Chapter 136: The Third Gun
Chapter 136: The Third Gun
“You… what nonsense are you spouting?”
Hearing Lu Xin’s words, the Sheriff’s face flushed an abnormally bright red.
This didn’t seem like anger, but rather… anger mixed with shame?
The Sheriff could sense that many surprised gazes seemed to be turning towards him in the surroundings…
But in reality, while there were plenty of surprised looks around him right now, they were almost all directed at Lu Xin. They all found it unbelievable that someone could speak so seriously to this Sheriff, known throughout Blackwater Town for his ferocity, uttering words that sounded like a provocative insult. Yet, the other party’s expression was calm and seemed utterly sincere…
This strong contrast instead evoked a rather ridiculous feeling.
“This guy’s insane, right?”
“Shouldn’t we just shoot him dead?”
“…”
Slowly, some voices began to jeer. “Usually the Sheriff loves bathing with the brothers, how could that be?”
Of course, quite a few quicker on the uptake felt a wave of sickening dread wash over them.
…
…
“Just fucking shut up!”
The Sheriff cursed, simultaneously throwing sharp glances towards his men while tightening his grip on his own gun.
A savage glint flashed in his eyes; he seemed prepared to gamble.
Even knowing these two were from Qinggang City, he felt the impulse to riddle both of them with bullets right here.
“Swearing is bad…”
Lu Xin looked at him seriously, his smile fading gradually as he stated earnestly, “You do it again, and I will get angry.”
“…”
He meant it.
Logically, this Sheriff was being influenced; he did not deserve death.
But if he truly intended to incite a riot, Lu Xin would have no choice but to kill him before that riot erupted.
Judging by the Sheriff’s reaction, he was under influence right now, but it probably hadn’t been for too long. He hadn’t reached that twisted, greedy state yet. That was why he had talked so much to Lu Xin and Gecko, only intending to take the man in the crimson suit first and release him privately later. At this moment, the awe he still held for Qinggang City hadn’t yet been completely suppressed by the idea of “love.”
However, if unchecked, it was uncertain whether he might later, in the throes of that “love” overwhelming him, do something rash and irrational. If that happened, it could easily trigger unnecessary trouble between them and Blackwater Town. After all, Blackwater Town possessed considerable armed strength. If things truly erupted into violence, even if he and Gecko could escape unscathed, the situation would become extremely troublesome to resolve.
This was a matter of weighing priorities, and Lu Xin understood it clearly.
…
…
At the same time, Gecko, standing behind him with a dozen guns trained on his back, also swiftly paled.
He had understood exactly what Lu Xin meant.
Seeing the Sheriff raising his gun, Gecko suddenly let out a sharp laugh, deliberately drawing attention.
“Hah! Didn’t expect someone built like you to have tastes that are quite… unique!”
As he spoke, his hands dropped naturally. Effortlessly, seemingly without even trying, he merely extended his arms slightly outwards and snatched the guns from the hands of the two men standing closest to him. Then he stepped forward, arms outstretched, pointing in two different directions.
One handgun aimed squarely at the tall Sheriff; the other homemade shotgun leveled menacingly at the rest of the men.
A homemade shotgun fired pellets; its spread was wide, designed for crowd suppression.
“Alright, enough joking,” Gecko grinned at them. “Brother, whether you’re being controlled or truly love him… stop now…”
“Please enable Cooperative Mode!”
“…”
“You…”
This sudden turn of events stunned everyone nearby.
Even the two men whose weapons had been snatched were utterly bewildered about how their guns ended up in the intruder’s hands.
The Sheriff himself recoiled violently.
Facing that dark gun barrel, fear flickered within him, but he was a hardened, vicious man who’d clawed his way up in The Wilderness after all. He gritted his teeth, snarling with forced bravado: “Who the hell you tryin’ to scare, bastard? This is our territory! You think your two stupid guns can intimidate all of us?”
Hearing their leader, the other stunned men hastily stepped back and raised their own weapons, pointing them squarely at Gecko.
Few were paying attention to Lu Xin now.
Targeted by so many guns, Gecko looked almost excited rather than afraid. “Do you all really think,” he asked cheerily, “that I only have two guns?”
The others kept their faces taut, none willing to play along with his joke.
Click…
But right at that moment, heavy engine noise suddenly rumbled from nearby.
Everyone was startled, unsure of the source of the disturbance.
Before they could react, a resounding “CRASH!” echoed as the adjacent wall shattered.
Blinding lights flooded the scene as a steel beast, massive and ponderous, rumbled over the wreckage of the wall straight towards the crowd. Then, on its roof, flanking metal plates retracted inward, and a rotary cannon, black and menacing, automatically sprang up.
“CLICK!” The dark, gaping muzzles pointed directly at the group.
Behind it lay a trail of destruction: two smashed walls and a row of wooden buildings crushed from the parking lot all the way to this point.
