Chapter Thirty-Four: The Villa

The night was deep.

High up in an office building, Jiang He picked up a monocular and peered through the glass at the villa in the distance. A motorcade sped through the gates, and over a dozen bodyguards in black suits escorted the executive director of Xinwan inside to take refuge, securing every "passageway" in the process.

Rodlev had been shot and killed. Because heavy weaponry was used in public, the Order Bureau had issued an immediate lockdown order. News reporters had broadcasted live coverage of the assailant's arrest, yet no organization had stepped forward to claim responsibility for the incident. From the initial response to the execution, followed by the tracking and capture, the entire operation had taken only half an hour. The Order Bureau was clearly maintaining a standard of order that brooked no provocation.

Jiang He had bypassed the blockade using hypnotic camouflage. Following Rodlev’s death, Felix, the executive director who shared deep ties with him, had become his target; the man had also been subjected to a shooting at the scene of the crime.

"The organization behind the killer is at odds with my objective. Retrieving the letter I sent is the top priority, and that requires locating Rodlev’s residence."

Within his line of sight, a dark shadow emerged from a sewer in the villa’s garden. It efficiently and ruthlessly dispatched three perimeter bodyguards and silenced a hidden sentry with a suppressed pistol before climbing to the second floor and entering the villa.

Jiang He put away his monocular and turned to head downstairs. Five minutes later, he reached the villa’s entrance. Two corpses lay behind the gate, their skulls crushed from behind, leaving them no chance to fight back. Jiang He delivered a straight kick, smashing the iron gate open, and the building’s alarm system immediately blared.

Simultaneously, a firefight erupted inside the villa. Flashing muzzle flares briefly illuminated the darkness, accompanied by a series of agonizing screams.

Jiang He surged forward. His agility, rated at ten points, granted him incredible speed. He sprinted three steps, leaped against the wall, and launched himself into the air, gripping the second-floor eaves with one hand before he began to descend. With a sudden pull, his high Constitution and Strength stats combined to unleash immense power, propelling his body upward once more—a feat akin to the legendary light-body techniques of martial arts lore—as his other hand clamped firmly onto the window ledge.

After a few repetitions, Jiang He reached the roof. Following the sound of gunfire, he pinpointed his position, drew the "Long Regret" spear, and drove it downward. Channeling three thousand pounds of force through a burst of internal energy, the kinetic power erupted from the tip of the spear, shattering a massive hole in the roof.

As Jiang He plummeted, the dark shadow fired three shots at the intruder. The bullets streaked from the muzzle, striking his abdomen, heart, and forehead.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The bullets hit his upper body as if blocked by invisible armor, producing a clanging sound like iron being struck. The final bullet hit a cyan-colored energy helmet, causing it to flicker and dim significantly.

Garuda Mode I: Partial Reinforcement had withstood a close-range volley.

Upon landing, Jiang He stepped forward, the wind howling around him as he thrust out like a spear. The impact was like a meteor hitting the earth—swift, violent, and devastating. The shadow remained calm. Faced with this strange monster, he decisively pulled two flashbangs from his gear, tossed them forward, and fired accurately to detonate them.

A burst of intense light and noise exploded, and the shadow dived to the side.

A wall collapsed under the brute force of the impact, sending dust billowing. The shadow rose and tightened his grip on a dagger, stabbing toward the enemy’s occiput like a viper with clinical precision. Jiang He countered by chopping the man’s wrist; with his agility-enhanced reflexes, the attack felt like slow motion to him.

*Crack!*

A strike of internal energy delivered a thousand pounds of force, and a clear sound of bone fracturing emanated from the shadow’s wrist. He lashed out with a kick toward Jiang He’s vitals—in close-quarters combat, the dirtiest tactics were often the most effective.

Jiang He’s expression remained unchanged. He delivered an even faster side-kick to the inside of the man’s thigh, instantly throwing him off balance. He then drove into the shadow’s center line, landing a punch to the lower abdomen, followed by a hand-blade strike to the side of the face. His other hand clamped onto the man’s neck like an iron vise, his thumb and forefinger pressing hard against the jaw to ensure he didn't even have the chance to bite his tongue to snap out of the daze.

Three seconds later, the shadow fell unconscious.

"Hey, hands up!"

As if sensing the battle had ended, two weapon-mounted flashlights snapped on. Felix and his bodyguards aimed their weapons. Jiang He kicked a piece of rubble at Felix while frantically squeezing the trigger of the Glock 17 that had appeared in his hand from his inventory. Knowing his marksmanship was abysmal, he simply emptied the magazine, shredding the bodyguards.

*Crack!*

Jiang He stepped forward to deliver a finishing blow, snapping the bodyguard's cervical spine, before dragging the limp shadow and Felix into the living room.

Felix regained his composure and said indignantly, "Oh, damn it! That was just a joke. You’re too extreme—these bodyguards were like my own brothers!"

Jiang He replied calmly, "Your tone reminds me of a doctor I once met."

Felix paused, thinking the other man was trying to bond. "I find you quite personable as well."

"I killed him."

Felix: "..." *Please, don't do that!*

Jiang He turned on the lights and pulled over a chair to sit. While frisking the unconscious shadow, he asked, "Tell me Rodlev’s address."

"114 Jianquan Road, Jingyi District. He’s been staying there ever since he entered the country." Felix answered with remarkable alacrity. Never letting his own safety be compromised for the sake of a "brother" had always been his creed, and besides, Rodlev was already a dead man; there was nothing to worry about.

Jiang He pulled a ten of clubs playing card from the shadow’s person.

"What is this?"

"Uh... that should be the mark of the Card Club. It seems Rodlev died at their hands, and these guys were probably after me." Felix hesitated, then continued, "The Card Club is a standard hitman organization. They’ve always had a good reputation. The pair of Aces has always been mysterious. I’ve been having some trouble in Mexico; surely one of my 'good brothers' put up a high price for this."

"Professional killers, then."

Jiang He snapped the shadow’s neck. Hypnosis was far less effective on those with iron wills, and given the time limit on his mission, he had no time to slowly break the man’s defenses.

Felix turned pale at the sight. Grab him and then kill him—this guy was definitely a psychopath, though he was certainly effective in a fight.

"Brother, I intend to hire you to protect my safety."

Jiang He reloaded his pistol and fired a shot into the man’s left foot.

"Ah! You lunatic!" Felix clutched his leg in pain.

"Now, you must rely on my protection. Remember to keep your place next time."

Jiang He searched the villa. The garden had muffled the sounds of their previous skirmish. He found a large stash of firearms and ammunition in the utility room, including a fully equipped HK G28 sniper rifle. It was a high-performance, expensive piece of gear, but due to the precedent set at the Xuanbin Hotel, the gun had already been sealed off.

He stuffed all the guns and ammo into his inventory and tapped around the walls, discovering three hidden compartments. He opened one, revealing exquisite porcelain and paintings by famous masters that were impossible to fence.

"You’re driving. To Rodlev’s house."

"To hell with that! You shot my foot!"

"By your own logic, the fact that you aren’t dead yet is proof that we are as close as brothers."

Jiang He hauled Felix toward the garage.