi entered the castle. Those who made it into the castle¡¯s hall had all been vetted for security, and Gao Yi, alone and unarmed, without any dangerous items, could naturally browse around the great hall without any issues. The great hall featured a massive ceiling and a huge oil painting on one wall. Unlike pure military castles, this fourteenth-century construction paid more attention to residential needs¡ªmilitary defense was just an incidental function. And although it was a castle, the great hall still had several floor-to-ceiling windows. But there was an unexpected detail; this banquet wasn¡¯t a cocktail party as Sean had thought. Instead, there were more than a dozen dining tables set up in the hall. In such a hall, only a buffet allowing guests to move freely would be appropriate. The temporary arrangement of long dining tables was extremely unusual, transcending mere inconvenience to the point of incredulity. But Gao Yi quickly understood the reasoning. A buffet would make it difficult to control the guests¡¯ positions, whereas fixed seating would clearly benefit the security operations. There were already about twenty people in the hall. They couldn¡¯t sit down yet, but because the tables took up so much space, guests had no choice but to stand around the perimeter. He didn¡¯t know anyone, nor could he strike up a conversation, as most of the guests were speaking French. Even when someone politely greeted Gao Yi, he couldn¡¯t really engage further. The guests that evening were diverse; their prominence was all relative, and for the average person, this banquet was unimaginable luxury. There were no major celebrities, but there were second and third-tier stars, wealthy individuals¡ªnot the very richest, but certainly affluent¡ªfamous painters, social activists, and even a retired soccer player. Henry¡¯s principle for inviting people was simple: minimize risk. In any case, all the guests were notable, which greatly reduced the possibility of an imposter attending. Not all the servers had arrived yet, but there were still more than twenty in the hall, most of whom were security personnel in disguise, as was evident from their demeanor. Gao Yi was naturally casual; he didn¡¯t need to feign interest while he surveyed the castle¡¯s furnishings. Then, Gao Yi¡¯s attention was drawn to the semi-spiral staircase in the middle of the hall, particularly the armors placed on either side of it. Full body armors from the Middle Ages, polished to a shine, but what caught his eye were the two-handed greatswords leaning against each of the suits. He wondered whether they were purely decorative or actual weapons and, unable to resist, he moved toward them. Upon closer inspection at the armor, Gao Yi realized they weren¡¯t true antiques; they appeared too new. However, looking up the staircase, he noticed another suit of full-body armor placed at the turn, holding a spiked warhammer. It wasn¡¯t that he intended to use the hammer, but it just felt familiar, interesting, and so it captured a bit more of his attention. Just then, even within the hall, Gao Yi heard a loud noise. Turning his head to look out the window, he spotted a helicopter slowly descending onto a nearby lawn. Gao Yi was genuinely taken aback. According to Sean¡¯s assessment and the information they had worked hard to acquire, the primary target, Ditzel, was not expected to attend the banquet. But now, the helicopter appeared to be Ditzel¡¯s ride, as Henry was already waiting on the edge of the lawn to welcome him. Gao Yi stepped aside and, very naturally, pulled out his cellphone, very naturally sending Sean a text. ¡°It¡¯s not too bad here.¡± Within a plan that was anything but detailed, Gao Yi¡¯s objective had simply been to come in and take a look. If there was an opportunity, he would take action; if not, he would let it be. He didn¡¯t demand it. It would be best if the main target appeared; if not, it didn¡¯t matter. It couldn¡¯t be forced. But now, Ditzel had truly appeared, and in a hall where there shouldn¡¯t have been any tables, yet was filled with them. What did that signify? It could only mean that Ditzel was as good as dead. Furthermore, the security arrangements were clearly tighter on the outside than inside. Gao Yi, who had originally planned just to take a look, no longer just wanted to observe. He would finish the job and run, escaping amidst the chaos among the guests. Would those hired security teams dare to open fire on all the attendees? Sean replied with a text. ¡°Enjoy yourself, make some new friends.¡± Sean¡¯s message was clear: play it by ear, but don¡¯t take unnecessary risks. Gao Yi sent another text. ¡°I¡¯ll need a ride after the dinner ends; I might have a few drinks and bring a lady back home.¡± This message contained three keywords: pick me up, have a few drinks, a lady. These words conveyed a singular intent. Take action; it had to be done, no matter what. Now Sean had no choice but to comply regardless of Gao Yi¡¯s actions. He just needed to coordinate. Moments later, Sean sent a text. ¡°Okay.¡± Gao Yi put away his phone, watching as Henry cordially accompanied an elderly man over. There was no need for weapons or hammers. Gao Yi began to subtly move closer to the castle¡¯s entrance, ready to await the target¡¯s approach. Why bother with dining, participating in a charity auction? As soon as the target walked in, snap, snap¡ªa quick finish, no need for fancy tricks. And that would be the end of it. Chapter 68 - 68 62 Couldnt Hold Back ?68: Chapter 62 Couldn¡¯t Hold Back 68: Chapter 62 Couldn¡¯t Hold Back I was excited, looking forward to everything, but also incredibly tense. However, I couldn¡¯t just focus on the excitement and tension; what mattered most now was to check the positions of the security staff. If things turned physical, I¡¯d have to think about which direction to run. Taking advantage of the fact that the target hadn¡¯t entered yet and with the phone already in hand, Gao Yi swiftly opened the Dark Web page and quickly located the entrance to the C-level task, accepting it with Busan¡¯s account. Accepting the task just before taking action had indeed paid off for Gao Yi. Pocketing his phone, Gao Yi moved inconspicuously towards the entrance, but as he neared the castle door, he was shocked to discover the host, Henry, leading Ditzel in a different direction. What was going on? What exactly was happening? Henry leading the way, about a dozen people came in from the side of the lawn where the helicopter landed and then made their way towards another side of the castle. In that instant, Gao Yi¡¯s heart chilled by half; he took his phone out of his pocket, silently turned off the evidence recording feature, and chose not to upload. Evidence didn¡¯t necessarily have to be video; of course, having a video would be ideal, but often it wasn¡¯t feasible to provide video evidence. Just like now, he had no choice but to give up recording. Furthermore, there were situations where it was impossible to even carry a phone, but that surely didn¡¯t mean action couldn¡¯t be taken without recording a video. That, of course, was not the case. Gao Yi suppressed his impetuous feelings once more and shifted his gaze back to the decorations in the hall. With my mind unsettled, nothing really appealed to me, except for looking at the pairs of full body armor by the staircase, which provided some comfort. Moreover, as soon as I looked at the one holding a hammer at the top of the stairs, I immediately felt a sense of calm. ¡°Have I really gotten used to using a hammer?¡± Gao Yi muttered to himself internally, then he began to examine the warhammer carefully. It was a spiked mace, which looked quite formidable, but the handle was a bit long, about forty centimeters or so. Calling it a one-handed hammer seemed incorrect since the head was too large, and calling it a two-handed hammer would be inaccurate as the handle was somewhat short. I wondered if it was just for show. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As Gao Yi was stroking his chin and scrutinizing the hammer, he suddenly heard someone beside him say, ¡°Mr. Zhang, are you also interested in armor?¡± Gao Yi turned around and saw that it was the gallery manager. I had been in the castle for over half an hour, and not a single English speaker had appeared; moreover, these French folks were annoying. Even though they could speak English, in a venue dominated by French people, they refused to do so. Gao Yi pointed at the armor in front of him and said, ¡°I was wondering if putting a few of these in my castle would be a good look.¡± The manager smiled and said, ¡°Please trust your aesthetic, Mr. Zhang, full body armor and an ancient castle are a perfect match.¡± Gao Yi said nothing but just looked back twice. The hall was becoming noticeably crowded. The banquet was set to start at seven and end at nine, with the charity auction beginning during the banquet, meaning people could bid while dining. As the host, Henry would offer five paintings for auction, with all proceeds going to a charity foundation. The paintings were provided by Henry, and the money used to bid was also from Henry. If the bidding became stagnant, someone would surely purchase the paintings at a reasonable price, and the charity foundation was controlled by Henry. It was a complete closed loop, focusing on keeping the benefits within their own group. If anyone was foolish enough during the auction to spend money on charity, like Gao Yi might, then Henry would naturally be very pleased. The overall process was clearly described on the invitation. It was already six fifty, and Gao Yi wanted to know when Henry, the host, would make an appearance. Logically, Henry should be greeting guests by now, even if he had downgraded their status. He couldn¡¯t just leave them hanging without any acknowledgement, yet the banquet was about to start, and he still refused to come out. That was very off. At that moment, numerous service staff, both male and female, began to emerge from small doors on either side of the hall. They came out in single file and went directly to each guest, spoke a few words quietly, and then began to lead the guests towards the dining area. Was this the start? Why was there no speech from the host, and why wasn¡¯t the host welcoming everyone to sit down? Despite the many people in the hall, it remained quiet, too quiet for a banquet in progress. A smartly dressed waiter approached Gao Yi and the gallery manager, bowed slightly, spoke two sentences in French, and then promptly switched to English, ¡°Good evening, Mr. Zhang, the banquet is about to begin, please allow me to show you to your seat.¡± The English-speaking waiter must have been arranged specially; Gao Yi glanced at the gallery manager, smiled, and then said to the waiter, ¡°Thank you.¡± The waiter remained polite and said, ¡°Mr. Zhang, Mr. Pierre, please follow me.¡± The waiter kept one hand extended in a gesture of invitation and led the way for Gao Yi and the gallery manager. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but look at the manager and said, ¡°They¡¯re really well-prepared.¡± The manager responded with a smile, ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± Being the only Chinese person present, Gao Yi received special treatment, and his waiter was clearly arranged in advance, eliminating any concerns about language barriers. The waiter stopped by a table, pulled back a chair slightly, and said to Gao Yi, ¡°Mr. Zhang, please.¡± Chapter 69 - 69 62 Couldnt Hold Back_2 ?69: Chapter 62 Couldn¡¯t Hold Back_2 69: Chapter 62 Couldn¡¯t Hold Back_2 Gao Yi only then noticed a name tag on the back of the chair, nodded, and sat down. After he was seated, a waiter pulled out another chair and invited the gallery manager to sit down. Gao Yi and the manager sat side by side, giving him a translator. One had to say, Henry¡¯s arrangements were spot on. Gao Yi looked over his position; he was in the middle but towards the back, and his reference point was the auction table on one side of the dining table, where a gavel still lay. Clearly, in a while, that auction table would become the focal point of the evening. This distance, nearly twenty meters, was too far, quite inconvenient. At this moment, someone arrived at the chair on Gao Yi¡¯s right side¡ªit was a beauty, a great beauty. The chairs were fifty centimeters apart, and when the beauty next to him was about to sit down, Gao Yi rose and extended his hand as if to help, prompting a slight smile from the beauty, who then reached out her hand and said something in French. Gao Yi shook hands with the beauty and said in English, ¡°Sorry, I only speak English. Good evening, madam, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Gao Yi had just grasped the basics of etiquette; whether it was appropriate here, he really didn¡¯t know. