"How could this happen?" The receptionist nearly collapsed to the floor as she watched Xiang Ri pull a handgun from the foreign traveler's jacket pocket.
However, Xiang Ri seemed far from done with her. While unzipping the travel bag in his hand, he smirked and said, "Miss, if you still don't believe me, I have an even bigger surprise for you here."
He turned the bag upside down and emptied its contents onto the ground. Clothes and other miscellaneous items fell out first, followed by some strange mechanical parts that clattered noisily onto the floor. Among them were a metallic tube over sixty centimeters long, an antique-looking monocular, and a chunk of unidentifiable metal about the size of a hand and nearly sixty centimeters in length.
"Do you know what these are?" Xiang Ri asked with a grin, his eyes fixed on the startled receptionist as he gestured toward the scattered items.
"I… I don't know," she stammered, her face pale. While she might not have firsthand experience, anyone with common sense could guess that these seemingly random components could be assembled into a powerful weapon.
As this realization dawned, panic set in. If word spread about someone bringing such dangerous items into the company, the consequences would be catastrophic. The firm's reputation would be irreparably damaged, likely driving away all future clients. As for her, the newly appointed front desk manager of just three days, she could already see the end of her career.
"Don't know?" Xiang Ri cast her a meaningful glance before getting to work. With deft hands, he assembled the scattered parts, and before long, a rifle over a meter in length took shape in his grip.
Once finished, he looked at her and asked, "Do you understand now? This is a gun. To be precise, a sniper rifle. While its firing rate is moderate, it's extremely accurate. Within a kilometer, it can take someone out with a single shot to the head."
The receptionist stared blankly at the long rifle, her face growing even paler. She couldn't begin to imagine the terrifying aftermath if news of this incident leaked. Regret consumed her—had she known things would escalate to this, she wouldn't have interfered earlier. A mere scuffle in the company would have been far less damaging than the presence of a deadly weapon.
Unbeknownst to her, Xiang Ri was also silently regretting his actions. Why had he impulsively opened the bag in public? Had he known such a formidable weapon was inside, he would've discreetly kept it for himself. But now, with so many witnesses, there was no chance of smuggling it away unnoticed.
Initially, he assumed it was just an ordinary sniper rifle—perhaps a police-issued model or a Type 961. But seeing it up close, he realized how gravely mistaken he had been. This wasn't just any rifle.
It was a legend among firearms, the king of snipers. With this weapon in hand, he could target and eliminate anyone within a kilometer with absolute precision. Even beyond that range, with specialized ammunition, it could still guarantee a one-shot kill.
Its only drawback was its uselessness in close combat, aside from being wielded as a blunt weapon.
But Xiang Ri didn't mind. For close quarters, he had his Desert Eagle, the king of handguns. With this sniper rifle for long-range encounters, he would truly be invincible.
Just as he was reveling in this thought, a group of police officers entered the lobby, chatting and laughing. The moment they spotted someone holding a firearm, they immediately drew their pistols, aiming at him. The young officer in the lead shouted, "Don't move! Drop the gun!" snapping Xiang Ri out of his thoughts.
"Xiao Wu?" Xiang Ri turned, startled, recognizing the young officer.
Xiao Wu froze for a moment before realizing the armed man was an acquaintance. He quickly holstered his weapon and said, "Ah, it's Boss Xiang! My mistake, my mistake. Everyone, lower your guns!"
The other officers hastily followed suit, putting away their firearms and greeting Xiang Ri with respect. After all, this man held considerable sway over their promotions, and no one dared offend him lightly.
"Boss, what brings you here?" Xiao Wu casually dropped the formalities, skipping the surname entirely.
Instead of answering, Xiang Ri countered with a question: "Are you aware of what happened at the restaurant across the street?"
"Of course! There was a shootout—several people were killed. When I arrived, there was already a huge crowd gathered over there. Oh, by the way, Chief Tie is personally leading the team there. I wasn't ranked high enough to join them, so I stayed back at the station. Then we got a report about a disturbance here, so I rushed over, never expecting to run into you, Boss."
"You've come at the right time," Xiang Ri replied with a sly smile, lowering his voice. "Tell me, do you want to make a big achievement?"
"Absolutely!" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, his face brimming with eagerness.
"Good. Do you know who this guy on the floor is?" Xiang Ri pointed to the unconscious foreigner sprawled at their feet. "He's an accomplice of the gang that caused the shootout. Moments ago, this guy was firing at the restaurant across the street from the rooftop of this very building. Xiao Wu, I'm handing him over to you now."
"But Boss, this credit is yours. How could I possibly take it?" Xiao Wu rubbed his hands awkwardly, hesitant.
"I have no use for credit. I'm not a cop. But for you, it's a chance to climb the ranks. You don't want to stay a low-level officer forever, do you? Don't be polite with me. I said it's yours, so it's yours."
Realizing Xiang Ri was genuinely giving him this opportunity, Xiao Wu trembled with excitement. This achievement could at least earn him a second-class merit, paving the way for future promotions. At the very least, it would give him priority in career advancements.
"Thank you so much, Boss! But I can't take all the credit alone." He glanced at the officers who had accompanied him.
Xiang Ri nodded knowingly. "You can handle it however you see fit."
Xiao Wu nodded vigorously, thumping his chest in gratitude. "Boss, if you ever need anything from me, I'll do it cleanly and without hesitation!"
"You're making it sound like I'm planning some grand crime," Xiang Ri teased with a laugh.
Xiao Wu scratched his head awkwardly and stepped aside to discuss how to divide the credit with his colleagues.
Meanwhile, Tie Wan frowned as she faced the blonde-haired foreign woman before her. "Miss Truro, are you all right?"
Tie Wan's tone was laced with frustration. She had already warned the woman not to wander outside until the recent attack had been thoroughly investigated. Yet not only had she ignored the warning, but she hadn't even informed anyone before leaving. This recklessness had clearly left Tie Wan displeased.
What was even more unacceptable was the chaos that had ensued. Judging by the number of injured at the scene—no fewer than ten, most of them critically wounded—it was clear that, had the police not arrived in time, many would have bled out.
"I'm fine, Officer Tie. But I owe my life to Mr. Xiang. If not for him, I wouldn't be standing here speaking to you now," the foreign woman replied, her voice still trembling with lingering fear.
"Mr. Xiang? You mean—" Tie Wan's heart sank as she grabbed the woman by the arm. "Where is he? Tell me immediately!"
The woman winced at the painful grip but managed to endure it. "Officer Tie, listen to me. Mr. Xiang is fine. But I don't know where he went. He chased after someone before you arrived. I think he might have headed to the building across the street, where the sniper was firing at us from—"
Before she could finish, Tie Wan had already turned and bolted out the door, leaving the officers accompanying her stunned.