Chapter 21: The Premier Mental Hospital of Demon City

Dart seemed entirely unsurprised.

"High rewards attract brave souls. They are well-paid, so they naturally do their best for their employers!"

"The bullets have all been swapped for tranquilizers, right?"

Streamer looked a bit puzzled. "Captain! Using tranquilizers significantly increases our risk! Why not use standard ammunition?"

Dart sighed. "These bodyguards are just ordinary people kept in the dark! We have specialized bulletproof vests; standard bullets can hardly hurt us! Tranquilizers are enough."

Slippery interjected then. "They aren't just any ordinary people! They are part of the noble high-income bracket! Damn it! Their pay is even higher than mine! Captain, why don't we join them instead? No, wait! I'm getting jealous!"

No one answered Slippery; everyone knew he was joking. They were clearly used to it, and Dart automatically filtered out his comments.

"Enough! Sync your watches, check your gear. We assault from directly above in ten minutes!"

At this command, all six team members synchronized their tactical watches.

Ten minutes later.

*Boom!*

The manhole cover was blown away. A series of smoke grenades were tossed out from the opening. In an instant, the entire estate’s alarms began to blare. The smoke was highly visible under the moonlight, and more than half of the bodyguards rushed toward the source.

The members of the City Fire squad had already reached the surface under the cover of the smoke. They were met with a hail of pistol fire. The entire estate was engulfed in the sound of gunfire.

Slippery flicked his wrist, and in a split second, a massive blast shield materialized on his arm. He raised it and took the lead. The team members, acting with practiced synergy, immediately followed behind him. Bullets struck the shield, sending sparks flying. Slippery’s arm was numbed by the vibrations.

"Too many! Too many! I can't take this!"

Dart, right behind him, felt the urge to shoot him in the back of the head. "When we get back, I’m going to request that the Doctor perform a vocal cord removal surgery on you!"

Hearing this, Slippery shuddered and quickly added, "Captain, I was just worried you guys were too tense and wanted to lighten the mood!"

Just then, Rain’s voice came over the earpiece. "Captain! A large number of targets are heading your way. Move out, now!"

The team immediately began to reposition. The incoming bodyguards hadn't arrived yet, but Dart knew they would be discovered soon. Through their tactical goggles, the smoke posed little hindrance. He scanned the area and made a quick decision.

"According to the intel, all the windows on the fourth and fifth floors are sealed. We’ll climb the exterior wall to the third floor!" He added, "Move fast!"

No sooner had he spoken than he rushed to the wall. At the same time, sharp, tooth-like protrusions, resembling spider legs, extended from his gloves, allowing his palms to grip the wall firmly. Using these tools, they scurried up the wall, reaching the third floor in mere seconds.

At that moment, a message reached every bodyguard in the estate: "The targets have entered the villa. Keep the exits locked!"

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Fierce gunfire erupted inside the villa. They were clearly engaged in combat.

"Captain! The villa exits have been sealed!" Rain’s voice echoed in the earpiece.

Suddenly, Streamer’s frustrated voice cut in. "Damn it! Didn't they say they had no heavy weaponry? How is it that they’ve dragged out an antique Maxim gun buried in the dirt?"

Slippery said awkwardly, "Ahem, according to the files, the owner of the villa is also an antique collector. It’s perfectly reasonable for an antique collector to own a vintage Maxim heavy machine gun from the early modern era!"

Hearing this, Streamer went silent.

Dart’s low voice came through. "Intel is compromised. Retreat immediately!"

Soon, one of the team members blew a hole in the wall behind them. They jumped out through the gap in an orderly fashion. The muzzle of the Maxim heavy machine gun spat a flame half a meter long. Slippery, leading the retreat, held up his blast shield to block the incoming rounds. His arm lost all sensation. The shield was on the verge of shattering.

Once everyone else was clear, Slippery jumped through the hole last, still clutching the shield. The moment he cleared it, the blast shield, which had held against the explosives, disintegrated completely. Slippery had escaped just in time; otherwise, he would have been turned into a sieve. However, the arm he had used to hold the shield was a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

As soon as they hit the ground, Streamer hoisted him up and they fled frantically. Slippery’s weak voice whispered over the earpiece, "Man... that was intense!"

Hearing Slippery’s voice, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could talk, he was still alive. Meanwhile, their trail had been picked up by the bodyguards. Dart stepped up to the front, a new blast shield appearing on his arm.

*Ding! Ding! Ding!*

Countless bullets struck the shield, showering sparks. Footsteps grew louder all around them. The team retreated rapidly. Rain, using satellite imagery, plotted their escape route. It wasn't until the entire squad had left the estate that the bodyguards finally ceased their pursuit.

On a remote road, the City Fire squad looked disheveled under the moonlight. A white ambulance pulled up in front of them, emblazoned with the words "Modu First Psychiatric Hospital." The door opened, and Rain, sitting in the driver’s seat, waved at them. "Get in!"

The ambulance sped away with its siren wailing. Inside, Rain swapped seats with Dart, who took the wheel, while she began emergency treatment on Slippery.

"This will sting! Hold on," Rain said softly. She unzipped his sleeve to reveal his blood-soaked arm. The limb was bruised deep purple from the impact. Seeing this, she let out a sigh of relief. She then checked his chest and back. Several bullet slugs were lodged in his tactical vest. Thanks to the Warden's specialized armor, the bullets had been stopped.

However, Slippery was clearly in bad shape. There was a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, indicating he had suffered significant internal injuries. Rain provided emergency first aid.

At the wheel, Dart said grimly, "The intel was wrong. There was heavy weaponry defending the villa; it’s impossible to break through with just manpower. Still, our squad is the only one that managed to enter the villa."

As he spoke, his tone softened slightly. In the ensuing silence, the ambulance drove toward a hospital on the outskirts of Modu.

[Modu First Psychiatric Hospital]