As dusk approached, Kisako finally left the garden.
Shortly after Kisako left, Sawaki came to my side and whispered, "Kisako is getting ready, Fang Tian is coming soon." I nodded and said, "I'll open the door, you better hide in the study, don't meet them, because I've noticed you can't control your temper!"
Dr. Sawaki clenched his fists tightly and said, "I can't bear to see someone take away my daughter, whom I've raised so diligently!" I said, "Doctor, don't forget it's just your intuition, Fang Tian is an outstanding scientist."
Dr. Sawaki angrily retorted, "No, no!"
I realized that Dr. Sawaki's rationality was gradually fading, so I stopped talking to him. I waved my hand and said, "You go, forget about it, your daughter will definitely not disappear tonight."
Dr. Sawaki sighed and walked into the house.
I stopped working too, washed my hands, sat near the front door, and waited for Fang Tian's arrival.
I kept thinking, what should I do when Fang Tian appears? Should I immediately capture him and interrogate him about his origins? Doing so would obviously make things worse because Fang Tian had extremely powerful, potentially lethal secret weapons!
After much contemplation, I decided that when Fang Tian arrived, I would find a way to get close to him and use my sleight of hand skills to steal everything from him.
The belongings a person carries are the best information about their origins and identity.
My "Three-Handed" kung fu was not bad, but it had not been used for a long time. This time, it was crucial, so I needed to sharpen my skills. Lost in thought, suddenly, the doorbell rang.
I looked up and saw a tall, slim figure standing outside the iron gate.
I quickly jumped up, and as I reached the door, I heard Kisako's clear voice saying, "He's here."
I had already drawn the bolt and opened the door. At the same time, I looked up and saw that it was Fang Tian.
His face was still pale, his expression mysterious and elusive. He didn't even glance at me, apparently thinking I was just a gardener.
I stepped aside, and Kisako approached. They shook hands, gazing at each other.
At that moment, I understood Dr. Sawaki's repeated mention of Kisako's mesmerized state, a situation that one couldn't imagine without witnessing it.
Kisako and Fang Tian stood face to face, holding hands tightly, a common intimate gesture of young lovers. But Kisako's face carried a peculiar expression.
It was the expression of a revolutionary martyr, knowing she was about to sacrifice herself but still bravely moving forward for the cause. The sentiment conveyed by her expression was undeniably noble.
While Kisako displayed nobility, I engaged in very ignoble behavior. As the iron gate opened, I brushed past Fang Tian and covertly relieved him of the contents of his pockets. And as they stood staring at each other, I discreetly brushed past Fang Tian again.
This time, I managed to acquire some items from the pockets of his short coat. I left them, concealed behind a bush, and watched them both, hidden.
Fang Tian remained oblivious to my actions. They stood facing each other, hand in hand, for several minutes, without saying a word, before finally walking into the house.
As a mere gardener, I couldn't follow them inside. So, I returned to the gardener's quarters, drew the curtains, and laid out my "gains" on the table.
My "accomplishments" were impressive. They included a wallet, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, a keychain with five keys, a handkerchief, and a small palm-sized notebook.
I remembered that when Fang Tian was in Hokkaido, he used something like a miniature crystal radio to injure me, which I couldn't obtain. However, one item among my acquisitions puzzled me. It was a pen-like object, about the size of a cigarette, with seven thin steel tubes linked together, making a faint sound when shaken. It didn't look like a toy, and its purpose was unclear.
I divided the items into two categories: those not worth investigating, like the cigarettes, lighter, handkerchief, and wallet (which only contained cash), and those requiring further examination.
The second category included the pen-like object and the diary.
I opened the diary, hoping to find some information, but after flipping through several pages, I froze. The diary's cover was very worn, indicating it had been used for many years, and there were only four or five blank pages left; the rest were densely filled with irregular, distorted symbols.
However, I couldn't decipher a single word.
Because the symbols in the diary were unlike anything I had ever seen. I couldn't even call them "words" because they were just irregular, twisted symbols.
But I knew they were a form of writing.
Because some of the distorted symbols were repeated several times, indicating they were common characters.
What country or ethnicity's script this was, I couldn't say.
