Chapter Sixteen: The Shadow Corps

Han Ning was so desperate he could have bashed his head against a block of tofu. If he got caught, at worst it would be a drunk driving charge. But this guy—he was another story entirely. Not only did he not have a driver’s license, but he also had explosives strapped around his waist. If that were discovered, it would be a far cry from a simple case of drunk driving.

“Switch back, quickly!” Han Ning was frantic, pacing in circles.

But Yang Jiekai, far from swapping seats, seemed almost eager to draw attention. With a roar, he slammed his foot on the accelerator, and the Bentley shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Sure enough, his reckless move immediately caught the attention of the police and armed officers nearby, who quickly surrounded and intercepted them.

Han Ning could only pray nothing would go wrong.

Fortunately, the police and armed officers seemed to be in a hurry. They took a cursory glance at the passengers, didn’t even bother to check their licenses, and motioned for them to go.

Just as Han Ning was starting to exhale in relief, he saw that Yang Jiekai wasn’t making a quick getaway. Instead, he leaned his head out the window and called to the officers, “Officers, what’s with all the fuss? Are you after a wanted man?”

“Get going, now!” Han Ning was nearly grinding his teeth to dust, wishing he could kick this fool out of the car.

But Yang Jiekai persisted, “Officer, if you catch this wanted criminal, how much is the reward?”

Looking at the fully armed police and soldiers, Yang Jiekai knew this had to be a major case. If he managed to catch the culprit, he might make a fortune.

But the officers had no patience for him, only signaling again and again for them to leave.

With no choice, Yang Jiekai finally started the engine and drove off in disappointment, while Han Ning, sitting in the passenger seat, shot him a glare venomous enough to kill.

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Yang Jiekai screeched the car to a halt at the roadside.

“What now?” Han Ning was on the verge of tears from anger, not knowing what absurdity this lunatic would conjure next.

“Wait here for me. I need to take a leak!”

Yang Jiekai opened the door and scampered off in one direction along the road.

Han Ning sat fuming in the car, unable to understand what went on in this madman's head. He couldn’t seem to go a minute without stirring up some kind of trouble.

After cursing Yang Jiekai under his breath for a bit, Han Ning started to grow uneasy. He waited and waited—over ten minutes passed, but there was still no sign of the man.

After another ten minutes, Han Ning could no longer sit still. He rolled down the window and called out, but still got no response.

They were still on the outskirts of Anhai City, and by now it was completely dark. The road was deserted. A sudden gust of wind rattled the car, sending Han Ning’s nerves—already frayed from the earlier scare—straight to his throat.

He glanced at the time, gritted his teeth, and started the car, driving away.

At the foot of a nearby mountain, the blaring of sirens and the bustle of heavily armed soldiers and police made the area unusually lively.

“What the hell is wrong with you people? Two special ops teams went up there and got thrashed! When you get back, you can all take off those uniforms!” a middle-aged officer shouted into his radio, his brows knotted, sweat beading densely on his forehead.

He’d been in the force for years, but he’d never seen anything like this. The opponent was just one man, yet he’d routed them completely. He knew the strength of his two special ops teams—they weren’t just ornamental. They’d never failed a mission until now.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, then moved to a secluded spot and dialed a private number. “I need a background check on someone!”

A lazy voice answered, “Chief, do you know what time it is? I was sleeping like a baby. Can’t this wait till morning?”

“Cut the crap. One bottle of Maotai, two packs of Furong Kings!” the middle-aged man snapped.

“Deal!” the voice replied briskly. “If you’d said so earlier, we’d have been done. Send me the suspect’s ID number.”

A moment later, the phone rang again. Before he could speak, the voice on the other end blurted urgently, “Chief, are you surrounding the person you asked me to check right now? What did he do?”

“No comment!” the officer barked. “Send me all his information immediately! I refuse to believe that someone who single-handedly crushed two of my special ops teams is just a regular ex-soldier!”

“Chief, I beg you—forget the Maotai and the cigarettes. Please, immediately call off any action against this man and wait for the military to take over. This isn’t something you can handle!” the voice pleaded. “To be honest, even my database doesn’t have clearance for this person, but I have a good idea where he’s from. Please, Chief, don’t try to be a hero. Order your men to stop all operations and wait for the military!”

