《The Black Swan Behind (Beauty of Fire)》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1: New Life


    Hills, houses, trees, as well as electric poles were passing swiftly the train windows. Those beautiful sceneries were making two beautiful eyes framed by thick, curvedshes like a Chinese dancer fan, felt amazed. The shoulder-length brown hair with a little wavy at the bottom was the perfect frame for a beautiful face that could make everyone refuse to blink.


    That girl was holding a pair of faded pink ballet shoes. The name of the beautiful girl was Emma Hind, the eldest child of the Hind family who decided to fly away from her golden cage. Jazz tunes were ying in her headphones, which was waving sweetly on her ears. She was lost in her thoughts. In the memories from when she was a child, until a bitter events that recently happened, everything was mixed up like a cake dough that was ready to be baked. She felt a throbbing pain in her chest, she was sick inside, her heart was aching. Pain that really could make her cry, but her pride was too high to let that happen.


    The engineer pulled the train brakes when the destination station was almost at hand. Slowly, the train slowed down and stoppedpletely at the Ren Otis station, thergest station, as well as the main station in the city of Handway. Emma tied up her hair in a ponytail and wore a baseball cap to protect her fairy face from the scorching sun. She grabbed arge leather suitcase and pulled the handle of the trunk lengthwise and then pulled that four-wheeled box to move. She kept saying ¡®excuse me¡¯, as she walked past the other passengers who were also making their way to get off the train.


    Emma stepped down and dragged her suitcase out of the station and stood at its grand exit gate. She smiled thinly. This city is beautiful for a city that is not too big, she thought.


    Perhaps her decision to move to the city of Handway was a right one. Thanks to the Dartboard game arrow that she threw carelessly on the map she put on the board. The arrow wasnded on this city. Although she didn¡¯t have a chance to find much information about the city, it was a very decent city to live in and had a pretty good university too.


    A blue taxi stopped in front of Emma, after the driver saw her waving her hand at the taxi area. Toozy to walk there, better pay a bit more. It seemed like the taxi driver could saw the styles of the upper ss society from the clothes and objects that attached on her body.


    ¡°Good afternoon.¡± The driver greeted her as soon as he got out of the car and immediately helped Emma put her suitcase into the car trunk.


    ¡°Where are you going to, Miss?¡± Asked the man in a friendly manner.


    .....


    Emma was carried away by the positive atmosphere of the middle-aged man, ¡°I want to go to Rose street, Sir.¡± She read from her cell phone.


    ¡°Ok.¡± Answer the driver.


    On the way, Emma watched out of the car window to see how the town was actually doing. As she expected, this city looked peaceful and tidy. There were markets and many small unique stores. You could say this city was also quite busy and active.


    ¡°Sorry for asking this Miss. But, are you noting from this city?¡± Asked the man, realized that the passenger looked excited looking out the window.


    ¡°Huh? No, I¡¯m on my vacation to my friend¡¯s house here. But this is the first time I havee to this city.¡± Emma replied lying. She never let strangers know where she lived or what she do. Living alone in a new ce? She would be an easy target for predators.


    ¡°Oh .. No wonder you keep looking at the window. The City of Handway is very beautiful, the people here are also friendly and the food is delicious. Hopefully, you feel at home on this vacation.¡±


    ¡°Really? Good then. I happen to like travelling and my hobby is snacking.¡± Emmaughed.


    The driverughed happily, ¡°Is that so, the city of Handway is the perfect ce for your vacation, Miss!¡± He talked like a tour guide.


    The car continued to move until it got out of the city crowd towards the residential area. Before entering the area, a strange scene caught Emma¡¯s eyes. They passed a group of tall men who were huddling around. The men were wearing a ck uniform jacket with a logo on the back.


    ¡°You brats have nothing to do! Always gather there!¡± Muttered the driver in an annoyed tone.


    Emma turned her attention back to the driver. ¡°Who are they? Are they a bunch of gangsters?¡±


    ¡°Gangsters? I don¡¯t know what kind of name people like them to be called. All I know is that they are a bunch of brats who have nothing to do but fight.¡±


    ¡°So .. They¡¯re not gangsters, are they?¡± Emma repeated. She didn¡¯t want to fall into the same hole that she obviously avoided at this point. Living a normal life, that was the goal.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t call them gangs, because they weren¡¯t gangs. Just a bunch of stupid teenagers.¡±


    ¡°Oh .. So they are just teenagers? I didn¡¯t have time to see their faces.¡± The girl leaned back in relief. Yes .. It was impossible for a teenager to be a gangster and do a gangsters job. They must be just a bunch of teenagers who were seeking attention and fighting like toddlers. It was just natural that kids at their age arepeting to show off who is the strongest and coolest guys in the area. The ssic life of a boy group.


    ¡°Here we are, miss.¡± Said the driver, awaking Emma from her reverie.


    ¡°Ow.. Fine. Thank you.¡± She opened the car door and got out of there, while the driver pulled her belongings out of the trunk.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss. Have fun!¡± Said the driver before driving away.


    Emma smiled widely as she gave a small wave at the blue car that was getting away. Then she turned to face a closed high grey gate behind her back.


    ¡°Okay! So, this is my house now. Please be nice to me, hey new house ..¡±


    Emma pulled out a key with a stic doll hanger in the shape of a beautiful white swan from her orange sling bag. Then she carefully opened therge gate with a strong design and was faced with a small, beautiful garden behind it. It was obvious that the garden had just been refurbished. A house with a vintage style was stood there. Emma smiled sweetly. So sweet as if could make all the flowers in the garden bloom.


    ¡°Thanks, Jonas! You¡¯re the best ever!¡± She muttered in excitement.


    She stepped into the house and found how beautiful the inside house was. The house was notrge with its medium size. There were not too many things inside, so it felt spacious and chilly. All of the furniture was new and had a minimalist style mixed with pastel colours. She truly felt that this house is a reflection of her real self. Whenpared to her former house, this ce is like the earth but with a feel like heaven.


    Emma reminded herself, that this was her first day in her new home, her new city, her new world. It was already night when she finally finished tidying up all her belongings and turned the house into a more ... like ¡®her truly self¡¯. Emma picked up the cell phone and pressed the number 5 button for a speed dial. It didn¡¯t take long for the call to be answered.


    Emma smiled ¡°I think I¡¯d like to give you half of my inheritance.¡±


    The man behind the phoneughed ¡°I will not refuse. Even willing to kill to get it. But you will regret itter.¡±


    The girl alsoughed ¡°You¡¯re still underestimating me, huh? For your information, I¡¯ve been wandering around in the middle of nowhere for 15 hours and I¡¯m still alive and even able tough.¡±


    ¡°If Barbie¡¯s house can be called as nowhere, how about the Amazon jungle?¡±


    Again, Emmaughed hard. Jonas is the best at joking around. Slowly, herughter subsided ¡°I want to give a big thanks to you, Jonas.¡± Her tone became soft.


    ¡°No need to thank me. This is part of my job. Don¡¯t forget, your father has paid a fortune for me.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say..¡± Emma replied as usual. She knew that man was just joking. He always made jokes since the girl was a child.


    ¡°Are you sure you can survive alone there? Should I give a visit at least once a week? Or I¡¯ll send someone to clean your house.¡± Jonas asked, trying to cover up his worries with a joking tone.


    Emma shook her head firmly ¡°No! Hey, don¡¯t you dare to do that. I have sworn to dad. And most importantly I have had sworn to myself.¡±


    ¡°Fine, if that was what you wanted, youngdy. Then, when do you start college?¡± Jonas asked.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow, I guess..¡± Answered Emma unsurely.


    ¡°I guess?¡± Jonas repeated in a high voice. ¡°Should I check it out for you, Miss Emma?¡±


    ¡°Alright .. Alright .. I¡¯ll check and take care of it by myself. Don¡¯t you dare to interfere with my business!¡± Babbled that girl.


    ¡°I promise as long as you¡¯re more serious on taking care of all these important matters, Emma. Is this what you called ¡®being independent¡¯?¡±


    Emma rolled her eyes carelessly ¡°I know! So, please stop worrying about me. Believe me, I can do it. I¡¯m just like any other normal girl. It¡¯s just my dad who always makes me look different. Because of that, I¡¯ll show you people that I could and find my own way.¡±


    There was a moment of silence from across the phone ¡°Okay. I respect your decision and will not interfere with your new life anymore. But remember this, if you need me pr..¡±


    ¡°Hit the 5 button!¡± Emma cut off the text, sent augh to Jonas¡¯s throat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve left a present for you.¡± Told that man.


    ¡°A present? What present?¡± Emma asked curiously.


    ¡°Go to the kitchen, there¡¯s a white door next to the refrigerator.¡±


    Emma got out of bed and followed the instruction by walking into the kitchen to find the door Jonas had meant. She opened the door and there was adder down there. It turned out to be a basement.


    ¡°Is there a basement here?¡± Emma asked as she turned on the light switch beside the inner door.


    ¡°Yes, turn on the light and go downstairs.¡±


    The girl immediately came down because she had already turned on the light. The basement was quite wide. Maybe half the house size. The basement had a smooth wood floor, light grey walls and one side of the wall was covered with a full mirror. It was just arge, empty room. Had not furnished yet. Emma immediately thought that the room was a great ce to practice ballet.


    ¡°Wow !! Thanks, Jonas! It will be awesome to practice ballet here!¡± Eximed Emma with joy.


    ¡°Wait a minute. That was just only a little present. There¡¯s a grand prize waiting for you behind the pink door.¡± Jonas answered. He sounded like he was holding backughter.


    Emma grew more excitement. She immediately ran to the door that Jonas meant, when she saw it ¡°Found the door! I¡¯ll open it, can I?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Emma opened the door slowly and the present behind the door really surprised her, was shocking enough to make her jaw hang down.


    ¡°J ... J ... Jonas !! MOK YAN JONG ?! Are you seriously doing this? !!¡± She ranged.


    ¡ª


    * Mok Yan Jong / Mu ren zhuang : Wing Chun wooden dummy for Chinese martial art (kung fu)

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2: Guy In The Elevator


    An annoying damp smell was a patent scent in that ce. An old abandoned factory building was a hive for the parasites who harmed their hosts to fill their stomachs.


    A tall man with an unbuttoned shirt at the chest was sitting casually on a ck leather sofa that looked expensive andfortable. He inhaled a cigarette and then blew the smoke into the air. The man was very young, he was only 22 years old. But he was able to supervise hundreds of subordinates and his office was full of sacks filled with money.


    A man in a ck T-shirt entered the room and walked closer.


    ¡°Dragger will deposit.¡± Said the brown skin man, with thick ck eyebrows.


    It wasn¡¯t long before another man entered the same room. His style was very tacky with a big gold chain dangled around his neck. His hand that attached to gold rings, was carrying a ck-painted iron suitcase.


    ¡°Salute!¡± He put his hand on his forehead, but could not cover up his pretentious behaviour.


    ¡°Dragger is depositing on time this week. Good businesstely.¡± Heughed. But the two men were just kept silent. They actually didn¡¯t like that runny boy who gave a lot of chit-chats. It was a bit surprising that he could have been a gang leader.


    .....


    ¡°Very well. We believe you and will count the moneyter.¡± Said the man in the ck T-shirt. Regrly, they would immediately count the deposit money right away.


    ¡°How are things in the north?¡± Asked the man who was sitting on the main chair.


    ¡°Lately there had been some kids who bully my subordinates while they were working. I¡¯m still investigating who he was.¡±


    The man put his cigarette butts on top of a skull-shaped ashtray. ¡°Looks like the same brats who bothered us in the west. You better take care of this problem to end. Don¡¯t make me take my step in.¡±


    ¡°Ayay! Then I¡¯ll go back now. Good night!¡± He said excitedly.


    ¡°If he wasn¡¯t good at fighting, maybe he would have ended up under the bridge.¡± The man continued his smoking activity.


    ¡°Hem.¡± The man in ck just nodded. Then he lifted the suitcase onto the table that was brought by the earlier boy and opened it.


    The suitcase was filled with crumpled and neat money merged into one. But everything was neatly bundled up. They knew some insects were trying to disturb their business. Although at this time, they didn¡¯t know who the culprit was, they also knew that that person didn¡¯t know where the snakehead of this illegal business was.


    ***


    It was Emma¡¯s third day in the city of Handway. Yesterday she had been around a little and went to the supermarket to fill her refrigerator. Although Jonas had filled everything for her, including Emma¡¯s wardrobe before the girl moved there.


    Early in the morning, Emma went out by her brand new car to her new university. At this time, she was a transfer student in the university. Of course, she was excited to face the new environment and imagined what it would be like to live as a normal student where people did not know which kind of family she came from. Since her childhood, Emma had no friends because she was very naughty and everyone knew that she was the daughter of Andreas Hind, the leader of a big mafia who was rich and powerful.


    Emma¡¯s car arrived at arge university building. Although the size was not as big as her previous university, but this one was not bad at all, the architecture was also gorgeous.


    Emma got into the parking lot and got out of the car with a leather backpack on her back. The campus was still pretty quiet, but there were some students hanging around already. Unexpectedly, the students here also had a good fashion sense. They all looked cool, just like the students from her previous university. Looked like Emma could adapt well there. She only has to remember how the way kids at her old campus spoke, it was definitely not so different from here. As she walked, Emma felt some kid was staring at her. It seemed like turned out the same everywhere, that her face was always been the centre of attention.


    Emma had to get the locker key and some files in the administration room on the third floor. So she had to take the elevator or stairs from the ground floor. After looking for a little, Emma found an elevator adjacent to the stairs, not too far after entering the main door. Of course, she chose to take the elevator instead of the stairs, but the problem was the elevator door, which was wide open, began to close automatically.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Shouted Emma as she ran to that thing. However, the door was still moving to close.


    ¡°Wait!¡± She shouted again after almost getting there. And luckily, her efforts had been paid off. As well as someone was pressing the open button from the inside.


    Emma gasped as she thanked in front of the door. Then her eyes met with a guy¡¯s eyes who holding the elevator door for her. The guy was tall with a long, slender nose and slightly small eyes. He was wearing an oversized sky blue shirt which was looked so good on his wide shoulder, and white trousers. He smiled pleasantly and shifted sideways a step to give the girl some space.


    ¡°Floor?¡± Asked the guy.


    ¡°3rd floor. Thank you.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Yup! You¡¯re wee.¡± He said.


    Emma pulled out arge, folded paper that was a map of their campus. She took a peek at a part that she had previously marked and examined.


    ¡°Sorry, did you just move here?¡± Asked the guy after realizing that the girl beside him looked a bit confused.


    ¡°Huh? Yes, right. This is my first day here. So ..¡± She showed off her map with a confused smirk. imed that she didn¡¯t know anything about this building.


    The guy nodded ¡°What room are you looking for? I¡¯ll show you the way.¡± he said, ncing at the small screen above the elevator doors that showed the second-floor sign.


    ¡°Ah ... It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t want to be bothersome.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a bother. Besides, I came too early today. Where are you going to? Administration room?¡± He guessed at the same time when the elevator doors opened on the third floor.


    ¡°Right,¡± Emma answered at once.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± He held the door and his hand gestured for the girl to get out first.


    ¡°The administration room is not far from here. It¡¯s on the third floor, because the first and second floors are filled withrge halls and theatres.¡± He exined as he walked.


    As Emma walked beside him, she nodded. She was not used to chatting casually with people who had the same age as her like this ¡°Thanks for the information.¡±


    ¡°Well .. That¡¯s the room.¡± He pointed to a ss door with an administrative sign above. Then walked faster.


    ¡°Usually, handling the administration stuff here may take one or two hours. The first ss will start about an hourter. You better hurry.¡± He said after arriving at the door


    ¡°Thank you so much for spending your time to take me here.¡± Said Emma gratefully. How nice this guy is. Even so, she was used to facing a guy who was always nice to her because of her beautiful appearance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind.. Ah, sorry. I¡¯m Calvin Lee. Nice to meet you.¡± He stretched out his hand quickly.


    ¡°Emma.¡± She replied.


    ¡°I have to go now. I hope you¡¯ll have a good time at this university. Bye!¡± He waved as he walked away in hurry.


    ¡°Thanks again!¡± Emma eximed in response to the guy¡¯s small wave.


    He went up to the next floor using the stairs. It seemed like the guy was lying when he said he wasing too early. Obviously, he was in a hurry for something.


    Vampire lover! Check new story


    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3: New Friend


    After an hour and a half of working with administration stuff and fetching the locker key, Emma walked hastily to her ssroom on the fifth floor. The guy was right, taking care of the administration things is really killing your time. Whether was it happened in all universities or only in this ce. Jonas was the one who had been taking care of this stuff for her this whole time. But what matters now, that Emma was alreadyte to get in the ss.


    She arrived in front of the door which was already closed tightly. Obviously, the ss was going on inside. She knocked on the door two times and slid it open. She found an old man lecturer with sses was talking to the audience. He immediately stopped and looked at the girl, followed by the rest of the ss.


    ¡°Good morning. Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± Emma said uneasily.


    The lecturer looked at her and nced at the files in her arms. She must be a transfer student.


    ¡°All right. I tolerate this time. Please sit down. Come on, hurry. Hurry.¡± He said as he tidy up his sses ¡°Where we were..?¡±


    Emma nodded and walked in hurry to find the nearest empty chair. Finally, she found an empty seat in the second row of chairs from the front and sat down right away.


    Many eyes were looking at her during the ss. Emma realized that. In the past, people usually did it secretly out of fear of her. But now men nce at her openly. It was the first challenge for Emma, ??she had to get used to this kind of situation.


    .....


    ¡°Oh.. I forgot to bring an eraser.¡± Emma muttered when she mistook a short note in her textbook and had no eraser in her pencil case.


    The girl nced sideways at thenky guy with light brown hair, who was sitting next to her right. While on the left side was empty because she was sitting at the very end of the row.


    ¡°Hi .. I¡¯m Emma. Can I borrow your eraser for a moment? I forgot to bring mine.¡±


    The guy immediately looked up awkwardly. He looked surprised and his two blue eyes trembled slightly. Strange. He didn¡¯t answer, but slid the eraser onto Emma¡¯s desk. The girl took the eraser by holding back in confusion, then she erased the wrong part on her book and returned the eraser to its owner.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said with a warm smile. But the guy only nodded once with a tense motion without even turning his face at her.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this guy?¡¯ Thought Emma to herself.


    Twenty minutes passed and Emma cursed herself in her mind. She repeated to give notes in the wrong section. Even though she could just scratch on it, she didn¡¯t want to do that, because it would make her confused when she want to re-learningter.


    ¡°Sorry .. Can I borrow the eraser again?¡±


    The guy was surprised again but still with his head bowed. He nodded and passed the ck square object to Emma¡¯s table. The girl took it with a hard feeling and erased the wrong notes.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She returned the eraser.


    Five minutester..


    ¡®Akh! Shit! Why do I keep writing wrong ?! ¡® Shouted Emma to herself. Is she nervous about this all?


    ¡°Eum .. That .. Sorry, can I borrow the eraser again?¡± The girl grinned ufortably.


    The guy was silent, he slowly took the eraser again, but this time he reached for something from his pencil case. Then he took out a small cutter from there and then cut the eraser in half.


    ¡°For you.¡± He ced one of the erasers on Emma¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Huh? You give this to me for real? Thanks..¡± She said with a confused head. She didn¡¯t know if that guy doing that because he was kind for real or just because he was annoyed for being bothered all the time by her. Regardless, Emma was determined to rece this male eraser with a new one.


    The ss was finally over. While tidying things up, Emma felt attracted to the guy beside her who has shared the eraser with her. Somehow, she felt that that guy was a good person and would make a good friend too.


    ¡°Hey .. Sorry for bothering you earlier. By the way, we are not properly acquainted. What¡¯s your name?¡± Emma stuck out her hand.


    The guy stared at the girl¡¯s smooth pretty hand for a moment . Is he dreaming? Is this girl blind, so she couldn¡¯t see that he has a looser form? Even a child can immediately tell that he is a loser just by a glimpse of eyes.


    ¡°Ehem ..¡± Emma pretended to clear her throat. She could say that the guy was shy.


    ¡°I ... I ... My name is Roger Timothy.¡± He shook the warm and soft hand of the beautiful and kind girl in front of him.


    ¡°My name is Emma Hnd. Nice to meet you. I hope we can be good friends.¡± Said Emma kindly.


    Roger¡¯s heartfelt as if it been thrown into an empty pool and covered with tons of flowers. He didn¡¯t hear it wrong, right? This beautiful, fashionable, and friendly girl wants to be friends with someone like him? He better not daydream.


    ¡°Em .. Thank you.¡± Roger replied, quickly releasing his hand. ¡°I ... I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    The guy immediately stood up and walked hastily to leave the ssroom. But suddenly he fell when he passed the chairs of the big guy¡¯s group. One of them tripped over Roger¡¯s poor leg.


    Emma immediately stood up, shocked to see her new friend fall like that.


    Roger nced at her, thinking that from now on, Emma could clearly see who he is in the ss. Yes, He is a loser.


    The gaze in Roger¡¯s blue eyes looked sorrowful, it hurt Emma¡¯s heart while her feet were still glued on the floor, behind her desk. Roger immediately got up and ran away with his head lowered. But how about the male group? They giggled happily.


    ¡°You devil assholes!¡± Emma growled in her mind. If it wasn¡¯t for wanting to be a normal girl, she would have broken their leg in a single kick.


    Suddenly, it turned out that almost all of the eyes in the ss were staring at her. She smiled awkwardly and sat back in shame. But the kids in the ss seemed to be smiling friendly at her. Some started to approach her, of course, most of them were men.


    ¡°Hi! What¡¯s your name? Can we be friends?¡± Said a guy with dark brown undercut hair.


    ¡°Emma.¡± The girl replied briefly. The guy was one member of the group of men who had tripped Roger¡¯s leg.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lary Hillbert. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Brian Das. The business ss¡¯s kids are solid, so feel free to ask us in case you need a hand.¡± A guy with ck spiky rocker style hair interrupted.


    ¡°Thanks. I need to go now, bye.¡± Emma said kindly, even though in her heart, she didn¡¯t want to be friends with those bully kids.


    ¡°If you want to have lunch in the cafeteria, you can join our group table.¡± Offered Lary.


    ¡°Thanks for the offer. I have another business.¡± Answered Emma by closing her backpack and got up. She turned her back as she was about to put on her ck backpack, but her eyes bumped with two ck irises, staring at her with smiling lips.


    ¡°You .. Are you attending this ss too?¡± Emma asked, pointing at the man. He nodded.


    ¡°Ow! Do you know Calvin Lee? So you guys knew each other?¡± Brian interrupted, incredulous. However, Emma ignored him as if he wasn¡¯t there.


    Calvin got up from his seat and approached her ¡°Seems like it turns out that we are in the same major. Sorry, I did not greet you earlier. You looked in a hurry. I was also surprised when I saw you entered this ss.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t realize you were sitting there either. You were right, it took a long time to do the administration stuff.¡± Comined Emma.


    Calvinughed ¡°I¡¯ve known that you¡¯d bete. So, what do you think about the first impression here?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Calvin .. Seems like you guys already know each other, huh?¡± Lary kindly repeated Brian¡¯s question as he put his arm on Calvin¡¯s shoulder. Interrupted their conversation.


    ¡°Yes? Not really. This morning we identally meet in the elevator.¡± Calvin scratched the back of his head which was not itchy.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This morning he helped me find the administration room. If it wasn¡¯t because he helped me out, maybe I would have beente a little longer.¡± Emma nodded.


    Brian and Lary nced at each other secretly. Cursing Calvin in their mind.


    ¡®Damn it! You knew who is the pretty girl. So you wanna f*ck around.¡¯ Lary thought in his mind.


    ¡°Oh .. I see .. Hahaha .. Yes, Calvin is a nice person. He likes to help people. That¡¯s why we made good friends.¡± Said Brian, patting Calvin¡¯s broad shoulders.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We are good friends.¡± Agreed Lary with augh.


    Vampire lover! Check new story


    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4: Peeking at a Loser¡¯s Life


    ¡®The University of Jardin has a wide range of additional majors and sses. No wonder that The Jardin had been the most favourite university in the city of Handway. Here, there are ten interesting majors such as management, art which was divided into four (acting, musical, dance, and visual), architecture, interior design, animation,puter &working, cooking & culinary, fashion design, civil engineering, and broadcasting.


    Not just has so many choices of majors, but this University also has diverse additional sses like drama, ballet, salsa, modern dance, taekwondo, judo, karate, swimming, automotive, rock climbing, basketball, football, and baseball. With twin magnificent buildings and arge open area, many facilities are provided such as cafeterias which are avable in every building, an international standard library, GYM, swimming pool, four outdoor fields, two indoor fields,bs, studios, gardens, conference hall, and theatres.¡¯


    Emma sat alone on quiet garden stairs, reading a city magazine about her university. She nodded unconsciously, asionally reaching into the salt-voured potato chips package that had apanied her from the beginning. Even though she had already been a student in this university, Emma was still curious about what kind of university she was currently in.


    ¡®This university is interesting too. Even though the facilities are notparable to my previous campus, the additional majors and sses look fun. What important is.. there¡¯s ballet! ¡® She smiled widely while staring at the photo of the ballet ss with several girls practising, which was printed on the page of the magazine.


    Brughhh !! A sound startled Emma, ??she was immediately looked around looking for where the sound wasing from.


