by <unknown>
Di Su Su had an air of arrogance, and it was as if she did not want to be approached by anyone. The other members of the team followed behind her.
Some of the boorish troops were attempting to tease her with their wolf-whistles, and they were checking out the beautiful figure of Di Su Su.
A middle-aged with wrinkles at the edge of his eyes alighted from the car. His firm presence could be felt. It was obvious that he was the leader of Di Su Su and her fellow agents. The group headed toward the mansion.
Di Su Su could feel a chill up his spine. There was also a cold feeling emerging within of her heart. She knew that she was locked onto by a very dangerous individual. She turned her head and saw a middle-aged man suited up in complete black leaning against the wall with his sniper staring at her. His look was actually pretty calming, but even with that, she could feel herself on edge and the chill in her heart as if she sensed some sort of impending threat.
Who is that person? Di Su Su was alarmed. She then felt a sense of familiarity about the man in black. Before she could even think about the issue, she entered the mansion. The doors shut, and her view was blocked.
At the edge of the wall, Han Xiao saw the agents of Division 13, and his eyes brightened up.
…
The agents from Division 13 went straight up to the highest floor of the mansion, where Wang Yuan and Bennett were waiting for them.
“Wang Yuan, long time no see,” the old man leading the agents said. Although, he said it with a poker face, the tone of his voice sounded like he had finally met his long-time friend.
“Mo Ran,” Wang Yuan said, “it has been more than ten years. You are one of the trump cards of Division 13, and I am the leader of the Dark Web Organization. If not for the situation this time, we probably would not have met again.”
“Yeah.” Mo Ran nodded. He saw Bennett at the side, and although his face was still expressionless, one could tell the astonishment in his voice. “This fellow is also here‽”
“You still want to challenge me?” Bennett replied in an unfriendly tone. “I have no interest in beating you again.”
“It’s all in the past, Bennet. There is no point bringing it up again.” Mo Ran immediately put an end to this topic of conversation.
Bennett‽
Di Su Su and her fellow agents were shocked. Bennett was very well-known among all intelligence agencies. He was not only a hero of the old-war era but also an individual with an amazingly powerful fighting prowess. He was commonly listed in the top three threats in all case files. Upon hearing the name of Bennett, Di Su Su found it hard to keep her nerves under control.
Mo Ran frowned and asked, “In the battles of the past ten days, although they all took place outside the city, it also resulted in negative influences. The sounds of the canons and the gunshots are too obvious. What are you guys doing?”
Wang Yuan shook his head. “We, the original leaders of the Dark Web Organization want to maintain our neutral position, but some of the greedy higher ups want to give up the neutrality as they are keen on the powers they might get if they take sides. They are eyeing for our leadership positions and want to replace us to gain control of the Dark Web Organization. The attacks are all planned by these traitors.
“Xena is trying to track the location of these traitors through any clues she can find. Many of the attackers were wiped out, but we expect the traitors to make their last stand within these two days.”
“Find me in Seagull City in two days. We need a proper catch-up,” Mo Ran said. With Bennett around, he was not worried about the security of Wang Yuan.
After settling the important matters, Mo Ran turned and left—efficiency was Mo Ran’s style. Di Su Su and the rest followed behind him.
The Covert Ops agents from Division 13 were the best of the department but definitely not the most elite of the entire country. There was a smaller elite team that was the secret weapon of the nation. They were usually guarding the outposts and commanding the situation from behind the scenes. They rarely revealed themselves and were known as trump cards. Mo Ran was one of such individuals. There were such figures in every nation.
What an intense period with so many occurances at once, Di Su Su thought to herself.
About three months back, Stardragon had faced a several important events. First, they managed to destroy a hidden base of the Germinal Organization within their own borders. After which, Stardragon made an expedition for Dark Crow Valley. The source of the critical intelligence reports was very mysterious.
Also, the response from the Germinal Organization was also very weird. The organization seemed like it was searching for someone. After the Dark Crow Valley operation, the agents of Germinal Organization were more blatant with their actions. It seemed like they did not care if their identities were exposed. They were searching hysterically within the borders of Stardragon. The situation was most intense in the Western Capital. More than a hundred of the agents from the Phoenix Eye Society—a subsidiary organization of the Germinal Organization—were caught. They were mostly small fries that did not offer any value for the interrogators.
Since the disappearance of Han Xiao, Division 13 sent out many agents to all parts of the world to look for him, but they all returned without any substantial results. All the CCTV cameras, airline records, and border entry records were monitored, but there was still no clue. Agents were even sent out to the wilderness, but none returned with a single piece of information.
The result was unbelievable in the eyes of the higher ups of the department. It was as if Han Xiao had vanished into thin air.
Where did he go?
Where could he go?
What was he going to do?
Di Su Su knew Han Xiao and had interacted with him for a period of time. In her eyes, he was a man enshrouded in mystery. She was also curious of Han Xiao’s whereabouts.
After heading out of the mansion, Di Su Su tried to look for the man in black who she felt was dangerous; however, the man had already disappeared.
