A deafening "Bang!" rang through the air, its volume far surpassing that of an ordinary handgun, drowning out the chaotic gunfire that had erupted in the hall. In the wake of the shot, one of the four assassins crumpled to the ground, his skull shattered, blood and brain matter splattering in all directions.
The remaining assassins, however, showed no signs of panic at the loss of their comrade. Their faces remained cold and unreadable, as they swiftly turned their weapons toward Xiang Ri, who had emerged unexpectedly, and unleashed a barrage of gunfire without hesitation.
After dispatching one assassin, Xiang Ri immediately leapt aside, retreating to a less crowded area. Though this move was more perilous, charging into the midst of the crowd would risk innocent lives. The profound words of his revered mother had struck a deep chord within him. As he would say, "I may be a bastard, but I'm a bastard with a sense of justice!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Everywhere Xiang Ri ran, bullets relentlessly pursued him, shattering glassware and sending shards flying, leaving a trail of chaos in his wake.
Thankfully, the remaining assassins still had to contend with the female bodyguard among the crowd. After firing a few more rounds, they quickly sought cover, evading the oncoming threat.
Seizing the opportunity, Xiang Ri found a safe corner to conceal himself. He had not forgotten that a far more formidable sniper lurked on the rooftop of the building across the way. While uncertain whether the sniper was still there, he knew better than to take any risks. Safety was his priority.
Ironically, the corner he had taken refuge in not only provided concealment but also allowed him a clear view of the spot where he had previously sought cover, facilitating better coordination with the female black bodyguard. This positioning enabled them to effectively work together in eliminating the remaining assassins.
However, there was one thing that irked Xiang Ri: while he could see the enemy, he could also feel the piercing glare of a blonde foreign woman standing beside the black bodyguard. Her eyes burned with hatred, as if she wished to murder him with nothing but a look.
Xiang Ri, rubbing his nose, ignored the murderous stare of the "queen" and made a subtle gesture to the black bodyguard, signaling for her to create a distraction. He then pointed toward the outside, indicating that she should divert the assassins' attention, giving him the chance to strike.
The black bodyguard understood immediately, nodding and speaking into her tiny earpiece to relay their plan.
The ignored "queen" seethed with even greater fury. Had it not been for the dire circumstances, she would have had no qualms about abandoning her noble restraint to rush over and thrash the man who had saved her life but still dared to behave with such audacity.
Xiang Ri could barely tolerate the increasingly venomous glare of the blonde woman, which seemed as though she intended to slice him apart with her eyes. Damn it! His life had been saved, yet here she was treating him like this. That provoked him—perhaps it was time to turn the tables, get her to bed, and make her regret her behavior.
Just as he was preparing to indulge in these rebellious thoughts, he saw the black bodyguard signal him with a hand gesture. He immediately abandoned his less-than-heroic daydreams, tightened his grip on his gun, and returned the signal with one of his own.
Upon receiving the gesture, the black bodyguard spoke swiftly into her earpiece. Within moments, gunfire erupted from all directions, and the once-tense hall was once again filled with chaos.
Now was the moment! Xiang Ri cursed under his breath, leaping from his hiding place and charging toward the nearest assassin.
The assassin, having sensed danger in the midst of the earlier gunfire, was already on high alert, prepared for a potential ambush. Yet, upon seeing Xiang Ri lunge at him, he hesitated—just for a fraction of a second. That small moment of indecision proved fatal. His skull exploded like a watermelon, and he crumpled to the floor, his limbs twitching involuntarily as his nervous system failed.
Having dispatched his first target, Xiang Ri wasted no time. He moved swiftly toward the next assassin, constantly shifting his position to avoid the watchful eye of the sniper on the opposite rooftop.
The other two assassins, upon realizing their comrades had not responded to their calls, confirmed that he was dead. After the loss of two members, they began to feel a flicker of hesitation. A considerable amount of time had passed, and the police were likely on their way; once they arrived, escaping would become all the more difficult.
With this realization, the two assassins conferred briefly and decided to retreat immediately. As long as they were still alive, they believed there would be an opportunity to eliminate their target.
With a commanding shout, both assassins dashed toward the exit, though they were not foolish enough to rush blindly out without caution. They deftly maneuvered through the crowded areas, using innocent bystanders as human shields, advancing and pausing intermittently as they neared the door.
Xiang Ri, his anger rising, increased his pace in pursuit. From their actions, he sensed their intent to kill him, and he knew that eliminating them was the only way to prevent further danger.
Unfortunately, the crowd ahead was too dense, and his weapon, though powerful, was not ideal for this situation. Otherwise, with his confidence in his marksmanship, dispatching them would have been effortless.
Now, it was a matter of relying on his own speed. He hoped to intercept them before they managed to escape the restaurant, for once they reached a more crowded area outside, it would become infinitely harder to eliminate them.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps. He was almost upon them, his heart racing with excitement. But just then, the chilling sense of danger that had once saved his life surged once again. Almost simultaneously, his entire body broke out in goosebumps.
"Damn it!" Xiang Ri cursed under his breath, not daring to hesitate. He dropped low and rolled away, putting several meters of distance between himself and his previous position.
A "thud" echoed, and the spot where he had stood a moment ago was now marked by a bullet-sized hole.
That bastard hadn't left yet! This thought flashed through Xiang Ri's mind. He dared not stop moving, continuing to roll and evade until he found another corner the sniper could not reach.
With the sniper's interference, the remaining two assassins had already vanished without a trace, and Xiang Ri could only seethe with rage, mentally cursing the sniper's entire lineage.
At that moment, distant police sirens pierced the air, their shrill wail filling the restaurant and offering a moment of relief to the patrons, who breathed a collective sigh of relief. The wounded, especially, felt as though the sound was a balm to their suffering—help was on the way, and the ambulances could not be far behind.
Xiang Ri also gleaned a crucial piece of information from the sound—the arrival of the police meant the sniper would likely be making his exit.
Holding his breath, Xiang Ri resolved not to let the sniper slip away under his nose. After calculating quickly, he realized the opposing building had over fifty floors, and even if the sniper used the elevator, it would be impossible for him to leave in such a short time.
With this thought, Xiang Ri wasted no time in bidding farewell to the blonde woman and her bodyguard, racing out the door in pursuit of the sniper.
The distance between the restaurant and the opposite building was not great, and with no regard for caution, Xiang Ri made his way there swiftly, reaching his destination in no time.
Pushing through the tempered glass door, he entered the building. A female office worker in a dark suit hurried over from behind the reception desk. "Sir, you can't go in!"
"Oh, can't I?" Xiang Ri replied nonchalantly, though his eyes were fixed on the two elevators at the far end of the lobby. If all went according to plan, the elusive sniper would emerge from one of them.
Both elevator doors were closed, one marked to go up and the other down. Xiang Ri's gaze locked onto the elevator descending, watching as the floor numbers flashed—48, then 47, and 46—indicating it would be some time before it reached the bottom.
"May I ask, do you have an appointment?" the office worker asked politely, sensing that Xiang Ri was not in a hurry to enter.
"Appointment? I don't," Xiang Ri answered bluntly.
"Do you know someone here? Should I pass along a message?" The office worker remained courteous, her demeanor unchanged.
"No," Xiang Ri replied. Then, his eyes suddenly lit up as he pointed toward a striking woman in the lobby, her ample chest making her stand out among the crowd. "I think I do now."