    Krackkkk !!


    ¡°What is that?¡± She immediately got up on her feet. And tidied up her bag in a rush before trying to listen carefully with her ears again.


    .....


    Emma could vaguely hear some noisesing from the warehouse-like building not too far from the garden. ¡®Emma¡¯ , it wouldn¡¯t be her name if she wasn¡¯t filled with curiosity. Without any hesitation, she stepped slowly towards the white and blue building and peeked through a window beside the closed door.


    Emma saw three men standing with their backs facing the window. They appeared to be bullying something ... or someone who curled up on the floor. Theirughter red as their feet were kicking the poor guy. Emma clenched her fists, growling. ¡®Why the f*ck do they do that?¡¯


    ¡°Give me the money! I know you have more than this. Don¡¯t let us check all into your underwear.¡± Threatening one of the men with a ck sweater.


    ¡°Why are you even keeping silent? Do you really want us to do it? You want us to release your d*ck into the sky, huh ?!¡± Asked one of the men with arms full covered with tattoos, followed by theughter of the others.


    It seemed that the poor guy had already been affected by the damn brats¡¯ threat, he finally took off his belt and reached into his jeans.


    ¡°Shit! Did you put it right there for real? You disgusting monkey!¡± Eximed the guy with the shortest hair, before he threw a strong kick at the poor guy¡¯s belly.


    ¡°Ark !!¡± Shrieked the guy in pain.


    ¡°I.. I put it here because this is myst money..¡± He said, breathlessly in pain.


    Another guy with tattooed arms and a hip hop hat, squatting down to see the poor guy¡¯s face clearly. Between his index and middle fingers stuck a cigarette that had run out half. He inhaled the cigarette and blew the smoke into the guy¡¯s face, making him cough a little.


    ¡°Then, your task for tomorrow is to ask your rich daddy for more money, dummy. Because tomorrow will be the day we have to deposit to our boss.¡± He smirked sinisterly.


    The other tattooed guy immediately snatched the money that the poor guy had taken out of his pants. Even though they were insulted the guy in disgust, they still took the money. After all, their behaviour was far more disgusting.


    After counting the money for a while, the smoking guy threw his lit cigarette butt over the guy¡¯s head. Then theyughed as they walked away.


    ¡°You f*cking bastard! I didn¡¯t know there were still kids in this univ who messed around like a middle schooler!¡± Emma muttered.


    Even though her hands and feet were itching to break the bones of the thugs, she was still thinking about her future and goals. She hadmitted that she would not be involved in this kind of situation again.


    After making sure that the surrounding area was safe, Emma sneaked into the warehouse where the garden tools were stored. She wanted to help the poor guy who was been bullied earlier.


    The room was dark with minimal lighting that only came from the windows. Emma also didn¡¯t know where the light switch was. But she could barely see the figure of a guy who was still curled up, sitting on the floor leaning on a pile of wooden boxes that filled with nt fertilizer.


    ¡°Hello.. Are you all right?¡± Emma asked slowly as she stepped closer. But the guy didn¡¯t answer. His face was not visible because of the shadow.


    ¡°Are you hurt? Want me to take you to the clinic?¡± She asked again, getting closer. Even though she didn¡¯t really know where the campus clinic was.


    ¡°Go away.¡± The guy said in pain voice. He tried to get up even though he fell again, then coughed while holding his stomach which had previously been the target of the bastard¡¯s kicks.


    Emma immediately helped him to sit up. At that moment she could see the guy¡¯s face clearly, that two familiar blue eyes.


    ¡°Roger?¡±


    The guy¡¯s blue eyes stare at Emma¡¯s face in surprise. ¡®How did this girl find me here?¡¯


    ¡°Roger! Are you all right?!¡± The girl immediately managed to help him stand up. Surprised, her true power instantly appeared unconsciously because of the adrenalin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. You¡¯ll get into trouble if you do. Please go away!¡± Roger let go of Emma¡¯s grip and limped toward the door.


    Emma followed behind him, not listening at all. Apart from being worried, she was also curious about the matter the guy had told her. ¡®What kind of problem was he referring to?¡¯


    ¡°Why would they do that to you? Why didn¡¯t you do anything? Why didn¡¯t you fight them?¡± She chased him all the way out the door. Roger¡¯s condition looked so pathetic.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you..¡± She grabbed Roger¡¯s shoulder.


    Then that guy turned angrily. His face looked annoyed, but also looked like he wanted to cry.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a loser! I¡¯m weak. Are you satisfied now?¡± He said quickly. His jaw tightened, then he turned around again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. We are living in a different ss.¡± He continued his word, before walking away, leaving Emma standing in frozen.


    ¡®Was I wrong?¡¯ The girl thought to herself. All this time, she never had any good friends. Due tock of association, her ability to understand other people¡¯s feelings was also less than the average person. when other people could immediately realize how the other person was feeling, it was a different case for Emma, ??she need to think a bit harder and longer to do that.


    Emma realized she shouldn¡¯t have chased and pushed Roger like that. ¡®Roger¡¯s body and pride must be hurt right now. Moreover, he is a man. To the point of having to admit openly that he is a loser in front of Emma who is a woman. That guy must be feeling at his very low point. Because she was too powerful all this time, Emma never knew how was the feeling to stand in the loser¡¯s shoes.¡¯


    ¡°I have to apologize to himter,¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    She walkednguidly while sighing over and over again as if the weight of the whole world was piled on her shoulders. Unexpectedly, trying to live a normal life turned out to be this hard.


    ¡®Either being normal is hard, or is this ce actually not normal?¡¯ Thought Emma.


    ¡®I don¡¯t care!¡¯ Emma shook her head in annoyance. She didn¡¯t want to give up at the beginning like this. ¡®This isn¡¯t the Emma she knew. Emma is an unyielding and ambitious girl since a kid. She should be able to ovee this kind of obstacle very easily.¡¯


    ¡°Okay..! Now I have to go to the ballet ss! Don¡¯t forget what you came here for, Emma!¡± She said as lightly pped her cheeks.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5: My Dream


    A spacious room with arge mirror along the walls. The smooth wooden floor was neatly arranged without ws so that it would not hurt the beautiful feet that jumping around. A pair of beautiful eyes peered in amazement behind the door of the room full of ambition and dreams.


    This was heaven.


    An index finger whose nails had been painted with a marble theme, lightly tapped on the shoulder of a girl who blocked the entrance to the ballet room.


    ¡°Oh? Yes?¡± The girl named Emma turned and found a woman in her thirties who was very beautiful and elegant standing behind her.


    ¡°Sorry.. I¡¯m blocking the way, huh?¡± She immediately shifted her body.


    The woman smiled kindly ¡°It¡¯s okay. What are you doing here? Is there anyone inside you want to meet?¡±


    Emma shook her head ¡°Actually I¡¯ve signed up for ballet ss. I just moved to this university. Today is my first day.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh.. Really? That¡¯s good then. I¡¯m Diana, the instructor or you could say the teacher of this ballet ss.¡±


    Emma¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°I¡¯m Emma. Nice to meet you!¡± she quickly shook her delicate hand with respect and joy.


    ¡°Come on in. I¡¯ll introduce you to the girls. Do you have the uniform?¡±


    Emma showed a pink paper bag with a white swan picture in her hand ¡°I¡¯m ready inside and out.¡±


    The womanughed and nodded. This girl is full of spirit.


    Diana stepped in with Emma¡¯s figure trailing behind her. One by one the girls who were practising by themselves began to notice and pay attention to them, because a strange face came at the unusual time. This was not the month for new student admissions.


    ¡°Girls.. We have a new member here..¡± All eyes in the room turned to the source of the voice. ¡°You can introduce yourself now. They are nice girls.¡± She said to Emma who had a nervous look on her face.


    Emma took a deep breath, she couldn¡¯t mess up. First impressions are the most important to be epted in society. She must be doing well.


    ¡°My name is Emma Hind. I¡¯m a freshman majoring in management in the first semester. Nice to meet you.. It¡¯s maybe a littlete, but I¡¯m just about to start ballet. So.. please kindly hand me some help.¡± She lowered her head once, then looked at all the eyes that were staring at her with a t face. Circumstances like this make Emma overthinking, was her introduction too much? Was her expression unfriendly? Was she talking too much or talking too little? Damn! She should have searched the inte first, of how to introduce herself properly and correctly.


    p! p! p! Diana pped her hands with a big smile on her face. All the other girls followed. It might be a bit too much, but the apuse sounded like the harp yed by an angel from heaven to Emma. She smiled in relief. It felt like her stiffened bones were finally able to stretch now.


    ¡°Wee to our club, Emma..¡± They said in turn. Emma nodded in awe as she said thank you.


    ¡°Okay.. So.. Are you going to start today, or are you still working on something else? It just so happens that ss will start now.¡± Diana returned Emma¡¯s focus.


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯ll start now. I¡¯ve been waiting a long time for this.¡±


    Diana chuckled ¡°You¡¯re very excited, huh?¡± he praised. ¡°Okay, girls.. Let¡¯s start the pre-warming.¡± She said loudly by giving several ps to attract attention.


    ***


    Emma grabbed her water bottle from her bag. Her body was full of sweat, which was the sweat of happiness for her. It sure smelled good.


    As she gulped carelessly, Emma stared at her reflection in therge mirror that ran along the wall. She was wearing clothes that could be said, the best clothes in the universe that she currently had. It¡¯s a ballerina outfit. Tight clothes with cuts like a baby pink coloured swimsuit. She looked elegant, showing her beautiful curves. She was even fascinated herself by staring at her figure in the mirror. Now she was Emma the angel, not Emma the devil. Not taking too long from her first move-in day, she already loved this new world.


    ¡°Hey..¡±


    Emma choked on her own breath, not expecting that her embarrassing behaviour, which was smiling to her reflection in the mirror, was actually caught by someone. Won¡¯t let her be mistaken for a weirdo. She must make many friends here, especially friends from the ballet ss.


    ¡°Uh.. Sorry, you were surprised, huh?¡± The girl with an oriental face chuckled. But she didn¡¯t mean to mock at all, and Emma knew it.


    Emma forced a littleugh ¡°Just a little.. May I help you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.. I just wanted to meet you briefly. My name is Poppy Castiona, majoring in art.¡± She stretched out her tiny and adorable hands. Her skin was pale white with a small slender build and shoulder-length ck hair.


    ¡°Emma Hilnd. Nice to meet you.¡± She shook her hand with a thumping heart. Finally! New friends!


    ¡°Oh, yeah.. From the way you talk, you don¡¯t seem to be from Handway town.¡±


    Emma nodded ¡°I came from a city very far from here. I live alone because I am a nomad here.¡±


    ¡°Wow.. So you¡¯re an immigrant, huh? You are a brave one, wandering alone all the way here. If I were you, I might have cried in the middle of the road.¡± Sheughs.


    ¡°Haha.. If you bear with it and just walk, you will get used to it.¡± Emma said, even though it was the first for her too. It was just basically that she had no fear.


    ¡°Then.. why did youe to this university? I saw you practice earlier.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.. but it looks like your body is still not flexible huh..¡±


    Emmaughed confirming ¡°I just started learning ballet. That¡¯s why my movements are still very stiff. Actually I went to this university because it¡¯s the only university that has ballet ss.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. So because of ballet, huh? Why didn¡¯t you just go to a ballet school?¡± Poppy asked with her two innocent round eyes.


    ¡°My family has a small business that I have to manage in the future. Instinctively, it has be part of my responsibility. Therefore, while I¡¯m still young, I should at least fill my life with things I loved.¡± She answered in honest.


    Poppy nodded ¡°You¡¯re very inspiring. I think I like you..¡± Sheughed. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate if you need my help here. I¡¯m quite good at dancing ballet, because I¡¯ve been trained since childhood.¡± She danced in circles.


    Emma looked at her in awe. When could she have such a feather-light step? She couldn¡¯t wait to see herself dancing gracefully like a swan.


    ***


    The sun began to set, making the streets that were once crowded began to be covered by the shadow of the neatly lined up buildings. Neon lights began to turn on, signalling that the nightlife was about to awaken.


    When the stars sparkled, you can see the reflection of long legs stepping here and there in the big ck sses that adorn the round face of a man with an entric style. His neck supported a thick gold chain ne. A cigarette butt stuck to his lips, which often whistled to seduce the walking women who passed in front of him. He is waiting for someone who had recently been rumoured to be causing trouble in his area.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6: Jen Marrie Street


    Jen Marrie, a street that was quiet during the day, but bes bustling like a market at night. When the moon and stars adorn the sky, neon lights and noises filled the street. Leaving the remains of cigarette butts, alcohol bottles, and brochure papers on the street in the morning.


    Jen Marrie was the name of a beautiful woman who was elegant and educated. She was very famous decades ago, when the city of Handway was first founded. However, it seems that the remnants of Jen Marrie¡¯s struggle had been tarnished by the young people of Handway now. The road that should be proud of now had be a kingdom of gamblers.


    A group imed to be the owner of the road. Yes, they just confessed, illegally of course. Just because they had set up some cheap bars and casinos, they saw themselves as the rulers of the ce. Due to the increasingly toxic environment, making the old residents of Jen Marrie Street, began to leave one by one. Until finally the road was obviously under the gang¡¯s power.


    A group or gang led by an entric eighteen-year-old boy called Pablo Diablo. Even though he was still a teenager, but he was strong enough and had a smooth business brain, to be able to head a gang called Dragger. At first, he was just a troubled snot who was good at fighting and became a bookie at his school. He also became a leader in his school and had many followers. Until his ability was seen by a powerful man, who decided to make him the holder of the Jen Marrie street.


    ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ve been waiting for him all night long but he doesn¡¯t show up. Where¡¯s that cowardly bastard?¡± Pablo muttered as he took a sip of his cigarette. Gray smoke billowed out of his nostrils. His fingers were full of gold rings adorned with gemstones. He was sitting on his throne which was a single sofa in the shape of god¡¯s hand.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been looking here and there, but can¡¯t find him either. Looks like the timid cat knows we¡¯re waiting for him.¡± Told a subordinate who was standing in front of his desk.


    ¡°Hem.. Alright then..¡± Pablo said as he wearing his school coat. He had to go to school. And he would sleep all day there.


    .....


    ¡°Your coat, Boss.¡± His subordinates gave a long furry coat of bright yellow colour. Autumn was almost at its end, winter will soone.


    ***


    Calvin stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror perched above the sink. The side of his lip was injured and swollen fromst night¡¯s fight. He washed his face with cold water that brought him back to his senses, then sighed in wroth.


    ¡°That bastard..¡± He mumbled.


    ¨C Last night


    On a quiet alley, Calvin walked alone in his tight ck leather jacket. The main target was the damn group that rules Jen Marrie street. Just so you know, Jen Marrie was Calvin¡¯s great-grandmother. He had enough of the gangsters who been the parasites in the city of Handway. And the behaviour of the Dragger gang on Jen Marrie street was getting more and more disturbing. Because the leader was a schoolboy, so many minors had be bogus gamblers. Extortion rates among school kids were also on the rise. If they left to be, the future of Handway city will be destroyed even more.


    On his way, Calvin was confronted by five men with hip hop hats and baseball bats in their hands. They wore ck jackets with a skull symbol on the back. Calvin remembered,st week he had beaten a guy with the same jacket symbol who was harassing a high school student in a quiet alley. It seemed that the other members of the group hade to have revenge. But Calvin didn¡¯t regret what he had done yesterday, he was proud to have helped the weak, and that was his goal.


    ¡°Hey, bastard! You¡¯re the one who made our friend battered? Did you wanna y a hero game?¡± Reprimand one of the men.


    Calvin smirked ¡°I did. And you guys will be next.¡±


    Theyughed ¡°Don¡¯t talk big, you bastard!¡±


    The man who spoke first immediately swung his baseball bat to Calvin¡¯s head. But Calvin dodged in a second, jumped, and aimed a long-leg kick into the man¡¯s chest so that he immediately flew backwards, falling on his back. Calvinughed mockingly.


    The four male friends did not ept what he did, they immediately attacked Calvin together. The fight was inevitable. In the quiet alley, blood sttered on the asphalt surface. Calvin was hurt, but he won. The five big-mouthed men were already lying down on street, wincing in pain. As Calvin had promised, they were battered now.


    ¡°Stupid ass boys! I failed to destroy that cheesy casino because of them.¡± Calvin muttered. He wiped the corner of his lip that had been hit until it bled. His fine jacket got dirty from being kicked by the men¡¯s goddamn shoes.


    Calvin threw the baseball bat that he had stolen earlier from them, so that it fell on the head of one of his enemies who had been talking the most. The guy groaned in pain again. Calvin walked away. Unfortunately, with an appearance like this, he couldn¡¯t possibly get into that illegal casino area. They would immediately realize that he was a man who had been secretly messing with their business.


    ¡ª


    Calvin wore a long-sleeved mustard turtleneck shirt with an ivory bomber jacket with a dark brown line. After he finished preparing, he sat on the front porch to put on his white sneakers, which had a line colour that matched the colour of his pants, which was light grey.


    A ck sports motorbike was parked in front of his lonely house. He rode it to campus. Calvin liked the streets in the fall season. Where the dry leaves fell covering the streets with their golden brown colour. But by seeing that, his heart ached even more, because the beautiful memories came back out of his brain memory. Cheerful times, which had vanished in a very sad way. The reason why Calvin did a job that threatened his safety almost every night.


    Jardin University looked especially beautiful in the fall. Because there were so many trees growing lushly. Even though Calvin often felt sorry for the university janitor who had more and more work to do in the fall.


    The man slowed the speed of his motorbike, there was something very interesting that morning. A girl was helping the janitor sweep the dry leaves that had piled up on the side of the university entrance. A very rare sight to see. He knew that girl. A ssmate who was only existed in the ss only during ss hours. It was Emma.


    Calvin stopped his motorcycle, then opened his ck full-face helmet ¡°Good morning...¡±


    Emma turned her body ¡°Hey!¡± she smiled widely.


    ¡°Your morning activity seems cool.¡± Said Calvin.


    Emma nced at the broom in her hand. She immediately realized, then leaned the broom against the nearest tree trunk awkwardly. Emma always came early, because there was nothing she could do at home. Instead of sitting alone in the dark in ss, she preferred to do absurd activities, for example helping the cleaners.


    ¡°Hahaha.. I.. this.. I.. just came too early this morning. Because I was bored, so I decided to help Mr Lukas.¡± She tried to exin. She thought maybe Calvin would find it strange and tell everyone in the ss. The reputation of the normal girl that Emma had just built, would be crushed like a dry leaf that was stepped on.


    Calvin smiled as he nodded ¡°Want me to help?¡±


    Emma shook her head ¡°No need. I¡¯m almost done anyway.¡±


    The girl returned her broom to the middle-aged man in a thick dark brown coat. ¡°Thanks, Emma.¡± said the man. Emma nodded.


    ¡°Need a ride to the building?¡± Offer Calvin.


    ¡°I prefer walking. The road is too beautiful to go too fast.¡± Answered Emma.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Then I¡¯ll go first.¡± Calvin closed his helmet.


    ¡°Okay..¡± Emma waved her hand.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7: Is This Friend?


    Emma stepped into the ssroom. Since she first entered this campus, she patented her seat, which was next to Roger¡¯s. Instinctively, Emma wanted to protect that bullied guy. Even if she did it in secret, and there wasn¡¯t much she could do for the guy with the bright blue irises either. But at least she could put an eye on Roger if he started being colonized by the bullies.


    Putting down her ck leather backpack, Emma nced at Roger¡¯s seat. Since two days ago, that guy was absent, with no information at all. Emma had a bad idea. Could it be that he was beaten again likest time?


    ¡°Emma...¡± Called a guy with spiky hair as he approached her desk.


    Emma sighedzily in her heart, but turned around with a fake smile.


    ¡°You alwayse early, don¡¯t you?¡± Asked that guy who named Brian. The chit chat was sickening.


    Emma nodded once. She picked up her book, pretending to be studying. Hoping it would drive Brian away. But instead of leaving, his friend Lary joined in.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Emma sighed inwardly.


    .....


    ¡°Good morning Emma.¡± Greet Lary.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Emma answered carelessly.


    ¡°Emma, ??in the fall season like this, the guys love to hang out at night. Would you like toe with us? We have a great ce. I heard you just moved to Handway city.¡± Lary sat in the seat in front of Emma in a cowboy style.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t like hanging out at night.¡± Rejected Emma straight away. But still with a sweet attitude.


    ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s just once, Emma. Don¡¯t worry, there will be a lot of other girlsing along. It¡¯s going to be fun.¡± Brian knew that girls like Emma were usually afraid to be asked out by boys if she was the only girl in the group.


    ¡°Roger!¡± Emma¡¯s eyes widened when she saw the guy who always looked down was walking into the ssroom.


    Roger who heard his name being called, then looked up at Emma who looked excited by his presence. Unfortunately, Emma was surrounded by two barbarians who often bully him in the ss. He didn¡¯t answer, but looked down again as he continued walking to his seat.


    Brian and Lary nced at each other. They were very unhappy to see the loser Roger get the attention of a girl as beautiful and cool as Emma. If the girl wasn¡¯t there, they might have dragged Roger into the bathroom and stuck his head in the toilet.


    ¡°Good morning, Roger. Where were you yesterday?¡± Asked Emma. Deliberately turning her body to turn her back on Lary and Brian.


    ¡°At home,¡± Roger answered in a barely audible voice.


    Suddenly Lary had moved to Roger¡¯s side and wrapped his arm around the guy¡¯s shoulder roughly. ¡°Roger! Where have you been? We missed you!¡±


    Emma frowned. While Roger desperately held his body that was about to tremble in fear. Didn¡¯t know what problems he will face. He hoped that a girl as beautiful as Emma wouldn¡¯t have to be around him anymore. Because she actually would bring more big problems for Roger and make his life even more tormented. But Emma didn¡¯t seem to understand at all.


    ¡°Tonight, the guys are going to hang out on Jen Marrie Street. You muste!¡± said Brian. Roger stared at him nkly. For God Neptune! He was never once invited to go out with his college friends. What kind of storm would be?!


    ¡°How? You wille, right?¡± Brian pushed him.


    ¡°Why? Why are you asking again? Roger will be excited to join and will definitelye. There¡¯s no way he would refuse our invitation. We¡¯re fun people, Roger would love to hang out with us.¡± Lary tightened his grip. Signalling for Roger to obey. And the threat worked. The poor Roger forced himself to nod rather than hurt his neck.


    ¡°Well! Nice then!¡± Brian eximed happily. Then he looked at Emma. ¡°You woulde, wouldn¡¯t you Emma? Even Roger woulde. Why wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    Emma growled inwardly. These bastards deliberately invited Roger toe with them. It seemed they realized that Emma had a special feeling for Roger. But what annoyed Emma, even more, was that they had seeded. Emma knew what they would do to that poor guy if she didn¡¯t join up. So, like it or not, Emma muste to protect him.


    ¡°But not until midnight huh ..¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°YESS!! Don¡¯t worry Emma.. We¡¯re good guys, for real.¡± said Brian.


    ***


    Night fell fast. Emma came out of her house gate in blue jeans, a bright beige knitted turtle neck inner, wrapped in a light pale brown coat. She let out a long sigh, then walked to the bus stop on the main road.


    The girl blew her hands which were joined together in front of her mouth ¡°Why am I here? Freezing like this?¡± She grumbled to herself. Still didn¡¯t believe she could be that kind to take the initiative to make sure that the bullied guy was safe.


    A big blue bus with amercial advertisement on its body approached. Emma got up and rubbed her arms because the cold made her start to shiver. It seems winter was almost here. Maybe it would be snowing soon. Emma stepped her foot in the bus with some eyes on her as if she was a famous model walking on a catwalk stage.


    Feel ufortable? Definitely. It seemed that Emma had never gotten used to getting hungry stares from those wild crocodiles. She wanted to gouge their eyes out... Or at least re at them back. But that wasn¡¯t something she could do in this ce. In her new world.


    Annoyed, Emma sat in the passenger seat. She deliberately took two-person seats, which one of the seats was already upied by a sleeping granny. She could predict what she would experience if there was an empty seat beside her. The bus sped past four stops until a femaleputer voice said ¡®Jen Marrie stop¡¯. That was where Emma had to go down.


    As the deal, everyone would gather in front of the mini-market which was the closest ce to the Jen Marrie bus stop. Holding the strap of her sling bag, Emma walked towards the mini-market. Which turned out to be... quiet. The guys still hadn¡¯t arrived. Except for Roger.


    Emma smiled spontaneously when she saw the figure of a guy with bright brown hair and his blue eyes blocked by thick ck-framed sses. He wore blue jeans with an oversized ck jacket. His style was geeky. Emma admitted that.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Greet Emma. ¡°The others haven¡¯t arrived yet?¡±


    Roger looked a little surprised. ¡°They haven¡¯te yet,¡± he replied, bowing his head again.


    ¡°Hmm..¡± Emma scanned Roger¡¯s face. ¡°You wear sses?¡±


    Roger sighed ¡®Damn¡¯ in his heart. He hoped Emma didn¡¯t see her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. He immediately turned his brown spotted on the cheeks face to another direction. His hands couldn¡¯t help reflexively touching the sses Emma was talking about. ¡°I.. I can¡¯t see well at night.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh...¡± Emma nodded. Her mother was like that too.


