You've Already Lost

On the streets of Lungmen, black police vehicles marked with the word "Police" sped past one after another. There were not only transport vehicles, but also climbing vehicles and armored vehicles. However, the most conspicuous among them was a white-painted vehicle. Unlike the others, which bore only the word "Police," this one carried the Guard Department emblem and the words "Special Operations Group."

In contrast to the vehicle's vast interior, there were very few passengers, with most of the seats left empty.

Besides the driver, only Chen and Swire were currently aboard. After receiving the dispatch order from the command center and asking about the situation, Chen, the leader of the Special Operations Group, had directly ordered her team members to head to the scene alongside the Guard Department's armed reinforcements.

It was not only because the request for support had come from Roy, but also because she felt she could obtain some intelligence from this operation.

Clearly, this was not some spur-of-the-moment attack. After all, these illegal immigrants from Siracusa generally operated in the outer ring. Until now, they had never entered Lungmen's urban districts on a large scale. That meant one thing—this was an organized, premeditated attack, and their target was clear: Roy!

As for whether these mafiosi had conducted an investigation beforehand...

If Chen's guess was correct, they had not conducted any preliminary investigation. Their intelligence had most likely come from the person who had hired them!

Therefore, aside from supporting Roy, she intended to capture and interrogate these Sicilians from Siracusa in order to obtain useful intelligence.

In the seat across from her, Swire stared out the window in boredom.

Normally, at this hour, she would be sitting in her office enjoying the breakfast prepared by the chef at home before she left that morning. After all, it was not yet time to start work.

But because of this sudden incident, she had come out.

Swire might have had some complaints about that, but she would not show them outright. Since she had chosen this profession, she had long been prepared to face its irregular hours.

As for Roy...

Although she did not particularly trust this newcomer, what she had done was merely a routine review. It was one of her duties. Even before leaving CIB and joining the Special Operations Group, she had done similar work.

Swire understood one thing very clearly: this newcomer was her colleague. Naturally, she could not ignore a colleague's plea for help. After all, they held no grudge against each other, and even if they did, she would never use her position in the Guard Department to take revenge while on duty.

"Chief Chen, we've spotted the mafia."

"Understood. Close in according to the original plan."

"Roger."

As soon as the words fell, Chen rose to her feet.

Although this case had been handed over to her, she had no intention of remaining inside the command vehicle to direct the operation. The moment the vehicle came to a stop, she pulled open the door and was the first to leave.

"Char Siu Cat, I'll leave the command to you."

"Got it, got it..."

As she spoke, Swire left her seat and walked over to the console behind the driver's cabin. Since the drones had already reached the area first, every detail of the scene was now laid out before her.

"This is Chief Inspector Swire. I will now assume command of this operation."

Once the communications module had been adjusted, Swire's voice rang through the earpieces of every officer.

At that very moment, the Guard Department officers on both sides of the street completed their assembly. The officers in the front row held black shields emblazoned with the word "Guard," while those behind them carried standard-issue sabers.

This was the Guard Department's most commonly used tactic, and also its most basic one.

Generally speaking, most violent criminals in the city carried bladed weapons. These shields possessed enough defensive power to block the slashes of most blades on the market. Not only could they withstand ordinary crossbow bolts, even crude firearms reverse-engineered from Laterano guns could not easily pierce them!

Once the heavily armored officers closed in on the enemy, the Guard officers trained in swordsmanship would dart out from behind them and disarm their opponents!

Unless the case involved kidnapped hostages, Guard Department commanders generally employed a steady advance during the initial response. Swire was naturally no exception.

"Boss, we're surrounded!"

"What are you panicking for?"

Looking at the underling beside him, the man called Boss cursed under his breath.

He had been in the mafia for years, yet he was still so unable to keep calm. This "Boss" had already decided that once this mission was over, he would suggest to the Godfather that this man be sent to another "legion."

"They're just cops. Haven't we killed plenty of cops in Siracusa?"

As he spoke, the Boss rose to his feet and picked up the blade personally issued to him by the Godfather. It was said that the sword had been forged by a master craftsman from Siracusa. After completing the weapon, the craftsman had been killed by a mafioso because the blade had failed to meet his expectations.

At that moment, he looked toward Roy, who was fighting amid the crowd.

He did not want to drag this out any longer. Though he looked down on these cops, the Godfather had once told him to keep things quiet in Lungmen. So, he did not intend to cause too much trouble.

Once he killed the target, he would retreat... just as he had in Siracusa.

"I hear the Guard Department's people are quite skilled. I just never had a chance to experience it for myself."

As he approached, the mafiosi surrounding Roy slowly made way. At that moment, Roy looked toward the owner of that voice.

He was not wearing a black gentleman's hat, so Roy could clearly see his face. He possessed wolf-like features. He was the same race as Texas.

"I'd really like to know whether a Special Operations Group member like you is stronger than me... but I don't think you're stronger than me, a mafia 'officer'!"

"Hoho, then let's give it a try!"

The instant the words fell, both men swung their blades at once. Two flashes of silver light streaked past, and Roy's blade returned to its sheath.

"Ha... hahahahaha!"

"Are you trying to tickle me?"

"You've already lost."

As soon as he said that, Roy no longer paid any attention to the man who had suddenly appeared.

Just as Roy had said, he had already lost. After all, the damage dealt by Roy's strike was not as simple as it appeared on the surface...