Chapter 1 West Continent

The weather in West Continent was gloomy and rainy. Amidst the continuous drizzle, Han Xiao, having endured several days of bumpy rides on a civilian train, finally arrived at Maple Leaf City, the capital of Red Maple.

Red Maple was sparsely populated, and its most notable feature was the cheap housing prices. The per capita living space was large enough that even middle-class families could afford villas. The income of ordinary citizens in the capital was not low. Moreover, the Red Maple government annually drove away homeless people and slum dwellers to other cities, like regularly excising rotten flesh. Therefore, Maple Leaf City's urban environment was excellent, quiet, comfortable, and well-greened.

As usual, it was a clandestine entry. Following the address, Han Xiao found a villa in a relatively peripheral part of Maple Leaf City. This was a safe house purchased by the dark web using false accounts and IDs, and the contact person was waiting for him inside.

The villa was three stories high, with a brown glazed wooden door carved with exquisite reliefs. Han Xiao grabbed the knocker and tapped out a prearranged signal of five long and six short knocks. The door creaked open, and a housekeeper whose face was more wrinkled than an overripe orange expressionlessly invited him inside.

Walking into the house, the housekeeper, whose actual identity was a resident liaison, closed the door and whispered, "Both guests are waiting in the basement."

Han Xiao nodded, opened a hidden door in the closet next to the stairs, and went down the steps to the basement. It wasn't the dimly lit place he had imagined, but rather steel walls, bright lights, and various equipment and firearms. There was also a dedicated lathe and material boxes in the corner.

Two contact persons were sitting at the central conference table, waiting. They all looked at Han Xiao, who was recognized now that he had changed back into his Black Phantom appearance.

The two contacts were Golden Fox and a young man.

Golden Fox hesitated, "Black Phantom?"

Han Xiao's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "It's you. I've seen you once. You seem to have become even more beautiful."

Golden Fox felt a chill and touched her cheek, muttering, "Please, don't develop any interest in me..."

The other contact was a young man, probably only about twenty years old. His code name in the Blood Contract Society was "Ghost Blade," the lowest rank of Scorpion-level killer. He was said to be a new member, and he was staring intently at Han Xiao, his gaze filled with scrutiny and a hint of dissatisfaction.

Ghost Blade used to be a trainee agent of Raylen. Before graduating, he escaped. Having been trained in a special agent training institution, he naturally felt a sense of superiority over these underground killers. He and Han Xiao had joined the Blood Contract Society around the same time, but Han Xiao had become a legend in the organization, while he was still struggling as a Scorpion-level killer. Ghost Blade had always been unconvinced.

In terms of seniority, Han Xiao was actually very junior, but with his battle achievements, strength, and Bennett as his backer, he became the ace of the Blood Contract Society. There was a small group in the organization who were unconvinced, all of whom were arrogant. Most of them were various figures who had switched careers to become killers. Even with written evidence of his achievements, some would still doubt him if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.

"I've heard of your achievements. They say you're a legend, but you don't seem to be anything special," Ghost Blade said expressionlessly.

Han Xiao glanced at Ghost Blade, not wanting to argue.

Golden Fox hurriedly interjected to get back to the topic, "Ahem, there are five targets: Lyman Harry, Miller Senning, Anguster Billy, Dak Van Fancy, and Dorasi Farimi. They are all Red Maple officials who oppose appropriations. Their residences are patrolled by guards, and they have escorts when they travel."

Golden Fox winked at Ghost Blade, who snorted and took out a map, spreading it on the conference table. "These are the terrain maps of the targets' villa estates, as well as the security forces and nearby police patrol routes..."

The intelligence was very detailed. Ghost Blade's intelligence gathering ability was strictly in accordance with Raylen's training manual, and he had basically investigated all the details of this mission. Relying on his knowledge of special agent secrets, Golden Fox hadn't been able to help him much during the reconnaissance, which made him feel a sense of superiority over these killers. He was a professional, and they were amateurs.

