Chapter 9 A Professional Sniper

Upon hearing Lucius' words, Renee was nearly driven to the point of spitting blood. She sprung up from the couch and exclaimed, “Eight hundred? Why don't you just rob someone?” The nerve of this worthless scoundrel! “Eight hundred is too much? Hell, even a full-service home visit costs eight hundred. I've been working my tail off all night. Isn't that as exhausting as a full service?” Lucius shamelessly asked. Renee was fuming. She had planned to teach Lucius a lesson today, so why would she pay him? A thought crossed her mind and she said, “Well, I think we need to settle some accounts too. Those undergarments and stockings of mine that you ruined in the bathroom were all internationally renowned brands, adding up to at least two thousand. Considering your pitiful state, I'll cut you some slack and only charge you half, that's twelve hundred. So, you actually owe me four hundred.” “What?” Lucius's eyes almost popped out of his head. Annoyed, he said, “Those few pieces of rag combined don't even equal to the amount of fabric in my underpants, and you're asking for over two thousand? You're even more ruthless than me, aren't you?” Lucius was unable to contain his anger and said, “Lady, stop beating around the bush. Hand over the money quickly. Don't be fooled by my gentle appearance. I can be ruthless. When I lose my temper, even I get scared of myself.” “Let's see how tough you really are.” Renee sneered. After all these years of navigating the murky waters, was there anything she hadn't seen? I wouldn't be intimidated by an uncouth person like Lucius. Lucius, with a hardened facade, tried his best to appear intimidating as he advanced toward Renee. He couldn't help but feel incredibly unlucky that day. How on earth did he end up dealing with such a shameless woman? He thought he was in for an easy afternoon and would make a quick few hundred bucks, but looking at it now, this was clearly more of a curse than a blessing. As Lucius gradually closed in, Renee remained impressively composed. She genuinely couldn't believe that a country bumpkin like Lucius, who clearly lacked worldly experience, would dare to do anything to her. Dressed in his sweat-stained shirt, worn-out canvas shoes, and suit pants, one would guess his entire outfit was probably not even worth fifty bucks. Could a person like this really have any courage? However, she had miscalculated. Just as she was reeling in confidence, unexpectedly, Lucius suddenly accelerated. In almost the blink of an eye, he was right in front of her. Amid Renee's terrified gaze, Lucius didn't utter a single word. With a swift motion, he grabbed Renee's arm and lunged to one side. At that very moment, a thunderous bang echoed through the room. The windowpane shattered into countless pieces and the wooden coffee table beside where Renee had just been standing was splintered, scattering debris everywhere. A smoking bullet hole was now visible. “Stay quiet. If you value your life, shut up. There's a sniper!” Lucius sternly warned Renee, who was on the verge of screaming. The warning sent a shiver down Renee's spine. She also saw the smoking bullet hole, and her face instantly paled in fear. She found it hard to believe that she had just had a brush with death. Lucius was on the verge of cursing out loud, feeling like he was having the worst luck ever. He hadn't expected to encounter such a situation. If it hadn't been for his finely honed sense of danger, developed through countless life-and-death experiences, he might not have sensed the peril. If he hadn't, this woman would probably have ended up dead by now. “Bang!” Another gunshot echoed, shattering yet another piece of the window glass. At this moment, Lucius could no longer afford to hesitate. He clutched onto Renee and rolled on the spot, just as a sniper bullet pierced through the ground. Without any hesitation, Lucius swiftly picked up Renee and darted across the room. In one swift move, he turned off all the lights in the living room. Instantly, the room was plunged into pitch-black darkness. The two of them were tucked away in a blind spot behind the foyer's bar counter. From Lucius' steady breathing, it was clear that he wasn't the least bit nervous or flustered at that moment. He was surprisingly calm. Peering through the slightest gaps, Lucius gazed toward the rooftop of a condominium building outside the window. His eyesight couldn't make out details hundreds of meters away, but he was absolutely certain of the sniper's location, pinpointing it within a three-meter radius. “Domestically made KUB-88, a 5.88-millimeter small caliber sniper rifle, has a maximum range of one kilometer.” Lucius accurately identified the model of the sniper rifle used. “Tsk, tsk, the use of this kind of sniper rifle with just the right range and extremely strong penetration is the mark of a seasoned pro,” he commented. With a loud bang, another sniper bullet pierced right through the wooden bar counter. The bullet narrowly missed Lucius' neck as it whizzed past. Startled, Renee let out a scream, huddling herself in Lucius' embrace. She clung tightly to his robust figure. On the other hand, Lucius seemed unfazed, his face so calm that not a single muscle twitched even for a moment. After waiting for a few more seconds without any sounds, Lucius glanced down at the trembling Renee and said, “It's over, stop screaming. The sniper is gone.” “You... How did you know?” Renee was truly terrified. When had she ever experienced such a situation? This was a thrilling scene that should only occur in movies. “As a professional sniper, if you don't succeed in taking down your target with a single shot, your best course of action isn't to continue lying in wait. Instead, you should withdraw immediately, or else you'll simply become a shooting target! That's the instinctive reaction of any sniper,” Lucius said nonchalantly.