61 The Mission Failed?

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Red Raven approached the target with his heart in a frenzy, a thread of anxiety flickering through his mind. The commotion was far greater than he had anticipated. As he reached the gate, he suddenly saw a swarm of heavily armed security guards in black uniforms rushing in from the distant courtyard entrance, all wielding semi-automatic rifles and poised for confrontation.

"Damn it!" His heart pounded as he spun around and scaled the wall in a bid to escape. The cold wind bit into his skin, and the wall's sharp spikes glinted ominously under the moonlight.

"Bang!" The crack of a gunshot echoed through the air, the bullet narrowly missing him. He felt the heat of it as it passed. His heart thumped like a drum, the only sound in his ears his own rapid breathing.

Around the corner, a black armored vehicle silently slid into view, like a phantom."They're playing for keeps this time!" he muttered, quickly ducking into an alley, swallowed by the darkness. Clutching his climbing rope tightly, his mind raced,"Good thing I acted quickly, or I'd be trapped in there. Too bad about the kid—this ruckus is out of my hands. Damn! If he gets caught, my mission's toast!"

AsRed Raven vanished into the night, the armed guards quickly surrounded the area. Rapid footsteps echoed in the alleyway.

"I see him!"

"Bang!" Another shot shattered the night's silence, the bullet whizzing past his ear, the heat almost tangible on his shoulder. His breath came quicker,"Firing shots in the city center, that's insane!" Chiya cursed.

"Stop shooting, this is a busy area! You want to make headlines?" a voice barked behind him.

Red Raven dashed between buildings, leaping and bounding like a parkour athlete. His heartbeat thundered, feeling as though a phantom hand squeezed it."How is it possible? So many people searching, and they can't find him?"

"Stop the chase! We've caught the thief!" After a few shouts, the pursuing guards retreated.

Using the night to his advantage, Red Raven melted into the shadows of the buildings, enveloped in the darkness just like his mood, steeped in frustration. His mission had failed again—no reward, no resolution to his problems, and the person he was protecting lost, leaving him in a bind.

He chuckled bitterly,"Why's my luck so rotten lately? I might as well buy a good luck charm from my brother incense seller!"

"Forget it, I'll head back and figure out how to get Mo Wen out. Hopefully, he can keep his mouth shut! But I shouldn't expect too much from a young guy!"

"Maybe I should lower my stance and ask the organization for help! Sigh, I'll definitely be mocked harshly, and I'll have to do at least a year's worth of hard labor for free!"

Red Raven's spirits sank to a new low, his face contorted in frustration like a man drained of life.

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Hoxton met the hurrying director and the manager with their subordinates in tow.

The manager's face turned a furious shade,"Why wasn't I informed about this? What's in your head?"

The director interjected,"The assistant was in a rush but informed me. I told him to keep quiet to avoid any leaks. This is the second time targeting the scientists; we can't be too careful."

The manager snorted but said nothing more.

Despite the thorough search of the small room by the large team, they found nothing.

"How could this be? We had him cornered!" Hoxton, frustrated, ordered another search, but again, they found nothing. Sweat trickled down his face as he wiped his brow, feeling an indescribable sense of defeat.

"Throw all the padded jackets into the courtyard!" he ordered, but his mind was a whirl of confusion.

The manager's face was mocking, a gloating glint in his eyes.

As the group returned to the surveillance room, sifting through the footage repeatedly, they found no signs of the fugitive.

"Director, believe me! I really had him trapped. Our men didn't leave their posts at either door, yet he's vanished!"

The director snorted, threw up his hands in exasperation, and stormed off to his car. The thief seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Red Raven circled back, ensuring he wasn't followed, and shed his disguise as he returned to the hotel, still mulling over how to resolve the situation. He pushed open the door and froze: Mo Wen was sitting comfortably in the room, a mischievous smile on his face as if he had anticipated everything.

The insolent fellow sat cross-legged on the bed, leisurely flipping through a leather-bound journal, even cheekily asking, "Didn't bring me any food?"

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Series 1 finished, Thanks for reading! Please wait for Next series