More likely, it was just a set of symbols. I flipped through the entire diary, and not a single word was familiar to me.
I sighed, realizing that I had no choice but to hand over the diary and the pen-like object to Mr. Nelson for detailed inspection by the security personnel of some country.
I put the two items in my bag, stood up, and prepared to rest.
But at that moment, I heard a sound coming from my chest! I was startled, and for a moment, I couldn't be sure if the sound had indeed come from me.
But when I turned around, I was certain—the sound came from me!
At that moment, I was truly dumbfounded.
Ironically, my first thought wasn't anything else but a story from "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio": a scholar returning home, hearing voices from his clothes, shaking his clothes, and a tiny person falling out, transforming into a stunning beauty...
I couldn't help but straighten my shirt. Of course, there was no shrunken beauty falling out.
However, the sound emanating from my chest was definitely not a figment of my imagination. After I collected myself, the sound persisted.
At first, it sounded like someone speaking softly, but when you tried to make out what was being said, it became incomprehensible. I took off my shirt and discovered that the sound was coming from one of the pockets. As I reached into the pocket, I identified the source of the sound.
This sudden sound came from that object I didn't know what to call—a pen-like thing, similar to the "pen-like object" from earlier.
The metal tubes could potentially make a sound if a strong wind blew, but there was no wind in the room. How could it produce irregular, whisper-like noises? It puzzled me.
I placed the object on the table and observed it. After about three or four minutes, the sound stopped.
I touched the object, but it remained silent. However, as soon as I put it back into the pocket, it made a "ding" sound.
I didn't understand what kind of creature it was. Startled by the sound, I quickly let go.
After the initial "ding," it produced a series of tinkling sounds, like a music box playing.
Moreover, I immediately recognized it as a melody, albeit a strange one, yet familiar to me.
In my entire life, I had only heard Fang Tian hum this tune.
After the melody ended, the object fell silent again.
I shook it, and it made only a faint rustling sound. Carefully, I wrapped it up and put it back in my bag.
At that moment, my doubts about Fang Tian reached an unprecedented level!
Because not only were his actions extremely bizarre, but even the things around him seemed incomprehensible.
I had encountered various novelties in my life, and even possessed many tools for convenient work that ordinary people didn't know about. Yet Fang Tian had at least three things that were completely unfamiliar to me.
One was the weapon that had severely injured me in Hokkaido, the other was the set of pipes that made sounds, and the third was the little diary filled with strange characters.
Suddenly, I felt a strange and absurd sensation: Fang Tian seemed to belong not to the human world—I mean, he seemed not to belong to Earth, because he was just too strange, beyond imagination.
I turned off the light, lay down under the window, and looked out. Light leaked from Dr. Sawaki's room, indicating he was still awake.
The living room was brightly lit, where Kisako and Fang Tian must have been talking. I knew it wouldn't be long before Fang Tian realized he had lost many things and would find it difficult to stay any longer at Dr. Sawaki's house. If what I had acquired was important to Fang Tian, he would surely search for it anxiously.
I wasn't wrong. Shortly after I looked out the window, I heard Fang Tian's loud voice faintly from the room. At that time, I was in the gardener's quarters, a distance away from where Fang Tian was, so I couldn't hear what he was saying.
Less than a minute after Fang Tian's voice sounded, he hurriedly walked out of the house.
Kisako followed him, and there was a faint bluish tint on Fang Tian's pale face, making him look terrifying. Kisako ran after him until they reached the door, where she asked, "What if you can't find it?"
Fang Tian replied, "I don't know, I don't know!"
They were speaking in English. Kisako immediately suggested, "Should we ask the police for help?"
Fang Tian responded, "No, Kisako, tomorrow, have ads placed in every newspaper. Whether stolen or found, I just want them back, and there will be a generous reward." Kisako asked, "What exactly did you lose?"
Fang Tian sighed and said, "The rest doesn't matter much, but the most important thing is a small diary and a tape recorder with recordings from my hometown."
Kisako was puzzled, "A tape recorder?"
At that moment, I was also shocked, and in my mind, I repeated: a tape recorder?
Fang Tian seemed to realize his mistake and paused for a moment, then quickly corrected himself, "It's modified by me, the sound it emits is very faint, it can't even be considered a tape recorder. When you place the ads, just say it's a row of thin metal pipes!"
