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墨書 Inktalez
"There is a way, but I didn't expect things to develop to this point." Zhang Qiu looked at the man with regret, sighed deeply, and hesitated before squatting down.
The man looked at Zhang Qiu's bewildered expression, and his drunkenness prevented him from thinking too much. He couldn't believe that after living for decades, he could be held captive by a child. He laughed casually, "Whatever method you have, just use it."
"Alright then." Zhang Qiu glanced back at Jiang Xue, whose complex expression ultimately solidified his resolve. Unless absolutely necessary, Zhang Qiu would not take this step. Making the man Panran realize his mistakes was the best approach, but it now seemed unrealistic. The only option left was simple and brutal.
Zhang Qiu slowly stood up, holding a completely black Type 64 pistol in his hand. He extended his arm forward, the dark muzzle aimed directly at the man. At this moment, the man still showed no fear; seeing Zhang Qiu draw the gun made him laugh heartily. "Is this it? Did you buy it on the street? Cost you a few dozen bucks? Is it shooting steel balls or plastic pellets?"
Bang! Zhang Qiu fired a shot at the door, wood splintering everywhere as a yellow bullet embedded itself in the thick wooden door. Only then did the man's expression change; he looked at Zhang Qiu as he re-aimed the gun at him, trembling as he pointed at Zhang Qiu and shouted, "What do you want to do!"
Zhang Qiu's lips curled slightly into a smile; the man's voice had lost its confidence and was now merely a façade of bravado. Aunt He beside them widened her eyes, which Zhang Qiu noticed. A misunderstanding had already arisen, and there was no time for explanations; he just wanted to resolve the man's issue quickly.
Zhang Qiu stepped forward; with each step he took, the man retreated until he was backed against the wall. Zhang Qiu raised his arm, aiming the dark muzzle directly at the man's head, coldly saying, "Uncle, why must you do this? You refuse to drink respectfully but insist on drinking punishment instead. I've heard about your actions towards her and her mother; calling you 'uncle' is a sign of respect. But if you refuse to act like a human being, I can help you become a ghost. Considering you have indirectly cared for Jiang Xue, I will burn some paper for you at your grave during festivals."
The man's face turned pale as beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks; he was completely sober now. His terrified eyes stared at the dark muzzle of the gun as he shouted, "You... you wouldn't dare shoot! You wouldn't dare kill!"
"Then let's find out." Zhang Qiu smirked as he pressed the gun against the man's forehead without hesitation.
For a moment, the man closed his eyes; a warm stream began to flow down his legs. From Zhang Qiu's eyes, he saw indifference and death; he had no doubt that this boy would pull the trigger on him. In that instant, flashes of his life raced through his mind like slideshows, with several key moments standing out clearly. Was this how it would end for him?
He waited for the gunshot—one second passed, two seconds passed—everything remained calm. The man slowly opened his eyes; the pistol was still pressed against his head, its cold barrel warmed by his skin. Aunt He grabbed Zhang Qiu's arm with both hands and pleaded, "Please don't kill him."
"After what he's done to you, you're still pleading for him?" Zhang Qiu turned to look into Aunt He's eyes. "If you're worried about me getting into trouble, rest assured. If I kill him today, nothing will happen to me or this family."
"No! Please!" Aunt He continued to block Zhang Qiu. "Let him go! No matter how bad he is, he doesn't deserve to die!"
"He deserves to die for what he did to Jiang Xue!"
"Please! I'm begging you! Just let him live!"
Zhang Qiu shook his head slightly and smiled helplessly. "Auntie, please don't take this the wrong way—it's because of your indulgence that he dares to treat you like this time and again."
Aunt He lowered her head, and Jiang Xue stepped forward, placing her hand on Zhang Qiu's shoulder. "Listen to my mom, let him go."
Zhang Qiu nodded, but the gun did not waver. He asked, "Do you feel ashamed listening to them?"
Seeing the man nod, Zhang Qiu asked again, "Is it real shame or just an act?"
"Real shame, real shame."
Zhang Qiu slowly lowered the gun, and the man visibly relaxed, looking at Aunt He with a complex affection. Zhang Qiu noticed liquid dripping between the man's legs and wrinkled her nose. "Go change your clothes quickly, then come out for dinner."
"I'm full, I'm full." The man avoided Zhang Qiu's gaze.
"If I tell you to eat, you eat. Hurry up and change; we still have things to discuss after that."
"Yes, yes." The man immediately fled back into the house, slamming the door shut with a bang, the yellow bullets embedded inside.
Zhang Qiu put away the gun and turned to face Jiang Xue's mother; the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. It was indeed inappropriate to show up brandishing weapons on the first visit. However, Zhang Qiu had no better way. To deal with such a person, he had to instill fear for him to listen. Time was tight and the mission was heavy; Zhang Qiu could only proceed this way. But now, she was unsure how Aunt He would perceive her.
