Qingmu returned very late.
Not wanting to disturb Luo Ren, he returned to his room quietly, pushed open the door, and turned on the light.
In the instant the light came on, a figure suddenly appeared in his vision. Qingmu’s heart tightened, and he instinctively reached for his lower back. Halfway through the motion, he abruptly stopped.
It was Luo Ren sitting in the room.
Qingmu frowned: “Luo, you’re still awake.”
He didn’t ask why Luo Ren was there, calmly entering the room and casually taking a disposable cup from the table, walking to the water dispenser.
As the water tinkled into the cup, Luo Ren asked him: “Where did you go?”
Qingmu straightened up, drinking water while walking around Luo Ren: “A personal matter.”
“What personal matter?”
“I said it’s personal…”
Before Qingmu could finish, Luo Ren suddenly sprang up, reaching for his lower back. Qingmu didn’t hesitate, splashing water and a cup at Luo Ren’s face. Luo Ren dodged to the side, swept Qingmu’s legs out from under him with a kick, and simultaneously lunged forward, quickly lifting Qingmu’s shirt from behind and pulling a gun from his lower back—before he could identify the type or model, Qingmu had already rolled over and sat up, kicking him away. The gun slipped from his hand, sliding far across the floor.
Luo Ren lay on the ground without the strength to get up. He lifted his shirt to look; sure enough, he had strained his wound, and blood was seeping through several places on the bandage.
Qingmu was both concerned and angry, spitting at him fiercely: “You deserve the pain!”
Luo Ren laughed heartily, lying back on the floor, and complimented him: “Your Chinese is quite good.”
After that brief, intense struggle, Qingmu was also breathing heavily. Too lazy to retrieve the gun, he sat down beside Luo Ren. The spilled cup was by his feet, with some water remaining at the bottom. Qingmu picked it up, drank the last drop, and crumpled the cup.
Luo Ren gestured toward the gun: “So that’s your matter? Where did you get it?”
Qingmu avoided the question: “She’s playing games, but I’m not. I have a grudge against her. I want her dead.”
“I have a grudge against her, too.”
“I’m Japanese, it doesn’t matter to me. If I kill her, it won’t be related to any of you. If the Chinese police or Interpol want to arrest someone, let them arrest me.”
“What about Yukiko?”
Qingmu was silent for a moment, then his eyes suddenly turned bloodshot: “Nine lives, Luo, nine lives!”
Luo Ren sat up, his expression almost fierce: “I know, that’s why I don’t want to sacrifice any more for her!”
He pointed at himself: “If anyone should pay, it’s me. I want all of you to come out of this unharmed. Qingmu, I led nine brothers away. If anyone should atone, it’s not your turn!”
Qingmu stared at Luo Ren, his chest heaving heavily.
Luo Ren suddenly smiled and said, “Qingmu, we agreed, this time, you’re not allowed to risk your life.”
“I can’t make up for anything. The dead can’t be brought back to life, and of the brothers from those days, only you remain. Go back, propose to Yukiko, live a good life, have many children, be surrounded by descendants, live until all your teeth fall out—that way, whether I’m alive or dead by then, I’ll feel more comforted.”
He made a fist and held it out to Qingmu: “Come on, if you promise, bump fists.”
Qingmu refused, keeping his head down, his jaw clenched tight.
Luo Ren said, “Won’t bump? I have patience.”
Qingmu raised his head and saw Luo Ren smiling, but that smile seemed to grow increasingly blurry. A wave of dizziness surged to the top of his skull. Qingmu tried to say something, only managing to open his mouth before he collapsed headfirst onto the ground, unable to speak.
Luo Ren didn’t try to help him up. With a smile on his face, he slowly lowered his extended fist and said, “I’ve always known that alcohol alone wouldn’t be enough to knock you out.”
He watched as Qingmu drank that cup of water, then provoked a fight with him. Appropriate, intense exercise helps speed up the drug’s effects. Everything had been calculated just right.
—Luo, count me in.
—Count me in, too.
Back then, he shouldn’t have brought anyone along.
Luo Ren patted Qingmu’s shoulder as he lay on the ground, giving him instructions once more: “Go back, propose to Yukiko, live a good life, have many children, be surrounded by descendants, become an old man who can still fight even when all his teeth have fallen out.”
