Chapter 715: Deterrence
Mouse liked money. It was something like a mutual consensus among all people who knew him. But each and every one who wanted to make a deal with him also had to be ready to be butchered.
“Of course! I love money very much.” Mouse straightened up his chest said with a straight face.
“Well, it seems like I just found a really good helper for our Boss this time,” said Jin Shi with a smile. “You’re well-known as the Eyes of the Underground, excel at collecting information, and is also adept at controlling intelligence network even though your network only covers a small area like Shanghai. Also, someone who likes money can be a good financial staff. If you are able to gain our Boss’ trust, he may entrust you a heavy responsibility and hand you the key to the treasury vault.”
“Treasury vault?”
Mouse’s eyes immediately turned ablaze. A Boss who could own a treasury vault was definitely not an ordinary top dog! He really wanted jump in now, but he could not. He was used to the feeling of controlling everything. Though it was tiresome having money transferred into his account regularly at intervals, sleeping with his banknotes was what he liked the most.
He glanced to both sides while the hand that gripped the knife turned tighter as he prepared to refuse the offer the second time. He decided to use the opportunity to launch a sneak attack and then leave.
“Two Brothers, you know that getting rid of an enmity is better than keeping it, and the present society is governed under the law. This is a public place, so you would not dare to attack me here, no? Besides, this old Mouse is always prepared for both eventualities, for there will be men following me wherever I appear. Just look at that square, maybe some people will come rushing for me at any time.” Mouse smirked.
“Don’t think about scaring me, buddy.” Jin Shi grinned. “Perhaps you were still a baby when I—Jin Shi was crawling and rolling in piles of dead. Don’t rush to refuse. Maybe you think you can run away today, but have you ever thought that since we can investigate about you means that our resources are better than yours, and the force behind us is not something you can imagine? Why not… just give yourself a precious escort and protection this time?”
Mouse furrowed his brows, and a solemn expression painted his monkey-like face. It was an expression he rarely showed unless he was faced with a very important choice or a critical moment.
“Who is your Boss?”
“Our Boss is a man called Tang Xiu,” said Jin Shi.
Mouse gave it a thought and immediately exclaimed, “Is it Tang Xiu, the freshman of Shanghai University, the young miracle-working doctor at Star City Chinese Medical Hospital, the secret Big Boss of the Magnificent Tang Corporation, and the offspring of the Tang Family from Beijing who was missing for many years? Are you talking about this Tang Xiu?”
“Never thought you would know so much about our Boss, buddy.” Jin Shi grinned. “Anyways, since you already know my Boss’ identity, then your second opportunity just turned critical. Pick one. Live or die, submit or refuse. Give me an answer now.”
“Answer me first.” Mouse waved his hand. “There are two things I wanna ask you. I’ll pick my choice if you answer me naturally.”
“You’re a talented guy, so I’ll give you the opportunity to ask,” said Jin Shi.
A burst of light flashed in Mouse’s eyes as he asked, “Your Boss should have another identity other than the ones I just mentioned, shouldn’t he? Is his other identity more lighter or heavier than those I mentioned?”
“He does have another identity. It’s nothing you can pick on, but it’s much heavier than you think,” said Jin Shi without hesitation.
Mouse’s eyes lit up and he asked again, “Why does your Boss need intelligence on the murder that happened in Shanghai recently? You should also know that the people who can solve these problems should be from the government.”
“I don’t know much on this one. My Boss is probably bored and has nothing to do, and wants to find something to kill the time. Or maybe because he feels compassionate toward the people and doesn’t want to see more victims. Anyhow, you already got your two questions. Now it’s time to give me your answer.”
“I just had a change in mind all of a sudden and want to ask you another question. What kind of treatment can I get if I join you?” Asked Mouse hastily.
“I dunno. It’s Boss who can answer that.” Jin Shi shook his head.
Mouse rolled his eyes and released the knife in his pocket. He then stood up, stretched his body comfortably, and then said with a smile, “Well, I gotta say that I don’t wanna die, so I choose to join you. As a token of my joining, I’ll hand over the information on these murder cases to you… Umm, no, to your Boss. Let’s go, then! Take me to him now!”
Jin Shi nodded. He was not afraid that Mouse would take back his words, and was neither he afraid that this guy would run in the way. The prey he aimed at was never able to escape from his grasp even if they had wings on them.
A few minutes later, as Jin Shi’s group left with Mouse, a young man with yellow bleached hair and wearing a very ordinary attire followed them. The guy was called Chen Yangfan, a member of the Phantom Special Combat Squad and also an excellent scout. His task was to track Mouse and figure out where his nest was.
“Strange. Where the hell did these two fellas come out? What purpose they have for taking Mouse away with them?” Chen Yangfan thought in silent as he touched his chin while looking at the car in front.
Half an hour later.
