Hidden Assassin 245

Two police cars were parked outside the mall, where order had been restored, the sirens continuing to offer psychological comfort. Joseph and Robert, brothers, sat in a restaurant across the street, watching the calming chaos unfold.

This incident, thanks to the mysterious gunman and Joseph’s intervention, had yielded no advantage to the Gambino faction, but neither had they suffered significant losses. Unable to engage in a full-scale conflict and unwilling to back down, both sides decided to withdraw, resulting in a pointless encounter.

Joseph had opposed Robert’s impulsive decision to negotiate, but having grown up together, he understood his brother’s hot-tempered nature. That Robert, after being shot, had taken the initiative to engage in talks was already a commendable act of restraint. Unfortunately, the Gambinos had also suffered a major setback the previous night, leaving both sides in a state of fury, rendering negotiations impossible.

“Last night, several people died at the Kells waste disposal plant, the one Smith manages. Among them was one of his men, an American, two Japanese tourists… all crushed in a compactor.”

“That’s something they do all the time. Their own people dying… maybe they were dealing with a traitor?”

“It’s unlikely. Someone called the cops first, the police surrounded the site before they even realized what was happening. There were even FBI agents, it seems like a serious case. Then they found two hundred kilograms of heroin in that pile of garbage, likely stored there by the Gambino family. It’s all quite strange,” Joseph said, shaking his coffee cup.

“Jane, that bitch, claims the FBI has been reviewing our files.”

“I don’t know how the news leaked, but it must be true,” Joseph said, lighting a cigarette and shaking his head. “The FBI is looking into us, connecting us to this incident. Smith’s still at the police station helping with the investigation, which is why Jane’s in such a bad mood.”

“This is big.”

“There won’t be an all-out war. After all, it’s almost the 21st century. No one in the Five Families wants that, nobody wants to break the rules. Whoever breaks the rules will face collective suppression,” Joseph said, tapping his cigarette ash, pausing slightly. “But the conflict underground will likely escalate. Be careful in the coming days, considering that woman’s crazy personality, she might try to hurt you again. By the way… the one who got our files… could it be…”

Suddenly remembering something, Joseph’s expression froze. Robert, curious, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“No, nothing, did I tell you? Marilyn and Heidi brought back a Chinese friend, she’s staying at the manor… uh…” He mumbled a couple of words, then shook his head and chuckled, changing the subject. “By the way, you did a good job today.”

“Huh?”

“That amazing gunman, where did you find him? Introduce us sometime.”

“Gunman?” Robert frowned. “Didn’t you find him?”

A second later, both of them widened their eyes.

“Not you?”

“Not you? Oh, dear.”

After thinking for a moment, Joseph laughed. “That Chinese woman? I remember her, she’s the one who sent him? Who is she?”

“Not sure, she was in the hospital getting treatment, I heard she’s one of the hospital’s benefactors. She must be rich.” Robert nodded. “I’ll look into it.”

***************************************************

On the windswept streets of Manhattan, a group of people were running wildly, trying to escape.

A Chinese boy, wearing a gray-yellow down jacket, was running ahead, followed by a large group of men in black suits, both Black and White. They darted through snow-covered buildings, dodging trash cans and piles of books and magazines on newsstands. Every small object they encountered was thrown at the pursuing crowd, accompanied by curses and shouts. Occasionally, some of the suit-wearing pursuers would break away from the main group, taking shortcuts to block the boy’s path, only to be outsmarted by the boy’s agility, allowing him to slip into a nearby alley, leaving them empty-handed.

Moments later, a jeep roared from behind, joining the chase. Inside, a red-haired woman in a tight leather suit was brandishing a belt with glee, attracting the attention of passersby. Such scenes were common in Brooklyn, but in Manhattan, they hadn’t been seen in years. The boy, no matter how fast he ran, couldn’t outrun the car, but the area in Manhattan had numerous shops and was well-connected, allowing the boy to occasionally dive into a nearby mall, only to emerge from the back entrance ten minutes later, prompting the jeep to chase after him again.

