Naturally, the marble floor couldn't withstand the impact of the combined three lasers, and fragments instantly went flying.
A large hole was blasted right through the reinforced concrete, and the remaining force slammed heavily onto the piano below.
The chaotic notes instantly exploded, followed by the sound of everything shattering to pieces.
Standing in front of the hole, Bai Xiaodu had a dark look on his face.
There was no one below, only the piano.
How fancy. It even has a self-playing timer function.
Click. Click. Click.
One by one, the crystal chandeliers on the villa's ceiling lit up, instantly illuminating the entire hall. Accompanying this sound was the gentle clapping of hands.
On the second-floor corridor of the villa, there was a section that jutted inward, featuring a railing designed to overlook the main hall.
A figure stood tall and imposing.
The lights shone on his sickly pale face, and his sharp, pointed fangs were faintly visible.
He wore a ridiculously flashy blood-red suit over his shoulders, complete with a small black bow tie.
It was none other than Jedoli!
Meeting the gazes of everyone present, Jedoli gave a wicked smile.
He pulled a red wine goblet out of nowhere, gently swirled it with one hand, and spoke in a slow, deliberate manner.
“Good evening, gentlemen.”
After saying this, he took a gentle sip, a look of pure enjoyment washing over his pale face.
“Ah, yes, I know your hearts might be filled with doubts, but there is no need to feel anxious over this little interlude...”
His tone suddenly shifted, and a look of arrogance appeared on his face.
“Because you will all be dead very soon. You should be a bit happier before you die so your corpses look better.”
The people in the hall on the first floor looked up at him in unison, their expressions filled with resentment, suspicion, and fear.
A few were eager to charge up, but seeing no reaction from those around them, they quietly backed down.
After all, this grand entrance was simply too ostentatious.
Even Katemor was taken aback, his brow furrowed in uncertainty as he hesitated over whether to leap up and make a move.
Bai Xiaodu ignored him and quickly scanned their surroundings.
There was plenty of miscellaneous furniture and metal objects around.
Confirming that chaotic footsteps were starting to close in on them, he silently took a step back, putting Katemor and his men in front of him as a shield.
Bai Xiaodu looked up and spoke to him coldly.
“Jedoli, you certainly have some nerve. Knowing I was coming, you still dared to act as bait yourself.”
“Drop all your weapons and come with me now. Perhaps Lady Xin Hai'an will consider sparing your life.”
After speaking, Bai Xiaodu's face twitched.
Why do I sound like some low-level lackey riding on someone else's coattails?
Looking at how the spotlight of the entire room was on him, it seemed as if Jedoli was the true protagonist of this stage.
Standing on the second floor, the young vampire shook his head with a laugh, a contemptuous look on his face.
“Bai Xiaodu, do you even believe your own words?”
“As for Lady Xin Hai'an... I believe she is only temporarily blinded by a lowly beastkin like you. One day, she will see my perseverance and effort, my determination and talent that refuse to bow to the mortal realm.”
Having said that, Jedoli was filled with grand ambition, throwing his long arms wide.
“Do you think I went through all the trouble of transporting potions and forging so many bills just to pocket a few Federation coins?”
“No, all of this was merely for a much grander goal! I was born into a branch family. It doesn't matter if the vampire clan's resources didn't favor me; I will carve out my own path.”
“When I help the Lord ascend to a transcendent, that will be the day of my, Jedoli's, rise!”
“When that time comes, I shall soar into the sea of stars, sailing through the universe in a single starship.”
“I want this sky to no longer blind my eyes! I want this earth to no longer block my path!”
Bang!
Before Jedoli could even finish his speech, Bai Xiaodu swiftly drew the Glock pistol he had hidden at his waist, flicked off the safety in an instant, and fired a shot straight at his head!
The opponent was a Rank 0.6 Ranger Apprentice. If he were spotted condensing his spell runes beforehand and a dart was thrown his way, it wouldn't be any fun.
I have no idea what this idiot is babbling about, but at least he gave me time to draw my gun.
Sparks burst from the muzzle, and the bullet whistled through the air.
But the final outcome made everyone's eyes widen in shock!
At the exact moment Bai Xiaodu drew his gun, Jedoli had unexpectedly pulled a pistol from his coat as well, aiming a shot straight at Bai Xiaodu's head!
Bai Xiaodu, who had invested points into his Perception attribute, naturally saw the movement clearly and couldn't help but curse out loud.
“Jedoli, you motherfucker, you set me up!”