The agents of Division 13 boarded the car and left the manor.
After leaving the forest, Mo Ran asked the driver to pull over. He then stepped out the vehicle alone and said to the agents in the car, “Di Su Su, get some agents to monitor the battle situation together with you. Report back to me later.”Bian Lian (literally: “Face-Changing”) is an ancient Chinese dramatic art that is part of the more general Sichuan opera. Performers wear brightly colored costumes and move to quick, dramatic music. They also wear vividly colored masks, typically depicting well known characters from the opera, which they change from one face to another almost instantaneously with the swipe of a fan, a movement of the head, or wave of the hand. (Wikipedia)
Chapter 114. The Surprising Hidden Request |
Within the manor, Han Xiao scratched his chin and thought hard in silence.
The mask changed his facial appearance so much so that if one did not approach close to him, it would be impossible for the person to uncover his true identity.
Although he had escaped from Stardragon, the interface did not indicate a decrease in affection for him. Since his relationship with Stardragon was still relatively friendly and both parties were not reduced to enemies, there was chance for him to turn the situation around.
Han Xiao had a deep impression of Di Su Su. Although Di Su Su always teased Li Ya Lin and Li Ya Lin always tried to put her down, Di Su Su still unintentionally nudged closer to Li Ya Lin. Even the clothes she wore resembled those of Li Ya Lin. Han Xiao, who was great and very experienced at observing people, could tell with a single glance that Di Su Su and Li Ya Lin shared a very close friendship.
…
Two days later…
The bullet leapt out of the barrel of the sniper rifle and killed the final enemy sniper who was a few hundred meters away. The burnt smell of the smoky battlefield was very pungent. The enemy forces, which suffered a lot of casualties, retreated like a huge wave. Han Xiao let out a deep breath a
nd leaned against the wall to sit down. He closed his eyes to ease the tension in his heart.
The enemies were getting stronger one wave after another. There were helicopters, armored vehicles, and small tanks; there were also a couple of strong super humans and elite soldiers that appeared on the battlefield, which posed huge threats.
The past two days in the manor had been very hectic and dangerous, as if they were all on a little boat stuck in a massive whirlpool. Han Xiao used all his effort, and together with the cooperation of the mercenary troops, the defense managed to pull through.
——————————————————————
You defeated a wave of attackers. (5/5)
The fourth round completed. You gained 200,000 EXP points.
The hidden request to prevent the appearance of Division 13 has failed.
You activated the additional fifth segment of the mission.
——————————————————————
Han Xiao was completely stunned. He did not expect the hidden request was to prevent the appearance of Division 13. He really had not thought of that possibility. After pondering for a while, he then realized why he missed out the hidden request.
If every one of his battles ended fast and decisively and created less commotion, perhaps Division 13 would not have entered the picture. However, such a request was too difficult. Even if he was able to find out about such a request, it would be very hard to accomplish it. Han Xiao was not particularly upset about such a result. Ultimately, the odds of completing a hidden request were fifty-fifty. There were times of success and times of failure. It was pretty normal for failure to occur after all.
The original mission only had four segments. However, since the hidden request was not completed, the fifth segment has been activated. Is it supposed to be blessing in disguise? What is the fifth segment exactly?
Han Xiao felt curious.
——————————————————————
Change in Quest Requirement
Fifth Round Requirement: Tag along with Wang Yuan and handle the incoming danger.
Failure Condition: Your death.
Reward: 30,000 EXP
Special Reward: 300,000 EXP
——————————————————————
At that moment, Han Xiao was shocked. He felt that the fifth segment of the mission was really confusing and weird.
The normal reward was not compatible with the current stage of the mission. Also, the special reward was ten times larger than the normal reward, which meant that there was a great deal of flexibility in the mission. What exactly was the danger that the mission offered?
The condition to fail the mission was targeted at the fact that some players could revive themselves. Since Wang Yuan was protected by Bennett, it meant that Han Xiao himself would have to deal with a great deal of danger.
It was like the mission was trying to tell Han Xiao, “Hehehe… this is going to be dangerous.”
…
Two days earlier, in a dim abandoned warehouse, Bai Jin was in his hideout.
There was a bolt of lightning surrounding his arm, and the lightning illuminated his face. There was a sense of eeriness in his eyes.
Bai Jin flipped his palm, and the lightning bolt fused into his skin and vanished.
Ding.
The computer on the table in front of him lit up. He received a confidential e-mail. Bai Jin clicked on the new mail.
“Target for assassination: Wang Yuan
“Assignment Location: East Stardragon, 20km North of Seagull City, River Valley Manor
“Strength of Defense: 214 troops, 14 contract killers, Moonlight (Dark), Hunter (Dark), Volcano (Dark), Golden Fox (Dark), Mr. Black (Scorpion)… There are sufficient defensive structures and firepower.
“Bounty: 2 million”
Bai Jin’s eyes dimmed and muttered coldly, “You really expect me to make a move when the bounty is merely two million? How can you put me on the same level as the other trash assassins in the market?”
He sent a mail back to reject the offer.
