"The timing is off!"
Dio thought for a moment and understood.
"You mean we should delay and let the government handle it?"
Luke hummed in agreement, his expression profound as he said, "There's a proper order to things. Hector isn't just a murderer; he's a threat to national security. National security is the responsibility of the government and the military. They should act first, and if they can't resolve it, then it's our turn. We can't mess with the sequence."
"But what if the government takes him out?"
"That would be perfect; we wouldn't have to stick our necks out." He then shook his head slightly. "Dio, I need to remind you, we are gangsters, not superheroes. We can gain public favor, but we can't piss on the government."
"Besides, Hector isn't easy to deal with. His abilities are terrifying. Once fear takes hold in your heart, he'll seize your weakness. To deal with him, we need to be fully prepared."
"Understood."
Dio breathed a slight sigh of relief. The young master was right; the essence of a gang is anti-government. If they helped the government deal with a security incident, they might receive cheers from the public, but they would surely face retaliation afterward.
Gangs are ultimately a part of the state machine. They can, to a certain extent, influence or even manipulate this machine, but they must never stand in opposition to it.
As Luke issued a series of directives, the somewhat restless Young Master's Gang once again went into hiding… Since the press conference, Hector seemed to have broken free of his shackles, like a beast let out of its cage, and began to openly kill people. Whether they were police officers or passersby, they all became his prey.
He was like a walking source of poison, leaving behind large numbers of shriveled corpses wherever he went.
In just half a day, over a hundred people died. The mayor had no choice but to activate a Level 3 alert, telling citizens to stay indoors and find safe places to hide, while also deploying drones to track Hector across the city.
This was no longer about apprehending a prisoner; it was a war between one man and an entire city.
At this moment, Hector finally achieved his childhood dream, becoming the focus of everyone's attention, watched by people all over the world.
He reveled in this feeling, and even more so in the scent of fear emanating from the city. Fear was like delicious food; he could swallow it whole with a simple open mouth. The sense of happiness that spread from the depths of his soul was endlessly satisfying.
In a sense, Hector at this point was no longer human. His will was controlled by the yellow energy, and he was only one step away from becoming the Parallax. Once he completed this transformation, that would be the true advent of disaster… At 5 PM, thirteen M1A2SEP tanks rolled into Coast City. The tanks bore a huge number "4." This number had special significance; in the United States, only one unit could display this number on its tanks: the 4th Mechanized Infantry Division, also known as the Ivy Division or the 4th ID. It was the highest-combat-power mechanized unit in the entire US, and the pride of the Army.
To take down Hector, Dick Cheney had clearly gone all out.
News of the tanks entering the city spread quickly, and Hector also became aware of it. He did not retreat; instead, he descended like a god from the heavens above the 4th ID.
Major General Carrick, commander of the 4th ID, opened his communication device.
"Target Hector Hammond sighted.
Requesting orders."
Dick Cheney, located in the White House, did not hesitate.
"Destroy him, at all costs."
Upon receiving the order, the stern-faced Carrick raised his right hand.
Bang!
A loud explosion erupted in the sky. Countless soldiers swarmed out, taking up advantageous positions on both sides of the street. All kinds of long and short-barreled weapons were aimed at the large-headed monster in the sky.
At the same time, four missile vehicles were on standby in the suburbs, six F-16 fighter jets took off from the nearest airport, and sixteen heavy cannons were ready.
"Fire!"
Carrick roared, bringing his right hand down forcefully.
In an instant, the sky and earth shattered. Countless bullets and shells rained down on the sky. Bullets crisscrossed, forming an impenetrable web of fire.
The deafening roar, and the straight red lines connecting heaven and earth, were the traces left by bullets breaking through the air. Such a scene existed only in movies, but now it was truly happening.
In a nearby building, five super-powered individuals in FBI uniforms watched nervously. This level of attack was beyond human resistance; even an aircraft carrier would be riddled with holes. The only female, Maeve, couldn't help but ask,
"Can they succeed?"
The leader of the five, Stan Daloff, the strongest fighter in the Anomaly Investigations Unit, shook his head.
"I've seen his combat videos. His psychokinetic strength is at least seven times mine."
Seven times!
The others could not hide their shock. They had personally experienced Stan Daloff's combat power; his psychokinetic ability was incredibly formidable, easily capable of lifting a three-ton truck. For Hector's ability to be seven times his, just how strong could it be?
After a few seconds of silence, Stan Daloff said,
"Don't think about capturing him alive. Use every means to end the battle. We absolutely cannot hold back."
Everyone's expressions hardened. After exchanging glances, they nodded in unison. The order from above was to capture him alive, but an order was just an order. If they sacrificed their lives for a live capture, it wouldn't be worth it.
Just then, a dull sound came as the leading seven M1A2SEP tanks simultaneously opened fire, high-explosive shells and a torrent of bullets shooting towards the large-headed monster in mid-air.
Carrick's gaze was chilling, filled with murderous intent. The next second, as if slapped, his expression instantly froze.
The air around Hector suddenly surged, rotating clockwise, speeding up, forming a visible air vortex. The vortex was enormous, with a radius exceeding a hundred meters, twisting and tearing, a powerful force altering everything around it.
Bullets lost their aim, shells arced, and all ammunition fired into the vortex departed in strange ways.
The soldiers were stunned. They had never seen such a sight. Those were high-explosive and armor-piercing shells, and they were being artificially diverted from their trajectories.
This was too absurd!
Hector spread his hands and laughed heartily. He loved this feeling.
Come on!
Shoot me, all of you, the more the merrier, the faster the better.
Carrick felt his dignity profoundly insulted. No one had ever dared to underestimate the 4th ID, never. Enraged, he disregarded civilian casualties and ordered the F-16 fighter jets to attack.
At the same time, five Tiger helicopters ascended, each loaded with two M61 Vulcan cannons.
Accompanied by piercing rat-a-tat sounds, spiral armor-piercing rounds tore through the air, leaving visible air ripples.
The 20mm spiral armor-piercing rounds were different from ordinary ammunition. The high-speed rotating warhead gave them powerful penetration and velocity. Even a tank could be pierced in one hit. It could be said that these bullets represented the highest attack power of firearms.
In Carrick's resolute gaze, dozens of spiral armor-piercing rounds rushed into the vortex. The tearing force generated by the rotating warheads contended with the air repulsion. Most of them deviated from their intended trajectories, but two managed to pass through layers of obstruction, leaving two thick bloody gashes on Hector's ugly head.
"Good!"
Carrick angrily waved his fist, ordering the pilots to attack with full force, to turn the damned, ugly big-headed monster into a bloody pulp.
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