"Auntie, let's sit down." The previously imposing Zhang Qiu now felt somewhat shy in front of Aunt He.
"Please sit."
Aunt He had not yet recovered from her shock; in a moment of desperation, she saved the man and now felt overwhelmed. What kind of person was this boyfriend her daughter had found? How could an ordinary person carry a gun? Moreover, he casually mentioned killing someone as if it were nothing—this was astonishing to Aunt He.
Zhang Qiu caught the information in Aunt He's eyes and explained, "Auntie, you don't need to be afraid. This gun was actually given to me by the police. Some time ago, I helped them solve a major case, and for my safety, they temporarily allowed me to carry a firearm."
"But you killed someone..." Aunt He instinctively voiced her concern but stopped halfway realizing it was inappropriate.
Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "Auntie, it's not like that. If he were really afraid of me just because I fired that shot—just that one shot—I would have to write a three-thousand-word shooting report! If the report isn't reasonable, they will take this gun back from me."
Aunt He was half-convinced but still worried, saying, "Will this gunshot get you into trouble?"
"It won't, don't worry. My uncle is Police Chief Wang Guodong!" Qiu Wan thought to herself, regretting that this time she had to sacrifice her uncle's image to take the blame for her.
Aunt He was even more surprised. She turned to Jiang Xue and, seeing her nod, felt reassured. Her doubts about Zhang Qiu holding a gun were temporarily set aside. Remembering how Zhang Qiu saved her at noon, she still found him pleasing to the eye. However, she had one more concern: "Aunt has something to say but doesn't know if she should."
"Aunt, please go ahead."
"Xue'er is a good girl; I trust you to take care of her. I just hope you do fewer dangerous things in the future. Once you settle down, you should live a stable life."
"Don't worry, Aunt. I promise you. Jiang Xue is so good; I will cherish and take care of her." Zhang Qiu followed Aunt He's words. As for whether he would live a stable life in the future, that was not entirely up to him. Life had pushed him to this point step by step.
After staying in the room for over ten minutes, the man finally came out. He had changed his clothes, and there was no smell on him as he approached. Zhang Qiu pointed to a seat and said, "Just sit here."
The man was extremely reluctant but dared not refuse. Cautiously, he sat next to Zhang Qiu, neither moving the chopsticks nor touching the wine glass. Zhang Qiu poured wine from the bottle into the man's glass. The man hurriedly took it with both hands and mumbled something. Just as he raised his glass, Zhang Qiu asked, "So, how do you feel today?"
The man's hand holding the glass froze in mid-air as he looked at Zhang Qiu, his lips moving but no words came out. Zhang Qiu said, "Relax; just say what's on your mind. Even if you leave this house, I won't have any objections. My only requirement is that you don't harm those I care about."
The man quickly replied, "I won't leave; I won't leave."
"You can stay, but what are your plans moving forward? Will you continue hitting your wife or stick with Jiang Xue's idea?"
"I won't dare anymore; I will treat them well."
"Have you found your conscience?" Zhang Qiu shook his head. "I'm afraid you're just scared of me."
"No, that's not it; I was just too much of a jerk before."
"I don't care whether you're sincere or not. Since you want to stay in this house, even if you're pretending, you need to act like a decent person. From now on, handle things like a real man, understood?"
“Understood, understood.”
“It’s not up to me; it depends on whether Aunt He is willing to forgive you.”
The man turned to Aunt He, slapped himself hard, and said, “Wife, I was wrong. I will never treat you like this again. Please give me a chance to show you how I can change.”
Tears welled up in Aunt He’s eyes, but she remained silent. The man grew anxious and slapped himself again. When he raised his hand for the third time, Aunt He grabbed him. The man asked in surprise, “Wife, have you forgiven me?”
Aunt He nodded gently. The man was overjoyed and said, “Wife, from now on I will treat you and the children well.”
Zhang Qiu watched everything with satisfaction. From Aunt He stopping him from shooting, he could tell there were still feelings between the two. Perhaps this was not a bad choice after all. Regardless of whether the man was sincere or pretending, Zhang Qiu believed that for a period of time at least, the man would behave himself. That was enough; it takes time to thaw ice that has built up over three feet.
Zhang Qiu raised his glass and smiled, “Let’s drink.”
The man cautiously lifted his glass with both hands and lightly clinked it against Zhang Qiu’s, his glass significantly lower than Zhang Qiu’s.
Zhang Qiu looked at Jiang Xue and asked with a smile, “Are you satisfied?”
Jiang Xue nodded with a smile, and Tao Ya gave Zhang Qiu a thumbs-up from under the table.
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