The duo was led to a room.
"What do you want from me?" asked Ma Jie nervously.
"Relax, it's nothing. That guy is a mechanic who knows how to make guns and our boss has been thinking of making a move on him for a while, but since we aren't sure of his background, we haven't acted yet. I just want to know everything you know about him."
Ma Jie's eyes lit up at the thought of being able to gain the boss' favor. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could allow him to surpass his cousin! He sneered and shot a scornful look at his cousin.
Who cares what happens to that bastard Han Xiao?
After waiting for about half an hour, Raccoon came to meet them. When he arrived, both Ma Jie and his cousin hastily arose to greet him. Ma Jie was so tense that he even knocked his own chair down.
"You know Technician Han's background?" asked Raccoon.
"His name is Han Xiao. He's a wanderer who snuck into the city with me. It was his first time coming here; he has no relatives."
"That's all?" Raccoon's eyes twitched.
The sight of the boss' displeasure made Ma Jie think harder to recall something.
"Oh right, he was empty-handed when he came here. His clothes were also extremely tattered, and he looked like a nobody."
"Very good."
Raccoon turned around and left.
"Anything for you, boss," cried out Ma Jie after him.
Raccoon paused and turned around to look at him.
"I like you. Join my gang."
Ma Jie's eyes widened with joy.
I've hit the jackpot!
After Raccoon left, Huang Mao began to fawn all over Ma Jie. Their roles were now reversed.
"Ma Jie, please take good care of me in the future."
"What did you just call me?" scoffed Ma Jie.
"Cou- cousin."
Both of them sure were shamelessly quick to adapt. Ma Jie put his arm around Huang Mao's shoulders gleefully.
"Brother, may I know what boss intends to do with Han Xiao?" he asked the thug.
"Isn't it obvious? We'll force him to spill out the blueprints for the guns before silencing him!"
"That's good then," replied a relieved Ma Jie.
…
Less than three minutes later, Raccoon returned to the banquet hall. Han Xiao had left all the dishes untouched. Raccoon smiled.
"Han Xiao… right?"
"Looks like you've found out my name."
Sensing the calm before the storm, Han Xiao stealthily reached for the Lightweight Mechanical Arm in his backpack.
Click!
He equipped it. Although he had already intended to do battle from the start, Han Xiao still remained as vigilant as ever. He had learnt the importance of vigilance the hard way back in Galaxy, but that's a story for another time.
Raccoon began tapping his fingers on the table.
"Hehe. I've always been curious about your true identity, but it turns out that you're just a wanderer! I must say, you have indeed been very cautious all this time."
"So what?"
Raccoon's face darkened.
"Do you understand the situation you're in? Hand over everything you know about making guns!"
"Why so cold?"
"Cold? We were nothing more than business partners!"
"Would you believe me if I said that I can slaughter all of you if I wanted to?" Han Xiao smiled tauntingly.
Raccoon snapped his fingers as he sneered. In an instant, the four thugs around him were pointing their guns at Han Xiao.
"Did you think that I wouldn't be prepared? What a joke! All of these guns being pointed at you were created by yourself!"
Other than Raccoon and the four thugs across the table, there were two more men standing guard outside the room, and there was little space for Han Xiao to maneuver in the compact room.
"Even if I tell you, you will still silence me."
Raccoon laughed coldly. It was exactly as Han Xiao said.
"I do hope that you cooperate though. At least it will save you some suffering."
"And if I don't?"
"I have some men who are good at things like torture. You will talk eventually."
Suddenly, the air about Han Xiao changed as he decided to drop the facade.
"Do you actually think that you have me cornered?"
The sudden change alarmed Raccoon, but he shook his head.
"Even if you do have some kind of trump card in that bag of yours, do you actually think you can move faster than a bullet?"
"What if I told you that there's powerful explosives in here?"
Raccoon laughed. Ma Jie's appearance had been, without a doubt, a coincidence. How could Han Xiao have made preparations? Who was he trying to fool?
"I don't know who the person who told you about me is, but he obviously knows very little. Why don't you try checking the underworld network to see the latest bounties?"
Raccoon frowned. How could Han Xiao remain so calm, and what was he playing at?
Although Raccoon did have some power in the Western Capital, he was actually just a small-time hoodlum in the grand scheme of things - too insignificant to partake in the matters of the underworld. Hence, he paid little attention to such matters.
He must just be trying to buy more time! Why should I even listen to him?
"Since you don't believe me, wanna bet? Life is always full of surprises anyway. Now that I noticed, this room is pretty small, isn't it? Perfect for an explosion. First comes the blast, followed by the shrapnel. Then, this entire place will be razed to the ground. But I guess that's fine, since we'd all have died in the initial shrapnel…"
"Enough! I have no time for jokes. Stand up, or I'll fill you up with holes!"
Han Xiao shrugged his shoulders, sighing, "Can't we talk things through? Fine, I'll give-"
Suddenly, as the last rays of sunlight dissipated, darkness descended.
Han Xiao had been waiting for this!
Vroom!
The mechanical arm roared to life, shredding the backpack apart! Han Xiao flipped the dining table, sending pots and plates smashing into Raccoon and the four thugs.
Talk things through? Ha! As if!
There were four thugs in front of him, and two behind. Han Xiao knew exactly what he had to do. He picked the table up to use as a screen and charged forward like an unstoppable juggernaut, holding the mechanical arm up in front of him.
Crash!
The four thugs were knocked aside like flies.
"Fire!" screamed an enraged, bloody-faced Raccoon.
The two remaining guards began to fire.