The weather in the Western Continent was gloomy and rainy. After several days of bumpy travel by civilian train in the drizzle, Han Xiao finally arrived in Maple Leaf City, the capital of Red Maple.
Red Maple City is sparsely populated, and its most notable advantage is its affordable housing. The average living space per person is large enough that even the middle class can afford villas. The income of ordinary people in the capital city is not low. Moreover, the Red Maple City government relocates homeless people and slum dwellers to other cities every year, like regularly removing rotten flesh. Therefore, Maple Leaf City has a very good urban environment, which is quiet, comfortable, and well-greened.
As usual, he smuggled himself across the border. Following the address, Han Xiao found a villa on the outskirts of Maple Leaf City. This was a safe house purchased on the Dark Net using fake accounts and ID cards. His contact was waiting for him inside.
The villa was three stories high, with a brown glazed wood door carved with exquisite reliefs. Han Xiao grabbed the door knocker and knocked five long and six short times as a secret signal. The door creaked open, and the old housekeeper, whose face was more wrinkled than an expired orange, invited him in without expression.
Upon entering the house, the elderly woman, whose actual identity was the resident liaison, closed the door and whispered, "Both guests are waiting in the basement."
Han Xiao nodded, opened the hidden door in the closet next to the ladder, and went down the stairs to the basement. It wasn't the dimly lit place he had imagined. Instead, it had steel walls, bright lights, and various equipment and firearms. There was also a lathe and material boxes in the corner.
The two contacts were sitting at the central conference table, waiting. They both looked at Han Xiao, who had now reverted to his Black Phantom appearance and was immediately recognized.
The two contacts were a man nicknamed "Golden Fox" and a young man.
Golden Fox hesitated, "Black Phantom?"
Han Xiao's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "It's you! I've seen you once before; you seem to have become even more beautiful."
The Golden Fox's heart pounded with fear. He touched his cheek, thinking to himself, "Please, please don't become interested in me, I beg you..."
The other contact was a young man, probably only twenty years old. His code name in the Blood Pact Union was "Ghost Blade," and he was the lowest- Scorpion-level Assassin. He was said to be a new member who had just joined. He was staring intently at Han Xiao, his gaze filled with scrutiny and a hint of resentment.
Ghost Blade was a trainee agent in Raylen before escaping before graduation. He was trained at an agent training institution and naturally had a sense of superiority over these underground assassins. He joined the Blood Pact Union around the same time as Han Xiao, but Han Xiao became a legend in the organization while he was still struggling at the Scorpion Grade. Ghost Blade was never quite convinced of this.
In terms of seniority, Han Xiao is actually quite inexperienced, but based on his achievements, strength, and Bennett's backing, he became the ace of the Blood Pact Union. There is a small group of contract assassins in the organization who are not convinced by this, and they are all arrogant and proud individuals, most of whom are people who have switched careers to become assassins. Even if the achievements are in black and white, as long as they are not seen with their own eyes, some people will still have doubts.
"I've heard about your exploits; they say you're a legend, but it seems there's nothing particularly special about you." Ghost Blade said expressionlessly.
Han Xiao glanced at Ghost Blade but didn't intend to pursue the matter.
Golden Fox quickly interjected, getting back to the main point, saying, "Ahem, there are five targets: Rayman Harry, Miller Senning, Angus Billy, Dak Van Santi, Dorasi Faremi. They are all Red Maple officials who oppose the funding. Their residences are guarded and patrolled, and they are also escorted when they go out."
Golden Fox winked at Ghost Blade, Ghost Blade snorted coldly, took out some materials, spread them on the conference table, and said, "These are topographical maps of the target villa estate, along with information on the security forces and nearby police patrol routes..."
The intelligence was very detailed. Ghost Blade's intelligence gathering ability strictly followed Raylen's training manual, and he had basically investigated all the details of this mission. Relying on his own knowledge of secret agents, Ghost Blade found that Golden Fox was of no help to him at all when he was scouting the location, which made him feel superior to these assassins. There was a real difference between a professional and an amateur.
