eurekapd Chapter 69 That marksmanship, is it cheating?
Chapter 69 That marksmanship, is it cheating?
Strauss's waltzes flowed through the magnificent banquet hall of the Jingzhou Grand Hotel.
Tonight, this place is hosting the "Dafeng Factory Employee Resettlement Fund Charity Gala," and almost all the prominent figures in Jingzhou City are present. A warm yellow glow from the crystal chandelier illuminates the expensive jewelry and goblets, making them sparkle. The air is filled with the scents of expensive perfumes and cigars, exuding an atmosphere of extravagance and decadence.
Qi Tongwei, dressed in a well-tailored black suit without a tie, stood at the edge of the crowd, swirling a half-empty glass of red wine in his hand. His angular face wore a polite distance, but his deep eyes, like radar, occasionally swept across the room.
"Director Qi, what a refined taste you have."
A sweet, cloying sound drifted from the side and behind.
Qi Tongwei turned around and raised an eyebrow.
Zhao Xiaohui has arrived.
This woman had clearly gone all out tonight. She wore a black, deep-V, backless evening gown; the fabric was so tight it felt like a second skin, perfectly outlining her exaggerated hourglass figure. The neckline was very low, revealing most of her two dazzlingly white mounds of soft flesh, which trembled gently with her breath, creating a deep, unfathomable cleavage.
The skirt featured a high slit that went all the way up to her upper thigh. With each step she took, her long, shapely, fair, and delicate thighs were glimpsed through the black skirt, exuding a sensual and irresistible allure. She wore ten-centimeter red-soled high heels, her toes, painted with bright red nail polish, looking particularly tempting inside the strappy sandals.
She held two glasses of champagne in her hand, her face was covered in exquisite smoky makeup, and her almond-shaped eyes were slightly upturned, carrying a hint of provocation, a hint of mockery, and a kind of pity as if looking at a dead person.
"Ms. Zhao looks beautiful tonight." Qi Tongwei took the wine glass she handed him, his tone flat, as if he were commenting on a product. "This outfit suits you very well."
"Really?" Zhao Xiaohui covered her mouth and chuckled, her snow-white chest trembling slightly. "I thought Director Qi only cared about cases and criminals, and couldn't see us ordinary people."
She took a step forward, and the scent of her Chanel No. 5 wafted into Qi Tongwei's nose.
"Director Qi, this is a toast to you." Zhao Xiaohui raised her glass and gently touched it to Qi Tongwei's, making a crisp "clink" sound. "Perhaps this is the last time we'll clink glasses. After all, life is unpredictable; who knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first? You agree, right?"
Zhao Xiaohui looked at Qi Tongwei, her eyes almost overflowing with malice.
Fifty million US dollars have already been spent. That assassin known as "Grey Shadow" is one of the top three most ruthless figures in Southeast Asia, and it's said he's never failed. Tonight, this will be Qi Tongwei's burial ground. She dressed up so elaborately just to witness the brains of the man who destroyed the Zhao family splattered open.
Qi Tongwei couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at her confident expression.
This woman, does she really think she can buy my life with some money?
"Mr. Zhao is right." Qi Tongwei took a sip of his drink, his eyes playful. "Unexpected things are indeed unpredictable. But sometimes, the difference between hunter and prey is just a matter of a single thought."
After saying that, he placed the wine glass on the tray of a passing waiter and straightened his cuffs.
"It's too stuffy inside, I'm going to the terrace for some fresh air." Qi Tongwei nodded to Zhao Xiaohui and turned to walk towards the large terrace connected to the banquet hall.
Looking at Qi Tongwei's tall and straight back, Zhao Xiaohui's smile grew colder and colder.
Go ahead.
That terrace is the burial plot we've chosen for you.
The terrace is large, with anti-corrosion wooden flooring and a ring of expensive ornamental plants around the edge. The view from here is excellent, directly facing an office building under construction a few hundred meters away.
A cool evening breeze ruffled the stray hairs on Qi Tongwei's forehead.
He walked to the edge of the terrace, placed his hands on the railing, and casually gazed at the distant neon lights. But on his retina, the system interface was already flashing wildly.
[Warning! Deadly Lockdown!]
[Distance: 320 meters. Wind speed: 4.2 m/s, easterly.]
