Greg’s fist, carrying enough terrifying force to crush a tank, expanded rapidly in Kane’s pupils.

  The scent of death rushed toward him, so thick it was almost tangible.

  Kane lay on the ground. The sharp pain in his chest made even breathing difficult, but the smirk beneath his hood only deepened.

  If you’re going to act, you have to commit to the full performance.

  The iron fist was less than ten centimeters from his face. The violent gale from the punch had already blown his hood back.

  Then, a voice—slightly lazy yet possessing a metallic edge—drifted from the other end of the passage.

  "That's enough, Hammer. Andrew only told you to capture him, not to completely destroy this precious 'asset'."

  Greg’s fist stopped abruptly in mid-air.

  The terrifying gust of wind still stung Kane’s cheeks.

  Greg slowly raised his head. For the first time, a look of annoyance at being interrupted surfaced on his muscle-bound face.

  "Rennie?"

  Tap. Tap. Tap...

  Clear footsteps approached from the distance.

  Two figures emerged from the shadows deep within the corridor.

  The man in the lead wore a crisp, silver-gray Kunlun Corp combat suit, starkly different from the uniforms of the standard soldiers in the base. His gear was spotless. He wore black tactical gloves, and a uniquely shaped energy pistol hung at his waist. He was slender, with silver short hair groomed meticulously. A professional smile sat on his face, but his gray eyes held no warmth.

  He was the leader of the Silver Wolf Squad, Captain Rennie.

  Following half a step behind Rennie was a short figure.

  It was the info broker, Booker.

  He still wore that greasy jacket. His mechanical prosthetic eye flickered with a red light while his other eye scanned back and forth between Kane and Greg with interest, a playful smirk hanging on his lips.

  In that moment, Kane’s heart settled completely.

  They were here.

  The fish had all taken the bait.

  Andrew Zoe’s man.

  Another faction within Kunlun Corp.

  And... the mysterious third-party force behind Booker.

  Only now had this game of chess truly begun.

  "I don't need you poking your nose into my business." Greg retracted his fist and slowly stood straight. His mountain-like frame was radiating pressure. He glared at Rennie, his tone hostile.

  "I certainly have no right to interfere with the actions of the great 'Hammer'," Rennie smiled, his tone filled with undisguised mockery. "I am simply following Company orders to bring him back. I will explain things to Supervisor Andrew personally."

  Greg’s expression darkened instantly. "What did you say?"

  "Was I not clear enough?" Rennie spread his hands. "The higher-ups are very interested in this 'Ghost.' His value is far greater than being handed over to Supervisor Andrew for a venting session. Hand him over to me. That is an order."

  "Orders?" Greg let out a sneer. He cracked his knuckles, which were the size of clay pots, producing a series of sharp pops like bursting beans. "In this place, my fist is the order!"

  "Tsk, tsk, tsk," Booker, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up in a strange, mocking tone. "Two big shots from Kunlun, and both with such short tempers. You haven't even divided the man up yet, and you're already starting an internal feud?"

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  He took a step forward. His red-glinting mechanical eye swept over Kane, as if appraising the quality of a piece of merchandise.

  "Captain Rennie, you claim he belongs to your company, but I’m afraid I have to disagree. From what I know, the abilities he possesses aren't something Kunlun Corp’s technology can manufacture."

  Rennie shifted his gaze toward Booker, his professional smile fading slightly. "Mr. Booker, don't you think you owe me an explanation for being here as well?"

  "An explanation?" Booker grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "I delivered a piece of intel to Mr. Andrew Zoe, and he hasn't paid up. Right now, I’m just checking in on my client and... collecting a bit of 'interest' while I’m at it."

  "Are you saying you want a piece of the pie too?" Rennie’s eyes turned sharp.

  "No, no, no," Booker wagged a finger. "I don't want a piece of the pie. I want to take the whole thing. I'm taking him."

  The moment those words left his mouth, the air in the passage seemed to freeze.

  The gazes of both Greg and Rennie locked onto Booker simultaneously.

  One was the strongest killing machine under Andrew’s command.

  The other was the representative of another faction within Kunlun Corp.

  And now, a bottom-tier info broker from Blackrock Town actually dared to say he was going to snatch the target right in front of them?