    Silence reced their super short conversation. Until Emma nced at Roger¡¯s hands which were already reddened with bluish nails that trembled slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting for a long time, haven¡¯t you?¡± Guess the girl.


    Roger nodded once ¡°Not too long. I¡¯m afraid mightingte.¡±


    ¡°Whatte.. You can see me even came ten minutes too early.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± The two people immediately looked back, where a middle-aged man was standing in the ss doorway of the mini-market.


    ¡°Go inside. It¡¯s cold outside. Especially you...¡± he pointed at Roger. ¡°Who are you waiting for? Aren¡¯t your toes frozen, standing there for an hour?¡±


    Emma immediately looked at Roger with a face of disbelief. Crazy! Did he wait for one hour? Was this guy that scared?


    ¡°Yeah.. We¡¯re fine. Thanks for the offer.¡± Refuse Emma politely.


    Emma nced at Roger again, noticing that he looked embarrassed that he had been waiting for an hour. He even tried to calm himself down, trying to remind himself that Emma had seen enough evidence of how cowardly he was.


    ¡°Hah.. You¡¯re like my uncle. Whenever he made an appointment, he alwayses way too soon. You guys are the type of person who¡¯d rather wait than be waited on. Sometimes the world needs someone like that..¡± Emma said. Roger looked straight at her with wide eyes. The girl just shrugged her shoulders nonchntly.


    ¡°Ah! there they are.¡± Emma pointed to the east.


    ¡°Emma!¡± Brian ran over to her. With a ck leather jacket and shiny ck tights, typical of a rock band boy. ¡°Sorry for the long wait.¡±


    The five others followed Brian. There were three guys and two girls. Emma knew quite well the other two guys. They were Lary and Donny, her ssmate. Each embraced their partner. Which one of them was.. very familiar in Emma¡¯s eyes.


    Poppy! Was she a member of their gang?


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8: Sushi Shop Chat


    Emma had been in Handway city for almost two months. She attends Jardin University, led a normal life as she wanted ever and actively participated in training in the ballet club. Even though it was a little difficult to socialize, there were enough people around that wanted to be one of the beautiful girl¡¯s friends, but Emma still felt ufortable being friends with those people. But there was a member of the club that Emma thought was quite close to her. She was a cute little girl with fair smooth skin who first ever had talked to her in the ballet ss.


    Emma was still gazing at Poppy in a baby pink dressbined with an ivory white coat that made her look even cuter. Unexpectedly.. She was dating Donny Gruge who was one of the handsome boys in their ss. Donny also looked like a big boss in a bullying group consisting of Lary and Brian.


    ¡°Emma..¡± Poppy greeted kindly. Her smile looked like an expensive porcin doll.


    ¡°Poppy! I¡¯m so d you came here. I thought I¡¯d die of boredom tonight..¡± Emma chirps unconsciously. Poppyughed, nodding ufortably.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± Larry said. Didn¡¯t want to linger listening to the troublesome chatter of the girls.


    Emma frowned. Where to enter? But she refused to ask further. She was used to facing danger, making her no longer afraid to go anywhere, even crocodile cages.


    ¡°Roger! Come on!¡± Emma didn¡¯t forget her seatmate who had been expelling himself. Get out of the circle of that cool kid group.


    .....


    ¡°Tsk! Why did that losere along?¡± Donny grumbled. Suddenly Brian and Lary immediately nudged him. Didn¡¯t let that sentence be heard by Emma.


    ¡°Honey.. Don¡¯t say that.¡± Reprimanded Poppy. Donny just nced at her, carelessly. That cute girl couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t walk too far from us.. Did you know this ce?¡± Emma tugged at the sleeves of his ck jacket to draw him closer to their group. The other three men couldn¡¯t help but nce at them with disgust. Tomorrow, the first thing they would do on campus was beating Roger and hang his underwear on a pine tree.


    ¡°Do youe here often too?¡± Emma asked Poppy.


    The girl shook her head ¡°I¡¯ve never been here either.¡±


    ¡°Me too..¡± The other girl joined in. Her dress style was almost the same as Poppy. However, her body size was not as small as Poppy¡¯s and her skin was not too fair. They had known each other for a while ago. Her name was Rina Beker, Lary¡¯s girlfriend who had just been dating for a week.


    ¡°Hemm..¡± Emma narrowed her eyes to see the sparkling lights at the end of the alley. Along with their steps, a faint noise began to be heard from the end of it.


    Emma¡¯s eyes widened. Her eyebrows were raised high. So this was the street that called Jen Marrie?!


    The bars were decorated with colourful neon lights. And the most dominating were the gambling ces with gleaming name signs recing the twinkling stars in the sky. Emma seemed to have just fallen into a hole andnded in the gleaming of Tokyo downtown. She looked back. So that dark and silent alley was the entrance to the night people¡¯s paradise?


    Emma nced at Poppy and Rina who also had gaping faces. Jen Marrie Street was no ce for good girls like them. Lary and his friends were scumbags.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t just stare. This ce is fun! Want a drink?¡± Said Lary cheerfully.


    **


    They all ended up at a fake sushi shop with more liquor variants on the menu than the sushi itself. Emma looked like a dog that hadn¡¯t been fed all day long. She was holding back her fangs.


    But there was no way she threw her anger here, especially since Poppy was a member of the ballet club. Emma had been busy watching Poppy ever since a while ago. Usually, she was a cheerful and talkative girl, but here now she was a bit gloomy and quiet.


    A man with tattooed arms came in with sevenrge sses of beer, the beers foam were still rising and spilling out.


    ¡°Cheers!!¡± Brian and Lary raised their sses. The others waited and took a sip of that frothy yellow liquid.


    ¡°So.. Emma. Actually, I was a bit surprised when I saw suddenly a new student entering our university. Even it wasn¡¯t the turn of the semester. That never happened before. Why did you do that?¡± Brian opened the conversation.


    ¡°Technically I didn¡¯t know the registration process. My uncle did it for me. I moved because of sudden personal interest.¡± Emma Answered.


    ¡°What kind of interest?¡± Brian asked again.


    Emma shook her head with a weak smile ¡°I¡¯m notfortable discussing it.¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Biran grimace in pain.


    Lary smacked his friend¡¯s head ¡°Stupid! Even can¡¯t make a good conversation opener. You¡¯re embarrassing us in front of the girls.¡± He said loudly to make it look like a joke. The others chuckled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you girls were in the same club. Usually, in the middle of the year, there was a yearly art event. The ballet club gives the most incredible performances.¡± Lary looked at Poppy and Emma in turn.


    Emma¡¯s eyes instantly shone with all the fingers of both hands intertwined in front of her chest. She looked at Poppy with that gleam. ¡°Was that true?¡±


    Poppy nodded ¡°The ballet club officials will choose the group dancer centre, then Ms Diana will choose which members will perform for the show.¡±


    Emma smiled as she turned her head down. Could she perform on the stageter? Even though now she was still following basic practice, she could already imagine what was it would be like to dance on a big stage with spotlights shining above her head. Even in her imagination, she became the centre dancer.


    ¡°You seem to like ballet very much.¡± Donny chirps with his hands folded in front of his chest.


    Poppy nodded ¡°Emma is practising ballet very hard. I¡¯m amazed at her tenacity.¡±


    ¡°Then.. How about you.. What¡¯s your name? Roby?¡± He nced at thest seat at the very end corner. Completely ignored Poppy who was obviously talking to him.


    ¡°Ro... Roger.¡± Answered the guy, who seemed to haven¡¯t shown his form from earlier. ¡°I.. Go to the university just to study.¡±


    Brian and Laryughed at the answer. Donny just smiled lopsidedly with an arrogant face. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re a loser.¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaa ..¡± Emmaughed out loud, so annoyed to hear Donny¡¯s words. The others looked confused at her. ¡°Ehm.. Sorry. Roger was very funny. And you too..¡± He looked at the tall guy in the baseball jacket. ¡°What¡¯s your name again? Don.. key?¡±


    Donny¡¯s brow furrowed, his cheeks slightly flushed with humiliation. ¡°Do..¡± he almost answered. But prefer to reach for his beer ss instead and gulp down its contents. Poppy stiffened to see what happened.


    Brian and Lary looked at each other beforeughing full of struggle to put things back in ce. Didn¡¯t let Donny rage here.


    ¡°Gosh Emma.. You¡¯re so innocent. His name is Donny. Donny. Don¡¯t forget it again okay..¡± Brian said.


    ¡°Ahh.. Hahaha.. Yes, sorry for that. I easily forget people¡¯s names. But please understand me, Donny also forgot Roger¡¯s name, right?¡± She waved her hand in front of his nose, one hand covering her exposed white teeth. Just like the typical act of a sweet girl.


    ¡°By the way.. What is this ce? Why are there so many people gambling and getting drunk?¡± Rina asked with her innocent face. She was quite annoyed and a little scared to see a lot of men walking around their tables in a drunken state. Cigarette smoke also billowed like fog in that ce.


    Actually, Rina wasn¡¯t the only one who felt disturbed. Poppy also looked ufortable. But it seemed that she could still breathe quite normally in this poison-filled air. How about Emma? Ask no more. Her father¡¯s meeting room was even worse than this ce. It was as if there was a fire, but there was only the smoke.


    Brughhh!!! Prang!!


    They all turned towards the entrance from hearing themotion.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Donny and Lary cursed at the same time.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9: Unexpected Thing


    There was a hugemotion outside the restaurant... Or rather called the sushi shop.


    BRUGH!!!


    A man bounced and hit the table beside them with his back. Emma¡¯s eyes grew bigger. She immediately turned her head towards the source of themotion, which was from the entrance. Seen several men in ck leather jackets passing by, some carrying wooden blocks and baseball bats.


    ¡°Wa.. what is happening?¡± Rina asked scared.


    ¡°Shit! It¡¯s big bad luck! We have to get out of here.¡± Lary quickly stood up from his seat. He pushed Brian who was sitting on the outside of the seat.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Brian cursed, noticing a man with a baseball bat walking in.


    ¡°EVERYBODY GET OUT!¡± The man shouted, swinging his bat at the ornate liquor bottle rack beside him until it shattered.


    .....


    Poppy and Rina screamed in fear while protecting their heads with their arms. Donny motioned for them to follow him out. Meanwhile, things seemed to be getting worse.


    Emma, ??who was confused about what was happening, began to realize how many youths there were. But she immediately shook off that thought, so she could be more focused on saving herself. Or rather said, avoiding the problem.


    As soon as she was about to reach for the exit, out of the corner of her eye, Emma realized something was flying towards them a full speed. It was a wooden chair. Emma quickly dodged while protecting her head with both arms. Luckily the chair flew a little higher above their heads. Emma sighed in relief. But she was quite surprised, when she realized that Donny was protecting her.


    Emma stared in wonder at his masculine face, which was now quite close to hers. And she felt like throwing up when Donny gave her a pretentious, cheesy yboy look. Emma immediately straightened her body to shift Donny to get out of the way. ¡°Thank you..¡±


    Not yet finished her words, something more surprising actually made Emma gape. Poppy stood beside Donny. What made Emma ufortable was.. why was this man protecting her instead of his own girlfriend? He indeed was a Jerk. From the start, Emma had read that Donny was a yboy who pretended to been looked cool. But besides that, Emma smiled warmly to find that there was an unexpected manly figure.


    He was the loser, Roger. The guy who was shorter than the other men was apparently willing to run from his rear position to protect Poppy who was standing in the front.


    Poppy realized that her boyfriend was protecting Emma, ??who was obviously much prettier and cooler than her. But she just kept it quiet and thanked Roger who was immediately embarrassed by his cheeks. Maybe that guy didn¡¯t expect that his courage would suddenly appear like that. In fact, the previous flying chair was closer to Poppy than Emma.


    When they finally exited the door of the shop, they could see the riots were happening on Jen Marrie Street. It looked like the street was been attacked by a group of gangsters. They destroyed all the entertainment venues along the way. Dragging the people inside to get out. Beating anyone blindly.


    ¡°Crazy! What is going on in this town?!¡± Emma muttered as she followed the quick steps of the three damn men who brought her here.


    ¡°I.. that.. Damn group. Da.. dammit.. why should they?¡± Donny stepped back. His face turned deathly pale. He continued to stare at the ck jackets with a punch logo that wore by a group of men who were on their way out.


    Unfortunately, one of the men turned his head. The man narrowed his eyes, then... bam! He seemed to recognize Donny¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re their courier!¡± Said the man.


    ¡°N..no. No. Y..you¡¯re wrong!¡± Donny said.


    In that position, Emma and her three new friends looked like ignorant fools. Meanwhile.. In the blink of eyes, Donny, Lary, and Brian had run away from them. Leaving that four fools.


    Without anymand, the group of men immediately chased the three losers. Emma gulped down her saliva which felt like a handful of pebbles through her throat. She nced at the few remaining gangsters, who were staring at them, grinning widely. ¡°Those losers actually have a taste.¡± hit one of them.


    ¡°We have to run now. When I count to three, run immediately. Then follow me.¡± Emma whispered with her eyes kept staring at the five men in front of her. Her friends nodded in understanding.


    ¡°You¡¯re cute too..¡± They drew closer.


    ¡°THREE!¡± Emma shouted.


    Emma ran as fast as she could. Still, asionally looked back to make sure none of her friends was left behind. She could no longer pass through the dark alley they had passed to enter this road. Fortunately, Emma¡¯s eyes, which had been trained, were quite sharp. She turned her head to the right and found an alley that was a gap between two shops.


    ¡°There!¡± She pointed to the alley.


    Emma got into the sewer-smelling gap first. The alley was quite narrow, but she kept running tirelessly. Her stamina was above the average, even whenpared to men¡¯s. She had stamina on par with an athlete.


    On their run down through the narrow alley.. Brugh! Poppy fell because the heels on her shoes were broken.


    ¡°Gosh! Emma! Wait!¡± Rina shouted as she immediately helped Poppy assisted by Roger.


    Emma turned her back to see what was happening. ¡°Tsk! Damn it!¡± She cursed.


    While the others were busy helping Poppy, she saw adder at the end of the alley and climbed it up to the next street. Her brows furrowed as she faintly heard the chattering sounds of several men.


    As slowly as possible, Emma continued to climb the stairs and pressed her body against the wall. She peeked from behind the unpainted wall.


    ¡°Gosh...¡± She sighed, hiding behind the wall again.


    There were three men in the same jacket as the gangsters, chatting while smoking cigarettes. Emma simply remembered their faces. She remembered the faces of the group of men who were chasing Donny and his two assholes. It seemed they managed to escape from the gangsters.


    Emma came back down the stairs to check on her three friends. It turned out that they were still trying to carry Poppy, who was already limped. There was no way they could pass safely.


    ¡°Damn it! Why do I have to do this? Ugh.. should I do it instead?¡± Emma mumbled worriedly. ¡°Whatever!¡± she said when she saw a ss bottle of liquor that was on the edge of the wall.


    She raised the cor of her turtle neck, long enough to cover half of her face, up to her nose. Then she threw the bottle straight at the head of one of the men with force. The bottle instantly shattered on his bald head.


    ¡°Headshots!¡± Emma said as she ran towards them.


    The other two men then turned around with their hands intent on swinging their bat. But Emma was already flying through the sky like a ninja and her foot kicked one of the men in the chest, causing him to fall backwards. Emmanded in a crouched position, immediately grabbed the man¡¯s bat that had fallen to the ground.


    The man who had not been injured, did not expect a woman to attack them. He immediately swung his wooden block at Emma¡¯s head. But the girl quickly dodged and swung her leg to swipe off the man¡¯s leg until he fell sideways. After that, Emma swung the block that was in her hand.


    Thump! Bugh! Thump!


    ¡°Emma! Help us!¡± Rina looked at Emma who appeared from behind the wall above the stairs.


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 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10: KEEP ON YOUR TRACK


    Emma nodded and hurried went down the stairs. She helped Poppy to up the stairs go out of the alley.


    ¡°Looks like we escaped. They are out of sight now.¡± Poppy said with a grimace in pain.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I saw some gang guys up ahead. But it looked like someone had beaten them up. At least our way seems to be safe now.¡± Emma said.


    As soon as they managed to get out of the alley, there were indeed three gangster men who were already lying on the ground with battered faces. They rushed past them towards the safer main street. Emma slowed her steps so that her three friends could walk in the front. She looked down at the bloodstains on her sneakers. Secretly, she rubbed the soles of her shoes on the asphalt, which turned out to make a blood trace there. Once there was no trace on her shoes anymore, she jogged after her friends. For some reason, a joyful feeling seemed to be blooming in her chest.


    ***


    The four people sat at the bus stop with dumbfounded faces. Lament and try to understand what was just happened. Especially Emma and Rina who were the neers in Handway city.


    ¡°This is crazy! What¡¯s going on in this city?¡± Emma said while fixing her little messy hair.


    .....


    ¡°They are gangsters. Looks like there was an attack.¡± Roger said. As a man, though he was a loser who didn¡¯t have any friends to hang out with. However, because he often had to deal with bad boys ¨C which was, when he was bullied ¨C little by little it increased his knowledge of the outside world. He understands very well, in this kind of world¡¯s food chain, he was at the lowest level. Which was the bully-victim.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was such a thing in this city,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Emma.. Sorry if this city doesn¡¯t live up to your expectations. I also just found out that the gangsters in this city are that bad. However, they are rarely to be seen.¡± Poppy exined.


    ¡°Gangsters are always moving in the shadows.¡± Emma muttered subconsciously.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The three of her friends looked confused to her murmur.


    ¡°Eh? Nothing.. Haha..¡± She scratched her non-itchy nape. Suddenly, Emma remembered something that made her stare straight at Poppy with a guilty face, ¡°Poppy.. I¡¯m sorry for what happened earlier. When your boyfriend was beside me when we were thrown by the chair. We both don¡¯t have any rtionship..¡±


    Poppy was a little surprised and then chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emma. Maybe he thought that the chair was going to hit you.¡±


    Emma looked at Poppy even more sadly. Obviously, the chair was pointed closer to Poppy. It seemed that the girl loved Donny too much to keep defending him.


    ¡°They are so mean. Why would they leave us during chaos? After all, it was them who brought us down that street.¡± Rina grumbled. Emma nodded agreeably. ¡°I will call Laryter and ask him to break up!¡± she continued her words and received support in a form of small apuse by Emma.


    ¡°Are you serious about it?¡± Poppy asked. ¡°Their group is one of the cool guys¡¯ groups on campus.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emma stared in surprise. As a woman, hearing Poppy say those words was really hurt her pride. What the hell was she talking about?


    ¡°Em.. But, Poppy.. Do you still remember? That they left us earlier.. Even right now, we still don¡¯t know where they fled.¡± Emma gave an unpleasant grimace.


    Poppy just kept her face down. Roger quietly watched the cute girl with fists clenched in anger. It was true, that a girl like Poppy would like handsome, tall, and cool boys. Even though they treat women badly and have bad traits, still the girls will idolize them. A guy like Roger could only feel lucky enough to spend the night surrounded by three beautiful girls by ident. After this day passed, his life would return to being a loser as usual. He could imagine that, if one day one of those three girls hit in his paths on campus, they might not even give a nce at him at all.


    ¡°The bus ising.¡± Rina stood up. ¡°We¡¯re neighbours. I¡¯ll help Poppy to get home.¡± She carried Poppy¡¯s body which was smaller than her. It seemed that the pain in Poppy¡¯s leg had also improved somewhat, so she could walk quite well.


    Emma waved at the oing bus with Poppy and Rina behind the window. Now, Emma was left alone with Roger. The air that blew was getting colder, cold as the atmosphere between them.


    ¡°Hmm.. where is your house?¡± Emma tried to start a conversation.


    Roger nced at her then looked back at the ground ¡°Not far from here.¡± Emma nodded. Then she scratched her cheek with her finger.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Said, Roger.


    Emma looked at him confused, ¡°For?¡±


    ¡°A few hours of my life, I felt like a normal guy. Even though it was in a strange situation.¡± He chuckled.


    Emma smiled gently, ¡°You can feel it in your daily life when you open your heart to people.¡±


    ¡°A cool kid like you, doesn¡¯t know how it feels like to live in a loser¡¯s world.¡± He let out a breath that made white steam billow in front of his mouth. ¡°Our worlds are so different. You¡¯ll never want to know what it¡¯s like to live in mine.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but as far as I know life is a choice. I¡¯m practising it now. We can be whatever we want, as long as we have faith and are willing to try.¡± Emma denied.


    ¡°Everyone has a soul within them that cannot be changed. By anyone or even by themselves.¡± He looked at Emma nkly. ¡°I¡¯ve tried for sure. But this thing that lives in my soul can¡¯t be removed. No matter how hard I tried.¡±


    Roger got to his feet as a red bus that was almost empty approached. ¡°You¡¯ll regret being friends with me. Don¡¯t let yourself be dragged into a world of losers.¡± He said before stepping onto the bus.


    Emma stared at the red bus that was speeding away as the door closed. She turned her face back to look at her own feet. The white shoes she wore still had traces of blood that couldn¡¯t be removed. Roger¡¯s words made Emma start to think again. Had she made the right choice? Pursuing her dream of bing a ballerina. But if it had to be clear, actually Emma also didn¡¯t know what she wanted to achieve after bing a real ballerina. Because in fact, she had no intention of bing a famous dancer who appeared on various stages in various countries. Did she just want to escape reality? Tired of her old life? But the feeling of pleasure that ran through her veins when she had beaten the gangster was terrifying. What actually lived in the depths of her soul? A Dancer or A Gangster?


    Ckitttt!!


    The deafening sound immediately made Emma turn around with a grimace on her face. Her eardrums hurt to hear the sound. It turned out that the sound came from the screeching of the bus tires which suddenly braked because there was a sport motorcycle passing in front of it. The motorcycle vited the traffic at the crossroads.


    BRUMM!! The motorcycle that had stopped was speeding up again, not long after, four other big motorbikes followed. From there, Emma could see that the four motorbikes were chasing a ck motorcycle that had a maroon list that looked familiar to Emma¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that Calvin¡¯s bike?¡¯ Emma thought.


    The bus arrived in front of the stop. Emma rushed up and stuck her bus card on the payment machine next to the driver who was still mumbling annoyed at the behaviour of the motorbikes. Along the way, Emma¡¯s forehead didn¡¯t stop frowning. Was that Calvin Lee? But there was something else that upied her mind more than that. Nothing was more disturbing than Roger¡¯s words earlier.


    Emma got off of the bus when she arrived at her destination stop. As soon as she set her feet on the ground, she looked at an oil and auto parts shop that was right across from the bus stop. All this time Emma had never paid attention to the shop. But this time, the big slogan board in front of the shop was making Emma smile.


    ¡®KEEP ON YOUR TRACK¡¯


    Emma rose her palm up, floating in front of her chest when she saw the white dots were slowly falling down. The first snow greeted her. Her first snow as the new Emma Hilnd. Emma Hilnd that she chose. In the middle of a quiet street, lit up by the white lights from the slogan board. The brown-haired girl regained her purpose. If Roger couldn¡¯t, it didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t either. Even if everyone was not capable, she will show that she was different.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11: Under The Oak Tree


    A gust of wind blew away the remnants of dry leaves that had fallen to the ground for a long time. Emma was pensive to herself, sitting on a one and a half meter high concrete wall that fenced off arge oak tree that became one of the historic icons of Jardin University.


    Emma was waiting for her ballet ss which would start in about an hour. Her first hang out in Handway city didn¡¯t make a good impression. As a result, Emma had been thinking about it until now.


    Unfortunately, today Emma didn¡¯t find ¡®Lary and the gang¡¯ing to the campus. From the first meeting, Emma could already smell how losers the boys were. ¡°They like to bully the weaker ones. That¡¯s why they are losers.¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    Actually, Emma was curious to meet them. But if she thought about it again, maybe not having a chance to meet those losers was a good thing. Emma had to remember that she shouldn¡¯t be looking for trouble in her new life. Emma was a very normal ordinary girl. Good manners, love the peace, and the ballet was her life.


    She lifted her face upwards, looked up at the branches of the almost bald tree and let her breath spread into the air. White steam appeared as a result of heat colliding with cold air. It was so quiet.. Emma should be at peace, but her heart didn¡¯t say that.


    ¡°This tree was nted by Helena Tonring. An intelligent female professor who was one of the founders of this University.¡± Suddenly a deep voice startled Emma. Then she turned her head.


    ¡°Oh.. You..¡± Emma muttered with a smile. There was still a look of surprise on her face.


    .....


    ¡°Waiting for an additional ss? All regr sses are over for today.¡± Calvin sat down on the wall, one meter beside Emma. Didn¡¯t want to get too close to her, so that the beautiful girl wouldn¡¯t feel ufortable.


    She nodded slightly, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for ballet ss.¡± she answered by holding up a pink paper bag with a picture of a swan. Then her gaze was drawn to Calvin¡¯s right hand. ¡°What happened to your hand?¡±


    Calvin nced over his back to his right palm which was wrapped in a bandage ¡°Oh.. I got myself hurt when I fell off with my motorbike yesterday. The road was very slippery.¡±


    Emma narrowed her eyes as she continued to stare at the man suspiciously. She immediately remembered the events ofst night that she had almost forgotten, ¡°Yesterday I saw a crazy motorbike chase on the road. Could you be one of them?¡±


    ¡°Haha.. Seriously.. I¡¯m not one of them. But they dide after mest night.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Emma asked curiously.


