Mercenary's War

Leave aside whether the big situation is getting better or worse; the pressing issue right now is how to get past Luca.

"If we can get through smoothly as we are now, that’d be fine. But if we can’t..."

Gao Yang said with a worried face, then Justin didn’t hesitate and said, "It’ll be a disaster. Think about how to escape Italy."

Gao Yang pulled back the slide on the handgun, placed it under his leg, and whispered, "Do you think the police have noticed us? Can we still turn around in time?"

Justin moved forward a bit with the car in front, then whispered, "Not sure if they’ve noticed us, but I want to try, test what the current situation is."

Gao Yang exhaled and said, "Alright, give it a try. Just out of curiosity, how good are your driving skills?"

Justin said confidently, "Even though I’m an illegitimate child, I’m still a member of the Cicero Family. Do you think someone like me, who grew up with endless money, wouldn’t have a hobby befitting my status?"

Gao Yang whistled and said, "So, your hobby is cars? Or should I say racing?"

Justin said confidently, "You got it right."

Gao Yang glanced at Justin’s steering wheel and frowned, "But the car we hijacked is a Fiat Palio with a 1.5 liter engine, and it looks nearly ten years old. Are you sure you want to indulge your racing hobby with such a small beater car?"

Justin smiled slightly and said, "I have a racing license. Also, even if I’m driving a 2007 Palio, I can still leave you in the dust in Rome City Center. No matter what car you’re driving, believe it or not?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Gao Yang whistled lightly and said, "I don’t buy it. I’ve also studied specialized driving techniques in-depth. Although I’m not a car enthusiast, if I were to drive a Ferrari, do you think you could shake me off?"

Justin got serious and said, "I think we could try it. Really, if I ever have the chance to reclaim the throne, I could have the streets closed off at night for a proper race. Do you want to make a bet with me?"

Gao Yang said disdainfully, "Let’s solve the current predicament first. Also, you need to close off streets to race? You’re too weak."

Justin exhaled and said, "I’m worried about you, buddy. It’s almost our turn. Are you ready to shoot?"

As the car in front slowly moved forward in the traffic, it was almost their turn at the checkpoint. Gao Yang was a bit troubled and said, "Honestly, I don’t really want to shoot. Mostly, I’m scared. Do you want to be chased by all the police in Rome? I don’t want to. My experience tells me not to easily cross ******** institutions; it ends badly."

Justin stopped talking. He drove up to the police officer and rolled down the window.

There were no barricades, just two police cars parked on the roadside, then five or six officers on the two-lane road, glancing at each passing vehicle. They were just regular traffic cops, not many in number, and certainly not masked SWAT officers with submachine guns.

A policeman leaned over and looked at Justin, then glanced at Gao Yang, then said, "Please show your driver’s license, sir."

Justin immediately reached towards the glove compartment, then froze, and said in an embarrassed tone, "Sorry, I switched cars and forgot my license."

The officer seemed to frown in thought for a moment, then leaned back, looked at Justin again, then at Gao Yang, and abruptly left the window, pointing to an empty space behind the police car on the roadside, "Please pull over there for further inspection."

Gao Yang had been observing the situation. When he saw a policeman eyeing him twice, then looking at a small screen like a tablet, and then turning to say a few words into a walkie-talkie, visibly nervous, he sighed and said, "Buddy, I’ve got a bad feeling."

Justin drove the car in the direction indicated by the police, sighed softly, and said, "Traffic cops aren’t something the Cicero Family can control. Do you get motion sickness?"

"Not really...no!"

Justin suddenly floored the accelerator, but he was still pressing the brake and clutch. After suddenly revving the engine, indicating to the officer directing traffic in front of the car that he was about to speed away, sure enough, the officer instinctively jumped aside.

With a whoosh, the little car shot out.

Although the engine was underpowered, Justin indeed executed a textbook launch sequence, and the small, cheap hatchback shot forward, causing Gao Yang to nearly bite his tongue.

Gao Yang immediately grabbed the gun in his left hand and the door handle with his right.

"According to you Americans’ habits, yay!"

Gao Yang shouted, "I’m not American!"

Justin shifted gears with a click, shouting, "Exciting, isn’t it?"

Watching the rapidly enlarging car tail ahead, Gao Yang shouted, "Just drive!"

"The trap you set, using Fatino as bait last time, led to him unable to use the police force anymore. But now he can again. This situation isn’t good, buddy!"

Gao Yang screamed, "Just drive!"

Justin jerked the steering wheel sharply to the left, taking a sharp turn, shouting, "They’re chasing us, but not in police cars. They’re chasing us in three private cars. What does that tell you? Use your brain."

Gao Yang said angrily, "I know what that means. Just shut up and drive; we can talk about this later."

Justin laughed heartily, downshifted a gear, and shouted, "Eat my dust, losers!"

The near-death experience transformed Justin from the withdrawn person he was before, no longer silent and sullen. He regained the talkative, cheerful, and optimistic personality Gao Yang remembered, and now, with his hands on the steering wheel racing against others, he became even more furious.

The car wasn’t great, but the driver was definitely a professional.

"The engine loses power at four thousand three hundred RPM, garbage!"

Justin glanced in the rearview mirror and shouted, "A BMW M5, an Audi RS6, a Maserati Quattroporte. Nice cars, RS6 is great, you know?"

Gao Yang said repeatedly, "I know, I know, I know. Can you concentrate a bit more?"

Justin suddenly released the steering wheel, slapped it hard, and shouted, "Aha!"

When Justin grabbed the steering wheel again and made a sharp turn, he shouted, "Watch this, I’m going to make the car behind us flip."

Gao Yang couldn’t help but glance back, then said, "I believe you."

Justin shouted, "Your expression says you don’t. Watch this!"

The car slowed down again, and Justin pulled the handbrake, executing a drift with the front-wheel-drive car, charging straight into a narrow alley.

Gao Yang shouted, "You’re showing off your driving skills, this isn’t the time to show off! Also, you shouldn’t be drifting; drifting isn’t faster than direct cornering!"

Justin glanced in the rearview mirror with a sigh of regret, saying, "It didn’t flip, just crashed."

Gao Yang sighed deeply, muttering to himself, "So everyone I know isn’t normal, huh?"