Chapter 104
Chapter 104
No. 1 returned in a rage that afternoon. It had taken him hours of brushing his teeth to finally get rid of that revolting taste, and only then had the pain below barely begun to subside…
“You…”
“Huh?” Liu Ye turned around. When he saw No. 1, he smiled. “No need to thank me. It was the least I could do. Everyone gets hurt when they’re away from home, so we ought to help each other.”
No. 1 said nothing.
He took a deep breath.
“Put that pole down first.”
The thing had left him traumatized. Logically speaking, he had endured every kind of torture imaginable; a little pole should have been nothing. Yet that single blow had reminded him what it felt like to wish he were dead.
Liu Ye obediently set the pole aside.
No. 1 immediately recovered his swagger.
“How about a one-on-one duel? You punch me once, I punch you once. Whoever dodges is the other’s grandson.”
“Brother, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t know how to fight,” Liu Ye said awkwardly.
That’s exactly what I want!
“You don’t get a choice!”
No. 1 grinned viciously and swung at Liu Ye. He put every ounce of strength into the blow, determined to smash the man’s head open with a single punch.
Boom!
His fist struck Liu Ye squarely in the face. The pressure from the blow was so fierce it bent the saplings behind him nearly to the ground.
And yet…
Liu Ye scratched his cheek. For a moment, he had wondered how he had offended the man. So the fellow had only wanted to touch his face.
He understood now. This must be a local custom.
He had seen things like that on television. Tourist destinations were always splashing visitors with water or dressing them in traditional clothing. Local customs like these were part of the attraction.
“Ah…”
No. 1’s mouth hung open, his eyes nearly popping from their sockets. The punch he had been so certain would end everything had failed to leave so much as a red mark on Liu Ye’s face.
Was this man a monster?
“Brother, you’re done, right? My turn.” Liu Ye smiled.
When visiting a new place, one had to follow local rules. How did that saying go again? When in someone else’s home… you had to get used to their toilet seat.
“No, w-wait-”
Liu Ye raised his hand and gently “touched” No. 1.
Smack!
No. 1 opened his eyes to a parade of images, as though he were watching a movie. First came a little baby. That was him when he was born. Ha, he really had been adorable. Then he saw his father. Speaking of his father, if the man had not been so crooked back then, their family might have had a much easier time. In those days…
Wait!
Why was he remembering all this? What had he been doing just now?
“My life is flashing before my eyes!”
Wait again. That familiar flavor in his mouth, that texture…
“Blaaargh!”
That evening, Liu Ye was making fish soup. He glanced at No. 1, who lay nearby like a corpse, and called out, “Brother, want something to eat?”
No sooner had he spoken than No. 1 shot to the riverbank and began vomiting uncontrollably.
Liu Ye called after him in embarrassment.
“Brother, I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to induce vomiting when someone was unconscious! Please forgive me!”
“Blaaargh!”
Violent retching was the only reply.
“Sigh. I guess he doesn’t want dinner.”
Liu Ye shook his head and headed into the forest to gather mushrooms.
The instant he was gone, No. 1 produced a bottle of poison labeled Soul Severing Powder-a legendary drug said to kill with a single drop.
He dripped some into Liu Ye’s pot, then hid nearby with a cold smile.
Let’s see you survive this.
When Liu Ye returned, No. 1 watched his every move with tense anticipation.
Liu Ye picked up the pot and drank several mouthfuls without hesitation. As for why he did not use a spoon… he simply did not feel like it.
After drinking his fill, Liu Ye wiped his mouth in satisfaction. Then he took out the game console he had borrowed from the Shadow Fiend and went off to play Tetris.
Half an hour passed. Nothing happened.
No. 1 was baffled. How could Liu Ye be fine? It was impossible!
Had he hallucinated the whole thing? Maybe he had not actually poisoned the soup.
He opened the bottle and peered inside. No, that was right. Half of it was gone! He lifted the bottle higher to check the production date printed on the bottom. Had it expired?
Just then, a faint breeze swept past.
“Brother!”
Liu Ye’s sudden shout made him jump. The bottle slipped from his hand, spun neatly through the air, and dropped straight into his mouth.
Not a single drop remained.
No. 1 fell silent.
At that exact moment, Liu Ye asked with a nosy grin, “Brother, what good stuff are you sneaking a drink of?”
“None of your damn… I… I…”
No. 1’s eyes rolled back. He collapsed once again, foaming at the mouth.
Liu Ye stared at him.
Did you come to my campsite for an all-you-can-eat buffet?
The key problem was that there was not much stock left nearby!
Back at the base, an eerie silence reigned. No one was watching the screen anymore. They were afraid to look at Liu Ye’s feed. The scenes it showed were simply too horrifying.
“What are we supposed to do?” one wealthy man demanded anxiously. “That bastard has ruined all the Numbered Ones! If those contestants make it down the mountain, we’ll lose a fortune!”
“There’s no need to panic. They won’t make it down,” Fox Mask said as he polished the glass in his hand.
“There’s no one left to kill them! How could they not make it down? It’s only a matter of time!” the wealthy man shouted angrily.
The broadcast was not limited to the people in this room. A massive online audience had been watching as well.
The organizers had even opened betting pools. If there were no Numbered Ones to hunt the contestants and they had to send ordinary subordinates instead, their credibility would collapse. But if they allowed the contestants to leave the mountain, the resulting payout would be astronomical.
“I said I have a solution,” Fox Mask replied patiently.
“Like hell you have a solu-”
Before the man could finish shouting, Fox Mask smashed an ashtray into his head. Then he grabbed a golf club from nearby and brought it down again and again.
The wealthy man soon stopped moving.
Fox Mask let out a long breath, tossed the golf club aside, and lit a cigarette. Then he beckoned to the trembling attendant at the door.
The attendant approached with terror in every step.
Fox Mask exhaled a stream of smoke. “Clean this up.”
He looked down at the floor in annoyance.
“I was too impulsive. This carpet was extremely hard to find.”
He smoothed back his hair and walked out.
John was waiting outside. Fox Mask immediately put on a smile.
“Brother John, my sincerest apologies for spoiling your fun. Rest assured, I’ll deliver the man you chose to you personally!”
“I have every confidence in you. Care for a drink? I brought an excellent bottle especially for the occasion,” John said with a smile.
“Of course. Mm, just let me change first.”
Fox Mask stepped into another room.
John glanced through the neighboring doorway at the fallen wealthy man and immediately sent a message to the Fiend Investigation Bureau.
“Investigate this man’s business holdings.”
He had just finished typing when Fox Mask emerged.
“Shall we?” the man asked with a smile.