[Target: Between the eyebrows.]
[Countdown: 3...2...]
Qi Tongwei was not flustered at all; on the contrary, he felt a little bored.
"Too slow," he thought to himself. "Aiming for so long without firing, is this assassin an intern?"
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the building across the street.
A figure completely clad in gray camouflage clothing lay prone on the concrete ground. He held a modified M200 sniper rifle, its dark muzzle like a viper's fang, steadily pointing towards the terrace.
Qi Tongwei's brow was clearly visible in the crosshairs of the scope.
Goodbye, Lone Wolf.
The assassin "Grey Shadow" chewed gum as his index finger slowly pulled the trigger. At this distance, it was as easy for him as shoving a bullet into the enemy's brain with his bare hand.
Fifty million US dollars, that's too easy to earn.
"Bang!"
A faint burst of fire shot from the muzzle of the gun, which was fitted with a silencer.
The specially designed armor-piercing projectile spun and tore through the air, whistling with death as it hurtled toward Qi Tongwei’s head.
0.5 seconds.
This is the time it takes for the bullet to travel this distance.
In the last 0.1 seconds of that 0.5 seconds.
Qi Tongwei, who had been motionless, suddenly moved.
Without any warning or any significant dodging movement, he simply tilted his head slightly, even lazily, and pulled a lighter from his pocket with his right hand, lighting a cigarette that had somehow ended up in his mouth.
It felt like he just happened to feel the wind was strong, so he turned to the side to block the wind and lit a cigarette.
"Whoosh!"
The fatal bullet grazed his temple. The scalding air singed a few strands of his hair, and he could even feel the burning aura of death.
"Snapped!"
Behind Qi Tongwei, the giant champagne tower, which was used for decoration and was more than a meter tall, was hit by a bullet.
The immense kinetic energy carried by this large-caliber bullet was released the instant it struck the glass. Hundreds of wine glasses shattered as if slapped hard by an invisible giant hand!
Glistening shards mixed with golden liquor splashed everywhere, exploding into a dazzling yet terrifying crystal flower under the light.
"ah--!"
"Murder!"
The crowd in the banquet hall froze for half a second, then erupted in piercing screams.
The elegant ladies who had been so poised just moments before were terrified, their faces pale with fright as they scattered and fled, clutching their skirts. The men, abandoning all pretense of decorum, either crawled under tables or sprawled on the floor.
The entire terrace instantly turned into a complete mess.
Only Qi Tongwei didn't move.
He remained standing in the same spot, a cigarette just lit in his mouth, wisps of bluish-white smoke rising from it.
The "gray shadow" on the opposite rooftop saw this scene through the scope and was completely dumbfounded.
Didn't win?
How is that possible?
That was a sure-kill shot! Was it a miscalculation of the wind speed? Or was the opponent just lucky enough to move?
"Oh shit!"
"Grey Shadow" cursed, and his top-tier assassin's professionalism made him quickly pull back the bolt, preparing to fire a finishing shot.
One more shot and this kid is dead!
However, he didn't get his chance.
As Qi Tongwei lit a cigarette on the terrace, his left hand swiftly reached into his robes and pulled out the police pistol that had been with him for many years.
He didn't make any aiming motion at all.
He didn't even turn his head; he remained turned to the side, facing that direction.
This is the master-level shooting skill enhanced by absolute intuition.
No need to see with your eyes.
Once you feel it, the bullet arrives.
Qi Tongwei raised his hand and pulled the trigger. The movement was fluid and graceful, as if he were greeting an old friend.
"Bang!"
The gunshot was crisp and clear, but it went unnoticed amidst the chaotic screams.
This is just an ordinary police pistol with an effective range of no more than fifty meters. To hit a target 300 meters away is simply a pipe dream.
But this bullet seemed to have eyes.
It pierced the night sky, carrying a certain causal property of certainty, and precisely entered the reflective scope!
The rooftop across the street.
"Grey Shadow" had just put his eye back on the scope, and hadn't even had a chance to see the target clearly yet.
"puff!"
A muffled thud.
The 9mm bullet shattered the lens of the high-powered scope, and then, with its kinetic energy undiminished, it went straight into his right eye socket.
The eyeball burst instantly!
This was followed by excruciating pain as if the brain tissue was being churned.
