Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 789: Chapter 3: Black Hand

Certainly, here is the translation:

Become a local overlord, preside over a large district, with hundreds of subordinates, armed with numerous guns and ammunition, an undisputed local Emperor, isn’t it?

Of course, it’s good, but nowadays is not ancient times.

The chaotic situation will eventually be eliminated, the old era can never withstand the wishes of the masses. As early as—or from the time when still in the “Imperial Command,” Mingo already knew, this is a road of no return.

Even a giant like the ‘Imperial Command’ eventually cannot rival the national machinery. However, despite historical legacy issues, this nation is still in chaos—but history is ultimately guided by people.

Mingo is unwilling to become a person discarded by history, and even more unwilling to be restricted by national systems… Then, become the rule maker.

A chance to defect… This is a good opportunity.

Though it came suddenly, Mingo keenly seized the opportunity to change his life.

The prison life of several years has long made Mingo change quite a lot. In prison, without anyone disturbing him, truly quiet moments let him think more about the future path.

For a boss of his level, imprisonment does not equal a complete loss. Jun Bujian, the little coward, is still able to live like a royal member in another prison?

This nation has already decayed to such a degree.

In a few years in prison, Mingo taught himself a lot of knowledge, even earned several degrees… He began to plan another path in life.

He is naturally intelligent, more so when growing up in a wealthy family, even with an official background. But the family was sacrificed in the political struggles of the national system.

This request from Roger gave the nation a headache, and Mingo knew, his chance had come.

Although he was imprisoned, the charge was not heavy—the real felony had been taken down by him with the Scapegoat Stone, so at the beginning, he was only sentenced to thirteen years in prison—and this time agreeing to cooperate as a government informant got him a pardon for the remaining sentence.

“Mr. Security Minister, your Senate Speaker has currently been taken by Crocodile, this should be a great opportunity for you, the location is… Moreover, I will directly clear the blockade at the gate for you…”

Turning off the communicator he carried, Mingo wiped the bloodstain on his face—the communicator was given by Roger for him to ambush Billy’s group, but they have all fallen now.

It’s quite easy to eliminate these guys who admired his past deeds, eyes full of worship.

Even the once colleague, Moria, now lay in a pool of blood, eyes filled with confusion, died unclear.

They probably never thought until death that a vicious criminal would become a government lackey… Well, Mingo dislikes being called a lackey, maybe: collaborator.

But there was a small slip-up… Someone didn’t die and managed to inform Roger in time.

But it doesn’t matter anymore, as soon as the police’s special operations team acts, they will naturally swiftly settle the thugs inside the concert hall.

The biggest problem left is just the detonator Roger holds—but Mingo doesn’t think Roger will embrace the idea of perishing together with the enemy. After all, he is ruthless enough to sell out even his father for survival.

Perhaps washing away the identity of a crime boss then appearing with another identity isn’t a bad choice.

The funds he transferred before imprisonment are still ample, so… How about becoming a senator, then transitioning into a politician?

“But Roger actually had such a thing…” Mingo chuckled coldly: “Such a thing, let me hold it.”

He naturally did not report certain conversations with Roger.

Mingo laughed eerily, moving forward in darkness, yet his steps were brisk, as if walking on a sunlit path.

…

…

A little earlier—minutes before the blackout.

Listening to the screams coming from the room, the thug following Crocodile under Roger’s command yawned out of boredom, lighting a cigarette comfortably.

This boss Crocodile is notoriously cruel, fond of the sport of torturous killing, though the elder had been instructed by the leader not to kill, as he expected when coming out, he would only have a breath left hanging.

Inside the room, like the thug imagined outside, the Senate Speaker elder had already been beaten into a sweat, with a swollen and bruised face.

Crocodile at this moment yanked the elder’s tie, making him painfully clutch his collar and struggle.

Seeing the elder’s painful expression, Crocodile revealed a grim smile, “Dear Uncle Poway, did you never think you’d fall into my hands one day?”

