A voice came through his earpiece, and he fired into the sky. The sound of the gunshot echoed once more.
He pushed through the crowd, walked up to Barney, squatted down, and a cruel smile spread across his face: "Old friend, it's been too long."
The members of Barney's expendable team caught a clear view of the man's face and gasped in unison.
That face was all too familiar to them—it was the face of the Trenches, who was supposed to be dead and gone to the Yellow Springs!
Trenches' hand moved around Barney's waist and finally stopped at a bulging object.
The smile on his face grew even more cruel: "Barney, do you remember? When faced with the enemy, you'd rather die than be captured. If captured, it would have only been an illusion."
Rage flashed in Barney's eyes as he waved a hand, trying to break free of Trenches' grip.
However, how could Trenches be an easy opponent?
The cruel expression on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by a solemn look.
He grasped Barney's wrist tightly and applied just enough force that Barney's hand fell limp.
At that moment, Gonna suddenly leapt up and swung a gun at Trenches.
Yet, Trenches seemed to have anticipated this, turning to grab the blood-slicked barrel of Gonna's gun.
He stepped on Barney and simultaneously tossed the bomb-like object he had pulled from beneath Barney to the ground.
The soldiers swarmed, surrounding Barney and the others completely.
These soldiers were under Trenches' command, entirely different from the ones who had previously attacked Barney's group and helped feign Trenches' death.
Trenches watched the group of people before him struggle in desperation and felt utterly delighted.
He recalled his past collaborations with Joseph, a strange expression appearing on his face.
He initially joined Joseph's gang for money, but after glimpsing the power of the man behind the scenes, he was too terrified to leave.
At the same time, Joseph's reckless methods constantly annoyed him.
Joseph operated without regard for cost or consequence, to the extreme.
Trenches' gaze turned to Dr. Zhou, who had just been rescued only to be captured again, and a cruel smile appeared: "Doctor, lucky for you, you issued that bounty on me earlier, or you might actually have been saved."
Dr. Zhou glared at Trenches, loudly rebuking him: "You dishonorable wretch! Your peers are destined to scorn you!"
"Oh? Scorn?" Trenches shouldered his gun, looking around at his brothers, "Did he say we would scorn him?"
The room erupted in derisive laughter, mocking Dr. Zhou.
Trenches looked at the disheveled Dr. Zhou, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes: "We mercenaries have always been despised by you office dwellers, haven't we?"
He paused, then continued, "Remember this, sheltered flowers. Mercenaries don't scorn the morally corrupt, because we have no morals. We only scorn the weak."
Saying this, he shouldered his gun and left, leaving Dr. Zhou gnashing his teeth in anger.
Barney and the others were lifted by the soldiers, and the bombs on them were removed one by one.
A helicopter descended slowly, landing in front of Trenches.
The helicopter door opened, and with Trenches' gesture, Barney and the others were forced into the cabin and tied up.
Joseph sat in the co-pilot seat, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag.
His eyes glanced towards Trenches, a hint of disdain flashing.
Trenches' nostrils twitched, as if smelling blood in the air.
He couldn't help but feel a chill, recalling Joseph's previous insanity.
"Those Chinese special forces... are they still alive?" Trenches' voice trembled, revealing his inner fear.
Joseph exhaled a ring of smoke, replying indifferently, "They're still alive."
His gaze seemed to penetrate the smoke, reaching into the distant horizon.
Trenches shivered like a rabbit in front of him, not daring to make a single move.
Joseph extinguished his cigarette, as if snuffing out Trenches' last hope.
"Do you know why I killed that person?" he glanced at Trenches, "Because after I found out none of those special forces were dead, he still dared make a sound."
Sweat dripped coldly down Trenches' forehead; he couldn't believe his ears.
This madman had killed someone over such a trivial reason!
He suddenly realized that his little maneuvers were probably insignificant in Joseph's eyes.
Joseph stood up and slowly walked to Trenches, "Trenches, do you think you're smart?" his tone was full of ridicule and disdain.
Trenches' heart burned with anger, about to retort, but Joseph's next words crushed him completely, "You're foolish, but do you know why I haven't dealt with you yet?"
Trenches froze, not understanding Joseph's meaning.
Joseph bared a row of white teeth, cruelly smiling, "Because, in front of me, you're like a dog wagging its tail, begging."
Saying this, he suddenly snatched the gun from Trenches' hands and pointed it at his head.
Trenches felt his blood freeze as he watched Joseph pull the trigger.
But at that moment, a figure suddenly sprang from under a seat and lunged at Joseph.
It was the assassin who had been hiding all along!
Joseph reacted quickly, shooting the assassin dead.
However, this sudden change gave Trenches a chance to escape.
He struggled to his feet, trying to run, but Joseph shot him in the back.
He fell heavily to the ground, eyes filled with terror and reluctance.
"Greed, brutality, panic, stupidity..." Joseph coldly looked at Trenches' corpse, "And you dare to provoke me when I'm in a bad mood."
With that, he returned to the co-pilot seat, as if nothing had happened.
Barney and the others were completely stunned by the sudden change; they looked at Joseph's back, filled with fear and awe.
The assassin at his side stayed silent, but being Joseph's most trusted and skilled subordinate, he deeply understood Joseph's terrifying nature.
Under Joseph's will, life and death were at his command.
No matter how trivial a task seemed, if Joseph decided someone should die, there was no chance of survival.
Similarly, if Joseph wished to save someone, no matter the risk, that person would remain unharmed.
After Joseph allied with a powerful figure and took command of all his mercenaries, his strategies became even more awe-inspiring.
Most people didn't even know who they were truly serving, only aware their patron was incredibly wealthy and powerful.
However, Joseph not only knew his allegiance but also many unknown secrets.
At this moment, Joseph retrieved the surveillance device from the treetop, replaying the scene of Lin Beichen saving Xia Luyao.
In the footage, a car sped towards Xia Luyao, but halted abruptly under Lin Beichen's mysterious power.
The car's front seemed to crash into an invisible barrier, causing a faint yellow shimmer in the air, though the wheels kept spinning furiously.
Gradually, the shimmer started to crack, and the car's front metal caved inward.
At this point, Lin Beichen, with a calm expression, recited a spell, and the yellow shimmer restored itself.
Soon after, a deafening boom resounded, and the car vanished in flames.
Rather than an explosion, it seemed more like a meticulously crafted illusion—amid the fire, the vehicle's components disappeared without a trace.
Xia Luyao peeked out from the bushes, still shaken: "Lin Beichen, how did you know they would try to hit us with a car?"
Faced with Xia Luyao's question, Lin Beichen blushed with embarrassment, admitting he hadn't anticipated Joseph's move when setting up the barrier.
The barrier was initially meant to prevent Xia Luyao from wandering off during a stakeout; only those with his permission could enter.
Don't underestimate this barrier—without Lin Beichen's activation, it managed to withstand a vehicle's impact, indicating its extraordinary resilience.