A moment later, another e-mail entered the inbox. The bounty had been raised to six million.
“That’s more like it.” Bai Jin gave a sly grin. There was an air of evilness and arrogance around him.
All along, Bai Jin had only cared about the bounty he would receive. He had no other goals in mind.
‘The Raging Bolt’ Bai Jin, was a heinous criminal that managed to escape countless of pursuits made by the various authorities of the six nations. His superpower could cause massive destruction. There were countless bounty hunters, agents, and executive officers of the Germinal Organization who had perished at his hand. The total exceeded three digits! He could even penetrate the intense flanks of military forces.
The individual combat strength on Planet Aquamarine was like a pyramid. There were three sections of the pyramid. The ones on the lowest level were mostly the recently awakened superhumans and normal warriors with a great deal of battle experience. The second level was mostly superhumans like Pang Kuang, who were executive officers of the Germinal Organization and secret agents of the intelligence agencies of the six nations. The third level was especially rare. These individuals were at least LV 40 and above. They were the trump cards of their respective nations or super criminals or faction leaders. Bennett could be placed at the pinnacle of the third level of the pyramid.
Bai Jin was a superhuman who could enter the third level!
…
In the evening, Wang Yuan gathered everyone.
“I need to make a trip to the Seagull City to meet with Division 13. I need to bring some powerful individuals with me for protection, and the rest of you guys will remain here to guard the manor.”
Before anyone could even respond, Wang Yuan started pointing out the selected few. “Moonlight, Volcano, Hunter, Golden Fox, and Mr. Black, I need you to protect me for this trip. I will raise the rewards for you guys. If you all are unwilling to do so, I will not force it upon you.”
“No problem.” Hunter was the first to respond. The other few agreed to the request.
Han Xiao knew that if he rejected the request, he would fail his mission. He agreed to it and looked toward Bennett. “Is he going?”
Bennett nodded and said, “I am coming along.”
Han Xiao’s heart sank. Bennett was able to protect Wang Yuan. As such, the danger from the mission would be concentrated on Han Xiao and his fellow killers.
With Han Xiao’s gaming experience, he was instantly able to sniff out something amiss in the mission. At this point in time, perhaps it was better not to be too complacent and stay alert. Instead of saying something to boost the confidence, it was better for Han Xiao to take a step back and say something to heighten the sense of vigilance among his teammates so that they would be able to tide through the tough mission.
The team followed Wang Yuan into the vehicle and headed toward Seagull City. Han Xiao realized that the people on the car did not speak at all. They all had an air of ‘don’t come and talk to me; I need to stay cool.’ Han Xiao had trouble to find anyone to banter with.
Looking behind him, Han Xiao saw Golden Fox hiding in another corner, and she was staying as far as she could from him as possible. When Han Xiao looked toward her, she immediately turned to avoid eye contact with Han Xiao.
I only made a small joke out of her. Is such a reaction really necessary? Han Xiao was speechless.
At the other side of the forest, Di Su Su, who was monitoring the situation, also set off to follow Wang Yuan’s party.
“The target has left the manor. They are heading toward Seagull City. There are plenty of assassins following. Continuing to monitor closely.”
…
The night sky was studded with stars, illuminating Seagull City.
This city of Stardragon was a heavy industrial city. There were plenty of factories in the o
utskirts. The huge chimneys of the factories were like gigantic fingers pointing into the sky. Since the city was filled with factories, there was a unique sense of heaviness in the atmosphere of the city.
The sentry guard received instructions from the higher-ups and let Han Xiao and the others pass.
Once the vehicle went past the sentry post, it was met with a black car from Division 13 at the roadside. An agent approached and said, “Mr. Wang Yuan, Officer Mo is waiting for you at the base.”
“Please lead the way.”
The agent from Division 13 saw the heavily armed assassins and immediately fell silent. He did not say another word in the end. He went up his car to lead the way.
The two cars drove all the way to the curfew area that fell under the jurisdiction for the Seagull City branch of the department. Only at the gates that blocked access to the area did the agent mention that weapons were not allow into the cordoned sector.
Wang Yuan nodded. He then turned around and said to the assassins, “You guys will spend a night in Seagull City. Assemble here at the same time tomorrow.”
After the instruction, Bennett and Wang Yuan entered the base.
The assassins were left to themselves.
Volcano was a massive Shanuk. He said in his deep voice, “What do you guys plan to do?”
Hunter grinned and said, “I’m going to the bar to have some fun.”
He then glanced at Golden Fox and smiled. “Do you want to come with me?”
Golden Fox smiled and wave her hand to reject Hunter. “Forget it, I am more interested in suave guys.”
Hunt was unhappy to hear the words of Golden Fox and snarled.
“Hunter, I’ll go with you.” Volcano laughed out loud. He looked and Moonlight and asked, “What about you?”
Moonlight was expressionless. He solemnly replied, “I will be patrolling around here.”
Volcano then invited Han Xiao to join them enthusiastically. Han Xiao waved his hand to say no. Upon seeing that, Volcano did not continue to pressure Han Xiao.