“You’re saying he’s from the Shadow Unit?” The officer’s hands began to tremble.

“That’s right. If someone from the Shadow Unit turns against society, you know as well as I do the kind of destruction they’re capable of. You’re no match for him!”

After hanging up, the usually composed middle-aged man stood frozen for several seconds, sweat pouring down his face. If this man truly was a runaway from the Shadow Unit, they were in deep trouble. “Stop everything, now! Immediately!” he shouted.

Earlier that evening, a gruesome massacre had occurred in a small mountain village nearby. A wealthy family—more than a dozen people—had been wiped out. According to the records, the perpetrator was merely a retired soldier.

Yet this veteran had the police, hundreds of armed officers, and two special ops teams utterly helpless. Any time they entered the mountains, they came under ferocious attack. The man didn’t seem intent on killing—the bullets always struck the thigh, never missed.

Most terrifying of all, no one even knew what he looked like. According to an injured special ops member, the man moved like a ghost, able to launch attacks from anywhere, at any time, with uncanny marksmanship. Their sniper had barely entered before his scope was shattered by a single shot.

The middle-aged man drew a deep breath. “Cease all operations. Block every mountain exit. Notify the military at once!”

Halfway up the mountain, a man in camouflage, carrying an automatic rifle, was carving words into a piece of bark with a dagger: Any further advance will be met with deadly force.

He had no intention of killing innocents. His vengeance was reserved for the family who had colluded with authorities to destroy his ancestral graves. Now that his revenge was complete, he had no wish to shed more blood.

Having finished, he hurled the piece of bark down the mountain, hoping to warn them off.

Yet, only seconds after he threw it, the bark came flying back!

“Who’s there?”

He raised his gun with a rustle, aiming forward.

A young man, slender and unremarkable in appearance, strolled out from a thicket, chewing a blade of wild grass.

“How did you get up here?” The man’s vigilance spiked. With his skills, it was nearly impossible for anyone to approach unnoticed. Yet this young man had seemingly appeared from thin air, without a sound. If he’d been armed and hostile, the outcome would have been...

Yang Jiekai gave him a once-over, lifted his chin, and said, “Shadow Unit of Huaxia?”

“Who are you?” The man leveled his muzzle at Yang Jiekai’s forehead.

Yang Jiekai spat out his wild grass. “Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is you’d best put down your weapon and come with me.”

Bang!

Without warning, the man’s gun fired. At this range, he was confident—no one could dodge his shot.

But the instant the gun went off, his pupils contracted. He quickly discarded the weapon and lunged at the black shadow that had closed in like a phantom, engaging in close combat.

Yang Jiekai struck with full force. Facing a renegade from the Shadow Unit, he dared not be careless.

The Shadow Unit was the nation’s top secret, an elite force above all others. Whether in solo or team operations, they surpassed even the likes of the SEALs or Delta Force, carrying out all manner of covert missions.

Its members were the best of the best. Against such a foe, Yang Jiekai could not afford to drop his guard.

Thud! Yang Jiekai’s fist collided with his opponent’s. The man’s fist, capable of shattering nine bricks with one punch, let out a sharp snap as the bone broke.

Before the man could recover from his shock, Yang Jiekai pressed his advantage, driving a shoulder into his opponent’s chest, following up with a flurry of blows to the jaw and throat, then seizing the back of his neck and wrenching hard.

With a crack, it was over.

Staring into the man’s wide, unseeing eyes, Yang Jiekai sighed softly. “Don’t be surprised. You were strong. If I hadn’t gone through what I did, I might not have been your match.”

With that, he heaved another sigh and turned away, his figure soon swallowed by the boundless darkness.

He hadn’t lied. Every member of the Shadow Unit was terrifyingly skilled. But Yang Jiekai was no longer the man he once was. Ever since that biochemical attack, he didn’t even know what he was anymore. His speed and strength had increased by several orders of magnitude, but with it came endless pain.

He had no intention of claiming the bounty. Anything involving the Shadow Unit was a tangled web. If it got out that he’d single-handedly killed a rogue agent, trouble would follow, perhaps even exposing his past as a mercenary. That would be disastrous. The authorities of Huaxia would never allow someone like him to remain on their soil.