Chapter 936: The Number One Killer

It was still that somewhat rundown bar. Cao Xu sat quietly in a corner, drinking beer. In fact, ever since he evaded those who were monitoring him and secretly planned the assassination of Nie Yan, he had already known his own fate. Because only with his death could the people from Tianxia Group, Zhengrong Financial Group, and Longyue Financial Group feel at ease. However, even in death, he could not die like a dog, in a despicable manner, for he was Cao Xu, the once mighty and commanding figure!

Thus, he had spent three hundred billion to plan the assassination of Nie Yan, not leaving a single penny for himself. The one hundred billion publicly was only part of it. The other two hundred billion were currently in a notary office. As soon as Nie Yan died, the money would be directly transferred to that person’s account.

He quietly sipped his drink, a hint of spiciness flowing down his throat. He had to admit, even if he killed Nie Yan, he had still lost, no matter how unwilling he felt inside.

The noise in the bar seemed unrelated to him.

He understood that his time was nearly up, and he continued to drink his beer in silence.

“Waiter, another drink,” Cao Xu shouted loudly.

As his voice fell, a waiter approached carrying a tray, on which was a bottle of baijiu.

“Sir, here’s your drink,” the waiter said, placing the bottle of baijiu on the table.

Cao Xu, slightly drunk and bleary-eyed, glanced at the waiter and grinned. His words were somewhat slurred, “Do you know? Your skills are far inferior to Ghost Fox. Ghost Fox’s disguise is absolutely more sophisticated than yours.”

Upon hearing Cao Xu’s words, the waiter’s face turned cold, and his right hand quietly slipped into his clothes.

Cao Xu picked up the bottle of baijiu, poured it into the glass in front of him, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Seeing Cao Xu’s actions, the waiter was momentarily confused. If Cao Xu had recognized him, why would he still drink from this bottle? Perhaps Cao Xu had already accepted his fate.

“Why did Ghost Fox become the number one assassin? Not because he was fast on the draw, but because his disguises were never seen through. Your disguise skills, compared to his, are absolutely terrible. A bar waiter wouldn’t have such sharp eyes. The male waiters in this bar always look at the sexy women, but you’re different. Your eyes have a strong sense of purpose; your target is me! Also, this isn’t a regular bar. You’re dressed too properly, which actually exposes you,” Cao Xu poured another glass of wine. No one could tell whether he was drunk or still sober.

Although Cao Xu was now down on his luck, his every move still exuded calm and composed grace, a quality that others could not describe.

“Go back and tell your master that this is the final gift I give them. I, Cao Xu, started my career at twenty, entered Century Financial Group, was promoted to general manager at thirty-one, and at thirty-five, I gave away my wife, overthrew the chairman of Century Financial Group to seize the presidency, committed countless evils, but eventually, it was karma. My wife died tragically, and at fifty-six, I had no children. In the end, fame and fortune return to dust, leaving only a lifetime of emotional debts. What a pity, what a life!” Suddenly, Cao Xu burst into laughter, a sound tinged with a sense of desolation.

Seeing Cao Xu’s almost frenzied state, the waiter sighed and turned to leave.

At this moment, Ying Sha, hidden in the corner, also couldn’t help but sigh. Looking at Cao Xu again, he found that Cao had already fallen backward onto the ground. Chaos erupted in the bar. Soon, the police would arrive, and those hiding in the shadows slowly retreated.

Nie Yan watched the video, lamenting how Cao Xu, a mighty figure in his time, had come to such an end. Hearing Cao Xu’s words, Nie Yan felt a mix of emotions. In his previous life, although Cao Xu had committed countless evils, no one could do anything about him. Was his rebirth Nie Yan’s retribution?

Nie Yan could not clearly explain this matter of cause and effect.

With Cao Xu’s death, Nie Yan finally felt at ease. Everything was finally settled.

“Let’s go,” Nie Yan said, his smile carrying an indescribable sense of ease and freedom.

“Watch out, Nie Yan!” came the low, deep shout from behind by Cuo Dao.

As soon as Cuo Dao’s words were spoken, there was a dull thud. Nie Yan’s smile froze on his face. He looked in disbelief at his chest, where a bullet had pierced through. Blood soaked his chest. He touched it with his right hand and found his hand stained with bright red blood. This wet feeling was so familiar.

Nie Yan’s eyelids felt heavy, as if he were about to fall into eternal darkness. In his mind, figures flashed by—his father, his mother, Xie Yao, Cuo Dao, Tang Yao, and many others. These people had all left deep impressions in his life. Yet now, they seemed increasingly distant. He reached out to grab them, but before him was an endless void.

So, is this the end for me?

Four years of rebirth, just a dream. Was this moment the true reality?

