The enemy's target doesn't seem to be people... but rather the vehicle!
tank!
Once I understood this, I broke out in a cold sweat. Ignoring the driver's pain, I forcibly pulled him off the bus. I saw blood gushing from the wound on his forehead, but at this critical moment, my life was at stake, and I didn't care about the bumps and bruises!
In the car behind us, two of our three brothers were shot, and the other was pinned down by a hail of bullets and couldn't lift his head.
On the other side of the truck, there were four brothers in the lead car, but they hadn't been able to get through either. All they could hear was a dense barrage of gunfire in the distance...
Seven or eight men in front suppressed the last remaining brother in the rear vehicle, while half of the remaining men continued to sneak towards me.
I lay on the ground, holding the unconscious driver in one arm, and quietly peeked half my head out from the front of the car before raising my hand and firing a shot.
With a muffled groan, someone was shot and fell to the ground, stiff and motionless, clearly dead. I killed one with one shot, but the next two shots weren't so lucky. One shot wounded one person, but the next one missed.
The other side seemed to have become wary, and a burst of gunfire made it impossible for me to lift my head. I could only cling to the driver and desperately try to move backward...
Bang! Another shot hit the ground less than half a meter away from me! Sparks from the bullet almost bounced off my cheek! My heart pounded; the enemy sniper had my eye on me!
The surroundings were empty; the only cover was the trash can behind me. I knew this was my only hope, and there was no time to hesitate. I gritted my teeth, grabbed the driver, and scrambled backwards...
Bang……
Bang……
Two short sounds, followed by a sudden, loud roar from behind me!
Flames shot into the sky, and a huge fireball rose into the air. The powerful shockwave knocked me to the ground, and my cheeks, the back of my head, my back, almost half of my body felt like they were on fire! Everything went black, and I almost fainted.
Fortunately, the impact of the explosion only lasted for a moment. After the flames subsided, my clothes were a little charred, but not seriously damaged. However, the car behind me finally had its fuel tank punctured and exploded! Even though I had run nearly ten meters away, I was still thrown hard by the blast wave. Half of my body was numb.
I struggled a little, trying to drag the driver further inside, but I felt him sink. Looking down, I saw his mouth and nose were full of blood! He was completely still. I touched his nose, but he wasn't breathing!
Looking behind him, there was a pool of blood. His back was a bloody mess, fragments from the car explosion embedded in his skin.
Seeing that he was already dead, I was filled with hatred. Suddenly, I mustered up a burst of strength and dragged him all the way inside. After running a few more steps, a pair of hands grabbed me and helped me fall to the ground behind the metal trash can.
Thick smoke billowed from the car explosion, obscuring the advance of the gunmen lying in ambush behind me. Some tried to push forward through the smoke, but were shot down by bullets from behind the smoke after only a few steps.
The thick smoke also provided us with excellent cover.
Time ticked by, and I heard a shout outside, clearly in Vietnamese. Then came footsteps; those people had launched a reckless charge! I raised my hand and fired two shots, taking down two of them. The third shot hit one in the shoulder, but the others were already in front of me!
A flash of light, the cold wind already at my face. I instantly dropped my gun and fell backward! The blade was swift and ruthless! It swept past my nose! As I fell backward, my legs launched a flurry of kicks, four in quick succession, all striking the opponent's lower back! Before I even hit the ground, I braced myself with my hands, then swiftly shifted to the left, grabbing the legs of another Vietnamese man. We twisted together to the ground, and I had already bent down and drawn my dagger, plunging it into his shoulder and thigh, then twisting it forcefully…
With a scream, half my body was stained with blood, while the other man clutched his leg and collapsed, howling. I saw that Xiluo had also started hand-to-hand combat with the other man, with Eighth Master lying on the ground behind him. Seeing the two men in front of Xiluo, he was in danger. Without hesitation, I raised my hand and threw my dagger, which pierced one of the men's backs. The man shuddered, groaned, and collapsed limply to the ground.
Just then, I heard a gunshot behind me. Although I quickly dove down, I still felt a sharp pain in my back!
I've been shot! My heart sank! Ignoring the pain, I quickly turned around and saw two Vietnamese men behind me, one holding a gun and his eyes gleaming with ferocity!
I was on the ground, unarmed, and all I could do was shout, "Siro!"
Just then, Ciro slit the neck of the man in front of him with a single stroke. Seeing that I was being held at gunpoint, he threw his dagger in a moment of panic...
Although Xiluo usually practices martial arts diligently, his skill with throwing knives is still far inferior. However, in this moment of urgency, he actually outperformed Shuiqing! Just as the Vietnamese man with the gun was about to pull the trigger, the dagger struck his gun with a bang. The gun fell to the ground with a thud, and the bullet almost grazed my ear!
