A Night of Desperation

Chapter 64: The Journey (2)

“Just this much?” Yu Hong shook the papers in his hand, clearly unsatisfied.

“I found the person for you—name, identity, age—what more do you want?” Li Runshan widened his eyes.

“Fine, let’s talk about hiring someone for revenge.” Yu Hong couldn’t be bothered to argue further.

“This is interesting. Did you see where Zhao Zhenghong came from?” Li Runshan grinned.

“What about it?” Yu Hong frowned.

“Do you know about the People’s Army?” Li Runshan’s smile faded slightly. “If we, the Post Office, are all-around talent elites, then the People’s Army is a true killing machine—an elite force dedicated to executing high-difficulty and troublesome missions.”

“So you’re saying this Zhao Zhenghong is strong? Stronger than Bai Mang?” Yu Hong’s frown deepened.

“That’s a given.” Li Runshan nodded. “The People’s Army is composed of the top experts meticulously selected by the country. A few years ago, they underwent a special military enhancement project, filtering out those who failed to meet moral and ideological standards. This guy was likely one of the ones removed at that time.”

He paused for a moment.

“Everyone knows that the United Army is the main force fighting against the Black Disaster, but few realize that the People’s Army is often deployed to handle the highest-risk missions. These are people with terrifying mental fortitude, exceptional skills, top-tier equipment, and outstanding teamwork. They fear nothing. You could call them a bunch of extreme, terrifying monsters.”

“That much trouble?” Yu Hong was skeptical. “Just tell me how much it’ll cost to take him out.”

“I’m not exaggerating,” Li Runshan patted his chest. “Zhao Zhenghong is still a member of the United Army. While each region’s United Army operates semi-independently like warlord factions, making them less of a concern, this guy is personally strong and has over twenty subordinates backing him. The price for this job won’t be cheap.”

“Is anyone willing to take it?” Yu Hong didn’t waste words.

“Sure, there are takers, but can you afford it?” Li Runshan countered. “Honestly, I didn’t expect this guy to be from the People’s Army when I started looking into him.”

Yu Hong thought for a moment. “Alright, I can offer a customized enhancement upgrade for bulletproof armor or other protective gear as payment.”

“You mean the kind of protective suit you’re wearing now?” Li Runshan’s eyes lit up.

“Yes, but they’ll have to provide the materials. I can custom-design and upgrade it. If they supply enough materials, the enhancement effect can be substantial—you’ve seen what it can do.” Yu Hong flexed his hand, the protective suit subtly shifting in response, proving his point.

“In that case, come check out this list.” Li Runshan wasted no time. He pulled out a document from somewhere on his body and handed it to Yu Hong.

Yu Hong scanned it.

It was a roster of elite mercenaries available for hire—names, backgrounds, skills, even some with entire teams under their command.

“I put this list together myself. These are reliable teams with proven track records. Any of them can handle this job, but I should warn you, some of the top-ranked individuals are extremely skilled but also… difficult personalities,” Li Runshan cautioned.

“That’s fine. Talented people tend to have quirks. I understand.” Yu Hong wasn’t concerned.

Then he noticed a red number beside each name.

Pointing at it, he asked, “What do these red numbers at the end mean?”

“Oh, that? It’s their kill count,” Li Runshan replied with a casual smile.

Yu Hong froze.

He glanced at the top names on the list.

All of them had four-digit numbers.

Looking back at Li Runshan, he found only an easygoing smile in his eyes.

Was this a mercenary roster… or a list of mass murderers?!

He felt a chill crawl up his spine.

“You’re serious?” After a long silence, he couldn’t help but ask.

“Survivors from the frontlines of Aurora City, people who made it through both the Black Disaster and backstabbing teammates. You should understand the value of that experience. And these are just the closest ones,” Li Runshan explained.

“They were partially infected with the Luminous Stone Disease, which messed with their personalities. They couldn’t stay in the United Army, so they had to find other ways to survive. Some were treated like disposable weapons, and, well, a few of them went off the rails—killing a lot of people under the excuse of fighting the Black Disaster.

“Guns are efficient, you know. Right place, right angle, right crowd… a sweep of bullets, and there’s your four-digit body count.”

Yu Hong was speechless.

For the first time, he felt that, compared to the terrifying Black Disaster, perhaps people were the real monsters.

He swiped his finger across the list, stopping at one particular name.

“Him. Contact them and negotiate the price. I need them to move out as soon as possible.”

“All of these teams are highly mobile. They have their own transportation—none of them are walking on foot. But are you sure you can actually enhance their armor? If they arrive and you can’t deliver, things will get ugly,” Li Runshan warned seriously.

