The setting sun's afterglow slanted across the brick walls of Chinatown, painting the narrow alleyways an orange-red.
The air was filled with the aroma of roast duck and stir-fries, and pedestrians came and went in a constant stream, yet no one noticed the deadly confrontation about to erupt in the shadows.
Teddy leaned against a delivery truck parked by the roadside, his rubber-gloved hand gently tightening the MP443 "Raven" suppressor. The subtle sound of metal threads engaging was drowned out by the clamor of street-side restaurants.
He took a deep breath, then observed the alley entrance opposite him through the truck's rearview mirror. Zhang Jie had been standing there just moments ago, the hem of his black trench coat fluttering in the wind, his right hand naturally hanging by his side, as if he were just an ordinary person waiting for a friend.
But now, it was empty.
Teddy narrowed his eyes, slowly exhaling a turbid breath.
"He runs fast, doesn't he?"
Zhang Jie didn't run.
He pressed himself against the wall, silently slipping into the back door of a tea shop.
Inside the shop, an old-fashioned ceiling fan creaked as it spun, shelves were filled with celadon tea caddies, and the air was permeated with the fresh scent of Longjing tea. Zhang Jie made a gesture, signaling the old man inside the shop to leave.
The old man nodded, instantly understanding.
His P320 was clutched in his hand, the black barrel of the suppressor almost invisible in the dim light. This was a modified P320, not prone to accidental discharge.
"That guy won't wait too long."
He gently pushed open a wooden window, observing the street through the gap.
Teddy was still hiding behind the truck, but his posture had changed; his shoulders were slightly lowered, his center of gravity shifted forward—a sign he was preparing to advance.
Chinatown also had patrol officers, so he needed to end the fight as quickly as possible.
Teddy moved.
He suddenly darted out from behind the truck, the MP443 held level, its muzzle pointed at the tea shop's entrance.
But just as he pulled the trigger, a roof tile smashed down from above, shattering at his feet.
"Feint?"
Teddy's Pistol instinctively tilted upwards, but Zhang Jie's figure did not appear on the rooftop. The next second, he felt a chill on the back of his neck.
Zhang Jie had somehow circled behind him, his P320 just about to press against his spine.
"You lose."
However, a cold smirk played on Teddy's lips.
"Oh really?"
His left hand suddenly drew a glock 19 from his waist. Before the barrel was fully raised, Zhang Jie's knee brutally slammed into his wrist.
The Pistol flew out of his hand, hitting a roadside trash can with a dull thud.
Because the two were fighting at the mouth of an alley, and there was a car blocking the view from outside, they weren't discovered. Pedestrians still didn't turn their heads.
Teddy used the momentum to roll, his MP443 once again pointing at Zhang Jie, but the latter had already dodged behind a utility pole.
A bullet shattered the wooden utility pole, sending splinters flying.
Zhang Jie didn't return fire. Instead, he pulled a coin from his pocket and lightly tossed it towards the alley entrance.
The coin landed with a "clink," instinctively drawing Teddy's gaze for a moment.
Zhang Jie's bullets had arrived.
The first grazed Teddy's right shoulder, the second brushed his cheek, and the third he barely dodged, embedding itself in the brick wall behind him.
Teddy grunted, blood seeping from his shoulder, but his eyes remained cold.
"Damn it! He's more troublesome than I thought."
Teddy took half a step back, his MP443 quickly firing again.
He wanted to force Zhang Jie out, but Zhang Jie held his ground, waiting for the instant his bullets ran out.
Zhang Jie immediately darted out, giving Teddy no chance to reload, and unleashed a fierce kick.
Teddy dodged, but Zhang Jie was already close, delivering an elbow strike to Teddy's throat.
Teddy barely blocked it, but was then hit in the abdomen by Zhang Jie's follow-up knee strike, staggering backward.
His back hit the display window of an antique shop, the sound of shattering glass finally drawing gasps from a few passersby.
"Damn it!"
Teddy knew he couldn't drag this out any longer.
He abruptly ripped a bronze incense burner from the display window and hurled it at Zhang Jie's head. Zhang Jie dodged sideways, and the incense burner smashed onto the pavement, emitting a deafening metallic clang.
Pedestrians began to stir, some pulling out their phones, seemingly to call the police.
Teddy seized the opportunity to rush towards the end of the alley, but Zhang Jie was faster.
He pounced just as Teddy was about to turn into another alley, tackling him to the ground.
The two rolled on the cobblestones, the MP-443 and P320 both flying from their hands and sliding towards a gutter.
Teddy's rubber-gloved hand clawed at Zhang Jie's throat. Zhang Jie sharply turned his head, and the glove grazed his collar.
He retaliated with a headbutt, and Teddy's nose instantly broke, blood gushing out.
But in his agony, Teddy's left hand reached for his boot.
A dagger silently slid from its sheath.
Zhang Jie's reaction was even quicker.
His right hand clamped down on Teddy's wrist, while his left hand, like a knife, chopped fiercely at Teddy's Adam's apple.
Teddy's breathing suddenly hitched, and the dagger fell from his hand.
Zhang Jie swiftly picked up the dagger, its blade pressing against Teddy's carotid artery.
"It's over."
Teddy's pupils widened slightly, but the smile on his lips didn't fade.
"Are you sure?"
In an instant, a sense of danger surged. Zhang Jie rolled over, immediately dodging.
Sure enough, the other hand of this guy also held a dagger. If he had been a moment slower just now, that dagger would have probably pierced his heart.
"Damn it, you're really troublesome."
Zhang Jie spat.
However, soon the siren sounded, approaching the area from a distance.
Zhang Jie paused, then glanced at his P320 which had fallen by the gutter. He rolled over, picked it up, and then ran into the alley.
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from Teddy's sight, while Teddy slowly put away his dagger and picked up his Pistol.
Then he took out a bottle of potion from his pocket and sprayed it a few times on the bloodstains on the floor. The bloodstains instantly turned into foam at a visible speed. Afterwards, he took out a handkerchief, wiped the ground, and put the handkerchief back into his pocket.
He retreated to the alley entrance, looked left and right, then calmly walked away to the right.
When the police arrived, they saw nothing.
Of course, the passersby who called the police couldn't possibly linger there, as their lives were important.
They surveyed the scene, confirming that there had indeed been a fight, but no bloodstains were visible.
The two patrol officers could only report the situation via walkie-talkie before leaving. Of course, they also didn't want to encounter any incidents during their patrol. Who wouldn't want a leisurely and easy holiday?
Especially for Chinatown, there was no easier or more pleasant job than patrolling here.
It is well known that Chinese are the safest people in the world.
When their patrol officers encountered Chinese causing trouble, they wouldn't even need to draw their Pistols; they would cooperate obediently.
As the patrol officers left, upstairs above the alley, a person silently watched the two leave, but he didn't make a sound.
A young man standing beside him asked curiously, "Dad, why didn't we call the police?"
"Xiao Tian, you must remember, the police can only solve a small fraction of trivial matters, but for most things, they are powerless to resolve them, especially those two guys who were just fighting."
The man said earnestly to the young man beside him, "When you understand what I mean by this, you will truly have grown up."
"Oh, and the gang has something tonight, so you'll eat dinner at home by yourself."
After speaking, the man turned and went back into the living room, grabbed the clothes hanging on the wall, and opened the door to leave.
As the door closed, only the young man remained standing on the balcony, staring blankly at the place where the fight had just occurred.
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