    ¡°They were sshed with road puddle from my motorcycle tires when I passed them.¡± He answered easily.


    ¡°Ah.. It just like that?¡± Her mumble sound floated.


    ¡°Where did you see me?¡± Now, it was Calvin who was curious. The incident when he was been chased by the thugs, happened when it was veryte at night. And the route he took, was not the good one for visitors who didn¡¯t know the Handway City well.


    ¡°Yesterday I went to Jen Marrie Street. When I got home, I saw your motorbike in front of the bus stop nearby.¡± She answered.


    Jen Marie Street?! It felt like the street name was like a firecracker that went off and exploded right in Calvin¡¯s ear. Why the hell did Emmae to that hell¡¯s door?! Who invited her?!


    Calvin tried to calm down, he cleared his throat and looked at Emma with a normal stare, ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t want to interfere with your business. But, what were you doing there? How did you know there was a Jen Marrie street in this city?¡±


    Shouldn¡¯t Calvin¡¯s question make Emma suspicious? As the daughter of a high-profile gangster, Emma had been taught since a kid to not tell too much about her personal life. Especially to foreigners. But wasn¡¯t Emma a normal girl right now? She was not a part of the gangster anymore. What would happen if someone knew what she atest night and where she slept? Nothing would happen.


    ¡°Lary took Roger and me going out to Jen Marrie Street.¡± She answered with piercing eyes. It seemed that Calvin knew something about the street.


    Damn Lary! He shouldn¡¯t have let the lizards get close to Emma. They like to prey on girls. All this time, they didn¡¯t dare to act when Calvin was in ss. Because of that, almost all the girls in his major ss, haven¡¯t be their victims. Even though Calvin didn¡¯t know, what would happen to the girls in the other major and level.


    ¡°Emma,¡± Calvin rubbed his neck with an uneasy face, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t think that I¡¯m trying to be too close to you.. But if I may, I advise you not to go down the Jen Marrie Street again. And I think a girl like you doesn¡¯t seem to get along with Lary and his friends either.¡± He closed with a smallugh, so he didn¡¯t sound too annoying.


    ¡°A girl like me?¡± Emma pointed to her own face with raised eyebrows.


    Calvin nodded stiffly, his face looked surprised and confused ¡°Y, yes.. I mean a nice and gentle girl like you. A.. am I wrong?¡± For some reason, Calvin felt a gloomy aura emanating from the two beautiful eyes in front of him.


    Hearing Calvin¡¯s exnation, Emma then turned her gaze forward. She blinked a few times, until her senses came together again. Then she smiled faintly and turned to Calvin again.


    ¡°Ah.. That¡¯s right. Sorry, I thought that you called me a night girl or something.. Haha..¡± She covered her mouth with her four tiny fingers as sheughed.


    Calvinughed with relief, ¡°There¡¯s no way I would think like that, Emma. From the first time I met you, I could already feel what kind of girl you are. Honestly, I admire you for being so passionate about achieving your ballet goals.¡± he said cheerfully and sincerely.


    If it wasn¡¯t Calvin, Emma might have judged that this guy was trying to flirt with her. But Emma herself could also sense that Calvin was not like any other guys who were so flirtatious because of Emma¡¯s attractive appearance. From the start, Calvin was genuinely helpful and friendly. And what touched Emma¡¯s heart even more... that Calvin didn¡¯t just act like that to Emma. She often saw him usually helping anyone with his sweet smile.


    Wait! But why did Emma even imagine all the goods of Calvin? She hastily shook her head slightly to regain consciousness. While Calvin just continued to stare at her in surprise, though still with his charming thin smile.


    ¡°By the way..¡± Emma changed the subject. ¡°Do you know what happened on Jen Marrie Street? Actually, yesterday I had an unpleasant experience there.¡±


    Calvin nodded. It seemed like Emma had sensed how crazy that damn street was. There was no point in hiding it from Emma either. It¡¯s good that she knew how dangerous the road was so thatter she wouldn¡¯t dare to go there anymore.


    ¡°Jen Marrie Street is a bad street. It¡¯s a nest of illegal gamblers. In fact, it¡¯s also run by gangster group who likes to disturb people.¡±


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12: Do You Want To?


    ¡°Gangsters?¡± Cut Emma, ??trying to control her expression to stay calm. ¡°Are they a big group of gangsters?¡±


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°Despite having a lot of cheap bars and casinos, they are still considered as small gangsters.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean, there are still big gangsters in this city? Are they that big that they are running all the way outside of Handway City?¡± Emma¡¯s heart was beating fast. If there were that big gangster in this city, they might know her father. And it didn¡¯t take long for Emma¡¯s true identity to be revealed.


    ¡°There is. But they didn¡¯t run rampant out of Handway City. This city is too small and deste. Honestly, no one would ever think that there are gangsters in this city. They are like parasites. Ruining other people¡¯s lives with their filth. ¡± The guy was muttering to himself.


    ¡°Y.. you¡¯re right. Gangsters are annoying..¡± Emma nodded weakly. She felt a small stab in her heart, remembering that she was the daughter of a high-ss mafia leader which was had the same dirty job as the gangsters.


    Emma grew up with the treasures earned by destroying other people¡¯s lives. Very sad and disgusting.


    ¡°Hey..¡± Calvinughed as he snapped his fingers in Emma¡¯s face. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    .....


    ¡°No.. Sorry I was daydreaming.¡± Emma grinned awkwardly. Then she nced at her watch, ¡°Oh.. my ss is about to start. I better go now.¡± she jumped down from the wall.


    ¡°Hey.. Be careful, the ground below is uneven.¡± Calvin said jokingly. But he was actually serious about his words. What Emma had just done was quite dangerous with the dancer¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Thank you. But I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t underestimate the dancer¡¯s legs..¡± She said with her shoulders rising. If Calvin thought that dancer¡¯s legs were weak, then that guy was definitely wrong.


    ¡°Bye ..¡± Calvin waved his hand at Emma who had done it first, as he was about to walk away from her.


    ***


    A well-built body girl was stretching alone. Dressed in a tight pink ballet costume, she looked like a fairy in a fairy tale.


    The girl¡¯s name was Emma Hind. She woulde to ballet ss very early for practice. Without having to reveal it herself, everyone would have known how much she loved that elegant dance.


    But there was something different about Emma¡¯s activities this time. From her cute face, she seemed to be thinking about something serious. It made the girl didn¡¯t realize, that there was another girl stretching beside her.


    A girl with bright blue irises was watching Emma closely.


    ¡°Ehmm..¡± The girl tried to be polite, so that Emma would notice her presence.


    ¡°Oh? Hey ..¡± Emma greeted as soon as she realized the arrival of the girl with curly red hair that was forced to be styled with updo style.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always seen youe as an early bird. But this is the first time I¡¯ve had a chance to talk to you.¡± The girl smirked like a horse while scratching her neck which didn¡¯t itch. Then she stretched out her pale hand, ¡°I¡¯m Kathania Dusk. I hope I¡¯m not bothering you.. Haha..¡±


    Seeing Kathania¡¯s cheerful and shy nature, Emma cracked a warm smile. She immediately shook the hand, ¡°I¡¯m Emma Hilnd. You¡¯re not bothering me at all, for real.¡± Emmaughed. ¡°Ah.. By the way, you usuallyete.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You noticed, don¡¯t you?¡± Kathania stared.


    Emma nodded approvingly, ¡°I always saw youe at least ten minutes after the ss started. Sorry, I didn¡¯t greet you first all that time. Actually, I¡¯m not very good at socializing.¡± sheughed sadly.


    ¡°No.. No..¡± Khatania shook her head quickly until a few strands of her curly hair were free from the bun, ¡°Honestly. I thought you felt that we were from different world castes, so you didn¡¯t talk to us. You know.. Look at that mirror. See what you look like..¡± She pointed at the big mirror in front of them with her chin.


    Emma scratched her forehead with her index finger, ¡°Haha.. I know, people like to think that way. But it¡¯s better not to judge other people by their physical appearance, right?¡±


    ¡°Oops! Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. I mean...¡±


    ¡°I know.. It¡¯s okay.¡± Emma smiled kindly. She understood that Kathania didn¡¯t mean anything offending to her.


    ck! Bam!


    They both looked at the source of the sound. Another girl had just entered through the ballet room¡¯s heavy door. The door closed with a bang in one m. Even though it was closed hard, but everyone knew that the girl didn¡¯t mean to be angry. Her power was really that big.


    From her stature, she must be very strong. She was tall with solid muscles. Like she was more suited to be a female wrestler than a ballet dancer. Even so, her figure still looked quite lovely, maybe because she practices ballet.


    ¡°That¡¯s Rachel Markway. She¡¯s very quiet and cold. All the girls here are secretly afraid of her, except Ms Diana.¡± Kathania whispered.


    ¡°Oh, I see..¡± Emma muttered. It was kind of true. She also often paid attention to the girl named Rachel. Her body was veryrge and muscr. It was almost the same size as the female bodyguards who used to follow Emma everywhere.


    ¡°By the way.. I heard, you¡¯re pretty close with Calvin Lee, huh?¡± Kathania¡¯s question interrupted Emma¡¯s thoughts.


    Emma looked at her questioningly, ¡°I don¡¯t feel close to him. What¡¯s the matter?¡± she turned to ask. Just a few months after being a new student, Emma had been hit by gossip!


    ¡°Oh...¡± Kathania chuckled. ¡°Actually there was gossip among the popr college students about you. They said you were close to Calvin Lee, the campus prince. They said, Calvin really cared about you. They think it was because you were so pretty and fashionable.¡± She exined.


    Kathania¡¯s exnation certainly made Emma gape even more. Even though Emma had only spoken to Calvin just for few times. That was all in a very short duration, like amercial on TV. Ah.. So this was the life of a normal girl? This was the first time Emma felt what it was like to be talked about behind her back about men.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about it. The girls are known to be flirtatious. They go to college just to look up for the boys, not to study. They are just jealous of you ..¡± Kathania said again while waving her hand slightly.


    Emma smiled, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll take your advice to ignore it. Honestly, this is the first time I¡¯ve heard any gossip rted to boys.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Where did you go to school?¡± asked the girl curiously. Her eyes, which were surrounded by dark circles, were rounded big. How could a girl as beautiful as Emma have never been hit by gossip about guys?


    Emma was a girl figure, who was able to provoke other girls to make up stories freely and be hyperbole, to make Emma look bad in the eyes of the world, just because they were too jealous of the perfection she had.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been homeschooling for quite a while. There was a bit of a family problem ..¡± Emma answered lightly, but cautiously. From her tone, it was obvious that she didn¡¯t want to discuss it any further.


    ¡°Oh.. No wonder you¡¯re not used to it.¡± Nod Kathania. Then she smiled broadly, ¡°I can be your friend. Do you want to?¡± she chuckles.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13: A Request For Help


    Emma¡¯s eyes got widened.


    ¡°Geez.. Of course, Kathania! Someone who is hard to get along with like me, must be happy to make friends.¡± Emma beamed. She finally made a real friend after so long.


    ¡°You can call me Kathy instead, so it¡¯s not too long to pronounce. Haha..¡±


    ¡°Okay, Kathy. Ah.. We¡¯d better get on with the warm-up. The ss is starting to get crowded.¡± Emma said after looking around. Needless to say, they had been chatting for a bit long time.


    ***


    Today¡¯s practice was over. Even though it was tiring, Emma¡¯s body felt very refreshed after being able to practice ballet. She felt very happy after sessfully mastering one of the basic ballet techniques. Ms Diana guided all students very well.


    ¡°Huftt! I wonder what¡¯s going on with my legs. They can¡¯t work together. I¡¯ve been tired of practising, but it never worked. I guess I really don¡¯t have the talent to be a ballet dancer.¡± Kathaniained as she tidied her things into her ck GYM bag.


    .....


    ¡°Well.. I have to admit, your body is a bit stiff. Then, why do you keep going, if you don¡¯t like ballet?¡± Emma asked as she still stretched her legs while sitting on the floor.


    ¡°Actually, what I loved is theputer. It fits with the major that I took after all. But my mom used to dream of bing a ballerina, but she failed. So now she¡¯s forcing me to dance ballet because I¡¯m the only girl in the family.¡± Kathania exined with her carping. Didn¡¯t forget to pout her lips annoyed.


    Emmaughed, ¡°Do what you like. Just tell your mom you don¡¯t like this.¡±


    ¡°Hah.. I don¡¯t know, Emma. She¡¯s very pushy and stubborn. At least I still have a lot of free time to pursue my dream of bing a professional hacker.¡± She stood up with arge bag that only kept a few things. ¡°I¡¯ll go now...¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a shower first?¡± Emma asked, didn¡¯t intend to stand up.


    Kathania shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ll just take a shower at home. My house happens to be nearby. You can stop by sometime, if you want.¡±


    ¡°Haha.. Of course. Bye..¡± Emma waved briefly. Kathania replied before walking away and disappearing behind the big door of the ss.


    Emma couldn¡¯t hide the smile on the corners of her lips. She really felt very happy to be friends with a girl like Kathania. She was a kind and talk-active girl. That girl told Emma so many things. Like they¡¯d been friends for a long time. Kathania looked like an honest and straightforward girl. Emma liked the girl¡¯s personality.


    She couldn¡¯t believe it, the ballet room already looked very quiet. After the ss was over, Emma and Kathania were chatting again, until they lost track of time. But Emma didn¡¯t mind, because she preferred to wait for the bathroom to be crowded less. Emma branded herself as an introverted girl. She preferred to be alone because it felt peaceful.


    ¡°Ms Diana. Thanks for today.¡± Emma, ??who was ready to go to the bathroom, with a tote bag in her hand, paused before leaving the ballet room.


    The sturdy and slender woman turned her head. Her beautiful eyes formed a crescent moon as she smiled and nodded, ¡°Your wee.¡± She waved back at Emma. Then suddenly she remembered something. ¡°Ah... Emma.¡± She called.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emma immediately stopped her steps and replied to Ms Diana who was sitting cross-legged not far from the door. That beautiful woman rose to her legs as soon as Emma was almost in front of her.


    ¡°Eum.. by the way, Emma. You know Poppy, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Emma nodded with a serious look. Her face matched Ms Diana¡¯s expression which also seemed a bit tense. What happened to Poppy?


    ¡°Honestly, I feel reluctant to tell you this. But I see you as a good girl. If you don¡¯t mind, I want to ask you a favour regarding Poppy ..¡± she added with a hanging tone.


    Emma nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll help anything I can if I can. What can I do for you?¡±


    Ms Diana smiled faintly, revealing a slightly relieved face, although there was still tense on her face, ¡°I¡¯m just asking for a little help, is if you see her outside the campus with a bunch of guys, I want you to call me. Could you do that?¡± asked Ms Diana ufortably.


    Emma¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°Perhaps I would do it if I knew the exnation first, Miss. Did something dangerous happen to Poppy?¡±


    At first, Ms Diana looked hesitant and confused to open her mouth, but she took a deep breath before pulling Emma¡¯s arm to sit on the floor with her. They ended up facing each other pretty close. Typical of two female figures who are gossiping.


    ¡°Actually, Poppy is my nephew. Lately, her mother said that Poppy has changed since she hung out with a guy group. I saw Poppy hanging around with bad students from this campus. She loved ballet since a kid. She never skipped ss if it wasn¡¯t for urgent matters.¡± She said.


    Of course, Emma immediately remembered what happenedst night. So, Ms Diana meant Larry and his cowardly gang. Oh.. So they fell into the category of bad guys on campus? A bunch of cowardly guys like them? Was this campus circle joking?


    No wonder.. As Emma remembered, Poppy was a cheerful girl who was quite talk-active. Butst night she looked different and more reserved. She was like a handbag that bes an essory carried by Donny. Tch! Disgusting guy. Too bad, Poppy had to be his victim.


    ¡°Of course I would, Ms Diana. And you don¡¯t have to worry either. I won¡¯t spread any gossip.¡± She winked. The flutter of her eyshes was like a feather fan blowing a breath of fresh air at the woman in front of her.


    Ms Diana smiled with relief as touching the middle of her chest, ¡°Ah.. Of course, I can trust you. I¡¯ve never misjudged people. And I think I was right again.¡±


    ***


    The bathroom was almost empty when Emma entered. The room with twenty shower cubicles was located not far from the ballet room, gym, and indoor sports court. The room was very clean, hadplete facilities, and was quite spacious. And of course.. the bathroom was for women only.


    Emma entered one of the cubicles that was blocked by a sky blue frosted ss wall, with a door made of the same material. She turned on the shower faucet to check the temperature of the water. Emma smiled a little and nodded after she felt that the temperature was suitable for her tastes and body needs. After that, she took out her toiletries.


    With the shower running over Emma¡¯s head, she was lost in her thoughts. The sound of jazz music was always ying through the bathroom speakers with a rather low volume. Emma thought back to the events she had witnessed the past few days.


    Come to think of it, why did Emma ept Ms Diana¡¯s request for help? If she did, of course, it would be tantamount to approaching a new problem. Emma felt confused about herself. She was confused about what she really wanted.


    Emma told herself that she wanted to live a normal life like the other girls. But her heart always couldn¡¯t stand ¨C at least ¨C to know about matters that involve a crime, something like gangsters for example.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14: Bullying In Campus Hallway


    ¡°Ah! That sucks!¡± Emma muttered as she rubbed her watery face. ¡°Let it be then!¡± She took a bottle of shampoo and poured its blue liquid over her head before rubbing it until it foamed.


    After taking a shower, Emma dried her hair and packed up to go home. With the clothes that had been changed, she would go straight to the supermarket to fill the kitchen ingredients and the refrigerator at home.


    Emma realized it wasn¡¯t just the bathroom that was empty. Apparently, the entire campus building was also very quiet. Maybe because tomorrow was a national holiday, surely everyone was busy gathering with their respective families. Things that, of course, Emma never felt with her family.


    After she finished packing, Emma stepped out of the bathroom in a white t-shirt and ck training pants, all of which werebelled by a well-known sportswear brand. Amid her leisurely pace, Emma could hear the squeaking of her sneakers sole, because the campus hall was already very quiet. But Emma was not afraid of anything, neither humans nor ghosts.


    For Emma, ??as long as we are brave, then we can beat anything. Because the fight is not just relying on strength alone. But courage and ingenuity too.


    Suddenly a faint voice caught Emma¡¯s attention. Because of that, she slowed her footsteps. Emma strained her ears as she tried to hold her breath. The faint voice sounded again. It came from the north that led to the hallway of the ssrooms which must have been empty by now.


    Curious, Emma decided to check what the sound was. She nced at her watch and it was still five in the afternoon. If she went shopping around six or seven, she would still have time to study until ten.


    .....


    ¡°Okay!¡± She mumbled lightly.


    Then she stepped back a little faster towards the source of the sound which turned out to be a mixture of annoying giggling sounds. From her experience, that giggling sound was exactly like the sound of his father¡¯s men torturing other gangsters¡¯ members that they were holding as captive.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just check, and go home.¡± Emma said to herself.


    The closer she¡¯d been, the clearer the sound became. But Emma could tell that theughter was like a suppressedugh. Well.. it means theughter that, as possible, shouldn¡¯t be heard by anyone. Until Emma came to a corridor crossing, she knew that the sound source was behind the walls of the other aisle. She decided to hide and peek.


    There were three guys who looked familiar. They were bullying a guy with a body that was covered by theirrge body. The veins on Emma¡¯s forehead were sticking out. What was that? Ah.. She became even more annoyed when she realized that the three guys were the same persons who bullied Rogerst time.


    ¡°Kkkkk! Take off his pants!¡± Chucked one of the guys in a baseball jacket.


    ¡°Hey, loser! Take off your pants! I know you hid it there, right??¡± The other guy chuckled too.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this. I don¡¯t have any more money!¡± The voice of the guy under their feet sounded very trembling.


    Suddenly a guy with a tattooed hand swung his kick at the guy¡¯s shoulder. Bughh!!


    ¡°How can a rich kid like you run out of money! Come on.. We know you still have a lot of money. Why are you saving so much if you can¡¯t spend it on anything? You don¡¯t have a girlfriend to feed, do you? But we have. That¡¯s why, give us your money now!¡± He said as he kicked again.


    ¡°AKH!! I.. I swear.. My money has run out. You guys took it two days ago..¡±


    ¡°Oh... So it was our fault?!!¡± A guy with a hat took off his backpack and pped it hard against the guy¡¯s head.


    ¡°Ah.. you bastard! My bag is torn now..¡± He quickly regretted it as he picked up that ck thing again. He stepped back to take a closer look at the tear.


    With that, the figure of the guy they had been covered by those bullies could be seen. Emma didn¡¯t expect that she had to see Roger¡¯s condition in such a position again.


    It turned out that the poor guy who was bullied by those three roons was Roger. Emma¡¯s seatmate, who was until this moment, she had have not reced his eraser. Emma didn¡¯t deny, now she felt that she knew Roger well enough.. Well.. even if it was just a few paragraphs of talk with him.. But for Emma, ??it was one of the highest friendship levels in her life.


    ¡°Damn it! You have topensate for the damage to my bag!¡± The guy returned to Roger who was sitting scared on the floor in tattered clothes. His hand was holding arge match made of iron in the shape of a box. He swung it down, about to m the hard object against Roger¡¯s body.


    Emma was unconscious. But now, she found herself standing near them, with her tote bag that filled her dirty clothes lying on the floor. Apparently, earlier Emma threw the bag with a picture of the swan, right on the head of the kid who was about to smack Roger.


    Silence immediately reced the chaos that had been echoing in the hallway. All eyes were on the figure of a beautiful girl who stood frozen with a shocked face at her own actions.


    But out of all the shock, Roger¡¯s face was the palest and disbelieving. Roger didn¡¯t really know Emma, ??but he knew she was a good girl. And he didn¡¯t want a girl with a bright future like Emma to end up being ruined, just because of helping a coward like himself. But howe that girl always showed up when Roger was been beaten?


    ¡°Hmm.. what are you doing?¡± The guy with a tattooed arm squinted at Emma. His arms were folded in front of his chest.


    The other two guys also reacted. But a crooked smile graced their lips. Like a predator sniffing weak prey.


    Emma cleared her throat, she stepped back as the three guys began to take two steps toward her, ¡°I should be the one asking. What are you guys doing?¡± She said it as calmly as possible. There was no quiver in her voice. Because she wasn¡¯t afraid of the three cowards. She was just afraid of losing control and ending up breaking their necks.


    ¡°What we do is none of your business, beautiful. The problem here is, you were throwing my head with that pink bag of yours.¡± The guy pointed at Emma¡¯s bag which was still lying on the floor.


    ¡°You deserve it. I can¡¯t let you guys bully.¡± Emma answered firmly.


    But that answer even provokedughter from the three guys. They stared at each other while holding their stomachs in amusement.


    ¡°Then what can you do, huh? Are you going to beat us up? Or report to the teachers like an elementary school kid?¡±


    ¡°Mind your own business, pretty girl. This loser doesn¡¯t deserve any help from a pretty girl like you. You guys are on different levels.¡± Said the other guy.


    ¡°Keep your bullshit in your mouth. Roger is my friend. If you bullying him. Then you¡¯ll have to deal with me too.¡± Emma growled.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15: Not A Woman¡¯s Opponent


    Instantly Roger rose to his feet. For some reason, his pain from the kicks and punches suddenly disappeared. He was more worried about Emma¡¯s safety right now, ¡°What are you saying? Who are you? I don¡¯t know you. Don¡¯t pretend as you know me!¡± he argued loudly.


    Emma was silent with a frown. She knew Roger was trying to protect her. But of course, those jerks weren¡¯t stupid either to assume Roger¡¯s words were real. Roger and Emma did know each other. And that made the hoodlums even more irritated because they felt inferior to a loser like Roger Timothy.


    ¡°O.. ow.. Something seems odd here.¡± Said the tattooed guy. Then he stepped closer to Emma. His hand touched Emma¡¯s jaw with a lopsided smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel wrong, to choose him to be friends with you? That loser can¡¯t even save the pride of his underwear.¡± Heughed. ¡°You better y with us. We¡¯re the popr kids in this college. We¡¯re on the same level. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Get your hands off me. Disgusting.¡± Emma hissed before pping off therge, rough hand that was perched on her jaw.


    The three guysughed amusedly. They looked down at Emma.


    ¡°How arrogant..¡± Said one of them. But they were quite used to Emma¡¯s attitude. Usually, pretty girls were like that. They were shy but in the end, if you keep chasing them, they would melt to you too. In essence, the hoodlums looked down on women.


    .....


    ¡°You¡¯ve provoked our patience. Looks like you¡¯d rather have the same fate as your loser friend, huh?¡±


    Damn! Why was everything like that? If that was the case, how could Emma stay silent? She had to fight them, right? Otherwise, her fate would end in a very bad way.


    Emma nced at Roger who just stared at her nkly. That guy really had a glimmer of a loser soul, indeed. He seemed helpless, between wanting to act or not. His movements and face were full of doubts typical of a loser. Okay, from the first ce, Emma never expected any help from him either. Because, it was Emma herself who had the instinct of helping Roger, who she considered as her friend.


    Emma¡¯s hands were clenched into fists. She was ready to throw a punch at the guy closest to her. Emma¡¯s way of standing did look normal, like an elegant girl. But on her both legs were formed a very strong stance.


