Chapter 64: Old Bear's Private Stash

The operational roster was finalized. Although Yu Hu was somewhat dissatisfied, given the circumstances, he had no choice but to make do with it for now.

"Qiu Changtian's estate is thirteen kilometers away from the Xiling Sugar Mill, and the route cuts through a sugarcane plantation. Because that road is not a public highway but Qiu Changtian's private driveway, that is where we will make our move."

"The entire stretch is two and a half kilometers long. Qiu Changtian leaves the house every morning at nine-thirty. His motorcade consists of six vehicles: one bulletproof Mercedes-Benz, three Passats, and Santanas leading and trailing the convoy. There are at least twenty bodyguards in the motorcade, and they are armed with firearms."

"If our calculations are correct, the motorcade will reach that road at nine-forty-six. Near the curve, the entire convoy will slow down—that is our window of opportunity."

"Hua Jian-ge and Wang Xi will be in the same car. Wang Xi is responsible for intercepting the motorcade, and Hua Jian-ge will handle the suppressing fire."

"Pheasant and Ho Nan, you're a team. The two of you will ride motorcycles, handling the explosives and Molotov cocktails. If Wang Xi fails to halt the vehicles, the two of you must blow up the lead car. It would be best to toss a few more Molotov cocktails to create a wall of fire and trap the entire convoy."

"Boss, you head to the nearby water tower and take charge of sniper duty. Jun-ge and I will go grab Qiu Changtian. Kill anyone who stands in our way without hesitation. If Qiu Changtian doesn't cooperate, break his legs first..."

The more Yu Hu spoke, the more excited he became. It felt as though something in his blood had suddenly awakened, driving him to commit utterly outrageous acts.

A strange look flashed across the eyes of Pheasant and Ho Nan. Compared to Yu Hu's plan, everything they had done in the past was entirely child's play!

Look at that—now *this* is what you call professional! This is true professionalism! Kidnapping, extortion, murder, and arson all at once!

Compared to Yu Hu, Pheasant and Ho Nan felt as pure and innocent as elementary school students!

It was just that taking such a massive stride right out of the gate—debuting at the very peak by going straight after Qiu Changtian, the local emperor of Xiling County—made both Pheasant and Ho Nan feel a bit jittery!

This was Qiu Changtian, a man who had made a name for himself many years ago. In a triad film, he would be the equivalent of a dragon-head boss. Now, they were going to take down a dragon-head boss. It sounded incredibly prestigious, but upon deeper thought, it felt a little unsettling.

Xiao Ziguang ran through the scenario in his head and decided that Yu Hu's arrangements were solid. He looked at Zhou Huajian and asked, "How is the firepower equipped?"

Zhou Huajian held nothing back. "Twenty kilograms of explosives can be made into forty improvised grenades. Twenty kilograms of solid gasoline can make sixty Molotov cocktails."

"We have firearms: five long guns and six short ones. To increase our chances of success, I've also rigged up a 12-centimeter caliber homemade cannon..."

Having received An Changming's tacit approval, Zhou Huajian let loose a little. Since the higher-ups were turning a blind eye, they might as well make a huge spectacle of it.

After all, Zhou Huajian detested drug traffickers to the core, and he wanted nothing more than to carve up someone like Qiu Changtian, a manufacturer of narcotics, piece by piece.

Da Jun was somewhat shocked and blinked silently. "You even rigged up a cannon? Isn't that a bit over the top?"

"We only have seven people. Without that kind of firepower, I'm afraid we won't be able to beat Qiu Changtian..."

"I'm not talking about the firepower; I'm talking about the fallout. Using firearms is already a major issue, but now you're bringing a cannon into this? Aren't you afraid of alarming the higher authorities and bringing about an irreversible end?"

Da Jun had a sharp intuition and was terrified that Zhou Huajian would blow the operation out of proportion, causing everyone to die before their mission even began. After all, they hadn't found his nephew yet, and Da Jun had no desire to become an outlaw in such a high-profile manner.