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± After a simple exchange of greetings, it wasn¡¯t the time to chat. Gao Yi returned to his seat and then turned his attention away from the beauty beside him to look at the cutlery on the table. At this time, Henry finally appeared. He didn¡¯t enter from outside, but came directly down the stairs with two middle-aged men in suits but serious expressions in tow, obviously bodyguards. Henry was stout and bald, sporting a Mediterranean hairstyle, smiling broadly as he approached the auction table and began an enthusiastic speech into the microphone. Gao Yi didn¡¯t understand a word of what Henry said, but luckily the manager beside him provided translations. Henry¡¯s speech wasn¡¯t particularly substantive, simply thanking everyone for coming, welcoming them to the charity dinner, and expressing gratitude for their contributions to charitable causes. While Henry was speaking, another group came down the stairs. Leading them was Ditzel. But who knew what drama was playing out¡ªHenry speaking, Ditzel coming down the stairs, one after the other, not appearing together. What was going on? Regardless of their schemes, Gao Yi¡¯s thoughts focused on getting up there, snapping a few shots, and finishing the job. However, the bodyguards around Ditzel curbed Gao Yi¡¯s impulses. Ditzel¡¯s bodyguards weren¡¯t on the same level as African warlords or Mexican drug lords. No fewer than eight men, though following behind Ditzel, their gazes constantly scoured every possible dangerous corner, taking positions in front and behind him¡ªtwo bodyguards stood close to Ditzel, two slightly ahead, with four more trailing behind. The biggest problem was still the distance. At least twenty meters away, Gao Yi had no doubt that the moment he rose to his feet, the bodyguards would immediately spot him. If he showed any intent of approaching Ditzel, those bodyguards wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shoot. It wasn¡¯t feasible to take action, just not possible. Ditzel sat at the foremost yet most marginal table, with his bodyguards standing behind him, creating a mismatch with the hall¡¯s atmosphere, but due to his status, no one commented. Henry finished his welcoming speech, took his seat, and ended up at the same table as Ditzel. Only four people were at that table, but the eight bodyguards thoroughly isolated them from the other guests, so much so that Gao Yi couldn¡¯t even catch a glimpse of Ditzel. This was a bit troublesome, and Gao Yi couldn¡¯t think of a good solution. As the dinner officially began, waiters started serving appetizers and pouring wine. It was then that the whispering and laughter started. Gao Yi¡¯s meal was tasteless, but he still laughed and chatted with the manager beside him, while the beauty next to him occasionally exchanged a few words with him. Forty minutes into the dinner, with the main dish being served, someone hurried to the auction table. Just as the guests began enjoying their cold appetizer, the auctioneer started speaking rapidly in French. ¡°He¡¯s saying the charity auction will last a long time, so it starts now and everyone can enjoy their meal while participating in the bidding.¡± Gao Yi looked blankly at the translating manager and said, ¡°Uh, forgive my boldness, but isn¡¯t a charity dinner not usually like this?¡± The manager smiled and said, ¡°This is¡­ a new attempt.¡± Gao Yi could guess this was Henry¡¯s way of shortening the dinner duration. As long as the dinner could successfully proceed, he didn¡¯t care about the intermediate steps and processes. Two men carried a painting to the auction table, the auctioneer pointed at it and started the introduction; Gao Yi¡¯s manager neighbor seemed surprised and didn¡¯t translate. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s he saying? What is this painting¡­?¡± The manager struggled, ¡°Um, this painting, this painting¡­ Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. starting bid 500,000 euros, it¡¯s¡­¡± The manager hesitated. Before he finished, the auctioneer had already begun calling for bids. Strangely, not a single guest raised a hand to bid. Then, a voice rang out. Ditzel stood up and shouted, ¡°I bid 500,000 euros.¡± With a final decision, no one competed with Ditzel, and he seemed to know it, his face carrying a friendly smile as he waved to the guests. From afar, Gao Yi couldn¡¯t see clearly but felt as if Ditzel seemed in a hurry, that kind of impatient-to-finish atmosphere. Just one bid, the auctioneer asked three times, no further bids, the gavel fell, and the deal was closed. Ditzel, who should have been the grand finale, was the first to complete the auction, 500,000 euros, giving Henry face yet exuding peculiarity. What was Ditzel so anxious about? Did he know there was danger? While Gao Yi was confused, to his surprise, Ditzel, escorted by a group of bodyguards, abruptly got up and left, heading straight for the stairs. How could he take action now? Could he even make a move? Gao Yi was internally panicked, but couldn¡¯t show it. Forget it, the distance was too great, no chance, any rash move could have disastrous consequences. Gao Yi watched as Ditzel ascended the stairs, disappearing around the corner. And after Henry had seen Ditzel to the staircase, he returned and finally picked up his wine glass, wandering between the tables to toast the guests, exchanging a few words. Gao Yi was in turmoil, deep turmoil. Moments felt like an eternity; now, it seemed time was flying. Without a clear plan, Henry was already in front of his table. Taut on the outside, loose on the inside. Henry was followed only by a butler, not a bodyguard. But the primary target had already gone upstairs, out of sight. And right then, Henry stood before Gao Yi, and as everyone at their table stood up, he was right across from Gao Yi. Henry raised his glass, smiling at Gao Yi, saying, ¡°Welcome¡­¡± He spoke in French, and Gao Yi didn¡¯t understand. Gao Yi too raised his glass, all smiles, while inside he kept repeating one question. ¡°Do it or not, do it or not, do it or not, do it or not¡­¡± When he saw Henry raise his glass, exposing his throat, Gao Yi¡¯s stormy internal state suddenly fell silent. With his right hand holding the glass, his left struck out like lightning. Just one punch, swung out, hitting Henry directly in the carotid sinus, then completely shattering his entire throat. Henry collapsed without a sound. And the people around Henry didn¡¯t even realize what had happened; his butler simply gaped. It was the beauty next to Gao Yi who suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Gao Yi tossed the wine glass with his right hand, brushed off his left, and cursed bitterly, ¡°Damn it, couldn¡¯t hold back!¡± Chapter 70 - 70 63 The Restaurant War God ?70: Chapter 63: The Restaurant War God 70: Chapter 63: The Restaurant War God People who practice martial arts inevitably develop muscle reactions. Gao Yi¡¯s hands moved before his brain did, and he could only say helplessly that he couldn¡¯t hold back. After all, he couldn¡¯t just watch his target slip away in front of his eyes. Whether it was an opportunity or not, Gao Yi wouldn¡¯t have made a move if he had considered that. In fact, the hall hadn¡¯t descended into complete chaos yet. A woman¡¯s scream alone didn¡¯t immediately alert everyone to what had happened, so most of the guests were still seated calmly, showing no reaction. But the security staff reacted very quickly. The moment Henry fell, Gao Yi caught a glimpse of at least two men rushing towards him in his peripheral vision. Henry was already dead; anything they did now was useless. Henry¡¯s butler was right beside him. If he did nothing, Gao Yi would have let him go. But Henry came from a criminal background, and so did his butler. Realizing Gao Yi had brazenly made his move and instantly knocked down his boss, the butler instinctively threw a punch at Gao Yi. The butler definitely planned to take down Gao Yi before checking on his boss, so his reaction wasn¡¯t wrong. But Gao Yi was in a highly tense and reactive state, seeing someone coming at him, his fist moved faster, landing squarely on the butler¡¯s chest. No blocks, no dodges, just one hit. Because of Hsing Yi Boxing¡¯s characteristics, it was easier for Gao Yi to kill than to incapacitate. One of the security personnel started shouting at Gao Yi in French, which he didn¡¯t understand. These security personnel were armed and certainly had the legal qualifications to carry and use firearms under the current circumstances. However, these security staff weren¡¯t accompanying Henry, nor were they with Ditzel. This meant that their duty was to ensure the safety of the entire banquet, not to specifically protect individuals. Understanding this, one could see that the security wouldn¡¯t be quick to shoot, given the crowd was too large. They couldn¡¯t risk harming the guests while trying to shoot the assailant. In other words, the security would rather let Gao Yi escape than risk injuring any guests. So the security personnel posed a lesser threat. The major threat was from Henry¡¯s subordinates, who were from the underworld. French mobsters were much more dangerous than regular soldiers, meaning they might really shoot without concern for bystander casualties. But the people Henry had arranged were hard to identify. Some were dressed as waiters, while others were simply mingling with the guests. Gao Yi killed Henry with a punch, killed the butler with another, then spun around to survey his surroundings. Indeed, at the farthest rear, there was someone standing up, pulling out a gun. The distance was quite far, at least six or seven meters, with two rows of tables in between. Gao Yi needed to vault over the tables to eliminate this threat, whereas the gunman just needed to stand and pull the trigger. Luckily, this was a restaurant. Had it been another place, Gao Yi would have been in real trouble, but in a restaurant, he was an unstoppable god. What was most abundant in the restaurant? Firstly, utensils, then the tables and chairs. They were eating a French meal, Western-style, so the table was abundantly supplied with knives and plates. Gao Yi casually grabbed a dinner knife from the table, then flung it. The knife turned into a streak of silver light heading straight for the gunman¡¯s face. This knife was much easier to handle than chopsticks. Though the dinner knife wasn¡¯t sharp, Gao Yi could launch chopsticks to stick into a dummy, so this knife was only stronger. With a scream, the gunman, aiming at Gao Yi, covered his face with his hands, his gun unavoidably skewed. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t kill with the knife; he wasn¡¯t that skilled, but hitting the gunman¡¯s face accurately was enough. Leaping onto the table, grabbing another dinner knife, and throwing it while jumping to another table, Gao Yi¡¯s knee hit the gunman¡¯s chest as he landed. Even Gao Yi couldn¡¯t clearly tell what had happened. The gunman raised his gun; Gao Yi threw the knife, hitting the gunman¡¯s face; the gunman fired, missing, then Gao Yi leaped over two tables, hitting the gunman in the face with a knee; that was Gao Yi¡¯s entire ordeal. The guests panicked and ran. Landing, Gao Yi threw another dinner knife at another gunman three meters away, the gunman raised his gun, dodged fleeing guests, was just lowering his weapon to aim at Gao Yi when a flying knife already reached him. He instinctively dodged, but the knife still embedded in his cheek. ¡°Ah!