163 Li Changjiang's Weapon (Third Shift!)

Moscow did not leave a good impression.

Empty!

Dilapidated!

And carrying a faint trace of decay.

This ancient and powerful nation had failed to revive for far too long; even its former glorious achievements could no longer mask the rot eating away at its core.

After deplaning, the members of Hunters proceeded directly to the location Polica had arranged for them beforehand—a seemingly luxurious hotel.

After a long day, Polica's men found them by the early evening.

On the highway leading from downtown Moscow to the suburbs, the car sped along, shadows and streetlights flashing backward at a dizzying pace. Russians were truly the odd ones out on the European continent—neither embraced by the East nor acknowledged by the West. Yet, standing unique between the two opposing blocs and maintaining an urgent yet transcendent status, the might of the Russians was by no means simple.

Beneath all of this, however, lay countless shady dealings that ordinary people could scarcely perceive.

The car stopped in front of an unassuming-looking villa, and the moment he stepped out, Li Changjiang saw Polica walking toward them with a broad smile.

"Hahaha, welcome to Moscow!"

"Duke! It looks like you've made thorough preparations. Well? How do you like it here?"

"Hello, Nicholas!"

"Hello, Anthony!"

After exchanging brief greetings with Polica, the strange sensation deep within Li Changjiang grew even more intense.

This was definitely no ordinary security detail.

From the tight perimeter defense, Li Changjiang could tell that the entire building was surrounded by hidden sentries. Others might not have noticed, but equipped with the Hunter System, Li Changjiang could effortlessly take in the situation within a radius of eight hundred meters. Apart from the overt guards, he quickly pinpointed more than ten sentries lurking in concealment.

Such dense defensive arrangements left Li Changjiang clicking his tongue in silent astonishment while making him increasingly realize that this mission carried an exceptionally high potential for grave danger.

Damn Polica!

What on earth is he up to?

Could this be a conspiracy?

Li Changjiang did not doubt Polica, but having transitioned from an amateur military enthusiast to a mercenary, he was even more sensitive than the old Russians—or rather, he cherished his life far more.

Following closely behind Polica into the interior of the building, Li Changjiang suddenly glanced sideways toward the grove on the left.

A sniper!

Damn it!

Has this bastard Polica lost his mind, deploying more than two snipers right at the front entrance?

Although he had discovered this highly abnormal situation, Li Changjiang did not let any unusual expression show on his face as he followed Polica into the living room.

At the exact moment Li Changjiang turned away—

A long, silent breath drifted through the grove, utterly noiseless.

"He spotted us!"

"How is that possible? Damn mercenaries, there's no way they could have detected us."

"Yuri! Be careful, that Chinese man is a master! If I'm not mistaken, he didn't just discover us—he discovered everyone."

"Are you sure?"

"Certain. It's been a long time since I've encountered an opponent this formidable. Truly terrifying!"

The grove quickly relapsed into silence.

Aside from the calls of nightingales and the chirping of insects, not a sound remained. Li Changjiang was unaware that anyone was discussing him, but just as those two hidden snipers had guessed, he had indeed discovered every single hidden sentry outside the house.

Notice!

All of them! Not just one.

"Reconnaissance complete. Thirteen targets within a one-hundred-meter radius."

Just as he took a glass of wine from a waiter, a mechanical yet crystal-clear voice rang out in Li Changjiang's mind.

Thirteen targets!

Once the Hunter System was activated, all detected targets were automatically designated as attack objectives. If Li Changjiang had been holding a sniper rifle, the crosshairs would have already locked onto these individuals' positions.

This was a feature that had only appeared after the most recent upgrade of the Hunter System. If he hadn't been attacked in France, Li Changjiang would never have discovered it. Now, it truly felt like adding wings to a tiger. However, before figuring out the true purpose of Polica's mission, Li Changjiang had no intention of declining the invitation.

"Come, Duke, welcome to Moscow!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

After clinking glasses and shouting cheers, the group downed their red wine in one gulp. With the exception of Li Changjiang, everyone else was quite accustomed to the Russian style of hearty drinking, but Li Changjiang only took a tiny sip.

Although it was somewhat impolite, he didn't care. Polica's eyes tightened momentarily before quickly spreading into a smile.

"This mission is quite simple. What you need to do is ensure the absolute safety of the target everywhere you go and eliminate any potential dangers that might arise. But rest assured, not every star encounters danger, and I believe you'll finish this mission in no time."

As Polica's voice drifted into his ears, Li Changjiang casually glanced around the spacious hall.

Meanwhile.

Just as Polica was entertaining the members of the Hunters Mercenary Group, on the side of the third-floor corridor, right after Li Changjiang's gaze had flashed past, a middle-aged Russian man and a young woman with frighteningly exquisite facial features withdrew their gazes and stepped back into a room.

"How was it, Venus?"

"Very good. That Chinese man is formidable!"

"That's good! This mission must succeed; failure is not an option. We have already intercepted the required intelligence from the Chinese, and the target this Chinese man is looking for is located in Ancelis, Egypt. Here is her relevant dossier."

The middle-aged man pulled a file from the desk behind him. The photograph on the topmost page was unmistakably that of Dr. Amanda Anderson, the American doctor Li Changjiang had previously seen at the special operations command.

"Ancelis."

The foreign-sounding place name rolled off a tongue.

"Hahaha, Duke, would you like to see what I've prepared for you?"

Down in the main hall.

Hearing Polica's words, Li Changjiang quickly withdrew his gaze and nodded. This was Russia, after all, and with Polica's connections, he likely had plenty of good things on hand.

Soon.

Following Polica to a room at the end of the corridor, Li Changjiang's eyes were momentarily dazzled the moment the door was opened.

"F***!"

"Good lord, this is practically my dreamland!"

The latest modified M4A1!

The M200 sniper rifle, designed and manufactured by the American company CheyTac, boasting precision shooting capabilities down to minimal margins beyond 2,500 yards!

The Barrett M90! A large-caliber anti-materiel sniper rifle firing 12.7x99mm rounds.

The British L115A3 long-range sniper rifle!

A vast assortment of AK-series assault rifles in various models!

The latest close-quarters pistols from nations around the world, and of course, four models of body armor that clearly were not ordinary.

While Li Changjiang was momentarily struck speechless, his gaze immediately shifted to Polica, who was standing by the window making a phone call.

What on earth is he trying to do?

The weapons here were enough to equip an elite squad of over a hundred men and launch a high-intensity war. Many of the weapons inside were ones Li Changjiang had only heard of and never laid eyes on.

"Boss, I think this one suits you!"

The assassin pointed to the M200 on the rack. Li Changjiang was indeed tempted; this weapon was reputed to be the most precise long-range sniper rifle, but Li Changjiang did not share that view.

The M200 was undoubtedly excellent, but it didn't suit him. The reason was simple: ammunition logistics!

The M200 used .408 CheyTac or .375 CheyTac rounds. Without a robust logistical support network, sustaining prolonged firing operations was exceedingly difficult. Furthermore, the rifle was overly delicate, which—given Li Changjiang's Hunter System—made it overly extravagant and wasteful.

What he needed was not some excessively precious and fragile piece of equipment, but a stable, automatic sniper weapon.

Most importantly, he needed to be able to replenish ammunition anywhere and at any time, avoiding a repeat of the situation where he ran completely dry as he had last time.

Therefore, neither the M200 nor the British L115A3 was Li Changjiang's target.

"I want that one!"