Chapter 144: 128 The Third Kill! Devour and Evolve! (Seeking monthly tickets, recommendations, and subscriptions)_1
 

“Confirmed information, the real owner behind the 13th Research Institute will be moving tonight. We need to act before they do… and we must capture them with the evidence!”

In the secret meeting room.

All cell phones had been surrendered.

Fan Dahai looked at the members around him, his voice grave, “I have applied to the superiors and obtained the authority; therefore, tonight the General Office of Night Patrol Branch 98 will fully cooperate with our operation, and as the commander-in-chief, I will declare the following six points… Has everyone understood all the actions?”

“Understood!”

Everyone responded.

“Everyone, check your ammunition, get ready to move out.”

Fan Dahai waved his hand grandly, his expression grave.

At this moment, in an interrogation room at the headquarters of the Investigation Team, a skinny man screamed as if his heart was being torn apart: “I’m going to sue him! I want to sue him! He’s a demon!”

Two ten in the afternoon.

Fan Dahai led the investigation team, moving quietly.

To avoid alarming the target prematurely.

The plan for helicopter deployment was rejected.

The six of them had to drive there.

An hour later.

The General Office of Night Patrol Branch 98 had already been waiting for a while.

Fan Dahai took charge of the negotiations.

Pei Jinye sat in the car, resting with his eyes closed, while Hu Beng sat beside him, glancing over at him several times.

On the eighteenth glance at Pei Jinye, Hu Beng wasn’t expecting Pei Jinye to suddenly open his eyes and look back, their gazes meeting, causing a bit of awkwardness.

“Is there something you need?” Pei Jinye asked calmly.

Hu Beng, somewhat unsettled, chuckled dryly, “No, nothing. Is it your first time on such an operation? Are you nervous?”

“This is the second time,” Pei Jinye corrected, speaking out, “There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

Someone nearby couldn’t help but laugh teasingly, “Old Hu, you’re not doing great. The rookie isn’t even nervous, what are you anxious about? Hilarious.”

Hu Beng did not argue back.

He knew these people had not witnessed Pei Jinye in action.

Pei Jinye was definitely not the docile lamb he appeared to be right now.

But he didn’t think this was bad.

Being ruthless was indeed necessary in their line of work.

Those who were indecisive often couldn’t hold sway over a situation.

Shaking off the distraction, he whispered to Pei Jinye, “How’s Brother Bi doing? I heard he had a car accident…”

“He hasn’t woken up yet,” Pei Jinye shook his head, “I’ve asked a friend to see if they can find a specialist to take a look at him.”

Hu Beng was stunned.

He seemed to not have expected Pei Jinye to be so loyal and devoted.

Nodding thoughtfully, he spoke softly, “After the mission, I’ll take you out for a meal.”

Pei Jinye turned to look at him.

Hu Beng, feeling a little embarrassed, scratched his head and laughed, “Thank you for what happened in the basement earlier. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know if I could still be standing here in one piece.”

“No need for thanks, but I won’t turn down a meal invite,” Pei Jinye replied.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Hu Beng’s face shined a bit brighter.

Genuine sincerity was a deadly skill in interpersonal relationships; if Hu Beng remembered correctly, it hadn’t been a week since Pei Jinye joined the Investigation Team, and already due to Brother Bi’s sincerity toward him, Pei Jinye was now seeking medical room shifts and specialists without any regard for his personal gains or losses; this kind of heartfelt loyalty moved Hu Beng immensely.

In this life, who wouldn’t hope to have one or two dear friends they could truly confide in.

Rather than those who only pretend to be friendly, but are ready to backstab you.

Three forty in the afternoon.

Fan Dahai led the team deep into the mountain gorge.

At the Investigation Team headquarters.

Xie Zuxin was appointed as the joint commander for this operation.

Steam rose from the tea beside him, his eyes silently watching behind the thin lenses of his glasses.

The tech department of the Investigation Team behind him was all in place, achieving almost full situational control.

Less than half an hour into the team’s trek.

They quickly discovered traces on the ground that were hidden.

“Has someone been here?”

“And there seem to be quite a few.”

“Everyone, stay hidden.”

