Murder and surgery share similarities. Both require meticulous preparation and observation, careful planning of every step, and anticipation of any possible accidents, among other things.
Below Zero had never killed anyone, but he had wielded a surgical scalpel.
So this time, he intended to use his surgical methods to accomplish his sacred mission.
Recently enlightened to the true meaning of happiness and inspired by Archangel, Below Zero understood that there were many ways to kill. A destructive end where everyone loses was only one extreme option to be used as a last resort.
Although confident in his surgical skills, he was unsure about this act of revenge.
But he had to at least try.
If fate wouldn't help, or if he lacked the cunning mind of Archangel, then dying alongside He Li wouldn't be too late.
With this mindset, Below Zero quickly calmed himself down, beginning to think and prepare as he would when facing a complex medical case.
He got out of his car a block away from the aircraft carrier and, carrying a small black case, walked to the parking area at the entrance. This approach would cover his tracks as much as possible, leaving no obvious clues.
The simplest accident to stage would be a car crash. As a car owner himself, Below Zero was well-versed in the performance and structure of cars. A cut wire or a loosened screw could easily create a fatal accident.
His first thought was to tamper with He Li's car.
He Li and the black man had arrived at the aircraft carrier separately. He Li drove her usual red BYD car. The previous night, Below Zero had studied this car model thoroughly; he knew it inside and out.
The black case he carried contained all the tools he needed. Given a minute in a secure environment, he could turn the car into He Li's death trap.
However, cameras installed at all four corners of the parking lot were recording 24/7, monitoring every inch of the area.
First, he needed to disable these cameras or make himself invisible to them.
Without sophisticated jamming devices or the skills to disarm the cameras stealthily like a movie thief, his only option was to hide himself.
Below Zero had prepared for this. He hid in a dark corner outside the parking lot and quickly changed into a bulky black raincoat. With the hood up, his face was hidden. Now resembling a large, homeless man carrying a tattered black bundle, he entered the parking lot. His casual but quick gait took him among the parked cars to He Li's red BYD. As he reached the car, he 'accidentally' dropped his bundle, scattering strange-shaped buns all over. Bending down, he began to collect them...
Half a minute later, having collected all the buns, the 'homeless man' slung his bundle over his shoulder and walked out of the parking lot...
Below Zero, a skilled doctor, seemed to have the makings of an assassin, at least in terms of adaptability.
From an upstairs window, Mu Zi watched as Below Zero, in disguise, disappeared into the shadows outside the parking lot. He then put down his binoculars with a faint smile.
"Liuse, where did he go?" Mu Zi asked Ouyang Liuse, who was observing from a window in the opposite building.
"He seems to be heading to the rooftop," Ouyang Liuse replied. "Yes, he's now climbing up to the rooftop."
"The rooftop..." Mu Zi repeated softly. "Has he changed back into his original clothes?"
"No," Ouyang Liuse replied. "He's just changed his boots. The raincoat and everything else remain the same. The bundle is gone, and he's still carrying the black case, sneaking towards the rooftop."
"Got it." Mu Zi shook his head involuntarily. "This guy seems to have prepared more than one plan... but they're all too crude."
"You sound very confident that Below Zero won't succeed," Ouyang Liuse asked softly.
"Yes. If that black man, Bennie, weren't there, he might have had a slim chance. Now, it's nearly zero. And..." Mu Zi sighed deeply, picking up the wine glass from the table.
The red liquid in the transparent goblet shimmered eerily under the light.
"And what?" Ouyang Liuse asked, puzzled.
"And it's likely that Below Zero will fall into Bennie's hands," Mu Zi said, squinting at the liquid in the glass before downing it in one gulp.
"Why? How do you know that? Come to the window," Ouyang Liuse demanded, her tone suddenly urgent and stern.
Mu Zi obediently walked to the window, lifting his binoculars.
Ouyang Liuse, standing at her window across the lake, also aimed her binoculars directly at him.
"Mu Zi, what did you mean by what you just said? I remind you, although Below Zero broke his promise and abandoned our deal, that doesn't give you a reason to retaliate against him! If we are here to retaliate for Below Zero's betrayal, then I... I will stop and announce my withdrawal!" Ouyang Liuse's voice was sharp and decisive, almost making Mu Zi's ears ring.
Mu Zi shook his head with a wry smile, realizing that Liuse had misunderstood him.
"Have you seen Bennie? What do you think he's like?" Instead of confronting her directly, Mu Zi asked from a different angle.
"Bennie..." Ouyang Liuse paused, unsure. "I've only seen him from a distance a few times... From his attire and the way he's always surrounded by people, I think he might be a wealthy man or a high-ranking official?"
"He is wealthy, and not just any wealthy man," Mu Zi stated confidently. After a pause, as Ouyang Liuse was processing his words, he continued, "Liuse, look at me."
So, in the deep night of Zhonghai City, on the luxurious aircraft carrier, two people with binoculars stared at each other across the water.
"Liuse, sometimes I feel you still don't understand me well enough," Mu Zi said gravely. "Now I can tell you, my involvement in this matter isn't for revenge against Below Zero, but to save him..."