Chapter 6112

At this moment, four speedboats sped across the dark sea. The lights of White Horse Island shone like guiding beacons, drawing the speedboats directly toward it. The masked men in black, armed and ready, bore a striking resemblance to those who had previously assassinated An’s family in New York. Each was outfitted in matching uniforms and equipment, exhibiting strict organizational discipline. Except for the driver navigating the speedboat, all the others crouched in the cabin, holding onto the handrail with one hand and gripping their assault rifles with the other, their eyes fixed intently ahead. They were about one nautical mile from the entrance of the C-shaped bay off White Horse Island. In one of the speedboats, a man in black spoke into the intercom, instructing, "All boats, slow down and switch off the engines!" The four speedboats instantly cut their throttles, and their speed dropped sharply. With the engines silenced, the men in black swiftly retrieved carbon fiber oars from beneath their feet, rowing in perfect sync on both sides of the hull. Although their pace was now slow, the absence of engine noise rendered them nearly silent, as the sound of the oars slicing through the water was drowned out by the waves crashing around them. The duty staff on the island remained oblivious to any sound or sight. These four speedboats approached White Horse Island stealthily, like phantoms gliding over the water. Little did they know that these forty men in black had long been under Charlie's observation. At that moment, Charlie sensed that these men in black were highly trained and might actually be the dead soldiers from the Warriors Den. Yet, he found it unreasonable for these elite soldiers to be sent to this location. If they were after him, it meant he had compromised his identity and location. If Morgana had learned of his true identity, she would not merely send dead soldiers to eliminate him; she would certainly send one of the Three Elders, or perhaps even all three. So, what was the origin of these men in black? As he pondered this, the four speedboats had quietly entered the bay. During the day, vessels from White Horse Island would block the access points, but as night fell, ships that had come for entertainment slowly departed, leaving the boats from White Horse Island to dock. Once they were in, the leader communicated over the intercom: "Tonight, most people on the island are attending parties. Our target should be present. Once we land, our first task is to eliminate all personnel near the docks. The second is to encircle the sea view bar where the party is held, ensuring no one escapes. After we handle the target, we will evacuate quickly under my command. Is that understood?" The men in black responded in unison through their radios: "Understood!" At this point, Charlie was very close to them. At the entrance of the C-shape, the sea villa where he stayed – commonly referred to as the water house – extended into the water along two wooden walkways located at the bottom of the C-shape. The public and administrative areas of White Horse Island were mainly located at the center, with tropical rainforest-style beach villas situated above, known as sand houses. Charlie was within earshot of the conversation among the men in black, which surprised him; they spoke fluent Chinese. Meanwhile, the leader of the men in black continued to outline their strategy in a cold tone: "After surrounding the sea view bar, the first and second teams will secure the perimeter, while the third team conducts a thorough search within a 300-meter radius of the bar. Eliminate any living beings visible within that area, leaving no witnesses. Team 4 will accompany me inside the bar. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" The group responded in unison once more. Then, a voice crackled over the walkie-talkie: "Sir, should we search and clear the rooms on the island?" "No need." The leader replied coldly: "This time, we're carrying out a large-scale operation intended to send shockwaves around the world. Therefore, we won't cut the island's power or disrupt communications. Once inside the bar, tourists and staff may attempt to call for help. The Maldives army is over 100 kilometers away; even if they scrambled in a helicopter, it would take them about thirty to forty minutes to arrive. That gives us ample time to complete our mission and evacuate. The guest rooms will be left alone, but if anyone comes to challenge us, they'll be eliminated immediately." "Understood!" Hearing this, Charlie wondered if these individuals were terrorists. Yet, as he considered it, something felt off. Most terrorists operate as informal armed groups—fanatics, gangs, cults, etc. Though they can be brutal, they often lack organizational discipline and don't possess the qualities of a modern military. They may be effective in using AKs against civilians, but when gauged against soldiers, they often fall short compared to even ordinary armies in third-world nations. These men in black were different. They exhibited the training of soldiers with modern military backgrounds. Even if they weren't officially recognized special forces, they acted like mercenaries familiar with military protocols. Such high-caliber soldiers were certainly not a product of terrorist organizations. Initially, Charlie felt relieved when he heard they intended to skip the guest room area—thank goodness he wouldn’t have to wade into this mess. But as his thoughts delved deeper, he realized it was not as simple as that. His unfortunate father-in-law and mother-in-law were still at the party, unable to leave, while he originally planned to stay for four nights. He quickly returned to the room and asked Claire, “Are you tired? Would you like to rest for a bit?” “You’re not tired,” Claire replied, watching the live broadcast. She removed one of her headphones and looked at Charlie. “What, are you tired?” Charlie didn’t have time for banter, so he approached her gently and said, “Honey, you look tired. It’s best if you go to bed early.” With that, he patted her shoulder, and a wave of energy flowed from his palm into her body. Claire felt so drowsy she could barely keep her eyes open. In a haze, she murmured, “What’s happening…I suddenly feel so sleepy…” Charlie quickly led her into the bedroom, whispering, “After all that traveling, you must need to recover. Just rest for a while. You’ll feel refreshed when you wake up.” As he spoke, he settled Claire beside the bed. Struggling against her overwhelming sleepiness, Claire mumbled, “I’m so sleepy… I’ll go to bed first. You should too…” Before she could finish, she collapsed onto the bed, drifting off into a deep sleep. Seeing that she was soundly asleep, Charlie turned off all the lights in the room and quietly exited. At that moment, the four speedboats, bearing the men in black, had discreetly docked at the pier!