Or perhaps, this is fate. Fate allowed me to be reborn, gave me four years to make up for all my regrets, but now, fate has decided to reclaim my life.

What an inescapable fate! Nie Yan sighed, but in his heart, there was too much reluctance. God, can’t you give me a little more time to see my father and mother’s aging faces, and her beautiful, sweet smile?

Is it already too late? Was that farewell truly the last?

Cao Xu is dead, so my father and mother should be safe now.

As for Xie Yao, there will be someone who loves her more than me, and they will be together forever. Nie Yan seemed to see a scene from many years ago. Sunlight poured through the glass window, illuminating her beautiful face. She looked at Nie Yan and gave him a serene smile.

Farewell, Xie Yao!

Nie Yan felt his head getting heavier. He heard some panicked shouting in his ears, but these sounds were getting more and more blurred, and finally, he could hear nothing at all.

“Quick, stop the bleeding!”

“Treat the wound, hurry!”

“Where is the army doctor? Hurry up!” Cuo Dao shouted almost frantically, his voice hoarse, his tiger-like eyes showing a glimmer of tears.

Two military doctors knelt down and anxiously treated Nie Yan’s wound.

Over 1,600 meters away, a man in camouflage packed up his heavy sniper rifle. Through his scope, he saw that the shot had hit its mark. A cruel smile appeared on his lips. That bullet should have hit the heart directly. There was no need for a second shot. Moreover, Nie Yan was surrounded by people, leaving no opportunity for another shot. He put down the heavy sniper rifle and swiftly leaped away.

Cuo Dao looked eastward; the bullet had come from that direction! He noticed a green shadow flicker through the trees. Although it was only a slight movement, it caught his eye. Cuo Dao charged forward. At that moment, there was only one thought in his mind: kill that man!

Satellite data showed that all the assassins had been eliminated, yet there were still some who slipped through. The enemy must have used some disguise to infiltrate. It might have been a problem during the previous battle, or perhaps they had already infiltrated beforehand, waiting silently for an opportunity until now to strike. This method immediately made Cuo Dao think of one person: the top assassin—Ghost Fox!

Ghost Fox was the most mysterious figure. He rarely took assassination missions, and each time he did, the price was exorbitantly high. However, his missions never failed. Whether it was political leaders from various countries or business magnates, all had died at his hands. He was elusive and no one had ever seen his face.

This was Cao Xu’s true final move; those previous assassins were merely a distraction! Unfortunately, they realized this too late!

Cuo Dao’s heart felt as if it were being cut inch by inch. Having spent so long with Nie Yan, even though theirs was an employer-employee relationship, Cuo Dao had long regarded Nie Yan as a brother!

Ghost Fox dashed through the jungle, running for over a thousand yards. He glanced behind and saw no one chasing him. He took off his special forces camouflage gear, threw it into the bushes, and magically changed into casual clothes, looking like a refined gentleman. All the events that had just occurred seemed unrelated to him. From the moment he made his move, he had already jammed the satellite signal, so the satellite had no record of the situation. He smiled; the mission was complete. Once he confirmed Nie Yan’s death, he would receive two hundred billion. Being an assassin was indeed a highly profitable business. He walked toward a car parked by the roadside.

Just as he was about to open the car door, there was a dull thud. He felt a sharp pain in his chest. In disbelief, he looked down at his own chest and found a bullet hole, from which blood was gushing out. He staggered and fell to the ground with a thud.

After Ghost Fox fell to the ground, a figure emerged from the grass over a thousand meters away—it was Cuo Dao. He walked over with a grim expression, his face cold and unfeeling. When he shot, he had deliberately aimed away from the heart. Ghost Fox was only severely injured and would take a few more minutes to die.

Ghost Fox’s body was still convulsing violently, seemingly enduring the pain. He struggled to get up.

Cuo Dao walked over, stepped on Ghost Fox’s back with one foot, and Ghost Fox began to tremble violently.

“Who are you?” Ghost Fox gritted his teeth, his voice trembling. At this moment, he didn’t even have the strength to turn his head.

“Cuo Dao. Let you die knowing who killed you.” Cuo Dao’s voice was cold. He raised a pistol in his right hand and aimed it at Ghost Fox’s head.

“It’s only fair that I die by your hand.” Ghost Fox tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace.

Cuo Dao pulled the trigger. A dull bang echoed—not a gunshot. Ghost Fox’s brains splattered across the ground.

Ghost Fox convulsed once more, then lay still.

Looking at Ghost Fox’s corpse, Cuo Dao’s anger was vented, but a sense of sorrow welled up inside him. Was Nie Yan really dead? He refused to believe the fact, yet he had to. He let out a mournful howl to the sky, and a tear rolled down his face.