¡± A loud cry, but though his face hurt, it didn¡¯t stop the gunman from firing. But as he pulled the trigger, his gun was suddenly pushed towards the ceiling, and then all went dark for him as he was struck down without knowing what hit him. The second gunman was taken care of, and by then, the hall had descended into total chaos. Guests ran, security aimed to assure the event¡¯s safety and take down Gao Yi quickly, but they would absolutely not shoot towards the crowd. There were supposed to be eight outsourced security personnel. As Gao Yi merged with the chaotic crowd heading towards the only great hall door, the two security personnel there screamed, ¡°Stay calm, leave this area¡­¡± Two security guarded the door. The other six were closing in. But at that moment, the two at the door seemed to receive a command, ran to the sides, opening the great door, and gave up on shooting Gao Yi as he exited. This was intentionally making a way out for Gao Yi to escape with the guests. But this made Gao Yi stop in his tracks. Going out meant danger was greater outside, in the open area where all the guests would scatter, losing any cover, and where many more security personnel awaited, ready to shoot with both pistols and rifles, assuredly sealing his fate. Gao Yi stopped, turned around, and began to run back against the flow of people. A security personnel raised his gun at Gao Yi, hands shaking, not daring to shoot. He was very close, at most five meters from Gao Yi, but had no chance to shoot. Gao Yi held a dinner knife all the while, unconcerned, he suddenly stood up, flinging the knife. It wouldn¡¯t be lethal, but it could at least obstruct the shooter¡¯s line of sight. Another grunt, the security personnel raised his hand, lifting the gun. He was afraid to shoot. Gao Yi¡¯s aim with the knife was slightly off, sticking next to the security officer¡¯s nose, but it was enough to prevent him from firing. Gao Yi rushed forward, grabbing the security officer¡¯s wrist holding the gun and twisted it, causing the officer to turn involuntarily in pain, whereupon Gao Yi slapped him down. It took two moves to incapacitate the security officer, who groaned and passed out. This security personnel was just making a living legally, not like those harmful underworld members, so Gao Yi had shown some mercy. Breaking a wrist was better than death, and without the ability to resist, that was enough. Now, the only threatening security personnel Gao Yi needed to face was one. The rest were cut off by guests rushing to get out. Regarding Henry¡¯s men, none could be seen in the chaos. Gao Yi¡¯s left hand picked up another fork from the table and flung it on instinct. Standing up from next to the dining table, maneuvering around it, escaping wasn¡¯t quick in a crowded hall. Gao Yi was surrounded by guests both behind and in front. But the security personnel, originally standing by the wall, had no one behind him. With this slight difference, Gao Yi¡¯s thrown knife would surely hit, but the security couldn¡¯t dare shoot. Seeing Gao Yi fling his hand again, the security instinctively ducked and tilted, but the fork thrown by Gao Yi¡¯s left hand flew to who knows where, and after the security¡¯s reflex action, he straightened up again, attempting to aim his gun at Gao Yi when another kitchen knife from Gao Yi¡¯s right hand came flying. This time the security didn¡¯t dodge, but he immediately groaned in pain. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 71 - 71 64 Unable to Resist ?71: Chapter 64 Unable to Resist 71: Chapter 64 Unable to Resist Compared to his firearm skills, which he¡¯d practiced for only a few days, Gao Yi had more faith in his fists. A person must know their own limits, and Gao Yi was well aware that his marksmanship was not up to par. Even in peacetime, he couldn¡¯t guarantee a bullseye with every shot, let alone now, running fast and accompanied by strenuous activity, aiming for a target that was also moving quickly. It was a joke to even try. Habit is a powerful thing. Gao Yi didn¡¯t know how to deal with the current situation with a gun in hand, but felt right in his element when empty-handed. So, even though he had two chances to pick up a gun, Gao Yi didn¡¯t take them. He did not take a gun, but when he rushed towards the staircase to run up, he eagerly drew out the Warhammer. With the Warhammer in his hand, he felt unstoppable. But, as expected, the Warhammer was more for show; its head looked quite heavy, yet when he lifted it, it was lighter than he expected¡ªit was undoubtedly hollow. Luckily, it was heavy enough for its purpose, and even if it was just for show, it was a useable kind. Despite the handle being somewhat long, it felt good in his hand, and it might very well have been a functional modern replication of a Warhammer. After swinging it around twice to feel its weight and to get accustomed to its grip, Gao Yi took two steps and leaped onto the second floor. The staircase was a spiral one. There was no one at the landing of the second floor, so Gao Yi slowed down and peeked left and right¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a soul on the second floor. He didn¡¯t know which floor Ditzel was on, or in which room, but Gao Yi¡¯s principle was simple¡ªif there was no one by the door, he would not enter. Ditzel was escorted by no fewer than eight bodyguards. Gao Yi didn¡¯t believe that all eight would stick by Ditzel¡¯s side at all times. Given their number, at least two should have been stationed outside. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gao Yi continued upstairs and saw another full-body armor positioned at the turn between the second and third floors, standing there like a statue. Henry had quite the taste. Instead of statues, he displayed armor. On the first floor there were two suits of full-body armor with big swords; at the corner of the second floor, there was a Warhammer paired with a small shield, while the third floor¡¯s corner featured full-body armor with a massive shield. Gao Yi rushed up to the third floor, and before he could scout around, he came face to face with a person holding a gun. The corners of the spiral staircase weren¡¯t right-angled but curved, and the thick carpet covering the stairs meant that Gao Yi¡¯s footsteps made no sound¡ªand conversely, that he couldn¡¯t hear the other person¡¯s footsteps. With a dull ¡°thud,¡± Gao Yi brought down his hammer, and the man he was facing collapsed without so much as a grunt. Reaching the third floor, he noticed that the noise seemed much quieter. The chaotic shouts from below were barely discernible. But gunshots should always be heard, right? Yet the bodyguard looked completely unprepared for battle. Gao Yi was puzzled as he peeked toward the place where the bodyguard had appeared. After all, the castle was an ancient building. Although it had been modernized, the basic layout remained as it was centuries ago, meaning the corridors could not be too wide, nor were they straightforward passageways. Looking inside, Gao Yi saw that the corridor, about two meters wide, ended in a wall. Additionally, whether due to a deliberate design choice or preservation of the castle¡¯s original style, the wall was made of raw stony walls. The lighting was dim, the stony wall was dark, and given its uneven surface, the corridor appeared even darker. Walking down the short corridor, it felt like something straight out of a dungeon from a movie. Such a strangely peculiar aesthetic. Turning the corner, Gao Yi saw a bodyguard in front of a door, holding a gun¡ªbut he wasn¡¯t watching the entrance. Instead, he was slightly tilting his head as if listening to the sounds from inside the room. How could Gao Yi let such a godsend opportunity slip away? He moved forward with utmost speed, and by the time the listening bodyguard turned his head sharply, Gao Yi was already upon him. The Warhammer swung, and with a loud ¡°bang,¡± the guard at the door fell in response. Everything was weird; currently, it all seemed very strange. The stony wall was thick, and there was a very primitive wooden door that was closed. Muffled sounds leaked from beyond it, and Gao Yi hesitated at the door, unsure whether to kick it down or push it before deciding to gently push it first. The door was heavy, and thick, but to his surprise, it opened with just a light push. As the door cracked open, Gao Yi slipped inside, finding two serious-looking bodyguards gazing into the room. Neither man held a gun. Instead, they stood in a room that appeared very plainly furnished¡ªalmost entirely empty¡ªguarding a very narrow door, intently watching something inside. One seemed to sense something, turning abruptly, but by then, Gao Yi was already within striking distance. His hand moved, the hammer fell, and one was downed. The other, in shock, hastily retreated, instinctively raising his left arm to protect his head. Gao Yi swung the Warhammer again, first snapping the bodyguard¡¯s arm and then crashing it onto his head. The spiked head of the hammer was inconvenient, hindering his retraction and slowing down his swinging speed. Withdrawing the hammer, Gao Yi charged through the narrow door without a second thought. What were they looking at? Suddenly bursting in, everyone inside was taken aback. At this moment, Gao Yi had no time left to think. His right hand wielded the hammer, crushing one bodyguard¡¯s skull. His left foot raised, delivering a brutal roundhouse kick to another guard¡¯s knee, followed by a downward hammer smash. After two thuds, five people remained in the room. One was Ditzel, crouching and covering his head with his hands. Someone Gao Yi hadn¡¯t seen in the downstairs hall was aiding Ditzel. Two other bodyguards were grabbing the room¡¯s fifth occupant. A woman. Barefoot but wearing white stockings that didn¡¯t appear smoothly pulled on, as if forced on hurriedly. Looking further up, there were ancient-style short bloomers, and above those, a black bodice lifted to her chest. Then, a pair of wooden stocks¡ªor rather, a wooden yoke¡ªblocked her chest. Above that, an abruptly beautiful face could be seen, even in haste. And above, a headscarf with a white trim. This was a nun, a nun bound by ancient wooden stocks. Role-playing? From Ditzel¡¯s expression of agony, it was clear; this was no role-play. This was outright abduction! All it took was a glance, measured in milliseconds, for Gao Yi to have an idea of what was happening. Everyone was shouting, the two guards released the nun, one lunging towards Gao Yi, another drawing a gun. This saved Gao Yi some trouble, with no need for further descriptions. Twisting aside, Gao Yi hammered the person assisting Ditzel and immediately reached out with his left arm to seize Ditzel¡¯s arm, keeping Ditzel under control. Then Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but look again at the woman, and just a glance almost overwhelmed him. No wonder Ditzel was so desperate, no wonder the bodyguards were slow to react. It all made sense now. Chapter 72 - 72 65 Yellow Sparrow ?72: Chapter 65: Yellow Sparrow 72: Chapter 65: Yellow Sparrow The walls of this castle are truly thick, and the soundproofing is excellent. So until now, Ditzel¡¯s greatest reaction was astonishment, not fear. Even when Gao Yi suddenly choked Ditzel¡¯s neck, Ditzel was still wondering why. Gao Yi¡¯s movements were so swift his own brain couldn¡¯t keep up, let alone anyone else¡¯s. Ditzel just stared at the hammer hanging by his side, the bloody hammer, with spikes on its head that held some unidentifiable substance. After a sudden shiver, Ditzel instinctively wanted to scream, but before he could make a sound, Gao Yi¡¯s arm tightened slightly, and Ditzel¡¯s scream was stifled. This scene felt eerily familiar. Was he going to take the target hostage again and go out? Gao Yi considered this and decided it wouldn¡¯t work, as the situation was different. The last time he had done this was with Suleyman, and Suleyman was a drug lord. Only his loyal subordinates could save him and had absolute control over them, so no matter what, Suleyman¡¯s men wouldn¡¯t dare to shoot. But Ditzel was a reformed boss. He wasn¡¯t involved in daily violence. Outside, those posing a threat to Gao Yi were hired security personnel and the police. Oh, and Henry¡¯s men. Henry¡¯s men could also be considered Ditzel¡¯s, but there was a layer of separation, so Ditzel had no direct influence over them. In that case, Henry¡¯s men would likely not care about the hostage Ditzel. Realizing this, Gao Yi felt he couldn¡¯t use Ditzel as a hostage. So what was he to do? Kill him, kill him immediately. But given the current situation, it seemed he could leave enough evidence behind before making a move. If it weren¡¯t possible, he of course wouldn¡¯t record it forcibly, but since the opportunity was there, having the most direct evidence was definitely better. Gao Yi tossed aside the hammer and took out his phone, and just then, the nun he had been afraid to look at but was facing started to move. She first spoke in a language Gao Yi didn¡¯t understand. Seeing no change in Gao Yi¡¯s expression, the nun switched to English, with a voice full of fear and urgency, saying, ¡°Save me, please save me¡­¡± The nun walked toward Gao Yi, her robe slightly falling off but catching at her waist, so her slender legs were still striking. Raising her hands shackled in wooden stocks, the nun¡¯s hands were weak. She tried to lean on Gao Yi or perhaps reach out, hoping Gao Yi would unlock the wooden stocks clamped around her hands. After taking two or three steps, the nun stumbled forward, losing her balance and falling toward Gao Yi. He couldn¡¯t withstand it, not at all. Gao Yi tightened his left arm forcefully. He used all his strength. It wouldn¡¯t be just Ditzel, an old man in his seventies who could not endure such force, even a young person couldn¡¯t. So, in the moment Gao Yi made up his mind, Ditzel was already dead. He died silently, like a chick being crushed. Then Gao Yi loosened his left arm, tossing the side-body of Ditzel, who was clamped in his arm, aside. The nun¡¯s stockings on her legs hadn¡¯t been worn properly, the right one reached up to her thigh, and the left only a bit above her knee, creating many wrinkles that marred the stockings¡¯ beauty. But the asymmetry also had a peculiar beauty to it. If one really had to describe it, this nun had the face of an angel but the body of a devil. A face so pure and beautiful, which just a glance from Gao Yi could tell, she certainly wasn¡¯t wearing makeup, definitely no lipstick. Yet her lips were so red it hurt to look at. She must be about five foot seven? With his mind in disarray, Gao Yi extended his left hand. He¡¯d tossed Ditzel aside just so he could free his hand to catch this indescribably beautiful nun. The nun¡¯s arms draped over Gao Yi¡¯s left arm, and then, as her body slightly turned, instead of lying into Gao Yi¡¯s arms, she surged forward, her left knee fiercely striking Gao Yi¡¯s abdomen. Gao Yi did nothing much; he just pulled his left hand away, turned around, and watched as the nun, losing her balance, heavily fell face-first to the ground. Gao Yi didn¡¯t use his right hand because he was holding his phone. Gao Yi aimed his phone at Ditzel. The nun fell to the ground beside Ditzel, so in Gao Yi¡¯s phone, the nun and Ditzel were in the same frame. After the nun landed, she didn¡¯t get up or make any superfluous movement. Instead, she propped herself up with her hands, raised her arms straight up, and swung the wooden stocks at Ditzel¡¯s neck. Gao Yi gently kicked the nun¡¯s back, then pressed the record button. The nun was kicked forward, falling to the ground again, and Gao Yi spoke softly, ¡°Garden, Heather, keep the video. We¡¯ve taken care of Ditzel.