Special Forces Medic

Chapter 901 873: The Black Shadow's Ambush

The container overhead came from the right side, moving much slower than the cars below. As Arthur shouted loudly, the middle-aged man had already noticed the anomaly. He swiftly turned the steering wheel to the left, trying to escape the danger overhead.

With a bang, just as the car turned, the container landed in their previous position. Saying they weren't terrified would be a lie. It would be strange if such a massive object didn't crush them into pulp as it fell.

"Damn it!" Arthur spat out a curse through his teeth, a cold glint in his eyes. "Drop me off up ahead."

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment. Seeing that the dropping of the two containers was not really to kill them but to guide them onto another path, he turned to the right. Arthur seized the moment when he slowed down to jump out of the car, rolling into the darkness.

The black Toyota sped forward, while Arthur ran in the opposite direction, hiding behind a container and looking up. A shadow flitted overhead, and he immediately followed.

Five steps away from where the shadow paused, Arthur took a short gun from his backpack and crept forward. Arthur, known for his cat-like stealth, could silently close in behind someone if he wanted to. Confident in his abilities, he moved forward, but just as he took his first step, the shadow sensed his presence. The shadow turned around and fired a bullet in Arthur's direction; by the time Arthur dodged, the figure had vanished into the darkness.

A bullet without killing intent burst into a spark upon hitting the container; Arthur didn't even feel the need to dodge. Realizing the opponent didn't intend to kill him, he turned and ran. It was a trap, a route designed to make him fall into a pit.

Just as Arthur left, a ghostly voice sounded above where he had stood. A tall figure, draped in what seemed like a cloak, looked in the direction Arthur fled towards the car. The figure raised a hand, and two shadows instantly flew out, following Arthur.

Realizing he was pursued, Arthur climbed a stack of two containers and, through the gun sight, shot a bullet into the head of one of the followers. The man fell silently, his head obliterated, while Arthur somersaulted and leapt off the other end. From the footsteps, there should be one more.

In the dim environment, both held their breath, trying to locate each other without emitting a sound, fearing being detected and killed.

A crackle—the sound of a shoe crushing a stone—immediately a bullet emerged from its case. Arthur timed his response, firing a bullet towards the direction of the initial shot. A muted sound followed as the figure collapsed. After dispatching two opponents, Arthur exhaled deeply, swallowing.

He approached the body, pulling back the veil to find a brown-haired foreigner. Stunned for a moment, as he turned to leave, a cold gun pressed against his skull. A hand took his gun, tossing it aside, followed by a kick to his knee, forcing him to kneel.

Listening to the cocking of the gun by his ear, Arthur, familiar with the moment before death, felt numb without much sensation. An assassin could easily become the target.

He silently counted, anticipating the opponent's next move. Suddenly, a bullet from his right grazed his hair, entering the opponent's chest. Only those with experience could hear the hissing airflow. Arthur fell to the ground, and the person behind him became a corpse without any resistance. He refrained from acting rashly, soon realizing someone short stood beside him, yanking him up and running.

"Charles?" Arthur recognized the person from the back. He was surprised why Charles was here, but the urgency of the situation left no room for other thoughts. Following Charles into a passageway lined with containers, they zigzagged to a road-like area, actually a lane for vehicles to enter and exit the dock.

"Get in the car up front." Charles pointed to a white Land Rover and jumped into a silver QQ car nearby. Arthur had no choice; black-clad men, guided by a shadow above, pursued them. Through the rearview mirror, Hua Qingyi observed the shadow, while Xiao Lin also noticed the figure.

Once Arthur leaped into Hua Qingyi's car, Xiao Lin darted out from the side. The white Land Rover followed closely. Arthur had no time to greet Hua Qingyi as a punch from the driver sent him sprawling into his seat. "I warned you not to leave the room." It served as a small lesson for disobedience. Hua Qingyi made no further moves, though Arthur was reluctant. Considering today's events, without them, he might have truly become the victim.

"Where are we going?"

"To a safe place." Following the QQ car ahead, Hua Qingyi drove. The people encountered at the dock seemed not to pursue, or perhaps they never intended to?