    BUAKHH!!


    Emma jumped in surprise with both hands covering her mouth. She took two steps back to get away from the mess that was right in front of her feet. The two losers who pretended to be champions were already lying on the floor with bruises on their face. Soon the wound will be a bruise.


    ¡°Damn loser!¡± Buakhh!! A long leg swung its kick again at the loser guy who was still standing transfixed.


    ¡°Ca... Calvin?¡± Emma muttered with wide-eyed.


    The guy somehow darted from the side of the hallway in a Kung Fu flying style like on the TV, to kick two people at once. A superhero who suddenly appeared when a disaster was about to happen. It was Calvin Lee! How did he suddenly appear here?!


    The three losers helped each other to stand up. On the campus, no one didn¡¯t know Calvin Lee. A popr guy who was loved by girls for his good looking face and athletic body build. But he was the enemy of the bad guys who were jealous of all the advantages he had.


    ¡°F*CK! Don¡¯t interfere, dammit!¡± The tattooed guy threw his big fist.


    But, Calvin quickly smacked the guy¡¯s arm and following with a swung of his long leg right on the loser¡¯s epigastrium, the tattooed guy fell back on his back and writhed in pain.


    Unable to ept that his friend was beaten, the other two losers immediately attacked Calvin with fists from the right and left. But all the fists missed because Calvin¡¯s movements were very agile. He quickly dodged and was now standing behind the backs of the two cowards, then nudged them hard on their hump. As a result, the two losers fell to the ground. All of Calvin¡¯s punches made the guy¡¯s ugly faces even uglier as they kept getting punched.


    ¡°Get off before I break your fingers.¡± Threatened Calvin in a t voice.


    The three losers knew that Calvin Lee was no match for them. If this continues, they may not be able to write for several weeks. Only the rascals who knew, who Calvin really was. From the outside, he was a friendly and disciplined guy. But off the campus, he could break people¡¯s necks.


    Emma and Roger watched the three losers run away shuffling while chanting curses. Still, trying to look cool by swearing to save their pride. Saying that they would beat up Calvin in another time and so on. And of course, they wouldn¡¯t dare do it in real.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Calvin asked as he turned his attention to Emma and Roger who were still gawking.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No. Thanks for helping us.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have had to help me. Now you¡¯ll be in trouble for interfering.¡± Roger said while looking down. He tried to sound annoyed. Hope those two hunks don¡¯t get their hands dirty again by helping a loser like him.


    ¡°At least you can thank Calvin. Why are you so stubborn?¡± asked Emma in surprise, sessfully provoked.


    ¡°Look in the mirror, please. You two are popr kids on campus. By doing this, you¡¯re humiliating me. I look like a loser even more.¡±


    ¡°Who we are is what we determine. If you judge yourself as a loser, how can others not see you as well?¡± Calvin said softly.


    ¡°Popr kids like you guys won¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to be a loser. How I¡¯ve tried to be strong and not be bullied, but always fail!¡± Roger¡¯s voice trembled. Again he looked like he was about to cry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think of you as a loser. You¡¯re my friend. Don¡¯t you remember what happenedst night? When we ran away from Jen Marie street. You didn¡¯t look like a loser at all. You even protected Poppy.¡± Calvin frowned at Emma¡¯s words.


    Roger fell silent. His brain was trying to process what Emma had just said. Previously he thought that all that happenedst night would only be a memory for him and would be forgotten by the others. But it turned out that Emma remembered what happened and didn¡¯t forget him at all.


    ¡°Stop being stubborn, Roger. I¡¯ll protect you if those loserse back at you.¡± Emma came back to her senses.


    But it made Calvin hold back augh, ¡°You¡¯d better not get into trouble, Emma. They¡¯re not a woman¡¯s opponent.¡±


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16: New Mindset


    Emma looked at Calvin with an insulted feeling. But of course in Calvin¡¯s eyes, Emma looked like a weak girl who justified his words. ¡°Those losers won¡¯te near you guys again. I¡¯ll make sure of that.¡± He continued proudly.


    Hearing that, Emmaughed a little. Seriously, it was annoying to be belittled like this. Luckily she was able to think positively to just realize that Calvin¡¯s intentions were good. She also didn¡¯t deny that she currently looked like a weak girl. And that was exactly how she wanted others to see her.


    ¡°Sorry...¡± Roger said suddenly. ¡°I know your intentions are good by helping me. But I beg you, please don¡¯t show up again like earlier. This all is my problem. You really are cool, but there are a lot of things that you don¡¯t know.¡± He spoke while looking at Calvin meaningfully.


    ¡°But..¡±


    ¡°Emma..¡± Calvin grabbed the girl¡¯s shoulder. He smiled kindly at her as those beautiful eyes stared at him in protest, ¡°If that¡¯s what Roger wants, we have to respect it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks again, for your help. Excuse me.¡± Roger said as he picked up his belongings that were scattered on the floor.


    ¡°Ugh.. Seriously..¡± Emma groaned, unable to think. Her eyes kept rolling as she turned around. Felt unwilling to let Roger just run away like that. In fact, she still expected an exnation from Roger for his attitude.


    .....


    Calvin chuckled as he picked up Emma¡¯s bag of clothes that was still lying on the floor, patted it to remove the dirt and gave it to the very annoyed looking girl, ¡°It looks like, it¡¯s the first time four you to meet someone like him in your life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. In my entire life, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such a person.¡± She answered to confirm.


    ¡°Hmm.. Your answer makes me think that you rarely socialize. Did you go to an all-girls dorm?¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No. I rarely leave my house. But I went to a regr school. My parents were a bit restrained.¡± said her, with some hint of lies. Of course, she couldn¡¯t tell Calvin the truth.


    ¡°Oh.. I see.¡± He nodded. Then he looked around. ¡°Are you going home? The campus is already very deserted.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I should have gone home earlier. However, something unexpected happened like this.¡± She shrugged her shoulders.


    Calvin smiled understandingly, ¡°I¡¯m going home too. Let¡¯s go out together. A deserted campus like this must be dangerous for a girl wandering alone.¡±


    Emma epted Calvin¡¯s offer and they finally walked towards the parking lot together. Actually, Emma was a bit awkward when she met Calvin for the first time. But over time, she had gotten used to it and felt quitefortable around him. Moreover, Calvin was very polite and gentle. His soothing smile made Emma think, no wonder why, this tall guy was always loved by the college students.


    ¡°People like Roger are not easy to be close to. Even though his attitude is annoying, he doesn¡¯t have that kind of intention. If someone is bullied and ostracized, his heart will be closed to anyone who approaches. Because they have built strong forts to guard against being hurt even more. Sometimes they¡¯ll think it¡¯s better to be hurt by bullies. Than to be hurt by friends who end up betraying them. Therefore, I hope you didn¡¯t take Roger¡¯s words too seriously.¡± Calvin said in their leisurely steps.


    Emma looked at Calvin with a look of confusion and amazement. This was new to Emma. All this time, she had never known anyone¡¯s background for her to study. Especially, the victims of bullying. It was very clear that Calvin had wandered all over the ce.


    ¡°I.. I.. Just found out there was such a thing.¡± She muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Not everyone understands that. Even just a few people could understand other people¡¯s feelings. If we haven¡¯t experienced it ourselves, or not those closest to us who have experienced it.. then we won¡¯t know.¡± Calvin took a deep breath.


    Calvin¡¯s words and sighs brought Emma to her senses. The girl then slightly squinted her eyes ¡°Have you ever been bullied before?¡± she guessed.


    Calvin chuckled then shook his head lightly, ¡°Never. But I¡¯ve known someone who had experienced it. And it was really hard andplicated.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. By the way, I haven¡¯t thanked you yet. You helped me earlier.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Ah.. Haha..¡± Calvin waved his hand in front of his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I just happened to be passing by and heard themotion.¡± Then his face turned serious. ¡°But, I warn you not to do something risky like that again. You should know clearly what those hoodlums can do to you.¡±


    ¡°Ok.. Ok.. I know. I also intend to avoid people like them, anyway.. But, when I found out it was Roger.. Somehow I even went forward to face them.¡± she said beforeughing smugly.


    Seeing Emma¡¯s response, Calvinughed too. Then he nodded in understanding, ¡°For a popr girl like you, it¡¯s very strange to see you stood up for a bullied guy. In my whole life, I see only you are that weird.¡± He¡¯d been honest.


    ¡°Popr? I don¡¯t even feel like that. I don¡¯t know since when thatbel was put on my forehead.¡± Emma didn¡¯t even like it. ¡°When I first entered the ss. Roger was the first person I interacted with. He did a small thing for me, which was sharing his eraser with me. It was indeed a small thing.. Nothing special. But somehow I immediately felt that he was very worthy of my consideration as a friend. I want to be friends with him.¡± Emma continued,pletely honest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Roger is a nice guy. He¡¯s just confused between people who really want to be his friend or just who want to make a fool of him. You¡¯re a very nice girl, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t take long for Roger to figure that out.¡±fort Calvin.


    Unconsciously, they had arrived at the campus parking lot. The sky had started to darken. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s winter now. Even though it wasn¡¯t night yet, the sun was already very dim.


    The parking lot was very deserted, only a few motorbikes and two cars remained. One was Emma¡¯s and the other was a very nice old car belonging to one of the Fashion major students who always left it in the parking lot for some reason. It turned out that Calvin¡¯s motorbike was also parked not far from Emma¡¯s car. Even so, the guy insisted to walk Emma until she finally got into her little car.


    ¡°You go first. Be careful on the way.¡± Said Calvin.


    ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± Emma waved her palm and closed the car window. ¡°Huft.. Looks like I¡¯m not going to study tonight.¡± She muttered as she looked at her watch.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17: 37.1 AM


    In Handway City, there was a radio channel that people rarely go to. Rumour said, the channel was created by a man who had been a victim of crimesmitted by gangsters. But just like the other case, the crime was not taken seriously by the police and just let it sank in. Some said that the radio channel actually belongs to the Handway City government. They deliberately faked the name, for fear of the gangsters who had managed to trample their power from the beginning.


    The radio channel didn¡¯t have a specific name. It said its name as 37.1 AM. On that radio channel, there were always reports of crimes happening on the streets. Reports of gangster gatherings. Nobody knew where it got that information from. But perhaps, it¡¯s the residents who saw it and did not dare to act, were the ones who provided the information anonymously.


    Actually, the gangsters already knew the existence of the radio channel. When the channel first aired, all the gangsters were busy looking for the mysterious person who made the station. But after a few months, they didn¡¯t care anymore, because, in the end, no one listened to the radio channel. After all, if people knew, then why? Yet the authorities did not dare to touch them.


    But now there was a young man who had made the 37.1 AM channel as a part of his life. Yes, he was Calvin. A young man who had a dream to destroy all the gangsters in Handway city. He dreamed of eliminating crimes that were almost allmitted by members of the gangsters.


    Every time Calvin wears his helmet, he never forgets to stick a hands-free in one of his ears. From the hands-free, it always yed radio channel 37.1 AM in live.


    That night, the cold air pierced the bones. But the cold wind did not stop the speed of the sports motorcycle which was moving fast on the slippery asphalt road. The rider on the iron horse was a tall man. Beneath his thick brown leather jacket, there was a shield of muscles that had been trained very hard and disciplined.


    Calvin took a deep breath. He was being chased by the most terrible monster in the universe, namely time. He heard there was looting on a street near Roodern Square. The jerks were a group of young men wearing skull-printed baseball jackets. He immediately knew that they were members of the Mighty Skull group that he had beaten to a pulp before.


    .....


    The square which was usually used as a ce for skateboarding and rollerding during the day, looked a bit scary at night. Roodern Square had minimal lighting. Because the location was quite close to the housing area, very few residentse out when it¡¯s dark.


    Calvin stopped his motorcycle on the outskirts of the square. He took off his helmet and stepped into a small alley that had been mentioned on the radio. His steps were long and fast, he arrived at the mouth of a narrow alley with minimal lighting. Where there should be a robbery going on there. But the alley seemed empty and quiet.


    Unlucky! Looked like they were gone, Calvin thought. He sighed and turned back to his bike. But the corner of his eye caught a long, straight image that was pointed straight at his head. As quickly as possible Calvin covered his head with his arm, so that blunt object ended up hitting it instead. The blow was so strong that Calvin didn¡¯t have time to mount his stance, causing him to fall to the side. He grabbed his arm, which was in great pain. Maybe his arm bone was fractured from the kick.


    Looked like a group of men in baseball jackets standing at the entrance of the alley. They all looked down at him with devilish smiles on their faces. Some carried wooden blocks and baseball bats. Oh.. so this was all a trap to catch Calvin Lee.


    ¡°Calvin Lee. A tough guy who dreams of bing a superhero.¡± Said a guy who stood in the front. He was holding a ck baseball bat made of steel. His posture was tall with a muscr body. From his style, we could say that he was the leader of that mob.


    Calvinughed mockingly, as he rose to his feet with a grin on his face, ¡°So you set me up, huh? What a coward.¡±


    ¡°You also attacked us suddenly yesterday.¡± eximed one of the members whose face looked familiar in Calvin¡¯s eyes.


    Hearing that statement, Calvin chuckled even more condescendingly. He red at the leader of the gang, ¡°You¡¯re Steven Nihger, right? The leader of the Mighty Skull group. Your members are that coward, aren¡¯t they? In order to catch one person like me, the leader himself must intervene.¡±


    Calvin¡¯s words infuriated Steven. He didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. In no time he would break that pretentious look guy with both of his hands. He would crush every bone in Calvin¡¯s body.


    DUAKHH!! Steven swung his right leg right in front of Calvin¡¯s face. But apparently, his shoes didn¡¯t manage to touch his handsome face, because Calvin immediately formed a cross-shaped defence with his strong arms.


    Calvin immediately jumped back. His two eyes stared hatefully at the horde of people running towards him like a bunch of hungry zombies. This was something that Calvin was ready to pay for, when he decided to eradicate the gangsters. If he had to die, at least he had done everything he could. At least he wasn¡¯t a loser who could only watch with resignation.


    ***


    The popr music, the smell of frozen food, the cold air, and the sound of trolley wheels grinding against tiles made Emma want to stay at the supermarket even long.


    In chance today was a national holiday so she didn¡¯t have toe to campus. Emma got up early to clean her house, then she practised Kung Fu and Karate in the practice room located in the basement. If it weren¡¯t for Jonas¡¯ insistence, Emma might have been practising ballet all day. The middle-aged man who still looked very sexy and cool would always monitor Emma so that she didn¡¯t lose her martial arts skills.


    ording to Jonas, it was enough for Emma to join the ballet ss at the university. So the boss¡¯s only daughter didn¡¯t need to practice ballet at home anymore. Even though she was annoyed and already thought that she was a free bird, Emma still obeyed her caregiver since she was a baby. Because what Jonas said was true. Of all the people in Emma¡¯s life, the only one she would listen to was Jonas. In fact, she respected Jonas more than her own parent.


    ¡°Hmm.. I think that¡¯s enough.¡± Emma muttered as she looked at her shopping data sheet that she had all checked.


    Emma pushed her shopping trolley casually towards the cashiers which were already quite deserted. She stopped and unloaded her groceries onto the table.


    ¡°New girl in Handway?¡± The cashier greeted her.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18: An Old Pickup Truck


    Unbeknownst to Emma, ??a woman standing behind the counter was watching her. Emma¡¯s beautiful appearance would indeed attract anyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Are you new in Handway?¡± The cashier greeted her.


    Emma nodded and smiled.


    ¡°You are very beautiful. Are you still in school or working?¡± asked the middle-aged woman. It seemed that all the old people in Handway were very friendly. Way far different from the youngsters.


    ¡°I study at Jardin University. I live with my parents here.¡± She answered with a hint of lies. Whoever it was, she had to be careful.


    ¡°Oh I see..¡± She nodded as she continued to work, ¡°You have to be careful walking around at this hour. The streets are not safe for women at night.¡±


    ¡°I know. Thanks for watching me.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I have a son around your age. He was a good and obedient boy. But since high school, it seemed like he made friends with the wrong kids. Until now, I don¡¯t seem to know him anymore. He always rebels against his parents.¡± Her two eyes zed over.


    ¡°Owh.. Forgive me. I shouldn¡¯t have burdened you with my story.¡± Said the woman again.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mam. I understand. A parent¡¯s love willst forever, no matter how their children treated them.¡±


    The woman smiled gently, a tired look appeared on her face, ¡°You are a good girl. Your parents must be very happy to have a daughter like you.¡± praise her.


    Emma just smiled faintly. In her heart, she felt like a showman. What bullshit did she actually say to that woman? Emma realized that she was not a daughter her parents could be proud of. Even worse, Emma was also not close to her parent at all.


    After paying, Emma thanked the cashier and left the supermarket. For a girl who lives alone, Emma¡¯s groceries were quite a lot. Recently, Emma realized that she had a new hobby, which was cooking. Because of that, she shopped a lot for groceries.


    ¡°Akh..¡± Emmained as soon as thest,rgest shopping bag she managed to put into the trunk of her car.


    Emma parked her shopping trolley in another group of trolleys located at the edge of the parking lot, before she got into the car. Then she started the engine and drove out of the supermarket parking lot.


    ¡°Why is this city so strange? No wonder, even though it is beautiful, but very few touristse here. Even though the structure of the city is neat. But when the nightes, it looks like a dead city.¡± She talked with herself.


    Emma¡¯s car was still a bit slow because she had juste out a few meters from the supermarket parking lot. Then her sharp eyes caught the figure of a guy who was limping as he walking while pushing his motorcycle, which seemed to break down in the middle of the dark road.


    Actually, Emma didn¡¯t really care and intended to just go through with it. But as she got closer to it, she felt she recognized a street fighter that looked like it had just been hit by a train and dragged for ten kilometres.


    Emma slowed down her car as she approached the man who was walking almost bent over. The guy turned as soon as the car was beside him. Emma, ??who had been focused on staring at the window from the start, suddenly dropped her jaw.


    The girl immediately pressed the button to lower the windowpane, ¡°Calvin?!¡±


    ***


    ¡°What happened to you? Who did this?¡± Emma Jabbered with a look of horror on her face.


    Calvin¡¯s face was full of bruises from battered and parts of his jacket and pants were torn. His motorcycle was also dented here and there like a wrecked motorcycle. The guy just smiled calmly while wiping the blood that kept dripping from the side of his lips with the tissue paper given by Emma.


    ¡°I had a traffic ident.¡± He answered.


    Emma quipped with a sarcasticugh, ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid? Even crazy people would know that you¡¯d got beaten up.¡±


    ¡°Can I have another tissue, please?¡± Calvin asked as if he didn¡¯t care about Emma¡¯s worries.


    ¡°We have to go to the hospital. You need to be treated.¡± She shook her head as she stood up from the edge of the sidewalk they were sitting on, ¡°Get up. I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Calvin was still curled up with no interest in getting up at all. That made Emma so irritated that she stroked her chest with her palm. The two sad eyes nced at his iron horse, which had been dered dead. ¡°I have to bring my motorbike.¡±


    ¡°Gosh.. Are you kidding me?¡± Emmaughed, in disbelief. ¡°Your motorcycle is no longer usable. Just leave it here. Even the homeless people don¡¯t want to take that broken motorbike.¡±


    ¡°This bike is so precious to me. I can¡¯t leave it.¡± He answered with a sad face.


    Emma just stared at him in disbelief. It may be true that the motorcycle was very valuable to Calvin. Emma herself also had something very precious to her, not expensive, just a worn-out pair of ballet shoes. But behind, it saved great memories that had changed her life.


    From the corner of her eye, Emma saw a yellow light approaching. She turned her head and watched a car speeding from the distance. From the shaky way the lights were lit and the clearly audible rustling sound, Emma immediately knew that it was an old car. For some reason, she continued to watch the car until it was quite close.


    ¡°A Pickup truck!¡± Emma eximed as seeing a glimmer of hope.


    Then, the girl immediately stepped forward by waving her hands up as a symbol of asking for help. Luckily, the pickup truck driver slowed down and stopped behind Emma¡¯s car, which was parked on the dark side of the road.


    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with, youngdy?¡± Asked the driver who was an old man with a shabby hat and vest. From his truck, it can be seen that he often operates it around the wharf to bring marine products.


    ¡°My friend just had an ident. His motorcycle was badly damaged and I had to take him to the hospital. Can you help us transport the motorbike to a repair shop?¡± asked Emma.


    The old man did not answer yet, he looked at what was behind the girl¡¯s back from behind the car window. Not long, he nodded after seeing for himself that what the girl said was true.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the workshop?¡±


    ¡°Not too far from here. I would drive my own car, and you can follow from behind. How is it?¡± Exined Emma with hope.


    Finally, the man nodded, ¡°Okay. But you guys need to help me lift that big bike up.¡±


    Emma smiled widely, ¡°Thank you, sir. Of course, we will pick it up. Thank you very much!¡±


    Without realizing it, Calvin had stood up near his motorbike. He smiled innocently as Emma approached him cheerfully, ¡°We got the help. Quickly lift your motorcycle into the man¡¯s pick-up.¡±


    Calvin nodded ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡±


    Even though he looks dying, there was something very surprising about the guy named Calvin. He was still strong enough to carry his motorcycle into the pickup with a little help from the old driver man.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19: An Old Acquaintance


    Emma was reviewing how strong Calvin¡¯s body was in her mind. From there, Emma knew that Calvin was not just an ordinary guy. He had a well-trained physique like her father¡¯s bodyguard and the top position men in her father¡¯s mafia group. But that was only in terms of strength. She didn¡¯t sure if in terms of technique. Because self-defence was not just relying on strength and body weight, but techniques were also important.


    After Calvin¡¯s motorcycle was up, they immediately drove to the workshop which was near the bus stop in Emma¡¯s residential area, because it was the only repair shop she knew in Handway City.


    The two cars stopped in front of a repair shop with arge sign zing brightly in the middle of a deserted street. Emma came out of her car door with a frustrated face as clutching her head. ¡°Ah! Of course! The workshop is closed! What a shame!¡±


    Calvin got out of the passenger seat of the pickup truck, along with the pickup truck driver, ¡°Oh.. Is this the repair shop you meant?¡± said the old man.


    Emma nodded, ¡°I¡¯m, so sorry. I didn¡¯t know the workshop used to close so soon. I thought it was still open.¡±


    ¡°No need to worry. I know the owner of the workshop. He¡¯s a friend of mine.¡± The man said with his chin raised.


    ¡°Ah.. Thank goodness.¡± Said Emma in relief.


    .....


    The man approached a metal rolling door of the workshop and banged loudly as if to make a fuss, ¡°Craig!! It¡¯s me, Moris!¡± he shouted in the hoarse voice of a senior-level cigarette addict.


    After several times of repeating that noisy thing, the door finally opened from the inside, though only halfway. A man who was as old as him, was bow-walking through the door to get out. His thick beard seemed to blend with his chest hair which was no less dense. He turned his back to face the truck driver who was finally known as Moris.


    ¡°What are you bothering me about at thiste night? I thought you drowned in the sea.¡± It turned out that the furry man¡¯s voice was much hoarse than the truck driver¡¯s.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve risen again.¡± He answered. ¡°Look, I need help here. Hem.. It¡¯s actually not me. But them..¡± He pointed at a couple of young people who stood awkwardly behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m Emma and he¡¯s Calvin. Nice to meet you.¡± She said. ¡°Um.. Let me exin. So, my friend had an ident. His motorcycle was destroyed and we had to treat his injuries as soon as possible.¡± Emma continued by pointing at the truck behind her with her finger.


    ¡°Oh.. Ah.. I¡¯m Craig.¡± Then he looked at Calvin with his arms folded in front of his chest. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve just been in an ident. You know that, right?¡±


    Calvin nodded, ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Put the bike down,¡± Craig ordered, before going inside and rising the door open until it stuck to the top.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯re safe.¡± Emma tapped Calvin on the shoulder twice.


    The motorcycle was put down and Craig pushed it inside, followed by the three uninvited guests. Behind the rolling door, there was a very strong smell of lubricating oil. On the other side, there was a medium-sized table that was very messed with utensils, paper, money, and lots of empty beer bottles.


    Emma looked around with an annoyed face. Okay, she had to understand that the ce was a workshop. And she shouldn¡¯t be surprised, after seeing the owner who didn¡¯t seem to care about the cleanliness of his own body.


    ¡°Are you still receiving customers at this hour? Why don¡¯t you just kill me as well?¡± A deep voice made everyone turn around.


    A guy in a white armless undershirt and a bottle of beer in his hand stared at him with azy, annoying face.


    ¡°Troy?¡± Said Calvin.


    The big, muscr guy squinting his eyes, ¡°Wait.. You¡¯re Calvin Lee, the idol of the college girls, right?¡±


    ¡°Wow.. So, it turns out that you two know each other? Good!¡± Craigughs. Then he turned to face his son, ¡°Help these friends of yours. I have some business with your asshole uncle.¡± He said by putting down the motorcycle stander.


    ¡°Yeah, we have adult things to talk about.¡± Moris nodded, blinking one eye with a mischievous smile.


    Troy didn¡¯t seem to care, just sighed roughly. His father had been friends with Moris for a very long time, as if they were twins who shared the same centa. Troy pulled two small chairs from under the table, ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know this was your house,¡± said Calvin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we know each other.¡± Troy corrected.