Kisako frowned, "Where are you going now?"
Fang Tian said, "I'll follow the same route and see if I can find what I lost."
Kisako sighed, "You haven't discussed our matters further with my father yet!"
Fang Tian replied, "Let's discuss our matters when we leave Japan. You are already independent." Kisako's expression was very sad, "But, my fiancé..."
Fang Tian looked even more unpleasant, "You still call him your fiancé?" Kisako smiled bitterly, "Fang, you don't know. In our country, if he refuses to annul the engagement..."
Fang Tian impatiently waved his hand, "So you have to marry him?"
Kisako said, "Of course, I can defy everything, but it will embarrass my father."
Fang Tian fell silent for a moment, "Let's discuss it slowly. Right now, my mind is in chaos." As he spoke, he walked away, and Kisako followed a few steps, "He's coming to my house in a few days."
I knew the "he" Kisako mentioned referred to her fiancé. Fang Tian hesitated for a moment and said, "I'll come see you tomorrow."
Kisako stopped and the two blew kisses to each other before Fang Tian hurriedly walked away.
As soon as Kisako entered the house, I jumped out of the window, climbed over the wall, and walked quickly along the path in front of the door.
Before long, I saw Fang Tian walking with his head down, searching as he went, hoping to recover what he had lost by chance.
Once I spotted him, I slowed my pace and followed him from afar. Since it was late at night, tracking someone without being noticed wasn't easy. So, I kept my distance to avoid detection.
I saw him lingering in front of a bus stop for a long time, apparently having arrived by that route. Then, I watched as he walked towards the stationmaster's office.
There was a dim light in the office, and I followed. I could hear Fang Tian loudly asking a sleepy-eyed employee if anything had been lost.
The clerk grumbled impatiently, and I moved closer.
Fang Tian heard my footsteps and abruptly turned his head. I hunched my body lower, resembling a prematurely aged laborer.
Approaching Fang Tian, I bowed respectfully and said, "Sir, have you lost something?"
Fang Tian spun around, his expression almost as if he wanted to devour me. He shouted, "Yes! Yes! Where is it? Give it to me, now!" I intentionally widened my eyes and stared at him, saying, "Some items were found by my master. He instructed me to wait here for the owner. Please come with me."
Fang Tian hesitated visibly and asked, "Who is your master?"
I fabricated a name, and Fang Tian, clearly eager to recover his lost belongings, asked, "Is it far from here?" His willingness to ask indicated his readiness to follow me.
I replied solemnly, "Not far, just a few alleys away."
Fang Tian said no more and simply agreed, "Let's go!"
I turned and began to walk, with Fang Tian following behind me. It was only then that I started to consider how to deal with Fang Tian. Now that I had him with me, I could lead him to the most secluded place.
But what next after leading him to such a place? If I revealed my identity and negotiated with him, he might resort to using his secret weapon again.
So what should I do? I couldn't take him too far, as that might arouse suspicion.
After two minutes of consideration, I had a preliminary plan.
I decided to knock him unconscious, tie him up, and then immediately inform Mr. Nelson to involve the police. However, I quickly dismissed that decision and opted to handle him myself after rendering him unconscious. I could conceal my identity completely and pose as a petty thief targeting foreign tourists.
Even against someone like Fang Tian, I had to play the part of a petty thief.
I led him into a dark and quiet alley and slowed my pace.
Without turning around, I sensed Fang Tian was behind me from his footsteps. He asked, "Why aren't you—?" But before he could finish, I took a step back, swung my right elbow backward, and struck him forcefully.
The blow landed squarely on his stomach, causing Fang Tian to grunt and bend over.
Just as I expected, I swiftly turned around and delivered a heavy blow to the back of his head. Fang Tian's eyes rolled up, and his body went limp, collapsing to the ground.
I removed his belt and tie, tightly bound his hands and feet. Remembering the intense pain he had caused me in the hospital, I felt justified in securing him so tightly.
After binding him, I hoisted him up and walked toward the end of the alley.
It was a dead-end alley, perfect for my needs, as no one would venture into such a place late at night.