Still shaken, I didn't dare waste a second. I immediately sprang to my feet and tackled the man in two steps. His reaction was far worse than mine. I delivered a powerful elbow strike to his chest, and he coughed up blood and collapsed. I seized the opportunity to grab his neck and twist it forcefully... *crack*.
The Vietnamese who rushed over were mostly killed, leaving only two survivors. One was the one whose thigh I had just slashed, and he was still clutching his thigh and howling on the ground. The other was the one I had kicked in the lower back, and he was lying on the ground, struggling to get up.
I bent down and picked up the dagger and gun from the ground. I tossed the gun to Xiluo, then plunged the dagger into the heart of the man who was clutching his leg and howling. Seeing my bloodied and gruesome face, the last surviving Vietnamese man was stunned, even as my hand gripped his neck. He even forgot to resist.
He probably didn't understand how the seven or eight men who rushed over from his side were all well-trained elites from the gang, and how the other side was all injured, yet they were all wiped out in one go!
Instead of killing him with one blow, I had a sudden thought and decided to leave one alive.
Just as I released the knife and was about to grab him and drag him back, I suddenly heard Xiluo's voice behind me.
"Xiao Wu!"
Turning around, I saw Ciro leaning against the wall. He was leaning against a trash can, breathing heavily, his face covered in blood. He held a gun in the other hand, his arm hanging limply. He called out to me, then suddenly raised the muzzle… the muzzle was cold and menacing, pointed right at me!
Blood covered Xiro's face, obscuring his expression, but his eyes gleamed with a complex light! Knowing Xiro as I do, I seemed to see the tension, excitement... and a hint of suppressed madness within him!
“C-Ciro?!” I blurted out. I'd barely registered his name when I saw Ciro suddenly grit his teeth and pull the trigger!
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
Three shots were fired in quick succession, all hitting the last surviving Vietnamese man! The Vietnamese man didn't react at all and died instantly!
I was taken aback, and before I could even ask him a question, Xiluo was already shaking his head, saying slowly in a hoarse voice, "This person cannot be allowed to live!"
"Why?" I stared at Xiluo, a growing anger rising within me. What was this kid up to?!
"Xiao Wu... I'm sorry." He looked at me, clearly struggling internally, and with a gasp for breath, he slowly said, word by word, "The situation was dire! There was no other choice!"
"Xiro, what do you want to do?" I felt a dryness and discomfort in my throat.
Meeting my gaze, Xiluo suddenly smiled, his eyes seemingly carrying a trace of sadness, but this sadness was fleeting, and then a fierce glint flashed in his eyes!
"Xiao Wu, you are my only brother. You are younger than me, but I still consider you my older brother! So, there are some things that you don't want to do, are unwilling to do, disdain to do, or cannot do... let me do them for you!"
A startling thought suddenly occurred to me. I stared at Xiluo in astonishment and blurted out, "You...you want to..."
“If he doesn’t die, you will! You think I don’t understand… but I understand everything. You’re my brother, and I really want to help you! I originally planned to make my move in the hospital… but I didn’t have the chance. Now, the best opportunity is right in front of me!” His voice was complex, even trembling slightly: “This world is simple, this world is complex… these are the words you taught me back then…”
He finished speaking in a hoarse, almost inaudible voice, then a resolute glint flashed across Xiro's face! He immediately turned his gun...
Bang!
Lying on the ground, Eighth Master had a bullet hole in his forehead, with a complex expression of surprise on his face. Red and white fluids were gushing out... Then, with his eyes wide open, Eighth Master finally breathed his last.
I froze instantly! At the same time, I felt my hands and feet turn ice cold!!
I just stared blankly at Xiluo, whose eyes were full of determination as he turned his head to look at me.
Our eyes met in mid-air... Almost in that instant, I understood Xiluo's intention!
Footsteps could be heard outside, the thick smoke was almost dissipating, and I could faintly hear my brothers calling from the car ahead... "Brother Wu!"
Xiluo's smile widened, but he suddenly raised the gun in his hand, this time pointing it at his own forehead!
He wants to die!?
“Xiao Wu, now you’re finally the real boss!” Then, with a peaceful smile on his face, he looked at me and pulled the trigger!
"Siro!!!" My eyes turned red, and I roared, throwing the dagger in my hand at him rapidly. Then I pounced on him like a madman!
Bang……
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Forty-Six: Loyalty
At that moment, I felt like God was looking out for me.
I had just been shot in the back, and my hand was already in pain when I raised it, so my throwing knife was a bit less accurate. But it still managed to hit Xiluo's hand.
I originally intended to shoot him, but I missed by a little bit, and it still saved the bastard's life!
I rushed over, grabbed Xiluo by the collar, and without thinking twice, slapped him twice across the face! Then I gave him a deep look, pulled the dagger out of his hand, and with a hiss, tore a strip of cloth from my own clothes and quickly wrapped it around his hand several times.
Xiluo looked blankly at me, his hand pierced by a dagger, but he didn't utter a sound of pain. He just stared at me quietly with an extremely complicated expression.
