On the highway, the convoy was still moving forward slowly.
The lead vehicle was a dark off-road vehicle with an antenna mounted on the roof, and the person in the passenger seat held a walkie-talkie.
Following behind were six trucks covered with tarpaulins, which were tied tightly, making it impossible to see what was inside.
At the very back were another six off-road vehicles, each carrying three or four people; the windows were halfway down, revealing dark muzzles of guns.
Thirty people.
The lead vehicle entered a bend, slowing down even more as the driver stepped on the brakes, carefully hugging the mountain wall to turn.
The second truck followed, then the third and the fourth.
Goreinu and Kastro hid behind a large rock, hearing the low roar of engines and the sound of tires crushing gravel.
"Everyone in position."
Nico's voice suddenly rang in their ears.
"The lead vehicle will enter the minefield in thirty seconds."
Goreinu didn't move, only holding his breath.
Twenty seconds. Fifteen seconds. Ten seconds.
The convoy entered the designated area.
The lead vehicle's bumper had already rolled over the location of the first bomb.
"Detonate."
Just as Nico's voice fell, a loud boom tore through the silence of the night sky.
The lead vehicle was completely overturned, its body flipping once in the air before slamming heavily onto the ground as flames shot up.
Almost at the same instant, an explosion was heard from the rear of the convoy.
The trailing vehicle was blown sideways across the road, its body twisted into a heap of scrap metal, completely blocking the retreat.
The vehicles in the middle braked sharply, the sound of tires screeching against the ground.
Doors opened, and people jumped out, looking around with guns in hand, their shouts blending into a chaotic mess.
A tall man climbed out of the third vehicle; he didn't have a gun, and his hands were empty.
Standing in the light of the headlamps, he looked around, his movements much slower and steadier than the others.
He tilted his head to listen and glanced in the direction where Goreinu was lying in ambush.
"That's him, the Nen User sent by the Carlson Family to escort the convoy."
Nico's voice rang in their ears.
Goreinu didn't hesitate. He activated his ability—Black Sage appeared by his side, a Nen Beast shaped like a gorilla, nearly invisible in the darkness.
The next moment—an invisible force instantly swapped the positions of Black Sage and the tall man.
Black Sage appeared in the convoy, while the tall man appeared in front of Goreinu.
He hadn't even had time to see where he was.
Kastro's fist had already slammed into his face.
Bang!
With a dull thud, the man's head snapped back, his nose bridge collapsed, and blood sprayed out.
Before he could fall, Goreinu's fist arrived, striking him under the ribs with the sound of bone cracking as clearly as a snapping branch.
The man opened his mouth to scream, but Kastro's second punch struck his temple with full force.
He was sent flying sideways, hitting a rock by the roadside, rolling twice, and lying on the ground, devoid of life.
From the activation of Black Sage to the man's fall, it took less than five seconds.
The remaining people finally reacted.
Some shot at the black gorilla, while others fired toward the large rock; bullets hit the rock, sending sparks flying.
After quickly dealing with the enemy Nen User.
Kastro charged out from behind the large rock.
His movements were swift.
He cut into the middle of the convoy from the left side of the road, passing through like a white shadow.
Two gunmen had just reacted, but before their muzzles could turn, they were already knocked to the ground by him.
His punches weren't heavy, but each one accurately hit a vital point, instantly incapacitating them.
"You dare attack the Carlson Family? Kill them!"
Someone shouted at the top of their lungs.
Gunfire erupted everywhere, but most of the bullets missed.
In the darkness, these people couldn't see the targets at all and could only fire blindly.
Kastro heard it but didn't stop.
He kicked away a gunman in front of him and turned to face another.
The opponent's gun was already raised, its dark muzzle pointed at his face.
Kastro dodged to the side as the bullet whistled past his ear; he grabbed the barrel with his right hand, pushed it upward, and slammed his left fist into the opponent's abdomen.
Goreinu crouched behind cover, remotely controlling his two Nen Beasts; Black Sage and White Sage charged into the crowd.
The two gorillas leaped and darted between the vehicles; some people fired at them, but the bullets passed through the Nen Beasts' bodies and hit the trucks behind.
Every now and then, Goreinu leaned out from behind cover to throw a few Nen Bullets into the thick of the crowd, not aiming to kill, but just to knock them down.
Seeing how fierce Goreinu and Kastro were, the remaining people immediately lost their fighting spirit.
Some dropped their guns and tried to run, while others knelt on the ground with their hands raised.
Kastro chased after them, intending not to let a single one escape.
Goreinu glanced around; there were probably fewer than ten people still standing.
"Surrender and you will not be killed."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the suddenly quiet night sky.
More people knelt down.
The last one still running was caught by Kastro, who slapped him on the back, leaving him sprawling on the ground, unable to get up.
Goreinu stood where he was, looking around.
Thirteen vehicles, six container trucks, thirty escort personnel, and one Nen User.
From the start to the end, it took less than ten minutes.
"Nico, it's settled."
He spoke to the air.
"Beautifully done. The Nen Users of the Mafia are quite poor in strength; it seems the subsequent operations will go smoothly."
Nico's voice rang in his ears.
"I've already notified Dean. They'll arrive in fifteen minutes."
Goreinu leaned against the bumper of a truck, waiting.
Kastro stood in the middle of the road, looking at the captives kneeling on the ground without saying a word.
The gunfire stopped, and the roar of engines ceased; only the flames were still burning, making crackling sounds.
A new engine sound came from the distance.
Several unmarked trucks drove from the other end of the mountain road, their headlights flickering a few times in the darkness.
The trucks stopped by the roadside, and over a dozen people dressed in dark clothes jumped out, led by Dean.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Dean walked up to Goreinu, his gaze quickly scanning the aftermath of the scene, an undisguisable surprise showing on his face.
"Leave this to us. All the goods will be transported away, and the traces will be cleared."
Goreinu nodded.
"The goods are in those trucks; you count them. The people are all kneeling over there; I'll leave them to your disposal."
Dean waved his hand, and his subordinates began to move the cargo.
Their movements were swift and well-trained; in less than ten minutes, they had emptied all the container trucks.
Others cleaned the scene, picking up shell casings, covering bloodstains with sand, and collecting scattered debris into bags.
Dean walked up to Goreinu and handed him a card.
"This is the scheduled reward. The rest will be settled after everything is completely over."
Goreinu took it and tucked it directly into his pocket.
"Tell Vivian, this is only the beginning."
Dean nodded solemnly.
"I understand."
The trucks drove away, and Dean's people also withdrew.
Only the destroyed vehicles and a mess remained on the mountain road.
Nico walked down from the cliff, still clutching the laptop under his arm.
A wind blew from afar, carrying the scent of scorched earth and gunpowder.
"Let's go."
Nico said.
"Let's go back and prepare for the next round."
The three turned and walked into the darkness.