¡± Gao Yi craftily said ¡®we.¡¯ After recording, Gao Yi told the nun, ¡°Smash him.¡± The nun got up again, but she didn¡¯t turn around. Although she raised her arms again as if to strike, after Gao Yi¡¯s command, her hands froze mid-air, unmoving. To smash down was also evidence for the Garden. The nun intended to turn around, but if she did, she would have been recorded, so she just stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Gao Yi picked up the hammer, stepped forward, and swung it twice at Ditzel who was actually already dead, then said, ¡°The target is dead, mission completed.¡± It was over, done. Gao Yi selected the video recorded on his phone and uploaded it. With this solid evidence, no one could take the Garden¡¯s task anymore. Now there was only one problem. Henry¡¯s task was taken under Busan¡¯s account, and Ditzel¡¯s was under Garden¡¯s. This could easily lead people to connect Busan and Garden. But there was nothing he could do. He intended only to hit two birds with one stone¡ªHenry just couldn¡¯t hold back and actually took action. But Gao Yi hadn¡¯t really expected to be able to take Ditzel out. Who knew that Ditzel left the charity dinner halfway because there was such a formidable nun that even Gao Yi couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°You can turn around now, it¡¯s recorded.¡± Gao Yi kindly reminded her. Colleagues might be rivals, but this woman, still trying to snatch jobs at this point, had the power of beauty. Had it been another colleague, not to mention a man but even an uglier version of Gao Yi, he would have struck with a hammer already. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This task was meant for Garden to make a name for itself, so Gao Yi could freely speak Garden¡¯s name in front of anyone. As for Heather, that code name, since all of Garden¡¯s assassins were already gone, the code name was likewise useless, so he could mention it casually even in the middle of the street. Gao Yi framed the nun and Ditzel together, partly to chastise the rival who tried to snatch his hard work. The nun turned around stiffly, saw Ditzel with his brain matter emerging, seemed momentarily stunned, then finally said, ¡°Garden¡­ you stole my job! You took my target!¡± The look the nun gave Gao Yi wasn¡¯t full of hatred but rather more baffled. Gao Yi knew this woman was a professional because he guessed as much when he saw Ditzel¡¯s bodyguards come in. The moment the nun made a move towards his abdomen, he was a hundred percent sure. Also, Gao Yi now knew why there suddenly was a bounty for Henry on the Dark Web. It was because of this nun; they were creating an opportunity for her. So now, it¡¯s the mantis catching the cicada before the yellow bird. But Gao Yi wouldn¡¯t admit he was the yellow bird. On the contrary, he told the nun, ¡°Get it straight, I saved you. You should be saying thank you!¡± Chapter 73 - 73 66 Berserker ?73: Chapter 66 Berserker 73: Chapter 66 Berserker We need to leave, we can¡¯t delay any longer. Gao Yi turned to the distraught nun, ¡°Are you coming or not?¡± The nun¡¯s knees were on the ground, her body twisted, staring blankly at Gao Yi. She couldn¡¯t bear it, she really couldn¡¯t. If only the look in her eyes were a bit more complex, her face a bit uglier, and her legs not so attractive, Gao Yi would have walked away. But now, he really didn¡¯t want to leave. Gao Yi sighed, stepped forward, and grabbed the nun by the neck, lifting her up with his left hand. The heart could be soft, but the hands must be firm; Gao Yi wasn¡¯t about to leave any opportunity for a colleague to kill him. The nun stood up on her own, and Gao Yi released his left arm, then the first thing he did was pull down the nun¡¯s long robe. He tugged but couldn¡¯t move it, then Gao Yi noticed that there was a rope tied around the nun¡¯s waist, not a belt, just some kind of hemp rope, and the robe was tucked inside it, no wonder he couldn¡¯t pull it down. He lifted the robe up a bit, then wrapped his hand around it, tugging at the robe from the front. After discovering he couldn¡¯t pull the robe off, Gao Yi pinched the robe and pulled twice more, finally, the robe came down, covering those dazzlingly white legs. Gao Yi took a long breath, wiped his nose with his left hand, and thankfully, there was no embarrassing nosebleed. ¡°Did you kill¡­¡± The nun seemed somewhat foolish. Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are you coming or not?¡± While asking, he couldn¡¯t help but grab the nun¡¯s hand. With his left hand holding the nun¡¯s fingers, he lifted them to look at the wooden stocks, discovered that the lock on the stocks was not too sophisticated, just a wooden bar passing through and fixing the stocks in place, with a padlock locking one end of the bar. The lock wasn¡¯t big; Gao Yi lifted the nun¡¯s hand, bent down to pick up the hammer he had dropped, and with one strike of the hammer, the small lock broke open. Then Gao Yi threw the hammer to the ground, removed the small lock, and pulled out the wooden bar. Next, the nun could unlock the stocks herself, but at that moment, Gao Yi suddenly grabbed the nun¡¯s face with his right hand. Holding her chin with his hand, two fingers traced along beneath her ear, then Gao Yi looked into her eyes, his right hand¡¯s forefinger sliding down the nun¡¯s cheek with a bit of force. There was no makeup on her face, certainly no mask, not even any cosmetics that might change skin tone, definitely all-natural. With his left hand holding the nun¡¯s fingers, his fingernails hooked on the pad of her index finger, no fingerprint patches, no glue used. That¡¯s more like it; if there were any such disguises, the nun wouldn¡¯t be delivered to Ditzel¡¯s bed. The room was arranged very simply, two rooms in total, just a crude wooden table, a wooden chair, and the bed inside was also a very simple wooden bed. Back then, Gao Yi didn¡¯t figure it out, but now he saw that this was a simulation of the living conditions of the nuns in the monastery. It could be concluded that Ditzel, or Henry, one of them had a peculiar fascination with nuns, hence there was a room specially arranged like a monastery here, inside which was a nun. He felt the material of the robe, it was coarse, but became soft due to long-term wearing and washing, some places already slightly rough, it would break in another year or two. So, this wasn¡¯t role-playing, at least the clothes were real, so this nun might actually be a real nun. Gao Yi let go of the nun. Gao Yi was a gentleman; he wouldn¡¯t take advantage of someone in jeopardy. Touching was only to confirm whether the nun was a colleague, certainly no ulterior motives. He picked up the hammer again, took a step, and pulled a pistol from the waist of the bodyguard corpse nearby, then for the second time Gao Yi said to the nun, ¡°Are you coming or not?¡± The nun didn¡¯t unlock the stocks on her hands, still looking at Gao Yi, ¡°You killed my target, I had been preparing for this moment for seven years, but you stole my target¡­¡± The nun spoke in English, tears streaming down not in anger, more like in sorrow. Gao Yi swallowed. This woman¡¯s hair was wrapped in a nun¡¯s headscarf, the headscarf slightly revealing a bit of the hairline, her hair seemed to be brown. That face, that angelic face, with a devilish body covered by a robe, just evoked a protective desire. Couldn¡¯t bear it, truly couldn¡¯t bear it. Gao Yi shifted his gaze slightly, ¡°It was I who saved you!¡± The nun was momentarily dazed again, then she finally said, ¡°Alright, indeed you saved me, we didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡± Finally getting the wooden stocks off, letting the two pieces of wood fall to the ground, the nun glanced at the ground, whispered, ¡°But I won¡¯t thank you, you stole my target!¡± Gao Yi would never say the same thing a third time. Now that Gao Yi had saved this nun and unlocked the stocks on her hands, he could leave. He quickly walked to the door, carefully listening, and hearing no movement outside, Gao Yi cautiously opened the door. The nun went to take a gun from the bodyguard¡¯s corpse. Gao Yi¡¯s eyes widened, his gun in his left hand raised toward the nun, the gun¡¯s muzzle motioning for her to move away from it. He held the gun to prevent the nun from getting any ideas, mainly to keep her at a distance so that something could intimidate her. Watching the nun obediently step back two paces, Gao Yi then used the hammer to catch the wooden door and pull it back, then immediately stuck the hammer out the doorway. The Warhammer was suddenly pressed down with great force, then a muzzle appeared and fired a shot; if Gao Yi hadn¡¯t used the Warhammer to probe, he would have been shot. Gao Yi let go, retreating, left hand holding the gun, but the wooden door was kicked open. Someone grabbed the Iron Hammer, probably mistaking the hammer head for Gao Yi¡¯s hand, someone else kicked the door. Gao Yi also kicked out, striking the ankle of the foot kicking the door at the moment it struck the wooden door. A cry of pain, the person kicking the door lost balance, Gao Yi slightly extended his left hand, he didn¡¯t see anyone, just repeatedly pulling the trigger. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Three shots in rapid succession. The Iron Hammer snagged by someone fell, leaving two handlebars inside the door, after firing three shots, Gao Yi crouched down, grabbed the hammer handle with his right hand, his left hand holding the gun to close the wooden door. A series of gunshots, bullet holes densely appeared on the wooden door, only about a centimeter apart, essentially a horizontal line, showing an extremely fast rate of fire. If Gao Yi hadn¡¯t crouched down, this row of bullets would have hit his chest. Right hand pulling the Warhammer, left hand slamming the door shut. Bang, the wooden door closed, but it was kicked open again, Gao Yi¡¯s left hand rested on the wooden door was hit, the gun flew out. Crouching on the ground, the right hand with the hammer smashed down fiercely, hitting the knee of the leg kicking the door. Another cry of pain, Gao Yi grabbed the wooden door again and slammed it shut. This wooden door had no lock, but there was a door bolt behind it, after Gao Yi closed the door again, he immediately grabbed the horizontal door bolt and slid it to lock the wooden door. Then Gao Yi stood up, leaped forward, and charged towards the nun like a gorilla with high jumps. Gao Yi thought that if the people outside fired, they would definitely aim lower, so by jumping more, even if he was hit in the legs, it would surely be better than being hit in the waist or above. Just as he was delayed, the nun grabbed a pistol, and her pistol was pointed at Gao Yi. Just when Gao Yi had to reluctantly destroy the flower, the nun tearfully aimed the gun at the wooden door. It was clear the nun was very reluctant, but she eventually fired four shots at the wooden door. Gao Yi stood next to the nun holding the hammer, the nun with a face of despair said, ¡°There are no windows here, we are doomed, but you have completed your mission, while my target was stolen by you.¡± There was a tiny bit of embarrassment indeed. Gao Yi turned away, thankfully, not looking at the nun made the slight guilt disappear. ¡°I saved you, now we can break out.¡± The nun took a breath, walked over to another bodyguard corpse, touched it twice, pulled out another pistol, then raised both guns, said, ¡°Let¡¯s break out, if not, it¡¯s fine, anyway my target was stolen by you, but your mission is already completed.