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Chapter 315 A Changing Landscape, The Ninja Dog Ability User

Dark clouds, like restless beasts, slowly gathered over the city, changing shape in various ways.

The sunlight is often blocked, and the sky is sometimes bright and sometimes dark, with unpredictable weather.

In the suburbs, inside an inconspicuous house.

Behind a window on the third floor, a glimmer of light flashed from the lens of a telescope, pointing towards a direction not far away.

In view, the white sign of Dawn House looked somewhat old, and the lettering was faded.

Inside the high courtyard walls, one can clearly see innocent and cheerful smiling faces.

The children were either chasing and playing on the lawn or lining up to receive items.

There were also some casually dressed adults moving among them, clearly kind-hearted people who came to visit the orphans on the weekend.

The camera moved slightly and locked onto a figure.

He was a man with an ordinary face and slightly pale skin.

He was smiling as he handed a beautifully wrapped gift to a little girl with pigtails.

After handing out the gifts, the man squatted down and patiently played with the children, his face beaming with smiles.

That genuine patience and care seemed entirely genuine.

"It's hard to imagine that this guy has the blood of hundreds of people on his hands; he's a demon in human skin..."

The man holding the binoculars muttered to himself.

"hehe."

A burly man walked up to him, grinned, and revealed a set of white teeth.
"Ah Jie, you've been in Noah for several years now. Haven't you seen your fair share of perverts and monsters?"

Ah Jie put down his binoculars and rubbed his slightly sore eyes.

"Brother Yong, to be honest, I've never seen anyone as good at killing as him, and with such cruel methods."

He paused, but ultimately didn't say what he wanted to say.

It's worth noting that the last special operations team sent by the Noah organization was completely wiped out by the enemy.

Some were even decapitated and discarded as garbage in the well.

The burly man patted A-Jie on the shoulder and said:
"Don't be too nervous. The target of this operation is indeed very tricky, but the higher-ups are also taking it very seriously. They've sent so many experts here, and even Minister Luo is personally overseeing the operation."

"So even if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up first, and it's not our place to worry about it."

As he spoke, he looked up and glanced out the window a few times.

The clouds in the sky gathered more and more, almost covering half of the sky.

"This awful weather! It was sunny this morning, but it's probably going to pour tonight."

He shook his head slightly, seemingly somewhat helpless about the possibility of encountering bad weather during the operation.

"Brother Yong, rain is actually quite nice."

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone in the room suddenly interrupted him.

"This makes it easier for us to carry out our plan and also makes it easier to hide our whereabouts and avoid being discovered by the police."

A lean man sat on the ground, slowly assembling a uniquely shaped sniper rifle.

The room, which served as a temporary base, was sparsely furnished and smelled musty, as if it had been uninhabited for a long time.

Besides the three of them, there were three other members silently scattered throughout the room.

They were all dressed in unremarkable tight-fitting casual clothes, but the bulges around their waists and the metallic sheen that was inadvertently revealed at their wrists or ankles indicated that they were fully armed.

Pistols, tactical knives, and special ammunition—these deadly tools lie dormant, waiting for their moment to drink blood.

The burly man called "Brother Yong" is named He Yong, and he is the leader of this action group in this room.

A subtle tension and a sense of impending doom quietly gathered in the air.

dong dong dong.

A sudden knocking sounded on the door.

Almost simultaneously, Yong Ge and A Jie's expressions suddenly changed, and their gazes became wary and sharp.

The other four people in the room, who were either busy or resting, also stopped moving instantly.

Their bodies tensed slightly, their eyes met, and they silently conveyed their message.

One of them quickly got up and walked lightly to the door without making a sound.

He didn't open the door immediately, but instead leaned close to the peephole and carefully peered out.

Just seconds later, a look of surprise crossed the man's face. He then turned to look at Brother Yong and silently mouthed for instructions:
"It's Xu Hao from Ma Biao's side."

He Yong raised an eyebrow slightly, then nodded to him, signaling him to open the door.

crunch--

The old wooden door was slowly pulled open a crack.

Xu Hao's smiling face appeared outside the door.

He was carrying two heavy, large plastic bags in each hand, filled with boxed lunches.

"Brothers, you've all worked hard, haven't you eaten yet?"

Xu Hao's tone was enthusiastic, as if he were there to comfort his hardworking colleagues.

He Yong forced a smile and went to greet him.

"Brother Hao, what's wrong?"

Xu Hao strode into the room, placed the plastic bag on a worn-out wooden table with a loud "thump".

"I've come to bring you lunch."

"You are responsible for monitoring tasks on the front line. You work hard, enduring wind and sun. It's really too hard for you."