Exhausted, he pushed himself up from the ground, picked up the gun, turned off the light, and slowly walked out into the darkness.
An hour earlier, Luo Ren had received a phone call from Leopard.
—”Luo, it’s time for us to meet.”
—”Come alone, drive your car to the crossroads at the south gate of the ancient city, and wait for my call.”
Back in his room, he turned on the light. In the illumination, someone was standing in the middle of the room.
Zheng Mingshan.
Luo Ren smiled at him: “You’re here, quite fast.”
After speaking, he reversed the gun’s muzzle and handed it over.
Zheng Mingshan took it and examined it, disassembling the barrel and magazine: “Ultra-compact submachine gun with bullets, noise near the muzzle can be reduced to below 80 decibels, originally produced by Heckler & Koch, modified, similar to the Desert Killer Uzi.”
Luo Ren removed his bandage: “Senior Brother knows a lot.”
Zheng Mingshan coldly watched him seal the wound with military adhesive: “You hide your brother away, but cooperate with me?”
Luo Ren answered calmly: “Of the brothers who fought life and death with me in the Philippines, only this one remains. Senior Brother, let me keep one. This way, our brothers who have passed away will rest easier underground.”
Zheng Mingshan didn’t speak. He understood Luo Ren’s meaning. Long ago, when he went on dangerous missions, he would tell his brothers: “We can’t all die. One must survive to visit our graves, burn paper money, offer cigarettes, and live a good life in the future. It all depends on this one person’s commitment.”
Luo Ren sighed, tensing his abdomen as he rebandaged the wound.
Zheng Mingshan spoke: “My Junior Sister cannot die.”
“I understand.”
“For my Master’s sake, Leopard must pay blood with blood.”
Luo Ren smiled: “Leopard is my target too. If necessary, I’ll die with her. If she escapes, the people around me will never be safe.”
He exhaled and inhaled, testing how much the bandage restricted him, then poured out capsules from a medicine bottle.
Zheng Mingshan frowned, unable to hold back: “Don’t frequently take drug-muscle and neural stimulants. Kill ten thousand enemies, harm yourself eight thousand times.”
“Just this once.”
He dressed, went to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on his face. Zheng Mingshan stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe, watching him: “I’ve contacted my friend.”
“The news from Interpol is that there are no arrest warrants or wanted notices for Leopard, because internal information from more than a year ago indicated: this person no longer possesses behavioral capacity and poses no threat to others or society.”
Understood, she had suffered a fatal injury, but the Xiong Simple allowed her to make a comeback.
Luo Ren pondered for a moment: “So they won’t help?”
“We can’t count on them. Even if they were willing to provide private assistance, there wouldn’t be enough time.” As he spoke, he handed over a micro GPS tracking device. “Another friend can provide remote online assistance. After you leave, take this with you, and he’ll help me confirm your position.”
Luo Ren took it, thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head: “This alone won’t work. The leopard is very cautious. I’m afraid I won’t be able to bring in electronic devices like this. When the time comes, we might have to rely on the most basic method—ask your friend to try hacking into all networked city cameras along the route.”
Zheng Mingshan nodded, pausing for a moment: “Also… The leopard has brought subordinates. I think bringing more people would make things easier.”
Luo Ren stared at Zheng Mingshan, enunciating each word: “No.”
“This isn’t up to you. The Master has been kidnapped. Shouldn’t her disciples do something? Those who always talk about sisterly affection, shouldn’t they do something…”
Before he could finish, Luo Ren had rushed forward, grabbing his collar fiercely: “No.”
Zheng Mingshan was choked a bit breathless: “Come on, let go first.”
Luo Ren gritted out between his teeth: “Zheng Mingshan, I cooperate with you because you’re Mu Dai’s Senior Brother. I’m going to rescue her, and I have no right to bypass you. But Hongsha, Wansan, Cao Pangpang—they’re different from us. They’ve never even seen a gun. You have no right to bring them to such a dangerous place!”
Zheng Mingshan thought for a moment and said, “Fine.”
