Chapter Sixty-Six: I Enjoy Ambushes

The tall, thin man watched every detail of Old Xu’s residence through the holographic surveillance monitor, scrutinizing even passersby, examining each face for signs of connection to Old Xu. His concentration was absolute, his devotion to the task complete—for he knew this was precisely why those above trusted him.

Suddenly, from nowhere, a hand clamped over his mouth. Before he could react, a cold sensation swept his throat, and blood spurted like a fountain—his own blood, he realized in terror. He struggled desperately to escape the iron grip. He couldn’t die! He didn’t want to die! He screamed silently in his heart, but his body grew weaker, less obedient to his will.

A chill seemed to blow through his throat, and his strength fled from the wound with alarming speed. Pain engulfed him, his vision darkened, and then nothing.

Ye Chong waited until the man in his grasp was unmistakably dead before tossing him onto the floor.

The door gave Ye Chong a headache—the clanging metal would surely alert the entire floor if he tried to break through. But then he saw the white wall and his eyes lit up. The fully thermoplastic composite wall panel had high strength and remarkable sound absorption, yet was only ten centimeters thick, just a few centimeters more than the door. With such soundproofing, it was perfect for his purposes.

Ye Chong went downstairs to the lobby and used the light-brain self-service terminal to set the twenty-first floor’s surveillance system to rest mode, delegating the task to Mu. Once finished, he returned to room 065 on the twenty-first floor.

Ye Chong always carried the dagger gifted by Gu Shaoze.

He drew the dagger, compared its thickness to the wall, gritted his teeth, and plunged it in. The wall’s sound absorption was indeed superb; the dagger’s entry was nearly silent, although the material was incredibly tough and required all his strength to penetrate.

No one moved on this floor—clearly the enemy had made arrangements. But that suited Ye Chong just fine.

Carefully and laboriously, Ye Chong cut through the wall panel, controlling his pace, fearful of alerting those inside. The dagger met resistance, making only the faintest rustling, a sound Ye Chong was sure would be inaudible from even a short distance away. He resolved never to use such wall panels for his own home; otherwise, he might die in bed without ever knowing what happened.

When the dagger suddenly broke through, Ye Chong’s heart soared. He gently pushed the cut panel forward and caught it before it fell. Seeing the occupant still with his back turned, oblivious, Ye Chong breathed a sigh of relief.

He spared not a glance for the man slumped beneath Gu’s feet and began to tinker with the holographic surveillance terminal on the table.

Time was of the essence; Ye Chong hastily removed the terminal’s chip and slipped it into his pocket. He meticulously collected everything from the tall, thin man that might be linked to his identity.

Ye Chong descended the stairs with deliberate calm. Passing through the lobby, he wiped all records related to himself from the self-service terminal.

As soon as he exited the building, he summoned the F-58.

Gazing at the light mecha before him, Ye Chong calculated silently. "Eagle Eye," a specialized reconnaissance mecha, was slender and only about six meters high. Its exterior was coated with variable-color organic glaze that adapted to its surroundings. Most striking were its two rear-swept "horns," dramatically enhancing Eagle Eye’s scanning range and pulse reception. It boasted advanced scanning and counter-surveillance systems, was agile and fast, with astonishing endurance thanks to its custom energy comb. The price was its thin armor—any hit meant certain death. Its feeble firepower left it incapable of counterattack.

Using a reconnaissance mecha for surveillance—what extravagance, Ye Chong mused.

The F-58 prowled like a lurking leopard, stalking its prey. Its counter-surveillance system was advanced, far superior to typical mecha—even as a training unit, it outperformed most. The enemy remained completely unaware.

Ye Chong drew a combat spike. The overclocked magnetic blade was ill-suited for now; its high-frequency oscillations would send shards flying, drawing attention from nearby mecha and aircraft. His own presence would be exposed, inviting attack from the other three mecha.

Killing the enemy wasn’t Ye Chong’s goal. Their strengths were mismatched: Eagle Eye’s prized scanning system couldn’t detect the F-58, sealing its fate. But Ye Chong needed to eliminate the opponent silently, without triggering an alarm.

Ambushes were Ye Chong’s favorite; they greatly increased his odds. Anything that boosted his chances, he considered without hesitation.

As the F-58’s left hand snapped Eagle Eye’s throat, the right drove the combat spike through its cockpit. With a diameter over thirty centimeters, even a glancing blow would leave little hope for survival. Eagle Eye’s thin armor offered no resistance—it was as fragile as paper. Still wary, Ye Chong pried open the shattered cockpit armor, confirmed the pilot’s death, and carefully placed Eagle Eye in an unobtrusive corner on the roof.

Ye Chong grew more adept and fond of breaking necks; it was a flawless move—swift, silent, deadly.

He repeated the process with another Eagle Eye. Now only two enemy mecha remained.

One was another Eagle Eye. Ye Chong marveled—three Eagle Eyes deployed for Grandpa Xu! Most would think Eagle Eye was just a reconnaissance unit, but Ye Chong, well-versed in mecha, knew specialized models like Eagle Eye were far more expensive than their generic counterparts. Like the Sandworm he once used, pricier than the Golden Barley, though less appealing in appearance.

Accompanying Eagle Eye was a Karl. Karl was always the laborer, towering at sixteen meters—twice the F-58’s height, with every component double the usual size. Its ten-meter shield was like a moving wall, suffocating in its presence. Two such shields wielded by a giant would leave most speechless except to call it brutish. Its dark green, thick mechanical legs screeched with each step; clearly, no one bothered with anti-slip joints. Crude, cheap, and destined to be cannon fodder in battle.

Pairing Karl with Eagle Eye meant Karl was the protector—or rather, the cover. If Karl could stall an enemy even briefly, Eagle Eye’s speed ensured escape. Karl’s fate was irrelevant.

Karl’s formidable defense combined with Eagle Eye’s scanning made a perfect anti-ambush setup.

Ye Chong crept toward the two mecha.

Unexpectedly, the bulky Karl was alert, turning just in time to spot the approaching black mecha. Instantly, he shielded Eagle Eye with his two massive shields, covering the six-meter Eagle Eye entirely.

Karl saw the intruder’s pace unchanged, still flying steadily and showing no hostility—perhaps just a passing traveler. He’d lost count of how many mecha had flown past in recent days; at first, he was tense each time, but repetition bred familiarity and his vigilance waned. The protective maneuver was almost reflexive.

He laughed inwardly at his own caution. Who would dare fight in broad daylight, especially in the city? And he was from the Ji family—who would challenge them? As he relaxed, he gradually moved the shields away from Eagle Eye.

Watching the black mecha’s slow approach, Karl’s pilot scoffed: anyone flying that slowly was surely a novice, probably unfamiliar with even basic piloting skills.

Sure enough, the black mecha staggered drunkenly toward him.

Karl’s pilot burst into hearty laughter at the clumsy sight; opportunities to bully rookies were rare. He’d been deeply disgruntled at being assigned to pilot Karl—a role always at risk of abandonment, a humiliating insult. But orders from above had to be endured. Now, with a rookie to vent his frustrations on, his mood soared.

The black mecha approached, its awkward movements nearly toppling it several times. Karl’s pilot laughed so hard he could barely keep upright, eyes gleaming with the thrill of a new plaything. He waited for the black mecha to come within reach—then he’d have his fun.