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Chapter 323 An S-Rank Powerful Enemy, People Busy Working on a Rainy Night
"Heh, you think you've won?"

Seeing that Fang Cheng did not admit it, Chen Rui let out a low laugh, like a broken bellows being pulled:

“I don’t know who you are... but you have no idea how terrifying the Noah Organization is.”

"It won't be long before you come down to keep me company..."

Fang Cheng remained silent as he listened to his curses and complaints.

The words "I am terrifyingly powerful" still seem to be buzzing in my ears.

Then, Fang Cheng shrugged and said:
"Since the Noah Organization is so powerful, could you tell me which experts in your organization are capable of defeating me?"

"For example, who is that Minister Luo?"

"Minister Luo?"

Mentioning this name, Chen Rui's gradually unfocused pupils miraculously regained a complex color.

There seemed to be a sense of awe, yet also a certain expectation.

"He... is a powerful and influential figure at headquarters, a level 10 executive who has made it into the board of directors."

"Even Station Chief Feng is only qualified to shine shoes and smile obsequiously in front of him; he's not worth mentioning at all..."

Chen Rui was breathing heavily, managing to squeeze out words intermittently from his throat.

Then, a glint of light flashed in his dim pupils as he stared intently at Fang Cheng:

"Do you think I'm exaggerating? A level 10 cadre just sounds like one level higher than a level 9 cadre?"

"But in fact, you're completely wrong!"

"Oh, could it be that I'm mistaken?"

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, without refuting, but used suggestive words to guide him to continue speaking.

Chen Rui seemed quite cooperative, as if he was extremely eager to demonstrate Noah's true power and terror in front of his enemy, Fang Cheng.

"Noah's organization's Level 10 assessment never considers seniority; it's entirely a reflection of ability..."

"If placed in the Special Investigation Team's evaluation system, that would be equivalent to an S-level superhuman."

"You should know that those domineering investigators only have an A+ grade as their highest qualification for employment."

He spoke slowly, breathing heavily:
"Even if you add up all the members of the Xia Kingdom, including the special search teams and the scions of aristocratic families, there would definitely be no more than a hundred people with this kind of strength..."

"And the Noah Organization doesn't just have one expert of this caliber; there are dozens..."

At this point, Chen Rui was about to sneer, but his body suddenly twitched and he let out a painful groan.

He let out a few cracking breaths from deep in his throat, but still endured the excruciating pain and continued speaking in an even hoarser voice:

"Level 10 and Level 9, S-rank and A-rank..."

"The gap between them is like a chasm separating mortals from gods and demons. Only by crossing this threshold can one truly step into a completely new world."

"At that level, one can completely rise above the government and disregard secular laws and rules."

"There's no need for you to hide like this, because... there aren't many people left who can threaten your life..."

"Those so-called high-ranking officials, the super-rich, politicians, and tycoons are nothing more than prey that can be hunted at will!"

Chen Rui paused again, catching his breath for a long while.

His voice was already extremely weak, but a strange fervor burned in his eyes:
"They even dare to enter those terrifying forbidden areas that ordinary people would avoid at all costs, to hunt for mysterious sources of pollution."

"Thus, one can achieve unimaginable accomplishments and have the opportunity to touch the power that belongs to the gods..."

"When I joined the Noah Organization, my initial expectation was also to reach that terrifying level of power..."

After saying that, Chen Rui sighed softly, his voice filled with deep resentment.

It's like the desperate and regretful cry of a mountaineer who is just one step away from the summit but ultimately collapses from exhaustion.

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but ask:
"The source of pollution, what does that mean?"

"Ha ha……"

Chen Rui let out another cold laugh that was cryptic.

His head drooped slowly, and he didn't answer, his lips stiffly maintaining a chilling curve.

Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed as he noticed the unusual ashen look on the other person's face.

A thought suddenly struck him, and he quickly reached out, grabbed Chen Rui's jaw, and forcibly pried his mouth open.

