Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 1173 - 1178: Like a Trap

Chapter 1173: Chapter 1178: Like a Trap

The situation seemed somewhat bizarre. Bashanov was never the problem; the problem was the timing and odd nature of Bashanov’s appearance and actions.

Now, the Dark Night Knight had already semi-retired, as they no longer needed to rely on desperate measures to survive like they used to.

So for a North African gang leader to convince another gang leader to brazenly strike at the Dark Night Knight, that in itself was abnormal.

This matter reeked of conspiracy from every angle.

But the conspiracy seemed strangely simplistic, far too easy to uncover.

Yang Yi contemplated for a long time, meanwhile Brian had already broken Bashanov to the point where he was begging for a quick death.

Just a moment ago, Bashanov had been delightfully hurling insults at Annastasia, but now he was paying the price for his reckless mouth.

Bashanov was indeed a tough man, easily among the top tier in the gang world.

But the problem was, Bashanov didn’t overestimate his abilities—he underestimated Brian’s methods. After all, he was just a gang figure, far removed from the capabilities of the CIA’s strongest operatives. Bashanov simply had no idea what true professional techniques for delivering extreme pain without death looked like.

Now, Bashanov knew. He had successfully angered a man who worshipped Anna like a deity, a man devoted to his wife to the point of obsession. Now, regret was too late for Bashanov.

Listening to Bashanov’s faint screams in the background, Yang Yi turned to Danny and said, "We need to go have a chat with that Shahed."

Danny looked at Yang Yi, his face full of confusion, then furrowed his brows and muttered, "Why does it feel like we’re getting dragged into something here..."

Actually, Yang Yi felt the same, though he was too embarrassed to say it out loud.

"Alright, then we need to find that Shahed and figure out what’s really going on."

Danny grimaced and said, "We’ve never dealt with this Shahed before. We don’t know anything about this guy, let alone his background. Finding him might take some time."

Yang Yi glanced at his watch, then softly said, "We can’t afford any delays. Let me figure something out. If we take too long, Shahed might escape or go into hiding."

Danny’s expression turned peculiar as he murmured, "You’re afraid he might get silenced, aren’t you?"

Yang Yi forced a wry smile, then quietly said, "If this really is a conspiracy targeting you, then that’s manageable. Whatever their plans are—strike back, crush their ambitions. But if it’s a conspiracy targeting me..."

Yang Yi couldn’t finish his sentence, because if the conspiracy really was aimed at him but rooted in the Dark Night Knight, then the stakes were far too high. Yang Yi wasn’t sure he could navigate such an enormous trap involving the Dark Night Knight.

Whoever could use the Dark Night Knight as a pawn clearly had the power to crush the Dark Night Knight in one move.

But what puzzled Yang Yi was why the conspiracy seemed so weak in terms of its impact.

Yang Yi simply felt confusion and a lack of clarity, but no sense of real threat. And that was the most perplexing part.

Yang Yi took out his phone, hesitated for a moment, but didn’t call Gary Keene.

The agreement with Gary Keene didn’t cover Shahed; it was only related to the Russian Gang. The Russian Gang had already been handed over to Scotland Yard, so this matter could essentially be considered resolved.

Since Shahed wasn’t on the "off-limits" list, Yang Yi could absolutely handle it in the way he deemed most advantageous and convenient.

Yang Yi looked at Danny and quietly asked, "Captain, you’re familiar with London’s underground world. Can you find a way to quickly gather information on Shahed?"

Danny nodded but immediately replied in a low voice, "The underground networks are very interconnected, and if I openly investigate Shahed, whatever happens will inevitably be traced back to us. I don’t mind, but will it impact you?"

Yang Yi shook his head and said, "No. Just use your channels for the investigation. I need to ask for your help—to handle Shahed under the name of the Dark Night Knight. Sorry, Captain, I’m in a bit of a bind and need you to cover for me."

Danny chuckled, saying, "This is our business anyway. Right now, it’s you helping me, not the other way around."

Yang Yi smiled wryly, "If it turns out I dragged you into trouble, that’ll be awkward..."

Danny shrugged helplessly, sighed, and said, "So what if you did? Honestly, it doesn’t matter if it’s trouble or not—we eat this kind of food, and sooner or later we encounter problems, don’t we?"

Danny made a call, then quietly said, "This is Danny. I need your help with something. Do you know Shahed? The guy from Tunisia who’s now leading the North African Gang. I don’t know much about him—can you give me some information?"

After chatting a bit on the phone, Danny came back to Yang Yi and whispered, "Shahed is just a small-time player. He’s only made some noise in London over the last couple of years. But now, with more and more North Africans smuggling into the UK, his power is growing. He controls a lot of trades."

"Do you know where he lives?"

"Brixton. But I don’t know his exact address. Shahed recently took control of that area. He’s running drug operations and human trafficking. Though compared to the Russian Gang, he’s still a ways off."

After relaying this, Danny frowned and said, "Such a low-level scumbag dares to mess with us? The world’s falling apart, huh."

Yang Yi exhaled, saying, "Well, can we get a more specific address?"

"Already looking into it. The person I asked doesn’t know yet, but someone will."

Yang Yi thought for a moment and said, "I’ll head to the car to discuss some matters. Let me know as soon as we have news—we need to act fast."

Hurrying over to the car parked nearby, Yang Yi opened the door and sat beside Anna, who had been waiting inside.

"We’ve got a problem."

Annastasia responded calmly, "Of course there’s a problem. Bashanov and Shahed have absolutely no reason to oppose the Dark Night Knight, a group known for their combat prowess and fearless tactics. Though the name is awful, it’s undeniable they’re a capable and brave organization without much to exploit. Unless someone’s utterly brain-dead, why provoke them?"

Yang Yi murmured, "What’s your take, then?"

Anna glanced at Yang Yi and said, "I don’t know. My gut says this is a trap aimed at us. But if the trap is only this poorly executed, it’s unimpressive. So, for now, the only thing we should do is find Shahed quickly and interrogate him. Only with more information can we make a better judgment."

Yang Yi nodded and said softly, "Understood. We’ll find Shahed—I’ve asked the captain to help. Shouldn’t be long before we get updates."

Annastasia shook her head and said, "No. If this looks like a trap, then it is a trap. And if this trap is aimed at you, then you should handle it under your own name, with your full capacity and maximum speed to resolve it."