Chapter 28

Darkness, like thick ink, covered the entire sea and sky. There was no moonlight, only a few scattered, pale stars, barely outlining the sinister outlines of the abandoned drilling platforms ahead, which stood like the remains of prehistoric monsters.

The cruise ship turned off all non-essential lights and slid silently into this steel maze known as the "cemetery at sea" like a ghost.

The massive, rusted platform scaffolds groaned resoundingly under the pounding of the waves. Broken pipes, dangling crane arms, overturned auxiliary facilities... everything was shrouded in silence and desolation, emitting a thick odor of rust and rancid engine oil.

This is a corner forgotten by civilization, a perfect breeding ground for dark transactions, and also an excellent trap for hunting and counter-hunting.

The cruise ship finally docked quietly in the shadow under a relatively intact huge platform, like a drop of water merging into the sea.

Inside the control room, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

On the radar screen, the blips representing the Shadow team were, as expected, mostly drawn to the carefully placed decoy to the northwest—the Fortress research vessel. But one blip, like a shark scenting blood, pierced through the Mist protocol's interference with an eerie yet precise trajectory, sprinting unwaveringly towards their drilling platform area!

Very fast!

"Here they come." Haidongqing's voice was dry, and he stared at the screen intently. "There's only one speedboat. It's the 'Viper'."

A one-man show.

It fits the usual style of that madman "Viper".

Gu Jing stood in front of the porthole, looking at the dark maze of death outside where only the roar of waves hitting steel could be heard. There was no expression on his face, only two clusters of cold flames burning quietly deep in his eyes.

"Deploy the net according to the plan." He ordered, his voice steady without a trace of emotion.

"yes!"

The order was given silently over an encrypted channel.

On the platform, several ghostly figures, with the help of night vision equipment and the cover of complex terrain, moved quickly and silently, setting up traps, sniper points, and various small gifts to welcome the "guests".

The armed personnel on the cruise ship also took their positions, with their guns silently pointing at the dark sea.

An invisible, deadly net quietly spreads out in this steel ruin.

Time passes by every second.

Every second is like a taut bowstring, emitting a heart-pounding buzzing sound.

Gu Jing could hear his own steady heartbeat, which contrasted with Haidongqing's slightly rapid breathing.

Sudden!

“Buzz!!”

An extremely sharp and piercing noise suddenly exploded! It didn't come from outside, but from the internal speakers of the cruise ship and all communication equipment!

High frequency, chaotic, as if it can tear people's eardrums and nerves!

"Interference! Strong electromagnetic interference!" Haidongqing covered his ears and growled in pain, "All electronic equipment has failed! Communications are interrupted!"

Almost at the same time!

"Bang! Bang!"

On the platform, two newly deployed infrared trigger guns exploded without warning! The flames instantly illuminated two hidden sniper positions!

"Ah——!" The short scream was drowned out by the explosion and interference noise!

"He's found out! He's seen through our setup!" 739's voice came intermittently amidst the intense noise, a voice filled with shock. "He's using the interference to reverse the situation... to sabotage our trap!"

Gu Jing's heart sank suddenly!

Viper... He wasn't just a beast that had stumbled into a trap! He was the chess player who had already seen through the chessboard and was beginning to flip it over with ease!

This terrifying ability to predict and counterattack...

"Launch the backup plan! Manual trigger! Everyone..." Haidongqing roared in vain at the inoperative communicator.

But it was too late.

On the dark platform, the killing has begun.

There were no gunshots, only occasional, extremely short sounds of metal colliding, muffled groans, and the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground.

Breathtakingly fast.

Through the violently shaking and fragmented images finally transmitted back by the night vision surveillance, one can see that the well-trained fighters on their side were like fragile dolls in front of the ghostly black shadow, and were easily, accurately and silently harvested.

It's not a contest on the same level at all!

"No! We can't stop him! He's too fast! Too accurate!" Hai Dongqing's face was pale, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. "He's heading towards the main platform passage! His target is the cruise ship!"

Out of control.

The entire plan seemed like a clumsy joke in the face of absolute crushing strength.

Gu Jing clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, the stinging pain keeping him conscious for the last bit.

He glanced in the direction of the intensive care unit.

Then, he turned suddenly and walked towards the deck exit.

"Mr. Gu! Where are you going?!" Haidongqing tried to stop him in horror.

"Isn't he here to see me?" Gu Jing didn't even turn his head, his voice as cold as ice, "I'll go see him."

"No! That's courting death! Viper..."

"If we stay in there, we'll die." Gu Jing interrupted him without stopping, "Why not take a gamble?"

