A few seconds after the vehicle started, An Ming pulled out a steam pistol at lightning speed. By the time Erica reacted, the black muzzle of the gun was already against her head.
"Who are you?"
An Ming asked coldly. There was no emotion in his voice, as if the person in front of Erica was not a human being at all, but a cold and sharp saber that would chop off her head if she wasn't careful.
Erica was sweating profusely. She admitted that she had underestimated this "Black Scythe" a little while ago.
Seeing the former "cold-blooded killer" walking on the street in a friendly manner with his classmates like a normal student, with a gentle smile on his face that was very different from the rumors, anyone would feel that "Black Scythe" has lost his former edge.
But the blade will not die, it just hides its edge and disguises itself as an ordinary boy.
Erica knew that she couldn't lose her momentum at this moment. Even if the blade of death was in front of her, she had to remain calm.
Erica stroked her cheek with her hand and gave what she thought was the most elegant and dignified smile.
"I told you, I'm Erica Maseranti." Erica swallowed slightly, trying not to look at the pistol against her head, "Mr. An Ming, it's not appropriate for you to shoot here."
"Who knows." An Ming sneered, "Nobles' vehicles are often designed with sound insulation because they don't like waiters to know what they do in the car. So even if I shoot here, your driver won't know what happened, right? By the time he really notices something, I will have already escaped."
"I don't think it's worth it for you to be wanted by the federal government again just for killing me."
An Ming couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he heard this.
"What's the meaning?"
"It seems that you really think I am their pawn, right? I want to clarify a few things. First, although my driver is nominally my waiter, he does not obey me but the Maseranti family. It is not a big deal for him if you kill me. Secondly, you think I am a noble who came to you in compliance with the family. However, I actually have other intentions, which have nothing to do with the family, let alone the Federation. If you make a big fuss here, then the news that you are still alive will spread quickly. Then of course you will be wanted by the Federation."
Erica spoke her pre-planned lines smoothly.
"You mean, the three major federal departments don't know I'm here?" An Ming was a little unconvinced.
"Although I don't know how my father found out your whereabouts, if the three major federal departments know that you are now alive and well in this border city, then you may have disappeared before I found you, right?"
Erica raised the corner of her mouth slightly, and she gradually felt that she had the upper hand.
"So, it sounds like you are on my side?" An Ming still had a cold face.
"On the surface, that's true."
"On the surface?"
"My family, or rather my father, sent me here to win you over. They considered me a defective product, and they think you are also a defective product now. If you are a defective product, it would definitely be easier to win over another defective product." Erica shrugged self-deprecatingly.
"And what is the reality?"
"Actually, I hate my family and my father. I hope they all go to hell." Erica couldn't help but reveal a bit of viciousness when she said this. "So I want to bypass my family and make a deal with you, senior."
An Ming saw Erica's disgusted expression and realized that the girl in front of him also had a story. But who doesn't? Living in the Federation, as an aristocrat, everyone has their own troubles.
But he was not here to care about Erica's family relationships; this transaction was the issue that should be dealt with right now.
"What deal?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a golden object was ejected by Erica, drawing an arc between An Ming and Erica.
An Ming quickly reached out and caught the object. It was a special golden coin. The coin was very delicately made, and judging from the new workmanship, it was at least certain that it was not a cultural relic. An Ming looked at the front of the coin and turned it over. On the other side was an iron throne with the coin emerging from it, and three marigolds were growing around it.
An Ming's heart skipped a beat. He was so familiar with this pattern that he even felt a little disgusted.
"Haha." He sneered, "I see."
He figured out why Erica came to him. Just as Erica said, she showed the coin to him and made a deal with him, so she must not be a pawn of those guys. Not to mention that she was on the opposite side of those guys like him.
But so what?
An Ming instantly lost interest in confronting Erica. He put down his pistol and casually flicked the coin back into Erica's hand.
"What do you mean?" This time it was Erica's turn to raise an eyebrow and ask.
An Ming was far different from what she had expected.
She had read An Ming's file and knew that he was a survivor of the "Capital City Tragedy" eight years ago. In that accident, he lost his sister and parents. Later, some evidence showed that the incident was related to the "Marigold Throne". Then An Ming was adopted by Wade, the director of the Judgment Bureau, known as the "Dark Death", and entered the political world. But Wade died three years ago. After investigation, Erica had reason to believe that the person who killed Wade was also related to the "Marigold Throne".
His family was killed twice by the "Marigold Throne". Even the most cruel person should have the flame of revenge in his heart, right?
In her prediction, there was only one reason why An Ming, the former "Black Scythe", was being a good boy in Border City - he was lying in wait, looking for an opportunity to kill the other party. So Erica decided to create an opportunity for him.
She was that time.
