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墨書 Inktalez
Jufeng's steps seemed ordinary, yet they were agile, quickly disappearing into the cherry blossom grove and out of Ikeda Masahiro's sight.
Fortunately, Ikeda Masahiro was wearing a pair of sneakers today, making it easy for her to run. She was also a woman who exercised regularly, her alluring figure largely a result of her own sweat. Moreover, the distance wasn't long, and soon Ikeda Masahiro caught up with Jufeng.
Breathing slightly heavier, Yahui arrived beside Jufeng. As she looked at the man, woman, and child not far away, her expression darkened instantly.
The young man wore a pure black mask, his hair golden like ripe wheat, reminiscent of the Pool youth Jufeng had seen when he first arrived in Yingguo. He held a dagger in one hand and cradled the child in his arms, the blade's tip pressed against the child's neck.
Unaware of the danger he was in, the child kept shouting for his mother. Perhaps due to the man's excessive grip, the child struggled vigorously, causing the sharp tip of the knife to hover dangerously close to his neck. The woman beside them was filled with fear and tears streamed down her face.
Clearly, that was her child. A limited edition expensive handbag lay quietly on the ground. The woman wept uncontrollably, helplessly pleading, "Please let my child go! I'll give you any amount of money you want—one million? No, five million! Hurry! Be careful! Please don't hurt my child! Wuwu..."
Jufeng and Ikeda Masahiro approached the woman. Observing the man and the struggling child across from them, they quickly grasped the situation.
Jufeng was skilled at observation; he instructed Ikeda Masahiro to comfort the distressed woman while he took on the responsibility of negotiating.
"Friend," he said in an extremely calm tone, "what you want is likely just money. If you harm someone’s life, it will be a loss for you as well. Please be careful with your dagger; the child is your bargaining chip. Once that chip is gone, do you still have any qualifications to negotiate?"
Jufeng spoke steadily to ease the man's emotions. Ikeda Masahiro translated each word carefully, maintaining a gentle tone. Indeed, after Jufeng finished speaking, the man's arm holding the dagger stopped trembling as much, and its tip moved slightly away from the child's neck.
He forced himself to appear calm but spoke with a hint of bravado: "You all better behave! I know there are many people here; who knows if someone has already called the police? But I can't worry about that now. Hurry! Hand over all your cash! If anyone dares not to comply, I’ll kill this kid."
Ikeda Masahiro roughly translated this for Jufeng. Romain raised his hands above his head as a sign of compromise. He exchanged a glance with Ikeda Masahiro, who understood silently and together with the distressed woman took out all their cash from their pockets. They handed it over to Jufeng.
Holding a thick stack of bills in his left hand while keeping his right hand raised above his head as a gesture of sincerity, Jufeng slowly approached the man. He presented himself as an earnest student studying abroad, giving off an impression of vulnerability.
The so-called weakness is safety. The man felt secure, so his attention shifted from the child to the cash in Jufeng's hands.
Jufeng was about five meters away from the man when suddenly, the child cried out and broke free from the man's grasp. However, he couldn't run far before the man, reacting quickly, was ready to seize him again.
The man's nerves were taut; he suddenly realized that things were slipping out of his control. In his panic, he forgot his movements. At that moment, the hand holding the dagger was most convenient for grabbing the child, so in a rush, he lunged forward with the dagger aimed at the child's body.
Ikeda Masahiro watched in horror as his heart tightened. The young woman gasped in shock, nearly collapsing to the ground.
However, just at that critical moment, a shadowy figure shot out from Jufeng's raised right hand. Before the dagger could reach the child, it struck the man's hand holding the dagger first. The man winced in pain and dropped the dagger to the ground with a sharp clang.
The child was terrified; deep within his young heart, no one had ever told him that such things could happen in this world. In moments of panic, human nature tends to choose what feels safest, so he quickly ran toward his mother.
Yet, the danger was only just beginning.
Jufeng thought that the man had resorted to robbery out of desperation; after all, no one willingly chooses this path. However, he did not realize that the man possessed an even more dangerous weapon. Ignoring Jufeng's presence, a gleaming handgun appeared in the man's hand.
Having been struck by what Jufeng had thrown, blood flowed from his palm, forcing him to grip the gun with both hands, though it still trembled uncontrollably.
"…!"
The man uttered a string of words filled with anger in A Company’s language. Ikeda Masahiro barely had time to translate before the man's finger curled around the trigger of the gun.
With just a little pressure, a bullet would fly out at high speed and penetrate most objects in this world.
In that instant, Jufeng recalled many past events. He remembered when he was just a courier in Washing City; after killing the leader of the Red Gang, he became a target for the Red Wolf Gang. With no other choice, he had taken preemptive action and assassinated the leader of the Red Wolf Gang in a bar.
At that moment, the most thrilling scene resembled the vision of his eyes. The only difference was that he was being threatened from behind with a gun, while now it was right in front of him.
Clearly, having a gun pointed at one's back was a hundred times more dangerous than facing it head-on.
Time had passed, and Jufeng had survived that crisis. Now, with his martial arts skills greatly improved, the danger level had decreased significantly; how could he possibly make a mistake?