¡± Just then, the door bolt suddenly broke, with one hit, the wooden door was smashed open, and then two people charged in one after another, one above and one below. The nun fired both guns simultaneously, and whether it was a miracle or truly exceptional gun skills, with her two shots, the two men who charged in collapsed. The nun¡¯s face was full of determination and fearlessness, her steps calm and steady, walking straight toward the wooden door. Such actions without any self-protection, this kind of fearless momentum, this way of holding two guns facing the enemy, the nun wasn¡¯t a nun, she was a Berserker. A third person burst in like lightning, the Nun Berserker fired, her steps didn¡¯t stop, but the third person who rushed in collapsed. No makeup, no disguise, the posture of holding a gun, and the desperate momentum, especially the repeatedly mentioned target and the visibly intense sense of mission. The most distinct feature was the repeated mentions of target and mission as if nothing but the mission mattered, not even her own life, or even killing Gao Yi who stole her quest. Gao Yi was certain now. This woman was brainwashed; she was just Consumables. Chapter 74 - 74 67 Take Away ?74: Chapter 67: Take Away 74: Chapter 67: Take Away With a Consumables Berserker leading the way, the path became much easier to navigate. Gao Yi had entered the trade as a feral assassin, and in his early days, he appeared to be brash, taking on anyone with a sledge hammer. However, all of his operations had been predicated on the belief that there was a chance of succeeding. After taking action, Gao Yi¡¯s first reaction was how to protect himself, how to survive. Thus, being rash was a characteristic of Gao Yi¡¯s actions given his current conditions, with the subsequent crisis caused by reckless actions being a side effect. But Gao Yi was certainly not going to his death willingly. Before he struck, he was confident; after he struck, he would do everything to protect himself. If he still died, he could only blame his inadequate skills and excessive impulsiveness. But this Nun Berserker was different; her character as a consumable was too obvious. Without any disguise yet still sent to the target¡¯s bed symbolized a classic honey trap. Then, this nun would leave behind all her physical characteristics. As an assassin, this meant she had almost lost the value of being reused. This time, it was Gao Yi who killed the target, and then there were several bodyguards¡¯ corpses in the room, with guns on the corpses. So, the nun could pick up a gun and fight her way out in a berserk manner. But what if Gao Yi had not killed the target. The nun should also have had the chance to kill Ditzel, but then she would have to face Ditzel¡¯s bodyguards barehanded. According to Gao Yi¡¯s observation, her close combat abilities were decent, good enough to kill an unguarded target with bare hands, but killing several bodyguards with bare hands was impossible. Which meant, even if the nun could kill Ditzel, she would have died at the hands of the bodyguards without having considered how to escape after a successful assassination. That¡¯s the behavior of a consumable. Furthermore, even if the nun obtained a gun and was particularly accurate with her shooting, her fighting style was epitomized by advancing under enemy fire. Protecting oneself is instinctual, even without professional combat training. Like Gao Yi, who had just practiced shooting at a range, he also knew to protect himself as much as possible during such shooting¡ª at least to bend at the waist, at least to walk close to the wall. But the nun had discarded this instinct for self-preservation, so her combat style must have been deliberately trained, and that training was long-term; moreover, there had been no combat, purely target practice. Therefore, as an assassin that used a berserk fighting style, the nun was clearly trained by someone who wanted her to die conveniently. So Gao Yi could be certain the nun was a consumable, not swindled by a middleman, but high-end consumables mass-produced by some assassin organization. Middlemen conning novices into becoming consumables are almost cost-free, but these carefully cultivated consumables are expensive. Which assassin organization has the strength to produce these consumables? Which organization could afford to use consumables in this way? Gao Yi knew of only a few assassin organizations, and the two most familiar to him were one, Garden, and two, Andic. Garden, an assassin organization about to be annihilated, couldn¡¯t afford such consumables as the nun, while the powerful Andic Group took it as a basic operation to use consumables. If the nun really was a consumable from Andic Group, then obviously the problem would be very serious. Garden was nearly wiped out by Andic Group, and now the appearance of a consumable from Andic Group indicated that Garden might once again encounter Andic Group head-on, dragging themselves¡ªand him¡ªinto the fray. Perhaps the people from Andic Group were even watching from outside now. They might not care about the safety of the nun as a consumable, but they would definitely need to confirm the death of the target and whether the mission was accomplished. It was concerning, not knowing how to handle this situation. The nun walked out of the room with guns in hand, and Gao Yi thought the moment she stepped out, she¡¯d be shot¡ªbut no, the nun simply fired a shot and then continued walking. Gao Yi prepared himself, following right behind the nun. If the nun was shot, he would use her as cover to make a break for it. This was the only chance to break out. But the nun managed to leave the room safely, something he genuinely had not expected. Gao Yi followed the nun out the door only to see a person lying outside, not looking like a security person. Those trying to rescue Ditzel, forcefully breaking down the door and opening fire, were Henry¡¯s men, supposedly a gang with responsibility for combat. They could handle gang shootouts but didn¡¯t stand up to more professional combat. No one was left? Gao Yi was ecstatic in his heart, sticking close behind the nun as they moved forward. The nun held the guns and moved quickly, but she didn¡¯t go towards the staircase. Instead, she turned in the direction away from the staircase after exiting. There¡¯s a back door! Right, Ditzel had used the back door when he first arrived. The nun marched ahead without a care, the corridor was narrow, and there were many rooms, but she didn¡¯t mind if someone might suddenly jump out. After turning a few corners, she stood before a door, seemingly ready to use her shoulder to push it open. Gao Yi reached out to open the door for the nun, gently pushing, and the old wooden door opened. Such old wooden doors with bolts are usually left open if there is no one inside. The wooden doors stayed for aesthetic consistency, but the inside of the room was clearly modernized, with all kinds of appliances and modern furniture. The room looked like a lounge; there were several sofas and chairs, but no bed. After entering the room, the nun looked around, then holding the gun in one hand, her other hand hanging down, she walked a few steps forward to a curtain, using her gun to lift the curtain and look down. Gao Yi leaned over to look as well. It was a bay window, semicircular. Looking out, the exterior elevator was immediately in sight. Not minding the destruction of the castle¡¯s ancient ambiance, Henry had a lift built specifically that didn¡¯t go up to the second floor, only the third and fourth. The elevator was currently on the third floor, while there was no one on the ground outside of the castle. Looking further, the lawn was well-lit and visible, but the area beyond the lawn fell into darkness, uncertain if anyone was hiding there. The nun was not very familiar with the terrain here, but she definitely had done her homework in advance. After a short pause, the nun turned around again, entering this room only to observe. Now that she had seen everything, she was ready to leave. Gao Yi followed, and the two of them left the room. Then, true to expectations, the nun reached the external elevator and pressed the down button with the gun barrel. It was fatal that the elevator was the sightseeing kind, completely transparent. ¡°You¡¯re taking the elevator?¡± Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but ask, but the elevator doors were already open, and the nun immediately stepped in. Trusting a consumable¡¯s judgment was risky, but the problem was Gao Yi didn¡¯t want to dash through the main door blocked by security personnel. Well, at least there was a Berserker with common goals and precise marksmanship inside the elevator to spearhead the escape. The elevator had doors that opened on both sides. When they reached the first floor, the exterior door opened. There didn¡¯t seem to be any enemies in sight, so it was worth the risk. As soon as they entered the elevator, gunshots could be heard outside. Not very dense, but gunshots kept ringing out continuously. Once the elevator reached the first floor and the door opened, the nun stepped out with an undaunted demeanor, but after moving forward a couple of steps, she stopped and seemed bewildered. How could a consumable possibly have a complete evacuation plan? Probably she didn¡¯t even know which direction to head beyond the castle walls. Gao Yi glanced over and pointed in a direction: ¡°That way.¡± Head towards the road; Sean was waiting there to provide backup. Once out of the lift, the gunshots became more evident, coming from the road. Every few seconds, a burst of gunfire would sound regularly, and even through the entire castle, the chaotic cries outside could be heard. The nun hesitated a moment before heading towards the direction Gao Yi pointed, running, with Gao Yi crouched and following at her side. The nun¡¯s pace was not very fast, so Gao Yi had an easy time keeping up. Following the scenic pathway, they reached the shrubs outside the lawn, crossing about forty meters in distance without encountering any interception or sniping. That wasn¡¯t normal, which meant there was backup. Gao Yi finally took out his phone, calling Sean, who picked up immediately. ¡°Where are you?¡± Sean whispered. ¡°I¡¯m in the car, about one kilometer west of the entrance. The entrance has an automatic gun drawing attention, and all bullets will be fired in forty seconds. You need to hurry.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s spirits were lifted. ¡°Come pick me up, I¡¯m on the west side of the castle; there¡¯s no road¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Gao Yi said to the nun, ¡°This way!¡± They started sprinting toward the road, a distance of seven or eight hundred meters, which required quite a run. But this time the nun refused to go with Gao Yi. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She looked at Gao Yi as if she wanted to say something, but her hand that was hanging down with the gun seemed to be reaching to lift it. Gao Yi felt confident enough to let the nun carry a gun at such close proximity because he was utterly sure he could control her. So Gao Yi did not wait for the nun to raise the gun, but made a quick forward move, grabbing the nun¡¯s right hand to prevent her from lifting the gun. Loosening her right hand, letting the hammer fall, and in a flash, he stepped back behind the nun and gently tapped the back of her neck with his palm. The nun passed out without a moan. Gao Yi squatted down, holding the phone to his ear, and whispered, ¡°Ran into a colleague, a female, obviously a consumable.¡± Sean urgently whispered back, ¡°Kill her and get out of there!¡± ¡°She seems to be from Andic¡­¡± ¡°Can you bring her alive, conveniently?¡± ¡°Uh, I suppose it¡¯s doable.¡± Gao Yi put the phone back in his pocket, threw the two guns in the nun¡¯s hands away, and, with a heave, hoisted the nun onto his shoulder, starting to briskly walk towards the road. Weighing about a hundred pounds, she didn¡¯t seem too heavy to carry. Gao Yi charged towards the road and after covering about a hundred meters, he felt carrying a person was too heavy to continue when two beams of car headlights suddenly rushed over. The castle was on a very gentle hillside with no farmland nearby, so if it was an off-road vehicle, it could indeed drive across. The vehicle quickly crossed the open field and stopped next to Gao Yi, with Sean in the vehicle urging, ¡°Get in quick, the people have dispersed, we have no time to lose.¡± Gao Yi opened the car door and placed the nun in the back seat. After getting in himself, he urged, ¡°Drive.¡± Sean turned to look at the back seat and suddenly said, ¡°Such high quality? It¡¯s unlikely she¡¯s a consumable from Andic.¡± ¡°Ah? What should we do?¡± After a moment of thought, Sean said, ¡°We¡¯ll bring her along first, ask her and we¡¯ll find out. If she¡¯s a consumable from Andic, that¡¯d be perfect! I have so many questions to ask.¡± Chapter 75 - 75 68 Revenge Blade ?75: Chapter 68 Revenge Blade 75: Chapter 68 Revenge Blade Gao Yi only needed to wait in the hotel, but Sean was responsible for all the preparations. There was only a little more than a day¡¯s time, but it was evident from the evacuation that Sean was well-prepared. While preparing the vehicle, Sean considered the possibility that they might need to get close to the castle, so he prepared an off-road vehicle. However, not long after driving on the highway, Sean turned onto a country road. As they drove, Gao Yi briefly explained what had happened at the castle. When Gao Yi finished speaking, and they had driven about a dozen kilometers more, Sean suddenly said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop here and take a few minutes to confirm whether this woman is one of Andic¡¯s consumables.