But An Ming's reaction was too cold, just like finding a house with great difficulty in a deserted snowy field, only to discover that there was no one in the house, the fire in the fireplace had long been extinguished, and it was as cold as an ice cellar.
"Sorry, I can't help you. I'm not going to deal with them," said An Ming.
He yawned slightly and leaned back in his chair.
"...What did you say?"
Erica couldn't believe An Ming's answer.
"You've looked into my files, right?" An Ming held up his head and looked out the window. "You know that my family's death is related to those people, and you also know that I hate them. So you think it's natural to win me over to deal with them. But I'm sorry to disappoint you, I don't plan to deal with them."
Erica looked at An Ming with an expression of incomprehension, while An Ming sighed and asked back.
"Why do you look so surprised? Of course I won't go against them. I'm not stupid. If I were to go against the three major federal departments alone, I wouldn't have enough lives."
"They have persecuted a lot of people in secret, right? Not only your family, but also many, many people! Those guys shouldn't exist in this world!" Erica was a little anxious.
"Haha, my little princess, do you think that the person sitting in front of you is the savior of the world? No, he is just an executioner. You seek justice from an executioner? Don't make me laugh." An Ming sneered.
"Are you going to reject me no matter what?" Erica didn't want to give up. "Why? Tell me a reason."
"The reason is simple - I don't want to die."
Erica's eyes widened for a moment. She had never thought that this reason was so pure, so pure that many people might have forgotten it.
"...Don't you have any ambition at all?"
Erica's voice was a little trembling, but An Ming remained unmoved and continued to look at her calmly.
"I don't want to die," he repeated.
With a click, a crisp sound was heard in the carriage.
An Ming tilted his face slightly and looked at Erica calmly.
Erica stretched out a hand and froze there. She hit An Ming. She was the one who hit him, but tears were streaming down her face.
It shouldn't be like this. Erica regretted it a little, but she swung her right hand out subconsciously and hit that cold face.
After reading An Ming's file, she couldn't help but bring her own story into the story, thinking about how her mother and family were killed, and thinking about her own displacement. A black flame was burning in her heart, and she would find a way to hunt down the other party no matter what.
That's right. How silly, I am such a fool. How can I assume that others are the same? There are all kinds of people in this world, and each of them has different values and lifestyles. It is wrong to seek others to live exactly the same way as you do.
She also understood that this was just her own wishful thinking.
She totally understood.
She totally understood...
"So the 'Black Scythe of Death' is such a coward!"
Erica blurted out.
Ah, what am I talking about? Shouldn't I ask him to help me? Erica screamed in her heart. But she couldn't stop herself.
"Your dead parents must be regretting raising an ungrateful person like you!"
But in the face of Erica's provocation, An Ming just reached out and rubbed his cheek.
"Yes, you are right. That brave fellow died three years ago. Now you have before you only a coward."
An Ming rubbed his cheek for a while, not caring that Erica continued to glare at him, and looked out the window bored.
Seeing An Ming's attitude, Erica knew that it was useless for her to say anything. Her heart turned cold, and she lost her temper and slowly sat down.
She stretched out her hand and looked at her red palm. This was the first time she hit someone, and she didn't expect it to be for this reason.
Along the way, the two of them didn't speak again.
The scenery outside the window quickly receded and soon entered the old street that An Ming was familiar with.
"What did they do to you?" An Ming suddenly asked.
Erica just glanced at him and turned her head away unhappily.
"What's the point of listening to this? Aren't you afraid of death?"
"It's useless, I just asked casually."
After saying this, An Ming stopped talking.
"They killed my mother," Erica said, her eyes full of confusion and resentment.
"…"
An Ming did not answer, but a hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
No. 228, Green Lane, Moro Street.
Director Nick moved a small chair and sat in front of the door. The autumn wind was bleak and the fallen leaves were tumbling, but he stood still, as if everything was nothing in front of that muscular body.
He opened the Capital Daily in his hand and scanned the entertainment section, the political section, and then the jokes in the corner. After a while, he laughed out loud. He laughed at the headlines of the newspaper while eating sunflower seeds in his hand.
Everyday life is so simple and boring, but he never gets tired of it.
Director Nick is almost 60 years old this year. He has a muscular body like a bodybuilding champion, a bald head without a single hair, and a red Angela baseball team cap on his head. He always has a fawning and servile smile on his face.
As one of the three major departments, the Administration has not been established for ten years. Their job is to deal with some "non-human" cases.
Eight years ago, the monsters that appeared on the battlefields of the Civil War and disappeared after slaughtering soldiers reappeared in the world and caused a horrific accident, killing and injuring more than a thousand people. This was the "Capital City Tragedy" eight years ago.
The Federation officially named those monsters "Creatoid Beasts". The task of the Federal Administration is to deal with these powerful and crazy monsters.