The weighty chassis, the dazzling lights, the perilous six-barreled rotary cannon.
Like an enraged iron beast, it now fixed its unblinking gaze upon everyone present.
Every person facing its barrels froze, their breaths halting altogether.
…
…
Lu Xin finally understood why Gecko had been captured by these people.
With his abilities, even if he couldn’t persuade them, they wouldn’t have been able to drag him here like a hostage.
So, he’d been planning to use this vehicle all along…
The garage was very close to the parking lot, really just two walls away.
Moreover, this vehicle was equipped with Qinggang City’s latest self-driving and defense systems. Though Lu Xin hadn’t initially considered using it this way, Gecko obviously knew, even realizing this vehicle held greater deterrent power than any person…
With this Iron Beast, they could intimidate threats across an entire arc.
If things truly went south, they could throw this Man in the Crimson Suit inside and ram their way out of town.
Lu Xin had to admit, the Deputy Captain was doing a decent job…
…
…
“You…”
The burly Sheriff snapped out of his daze, his face a mix of panic and fury.
His own gun felt unbearably heavy now; he stiffened his back and yelled, “Wh-what do you think you’re doing?”
If it had just been Gecko and Lu Xin, both with guns, he wouldn’t have been afraid.
But the appearance of that vehicle starkly highlighted the gap between Blackwater Town’s people and those who came from Qinggang City. Guns they were, but there was no comparison between something a person could carry and this vehicle-mounted, automatically deployed rotary cannon.
The gap in intimidation was immeasurable.
“Brother,” Gecko grinned, tapping the Sheriff’s flabby cheek with his own gun, “A man only slows your draw!”
“I know you feel like you’ve found true love right now,” he chuckled, “but think carefully. This is someone Qinggang wants. You dare stake your life protecting him… Aren’t you worried…”
“That while you’re lying cozy in bed with him, a hundred-thousand-megaton plasma missile might just drop from the sky?”
“…”
His tone had turned deadly serious, all trace of joking vanished from his face.
The tall, powerfully built Blackwater Town Sheriff paled.
His gaze flickered to the silent Man in the Red Suit sitting on the motorcycle. The muscles in his face twitched slightly.
His eyes held a look of utter desolation.
…Exactly the kind of soul-crushing misery found in a 300-episode tragic love drama!
As for the others still clutching torches and crude muskets, the sight of the iron beast petrified them.
Men with guns often harbor the delusion of strength.
Especially when they are many, armed with many guns.
But now, under the watch of these two younger men, they felt an oppressive weight settle upon them.
It was like realizing they were merely naked monkeys scrambling in the wilderness, while these two were true powers backed by substance and strength.
…
…
“You…”
The Sheriff’s throat felt parched. He shut his eyes for a brief moment, then reopened them.
His expression seemed to smooth into unnerving calm. Lowering his gun, he said, “Alright. I admit defeat. Why don’t you just take him and leave?”
Gecko eyed him with a knowing smirk.
Though the Sheriff claimed surrender, Gecko saw his eyes still surreptitiously darting towards the Man in the Red Suit.
His gaze held a faint edge of resolution…
“Love-addled to the core. Hopeless.”
Gecko sighed in mock resignation. “Standard procedure.”
As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at Lu Xin.
Lu Xin wasn’t quite sure what the look meant, but he trusted Gecko, so he gave a slight nod.
Truth be told, Lu Xin found the situation complicated.
An outright fight wasn’t truly frightening; what was difficult was this tangled mess involving so many people.
Even if they pointed out the truth, he could deny it, and others might not believe them.
What if they insisted on blocking them?
Kill them all?
It might be possible…
…No, impossible. Too many!
…
…
While Lu Xin was still pondering this, Gecko had already reached out and snatched something from the Sheriff’s person.
It was a blue-and-white electronic loudspeaker. Flipping the switch activated it with a burst of jarring static feedback.
Handling the loudspeaker, Gecko’s expression became stern.
He raised it, directing his amplified voice towards the surrounding onlookers, or perhaps at the shadowy darkness engulfing the small town, and began to bellow:
“ATTENTION! We are Qinggang City’s Special Dispatch Operation Team! He [gesturing at Lu Xin] is the Captain! I am the Deputy Captain!”
“Our mission: Apprehend this wanted felon beyond city limits!”
“We operate under Maximum Independent Threat-Assessment Authority!”
“Know this: Our Special Combat Unit is deployed outside your town!”
“Hundred-thousand-megaton plasma missiles are currently TARGETING this entire settlement!”
“So…”
He paused for a beat, then cranked the volume:
“IF YOU DON’T WANNA SEE A FINAL DAZZLING FIREWORKS DISPLAY…”
He took a sharp breath, then roared into the microphone:
“GET THE FCKING PERSON IN CHARGE OUT HERE TO TALK TO US NOW!”