"Half-Man Half-Ghost, The Gun God?!"
"Half-Man Half-Ghost, The Gun God?!"
Miguel repeated the nickname over and over, savoring the words more each time.
Such an arrogant nickname—yet so fitting.
He didn't quite grasp the meaning of Half-Man Half-Ghost, The Gun God—he had witnessed that firsthand.
Twelve bullets, twelve kills, all in two seconds.
That level of marksmanship stood among the best in all of Eridu.
To call him The Gun God was no exaggeration.
Only that legendary military figure known as [Trigger] could hope to match Su Chen.
And yet, he had never heard of this name before in New Eridu.
That could only mean one thing: Su Chen was likely a dragon crossing the river—a powerful outsider—or a survivor from one of the fallen cities.
New Eridu, being humanity's oasis, naturally attracted people from outside.
"Half-Man Half-Ghost, The Gun God…"
So, this was your real identity! That "ordinary guy" act was just a bluff!
The three members of the Cunning Hares glanced at Su Chen, as if finally understanding something.
Who would've thought—the first among them to break cover was the newcomer Su Chen.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Figuring out how to escape was far more urgent.
Nicole suddenly noticed a flash grenade hanging from a thug's belt.
She nudged Anby and whispered, "Anby, that's a flashbang, right?"
"Yes. That's a GS-II military-grade high-lumen flash grenade. It'll blind everyone in the room instantly." Anby confirmed in a hushed tone.
"Billy, can you set it off?"
Nicole subtly looked toward Billy.
"I can give it a shot."
Billy nodded slightly.
Right now, every Red Fang eye was on Su Chen. This might actually work.
On the other side, Su Chen caught the three's subtle signals and figured it out—they were about to make a move. He'd have to play along.
"Half-Man Half-Ghost, The Gun God, huh? I bet you're a big shot out there. Too bad—you're going to die here today."
Miguel pointed his blade at Su Chen, grinning wickedly.
"Is that so?"
Su Chen shook his head slowly. "I don't think so."
"With all our guns on you, and you still dare talk big?"
Miguel laughed loudly.
"Ahem. Please watch the VCR."
Su Chen pointed to the side—and suddenly dropped flat to the floor.
Over there, Billy lunged forward and snatched the flashbang off the thug's belt.
"Don't close your eyes!"
Billy pulled the pin and shouted, "Say cheese!"
In full view of the Red Fang Gang, the 100,000-lumen flashbang detonated.
BOOM!
A blinding white light flooded the entire room.
"Argh! My eyes!"
The burst from the high-lumen flashbang instantly blinded all the Red Fang members.
Their eyes burned so badly they couldn't even aim their weapons.
"Tch. That's bright as hell!"
Su Chen rubbed his aching eyes.
Even with his prep—turning away, closing his eyes, and shielding his face—he still felt the sting.
You couldn't just dodge a flashbang by turning your back. At 100,000 lumens in a 50-square-meter room, the whole place became a light trap.
"Su Chen, we're so in sync!"
Billy clapped Su Chen on the shoulder and laughed.
If Su Chen hadn't drawn all the attention, Billy would've never gotten that flashbang so easily.
And Su Chen even pulled everyone's focus toward the grenade right before it blew. Flawless teamwork.
Moments later, the Red Fang Gang started recovering.
Miguel and his men now had bloodshot eyes, tears streaming uncontrollably.
The flashbang had done serious damage to their eyes—tear ducts were out of control.
Whether Miguel's tears before were fake or not, they were real now.
"Argh! So, you have chosen to resist!" Miguel roared. "Then I have no choice but to kill you all!"
With that, he charged forward with his blade raised.
"You're mistaken, Mr. Fake-Crier. We're not your opponent!" Nicole giggled behind her hand, pointing out the window. "It is."
A heavily armed helicopter hovered just outside, rotor blades thundering.
"Falcon-4 to HQ. We've reached the unidentified flash source—Red Fang Gang members spotted."
Inside the cockpit, the pilot shouted into the comms, "Repeat, Red Fang Gang spotted. Awaiting orders!"
"Boss, it's the cops—Aerial Patrol!"
One of the thugs trembled, legs shaking with fear.
"The flashbang… was to attract the riot chopper's attention?!"
"So, you finally figured it out? Now it's your choice, Mr. Fake-Crier!"
Facing the shattered window, Nicole raised her hand in a dramatic French salute, grinning slyly. "Do you keep tangling with us and get arrested by Public Security? Or back off and give us all a way out?"
"Damn you, Cunning Hares!"
Miguel growled through clenched teeth.
He'd been so focused on Su Chen, he'd completely underestimated the other three.
These guys had built their reputation on trickery!
"Driving away the tiger to devour the wolf—that's rabbit wisdom, darling~ Don't hate me for it."
Nicole winked playfully, bright and impish.
Suddenly, a small TV in the room switched to breaking news coverage.
On screen was Janus Quarter Public Security's Deputy Director, Bringer—and that reporter Su Chen had seen before.
Blinger held a walkie-talkie, speaking to Falcon-4.
"What? You've spotted those Red Fang scumbags?"
The reporter shoved his head into the frame, yelling,
"Well? What are you waiting for, Director?!"
"Uhh—"
Blinger had barely said a word when the reporter snatched the mic.
"Then just blast them already, sir!" the reporter snarled. "Use the biggest caliber and administer justice!"
Clearly, this reporter really hated the Red Fang Gang.
"Falcon-4, confirmed engagement authorization!"
The helicopter immediately fired a missile at the room.
"Uh… we're screwed."
Nicole's mouth twitched as she watched the missile close in.
This wasn't in her plan. Why the hell was the riot chopper taking orders from a reporter?!
BOOM!
The floor-to-ceiling window shattered completely in a roaring explosion.
Everyone in the room was blasted into the air.
"This isn't too bad, actually."
With his tenfold-enhanced physique, Su Chen was fine—aside from being blown skyward.
Mid-air, he spread his arms and adjusted his posture, casually ignoring the Red Fang members flying everywhere.
He scanned the area for Nicole, Anby, and Billy.
Anby flipped through the air, absorbing the shock with expert agility—she looked fine.
Billy's crotch had caught fire. "I'm filing a complaint!" he screamed. But as a robot, he'd survive being a burned boy.
Only Nicole seemed in real danger—struck by debris and flailing helplessly.
"Saving Big Nana—it's our sacred duty!"
Su Chen twisted in mid-air, kicked off a chunk of rubble, and shot toward Nicole like a meteor.
"Ahhh, I'm done for!"
Tears welled in Nicole's eyes. The sharp pain in her back from debris made her lose control—she was now in free fall.
If this kept up, she'd be critically injured, if not worse.
Suddenly, she fell into a warm embrace.
"Eh?!"
Nicole's eyes fluttered open—just in time to see Su Chen's profile.
He had flown through the air to catch her!
In that instant, something in her chest gave a soft, startled thump.
"Nicole, hold on tight!"
Su Chen's calm voice rang in her ears.
"Mm!"
Nicole nodded shyly, her usual slyness gone.
She wrapped her arms around Su Chen's waist—their bodies pressed close.
She could feel the muscles beneath his clothes… hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Was that his heart? Or hers? Or both?
Oh no… this must be what falling in love feels like…
For a moment, even their freefall seemed to slow into a gentle, dreamlike descent.