harleyscars Page 117
Page 117
After confirming that there was nothing wrong, he pushed open the iron gate. The iron gate hinges made a piercing "creak" sound, which was particularly abrupt at this moment.
Stepping inside the factory, a wave of dust and musty smell hits you, and the gravel under your feet crunches underfoot.
He walked toward the "training hall" marked on the map. Along the way, the slogans from the textile factory from back then still remained on the walls, but the paint had peeled off, leaving only blurry characters.
“Mr. Hennessy?” A deep voice suddenly came from the shadows. Yuki Takada tensed up instantly, his hand unconsciously reaching for his waist—where a small pistol was hidden, the one the organization had issued to him.
Yuuki Takada looked in the direction from which the sound came.
A man in a black trench coat emerged from the shadows, holding a flashlight in his hand, the beam of which fell on Yuki Takada's face.
The beam of the flashlight pierced the darkness of the factory and shone precisely on Takada Yuuki's face, causing him to squint instinctively.
But Yuki Takada's movements were not slow at all. The moment the other party spoke, his hand, which had reached for his waist, had already gripped the gun handle.
All the muscles in my body subtly tensed up, entering a state of alert.
Chapter 142 Rum's Test
Yuuki Takada squinted, his pupils contracting rapidly in the bright light, but his body moved faster than he thought.
The muscles in his arm, gripping the gun, were tense, and the muzzle was already silently aimed at the silhouette in the shadows.
"Who?" Yuuki Takada asked in a cold voice, as cold as ice.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hennessy. I am Shinichi Kurosawa, your assistant for this training."
Yuki Takada remained vigilant. Although the other party gave his name, his steady gait and the eyes hidden in the shadows indicated that he was not an ordinary member of the organization.
"Prove your identity."
Shinichi Kurosawa chuckled, took out a badge from inside his black clothes with his free left hand, and casually tossed it over.
Yuki Takada caught it with one hand, his fingertips touching the familiar raven pattern, which put him at ease, but he still did not lower the gun.
“Mr. Rum asked me to tell you,” Shinichi Kurosawa said slowly, “that during this training session, we should pay special attention to a man named Bourbon.”
Yuuki Takada's eyes flickered slightly, and he tossed the badge back.
"I know what to do."
Just as the badge swept through the air, Shinichi Kurosawa suddenly moved.
The flashlight was hurled at Takada Yuuki's face, and at the same time, the body pounced like a cheetah, a cold glint flashing in the right hand, a dagger thrusting straight at Takada Yuuki's wrist holding the gun.
Yuki Takada turned his head to avoid the flying flashlight, lowered the muzzle of his gun, and pulled the trigger.
"boom!"
The bullet grazed Shinichi Kurosawa's sleeve, sparking as it hit the concrete.
The shot could have hit its mark, but at the last moment, Yuuki Takada abruptly turned the gun away—he couldn't be sure if the other party was truly someone sent by the organization.
This moment of hesitation gave Shinichi Kurosawa an opportunity.
As the dagger flashed, Yuuki Takada felt a sharp pain in his wrist, and the pistol flew out of his hand, tracing an arc in the darkness before landing in the shadows of a distant machine.
"What are you doing?" Yuuki Takada took a half step back and assumed a fighting stance.
Shinichi Kurosawa didn't answer, but twirled the dagger in his hand and attacked again.
The blade was aimed straight for the throat; the movement was clean and swift, a move designed to kill.
Yuuki Takada dodged the attack by leaning back, then grabbed the opponent's wrist holding the knife with his right hand and struck him in the ribs with his left elbow. Shinichi Kurosawa grunted, but used the momentum to turn around and slammed his left elbow into Yuuki Takada's temple.
The two fought fiercely in the darkness, each strike aimed straight for vital points.
The abandoned factory echoed with the muffled thuds of fists clashing and the sound of rapid breathing.
Yuki Takada is gradually losing ground.
The opponent was clearly professionally trained; every move was precise and ruthless, and he knew exactly where to launch his counterattacks.
What alarmed him even more was that Shinichi Kurosawa's fighting style seemed vaguely familiar.
"Who exactly are you?" Yuuki Takada asked breathlessly, dodging a sweeping attack at the same time.
Shinichi Kurosawa finally stopped his attack, standing a few steps away, slightly out of breath.
"I just want to confirm whether Mr. Hennessy is still the number three person in our organization, as rumored."
Yuuki Takada squinted, trying to make out the other person's face in the dim light.
"Were you sent by Rum to test me?"
“Mr. Rum never fully trusts anyone, you should understand that,” Shinichi Kurosawa said with a hint of sarcasm, “especially when the mission involves Bourbon.”
Before he could finish speaking, Shinichi Kurosawa launched another attack.
