Chapter 85 Power Showdown, Instant Takedown, and the New Captain’s Swift Humbling (part 1)
In the task force headquarters of the program, the blond middle-aged Wang Di sat with confidence and ease, assuring the group, “Everyone, please stay here and wait for updates. With the program staff’s technical support, my apprentice’s search will be quick and efficient.”
He then turned to his fellow captains, taking out a cigar, “Do you mind if I light up a cigar?”
“Not at all. Wang Yun has eliminated two of our colleagues and eighteen program officers. If you, Captain Wang Di, can succeed in capturing Wang Yun, we would be deeply appreciative,” Wang Yue said, leaning against a table, her face devoid of emotion.
“Heh, rest assured, I will,” Wang Di replied calmly, his eyes moving to his apprentice, who was intently operating a computer.
“Let me reintroduce my apprentice to all of you. He’s a prodigious hacker, adept at infiltrating banking systems. Unfortunately, in this era, extracting money from banks is nearly impossible.”
Wang Di then took a draw from his cigar and chuckled with a touch of self-satisfaction, “Heh, so, what do you think about my naming skills? Wang Liang? It actually symbolizes an ‘evil spirit.’ Familiar with that, aren’t you? In the hacker world, he’s like an elusive specter, omnipresent yet unfathomable. Pretty impressive, right? I do have a good grasp of your country’s extensive culture. Hehe, it’s a play on words.”
His comments managed to elicit smiles from Jiang Youshan and the others. Despite his apparent arrogance and confidence, Wang Di had a humorous side.
In less than ten minutes, the young foreign hacker reported, “Master, I’ve located him. Using dual methods for an exhaustive search, I’ve identified the target’s mobile number, and we’ve now pinpointed his exact location.”
“Locked on? Display it, let the other captains see the target’s whereabouts,” Wang Di instructed Wang Liang with a raised eyebrow.
The young hacker nodded, swiftly projecting the information onto the main screen.
“The location is in downtown Nancheng,” Wu Mingyu observed, eyes slightly squinting with a gleam of keenness as he peered at the screen.
“Okay, once we’ve pinpointed his location, the rest is easy. Prepare a simple tracker for your senior brother and let him take the lead,” Wang Di said, leisurely exhaling a puff of cigar smoke, instructing his apprentice hacker.
“Right away,” the young hacker agreed, placing his backpack beside him. He retrieved a tracking device, quickly setting it up, “It’s ready. Its accuracy is top-notch, there’s no chance of error.”
He then handed the tracker to a muscular young man beside him. This foreigner, referred to as Wang Quan, was a towering figure, weighing at least 200 pounds. Even dressed in a suit, he exuded the presence of a brute.
“Get me a driver and a car to head to this location,” Wang Quan demanded, pointing at the screen, his words translated in real-time.
“Send in one of our program officers immediately,” Wu Yaoming responded, picking up a communicator to issue the command, his gaze resting on Wang Quan, his expression thoughtful, “I’ll also deploy additional personnel around the area to ensure a failsafe operation.”
“No, no, no,” Wang Di interjected, dismissively waving his hand and shaking his head at the suggestion. “That’s unnecessary. More people would only put him on high alert. Wang Yun is extremely cautious. Plus, in a crowded place, if our initial approach fails, he could easily take hostages. With his disguise skills, he might still escape. Trust my apprentice’s abilities. And, can anyone guess why I chose the name ‘Wang Quan’ for him?”
He spoke with a sly grin, his face’s muscles bunching together humorously.
With her arms folded, Wang Yue responded after a brief scan of the group, “Given your peculiar sense of humor and your deep understanding of our language, ‘Wang Quan’ reversed becomes ‘Quan Wang.’ The Champion.”
“Ms. Wang Yue is indeed astute, haha, you’re right, Wang Quan, the Champion. It’s an undeniable fact that we Westerners are innately superior in physical strength and build, which naturally translates to greater combat prowess. My apprentice here can bench press 130 kilograms and squat 460 kilograms. In a strength test, his right punch registered a force of 750 kilograms. Do you understand the implications? He could kill a bull with a single punch, hehe. My apprentice is trained in actual combat skills, not just for show. He has won the championship five times in underground boxing matches,” Wang Di proudly introduced him, smiling broadly.
Just then, the door opened, and a program officer entered. Wang Quan signaled to him and then followed the officer out.
Wang Di’s introduction made Wu Yaoming’s gaze intensify, observing Wang Quan’s retreating figure with a look of apprehension. He recognized the significance of those numbers. A person of such caliber would rank among the elite boxers in any nation. While he himself was proficient in strategy and competent in solo combat, he acknowledged a considerable gap compared to this top-tier powerhouse.
“If your apprentice is as formidable as you describe, he might indeed be able to capture Wang Yun. His only shortcoming, though, is his speed, which surely doesn’t compare to Wang Yun’s,” Wu Yaoming commented.
“Heh, I should also mention, my apprentice is highly skilled in marksmanship. The program has equipped him with two service guns, which will suffice.” Wang Di narrowed his eyes, brushed his golden hair, and added with a grin, “Can Wang Yun be faster than bullets?”
***
“Is that even possible? That Western behemoth is that formidable? His physical strength is so overwhelming? His bench press, squat, and punch power are just a notch below the world-renowned Tyson.”