A small, partially dissolved, black substance was mixed in with the other person's blood-soaked saliva.

The moment Fang Cheng saw this thing, everything became clear to him.

But it was too late.

Clearly, just now, Chen Rui was speaking while simultaneously crushing the highly poisonous capsule hidden behind his teeth.

The deadly venom had already spread rapidly down his throat, eroding his already fragile life at an alarming rate.

Although this person acts abnormally and is a complete madman, he has an unexpectedly fierce personality.

They would rather end their own lives than die a humiliating death at the hands of the enemy.

Looking at Chen Rui's completely lifeless face, Fang Cheng's mind raced:
Did this guy deliberately say those words before he died to undermine my confidence and shake my will?

He then smiled slightly and said in a low voice:

"Unfortunately, you miscalculated."

With my own stats, how could I possibly stop progressing just because of a mere S-rank enemy?

Given time, I will continue to grow stronger and surpass all the opponents I encounter!

Fang Cheng released his grip, letting Chen Rui's body slide to the ground, and then stood up straight.

His gaze quickly swept across the chaotic slaughterhouse, finally settling on the few trembling, vicious dogs in the corner.

Having dealt with the prey, the next step was the most laborious task—faking the crime scene.

A few moments later, a few short and shrill barks suddenly rang out in the slaughterhouse, then stopped abruptly.

The smell of blood seemed to grow even stronger in the air.

The rain poured down, and the sky seemed to have been splashed with thick ink, immersing the whole world in a sticky darkness.

The white refrigerated truck sat quietly in the mud.

Two dim headlights pierced through the rain, like two empty, lifeless eyes staring at this land shrouded in darkness and death.

squeak-

A sickening screeching sound rang out.

The rusty iron gate of the slaughterhouse was forcefully pushed open from the inside.

A tall figure wearing a black raincoat slowly emerged from the darkness.

Each step he took made a soft "plop" sound as he stepped into the mud, yet he appeared unusually steady, without the slightest stumble.

The torrential rain washed away the suspicious dark red stains on his raincoat and quickly erased the shallow footprints he left in the mud.

Fang Cheng stood in the pouring rain and took a deep breath of the cold, damp air.

Then slowly exhale the stale air from your lungs.

No wonder those killers in movies like to appear on rainy nights.

Fang Cheng wiped the wetness from his face under the brim of his hat, thinking to himself.

While such torrential rain restricts movement, it does save a lot of trouble and is practically a natural, invisible barrier.

In the future, I might be able to choose to do things on rainy days more often.

Ooh-er~ Ooh-er~
As I pondered this, a faint siren drifted from afar.

Fang Cheng raised his eyelids and looked towards the city center.

The dark, inky clouds hung low and churned, as if about to collapse.

The city lights, obscured by the vast rain curtain, appeared so distant and dim, as unreal as a mirage.

It's like, that's another world...

Withdrawing his gaze, Fang Cheng didn't linger any longer. He pulled down his hat brim, swiftly disappeared into the stormy darkness.

Next, there are other prey waiting for him to "visit".

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

call--

A gust of wind howled past, penetrating the menacing hole in the slaughterhouse wall, its echoes swirling and reverberating.

An intense, impenetrable darkness enveloped everything here.

Only the occasional flash of lightning that pierces the night sky illuminates this space filled with death and bloodshed.

On the ground, pools of dark red, viscous blood and severed limbs were scattered everywhere.

It was like a battlefield of carnage, where a brutal sacrifice had just taken place.

Many rusty iron hooks hung down from the ceiling.

On one of the iron hooks, a mangled corpse was hanging conspicuously.

The limbs were unnaturally twisted, swaying slightly like a pendulum as gusts of wind poured in from the hole. In those wide-open eyes, there seemed to be a lingering resentment from the last moment before death.

The deceased was Chen Rui.

Behind him, on the wall splattered with blood.