BANG…
At an intersection about ten kilometers away from the Paradise Manor, the rear tire of the SUV with a Beijing plate number driven by Cheng Yangfan exploded. Fortunately, he was a very skilled driver and constantly pushed the brake while both his hands controlled the steering wheel before the car gradually stopped at the roadside.
“Something’s strange.”
Cheng Yangfan frowned as got off the car and walked to the rear to look at the rear tires. He found that a flying knife stabbed into the tire, and the main cause for the tire to burst out was this flying knife.
Whoosh!
A hazy figure silently appeared behind him. Despite being a tracker and detection expert of the Phantom Special Combat Squad, he only noticed that someone already had a sharp dagger on his neck just as it happened. The sudden crisis caused all the fine hairs all over his body to stand erect and cold sweat to come out, his whole being as though falling into an ice hole.
HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
He roared inwardly. He was very confident in his reflexes and sensing ability. Even Yu Shuqing, the captain of his Phantom Special Combat Squad, could only get 7 meters close to him without getting noticed. Closer than that and he would never be able to escape his perception.
“Don’t look back if you don’t wanna die.”
A low and deep voice sounded behind him. Feeling a bit of fear, Chen Yangfan nodded silently. His voice was a bit hoarse as he asked, “Who are you?”
A man’s sneering voice replied, “You don’t need to know who I am. Just answer my question. Who sent you to track Mouse, and who are you?”
Mouse?
Cheng Yangfan recalled the two middle-aged men he had seen before. His mind raced and said, “It seems that you are of the same group of people who took Mouse. I don’t have the convenience to disclose my identity, but I guarantee that I have no ill intention toward that guy.”
The man behind him seemed to ponder for a moment and then said slowly, “The more you know, the quicker you’ll die. Though you have yet to answer my question, I can tell from your words and stance that you’re a soldier, and you should be an elite affiliated with some special squad in the Chinese military. I warn you. Go back and tell your leader. Do not ever try to investigate Mouse again, or else…”
Two seconds later, Chen Yangfan realized that the dagger placed on his neck was gone already, and there was no sounds of the man behind him anymore. Just as he turned his head, he gasped as he found that no one was behind him. There was no trace of that mysterious man at all. His sharp eyes quickly glanced at the pedestrians passing by, and yet, he could not find any trace of that man with his professional skills.
“Just two or three seconds.”
Chen Yangfan felt dread and panic. He did not believe that someone’s speed could be quick to this degree. It was just two or three seconds, and he was already 60 meters away at least. He could not even see his form. It was like the man just vanished in thin air.
His gaze then landed on the throwing knife that pierced the tire. At this moment, he finally realized that it was not the tire that ran on the throwing knife, but it was definitely someone who shot the throwing knife toward the tire when he drove the car by. Upon realizing this, his heart jolted and he immediately went back to the driver’s seat without hesitation, and then called his captain, Yu Shuqing.
“What’s the situation?” Yu Shuqing’s cold voice transmitted from the phone.
“I just encountered an expert, Captain,” said Chen Yangfan in a bitter tone. “This guy is simply like a ghost. He used a throwing knife to blast off the rear tires of my car, and he did it when my speed was about 80 to 90 km/h. Furthermore, this fellow appeared behind me and placed a knife on my neck without me being able to realize that he was approaching me. The most terrifying thing is that, two seconds after he stopped talking to me, I suddenly turned around but he had vanished. According to my judgment of the surrounding environment, he had already left for at least 60 meters away in just two or three seconds.”
“THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!” Yu Shiqing shouted. “You’re a soldier, Yangfan. DO NOT make such a joke with me. Even a martial arts grandmaster who is good at speed is impossible to sprint a distance of 60 meters in two seconds. Also, I know perfectly well about your skills. You won the state tracking competition twice in a row, while your combat sense has also reached a better level than mine in the last drill. It’s just impossible for anyone to place a knife on your neck without you being able to react at all.”
“But it is the truth, Captain,” said Chen Yangfan in a bitter tone. “I can’t believe it myself, but it did really happen, and I was forced to believe it.”
Yu Shuqing fell silent for a few seconds and asked, “Then what about old Mouse?”
“I lost his track,” said Chen Yangfan. “That man correctly guessed that I’m from a special force, but he did not know much further than that. Also, he issued a warning to be passed on to my superior, that is: we are to never investigate Mouse again, otherwise…”
Yu Shuqing squinted his eyes, and coldly asked, “What else did he say?”
“Nothing. But his murderous aura is very strong,” said Chen Yangfan. “I dare say that the number of people he has killed should be not less than three digits, else he wouldn’t have such a strong murderous aura.”
After pondering for a long while, Yu Shuqing finally said, “Since you’ve lost his track, then come back now! As long as this old Mouse has yet to leave Shanghai, we’ll find him sooner or later.”