This chase continued for nearly half an hour until they finally cornered the boy in the back alley between several buildings. The pursuers surrounded the boy, trapping him in the corner. They all

Shush. The red-haired woman laughed from the jeep. “Run, keep running.”

“I’d like to run, but this place… it’s not great.” He looked around, then saw a woman peering out of a window above. As soon as she noticed his gaze, she slammed the window shut. Everyone watching burst into laughter.

In the midst of the laughter, the boy suddenly lunged sideways. The man in front of him failed to stop him, and with a loud BANG, the boy crashed through the window of a nearby room. The wind and snow swirled in, startling a couple watching television inside. One of the men dashed out of the living room, only to find himself surrounded by countless men in black suits climbing through the window.

“You… you… you… what are you doing? I… I’ll call the police!”

The man grabbed the phone, waving it around like a gun, shouting. But no one paid attention. They all stormed through the living room, porch, and out the front door, chasing after the boy.

Dashing out of the building, the boy ran towards the exit, but before he reached it, the jeep, roaring, appeared at the corner, turning sharply and charging forward. The Gambino members in black suits were pouring out behind it. With pursuers on both sides, the boy turned his head and ran towards a small passage between two buildings. He then stepped on some garbage piled at the end and climbed over the low wall blocking his path. The members of the mob followed suit. Ahead, the end of the alley opened onto a major road. Perhaps tired of the boy’s cunning escape, someone drew a gun and fired. BANG! The bullet grazed the wall behind Jia Ming, and at that moment, Jia Ming ran out of the passage.

The crowd behind him was noisy, seemingly scolding him for firing a gun on the street… just trying to catch a kid… Just as he ran out of the alley, the jeep made another sharp turn at the corner and sped towards him. Jia Ming quickly crossed the road and found another narrow alley, too tight for a car to enter.

He darted inside, followed by the mob. The jeep blocked the entrance to the alley. Running a short distance, he stopped. Before him was a two-story wall, flanked by towering buildings, with no windows on the side, making it seem as though no one would notice what was happening inside. Turning back, he saw a dozen or so members of the mob panting and blocking his path. Some waved their hands. “Run, keep running…”

Striding proudly, the red-haired woman approached and smiled at the boy, who stood shrouded in darkness. “Welcome to New York, it looks like you’re out of options. Stay and play.”

Jia Ming looked around, nodding his head, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. But in the darkness, it was hard to discern his expression. Jane was about to speak when her phone suddenly rang. She pulled out her phone. “Hello? Smith… yes, just taking care of something, it’s nothing serious… okay, I’ll be right there, yes, bye, twenty minutes.” She hung up the phone and smiled at her men. “I leave this kid to you, treat him well, be gentle, don’t go killing him. I just want his limbs broken, hahahahahaha.”

She laughed seductively, gave Jia Ming a “bye” gesture, and turned towards the entrance of the alley. Once the jeep roared away, the men in black suits looked at each other.

“Hey, Tom, you like this kind of thing, you go.”

“Just kidding, why not you? I don’t touch kids like that.”

“Hans, I remember you’re good at breaking bones, like performing a painless abortion…”

“You’re trying to insult me? Come on, let’s have a one-on-one.”

“Just suggesting…”

“Please, Jane said it, we have to do it. You want her to resent you? Do it and get home quick, Jenny’s waiting for me.”

“Then you go.”

They bickered back and forth, and finally, the man who’d fired the gun at Jia Ming earlier was pushed forward. He was a stocky Black man named Billy, wearing a long coat and a shaved head. As he walked towards Jia Ming, who stood deep in the alley, he said, “Hey, you having fun in New York? Chinese, I just don’t understand why you guys always want to come to America, now look what you’ve done… Hope you remember this lesson.”

As he approached, the dozen or so men chatted among themselves, breaking bones wasn’t exactly a pleasant task, and no one was a bloodthirsty sadist eager to watch the process. But after a few seconds, Billy’s voice suddenly stopped, a BANG sounded in the air, and several people turned to look. The darkness remained darkness, the boy’s silhouette stood there, and the man named Billy lay motionless at his feet.

“Uh, next? Please, can you hurry up?”

The men in the alley were stunned, silence fell over the place.

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