He taught him many things. This quiet and taciturn guy was also a good student, especially his talent in tactics and close combat was truly astonishing. Perhaps his biggest flaw was his lack of a broader perspective, and his temperament was a bit too ruthless, wasn’t it?

Letting someone like this leave the army was definitely a huge loss for the unit. Back when David Carter was transferring out of the military, he had brought this up to the commanders. Once this person left the army, he would pose a significant security risk to the local area. They wanted to keep David Carter in the unit, but nowadays, there’s a shortage of everything except people. Plus, he himself was determined to leave, so in the end, David Carter still transferred back to the local area.

But he was wrong. David Carter found a job as a traffic cop in City C, and worked there for two years, quietly and without drawing attention, regularly reporting his whereabouts to the army, never causing any trouble. In fact, it was he himself who brought David Carter here, which made him feel a bit guilty.

But in William Smith’s mind, David Carter was the best candidate among these people—unmarried, not an active-duty officer, much freer in his actions. Still, he hesitated. If you gave someone like this an order, he could stir up a bloody storm in the city. No one could predict how big things would get, or how many people might die. Should he let Tiger do it instead? No, Tiger was impulsive and reckless. He was great at charging ahead, but for something like this, he’d probably make a complete mess of things.

“Shitou…”

“Captain, say no more.” David Carter grabbed the documents on the table. He didn’t want to see someone like the captain in this state—it made him feel heartache, and a bit awkward. “Have Brian Foster arrange a position for me. I want to get into the city bureau. Four months—I need four months to prepare. No need to get me a gun, but get me a car, one with a trunk. City maps, topographical maps of the area around S City—I need military-grade ones. Get me a GPS system, too. Ten small trackers and signal receivers. Also, all the files on anyone in the bureau who might be connected to this case, including their hobbies, where they frequent, and any suspicious contacts. Prepare a place for me to stay—not too big, but it must have a basement…

That’s all for now. Oh, and get me money—the more the better, but at least a hundred thousand. Also, I don’t trust that kid Brian Foster. Captain, you’d better keep an eye on him. Today, we never met, and I never came to S City. You handle the regular reports to the army.

Let’s be clear: if I hear even a hint of trouble, or sense anything off, don’t blame me for being ruthless. I’ll leave S City immediately. You all have families and careers. I’m a loner. I’ll come looking for each of you.

Call me when everything’s ready. After that, don’t contact me again.”

After saying this, David Carter picked up the documents and turned to leave the private room. Maybe this was the last time he’d see them. Exiting the small tavern, David Carter glanced coldly over his shoulder, then quickly disappeared into the crowd on the street.

Chapter 0003: Blood-Red City

Three months later.

David Carter was renting a sixty-square-meter two-bedroom apartment. It wasn’t far from the city bureau. The reason he chose this place was because of its convenient transportation and easy access in all directions. There’s also the principle of “darkness under the lamp.”

Now, David Carter was just an ordinary officer in the city bureau’s criminal investigation division. The forged file said this thirty-eight-year-old officer had worked his way up to the city bureau step by step, with no strong background, a high school education, no parents, unmarried, a simple background—nothing about him stood out. The only reason he got into the city bureau was a stroke of luck: the criminal investigation division needed more people, and a leader in the personnel department casually picked him, so this grassroots officer started working at the city bureau.

He could do anything, never complained, though he was a bit eccentric and withdrawn, not very talkative, and not close to anyone. But he didn’t fight for credit, didn’t meddle, and never spoke carelessly. Whatever you told him to do, he did. So, with such a good workhorse joining the division, the officers in the criminal investigation division were very pleased.

David Carter slowly opened the basement door. Compared to his simply furnished apartment, the basement could only be described as luxurious. The entire place was decorated with nano soundproofing materials. In the center of the basement was a large rectangular table, with several chairs beside it. The floor was a bit shabby—just ordinary marble tiles. Nowadays, people generally don’t use this stuff in their homes anymore because of the radiation. Most importantly, there were two hidden doors leading to the city’s underground pipe system. One could be used for escape, and the other, well, some trash could be dumped directly into the underground water circulation system—no one would ever know.

At this moment, a living person was tied to a chair in the basement—a man in his forties. This guy was called “Feather.” Maybe he’d watched too many Hong Kong gangster movies, so he picked such a strange nickname. His real name was George White. People born in the sixties all seemed to have such “red and revolutionary” names.