The footsteps outside were getting closer. I quickly picked up the gun from the ground, hid it in my clothes, glanced at Xiro, and gritted my teeth angrily, saying, "Let's go back first!"
Xiluo was still in a daze. I was furious and slapped him hard across the face again: "This is not the time to pretend. We'll talk about it when we get back! Get your act together!"
Then I squatted down and forcefully lifted up Eighth Master's body. Looking at this once powerful and influential underworld tycoon who had died, I felt no joy whatsoever. My expression was complicated, and I didn't know what I was feeling.
Finally, some of my men rushed in. Of the nine men I brought with me, only four survived. Three of them were wounded.
Several people rushed in and were shocked to see the corpses scattered all over the alleyway. Then they saw me kneeling in the corner of the trash can, holding Eighth Master in my arms... the bullet hole in Eighth Master's forehead...
Suddenly, everyone froze, not knowing who was leading them. Then, a man suddenly shouted and rushed behind me, kneeling on the ground.
Soon, all four of them knelt down. I glared at Xiluo, and Xiluo knelt down behind me as well.
Finally, the sirens of police cars filled the distance. I glanced at my brothers behind me, seeing their faces filled with grief and indignation, and said in a deep voice, "Now is not the time to grieve. First... take Eighth Master's body back. The police still have to deal with this... Damn it. Vietnamese!"
In short, I pinned the blame for Eighth Master's death on the Vietnamese. No one present doubted that the corpses on the ground were Vietnamese, and that our ambush by the Vietnamese was irrefutable proof.
As for why the Vietnamese were able to kill Master Ba in front of two people as skilled as me and Xiluo, I will explain that to Xiluo when we get back later.
Now, no one asks me that kind of question.
The gunfight outside had ended. The Vietnamese had deployed about twenty gunmen this time. Judging from their skills, they should all be their elite troops. However, the quality of the Big Circle (a group of Vietnamese soldiers) is truly impressive. These twenty men had the advantage of surprise in the ambush, but in the end, they only killed five of us, while almost all of their own were wiped out.
Of course, I still have one question in my mind: what about the other side's sniper?
That sniper was a huge threat to us at the beginning of the gunfight, but later he suddenly disappeared without a trace.
If the enemy sniper continues firing, we are at such a distance without long-range firearms to return fire. Even if we can pinpoint his location, we are helpless against him.
But later on, they didn't know why the enemy sniper suddenly stopped firing.
We were surrounded by police who arrived at the scene, and the fully armed officers quickly took us all back to the police station. As for the deceased, the forensic doctor naturally took him away.
Clearly, my frequent visits to the police station in such a short period of time surprised Norton. At least, this old man, whom I had infuriated, seemed eager to take this opportunity to get back at me. However, my lawyer was still very capable.
I insisted that I was attacked on the street.
"This was premeditated murder!" My lawyer, a middle-aged man in his forties, of Chinese descent, wearing glasses and with slightly protruding teeth—I only knew his surname was Zhou, and he was nicknamed "Bucktooth Zhou" in Vancouver's legal circles, a master in this area—should have been an indignant man. He shouted at Norton, "Based on the preliminary evidence at the scene, my client is the victim! He was attacked by a group of armed thugs on his way home without provocation! And this was a blatant murder!! As a senior police officer, you should be ashamed that such a serious malicious crime has occurred in your jurisdiction! Instead, you're making trouble for my client for no reason! My client fought back to protect his life during a wanton murder attempt; under these circumstances, he is legally innocent for killing!"
Norton, that old bastard, originally wanted to use the pretext of a gangland feud to detain me in the police station to assist in the investigation. Even if he locked me up for 24 hours, it would be a pleasure for him.
However, he was destined to be disappointed.
At least, my record in Vancouver is spotless! I have never broken any laws, not even for illegal parking. I am practically a model law-abiding, tax-paying citizen.
Organized crime? Which organized crime boss doesn't have a criminal record that could fill several filing cabinets? Where have you ever seen an organized crime member with such a clean record as mine?
OK, you can say that Eighth Master was a gangster, but he's already dead.
As for the idea of temporarily detaining me, my lawyer would be the first to slam his fist on the table and yell at Norton!
Finally, just when Norton was about to lose his temper, Doug stepped in and officially released me so I could go home. But at least I signed a document guaranteeing that I would not leave Vancouver at will for the next week, because I was a party involved in the case and therefore had to cooperate with the investigation. I was also required to be available to the police at any time within the week if needed.
Then, I signed my name on the document, and accompanied by my lawyer, led my people out of the police station in a dignified manner.
What kind of argument Norton and Doug had afterward is none of my business.
"You've gone mad!" Norton's eyes were red. "Everyone knows this is the Vietnamese retaliating against the Big Circle! If you let this guy go back, he'll immediately lead the Big Circle to fight the Vietnamese! That will cause a huge mess!"