    Emma was still staring at the two old men who were happily exiting through the rolling door. Then the big door closed, followed by the sound of an old truck engine slowly fading away.


    ¡°Since you two said you don¡¯t know each other. I¡¯ll be the one to introduce myself first. I¡¯m Emma Hilnd.¡± She held out her hand to Troy.


    The big guy just stared at the tiny soft hand that floating in front of his face, ¡°I¡¯m Troy Roner. You can put down your hand, because my hands are dirty by the engine.¡±


    ¡°Owh.. Okay then.¡± Emma withdrew her hand.


    ¡°So, who else beat you up again like that?¡± Troy looked at Calvin.


    ¡°Again?¡± Emma repeated.


    Troy nodded once, ¡°You¡¯re his girlfriend, but don¡¯t know anything about him?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not dating.¡± They both said at the same time.


    Troy stared at that two persons who suddenly made a blushed face, ¡°Okay.. I had heard ravings from the university girls about your rtionship. You know they are very noisy.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°University? We are studying in the same university?¡± Emma asked confused.


    ¡°Troy is in the same level as us, but he takes engineering major.¡± Said Calvin.


    Troy nodded, ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t see me often because I¡¯m always busy at the Judo club. I also rarely saw you, unlike the handsome campus idol sitting next to you. He wanders here and there spreading charm.¡±


    ¡°Just like you. As for me, I¡¯m always busy at the ballet club.¡± Emmaughed, feeling like she had found someone on the same mindset as her. She liked the people who pursue their hobbies.


    Calvin just stared nkly. Then he cleared his throat, ¡°Do you have a medicine box? I want to treat my wound.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t have to, Calvin. We¡¯re going to the hospital.¡± Emma immediately remembered the purpose of putting Calvin¡¯s motorcycle into the repair shop. Didn¡¯t even know why they ended up breaking into this ce.


    ¡°No need. Wounds like that are nothing for people like us.¡± Troy rose to his feet and strode into his house through a wooden door that was painted with ck paint in a rushly way. Not long after, he came back with a prettyrge medicine box.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Calvin said as soon as the clear white box was thrown onto the table in front of him.


    ¡°Let me treat your wound.¡± Emma immediately pulled the medicine box. She opened it and was quite surprised to see the contents of the box. It seemed that the owner used the medicine box a lot. Maybe there were frequent minor idents when repairing motorbikes?


    ¡°So, who did this?¡± Troy stared at Calvin intensely.


    ¡°Mighty Hell. They trapped me by giving fake news on radio broadcasts. Don¡¯t worry, this has nothing to do with the good name of our university.¡± Calvin said.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20: Troy Roner


    In silence, Emma listened intently as she treated Calvin¡¯s wounds. She wanted to hear more.


    ¡°37.1 AM? Are you still that crazy?¡± Troyughed as he shook his head in surprise. ¡°So what¡¯s the result? I hope, from your injuries and your broken motorcycle, at least you managed to break a few bones.¡±


    Hearing Troy¡¯s chatter, Calvin chuckled a little. From that smile, it seemed that he had no regrets, ¡°The leader, Steven, came right away with about twenty of his men. I finished them all. Sadly.. You can see how my motorcycle condition is. It seemed that some of his men changed their target when they felt it was no longer possible to fight me.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! That was great. I¡¯ll give you a discount on the cost of repairing your wrecked bike.¡± Troy said.


    ¡°I would be very grateful.¡± Calvin answered.


    ¡°By the way, why are you still doing it? Aren¡¯t you age conscious?¡± Troy opened the drinks fridge. Then took two bottles of cold beer from it. He turned to Emma, ??¡±Hey, girl. Are you drinking?¡±


    Emma thought for a moment, ¡°Is there any juice?¡±


    .....


    Troy sighed and then looked into the contents of the refrigerator again, ¡°How about a soda?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± Emma nodded politely.


    Troy returned to his chair and handed the drinks to Emma and Calvin, ¡°It¡¯s free. But someday you have to return the favour.¡± he chuckled.


    Emma smiled amusedly, then turned back to Calvin, ¡°You haven¡¯t answered Troy¡¯s question.¡± she said by rolling a bandage around the arm which had an opened wound that was deep enough to keep it bleeding, ¡°Are you sure your bones aren¡¯t cracked?¡±


    ¡°Ohoho.. Looks like this girl is curious about your story, Calvin.¡± Troyughed.


    Emma then realized that she had identally said something she shouldn¡¯t, ¡°O.. of course, I¡¯m curious. I¡¯ve never in my life seen anyone beaten by twenty people.¡± She lied. The reality was, she had even seen her father¡¯s members kill other gang¡¯s members.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Calvin. At least tell Emma your heroic story.¡± Troy taunted by lightening his voice tone into a woman voice.


    Emma was about to lightly smack Troy¡¯s arm jokingly, but he quickly dodged it andughed along. But it seemed that he didn¡¯t really like the way Emma joked.


    Calvin smiled, ¡°To me, standing up for what¡¯s right is not a childish demeanour. When the others get older and the circumstances are forcing them to think about their personal interests. Unlike them, I feel that I have to change the circumstances. Not the circumstances that change me.¡±


    ¡°I like your spirit.¡± Emma nodded with fiery eyes. ¡°By the way, what exactly is going on in this city? And to... you?¡± Emma continued by looking deeply at Calvin.


    ¡°Actually this has nothing to do with you, Emma. You better not get too close to all this. In Handway City, there are several groups of a young guys. They are delinquents who like to abuse and take advantage by force to other young people. Indeed, those young guys seemed trivial. But this has be quite serious because even the police do not have any power to stop them.¡± Calvin exined.


    ¡°You mean.. Like at the Jen Marie street?¡±


    ¡°You know Jen Marie street? Didn¡¯t you just move here?¡± Troy asked in surprise.


    Emma nodded, ¡°A few weeks ago, Larry and his friends took me there.¡±


    ¡°Larry? That bastard..!¡± Troy mumbled furiously, ¡°Then, did something happen to you there? Were you all right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Maybe worse than you think. Suddenly, the street was attacked by a group of gangsters. Unfortunately, Larry seemed had have gotten into some trouble with them. At thest moment, those cowardly guys ran away, leaving me with their girlfriends. Long story short, we managed to escape and I would never set my foot on that street anymore.¡± Emma told, as rewinding the incident with annoyed faces.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you got out of there safely, Emma. Maybe I really would have killed Larry and Brian if anything happened to you.¡± Calvin said angrily.


    Emma stared at Calvin stiffly, then cleared her throat to break the awkward atmosphere, ¡°Then... why are you choosing to deal with them? You knew it was dangerous, but you still approached it.¡±


    Calvin paused and brooded as he stared at his bandaged arms, ¡°I just don¡¯t like them and feel sorry for the victims.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Calvin,¡± Troy replied full of sarcasm.


    Then Calvin looked at Troy with a straight face, ¡°At least I¡¯ve heard of someone who single-handedly destroyed arge group in high school. Unfortunately, he was disappeared somewhere.¡±


    Emma followed the direction of Calvin¡¯s gaze, that exactly at the figure of Troy who almost choked on the beer he was drinking.


    ¡°What? It was because they harassed my group. I¡¯ve never defended anyone. I only defended myself.¡± He shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°You have a group too?¡± Emma asked usingly.


    ¡°Hey.. Wait a minute, girl. My group hasn¡¯tmitted any crime. We¡¯ve only been judo enthusiasts since middle school. I don¡¯t know why those crazy bastards actually thought of us as a threat.¡± He tried to straighten it out.


    ¡°Yes, but every time you passed by.. As if you guys were a bunch of bulldozers that would tten the way. Even though without you have to bully them, those school losers would throw their pocket of money in front of your feet.¡±, Calvinughed, remembering what was really happened when they were still in school. Although they went to different junior high schools and high schools, the fame of the group that Troy lead was heard until the other schools.


    ¡°So, is your group still feared until now?¡± Emma asked.


    Troy shook his head, ¡°After entering university life. We finally found a real Judo club that could take us seriously to a prestigious tournament. Since then, we¡¯ve beenpletely focused on the sport of Judo and didn¡¯t care about the outside at all. Slowly the name of my group disappeared by itself.¡±


    ¡°Gosh.. There¡¯s a lot of stories in this city.¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°About Roger..¡± Calvin added. He looked at Emma ufortably, ¡°If you see him being bullied, please don¡¯t get yourself into it. Just give me a call. You are a girl. It¡¯s very dangerous to deal with those bastards. They are part of groups that like to hurt people.¡±


    Emma nodded and smiled faintly, ¡°I know. I never intended to get involved in those gangsters matters either.¡±


    ¡°Because there aren¡¯t any women involved. This is all a men¡¯s world. We¡¯re fighting muscles here. No one is allowed to hit a woman.¡± Troy added surely.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that women wouldn¡¯t get involved in the mess men made. And I hope that never happened anyway.¡± Emma said in relief. At least, because she was a woman, she didn¡¯t have to worry about getting involved in gangster issues, which she had avoided as far as possible from the first ce, ¡°Okay. It¡¯s already toote. I have to go home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Calvin rose from his seat.


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 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21: Ambition


    Hearing Calvin¡¯s offer, Emma shook her head with a friendly smile.


    ¡°No need. It is me, who should have taken you home. At least my car is still in good condition.¡± Emma rejected.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Calvin home. You can go home now. It¡¯s getting toote.¡± Troy said.


    Emma nodded and smiled again, ¡°Thanks for the soda, Troy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The man replied as he stood up and walked towards the rolling door. He raised it until it stuck to the top and came out with his two guests.


    ¡°Are you really okay going home alone?¡± Calvin asked with a worried expression.


    ¡°How if I take you to your home? I¡¯ll follow your car with my motorbike.¡± Troy offered. He also seemed worried, but looked like trying to restrain himself. After all, they just had met. He didn¡¯t want Emma to feel ufortable.


    .....


    Emma shook her head again as she opened her car door, ¡°My house is pretty near from here. Thanks for the offer. I¡¯ll go first!¡±


    The two men nodded, ¡°Be careful on the road.¡± they said at the same time unconsciously.


    Emmaughed a little then got in her car and drove away.


    ¡°Is she really not your girlfriend?¡± Troy looked at Calvin innocently.


    ***


    A baseball bat swung swiftly,nding on the back of a big guy until the bat broke in two. The guy winced in pain for the umpteenth time. His muscr body trembled and was lying weak on the dirty floor. He was Steven, a sophomore in high school who was the leader of the Mighty Hell group. The gang of delinquents had been roaming freely around Davis Street and Lothy Street for four years.


    ¡°FUCK! WHY ARE YOU SO WEAK?!¡± A guy with short hair dyed neon yellow shouted. He spat at Steven who was trying to get up from his prone position, to get back on his knees with thest of his strength.


    The poor guy¡¯s face was full of purple bruises and bumps everywhere. His forehead, nose, and mouth also continued to ooze blood and fluid. But he was still submissive and trying to be strong. Even though he was already battered, he didn¡¯t want to lose his pride as the leader of the group he had raised all this time.


    ¡°He¡¯s only one jerk. You guys ganged upon him! How could you still lose?¡± The yellow-headed guyughed in surprise, ¡°How am I going to face the bosster, huh?! I shouldn¡¯t have supported you from the first ce! You¡¯re like an ungrateful dog. I already fed you, but you bit my hand instead!¡± he growled.


    ¡°I.. I¡¯m sorry. He¡¯s.. too.. strong.¡± Steven¡¯s voice was almost gone. Every time he opened his mouth, blood and saliva dripped out. And that made the yellow-headed guy even more annoyed and threw a free-kick at his body.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you are so weak and ipetent!¡± He said.


    ¡°Cody, he is...¡±


    BUGHH!! Before Steven could finish speaking, a fistnded right on the poor guy¡¯s mouth that made him fall backwards. He could only ept and spit blood to the side. Two of his teeth wereing out with blood clots.


    ¡°Hey, teddy bear! Do you know, what is the impact of the mistakes you made? You know, where does our iee from? , if the big boss doesn¡¯t want us anymore, what will happen? Are we still able to breathe freely in Handway city?¡± Said the guy named Cody, right next to Steven¡¯s ear.


    Then he multiple times pped the poor guy¡¯s cheek who was still lying down, ¡°You were ying too much, Steven. You can¡¯t even take care of your own members and can¡¯t defend your territory. You¡¯re always looking for excuses for your weakness. From this moment on, I don¡¯t want to see Mighty Hell roaming around my area anymore.¡± He continued before spitting in Steven¡¯s face again and leaving him in the abandoned warehouse.


    Cody came out of the big dark warehouse door. In front of the dpidated building, all of his members were waiting. One of the tall, skinny men handed him a cell phone. He took the phone and pressed it once.


    He put the phone to his ear filled with earrings. His body was sturdy like a big boss. But suddenly, that arrogant back was bowing when the phone was connected.


    ¡°Hello, Boss!¡± He answered respectfully. ¡°I¡¯ve cleaned up my men. This incident will not happen again. I swear.¡± he continued, then silently listened to his boss¡¯s answer. Then he smiled and bowed again, ¡°Understood! Thanks, Boss! Thanks a lot!¡± he said with relief.


    Somewhere from there, a guy with thick eyebrows lowered his cell phone and tucked it in his trouser pocket, ¡°Cody has fired his men.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. I shouldn¡¯t be too soft on him. He¡¯s the kid with a yellow head, right?¡± Asked a guy with pale white skin and lips as deep red as blood. His eyes were sharp like snakes. He was the leader of the ck Hole group.


    ¡°He was holding the area around the square. I think you picked him up when you were drunk at the time.¡± The assistant remembered. His name was James.


    ¡°Yeah.. He¡¯s begging like a hungry puppy. After all, it¡¯s only a very small area. He can only extort money from a few middle and high school kids around there. You know.. they don¡¯t have much money.¡±


    James nodded, ¡°Then, are you going to let that kid named Calvin?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Why would I bother with one bug like him? He¡¯ll just run in a circle. His match is limited to groups of bugs like Mighty Hell. That kid will only tire himself out and give up.¡± The chairman replied with a sip of arge, short ss of alcohol.


    ¡°People like him can¡¯t touch us, James.¡± He continued with a big smile.


    ***


    ¡°One, two, whoops! One, two, whoops!¡± All the girls jumped, following the direction of a beautiful instructor named Diana.


    ¡°Come on! More excitement! This is a new move. I¡¯ll put it in one of the moves for the show.¡± She shouted again.


    After two hours of practice, the ballet ss finally ended. All the girls scattered to pack their things and went to the bathroom. But there was a determined girl who was still practising in front of the mirror. She was Emma Hilnd, a beautiful girl who was very ambitious to be able to dance perfectly.


    Emma kept jumping, as if her legs had springs in them. It jumped high andnded gently. But at the end of the movement, she always shook her head annoyed because the movement was still wrong. Emma had just entered the world of ballet. Because of that, she was a bit difficult to keep up with, and her body wasn¡¯t very flexible and bnced yet. But Emma would not give up, she continued to practice every day. Even if the ballet club was on an off day, she would practice at home.


    ¡°Emma. Are you still practising?¡± Kathy walked over to her with a gym bag slung over her shoulder.


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 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22: Seafood Shop


    Emma stopped her movement and turned her head. She smiled kindly, ¡°You want to go home already?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Aren¡¯t you tired? Today¡¯s exercise was really hard. I feel like my joints are going to fall out.¡± The girl replied while massaging her shoulder. Her curly red hair was dishevelled out of her bun that used to be neat.


    Emma chuckled, ¡°You can go home first. I still want to practice because I still can¡¯t master this technique yet.¡±


    ¡°Gosh.. You¡¯re not the only one who can¡¯t, Emma. Almost everyone here can¡¯t master the move either. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. You¡¯ll get stressed outter.¡± Kathy suggested, shaking her head in surprise.


    ¡°In fact, I will be more stressed because I can¡¯t master this move.¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°Gush..¡± Kathy snorted as she kept shaking her head, couldn¡¯t even think what was inside Emma¡¯s mind, ¡°If you keep training like this. Maybe you can beat Poppy when shees back. She will definitely be surprised at your fast progress. By the way, where did that girl go..? Isn¡¯t it weird, because she is the most diligent student in this ss?¡± She thought.


    Emma just smiled. By hearing Poppy¡¯s name made her reminded of Ms Diana¡¯s request for help. Until this moment, Emma had not had a chance to see Poppy again. Somehow, it seemed the girl was avoiding Emma. Even in the ss, Larry and Brian were also looked very obvious avoiding her.


    .....


    Emma had time to think, did she have to approach the two stupid losers first? But she always ended up undoing it to avoid trouble.


    ¡°You could leave me, Kathy. I still want to practice for a bit.¡± Emma said.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°I have an online meeting with my hacker club. So I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry. See ya!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you again..¡±


    Emma returned to her training. But after having a chatting for a while with Kathy, now her mind became unfocused. Emma didn¡¯t really get to know Poppy well. But Emma felt a special bond, without she could even control that made her really care about Poppy.


    Emma had been in the ballet room for almost an hour after today¡¯s practise was over. Without realizing it, now she was alone in thatrge room filled with mirrors. Emma immediately cleaned up her things to take a shower and went home. She took her bag and moved out of the room.


    BUMP!


    The tote bag that Emma was carrying fell as soon as she hit someone, ¡°Oh.. Sorry.¡± she said. She realized it was her mistake, because she came out of the door while busy fiddling with the contents of her bag, so she didn¡¯t pay attention to the way.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± Answered a girl.


    Before Emma could take her bag back, the girl had already taken it for her. Emma was a bit surprised when she realized who the person she hit was, ¡°Oh.. Ah.. Thank you.¡± she said gawking.


    ¡°Your wee.¡± The big girl just smiled briefly and then walked away.


    Gosh.. Emma¡¯s heart almost stopped. Unexpectedly, she could collide with Rachel Markway. The girl who was known to be a mysterious person dan the ballet girls rumoured that she was cruel. But from what just happened, Rachel didn¡¯t look cruel at all. Although her body was so tall and her face looked vicious, but she turned out to be a nice person.


    ¡°Gossip is gossip. They are not trusted.¡± Emma muttered as she stared at the back of the girl in the denim jacket who was walking further and further.


    As soon as she finished showering, as usual, Emma would go home. The campus was already deserted at this hour. Even though she had had grocery shopping a few days ago, Emma felt very tired if she had to cook for her dinner today. Therefore, she chose to eat outside.


    Emma drove her car, around the city centre which was still busy. Around there, there are many squares and good food shops. Finally, Emma decided to eat crab soup at a shop that serves a variety of seafood dishes. She parked her car and walked a little to the shop.


    Emma entered through a small entrance door that was only covered by a faded bamboo tree curtain. The ce was still quite crowded, so Emma looked around for a seat.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emma was stunned when she found a figure of a guy in a white T-shirt sitting alone at a small table. He was Calvin Lee.


    Feeling like someone staring at him, Calvin turned towards the entrance. He found Emma standing there like a statue.


    ¡°Excuse me.. Please don¡¯t stand in the middle of the way.¡± Ady who was about to enter the shop reprimanded Emma.


    ¡°Hey! Here.. Sit here..¡± Calvin waved at Emma and then pointed to the empty chair in front of him. Emmaplied and went straight to him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d eat here too,¡± Emma said as she sat down and looked around.


    ¡°I really like eating here. The food is cheap and delicious. That¡¯s why the ce is quite crowded.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s my first time here. Since I¡¯m moving to this city, I¡¯ve only eaten at a restaurant near my house twice. I finished my college assignment yesterday. So today I have time to go around. I looked at the front sign, it turns out there¡¯s a crab soup here. So I¡¯m trying to get in.¡± Emma narrated.


    Calvin smiled faintly as he rested his chin on the palm of his left hand, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re having a good time. I don¡¯t think you usually talk much.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Emmaughed, ¡°I just don¡¯t like talking to strangers too much.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. So I¡¯m no longer in the category of strangers to you?¡±


    Emma shrugged, ¡°Some kind like that.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the menu book. You haven¡¯t ordered yet, have you? I just came too.¡± Calvin opened the menu book, looked for a page of crab soup, then ced it in front of Emma.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma said while observing the shop¡¯s menu book.


    ¡°The butter-fried squid here is really good. If you don¡¯t like beer, there¡¯s also lemonade to reduce the fishy taste on your tongue.¡± Calvin said.


    Emma nodded, ¡°What do you order?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m would ordering honey-grilled squid.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Squid? I like squid too. Is it tasty?¡± Emma¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°Very tasty. Next time you should try it.¡± He gave a thumbs up.


    ¡°Eum.. By the way, how are you doing? Since that night, I have never seen you on campus again. Did you go to the hospital?¡± asked Emma.


    ¡°Oh.. right, I¡¯m recovering. But at home. I don¡¯t like going to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°What did your parents say? Aren¡¯t they worried?¡±


    Calvin smiled sadly with both eyes staring down at the table, ¡°I don¡¯t have parents anymore.¡±


    Hearing Calvin¡¯s answer made Emma want to curse herself. Emma should have remembered that she had been less socialized all this time. She shouldn¡¯t have asked Calvin too many questions, just because she felt like they¡¯d been pretty close these past few weeks. Maybe Emma was the only one who was too happy to have a good friend that she forgot her ce.


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 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23: Calvin Lee (1)


    Emma cleared her throat as part of her fluster.


    ¡°I.. I¡¯m sorry. I was too reckless.¡± Said her while scratching the back of her head that didn¡¯t itch.


    Seeing Emma¡¯s guilty face, Calvin immediatelyughed while waving his hand a bit in front of his nose, ¡°Nah.. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m used to being alone and questions like that are used to being thrown at me. Really, I¡¯m used to it.¡± He winked in a friendly manner.


    Even so, the atmosphere became awkward between the two of them. Actually, Emma was a girl who talks a lot. But she always kept her words for fear of saying the wrong thing. Like now, she became afraid to say a wrong thing again, and got confused about the topic.


    ¡°My parents died a long time ago in a ne crash. Since then, from my fourth grade of elementary school, I¡¯ve lived with two of my family which were my grandmother and my older brother.¡± Calvin told a story about himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± Emma said sadly. ¡°I also lost my mother when I was a kid. I know you missed them a lot.¡± She continued.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Said Calvin.


    .....


    ¡°Then, what about your grandmother and older brother? Are they no longer living with you?¡± asked Emma.


    Calvin nodded slowly, ¡°Yes. They¡¯re already in heaven with my parents. I¡¯m left here alone.¡± He chuckled. As ifforting himself to not look too pathetic.


    ¡°Ah... I see.. I¡¯m also sorry about that..¡± Emma touched her own chest in a bit of surprise. She again felt bad for the guy in front of her. Calvin must have been very lonely all this time.


    ¡°Yes, no problem.¡± Said Calvin. Then he took a deep breath, ¡°My grandmother died two years after my brother¡¯s death. Sorry to burden you with this story of mine ..¡± heughed again with an ufortable face.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t think like that. All this time, I was thinking of having a friend who can share each other problems. Whatever it is, I will help if I can. At least, you can feel a little bit relieved after pouring your grievance into somebody. That¡¯s called a friend, right?¡±


    Hearing Emma¡¯s honesty, Calvin felt a warm feeling inside his chest. He smiled gently. In fact, he had never told anyone about the problems in his life. Although known as a friendly guy, Calvin never had any close friends. He distrusts the people around him and was too busy chasing his own goals. But he saw something different in the girl named Emma. Not because of her pretty face, but she could see the honesty and sincerity in Emma¡¯s beautiful eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you for willing to be friends with me. But Emma.. I¡¯d better tell you this first. Before you regret thinking about making me your friend.¡± Calvin said.


    Emma¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°Why? Is that the gangster problem you were talking about with Troy?¡±


    Calvin nodded, ¡°That¡¯s one of them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. I can take care of myself and won¡¯t meddle in your guy¡¯s unclear matters. You said that women weren¡¯t involved in gangster matters, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But the problem isn¡¯t just with the gangsters, Emma. The problem is inside of me. I¡¯m a troubled guy with a bad past. If you see me as a good guy, you¡¯re wrong. Because my heart is full of hate.¡± He confessed.


    Emma¡¯s brows furrowed again, ¡°What happened, Calvin?¡±


    ¡°My grandmother died of illness. Even though she was old, but she used to be a healthy woman. But her body became very weak and started getting sick after my big brother died. My grandmother found my brother hanging himself in his bedroom.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Emma immediately covered her mouth with both hands. Her eyes widened, ¡°H.. howe?¡±


    ¡°My big brothermitted suicide. He is the reason why I hunted down those bastard delinquents. It started when I was in 5th grade of elementary school. At that time, my brother was in the 1st grade of high school. It was a different school from mine...¡±


    ***


    shback (Calvin Lee¡¯s viewpoint)


    My name is Calvin Lee. The youngest of two kids in my family. Since childhood, my life was very happy with my two parents, older brother, and grandmother who always apanied my days. But everything started to change since I was in 4th grade. Both my parents became the victims of amercial ne crash while they were on a business trip overseas.


    Since then, I had to live alone with my grandmother and older brother, Lucas Lee. Just like me, my brother was a cheerful kid and had many friends. Because he was the first child, my parents loved him very much.


    Five years after I was born, my father¡¯s and mother¡¯s business had climbed up, so that they often went back and forth abroad. Because of that, they often left us with our grandma. But that didn¡¯t mean they abandoned us. It¡¯s just, because I rarely spent time with them, I became more closer to my grandmother and older brother.


