North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 529 - 309 Embarking the Ship_2

He wanted to beg for mercy, but he couldn't even open his mouth. He wanted to struggle, but no matter how wildly he kicked and thrashed, even attempting to leverage himself off that arm as strong as steel, he couldn't draw a single breath of fresh air.

In the face of such overwhelming force, all his struggles were like a child throwing a tantrum before an adult—utterly futile, only deepening his despair.

Cheston En, standing beside him, was dumbfounded.

He knew Dean was formidable.

But this was a full-grown man! A man who weighed at least a hundred catties!

How could a normal person, as if picking up a chick, lift a full-grown man weighing at least a hundred catties off the ground with one hand, holding him by the neck in mid-air?

But whether Cheston En believed it or not, all of this was happening right before his eyes.

As the feeling of suffocation intensified, the young man's eyes bulged uncontrollably, like those of a dead goldfish starved of oxygen in a bathtub. As the pressure of his impending death mounted, bodily fluids gushed out, tainting the salty, moist air with an odious stench.

Dean had a keen sense of smell. Detecting the stench, he disdainfully released his grip, throwing the young man to the ground. "You have one minute. Give me a reason not to kill you!"

"HUFF! HUFF!"

The young man clutched his neck with both hands, kneeling on the ground and gasping for air. Just as he was about to beg for mercy, a fit of coughs seized him. Stomach acid refluxed, spraying from his throat and nostrils, leaving him utterly humiliated.

But the young man couldn't care less. He wiped his sour, stinking mouth and said in a hoarse voice, "My parents are dead. I only have a sister... she's just five years old."

"A five-year-old sister, and you're her only brother. It would be quite pitiful if you died," Dean said, nodding and acknowledging this with a smile.

Seeing the smile on Dean's face, the young man's taut heart finally eased a bit. It seemed... he might survive.

"But what does that have to do with us?" Dean's face still wore a gentle smile, but his words were utterly indifferent. "You have thirty seconds left."

"I really don't know anything!" the young man cried, his voice laced with terror.

"Twenty seconds."

"I have money! I've saved up over a hundred thousand for college! Just..."

"Ten seconds."

"AAAAH!"

The young man was on the verge of madness. Under the threat of death, his brain raced, frantically searching for anything of value he could offer. Just as that devilishly handsome man reached out with that hand of death again, a nearly forgotten piece of information surfaced from the depths of his memory.

With unprecedented speed, he shouted, "Half a year! Half a year ago, another group of people went out to sea just like this!"

Dean's outstretched hand halted mid-air and then slowly retracted. "Go on."

The young man was already limp with fear. After gasping for several seconds, he regained the strength to speak, his voice hoarse. "My cousin... when we were drinking, he told me something. Half a year ago, he hosted a group of terrifying-looking guys. After that, they just... disappeared."

Half a year ago...

Dean suddenly recalled a case he had fumbled: the Miniature Model Murders. That perpetrator had vanished without a trace around that time.

Could he have been brought here?

Seeing Dean motionless, the twenty-something-year-old burst into tears. "I'm telling the truth! The website where I get jobs—my cousin introduced me to it! Everything I said is true! Please, don't kill me, I beg you..."

He was hysterical, endlessly pleading for mercy.

It wasn't until the sea breeze blew over him, chilling his drenched body to the bone, that he shuddered involuntarily. Looking up, he realized the figures before him were gone.

He remained stupefied for a long moment before scrambling to his feet and fleeing towards the town.

「...」

Following the path, Dean and Cheston En continued forward. Cheston En remained silent all the way.

Dean took a wet wipe from his pocket and, while wiping his palms, said coolly, "What's wrong? Did I scare you?"

Cheston En quickly shook his head, forcing a sycophantic smile. "Boss, you misunderstand. I'm just starting to worry about those poor sods who cross you."