“Crocodile… Don’t mistake… Again…” The elder pleaded arduously.

“Since joining the Capeton Family, uncle, you’ve worked hard to clarify your relationship with us poor relatives. The Capeton Family indeed valued you, even pushed you all the way to the Senate Speaker position. But haven’t you been a bit ruthless, uncle?” Crocodile pushed the Senate Speaker elder… Poway’s head, pressing it hard toward the wall, “However, it doesn’t matter, I don’t plan to let people know my uncle is you. Otherwise, after this release, the government might be interested in having a talk with me?”

Poway saw stars, his head dizzy, suddenly feeling a sense of regret… If originally when in power, he hadn’t completely suppressed his ties with Crocodile, letting the government know a bit… perhaps his current situation wouldn’t be so dangerous?

“Unfortunately, no matter how much you regret, it’s already too late.” Crocodile chuckled grimly, “In less than ten minutes, as Roger said, I will throw your corpse out. Dear Uncle Poway, let me call you one last time.”

He ruthlessly kicked Poway in the abdomen, causing Poway to spew red and white confused substance, his body convulsing in pain.

“Crocodile, my dear nephew… Spare my life… I don’t have long to live…” Poway at this point arduously clutched Crocodile’s prison pants leg, raising his head, pleading: “I can… can give all my wealth to you…”

He knew Crocodile’s hatred towards himself… If it were someone else, he could at least have a hint of confidence, not reduced to pitiful begging.

Crocodile instead stomped directly on Poway’s hand, seemingly breaking his finger bones, then coldly hummed: “How much of Capeton’s fortune can you grasp? The wealth I possess is not necessarily less, in the future I can create even more! This nation’s prison is meaningless to me! Thanks to this imprisonment, it let me hide in the shadows, don’t you know how much my wealth has multiplied these years? Idiot! I’ve waited twenty years to torture-kill you! Eight minutes left… I truly feel time’s slow crawl for the first time!”

Looking at Crocodile’s playful smile, Poway felt despair.

As life comes to its final minutes, sour, sweet, bitter, spicy all emerge. He had already been beaten severely injured, this body long since aged, how to bear it?

Perhaps the internal organs have long ruptured, Poway only felt everything he saw before his eyes dimming… this maybe is the time at death’s door.

The room’s door suddenly seemed to open, someone seemed hurriedly walking in, conversing with Crocodile…

After hearing them, Crocodile didn’t seem to hesitate, directly snatching a handgun from that person’s hand, directly aiming at his own… forehead, even already feeling the cold breath of the gun barrel.

God… I don’t wish to die…

Even if it means offering my soul…

I beg you…

Squinting a slight slit in his eyes, Poway only felt his eyelids extremely heavy, consciousness gradually fading… as if endlessly awaiting him would be a darkness never waking up.

The flame of life weak as a flickering candle in the wind, slowly fading.

“Guest, the product ‘Survival’ you ordered has been delivered.”

The woman’s voice spoke.

“Enjoy the rest of your life. Though it may not be much, I hope you can have a peaceful retirement. When the end comes, please allow me to lead your soul away…”

The voice drifted away as if in a dream.

Poway slowly opened his eyes, seemingly feeling that the pain in his body had improved a lot. Although still very weak, he was able to open his eyes and even regain quite a bit of strength.

But it was still pitch black before him, yet at that moment, the room’s door was opened again… seemingly kicked open. Four fully armed, masked police officers rushed in simultaneously.

The powerful lights installed on their guns illuminated the room, allowing Poway to clearly see the situation — Crocodile was lying on the ground at some point, along with one of the robbers.

What had happened?

Poway’s mind wasn’t completely blank; he could at least determine that Crocodile and the robber had fallen before these special forces broke in.

So infuriating!

Poway was suddenly filled with anger; why couldn’t these incompetent people arrive in time? At that moment, Crocodile really intended to shoot him — if he hadn’t suddenly fallen.

But… who made the move? Two living people fell down silently?

