In the end, Qin Ming didn't make it to Japan.
The reason was simple: he had no money...
Without so much as enough for a cab fare, taking a taxi to Japan? What kind of fantasy was that?
Seeing that Qin Ming couldn't pay, the taxi driver had no hesitation about opening the door, pulling him out, and driving off, leaving him standing bewildered on the sidewalk. After a long sigh, Qin Ming stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking toward South Town.
Don't misunderstand, he hadn't given up on meeting a beautiful woman—he just needed to make some money first. He didn't care if it sounded stubborn; after all, his primary task wasn't to fight any bosses. It only required him to build a friendly relationship with one of the main story characters. So why stick around here to bond with a bunch of hairy old men when he could befriend a beauty?
The last mission had taught Qin Ming a hard lesson from the second boss, and he was adamant about avoiding one-on-one fights with main characters this time. The reasoning was simple! First, the difficulty of this world was B-level, meaning the fighters here wouldn't be easy to deal with. And second, all the main characters here were martial artists, basically licensed brawlers! Add in the penalties if he didn't fight solo, like lowered loot quality—it just wasn't worth it.
"Forget it! I'm not playing along with this ridiculous system. Let someone else fight the bosses; I'm going to Japan to see a beauty! Nothing will stand in my way!"
Making money in a town like South Town, however, wasn't easy since there were plenty of skilled fighters. But then again, that was true only for an average person. For Qin Ming, it was a different story. Following his previous success in The Punisher world, he adopted a similar method here.
He found a jewelry store, waited until nightfall, then broke in. Loot, combine, and reforge the stolen gold into gold bars—it was a streamlined process. Qin Ming walked right back to a gold store with his newly minted "artwork" and cashed in handsomely. As for the police investigating the recent gold heist, what did that have to do with him, an art collector selling family heirlooms?
In just one day, Qin Ming was flush with cash again. He didn't stray from his original goal, either—he enjoyed a fine meal in a high-end restaurant and mulled over plans to get to Japan to see, ahem, a goddess...
As he was drinking beer and drafting his next steps, he suddenly noticed a shadow cast over him. Frowning, Qin Ming looked up to see a short-haired woman with her arms crossed, staring at him expressionlessly. Beside her stood a large Dalmatian.
Taking in the woman's green leather jacket and fierce gaze, Qin Ming raised an eyebrow.
"Do you need something?"
"Yes," the short-haired woman replied coldly, her tone as sharp as her gaze. "Was it you who robbed the jewelry store?"
Qin Ming froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. How did she know? He'd been so careful—disguised, wearing gloves… How could she pin it on me so quickly?
After studying her for a moment, Qin Ming motioned for her to wait a moment. He wiped his hands and mouth with a napkin, then pulled out his dinosaur goggles and slipped them on, gazing at the woman. And sure enough…
Name: Blue Mary
Strength: 30
Constitution: 25
Agility: 40
Spirit: 25
Skills: Rocket Foot Throw (D), Leg Twist (D), Reversal Drop (D), Neck Lock (D), Mary's Snatch (C), Vertical Arrow (C), Spin Drop (C), Mary's Spider Hold (C), Mary's Typhoon (B)
Bio: After losing her father and boyfriend, both agents, Blue Mary's life was plunged into darkness. Her personality turned silent and withdrawn, and only her work as a private investigator helps to ease her pain.
The Queen of Comebacks! Mary "the Bone-Breaker" Blue Mary herself!
Looking at the character before him, Qin Ming wordlessly took off his goggles. "Nope, I'm afraid you've got the wrong guy!"
Blue Mary's eyebrow arched, and with a swift kick, she hooked a chair, pulling it toward herself. She plopped down, crossed her arms over the chair's back, and stared at him, face-to-face.
"Wrong guy?" she asked, her voice icy.
"Uh-huh," Qin Ming replied confidently.
"How could I mistake someone I don't even know?" she replied with a sardonic smile.
"If you don't know me, then how can you say I'm the one who robbed the jewelry store?" he shot back, his words defiant.
"Oh, I have several reasons. First," she began, ticking them off, "we tracked down someone who sold gold yesterday. While the gold's appearance was different, one idiot seems to have forgotten there was a robbery recently, so nobody else would touch gold, lest it attract suspicion. He probably thought a few engraved patterns would keep anyone from connecting it to the theft!"
"Um…"
"Second," she continued, "when I confronted him about it, he had the expression of someone thinking, 'How did this woman figure out it was me?'—didn't even try to hide it!"
"Er…"
"And finally," she added, leaning so close that they were almost nose-to-nose, "this penniless moron couldn't even pay for a cab yesterday and was stuck eating scraps, but today he's suddenly flush enough to dine at a fancy restaurant. So, would you care to explain, Mr. Idiot, where exactly you got all that cash from?"
Qin Ming tried to back away from the closing distance but felt trapped by her gaze. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Mary straightened, keeping her arms crossed on the back of the chair and fixing him with a scathing look.
"Oh, and right now you're probably thinking, 'This woman really has a detective's eye, doesn't she?' Am I right?" she quipped, her tone mocking.
Qin Ming's mind was racing as he desperately tried to think of a way out, his eyes widening even further. Mary's previously cold face shifted to a smirk—one filled with schadenfreude.
"When you put on those ridiculous goggles to 'inspect' me, it seemed like you recognized me right away, didn't you? Your expression said it all, Mr. Idiot. I must say, you make a pitiful robber; maybe some time in jail will teach you to do better," she finished, a mocking smile now firmly in place.
As Mary pressed him further, Qin Ming held his ground, silently cursing. Well, it turns out that background story wasn't just for show. This woman really is a detective!