Chapter 163: Stealth
Chapter 163: Stealth
Bunokura was a city with a forest coverage rate of 60%, and it could be called a “forest home”.
Because of its location, which directly faced the direction of ocean monsoons, it enjoyed a warm climate as a result.
The sunshine lasted for a long time, and forest resources were abundant, with lush subtropical plants growing everywhere.
Inside the forest, it was dense and full of life, lush and vibrant.
Over a hundred species of subtropical plants grew so thickly that one could not find a gap to stick a needle through.
Camellias, evergreen trees, and bushes formed rows of greenery that came rushing toward the eyes.
This place was far from the noise, and in the mountain forests, the sight of nature was naturally pure without any human-made decorations.
There were no disturbances from man-made things, and the environment was especially peaceful.
Occasionally, insect noises came from among the trees a few times, and birds on the branches gave out lovely, warbling chirps too.
However, to cross 35 kilometers of dense mountain forest in a short time and reach the secret factory where Susaka was located, then sneak in to set an ambush and assassinate him—this wasn’t something a normal person could accomplish, no matter how one thought about it…
A normal person would have used up most of their energy after trekking 35 kilometers through the complex mountain terrain, let alone having to break through Susaka’s defense network and invade the secret factory to kill someone, which was completely like a myth.
But Fang Jing was truly not an ordinary person, and such an old, deep forest setting posed no threat to him now at all.
A mass of black shadow flitted swiftly through the grass and trees, and this shadow was naturally Fang Jing himself.
He tapped his feet lightly, and his movement skills were fully revealed, leaping through the jungle like a fierce big cat.
In this natural environment, he felt perfectly at ease.
Using the endless trees and bushes in the mountain forest, he moved flexibly and nimbly.
His actions carried a piercing cold air; often with one swift shift, he disappeared from the original spot.
He scuttled up to a treetop and coiled up among the thick leaves, vanishing without a trace.
To outsiders, this would look like encountering some ghostly, dirty thing in the deep forest, causing only shock and horror.
Fang Jing carried a backpack on his back and held a map in his hand, carefully checking the direction.
At some point, a small rain started to fall, and in this subtropical environment, the weather changed abruptly.
Not long after, the small rain turned into heavy rain, with strong winds rising.
A torrential downpour poured down with a splashing sound.
Boom!
Right then, a deep rumble of thunder came from the sky, and a silver snake-like flash of lightning crossed the dark clouds, lighting up with a brilliant flash.
Fang Jing did not stop moving; he put on a military raincoat and wrapped his whole body with his clothes on.
Even so, most of his body got wet, but fortunately, he wore thick hiking boots on his feet.
There was no worry about his feet getting cold, and stepping in mud or puddles wasn’t a concern either.
He continuously breathed in and out in the rain, as if all the pores on his body closed up, locking in his own heat.
The hard journey for him now became instead a test of strength; while moving through the mountain forest, he could focus without distractions too.
He temporarily forgot the noise of worldly life, making his mind enter an extremely calm state.
This was like freeing his consciousness, letting it flow on its own while walking step by step.
Sometimes, he faintly heard the sound of flowing water throughout his blood vessels.
And his heart beat strongly too, with each pulse releasing powerful energy throughout his body.
“The ‘membrane’ created by Yuan Armor covered 40% of my body… this greatly increased my physical strength too.”
The mountain slopes grew steeper, and the mountain paths became more rugged, so Fang Jing started to leap forward rapidly.
The more intense the wind and rain, the faster he rushed; in less than three hours at this speed, he reached the outer area near Susaka’s secret factory.
Right at that time, he stopped and curled up like a cat, hiding behind a huge tree.
His eyes looked upward.
The rain had stopped by then, but Fang Jing also heard an odd “buzzing” noise in the air.
The light at night was dim, but he noticed drones scouting around the outer ring.
“If you can see drones already, the factory must be nearby!”
He took out night-vision binoculars and cautiously peeked out to look around, finding a cluster of concrete buildings.
In the green-covered forest, man-made concrete structures were too easy to recognize.