This time, Yuki Takada didn't hold back.
When the dagger came at him again, Yuuki Takada neither dodged nor avoided it, letting the blade graz his shoulder, leaving a trail of blood.
At the same time, his right hand gripped Shinichi Kurosawa's wrist, which was holding the knife, like an iron clamp, while his left hand formed a palm and slashed fiercely at the side of the other's neck.
Shinichi Kurosawa winced in pain, and the dagger fell to the ground.
But at almost the same moment, his knee slammed into Yuki Takada's abdomen.
Despite the excruciating pain, Yuuki Takada used the momentum of his forward lean to ram his head into the other person's face.
"Ugh!" Shinichi Kurosawa staggered backward, blood streaming from his nose.
Yuuki Takada pressed his advantage, sweeping his opponent down with a kick, then pinning him down and gripping Shinichi Kurosawa's throat tightly with both hands.
"Tell me, what exactly did Rum send you here for?" Takada Yuuki growled in a low voice, increasing the pressure on his hand.
"Mr. Rum said he wanted me to help you, Mr. Hennessy."
Shinichi Kurosawa managed to utter a sound through his suffocating breath, but a strange smile tugged at the corner of his mouth: "Testing your loyalty and strength."
“...Mr. Rum was worried that you weren’t strong enough... to subdue those guys... so he sent me to test you.”
"I see." Yuuki Takada nodded, and unconsciously reduced the pressure in his hand.
It's important to know that those within the organization have always questioned Hennessy's abilities.
It's no wonder that Rum had arranged for someone to test him beforehand.
"Cough cough..." Shinichi Kurosawa coughed several times, then handed a black folder to Lord Hennessy, saying:
"Inside is a list of training equipment and a schedule. Mr. Rum said that you can arrange the training content yourself, as long as they are able to perform simple tasks within a month."
Takada took the folder, opened it, and glanced at it.
The equipment list included basic combat gear, intelligence gathering equipment, several handguns, and tranquilizers.
The schedule indicates that training will take place every night from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Avoiding daytime crowds—Rum had clearly taken his Metropolitan Police Department a step in and didn't want him to be exposed during training.
"Where are the newcomers?"
Yuuki Takada closed the folder and casually asked:
"They're in the lounge inside; there are eight of them in total, and they've all arrived."
Shinichi Kurosawa pointed to a door deep in the hall. "I've already told them. You'll be in charge of training them from now on."
Yuuki Takada nodded and walked towards the lounge.
The moment the door was opened, the noise inside instantly subsided.
Eight young people sat on a dilapidated bench, some with their heads down, others looking at him curiously.
Most of them were around twenty years old, their faces still showing signs of youthful innocence, but their eyes held something different—a longing, a wariness, and a hint of barely perceptible fear.
"From today onwards, I will be in charge of your training."
Yuuki Takada walked to the center of the room, his gaze sweeping over everyone. His voice was flat, "I don't care what you did before or why you came here. From now on, you only have one identity—members of the organization."
He paused, then continued, "The training consists of three parts: combat skills, intelligence gathering, and loyalty."
"Let me be frank: if your combat skills aren't up to par, you might lose your life on a mission; if your intelligence gathering is flawed, it could endanger the entire team; and if your loyalty isn't up to par..."
Then, Yuki Takada didn't continue speaking, but his eyes turned colder.
The atmosphere in the room instantly became oppressive, and the young people subconsciously straightened their backs, no longer daring to casually look at him.
Chapter 143 Training Newcomers
Yuuki Takada kept a straight face as he slowly scanned the eight young and unfamiliar faces in front of him.
Some of them had shifty eyes, trying to avoid his scrutiny.
Some people tried to appear calm, but their clenched fists betrayed their inner tension.
There were also a few whose eyes held a numbness born of being driven to the brink of despair by life, and... a naked desire for power or money.
Finally, Yuki Takada's gaze settled on a person in the corner.
The man had dark skin and short, light-gold hair; even in the dim light, his striking appearance was undeniable.
He leaned casually against the wall, but his gaze was more composed than anyone else's, even carrying a hint of scrutiny as he looked back at Takada Yuuki.
snort!
Good heavens—Bourbon!
Sure enough it was him.
I didn't go looking for you, but you came to me on your own.
Yuuki Takada sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, giving him only a casual glance without lingering on him for long.
"Training begins tonight."
Yuki Takada's voice broke the silence, creating a slight echo in the empty factory.
"First lesson: Understand your situation and environment. This is not a place for you to play around, nor is it a place for your usual frivolous pursuits. Failure means elimination. And here, the price of elimination may be too high for you to bear."
"After all, elimination means your death."
Then, Yuuki Takada glanced at Shinichi Kurosawa and gestured, "Take them to the equipment room and get their basic equipment."