Binhai City, East Fourth Street.
It was four in the morning, and the sky was still dark.
The area consisted of detached villas, each with its own yard. The street was very quiet, with the nearest commercial street a kilometer away. It was a typical serene and peaceful affluent neighborhood.
The streetlights cast a dim, yellow glow.
Amidst the lush foliage, five men advanced, bent low.
Each wore a bulletproof vest and a black mask. Two were white, two were Asian, and one was black. They were all powerfully built, like boxers.
They remained completely hidden within the bushes, their gazes like those of beasts fixed on the street. When a passerby or vehicle appeared, they froze, like a group of ghosts.
A shaggy stray dog suddenly trotted by and stopped in front of the bushes.
"Woof woof woof!" the stray dog yelped.
A hand shot out from the bushes, and a sharp knife instantly pierced the dog's body, spraying blood!
The hand quickly retracted, pulling the small dog's corpse back into the bushes.
Another hand emerged and swiftly wiped the bloodstains from the street with a towel.
Silence returned to the street.
The five men in black continued their movement, traversing two long stretches of bushes, finally arriving at the small villa at the end of the street and stopping.
"Number 46, this is it."
"This person is the head of the police department. He might have a gun, so don't give him a chance to fire, lest we attract the police. He lives alone, no one else at home."
"Let's go!"
The five men in black rose and moved silently to the front door.
The lock was quite old-fashioned. With a universal key inserted, it immediately opened.
The five men all drew sharp knives from their persons, pressed their ears to the door for a few seconds, then quietly opened it and flooded into the darkness within.
A muffled thud!
A muffled thud!
A muffled thud!
The lights were turned on.
Shao Wanguang stood bare-chested, wearing only his briefs. Blood flowed in large swathes from his pectoral muscles, like a red silk ribbon. His gray briefs were soaked black with blood, and worm-like bloodstains crawled down his thighs.
He held a fire axe, its blade covered in blood.
Two heads rolled on the ground, their headless bodies slumped on the sofa, blood gushing a meter from their necks.
Two men had their backs ripped open, blood seeping through their dark clothing as they twitched and crawled forward.
A white man sat by the door, his face contorted in extreme terror, trembling all over, clutching a sharp knife tightly in his hand.
He was unharmed, but so scared he was about to wet himself.
Shao Wanguang panted, glancing at him without approaching.
Carrying his axe, he calmly turned and walked to the two injured men crawling on the floor, swinging the axe with force.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The sound of ribs being brutally smashed.
Shao Wanguang's face was splattered with blood.
The white man by the door was covered in cold sweat, almost fainting from fear, his limbs twitching violently.
"You came in last, the leader, right?" Shao Wanguang walked over slowly, axe in hand. "Who sent you? What were you here for?"
The white man let out a yell and thrust his sharp knife forward!
Shao Wanguang calmly stepped back, raised his arm, and the axe flashed.
A furry white hand flew to the ground, the sharp knife clattering beside it.
The white assassin collapsed, tears and snot streaming down his face. He clutched his severed right wrist with his left hand and writhed on the ground like a caterpillar.
Shao Wanguang, barefoot, stepped over the scattered corpses and picked up the phone from the table.
"I had burglars in my house, five of them, and I killed four. I kept one alive and am interrogating him. Send some people over."
"Don't make a big deal of this for now. Burglars in my house is a disgrace to the police. Figure out what's going on first."
...
White Ant Real Estate Building Parking Lot.
The flying car had just landed.
Jiang Ye's phone vibrated, and he received a text message.
Shao Wanguang: "You should be awake by now. I have a situation to report. Last night, five assassins broke into my house. I killed four and kept one alive for interrogation. These people are not ordinary thieves; they must be part of an organization. I'll send some people to guard your house 24/7, just in case."
Jiang Ye frowned.
"What's wrong?" Cen Yemeng asked.
"Nothing, just a small work matter," Jiang Ye opened the car door. "Let's go, be careful getting out."
Cen Yemeng got out of the car, holding the child.
Jiang Ye replied "Okay" to Shao Wanguang with his phone, resumed his smile, and accompanied Cen Yemeng upstairs.
They took the elevator to the top floor.
He pushed open the door to the boss's office.
Xu Yan was wearing an orange suit today, which was quite striking in the sunlight.
"Oh my, why has your family of three arrived so early?" Xu Yan exclaimed. "Please, sit down, sit down. I'll pour you some tea."
"I'll have plain water. Pour some good tea for Mengmeng," Jiang Ye said, sitting down and crossing his legs.
"I'll have plain water too, don't trouble yourself," Cen Yemeng smiled.
Xu Yan pushed two cups of water towards them. "Let me guess, you're here to buy a marital home?"
"You guessed it!" Jiang Ye nodded vigorously.
"Any requirements? Location? Size? Decor style? Amenities?" Xu Yan tapped the office desk screen.
"What kind of place do you want?" Jiang Ye turned to her.
"I think the current house is quite good," Cen Yemeng smiled. "I'll listen to you."
"A phoenix does not perch on anything but a mulberry tree. What is that dilapidated house now?" Jiang Ye looked at Xu Yan. "What kind of places do the generals of other planets live in?"
"They vary, but the construction costs are not low," Xu Yan extended a hand, counting on her fingers. "Safety, convenience, comfort, social aspects, and special needs. Generally, it's these five categories."
"Let's go through them one by one," Jiang Ye nodded.
"First, safety. The governor of Ruoze Star lives on an island in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by a dense anti-aircraft fire network. Even a bird flying over would be shot down. The general of Yuyuan Star lives directly in the center of the largest military base, with layers of soldier protection. For an assassin to enter the general's home, they would first have to destroy the entire army. The general of planet ζpx174 lives in orbit, essentially a space station, with no ground or sky beneath. The general of Kunyao Star lives five kilometers underground, with concrete layers designed to withstand armor-piercing bombs, and even nuclear bombs cannot penetrate it."
"These options are all too extreme. We need to live near a city," Jiang Ye shook his head repeatedly.
"Then you could have a manor-style home in the suburbs, with vast, flat lawns surrounding it, allowing you to see any approaching visitors. In the center, there would be a sturdy building, treated for bulletproofing and explosion resistance. You could also excavate an underground bunker capable of withstanding nuclear weapons, where you could take shelter in critical moments," Xu Yan suggested. "Military outposts could be established nearby, with additional robots or police patrols, ensuring similar safety."
"Excellent!" Jiang Ye nodded. "I plan to establish an elite guard of a thousand men, responsible for my family's safety. This guard unit will be stationed near my home, with eight small bases."
Cen Yemeng's mouth fell open in surprise. "That's so extravagant?"
"Not extravagant at all. Better safe than sorry," Jiang Ye patted her head.
Xu Yan tapped her desk screen, inputting some parameters.
"Next, location," Xu Yan asked. "Where would you like to live?"