However, in a remote city like Hebil, the Cretaceous Beasts were too lazy to even show up. Aren't there so many people in the capital city? Why do we have to go to the border to eat spiders?
Therefore, this border management bureau was also jokingly called a nursing home by the elites in the capital city. Usually, there was nothing to do. Just take a walk and read the newspaper. If something happened, it would be a life-threatening job. After doing it once, there might not be a next time. The Federation was kind enough to provide a one-stop funeral service.
The director spread out the newspaper he had just read and concentrated on the crossword puzzle in the corner of the newspaper. This was his daily homework and also his hobby.
Just as he was concentrating on thinking about what word to fill in the last box, a black government car stopped in front of the gate of the 208 Management Bureau.
Looking at the familiar boy and petite girl walking out of the car, the director put on the jacket hanging on the chair and hurried to greet them.
But when he saw the blonde girl looking depressed, he quickly pulled An Ming over.
"Brat, come here."
An Ming was full of questions, wondering what this old man was doing crazy again?
"Let me ask you, why is the young lady so unhappy?"
"Miss?" An Ming glanced at Erica, and his expression was even more unhappy than the director's. "You were the one who told her that I was in school?"
"What else? She is the former executive officer of the Investigation Bureau, and her position is much higher than mine. She asked about your whereabouts, and I can't refuse. If I don't obey her orders, do I listen to yours?"
"Okay, I understand." He also understood the saying that a higher-ranking official can crush a lower-ranking official. "If there's nothing else, I'll go take up my post."
The next moment, a big hand was placed on his head, clamping his skull tightly.
"ah--!"
An Ming screamed and felt his head buzzing.
"Don't be so careless, little brat. Let me tell you, she is the financial sponsor of our institute. You have to treat her well. You are responsible for her personal safety." The director emphasized seriously.
"Can I apply for a replacement?" An Ming looked reluctant.
"She specifically asked for you, otherwise I wouldn't have let you go!"
Listening to the director's words, An Ming couldn't help but feel that they were not a government agency, but more like a gigolo parlor. A wealthy young lady came to the parlor and spent a lot of money, asking for his service.
But An Ming wanted to complain to the director that this young lady's request was either impossible to meet or a bit life-threatening. It was about the young lady's own life.
In the past, An Ming would have ignored her. Who can stop someone from committing suicide?
But he couldn't let go of the reason why she committed suicide.
Alas. An Ming sighed in his heart, and couldn't help feeling annoyed with his own soft-heartedness.
"So what?" An Ming asked.
"So what?" the chief asked.
"Didn't you ask me to be her person in charge? What do I need to do?"
He is not very good at taking care of a child, especially a noble lady.
"Nominally she is here to join us as a helper dispatched from the capital city," the director said.
"Director, is your brain stuck in the door? Look at her, with skinny arms and legs, does she look like a militant?"
"But you also have thin arms and legs. What if she has special talents like you?" The director showed a sly smile, making it clear that An Ming would not refuse. "Anyway, you will take her on the mission today, and don't complain. Do you understand?"
"Tsk." An Ming smacked his lips and nodded in dissatisfaction.
Although An Ming was dissatisfied, he did not resent the director. After all, he usually interacted with the director in this way.
When he first came to the border city three years ago, he was unfamiliar with the place and had even spent all his money. It was the director who picked him up. Not only did he give him a place to stay and teach him how to survive here, he even helped him get an identity card to go to school.
So he was somewhat ashamed in front of the director. The two of them would occasionally butt heads, but this was also a sign that An Ming was close to the director.
An Ming walked up to Erica with his head down.
"Are you really planning to join the Administration? Let me make it clear that everyone here, including me, is a psychopath. If you just want to find out about 'those people', there is no need to join the Administration."
"I haven't given up. Even if you are a coward, you still have your own value. I don't need you, but I need those values." Erica retorted dissatisfiedly.
An Ming could only sigh as he watched Erica, who was so resolute that she was determined to take his own actions. He knew what Erica was planning, and even if An Ming didn't want to tell her, by staying by her side, he would always have a chance to find out the flaws.
But An Ming felt that she was thinking too simply.
Just as he was about to convince Erica, a sound of awkward footsteps came from the side of the street.
A short figure rushed over from the alley. It was a girl less than ten years old, wearing rags, like a little beggar. But at this time, this little beggar rushed to An Ming, panting and pulling at the corner of An Ming's clothes, trying to say something. But just as she was about to utter a word, she was suppressed by the violent inhalation of air.
"Slow down, catch your breath, Kaka. Don't rush."
An Ming patted her back to help her adjust the rhythm.
"No... No! We can't be any slower! Something's happened to us!"
The girl named Kaka cried and shouted.