Grant Ward's Torment

Grant had memorized the files of all the security guards in the residential complex in advance, but Li Chuan's men were no slouches either—they had also memorized the files of every resident before starting their shift as guards today.

Any stranger entering the complex would be under the close surveillance of Li Chuan's men, especially those who came at night or approached Li Chuan's room.

Even if a deliveryman stood at the door of Li Chuan's house during the day, at least three sniper rifles would be aimed at his head from different angles.

Just now, when a car that wasn't in the resident files appeared at the complex entrance, two guards immediately grew alert, pretending to doze off while secretly observing the driver and the vehicle.

"Copy that, Team One, proceed to the parking lot for tracking and surveillance. Sniper Two, stand by!"

Hearing the alert from the walkie-talkie, Li San quickly located the Chevrolet about to reach the parking lot through the complex's surveillance system.

Entering the complex at this hour, and not a regular resident—highly suspicious.

"Should we notify the boss?"

The subordinate beside him asked.

Li San shook his head:

"Not yet. We haven't confirmed he's an enemy. He might be a friend or relative of some resident here."

After saying that, he thought for a moment and pressed the walkie-talkie again:

"Team One, be advised: if his target is Building Eight, where the boss lives, take him down and interrogate him preemptively."

When it came to the boss's safety, his philosophy was better to kill the wrong person than let one slip by. If the man tried to enter Building Eight, he could pose a threat to the boss's safety.

At that point, whether he was a resident's relative or friend or not, they'd take him down first.

If an investigation later proved it was a mistake, they could apologize and offer more money to smooth things over.

"Team Two, Team Three, stand by for backup. Sniper Two, if the enemy resists fiercely, shoot to kill immediately."

"Copy that!"

A series of crisp replies came through the walkie-talkie.

At that moment, Grant, who had just parked the car, was pulling a large suitcase out of the vehicle when his hair suddenly stood on end, and a very ominous feeling surged in his chest.

Years of experience as a top-tier infiltrator told him he was being watched—maybe even locked in by a sniper.

"This Li Chuan is definitely no simple man!"

Grant's body only paused for a moment before he continued walking as if nothing was wrong, his outward appearance betraying no hint of abnormality. His acting was nothing short of Shadow Emperor-level.

By now, he understood perfectly: the two guards he'd seen earlier were definitely Li Chuan's bodyguards in disguise, and whoever was now watching and aiming at him from the shadows were also Li Chuan's men.

Such tight and cautious protection was rare even among the world's top billionaires.

"Good thing I came prepared too."

As a top-tier agent who always completed missions flawlessly, Grant's mind was equally meticulous.

Sensing something was off, he didn't head to Li Chuan's building. Instead, he went to the one next door, took the elevator to the top floor, pulled out a key, unlocked a door, and walked into a room.

This was the apartment of a single career woman—open-minded, fond of hitting the bar and partying. She often brought men home for hookups. Today, just after she got off work, Grant had quietly knocked her out and taken her keys.

But he knew he had to move fast. If the other side was cautious enough, they'd soon catch on.

"Third Brother, he's entered Building Nine, 25th floor, Letili Galia's apartment."

Hearing the report from the walkie-talkie, Li San frowned, quickly recalled Letili's file in his mind, and muttered to himself:

"Could it be some guy she hooked up with coming to see her at night?"

After a moment's thought, he ordered his subordinate:

"Quick, pull up today's surveillance footage. Check if Letili came back after leaving this morning."

"It'll take two minutes."

The subordinate entered Letili's face into the computer, imported the day's surveillance from the complex, and let the smart system scan through it rapidly.

If they had to rely on human eyes, even with fast-forwarding, it would take hours to go through a full day's footage. But Li Chuan knew the power of technology well and had equipped his security team with the most expensive, cutting-edge gear.

About two minutes later, the subordinate reported:

"Letili left the complex at 8:30 this morning and hasn't returned since."

"Not good. Team One, enter the apartment immediately and capture the target. Team Two and Team Three, head upstairs for backup. Try to take him alive. All snipers, stand by—if the target crosses into the cordon, shoot to kill!"

Today was Monday. Letili usually hit the bar from Friday to Sunday. And even if she did go out partying, it was abnormal for a man to show up when she wasn't home.

With so many red flags, there was no need to hesitate anymore.

However, to avoid unnecessary trouble from gunfire, unless the situation was extremely dangerous, it was best not to use guns—this was a special instruction the boss had given in advance.

Because Li Chuan felt that if guns were used and things escalated, it would affect Wanda's normal life.

Of course, if the target entered the cordon and began threatening Wanda's safety, then they wouldn't care about that—they'd shoot to kill and be done with it.

"So fast. Looks like I'll have to retreat today!"

Having changed into a set of night clothes and just about to fire a grappling hook into the opposite Building Eight to quietly slide over and snatch Li Chuan, Grant heard the door being breached and sighed inwardly.

He'd thought it would take them at least half an hour to react, but it had only been two minutes.

Even if he managed to grab the target now, there was no way he could get him out of the complex under such tight protection. He'd have to retreat for now and try again another time.

He swung the rope gun around and fired at the building closer to the edge of the complex on the left. After securing it, he turned to face the two security guards who had already burst through the door.

He had to take out these two guards before he could escape safely—otherwise, he'd be a laughingstock if someone cut the line mid-slide.

With his skills, he could drop these two in two seconds.

"Fuck, these grunts are way too good!"

Grant clutched one eye, swollen from a punch, and hunched over for a good while before slinging his tool bag over his shoulder and sliding out along the rope.

He did take down those two guards, but not in two seconds—it took thirty. Worried about backup arriving, he gritted his teeth, took several hits, and barely managed to overpower them with technique.

By his assessment, those two guards had combat skills that would rank among the top field operatives at S.H.I.E.L.D., and among mercenaries or bodyguards out in the world, they'd be the cream of the crop.

He slid to the neighboring building, landed on the balcony, and quickly pulled a rappelling device from his pack to set it up. In under ten seconds, he was on the ground and sprinting toward the complex wall.

Beyond that wall was a street, where he'd parked a getaway car in advance.

But when he reached the base of the wall, he found a man built like a bear, dressed in a security uniform, already standing there.