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Chapter 308: Chapter 250: Subdue (Please Subscribe!)_1
Elsewhere.
Three ’hijacked’ cars by the robbers are driving on the road.
The other two cars were manageable, but the car with a shattered windshield was inappropriate to be seen on the road, it would be undoubtedly intercepted by the American police in no time. Therefore, after driving this vehicle into an empty alleyway between buildings, they transferred their people to the other two cars and abandoned this one there.
According to the registration information, the owner of the car had no connections with these guys. They’d stolen the car this morning. After all, who would be foolish enough to use their own car for a kidnapping?
Upon receiving the report, the New York Police Department immediately engaged their forces, preparing to track through surveillance. Based on the description provided by the witnesses, this was the kind of situation the American police were least eager to be involved in, as their issued firearms might not be superior to the criminals’, and things could go awry very quickly.
But for some reason today, there were some issues with the surveillance server of that area, causing the video feeds to be a bit lagging. Emergency repairs were currently being scrambled for.
This had the officers from the New York Police Department at the scene cursing profanities. Without direction, there was no way to proceed with the investigation.
Well, they decided to do some patrolling instead.
...
Southwest coast of New York.
In a small coastal forest next to a small road with light traffic.
Two cars were parked along the road, their warning lights flashing.
About ten meters into the forest, fourteen unconscious men were strewn haphazardly about. Due to the dense foliage, people on the road couldn’t see what was happening inside.
Three men stood there, expressionless, two white men and a black man. To avoid complications, aside from security personnel and personnel carrying out special tasks, Tang Qing did not intend to deploy fighters with Asian facial features to this scene.
The fighters did not immediately splash water on them to wake them up. Counting the time, they should wake up soon on their own. There was a light rain beginning to fall from the sky, there was no urgency, so they waited.
No more than five minutes later.
The rain grew heavier.
Johns, the leader of the entire team, was the first to wake up.
Regaining consciousness, the memories of just now immediately flooded into his mind. He quickly realized that he had been ambushed by someone. He thought that only his car had been captured, but seeing his companions lying there, unconscious or dead, he realized that his entire team had been wiped out.
No, wait.
Who are these three?
Stimulated by the raindrops, he snapped awake and quickly stood up, subconsciously reaching for his waist. This was not the time for reminiscences.
But he found nothing.
Of course, his gun had been taken away. Johns could only give a bitter smile, keeping a watchful eye on the three stern-faced men.
"Ah... it hurts..."
"Where are we? Wake up quickly..."
"..."
At this moment, a chilly breeze blew past and his team members were awakened due to the cold. Those still unconscious were prodded awake by their comrades.
Seeing competent companions awake, Johns suddenly felt a little emboldened. He spoke loudly, "Who are you guys?" while assuming a combative posture. The others also took up a fighting stance. They were not low-class hooligans but had served in the army, facing three fighters who had not yet cornered them and, despite the odds not being in their favor, they decided not to flee. Who knew how many people were hiding in the forest.
And judging from this situation, the opposition didn’t seem to want to kill them. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have waited for them to wake up. So they watched the three strangers warily. They also picked up any dry branches or stones they could find to give them some sense of security. But thinking about their guns being in the opponent’s hands, this sense of security was only a shred. However, something was better than nothing.
The three fighters didn’t move. They didn’t even show any facial expression.
"Johns, hello." One of the white fighters spoke with a dull tone.
"You know me?" Johns asked with a puzzled look.
"Of course, a former army sergeant, served for six years, discharged three years ago on June 9, participated in multiple wars," the white fighter spoke. Certainly, the command room know more than that, but they did not want to reveal too much as it might frighten them since many things were classified records.
"Why did you attack us? Are you the bodyguards of those Chinese?" Johns asked with a frown.
"No, we are just interested in your business," the fighter shook his head, and naturally, he would not admit any connections. Besides, the fighter was right, they were not the bodyguards of Liu Qian, and not even bodyguards at all; they were merely executioners in another scheme.
"What do you mean?" Johns asked.
"First of all, you need to understand we can easily kill all of you. So, I hope you put yourself in the right position, listen carefully to what I’m about to say, and avoid any dangerous actions." The fighter spoke coldly.
"What do you want to say?" Johns said, stepping backward a little in fear. He’d retired from the military many years ago. Although he still had a fearless spirit, he lacked the courage to risk his life. He had to believe the words of his opponents, the fact was there, his life was really at another’s mercy.
"I know you have been involved in a series of kidnappings of tycoons and have so far successfully carried out six operations, collecting funds totaling thirty-two million dollars. You’ve personally walked away with eight million dollars and exhausted your share recently by purchasing a villa and a car. Hence, you planned this operation." The fighter spoke.
