Ulric’s gaze turned icy in an instant. “Do you take me for an idiot? I know about the footage, and I also know you plan to call the police.”“Call your friend and lure him over.” Ulric ordered.Losing his patience, Ulric stood and slashed Heath’s face with the blade.“Still stubborn?” Rage flared wildly in Ulric’s eyes. “Aren’t you capable of writing about every twist of fate? Without your hands, I want to see how you write!”At the same time, inside the large warehouse in Southyang District.Oakley held a cigarette and watched coldly. “You took jobs without authorisation? Outsiders have been surveilling Sincerity for four days, and the whole incident was captured on video. Who would believe you acted alone?”Oakley waved his hand in irritation. “Take him away.”Finnegan’s words cut short. A bullet struck the back of his head, killing him instantly. His men dragged away his convulsing body with ruthless efficiency.Dawn had yet to break, and the snow and wind raged on. Ford sped frant

Inside the run-down shopfront, middle-aged Paxton hurried out, forcing a broad smile. “Another delivery?”“Same terms as usual,” Holt nodded. “Bring the second truck. Unload two hundred kilos of rice and two hundred kilos of flour for the refugees.”“Got it.” Chameng led his men to open the crates and start unloading.Four sacks of grain hit the ground. Chameng called out. “Two strong men to carry the supplies.”None of the refugees moved an inch. No one answered. The air turned taut.Holt frowned and glanced at Paxton.A troubled look crossed Paxton’s face. “No work with the snow piling up. These people haven’t had food in days. They’re starving.”The message was clear — they wanted more grain.Holt had been distributing relief supplies along the way to keep the peace. But human greed knew no bounds, and kindness never earned gratitude.After a moment of silence, he stepped aside and opened the SUV’s trunk.There was no grain inside. Only crates of firearms and ammunition glinting co

After the ambush, Ulric called Oakley. "Mission accomplished. We seized all the cargo, nothing left behind.""Excellent," Oakley said triumphantly. "Return and rewards will be handed out according to merit."The call ended. Inside the office in Nanmu District.Oakley sat with one leg crossed over the other and turned to Wade beside him. "Do you know why I had to hijack this shipment no matter what?"Wade played along. "I’d like to hear your reasoning.""Their supply line stretches extremely far. It takes nearly a month for a single round trip to restock," calculation glinted in Oakley’s eyes. "If I intercept two shipments, Pierce will run completely out of supplies in five days at most."Wade fell slightly stunned. He set aside his previous disdain and secretly marveled at Oakley’s scheme."You aim to seize control of Novara’s pharmaceutical market?""Exactly," Oakley nodded, his tone vicious. "Kane and his people within the system are tied by red tape. They play by the rules, enforce

"Return to the battalion at once!" Keegan lost his composure in panic. He hurried out of the courtyard and frantically dialled Oakley’s number, yet the call never got through.At the gate, Keegan urged the squad leader to start the vehicle while he prepared to contact Wade for aid.Dawn had not yet broken, and cold, gloomy winds swirled at the alley entrance. A dark figure with both hands tucked in his pockets stepped out slowly, head bowed.The squad leader sensed something amiss and reached for his gun, but Kane closed the distance in an instant.A dull thud echoed. A ferocious kick sent the man staggering several paces backward. Kane pulled out a solid metre-long iron rod, bent low and swung it horizontally.A sharp crack of splintering bone rang out; the squad leader’s blocking arm snapped cleanly. Before he could let out a scream, the iron rod crashed down onto his head. Blood gushed from his nose, and he collapsed into immediate shock.The whole sequence lasted barely four secon

Meanwhile, upstairs.Kane made an urgent call to verify the facts. He learned that Cruz had taken the training uniform from the trunk of his car without permission a few days earlier. Everything clicked into place at once. He quickly stopped Cruz, who was about to stroll downstairs, and laid out the entire plan in a few concise sentences.Moments later, Kane and Cruz walked side by side out into the hall. Seeing them, the Deputy Director immediately announced to everyone outside, "The man you’ve been looking for is here."The Battalion Commander and Carson looked up simultaneously.Cruz sauntered forward casually, pulled out his ID badge to confirm his identity, and said calmly, "I signed the paperwork. What about it?"A buzzing sound filled Carson’s head, and he froze on the spot. The man’s height, build and bearing were nothing like the assailant he had fought the previous night.Before Carson could collect his wits, Cruz simply took off his jacket and lifted his sweater, openly exp