“We’ll negotiate first. I can enhance 90% of the protective suits on the market. The technical details would be lost on you.” Yu Hong spoke with a blank expression. Even through his helmet’s visor, the dismissive superiority of a technician looking down on a layman was unmistakable.

“Haha, well, as long as you’re confident. I knew it—your research abilities are far beyond something as trivial as Luminous Stone mutations!” Li Runshan chuckled dryly before pulling up the detailed profile of the team Yu Hong had chosen.

Blood Butcher Xu Fan—two support teammates, 35 years old, expert in brute-force charges, partially infected with Luminous Stone Disease, extremely violent, immense strength.

Skill tags: Sharpshooter, Yonghe Boxing Master, Kaishan Fist Master, proficient in 17 international martial arts styles.

Weight: 172 kg | Height: 233 cm.

“You’re sure… you want this guy?” Li Runshan looked at him strangely.

“Yes. I’m sure,” Yu Hong replied firmly. “Start the negotiations.”

“I already know his terms. That guy’s been wanting to upgrade his Blue Whale armor for ages but couldn’t find anyone to do it. The big companies charge way too much and only serve their own people. No matter how strong he is, he can’t access top-tier upgrades.”

“Let’s give it a try. If I can do it, it’ll depend on whether he’s interested.” Yu Hong was calm.

He had already positioned himself purely as a researcher.

“Alright.” Li Runshan nodded.

After ironing out the details, Yu Hong returned to his hideout and retrieved a confiscated handgun.

“Relying solely on others isn’t safe. Who knows—if Zhao Zhenghong is gone, maybe another Xu Fan will come after me.

“I need my own means of protection, so I can safely hire mercenaries when necessary. And I need to strictly control how much I enhance their gear—making it too strong would be dangerous.”

With that in mind, he placed his hand on the gun.

His goal: enhance it to assist with aiming and locking onto targets while boosting firepower, then hide it as a trump card for emergencies.

*

*

*

Two Days Later

On an abandoned highway near Baiqiu Village, a massive, dark green armored vehicle slowly came to a stop.

The vehicle’s exterior was covered in jagged metal spikes protruding outward, and its front headlights cast a harsh, blinding glare.

This armored vehicle was larger than most, with six oversized wheels wrapped in thick, puncture-resistant, non-slip layers.

Click.

The door opened from the inside, and a massive, bald man with a face painted in camouflage patterns stepped out.

Bending down as he exited the vehicle, he placed his feet firmly on the ground and straightened his towering frame.

He was an enormous man, his bear-like build making everything around him seem smaller in comparison. His skin was a deep brown, his eyes sunken, and within his black pupils, a restrained aggression flickered.

He wore a dark blue bulletproof suit with a black X-shaped alloy plate exposed on his chest. Additional alloy plates protected his arms and knees, and the gloves on his fists were embedded with rows of sharp spikes, designed to maximize damage.

“Anna.” The bald man scanned the surroundings. “This is the mission site? Where’s the client?”

A petite, short-haired brown-haired girl leaped down from the vehicle behind him.

“The client is an old friend—Black Panther.” A relaxed smile played on the girl’s face. “Didn’t expect to land such a high-value job. We got lucky this time. If we can upgrade and repair your Blue Whale armor, your survival rate will increase significantly.”

“Black Panther’s reputation is solid. Shady, but highly trustworthy.” The bald man’s voice was low and steady.

“We need to eliminate twenty-four people. Did the client specify whether they want proof?” He crouched down, sifting through the gravel on the ground as if inspecting something.

“No need. The client wants all weapons, equipment, and personal belongings collected. The traces left behind will be enough to confirm the kill count.” Anna replied.

“That makes things tricky,” the bald man muttered.

“Then try not to tear them apart too much,” Anna teased.

She drew a silver handgun from her waist, spun it swiftly in her palm, then caught it with a sharp snap.

“Infrared radar is set. According to intel, they’re already en route from Baihe City. We’ll intercept them halfway—it’ll save time.” She adjusted her gun, ran a hand over the row of poison-tipped throwing darts strapped to her thigh, and, after ensuring her gear was in order, stepped back into the armored vehicle.

The bald man exhaled, then turned and climbed back inside as well.

The vehicle turned around and began driving away from Baiqiu Village.

Meanwhile, at the outskirts of the abandoned Baihe City, a convoy of military-green jeeps was also advancing toward Baiqiu Village.

Inside the jeeps sat Zhao Zhenghong and his twenty-four men, fully equipped and ready to move out.

This was their final attempt to determine if there was still any hope left in this mission.

If their target was already dead and the culprit was some unknown force, they would withdraw completely.

But if the target was still alive, that would be ideal—it meant they could use sheer manpower to overpower him and accomplish their goal.

(End of Chapter)