Zhou Huajian remained unconcerned. "It's fine, we have people higher up covering for us."

Xiao Ziguang misinterpreted Zhou Huajian's words, but he smiled as well and said, "We do indeed have people above us. If everyone has no objections, let's execute the plan according to this schedule."

"I'll go talk to the people up top and secure some new equipment!"

Though the Mosin-Nagant was a legendary rifle, it was ultimately far too old. Setting aside its accuracy, Xiao Ziguang was genuinely terrified that the chamber would explode in his hands when he needed it most, not only failing to help but actually adding to his troubles.

Therefore, before making a move, he needed to see Xiong Yaohui once more. If he could squeeze out more benefits, that would naturally be for the best.

In a small private room at the Qinyun Teahouse, Xiong Yaohui held his teacup, looking at Xiao Ziguang with a gloomy expression, until he finally couldn't hold it in any longer. "You said you're going to kidnap Qiu Changtian? And extort his family?"

"Xiao Ziguang, you're a police officer! How can you do something that violates discipline like this?"

Xiao Ziguang smiled brightly at Xiong Yaohui. "Director Xiong, I'm just an ordinary mortal who eats grain like everyone else; I don't do things that bring no benefits."

"Since you also know that I'm a police officer, you'd better find someone else to take potshots at Qiu Changtian!"

With that, Xiao Ziguang stood up, preparing to leave the tearoom. When there was no common ground, half a sentence was too much, and since Xiao Ziguang had no need to suck up to Xiong Yaohui in hopes of promotion and fortune, he naturally didn't put on a friendly face.

"Hey! Young man, don't be so hasty. You need to let me finish what I have to say!" Xiong Yaohui wore a bitter expression. "I said that for your own good. Reminding you of your identity was meant to tell you to be meticulous and make sure not to leave any traces behind—I didn't mean to abort your plan."

After grinding his teeth and spitting out those words, Xiong Yaohui finally let out a sigh of relief. If he hadn't been genuinely out of options, Xiong Yaohui wouldn't have wanted to play this game of pretense.

Xiao Ziguang hadn't truly wanted to leave either. Having already spent two hundred and eighty thousand on equipment for Yu Hu, Qiu Changtian had already become an immutable target. Putting on this act now was merely for show, intended to extract a few more perks.

"Director Xiong, if you can understand that, then I'm truly thrilled! I still need a bit of support, though. When can I get that sniper rifle we talked about last time? Can you support us with a bit of other equipment as well?"

Xiong Yaohui smacked his lips in helplessness and asked abruptly, "If we fail to capture Qiu Changtian, won't that alert the enemy? Or worse, drag the Xue family down into the mire?"

"I've already communicated with Second Uncle, and he is furious. After all, those gunmen were all gunning for Xue Qiang. If I weren't on the scene, an old man with white hair like Second Uncle would have to bury a young man with black hair like Xue Qiang!"

"So Second Uncle is fully supportive of this plan, and he even chipped in twenty kilograms of explosives for me..."

When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up. Since Xue Bin had already made his move, Xiong Yaohui naturally stopped obstructing them. Being able to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight was ideal; providing a few pieces of equipment was a small price to pay. Xiong Yaohui led Xiao Ziguang directly to the parking lot and popped open his car trunk.

It was a very ordinary fishing gear bag, but upon opening it, the contents were anything but ordinary. A barrel, a stock, a scope... Even though Xiao Ziguang had lived two lifetimes, he had never laid eyes on this particular firearm before.

Xiong Yaohui stroked it with deep affection. "MSG90 sniper rifle, manufactured in Germany, caliber 7.62 millimeters, total weight 8.1 kilograms..."

"It was seized during a case a few years ago. The owner pulled some strings and managed to swap it out for a toy replica, so this rifle ended up in my hands!"

Xiong Yaohui patted the fishing bag. "Now it's your turn to profit, kid!"

Grinning with delight, Xiao Ziguang zipped up the bag and placed it in the trunk of his own car. With this ultimate weapon in hand, the success rate of their operation had just skyrocketed!