CHAPTER 435: CHAPTER 267 ENDING, PANEL UPGRADE_1

As Dean prepared to start his operation, a fully armed squad of several hundred also departed the base, heading towards Monsef’s "Palace."

In Catherine’s office, a large display screen, under satellite lock, covered the area where a fierce battle was imminent, broadcasting it live.

"Number One, do you think Dean’s operation will be successful this time?" With a rosy complexion, Catherine suddenly turned to her female assistant.

The female assistant shook her head. "Supervisor, no matter how high someone’s status, they’re still flesh and blood; they can’t stop bullets. If you wish it, he will certainly succeed. However, I don’t understand—are we really going to offend the Hada Group for one man?"

Being close to Catherine, the assistant knew full well the extent of Catherine’s involvement in this attack. That alone should have been enough. Yet, Catherine, as if bewitched, had also secretly deployed her trump card unit. The moment Dean’s team made a move, hers would follow, directly eliminating Monsef’s effective forces. This undeniably violated the Alliance’s standard operational procedures.

Who would have thought Catherine would laugh scornfully? "Are you worried that after taking over my position, you’ll have to clean up the mess I’ve left behind?"

"What?"

The assistant’s heart lurched; she instantly realized she had exposed herself.

Before she could react, a gunshot BANGED.

Gunsmoke filled the air.

A beautiful body slumped onto the expensive carpet, staining it red...

"Fool. Did you really think I’d be defenseless?"

Setting down her handgun, Catherine turned her gaze back to the large screen, her expression pensive. What she did wasn’t actually for Dean, but for her own interests. She couldn’t handle the formula for "Burning Blood" on her own; it could easily attract the attention of her enemies within the Alliance.

Therefore, she had proactively contacted the Hada Group, proposing a collaboration to jointly develop the "Burning Blood" formula Dean provided. This formed an alliance of mutual interest, designed to withstand external threats. Monsef was merely an added benefit of Catherine’s collaboration with the Hada Group. This man, recently basking in success, lacked restraint and discretion, and had actually made many enemies within the Hada Group. When Catherine presented them with a market worth hundreds of billions of US Dollars annually, Monsef, the boss’s favored godson, suddenly became worthless.

Thus, Dean’s operation was destined to succeed. Catherine had sent her people over only with the intention of bringing Dean back once everything was concluded. After all, with such a vast fortune at stake, she also needed an heir. Dean—powerless, without influence, yet easy on the eyes, satisfactory in certain aspects, and crucially, controllable—became Catherine’s best choice.

...

Dean was still unaware that Catherine, the old vixen who, after a taste, became all too eager, was planning to capture him and make him her makeshift husband.

By the time he glided over the "Palace," the firefight had already begun.

The mercenaries’ powerful firepower, skilled coordination, and precise tactical strikes were effectively routing the defense squads inside and outside the "Palace." With robust intelligence support, each enemy strongpoint was being surgically eliminated. The menacing heavy weaponry stationed all around, much of which never even had a chance to be used, now served merely as decoration.

The people Catherine found are quite impressive! Dean had an eye for quality. Watching the one-sided battle, he breathed a sigh of relief. If these mercenaries had been incompetent, I’d have genuinely worried about completing the mission today.

Concerned that Monsef, startled, might flee to the safe room, Dean didn’t delay. Following the lights, he reached the most opulent hall in the "Palace," landing silently amidst a throng of panicked men and women. He then drew the automatic rifle slung across his back, took a high vantage point, and surveyed the individuals surrounded by guards.

The banquet seemed to have just begun. Amidst various artificial landscapes, hundreds of women in an assortment of uniforms—differing in age and demeanor—played roles such as flight attendants, police officers, nurses, students, and daughters, waiting for guests to select them.

Below, a group of men in various costumes and identical masks scrambled to their feet in panic, trying to flee, only to be stopped by a team of heavily armed security. It was no longer safe outside; this hall, in contrast, had become the most secure location in the entire estate. These assembled security guards prepared to use the surrounding structures as cover to engage the attackers and await reinforcements.

Only a few individuals stood apart, groups instinctively forming around them. These were either Monsef’s core confidants or high-ranking city officials.

Moments before, they had been filled with anticipation, clad in special costumes and concealing masks, ready to indulge in a king-like experience and unleash their inner depravity. The next instant, a volley of gunfire signaled a mortal threat!

...

Monsef mingled within the crowd. He ignored the security team that had rushed in to protect the area. Instead, he deliberately kept a low profile, weaving through the panicked guests, intending to slip away to the safe room while those fools drew everyone’s attention.

The Hada Group was now the supreme power in this city. Since someone dared to attack this place, it meant the assailants were confident they could breach the defenses and capture him before reinforcements arrived.