The Gentlemanly Demeanor That Courts Death

Contrary to his expectations, the grizzly, in order to avoid a white compact car barreling toward it, did not turn but instead chose to accelerate straight ahead. Caught off guard, Hou Rui could only hastily fire his gun, sweeping bullets at the grizzly’s right side.

A string of bullets shot out—sparks flew from the armored plate above the right rear wheel, but the grizzly was largely unharmed. The white compact car was not so lucky. Through his scope, Hou Rui saw clearly: a woman in white, seated in the passenger seat, was struck by his bullets. The white car, damaged in both its left tire and engine, suddenly veered and began rolling across the highway.

As the white sedan tumbled toward them, the driver of Car 1 had to swerve sharply to avoid a collision. Human and machine reactions take time, and in that brief delay, the tumbling sedan crashed into the front corner of the armored vehicle.

The impact sent parts flying everywhere; the white car was essentially torn apart, while Car 1, though sturdier, suffered damage as well—its headlights and external fixtures smashed to pieces.

Inside Car 1, the violent jolt from the collision, compounded by his realization that he had harmed innocents, caused Hou Rui’s grip to loosen unconsciously. He stared at the grizzly ahead, observed carefully, then gritted his teeth, raised his gun, and resumed firing.

The driver quickly sensed something was wrong. “Wild Dog, what are you doing? Where are you aiming? I told you to shoot the tires—did you hear me?”

Hou Rui gave no reply. His new target was the “Avenger” missile launch system mounted atop the grizzly. He had a simple plan: if he avoided shooting the grizzly’s wheels, other cars on the highway wouldn’t be endangered. And if he hit the missile launcher, a roof explosion would surely stop the grizzly in its tracks.

Ignoring the driver’s advice, Hou Rui pressed ahead with his plan—after all, the driver had his hands full; he couldn’t let go of the wheel and deal with Hou Rui now.

Finally, a bullet struck the “Avenger” launch rack. While most in the grizzly’s cabin didn’t realize the danger, the blonde woman immediately did. She shouted at the gunner, “He’s targeting our missiles! Quick, launch them all!”

Prompted by her warning, the Blackwater mercenary recognized the seriousness and scrambled back into the gun turret, frantically operating the controls.

Within seconds, three missiles shot out in rapid succession. As the gunner prepared to launch the final missile, a burst of 14.5-caliber machine gun fire swept across the “Avenger” launcher. Optical sights and targeting equipment shattered, fragments of glass and metal sprayed everywhere—one piece flew through the grizzly’s observation slot and lodged in the gunner’s face.

The gunner, clutching his face, collapsed from the turret.

Seeing the gunner fall, the blonde woman’s first reaction was to spring up and reach for the missile launch button. But she was too late—another volley of machine gun fire struck the “Avenger,” causing the explosion Hou Rui had anticipated.

A burst of flames erupted atop the grizzly; fire raged and the armored vehicle, now like a drunken beast, swayed across the highway, scraping this car, crashing into that one. Eventually, the grizzly collided head-on with a sedan, flattened half of it, then lost balance entirely, flipping off the roadside embankment.

Overjoyed, Hou Rui ducked out of the gun turret, grabbed a weapon, and rushed to Car 1’s rear door. As the driver brought Car 1 to a halt beside the overturned grizzly, Hou Rui had already jumped out and closed in, gun at the ready.

Inside the overturned grizzly, the Blackwater crew suffered minor injuries in the crash—except for the gunner, who lay motionless, blood streaming from his face.

"Mr. Raven, Mr. Raven!" The blonde woman’s forehead was gashed, but her concern was solely for Raven’s safety. He had been knocked unconscious in the collision, but she checked his pulse and found it steady. Only then did she turn her attention to dealing with Hou Rui and his pursuers.

A quick glance revealed only the driver and one other Blackwater mercenary left with fighting capability, along with the unconscious Raven and herself.

She signaled the driver to slip out via the front, instructed the other mercenary to exit through the escape hatch under the vehicle, and positioned herself at the rear door. She swiftly removed her bulletproof vest, shook out her hair, tore open nearly all her shirt buttons, exposing her chest and a black bra.

“For God’s sake, don’t shoot! I have no weapon!” After her instant disguise, the blonde woman pushed open the door, shouting in English and stumbling out.

Unexpectedly, Hou Rui was taken in by the act. He aimed his gun at the disheveled woman but did not immediately fire.

“Stop, don’t move!” Hou Rui shouted in English.

“Don’t shoot! I’m just an ordinary employee—my name is Ashley Norton, please!” The woman cried out, her voice pitiful and helpless. She crawled toward Hou Rui, lifting her shirt to reveal her slender waist, proving she concealed no weapon.

As Ashley moved closer, Hou Rui wasn’t entirely fooled. He pressed his gun barrel against her forehead.

“Hands on your head, kneel down slowly.” Hou Rui commanded, keeping an eye on the open grizzly door, wary of another threat.

Ashley complied, and as she knelt and held her head, her full chest was accentuated. Hou Rui, standing above her, involuntarily let his gaze drift to that deep cleavage.

Seeing Hou Rui fall for her trap, Ashley’s inner smile was cold. Her hands, clasped behind her head, stealthily drew a single-edged tiger-claw punch dagger from her nape, ready to slice the rookie’s throat in the next instant.

Just then, a second before Ashley could act, a Blackwater mercenary emerged from the front, let out a pained grunt, and collapsed clutching his chest. Hou Rui and Ashley turned to see the driver, now felled, while the driver of Car 1 advanced menacingly, curved blade in hand.

No, she couldn’t wait for the driver to reach them or Ashley would surely die. She was neither Raven himself nor a Blackwater mercenary, not a designated target for elimination. Sparing her life wouldn’t affect the mission. Hou Rui weighed the options in a split second and made a bold decision—he spun his arm and struck Ashley’s head hard with the wooden gun stock.

Hou Rui intended to spare Ashley, but in reality, he knocked her out just before she could attack, saving his own life.

Seeing Hou Rui had subdued the woman, the driver’s tense expression eased. He was about to speak when another figure crawled out from beneath the grizzly, rifle aimed at Hou Rui and the driver.

Alert, Hou Rui fired instantly; the driver spun mid-leap, hurling his curved blade.

Hit by both bullet and blade, the Blackwater mercenary screamed and fell, his finger convulsively squeezing the trigger, sending wild shots flying aimlessly.

With the last enemy dispatched, the driver ducked into the overturned grizzly armored vehicle. Hou Rui, slightly uneasy, stood guard with his weapon.

Seconds later, the driver emerged, grabbed Hou Rui, and they hurried back to Car 1. Before Hou Rui was even seated, the grizzly’s cabin exploded—Raven’s death was now certain.

Car 1 quickly retraced its path. The driver used his phone to contact the Elf and report the mission’s success, only to learn that after fierce combat, the Elf’s team had annihilated the Blackwater convoy. Of their eight fighters, only two survived—the Elf and a man named Mark, not counting Hou Rui and the driver, who had pursued the targets. The losses were severe.

“Rendezvous at position one—we’re leaving this country immediately,” the Elf said, then hung up. The driver tossed his phone out the window, watching it shatter beneath passing cars.

With the mission accomplished and the weight lifted from his heart, the driver slowly regained his devil-may-care demeanor, his murderous aura dissipating. He even hummed a little tune.