A demonic face pattern painted with fresh blood, bearing a sinister smile, appeared and disappeared in the flashes of lightning.

It exudes a chilling aura of terror, as if mocking some overconfident fools.

....................................

Lead-gray clouds hung heavily over the midnight city.

Although the rain has subsided considerably, visibility remains extremely low.

slam-la-

A black sedan drove out of the parking lot of a dark apartment building, its wheels splashing up large amounts of water.

The wipers swung back and forth tirelessly, scrambling away the blurry rain streaks on the windshield.

On the center console display screen, numbers flashed, showing the time—02:07.

A long, strong hand gently turned the volume knob.

The radio crackled and hissed.

Then, a soft female voice rang out, carrying the languid and magnetic quality unique to the late night:
"Welcome back to 'Midnight Whispers', dear listeners who love to stay up late."

"Tonight, we will take you deep into the soul to feel those forgotten melodies of yesteryear. Next up is a hit song from the early career of the prince of love songs, Lin Zhixuan, called 'The Parting'..."

As the host introduced the train, a soothing and melodious tune and song slowly flowed through the enclosed carriage.

Like a cup of hot tea in the dead of night, it adds a rare sense of peace to the damp, cold, and lonely early morning.

Fang Cheng gripped the steering wheel firmly with both hands.

A raincoat stained with blood was carelessly tossed onto the back seat floor mat.

His gaze lingered through the rain-blurred car window, fixed on the hazy, dreamlike scene outside.

The colors of the neon lights were distorted and elongated, forming streaks of light on the glass and blurring the boundaries of the city.

Now, he has left the relatively remote suburbs and entered the area where Guanlan District and JB District meet.

The buildings and lights here are starting to denser, revealing the bustling outline that a city should have.

After successfully dealing with Chen Rui at the slaughterhouse, Fang Cheng didn't stop for a moment and went straight to the residence of another senior Noah organization cadre.

According to Xu Hao's intelligence, that member was a level 7 officer and a former special forces soldier.

After being enhanced through human experimentation, their physical abilities became exceptionally strong, and they were particularly adept at hand-to-hand combat.

But Fang Cheng quietly sneaked into his residence and, with just a punch and a kick, completely destroyed him, turning him into a pile of mangled flesh.

They didn't even give him a chance to be interrogated.

If he had known, Fang Cheng would have gone easy on him.

However, that person's strength was indeed not on the same level as Chen Rui's.

Or rather, Chen Rui's transformed state has long exceeded the scope of a normal level 7 cadre.

At the very least, he was close to "Ghost," the former head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Intelligence Department, whom he had also killed.

Fang Cheng's gaze swept across the rain-washed streets, searching as usual.

I wanted to see if there were any late-night food stalls still open at this time.

After finishing these two physically demanding tasks, I was really hungry.

Unfortunately, even in this weather, it was still past 2 a.m., and the streets were deserted, with only the streetlights standing guard forlornly.

Most of the shops were closed and dark.

Fang Cheng withdrew his gaze and began planning his next move.

I just received the latest intelligence from Xu Hao: there is a small Noah organization stronghold not far from the Midnight Forest Bar.

It is speculated that some high-ranking officials may remain in the area.

He decided to stop by and take a look.

Once we've taken care of this hunting target, we can call it a day and go home for a good rest.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng raised his head, his sharp gaze piercing through the rain curtain, looking towards the end of the road ahead.

At an intersection about one kilometer away, flashing red and blue police lights could be faintly seen.

Several police officers wearing reflective raincoats, armed with guns, were stationed behind a makeshift checkpoint in the rain, checking passing vehicles.

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, and without making a sound, he took out a palm-sized portable police flashing light from the storage compartment under the passenger seat.

Then, he lowered the car window slightly, stretched out his arm, and attached the magnetic police light to the center of the roof with a "click".

Then, he pressed the remote control button next to him.

