Golden Triangle, outside Lashio, an abandoned rubber factory.
The torrential rain washed over the rusted iron sheets of the factory building.
Qin Ao stepped through the puddles, entering the factory. In his hand, he carried the "cargo" for this mission—a shopping bag marked with an LV logo.
But inside, there were no expensive luxury goods.
No, perhaps from another perspective, what was inside was far more valuable than the luxury goods that should have been there.
Because in this bag was the head of the Wang family patriarch, one of the four great families of the Golden Triangle. The expensive silk Tang suit had been torn into strips, filling the extra space in the shopping bag, trying to minimize the speed at which the brain matter seeped through the seams.
"Thirty million US dollars, cash." Qin Ao slammed the shopping bag onto the table with a thud.
Behind the table, the old man of the Wu family stroked his jade ring. Naturally, what was on the tea table was not cash, but a set of purple sand teaware.
The old man, who had seen countless grand occasions, frowned, clearly displeased with Qin Ao's rough actions.
However, he still leisurely poured the Pu'er tea. Instead, it was the dozen or so armed bodyguards behind him who seemed to receive some signal, suddenly raising their gun muzzles to aim at this young man who had been notorious in the underworld in recent years.
Qin Ao raised an eyebrow: "You're going to renege on the deal?"
"Young man." The old man sipped his black tea, his murky eyes flashing with a sharp light, "Do you know that with countless people available here, why I specifically chose you outsiders, these mercenaries?"
Qin Ao understood instantly. He grinned, revealing white teeth.
After taking a deep breath, feeling the faint smell of gasoline in the air—he laughed: "Because outsiders are easy to bully? Easy to renege on deals?"
The old man raised the corners of his mouth, about to smile, but was interrupted by a loud bang at the factory door—
The moment the factory iron gate collapsed with a crash, Qin Ao rolled aside to hide behind a steel column.
Thirty camouflaged mercenaries broke through the wall. They wore the same Black Dragon armbands as Qin Ao, and the reflections of their scopes formed a scattered constellation in the rain.
At the same time, the metallic click of a heavy machine gun being loaded came from the roof.
...
Screams and gunshots continued for a full three minutes in the torrential rain.
Then...
"Dragon King Palace rules—"
Qin Ao walked out unhurriedly, kicked over the tea table, pressed his M1911 against the old man's forehead, "Reneging doubles the price! Ten times!"
The old man's jade ring fell to the ground, shattering in two.
"G-give me three days to raise the money..."
He tremblingly squeezed out these words, but in the next instant, Qin Ao had already pulled the trigger.
"Sorry, I prefer to get it myself."
Red and white splattered against the white wall behind him, like an abstract ink wash painting.
When Qin Ao walked out of this factory that had become a living hell, he stepped into an off-road vehicle that had been parked long ago.
Afterward, he took out a satellite phone: "Hummingbird, they really don't keep their word. Meet at rendezvous point A, prepare to raid their homes."
A familiar female voice came from the other end: "Waiting for you."
...
Qin Ao drove the off-road vehicle at high speed on the muddy mountain road. The rain continued to pour, and the windshield wipers swung frantically, but still couldn't clear the blurred vision.
Suddenly, several glaring car lights exploded from the trees on both sides of the road ahead. Immediately following, gunshots like thunder, bullets penetrated the windshield, and the mercenary in the passenger seat was killed on the spot.
"Ambush!" Qin Ao jerked the steering wheel, the car swerving violently. The tires skidded in the mud, ultimately spinning out of control and crashing into a tree trunk.
He kicked open the door and rolled out. Behind him, the off-road vehicle exploded with a roar, flames soaring into the sky.
He gritted his teeth and climbed up, using the explosion as cover, quickly darting into the dense forest.
A sharp pain shot through his right leg as he fell—the tibia was definitely broken.
Shrapnel tore through his tactical vest, while also ripping open a wound on his abdomen.
"Fuck! Did the Wu family have more prepared?" He changed magazines behind the burning car frame when suddenly his eyes widened.
But in the next moment, familiar figures appeared in the rain—
It was his deputy, Viper, and next to Viper was his trusted lover, Hummingbird.
Hummingbird wore the white dress from when they first met, but the muzzle of her MP5 was pointed directly at him.
Rain soaked her long hair, sticking to her pale face like little black snakes.
...
"Hmph, so that's how it is." Qin Ao sneered coldly, slowly stood up, rain sliding down his cheeks, but his gaze was colder than a blade.
Viper wrapped an arm around Hummingbird's waist, walking forward triumphantly: "Boss, didn't expect this day to come for you, did you?"
Hummingbird smiled coquettishly, her fingers gently caressing Viper's cheek, but her gaze looked at Qin Ao playfully: "Don't worry, the Wu family has been taken care of now. The vault has been emptied, containing hundreds of millions in gold bars and antiques..."
Qin Ao stared at Hummingbird, the corners of his mouth curling into a mocking arc: "Hummingbird, are you sure you want to stand with him?"
Hummingbird's smile remained unchanged, but a cold flash appeared in her eyes: "Qin Ao, you're too arrogant, thinking I would follow you forever?"
Viper laughed loudly, raising his gun to aim at Qin Ao: "Boss, don't struggle. Out of past affection, I'll give you a quick death."
However, just as his words fell—
"Bang!"
The gunshot exploded. Viper's smile froze on his face. He looked down in disbelief at the blood gushing from his chest, then slowly turned to look at Hummingbird.
Hummingbird expressionlessly holstered her pistol.
Viper collapsed to the ground, dying with his eyes wide open.
Qin Ao watched this scene and suddenly laughed loudly: "Hahahaha, Hummingbird, you're still the same as ever."
Hummingbird didn't reply, just looked at him coldly, with a trace of pity in her eyes.
This man before her was gloomy and cruel, but undeniably very charming.
She had indeed loved him... perhaps she still did now.
But love itself, compared to a warehouse full of gold and antiques, was just too cheap.
So cheap that it took her only three seconds to decide to betray him.
Qin Ao slowly shook his head, a hint of regret in his eyes: "Didn't we agree, earn enough money, and go to the Maldives together?"
Hummingbird sneered: "What you said was indeed tempting, but... I've come to understand, being the wife of a rich man is far worse than being a single wealthy woman."
Qin Ao was silent for a moment, then suddenly revealed a strange smile: "Too bad, you miscalculated one thing."
Hummingbird frowned: "What?"
Qin Ao suddenly pulled open his jacket, revealing C4 explosives strapped to his body, with only the last three seconds left on the countdown.
Hummingbird's face changed drastically, she stepped back in horror: "You—"
"BOOM—!!!"
The violent explosion consumed everything. Fire soared into the sky, flames danced wildly in the torrential rain, completely swallowing the two figures.
...
In the firelight of the explosion, Qin Ao's last remaining consciousness recalled the scene when he first met Hummingbird.
It was in a Bangkok bar. She was also wearing this white dress, singing "Hotel California," with an innocence in her eyes that couldn't be concealed.
Now the dress was stained red, like a blooming poppy.
...
Fuck this goddamn world!
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