Betting on that madman, there might be a little possibility of... "playing according to common sense."

For example, the preference to personally take action on "important targets."

He was alone, walking onto the empty and dangerous main platform.

The biting sea breeze instantly enveloped him, carrying with it a strong smell of rust and... a very faint, almost imperceptible smell of blood.

The interference noise was still harsh, but seemed to have weakened a little.

He could hear his own heartbeat like a drum, and he could also hear the light, inhuman footsteps approaching from the depths of the platform.

despair.

despair.

despair.

Like the pendulum of death, striking on everyone's heart.

Gu Jing stopped in a relatively open area in the center of the platform. Behind him was the bottomless dark sea, and in front of him was the entrance to a passage that was as deep and rusty as the esophagus of a giant beast.

He took a deep breath of the cold, death-scented air and forced himself to stand up straight, facing the darkness.

The footsteps stopped.

A slender, upright figure, completely covered in matte black combat uniform, appeared silently at the entrance of the passage, as if condensed from the darkness.

He was wearing a tactical mask that covered most of his face, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed.

Those were a pair of eyes...Gu Jing had never seen before.

Cold, hollow, devoid of any human emotion, like two polished obsidians, reflecting the faint lights of the distant cruise ship and his own tiny figure. Only in the deepest recesses did a faint flicker of inhuman, predatory focus and... a hint of extremely strange, playful interest.

Just standing there, he brought a suffocating, almost tangible sense of death oppression.

pit viper.

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes falling on Gu Jing, slowly scanning him from head to toe, as if he was assessing the value of an item.

Then, he very slowly raised his right hand, holding a strangely shaped pistol that glowed with a cold light.

The muzzle of the gun was pointed steadily at Gu Jing's eyebrows.

No words, no warnings.

Just the purest, most efficient killing intent.

Gu Jing's body was icy cold, his blood seemed to have frozen. Under the gaze of those empty eyes, he couldn't even move a finger.

In the face of absolute death, all calculations and courage seem pale and ridiculous.

Is it ending?

that's all……

At the moment when Viper's index finger moved slightly as he pulled the trigger—

“Hmm…!”

An extremely faint, yet extremely clear groan filled with pain and struggle suddenly came from the direction of the cruise ship behind Gu Jing!

It was coming from a short-range emergency loudspeaker that hadn't been completely jammed!

It’s Qin Yu’s voice!

Although he was weak, his voice was hoarse with an extreme anger that was engraved in his bones!

The muzzle of the Viper's gun, which had been as steady as a rock, paused almost imperceptibly and extremely slightly.

A tiny, almost instinctive… fluctuation flashed across those hollow, cold eyes. It was as if something familiar had triggered a switch deep within him.

Although it only lasts for a moment, it does exist!

Now is the time!

Gu Jing almost relied on his body instinct to throw himself to the side in the hundredth of a second when the gun stopped!

"call out!"

A bullet almost grazed his temples, the scorching air blast burning his skin! It hit the metal guardrail behind him with a dull thud!

Gu Jing fell heavily on the cold and rough steel deck. He ignored the pain and rolled and crawled to find shelter!

The Viper's reaction was incredibly fast! After missing the target, the gun barrel didn't hesitate at all, instantly following Gu Jing's moving figure! Those eyes that had just flashed a flicker of emotion instantly returned to their absolute coldness and emptiness, even... carrying a hint of the impatience and murderous intent after being provoked by an ant!

Second shot! Third shot!

The bullets were like the tongues of poisonous snakes, biting Gu Jing's figure tightly! They hit the deck beside him, splashing a string of sparks!

Death follows you everywhere!

It seemed as if all of Gu Jing's luck and potential had been used up in that one move just now. Now he could no longer avoid that precise and deadly pursuit!

The next bullet was about to pierce his back!

Sudden!

"boom!!!!"

A deafening explosion that almost overturned the entire platform suddenly came from deep on the other side of the platform!

Not the direction of the cruise ship! Not the direction of the viper either!

It was the direction of the "Fortress" research vessel that was chased by the main force of the "Shadow" team earlier!

A massive fireball soared into the sky. Even from a great distance, the rising flames and thick smoke could be seen! The violent shockwave even caused the massive drilling platform to shake slightly!

This sudden and totally unexpected change caused the Viper, which was filled with murderous intent, to pause for an extremely short and imperceptible moment!

His eyes subconsciously glanced in the direction of the explosion.

Although it’s only a few tenths of a second!

But for a hunter who has been lurking higher up and waiting patiently for too long, it is enough!