“Call headquarters, call headquarters, the Senate Speaker has been successfully rescued.”

“Call headquarters, the Senate Speaker has been successfully rescued, additionally capturing the criminal Crocodile!”

“Received! Now immediately protect the Senate Speaker and evacuate along a safe route, no mistakes allowed!”

“Received!”

Poway held a sullen face, watching as two special police officers directly carried away the unconscious Crocodile and the robber, and he followed the last special police officer, leaving quickly.

“Before you came in, did you notice anyone or hear any noise?” Poway asked unexpectedly.

His voice, in the power-outage darkened corridor, was as repressed as a beast.

“No.” The officer didn’t dare act presumptuously in front of such an important national figure, respectfully replying, “When we came in, we saw the scene as you saw us coming in.”

Poway rubbed his forehead.

— Enjoy the rest of your life. Though not much, I hope you can have a peaceful retirement. When the end comes, please allow me to lead your soul as compensation…

That voice seemed engraved in his heart, resurfacing… a clear cold female voice.

While quickly following the others out, Poway intermittently heard news about the site’s battle conditions through the Storm Squad members’ communications.

“The robbers’ sentries have been cleared… starting the assault on the concert hall…”

“Shoot the target immediately… action!”

“Encountered special situation…”

“Report! All the robbers in the concert hall are unconscious… before we arrived?”

“Report the remaining number of robbers, report Roger, Moria, Bucky and others’ positions! Roger holds the detonator…”

Again… mysterious unconsciousness?

Poway frowned deeply.

But at this time, his body had already been strapped with a harness and hooked to a steel cable. The Storm Squad had already taken him to the theater rooftop, preparing to evacuate him from there — a helicopter was waiting above.

…

…

The gunfire rang out and stopped, stopped and then suddenly sounded again, with sounds of collision and furious shouting mixed in… several times, Bucky just crouched at the edge of the wall, clutching his head in panic.

Until a long time after the gunfire, it did not ring out again.

In the darkness, Song Haoran’s voice eerily sounded, “Mr. Billy, follow me, the police seem to have already started their operation…”

The sound of running, in the panic, you could still hear someone saying “Quick, quick!”

“Wait… wait for me!” Bucky quickly stood up.

Only the surroundings were pitch black, with corridors in two directions; he didn’t know which way to go — yet at that moment, the theater’s lighting system suddenly restored!

The brightness was like daytime, suddenly piercing Bucky’s eyes with pain.

But he saw beside him, three of Roger’s subordinates lying directly in pools of blood, and Roger himself sitting against the wall, head lowered, with a dagger in his hand, stained with blood. On his chest, at least three bullet wounds were visible.

Song Haoran and his group were right ahead, having only run seven or eight meters away.

A bodyguard’s shoulder was stained with a large patch of red, and Lluvia was covering her arm, while a bleeding scar had appeared unbeknownst on the back of Song Haoran’s hand.

It seems that in the brief moment of the blackout, a dangerously intense fight had occurred between both sides.

“You actually aren’t dead? Well, follow along.” At this moment, Song Haoran looked back at Bucky, “Quite the lucky fellow.”

Bucky smiled wryly, hastily getting up, but at that moment, he glanced at Roger out of the corner of his eye, instantly tensing his body.

Roger suddenly raised his head, his eyes like ghosts, staring at him… such severe injuries yet not dead!

“Bucky, you’ve betrayed me.” Roger revealed a sinister smile.

“Not dead yet? Tough life indeed.”

Not far away, Song Haoran shook his head, directly taking a handgun from Lluvia’s hand, quickly aiming at Roger’s head… at a distance of less than ten meters, he naturally wouldn’t miss.

Roger, however, swiftly took something from his tactical pouch, then jabbed it into his own neck.

Song Haoran couldn’t see what it was.

But Bucky saw very clearly, it was a syringe, containing what seemed to be a deep blue liquid…

Song Haoran also pulled the trigger at the same time, the bullet bursting out!