“It’s a shame the rain stopped; otherwise, rushing in during the rain would make things much easier to handle.”
In front of the reinforced concrete building was a white-painted wall, and outside the fence was a layer of barbed wire, making it a two-layered protection.
He tilted his head to listen; once the routine scouting drone left, he darted forward in a flash.
Fang Jing used his footwork skill, relying on light and soft movements to sneak quietly to the barbed wire.
Nearby stood a wooden sign with words like “Private area, no disturbance” written on it.
But he had no interest in paying it any mind and instantly leaped over.
Before coming here, he had figured it all out—no cameras or sensors were set up at the back of this factory.
So as long as he avoided the night patrols and scouting drones daily, he didn’t need to worry about being seen.
As for why they didn’t install cameras or sensors, the reason was simple.
Behind Susaka’s secret factory was forest, which was his spot for hiding people and goods when the police came sweeping down.
Many of his men were illegal foreigners; when in trouble, they just grabbed the goods and hid in the woodlands—where could ghosts find them across such a huge area?
If they installed things like cameras themselves, it would be like revealing their own crimes.
Besides, with the manpower layout at the secret factory, unless a whole army charged from the back woods, who could deal with them?
Even if a few stray cats or dogs sneaked onto their turf, Susaka and his pals trusted they could handle it.
“This Susaka, it’s unclear whether he’s too foolish or too clever for his own good—”
Fang Jing could only reach this conclusion; he sprang up and climbed the three-meter-high wall without making a single sound.
His shadowy figure vanished straight into the night.
————————
“Well, you guys must be joking! That is to say… someone plans to come after me soon.”
Susaka chuckled softly.
It seemed like there were always some fearless people in this world.
For instance, once there was this small reporter who seemed to want to sneak into his base, trying to expose his crimes.
What a ridiculous young man; he probably didn’t realize that the reporter job alone wouldn’t bring him fame or success.
But his stupid stubbornness could ruin himself—along with his family, his wife and daughter.
That reporter must have dug up a few things, though nothing big.
Just to play it safe, he sent people to search his home and bring out his wife and daughter.
He remembered some folks in his client circle had unusual tastes.
A lovely mother-daughter pair should fetch a good price.
“So, what kind of fool is coming this time?”
“I’m just here to warn you, and this is purely information.”
The other person spoke through a voice changer, sounding extremely raspy and strange—you couldn’t tell if it was male or female.
“Since rumblings like this surfaced, you should be extra careful soon; that’s all…”
The secret informant hung up quickly.
“Only fools trust words so easily—! These guys sure know how to make money; one piece of news was probably sold twice…”
Susaka knew exactly what the informant behind the phone meant and could guess some details too.
(But lately, trouble had popped up, so being on guard wasn’t a bad thing…)
News about the Black Devourer Syndicate’s setback on the main island arrived.
Susaka naturally heightened his alertness too; he purposely moved back to his hideout from the bustling high-class apartment in Bunokura’s city area precisely for this reason.
“I’m terribly sorry to keep you waiting! By the way, how should I address you two…”
He put down the phone and wore a professional-level smile.
Susaka was tall and skinny, with fashion sense suggesting he often mingled in high society.
He wore gold-rimmed glasses perched on his high nose bridge, looking gentle and well-mannered on the outside.
His behavior was rather slow and calm, like an elite in a business firm.
Judging by appearance alone, probably no one would connect him to his real role as a crime boss.
He sat on a chair behind his desk in his private office room.
The room was carefully decorated, with a crystal-chandelier ceiling, ivory ornaments, high-end wall tapestries, famous paintings, leather sofas, and Italian furniture.
On the floor lay a red carpet from Turkey.
And inside this two-hundred-square-meter office, two very sudden “guests” appeared.
“There’s no need to worry.”
One of the guests spoke.
“This bit of time couldn’t really be considered wasted.”
He was very thin and lean, sitting on the sofa, but his hands could easily reach down to his feet. With long limbs and a large frame, he wore a restrictive, punk-style black leather jacket.
