"Mr. Jiang Hai, the latest update is that they've left Boston and are about half an hour's drive from here. If you leave now, you can still make it." A policeman entered Jiang Hai's manor, looking directly at him.
At the sight of this policeman, not only Jiang Hai but also Robbins and the others smiled disdainfully. Hide? They really didn't know how to go about it.
"Is this your idea, or is it Morris Smith's?" Jiang Hai raised his head, cigarette in mouth, and looked at the policeman in front of him with indifference. He knew this policeman well. Earlier in the day, he had come with Morris Smith and Mayor Wallis.
His name was Doyle George. Jiang Hai wasn't sure what exactly he did, but he knew the man's wealth was extraordinary. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent someone like him—someone who had only recently arrived—to handle things at Jiang Hai's manor. Born into poverty, Jiang Hai had little respect for the so-called "second generation." Whether they were the children of officials or the rich, Jiang Hai felt the same disdain for them.
"Of course it's my idea," the man replied nonchalantly.
"Then we'll wait for Morris Smith's orders. We won't leave until we see him." Jiang Hai took a deep drag from his cigarette, exhaled a ring of smoke, and spoke calmly.
"Is money really that important? More important than life?" The policeman looked at Jiang Hai, assuming he was unwilling to leave because he didn't want to abandon his manor. If Jiang Hai left, these people would move in, and that would result in significant losses. But to the policeman, no amount of money was worth more than life.
"Life is important, but money is too," Jiang Hai replied coolly. "Do you know how much my manor is worth? Just the land and livestock alone are worth five billion dollars. Do you think Wallis and Morris would send so many people here if it wasn't worth something? Don't be ridiculous. Now, little policeman, just do your job. If you can't handle things, you can fall back. We have planes, and we can leave as quickly as we want."
Jiang Hai flicked the cigarette butt onto the ground and stamped it out, giving the policeman a serious look.
The officer only knew that Jiang Hai's manor was valuable, but he didn't understand just how much. It was like a child from a city in China not knowing the worth of an undeveloped mountain in the countryside. To them, a wild mountain didn't seem worth much. But in reality, a mountain with development potential could easily be worth hundreds of millions.
Jiang Hai's manor was far more valuable than that, which was why he couldn't just let it go.
"We won't retreat, because our orders are to stay here. Since you've made backup plans and are unwilling to leave, so be it." Hearing about the manor's worth, the policeman fell silent.
Though people often say life is priceless, how much is it really worth? In China, if someone is killed in a car accident, the compensation might be between $200,000 and $300,000, which is considered generous. For a medical accident, compensation could be only a few thousand, or even nothing at all. In the case of accidental deaths during conflicts, the compensation is even less, as the perpetrator would be sentenced.
How much is a civilian's life truly worth? Certainly not five billion dollars. That's why Jiang Hai was so determined to protect this place. He didn't say another word but turned and left to prepare his defenses.
"This kid is interesting," Jiang Hai muttered to himself as he lit another cigarette.
The guns they had borrowed for the day included the M134, which Jiang Hai had in his possession. The others were left unused since Robbins and the others didn't know how to operate them.
While Jiang Hai was talking to the officer, a convoy of about thirty vehicles had already left Boston. These people weren't foolish; they knew that charging in without caution would likely result in a police blockade.
As soon as they left Boston, only five cars headed out. The remaining vehicles were sent in batches at different times, reuniting at the airport. By then, the police realized that the other side wasn't just sending five cars—it was a full thirty. Inside those cars were around 200 people. The sheer number of them was enough to alarm everyone. Winthrop and Boston immediately sent reinforcements to Jiang Hai's manor, but unfortunately, their efforts were in vain.
Along the way, many cars broke down, presumably on purpose to block the police. Although this wouldn't delay the police for long, even a half-hour delay could make all the difference.
Jiang Hai's face darkened upon hearing the news. He had expected maybe thirty or fifty people, but not several hundred. This was going to be troublesome. Doyle George, standing outside, also looked grim. As the first line of defense, if they were overwhelmed, it would be all over. He quickly repositioned the cars to reduce the other party's chances of getting through while reinforcing his own defense. At the same time, Winthrop sent a police car to help, only to find that the route from Winthrop to Jiang Hai's manor had also been blocked.
Billy Valen clearly wasn't an idiot—he'd thought of everything.
Though no conflict had broken out yet, the situation was becoming serious. The authorities in Boston and Winthrop immediately contacted both the Massachusetts government and federal officials. But as they say, distant water can't quench a nearby fire. Everything was moving in an increasingly unfavorable direction.
"Mr. Jiang, this is your last chance. You can leave by helicopter immediately." Just as bad news kept pouring in, Doyle George's voice came over Jiang Hai's walkie-talkie, still trying to convince him to leave.
"Thank you, but I'm staying to fight," Jiang Hai responded with a frown. The battle had begun.
Not long after Jiang Hai's words, the screeching sound of brakes was heard, followed by a convoy of vans and commercial vehicles charging toward Jiang Hai's manor.
"Listen up, convoy! Stop and submit to inspection immediately, or we'll open fire!" Doyle George shouted through his walkie-talkie, determined not to make the first shot.
But the convoy wasn't stopping. Instead, it accelerated and crashed into the first line of defense, formed by eight police cars. There was a deafening crash.
The first few cars plowed into the police vehicles, shaking the officers behind them to the ground. Several other cars managed to jump over the police cars and continued toward the gate. Seeing this, Doyle George wasted no time.
The moment the other side rammed the police cars, it was clear they were declaring war. "FIRE!" he ordered. The officers who were still standing immediately pulled out their weapons and opened fire on the approaching vehicles.
At that moment, the vans that had been holding the attackers opened, and a group of people rushed out, taking cover behind the cars and beginning to fire at the police. In this type of close-range battle, many officers instinctively turned their guns toward the attackers. This was exactly what the intruders had hoped for.
Billy Valen may have had hundreds of guns, but most of them were small pistols or non-automatic weapons—pitifully inadequate when facing well-armed police forces. Billy's goal wasn't to provoke the police but to divert their attention. The real target was still Jiang Hai.
As the police were distracted, two cars were forced to stop, but five others broke through the barricade and crashed straight into Jiang Hai's manor.
"Can I open fire?" Jiang Hai asked over the walkie-talkie, watching the five cars approach.
"Of course!" Doyle George replied as he continued to engage the attackers.
As soon as the order was given, Jiang Hai rose from his position, raising the M134 he had borrowed.
He aimed at the five cars speeding toward him and pressed the firing button.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" The roar of the M134 filled the air as it fired relentlessly at the five vehicles. The occupants of those vehicles, shocked by the barrage of gunfire, never expected a machine gun to be positioned in the manor.
The first driver tried to turn, but before he could react, a bullet pierced the windshield. The driver collapsed onto the steering wheel, causing the car to veer off track. It crashed into another car, sending both tumbling over onto Jiang Hai's lawn.