Beginning with the Ubume Bird

“Brother, please forgive me, I don’t want to do this either.”

Li Yan pressed his lips together, not speaking.

In He Andong’s hands, the Type 54 Black Star was held with a steadiness that clearly revealed years of rigorous training.

At this moment, through Li Yan’s eyes, the intensity of the red glow emanating from He Andong’s body could be described as boiling, and it even showed a faint trend of turning purple-black.

After all, the gun barrel was pressed against his chest. The other party was an old, shrewd, and composed big-time criminal; there basically wasn’t much chance of turning the tables.

“Killing me now doesn’t make much sense, does it?”

“Turn your head around.”

Li Yan took a few deep breaths, his teeth grinding with a crunching sound. Yet, without much hesitation, he promptly turned his head.

But what He Andong didn’t see was the ripples of black that flickered in Li Yan’s eyes as he turned!

“You have obtained some information, would you like to view it? Viewing will cost a few Yan Fu points.”

“Yes!”

In an instant, a cold sensation surged into Li Yan’s brain.

“You have chosen to use ‘A Fleeting Glimpse’ on the target, to obtain information about the target or discern the target’s weaknesses, and from now on, you will not be prompted and Yan Fu points will be directly deducted.”

“Target locked: He Andong. This lock can be lifted at any time.”

“Unfortunately, you did not discover the opponent’s weakness. If the target remains under ‘A Fleeting Glimpse’ for a prolonged period, the chance of discerning their weakness will increase.”

You have obtained the following information:

Name: He Andong

Status: Fatigued, minor injuries.

Proficiency: Firearms 39%/100%

Skills:

1. Well-Trained: Enhancement of all-around combat skills.

2. Cold Killer: 87/100 (Locked)

Threat Level: Deep Red

Evaluation: In principle, we do not support unarmed confrontation against firearms without any inheritable abilities. Of course, with threats below black, you still have a chance to win. Good luck.

If ten thousand Hong Kong dollars only bought him the text above, then Li Yan could basically declare himself AFK and flip off Mo, the dead fatty.

‘A Fleeting Glimpse’ could be ranked alongside the ES Series Elixirs as one of the purchase rights Mo had granted to Li Yan; there was no doubt about its utility in Mo’s opinion!

Even though it was just the moment before he turned his head, Li Yan still distinctly felt as if He Andong, seen through his eyes, seemed to have separated from the entire world. The contraction of every muscle, the slight rise and fall of his chest, were all so clear and apparent to him—even the slight deformation of the skin on his index finger as it pressed against the trigger was plain to see. Such a surreal experience was unprecedented for Li Yan.

If it had been before He Andong pulled out his gun, within eight steps, Li Yan was confident that he could bring He Andong down on the spot under this state!

However, after Li Yan turned around, that odd state disappeared without a trace. All that was left was the cold barrel of the gun pressed against the coarse fabric at his back. Li Yan had no doubt that if he made any sudden moves, He Andong would pull the trigger mercilessly, and the bullet would pierce his lungs diagonally, ending his life shortly thereafter; talk of Bagua Palm, Crane Cry Fist, or a high talent in ancient martial arts at 81%, was all bullshit.

“You walk the way I tell you to walk.”

He Andong whispered in Li Yan’s ear.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t go back to report. Maybe the Flying Tigers can’t surround this place in time yet. Using me as cover and rushing out now might be your only chance to survive.”

Li Yan said half-truthfully.

He Andong was silent for a while before answering calmly, “I brought them out, and I will definitely bring them back.”

Li Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly, his thoughts unreadable.

“Let’s go!”

He Andong pushed Li Yan down the stairs. After winding through several passages, they came to a house. The alleyways in Kowloon City were so narrow that they barely allowed more than a shoulder’s breadth, and the apartments were even worse to speak of. The two had not been walking long before they arrived in front of a door.

“Knock on the door.”

He Andong said softly.