No one at the scene could discern what was happening beneath Jufeng's feet. In almost an instant, he had shifted a full meter to the side, and then his right hand swiftly lifted again, creating another afterimage as he struck the same spot once more.
The man winced in pain and dropped his gun, but this time the situation was even more tragic. He staggered backward a few steps before collapsing to the ground. His palm was already a bloody mess, with blood dripping onto the floor and quickly pooling into a puddle.
Having faced death repeatedly, the young woman was terrified beyond belief. She clutched her child tightly, sobbing uncontrollably, momentarily forgetting her morning preparations and the noble image she was supposed to maintain.
Jufeng approached the man’s side as Ikeda Masahiro took out his phone to call the police. He then walked over to Jufeng and glanced at the two broken branches of cherry blossoms scattered on the ground, jokingly saying, “Looks like you know how to make use of waste; quite eco-friendly. He should be grateful for that.”
Jufeng smiled lightly, wearing a proud expression. Then he bent down to pick up the gun. Initially intending only to scare the young man, he casually glanced at it and suddenly noticed a familiar emblem on the weapon. His heart raced, and his expression changed dramatically.
Ikeda Masahiro naturally noticed Jufeng's unusual reaction and instinctively looked at the gun as well but found nothing amiss. Curiously, she asked, “Is something wrong?”
Jufeng slowly regained his composure from his shock and looked at Ikeda Masahiro, saying hurriedly, “It’s nothing; just a personal matter. Could you help me by asking him a few questions?”
Seeing that Jufeng was unwilling to elaborate, Ikeda Masahiro didn’t press further. After all, he had complex forces behind him; personal matters were bound to arise.
She nodded and approached the man, whispering a few words that sounded threatening. The man's face changed drastically upon hearing her words; he quickly knelt before Ikeda Masahiro with an expression of respect and fear, more nervous than a eunuch before an emperor in ancient times.
Ikeda Masahiro looked at Jufeng and indicated that it was okay to ask now. Jufeng squatted down and inquired, “Where did you get this gun?”
Jufeng had finished speaking, and Ikeda Masahiro was acting as the translator beside him. Upon hearing the question, the man quickly responded, rambling on for quite a while until Yahui interrupted him, prompting him to stop.
"He got it from a friend in Europe, much cheaper than what you find on the market, and the performance is quite good, so he bought it."
Jufeng nodded and continued, "Can he confirm where in Europe it was obtained? Also, can we still find his friend?"
Ikeda Masahiro diligently conversed with the man for a while before saying, "His friend died in a gang shootout; we can't find him. The specific location is unknown, but it's somewhere in Ireland."
Ireland is an island nation in Europe. Its land area is not large, but the scenery is quite pleasant and suitable for human habitation.
Jufeng nodded again but then shook his head, asking Ikeda Masahiro, "Would it be troublesome if I keep this handgun?"
Ikeda Masahiro looked at Jufeng with some surprise, unsure why he suddenly showed interest in an ordinary handgun. However, he agreed; this was Yamamoto Clan's territory, and resolving this issue would be quite simple.
Before long, police officers appeared in front of everyone. Almost simultaneously, two well-dressed men arrived and exchanged a few words with the police, sparing Jufeng and Ikeda Masahiro the trouble of giving statements.
The young woman gradually regained her composure and approached Jufeng, tearfully wanting to express her gratitude. However, Jufeng politely declined. As for money? It seemed he wasn't lacking; it was merely a casual pastime for him, and he didn't need to get involved with wealthy families.
Once the police left, the two men exchanged polite words with Ikeda Masahiro before quickly disappearing from view. Just before they left, they cast a lingering glance at Jufeng, filled with emotion—as if they were looking at a first love—making Jufeng feel a chill run down his spine.
While out for a stroll, he hadn't expected such an incident to occur. However, it added a deeper significance to this cherry blossom journey.
Ikeda Masahiro looked at Jufeng and thought that this man had been very calm while handling the situation earlier; he resembled his brother quite a bit. If it had been Hayamura Shuichi, he would have confidently resolved things with a throwing knife to the head without taking careful steps like Jufeng did. He also wouldn't have shown off his skills so brazenly.
"I didn't expect you to be so attentive; you know how to consider the feelings of criminals and their relatives during negotiations. This has made me see you in a new light."
Jufeng was taken aback and teased, "I didn't expect Yahui to compliment someone! Since we're both from Huaguo, it's rare to encounter a familiar accent. Naturally, I have to do my best to help out. With such praise from you, Yahui, I might just get carried away!"
Ikeda Masahiro, seeing Jufeng's playful demeanor, couldn't help but snort, "Stop being so vain. After all this fuss, I'm feeling a bit hungry. Let's go have some morning tea."
Jufeng looked up at the sun and realized it hadn't been long since breakfast. He curiously asked, "You eat so much; aren't you afraid of getting too fat to look at?"
Ikeda Masahiro had already walked quite far ahead and shouted back, "Quit the chatter! If I eat too much, I'll just lose weight again. You wouldn't understand; this is about enjoying the pleasures of life. Whether you come or not is up to you; I'm not waiting for you."
Jufeng shook his head and smiled helplessly. Sister Ni was indeed unique and full of character. So he hurried after him; being in a foreign land where everything was unfamiliar, Jufeng didn't want to be left alone.
(To be continued)
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