The War Begins
Gerard's attempt to make Zhang Rui an example has drawn more than just the eyes of Madam Wei's network—it has invited death itself. The assassin is no longer in the shadows, and The Silver Lotus is about to become a battlefield. The question is no longer whether Gerard can win, but whether he can survive long enough to claim his kill.
---
Chaos in The Silver Lotus
Screams erupted as glass rained down onto the club floor.
The sniper shot had missed Gerard, but the message was clear—he was being hunted.
Zhang Rui choked on his own breath, realizing how close he had come to dying before Gerard even got the chance to execute him.
Gerard wasn't about to let that opportunity slip.
He needed to finish this.
Now.
Before Zhang Rui could escape.
Jian's voice crackled through his earpiece.
"You just pissed off the entire club, Walker. I hope you have a plan."
Gerard pulled Zhang Rui to his feet and shoved him forward.
"Yeah. Keep the doors blocked. Nobody gets out."
---
The Assassin Descends
The assassin lowered his rifle, his expression unreadable.
The moment Gerard had dodged, he knew.
This kill wouldn't be clean.
A single shot wouldn't be enough.
So be it.
He pulled a second pistol from his holster and turned to the stairwell leading down from the rooftop.
Tonight, he would end this up close.
---
A Battlefield of Power and Fear
The club had devolved into chaos.
Rich men scrambled for cover, ducking behind furniture, clutching at their expensive suits like that would save them from bullets.
The bodyguards were less useless.
They had drawn their weapons, eyes darting in every direction, searching for the shooter.
Zhang Rui was still frozen, his mind trying to process how his entire world had just crumbled in seconds.
Gerard didn't give him time.
He slammed him onto the bar counter, knocking over glasses and bottles.
"Your men look scared, Zhang," he murmured. "They know you're already dead."
Zhang Rui coughed, blood speckling his lips.
"You don't… understand what you're doing," he rasped.
Gerard didn't blink. "I understand perfectly."
He grabbed Zhang Rui by the collar, dragging him toward the center of the club.
He was going to make an example out of him.
Just like the system wanted.
---
[Ding! Bonus Condition Updated]
[Bonus Condition Activated: Public Execution Required]
Objective: Ensure Zhang Rui is killed in front of at least 20 witnesses.
Bonus Reward: $500,000 + Reputation Increase in Criminal Circles.
---
The Club Turns on Itself
Zhang Rui's remaining bodyguards had recovered, and now they were closing in.
Jian's voice came through again. "Walker, you're about to be surrounded."
Gerard wasn't concerned.
He pulled Zhang Rui into a chokehold and spoke loud enough for the entire club to hear.
"Zhang Rui is done. Madam Wei can't protect him."
Murmurs spread across the room.
Some men stepped back, realizing the weight of that statement.
Others hesitated, caught between loyalty and self-preservation.
And that's when the assassin arrived.
---
The Hunter Appears
The back doors of the club slammed open.
A hush fell over the room.
A shadow stepped through the doorway, moving with slow, measured steps.
Tall. Silent. Deadly.
The assassin had entered the battlefield.
And this time, there was no retreat.
Jian's voice was sharp. "Walker, that's him. You need to move."
Gerard let Zhang Rui drop to his knees but didn't look away from the approaching threat.
The assassin stopped a few feet away, head tilting slightly.
Then, he spoke.
"You're not Li Xian."
The words weren't a question.
They were a statement.
Gerard's jaw tightened.
He had been careful, but now, someone saw the truth.
The assassin exhaled slowly. "I don't know what you are, but it doesn't matter."
He raised his pistol.
"I still have a job to do."
---
The First Direct Battle – Gerard vs. The Assassin
The moment the gun was raised, Gerard moved.
A single gunshot cracked the air.
But Gerard had already ducked, flipping a table into the air as cover.
The bullet splintered wood but missed its mark.
The assassin didn't hesitate, closing the distance with brutal efficiency.
Gerard barely had time to react before a fist shot toward his ribs.
Pain exploded through his torso.
The assassin's hits were precise, measured, deadly.
But Gerard wasn't just defending.
He had spent a lifetime fighting battles that weren't fair.
And he had never lost.
---
[Ding! Skill Activated: Tactical Vision]
[Analyzing target…]
[Weaknesses detected.]
- Left shoulder: Prior injury. Range of motion limited at high speeds.
- Right thigh: Slight imbalance when pivoting. Exploitable for counterattacks.
- Reaction delay: 0.3-second gap after rapid strikes. Use to seize control.
---
Gerard's vision shifted.
The world around him dimmed slightly, his focus sharpening.
The assassin's movements slowed in his mind.
And then, he saw it.
The way his left shoulder moved stiffly during certain strikes.
The way his pivot was a fraction of a second slower on his right leg.
The assassin was fast. Deadly.
But now, he wasn't invincible.
---
Exploiting the Weaknesses
Gerard twisted sharply, slamming the assassin onto the club floor.
A shockwave of force rattled the surrounding tables.
For the first time, the assassin was stunned.
The assassin's gaze flickered with something new.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Curiosity.
"That skill…" he muttered.
Gerard tensed.
The assassin wasn't just noticing his strength.
He was noticing the way Gerard fought—his precision, his awareness, his ability to read movements in real-time.
And that meant one thing.
He knew Gerard wasn't Li Xian.
---
The Endgame – A Public Execution
Gerard reached Zhang Rui just as the man grabbed a discarded gun.
Too slow.
Gerard stomped on his wrist, crushing bone.
Zhang Rui screamed.
Gerard raised his own gun, pressing it to Zhang Rui's forehead.
The man trembled.
"Please—"
Gerard pulled the trigger.
A single shot.
Zhang Rui's body collapsed onto the floor.
A powerful man had just been erased.
---
[Ding! Mission Complete]
[Public Execution Achieved – 20 Witnesses Confirmed]
Reward: $500,000 + Increased Reputation in Criminal Circles.
---
The War Has Begun
Gerard exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
He glanced at the gathered crowd—the criminals, the spies, the vultures.
They had seen what he had done.
And that was exactly what he wanted.
---