As I spoke those words, I couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Kimura Shin had been looking at me the whole time. However, as soon as I mentioned the "extraterrestrial object," he turned away from me and avoided direct eye contact. Moreover, his expression was difficult to describe, much like the previous two times I mentioned the "extraterrestrial object"!
A thought crossed my mind, but I still didn't know the reason behind it.
I stood up and said, "I may need to consult you again."
Kimura Shin returned to his normal state and said, "Welcome, welcome."
He escorted me out, and I pondered in my heart, feeling the need to inform the Tokyo police to ensure Kimura Shin's safety. I didn't take the elevator down but chose to use the stairs.
Before long, I had reached the factory gate. Looking back, the lights were still on in Kimura Shin's office in the factory building. Remembering Kimura Shin's words just now, I felt as if I were in a dream!
I walked forward slowly, thinking that things had taken a completely unexpected turn, and I should contact Mr. Nelson. I quickened my pace.
But I hadn't gone far when I sensed someone approaching me rapidly.
I immediately turned around, and the person was standing right in front of me. In the light of the streetlamp, I couldn't help but stare blankly, as the person turned out to be the ambassador of a certain country's embassy! It was truly astonishing to me.
You see, in Tokyo, the ambassador of a certain country is a very important figure because he represents a large nation, even a significant group.
For such an important figure to be following me on the street at night, the seriousness of the situation was evident!
Therefore, when I realized that the person standing in front of me was indeed the ambassador of a certain country, I couldn't speak for a full minute. The ambassador wore a very cruel smile on his face, as if I were his prey, staring at me without blinking.
It took me quite an effort to force a smile.
The moment I saw the ambassador of a certain country, I had already expected that even the ambassador was personally involved. Therefore, the special agents surrounding the factory were probably enough to deal with a large group of people, and now their target was only me, naturally leaving them with more than enough manpower. I had no intention of resisting.
Sure enough, in that minute of my distraction, footsteps could be heard coming from all directions.
I looked around and saw some people walking shoulder to shoulder, like drunk workers leaving work. Some wore their hats crookedly, smoking cigarettes, striking a pose like vagrants.
Those people, some far away from me, some closer, were clearly here to deal with me. I couldn't help but regret deeply. I regretted letting those two special agents go so easily in Kimura Shin's office. Now, these people were here because of their report.
Assessing the situation around me, thoughts raced through my mind. I immediately came to a conclusion: if I wanted to escape this encirclement, I had to subdue the ambassador of a certain country.
I reached out my hand immediately, but my hand froze halfway and couldn't move anymore.
Because, at that moment, the ambassador also raised his hand, holding a sleek and shiny pistol. The range of such a small pistol wouldn't be too far, but given the distance between us now, it was enough to take my life. I involuntarily raised my hands.
The ambassador said in a low voice, "Lower your hands. Do you want to attract attention deliberately?" I tried to maintain my composure and said, "Mr. Ambassador, what do you want?"
I emphasized the title "Mr. Ambassador," reminding him that if the current situation became known, it would be a significant blow to his position.
The ambassador gritted his teeth and lowered his voice, saying, "I'm here to execute your death sentence personally!"
Upon hearing this, my body couldn't help but tremble.
Before I could think of any countermeasure, the ambassador commanded, "Move!" I took a deep breath and asked, "Where are we going?" The ambassador sternly replied, "Just move!"
With no other options, I proceeded forward. Soon, a large transport truck pulled up beside us and stopped. The ambassador continued to order, "Get in."
I hastily interjected, "If you're after that metal box—" But before I could finish, the ambassador barked, "Get in!"
I knew the situation was dire. They wanted me to get in the truck, likely to take me to a remote location and shoot me dead. They might strip me of my clothes, shoot my head into pieces with bullets, making it impossible for anyone to recognize me. Such a case would certainly never be solved.
My mind raced as I stepped into the truck's compartment. As I lifted the canvas, I discovered that the compartment had been modified. From the outside, it looked like an old cargo truck with white canvas covering. But beneath the canvas, I found a steel door.
The steel door automatically swung open, and from inside came a stern voice, "Put your hands on your head and come in."
Those words alone wouldn't make me comply, but with a gun muzzle fitted with a silencer almost touching my nose, I had no choice but to obey.
I stepped into the compartment, which was pitch black. I couldn't see anything, but I felt the ground beneath me was soft, like thick carpet. The voice instructed, "Stand still."
As I stood, I felt someone touch my back, then my chest. Before I could grasp their intent, I saw a phosphorescent glow on my chest. Someone had applied phosphorus to my front and back.
With both my front and back glowing, yet unable to see the rest of the compartment due to the phosphorescent light, my heart raced.
Then, I heard the ambassador's laughter, echoing like a night owl. "Clever and resourceful, Mr. Wisely, you may sit down."
I was both shocked and angry. "Where's the chair?" I demanded.
The ambassador's voice turned cold. "Turn on the light."
As soon as he said that, the compartment lit up, but only for half a second before darkness engulfed us again. My chest's phosphorescent glow intensified, having absorbed light earlier.
