Lin Xinghai hadnât learned to use many of the functions on his new wrist-mounted computer, but connecting to the intranet to look up information was one of them.
The first thing he searched for was information on the Axe Gang. Naturally, heâd also learned about their famous Four Great Vajra. Rumor had it that the four of them together could even defeat one of the Optimized.
That was why Lin Xinghai had been quite cautious before the fight began.
However, the moment they clashed, he discovered that aside from their slightly refined teamwork, there was nothing praiseworthy about them.
And with Lin Xinghaiâs Speed and superior Perception Power, the Four Great Vajraâs so-called "exquisite teamwork" was, in his eyes, riddled with flaws.
This was precisely why a scene unfolded where the Four Great Vajra were all taken down in a single exchange.
For the members of the Axe Gang, the sight was utterly staggering.
The members who had been rushing menacingly toward Lin Xinghai, axes in hand, all stopped in their tracks instinctively, not daring to move forward.
"That... Heâs clearly one of the Optimized." From his vantage point, Huai Feifu had seen every one of Lin Xinghaiâs recent moves with perfect clarity.
The man had relied on a Speed of 30 points to dodge the Four Great Vajraâs coordinated attackâa Speed only one of the Optimized could reach.
Even if he had somehow misjudged the Speed, there was another thing: the man had accurately grabbed Steel Leopardâs wrist without any line of sight. That was something only one of the Optimized with Perception Power could do.
This grievous error in their intelligence was the root cause of the operationâs failure. When he thought of the consequences, his eyes instantly reddened with fury.
He whipped his head around to glare at Wang Damao. "This is the âWhite Pig with a 25% Genetic Optimization Levelâ you told me about? Are you blind or just brain-dead?"
"I-I... I didnât know! The Speed he displayed yesterday was really only around 25 points! How was I supposed to know he was a wolf in sheepâs clothing...?"
BANG!
Before he could finish, Huai Feifu kicked him to the ground. "You really are a fucking pig."
Just then, Steel Bear and the others struggled back to their feet. They had lost all will to fight and instinctively backed away from Lin Xinghai. Yet, they didnât dare go too far, afraid Huai Feifu would settle scores with them later.
"Are you two done arguing? If so, give me an explanation." Lin Xinghaiâs icy voice cut in.
"What, you think youâve won already? Your strength is impressive, Iâll give you that, but you have one fatal weakness," Huai Feifu suddenly sneered.
Lin Xinghai frowned slightly. "What weakness?"
"Them." Huai Feifu pointed at Liu Miaomiao and her companions, then ordered his men, "Grab them!"
The cowering Axe Gang membersâ eyes lit up at his command.
"Heh! Kid, if you want these delicate little beauties to stay in one piece, youâll stand down and let us kill you. Otherwise, this axe in my hand doesnât have eyes. Itâd be a real shame if I accidentally scratched up their pretty faces." The quickest to react, a young man with yellow hair, turned to run toward Liu Miaomiao as he spouted his threat.
He was no stranger to threats and extortion; the words rolled off his tongue with practiced ease.
"Heh. For that, youâd need a hand to hold your axe." As Lin Xinghai watched the yellow-haired youth, killing intent surfaced in his eyes for the first time. He finally drew the Vibrating Dagger from his waist.
But at that exact moment, the hairs on his body suddenly stood on end. A sense of fatal danger washed over him.
Without a momentâs hesitation, Lin Xinghai unleashed his Rapid Superpower and dodged to the side.
BANG!
A sharp crack of a gunshot echoed. A distinct bullet crater appeared right where Lin Xinghai had been standing.
As it turned out, while Lin Xinghaiâs attention was on the yellow-haired youth, Huai Feifu had drawn a homemade pistol hidden in his clothes.
This was his last resort.
He was confident that with his Gun Technique and the element of surprise, even one of the Optimized like Lin Xinghai would be a dead man.
After all, the Perception Power of the Optimized who had only broken the first Genetic Lock was limited to a radius of a few meters. Their sensitivity to threats outside that range dropped off dramatically.
Even if his opponent sensed him drawing the gun, he might not have had time to dodge.
But unfortunately for him, he had run into Lin Xinghaiâa man who was practically cheating.
Before he pulled the trigger, Lin Xinghaiâs back was still to him. But by the time his finger squeezed, his target was already gone.
Moreover, the manâs figure was closing in at high speed. Before he could even re-aim, a cold light flashed. His right hand, still gripping the gun, was severed at the wrist.
It all happened so fast that even as his hand fell to the ground, Huai Feifu couldnât quite process what had happened.
By the time he realized what had happened, he could hear a series of metallic CLANGS from not far away.
He looked up to see that every member who had rushed toward Liu Miaomiao now had their axe-wielding hand severed at the wrist.
The yellow-haired youth who had made the threat was the worst off. While the others had lost one hand, he had lost both.
Instantly, the area was filled with howls of agony. All the thugs clutched their bleeding stumps, staring at Lin Xinghai as if theyâd seen a ghost.
They had never seen such Speed before. After all, anyone who could reach 60 points of Speed was an expert who had broken the second Genetic Lock.
A person like that would be a captain-level figure even in a Mercenary Corps.
The thought that they had been fighting an expert of this caliber extinguished any last shred of fighting spirit they might have had.
The difference in their Speed was simply too vastâso vast that they hadnât even been able to see how Lin Xinghai had moved to sever their hands.
A gap in absolute power this large could not be bridged by numbers alone.
At the end of the day, the Axe Gang was just a bunch of thugs. They had no loyalty to speak of. Once they recognized the reality of the situation, they decisively abandoned Huai Feifu and began to scatter.
Of course, as they fled, they didnât forget to pick up their severed hands.
The yellow-haired youth, who had lost both hands, had a comrade help kick them into his pockets for him.
They had to take their severed hands with them. With the technology of this era, reattachment was a minor surgery. With some gene-repair therapy, they could even make a full recovery.
Of course, all of that cost money. Whether or not these thugs could afford such a procedure was none of Lin Xinghaiâs concern.
Huai Feifu watched the situation spiral out of control. No matter how unwilling he was to accept it, he knew he was utterly defeated.
He hurriedly picked up his own hand, intending to escape in the chaos. But when he looked up, he found Lin Xinghai already standing before him. The cold smirk on the manâs face sent a chill down his spine.
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