"ah!!!"
"Gray Shadow" let out a piercing scream, clutching his blood-stained face with both hands, writhing in agony on the ground. The violent struggle caused him to lose his balance, and his body rolled to the edge of the rooftop.
That was an unfinished building; there were no railings.
The next second, he flipped over and fell into the dark night sky like a rag doll.
……
Inside the banquet hall.
The chaos continues.
The SWAT team's response was astonishingly fast.
The moment the shots were fired, a large squad of plainclothes SWAT officers lying in ambush rushed toward the unfinished building across the street. Meanwhile, two other teams of fully armed SWAT officers kicked open the banquet hall doors and quickly took control of the scene.
"Don't move! Police!"
"Get down! Everyone get down!"
Zhao Donglai led his men onto the terrace and immediately spotted Qi Tongwei standing there.
Qi Tongwei was leaning against the railing, leisurely smoking a cigarette. The champagne tower behind him was shattered, and the wine was spilled everywhere, but he was clean and didn't have a single drop of wine on him.
"Director Qi! Are you alright?" Zhao Donglai rushed over, looking anxious.
"It's nothing." Qi Tongwei exhaled a smoke ring and pointed across the street. "The one who fired the shot fell down. Have the forensic doctor go downstairs to collect the body. Also, check his identity. A killer of this caliber must have a lot of valuable items on him."
Zhao Donglai felt a chill run down his spine when he saw his bureau chief's unbelievably calm demeanor.
He heard the noise just now too.
A sniper rifle!
How did you manage to dodge that?
And judging from the gun that Qi Tongwei still had in his hand, was this a counterattack?
"Awesome." Zhao Donglai managed to utter only these two words after a long pause.
Qi Tongwei smiled, put away his gun, and turned to walk into the banquet hall.
At this moment, the guests in the hall were still in shock, trembling and squatting on the ground.
Qi Tongwei's leather shoes clicked crisply on the marble floor. He walked straight to a Roman column in the corner.
Zhao Xiaohui was slumped there.
Her expensive evening gown looked rather disheveled at the moment, the high slit of the skirt bunched up messily at the top of her legs, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin, but she no longer cared about covering it up.
The exquisite crystal wine glass in her hand had already fallen to the ground and shattered, with red wine spilled on her skirt and legs, resembling a shocking pool of blood.
Zhao Xiaohui's face was deathly pale, her lips were bloodless, and she was trembling uncontrollably.
She saw it very clearly just now.
Qi Tongwei is not dead.
The assassin is dead.
That superhuman reaction speed, that terrifying ability to turn the tide with a single shot, completely shattered all her psychological defenses.
This is not human.
This is a monster!
Qi Tongwei stopped in front of her, looking down at the woman who had been so arrogant just moments before.
His gaze swept over Zhao Xiaohui's chest, which was heaving violently with fear, and finally landed on her terrified face.
"Mr. Zhao."
Qi Tongwei's voice was soft, but it felt like a hammer blow to Zhao Xiaohui's heart: "You dropped your wine glass."
Zhao Xiaohui shuddered and looked up at Qi Tongwei.
The man wore that mocking smile, just like when she was offering him a toast.
"It seems this accident really could be anyone's doing." Qi Tongwei bent down, picked up a shard of glass, and twirled it between his fingers. "Fifty million US dollars, and all we got was a bang. Was that money wasted?"
Zhao Xiaohui's pupils suddenly contracted.
he knows!
He knows everything!
"You...you are a devil..." Zhao Xiaohui's voice trembled and changed tone, and she desperately shrank back, trying to get away from this man.
"devil?"
Qi Tongwei threw away the shards of glass and dusted off his hands.
"No, I'm a police officer."
He straightened up, adjusted the collar of his suit, and his eyes suddenly turned as cold as knives.
"Zhao Xiaohui, go back and tell Zhao Ruilong."
"This game of make-believe is over."
"The next time we meet, it won't be in the banquet hall, but in the interrogation room."
After saying that, Qi Tongwei didn't even glance at her and strode towards the door.
The special police officers automatically made way for him.
Zhao Xiaohui collapsed to the ground, staring at that retreating figure, feeling a chill run through her body. She knew that from this moment on, the Zhao family's nightmare had only just begun.