¡± They stopped the car and opened the door. With the help of the car roof light, Sean observed the nun¡¯s face again. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He then stroked her eyebrows with his finger, pulled open her eyelids to take a closer look, and then lifted a hand, observing it carefully before suddenly declaring, ¡°There¡¯s no disguise.¡± Gao Yi¡¯s method of judgment was all learned from Sean, except that Sean added the action of touching the eyebrows with his fingers. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve checked already, there¡¯s definitely no disguise.¡± Sean looked over the nun, who was slumped in the back seat, pondered for a moment, and then said, ¡°She said she¡¯s been waiting seven years?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sean sighed softly and said, ¡°The quality is very high. Beauties are scarce resources. If it were Andic Group, they wouldn¡¯t need their assassins to prepare for a mission for seven years, and furthermore, they wouldn¡¯t consider such quality resources as disposable; it¡¯d be too wasteful.¡± Gao Yi, puzzled, asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sean shrugged and replied, ¡°Using a beauty of this caliber as a consumable is very efficient but also wasteful. Simply put, the Andic Group could train very good raw materials into outstanding assassins for repeated use.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t using consumables a display of greater strength?¡± ¡°It depends on cost-effectiveness, the ratio of investment to output. I don¡¯t think this woman is part of Andic. Only a long-standing assassin organization would produce such an outcome.¡± Gao Yi wasn¡¯t accustomed to describing a living person with terms like consumables, resources, and products, which instinctually made him uncomfortable. Because if Gao Yi were in an assassin organization, then he would also be categorized as a consumable. Sean, unconcerned with Gao Yi¡¯s feelings, continued, ¡°A long-standing assassin organization has enough time to raise enough consumables. The growth period for a consumable is about ten years. This woman is barely over twenty years old; if they started training her from the age of ten, now would be about the time for returns. She¡¯s still green, so this must be her first operation.¡± Gao Yi, surprised, asked, ¡°Wait a minute, a green girl¡­uh, how can you tell?¡± ¡°The eyebrows, a green girl¡¯s eyebrows stick close to the skin, not erect.¡± Sean quickly addressed Gao Yi¡¯s doubts and then rubbed his chin, murmuring, ¡°She must be the product of some European assassin organization, capable of raising consumables and using them extensively. One is God¡¯s Armor, and the other is Revenge Blade. God¡¯s Armor wouldn¡¯t waste such a beauty as a consumable, leaving only Revenge Blade. She is a consumable from Revenge Blade.¡± Sean had deduced the nun¡¯s origin. Gao Yi, still surprised, asked, ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it simple? If you controlled this woman¡¯s fate, could decide her life or death, would you be willing to send her to an old man¡¯s bed so she could take the opportunity to kill him, only to end up dying at the old man¡¯s bodyguard¡¯s hand? Would you be willing?¡± Gao Yi glanced at the nun and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of willingness, but I definitely wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡± ¡°Are you willing?¡± ¡°Uh, unwilling.¡± Sean spread his hands and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The leader of Revenge Blade is an old woman, and only a woman could be so ruthless towards another woman, so she must be a consumable from Revenge Blade.¡± That made sense, a lot of sense. Sean continued, ¡°Revenge Blade maintains a rhythm of one major task a year, but Revenge Blade doesn¡¯t have any well-known assassins. They either don¡¯t take on tasks, or when they do, it¡¯s a major task, so someone had judged that Revenge Blade mainly uses consumables. Their annual consumption of consumables is about ten, but until now, we never knew how Revenge Blade operates. Now, you might have found an opportunity to understand Revenge Blade.¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, oh¡­¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t know what to say because this was Sean¡¯s judgment based on experience; all he could do was listen. Sean sighed, slightly regretful, and said, ¡°Wake her up and ask, and we¡¯ll know. Don¡¯t speak; I¡¯ll ask.¡± Waking the nun up was simple: just pour a bottle of water over her head. The nun woke up, fluttered her eyelashes, and her first action upon waking was to try to get up. Gao Yi held her shoulders from behind, then Sean said softly, ¡°Garden. Bee. Say hello to Blade. Today¡¯s operation has collided, but we have no intention of competing with Revenge Blade.¡± At Sean¡¯s series of words, the nun displayed a face full of panic, then she stammered, ¡°You, you, you¡­¡± ¡°How do I know you¡¯re from Revenge Blade? It¡¯s simple; you just have to explain today¡¯s encounter to Blade, and he¡¯ll know why.¡± Sean appeared very confident, while the nun was completely bewildered and said, ¡°Blade¡­who is that?¡± Chapter 76 - 76 68 Revenge Blade_2 ?76: Chapter 68 Revenge Blade_2 76: Chapter 68 Revenge Blade_2 Assassins are adept at disguising their true thoughts, for Consumables are often only used once, particularly when needing to conceal their assassin identity, so acting is the main training course. Sean paid attention to the nun¡¯s facial expressions, but he didn¡¯t particularly care, he calmly said, ¡°Your target was killed by us, but it was just a coincidence, and my partner even saved you, do you admit it?¡± The nun didn¡¯t directly answer, she thought for a moment, but then turned her head to look at Gao Yi, who was pressing on her shoulder. Gao Yi slightly tightened his grip, the nun didn¡¯t continue to turn her head, she stopped, and whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡± Saying thank you was an admission, Gao Yi whispered back, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Sean smiled and said, ¡°Good, we have come to an understanding, are you really a nun?¡± Sean asked again, and the nun hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°You are not, you are an assassin from Revenge Blade, then you cannot possibly be a nun. Now please tell me, why did you disguise yourself as a nun for seven years?¡± After Sean finished his question, he sincerely said, ¡°This is outdated information, tell me, Blade will definitely not blame you, and after you tell me, I will let you leave and let you carry a message to Blade, so we both get what we want.¡± The nun hesitated for a moment, finally said, ¡°Because of¡­ Ditzel¡¯s childhood experiences.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Ditzel was born in District 93, his mother was a prostitute, he grew up in an environment filled with prostitutes and unfaithful women, he has an intrinsic disgust for such women, so he likes nuns who live a simple life in the monastery, especially novices. Around 1994, a nun went missing from a monastery in north London, and then from 1994 to 2000, nearly every year a nun would disappear, the police invested a lot of effort into the investigation, then the phenomenon disappeared, until 2007 when it occurred again, then sporadic incidents happened occasionally.¡± The nun gently sighed, and said, ¡°Initially, Ditzel organized it himself, starting from ¡¯07, it was Henry who did it, he just wanted to please Ditzel. I was taken from the monastery yesterday and brought here to this castle, just like that.¡± It matched. Sean nodded and said, ¡°There¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t understand. According to the plan of Revenge Blade, you were definitely going to be sent to Ditzel¡¯s bed, and it has nothing to do with Henry¡¯s charity dinner. So why would Revenge Blade choose to put a bounty on Henry on the Dark Web?¡± The nun frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I have no clue what you¡¯re talking about, what Dark Web, what bounty?¡± Sean thought for a moment, then suddenly said, ¡°I understand now!¡± Gao Yi had already understood a lot, but he still hadn¡¯t figured out the whole picture, so he immediately looked at Sean with an inquiring gaze. Sean smiled, and told the nun, ¡°You can go now.¡± Gao Yi let go of the nun¡¯s shoulder, the nun seemed a bit incredulous, she hesitated and then looked back at Gao Yi, realizing Gao Yi wasn¡¯t taking any action, she finally whispered again, ¡°Thank you.¡± The nun stepped down from the vehicle, Sean made way to the side, the nun took a few steps forward, and again turned to Gao Yi, ¡°What is your name?¡± Gao Yi did not answer, still thinking about what name he should use when the nun suddenly said, ¡°Your name is Heather.¡± That was disposable, used once and then discarded, but Gao Yi definitely wouldn¡¯t give his real name, nor would he mention the codename ¡°Busan.¡± The nun glanced at Sean again, she took two steps back, then suddenly turned and ran hurriedly into the night. Gao Yi sighed softly, and Sean also sighed, then said to Gao Yi, ¡°What a pity.¡± Gao Yi shook his head, then suddenly shouted in the direction the nun had disappeared, ¡°Hey, nun, you¡¯re just a Consumable, cannon fodder¡­don¡¯t go back, run for your Leben!¡± After shouting, he felt better, then Gao Yi quietly said, ¡°Yeah, what a pity.¡± ¡°I thought you would keep her.¡± Gao Yi shook his head and said, ¡°If what you say is correct, then she has been trained for ten years, a Consumable who has been brainwashed, revealing all her physical characteristics, from her looks to her fingerprints and even DNA. What would I keep her for, to follow us and kill us?¡± Sean looked helpless and said, ¡°I was¡­ sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I was almost tempted, do you really not like women? She had clearly shown you her affection, you saved her.¡± Gao Yi regretted it deep down, but his moral bottom line wouldn¡¯t allow him to treat a woman by any immoral means, and he didn¡¯t want to provoke a Berserker, a brainwashed female assassin, so just shouting was enough. Therefore, Gao Yi simply said, ¡°Do you think a trained Consumable can really be easily moved?¡± Sean shrugged, got into the car, and closed the door, ¡°You¡¯re very clear-headed, I¡¯ve never seen anyone your age remain calm in this kind of situation, buddy, you really are a born assassin.¡± Gao Yi didn¡¯t want to continue with Sean¡¯s line of conversation, he lazily said, ¡°I thought you were going to kill her.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t kill her, she really is a Consumable of Revenge Blade, and this task must publicly be the masterpiece of the Garden, killing her would certainly expose us, I don¡¯t want to set up a new powerful enemy, let her go back, let her explain the situation, and let Revenge Blade know we aren¡¯t simply competing for business, this result is good for both sides.¡± Makes sense, but Gao Yi was just casually diverting the topic, after figuring out Sean¡¯s thought process, he puzzledly said, ¡°Did you figure out why Revenge Blade set a bounty for Henry on the Dark Web? I don¡¯t understand, their plan clearly didn¡¯t need this charity dinner.¡± Sean smiled and said, ¡°It was needed, easy to understand, since Revenge Blade could formulate this plan targeting Ditzel¡¯s tastes, that means they understood Ditzel profoundly, meaning they knew if they sent her to Ditzel¡¯s house, or anywhere else, the nun wouldn¡¯t have the chance to act, but sending her to the castle gave her the opportunity to get rid of Ditzel.¡± All plans are based on intelligence, Gao Yi and his team lacked intelligence, but Revenge Blade had it. That made sense, Gao Yi sighed, ¡°Understood, they exploited Henry¡¯s selfishness, when Henry found out about the bounty, worried Ditzel wouldn¡¯t attend his charity dinner, so he moved up the dinner, then used the nun to lure Ditzel to the castle, providing the nun with a better opportunity to act.¡± Sean nodded, then smiled, ¡°Exactly, but switch the timing around, it was Henry who first captured the nun, then Revenge Blade set the bounty, Revenge Blade had enough information, so they could grasp Henry¡¯s thoughts, just like that.¡± Chapter 77 - 77 69 Huge Profits ?77: Chapter 69: Huge Profits 77: Chapter 69: Huge Profits Sean was focused on driving while Gao Yi took out his phone. With the nun gone, he could check it out now. Gao Yi first checked Henry¡¯s mission. The mission was still posted on the Dark Web, which meant that it hadn¡¯t been authenticated yet and could not be considered completed. Although Gao Yi could upload the video as evidence on the Garden¡¯s account, he could not check whether the Dark Web had already recognized this evidence. ¡°How come it hasn¡¯t been completed yet? Could someone else be trying to claim the results as their own?