In that brief illumination, I saw the compartment—a small room with a table and chairs. Beside me was a chair.
Of course, it wasn't just the ambassador and me. There were four other people, all holding guns and staring at me.
I reluctantly sat in the nearby chair and asked, "Can I smoke?" The ambassador's voice was ruthless. "No, not only can you not smoke, but you also can't make any movements. You've already seen the surroundings!"
At that moment, I felt the truck moving. Clearly, we were underway, but where we were heading, I had no idea.
I remained silent as the ambassador continued, "Four sharpshooters, capable of participating in world shooting competitions, are monitoring you, Mr. Wisely. You can't see them, and they can't see you, but they have two targets in their sights— the phosphorescence on your front and back."
He chuckled strangely. "So, if you attempt to resist, I bet none of the four bullets will miss the phosphorescent areas!"
This was indeed a situation unlike any I had encountered before.
Being held at gunpoint, even with a machine gun, was not unfamiliar to me. But a situation like this, in complete darkness, with my front and back glowing, presented a first.
In total darkness, my glowing front and back made the perfect target. Even a very poor marksman could easily hit me.
In front of me was pitch blackness. I had no idea where the enemy was, whether they were stationary or moving, how far they were from me—I knew nothing.
I was like a blind man, completely stripped of my ability to fight!
I found my voice hoarse. "You don't need to describe my situation any further." The ambassador coldly replied, "Good. Now, let's get down to business. Where's the box? You've got ten seconds to tell me."
I hurriedly replied, "I've already informed Inoue Tsuguo. The box is with you. If I die, Inoue Tsuguo will naturally come after you!" I only managed to say these few words within the ten seconds given. After I finished, I awaited the sound of four simultaneous shots, signaling my end. But there was silence.
My heart raced uncontrollably. My words had worked!
I assumed that it was the personnel from the embassy of the certain country who had stolen the box from Inoue's private airfield. Therefore, since Inoue Tsuguo was a highly respected figure in both political and social circles, if it were known that the embassy of the certain country had stolen the treasure of the Inoue family, it would cause a nationwide uproar and greatly impact the ambassador's position.
And if my assumption was incorrect, my words would naturally have no threatening effect.
The ambassador's silence confirmed my assumption was correct. I immediately continued, "Mr. Ambassador, for your own sake, you should be more polite to me. I intended to help you, but encountered an unexpected situation!"
The ambassador sharply retorted, "What unexpected situation?"
I changed the subject abruptly and asked quickly, "How many days has your deadline given you?" The ambassador blurted out, "Ten days." He only managed to say two words before angrily asking, "What? What are you saying?"
I sighed and said, "Mr. Ambassador, you've already wasted several days on me with only ten days left. The ambassador, truly formidable, sounded extremely frustrated, "It's already been three days, three days!"
I chuckled. This time, my laughter was genuine, as the situation was gradually changing.
I said firmly, "Mr. Ambassador, how will you use the remaining seven days? You shouldn't waste a single minute. As for me, if I don't contact Inoue Tsuguo before midnight, he will inform the police to search for me and publicly disclose the details of his family's lost treasure!"
The ambassador's voice trembled slightly. "Nonsense."
I scoffed, "Believe it or not, your fate is in your own hands!"
The ambassador exclaimed urgently, "How can I trust you?"
I replied, "You must trust me."
The ambassador said, "I trusted you once, and all this trouble came because of that trust!"
I breathed a sigh of relief because the ambassador's tone had softened considerably. I said, "I apologize for this matter because it was entirely accidental. You've encountered trouble because of me, but if you want to get rid of these troubles, you'll need my help."
The ambassador remained silent for a while before saying, "Turn on the light."
In an instant, the compartment lit up, and I saw the ambassador sitting across from me. The four armed men continued to monitor me, squinting their eyes as the light flooded in. It was a perfect opportunity for me to change the situation, but I didn't take action because the ambassador's expression indicated not only would he not trouble me, but he also required my assistance!
I stretched my legs comfortably and pointed to the four armed men, saying, "It seems that these four friends should put away their weapons too?" The ambassador nodded helplessly and waved his hand.
The four men crouched down, holding their guns close to their sides. It was evident they were still unwilling to completely relax their surveillance of me.
But I paid them no mind because I was in a favorable position. I lit a cigarette, and the ambassador anxiously waited for me to speak while I remained composed.
After a while, I said, "Mr. Ambassador, we need to cooperate on this matter."
The ambassador looked at me with a puzzled expression.
I continued, "The box has been stolen. But I don't know which party took it."
The ambassador frowned, "Don't you have any clues?"
I replied, "I do. I believe it's a highly influential group, but not the Moonlight Society. This group has even bought off international police personnel. They used an American-made car for transportation and carried submachine guns. During the robbery, there were twenty to thirty people involved."
I paused here, and the ambassador, still with a furrowed brow, showed no signs of relaxation.
I knew the ambassador was also clueless about the matter.
I smiled and said, "Your intelligence work is excellent, better than the international police and the Japanese police. I think you should know who ultimately got their hands on that box."