The proficiency and smoothness of the motion were definitely not a split-second reaction.
This guy was one hundred percent drawing his gun just now; it just so happened that Bai Xiaodu had fired at the same time.
Twisting his body rapidly, the bullet zipped past like a shooting star, yet it still clipped a lock of silver hair near Bai Xiaodu's cheek.
A few silver strands drifted lazily in the air.
A flash of regret crossed Jedoli's eyes because, by then, Bai Xiaodu had already retreated swiftly, hiding behind a pile of miscellaneous furniture.
However, Katemor and his men were still out in the open!
Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his pistol, aimed, and pulled the trigger repeatedly. A few of the slowest-reacting unfortunates instantly shrieked in pain.
Amid the chaos of wails and falling bodies, those still alive scrambled to find cover.
Katemor and Leo even held their heads and bolted straight toward Bai Xiaodu's hiding spot.
The two of them crouched in a panic, trying to make themselves as small as possible. Before they could even breathe a sigh of relief, their hearts leaped into their throats.
For they saw Bai Xiaodu lying flat on the floor with a solemn expression, dragging a corpse over to pin in front of himself as a double-layered shield!
Motherfucker, this guy is a total scumbag! Just a moment ago, he was putting his arm around us, calling us brothers, talking about a fifty-fifty split, and now he's dragging his own brother over to use as a sandbag to block bullets!
Even we gangsters don't do stuff like this!
Of course, Katemor only dared to keep these thoughts buried deep in his heart.
His Perception wasn't as strong as Bai Xiaodu's, but looking up, he could also see figures crowded on the second floor not far away.
He estimated there were about a dozen people, with at least three or four guns visible at a single glance.
Right now, even being a Warrior Apprentice who excelled at defense was useless; if he went out, he would only get turned into a sieve.
So...
In this kind of situation where they were being shot at from above, outnumbered, and pinned down by gunfire, they really could only rely on Bai Xiaodu.
Beside him, Leo was trembling all over, his face even paler than Jedoli's. He kept muttering under his breath, “We're dead, we're dead, we're dead...”
But suddenly, he seemed to realize something and turned his head toward Bai Xiaodu and Katemor.
“No, wait...”
“Why do those guys have our Jackal Gang tattoos on their arms too?”
Hearing this, Katemor was also taken aback.
“What did you just say?”
Leo repeated his words. Katemor immediately kept low and peeked out cautiously. Instantly, his pupils dilated in shock.
He couldn't help but shout.
“It's Sothus! The northern manager of our Jackal Gang! We're in deep trouble now. He must be here to avenge his younger brother, Xitus!”
“How did he get here, and why is he helping that brat Jedoli? Didn't I explicitly tell you guys not to speak of this to anyone?!”
Lying on the floor, Bai Xiaodu's face was filled with speechlessness.
“Xitus's brother? The one who's here to avenge the guy who got run over by the heavy semi-trailer?”
Before they could finish their conversation, a heart-wrenching scream erupted from the second floor of the villa.
“It's him!!!”
A burly, tower-like man leaned over the railing, holding a gun in one hand and firing frantically at their hiding spot like a madman.
Huge tears streamed down from the corners of his eyes.
“Xitus! My brother died by his hands!”
“Brother, there's nothing more I can give you, but I will send this guy to the underworld to accompany you right now!”
Sucking in a breath through his teeth, Bai Xiaodu called out tentatively.
“Your brother's death has nothing to do with me. It was all on the orders of the Explorers Association. If you want revenge, you shouldn't be looking for me.”
“If you've got the guts, go find Director-General Shen! What kind of hero picks on a temp worker like me who doesn't even have a formal contract, social security, or any benefits?”
But hearing this, the gunfire didn't pause in the slightest. Instead, it grew even more intense.
Crackling like New Year's firecrackers from several households at once, the rate of fire was so high it seemed as if they were going to ruin their own weapons.
Sothus was practically roaring.
“Bullshit!”
“I don't know who gave the order to kill my brother, but I know damn well who ran over his corpse with a heavy truck three times!”
“Bai Xiaodu, are you even human? Do you have any humanity left in you?”
“What terrible crime did my brother commit to have his corpse desecrated like that after death?”
“Do you have any idea how much effort it took me to piece him back together?!”
Having said this, Sothus couldn't help but sob once more.
“A piece here... a piece there. One part was run over and flattened on the ground, and another ended up hanging from a tree, swaying in the wind... Aaaaah!”
Rate on N.U.
