"You think I'm stupid?"
Annoyed, Zhou Qingfeng took a few steps forward. He jabbed Commissioner Bratton in the chest forcefully with the stock of his gun. Instantly, Commissioner Bratton curled up like a shrimp. The sharp pain in his gut was so terrible he felt like he was going to throw up his innards.
As the Commissioner retched, his face green from the pain, Zhou Qingfeng looked down on him and said, "I heard your little conversation with this girl, all of it. Why do you think that I'll believe your bullsh*t? Do I look like an idiot to you?"
"You… You… You will regret it." The Commissioner attempted to make a show of his impeccable posture and authority, but he, just like Leila Fox, was both of no worth to Zhou Qingfeng—in 12 hours, both the police and everyone in the conglomerate would lose all power.
As she watched Zhou Qingfeng give the Commissioner his just desserts, Leila Fox, who was so nervous her body was trembling, could finally breathe a sigh of relief. However, the Commissioner unwaveringly continued his threats. Upon hearing that, Leila's fury exploded like a flame. She marched across the room and kicked the man's crotch, turning him into a hopping shrimp. "Bastard! I saw you as my savior, but then you tried to kill me!"
"Don't kill him. I need him to help me get out of here." Zhou Qingfeng bent down and picked up the agents' weapons and equipment. It was a rather big haul.
There were two 0.45 caliber USP45 pistols. The Americans favored this type of pistol with larger calibers; it was practically a tradition for them. There were also two .223 caliber SCAR assault rifles with a fully equipped Picatinny Rail operating system. The rifles also came equipped with grenade launchers.
Aside from the two pairs of firearms, one of the agents had also equipped himself with a Benelli M4 Super 90 semi-automatic shotgun. The agent had probably been in charge of assault, which was why he had brought along this brutal weapon with massive firepower.
Before the guns—as well as the remaining horde of equipment—could serve their owners, Zhou Qingfeng had killed the two agents from behind, so it was only more to gain for him. Some of Zhou Qingfeng's equipment had already been destroyed during his previous skirmishes. After some consideration, he equipped himself with two pistols, a SCAR rifle, a shotgun, and all sorts of police equipment including a bulletproof vest, a combat vest, and other weapons and supplies.
Zhou Qingfeng was now carrying over 40 kilos of luggage after acquiring this big pile of goods. Normally, he would be struggling to breathe under the weight, but right now he barely broke a sweat. The NTZ-49 had indeed strengthened his body.
This was a good thing, but it came with its drawbacks too!
Zhou Qingfeng tossed his Glock-17 to Leila Fox while he seized Commissioner Bratton by the collar. "Okay, dear Commissioner, I hope that you'll cooperate and help me leave this hospital safely."
The Commissioner shot Zhou Qingfeng a venomous glare, but he did not say anything more. Zhou Qingfeng had no idea what was going through his mind. Unexpectedly, it was Leila Fox who spoke up. "You don't need to worry. As long as you take me with you while you leave, after I regain control over the Fox Conglomerate, I will fulfill the promises I made."
Zhou Qingfeng privately thought, 'So what? You'll disappear sooner or later. Your promises, however generous they may be, are worthless! Wait, maybe they aren't totally useless.'
"If you really wanna help, send someone here and search for a room called Alenzo's Supernatural Pharmaceutical Lab, lug all the equipment inside into a truck, and store them somewhere safe. And keep in mind that you have to complete the task by tonight." Zhou Qingfeng was still thinking about NTZ-49, the drug that might be the end of his life.
"Alenzo's Supernatural Pharmaceutical Lab?" It seemed that the name was unfamiliar to Leila Fox. "Why would a policeman need a pharmaceutical lab?"
"I'm not a policeman. You should have pieced it together by now, actually. I'm a wanted criminal. Two days ago, I ganked this black guy who wanted to rob me, and I got myself in deep sh*t." As he recounted the incident, Zhou Qingfeng felt hot fury fill his chest!
"You're not a policeman?" Although Leila Fox had her suspicions, she found the truth hard to accept after Zhou Qingfeng declared it personally. "I thought that you were a policeman with a great sense of justice."
"Hahaha! Life is always dramatic." Zhou Qingfeng chuckled bitterly. He nudged Commissioner Bratton's shoulder and said, "Mr. Commissioner, get your spirits up, now. I don't want your men to see you looking all dejected."
Commissioner Bratton sneered, muttering a curse under his breath, but he led the way without commotion. Zhou Qingfeng was wearing the uniform and equipment of an NYPD agent. Although there were bullet holes on the uniform, they were hard to notice without paying close attention.
The three of them marched out of the hospital. Outside, the police were corralling the scene which was cordoned off previously. A cluster of reporters was already crowding outside. When they saw someone come out, there was a flurry of cameras clicking. "Look… Look… Leila Fox! She's saved! She's saved!"
The cameras were quickly aimed at this world-renowned socialite. Some reporters even barged through the cordon and rushed toward her, uncaring of everything else happening, to eagerly ask her questions. "Miss Fox, can you describe your experience of being kidnapped?"
Immediately, there was a large crowd of people gathering in front of Leila. Many policemen, reporters, and passers-by who did not know of the truth started to clap. The scene before them was interpreted as Commissioner Bratton, the Commissioner of the NYPD, saving Leila Fox's life. That, combined with the stoic visage of Zhou Qingfeng, standing behind the Commissioner in full gear and stained with blood, made the NYPD look even more intimidating.
"Commissioner, Sir, can you give us a few words?"
"Mr. Commissioner, how was Miss Fox saved? Please respond to our interview!"
"Mr. Commissioner, the people all over America want to hear the details. Tell us something, please!"
Leila Fox was not the only one surrounded by reporters. A huge crowd of reporters swarmed the Commissioner, whose face was sour. The Commissioner wanted to hide among the crowds at the sight of those reporters, but Zhou Qingfeng stepped forward immediately and grabbed his arm. He said softly, "Mr. Commissioner, don't force me to kill you right here."
Zhou Qingfeng shouted loudly at the reporters hounding them, "Please let us through! The Commissioner is busy with his work. He needs to rest, so he's not going to give any interviews now. Anyone who wants to interview the Commissioner, please contact the NYPD."
Zhou Qingfeng marched Commissioner Bratton to a police car and pushed him into the passenger's seat. While he got inside the car, he saw that Leila Fox had followed along. She was getting in the backseat too.
"Why did you come here?'" Zhou Qingfeng asked as he fastened his seatbelt, "Miss Fox, you're already free. You have already met the reporters, as you wished. You can return to your conglomerate."
"It seems my presence is unwelcome. How strange!" Leila Fox's expression showed her bemusement. "My gut tells me that this is what I should do, though."
Zhou Qingfeng wanted to retort that there's something wrong with her brain, but at that moment, Commissioner Bratton, who had been obedient all the while, suddenly pushed the door open and exited the police car, then rushed toward a few agents on standby. He screamed, "Help! Help! This fake policeman is a murder suspect. He and Leila Fox have been scheming everything. Shoot them now! Now! Now!"
Before the Commissioner could get more than five meters away from the car, there was a loud bang, and Zhou Qingfeng, moving swiftly, struck a bullet on the back of the Commissioner's vest. His aim was true this time. His shot made the large man fall down immediately!
Leila Fox looked shocked. She screamed in horror, "Damn it! The police are everywhere! You can't kill him now!"