“However, Mr. Susaka, you must handle this business carefully. The goods we want must be delivered within the specified time.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Demar. Regarding this batch of goods, it will definitely be delivered on time.”
For some reason, Susaka, who had been through all sorts of storms, felt an inexplicable fear when dealing with these two “clients.” It was a feeling as if he wasn’t sitting next to two living people, but rather as if two live man-eating beasts were lurking in the room.
“Mr. Susaka, if you can understand, that would be for the best.”
The man in the leather jacket grinned, stuck out his tongue with a tongue ring, and licked his lips.
At that moment, the expression on his face was like that of a reptile with a human face.
Susaka felt very uncomfortable. He didn’t really enjoy dealing with this client, but due to professional necessity, he kept a smile on his face.
“Demar, I’m hungry.”
At that moment, the “person” sitting on another sofa, who looked like a mountain of flesh, spoke up.
The first time Susaka saw this “person,” he was also stunned speechless. More than a living person, he resembled a “ball of meat.”
“Shut up, Yamamaru. It’s not time to eat yet…”
Demar rolled his eyes and angrily scolded his companion. This mountain of flesh “person” showed a dejected expression instantly after being yelled at by his partner.
…This mountain of flesh weirdo seemed to have some intellectual issues; his personality was just like a child’s.
“Mr. Demar, if you have an appetite, I can provide all sorts of food here. I brought in a chef from France who grills a pretty good steak.”
He rubbed his hands together and gave Demar a friendly smile.
“Thank you for your kindness, but I’m sorry. Yamamaru and I are quite picky about our diet. Ordinary ingredients can hardly fill our stomachs.”
When talking about “ingredients,” Demar gave a strange laugh and declined his offer.
Just at that moment, a gunshot suddenly came from outside the window. A red glow appeared in the direction of the factory warehouse—it was spreading flames and billowing thick smoke.
“Wh-What is this…”
His factory was on fire—how was that possible?
Susaka’s eyes narrowed into slits. Could it be that the earlier news was true?
Some audacious rats really dared to come to his home.
——————————
After quietly sneaking into the secret factory, Fang Jing wanted to play a game of stealth assassination.
He moved in the dark, scouted around, and found that the villa area where Susaka lived was heavily guarded. Sneaking in silently would indeed be a bit difficult.
There were people all around the luxurious villa. It was brightly lit inside, and some fierce-looking foreigners stood everywhere.
“The guards are quite tight, and this secret factory is originally a place for manufacturing firearms. If I barge in recklessly, they can focus their firepower on me!”
Even though Fang Jing relied on opening the two Inner Ghost Gates, which allowed him to be briefly bulletproof and block ordinary bullets, how long he could withstand dense gunfire was a problem.
He wondered if he needed to take this risk. Perhaps he could think of a way to lure the enemy out and attack them separately.
His thoughts shifted, and his body drifted like a ghost as he moved toward the factory.
The factory was divided into three floors. Fang Jing found that there were still people on the first floor, so he went up the stairs to the second floor.
Just then, a man wearing a floral shirt and a gold chain around his neck came down. He was muttering curses under his breath and pulling at his pants, but when he lowered his head, he saw Fang Jing.
However, the moment he saw Fang Jing was also the moment his life was in danger.
Suddenly, Fang Jing twisted his joints like a snake lurking deep in the grass. In an instant, he wrapped around the man, gave a hard twist, and broke the man’s neck.
He held the corpse and slowly moved toward the second floor.
“Here… there should be no one.”
He pressed his ear against the door on the second floor and used the “Earth” skill of the Hiden-ryū Eight Arts to listen carefully. After determining that there was no one inside, he pushed the door open.
As soon as he pushed the door, Fang Jing caught a foul, musty, and pungent smell.
There was light inside the room too, but it was just a broken light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Under the dim yellow light, he could barely make out the scene inside the room.
At that moment, even Fang Jing froze for an instant. Soon, he regained his composure, but his eyes narrowed into slits. A killing intent, fierce enough to devour someone, boiled within him.
“I’ve changed my mind… Susaka and his subordinates, everyone here—none of them will leave alive.”