Then he impatiently pushed at Luo Ren’s hand: “Let go, let go. You’ll strangle me to death.”
Luo Ren released his collar, giving final instructions: “The Leopard is very cunning. I can’t be sure if she’ll show up. Throughout the process, we won’t be able to communicate. We’ll have to rely on improvisation and… luck from heaven.”
He seemed to have many things to say, but suddenly stopped. In the end, he smiled, turned, and went downstairs.
Zheng Mingshan watched his retreating figure and suddenly called out: “Hey, aren’t you going to say goodbye to… next door?”
Luo Ren kept walking without responding.
Zheng Mingshan thought for a moment and called again: “Hey, Luo Ren, if you and my Junior Sister both come back alive, I’ll consider giving her to you in marriage.”
Luo Ren, who had reached the ground floor, suddenly stopped, then looked up at him.
Zheng Mingshan was leaning on the railing, with the room’s light shining behind him, looking down at Luo Ren, saying: “I think for a man, being able to stay without leaving or abandoning, knowingly facing danger for her sake, is enough. See, my requirements for men have never been high.”
Luo Ren laughed heartily.
When starting the car, unusually, he also turned on the hunting light on the roof. The strong beam shot out into the darkness, illuminating a dazzlingly bright path.
Cao Yanhua was yawning, with Cao Jiefang squatting by his feet.
Normally, Cao Jiefang would sleep in his own “mansion” at the bottom of the stairs, but today, having been stunned silly by Shen Gun’s slingshot, Cao Yanhua was worried and placed it beside his bed while sleeping. When Zheng Mingshan knocked on the door, he drowsily put on his clothes and walked out. Looking down, he saw Cao Jiefang following him, dazed as if sleepwalking.
Everyone sat in a circle in the casual gathering hall. Besides him, Yi Wansan, Yan Hongsha, and Shen Gun had also been called up. Each person was bleary-eyed, their heads nodding more like chickens than Cao Jiefang.
What was going on? Calling a meeting in the middle of the night?
Zheng Mingshan smiled and turned his laptop around to show them. The screen displayed a somewhat pixelated street view from a camera, with a Hummer parked at the intersection.
Cao Yanhua recognized it first: “Isn’t that Brother Luo’s car?”
Zheng Mingshan nodded and began explaining from the beginning.
Cao Yanhua’s drowsiness disappeared completely during Zheng Mingshan’s narration, gradually turning into horror.
Zheng Mingshan’s final words were: “So, Luo Ren doesn’t want you to go.”
Cao Yanhua’s head was buzzing, feeling as if the blood in his veins was boiling: “I want to go! She may be his girlfriend, but she’s also my Little Master! A teacher for a day is a father for life. He hasn’t even married my Little Master yet. In terms of relationships, I’m closer than he is.”
Yan Hongsha thought for a moment, her eyes reddening, and said: “Senior Brother, we appreciate Luo Ren’s concern. The danger is real, and in this situation, you’re more professional than we are. But we can’t just do nothing and sit here. To be honest, you won’t always be shooting guns. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, I could help by using sneaky tactics from the sidelines.”
Shen Gun was surprisingly excited: “Exactly! I can hide on the side and throw hidden weapons!”
Zheng Mingshan smiled and said, “That’s the point. I don’t want you to take risks, but I’m different from Luo Ren. Over the years, if not for my brothers providing support before and after, I would have died long ago. I like people helping, the more the better. No nail is useless, no person is useless—bringing one more person means one more bit of strength. At crucial moments, running an errand, calling the police, or shouting a warning are all helpful.”
Cao Yanhua nodded: “Exactly, exactly. Take me and Hongsha. Master Shen and Wansan can stay here as support.”
Yi Wansan protested: “Why leave me behind?”
“You can’t fight, you can’t run when fighting breaks out. What use would you be?”
Then he looked at Shen Gun: “Master Shen, I don’t mean to offend, but with the accuracy of your hidden weapons, Leopard might not have a chance to act before we’re eliminated by you. Besides… someone needs to manage things here.”
His words had hidden meaning, referring to the secret of the Xiong Simple—someone capable needed to remain.
Yi Wansan was furious, but suddenly thought of something and held his tongue, planning to reveal his trump card at the last moment.