¡± Gao Yi was a bit worried, mainly because in the previous few times, the mission would be approved immediately after evidence was submitted. But this time, he had neither the time nor the opportunity to record a video. It was just accepting a mission, then clicking it as completed. Verification had to be done by the Dark Web, so the results wouldn¡¯t come out too quickly. He understood how it worked, but Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°It won¡¯t be so fast, don¡¯t worry. The Dark Web is still very rigorous even though you didn¡¯t provide video evidence this time. But it won¡¯t be so easy for others to claim the completion.¡± After saying that, Sean steadied the steering wheel with one hand and took out his phone with the other. After opening it and taking a glance, Sean suddenly exploded in anger, ¡°These bastards, such clear video evidence was submitted, why isn¡¯t it approved yet!¡± Gao Yi, somewhat worried, said, ¡°Could Revenge Blade be stealing our business?¡± Sean replied gravely, ¡°Very likely. After all, Revenge Blade was the first to accept this mission, and it seems they had no intention of responding to the nun. So, once the news of Ditzel¡¯s death gets out, Revenge Blade will surely claim they completed the mission.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, right?¡± ¡°No problem! We have evidence!¡± Though that¡¯s what he said, Sean was still worried. So, Sean quickly said with a hint of concern, ¡°Revenge Blade won¡¯t be able to produce evidence, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Now the two were essentially comforting each other with reassurances, but just as Gao Yi finished speaking, he suddenly saw the mission status on his phone change. ¡°Hey, my mission is completed! The commission has been paid.¡± Sean exclaimed excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s been recognized? That¡¯s great. It seems no one else was competing for Henry¡¯s mission. Since you were the only one who took on the mission, naturally it would be credited to you after it was completed.¡± The commission for killing Henry was five hundred thousand dollars, just over the threshold of a C-level mission. Honestly, for the difficulty of killing Henry, five hundred thousand dollars was an absolute bargain. But, Revenge Blade merely created an opportunity to let the nun kill Ditzel, so they wouldn¡¯t pay a high bounty. The mission for Ditzel was different. Ditzel¡¯s mission was worth twenty million dollars, a very big order even among A-level missions. According to the agreement between Gao Yi and Sean, all the commissions from this mission would go to him; moreover, the Garden had to pay an additional five million dollars as compensation to Gao Yi. So, Henry¡¯s five hundred thousand dollar reward was nothing. The mission for Ditzel could earn Gao Yi twenty-five million dollars, enough for complete financial freedom¡ªthis was the key. But according to the rules, if the Dark Web didn¡¯t authenticate that the Garden had completed the task, then Gao Yi would not get the money. So, in some ways, Gao Yi was more anxious than Sean. Gao Yi quickly said, ¡°Check if Ditzel¡¯s task is completed.¡± Sean looked at his phone again and then sighed, ¡°It would be good if it¡¯s recognized by tomorrow. After all, it¡¯s a twenty million dollar task, and, there must be many people competing for it. Who knows how many would claim they¡¯ve completed it.¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t those who falsely claim the commission be punished?¡± ¡°Of course, they would. Those with low ranks get their accounts deleted, the high-ranked receive warnings, and repeated offenses lead to demotion.¡± Sean waved his hand and said, ¡°Revenge Blade is definitely going to make a mistake this time. I hope the nun notifies them in time.¡± To comfort himself, Sean forced a smile and said to Gao Yi, ¡°With twenty-five million dollars, what will you do with all that money?¡± ¡°Retire, go home, and enjoy life.¡± It wasn¡¯t too solid to dream of the future without the money in hand, so Gao Yi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, right?¡± ¡°No problem at all,¡± Sean said somewhat conflictedly. ¡°So you won¡¯t be an assassin anymore?¡± ¡°With that much money, why be an assassin.¡± That¡¯s the advantage of being a free man. Even if the people in the Garden got the money, they couldn¡¯t leave and enjoy retirement. Gao Yi was blunt, and after hesitating for a moment, Sean said, ¡°Alright, that makes sense.¡± Gao Yi smiled and said, ¡°What about you? Now that the Garden¡¯s mission is completed, what will you do next?¡± ¡°Completing an A-level mission should keep the Garden on the A-list for at least three more years. Maybe I¡¯ll find a qualified assassin to join the Garden.¡± Gao Yi suddenly said, ¡°The Garden is so short-staffed; don¡¯t you want that nun?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not interested in fully formed Consumables. What the Garden needs isn¡¯t cannon fodder but an assassin who can stabilize the scene.¡± Sean said regretfully, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been looking for several years. You¡¯re the only one who could be a super assassin¡ªhmm, do you know anyone else with martial arts skills as good as yours?¡± Gao Yi said, ¡°Stop dreaming. A martial arts genius like me comes along once in a hundred years, not just once in a hundred years¡ªat least once in fifty.¡± Sean snorted with a forced smile, ¡°You¡¯re truly confident, but you do indeed have the right to be.¡± While talking, Sean glanced at his phone again and then said suddenly, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sean said, ¡°I saw a message on the Dark Web.¡± ¡°What message?¡± ¡°A mysterious person suddenly struck and killed Henry at his banquet. According to witnesses, the mysterious assassin broke Henry¡¯s neck, then used throwing knives to injure¡­ You can use throwing knives!¡± Sean was shocked, whereas Gao Yi simply shrugged, ¡°Just a supplementary technique.¡± ¡°Where did you learn it?¡± ¡°Online. There are many bloggers who are very accurate with throwing knives¡ªactually all sorts of things like playing cards, needles, axes, even rocks. I followed along with the videos and then realized¡­ it¡¯s actually quite simple.¡± Sean was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°You¡¯ve become famous. Anyway, you¡¯re famous now. The entire Dark Web probably knows about your existence.¡± Gao Yi was puzzled, ¡°The news from the scene spread so quickly?¡± ¡°It could already be in the news, or someone posted information not yet released by the police after passing it at the scene, which is quite normal. This message already falls under the category of intelligence.¡± After that, Sean said admiringly, ¡°The news from the scene is beginning to spread. I guess it won¡¯t be long before the results are confirmed. Gaining fame from Henry and making money from Ditzel¡ªbro, you¡¯ve made a fortune this time. In theory, you¡¯ve made a fortune, the kind that¡¯s once and for all. But until the money arrives, Gao Yi couldn¡¯t relax. The reason Gao Yi was so desperate was that a huge sum of money could allow him to achieve financial freedom directly. But as for gaining fame, unless the Dark Web disclosed the Busan account, no one would know who undertook the task. ¡°Gaining fame might be an overstatement¡ªI didn¡¯t plan on disclosing my identity, and no one knows my name, so how can I become famous?¡± Gao Yi could choose to disclose it himself; for example, he could completely release all of Busan¡¯s achievements, letting the entire Dark Web know about his strength. For assassins eager for fame, voluntarily disclosing is a common practice. Gao Yi now had two missions under his name: one with Suleyman in Mexico and this one with Henry. The commission for both tasks wasn¡¯t very high, but they were very difficult to complete, and he completed them successfully and quickly. The missions had been out for no more than a few days, and at the time of completion, there were many eyewitnesses. It was really killing in the full view of the public eye. So if he chose to disclose it, just based on these two distinct and strong stylized missions, it would be enough to make him a famous assassin overnight from an unknown small character. But Gao Yi had no plans to disclose. Gao Yi had no other thoughts; he had one principle: people are afraid of becoming famous just as pigs are afraid of fattening up. As for the assassin industry, being too famous doesn¡¯t seem to be a good thing; it often means dying quickly. At this point, Sean had to say something. ¡°Aren¡¯t you planning to disclose? Well, if you¡¯re just operating alone, being too famous can indeed be dangerous. The Garden is different. Once this action is confirmed, I will immediately announce it as a masterpiece of the Garden.¡± As an assassin organization, especially at a critical moment of near disqualification, the Garden needed the fame and would naturally not hide it. But Sean obviously had another intention, and he quickly said, ¡°However, if you really want to retire, could you sell me your account, or let me manage it for you¡­¡± Gao Yi was slightly stunned, ¡°Huh? Sell it to you?¡± In a low voice, Sean said, ¡°If you earn enough money and retire, then naturally your account will be useless. You can sell it to me; I¡¯ll offer ten million dollars.¡± Gao Yi was taken aback. Was his account worth that much? Sean continued, ¡°But if you¡¯re not sure whether you¡¯ll retire and just plan to take a break for a while, then you can give me your account to manage. I¡¯ll find someone to use this name to continue acting, sort of like maintaining your account for you, what do you think?¡± The Garden really needed an assassin who could hold their ground. After pondering for a moment, Gao Yi did not hesitate too much or feel averse, smiling, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll sell you the account when the time comes, or you can manage it for me.¡± All Sean wanted was that response. He might not have gotten Gao Yi, but having the name Busan was still a great gain. For Gao Yi, it meant achieving the peak as soon as he started, retiring after two missions. To have been an assassin to this extent was already a success. After getting the money, he could do whatever he wanted¡ªhow wonderful. It was a win-win situation for both parties. Chapter 78 - 78 70 Rational Analysis ?78: Chapter 70 Rational Analysis 78: Chapter 70 Rational Analysis ¡°Garden, Heather, video evidence, we killed Ditzel.¡± The screen showed a nun getting up from the ground, her back to the camera. ¡°Crush him.¡± The nun raised her hands, which were shackled in wooden stocks, but the stocks couldn¡¯t come down; her movement froze. At that moment, a Warhammer appeared in the frame, brutally striking Ditzel¡¯s head as the voice-over rang out again. ¡°The target is dead, mission completed.¡± The footage quickly ended. As an employee responsible for evidence verification, Owen had seen many gruesome scenes, but the visual impact of the Warhammer smashing the head still made him physically uneasy for a moment. One couldn¡¯t do this job for too long; it was sickening. He harbored complaints in his heart, but his hands couldn¡¯t stop working. He chose to back up, archive, and confirm that the evidence matched the mission and account, then Owen opted to upload the evidence. Level A mission, must be reviewed by a supervisor. And an A-level mission like this wasn¡¯t always available; sometimes, months could go by without a single piece of video evidence of an A-level mission, because each report completed for an A-level mission meant the death of a significant figure. Moreover, sometimes the contract between the client and the assassin was private, and even upon completing the mission, no evidence needed to be provided. Thus, supervising officer Matthew was often idle. A light ding from the computer spurred Matthew into alertness. Finally, something exciting had happened. Matthew shook the mouse and looked at the highest-level email which occupied half the screen; he clicked to open it. A video. ¡°Garden, Heather, video evidence, we killed Ditzel.¡± The screen showed a nun getting up from the ground, her back to the camera. ¡°Crush him.¡± The nun raised her hands, which were shackled in wooden stocks, but the stocks couldn¡¯t come down; her movement froze. Then, a Warhammer appeared in the frame, brutally striking down upon Ditzel¡¯s head as the voice-over rang out again. ¡°The target is dead, mission completed.