Sorry, That Option Isn't Available

The abandoned factory was so quiet a pin drop could be heard. The eerie silence did not last long before a weary sigh broke it.

"Ah... I'm the one who ruined him."

Cross holstered his gun and sighed dejectedly. His once-straight back slumped. At that moment, he was no longer the feared top assassin, but a failed father.

Saeko Busujima sheathed her blade and retreated, vanishing in a crimson flash. Cross immediately activated Bullet Time and looked behind him, but saw nothing.

Smith was becoming more and more mysterious!

Since they had already reached this point, Cross decided not to hide anything further. He began recounting everything. "Wesley really is my son. Many years ago... later... I did everything I could to conceal news of Wesley, but the Brotherhood still caught wind of it. Things are bad now. We have to find a way to rescue Wesley... By the way, where did you get this information? The Continental Hotel?"

From the editors, director, and movie theater!

Xiao Miao grumbled inwardly, then asked, "I have a special source of intelligence. Do you have any plans for rescuing Wesley?"

Wesley still had to be rescued. The assassin bloodline in him was truly monstrous. Even years of medication could not suppress it. With only basic training, he could comprehend Bullet Time. If he could be brought over to their side, he would be an enormous asset.

Cross shook his head. "No. The Brotherhood is watching him closely. Wesley is always surrounded by people arranged by Sloan, and his whereabouts are unpredictable. There's no way to set up an ambush beforehand."

Xiao Miao pondered for a moment. "I know one place Wesley will definitely go!"

"Where?" Cross was stunned. No matter how hard he thought, he could not imagine where his son would definitely go.

"Home!"

Cross laughed and shook his head. "Impossible. His home... his girlfriend and coworkers... I mean, his old life was safe, but he wasn't happy. He would never want to go back to that kind of life."

"That's exactly why he'll go back once, so he can show off in front of that girlfriend who cheated on him."

Xiao Miao sounded utterly certain. "Returning home in fine clothes is better than walking through the night in brocade. Even if Wesley doesn't want to return, the Brotherhood will arrange for him to go back. Showing off isn't the goal. The important thing is reclaiming a man's confidence. Confidence is a top assassin's third gun! Without it, no matter how good his shooting is, he's still a wimp."

"...You have a point." Cross had no rebuttal. He also felt that his son had been a little too soft before.

The Brotherhood!

Wesley felt as if he had been living the dream lately!

He had to admit that when he first followed the mysterious Fox into the Brotherhood, there had indeed been an element of gambling involved.

The situation back then had been chaotic. On one side, a greasy middle-aged man with an unkempt beard had suddenly opened fire on him. On the other, a hot, sexy older beauty had stepped forward to save him. Wesley naturally chose to trust the older beauty, and his lower house supported that wise decision.

After joining the Brotherhood, Wesley's assassin bloodline rapidly awakened under everyone's almost abusive training. He constantly absorbed experience from those around him and soon became a qualified assassin.

He mastered Bullet Time in one day, learned every skill in ten days, and could deeply develop Bullet Time in less than half a month, catching the shuttle flying from the Loom of Fate. Such outrageous progress left everyone in the Brotherhood utterly shocked.

They could not teach him any more. If they kept teaching him, they truly would not be able to beat him!

Sloan only wanted to use Wesley to kill Cross. Once that was done, Wesley would not escape being eliminated either. This blade had to be sharp, but not too sharp, or it would cut its owner.

So Sloan began assigning Wesley missions, but kind-hearted Wesley was unwilling to kill strangers he had never met. That seriously violated his values.

At the crucial moment, 36D stepped in once more and explained the Brotherhood's beliefs and the necessity of assassination to Wesley.

"The names given by the Loom of Fate all belong to people who are destined to cause chaos and deserve to die. Once, an assassin showed mercy and spared someone. That person was named Adolf Hitler!"

Wesley completely believed 36D's nonsense and completed several missions in succession. He was clean and decisive in his work, earning even Fox's applause.

Wesley's confidence soared, and he decided to avenge his father. According to Sloan's lies, Mr. X was Wesley's biological father, while Cross was the man who had murdered him.

Sloan did not agree immediately. He first had Wesley retrieve the pistol he had once given him, which Wesley had hidden at home, and arranged for Fox to accompany Wesley.

Sloan was an old fox. He had long noticed that Wesley and Fox had developed feelings for one another. Retrieving the gun was just a pretext; using Fox to help Wesley regain his confidence was the real goal. Only then would Wesley have a chance of killing Cross.

At eight o'clock that night, a fiery red Dodge Viper raced along the overpass. Its wild engine roar was so loud that even the thunderous rumble of passing light rail could not drown it out.

The red supercar stopped near an old red-brick apartment building. Fox and Wesley got out and headed toward the building.

"Everything here is still the same. Nothing has changed."

Wesley looked around. This place where he had lived for so many years held far too many humiliating memories.

He had been gone for less than a month, yet it felt like a lifetime had passed. If he had not needed to return for the gun, he would never have wanted to set foot in this painful place again.

When he had been poor, there had not been a single good person around him!

Fox said nothing and silently followed behind Wesley. She knew she would eventually have to kill him herself, and her emotions were complicated.

As Wesley headed toward the apartment entrance, he noticed a small stall at the street corner. It had a red sign with white square characters, apparently a snack stall run by someone of Chinese descent.

"Oh, so this place hasn't remained completely unchanged. An Asian guy actually came here to set up a stall. He's adorably stupid—he forgot to translate the menu. But the slums are never short of idiots."

Wesley joked to ease his nerves, then gathered his courage and entered the apartment building.

Fox followed closely behind Wesley. Before entering, she glanced at the vendor beside the snack stall.

The vendor happened to be looking toward the apartment building as well. Their eyes met, and he raised a filthy spatula. "Hey, beautiful, are you hungry? Want some snacks to fill your stomach? They're cheap."

Fox shook her head and entered the apartment building.

Behind the snack stall, Xiao Miao's smile faded. "Beard, take note. The targets have entered the building."

"My codename is Cross. What kind of name is Beard?" Cross complained through the earpiece.

Xiao Miao shrugged. Just as he was about to pack up the stall and get to work, two young men approached him.

"Bro, this is Chinese food, right? You forgot to translate your sign." One of them was naturally friendly. After greeting Xiao Miao, he turned to show off his knowledge to his companion. "Don't worry, I studied Chinese in college. This place looks authentic. I'll order!"

He looked at Xiao Miao's sign.

[Beef Colossus Burger]

[Bombardment Giant Squid]

[Fiery Chicken Cartilage]

[Tender Basa Fish]

"Boss, give me two servings of fiery chicken cartilage."

Xiao Miao shook his head. "Sorry, that option isn't available."

The friendly guy said, "???"

After sending the two customers away, Xiao Miao pushed the snack cart into a corner and slowly walked toward the red supercar parked beside the apartment building.