  "You’re looking for death." There was no longer any attempt to hide the killing intent in Greg’s voice.

  Booker, however, didn't seem to care. He shrugged. "Don't look at me like that; I’m just the messenger. My boss is very, very interested in the secrets held by this 'Ghost.' Furthermore, he believes that only we can truly unlock those secrets."

  Kane lay on the ground. While suppressing his injuries, he listened to every single word of their conversation.

  The amount of information was massive.

  Andrew and Rennie were definitely not on the same side. Kunlun Corp was not a monolith.

  As for the force behind Booker, their goal was the most explicit—they were after The Five-Star Soul Seal!

  Three factions. Three different demands.

  Greg wanted to drag him back to Andrew to complete the mission.

  Rennie wanted to take him back to the Company as an "asset."

  Booker’s boss wanted to treat him like a lab rat for research.

  Interesting.

  Truly interesting.

  They really thought of him as a choice piece of meat that everyone wanted a bite of?

  "Your boss?" Rennie narrowed his eyes. "Since when did another suicidal local snake crawl out of Blackrock Town?"

  "We’ve always been here. It’s just that you’re all too arrogant to notice the ants beneath your feet." The smile on Booker’s face remained unchanged. "Now, this ant wants to take the cake off your table."

  "Hahahaha!" Greg laughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. He roared with wild laughter, the entire passage vibrating with the sound. "Just you? A maggot that doesn't even belong in the sewers?"

  He took a sudden, violent step forward. His savage aura surged toward Booker like a tsunami.

  "I’m giving you three seconds to vanish from my sight. Otherwise, I’ll grind you and that coward boss of yours into mincemeat together!"

  However, faced with a pressure that would have paralyzed an ordinary person on the spot, Booker merely picked at his ear.

  "Hammer, don't scare me. I’m a timid man."

  He slowly pulled a small metal sphere from his coat and tossed it idly in his hand.

  "But before we get started, I suggest you take a look at this."

  With that, he dropped the metal sphere onto the ground.

  Clack.

  The metal sphere bounced twice, and a blue holographic projection instantly expanded.

  The projection displayed none other than the internal structural diagram of this military base.

  On the map, dozens of red dots were flashing frantically.

  Rennie’s pupils constricted violently.

  "High explosives?!"

  Booker said with a grin, "Not much. Just enough to send this base, along with the foundation beneath it, straight to hell. Tell me, if I press the detonator, which one of us survives?"

  For the first time, Greg’s expression turned ugly.

  No matter how great his strength or how hard his bones, he couldn't survive at the epicenter of dozens of high-explosive charges!

  This lunatic! He actually planted explosives throughout the entire base!

  More importantly, he actually had the capability to pull this off right under the nose of Kunlun Corp!

  "You think this is enough to threaten us?" Rennie quickly regained his composure. "If you blow this place up, you won't survive either."

  "Who said I wanted to live?" Booker spread his hands, wearing an expression of complete indifference. "My life is worthless. To be able to take down Kunlun Corp’s ace 'Hammer' and the captain of the elite 'Silver Wolf' squad with me... no matter how you do the math, that’s a hell of a bargain!"

  Lunatic!

  He was a complete and utter madman!

  Rennie and Greg exchanged a glance, both seeing the brewing trouble in each other's eyes.

  They didn't fear powerful enemies, but they feared this kind of desperate gambler who ignored the rules and flipped the table the moment the game started.

  "State your terms," Rennie said in a heavy voice. He couldn't gamble his life and the lives of his entire squad.

  "Simple," Booker snapped his fingers. "The man goes with me. You two act like you didn't see a thing, go back to your homes, and find your mothers."

  "Impossible!" Greg was the first to roar. "If I hand him over to you, how am I supposed to answer to Supervisor Andrew?"

  "That’s your problem. What the hell does it have to do with me?" Booker rolled his eyes. "Or should we all just set off some big fireworks right here?"

  For a moment, the three parties fell into a strange, tense standoff.

  And Kane, the very center of the storm, seemed to have been forgotten by everyone as he continued to lie "weakly" on the ground.

  The smile hidden beneath his hood, however, grew increasingly pronounced.

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