Chapter 430: Assassination

“Hmph!” Huang Caixing turned her head in a haughty pout, rubbing her cheek against Lin Xiao’s back. “Big Brother Lin isn’t like you. He’d never bear to hit me, right, Brother Lin?”

Her bright, sparkling eyes looked up at Lin Xiao, her face full of adorable charm.

“If you behave, who would hit you for no reason?” Lin Xiao felt the girl’s soft and elastic body against him. Though highly alluring, his heart remained calm as he casually said, “From now on, when you’re in front of outsiders, give Auntie Xin some face. Don’t go overboard, understand?”

“Of course I understand. But you’re not an outsider,” Huang Caixing looked aggrieved, her expression drooping a bit. “Big Brother Lin, do you not like me anymore? You’re actually siding with my mom. You two must have some unspeakable…”

“Alright, alright, let’s drop this topic.” Seeing that Huang Caixing was getting more outrageous, Huang Xinyu quickly interrupted her. “Xiao Xiao, Little Yu, what do you two want for lunch?”

“Anything’s fine. What about you, Little Yu?” Lin Xiao looked at Yuan Yu.

Yuan Yu stood quietly beside him, listening to their conversation. She gently shook her head. “I don’t really have anything in mind, Auntie. You can decide.”

At this moment, Huang Caixing, hiding behind Lin Xiao, raised her hand. “I want hotpot.”

“Hotpot in the middle of the day? Absolutely not.” Huang Xinyu immediately vetoed it.

She looked at Lin Xiao’s sharp side profile and thought to herself, ‘Lin Xiao’s a martial artist. His energy consumption must be high. He should eat something nutritious and good for the body. Hmm… Let’s go to the Hall of a Hundred Flavors.’

Decision made, she smiled. “Since you’re all fine with anything, I’ll make the call. Lin Xiao, shall we take your car or mine?”

“Let’s take mine. It’s a bit more spacious.” Lin Xiao considered for a moment.

“Alright, let’s go then.”

The four of them headed toward the alley where Lin Xiao had parked.

The alley was directly across from Guanglai High School, separated by a street. The alley was rather old and rundown compared to the clean and modern school. Walls on either side were plastered with flyers and stickers. The cement ground was uneven, full of potholes and cracks.

Lin Xiao walked ahead, holding the keys to the Cayenne. Huang Caixing, Yuan Yu, and Huang Xinyu walked behind him, chatting casually as they followed.

“Hmm?”

Lin Xiao suddenly stopped at the entrance of the alley. A sharp gleam flashed through his calm, deep eyes. His pupils shifted subtly, scanning every corner of the alley.

Nothing seemed out of place. Yet, deep within Lin Xiao, a faint but persistent sense of danger and unease lingered.

The alley’s location was remote, true. But it was midday—the busiest time of day. And still, the alley was completely empty.

Too quiet.

Behind him, Huang Xinyu hadn’t expected Lin Xiao to stop abruptly. She accidentally bumped into his back, her full chest bouncing off his solid frame, forming a heart-racing arc.

“Xiao Xiao, what is it?” Huang Xinyu held her chest and tried to calm her racing thoughts, speaking softly.

From the way Lin Xiao slightly squinted his eyes, she sensed something unusual.

Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing exchanged glances, puzzled. Then both turned to look at Lin Xiao’s back.

“Auntie Xin, Little Yu, Caixing, stand behind me. Don’t show yourselves.”

Lin Xiao didn’t turn around as he spoke. His pupils contracted like needles, all muscles tense. His body slowly moved backward.

His retreat was slow, yet filled with an indescribable sense of power. His frame wasn’t especially large, but in that moment, it stood as solid and imposing as a mountain.

Yuan Yu, Huang Caixing, and Huang Xinyu’s expressions immediately turned serious. They obediently hid behind Lin Xiao, their bright eyes scanning around, but they couldn’t identify where the threat was coming from.

Still, they believed in Lin Xiao. They knew he would never act without reason.

Lin Xiao shielded the three of them as he slowly backed away.

If Lin Xiao were alone, he wouldn’t have needed to be this cautious. He could’ve taken the initiative and dragged the threat out of hiding.

But the issue now was—he wasn’t alone.

To protect the three behind him, Lin Xiao had to focus completely. No amount of caution was too much.

***

Several hundred meters away, atop a residential building—

A slender man in a black suit lay prone on the edge of the rooftop balcony. Despite the blazing sun above, he remained motionless. Sweat streamed down his cheek and evaporated quickly on the hot concrete.

In front of him lay a 1.5-meter-long sniper rifle. His eye peered through the scope, locked on Lin Xiao’s body. The muzzle shifted slightly, adjusting with Lin Xiao’s movements.

“Even from this distance, he still sensed my presence. Seems this guy won’t be easy. But that only makes it more interesting.”

Staring at the retreating Lin Xiao, the man’s eyes gleamed with cold killing intent.

“To defy the organization, death is the only fate.”

Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

The sniper rifle shook violently. A flash burst from the muzzle. The bullet, several centimeters long, launched with blinding speed toward Lin Xiao.

“Not good!”

At the exact moment the shot was fired, Lin Xiao’s sense of danger spiked to the extreme. In a flash, he turned around, scooping up the three behind him, and kicked off the ground with all his might.

Boom!

The concrete beneath his feet exploded, forming a pit nearly a foot wide. At its center was a deep footprint. Using explosive force, Lin Xiao shot forward like a leopard going for the kill, carrying all three of them to the corner of the alley in an instant.

But as he turned, the bullet had already traveled hundreds of meters and struck his shoulder, punching a finger-sized hole into the steel-like muscle.

Lin Xiao’s body shuddered, momentarily tightening, then relaxing.

A crisp sound rang out as the bullet was forced out of his muscle, dropping to the ground.

Even a sniper round couldn’t seriously harm him at his current level.

But Lin Xiao wasn’t alone now.

He released his arms and gently set the three women down. His expression grew grave.

“Auntie Xin, Little Yu, Caixing, get out of here, right now. Don’t look back.”

“Big Brother Lin, are you hurt?”

“What happened just now?”

“Big Brother Lin, what’s going on?”

The three all spoke at once, each asking their most pressing question.

“I’m fine. Now’s not the time to talk. This isn’t the place either. I’ll explain everything later.” Lin Xiao’s tone was firm, brooking no refusal. “Auntie Xin, I’m entrusting Little Yu and Caixing to you.”

Huang Xinyu had wanted to persuade Lin Xiao not to risk himself. But the words caught in her throat and died there. From the determined look in his eyes, she understood that any persuasion now was meaningless.