Chapter 146: Waiting for the Slaughter
"Damn it, I must really owe you guys," Fan swore in frustration. At his side, Lao San nearly burst out laughing. "What the hell are you laughing at? Was your breakfast not to your liking?"
"Come on, Boss, act like one," Lao San said, shooting Fan an annoyed glare. "Don't take it out on me just because someone else pissed you off!" In the current Wolf Fang, there weren't many besides him who dared to talk to Fan that way.
"I don't act like a boss? Who does? You? He Yi? Or that guy upstairs who we don't even know is awake yet?" Fan was even more irritated now. If he weren't mindful of the other members present, he would've already kicked him.
"Holy shit. I was wondering why a crow was cawing outside my window this morning. Turns out someone was talking trash about me behind my back!"
As it happened, Zhou Fan, who was just coming down the stairs, overheard Fan. "Are the members of Wolf Fang all this crude? You like talking about people behind their backs?"
"I'd say it to your face, too. Now get over here and let's figure out how to lure those guys out. He Yi just sent a message. They're hanging around the hotel, but they won't make a move!" Fan couldn't be bothered to argue with Zhou Fan. He walked over to a sofa, sat down, and pointed to a topographical map of Jiang Province.
"From the hotel, go east for about a hundred kilometers. There's an old car factory there, abandoned for years. The surrounding ten kilometers are desolate. On either side of the factory are two dense forests, perfect for your Wolf Fang and Tiger Teeth to hide. At sunset today, I'll drive to the factory!"
Zhou Fan's playful demeanor was gone. He looked at the map, then pointed to a location in Jiang Province's East Suburb, having delivered his plan in a low voice.
"You're going to drive there by yourself?" Fan asked in disbelief.
"What, should I take a taxi instead?" Zhou Fan retorted, looking at Fan like he was an idiot.
"No, that's not it. I mean, if you drive there by yourself, they'll definitely know it's an ambush!" Fan explained.
"Don't worry, I know Blake. He'll go," Zhou Fan said with a confident smile. "He hasn't made his move, not because he's worried about an ambush, but because that guy has never liked to overcomplicate simple things. This is a bustling city center. If he accidentally killed an innocent bystander, would your three departments let him go? Absolutely not!"
"The smartest thing about Blake is that he knows under what conditions he can move against people like you. Simply put, he understands the bottom line of every nation's clandestine organizations. Understand?"
"And, I'll say something that might make you angry, but in Blake's eyes, he probably doesn't give a damn about you or your Wolf Fang. The same goes for He Yi's Tiger Teeth. The only one he's truly wary of is that madman from Dragon Fang!"
Zhou Fan spoke in an unhurried tone. Then he sat down by the window, watching the pedestrians pass by on the street below, his thoughts a mystery.
Fan desperately wanted to find the words to refute what Zhou Fan had just said, but after racking his brain for a long time, he couldn't think of a single comeback.
'Whether it's me or He Yi, in the eyes of an assassin like Blake, ranked third in the world, we probably don't even register. The only things he's wary of are that madman from Dragon Fang and the line our three squads won't cross.'
"Leave in waves. Objective: the forest to the left of the old car factory. Inform He Yi that his team will take the forest to the right. Everyone must be in position before sunset!" Taking a deep breath, Fan turned to Lao San, then glanced over at Zhou Fan. "Be careful. They will stop at nothing to kill you."
Zhou Fan nodded. With his arm around Gu Feifei, he swaggered out of the hotel. He then drove her around Jiang Province, eating and drinking to their hearts' content. It was a picture of leisure.
In the afternoon, Zhou Fan and Gu Feifei finally headed to the Gu Group, where he spent the rest of the afternoon in her office.
It wasn't until the end of the workday that Zhou Fan and Gu Feifei left the office. They walked to the parking garage, got into a car, and drove out of the city.
"Blake, it looks like the Nether King is heading out of the city. Do we follow?" Sean asked, looking up at Blake after receiving a report from one of his men.
"Follow him. We'll take care of him outside the city," Blake answered without a moment's hesitation, getting up and heading for the door.
"Aren't you afraid of an ambush?" Sean asked, perplexed.
"If there's an ambush, we kill them all. I'll handle the Nether King. You and the others will intercept any members of Wolf Fang and Tiger Teeth," Blake replied with swaggering confidence, utterly self-assured.
As the sun began to set, Zhou Fan's car pulled into the old car factory. He parked, cut the engine, and got out to stand beside his vehicle. Looking back down the road, he saw a cloud of dust billowing up as a convoy of cars sped in his direction.
Zhou Fan retrieved a dagger from the car and gripped it tightly. With a cigarette hanging from his lips, he waited, his face expressionless, for the slaughter to begin…