    Because since childhood, it was my brother who spent the most time with my parents, he became very close to them. My brother was an aplished child. He was very smart and often won science and math olympiads. My brother admitted that the struggles he did were only to please our father and mother. They were my brother¡¯s greatest spirit.


    But my brother became a different person after our parents passed away. Even their bodies were not found, because the ne crashed in the middle of the high seas. My brother was very devastated. I knew that... But at that time I was too young to realize that the wound that he was suffering was too big.


    I loved my brother very much. As an older brother, he was always been a good example for me. Even though I was not as smart as him, but I always listened to his advice to be a diligent and good kid. But after that incident, the longer the time, he often locked himself in his room. Even so, my brother always smiled at me. Cover the wound he felt, so that I didn¡¯t feel sad.


    One year had passed, I was in 5th grade and my brother entered a high school in the Jesper area, near Jen Marry Street. I didn¡¯t know why, but not long after bing a high school student, my brother often came home in a dirty uniform. Sometimes, also noticed some scratches and bruises on his face.


    Grandma was quite old by then. She did ask if my brother was fighting at school. But my brother said he joined the school¡¯s Judo club and often yed football after school. Of course, Grandma and I just believed it. Because he always smiled andughed in front of us. As if there was nothing wrong with him at school.


    That day, just like a normal day at my school. I studied in ss diligently. I didn¡¯t think it would turn out to be the most terrible day of my life.


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 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24: Calvin Lee (2)


    It was a normal day at school. I study in the ss diligently. I didn¡¯t think it would turn out to be the most terrible day of my life.


    Suddenly my homeroom teacher came into the ssroom and called my name. Her face seemed surprised with a strange look, but at that time I didn¡¯t notice it. She took me to the teachers¡¯s room.


    ¡°Calvin. Something bad happened to your brother. I will take you home, hem?¡± The teacher said.


    I was confused, what was the bad thing that happened to my brother? In my mind, maybe he fell off the bike or got injured while exercising. Like myself, who once broke my leg while attending a karate club. In my mind as a child, that was the only most terrifying thing in my imagination. But in reality... what happened was far more terrifying.


    When the teacher¡¯s car arrived in front of my house, we found there were a lot of police cars. I turned to my teacher who covered her mouth with one hand with both eyes shaking.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Miss? Why are there so many police in my house? Was our house got robbed?¡± I asked panicked. But she didn¡¯t answer, just kept stroking the back of my head repeatedly.


    Suddenly a policeman knocked on the car window. My teacher opened the window and said, ¡°I¡¯m Rossa. This is Calvin Lee. Lucas Lee¡¯s little brother.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Fine. Can youe down and take this kid to his grandmother?¡± Asked the police. My teacher nodded.


    Then we got off the car and my teacher took me to the yard. I saw my grandmother was sitting on a bench in the yard. She kept crying hysterically with two policewomen sitting on her right and left sides.


    I immediately ran towards my grandma in a panic. Grandma must be really scared because our house was robbed, I thought.


    ¡°Grandma!¡± I arrived before her. Grandma looked at me and immediately hugged me tightly. She cried more and more hysterically, as if the world hade to an end.


    ¡°Calm down, Grandma,¡± I said sadly.


    But she shook her head. With her raspy old voice shaking, she uttered a sentence that seemed to devour the world around me, ¡°Your brother is dead, Calvin.¡±


    At first, I couldn¡¯t get my grandmother¡¯s words. So I asked again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with brother, Grandma?¡±


    She let go of her hug and looked into my eyes, ¡°Calvin.. Your brother died. He is gone.¡±


    At that moment, I could only be silent. The whole thing felt unreal. My children¡¯s brain still could not ept this fact. Until I saw people from the ambnceing out of my house pushing a metal bed on wheels. On it, was a figure lying down covered with a white cloth from feet up to his head.


    Grandma immediately ran to the wheels bed. Her weak knees didn¡¯t even seem to be able to support her body weight anymore... or, couldn¡¯t stand the weight of the realities of life. Grandma removed the cloth covering the guy¡¯s head.


    I, who had been standing behind my grandmother, was immediately surprised when I saw who was behind the white cloth. It was my brother¡¯s face. But he looked very pale with his eyes still half-open. There was arge bluish-purple stain all over his neck which looked strange. I didn¡¯t like my brother¡¯s face that looked like that. It scared me.


    The day changes. During that time, many things happened. Hospital, police station, funeral, news on TV. It all went like a speeded-up videotape. I didn¡¯t understand and just always follow my grandmother¡¯s steps. During that time, she kept crying and looked very stressed. All I could was only cheer her up, even though it always seemed to be failed.


    Until finally, all the tiring activities had ended. No more crowds, no more police or journalistsing to ask things to my grandmother and me. All that remained was the silence and the faint sobs of my grandmother that could be heard every night.


    Since that incident, my grandmother always forbade me to watch TV. She always threw away all the daily subscribed newspapers when they arrived in front of our house. I didn¡¯t understand that at that time my grandmother was trying to hide it from me, that the cause of my brother¡¯s death was suicide.


    One year passed. I was no longer a child. I was a kid who became a teenager. My brother¡¯s death had left a big wound and hole in our hearts. I lost someone very precious to me. And what was worse, my grandmother seemed to be consumed by her sadness so that she started to get sick.


    My parents owned various businesses and many investments. We have never had financial difficulties. You could even say, what we have was more than enough. Fortunately, my father had a friend he could trust to take care of his business which was going to be inherited to my brother and me. But of course, since my brother¡¯s death, I be the main heir when I¡¯m old enough.


    My uncle, who was my father¡¯s best friend, always sent us money every month and hired a house assistant to take care of our house and grandmother¡¯s. Meanwhile, he himself, lived abroad to take care of my father¡¯s veryplicated business.


    It just so happened that the assistant only took care of the visible things. For example cleaning and cooking. She also made sure that Grandma took her medicine properly and took her to the doctor regrly. But one thing she never paid attention to, was my mentality.


    I didn¡¯t get enough attention. My sickly grandmother was too weak to take care of me. Like a pet, the assistant just made sure that I was eating right and had clean clothes to wear. For the rest, I took care of myself. Because she was not in charge of being my mother, so she didn¡¯t care what I do, as long as she did her job properly.


    At first, I was not allowed to watch TV, I started breaking that rule because I was bored. All the rules that Grandma made since my brother died, I slowly started to break them because I didn¡¯t understand what Grandma¡¯s real purpose was.


    Until one day I found a pile of old newspapers in the warehouse while looking for bicycle spare parts. For some reason, I became curious about the dusty pile of paper. So those things that my grandmother had forbidden me to read?


    I took a cutter and cut the stic rope that tied the pile of newspapers and took one of them. Then I read what was in the newspaper. Nothing out of the ordinary, just some old news that happened in Handway city.


    Feeling nothing interesting, I put the newspaper back. But one newspaper underneath caught my attention. There was a very familiar picture on the front page. It turned out to be a photo of the front of my house. I immediately took the newspaper and read the title.


    ¡®A High School Student Found Hanged Himself In His Room.¡¯


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 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25: Calvin Lee (3)


    My eyes got widened. My heart was beating fast and my breath was ragged. I immediately turned the pages of the newspaper to read the full news. It turned out that the news was put on two full pages along with some terrible pictures. And the pictures that sent a cold chill to my bones were a picture of a suicide rope that still hanging on the ceiling of my brother¡¯s room and a picture of a guy hanging stiffly with a blurred face. I didn¡¯t need to look at it longer to know that the figure in that picture was my own brother¡¯s body.


    Tears rolled down my cheeks. My body was still shaking and my breath was very heavy. All that time, all I knew was my brother died of asthma. That was what Grandma always said... to lie to me. But it turned out that my brother killed himself. But why? Why did my brother do that?


    With a sliced ??heart, I tidied up the newspapers as before. I didn¡¯t want grandma to know that I already knew the cause of my brother¡¯s death. If Grandma finds out, she would definitely get sadder and it would affect her health. Even though I¡¯m disappointed that Grandma had lied to me, I knew that Grandma did it because she was afraid that my mental health would be disturbed. She wanted to keep this only remaining grandson safe.


    Even though I acted like I didn¡¯t know anything, that didn¡¯t mean I kept silent. Since knowing the truth, I¡¯ve been secretly trying to find out why did my brother chose tomit suicide. At first, I thought that my brother did it because of depression due to the death of our parents, as it was written in the newspaper. But I believe there must be something else causing it.


    Since I was in junior high school, I began to witness various events that made me feel ufortable. Yes, there have been cases of bullying happening at my new school. Actually, I wasn¡¯t too bothered about it, because no one had ever bullied me all this time. Maybe because I was a pretty popr kid in both academics and sport. I was also pretty good at making friends.


    But I knew some kids were not as lucky as me. The kids who were not very sociable, and were pretty quiet. They were often called as losers by my friends and seniors. But I didn¡¯t pay much attention to the kids in the shadows. I was too busy with my own fun activities.


    Not realizing, doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist. Since knowing the cause of my brother¡¯s death, I began to pay attention to the ssmates who were called as the loser. I just realized that their clothes were always dirty on their way home from school. I just realized that they were always surrounded to be made fun of by the ss boys. I just realized that they have no friends. I just realized that they were always isted.


    .....


    The scenes of my older brother whose clothes were always dirty when he came home from school, wasing back to me. The picture of his depressed face that I didn¡¯t even notice before. The wounds on his face didn¡¯t look like injuries from sports, but from blows. Could it be that he was a victim of bullying at that time?


    The bad prejudice made me go to my brother¡¯s room. Since being abandoned by the owner, the room had been cleaned about four times only. Grandma wanted to keep my brother¡¯s room as unchanged as possible.


    As soon as I opened the door to the room, which was now cold, the hairs on my spine got tingled. Not out of fear, but the preconceived thought of a gloom that took ce in that ce horrified me.


    Since Grandma was no longer able to roam around the house, I had no worries of digging through some of my brother¡¯s belongings to look for evidence. The first thing I approached was my brother¡¯s desk which was always neatly arranged. At the top were disyed several trophies and medals from various academicpetitions.


    After searching for quite a while, I couldn¡¯t find any evidence to support my suspicion that my brother was been bullied. Until I unpacked some of his high school books and found that they looked very dirty and some were damaged. At the time of the incident, my brother had just entered high school. There was no way the books would be damaged so quickly. Also, the damage to the books was very unnatural. It was as if the book had been deliberately tampered with, there were even stains on the soles of the shoes.


    My chest was getting ached. Even though the evidence wasn¡¯t strong, but my suspicions were getting doubtless. I searched through the drawers and cupboards, but to no avail. There was no more evidence.


    With a limp body, I sat down on the floor of my brother¡¯s room hopeless. My eyes closed and started to get wet. I really missed my brother. The fact that he died by suicide really hurts my heart. As soon as I opened my eyes, my face looked up at the ceiling and saw the wooden roof beam that my brother used to hang the rope. The photo in the newspaper reappeared in my mind.


    I felt that I could no longer be in that room and just wanted to get out. But a memory suddenly popped into my head. When we were kids, my brother once showed me the ce where he hid the game cassettes that he bought secretly without our mother¡¯s knowledge. Under the bed, there was a loose wooden floor. He kept some stuff in there.


    I crawled under the bed, it was so dark that I used my phone as a light. As I suspected, the shards on the wooden floor were still there and that piece of wood could be lifted. While coughing a few times from the dust, I opened the broken floor. There, I found several items that were very important to my brother when he was a child, even though these items actually were not important at all because they were only toys. But there was one thing I¡¯ve never seen before. It was a notebook.


    I took the book that looked suspicious. As soon as I got out of the under the bed, I immediately opened the book. After reading it a bit, I finally found out that the book was my brother¡¯s diary. He hid it in there.


    It seemed that my brother started to write a diary since our father and mother died. On the first page, was his writing which told the story of the first day after we sowed flowers into the sea. The day that we had to ept the fact that our parents were dead and would not be found.


    I couldn¡¯t stand it, my tears fell on my brother¡¯s writing. From there I could see that he waspletely crushed. In that book, he poured out all his feeling that he always kept hidden and never showed them to me or my grandmother. Then I started reading to the next page and the next page. But my brother¡¯s story started to get weird.. He was talking about his social life at school has been getting worse.


    My brother wrote that his sadness made him lose interest in socializing or pursuing achievements again. Because of this, his friends began to distance themselves from him. Until when my brother entered high school, he said that he didn¡¯t recognize himself anymore. At that time my brother must be experiencing severe depression.


    However, unusual things started to write in his diary. He wrote that he didn¡¯t have any friends in high school. And also some of the bad boys in the ss started to bully him.


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 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26: Get To Know Each Other


    But something unusual began to be written by brother in his diary. He wrote that he didn¡¯t have any friends in high school. And also some of the bad boys in the ss started bullying him.


    Every day, my brother wrote down what those bastards did to him. At first, they just often made fun of my brother then continued throwing away his books. Over time, my brother started to be an errand boy and the boys asked him for money. My brother was also often beaten up for no reason. Worse yet, the longer it took, those who bullied my brother were not his ssmates only, but the several seniors who were friends with them.


    Because my brother¡¯s pocket money was quite much, they always asked for money from him. My brother also couldn¡¯t defend himself and was getting more and more depressed. But he said that my grandmother and I should not know about what he went through. Because he really loved us and didn¡¯t want to be a burden to us.


    Even, my brother didn¡¯t want other people to know that I was his little brother, for fear that I might get bullied because I have an older brother who was a loser.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand it anymore. My life is trash. I¡¯m trash. I believe I¡¯m of no use to Calvin or grandma. The world doesn¡¯t need me, just as I don¡¯t want the world.¡±


    That was thest sentence in my brother¡¯s diary. From the date he wrote, it was one day before my brother was found hanging himself in his room.


    I felt pain in my chest. It was as if a knife had been stabbed into my heart. I cried. A terrible cry that I dare not make a sound of. My brother... Did he go through it all? Those worse nightmares.. Which I might couldn¡¯t even face. And he had to keep everything to himself. I was furious. Extremely furious. A feeling of huge resentment rose in my heart. I have to avenge the bastards who caused the death of my brother.


    .....


    As a teenager, all I knew was to report the case to the police station. I couldn¡¯t tell my grandmother anything, for fear that her health would get worse. I have to fight for my brother¡¯s rights alone.


    The next day, after school, I went to the police station with my brother¡¯s diary as evidence.


    However, do you know what the police had said? They didn¡¯t take my report seriously. They said that the case was over and could no longer be continued. They said that my brother died of depression because of the death of our parents. The problem of being bullied was amon thing that happens in school for teenagers. Bullying cannot be used as a reason for someone tomit suicide, if the parents educate the kid properly.


    I begged with tears in my eyes. That¡¯s my brother. He was abused and humiliated by his schoolmates. My brothermitted suicide because of their treatment. But those damn cops wouldn¡¯t respond to me at all. They continue to deny it for various reasons.


    Even though I was still a teenager, I kept fighting for my brother¡¯s rights behind my grandmother¡¯s back. My struggles had failed for various reasons that even didn¡¯t make any sense. Until finally I realized, that the police in Handway City deliberately covered up my brother¡¯s case. That they were too weak and trampled by the gangsters. All cases involving extortion and the other illegal business would be covered as tightly as possible.


    Therefore, I decided to seek justice in my own way. Something like looking for the bastards who bullied my brother. In the course of following their footsteps, I became aware of the various crimes theymitted. How their syndicate made people like my brother as the lowest prey on their food chain. It made me realize that it was not only my brother¡¯s rights that I have to fight for. But all the victims of their bullying.


    One day, grandma fell in the bathroom. Because she was very old, grandmother was Easley got into critical condition.


    ¡°Grandma. I¡¯m fine here. I¡¯ll make them pay for everything they did to big brother.¡± I said, besides my grandmother who was lying unconscious.


    I knew it was thest time I could see Grandma still breathing. Because a few hourster, grandma left me alone in this world.


    After my grandmother¡¯s death, I lived alone. But at that time, I knew that I have a purpose in life after so long tossed around in the waves of uncertainty. I would destroy those gangsters. So that my family could rest in peace.


    ***


    Emma wiped the tears that almost fell down her cheeks. She didn¡¯t expect the past of the guy in front of her to be so tragic. Emma had several siblings, and she couldn¡¯t imagine if any of them died. What else died by suicide.


    Calvin smiled and pushed the bowl of crab porridge in front of Emma, ¡°Your porridge will be cold if you don¡¯t eat it soon.¡±


    Emma was still holding her breath, ¡°Sorry.. I feel sad to hear your story. I shouldn¡¯t have behaved like this..¡±


    ¡°I should be the one apologizing. Looks like my story ruined your appetite.¡± He stared at his food, ¡°Even so, I¡¯m still fine now. The past can¡¯t be changed, so there¡¯s no need for us to regret it. All we can do now, is to make sure that the bad things in the past won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. All we can do is fix the present and prepare the future.¡±


    Calvin smiled, ¡°Eat your porridge. It won¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cold.¡±


    Still, with a sad face, Emma nodded and spooned her porridge, ¡°This is delicious..¡±


    **


    The two people came out of the seafood shop. Their faces were beaming as they talked and sometimesughed.


    ¡°Hah.. It¡¯s getting colder every day, right?¡± Calvin said with steam forming in front of his mouth.


    Emma nodded, ¡°I didn¡¯t know winter in Handway city would be this cold. By the way, what did you here with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m riding a motorcycle.¡± He pointed away at a red sports motorcycle parked not far from Emma¡¯s car.


    ¡°Oh.. That¡¯s your motorcycle..¡± Muttered the girl. She had seen it earlier while parking the car. ¡°Was your motorcycle from yesterday couldn¡¯t be saved anymore?¡±


    ¡°It can be fixed. But it will take a while. Troy told me that. Luckily I got a discount from him.¡± He chuckled.


    Calvin nced at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You¡¯d better go home soon. Come on..¡± He motioned for Emma to walk beside him.


    They crossed the street and walked slowly towards their parking location which was quite far from the shop.


    ¡°By the way.. I¡¯m d to meet you at the food shop today.¡± Said Emma.


    Calvin smiled, ¡°Really? Actually, I¡¯ve always wanted to take you out to dinner. But I¡¯m afraid you would think that I¡¯m being too aggressive. Because.. Somehow I see you as the kind of person who doesn¡¯t like to be bothered.¡± he was honest.


    Emma chuckled, but nodded to confirm, ¡°To be honest I¡¯m not very good at socializing. Since a kid, I was always restrained by my parents so I didn¡¯t have any friends. I lived like a bird in a cage. But now I¡¯m free. You can see for yourself, right?.. I look confused. I¡¯m always afraid to do the wrong socializing. Afraid to make other people hate me. Always have bad thoughts, especially to men..¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± Calvin seemed to realize something, ¡°I know. The life of a pretty girl isn¡¯t that easy, right?¡± he guessed with a chuckle.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27: Calvin Lee¡¯s Arrest


    What Calvin had said seemed to light an old wick that had been hanging in Emma¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Right! You understand, don¡¯t you? Come to think of it, with that handsome face of yours, our situation shouldn¡¯t be much different...¡± Emma snapped out of her own words. She bluntly admitted that Calvin was handsome.


    Calvin immediatelyughed at Emma who was so embarrassed. That guy really had a sensitive feeling, ¡°When we were born into this world, we couldn¡¯t choose what kind of face we will have. After all, in the end, it all depends on our hearts and nature. Judging people by their looks is very easy. But knowing someone¡¯s heart is the difficult one.¡±


    ¡°People will pay more attention and better attitude to attractive-looking people. But by knowing their true reasons, we would feel tired of it. To the point that we don¡¯t know which one really wants to be our friend.¡± The guy continued as he looked up at the dark, starless sky. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s going to snow...¡± he muttered.


    Emma thought to herself. Calvin¡¯s words were true. That¡¯s how Emma always felt. Because she was the daughter of the mafia leader and also had a beautiful face, then everyone must always be nice to her. Emma also became confused, which one had sincere intentions or only ended up using her. It was really tiring.


    ¡°...the snow. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Sorry, what?¡± Emma woke up from her daydream.


    .....


    Calvin blinked before chuckling, realizing that he had been talking to himself all along because Emma was too busy daydreaming and not listening, ¡°We¡¯re here, Emma. This is your car, isn¡¯t it?¡± He patted the body of the car that was already beside them.


    ¡°Oh.. Sorry, it seems I was daydreaming earlier.¡± Emmaughed ufortably.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. You can go home now. Be careful on the road and keep yourself warm.¡± Said Calvin in a friendly voice.


    Emma smiled faintly, ¡°Thank you. I also want to apologize for being a little cold to you all this time.¡±


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°I understand, Emma. But just so you know, I sincerely want to be friends with you. I know you are different from most people I know. So, if you can.. I wish you would allow me to be around you.¡± He was being honest.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Emmaughed, ¡°Goodbye...¡±


    Suddenly, they heard the sound of a motorcycle engine rushing towards them. In an instant, the two of them were surrounded by a group of motorcycle gangs.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Calvin cursed as he took one step forward to cover Emma behind his back.


    One of the guys in ck leather jackets got off his motorcycle while taking off his ck full-face helmet, ¡°Calvin Lee.¡±


    Emma didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but she knew it wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°You have to get out of here immediately,¡± Calvin whispered behind his back.


    ¡°O.. Okay. But my car can¡¯t pass..¡± Emma said as she continued to take cover behind Calvin¡¯s tall body.


    ¡°Just get in your car first. Listen to me, Emma. If you see an opening, you should go straight through and ride your car as fast as you can. Got it?¡±


    ¡°I see. But what about you?¡± Emma asked worriedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. They are my problem and you shouldn¡¯t get involved.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Hey! We¡¯re here, why are you guys even busy chatting there?¡± The motorcyclist said with a condescending smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± Calvin asked dryly. Slowly, he shifted his body as Emma took a small step towards the car door and unlocked it.


    ¡°Wow.. It turns out that Calvin Lee already has a girlfriend. People like you can have a girlfriend too, right? Why not share her with us?¡± The guyughed while trying to peek at the girl behind Calvin¡¯s back.


    ¡°She is not my girlfriend and has nothing to do with you all. Don¡¯t bring women into the mess you¡¯re making.¡± He hissed.


    Emma managed to open the car door and immediately got in and started the car engine.


    ¡°Get rid of your motorcycle!¡± Calvin ordered.


    ¡°Why should we do it?¡± Teased the guy.


    ¡°Women are not involved in gangster work. Your problem is with me, right? No matter who this girl is, you shouldn¡¯t concerned about it.¡± Calvin replied.


    But the guyughed, ¡°The more you protect her, the more I¡¯m curious about that girl. How beautiful is she to affect the Calvin Lee?¡±


    ¡°You can take me if you step aside. I won¡¯t fight back.¡±


    Hearing Calvin¡¯s words, the motorcyclists looked at each other. They nodded with small smiles.


    ¡°Okay. You have to keep your word as a man.¡± Said the man with shoulder-length hair.


    Emma who was in the car couldn¡¯t hear what the guys outside were talking about. She just waited inside as her heart pounding hard with worry. But the pounding didn¡¯tst long, because it seemed that Calvin had managed to negotiate with the motorcycle gang.


    The guys in ck leather jackets began to pull their motorcycle out of the way in front of Emma¡¯s car. As Calvin said, the girl immediately stepped on the gas pedal as soon as the way was clear.


    ¡°Huh...¡± Emma sighed with relief while driving her car away.


    Then she looked in the rearview mirror to see how Calvin was doing with the gangsters. Emma¡¯s brows furrowed as soon as she saw the gangsters had surrounded Calvin until the guy was out of sight.


    Still driving the car, Emma felt uneasy. What did Calvin actually say to the gangsters that they let the car pass?


    ¡°Could it be.. Calvin did something stupid to help me?...¡± Emma muttered frantically.


    All the way home, Emma kept feeling uneasy, thinking about Calvin¡¯s fate. Once at the red light on, she flew deeper into her worries. As soon as the light turned green, Emma immediately turned her steering wheel to the right, while she should have stayed straight if she wanted to go home.


    Emma stopped her car in front of a repair shop. Incidentally Troy was lowering the rolling door to close his shop. The guy immediately stopped as soon as he realized that the car belonged to Emma Hilnd.


    ¡°Troy..¡± Emma got out of her car in a hurry.


    Troy looked at her confused, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± he could see Emma¡¯s panicked face. The girl nodded.


    Emma was already in Troy¡¯s closed workshop, sitting at the table they had been sitting at when Calvin had been beaten up by the gangsters. Emma had already told the chronology to Troy of what happened with Calvin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Calvin had said to them. But after that, they swarmed him. I¡¯m afraid something bad happens to him.¡± Emma said.


    Troy sighed as he folded his big muscr arms across his chest, ¡°He definitely has something bad happen. Did you see the logo on their jackets?¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Their jackets are in. No logos whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°No logos? It¡¯s even worse.¡±


    ¡°How could?¡± Emma asked seriously.


    ¡°That¡¯s a sign that it is not clear what group they belong to. Maybe they¡¯re from a bigger group, or have been specially sent to arrest Calvin.¡± Troy replied.


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 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28: Rules To Break


    ¡°That¡¯s a sign that it¡¯s not clear what group they belong to. Maybe they¡¯re from a bigger group, or have been specially sent to arrest Calvin.¡± Troy replied.