Ghost Blade secretly glanced at Han Xiao, not believing that Black Phantom wouldn't be surprised by such detailed intelligence. However, Han Xiao's expression remained unchanged, as if he was used to it.

Ghost Blade frowned and said in a deep voice, "I've set up an action plan for you. You see these red lines and markings, right? That's the route I've planned. As long as you obediently follow my plan and don't make any mistakes, I guarantee you won't fail. You should be able to understand what I've written, right? These are special agent symbols. If you can't understand them, I'll explain them to you."

"No need, I'll take a look myself." Han Xiao tapped the table, carefully browsing the intelligence, and casually asked, "What's the specific task?"

"Put these documents in the targets' residences, in conspicuous places, to ensure that the targets will definitely see them. They contain some evidence that is detrimental to them. Once they see that we can put things in their homes silently, they will know that their lives are not safe, both expressing a threat and leaving room for maneuver," Golden Fox said.

"I'll sneak in. What will you guys do?"

Ghost Blade snorted, "I'm only responsible for reconnaissance and providing intelligence. The specific action is the task of you, the ace. Don't think about asking me for help."

Golden Fox glared at Ghost Blade and said ingratiatingly, "If you need my support, I have no problem with that."

"Forget it, I don't need it." Han Xiao waved his hand. "This mission is quite simple. I can do it alone."

"According to my plan, the mission is indeed not difficult." Ghost Blade nodded lightly. He had actually withheld some intelligence in the information, which wouldn't affect the mission but would bring some small challenges to the operator. He wanted to test Black Phantom. Although the other party was the organization's ace, unless he passed his test, he would still maintain a wait-and-see attitude towards Black Phantom.

However, Han Xiao looked at the plan and shook his head. "This plan is too complicated. I have my own way."

Ghost Blade was immediately dissatisfied. "This is the plan I researched based on all the intelligence. You've only looked at it for a few minutes, and you already have a better way?"

"This mission is not challenging for me," Han Xiao said.

What a joke! Ghost Blade snorted and turned away. He was very unhappy that Black Phantom didn't follow his plan. He was a professional, and his plan was flawless. This Black Phantom simply didn't know good stuff when he saw it.

"If he doesn't follow my plan, there will definitely be accidents," Ghost Blade thought to himself, feeling a bit gloomy and even wanting to see Black Phantom fail. He felt that not following his ideas was just messing around. He hoped he wouldn't just be all talk and then end up using his plan anyway, which would only make him look down on him.

Han Xiao looked at his watch. "I'll act tonight. You guys just wait."

The two contacts would not participate in the official action. Han Xiao didn't need logistics or intelligence personnel either, so everything would be done independently, without the need for a headset.

"Acting as soon as he arrives, too impulsive." Ghost Blade shook his head, disapproving in his heart, and felt that this mission was mostly doomed to failure.

Ignoring the advice of a professional basically meant failure.

…

Soon it was night, and dark clouds obscured the moon. Han Xiao changed into a black suit and hid the unnecessary items in the safe house's safe, personally checked the circuits, reset the password to prevent others from opening it, and set off with the necessary equipment.

The streets of Red Maple at night were very quiet. The night wind blew through the treetops, and the rustling forest waves brought a sense of peace. The air carried a fresh, light fragrance, which was the scent of the flowerbeds along the road. There weren't many pedestrians on the street. The most numerous were the patrolling police, seemingly subtly indicating the country's high-pressure policies. The public order wasn't as peaceful as the surface environment suggested.

Walking through one quiet street after another, he arrived at the city's political district. There were even more patrolmen on the streets. Han Xiao hid in the shadows of an alley and observed silently, waiting patiently.

About ten minutes later, a patrolman walked over.

"This is B3248, all normal."

The patrolman spoke into the walkie-talkie, passed the entrance of the alley, and subconsciously looked into the dark alley.

A pair of arms suddenly reached out, dragging him into the darkness. The hurried shout stopped abruptly after only half a sound.

A minute later, Han Xiao changed into a police uniform, with a walkie-talkie on his waist. He transformed his appearance. The simulated mask scanned the policeman's face, and he looked exactly the same.