“That’s simply terrifying!”
“That Wang Quan guy sounds incredibly strong, doesn’t he? In hand-to-hand combat, could he take down ten or even twenty people?”
“Absolutely! Ordinary punches wouldn’t even phase him, but one hit from him and you’re out cold. Wow, that’s intense. I really want to see my wife have a showdown with this monster!”
“The guy upstairs, are you looking to be widowed?”
“666, this blonde middle-aged man is outrageously arrogant and confident. But his apprentices seem incredibly capable. They managed to pinpoint our Big Brother’s phone location so fast. Now, with a powerhouse like a champion boxer on his tail, Big Brother is genuinely in danger!”
“In less than a day, they devised a method to track down Big Brother. With such a formidable opponent brought into the fold, Big Brother is facing real danger this time!”
“Big Brother is still oblivious to what’s coming his way!”
Meanwhile, all the viewers in the live stream were utterly astonished by what was unfolding in the program task force headquarters. Could this guy brought in by the program team be that formidable? An existence comparable to a top-tier boxing champion.
Wang Yun was exceptionally cunning, but one undeniable truth was that the Western giants generally possessed superior physical strength and combat skills compared to those from the East. The advantage in physique and strength was evident.
Now, with such a terrifying entity set to catch Wang Yun, what would happen?
At that moment, no one could be certain if Wang Yun could evade capture. This was perceived as the most dangerous situation ever by all viewers, considering it was the first time Wang Yun had been completely tracked and located.
Back in the special task force headquarters, the live feed from Wang Quan’s camera appeared, with all the captains watching closely.
Wang Di, confidently puffing on his cigar, said, “With a surprise attack, no one can escape my apprentice.”
***
“This is so boring.”
Wandering aimlessly around the heart of Nancheng, Wang Yun contemplated dropping by a card and board game parlor for a bit of fun.
Feeling a bit peckish, he entered a small eatery and ordered a meal.
“Big Brother, someone’s gunning for you!”
“Big Brother, run! A tough guy is on your tail!”
“Big Brother, we can’t let that foreign guy catch you. If anyone should, it’s Captain Jiang Youshan’s team.”
The live stream was abuzz with urgent messages. However, Wang Yun was completely unaware of the chatter in his live stream. After finishing his meal, he planned to visit a card and board game parlor, play some games, and maybe win some money for future needs. It looked like chess and cards might be his main source of entertainment for quite some time.
***
Downtown Nancheng buzzed with activity in the evening.
At 18:20, a car came to a halt on a street not far from Wang Yun. Dressed in a suit, Wang Quan exited with a tracker in hand, following its guidance straight ahead. He deliberately didn’t raise his head or look around.
Aware that Wang Yun could disguise himself, and with the streets crowded, he had to close in to accurately identify his target. At a distance, he wouldn’t be able to tell, and it wasn’t feasible to pull a gun and attack from ten meters away unless Wang Yun was the only one nearby. Then, the tracker would point solely to him. But, the area was bustling with people.
He needed to get closer.
As Wang Quan followed the tracker’s directions step by step, Wang Yun also continued strolling ahead, glancing casually around. He noticed a foreigner with a peculiar device but didn’t think much of it, simply continuing on his way.
Wang Quan, meanwhile, kept up his steady approach, head down and focused on the device, maintaining a perfect cover. By not directly looking at the target, the target would never suspect they were being hunted.
As time passed, the distance between them steadily decreased.
Ten meters,
Nine meters,
Eight meters,
Seven meters…
***
“Wow, they’re getting closer and closer. I’m actually getting nervous now!”
“Holy moly, they’re just a few meters apart now. They’re about to clash!”
“Damn, damn, this has to be the most dangerous moment for Big Brother!”
“Mad, this is mad!”
At that moment, the viewers in the live stream, witnessing this scene, were on edge, their faces etched with tension.
Wang Quan’s formidable strength and daunting statistics seemed overwhelming to the average onlooker. He skillfully concealed his presence, even when he confirmed Wang Yun was mere meters away. He didn’t raise his head. Not a single movement, he didn’t even reach for his gun.
Wang Quan was aware that Wang Yun was no pushover, particularly adept with firearms. He had to capitalize on his own strengths to capture him. And his advantages lay in hand-to-hand combat and strength.
As the distance between them narrowed further, every viewer was holding their breath. The distance was now just two meters, merely a step away.
In that instant, Wang Quan dropped his tracker. Though his head was bowed, his towering height allowed him a clear view of Wang Yun up ahead. A grin spread across his face, confident in his imminent victory at such close range.
“You’re not so special,” Wang Quan murmured, his lips twisting into a smirk of confidence and slight contempt as he uttered the English words.
To him, Wang Yun was nothing extraordinary. With barely a meter separating them, drawing guns was no longer an option, exactly the scenario he had hoped for.
“Is this really happening?”
“Could this be a success?”
In the special task force room, Jiang Youshan and other captains were glued to this scene, their eyes focused and intense. The distance was alarmingly close.
“Piece of cake,” Wang Di commented nonchalantly in English, taking a deep drag of his cigar and exhaling a plume of smoke. His face bore a self-satisfied grin, finding the task at hand all too simple.