Chapter 65: Fine-Tuning

Inside the warehouse of the Xinxin Taxi Company, Xiao Ziguang fumbled around as he assembled the MSG90, only to discover with a helpless sigh that he had somehow ended up with a few extra small parts.

Footsteps echoed as Zhou Huajian walked in first, followed closely by Dajun and Yu Hu.

Dajun spoke up immediately, "Wang Xi's emotional fluctuations are way too severe. I've had Pheasant and Ho Nan keep an eye on him. If he can't get his emotions under control, I suggest we replace him right now."

Although the operation wasn't massive, it involved life and death, making it a literal battlefield. In this hastily assembled small team, everyone relied on each other as comrades-in-arms. Dajun certainly didn't dare to turn his back on an emotionally unstable Wang Xi.

"Wang Xi won't be a problem. He has ambition; he's just a bit too excited right now. Let's give him a moment to calm down," Xiao Ziguang said, pointing at the parts scattered on the table. "Superiors sponsored an MSG90 for us. Jian-ge, help me figure out how to put this together."

Upon hearing that it was an MSG90, Zhou Huajian's expression shifted dramatically. The corners of his mouth curled upward, resembling an aging bachelor who had just taken a bride after years of solitude. He couldn't help but swallow hard, then rubbed his hands together eagerly. "To actually get our hands on such a fierce piece of hardware right here in the country! Am I dreaming?"

Stepping forward, Zhou Huajian quickly confirmed that the equipment before his eyes was the real deal.

With practiced familiarity, he assembled the rifle, raised it to take a mock aim, and couldn't help shouting out loud, "Damn, this is an absolute beauty!"

The entire rifle was finished in a matte black, complete with a bipod mounted near the front of the barrel. Holding it in his hands, Zhou Huajian radiated a fierce, formidable aura.

A sharp glint flashed in Yu Hu's eyes. After pondering for a moment, he said, "With this ultimate weapon, I think we need to make some tweaks to our plan. Dajun, do you know how to use it?"

An eager glint flickered in Dajun's eyes as well. He reached out, took the MSG90, skillfully pulled the bolt, and peered through the scope. "This rifle still needs zeroing."

"That upgrades our sniper count from one to two. Dajun will take the MSG90, and Boss will take the Mosin-Nagant. The only issue is that our manpower for seizing Qiu Changtian is looking a bit thin. Should we pull someone else into the fold?"

Hearing Yu Hu's suggestion, Xiao Ziguang furrowed his brow. "Do we have a reliable candidate in mind?"

Yu Hu shook his head directly. "I don't have anyone in mind. That's up to you, Boss. Right now, every position is tightly locked in. If we come up short on people, pulling this off is going to be really difficult."

That argument made a lot of sense. Now that they had two sniper rifles, the operation's plan definitely needed adjusting. But where on earth should they look for another recruit?

Xiao Ziguang narrowed his eyes, searching through his memories, but for the moment, no suitable candidate came to mind.

Zhou Huajian offered a low suggestion, "Should we have Ho Nan handle the abduction? Can Pheasant manage on his own?"

Yu Hu thought about it carefully. "If we do that, our lead vehicle will have to force Qiu Changtian's convoy to a stop while taking on immense pressure. Huajian-ge, your burden will become even heavier!"

Because of Wang Xi's volatility, the motorcycles ridden by Pheasant and Ho Nan acted essentially as a double insurance policy. If they removed Ho Nan from that role as well, the pressure on Wang Xi would only increase exponentially.

After carefully weighing the options, Xiao Ziguang mapped out the terrain of the turning zone on the table. "Wang Xi and I will take the lead vehicle. Jian-ge will take the Mosin-Nagant and hide by the water tower to snipe the fire points in the convoy. Dajun will hide on the opposite signal tower to provide cover and support."

"We'll still use two motorcycles, and the original plan remains unchanged. Yu Hu will be responsible for pinning down Qiu Changtian's exact location. After Wang Xi and I create a wall of fire, I'll move toward you so we can abduct Qiu Changtian together."

At first glance, this plan seemed sound, but upon closer inspection, the flaws were glaring. It essentially meant Xiao Ziguang and Wang Xi would be fighting through the entire engagement from start to finish. Everyone trusted Xiao Ziguang's abilities, but could Wang Xi pull his weight?

