As soon as the triangular suicide drones swooped down, the outermost bodyguards and security personnel were immediately hit hard. A deep, low rumbling erupted as the shockwave drones detonated in quick succession, followed by a series of drones carrying tranquilizers exploding in the designated area. The scene was soon shrouded in a thick mist.
Sunday, who had been controlling the Black Blade drones, reported, "Sir, the drones have detonated in the targeted area. Everyone on site is unconscious."
"Excellent. Barney, go get the boat, and we'll take the targets with us," William said with a smile to Barney, who was standing next to him.
"OK." Barney nodded, got off the vehicle, and rode off on a cross-country motorcycle to bring the boat around.
Once Barney left, William closed all the car doors and windows, applied reflective film, and opened a portal. He tossed the triangular drone launcher back into the castle's underground chamber, then drove to the scene, tied up the Eight-faced Buddha and his three children, and dragged them into the car.
Lastly, he threw Zhang Ziwei into the front passenger seat and injected him with an antidote to the tranquilizer. William then sped toward the beach, where he and Barney loaded the Eight-faced Buddha's family onto the boat.
Turning to the now-awake Zhang Ziwei, William asked, "Are you sure you want to surrender in Thailand and not back in Hong Kong?"
"What other choice do I have besides going to Thailand?" Zhang Ziwei said helplessly.
"No, there are other options." William tossed a gun and several magazines to Zhang Ziwei. "I've already informed the authorities. You stay here and watch over those guys lying on the ground. I checked—the goods you smuggled haven't reached here; they went to North America instead. So, staying here won't be as bad as going to Thailand, where you'll likely face deadly revenge."
"Sir, two vehicles are seven minutes away," Sunday reported into William's ear.
"Alright, people are coming, so I have to go now."
Zhang Ziwei silently shook hands with William, then looked at Mienna on the boat with a trace of reluctance. He wanted to plead for her but didn't know how to start. Seeing that William had almost decided not to spare him, Zhang Ziwei knew that the Eight-faced Buddha's family was doomed. "Just make it quick when you send her off."
"No problem." William patted Zhang Ziwei on the shoulder with a smile. "Take care, buddy. I hope we meet again."
He jumped on the boat and nodded at Barney, and the speedboat quickly headed out to sea. After an hour of sailing, William asked Barney to stop at a small island. He hauled the Eight-faced Buddha's family onto the island and found an excuse to tell Barney, "You'll go to Thailand by yourself. A plane will come to pick me up later."
"Understood, boss," Barney replied without asking more. He wished William well and sailed away.
Once Barney was gone, William opened a portal. Using his mage hand, he lifted the Eight-faced Buddha's family and brought them through the portal, arriving near the Eight-faced Buddha's previous base. He released the Black Blade drones, changed into his combat suit, and put on his helmet. Walking up to the Eight-faced Buddha, William injected him with an antidote. Within seconds, the Eight-faced Buddha slowly regained consciousness.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a fully armed figure in a black combat suit and helmet standing before him. The man kicked him hard in the stomach.
The kick was strong, and the Eight-faced Buddha, Wei Xingguang, lay on the ground in pain, groaning for a long time before regaining his breath. Weakly, he asked, "Who are you?"
"Who am I?" William rolled his eyes and said, "My boss asked me to thank you, but he's not satisfied with the $200 million figure. If we take over your business, making $1 billion a year would be easy."
"Haha, I knew you Americans couldn't be trusted," said Wei Xingguang, who was bound hand and foot. He tried and failed to sit up, so he simply lay back on the ground. "Tell Jason Weinberg that if he thinks my money is easy to take, he's wrong. I've kept something in reserve since the moment he took the money. If you don't want mutual destruction, you'd better let me go."
"I don't have that kind of patience, and neither does my boss. The evidence and the money for your children's lives. Otherwise..." William pulled out a Glock 17 and aimed it at Wei Xingguang's second son. "Otherwise, I'll start by shooting him in the foot, then work my way up until I reach his head. Care to try?"
Before Wei Xingguang could toughen up, William shot his son in the foot. "Sorry, but your son's leg is probably useless now." He then aimed the gun at the foot of Wei Xingguang's third son. "If you don't want this one's leg ruined, you'd better start talking."
"Haha, do you think I'm an idiot? The way you're shooting, it's clear you won't let me or my family live anyway," Wei Xingguang laughed. "And I know you're not Jason Weinberg's man, am I right? But it doesn't matter. If I die, getting Jason to join me in hell wouldn't be so bad."
"You're sharp, old fox," William said as he pulled off his helmet and tossed it into his storage space. Smiling at the stunned Wei Xingguang, he added, "I guess I'm pretty famous now, or maybe Zhang Ziwei was right—you really did consider kidnapping me."
"Why? Why you? I've never even crossed paths with you. Do we have a grudge?" Wei Xingguang shouted in shock.
"Of course. Remember the international cop you threw into the crocodile pit last year?" William didn't waste words. He immediately shot the heads of the Eight-faced Buddha's three sons and daughter, all of whom were still unconscious. The three fell lifeless instantly.
"No! No!" Wei Xingguang couldn't believe William was so decisive, killing them without even making demands first. Furious, he cursed at William non-stop. But William, prepared for this, simply put on noise-canceling headphones and ordered Sunday, "Music." Immediately, a piano tune filled his ears.
William calmly listened to the music, watching the Eight-faced Buddha curse at him. However, with the headphones on, he couldn't hear a word of it. After about half an hour, Wei Xingguang's voice was hoarse. William walked up to the now broken man, grabbed his hair, and stared into his eyes. "Look into my eyes."
Fueled by hatred, Wei Xingguang couldn't help but glance into William's eyes. That one look was enough—he quickly fell into a trance, while a soft whisper echoed in his ears and mind, "You're tired, so tired. Sleep, sleep."
When Wei Xingguang was fully hypnotized, William softly asked, "Tell me, where is your money?"
"Switzerland," Wei Xingguang replied expressionlessly.
William spent a few minutes extracting all of Wei Xingguang's account details and passwords, then shot the now brain-dead man in the head.
A few minutes later, Sunday reported to William, "Sir, the total amount is—"
Before Sunday could finish, William cut it off. "Stop. Don't tell me how much there is. I might be tempted. I can't take a single cent of that money—all of it will be donated."
"All of it, sir? I suggest you at least hear how much there is," Sunday said, trying to reason with him. As an AI, it lacked human emotions and reservations. But William understood too well. If Sunday insisted, that meant the amount was massive. Pained, he responded, "Yes, all of it. Every last cent."
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[w w w . p @ t r e o n . c o m / M u t t e r]