Chapter 118: The Inner Court

At this moment, what appeared before Xiao Ye were the most advanced weapons currently in their possession! It must be known that such equipment was something only someone of Xiao Ye’s stature could typically authorize. How could this be?

Xiao Ye’s eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at the weapon in the lead man’s hand. Red Dragon reacted instantly.

"King Xiao, this..." Red Dragon’s expression was conflicted; he understood exactly what this situation implied.

"Do not jump to conclusions. Let’s deal with the trouble at hand first," Xiao Ye said to Red Dragon, his expression grave as never before.

Seeing Xiao Ye’s demeanor, a grin spread across the leader’s face. "Xiao Ye, I bet you didn’t expect us to have such advanced modern weaponry, did you? I’ll give you a chance: drop all your weapons and surrender immediately, and I might put in a good word for you with the bounty provider!"

The lead man grew even more arrogant, looking at Xiao Ye as if he were nothing.

"I don’t need you to put in a good word for me. The only thing I want from you is to die!" Xiao Ye roared and charged straight at the crowd!

"Stubborn fool. Open fire!" The man didn’t panic; he simply ordered a barrage of gunfire at Xiao Ye and Red Dragon.

Both men were seasoned veterans. Seeing the situation, they ducked instantly into a nearby alley. Behind cover, the advantage was theirs!

"Push forward! Take them down!" the man shouted, and his group began to advance.

Gunfire flashed incessantly, but this state did not last long. The front row quickly ran out of ammunition. Taking advantage of the moment they stopped to reload, Xiao Ye and Red Dragon finally made their move!

The daggers in their hands seemed endless, each one finding its mark in the foreheads of the thugs! Even though the weapons the thugs held were far more advanced than those of Xiao Ye and his comrade, their inability to use them effectively turned their advantage into a weakness.

In about five minutes, the large group of men was completely neutralized by the combined efforts of Xiao Ye and Red Dragon. The man who had been posturing so arrogantly now lay stretched out on the ground, a look of utter disbelief frozen on his face. He would never understand why Xiao Ye and Red Dragon were so formidable.

After gathering all the spoils of war, Red Dragon was about to speak when his phone rang again.

"King Xiao, we’ve found them. They are currently at the Atrium Hotel. According to the intelligence, the boss behind the scenes there is likely the mastermind behind this operation!" Red Dragon reported. Xiao Ye nodded.

This mastermind was likely part of the underground organization, so that location would certainly be heavily guarded. Hearing this news, Red Dragon felt a sense of relief.

After the series of sudden ambushes, Xiao Ye’s once-neat clothes were in tatters, and he had sustained some minor injuries, but they were not enough to hinder the mission.

"Good. Prepare to move out. Call for our people to meet us at the hotel!" Xiao Ye instructed. The two men got into a car and sped toward the hotel at top speed.

Since their previous battleground was relatively close to the city, and the Atrium Hotel was located in the heart of the downtown area, they arrived at their destination in less than twenty minutes. Along the way, no one else dared to harass them. The thugs of Xihai were now terrified at the mere mention of Xiao Ye’s name.

...

Meanwhile, inside the Atrium Hotel, Tiger had changed locations as soon as he learned someone was investigating him. This place was safer than the bar.

Though it was much safer, he was still shocked and unable to accept the news of the recent rout. A street-level thug like Tiger had finally felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from Xiao Ye. This was the difference between ordinary people and true warriors who had survived the battlefield.

Tiger now deeply regretted provoking a killing machine like Xiao Ye. However, the news of Zhou Yuan’s demise had already spread through the entire gang. Zhou Yuan’s strength was unquestionable; if Tiger didn’t seek vengeance, he wouldn’t fare much better than Zhou Yuan.

Knowing he had a formidable trump card, Tiger felt a sense of false security. He had promised his subordinates a bonus of one hundred thousand yuan regardless of the outcome, which was the only reason they had reluctantly accepted the mission. They never expected that this assignment would be a matter of life and death.

But now, Tiger was backed into a corner. Whether he retreated or advanced, he faced a grim end. Since that was the case, he might as well fight to the bitter end—at worst, they would all go down together!

...

Back to Xiao Ye. The two had arrived near the hotel. Naturally, they wouldn’t foolishly rush in blindly. Xiao Ye conferred with Red Dragon, observing the hotel’s structure and analyzing potential enemy positions.

About ten minutes later, the captain under Red Dragon’s command arrived with backup and transmitted files to his phone. Red Dragon pulled up a floor plan and said, "King Xiao, this is the layout of the hotel. It has eight floors total. If my guess is right, they are at the very top."

The hotel’s structure was simple, but the only variable lay in the narrow passages connecting the various fire escapes. One wrong move, and the targets could slip away. Xiao Ye knew he had to have the hotel completely surrounded. He studied the floor plan and nodded to himself.

After a long moment of thought, he looked up and asked the captain beside Red Dragon, "How much equipment did you bring?"

They had scavenged some gear from the men in the jeeps earlier, but most of it had been exhausted in the recent fight.

"It’s enough to take these people down," the captain replied confidently.

Hearing this, Xiao Ye nodded. "Good. We’ll stick to guerrilla tactics. Remember, do not kill the primary targets on sight."

He had played enough of this farce; these people had seriously crossed his line. With the plan finalized, the crusade against the entire underground world officially began!

Xiao Ye, Red Dragon, and their team walked directly into the hotel lobby. The hotel was devoid of other guests; the lobby was empty, and even the front desk was unattended.