Searching for someone in northern Myanmar, and you call that earning tuition fees?

"Put the gun down." Charlie stared at the shotgun in Li Changfeng's hand. "Although you are a retired general of the Dragon Kingdom, at close range, my bullets are faster than your trigger."

The shards of glass from the French windows glittered on the floor. Charlie gripped two silver pistols, their muzzles steady without the slightest tremor.

Li Changfeng held the gun and flicked the safety with his thumb.

"Give it a try," Li Changfeng uttered.

Charlie sneered, his gaze sweeping over Su Ming and Hassan.

"Rubber bullets won't kill anyone." Charlie's right index finger gripped the trigger. "But while you're reloading, I can put three holes in this little genius's forehead."

Hassan huddled in the corner of the sofa, clutching half a coconut he'd finished eating. He glanced at Charlie, then at Li Changfeng, and suddenly spoke.

Hassan yelled at the top of his lungs, "Hey... friend in the suit, how much did my uncle Amir pay you? Whatever he paid you, I'll pay three times that! No, three times!"

Hassan pulled a crumpled checkbook from his shorts pocket: "If you just stick your head out here right now and give Old Li a good whack to calm him down, we'll call it a day, how about it?"

Charlie's face twitched violently. In his career, he had heard pleas for mercy and curses, but he had never heard such an outrageous offer to pay money to have him shot.

"Black Mamba never raises prices on short notice; that would be a desecration of their profession," Charlie said coldly.

He refocused his attention on Su Ming.

"You've been performing ridiculous tricks all day," Charlie said, a murderous glint in his eyes. "Now, the tricks are over."

Charlie was about to pull the trigger with his index finger.

Su Ming moved at that very moment.

Instead of retreating, he stepped forward to face the gun barrel. His toes hooked onto a Persian carpet beneath him, and he yanked it up forcefully.

The carpet was rolled up.

With his view obstructed, Charlie pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two bullets hit the carpet, sending wood chips flying.

Su Ming had already slid close to the ground, his left hand precisely gripping Charlie's right wrist, which was holding the gun, and shoving it upwards. Charlie fired again with his right hand, the bullet hitting the crystal chandelier on the ceiling.

Su Ming's right hand followed closely behind, making a horizontal cut upwards along Charlie's elbow joint.

Charlie felt a tingling or numbness in his arm.

Su Ming seized one of the pistols and twisted the protective ring with his finger.

The silver pistol spun in Su Ming's hand before he swung it at Charlie's other hand.

The two guns clashed, producing a crisp, piercing metallic clang.

Charlie dropped both of his pistols.

Before he could react, Li Changfeng's shotgun barrel was pressed against the back of Charlie's head.

"Don't move," Li Changfeng said ruthlessly.

Charlie froze on the spot, his hands slowly rising after a brief pause.

There was no fear in his eyes, only a manic rage from being utterly enraged.

"If you've got guts, don't hide behind the veterans!" His gaze went past the gun barrel and fixed on Su Ming, his eyes filled with barely suppressed anger and resentment.

"All you ever do is resort to these underhanded tricks!" He peered over the gun barrel, glaring at Su Ming. "I won't use a gun, and you shouldn't use your bottles and cans. I'll use my fists, and I'm going to smash your head into this floor with my own hands!"

"Charlie, I know the Black Mamba's rules." Li Changfeng's tone was cold. "Take the money, do the job, and retreat if you fail. You've gone too far today. Take your men and get out of Hainan Island, and I can pretend I never saw you."

"Li, the rules have changed." Charlie turned his head and stared intently at Su Ming. "This kid humiliated Black Mamba. The greasy deck, the leaky lawn, and the strawberry-scented sunscreen... If this gets out, my commission will be cut in half, and my reputation will rot in the gutter."

Charlie stared intently at Su Ming, his eyes fierce and filled with resentment: "I admit defeat with your little tricks. But if you've got the guts, don't rely on a veteran's gun. Let's have a real fight."

Just then, a strange noise came from the doorway.

"Clang!"

The door frame was smashed open.

Iron Hammer, dragging his still trembling left leg, squeezed in while holding onto the wall.

He looks amazing right now.

He trembled all over, his hair stood on end, and his lips were a dark purple. His eyes were filled with resentment and venom as they swept across the living room, finally settling on Su Ming.

"Boss... kill... kill him!" Iron Hammer's tongue seemed to be tied in knots, each word struggling to escape from between his teeth.

He loosened the door frame, reached his right hand to the side, and grabbed a solid wood dining chair next to the dining table.

The solid wood chair was extremely heavy. Iron Hammer dragged it over with one hand.

Li Changfeng's brow twitched. "Dismantling furniture here? Did you ask the landlord?"

Upon hearing the voices of his men behind him, Charlie could no longer contain his suppressed rage.

He turned and roared at Hammer, "Go back to the lawn and dance your street dance! You have no right to speak here!"

Iron Hammer shrank his neck, twitched again, and leaned against the wall in the entryway, too afraid to move.

Charlie looked at Su Ming again, his eyes hardening: "Give me a chance. If we lose, Black Mamba withdraws from Hainan Island. If I win, I only want Hassan."

Su Ming glanced at Charlie, then at Li Changfeng.

Su Ming calmly said, "Rubber bullets cost money, and we also have to consider follow-up shots. How about I do it for you? I won't charge you a penny, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

"Nonsense!" Li Changfeng suddenly raised his voice, his eyes sharp. "This is a battlefield, not a fighting arena!"

Charlie stared intently at Su Ming, a glint of obsessive confidence in his eyes. "In close combat, the Black Mamba has never lost. Your little tricks are useless here. I'll show you that before absolute power, all techniques are just fancy tricks."

Charlie began unbuttoning his suit jacket, casually tossing the expensive custom-made suit on the ground.

"Guns are a long-range art." Charlie stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, loosened his shirt collar, and said, "Close combat is a man's badge of honor."

Su Ming looked at him, then at Li Changfeng, his face full of sincerity.

"Brother Li, let him lose decisively. Otherwise, if he keeps dwelling on it, it could lead to depression and other problems."

Li Changfeng frowned, scrutinizing Su Ming's calm expression, a composure that left him somewhat bewildered. In the end, he lowered the gun, but did not completely lower it.

"Fine," he said in a deep voice, taking a step back. "You have one minute. After one minute, whatever the outcome, I will shoot."

Charlie stared coldly at Su Ming, his eyes radiating absolute confidence.

"Come on!" Charlie growled.

He stood with his legs naturally apart, his center of gravity lowered, assuming a standard fighting stance.

He finally stepped into the field he was best at.