"Woo-wu-wu-"

The sharp, urgent siren suddenly blared, instantly shattering the tranquility of the rainy night and sounding particularly jarring on the empty street.

When the police officers on duty at the intersection heard the siren and saw a black sedan with flashing lights speeding towards them, they instinctively assumed it was one of their own officers carrying out an emergency mission or apprehending a fugitive.

Almost without hesitation, the police officer in charge of the roadblock immediately waved to allow passage and quickly removed the roadblock.

Fang Cheng remained calm and steadily drove the car past the checkpoint without being questioned or stopped.

The siren continued forward until it reached a distance, at which point he turned it off again.

Then, along with the vehicle, they quickly disappeared into the depths of the rain.

Meanwhile, on an auxiliary road not far from the checkpoint.

A black SUV with a special license plate was parked quietly on the side of the road.

The carriage was filled with the rich aroma of braised beef noodle seasoning packets, mixed with a faint smell of tobacco.

Two young men in casual clothes were wolfing down instant noodles.

The instant noodles are loaded with ingredients, including ham sausage, braised egg, and pickled vegetables, with bright red chili oil floating on the surface of the soup.

The two ate until they were sweating profusely, their mouths glistening with oil.

It was Zhou Liang and Ali, two administrative officers from the special search team.

Under Gao Jin's leadership and command, they and their teammates captured quite a few members of the Noah organization tonight.

However, no one expected that Noah's Ark organization's operation would be on such a large scale this time.

The special search team was severely understaffed and could only watch helplessly as most of the criminals scattered and fled.

Zhou Liang and Ali had just escorted a group of captured prisoners back to headquarters for handover. Before they could even have a sip of water, they were sent out to continue patrolling, hoping to catch a few who had slipped through the net.

Taking advantage of the fact that there were no new instructions for the time being, the two quickly found a relatively quiet place, made two bowls of instant noodles, and replenished their already exhausted energy.

"Damn, Xu Hao's whereabouts are so unclear!"

After slurping up the last mouthful of noodle soup, Ali wiped his mouth and couldn't help but complain:

"If I had known Noah was going to go all out this time, I should have brought over Old Yang's team too!"

"Relying on just Captain Gao and Commander Qin isn't enough! They've forced us to clean up their messes, and we barely get a chance to get any credit!"

"Alright, be content."

Zhou Liang appeared more composed, tore open another packet of pickled vegetables and poured it into the remaining soup, stirring as he advised:
"If the team had sent out all its best players, there would have been nothing for us; we'd just be standing guard on the perimeter. But as things stand, at least we can catch a few small fry, which will make our year-end performance reviews look better."

Ali pursed his lips, wanting to say something more, but his gaze inadvertently swept across the car window.

Just then, I saw the black sedan with its siren blaring speed by.

He suddenly exclaimed "Huh?" with a look of surprise on his face.

"What? You've spotted the target?"

Zhou Liang asked without looking up, focusing on the noodles in his bowl.

"No."

Ali smacked his lips, and said somewhat uncertainly:
"That guy who drove by just now... I couldn't see him clearly through the rain, but his profile... doesn't it look a bit like yours? Could he be your long-lost brother?"

"Get lost! My mom only had one child, me!"

Zhou Liang looked up irritably and glared at his partner:
"Eat your noodles and stop talking nonsense. Maybe some guy from another branch is rushing to handle a case."

After saying that, he lowered his head again and slurped up the noodles, ignoring his partner's nonsense.

After a short rest, they had to continue the long and dangerous pursuit through the rainy night.

Special Investigations Unit (SIU) officers may seem impressive to the police officers outside, but in reality, they are no different from ordinary workers, and their work is even more tiring and dangerous.

Only they themselves know the hardships and pressures they endured.

On this stormy night, their mission had only just begun.

Meanwhile, in an abandoned lighthouse on the coast of Clearwater Bay.

Someone else was also patiently waiting.

(End of this chapter)