How Did Delta Force Turn into Arknights?

Achoo!

Han Fei suddenly sneezed as he sat in the back seat of the family's luxury sedan on the highway.

He slipped a hand beneath his mask and rubbed his nose, muttering softly, "Which little cutie is cursing me?"

With that, Han Fei turned and waved at the man in black beside him. "Don't mind me. Go on."

The man seated beside Han Fei wore a meticulously tailored black suit. The tie clip at his collar bore the Siracusan family crest, and his crossed legs pulled the creases of his trousers perfectly straight. Even the steel watchband peeking from beneath his cuff gave off a cold gleam—this was the refined air, tempered through violence, unique to high-ranking mobsters.

Han Fei found the outfit rather familiar. It looked exactly like those hardline family capos he had fought when he used to play Arknights.

"Mr. Han Fei, our Texas Family is one of the most powerful families in Columbia," the hardline capo said earnestly. "Join us, and whether it's money, status, or women, whatever you desire, we can provide it."

To be fair, dressed in that expensive suit and speaking with such unquestionable confidence, he could probably convince quite a few people who didn't know any better.

But Han Fei was no clueless rookie.

The Texas Family had no future.

More precisely, after Giuseppe Texas—Texas's father, as everyone knew him—killed her grandfather, the family had already been doomed.

After Texas's grandfather died and the Texas Family declared its separation from Siracusa, Lady Sicilian, Siracusa's true ruler, launched an "extermination operation" against the Texas Family.

After that, the entire Texas Family was finished.

Before Han Fei could speak, the hardline capo gave him a meaningful look and added, "That wolf pup from the Saluzzo Family isn't someone to be trifled with. You took her things. I'm afraid you won't know peace in Columbia from now on."

At the mention of that, Han Fei subconsciously glanced at his backpack.

Lappland's twin blades and shoes lay quietly inside.

All he could say was that Lappland truly deserved to be the Saluzzo Family's young lady. Those shoes took up four slots and were worth a total of 110,000 Haf Coins.

Those weren't shoes. They were practically a huge payday!

Her twin blades, on the other hand, were a little lacking. One blade took up five slots—more space than a shotgun.

Yet it wasn't even worth as much as a shotgun.

If Han Fei remembered correctly, before he had transmigrated, a shotgun took up four slots and was worth seven or eight hundred thousand each.

But Lappland's blade was worth less than 300,000.

The two blades together weren't worth as much as one shotgun.

Looking at the items in his backpack, Han Fei could already picture Lappland's furious little face.

There was no need to think about it. The grudge had been formed.

With Lappland's personality, even if he turned around now and returned her things, she probably wouldn't forgive him.

Still, Han Fei had no intention of returning them.

Once something's in my bag, you think you can take it back?

Go look for your gear on the market!

Seeing Han Fei remain silent, the hardline capo assumed he was weighing the pros and cons, so he continued persuading him. "Only by relying on us can you live peacefully in this city."

"Is that so?"

Han Fei raised a brow. Naturally, he wasn't afraid of these Siracusans. In his eyes, these mob enforcers were nothing more than bots he could loot in a head-on fight.

But even in Delta Force, bots could sometimes cause players plenty of trouble. Besides, these Siracusans were far smarter than bots.

Bots would only trade shots with you face-to-face, but Siracusan assassins did have some skill when it came to assassination.

"So you mean you can protect me?"

Considering that he still had to remain in Columbia for a few more days, having the Texas Family's protection would indeed be nice. At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about someone tossing a bomb through his window while he slept.

"This is Columbia, not Siracusa."

The hardline capo nodded slightly and pointed at the city lights outside the window. "The rules here are decided by strength. As long as you have value, the family can naturally keep you safe."

Han Fei said, "Then what do I need to do to prove my value?"

"That won't be necessary."

The hardline capo curled his lips into what he thought was a friendly smile. "For those without ability, the family's doors only open after they have passed countless trials and proven themselves.

"But Mr. Han Fei, you're different. You have already proven your ability. That young lady of the Saluzzo Family was your touchstone."

Han Fei feigned surprise. "So you mean I can join the Texas Family without any test at all?"