"What do you demand?" John, faced with the soldier’s repeated evasion, dared not express his anger and asked once more. What he didn’t know was that this was merely a psychological gambit and a subtle strategy of the soldier.
"Very simple. Join us, and you can continue to do what you’re good at. However, we will take fifty per cent of future profits. When needed, we will assign you tasks. Don’t worry, you will be compensated, and you will receive a salary." The soldier disclosed his intentions.
John immediately understood that this was an attempt to take him under their wing.
But he would need to surrender fifty per cent of the profits.
John was instantly infuriated at hearing this. But recalling the soldier’s previous warning, he quickly suppressed his anger.
"On what grounds?" John said, gritting his teeth.
"On the grounds that if you refuse, all of you will die here today, and there are benefits too," the soldier replied, swiftly changing his tone. Though Tang Qing didn’t explicitly state he wanted them dead, the command room certainly wouldn’t spell it out for him. As for the consequences should they refuse, the analysts in the command room hadn’t given it a thought. Their sole purpose was to complete Tang Qing’s task at any cost. If John were adamant about refusing, the command room operatives would certainly persuade him to comply.
The matter of wages was straightforward: the soldiers may work without pay, but others potentially have dependents. They need some form of security.
John knew that he had run out of bargaining chips. Moreover, the prospect of receiving a salary significantly lessened his reluctance. He asked, "What are the benefits?"
"As long as you follow our rules, first, the American police will not be able to charge you. Additionally, we can help with the safe transfer of funds, and we also offer intelligence support," the soldier explained.
"What are these rules?" John asked.
"Every target must be vetted by us. No exceptions." The soldier replied. He didn’t mention the other conditions, but as long as they managed the vetting process, there shouldn’t be any major problems.
Johnhesitated, pondering who might be the power behind these individuals, as well as weighing his own gains and losses. The others could not intervene; after all, there were no second-in-commands here. John made the decisions, and what could they say anyway, disagree? That would be tantamount to seeking death.
The soldier continued, "Don’t worry, we won’t harm you. We’re also in it for the money. I’ll give you ten minutes to think it over. If you agree, we leave. If you don’t agree, you die, and we leave anyway."
"..."
Was this supposed to be a negotiation?
The crowd wanted to curse, but they didn’t dare. Seeing the fearless demeanor of the soldier, any attempt to confront him could only end tragically. They had experienced battlefields before; assessing the situation was essential for survival, and those who reacted impulsively had long since met their maker.
At this moment, John was in a moral dilemma.
In terms of combat power, he had no desire to measure up.
He was curious about who these individuals were. Their words were ruthless and arrogant, with the confidence to tackle legal matters. They clearly possessed substantial power - there could be many armed reinforcements hidden nearby...
As the rain came down harder, his thoughts were muddled.
"One more minute," the soldier reminded him without checking his watch. The command room had real-time capabilities, there was no need for a wristwatch.
John took a deep breath, gauging the feelings of his longtime comrades. He easily understood their desires for survival. Taking in another deep breath, he asked once more, "Can you really deliver on those promises?"
"More than you can imagine," the soldier smiled and replied.
John nodded and said, "Fine, then. Not for any reason other than I don’t want to die." He had a beautiful wife and a lovely daughter; he had no choice. The only option was to agree. Pride and integrity can only exist if you are alive.
"John, you are smart. In the future, for vetting operations, intelligence, salaries, and support issues, make a call to this number. Someone will be available to help. We will not interfere with these matters, but if you act without our consent, then don’t blame us if we are not kind. Also, keep this a secret. You should fend for yourselves. Goodbye." The soldier handed over a mobile phone before leaving. The device, belonging to John, had only three numbers stored previously, but it now contained a fourth. As long as John wasn’t an idiot, he could easily differentiate them.
With that, the soldier drove away, leaving only one car behind.
Meanwhile, John and his crew wore shocked expressions.
"John, what do we do now?"
"What else can we do? Just behave ourselves."
"Who do you think they are?"
"...People we can’t afford to offend."
...
At this time, the surveillance servers at the New York Police Department had returned to normal. However, the situation had already resolved itself. The police found only a stolen off-road vehicle with a shattered windscreen, but no other clues. The other two cars seemed to have just disappeared.
In the face of Little Two’s superior ’special effects’, the surveillance footage had already been ’modified’, so naturally, they couldn’t see anything.
Of course, it wasn’t as simple as erasing the van’s existence. A ’professional robber’ escape route had been created based on the surveillance blind spots, otherwise, it would draw too much attention.
With no bodies found and no missing persons reported, the New York police officers were unfazed. They have seen everything in this place. This would definitely be another ’unsolved case’.
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