¡± Matthew¡¯s eyes widened; the same video that brought Owen visual impact gave him a deeper level of shock. This was an A-level mission, Ditzel was dead, but the assassin¡¯s final, signature, lethal blow had been executed so easily and leisurely. How many years had it been since he had witnessed such a scene? Had the assassin controlled everyone before deciding to terminate the target? But seeing the hand holding the hammer flash by in the video and observing the nun with her back to the camera, especially seeing the account providing the evidence, Matthew was puzzled. In theory, there was nothing wrong with the video; the lethal blow was very explicit, and the target was clearly discernible, so this video evidence should have been quickly approved. But this was an A-level mission, worth twenty million dollars, so it couldn¡¯t possibly be approved too easily. Further verification was needed. Matthew picked up the phone and dialed a number; as soon as it connected, he immediately said, ¡°A-level mission, number 21, target person Ditzel. Eller. Mondrian, check immediately if the target is alive.¡± Whether such a high-profile figure was dead could definitively be determined through public news¡ªnewspapers, television, the internet. Once news spread all over the globe, at least across all of France, confirmation was naturally attainable. This time frame was generally within twenty-four hours, as sometimes the police might collaborate with the deceased¡¯s family to block the news. But this time was different because it was a massive charity dinner, witnessed by too many; blocking the news wasn¡¯t so easy. ¡°It¡¯s confirmed now, the French Police have responded, the target died on the scene, and along with him, a Level C target person, Henry, also died. Boss, I obtained the surveillance footage from the event; do you want to see it?¡± A surveillance video of a Level C mission wasn¡¯t very interesting, but if it related to a Level A mission, it definitely warranted a viewing. Matthew said in a somber voice, ¡°Send it over.¡± A video was sent over, and Matthew opened it on his computer. And then Matthew couldn¡¯t help but curse. ¡°Shit¡­¡± A person suddenly made a move, but it was merely a casual, empty-handed strike, and Henry instantly fell to the ground. Then the Asian tossed a dinner knife and, after leaping over two tables, struck down the man holding a gun. Too slick. Too unbelievable, so inconceivable that it was unacceptable and incomprehensible. Matthew swallowed, he wasn¡¯t wearing a tie but still couldn¡¯t resist making a motion as if loosening a tie. After a chaotic battle, a whirl of dazzling yet incomprehensible fighting, the Asian charged toward the staircase. The video ended there, but footage from another camera filled in; that Asian, who had taken down Henry with a single unarmed strike, picked up a Warhammer at the second-floor corner and continued upward. Nothing more was shown. Matthew immediately said, ¡°What about the video from below?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°There is none, no cameras above the second floor.¡± Matthew didn¡¯t ask further. After a moment of contemplation, he brought up Henry¡¯s mission on his computer. The one who took on Henry¡¯s Level C mission was a single person, a Level E assassin, newly registered. His promotion was due to his last mission, and that last mission was the killing of Suleyman. Matthew exhaled, Suleyman¡¯s mission, an impression of an unreasonable job still vivid in his mind, highly difficult, poorly paid, followed by lots of complications, yet only a Level D reward, a clear tailor-made trap mission. Chapter 79 - 79 70 Rational Analysis_2 ?79: Chapter 70 Rational Analysis_2 79: Chapter 70 Rational Analysis_2 ¡°Busan, a Grade E assassin, whose last mission was Suleyman.¡± He muttered softly, swallowed, then immediately accessed Busan¡¯s account information. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The introducer was Albatross, an unremarkable name, yet each account had internal annotations, and the most prominent annotation for Albatross¡¯s account was that of a middleman, a gecko. But the most recent task Albatross completed was a Grade B task worth one million dollars, targeting Gray Horace. Interesting. He pulled up the video evidence on Gray Horace, okay, bodies everywhere, and then an ax halved Gray Horace¡¯s neck, with the ax held by an Asian hand. Matthew gasped. A feeling of genuine shock, unbelievable. Thinking for a moment, Matthew began typing on the computer, searching for video evidence related to Suleyman. The evidence concerning Suleyman¡¯s video was too low-grade to be sent directly to Matthew, but with just one word from him, the video was quickly sent over. Meaningless video, Suleyman was shot dead by stray bullets, but the completion of this task seemed sensational, as Matthew had heard about it, so this evidence video did not reflect the true situation at the time. Matthew picked up the phone again, whispering, ¡°About the Suleyman task, have you got any intelligence? I want a detailed, full process video. Can you manage that?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not intelligence, just an action movie. You can check it out.¡± ¡°An action movie?¡± Not quite understanding his colleague¡¯s words, but soon, when the video was sent to Matthew¡¯s computer, he again felt it hard to breathe. Watching an Asian suddenly pull out a hammer, smash the heads of two men at the entrance, charge into the restaurant in a bizarre manner, kill each bodyguard from unbelievable angles with the hammer, and then exit the restaurant choking Suleyman, Matthew twisted his nonexistent tie. It was like that. Could it really be like that? Five videos altogether, three of which were uploaded as evidence, and two caught on-site surveillance. The five videos linked four people together. Arranged by time, they were Albatross, Busan, Big Sword, Gardener. The sequence of events was the same. Matthew was almost certain, but out of caution, he immediately reviewed the evidence provided by Albatross. Moving to a prior task, in Thailand, a miniscule task, but the evidence video was still meticulously shot, capturing an utterly powerless target, then the target¡¯s death. The familiar scene replayed. Thus, a complete chain of evidence could be deduced. An intermediary named Albatross discovered a Consumable, completed a minor task, then immediately eliminated Gray Horace, and afterward, the two parted ways; Albatross recommended Busan to register, then Big Sword took interest in Busan, undertaking a customized trap-style task, leading swiftly to a Grade A task. This Grade A task involved the Garden and Revenge Blade, with both assassin organizations claiming to have killed Ditzel, but the Garden had evidence, solid proof. Matthew sighed, then began bundling all these videos into a folder, typing his findings and conclusions, and uploading. After uploading the file, Matthew took out his phone and dialed a number. A young man in his twenties answered Matthew¡¯s call, listening to Matthew¡¯s low voice, ¡°Boss, you need to see this stuff, it¡¯s important.¡± After hanging up, sitting in a swivel chair with his feet on the desk, the man casually flipped open his phone. However, while watching the video, he brought his feet down to the ground, stood up after watching, took the phone, and hastily left his office to the adjacent office, pushing the door open. ¡°Father, you need to see this.¡± Placing the phone in front of a man in his sixties, the young man earnestly said, ¡°The Garden has appeared, and a rookie named Busan, they completed a Grade A task, took out Ditzel.¡± The old man took the phone, thoroughly watched each video, then turned back attentively to the first video. ¡°Father, the Garden found this rookie called Busan, and this rookie¡­is strong, so the Garden will be revived.¡± After a long thought, the old man suddenly said, ¡°The Garden and Revenge Blade have joined forces.¡± ¡°What? The Garden and Revenge Blade joined forces? That¡¯s not right, Revenge Blade was a competitor of the Garden in this task.¡± The old man looked up slightly, whispering, ¡°The Garden is finished, but as a historical European organization, the name itself has influence.¡± Putting down the phone, the old man pointed at the nun on the phone screen, ¡°Nun, heavily influenced by religion, a persona God¡¯s Armor likes to use, but precisely because of this, this task has nothing to do with God¡¯s Armed Forces. Think about the entirety of the task, think about why Ditzel¡¯s men were targeted, and what does this video say?¡± ¡°Garden, Heather, video proof, we took out Ditzel, we¡­they¡¯re together! This action was by Busan, he¡¯s a rookie, he misspoke!¡± The young man thought for a moment, ¡°That means, Revenge Blade sent someone to infiltrate Ditzel¡¯s ranks. They deliberately launched a smokescreen, using the bounty on Henry to draw Ditzel to Henry¡¯s castle, then, Busan acted, and finally, the task was credited to the Garden in their name.¡± Chapter 80 - 80 70 Rational Analysis_3 ?80: Chapter 70 Rational Analysis_3 80: Chapter 70 Rational Analysis_3 The old man spoke calmly, ¡°If we hadn¡¯t been preparing for a long time, would it be possible to coordinate so well, to eliminate Ditzel so smoothly?¡± ¡°Impossible, absolutely impossible! So this is a plan Garden and Revenge Blade have been preparing for a long time, and they¡¯ve found a suitable executor, Busan!¡± The old man¡¯s expression turned gloomy as he said, ¡°Now even Revenge Blade is involved, these people in Old Europe just can¡¯t see reality.¡± The young man immediately said, ¡°We can¡¯t let Garden complete this task.¡± ¡°The rules can¡¯t be broken. Since the submitted evidence is impeccable, Garden must be allowed to complete the task, only we need to make the task absolutely meaningless for them.¡± The young man exhaled and said, ¡°I understand. Let Garden complete the mission, but only after they are all dead.¡± ¡°Yes, Garden has been out of sight for a long time. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I thought they had given up hope and dared not to show up again. Unexpectedly, they were plotting a big move.¡± The young man said excitedly, ¡°I¡¯ll make arrangements to eliminate them all, that Busan is formidable, I really like him, I want to¡­¡± The old man suddenly glared at the young man, causing him to halt, and he dared not speak any further. The old man scolded, ¡°Think with your head, what does Revenge Blade like to use the most?¡± ¡°Consumables¡­¡± ¡°And Garden?¡± ¡°Garden¡­ We have uprooted all of Garden¡¯s flowers, but Garden doesn¡¯t use consumables.¡± The old man picked up his cellphone and slammed it down heavily on the table, saying, ¡°According to your judgment, what is this Busan!¡± ¡°He¡­ is a consumable, probably a consumable resold by a gecko.¡± The old man said sternly, ¡°So if you eliminate this consumable along with Garden while also striking at Revenge Blade, what does that imply?¡± ¡°What does it imply?¡± The old man, frustrated as if hating that iron could not become steel, snapped, ¡°Fool, the Andic Group should not be aware of their connections and relationships! By doing this, you¡¯ll let everyone know that the Dark Web personally took out Garden! Let people know that a platform took out its own service provider? Do you want to destroy the Dark Web¡¯s foundation for survival?¡± The young man nodded slightly and then asked in a low voice, ¡°So what should I do?¡± The old man pondered for a moment then replied coldly, ¡°Garden must disappear, and Revenge Blade must be dealt with covertly. Find an excuse to make Revenge Blade and Andic clash, then escalate the conflict between Andic and Revenge Blade.¡± ¡°Alright, like tackling Garden, but what about Busan? He¡¯s already one of Garden¡¯s.¡± ¡°Busan is an Assassin, but he is just a consumable used once by Garden. As such, he¡¯s just a regular registered Assassin on the Dark Web; there¡¯s no sense in killing him.¡± The old man took a breath and continued, ¡°Find the Gardener, use the video evidence submitted by Garden to have them complete the task, and pay them their commission. Make the entire process perfect, but the timing has to be right; don¡¯t let the Gardener have the chance to give the money to Busan. Then you know what to do, right?¡± The young man smiled and said, ¡°I understand. If Busan can transfer the money using the Gardener¡¯s account, then he has gained Garden¡¯s approval, being able to control Garden¡¯s funds. That means he has inherited Garden, becoming the new Gardener, and he must be eliminated.¡± The old man nodded. Having gained his father¡¯s approval, the young man spoke confidently, ¡°On the other hand, if Busan can¡¯t get the money from Garden, that means he¡¯s not one of Garden¡¯s, just a consumable used by Garden. Then we can support him. For us, having one more excellent Assassin on the Dark Web isn¡¯t a bad thing.¡± The old man nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°Good that you understand. Be careful and do the job well. Go ahead now.¡± As the young man turned to leave, the old man suddenly said, ¡°Send me a copy of the video. It¡¯s been many years since I¡¯ve seen such exciting footage. Also, if possible, have him join Andic.¡±