"The food may be simple, but at least it can fill our stomachs, right?"

A hint of hesitation flashed in He Yong's eyes:
"But Brother Hao, according to the rules, our supplies here..."

Xu Hao waved his hand, interrupting him, his tone leaving no room for argument:

"Forget about rules, we're all brothers, why be so formal?"

"Don't you all trust me, Xu Hao?"

"My team and Brother Ma's team are responsible for perimeter support, so we are also considered logistics support personnel."

"It's a must to deliver a meal to you brothers who are sticking to your posts on the front line. It's our duty. We absolutely cannot let our brothers carry out their missions on an empty stomach!"

He was very eloquent, leaving He Yong speechless.

Xu Hao quickly scanned the room, then emphasized in his tone:

"Ah Yong, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and call your men over to eat, the food won't taste good if it gets cold."

He Yong shrugged helplessly.

Although I am a Level 5 cadre in the Noah organization and an action team leader in this hunter squad, I also participated in the action meeting held the day before yesterday.

However, when facing a promising level 6 cadre like Xu Hao, one still needs to show sufficient respect.

He immediately stopped talking, put on a smile, and greeted them:
"Brothers, come and eat. Brother Hao specially brought this for us."

Upon hearing this, the team members' faces lit up with joy, and they all gathered around to thank Xu Hao.

"Don't rush, don't rush, everyone take your time, everyone gets a share."

With a broad smile, Xu Hao personally opened the plastic bag and handed out boxed meals to everyone.

"There's char siu rice, soy sauce chicken leg rice, and mapo tofu rice. Take what flavor you like."

He looked exactly like a solicitous fast food restaurant owner at that moment.

The atmosphere in the room eased considerably because of the unexpected lunch.

Everyone took the boxed lunches, found a place to sit down, and began to wolf down their food.

Xu Hao also picked up a box, pretended to sit down next to a teammate, and casually asked questions while eating rice.

After learning that the target, Cheng Jiashu, had appeared as scheduled, he spoke again:
"By the way, where's your boss? I specially prepared a double-portion meal for him."

The "boss" he referred to was naturally Chen Rui, the superior officer of He Yong and the others, the leader of this pursuit team, a level 7 cadre. The team member, his mouth full of food, answered indistinctly:
"Captain, he's feeding his beloved hunting dogs in the backyard. He probably won't have time to come over for dinner."

Another team member chimed in:
"Before each operation, the captain would spend several hours with his dogs, acting all mysterious, and none of us dared to disturb him."

"Oh? Your captain's abilities are truly unique."

Xu Hao's face showed just the right amount of surprise:
"I, Xu Hao, have seen a lot in the underworld, but I've never seen any special abilities related to dogs."

His tone shifted, becoming somewhat inquisitive.

"I heard that your captain was in charge of the initial investigation into the 'Smiling Devil,' so his abilities must have played a significant role, right?"

The team member who had been there earlier became interested and immediately lowered his voice, speaking with a hint of boastfulness:
"Of course. With those hunting dogs sharing our senses, tracking enemies is much easier for us than for other squads. It's like having a dozen extra surveillance cameras that can be moved at any time."

"Moreover, a normal person would not suspect a few dogs at all, and the target probably would not know how he was exposed until he died."

"It's really awesome!"

Xu Hao exclaimed in admiration, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, before his honest smile returned.
"No wonder Minister Luo has placed your elite team in such an important position this time. It seems he has high hopes for you."

Upon hearing this, another team member couldn't help but chime in:

"Yes, if you ask me, in terms of ability, our captain has actually reached the level of an 8th-level cadre. If he weren't so inexperienced, he would have been promoted long ago."

"Now that's great, the new station chief has just taken office and has the appreciation of a big shot like Minister Luo. As long as this operation is successfully completed and he makes a great contribution, it's a sure thing that the captain will be promoted to company commander."

"When that time comes, we brothers will also rise in status and be proud of ourselves!"

These words, though somewhat flattering, also expressed the sentiments of the team members, eliciting a few low murmurs of agreement.

Xu Hao's eyes flickered slightly, and he smoothly steered the conversation:

"Since your captain is so strong, besides tracking and surveillance, what other powerful methods does he have to deal with that 'Smiling Devil'?"

Upon hearing this, the previously lively atmosphere in the room suddenly became somewhat stiff, and the expressions of several team members froze slightly.

"This... I'm afraid it'll be a bit difficult."

One of them gave a somewhat vague answer:

"Our captain's greatest ability is tracking. Once his hunting dogs lock onto the scent, even if the target hides at the ends of the earth, the captain can accurately find the target and there is absolutely no chance of escape."