I carried him all the way to the end of the alley before setting him down. As I did, I deliberately jostled him, hearing a faint groan escape him.
I knew he was waking up. I quickly stepped aside, hiding in the shadows where he couldn't see me, but I could still see him in the dim light of a nearby street lamp.
I chose not to reveal myself immediately, wanting to observe his reaction.
Slowly, Fang Tian opened his eyes, his face filled with confusion. Then, shaking his head, he tried to free his bound limbs. However, I had secured them tightly, and his struggles were in vain. His expression turned increasingly horrified.
He rolled toward the wall, propped himself up, and seemed ready to leap out of the alley.
But as he took the first step, I reached out, gripping his shoulder firmly, and said, "Hey, friend, take it easy!"
Fang Tian trembled, his voice quivering, "Who... who are you?"
I cleared my throat and replied, "Who are you?"
I stood behind Fang Tian, unable to see his face, but I noticed that when I asked the question, his ears turned red, indicating his face must have gone even redder!
He said, "I'm a person, just like you. Please, let me go!"
My question earlier was prompted both by Fang Tian's mysterious demeanor and the tone of his inquiry. Yet, I never expected his response.
I quickly thought to myself: What does this mean? Why is he emphasizing that he's a person? Is he not human? It seemed absurd, but what else could he be? And why did he react that way?
His identity became increasingly mysterious.
Despite my confusion, I confidently said, "No, you're not human. You're different from us!"
As soon as I said this, Fang Tian let out a groan!
The groan was filled with despair. His body went limp against the wall, and he finally collapsed to the ground.
At that moment, I was stunned.
I never expected my words to elicit such a reaction from Fang Tian!
There could be no other explanation: Fang Tian was not human. If he were human, why would he almost faint at my words?
But isn't this too absurd, too bizarre, too unbelievable? If Fang Tian isn't human, what is he? A fairy? A werewolf? I stepped forward, seeing clearly that Fang Tian hadn't revealed his "true form."
He was still the familiar Fang Tian I had known since our first meeting at school, just paler now.
I saw him tightly shut his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"
Fang Tian was breathing heavily and didn't open his eyes. From his expression, he seemed to have given up hope, like a condemned prisoner at the gallows who didn't want to see anything anymore. He simply said, "Do you already know everything about me?"
Pretending to know everything, I replied, "Of course!" Fang Tian gasped urgently, saying, "Let me go, let me go. Are you an intellectual? I can give you some formulas, enough for a lifetime. You can't read? I'll write them for you to sell to anyone, any country... Please let me go, let me go..."
As Fang Tian spoke, I became increasingly confused.
I only gathered that Fang Tian seemed willing to offer scientific formulas as a condition for his release. But what were these formulas, and why were they so valuable?
In my mind, I thought, "No, if I let you go, I'll probably be found dead at home the next day."
Suddenly, Fang Tian's body trembled like a sieve. He said, "No... no... you won't harm me, will you?"
My doubts grew, and I felt restless. I replied in a normal tone, "Alright, Fang Tian, what are you up to?"
Anticipating his reaction, I removed the mask covering his face as soon as I finished speaking.
Sure enough, as soon as Fang Tian heard my words, he opened his eyes.
Upon seeing me, he exclaimed, "Weiseli!"
I chuckled and said, "Well, at least you recognize your old classmate." Every muscle on Fang Tian's face twitched, showing extreme horror.
With a trembling voice, he muttered, "You... you... aren't... dead?"
I replied, "No, I'm not dead. You've tried to harm me multiple times, but I've survived... Fang Tian, believe me, I had no choice. You forced me to this point."
His expression was filled with panic, which made me, instead of punishing him, console him, saying, "Take your time to explain. Why are you so nervous?" He burst into tears, saying, "I'm finished, I'm finished. I'll be stuck here forever, I'm finished..."
He started talking about things that made no sense to me.
I patted his shoulder and said, "Hey, old friend, let's take it one step at a time. Please don't cry."
Fang Tian gradually stopped sobbing and asked, "What... are you going to do with me?"
I thought for a moment and replied, "That depends on you."
Fang Tian asked in confusion, "Depends on me?"
I explained, "Yes, if you can satisfactorily answer my questions, then I won't pursue this further."