"That's right."

The hardline capo nodded heavily. "I can guarantee that, as long as you're willing, you can join us."

Then he changed the subject. "However, whether you join the main family or a branch will have to be decided by Lord Giuseppe after you meet him."

"Then I look forward to it," Han Fei said.

He had little interest in the so-called benefits offered by the Texas Family. What he wanted was Haf Coins, not anything else.

But considering his upcoming itinerary, joining the Texas Family was actually all benefit and no downside.

The Texas Family was certainly about to collapse, but he would only be here for a few days. So what if it collapsed? It wasn't as if those Siracusans could chase him all the way to the Special Operations Center to kill him.

Besides, the Texas Family hadn't fallen apart yet.

With the Texas Family protecting him, Han Fei at least wouldn't have to worry about Siracusan assassins ambushing him in his sleep.

More importantly, there was a very important Arknights character in the Texas Family—Chelinina Texas.

Han Fei's displayed interest greatly pleased the hardline capo, who began enthusiastically extolling the benefits of joining the Texas Family.

Han Fei wasn't particularly interested in any of it, but he still pretended to be engrossed as he listened to the hardline capo paint him a rosy picture.

Before long, the family's luxury sedan drove into an exceptionally lavish estate.

The luxury sedan rolled over the private drive carpeted with fallen leaves like scattered gold. Behind the geometrically trimmed holly hedges on both sides lurked dozens of suited sentries. When the headlights swept over them, the family crests on their chests glimmered coldly in the shadows.

With a soft squeal of brakes, the sedan came to a steady stop before a Baroque fountain.

A butler in a tailcoat had already been waiting with a bow. Behind him stood twelve marble steps—every one inlaid with precious stone from Bolívar, gleaming like flowing gold beneath the sun.

The instant the car door opened, the bronze weather vane atop the estate's main building suddenly let out a piercing screech as it turned. Han Fei looked up just in time to see a raven take flight from the wolf-head sculpture above the gilded doorway. Several black feathers drifted into the fountain, tearing the sunlight reflected on the water's surface into fragments.

"Please, follow me."

The hardline capo, who had gotten out from the other side, walked over to Han Fei and made an inviting gesture.

Han Fei followed behind him and stepped into the mansion.

Despite the hardline capo's guarantee, Han Fei was still unable to meet Giuseppe, the head of the Texas Family, directly. Several security guards in black suits blocked his path.

"Please surrender your weapons."

Han Fei narrowed his eyes. He seemed somewhat reluctant to hand over his weapon.

The hardline capo noticed this and advised him from the side, "This is a necessary procedure. Lord Giuseppe is not someone just anyone can meet. Please rest assured, I guarantee in the family's name that your weapon will be returned to you intact when you leave."

After thinking for a while, Han Fei ultimately decided to do as they said. He took out the Bizon, placed it on the tray held by one of the men in black, and said,

"This gun of mine is expensive. Don't you dare damage it."

He had come this far. There was no reason to give up halfway over such a trivial matter.

Besides, even without the Bizon, Han Fei could still fight.

There was only one reason: the confidence granted by his full-condition three-in-one shield-dog setup!

The man in black said nothing. He merely stepped forward and searched Han Fei again.

Han Fei cooperated fully, raising both hands and letting the man in black pat him down from head to toe.

Han Fei wasn't worried about being searched at all. Everything he carried was in an extradimensional space—his backpack and chest rig—and the same applied to his throwables. Unless he took them out himself, no one could find them by searching his body.

Sure enough, the man in black searched him thoroughly but failed to find so much as a single dangerous item.

"You may enter."

Only then did Han Fei lower his hands and enter the study alongside the hardline capo.

The moment he stepped into the study, Han Fei's gaze was immediately seized by the portrait covering the entire wall above the fireplace. Its frame was adorned with gilded Baroque carvings, shimmering with a luxurious halo beneath the chandelier.

The dark-blue-haired girl in the painting sat upright in a high-backed chair. Sunlight streamed through a stained-glass window, casting mottled patches of light across her body. A restrained smile rested at the corner of her lips, but her gray-blue eyes held a calmness beyond her years.

