Zhang Jie had considered he would be in a sorry state, and he had considered he would be down and out, but he hadn't expected to be both down and out, and in a sorry state at the same time.
From the moment he got off the train at Norwalk Station, it was as if the whole world was filled with malice towards him.
Even though he knew he would be relentlessly hunted for 24 hours, the current situation seemed even more tragic than he had anticipated.
It was like John Wick being hunted in the original movie, and Zhang Jie was facing the same scenario.
Immediately after getting off the train, in the crowded station, despite his instinctual crisis response, Zhang Jie was still stabbed by two female assassins disguised as ordinary passengers.
Why only one stab?
Because Zhang Jie dodged the first stab and, in a counter-move, plunged her own knife into her neck.
He twisted the knife again in her desperate eyes, making it fully penetrate her neck. It was at this moment that another knife appeared, stabbing directly into his lower abdomen. Fortunately, he was wearing a composite bulletproof and stab-resistant vest, but he was still injured.
After all, the properties of bulletproofing and stab resistance have an inherent contradiction; if bulletproofing is prioritized, stab resistance usually weakens, and vice versa.
Bulletproof materials (like ceramics, UHMWPE) absorb or shatter to disperse bullet kinetic energy but struggle to block sharp penetrations; stab-resistant materials (like metal mesh, titanium alloy) rely on high-density rigid structures to resist knife stabs but cannot effectively cushion bullet impacts.
The performance requirements of the two are fundamentally contradictory: strong bulletproofing makes the material brittle, while strong stab resistance makes it too rigid. Existing technology can only partially accommodate both through composite layering or modular design, but this sacrifices weight, flexibility, or cost.
So Zhang Jie still chose to enhance the bulletproof effect, which meant he was stabbed once. It wasn't serious, but it hurt!
Wincing in pain, Zhang Jie immediately clutched his wound and retreated, looking at the assassin who looked like a little girl.
A flicker of anger crossed Zhang Jie's eyes, and the little girl had already advanced again.
Damn it!
You're getting too bold, aren't you!
Looking at the young girl, the assassin lunged towards him. Zhang Jie didn't say a word and directly delivered a kick.
However, the young girl naturally wouldn't let him kick her unchallenged, so her dagger went straight for Zhang Jie's leg, and Zhang Jie was momentarily stunned.
At the critical moment, Zhang Jie could only forcefully push his leg down, avoiding the stab, but it still left a trail of blood on Zhang Jie's leg.
But at this point, the distance between them had already closed to within two meters.
Immediately after, Zhang Jie stepped forward, his elbow thrusting out in an instant.
It was a powerful, heavy blow, carrying Zhang Jie's entire weight, forcefully striking the young girl's chest with his elbow.
The young girl had never encountered such a Chinese Martial Arts move before.
Although it wasn't something Zhang Jie had learned, he had at least witnessed it last time when Ye Xiaoxiao made her move.
Only a 'bang' was heard.
The sound of a sternum instantly cracking was very clear. The young girl was thrown backward like a cannonball, and after landing, she fell into a coma.
"Tsk... so flat..."
Zhang Jie unconsciously mumbled this, then immediately turned around, clutching his wound, and walked towards a less crowded area.
He finally understood: the more people there were, the more assassins there would be.
He tried to walk in less crowded areas, which finally gave him a moment to catch his breath. He casually walked into a convenience store, bought some hemostatic supplies, and began self-treatment.
He wrapped the bandage a few times, then put his composite bulletproof vest back on, followed by his jacket.
In broad daylight, firing a Pistol was difficult and very easy to expose his location.
So the upcoming battles would likely lean more towards close-quarters combat, and he had no idea where these assassins would emerge from.
"Damn it, I regret it! I should have learned Wing Chun from Ye Xiaoxiao back then!" The more he thought about it, the more he regretted it, wishing he could slap himself.
Ye Xiaoxiao's terrifying close-combat strength truly made him envious; he wondered how that young girl had trained.
Although he had never formally studied Martial Arts, he could imagine that to achieve such terrifying combat power, she must have endured a lot of hardship.
"I must definitely ask Ye Xiaoxiao to teach me a few moves when I get the chance."
He secretly set a goal for himself, then continued forward, turning into an alley.
He kept walking, but soon he noticed something was wrong because a woman carrying a stylish handbag was walking towards him.
Zhang Jie didn't even think; he sidestepped to the side, then immediately fired his P320!
Thud! Thud!
Two shots hit the woman directly in the chest.
The woman immediately fell to the ground, revealing her right hand and a Pistol hidden in her bag.
"Damn it, I knew it!"
Then, Zhang Jie walked over, looked at the woman lying on the ground, and kicked away the Pistol in her hand.
Without hesitation, he aimed the Pistol at her forehead and pulled the trigger.
Thud!
The woman died without understanding how her opponent had discovered the Pistol hidden in her bag, and how he had dodged so quickly.
This time, Zhang Jie didn't rely on his instinctual crisis response, but on intuition and judgment: a handbag in the left hand, and the right hand hidden in the bag?
Sister, I'm not blind!
Moreover, I already know that many assassins are coming to kill me within 24 hours, so how could I not keep my eyes wide open?
Time to loot the body!
He found a glock 17, two full magazines, and one PPK full magazine. He picked up the silenced PPK he had kicked away, which replenished his ammunition.
Stepping over the body, he continued forward. As he rounded a corner, a black Subaru suddenly stopped. Zhang Jie didn't even think; he immediately raised his gun and fired!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three bullets penetrated the car window, blowing the head off the man in the driver's seat.
Then, Zhang Jie immediately went around to the driver's side, opened the door, pulled the dead man out of the car, got in himself, and sped away with a stomp on the accelerator.
"This is so damn exciting! I really don't know how John managed to survive so tenaciously back then!"
To make matters worse, this cursed place, Norwalk, didn't have a Continental Hotel, which meant he couldn't find temporary refuge. To survive, he either had to go to the Continental Hotel or endure for 24 hours.
"I'm having such a hard time!"
When passing through a traffic light, Zhang Jie initially wanted to wait, but the scene in his rearview mirror prevented him from waiting any longer.
He floored the accelerator, activating 'berserk mode.' What's running a red light?
Life is the most important thing.
Da da da da!
As expected, intense gunshots erupted from behind!
Zhang Jie ducked and pulled his hands in. Bullets struck the front windshield, instantly shattering it.
"Damn it!"
He slammed the accelerator to the floor, quickly getting away. Letting them get closer would be even more troublesome. The Subaru sped wildly down the road.
I can't outnumber you, but when it comes to driving skills, you're all amateurs!
With Driving Lv2, I've never been afraid of anyone!
Watching the black Subaru suddenly accelerate and speed away, the pursuers behind were also stunned. They then urged their companion in the driver's seat to speed up and follow.
Before they knew it, it had turned into an urban road chase.
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