Two members of Group Two of the Investigation Team swiftly took out two armed sentries, and everyone quickly snuck in to begin reconnaissance. As the newbie, Pei Jinye was assigned to the rear, accompanied by Hu Beng; both of them were responsible for covering the rear and warning of any approach.

Lying in ambush among the underbrush.

Pei Jinye and Hu Beng both watched the gorge where the team was positioned; soon, Fan Dahai’s subdued voice came through the earpiece: “Target is locked, wait, this is…”

Suddenly, Fan Dahai’s voice was drowned out by gunfire.

“Something’s gone wrong!”

Hu Beng’s heart tightened.

Pei Jinye reached out to kill with a single point a poisonous snake that was crawling down a branch.

He casually said, “Wait for Fan Ge’s instructions.”

Almost instantly, Fan Dahai’s voice came through again: “It’s Jiang Suhu! I repeat, the target’s identity is confirmed, it’s Jiang Suhu of the Jiang family! Hu Beng, Pei Jinye, you two seal off the exit, he must not be allowed to escape!”

“Copy that!”

“Copy that!”

Hu Beng took a deep breath and looked at Pei Jinye, “To think it’s Jiang Suhu, I never imagined it would be him! Has all the image he’s built up been a lie?”

Pei Jinye suddenly pulled him.

“Bang!”

In that instant, a bullet hole appeared behind the tree where Hu Beng had been standing.

“Sniper!”

Hu Beng turned pale with fright.

If it weren’t for Pei Jinye pulling him away just now, he would have been a corpse already!

Immediately hugging the ground, he looked at Pei Jinye with panic in his eyes.

“What do we do now?”

Pei Jinye lay prone behind a tree, listening intently for a moment, then he slowly stood up.

“You stay here; I’ll deal with the one opposite us.”

In the combat room of the Investigation Team.

“Jiang Suhu?”

Upon confirmation of the identity of the mastermind behind the scenes, exclamations instantly arose from the staff.

Xie Zuxin slightly raised his head, his glasses flashing white in a moment, concealing the inexplicable look in his eyes.

In his hand was a pen he was absent-mindedly fiddling with.

He seemed to be pondering something.

“Chief Xie, the Judgement Place has already made a behavioral judgment regarding Jiang Suhu…” A staff officer had just started to continue speaking but was interrupted by Xie Zuxin, “Let me think,” he said.

The other party silently watched him, hesitating for a moment before handing over the report to Xie Zuxin.

However, Xie Zuxin showed no intention of looking at it.

Once some matters were confirmed, he could only move forward resolutely.

But… when he did things, he never liked to sacrifice his own interests.

“Chief, the Night Patrol Department is requesting additional support from our division…” another voice of a staff officer urging came from behind him.

“Jiang Suhu’s secret stronghold in Broken Cloud Mountain is easy to defend but hard to attack. They have an Element Master and Firearms Masters, their firepower suppression is very fierce. I suggest deploying drones; otherwise, our people simply can’t stop them…”

Voices suggesting a strong attack came from behind.

Xie Zuxin’s expression remained unchanged.

The next second.

The commander-in-chief’s desk phone in front of him rang.

He steadied his mind.

Pushing aside the command microphone, he picked up the desk phone and answered the call.

“This is Xie Zuxin… Understood.”

After hanging up the phone.

He leaned in towards the command microphone: “Everyone listen to my command, withdraw from Broken Cloud Mountain.”

Instantly, the operational command room erupted into turmoil.

“Why is the chief doing this?”

“Although we have suffered casualties, at least we have the opponent in a trapped state. Withdrawing from Broken Cloud Mountain now, wouldn’t our casualties be in vain!”

Xie Zuxin turned back and said, “The Jiang family has initiated a Federation pardon to save Jiang Suhu. According to the procedure, our Investigation Team does not have the right to interfere with this matter. It will be handled by the Judgement Place and Disciplinary Department. Am I making myself clear?”

No one in the room dared to say anything further.

However, Xie Zuxin noticed that Fan Dahai and others in the video feed were still exchanging fire and frowned.

He gripped the command microphone tightly: “All members, please respond if you hear my voice.”