"Bang--!!!"

A completely different, dull and extremely penetrating sniper rifle sound, like the sigh of death, suddenly rang out from the top of an abandoned tower crane at the highest point of the platform!

Almost at the same time as the sound was heard!

A ball of blood suddenly burst out from the shoulder blade of Viper's right shoulder where he was holding the gun!

The immense force of the impact caused him to stumble forward, and the dagger in his hand instantly flew out!

He groaned, and his reaction was incredibly fast. The moment he was shot, his body instinctively made an evasive move, and he rolled violently behind the cover next to him!

The second sniper bullet almost grazed his tactical uniform and hit the deck!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sniper on the high ground was obviously a top master. His bullets were like leeches, accurately blocking all possible escape routes of Viper, forcing him to hide behind the bunker in a panic, unable to chase Gu Jing anymore!

Gu Jing collapsed on the deck, gasping for breath, his heart almost jumping out of his chest. Looking at the pistol that was shot away not far away and the rapidly expanding dark red bloodstain behind the bunker, he still couldn't believe that he was still alive.

Who is it?

That sniper shot...wasn't arranged by him!

He suddenly looked up and looked at the top of the tower crane.

In the darkness, only the blurry reflection of a sniper scope flashed by.

The next second, a figure wearing dark gray combat uniform and moving as agile as a cheetah slid down the rusty steel frame quickly like a gecko. After a few ups and downs, he landed lightly on the deck not far in front of Gu Jing.

Holding an exaggerated sniper rifle, the muzzle was still pointed vigilantly in the direction where the viper was hiding.

The man turned around.

He took off the tactical goggles on his head.

He revealed a handsome face with a slightly weathered look, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle.

The corners of his mouth were curled up in a lazy, yet dangerous arc.

"Hey," he looked at the frightened Gu Jing, raised his eyebrows, and said with a cynical and teasing tone, "Looks like you came at the right time? You almost made me a widow?"

Gu Jing's pupils suddenly contracted and he looked at the face in shock!

This person... he knows him!

He was the one who was forced to leave the core of the family due to a shocking scandal a few years ago and was said to have been living a life of luxury on a small island overseas...

Qin Yu's half-brother—Qin Xiao? !

How did he get here?! And saved them?!

Qin Xiao seemed very satisfied with Gu Jing's shocked expression. He smiled, revealing his white teeth, but his eyes were still sharply fixed on the direction of the viper.

"Don't look at me like that, Xiao Jingjing." He spoke in a relaxed tone, as if the situation before him was not a life-or-death battlefield. "Let's deal with my family's trivial matters later. Let's deal with this... mad dog in front of us first."

He hadn't even finished his words!

Behind the cover, the injured viper seemed to be completely enraged!

A low and violent roar that did not sound like a human voice came from behind the shelter!

Immediately afterwards, several round little things were thrown out!

It's not a grenade! It's a blast grenade and a smoke grenade!

"Close your eyes!" Qin Xiao shouted and pounced on Gu Jing!

"Boom! Boom! Buzz!"

The blinding white light and the loud noise instantly engulfed everything! Thick smoke quickly spread!

Sight and hearing were instantly deprived!

In the chaos, Gu Jing only felt Qin Xiao suddenly push him to a relatively safe corner and shouted, "Stay still!"

Then, Qin Xiao's figure pounced into the thick smoke like a cheetah!

Then, from the thick smoke came the teeth-grinding sound of fierce collisions at high speed! The crisp sound of bones breaking! Suppressed groans and roars!

It was the most brutal and bloody collision of pure physical skills and killing techniques!

The speed is astonishing! The cruelty is terrifying!

Gu Jing curled up in the corner, unable to see or hear anything. He could only feel the collision of murderous intent and terrifying energy. Every sound made his heart tighten.

The viper was seriously injured, but obviously more dangerous and crazy!

Can Qin Xiao handle it?

I don’t know how long it took, maybe only a few seconds, or maybe as long as a century.

The sounds of fighting in the thick smoke stopped abruptly.

There was dead silence.

Only smoke was still filling the air, carrying the smell of gunpowder and blood.

Gu Jing's heart was in his throat, and he looked nervously into the depths of the thick smoke.

Footsteps.

A staggering figure, dragging something heavy, slowly walked out of the thick smoke.

It’s Qin Xiao.

The lazy smile on his face disappeared, the corners of his mouth were stained with blood, and his combat uniform was torn in several places, making him look quite disheveled. But his eyes were surprisingly bright, with a wild light that was full of satisfaction and the savage light of someone who had conquered a beast.

