Chapter 300: A Dazzling Attempt Bathed in Glory, the Priest’s Final Thirty Seconds

The gunshot shattered the stillness in an instant.

Outside the iron door where the Priest was holed up, the waiting officers immediately kicked at it with full force.

Just as Lin Tian had ordered earlier—once the sound of a sniper rifle was heard, no matter what, they were to break down the door immediately and attempt to apprehend the Priest.

Bang—

The sound of a heavy kick echoed against the iron door.

It groaned under the impact but didn’t give way.

Clearly, this rooftop door was built solid. It wasn’t some shoddy construction. More importantly, the SWAT officers hiding behind it had been careful not to make a sound earlier.

That’s why they hadn’t done any preemptive damage to the door.

As a result, even a full-force kick wasn’t enough to bring it down.

This unexpected resistance left the officers behind the door momentarily stunned. They hadn’t anticipated the rooftop door to be this sturdy. Just as they were about to kick again—

BOOM—

A second sniper shot rang out, louder and more distinct than the first.

Immediately after, a calm and commanding voice came through every officer’s earpiece—it was Su Ming.

“Do not rush the door.”

“The Priest’s left arm is injured, but he still has the ability to fight back. At this point, we must avoid any unnecessary casualties.”

These words also reached Lin Tian, who was standing in the center of Sanhe Square. His brows furrowed deeply as he quickly asked,

“Xiao Ming, what now?”

“If the Priest can still fight back, then the brothers waiting behind the door can’t just rush in to subdue him.”

“Besides, now that he’s wounded, could something else happen? Like… a suicide attempt to avoid capture?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Ming—who had just fired the first shot and hit the Priest in the shoulder—kept his eyes fixed on the distant rooftop. His face was expressionless as he replied in a low voice,

“No, Chief Lin.”

“The Priest won’t choose suicide. At least not while he’s still firing. The fact that he took a second shot tells me he hasn’t given up.”

“If I’m right, the Priest has already spotted me on the opposite rooftop.”

“When I hit his left shoulder earlier, he glanced in my direction. With his experience and instincts, he likely saw me.”

“So right now, suicide is off the table.”

“Even though his left arm is useless, for a veteran sniper like him, using just the right arm is more than enough to take another shot.”

“As for the pain from the injury, it won’t affect him much.”

“He’s a mercenary who’s fought in the Middle East. His tolerance for pain is far beyond that of ordinary people.”

Su Ming paused for a couple of seconds, then continued with a serious tone,

“Chief Lin.”

“You don’t need to stay in the middle of Sanhe Square as bait anymore. Head to the rooftop where the Priest is. Bring enough medical supplies and prepare to capture him.”

“If I’m not mistaken, to prevent blood loss from his shoulder wound from causing unconsciousness or impaired judgment…”

“The Priest will likely attempt one more shot within the next three minutes. Of course, it’s also possible he won’t even manage that.”

“So when the next sniper shot rings out, that’s your cue to move in and subdue him. And be ready to stop him from taking his own life. We need him alive, if possible.”

After hearing Su Ming’s analysis, Lin Tian exhaled a heavy breath, then looked up at the building where Su Ming was stationed. He clenched his fists, a deep worry flickering in his eyes.

In Lin Tian’s view, Su Ming’s earlier hit wasn’t just a matter of skill—it also benefited from the element of surprise.

But now, the Priest was on alert. He had seen Su Ming on the opposite rooftop.

And even with one arm out of commission, a seasoned mercenary like him was still a deadly threat with a sniper rifle.

Suppressing his unease, Lin Tian took a deep breath and sprinted toward the building where the Priest was hiding.

…

At that moment.

On the rooftop with the perfect vantage point.

The Priest gripped the heavy sniper rifle with his right hand. The muzzle was still pointed skyward, smoke curling from its barrel.

When he heard no further attempts to break down the door, the tension on his face eased slightly.

But the next second, a sharp pain radiated from his shoulder, making him frown instinctively. He tried to lift his arm—

But it wouldn’t move. The sniper bullet had caused a through-and-through wound, and blood was still streaming from it.

After a brief silence, the Priest took a deep drag from his cigar, trying to numb the pain with nicotine as he recalled the brief exchange just moments ago.

When the bullet struck, he had caught a glimpse of Su Ming out of the corner of his eye. The speed and precision of the shot left no doubt in his mind.

K’s second designated target—Su Ming—was now hiding on the rooftop across from him.

And the bullet that tore through his shoulder had come from Su Ming’s sniper rifle.

He took several more heavy drags from the cigar, but the pain in his shoulder remained sharp, preventing him from entering peak sniping condition. Blood continued to pour from the wound. At this rate, he’d lose consciousness in minutes.

Even during the chaos of the Middle East, he had never faced a situation this dire.

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, the Priest used his still-functional right hand to pull a sniper bullet from his pocket. He expertly opened it and poured the gunpowder onto the area around his wound.

Then, he removed the cigar from his mouth and pressed the lit end against the powder.

Fsssh—

A flash of fire erupted. The skin around the wound contracted from the burn.

The Priest clenched his molars tightly, grinding his teeth audibly, but didn’t let out a single cry of pain.

Most importantly…

The emergency cauterization clearly slowed the bleeding from the gruesome wound.

Once it was done, the Priest replayed the scene in his mind. He realized he had barely emerged from cover—hadn’t even aimed at Lin Tian—before his shoulder was hit.

That meant he had made a critical mistake that gave away his position to Su Ming.

Otherwise, there was no way Su Ming could have landed that shot before he even had a chance to aim.

After a few seconds of thought, the Priest suddenly looked down at the cigar in his hand, a realization dawning.

In the Middle East, smoke and dust filled the air. No one would notice a little smoke rising from a rooftop.

But here, it was different.

To someone like Su Ming—who defied conventional logic—the smoke from his cigar might have been all it took to give away his location.

With that thought, the Priest immediately tossed the cigar aside, doing everything he could to avoid further exposing his position.

Then, he pulled out a special cigar from a hidden pocket in his clothing. Its tip had clearly been tampered with, and a liquid capsule was embedded inside. He gently bit down on it, careful not to apply too much pressure.

Drawing a deep breath, the Priest braced the heavy sniper rifle against his right shoulder. His right index finger rested on the trigger, applying slight pressure.

The trigger was now primed—ready to fire with just a little more force.

With everything in place, the Priest suddenly bit down hard on the cigar. The capsule inside burst instantly.

A bitter almond-flavored liquid flooded his mouth, and a chilling clarity surged through his brain.

Swallowing the strange-tasting substance, the Priest’s eyes turned razor-sharp—colder and more ruthless than ever, even compared to his days as a mercenary.

This was his… final thirty seconds.