But there was only the buzzing sound of electric current.

He turned his head toward the technical staff: “What’s going on here?”

The technical staff quickly adjusted the parameters, their face turning ghostly pale: “It might be due to the fog in the valley; we are temporarily unable to establish contact with the combat team.”

As he was speaking,

The image on the screen fractured into three segments, and then directly turned into countless snowflakes.

Xie Zuxin frowned slightly, displeased.

He stood up decisively and ordered:

“Make a real-time record, and also contact headquarters, emphasizing that there is a malfunction in the equipment, and the following combat is not related to us… Also, prepare a helicopter.”

“Chief, where are we going now?”

“To Broken Cloud Mountain, to stop their combat in person!”

Inside Broken Cloud Mountain.

Unbeknownst to them, fog had enveloped the area.

Outside the valley.

“Bang!”

The final sound of a sniper rifle echoed.

Pei Jinye activated Dark Shadow Flicker, his shadow was hit by the bullet and dispersed in mid-air.

At the same time,

The masked sniper on the treetop looked down at the triangular military dagger penetrating his chest in astonishment.

He turned his head.

Seemingly wanting to see his assailant clearly.

But the next moment, darkness enveloped him.

A flood of memories surged into Pei Jinye’s mind.

But this time, the absorption was fast; not solely because Pei Jinye’s spiritual power limit was nearing 20, but rather because the other party’s Vitality was weak, which was not surprising.

This is the consequence of relying too much on Extraordinary abilities.

At the same time.

There were some changes on Pei Jinye’s attribute panel.

[New Extraordinary Genes]: Instrument·Snipe;

[New Extraordinary Ability]: Deadly Gun Sense;

[New skill]: Arc Shooting (Beginner 50%), Rapid Shooting (Beginner 50%), Gunfighting Techniques (Beginner 50%), Breath Holding (Beginner 50%);

“What trash…”

Pei Jinye was somewhat scornful.

This guy, a veteran assassin, hadn’t even cultivated a single Body strengthening technique.

Looking at the Vitality Value which had only decreased by 0.1 points and the Physical strength that hadn’t even dropped,

This was probably the least Pei Jinye had ever expended in a Devour.

“So my Devour expenditure depends on the other person’s strength… The more the Transcendent leans towards Vitality and spiritual power, the greater my consumption will be…”

During his contemplations,

A massive rumbling noise came from the valley.

The shockwave blew the leaves in all directions, even the trees closest to the blast point were uprooted.

Suddenly, a sound of tearing through the air rose.

Pei Jinye moved to the side swiftly, and a dagger immediately lodged itself into the tree he was just beside.

“When did the Investigation Team have such an impressive young man…”

From the shadows ten meters away, a tall woman in a blood-red robe slowly approached, resembling a Carnivorous Flower blooming amidst flames.

Pei Jinye did not look at her but instead focused on the silhouette in her hand.

Hu Beng!

The tall woman’s nails pierced through Hu Beng’s throat, and this 26-year-old sophomore from the Investigation Team, his consciousness fading, vomited blood continuously, and with difficulty, he issued a final warning to Pei Jinye.

“Run… run fast…”

With a snap,

Hu Beng’s body was mercilessly tossed aside.

The tall woman lifted her head to look at Pei Jinye as two more people emerged behind her.

Pei Jinye recognized one of them.

It was the target, Jiang Suhu!

Jiang Suhu, in a black coat, glanced at Pei Jinye indifferently, “Red Beauty, don’t waste time, kill him as soon as possible!”

The tall woman lamented, “Seeing such a fine young man, I would have liked to have some fun with him…”

Jiang Suhu frowned, glanced at his phone, and calmly said after connecting, “I understand, send someone to pick me up… Before the people from Judgement Place arrive, everyone on Broken Cloud Mountain must die, they’ve seen too much… I understand the cost, but it’s just the death of some civilians, after all.”

Jiang Suhu didn’t mind that Pei Jinye was right in front of him, his words were not concealed, as if in his eyes, Pei Jinye was already a dead man.

However, the next second.

Pei Jinye’s figure disappeared from the spot.

The killer, bound by no prohibitions!