Most eye-catching were the pair of fluffy wolf ears atop her head—the left ear twitched faintly, as though it might catch a sound beyond the frame at any moment. The artist had rendered the fur at the tips with such delicate brushwork that, amid the interwoven light and shadow, one could almost feel its softness.

The backdrop of the painting was a decorative design composed of the Texas Family crest, swords, and shields, but every cold, hard metallic element was softened by the gentle glow radiating from around the girl.

In gilded lettering at the lower-right corner of the frame was written: [A Gift for My Granddaughter] [Chelinina Texas—Year 1088]

"Ahem."

The hardline capo's soft cough drew Han Fei's attention back to the front.

Not far ahead, behind an exceptionally luxurious mahogany desk, Han Fei saw Giuseppe Texas, the current head of the Texas Family.

"Oh, you're here."

Giuseppe set down his cigar and looked at Han Fei with interest. "This is the Han Fei you mentioned before, correct?"

Settling In ### As Giuseppe Texas spoke, Han Fei's gaze discreetly swept over the Texas Family's current head.

The man sat upright in a high-backed chair, his tall, straight figure wrapped in a precisely tailored dark suit. The silver wolf-head family crest pinned to his collar gleamed coldly beneath the chandelier.

His crossed legs pulled his trouser creases perfectly straight, while even the mechanical watchband exposed beneath his cuff carried the icy sheen unique to precision instruments.

Since he had produced such a beautiful descendant as Chelinina, Giuseppe's looks naturally spoke for themselves. Judging solely by his appearance, he was an elegant and handsome middle-aged man.

—With that elegant, proper bearing, anyone would find it difficult to associate him with the infamous title of "patricide."

Even Han Fei, who knew the evil deeds this man had committed, could not find the slightest trace of the ambition one would expect from a schemer at first glance.

Noticing Han Fei's gaze, Giuseppe's lips curved slightly as he extended a hand. "Mr. Han Fei, please sit. There's no need to be formal."

Han Fei did not stand on ceremony. He pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down directly.

Chuckling, Giuseppe said, "Our capo spoke highly of you on the way here, Mr. Han Fei. May I ask where you worked previously?"

"I'm a drifter," Han Fei said bluntly. "I often scavenge in different places, and occasionally take commissions that require killing people and taking their goods."

"I see."

Giuseppe nodded in understanding, then straightened up and said seriously, "My capo should have already introduced you to the strength of the Texas Family on the way here. Mr. Han Fei, let us not waste words. Are you willing to join us?

"If you agree, I can promise you the same terms as a capo."

"The same as him?"

Han Fei glanced at the hardline capo beside him.

"Heh."

Giuseppe shook his head and explained, "I won't hide it from you. Your terms would be slightly inferior to his. The man beside you is the strongest hardline capo in our family. Across all of Columbia, there are fewer than ten people like him."

Han Fei frowned imperceptibly, pretending to be dissatisfied.

He did not actually care much about the terms offered by the Texas Family. What he wanted was Haf Coins, not Lungmen Dollars. Still, if he acted too casual about it, he would seem too cheap.

"Mr. Han Fei, have you ever heard a saying?"

Giuseppe was not moved by Han Fei's reaction. He continued smiling as he said, "Gold will shine eventually. If, in the days ahead, you can prove that you are no inferior to our hardline capo, then whatever you want, I can give it to you."

"What do I need to do?" Han Fei asked.

"Very simple."

Giuseppe placed both hands on the desk, interlaced his fingers, and said softly, "Recently, a group of Siracusans came to Columbia, intending to overthrow the Texas Family.

"What you need to do is help the family eliminate these Siracusans and let them know that this is Columbia, not Siracusa.

"Columbia has Columbia's rules. Their Siracusan ways do not work here. Here, we make the rules."

Han Fei curled his lips. "I get it. You want me to kill people."

"Exactly."

Giuseppe nodded slightly. "This is the best opportunity for you to prove your value to me, Mr. Han Fei."

"Fine. Easy enough."

Without even blinking, Han Fei agreed at once. "Leave it to me."