Chapter 168: Donât worry, Iâm here
[Triggered Event: Surviving an Assassination]
[Side Quest: Survive a Long Day (Alive)]
[Reward: Knockout Gas +1 (affects sanity, causing everyone within a 17-foot radius to instantly faint), +1 Skill Point]
The systemâs notification echoed in Ryanâs mind, confirming his suspicions.
He swallowed hard, his heart, which he had managed to keep under control, now seemed ready to burst out of his chest.
Sharp noises rang in his ears, and his vision swirled with dizziness.
The system didnât just hand out quests randomly,they were always tailored to the current situation.
Previously, to help Alice relieve some stress, the system had assigned a massage task.
Now, as they were like lambs to the slaughter, it had given them a quest to simply survive.
But this time, aside from the side quest, a Dangerous Event had also been triggered, something that previously showed up as â???â on Aliceâs attribute panel.
Surviving an assassination⦠At this moment, Tony and his crew preparing to strike couldnât exactly be called an assassination,this was a blatant attack.
The real assassination was what Ryan had just spotted, the thing that truly triggered his panic.
He noticed an unnatural glint of light on the nineteenth floor of the building across the street.
The building had a single-pane glass facade, and while all glass reflects light similarly, that particular glint was clearly not from the glass.
When he squinted to get a better look, his blood ran cold.
It was a sniper rifle, and an assassin.
His fingertips began to tremble,trouble had followed trouble, and they were truly trapped.
Yet, there was a sliver of hope in Ryanâs heart, or he wouldnât have bothered to confirm his suspicion.
When he was looking for that reflection, he was actually hoping it would turn out to be a sniper rifle. In this dangerous situation, that was what he wanted.
Hannah was already controlled outside, and the fact that the conference room door hadnât been opened yet meant that Aliceâs bodyguards had been subdued.
From any angle, it looked like Ryan and Alice were done for.
It was exactly this kind of scenario that needed a game-changer, like an assassin not aligned with either party.
âMiss Alice, donât look so down.â
âOur collaboration was a success, shouldnât you be happy?â
The man laughed, taking a champagne bottle from his assistant and shaking it in front of Ryan and Alice, no longer hiding his malicious intent.
Alice had already pieced together what was happening, speaking with a hint of self-mockery.
âYouâve teamed up with those old fools.â
âRight, what else could it be?â
âThe rules of the game have been the same for so long. You alone wanted to change things, messing with everyoneâs piece of the pie. Why would I still stand by you?â
The man mocked Aliceâs naivety, shaking the champagne until it was ready to pop, any moment ready to hear the âpopâ of the bottle opening.
But the next second, he carelessly threw the expensive drink to the floor.
The smile was gone in an instant,in just a few seconds, he seemed like a completely different person, showcasing his volatile nature.
The bottle shattered, soaking Aliceâs pants with champagne. She sighed and stepped back.
The man turned around, ripping off his suit in front of everyone, revealing a grotesque scar on his back.
Ryan also took a sharp breath. The scar, fully revealed, was not just a small mark on the neck.
It looked like a ravine formed after an earthquake, extending from the manâs lower back up to his neck. That he could survive with such a wound showed how tough he was.
âRemember this? Your damn father did this. Heâs dead now, but I still remember the debt.â
The man laughed wildly, his eyes raking over Aliceâs body like a carving knife, slowly cutting into her.
Alice remained expressionless, having already heard Hannahâs voice and fallen into despair.
Being a mob boss meant facing danger every day, and none of this was what she wanted. She was tired and had long anticipated this day might come.
Yet, caught in a trap, there was still a slight bitterness in her heart.
Ryan was innocent. If Alice hadnât forcefully dragged him into this mess, and if she hadnât impulsively agreed to Ryanâs terms yesterday, he wouldnât be in such a perilous situation now.
Alice ignored the man shouting across from her and turned to look at Ryan. She knew she was doomed, but she wanted to spend her last moments looking at him.