Cheston En genuinely felt that Dean being a detective was a waste of talent. With such ruthless ferocity, if he went undercover and didn't restrain himself, he'd probably kill the boss and take over within days.

Following someone like this... it actually feels incredibly secure.

Thinking of this, Cheston En subconsciously edged a bit closer to Dean.

They continued walking for about ten more minutes.

Dean and Cheston En arrived at a beach beneath a cliff. It was strewn with rocks, and the distant tide continuously lashed the cliff walls, creating a rushing sound. In an inconspicuous spot, a flickering orange oil lamp illuminated an old man warming himself by a fire.

Hearing their approach, the old man gave Dean and Cheston En a dispassionate glance as they descended from the path above. He beckoned them over with a wave of his hand.

Dean glanced at his watch: 19:28.

Two minutes until 7:30 PM.

「...」

The sea breeze howled.

Only upon getting closer did they realize the old man was disabled. He was missing his right lower leg, which had been replaced with a somewhat menacing black prosthesis. He huddled among the stones, seeking shelter from the biting sea breeze.

Dean, with Cheston En in tow, stopped a few meters away and said, "Lucifer Game Organization?"

The old man didn't answer. He scrutinized Dean and Cheston En carefully, as if confirming their identities. After a moment, he tossed them a package, saying, "To ensure fairness in the game, players are not allowed to bring any items into the game area. If you have weapons, food, positioning devices, or anything else, discard them now and change into the game clothing. That won't be considered a violation."

Dean ignored him. He picked up the package and found a grey, numbered garment inside.

After checking it and finding no issues, he began to undress immediately.

Seeing this, Cheston En didn't ask any questions and followed Dean's lead, also starting to undress.

Once they had changed, the old man wasted no more words. He took out a flashlight from beneath him and flashed it several times towards the dark sea. A moment later, lights twinkled back from the darkness in response.

"Let's go."

The old man slowly got up, picked up the flashlight, and walked towards the dark waters.

Dean and Cheston En followed closely.

Under the dim light, they finally made out a small speedboat, not very large, undulating on the sea's surface with the rise and fall of the tide.

The old man boarded first, with Dean and Cheston En following him onto the speedboat.

Onboard, there was only one other person: a masked man at the helm.

As Dean stepped onto the boat, his peripheral vision caught the masked man's gaze from beneath the mask.

The man stood ramrod straight, his gaze dispassionate. He exuded a strong military air. The kind of elite who had killed before! 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Once they were seated, the masked man moved his arm and pressed a button. The speedboat's engine roared to life, and in the darkness, it cut through the waves, heading into the deep, black ocean.

Dean noticed that the masked man at the helm never once touched the steering wheel.

This thing is on autopilot.

「...」

After an indeterminate amount of time, a point of light appeared in their field of vision. As they drew closer, they realized it was a cruise ship moored in the middle of the ocean.

The cruise ship wasn't very large. By standard classification, it was a mid-sized vessel, about forty feet long.

When Dean and Cheston En arrived, another speedboat was just being hoisted up by ropes and secured to the side of the ship. Clearly, a group had been brought aboard before them.

As their speedboat approached the cruise ship, it automatically slowed down. A flashing red light lit up around its perimeter. Amidst a faint hum, the speedboat, defying the ocean's sway, was drawn to a traction device on the cruise ship's side as if pulled by a magnet.

Dean was inwardly astounded. The technology in this unassuming speedboat is truly extraordinary!

Just as they were preparing to board the cruise ship, a series of sharp cracks echoed from above.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Violent gunfire erupted from the cruise ship.

Faced with this sudden development, the masked man and the old man on the speedboat remained expressionless, utterly unfazed.

The next moment, three bloodied bodies flew over Dean and Cheston En's heads, tracing a gory parabola before crashing heavily into the sea, swallowed by the dark, profound depths...

"Why are there always fools who insist on challenging the game's rules?" the old man grinned at Dean and Cheston En. "Go on up!"