The pistol's sights were locked onto Howard's exposed head through the gap in the sofa. The gunman's finger rested on the trigger, a sinister smile appearing on his face. Confident in his marksmanship, he believed this shot would go through the obstacle and kill Howard instantly.
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a bullet suddenly shot out from a corner of the hall below, entering through his eye and exiting through the back of his head, splattering brain matter and blood.
The remaining mafia members were already few in number, and several more fell in this wave of attacks. Their numerical advantage was dwindling, and their firepower was significantly weakened.
Seeing this, the martial arts school members switched from defense to offense. They emerged from their hiding spots and used concentrated, precise fire to suppress the mafia, completely turning the tide of the battle.
What followed was a one-sided massacre. After a series of gunshots, all the mafia members on the stairs were eliminated. The stairs were filled with dozens of bodies, and red blood flowed down the steps, pooling on the smooth marble floor of the hall like a bright red carpet.
Having taken out all the enemies, the group felt a wave of relief and a strong sense of fatigue. They leaned against the columns and walls, sitting down.
The intense battle had left them mentally exhausted, and the weight of the bulletproof armor added to their fatigue, leaving them nearly drained.
Chen Mo looked at the group sitting on the ground. While he was satisfied with their performance, he knew that relaxing after eliminating the immediate threat could be fatal in battle.
"Get up!" Chen Mo commanded sternly.
"The fight isn't over yet! If another wave of enemies comes now, how many of you will be taken out?"
Startled, the group quickly stood up, feeling guilty for letting their guard down so easily.
Chen Mo sighed inwardly. They were still inexperienced and lacked real combat experience. It seemed they needed more rigorous training tonight.
"There shouldn't be many left upstairs. Do you want to rest here or come with me?"
Chen Mo looked at the exhausted group and asked casually.
"We can still go on!" Huang Quan and the others responded loudly. Although they were physically drained, their eyes shone brighter than ever, their aura more fierce and aggressive.
Old Albert wiped the sweat from his forehead, drew his pistol again, and looked at Chen Mo with determined eyes.
Nodding slowly at the old butler, Chen Mo then turned to Howard. The young man, unaware of his close brush with death earlier, was still excited, his face flushed and his back soaked with sweat.
Seeing Chen Mo looking at him, Howard said excitedly, "Why are you looking at me? I haven't had enough yet. That was so thrilling!"
"Let's go! I can fight a hundred more battles!" he said, drawing his pistol with a determined look. "Let's finish them off before we rest!"
Chen Mo felt that Howard was a bit too excited. Previously timid and afraid of death, Howard now fought recklessly, showing a potential for being a battle maniac. He had no adverse reaction to killing.
Huang Quan, Wang Kun, and the others, being martial artists, had taken lives in the chaotic times. Old Albert had seen too much and was indifferent to life and death, with a strong psychological resilience.
But Howard, a scientist who spent most of his time in the lab, showed no reaction to the bodies after killing. Chen Mo could only conclude that Howard was a natural-born war maniac.
Seeing that everyone was willing to continue fighting, Chen Mo nodded in satisfaction and led them upstairs.
The stairs were filled with the bodies of the mafia members they had taken down, and the blood had stained the steps, making them slippery.
Carefully stepping over the bodies, they reached the second floor. The second floor was eerily quiet, with no one in sight. Chen Mo listened intently for a moment and then led the group further upstairs.
In a luxurious office on the third floor, Floyd Lucian, the head of the Lucian family and the controller of most of Brooklyn's underground forces, sat behind a large wooden desk in a well-tailored suit. His neatly combed gray hair was slicked back, and he held a thick Cuban cigar, though he hadn't lit it yet.
The intense gunfire downstairs had been going on for a while without any sign of stopping, making Floyd uneasy.
Who would attack the Lucian family headquarters at this time, and who had the ability to fight his dozens of elite gunmen without being overwhelmed?
The Frelli family? Impossible. The two major families in Brooklyn were evenly matched, and a direct attack on the other's headquarters would only result in mutual destruction, benefiting other forces.
Government forces? Also unlikely. The family spent a lot of money each year to keep officials happy, and those in power were well-fed by them. If the government were really taking action, his men wouldn't be able to withstand the might of the state.
Thinking about their recent actions, a mysterious and powerful figure came to his mind. Could it be him? Yes, it must be him!
The direct nighttime assault on the headquarters was reminiscent of how he had taken out "Mad Dog" Tony's gang. But this time, he brought help for a frontal assault, and the martial artists in the school were known to be strong.
The more Floyd thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Sweat began to bead on his forehead. How had he returned so suddenly? How did he know about their secret actions?
Although they had been secretly encouraging smaller forces to attack the martial arts school, planning to reap the benefits later, they had done everything very discreetly. They even planned to eliminate those who took action to cover their tracks. Even if Chen Mo returned, he wouldn't be able to trace it back to them.
They thought Chen Mo wouldn't know about their schemes. If Chen Mo were just a powerful individual, he might have been kept in the dark, returning to find the school destroyed with no one to blame. It was a clever plan.
But Chen Mo's Hydra intelligence department had kept a close watch on their every move.
Chen Mo realized the advantage of having a powerful organization. No matter how strong an individual was, they couldn't cover everything. The strength of a powerful organization filled in those gaps.