And in his hand, he was dragging a leg.

The legs of a pit viper.

The terrifying killing machine was now being dragged by him like a puddle of mud. He had obviously lost consciousness completely. Half of his tactical mask had fallen off, revealing his cold and hard jaw and pale skin, with blood oozing from the corners of his mouth.

It was actually...solved just like that?

Gu Jing could hardly believe his eyes.

Qin Xiao casually threw the unconscious Viper onto the deck, as if it were a piece of trash. He walked up to Gu Jing, squatted down, and carefully examined the bloodstain on his forehead from the bullet wound.

"Tsk, your face is disfigured." He said with a hint of regret, then smiled again, revealing his white teeth, "But it doesn't matter, my brother doesn't rely on his looks to make a living anyway."

Gu Jing: “…”

He was now certain that these two brothers were somewhat abnormal at heart.

"You...what's wrong..." Gu Jing spoke with difficulty, still unable to recover from this huge turn of events.

"Why did you come? Of course I came to watch the fun." Qin Xiao shrugged and said casually, "My old man and my precious brother are having such a lively fight. If I don't join in the fun, wouldn't it be unfilial?"

He stood up and glanced in the direction of the "Fortress" in the distance that was still burning and exploding, his eyes becoming slightly deeper.

"By the way... I'll collect some interest."

At this time, the interference noise on the cruise ship finally gradually weakened and communication was partially restored.

Haidongqing and 739 rushed up anxiously with their men. When they saw the situation on the deck, especially the unconscious Viper and the standing Qin Xiao, they were all stunned, as if facing a great enemy.

"Relax, guys." Qin Xiao raised his hands in a surrender gesture, his smile still provoking a beating. "I'm an ally now. At least for now."

He looked at Gu Jing, his eyes more serious: "Take me to see my brother who...didn't succeed in his suicidal attempt?"

Gu Jing was silent for a few seconds and nodded.

He had a lot of questions, but now was not the time.

Qin Yu’s situation is more important.

The group returned to the cruise ship with the unconscious Viper.

In the intensive care unit, Qin Yu was still lying quietly, seemingly unaware of the earth-shattering events happening outside.

Qin Xiao walked to the bedside and looked at his brother's pale and thin face. The cynical smile on his face finally disappeared slowly. He looked at him quietly for a long time, stretched out his hand, as if wanting to touch Qin Yu's face, but in the end he just tucked the corner of the quilt for him.

"Still so worrying." He muttered in a low voice with a complicated tone.

Then, he turned around, his face regaining that lazy expression, and said to Gu Jing, "Okay, the fun is over, and the interest has been collected. I'm taking this 'viper' away. Maybe I can pry something interesting out of him about the old man's 'Nirvana' plan."

He paused and looked at Gu Jing meaningfully: "As for you... take care of yourselves. The old man suffered heavy losses this time, and 'Nirvana' has started again. It will only get crazier next. My brother... I will leave him to you for the time being."

After saying that, he actually did not hesitate and directed two equally powerful subordinates who appeared behind him at some point to lift the unconscious Viper, leave the cruise ship neatly and efficiently, board a high-speed speedboat that appeared out of nowhere, and quickly disappear on the dark sea.

It came suddenly and left abruptly.

Leaving behind a ship full of mess and a head full of mysteries.

Gu Jing walked to the porthole, looked in the direction where Qin Xiao disappeared, then turned back to look at Qin Yu who was still unconscious on the hospital bed.

A brother? An ally? Or another wolf that covets everything?

The Qin family's waters were deeper than he had imagined.

Hai Dongqing came over and whispered, "Mr. Gu, we..."

Gu Jing withdrew his gaze, took a deep breath, and suppressed all his chaotic thoughts.

"Clean up any traces and leave here as quickly as possible," he ordered, his voice regaining its composure. "Contact Nightingale. I need to know the details of the Fortress explosion and Qin Zhengfeng's latest movements."

"yes!"

The cruise ship sets sail again, leaving this steel graveyard full of blood and mystery.

The rising sun is about to jump out of the sea level, and the golden light pierces the darkness, illuminating the route ahead which is still turbulent and full of dangers.

Gu Jing stood at the bow of the boat, his tall and lonely figure outlined in the morning light.

He knew that repelling a hunt was just the beginning.

Qin Zhengfeng's "Nirvana" plan, Qin Xiao's sudden appearance, the unconscious Qin Yu, and the huge and dark "Second Empire"...

More storms are waiting ahead.

But there was no panic in his eyes anymore.

There is only a cold calm tempered by blood and fire.

He is ready.