Just then, Yan Hongsha suddenly tensed and exclaimed: “Look quickly!”
On the screen, a car drove up from the opposite direction and stopped beside Luo Ren’s car. Luo Ren got out, and two people holding what looked like security scanning devices swept him from head to toe, pulling something from his clothes.
Zheng Mingshan cursed inwardly: Damn it.
Luo Ren’s concerns were correct. Any communication devices or electronics would never make it inside.
Then Luo Ren was put into that car, and they drove away.
Zheng Mingshan’s attention immediately sharpened. He looked at Cao Yanhua and Yan Hongsha: “So it’s settled. I’ll go get a vehicle now. You gather your things immediately. Bring whatever tools you’re most comfortable and efficient with. Remember, we might be in for a tough fight.”
He left quickly. Cao Yanhua and Yan Hongsha felt inexplicably anxious and hurried back to their rooms as quickly and quietly as possible. As soon as Cao Yanhua left, Cao Jiefang followed him. Unfortunately, Cao Yanhua ran too fast, and Cao Jiefang followed too slowly. When it had followed only halfway, Cao Yanhua had already returned, so Cao Jiefang slowly turned around and followed him back.
His forehead was sweaty as he grabbed his lock-picking tool kit. Yi Wansan snorted, saying: “Ha, ha.”
Implying that this stuff would be useless.
Yan Hongsha also came down, carrying a specially made rope. She didn’t know what counted as “comfortable and efficient.” Since childhood, Uncle Yan had trained her to descend into wells. She had skill with ropes, and this rope had top-notch tensile strength and abrasion resistance—who knew what situation they might encounter? Better to bring it along, just in case.
The sound of a car came from outside. Zheng Mingshan had somehow obtained a white minivan. Cao Yanhua and Yan Hongsha hurriedly got in. Before the door was completely closed, Yi Wansan suddenly said leisurely, “Are you sure you won’t need my blood on this trip?”
Zheng Mingshan didn’t understand, but Cao Yanhua and Yan Hongsha immediately realized: Leopard had an Xiong Simple. What if, in the end, they needed the blood of five people to deal with it?
There was no time to find syringes. Cao Yanhua opened the door again: “Get in, get in.”
So only Shen Gun and Cao Jiefang remained at the doorway, one person and one chicken.
Shen Gun looked down at Cao Jiefang, and Cao Jiefang looked at Shen Gun. In this silent exchange, the car started.
The sudden noise startled Cao Jiefang, as if awakening from a deep dream. Its feathers bristled, its neck stretched up, and it let out a clear: “He… do… lo…”
Then it flapped its wings wildly, shooting out like an arrow leaving the bowstring, or like a cannonball. As luck would have it, it crashed headfirst through the open car window, like an angry bird, frantically flying and bumping around in the small car cabin.
Feathers floated gently down.
In the bedroom, half-awake Zhang Shu impatiently turned over, pulling the blanket over his head, mumbling unclearly: “Damn chicken, crowing again… cook it one of these days…”
Yi Wansan calmly removed a feather from his forehead and said, “Fine, bring it along.”
They had overlooked something: Cao Jiefang would rather die than stay with Shen Gun, that chicken-shooter and KFC-loving terminator.
As the car drove away, Yi Wansan held the laptop, nervously watching the changing surveillance views. Before he could focus, accompanied by the screeching of brakes, he hit his head on the front seat.
Yi Wansan angrily shouted in pain: “Now what?”
Zheng Mingshan stepped on the brake, looking through the windshield at Qingmu, who had fallen to the ground not far away.
That cup of water had been mostly spilled, so the dosage was much less. He woke up much earlier than expected, his mind foggy, only remembering he had something to do. He struggled desperately to get up, gulped down a stomach full of cold water, drenched himself with cold water from head to toe, then stumbled out.
Yan Hongsha whispered: “It’s that Japanese man.”
Zheng Mingshan grunted in acknowledgment: “Should we bring him along?”
Everyone stared at Qingmu, who was trying to get up from the ground.
In the silence, Cao Yanhua said, “Let’s bring him. My Grand Master said that the time, place, and people you happen to meet are all forms of destiny.”