523: Chapter 518 Flipping the Table and Changing the Rules

Paci's breath hitched abruptly.

He understood Shen Yan's meaning.

That was not business, nor was it a conspiracy.

It was war.

"This risk is too great," Paci's voice was somewhat dry. "Taka has a private armed force of nearly three thousand men, all well-equipped. Behind the Sadao Conglomerate is the Sakura Chamber of Commerce from Country R; their security forces here are also a bunch of desperate outlaws."

"We only have money."

"Money can buy a force more efficient than an army."

Shen Yan leaned back in his chair.

"However, pure violence cannot solve the fundamental problem. Kill Taka, and a new warlord will emerge. Destroy Sadao, and the Sakura Chamber of Commerce will send someone new."

"So, we need to make a small adjustment to this plan."

"How to change it?" Paci's eyes lit up.

"Our goal is not destruction, but replacement."

Shen Yan's fingers tapped lightly on the desktop.

"First, we need to hire the best professional team in the world to execute this 'surgery'."

"Second, the target of the surgery is not all of Taka's and Sadao's forces, but their 'brain' and 'heart'."

Shen Yan's finger pointed at Taka's command center and Sadao Takeshi's villa on the map.

"Pinpoint elimination, a decapitation strike. Before they can react, we will completely paralyze them."

"Third, and most crucial step." Shen Yan's gaze became profound.

"While eliminating them, we must seize their 'wealth' as quickly as possible. The Black Dragon Vein Mining Area, Sadao's vault, Taka's arsenal. These are the real hard currency of City of Jade."

"Finally," Shen Yan looked at Paci, "you need to step forward and integrate the aftermath. Use Taka's weapons to incorporate his remnants. Use Sadao's money to appease the various powerful families in the City of Jade. Tell everyone that you, Paci, are back. City of Jade has a new king."

"As for the Sakura Chamber of Commerce..." Shen Yan smiled, "A new, stronger, and more cooperative local sovereign—they will only welcome it, not refuse it."

The words were spoken lightly and casually.

But Paci felt a chill run down his spine, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Looking at this young man before him, he felt like he was looking at a monster.

Every step of this plan was filled with blood and madness.

Yet, every step precisely hit the crucial nodes of City of Jade's laws of survival.

Ruthless, meticulous, bold, and yet filled with fatal temptation.

Paci found that his long-dormant blood was actually beginning to boil.

He stared at Shen Yan for a full half a minute.

Then, he stood up and bowed deeply to Shen Yan.

"Mr. Shen, from this day forward, my life belongs to you."

At this moment, he was truly and completely convinced.

The young man before him was not a lunatic.

He was a born king.

Once the plan was established, it began to be executed with overwhelming force.

Shen Yan did not leave the hotel room.

He contacted an international mercenary organization codenamed 'Ghost' through an absolutely secure encrypted line provided by the system.

When the call connected, a voice electronically processed to be neither male nor female came from the other end.

"This is Ghost."

"I need to issue a mission," Shen Yan's voice was equally cold.

"Location: Country S, City of Jade."

"I will send the target list and operational details to your email."

"There are three core requirements: One, decapitation; two, seizure of assets; and three, completion within forty-eight hours."

"Price." The voice on the other end showed no fluctuation.

"One hundred million US dollars," Shen Yan quoted the price.

The other side was silent for a moment.

"Deal."

"A deposit of fifty million will be wired to your Switzerland account now. The balance will be paid upon completion."

"Received."

The call ended in less than a minute.

Shen Yan tapped lightly on the computer, and fifty million US dollars vanished like a stone sinking into the sea, disappearing into an anonymous offshore account.

On the other side, Paci had already walked out of the Golden Triangle Grand Hotel.

Like a hidden dragon, he returned to the ocean he was familiar with.

In his hand, he held another unregistered Bank card given to him by Shen Yan, containing one hundred million US dollars.

This was his startup capital.

The former Jade King began the first step of his revenge.

He did not contact the old friends who had betrayed him, nor did he rally his scattered former subordinates.

The first thing he did was walk into City of Jade's largest black market.

He spent five million US dollars to buy a piece of intelligence.

Intelligence concerning General Taka's second-in-command, 'Scorpion' Basong.

Basong was ambitious and had long coveted Taka's position.

What Paci intended to do was to detonate this deeply buried bomb ahead of time.

That night, at the home of Basong's secret mistress, Paci's figure appeared like a phantom.

No one knew what they discussed.

It was only known that the next day, Basong, under the pretext of 'cleansing the emperor's entourage,' led his trusted troops to launch a surprise attack on another confidant general under Taka.

Taka's military camp instantly fell into internal strife.

Gunfire echoed through the northern suburbs of City of Jade.

Taka was caught completely off guard by this sudden betrayal. Enraged, he immediately mobilized his main forces to suppress the uprising.

All of City of Jade's military power was firmly drawn into this internal conflict.

No one noticed that a sharp, elite squad had already infiltrated the City of Jade like ghosts, silently.

Nor did anyone notice that Sadao Takeshi's secret warehouse in the suburbs suddenly caught fire, sending flames soaring into the sky.

When Sadao Takeshi rushed to the fire with most of his security forces, his headquarters in the top-floor apartment in the City of Jade center had become extremely empty.

Everything was unfolding precisely according to Shen Yan's script.

The moment for action was set for midnight the following day.

It was a moonless night, with torrential rain pouring down.

The sound of the rain was the best cover.

Shen Yan stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of the presidential suite, overlooking the City of Jade struggling in the downpour.

In his earpiece, the commander of 'Ghost' spoke in a cold, electronic voice.

"'Night Owl' team is in position, target: Taka's command center."

"'Viper' team is in position, target: Sadao Takeshi's top-floor apartment."

"'Grizzly' team has formed a fan-shaped encirclement around the Black Dragon Vein Mining Area, awaiting the signal."

"Mr. Paci's men have already cut off all external communication lines for the targets."

Shen Yan picked up his wine glass and took a slow sip.

"Commence operation."

The three words were like a death sentence from the Grim Reaper.

Almost simultaneously, slaughter quietly unfolded in three different locations across City of Jade.

In Taka's command center, he was furiously cursing Basong's betrayal while staring at a map.

Several soldiers wearing his personal guard uniforms walked in with lowered heads.

Taka paid them no mind.

Until a silenced pistol was pressed against the back of his head.

Bang.