The individuals on the periphery were merely gang members. When the spheres flew out, they hadn't yet comprehended what to do. The flashbangs performed their function perfectly.
Almost following the flashbangs' detonation, the four operatives leaped out of the manholes. 24 executed a flip, dual pistols already in hand. Before even landing, their body accelerated, instantly rushing into the crowd. The triggers were pulled rapidly, shell casings eagerly ejecting from the chambers. The custom pistol was named "Wind," and true to its name, its firing rate was like a gale, holding 25 rounds. Yet, in 24's hands, it could be emptied in just six seconds. Dancing through the crowd, 24 resembled a beautiful red demon. Special grooves on the bullets caught the wind, causing them to spin, leaving entry wounds five centimeters in diameter. Against the special forces' weaponry, flimsy body armor was no different from ordinary clothing.
36's actions were much simpler than 24's. After leaping out, without aiming, they sprayed fire into the densest part of the crowd. Seconds later, an area littered with concrete debris and corpses emerged. There wasn't even a chance for return fire…
1 was gentler, employing proficient aimed shots. Perhaps too gentle, as some managed to take cover behind concrete walls. But it was futile; firing through the walls yielded the same result.
13 was even more domineering. High-velocity armor-piercing rounds could penetrate four bodies at once. Some individuals further back were killed by bullets that had passed through their comrades before they even saw the attacker. Gazing at the people before them who had dropped their guns and clutched their eyes in pain, 13 felt no sympathy. The bullets continued to pierce their bodies. Yet, within 13's heart, only a sense of sorrow remained.
"The perimeter has been breached. They are entering the garden," the one-eyed man listened intently to the report coming through his earpiece.
Black Dragon seemed unconcerned, gently lifting the coffee cup from the gold-plated coffee table. He took a sip; the taste was somewhat bitter.
"Tell the 'Wild Dogs' to greet them," Black Dragon said calmly, yet it was a command.
"Everyone, wasn't that entry a bit too easy?" 36 strolled into the villa's garden.
"Maybe the host is quite hospitable?" 1 joked over the communicator.
"I don't like his taste," 24 eyed the white roses lining the path on the ground. "Like a woman."
"Only 20 minutes. That's the maximum time before Chen Bian's troops arrive," 13 advanced slowly, gun raised, searching. In truth, everyone was advancing cautiously. After all, they were in enemy territory; you never knew what lay beneath your feet, or if someone waited behind the tall concrete Roman pillars nearby.
The villa at the garden's center was a five-story European-style building. Intricate eaves carvings, soaring rooftops, exquisite gold-plated steel-framed windows… every part was a masterpiece of art. When Chen Bian visited previously, he had admired it for over ten minutes. But today, this artwork was destined to be tested.
Suddenly, snipers appeared from various positions on the building, just as expected. The hunters, intending to kill, were surprised to find their strolling prey had vanished within the garden.
"He really is hospitable, so many welcoming parties!" 36 mocked from behind a pillar.
"Did anyone see how many?" 24 was the first to take cover behind a pillar.
"About a dozen on my side? Don't know what weapons they're using," 1 also stood behind a pillar.
"Numbers unknown. Firearms are long. Judging by the shape, they are Barrett M82A1 anti-materiel rifles. And they all are!" 13 stated calmly from behind a pillar.
"Lost track of the targets. Wild Dog speculates they are behind the Roman pillars in the garden. Asking if destruction is permitted?" The one-eyed man approached Black Dragon.
"Those Roman pillars were hand-carved by renowned Greek artisans. Each one is worth over $500,000…" Black Dragon continued sipping his coffee. "But compared to those few lives, it's worth it. Open fire."
The sniper captain on the roof received the order.
"Boom!" A large pillar near everyone was shattered by a dozen sniper rounds, collapsing with the sound.
"No time! Use the 'Eyes' to counterattack!" 13 swung their gun out from behind the pillar. The holographic helmet switched to a scope display. The counterattack began!
Initially, to minimize losses, firepower was concentrated on one pillar at a time from each side, waiting for the panicked prey to flee, then having the remaining waiting snipers finish them off. Under the M82A1's powerful fire, no one would consider returning fire. Tactically, there was nothing wrong. But their opponents were special forces.
A soldier responsible for watching suddenly noticed a massive, arm-like piece of armor extend from behind a pillar. Just as he was about to report, the armor's cannon muzzle opened another half-inch, and a red, pupil-like object looked at him.
The cannon fired. The intricate eaves carvings, the soaring rooftop, and the exquisite gold-plated steel-framed windows became targets for the outpouring bullets.
1 also extended their muzzle and sprayed fire. The shots seemed random, but each one eliminated an enemy. A circular earpiece hung from their left ear, connected to a liquid crystal lens displaying the feed from a red eye next to the gun.
24 wore two, as both pistols had red eyes.
The snipers scrambled to dodge the bullets coming from unknown directions, but it was futile. Their positions were exposed. No matter how skilled the sniper, evasion was the only option, except for 13!
In just two minutes, the sniper team was broken. Though not entirely wiped out, casualties were significant. Many who retreated in time were wounded. These lucky survivors were mostly due to 36's actions. In 13's precise fire, there was only the distinction between the dead and the living; no wounded were left half-dead.
"Night Dog has been repelled..." Surprise tinged the one-eyed man's voice.
"Is that so?" Black Dragon set down his teacup. "Truly a sharp blade. No wonder that bastard Chen Bian risked falling out with me and wouldn't help. He probably calculated I'd die for sure."
He smiled faintly. "Let them in. Stop destroying my fragile garden. I'll wait for your good news in the top-floor dance studio. I only want them dead!" With that, he turned towards the stairs. The ceramic cup on the coffee table shattered into pieces. A chill ran down the one-eyed man's back, not from fear of the special forces, but knowing Black Dragon was truly angered.
The individuals behind the pillars finally emerged again.
36 sighed heavily. "Good thing we brought the 'Eyes,' otherwise we'd be goners. I really don't know what kind of gang even has anti-materiel rifles. What does the Taiwan government eat? Letting civilians possess such weapons."
"Stop complaining. The Black Dragon Society's influence in Taiwan might not be smaller than the government's, especially with its rapid growth in recent years. It has the potential to become Asia's largest gang. If he wanted to, just using bodies to block bullets, our ammo wouldn't kill even one percent of his men," 1 inserted a new magazine.
"I really want to see what he looks like. A godfather-level figure in Taiwan, yet acting like some artist?" 24 kicked over an exquisite potted flower at their feet.
"Speed up, time's almost up!" 13 broke into a run.
The others quickened their pace as well.
Meeting little resistance, the four arrived before the villa's sole main entrance.
"Who's knocking?" 24 asked.
"Allow me," 36 raised their right hand, unleashing a dense spray of bullets. The carved mahogany door turned into a honeycomb, finally collapsing unsupported onto the ground.
"Looks like nobody's home," 36 lowered their hand.
Entering the main door revealed a spacious hall, 400 square meters wide. A large crystal chandelier hung overhead, surrounded by a dozen valuable oil paintings and high-quality wool carpets. Gilded staircases on both sides led up to the second floor. Calling this a gang headquarters was less accurate than calling it a palace ballroom.
"Move," commanded the one-eyed man from a small room, watching the monitors.
Suddenly, soldiers clad in various international special forces gear emerged from every door into the previously empty hall. The special forces team rushed into the crowd, holstered their firearms, and drew combat knives. In situations involving fighting outnumbered, close combat is the best option, as the chaos makes friendly fire likely. The flawed thinking that having superior numbers favors melee combat also leads people to choose cold weapons. But they forgot what kind of four individuals they were facing.