Chapter 28: So They Were Japanese After All

Mo Xiaoxiao, who was following the trail of blood in search of Xiao Zhang, frowned as she saw a middle-aged man running toward her, stepping aside to avoid him. According to Zhao Bai, the suspect was supposed to be a short man in a clown mask, but this guy looked oddly familiar. As the two were about to pass each other, the middle-aged man suddenly reached out to grab Mo Xiaoxiao’s shoulder.

Mo Xiaoxiao threw a punch at him without hesitation. “Who are you?”

The man caught her fist with ease. While speaking, he took out his phone and sent a location. “You should know who I am! Our leader has invited you many times!”

A chill ran through Mo Xiaoxiao’s heart—her punch had been caught so effortlessly, and she couldn’t break free. “Let go!”

“As you wish!” The man planned to test this so-called top healer of the House of Blossoms, curious to see how much skill remained once she was no longer under their protection.

Released, Mo Xiaoxiao nearly stumbled to the ground but recovered, furious, and launched a kick directly at the man’s face. The kick was powerful, but the man caught it just as easily, not even shifting his stance. “The House of Blossoms isn’t as impressive as they say.”

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhang lay on the grass, waiting for the clown, nearly falling asleep. Just as he was about to sneak off to another spot, he saw a couple approaching, seemingly oblivious to his blood-soaked appearance.

But in the next instant, Xiao Zhang felt a chill run down his spine. The couple simultaneously drew pistols—sleek, black, clearly equipped with silencers.

Damn, how could they possibly have guns? Xiao Zhang could tell at a glance these weren’t toys, but the real thing.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say to any police officer may be used as evidence against you in court,” the two, looking like nothing more than college sweethearts, approached him with guns raised.

Xiao Zhang immediately sensed they were the clown’s accomplices. Since when did police in this country utter such lines? Trying to set a trap for him? He’d play them at their own game.

He lunged at them.

The pair fired as they retreated; the suppressed pistols made only faint popping sounds—“pfft, pfft, pfft…”

No matter how carefully Xiao Zhang’s mind plotted to dodge the bullets, his body failed him. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, then in his leg and arm—he must have been shot, though he’d never actually been hit by bullets before.

Despite the gunshots, Xiao Zhang felt no fear. After all, his body was maxed out—surely even a nuclear blast wouldn’t be a problem! Still, he feigned collapse, wailing, “Ahhh! Officer, I’m dying!”

With a final soft thud, a bullet entered his head, and he fell silent.

The couple didn’t let down their guard, firing several more shots into Xiao Zhang’s head, then approached him, guns still drawn.

“That was too easy,” the man said, nudging Xiao Zhang’s mangled head with his foot, unable to believe it.

The woman glanced at the gruesome remains. “Let’s go. That’s enough—makes me lose my appetite.”

The man swept the woman into his arms and began kissing her. “Our good days are here—time to celebrate!”

The woman protested weakly, “No, stop—” but her actions betrayed her, pulling the man toward the grass.

Xiao Zhang, clutching the socket of his eye, one eyeball shot out and destroyed, finally spoke, “Can you both leave now?” Hell, could his eye even grow back after this?

The couple jumped as if struck by lightning, the man especially, whose excitement was abruptly and catastrophically cut short.

They shrieked at the sight of Xiao Zhang standing before them, his head in ruins.

“Shut up!” Xiao Zhang barked, stepping closer.

The woman was too terrified to scream, the man, regaining a shred of composure, drew his gun again and emptied it into Xiao Zhang’s head. “Pfft, pfft, pfft.”

“Is this fun for you?” Now truly angry, Xiao Zhang grabbed the man’s mouth with one hand. “I asked you, is this fun?”

The woman, watching Xiao Zhang dig a bullet out of his own eye socket, could take no more and collapsed, wailing.

At that moment, Xiao Zhang’s mind was a true mess after so many shots to the head. “I told you to be quiet!”

He seized the woman by the head and lifted her, but she only kept sobbing and begging, “Let me go, please let me go!” Suddenly, she began pleading in Japanese—so she really was with the clown. “Who sent you?”

The woman whimpered, “Yamete…”

Xiao Zhang, holding her with his left hand and the man’s mouth with his right, said, “I said shut up!” In his anger, he flung the woman aside.

Unexpectedly, she hit the wall with a sickening splat, reduced to a pile of flesh. She was silent at last—or rather, the pile was.

With the woman dead, the man, whom Xiao Zhang still held, was so frightened he lost control.

“Very good. Now you can answer my questions.”

The man nodded in terror, whimpering.

“Good. Tell me who sent you.”

The man mumbled, unable to speak with his mouth held shut.

“Are you incapable of talking?” Xiao Zhang was losing his patience.

Brother, if you want me to talk, at least let go of my mouth! The man finally mustered the courage to tug Xiao Zhang’s hand away.

Only then did Xiao Zhang realize—had the gunshots scrambled his brain?

In the next thirty seconds, Xiao Zhang pieced it all together: the clown was probably an Awakened from Country D, and these two were spies planted in the country, with another middle-aged man, likely Awakened as well.

He immediately grew concerned for Mo Xiaoxiao. “Do you know where that woman is?”

“Yes, yes!” The man pulled out a phone and handed it to Xiao Zhang. “Everyone on this app is an undercover agent or spy in S City—she’s right here! Our boss just sent a location and ordered everyone nearby to take action.”

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man, carrying the unconscious Mo Xiaoxiao, said to the clown, “Let’s go. Because of this woman, we’ve used all our pieces in S City.”