Xiao Lin drove the car into the underground garage of a three-star hotel in the city. Just after getting out of the car, Hua Qingyi was already parked beside him. Charles automatically retreated to Arthur's side, and although they were not members of the same family, there was still an extraordinary bond between them.

In the guest room with two suites, Hua Qingyi sat half on the armrest of the sofa, while Xiao Lin sat in the middle. Clearly, Charles was leaning toward Xiao Lin, that someone with a notable position in the Mafia would stand behind a Chinese person; this kind of courtesy was incomprehensible to Arthur.

"This person saved my life." Charles openly responded to Arthur's inquisitive gaze. Having been taken out of the factory, even though Charles was admitted to the hospital, he received information that he couldn't be treated. However, it was Xiao Lin who dragged him back from the brink of death, allowing him to stand here now.

"I still stand by my word; it's impossible to work with you."

"Wang Zhantian wants to kill you, yet you still want to hide him?" Xiao Lin examined Arthur's indignant expression with interest; this was someone who would not let Wang Zhantian off easily. "I just want to know where Hong Lian is?"

"Hong Lian? I don't know who he is." This was the first time Arthur heard this name, and he expressed unfamiliarity.

"The person Wang Zhantian brought along, where is he now?"

"He drove away. He is also one of the people Wang Zhantian wants to eliminate. He said he has the Rose Staff and requested me to take him to see the Godfather, which I refused."

"Hong Lian wants to see the Godfather?" Hua Qingyi repeated in astonishment. Even having acquired the Rose Staff couldn't possibly make the Godfather give up his position. What was Hong Lian thinking?

"Why does Wang Zhantian want to kill me, and why did you save me?"

"Not saving you, just not letting you die." Hua Qingyi corrected Arthur's assumption with a snort.

"Not allowed to die, is it because of the balance in the underworld?" Arthur is trying his best to find suitable words in his limited Chinese to express his meaning? "The person you mentioned told me Wang Zhantian wants me dead to acquire the Dharma Seal for celebration, is that right?"

"Could I ask Arthur a question?" Xiao Lin began using Italian for the dialogue. "What is Wang Zhantian's status in Italy?"

Arthur pondered for a moment. "The Wang Family had clandestinely engaged in smuggling operations with the Italian Mafia a long time ago, primarily shipping arms in the direction of the Golden Triangle, without involving themselves in drugs. After the death of the Wang Family's old patriarch, one of the Wang Family brothers suddenly disappeared, and the remaining one wanted to secure an underground pipeline from the Godfather. However, the previous Godfather did not approve, believing the Wang Family already has the arms business, and adding drugs might bring them risk. So, citing the excuse of temporarily not developing new routes, he refused. The Wang Family's helmsman withdrew all investments from Italy and shifted them domestically. However, up until a few years ago, they started having contact with the current Godfather, albeit discreetly, and not many people knew. From what he understands, the Wang Family always maintained close ties with the lower-level members of the Mafia."

Xiao Lin nodded in acknowledgment, no wonder the Wang Family's power and wealth remained so steady, even amidst this acquisition, they were in an economically intertwined state. "Can I interpret it as the Wang Family's actual position in Italy is not prestigious, but rather mixed among the lower ranks? Then why would you accept this matter? There should be a long-term principle between Italy and here. You must understand you are the one breaking this principle now."

"A month ago, Wang Zhantian was the one who connected the dots, saying someone wanted to hire a hitman because I owed Wang Zhantian a favor even before I got into the Mafia. So this time I came here to repay that favor." Arthur rubbed his hands, what Xiao Lin referred to should be the agreement signed by the previous two generations of Godfathers with this organization, but nowadays, few people bring it up. Each new Godfather would strictly adhere to this rule, warning their subordinates. Now, with this young man laying it out in front of him, Arthur felt inexplicable fear.

"I know who the person he's talking about is." Xiao Lin spoke in Chinese to Hua Qingyi. "Unfortunately, this person was dealt with by Hua Muyun even before the implementation, Wang Zhantian just took advantage of the name to execute the matter thoroughly."

"You all can stay here, the formalities will be processed to send you back to Italy. This matter will be submitted to your Godfather through the Xiao Family; how to handle it all depends on your boss's attitude. However, I still want to remind you that it's not fear that stops us from killing you; we value decorum and hope you understand." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)