Suddenly, a strange light flashed in Fang Tian's eyes. "Your questions? You... don't know everything about me?"
I didn't realize it at the time and said, "No, that's why I have a question for you."
Fang Tian said, "Release me, release me."
I shook my head, "No, if you use that thing to harm me again, and there's no snow here, will I survive?"
Fang Tian hurriedly replied, "No, that thing can only be used once. After the radiation, the metal undergoes changes, turning into another metal."
I naturally believed his words. After searching him and finding no suspicious items, I released his bonds but kept hold of his arm as we walked toward the alley. With so many questions in my mind, I didn't know where to start. After some thought, I said, "In Hokkaido, what did you use to injure me?"
Fang Tian exclaimed, "Oh, that's just a trinket. Inside the box is a highly radioactive metal, and the box itself is made of another metal that can contain the radiation. With a press of the button, like a camera shutter, the metal in the box emits radiation strong enough to burn a person."
"Burn to death!" I corrected him.
Fang Tian looked embarrassed and said, "But it can only be used once. After that, the radiation dissipates, and the metal's atomic structure changes into another metal."
I asked, "Alright, what's the name of that highly radioactive metal?"
Fang Tian replied, "It's called 'Xeoleck'."
I was taken aback and said, "What?" Fang Tian explained, "It's called Xeoleck, a very common metal where we're from." He stopped there.
I had never heard of a metal with such strong radiation named "Xeoleck". I blamed my own lack of scientific knowledge but then suddenly remembered something odd.
Fang Tian said the metal was very common, so why hadn't any powerful countries used it as a destructive weapon? I held onto my doubts, loosening my grip on Fang Tian's hand inadvertently.
Fang Tian had been waiting for this opportunity. He broke free from my grasp and hurried a few steps forward. Naturally, I couldn't let him leave like that and immediately started chasing after him.
However, after Fang Tian ran a few steps, he reached into his pocket, turned around swiftly, and shouted, "Weiseli, don't force me to use the weapon. Stop right there!" I was very close to him, just two steps away, and I could have caught him again!
However, I stopped.
I was genuinely scared by him.
Although I had searched the pocket he had inserted his hand into and found nothing, Fang Tian was such a strange person that you couldn't rely on common sense to judge him. Perhaps he was bluffing, but it was also possible that he really had some weapon that could kill in a fraction of a second.
I remembered that in Hokkaido, before I was seriously injured, he had repeatedly said "Don't force me."
I raised my hands and said, "Alright, I won't chase you, but I won't rest either!" Fang Tian cried out, "Don't interfere with me. Why do you have to bother me just because of your curiosity, making me restless, making me..."
He suddenly began to cough violently.
I sneered and said, "Fang Tian, you're oversimplifying things. Do you remember our classmates? And you certainly haven't forgotten the skiing athlete?"
And myself, we almost lost our lives for you! And now, I've been entrusted by a grieving father. Do you think I'm just driven by curiosity?"
Fang Tian took a step back and said, "I had no choice. I had no choice."
I said, "I believe you had no choice, but I need to know: Why?"
Fang Tian replied, "I can't tell you. You'll understand in the future." I sighed. Fang Tian's words were empty. With a sincere tone, I said, "Fine, I've already caused myself a lot of trouble for you. I don't need to explain further. I'm not afraid of trouble. I believe your trouble must be greater than mine. If you need my help, I'll forget the unpleasantness in Hokkaido and gladly assist you."
Fang Tian looked at me in silence. After a while, he said, "I'm leaving. Don't follow me!"
I shrugged and said, "I know, if I catch up to you, you'll be forced again!" Before I could finish my sentence, Fang Tian rushed out urgently.
I followed him out of the alley.
As soon as he emerged, he turned left. I called out, "Wait, you've lost something. It's with me!"
Fang Tian abruptly stopped but then dashed forward again!
I didn't chase him or follow. I believed that even if Fang Tian didn't come to me for help, he would inevitably come back to retrieve what he lost. It seemed to me that Fang Tian viewed everyone as enemies, except perhaps for Kiko Sakaki. I decided to return to the Sakaki residence and learn more about Fang Tian's character from Kiko tomorrow.