Chapter 9: Mr. Third, I Discovered a Secret!

It wasn't that he missed every shot; it was that not a single shot went wide!

Even in this life-or-death emergency, the Captain still had a string of curses he desperately wanted to spit out.

What was the point? He used that frantic, ghost-like footwork, yet failed to dodge a single bullet.

Various thoughts raced through his mind. Realizing this was a life-or-death moment, he hastily retreated while reloading his magazine, but Li Yu's straight-line sprint closed the distance in an instant.

'Why aren't you dodging anymore!?' the Captain thought in absolute terror.

'Television dramas are indeed full of lies,' Li Yu thought, feeling a wave of speechlessness.

Li Yu's back bulged as his muscles and bones cracked and popped. Power surged from his feet, snowballing like an avalanche before pouring into his left hand to deliver a heavy punch!

However, the Captain's reaction speed was equally impressive. His right fist, which was visibly twice as thick, emitted a mechanical grinding sound. Two small vents cracked open at the elbow, blasting out pale red flames that abruptly accelerated his strike.

Boom!

Meanwhile, the Captain's armor buzzed. Two support brackets extended from his heels, transferring Li Yu's massive force directly into the ash-stone ground.

Shaking his hand, Li Yu narrowed his eyes. The Captain's gaze flickered—there was still a chance!

Although his opponent's strength was immense...

Bang! Bang!

Two ear-piercing sounds rang out. The Captain's pupils contracted as a burst of agonizing pain shot up from his thighs.

Thud!

He abruptly dropped to his knees in front of Li Yu. Without him noticing, perhaps due to the flames exploding once more just moments ago, the thick smoke in the area had thinned out entirely.

In the distance, Claptrap's singular crimson eye flashed. "Although I wasted a bullet, this presentation should make Master very happy."

When Mo Duo and Widow finally raised their heads from behind cover, this was the scene that greeted them:

The burly, grayish-white armored soldier was kneeling before Li Yu. Blood sluggishly pooled beneath his knees, mixed with bone fragments; his kneecaps had been nearly blown to pieces.

Li Yu's face was smeared with dust and dried blood. The lingering firelight around them cast mottled, dancing shadows across his expressionless features.

Widow and Mo Duo both shuddered involuntarily, a sudden chill creeping into their hearts.

In reality, Li Yu was currently feeling quite baffled. He had assumed Claptrap would finish this guy off with a single shot. After all, his original order to Claptrap was to kill without mercy if anyone came within a meter.

Yet, he never expected Claptrap to pull a stunt like this—not only leaving the man alive but setting the stage so perfectly...

Forcefully ripping off the helmet revealed a weather-beaten middle-aged man. He clenched his jaw, fighting through the excruciating pain as cold sweat dripped from his forehead.

The power of the magnetic-energy ion sniper rifle was terrifying. It had completely shattered his knees. If not for the support of his external armor, his legs below the knee would have completely detached.

"Tell me," Li Yu said, staring down at him. "Why did you suddenly attack me?"

Widow and Mo Duo approached. Li Yu swept a glance from the corner of his eye. Hunter was nowhere to be seen, nor was his corpse. He must have escaped.

That guy's reaction time was certainly fast. He probably relied on his unique skills to flee the area the very second things went south.

Meanwhile, behind Widow, a pitch-black exoskeleton tail slowly retracted. Resembling a scorpion's stinger, every segment protruded with blades roughly an inch long.

The tip was incredibly sharp, gleaming with a dark luster. One could easily imagine the devastating power this weapon could unleash in close combat.

"They won't say a word. They are all fanatic operatives for some hidden faction," Widow stated, urging Li Yu not to hold onto any false hope.

The moment her voice fell, the middle-aged man's face stiffened. His pupils dilated, and black blood spilled from the corners of his mouth. He had completely lost all life aura.

"Chloride... simple and efficient," Mo Duo remarked with a glance, a hint of admiration in her tone.

............

"You managed to escape an encirclement by the Phantom Squad?" Third Fatty stared in astonishment at the pretentious man wearing a cowboy hat standing before him.

Hunter was still reeling from the shock. Fortunately, he always memorized the local terrain wherever he went. After spending the night in Li Yu's tin hut, he already knew the area like the back of his hand.

Combined with his specially trained unique techniques, he had barely managed to slip away.

"Just got lucky... really lucky," Hunter chuckled dryly. After making his escape, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this ambush had to be connected to Third Fatty.

But after agonizing over it, he still decided to come here. If he didn't switch sides early, and Third Fatty eventually discovered the truth, he would suffer a miserable death.

After all, Li Yu was probably dead meat by now. He could simply claim that he had been deceived as well, and that there was actually no one backing Li Yu at all.

"Mr. Third, I discovered a secret last night..." Hunter prepared to speak, adopting a highly secretive tone.

"What secret?" Third Fatty's eyes gleamed.

Just then, a booming voice echoed over.

"Claptrap, aim for the door and fire!"

'Li Yu!' Hunter's heart skipped a beat. 'Damn it, this punk still isn't dead?'

Third Fatty also jerked his head up and furrowed his brows. He shot a glance at the suddenly contemplative Hunter and demanded in displeasure, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Uh..." Hunter lowered his voice. "I discovered... that kid Mo Duo seems to have a crush on Li Yu."

Third Fatty's dead-fish eyes bulged, the fat all over his body quivering as he slowly spat out a single word: "Scram!"

If it weren't for the decent profits Hunter consistently brought in, he would have definitely put a bullet in this bastard's head!

......

"There is no doubt about it; this must be related to Third Fatty. Otherwise, the Phantom Squad wouldn't have shown up out of nowhere."

Widow's ex-husband had once single-handedly orchestrated the Phantom Squad's undercover operations. Back then, they were still a deeply loving family.

According to her, the Phantom Squad had their own distinct objectives. This was merely a single detachment; they had similar units stationed in many areas across the Heavenly Desolation Star.

"Unless they believed their target was being threatened..." Li Yu recalled the fabricated excuse he had used to brush off Third Fatty.

The payment he had promised Third Fatty was that gun. However, by selling him out to the Phantom Squad, Third Fatty could not only claim the gun afterward but also collect a bounty from the squad.

"A guaranteed profit with zero risks..." Li Yu rubbed his chin, raising his other hand to form a hand sign for the number three.

'As for the potential fury of the backer supporting Li Yu? The Phantom Squad committed the murder—what does that have to do with me, Third Fatty?'

"Tomorrow is the scheduled time to head to the Underground Black Market. We cannot afford to have a complete fallout with Third Fatty," Widow reminded him, hoping to prevent Li Yu from acting rashly.

"Don't worry..." Li Yu rummaged around the area. "Come here and give me a hand. Let's strip the armor off this guy."

Not long after, Claptrap hopped out of a garbage pile, holding a massive purple sniper rifle in its hands.

"Master, Master! How did Claptrap do just now!?"

The moment it returned, it excitedly asked for praise.

"Incredible!" Li Yu gave a thumbs-up and handed the thick, mechanical right arm to Claptrap. "Here is your reward."

"Master~" Claptrap cried out, its voice choked with artificial tears. Using one battered iron arm and one humanoid arm, it hugged Li Yu's thigh. "You treat me so well!"