"But when it comes to going head-to-head with a monster like the Smiling Demon, it's still a bit lacking. After all, even Lord Ghost died at his hands!"

"Not always!"

Ah-Jie, who was engrossed in eating his boxed lunch, heard this and, seemingly wanting to prove something, couldn't help but interject:

"It might be difficult for the captain to deal with the 'Smiling Devil' alone, but it will also be very difficult for that serial killer to kill our captain."

"The hunting dogs the captain keeps are no ordinary creatures. Besides sharing senses and going berserk to enhance their combat power, they also have a trump card that will definitely surprise any enemy who underestimates them..."

As he spoke, a mysterious and proud expression appeared on his face, as if he foresaw the fate of his enemies falling into a trap.

"Cough cough!"

He Yong coughed heavily twice, interrupting A-Jie.

Ah-Jie realized he had said too much and quickly shut his mouth.

Xu Hao gave an apologetic smile and explained:
"I'm sorry, brothers. I haven't been a member of the Noah Organization for long. I admire the powerful abilities of the senior members. I was just curious and asked a few more questions. Please forgive me."

His words were perfectly worded, expressing both curiosity and placing himself in the position of a junior.

Seeing this, He Yong didn't say much, he just waved his hand.

"Brother Hao, you're too kind. We're all brothers."

The group chatted for a few more minutes about trivial matters related to the operation.

One of the team members sighed:

"It's been so many years since our East Capital branch has ever put on such a big show."

The other person nodded in agreement:

"That's right. If I hadn't participated in this operation, I wouldn't have known that the East Capital branch had so many experts, and that Minister Luo from headquarters was personally overseeing the operation."

"I don't think that 'Smiling Devil' can escape the organization's pursuit, no matter how powerful he is, even if he has three heads and six arms..."

As Xu Hao listened to their discussion, he secretly noted down the useful information.

He was currently in one of the six hunter teams tasked with hunting down Cheng Jiashu.

Each team consists of 30 people, divided into groups of five.

In addition to Xu Hao's own team, there were nearly two hundred elite armed men.

Like a giant spider web, it surrounds the area where the Dawn House is located from six different directions.

Once the target leaves the orphanage, this invisible net will immediately tighten.

Even if the other side realizes something is wrong halfway through, it will be difficult to escape from such a tight encirclement.

This demonstrates the strength and operational capabilities of the Noah Organization.

After a while, everyone finished their boxed lunches.

Xu Hao figured he wouldn't get much information out of him, so he got up to say goodbye.

He Yong and the others politely escorted him to the door.

As Xu Hao left the house, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a solemn expression.

Just a few dozen meters away diagonally opposite is the Morning Light Home Orphanage.

He knew that there were many Noah Organization informants scattered throughout the surrounding streets.

The entire area is under tight surveillance, though outwardly relaxed, inwardly vigilant.

Xu Hao walked into a nearby inconspicuous little supermarket and pretended to buy a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of water.

Then, after observing his surroundings, he quickly pulled out an old-fashioned pager.

With fingers flying across the keys, a short message was coded and sent using the agreed-upon secret language.

This was one of the ways he secretly communicated with the special investigation team.

Just after I sent the message, a slightly mocking voice drifted into my ears.

"Hey, Haozi, I told you to come out on patrol, are you hiding here slacking off?"

Xu Hao felt a chill run down his spine and turned around to look.

Ma Biao's burly figure blocked the supermarket entrance, a playful smile on his face.

Xu Hao immediately put on a smile and waved the cigarette in his hand:

"Brother Ma, I just had a craving for cigarettes and wanted to buy a pack."

As he spoke, he quietly slipped the pager into his trouser pocket with his right hand.

"What brings you here to shop, old man?"

Ma Biao walked over and patted Xu Hao on the shoulder:

"Hey kid, stop playing dumb with me and come over there to talk."

Xu Hai thought to himself, "Oh no," realizing that his little trick had been discovered.

But Ma Biao still had that same smiling, nonchalant look on his face, as if he was just casually greeting someone and had no other intentions.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, but her heart was still pounding.

The two walked arm in arm, chatting idly as they headed in another direction.

Their cheerful conversation seemed somewhat out of place with the tense and somber atmosphere lurking in the surrounding streets.

Xu Hao felt uneasy and muttered to himself.

Where is Fang Cheng right now, and what is he doing?

Meanwhile, at the top of a not-too-high hill near the Dawn House.

Amidst the dense canopy of leaves, a figure moved with the agility of a nimble ape.

The figure was seen gripping a thick tree branch with one hand, its entire body hanging upside down in mid-air, while its other hand hung naturally at its sides.

He was clearly doing a one-handed handstand push-up.

(End of this chapter)