Niu Er pressed onward, his pace unyielding. Ma San halted, retrieving a handgun from his pocket. In the faint light filtering from outside, the glint of silver briefly illuminated the weapon.
Niu Er had made contact with the shadowy figure, but alas, within a heartbeat, he was struck forcefully, collapsing to the ground in silence.
Ma San clicked off the safety, preparing to pull the trigger when a dark object, swift as lightning, came crashing toward him. With a resounding clang, pain shot through his hand, causing him to lose his grip on the gun, which clattered to the ground. An unseen assailant had struck him, and as he clasped his bloodied face, he let out a piercing wail.
Xiang Ri seized Niu Er and approached Ma San, picking up the gun from the ground. It felt heavy in his hand—another Desert Eagle! What a stroke of luck! He wiped the weapon clean on the unfortunate man's clothing and tucked it into his waistband. With a swift strike of his hand, he knocked the still-screaming Ma San unconscious and dragged him into the sewer.
Fortunately, the lighting in the sewer remained intact, still casting a warm glow. Xiang Ri delivered a kick to both Niu Er and Ma San, eliciting pained groans that jolted them into consciousness.
"Who are you?" Ma San asked, his appearance a ghastly sight, blood and grime marring his face, shards of glass embedded within.
"Ma San Yuan, the esteemed boss?" Xiang Ri regarded his handiwork with dissatisfaction; a mere beer bottle had caused such superficial damage. Had he known, he would have exerted more force.
"Y-You, who are you?" Ma San's expression shifted dramatically. The alias "Ma San Yuan" was only invoked during certain business dealings, yet the refined young man before him was a complete stranger.
"Have you forgotten an old friend so quickly?" Xiang Ri felt a thrill akin to a cat playing with a mouse.
"My friend, forgive my oversight; where have we met before?" Ma San racked his brain for familiar faces from recent days, but this man did not appear in his recollection. Indeed, the stranger had a striking visage, particularly those confident eyes hidden behind glasses.
"It seems I must kindly remind you," Xiang Ri withdrew the Desert Eagle from his belt, tracing its barrel with a mocking bravado. "In my territory, no drugs are allowed!"
"It's you!!!" Ma San gasped, then erupted into a frenzy, shouting, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! That guy is dead! I verified the DNA…" His outburst was not unfounded; the gruesome remains that Silver Fox had brought back had raised his suspicions, leading him to ensure that it was indeed the Japanese man who had perished.
"Is there anyone in this world with power equal to mine?" Xiang Ri slammed his fist into the concrete wall, embedding his hand and forearm deep within the structure. The sight caused Ma San and Niu Er to tremble, their fear evident.
"Do you believe me now?" Xiang Ri withdrew his hand, bringing forth a cascade of sand and gravel mixed with cement.
"You… you killed those in the lab a few days ago?" Although he had witnessed the man's inhuman strength, Ma San still refused to accept that he was the supposedly deceased individual. The existence of another like Xiang Ri in this world was conceivable. If this were true, and if the man possessed power akin to the unfortunate soul, their fates must surely be intertwined, making the knowledge of that phrase unsurprising.
"I must say, you're not entirely foolish; no wonder you incited that fox to eliminate me. Unfortunately for you, you overlooked one crucial detail—I am immortal!" Xiang Ri laughed with wild abandon, so caught up in self-hypnosis that he almost believed this absurd notion.
"So that thing was placed by you?"
"Indeed. It started as a spontaneous prank this afternoon, yet I never anticipated you would be so foolish as to return after knowing it had been raided." Xiang Ri fished his phone from his pocket, taunting, "The moment any of you touches the little device I planted, my phone will ring incessantly. A marvelous piece of technology, thanks to a certain someone's suggestion. Yet I can't help but wonder how you, with your not-so-dull mind, overlooked such an unusual object… Ah, I see, you thought your accomplices had set it there to catch me, didn't you? Ha ha!"
Ma San cast a glance at Niu Er, slumped in the corner, conceding the truth of Xiang Ri's words.
"Let me dispense with the pleasantries; you have only one path available to you: reveal the mastermind behind this, and I will grant you a swift end." Xiang Ri brandished the Desert Eagle, letting its menacing presence hover over the two men.
"Do you think I would divulge anything?" Ma San, despite being in a weakened state, maintained a bravado that belied his fear. Deep down, he was certain that his adversary would not kill him before learning anything, yet he knew that revealing the truth would seal his fate.
"I fully understand that you won't yield easily; in fact, that is precisely what I expected," Xiang Ri declared, holstering his weapon and stepping closer to them.
"What are you planning to do?" Witnessing such overwhelming strength would rattle anyone. Although the two men had clawed their way out of the depths of despair, the sight of the deep gash in the wall sent shivers down their spines.
"Why, I intend to give you a massage, a rather invigorating one," Xiang Ri chuckled malevolently, seizing Ma San's arm and slowly twisting it outward. This method not only prolonged the agony but also heightened the psychological torment. Often, psychological manipulation proves far more effective than physical torment.
"Go on, kill me!" Ma San's face contorted in pain, beads of sweat mixing with blood, creating a ghastly pattern that rendered him even more terrifying.
"Are you not aware that murder is a crime?" With a sudden twist, Xiang Ri's grip tightened, producing a sharp crack. Ma San's elbow fractured, a jagged bone piercing through the skin and exposed to the air.
"Ugh!" Ma San gasped, his mouth agape, yet words failed him; he could only emit a series of agonized howls.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Xiang Ri grinned cruelly, licking his lips in delight. "But do try not to reveal the answer too soon; I would prefer to savor this a bit longer."
"You…" Ma San began to utter a word before shrieking, "I'll talk, I'll talk!"
"Such a letdown!" Xiang Ri released his grip on the other arm, feigning disappointment. "Couldn't you at least prolong my amusement a little?"
"I can tell you, but you must promise…"
"You have no standing to negotiate!" Xiang Ri interjected coldly. "A swift death or a painful one—choose for yourself!"
"Fine, I hope you grant me a quick end once I speak." Ma San made a quick judgment; though the difference was but a single word, the implications were vast. The agony he had just endured was too fresh in his memory; he had no desire to experience it again.
"Wait a moment." Xiang Ri halted Ma San, delivering a swift kick to Niu Er, who had remained silent against the wall. "Stop playing dead! You must share what you know, or else—"
"I know the same as he does." Niu Er, having witnessed Ma San's torment, felt his own dread intensify. Thus, when questioned, he instinctively offered an indirect response.
"Whether your knowledge aligns, I cannot say. However, I will separate you for questioning and verify your information. Should there be any discrepancies, I trust you will both provide me with satisfactory explanations." Xiang Ri spoke with a relaxed tone.
Niu Er and Ma San exchanged glances, and despair shone clearly in their eyes.