Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 25 Full Firepower

Chapter 31: Chapter 25 Full Firepower

Seeing that the Marquis mainly demanded a pledge of loyalty, Zhang Baocheng was overjoyed and said, “Marquis, Xiao Kong from my side is the liaison sent by the organization. As you know, he has already gone missing. Along with him, an extremely important object on his person also disappeared. Later, his compatriot brother Xiao Long came looking for him, only to be burned to death by someone. Right, that Xiao Long is also one of the organization’s people.”

The Marquis nodded and said, “I am aware of this. It’s just that you hadn’t told me the details before, and I thought it was just an ordinary person’s disappearance and murder! So, they were all people from the organization.”

Zhang Baocheng gave a bitter smile and said, “With Xiao Kong missing and the important object lost, Xiao Long being burned to death, these two had enough weight within the organization. These incidents happening under my watch, I can’t shirk the blame. The key issue is that I still can’t find out who the enemy is. Although I have joined the organization, I am merely a minor character. Because of this incident, there are already people in the organization who are dissatisfied with me. The pressure I am facing now is immense, and a single misstep could cost me my life. If you could help me, we might be able to achieve a great merit for the organization and make them look up to us.”

The Marquis said, “Baocheng, just tell me what I should do.”

Zhang Baocheng replied, “Marquis, regarding this matter, I actually already have some suspects in mind, and I have had your men keep them under surveillance. If you can help me capture those suspects, we might find a clue that leads us to the murderer. This way we could find the killer, and if we could recover either Xiao Kong or the lost important object, wouldn’t that be a tremendous achievement?”

With a frown, the Marquis said, “You mentioned that Xiao Long was a super expert from within the organization, and even he was burned alive. If among those suspects there truly is the murderer, wouldn’t my subordinates, who are just ordinary people, be wiped out?”

Zhang Baocheng responded, “Marquis, it’s actually not that dangerous. I already have some leads on who the murderer might be.”

The Marquis asked, “Who is the murderer?”

Zhang Baocheng replied, “I suspect that the real murderer is the missing Xiao Kong, who betrayed us for reasons unknown, and took that very important object with him. And later, Xiao Long, who sought after him, was also killed by him.”

The Marquis said, “So you’re suggesting that the crime wasn’t committed by the suspects you have in mind?”

Zhang Baocheng said, “This is merely my own speculation; it might not necessarily be true. Although I believe that Xiao Kong and Xiao Long fought each other to death, there are still other possibilities.”

Hesitating for a moment, the Marquis asked, “Are you referring to those above us?”

Zhang Baocheng pointed upwards with his finger and said, “Exactly, the organization’s people came to China—how could the domestic forces possibly be unaware? Maybe those above noticed something and took action. They might have captured Xiao Kong and killed Xiao Long, and it’s very possible that the object from Xiao Kong has ended up in their hands.”

The Marquis inquired, “Have you seen anyone from the upper echelons appear in Shanghai?”

Zhang Baocheng stated, “I suspect that the person sent by the upper ranks is that Wang Yong who made headlines for the instant kill of a South Korean. His strength is immense, he has the capability to kill both Xiao Kong and Xiao Long. But he has suddenly disappeared, and I can’t find him either. Therefore, I can’t confirm whether it was really him.”

The Marquis concluded, “Since the person can’t be found, that’s going to be troublesome!”

Zhang Baocheng said, “If the higher-ups took action, then we’re completely out of options. If Xiao Kong betrayed us and killed Xiao Long, we’re also out of options. But in fact, there’s another possibility—that the misfortunes of Xiao Kong and Xiao Long are related to those suspects I have in mind. That would be our opportunity.”

The Marquis said, “What you mean is…”

Zhang Baocheng stated, “Capture all those people we’re suspicious of, subject them to severe interrogation, and we might get some clues out of them. If someone resists during the process and displays certain strength, then that person becomes our prime suspect. With that, we can report to the organization, and let them handle everything afterward while we claim our meritorious service.”

The Marquis thought for a moment and said, “When you asked to borrow my men before, you mentioned that many of your enemies were suspects you were looking into, with the number exceeding thirty, including some with prestige and social status. If I move against them, it will inevitably draw attention from above, and the situation may become difficult to control.”

Zhang Baocheng replied, “Marquis, the nation is cracking down on crime vigorously, and has already issued notices urging underworld members to surrender within a set timeframe. You are on the nation’s blacklist and cannot escape your fate. Aren’t you going to seek a powerful backer now instead of waiting to be caught and facing the death penalty? By joining our organization, with such backing, once this storm passes, the organization will have plenty of business for you. You’ll be able to launder your money and enjoy a truly carefree life, wouldn’t that be wonderful? Even if you choose to continue mingling in the underworld, the organization will send someone to help you become the king of the underworld. As long as you’re loyal to the organization, it certainly won’t shortchange you.”