Ghost Blade secretly glanced at Han Xiao. He couldn't believe Black Phantom wouldn't be surprised by such detailed information, but Han Xiao remained expressionless, as if it were commonplace.
Ghost Blade frowned and said in a deep voice, "I've set up an action plan for you. You see these red lines and markings? These are the routes I've planned. As long as you follow my plan obediently and don't make any mistakes at any stage, I guarantee you won't fail. You should be able to understand what I've written, right? These are symbols used by special agents. If you don't understand, I'll explain them to you."
"No need, I'll take a look myself." Han Xiao tapped the table, carefully reviewing the intelligence, and casually asked, "What are the specific tasks?"
"Place these documents in the target's residence, in a conspicuous place, making sure the target sees them. They contain incriminating evidence against them. As soon as they see that we can quietly put things in their house, they'll know their lives are in danger. This conveys a threat while also leaving them room to maneuver," said Golden Fox.
"I'm going to infiltrate, what are you doing?"
Ghost Blade scoffed, "I'm only responsible for scouting and providing intelligence. The actual operation is your job as the ace. Don't even think about asking me for help."
Golden Fox glared at Ghost Blade, then said ingratiatingly, "If you need my help, I'm happy to oblige."
"Forget it, no need." Han Xiao waved his hand. "This task is quite simple; I can handle it by myself."
"According to my plan, the mission is indeed not difficult." Ghost Blade nodded lightly. He had actually withheld some information from the intelligence report. It wouldn't affect the mission's operation, but it would pose a small challenge to the operatives. He wanted to test Black Phantom. Although Black Ghost was the organization's ace, unless he passed his test, he would remain cautious about Black Phantom.
However, Han Xiao looked at the plan and shook his head, saying, "This plan is too complicated. I have my own way."
Ghost Blade was immediately displeased. "This is a plan I developed based on all the intelligence. You've only looked at it for a few minutes and you already have a better idea?"
"This task isn't challenging for me," Han Xiao said.
"Nonsense! "Ghost Blade snorted angrily, turned and walked away. He was very dissatisfied that Black Phantom wasn't doing things his way. Ghost Blade was a professional, and his plan was flawless. This Black Phantom didn't know his stuff at all.
"If things don't go according to my plan, something unexpected is bound to happen," Ghost Blade thought to himself, a dark feeling creeping over him. He even wanted to see the Black Phantom mission fail. He felt that anything not done according to his plan was just reckless. It was best if they didn't just talk the talk and then actually follow his plan; that would only make him look down on them.
Han Xiao glanced at his watch. "I'll make my move tonight. You just wait."
The two contact persons do not participate in the formal operation, and Han Xiao does not need logistics and intelligence personnel, so everything is an independent operation and there is no need for earpiece communication.
"To act so soon after arriving is too impulsive." Ghost Blade shook his head, unconvinced, and felt that this mission was most likely to end in failure.
Ignoring the advice of professionals almost always leads to failure.
Night fell quickly, and dark clouds obscured the moon. Han Xiao changed into all black, hid West Capital he didn't need in the safe house's safe, personally checked the wiring, reset the password to prevent others from opening it, and set off with only the necessary equipment.
The streets Red Maple leaves were quiet at night. The evening breeze rustled through the treetops, creating a sense of tranquility. A fresh, light fragrance filled the air—the scent of roadside flowerbeds. There were few pedestrians on the street; instead, there were many patrolling police officers, seemingly a subtle indication of the country's repressive policies and the fact that public security was not as peaceful as it appeared.
Walking through quiet streets, Han Xiao arrived at the city's political district, where there were more police officers patrolling the streets. He hid in the shadows of an alley, observing secretly and waiting quietly.
About ten minutes later, a patrolling police officer came over.
"This is B3248, everything is normal."
The patrolling policeman said something into his walkie-talkie, walked past the alley entrance, and subconsciously looked into the dark alley.
Suddenly, a pair of arms reached out and dragged him into the darkness. His urgent shouts were cut short after only half a sound.
A minute later, Han Xiao changed into a police uniform, with a walkie-talkie clipped to his waist. He then disguised himself and Simulation Mask to scan the policeman's face, finding him to be an exact match.