Left with no choice, Li Yan knocked forcefully on the metal gate. Before long, an old man with sunken eye sockets and wearing a white coat opened a crack in the door, peering at Li Yan through the iron bars.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Uncle Wen, it’s me.”

He Andong’s head peeked out from behind Li Yan.

“Dong? How come…”

“Uncle Wen, let us in first; I’ll explain to you in a moment,”

Uncle Wen pursed his lips subtly and nodded, proceeding to unlock the chain on the door.

He Andong, pushing Li Yan into the room, found what appeared to be a private clinic. The place was divided into an inner and an outer chamber, reeking of disinfectant, which even overpowered the fishy smell wafting through the entire apartment complex.

On a stretcher bed in the inner room lay a man who groaned softly from time to time. His body was wrapped in bandages, and nearby, a plate contained seven or eight distorted bullets.

Besides, there were two despondent men: one standing by the stretcher bed and the other silently smoking in a chair.

“Brother Dong.”

“Brother Dong.”

The man sitting in the chair stood up, and the one on the stretcher also called out to He Andong.

He Andong pushed Li Yan to the man who had stood up, keeping the Black Star handgun aimed at Li Yan.

“Gao Cheng, get a rope and tie his hands. Be careful, this guy might have some training.”

Li Yan’s situation seemed to have worsened, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. To him, this was far better than if He Andong had really attempted to break out with him in tow!

This wasn’t modern mainland China, and the ones surrounding them weren’t People’s Police. If you think those Hong Kong police shouting ‘Long Live the Queen’ would care about the safety of the people above all else, you must be kidding!

So he didn’t believe the police would hold back out of concern for harming him in the face of these murderous thugs. By then, he feared he might end up as collateral damage in a shootout. Even if not, Li Yan didn’t want to take that bet.

To stay alive, he couldn’t rely on others!

“Dong, didn’t we have an agreement? Why did you bring another person here?”

Uncle Wen complained.

With a naive smile, He Andong said to the old man,

“Sorry, Uncle Wen. I’ve got another forty thousand in my bag, on top of the twenty thousand from before. Take it all. We might have to stay here a bit longer, and I’m counting on you to treat my brother’s injuries.”

The old man’s expression softened a bit, “You don’t need to be so polite, Dong. We’re good friends; I’ll definitely help you out if you’re in trouble.”

As he turned, presumably to retrieve something, He Andong’s face flashed with cruelty. His right hand rose, and the muzzle of his gun spat out a blinding burst of flame. Uncle Wen’s head was smashed to pieces in an instant; blood and brains splattered, some landing on Li Yan’s face with a sickening pale smear.

Li Yan grimaced, letting the vile stuff on his face slide off, while marveling at Dong’s ruthless decisiveness.

Although Red Ghost hadn’t clarified over the phone why the police had been able to find this place so quickly, there was little doubt that this old man in a white coat was the prime suspect, and there was clearly no time left for him to prove his innocence…

“Brother Dong, what have you…”

The man sitting by the bed stood up in shock as well.

He Andong lowered his hand and said, “He snitched. The police will be here any minute, we need to get out now.”

“What!”

The two men’s complexions turned ashen in an instant; the one by the bed slumped into a chair, seemingly in utter despair.

Kowloon City was not like the area outside; it was too congested and claustrophobic, and with its intricate layout, once the police had them cornered, there’d be no escape!

“What about Jin?”

Gao Cheng reacted more quickly, but his question silenced everyone.

“Dong… Brother Dong…”

Jin on the bed trembled, calling out weakly.

He Andong quickly approached, taking Jin’s hand.

His gaze was firm and steady.

“Jin, do you trust me, Brother Dong?”

“Dong… Brother Dong…”

“Do you trust me?!”

He Andong bellowed.

“I do…”

“Listen. In Hong Kong, you won’t get the death penalty for piracy. Stay here, the police will take you to the hospital. Just wait for me. As long as He Andong is breathing, I’ll break into the jail and rescue you…”

With his mouth agape, Jin’s complexion grew paler as he listened.

“No way!”

The man by the bed suddenly looked up, protesting.