Ryan, however, was still staring at the building across the street, seemingly detached from the situation, even checking his phone for the time.
Alice couldnât contain her emotions any longer. She didnât understand what Ryan had been doing since the beginning. Shouldnât his focus be on her?
Didnât he realize they were about to die?
With a tone full of resentment, Alice demanded, âWhat are you still doing?â
âWaiting for your command, Miss Alice,â Ryan replied, checking his phone again before looking up at Alice with respect.
His demeanor was calm, as if he didnât take the threat in front of them seriously.
Alice was taken aback, wondering if Ryan had lost his mind from fear, but then she caught a secretive glance from him.
It was a look that said, âDonât worry, Iâm here.â
Could she really feel safe because he was there? Could he actually save her?
Aliceâs emotions surged. She had done a background check on Ryan,he was just an ordinary person, unlikely to be of any help in this situation.
Yet, she remembered the clear, determined look in his eyes when they first met.
Wasnât he the same back then?
Inside, Ryan was far from calm. It felt as if a giant hand was squeezing his heart, waves of panic washing over him.
Everyone fears death, and Ryan was no exception.
He had been terrified as a child standing outside the orphanage, watching it burn, unable to move his legs.
But does fear mean you shouldnât act? Should he have just watched as innocent children were consumed by the flames?
Those children had looked to him, screaming for help. And now, Alice was doing the same, silently pleading for his assistance.
Could he let fear stop him? For Ryan, the answer was already clear.
He glanced at the frantic man beside him and the bodyguards who had gathered around, then smiled faintly.
âWhat are you laughing at?â the man snapped, eyeing Ryan as if he were a useless fool.
Though unsure why Ryan was with Alice, he was convinced Ryan wasnât capable of much.
But Ryanâs demeanor was starting to unsettle him.
People often challenge their own achievements, then repeatedly test them, exposing a flaw in human nature.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
And now, the man began to doubt whether things were going too smoothly.
Alice was the daughter of the man who had left him with deep scars. After her fatherâs death, she had taken on the burden of leading the gang alone.
She had different ideas, aiming to reorganize the gangâs internal order, which led to conflicts with several gang leaders.
Tony had dared to move against Alice with the support of those opposed to her.
But now, his shrewd business mind sensed something amiss. Was Alice truly trapped?
âI thought you were smart, but now⦠hahaâ¦â
Alice didnât know what Ryan was planning, but she chose to trust him unconditionally, suddenly raising her voice.
It would be great if Ryan really could be relied upon, but bluster alone wouldnât save them.
âWhat do you mean?â
âJust reflecting a bit. Youâre quite amusing. Hereâs a heads-up.â
âIs your support really reliable? If they could take me down, why would they need you?â
Aliceâs words triggered a change in the manâs demeanor. He glanced at Ryan. Alice was hard to read, but Ryan seemed naive, and the man thought he could figure him out.
Ryan remained expressionless throughout, just looking at Alice, as he said, waiting for her command.
This unnerved the man even more. His eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation, but he was already considering backing down.
Was someone like Alice, a mob boss, really someone he could easily take down?
Wasnât he just being used as a pawn?
No, that couldnât be right. Aliceâs bodyguards had been detained,what could she possibly do now?
If Alice was just bluffing and he let her walk away, heâd likely be fished out of the river within days, beyond salvation even by divine intervention.
The man fell silent, his expression ferocious, wishing he could tear Alice apart on the spot, yet a sliver of reason remained.
âYouâre still pretending to be calm, arenât you? Donât try to fool me!â
âYou think you control everything? You think Iâm a fool?â
The man roared, slamming his hands on the conference table, choosing opportunity over danger.
No matter how powerful Alice was, she couldnât fight against the entire gang. She was definitely headed for a dead end.
Now, if he could just take Alice down, this proof of allegiance would secure his and his descendantsâ future.
The man was resolute, but his bodyguards suddenly changed their expressions. They had been watching what Ryan was looking at, and now they seemed to have realized something.
âBoss! Get down!â