The ambassador nodded slightly, "I'll do my best."
I held up three fingers and said, "I'll give you three days."
The ambassador almost jumped up, exclaiming, "Three days! Tokyo has over ten million people, and you only give me three days!"
I shrugged, "It's fair enough. Three days to find out who they are, what kind of group they are. You have to consider that I also have only three days to recover the box from them. That way, you can get the box back before your deadline on the summit!"
The ambassador looked at me for a long time and said, "Are you sure?"
I looked back at him and said, "As long as you're sure, I am."
The ambassador extended his hand, "I am." I also reached out, shook his hand, and said, "Alright, it's settled." The ambassador stood up, the truck's movement causing him to wobble. He said, "Or perhaps I'm being foolish again."
I knew what he meant by that, referring to trusting me once again.
I chuckled, "You have to do it again, or even if you find out where the box is, you won't have the manpower to retrieve it, will you?"
The ambassador looked at me awkwardly, "Well...maybe not." I smiled, "Mr. Ambassador, you've bought many people in Tokyo, but they're all fools, not real talents. I should get off here!"
The ambassador knocked on the steel wall a few times, and the truck stopped immediately. Two people opened the door for me, and I jumped down as the truck sped away.
I shivered as the cold wind hit me. When I looked up, I realized we were still in the heart of Tokyo.
I suddenly remembered that I forgot to arrange a way to meet the ambassador again.
I turned around to call out to the truck, but I immediately saw a figure at the street corner ahead.
I couldn't help but smile because if I needed to contact the ambassador, it was too easy. They were still keeping tabs on me. I shrugged and walked forward.
Dealing with the matter involving the embassy of that certain country was temporarily resolved, but there was still too much ahead of me.
Firstly, I needed to contact Mr. Nelson, and then I had to meet Fang Tian. I also needed to find out what happened to Kiko Sasaki and who killed Dr. Sasaki.
I believed the ambassador of that certain country could find out the whereabouts of that metal box within three days. That meant, three days from now, I would have to fight another organized and influential group besides the Moonlight Society!
While on the truck, I had boldly promised the ambassador of that certain country that I could retrieve the box once he found out its whereabouts. But now that I thought about it, I had no certainty whatsoever!
Because the box wasn't small, and unless we resorted to force, there was hardly any way to retrieve it!
I walked slowly, feeling overwhelmed by every aspect of the situation. Even contacting Mr. Nelson seemed like an impossible task for me.
Because after Mr. Nelson left the hospital, I lost contact with him, and the hospital staff didn't know where he went.
I thought to myself, I had to go to the Tokyo Police Department to inquire about his whereabouts. Ordinary police officers wouldn't know about Mr. Nelson, but senior police officers would have information about him.
I decided to spend the rest of the night in a small hotel.
In Tokyo, these types of small hotels were frequented by all kinds of people, but they were also filthy and sordid places. As soon as I entered, three or four women whose youth had been corroded by drugs gave me disgusting smiles, and one even tried to get closer to me.
I pushed them aside and asked for a relatively clean room. Upon the creaky bed, I collapsed.
Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, there was a knock on the door.
Instinctively, I leaped up, luckily, I had only intended to sleep for a night and hadn't even taken off my clothes.
I reached the door in a bound and swung it open, while the person on the other side also leaped behind the door.
The door opened, but no one entered. It could have been a seasoned individual, ready to ambush me once I appeared.
Fortunately, there were cracks in the door, and dim lights in the corridor. As I looked outside, I almost laughed.
Standing outside was a police officer, in uniform!
I stepped out, and the officer immediately greeted me, "Are you Mr. Wesley?" He spoke English with a Japanese accent. I found it quite strange but didn't say anything at the moment.
He took a step forward and whispered, "Mr. Nelson is looking for you everywhere."
It was entirely possible that Mr. Nelson was searching for me everywhere.
The question was, how did the officer know I was here? I asked him this, and he chuckled, "All the confidential personnel in Tokyo have almost mobilized to find your whereabouts!"
I exclaimed, "Oh," and asked, "Where is Mr. Nelson now?" He replied, "At the headquarters. Please come with me immediately." I nodded and followed the officer outside.
As we left the small hotel, I saw a car parked on the narrow road in front of the hotel, and the driver was also wearing a police uniform.
The officer opened the car door and gestured for me to get in first.
At that moment, I felt a bit awkward, feeling suspicious about how the officer managed to find me. However, when I looked into the car and saw a folder placed on the seat with the name of the duty officer on it, it was clear it was something from the police station. I stopped doubting and stepped into the car.
The officer followed and sat beside me, smiling, "Mr. Nelson is afraid that something might happen to you and has been very worried, refusing to rest."
I chuckled, "He's being overly cautious. I'm not a child; how could I go missing?" The officer replied, "Of course, Mr. Wei's wit and bravery are an example for law enforcement officers worldwide."
Who doesn't like compliments? I personally don't enjoy being flattered, but after hearing the officer's words, I couldn't help feeling a bit pleased.