Enraged, the Marquis slammed the table and stood up, saying, “Damn it, I’m all in. If the nation wants me dead, then it’s a fight they’ll get. Becoming a traitor is not such a difficult task! I’ll immediately order my men to kidnap all those suspects in the hopes of finding valuable information.”

Yan Fei, controlling the drone from afar, never expected to overhear this shocking secret. He had known that a mysterious organization stood behind Zhang Baocheng, but he didn’t realize that this organization was plotting within the country, aiming to disrupt China’s stable situation—it was clearly an opposing force. Their method of creating chaos was bizarre yet rational, and without careful attention, their schemes could succeed, showing that they had seriously studied China’s national conditions to devise such insidious plans.

It was precisely because he understood the organization’s goals that Yan Fei regarded anyone who joined the organization and helped it achieve its objectives as a traitor. Not only had Zhang Baocheng become a traitor, but he had also managed to recruit the Marquis to the cause as well. Now, these two traitors, in collusion, planned to abduct a large number of suspects as a gift to the organization.

Previously, the Marquis had not felt a sense of urgency, so he acted with certain reservations and kept some backup plans. Now, facing a dead end, he became recklessly daring, of a mind to confront the state authorities outright.

Yan Fei, now 23, still harbored some youthful indignation in his heart, despising those who would betray their country the most. He had clashed with Zhang Baocheng before and had been the target of Zhang’s numerous attacks, which had at times driven him to want to kill Zhang, but as time passed, Yan Fei’s intent to kill had faded. Yet, at this moment, having witnessed the two traitors’ negotiations, he felt the urge to kill them both.

Since the Marquis had resolved to become a traitor without hesitation, he had made up his mind to send a large force to capture people. Yan Fei didn’t need to guess to know that his name would be on that list of targets as well, which he inferred from the surveillance near his home. Therefore, with no way out, he resolved to strike first.

Yan Fei was a decisive person; once he made up his mind, all previous hesitations vanished instantly. He intended to eliminate the two traitors, even at the cost of exposing his drone; he could always hide in a forest later, using large animals to upgrade his drone, until he became invincible and could seek revenge.

No sooner thought than done, under Yan Fei’s control, the Drone Avatar suddenly dashed out from the shadow of the eaves, the steel ball gun barrel began to spin, aiming at the gangsters lounging and chatting below, it started firing steel ball bullets.

Countless steel ball bullets shot out, striking at the gangsters. They were gathered and chatting, somewhat vigilant, but with a large group, they never anticipated an enemy incursion, so their guard was low. When the drone unleashed a full attack, the unprepared gangsters were toppled to the ground, with screams filling the air.

Though Yan Fei had launched an attack, he did not wish to kill these people. He only aimed at parts below the gangsters’ thighs. What he wanted were Merit Points and, incidentally, to eliminate Zhang Baocheng and the Marquis. Although the Marquis had decided to be a traitor, his subordinates were still unaware; they were innocent, so Yan Fei was merely teaching them a lesson.

As the drone went on full offensive, Merit Points began to rapidly accrue on the virtual control screen. With nowhere to hide in the open terrain, and the steel ball bullets having a long range, the gangsters had no chance to evade the onslaught.

Merely thirty seconds later, there were no longer any standing individuals in the area. All gangsters lay on the ground, clutching their legs and wailing. The steel ball bullets, though not lethal, pierced through their legs, rendering them unable to move.

The second-generation drone’s first large-scale offensive had achieved tremendous success. In just under a minute, the Drone Avatar had collected 112 Merit Points, a rate far surpassing any previous efficiency.

Having struck, Yan Fei showed no mercy. Having knocked down the gangsters, he directed the drone towards other gangsters. The others had heard the screams but, with the drone’s swift speed, they hadn’t reacted before it arrived and began its ferocious attack, injuring all their legs as well. Then, the drone continued to the next area for another attack. By the time the drone had made a round of the warehouse, the ground was covered with gangsters lying down, clutching their legs and howling.

In the midst of the nation’s rigorous crackdown, firearms were confiscated in large numbers from civilians, and even the Marquis’s subordinates didn’t possess many guns. Coupled with the suddenness of Yan Fei’s attack, they were unable to reach for their weapons in time, leaving them completely helpless to his barrage.

While unleashing his violent assault, Yan Fei remained vigilant for any expert that might be hidden among the crowd. His past encounters with Xiao Kong and Xiao Long made him exceedingly cautious; he had to ensure he wouldn’t capsize in a gutter.

Fortunately, after Yan Fei took down all the peripheries’ gangsters, obtaining a total of 319 Merit Points, no expert emerged to stop him.