*****(About eight minutes ago.)Completely unbeknownst to Xavier, something extremely interesting had already occurred earlier, the moment he stepped out of the car and entered the hospital grounds.At the time, the hospital entrance had looked completely ordinary, with patients coming and going, nurses pushing carts of supplies, and two bored security guards stationed near the gate, their tired expressions those of men who had been staring at the same scenery for hours.Yet the instant Xavier stepped out of the car, and he was seen, one of those guards reacted as though a bolt of lightning had struck him directly in the spine.The man had jerked violently, and his entire body stiffened so abruptly that the reaction looked almost comical… like a cat that had accidentally stepped on a live wire.For a moment, he had just stared at Xavier in disbelief, then, slowly and almost mechanically, he had pulled out his cellphone.Displayed on the screen was a rough pencil sketch.The d

*****VRUMMMM!!!The sudden, violent roar of an engine shattered the calm atmosphere of the hospital compound.And before anyone could even react, a large black van shot through the hospital gate at an aggressive speed, its tires screeching faintly against the pavement as it barreled forward like a charging beast.The vehicle was massive, its exterior matte-black and intimidating, with every single window heavily tinted, making it impossible to see inside.The abrupt arrival startled everyone nearby, and instantly, the patients waiting outside jumped in fright.A nurse pushing a trolley nearly lost her grip on it, while even the birds resting on a nearby tree burst into the air in alarm.“This…!”The security guard flinched like everyone else, instinctively stepping back as the van thundered past the entrance.For a brief second, fear flashed across his face.But then… that fear transformed into pure rage.His face twisted with fury.The man had already been in a terrible

*****The driver of the black van himself was also dressed entirely in black, from the polished boots on his feet to the dark coat draped across his broad shoulders.However, unlike the rows of puppet-like men who had emerged from the van just now, the man appeared unmistakably human, his eyes alive… cold, calculating, but alive nonetheless.At this moment, those very eyes were locked onto the trembling security guard, his gaze terrifying, icy, and murderous.It felt less like someone was looking at him and more like a blade had been placed against his throat.And seeing it, the guard’s body stiffened instantly.He tried to hold the man’s stare for even a moment longer, but it felt as though the air had suddenly vanished from the world.His lungs struggled to draw breath, his vision blurred, and the pounding in his chest grew so violent that he feared his heart might rupture on the spot.‘I… am I going to die?’That was the only thought that echoed in his mind.The oppressiv

*****The newcomer looked as though he had just encountered the most famous celebrity in the world face-to-face and still hadn’t fully processed the miracle.His eyes were wide with disbelief at this moment, his breathing uneven, and the excitement vibrating through his body was so obvious that it practically leaked from every pore.One might have thought he had just shaken hands with a legend instead of standing before two men whose reputations alone could make most people in Riverton city tremble.For a moment, the man simply stood there, staring.Meanwhile, the Revercrest Patriarch and his right-hand man exchanged a brief glance… one of those silent communications shared between people who had worked together long enough to understand each other without words.After that short look, both of them returned their attention to the newcomer.“Did you discover the target?” the Patriarch asked, his voice carrying that same chilling tone as before… cold, dark, and eerily calm, like

*****Still inside the hospital’s compound, the situation had deteriorated so quickly that it almost felt unreal.The moment the black minibus and the van roared through the gates one after the other, their engines howling like enraged beasts, it became immediately obvious that whoever was inside had absolutely no concern for hospital rules… or basic human safety.The vehicles didn’t slow down or even pretend to.They blasted straight into the compound as if the place belonged to them, ignoring the pedestrians scrambling out of the way.A few unlucky visitors nearly tripped over themselves as they dove aside, convinced they were about to become unfortunate road decorations.Then, instead of heading toward the designated parking lot like civilized human beings, the minibus and van stopped abruptly in the middle of the compound.Then, even before the vehicles stopped completely, their sliding doors snapped open.From the minibus, nearly two dozen men jumped out one after another