Chapter 35: The Gunfight at the Gas Station (Please Keep Following)

Both men in the sedan stepped out, joined by the lookout from earlier, making three black men in total, each keeping their hands concealed in their clothing as they strode toward the toll station.

Ao Xi noticed that the criminal markers above their heads were all red, which struck him as peculiar. He thought for a moment, then adjusted the dashcam to aim toward the toll station.

He slipped on his rigid bulletproof vest, remained seated in the car, and kept a close eye on their movements. His left hand pulled the door open, ready to exit at any moment.

The three men approached the toll station slowly. At that moment, another group of three men emerged from the station, laughing and carrying bottles and cigarettes, heading toward their car.

The lookout pointed and declared, "That's him!"

Without another word, the other two drew handguns from their clothing and raised them, firing instantly.

Gunshots rang out in rapid succession.

The hail of bullets brought one man down immediately, and the gas station suffered as well—glass, walls, and fuel pumps all took hits.

One had to admit, starting a shootout at a gas station was audacious in the extreme.

The fallen man's companions showed no loyalty; they ducked their heads and sprinted into the toll station building, not sparing him a single glance.

These two weren't pushovers either. Once inside, they pulled out their own handguns and returned fire, escalating the chaos—gunshots thundering, shards of glass flying everywhere.

Inside the toll station, the clerks screamed. Outside, customers abandoned their cars and fled on foot. Those who had just finished refueling and were resting jumped back into their vehicles and sped off, likely never to loiter at a gas station again.

Ao Xi crouched low in his car, reporting via radio, "A firefight has erupted at the gas station on Fernandez Street. Two groups, six individuals, are exchanging gunfire. One man is already down. Request immediate backup."

He drew his weapon and exited the car, using the door as a shield. Only the front door panels of the patrol car were bulletproof, including the windshield; the glass in the front doors was not. He shouted toward the combatants, "Los Angeles County Police! I order you to cease fire immediately, put your weapons on the ground, and surrender with your hands up!"

The response was a pair of shots that shattered his car window, forcing Ao Xi to duck.

Fine, he thought. He checked the body camera on his chest—everything was recorded, the procedure had been followed. It was time to act.

Ao Xi sprang up and fired at the nearest man. Three shots brought him down. So you dared to shoot at my car window—whether or not it was actually you, the red marker above your head means there's no need to worry about hitting the wrong target.

If he was a third party, he wouldn't be innocent either; no one with a red name is.

Seeing one of their own fall, the remaining two quickly turned their guns on Ao Xi, firing relentlessly. The barrage of bullets pinned him behind the car; the vehicle was riddled with holes. Luckily, it was a police car—if it were his own, he'd be heartbroken.

[Ding! Host has completed a kill. Cash reward: $100. Rewarded skill: Quick Aim Level 1.

Skill Description: Normally, a person can identify a target in a third to a tenth of a second, and complete the aiming preparation in half to a fifth of a second, firing the first shot within that time. The Quick Aim skill is designed to break past these limits, enabling you to point your gun at the target faster and more accurately, bringing him down.]

Just when he needed it, the skill appeared. Crouching, Ao Xi moved to the front of the car, waiting for the gunfire to ease. He quickly peeked out and aimed. Previously, he'd have to search for the target before raising his gun, but now, with the skill, his eyes swept the scene and immediately spotted the man hiding behind the fuel pump—his body concealed, but his feet sticking out. Ao Xi's hand moved instantly, firing in rapid succession, then ducking back; the whole process was quick—a single peek, shots fired, and retreat. The man fell.

The lower half of the fuel pump housed the fuel tank, posing some risk if hit. Targeting the upper half, which was just a computer and display, was safer—no important components, zero bullet resistance.

[Ding! Host has completed a kill. Cash reward: $100. Rewarded skill: Quick Shot Level 1.

Skill Description: To cope with complex battlefield environments and eliminate enemies quickly and precisely, military and police units worldwide have developed rapid and accurate combat shooting techniques—instinctive shooting, reactive shooting, and assault shooting methods. This skill is a synthesized version, tailored for the host.]

This skill wasn’t as straightforward as Quick Aim. Ao Xi ran a quick simulation in his mind and realized: this was the Mozambique Drill that John Wick used in "John Wick" during his battles with assassins.

Quick Shot meant shooting faster than your enemy, not just practicing speed at a range. It was especially useful for encounters.

Ao Xi felt invigorated—killing and chaos really did accelerate leveling up. He could practice these skills privately, but without extensive training, he'd never master them. Now, after just a few minutes, he was transformed.

Having killed two, the sedan crew was down to one. The two inside the toll station continued firing outward, beset from both sides, under heavy pressure.

The last sedan man gritted his teeth, turned, and ran for the car parked outside the gas station. Ao Xi brought him down with two shots.

Inside the toll station, the two men, though lacking loyalty, were not lacking in courage. Seeing all three outside down, they suddenly felt emboldened.

They rushed out, guns blazing, finishing off the man who’d tried to reach the car. Ao Xi watched as the fleeing man took several more shots, twitched twice, and lay still.

Damn! They stole my kill! Is there no justice?

Ao Xi immediately rose, firing three shots at one and two at the other, bringing both men down.

[Ding! Host has completed a kill. Cash reward: $100. Rewarded skill: Danger Sense Level 1.

Skill Description: The sixth sense of a man—forewarned before danger strikes, the system-enhanced version for the host. The system will mark anyone intending to attack the host in red. However, sometimes the host may not see the person—blocked by buildings, or a distant sniper invisible to the eye—but this skill will give the host an instinctive sense to deal with various dangers.]

Well now, two died, but one survived. Quite lucky.

Ao Xi pointed his gun at the survivor and walked over, debating whether to finish him off.

The shrill wail of sirens drew nearer. Ao Xi glanced at his body camera, shrugged, and abandoned the idea, retreating to his patrol car to await backup.

He didn't bother to check on the survivor—who knew if he was a sly bastard, waiting to ambush him.

Seven or eight patrol cars arrived in quick succession, stopping at a distance. Officers used their doors as shields and aimed their guns.

Ao Xi spotted several armed with rifles and cursed inwardly. He raised his badge and shouted, "I’m Ao Xi, Los Angeles County Police! Don’t shoot, I’m one of you—the shooters have all been taken down!"

"Slowly put down your gun, kick it aside, then turn around with your hands up. No sudden movements, buddy, hope you understand," a sergeant called out loudly.

Ao Xi had no objection. They didn’t make him lie down, since at night he’d be hard to see—if he lay prone, he might draw another weapon. Standing and turning his back meant the officers couldn’t know exactly when he approached, making ambush impossible.