Chapter 188: Black Gloves

Lin Jian’s ultimate goal in coming to San Francisco this time was to take Ye Ziqiu away. However, taking her openly and sneaking her away were two entirely different concepts.

He could easily sneak her away if he wanted to. But if he did, even if Ye Ziqiu left with him, she would bear an immense amount of psychological pressure. Furthermore, she would still carry the title of being someone’s fiancée, and the gossip of her eloping with a lowly security guard from the Continent would turn her into a laughingstock. She would spend the rest of her life living under that shadow.

But what if he took her away openly?

If he took her away after the Ye Family announced the cancellation of her engagement, she would be a completely free woman. There would be no shadows haunting the rest of her life, and no burdens weighing heavily on her heart.

That was why Lin Jian chose the most direct method to declare war on Ye Yuanhang. He knew his actions were a bit excessive and went a little too far, but his targets were solely Ye Yuanhang’s underground enterprises, not Rebirth International. Moreover, doing this wouldn’t cripple Ye Yuanhang’s vitality or shake the foundation of the Ye Family. At most, it would just cost Ye Yuanhang some gray income.

San Francisco had many gangs, but the Chinese Association was definitely one of the largest. Their mobilization felt more like a carnival for the Chinese community. From the streets and alleys to the ports, docks, bars, and casinos—everywhere you looked, there were traces of the Chinese.

Soon, the hijacked Chevrolet was found at the docks, but the three targets had vanished without a trace. Orders came down from above to continue the search. Consequently, San Francisco’s Chinatown, along with many other neighborhoods and even the red-light districts, was thrust into an almost sleepless night.

At midnight, two hours after Lin Jian announced his so-called game, he and the little Giant Sha Shun finally appeared in the North District Alley near the port. The moment they showed up, the lookouts guarding the entrance spotted them and immediately reported it.

Upon receiving the news, many members of the Chinese Association rushed toward the North District Alley. However, two members of the "Black Glove" syndicate were also taking a shortcut, sprinting toward the area!

Black Glove was Thomas’s organization, and there were only five core members in it. Thomas was the leader. The reason they were called Black Glove was that whenever they took action, they wore a pair of specially made black gloves. The material of these gloves was extremely unique—heat-resistant, fireproof, and cut-resistant. If stuffed inside their shirts over their chests, the gloves could even act as body armor and block bullets.

Thomas was in his thirties. Being of Caucasian descent, he was naturally blessed with good looks. However, he wasn’t burly or exceptionally strong; he just had the physique of an average white man.

Nevertheless, the Black Glove organization was highly renowned not just in San Francisco, but throughout all of California. Despite this, Thomas had no desire to expand outward, nor did he want to develop his operations in major cities like Washington or New York. He knew very well that while he could thrive and make a killing in San Francisco or California, the same might not hold true elsewhere. Therefore, Thomas was a very smart man.

In the North District Alley, Sha Shun stood by an iron door. It was tightly shut, so Lin Jian grabbed the handle and gave it a push.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!

Gunshots rang out from the staircase inside. However, they didn’t hit Lin Jian or Sha Shun because Sha Shun had stepped to the right side of the door, while Lin Jian had ducked to the left!

Right after the gunshots ceased, Lin Jian darted inside through the iron door! But in the blink of an eye as he darted in, his body had already entered a state of Invisibility.

The gunmen upstairs were extremely nervous. This place wasn’t just their hideout; there was also "merchandise" stored on the upper floor. They had to guard the goods with their lives. If the goods were lost, they would lose their lives too.

CREAK CREAK!

The iron door downstairs rattled incessantly. From the corner of the staircase, the gunmen kept their weapons aimed downward. However, after waiting for quite a while, no further movement came from outside the door.

Right at that moment, one of them suddenly heard the whistling of wind past his ear. Before he could even react, a heavy blow instantly struck the side of his head!

BAM!

He didn’t even have time to cry out before the heavy strike smashed him to the ground. He lay there completely motionless, looking as dead as a doornail.

At the same time, before the other two gunmen could see anything clearly, they were attacked from behind and collapsed to the floor in an instant.

Lin Jian slowly revealed himself.

According to the information Jiang Xue had given him, this alley was a gathering place for junkies. Ye Yuanhang’s Chinese Association conducted their illegal transactions with others right here! However, the intel didn’t provide a specific location or house number, as Jiang Xue’s investigation had its limits.

Therefore, after entering the alley, Lin Jian fully unleashed his Thought and discovered this unmarked hideout. He even saw that a large duffel bag full of white powder was hidden on the second floor.

Coupled with the presence of several Chinese guards here, Lin Jian was certain that these men were likely Ye Yuanhang’s subordinates! Even if they weren’t, he had already decided to burn the place down.

Moments later, the second floor deep within the alley burst into flames, the fire soaring into the sky.

At the exact same time, a pickup truck slowly crawled its way into the alley.