A global public bounty of 100 million dollars had been posted, and assassins all over the world went mad. They watched the account balance climb from 6 million all the way up, with a friendly reminder attached from the New York branch of the Continental Hotel.
It was called a friendly reminder, but it sounded more like a warning. It was a long passage, but its meaning could be summed up simply: worth every penny; amateurs need not apply.
In other words, the 100 million dollars was extremely hot. Be careful not to have money without a life to spend it.
Perhaps assassins in other cities, even other countries, still harbored some wishful thinking and planned to take a long trip for a huge extra payday. But New York's assassins had basically lowered their flags. Faced with the seductive 100 million dollars, they remained unmoved.
For the first time ever, the assassins far from the slums felt that traffic jams were not entirely without benefit. At least this time, the slow traffic had saved their lives.
But the assassins in the parking lot were not so fortunate. After the mass text about the 100 million dollars went out, the slums saw another surge of parked cars, and the number of assassins gathered here neared three digits.
After failing twice to rush into the abandoned building and failing three times to escape by car, the remaining fifty assassins cowered behind their vehicles, trembling.
They could neither advance nor retreat. Showing their heads meant death!
The pressure of death was like a massive boulder crushing their chests, leaving them unable to breathe. Some teetered repeatedly on the verge of collapse, covering their faces with both hands as they wept bitterly.
"I can't take it anymore!"
One assassin could no longer bear the