Yu Hu immediately objected, "No way! Boss, doing it this way is way too dangerous! How about you let me take the lead vehicle?"

Zhou Huajian also chimed in, "Ziguang, you still have critical responsibilities ahead of you. Take my advice and let me handle this part!"

Dajun opened his mouth to speak as well, but stopped when he saw Xiao Ziguang raise a hand to wave him off.

"Wang Xi has enormous potential. The reason he's feeling panicked right now is simply fear of the unknown. Fortunately, Jian-ge still has two sets of body armor."

"Wang Xi and I will each wear a set, plus helmets. It might look unsafe, but in reality, it's not dangerous at all."

"After all, Jian-ge's marksmanship is top-notch, and Dajun's is too. With those two sniper rifles pinning the enemy down, I refuse to believe those guys can pull off any tricks."

Seeing that Xiao Ziguang's mind was made up, the others said no more.

Yu Hu proceeded to fine-tune the plan. "Jian-ge, Jun-ge, make sure you attach brass catchers to your rifles later. You must thoroughly clean up your sniper nests afterward and leave behind as few clues as possible."

"Before we begin our retreat, we'll have Pheasant and Ho Nan pick you up. If an emergency arises, pull back independently. Our rally point is the Sun Market, about five kilometers out..."

The Sun Market was located very close to the Xiling Sugar Factory. The entire marketplace wasn't very large and even appeared somewhat dated, but it was exceptionally bustling. People from all the surrounding villages loved coming to the Sun Market to trade, making it quite a lively hub for goods and commodities.

Qiu Liu was nominally Qiu Changtian's uncle, but in reality, he functioned as Qiu Changtian's steward—and a salaried one at that. Therefore, when facing Qiu Changtian, Qiu Liu could never put on the airs of an elder. Even when confronted with reasonable or entirely unreasonable demands, Qiu Liu silently accepted them as reasonable and scrambled to execute them by any means necessary.

There were two butcher shops on the main street of the Sun Market: one owned by a family named Sun, and the other by a family named Zheng. The Sun family butcher shop sold purely pork, beef, and mutton. Because their goods were genuine and fairly priced, their business was thriving.

The other shop belonged to a man named Zheng. The owner was a burly fellow with a hot temper and a notoriously foul disposition. He frequently short-changed customers or engaged in shady business practices like selling dog meat under the banner of mutton. Occasionally, rare ostrich meat would even turn up at his stall. Although his business wasn't as prosperous as the rival shop, he still turned a tidy profit.

After all, Butcher Zheng ate meat and drank wine every day, projecting the carefree aura of a man who never lacked for cash.

Qiu Liu walked up to the butcher stall and cast a meaningful glance at Butcher Zheng. Catching the hint immediately, Butcher Zheng packed up his stall on the spot and led Qiu Liu to a secluded corner.

Wiping his grease-stained hands with a dark, grimy towel, Butcher Zheng bared a mouthful of blackened teeth and asked in a low voice, "Who are we killing this time?"

"The Xue family's live-in son-in-law, criminal police officer Xiao Ziguang!" Qiu Liu handed Butcher Zheng a document envelope.

Butcher Zheng felt the thickness of the envelope between his fingers. "The Xue family's son-in-law, and a cop to boot? This little bit of money probably isn't enough. I need more!"

Impatience flickered across Qiu Liu's face. "Old Zheng, we're old acquaintances here. I advise you not to push your luck."

"In this territory, you aren't the only one with this particular set of skills. If you make the boss unhappy, he'll send you straight to the netherworld himself."

Faced with Qiu Liu's threat, Butcher Zheng showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he arched an eyebrow and said, "Then go find someone else! I'm not taking this job!" With that, he tried to shove the envelope back into Qiu Liu's hands.

Never expecting Butcher Zheng to back out like this, Qiu Liu scowled and growled in a low voice, "I'm not joking with you. If you keep acting like this, don't blame me for being unpolite!"

Silently, Butcher Zheng lifted the hem of his shirt to reveal the massive butcher knife tucked into his waistband.

Qiu Liu's expression darkened and flickered before he ultimately compromised. "Fine, fine, fine. I'll double your pay."

Only then did Butcher Zheng display a satisfied grin. "Make sure the money is paid in full later, and bring me the intelligence on Xiao Ziguang. I'll make him vanish from the face of the earth..."