    ¡°What?¡± Emma covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°Then what should we do? I¡¯m really worried about Calvin. By then, he¡¯d been beaten so badly despite winning. If the group was as you said, then Calvin is in big danger now.¡± she continued.


    ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± Troy asked tly.


    Emma snorted. In fact, she was very upset inside. If only she didn¡¯t want to get involved in gangster trouble, she would certainly have set out on her own to help Calvin. Even though Emma knew that these people were also dangerous for her to fight alone.


    Troy chuckled, ¡°I was just kidding. I¡¯ll look for him. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± Emma smiled in relief. She wasn¡¯t wrong by running to Troy for help. But after all, in this town, the only guys Emma considered as friends were Calvin, Troy, and... Roger, maybe?


    Troy got to his feet and took his cell phone from the top of the tool drawer table. Then he fiddled with his phone for a while as he returned to his chair. Emma just looked at him expectantly and worriedly.


    .....


    ¡°So.. What are you nning? Should we go back to the seafood shop?¡± asked Emma.


    ¡°Wait ten minutes. I¡¯ll get ready.¡± Troy said, rising to his feet.


    The guy took a bottle of soda from the fridge and gave it to Emma. Then he excused himself into the house.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have Calvin¡¯s number. I should have asked for his contact earlier..¡± Emma muttered as she looked at her phone. She was really worried about his friend¡¯s fate.


    Not long after, Troy was back from inside the house. He was wearing a thick denim jacket and long jeans. Previously, he was only wearing a t-shirt and shabby sweatpants. Then he walked to the rolling door and opened it.


    Emma stood up, watching Troy, who seemed to be preparing his motorcycle which was next to Calvin¡¯s which was still unfinished repair.


    ¡°You want to go now?¡± Emma asked, stepping closer to him.


    Troy nodded, ¡°Soon my friends will arrive. Do you want to go home or wait here? Incidentally, there is no one in my house. You just have to hold the key until we are back.¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Neither. I¡¯lle with you.¡± her answer was fast.


    Troy¡¯s brows furrowed in disbelief, ¡°Are you serious? I suggest you do note along. Because maybe this is.. a bit dangerous ..¡± he mused.


    But Emma ignored it. She walked over to a shelf that held several helmets and took one of them, ¡°Can I borrow this?¡±


    Troy just nodded. Then he took out his big blue and white motorcycle from the garage.


    As soon as he got out, a group of motorized guys had just arrived in front of his workshop. There were five motorcycles with a total of seven people. Each of them immediately took off their helmet.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Troy greeted them.


    But his friends looked at each other when they saw the figure of a very beautiful girl beside their friend. They didn¡¯t expect a Troy to have such a beautiful friend. And the girl was also at his house at night. Maybe it was his girlfriend?


    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend. She¡¯s a friend of Calvin Lee¡¯s.¡± Troy could immediately guess what was inside his friends¡¯ heads.


    ¡°Oh.. Hahaha..¡± Theyughed.


    ¡°These are my friends from the Judo club. They¡¯ll help us find Calvin.¡± Troy introduced his friends to Emma.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ian. They are Martin, Nicko, Steven, Jeremy, Lucas, and this is Frank.¡± Said one of the guys with sad eyes, pointing to his friends one by one.


    ¡°I¡¯m Emma Hilnd. Thanks foring to help me.¡± She Nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯d better get going now before things get any worse. First, we have to go to where you guys met them.¡± Troy said.


    Emma nodded, ¡°XX Seafood shop in the middle of the city. Let¡¯s go there now.¡± she about to get on Troy¡¯s motorcycle.


    ¡°W.. wait.. Emma. Sorry, but can you just ride with Ian? I happen to be a bit reckless while riding a bike.¡± Troy stopped her. He grinned ufortably with a slightly sad face.


    Emma blinked in confusion, then turned to Ian.


    ¡°I will take you carefully. He never rides a girl on a motorcycle. And no girl wanted to either. Haha..¡± Ianughed. The guy sounded friendly even though he had a sad face like a sleepy person.


    ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡± Emma said before getting on Ian¡¯s motorcycle.


    Then the group of motorcycles moved quickly. Less than ten minutes, they had arrived at the location near the shop where the incident began. Unfortunately, it was very deserted there. Even the shop owner was seen closing his shop.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone. Do you have Calvin¡¯s number?¡± Emma asked Troy.


    The guy shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not that close to him.¡±


    ¡°We have to find the information ourselves. Now it¡¯s like looking for a needle in a haystack.¡± Ian said. Then he and his friends fiddled with their cell phones.


    ¡°One of the guys had shoulder-length hair. His eyebrows were thin and firm. He had a small nose.¡± Emma tried to remember.


    Ian frowned, thinking for a moment, ¡°Does he have a wound on the side of his forehead?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really see it. But his voice was deep and a little hoarse like a TB person.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°He¡¯s TJ,¡± Ian eximed to his friends.


    ¡°TJ?!¡± Troy was surprised.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the North Viking base,¡± Troy said.


    Everyone immediately closed their helmets and rode their motorcycles.


    ¡°Please hold on tight. We¡¯re going fast.¡± Ian said to Emma, ??before the group of motorcycles speeded through the dark city of Handway.


    Along the way, Emma¡¯s heart kept beating fast. Looks like the problem is getting more serious now.


    Their motorcycles arrived at a used boat storage location in the ship harbour area. They parked the motorcycles because there was arge chained gate that could not be passed. From there, they had to walk.


    ¡°Who exactly is TJ? Is their group that dangerous?¡± Emma asked as she took off her helmet.


    ¡°He¡¯s the leader of The North Vikings. They are not bully or run an illegal businesses like the other groups. But it¡¯s the mystery that makes them so dangerous. Because they do whatever makes the most profit. You could say they¡¯re like assassins. Someone must have paid them a very high price to catch Calvin.¡± Ian said.


    ¡°Wait..¡± Troy stopped them. ¡°We have to cover up Emma¡¯s identity.¡± He opened his small bag and took out a buff with a skull and gave it to Emma.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. They shouldn¡¯t know Emma¡¯s identity.¡± Nicko took off the ck-framed sses he was wearing, ¡°You can wear this. Have they seen your face before?¡± he asked.


    Emma shook her head as she thanked him, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Calvin just hid me behind his back. But.. Aren¡¯t they going to attack women? Troy said women wouldn¡¯t be involved in gangster troubles.¡± She wore the sses over her buff. Now the girl¡¯s beautiful face is tightly closed.


    ¡°The rules are like that. But bad guys always break the rules, right?¡± Said Frank, a guy with grazed eyebrows and medium bald fade hair.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29: Jita Kyoei¡¯s Appearance


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t scare her.¡± Said Nicko. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll always protect you.¡± He smiled kindly at Emma to calm her down.


    Emma smiled back and nodded. But in her heart, she still thought those men might be nice to her because of her pretty face. But Emma hoped that they were being sincere to her. Could it be the friends she finds in the city of Handway that will be her true friends?


    ¡°Come on in. We have to hurry.¡± Troy had opened the small gate that was still attached with a loosely chained in front of it. ¡°Do not be noisy.¡±


    They crept into that dark and deserted location. There were a lot of rusty old fishing boat wrecksid strewn across there. The sea air made the location even colder until steam billowed in front of their faces every time they exhaled.


    Until a building that looked like a farm barn with tin metal walls could be seen. In front of the building, there were many parked ck motorcycles. Although the motorcycles looked almost the same as another motorcycle in general, Emma could recognize that they were the same motorcycles that hade to her and Calvin earlier.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the motorcycle...¡± Emma whispered. The bikes had an additional modification that Emma had only just remembered and noticed. It was a yellow line reflecting light on their exhaust.


    ¡°Prepare yourselves, guys. We¡¯re going into the wasps¡¯ nest.¡± Martinughed. He was the guy who seemed like the craziest of all his friends. He had a gap between his two rabbit teeth.


    .....


    Then, they sneaked back to the entrance of the warehouse and hid behind a collection of motorcycles parked in a row. There was one guy standing guard in front of the closed door. But he was facing the other way, with his back turned on them.


    Troy gestured for Frank and Martin to clear up the unguarded guard. The two of them quickly settled down and hit the guy¡¯s hump until he fainted instantly without having a chance to make a sound.


    cing Emma in their midst, the group immediately approached Frank and Martin who had already peeked at the entrance.


    ¡°Shit! This is really bad..¡± Martin muttered.


    ¡°What? What is happening?¡± Emma barged in to take a peek, ¡°What?!¡±


    The girl covered her mouth with both hands while her clear eyeballs trembled. As if she was about to burst into tears, Emma had never seen anyone she cared about in such a tragic state.


    Calvin was sitting in a metal chair with his legs tied. His hands were also tied behind the back of the chair. The cloth attached to his body was only a pant. He was shirtless in this cold air. And ask no more.. his body and face were already battered. Blood kept gushing out from his lips and the sides of his eyebrows.


    What¡¯s worse, the group called The North Vikings were still beating him as if he was a punching bag.


    ¡°Intruders!¡± A scream made all of them turn around.


    Finally, Emma and her friends¡¯ existence were known.


    Having no other choice, Troy broke down the barn door and they all went inside. Their sudden appearance took everyone by surprise. The silence made the rumbling sound of the wind outside clearly audible.


    The nine people stood in a circle, their backs to each other. Because right now, they were being surrounded from the outside and inside of the building. Slowly, all members of the group of The North Vikings came out of every room of the base to see what was going on.


    The leader of the group, the guys named TJ stepped up to face them. Troy was standing in the front. He recognized the face.


    ¡°Troy Roner? Owh.. Jita Kyoei¡¯s group?! This is crazy!¡± Hisughter boomed. He still couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes.


    ¡°Wee for Calvin Lee. Let him go.¡± Troy said coldly.


    ¡°Calvin? Are you guys rted? I thought he was working alone as a lonely hero? Hahaha..¡± TJughed.


    ¡°We are not looking for trouble here. We just want to bring Calvin back. After all, you¡¯ve finished him already like that.¡± Ian Added.


    ¡°Woah.. Tobias Ian? And that.. Frank Duk? Even Martin Brafo is here too?¡± TJ pped in admiration. ¡°All the important members of the legendary Jita Kyoei group havee here for Calvin Lee? Where have I been all this time?¡± he continued in surprise.


    ¡°Stop your bullshit. Let the kid go. We¡¯re not messing around here.¡± Ian said.


    But TJ¡¯sughter echoed along with the rest of his group, who were already seen holding the wooden block in their hands. The guy stepped closer to Troy who had an angry look on his face.


    ¡°Why would I do that? Our job isn¡¯t done yet.¡± He turned to Calvin who was sitting a few steps behind him, ¡°Calvin Lee, haven¡¯t said what we asked for yet.¡±


    He walked over to the poor guy who was sitting half-conscious. Then he hung his palm to the side. One of his members immediately threw a medium-sized wooden block thatnded right in his grip.


    ¡°Your friends are picking you up, Calvin. Don¡¯t you want toe home to y with them? You just have to say.. ¡®I will not messing with gangster jobs again¡¯.¡± He whispered.


    Troy and his friends were shocked. So, it turned out to be the reason why Calvin was arrested. It turned out that the guy¡¯s behaviour had made the gangsters so fed up that they wanted to immediately end his annoying and useless movements.


    ¡°That idiot.. I¡¯ve told him, he¡¯d be in big trouble,¡± Ian muttered in surprise.


    Emma, ??who was standing beside Ian, immediately gulped. Her small body was blocked by the big bodies of the guys. She could only see Calvin¡¯s appearance from between their bodies. No one noticed the girl¡¯s presence among the Jita Kyoei members.


    ¡°Oh no..¡± Emma mumbled as soon as she saw TJ preparing to hit Calvin¡¯s head with a wooden block.


    Calvin didn¡¯t answer TJ¡¯s question. Instead, he gave him a vengeful nce and spit blood from his mouth to TJ¡¯s expensive-looking boot.


    TJ¡¯s eyebrows arched up and his eyes widen. Calvin¡¯s attitude pissed him off. After being beaten almost to death, the guy still refused to obey at all.


    ¡°You asked for it!¡± He growled with a big smile as he swung the wooden block towards Calvin¡¯s hump.


    ¡°NO!!¡±


    A woman¡¯s voice made everyone immediately turn their heads in surprise. No exception for all members of Jita Kyoei and Calvin himself.


    The figure of a girl in a grey zer and all-ck clothes was already standing in the middle of the chaos. Troy was surprised by how Emma had managed to get past him until now that the girl was standing proudly a few steps ahead of him. She was literally standing amid a pack of wolves who would easily tear her tiny body apart.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. I beg you!¡± Emma said with an emphasis in her voice.


    ¡°Is.. She..¡± Ian muttered.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have brought women. I knew there would be a surprise.¡± Martinughed, very amused.


    Calvin gulped down his saliva which tasted like a rock. His eyes trembled at the sight of a girl standing a few meters in front of him. Emma ??looks like a duck standing in a wolf¡¯s cage.


    ¡°Wait a minute...¡± TJ muttered. Then he turned to Calvin and back to Emma, ¡°You¡¯re the girl in the car, right? OH!.. So, it was you!¡± Heughed sarcastically.


    ¡°F*ck! You both are a bastard! You know!? Calvin promised toe with us and not fight back as long as we let you pass. But it turns out that you guys already nned this, didn¡¯t you? You already nned to bring Jita Kyoei here.. I know you guys are weak. But didn¡¯t expect this brat hero to be so cowardly.¡± The guy said again.


    ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t nned. Please don¡¯t touch her.¡± Calvin finally spoke up.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30: Jita Kyoei V.S The North Viking


    Hearing Calvin finally make a sound,


    TJ immediately looked at him in horror, ¡°Now you can talk, huh? Incredible..¡±


    Emma was surprised to hear TJ¡¯s words. So, it turns out that Calvin bes like this just because of her? So, at that time, he was willing to go without any resistance just to protect Emma. Making sure that Emma could get through and get home safely?


    ¡°Beating him won¡¯t do you any good. You see Calvin is helpless. I beg you to let him go. We will go straight away and we wouldn¡¯t make a fuss here.¡± Emma said from all her heart. In her entire life, she had never begged anyone. But she will do anything to save Calvin now.


    But TJ justughed out loud. He walked casually towards Emma who had no fear on her feet. She waspletely unafraid of the tall guy with the eyebrows of a samurai.


    Calvin immediately looked at Troy who swiftly took steps towards the girl. Instantly the atmosphere immediately tensed in thatrge warehouse.


    All members of Jita Kyoei stared at each other with stances that had been formed, ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going into action again, guys.¡± Ian said.


    .....


    ¡°Honestly, I missed this..¡± Martinughed again. The whole time, he kept smiling as if he didn¡¯t know how tense the situation was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± Calvin snapped until his voice echoed through the warehouse. He began to struggle to untie the bonds on his bloodied body.


    TJ¡¯s hand is floating in the air. He wanted to touch Emma¡¯s jaw.


    In fact, the girl had already put up her stance to beat up the bastard named TJ. In her mind, if words did not work anymore, then she have to use violence by force.


    TJ did stop, but he gave a sly smile. Then quickly, his hand went down to grab Emma¡¯s chest. Yes, he was such a jerk.


    Of course, Emma was surprised. However, she had been practising Kung Fu since she was young, so her brain and body response was also fast. Emma tightened her stance and she raised her hand to ward off the big tattooed hand.


    But, before Emma¡¯s hand had moved further, from the side of her head, a big fist flew with a gust of wind that aimed right at TJ¡¯s face. Emma immediately knew it was Troy¡¯s hand.


    In the blink of eyes, Troy immediately grabbed Emma¡¯s tiny body and moved her to the side. In fact, TJ had already predicted that Troy, who had been standing behind Emma, ??would attack him. Therefore, when Troy¡¯s fist came, he was able to quickly dodge to the side.


    Troy wasn¡¯t that stupid either. What kind of stupid man, who would think that TJ would just stay still? He had predicted that TJ would run away. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t throw his punch seriously. He was just pranking him and focused on moving Emma away from that asshole.


    When the first fist was thrown, it was like a bell signalling the start of the battle. Ian and Nicko immediately jumped at in front of Troy to protect Emma. Meanwhile, Troy put his back as a shield to receive the wooden block hit that TJ was holding.


    Emma immediately covered her head with both hands. Three guys were standing to protect her. She could see that the chaos was happening. The attack waves wereing and immediately faced by Jita Kyoei¡¯s members without mercy.


    Jita Kyoei was a group led by Troy Roner. They were all ck belt holders in the Judo club. And for the record, Jita Kyoei was a legendary group that had been absent for more than a year from the battle world. They were highly respected because of the skill of their members in fighting when they were still in high school. Their group was one that no gangster had ever touched. Because the other gangsters knew that attacking Jita Kyoei was as same asmitting suicide.


    ¡°Protect Emma and Calvin,¡± Troy said to Ian.


    The guy nodded. He and Nico immediately directed Emma to the chair Calvin was sitting in. While protecting them, they were constantly attacked, but they responded with strong ms and kicks.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Calvin asked quickly, as soon as Emma reached him and immediately tried to untie the ropes that bound his hands and legs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk too much,¡± Emma replied, busy with the ropes.


    Fortunately, Emma had attended various training to free herself from kidnapping. Her father had indeed provided his kids with various knowledge of self-defence. Because he knew how dangerous his job is for his family members.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Calvin shouted when a guy approached and was about to hit Emma from behind.


    Immediately, a kick swung right at the guy¡¯s ear from the side. Instantly the man guy threw it somewhere. It¡¯s good that Ian stayed close to Emma.


    ¡°Please hurry...¡± Calvin said softly to Emma.


    A few secondster, the rope that tied Calvin¡¯s hands broke free. He immediately let go of the other rope that tied his left leg to the leg of the chair, while Emma removed the right one. As soon as the knots were untied, Calvin immediately stood up and threw his fist at another approaching guy who was about to attack Emma from behind again.


    Ian nced at Calvin briefly. He smiled in relief when he saw the guy was finally free. While continuing to hit and parry the iing attacks, Ian stepped on Calvin who was still busy protecting Emma behind his back.


    ¡°To the corner,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°Ok!¡± Calvin Nodded. ¡°Come on, Emma.¡± He led the girl towards the wall of the warehouse which was close to several wooden boxes.


    Ian¡¯s breath was panting with the side of his cheek already scratched and bleeding. Sweat dripped down his face. He touched Calvin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll help the others get this over with quickly. You can protect her by yourself, right?¡±


    ¡°But..¡±


    ¡°I know you still have energy.¡± Ian continued speaking, cutting off Emma¡¯s voice that was about to disapprove. Ian wasn¡¯t selfish. But he knew how strong Calvin Lee is.


    ¡°Thanks, Ian.¡± Calvin smiled.


    The guy nodded before returning to the battlefield, which was in the middle of the warehouse. He sent Nico to stand guard a few meters from where Calvin was standing, to avoid the wave of group attacksing that way.


    ¡°Calm down. I can protect you. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Calvin smiled at Emma. ¡°Sit here and cover your head.¡± He ordered, before stepping forward as three guys approached them.


    Emma watched everything with itchy hands. She wanted to join in and finish off the brazen delinquents. But she was forced to hold back because she really can¡¯t show who she really is.


    Emma silently watched Calvin who was standing a few meters in front of her. Protecting her from the attacks of the devilish gangster members. Even though Calvin was already badly injured and wasn¡¯t even wearing his clothes yet in this cold weather. But of course, the fight made his body didn¡¯t feel cold at all. He could still be flooded with sweat.


    Emma remembered what TJ said again. Turned out Calvin was that good. He sincerely protected Emma, to willing to did a sacrifice. Emma was sure that Calvin would have known what he would face if he voluntarily go with North Viking.


    Troy¡¯s whole body felt hot. It¡¯s more challenging than practice time. Even though the atmosphere was different from that of a national judo match, the adrenaline rushing through his veins felt the same boiling.


    To be honest, Troy didn¡¯t want Jita Kyoei to get into any more trouble. With this, he might have to sacrifice something very important. An athlete must not engage in violence outside the official arena. If he got caught by the authorities and there is a casual reporter who opens a news story for profit.. Maybe this will be the end of his and all his friends dream to bring their country name into the international arena.


    TJ seemed to know about it. The reason why Jita Kyoei disappeared from the gangster¡¯s radar was an open secret. Even from the start, Troy and his friends were never interested in gangster activities at all. They just don¡¯t like being bothered and don¡¯t like if their friends are being bullied.


    ¡®If someone harms my friend, it means he¡¯s harming me too.¡¯ That¡¯s what Troy Roner always said.


    But what confused TJ was, why did Jita Kyoei suddenly intervene to help Calvin Lee? When TJ thought Calvin was really a lone ranger. Even if he drowned the boy in the ocean, no one should havee looking for him.


    ¡°You should know what you¡¯re doing.¡± TJ spat blood from inside his mouth on the floor. His face was covered in wounds and his ck shirt was wrinkled and torn.


    Troy rubbed the side of his bloody bottom lip, ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°This is a deration of war, Troy. I thought you were avoiding the riots and wanted to y with dolls in your room.¡± TJ¡¯sughed. As his breath was not exhaled perfectly yet, he quickly jumped and twisted his body to throw a high kick to Troy¡¯s head.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31: Fallen


    Troy sprightly dodged, and his feet immediately kick TJ¡¯s only standing foot which had not yet turnedpletely. But TJ was very agile with his thin body. He looked like he was about to fall, but his hands changed to support his body, and he turned around quickly. It made his two long legs hit Troy¡¯s temples and cheekbones.


    ¡°Damn it! They are endless!¡± Ian muttered.


    Martinughed, then mmed a guy who was one and a half times bigger than him, ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly. I just remembered, my porn video is still downloading. My sister might see it.¡± His face looked a little worried.


    ¡°Stupid as*.¡± Ian muttered.


    ¡°Hurry up Troy!¡± Nico shouted at Troy who had just gotten up from the floor.


    He touched his cheekbone which was bleeding from the kick of TJ¡¯s expensive shoe.


    Troy became even more annoyed that he had wanted a pair of ck loafers like that all this time. But his father always said that he was not suitable to wear formal clothes. He is more suited to wearing workshop shoes or rubber boots. Stupidly, he was still agitated by his father¡¯s words, even though he actually didn¡¯t agree.


    .....


    ¡°F*cking shoes!¡± With full speed, Troy immediately grabbed the cor of TJ¡¯s shirt who was about to attack him again.


    The good thing was, Troy could read the movements of TJ who seemed to keep targeting his face from the start. With the difference in weight and fighting style, The TJ guy was unlikely to target Troy¡¯s very strong-legged stance. Because the strength of the Judo was on their legs. Trying to break Troy¡¯s leg was like trying to break a concrete pir. It wasn¡¯t Troy¡¯s leg that would be broken. It¡¯s TJ¡¯s leg that would be crushed instead.


    TJ smoothly slipped from Troy¡¯s grip. He immediately looked down and moved sideways to be able to stand on Troy¡¯s side. He aimed for Troy¡¯s body side. Brought his hand over Troy¡¯s upper arm and gripped his head. Then, with his light body, he grabbed Troy¡¯s thick neck and lifted his lower body up. TJ immediately hit his knee on Troy¡¯s face.


    All members of The North Vikings were almost exhausted. They were already battered, only a few of the strongest were still in battle with Ian, Martin, and Frank.


    Ian was aware of Troy¡¯s condition. He thought that guy would easily break TJ¡¯s bones like a toothpick. But it seemed that the skinny guy, who was defeated by Ogre, the leader of the Ladger group, has be very strong now. He wasn¡¯t just a tall, skinny guy who was good at acrobatic and oratory anymore. But he had be a real fighter.


    Blood dripped on the cold floor. Emma who had been watching all the battles in front of her eyes blinked stiffly. Indeed, of all the fights, the one that was the fiercest was Troy against TJ. The two of them were extremely powerful group leaders.


    But if calcted correctly, we could say that Troy was stronger than TJ. Just think about it. Troy have to defeat TJ in the middle of the attacks of the other The North Vikings group¡¯s members. Like what was Martin said, they¡¯re standing in a wasp¡¯s nest.


    Nobody knew who will win the fight. Both Troy and TJ. The two of them looked down with their faces covered by the shadow of their messy hair. But the dripping blood showed who was about to fall.


    3, 2, 1.


    The tall, skinny guy in the ck shirt, slumped forward. His nose and mouth kept bleeding.


    What happened earlier was very fast. Emma always remembered Jonas¡¯s words.


    ¡®In a fight, strength is not always the determinant of victory. That¡¯s why there is such a thing as self-defence. That¡¯s why we still have to train, not just build muscles and strength only. Technique in fighting is very important. Even a sparrow can beat a big bear by pecking its eyeballs.¡¯


    Troy wasn¡¯t an ordinary fighter. It¡¯s not just his muscles, body weight, and strength that have been trained. During the fight in the arena and the streets, Troy always learned the movements of his opponent. He had faced many types of men and varied ways of knocking them down. A guy like TJ, was not a proper one-on-one match for a Troy Roner. Because he must be lost.


    Judo fighters do rely on the strength of their legs. But that doesn¡¯t mean their hands are useless.


    Troy understood and realized clearly that speed was very important in fighting.


    Indeed, because of his body shape, his body movements were slower than TJ¡¯s. However, he was able to get around this well by predicting TJ¡¯s attack pattern, which he thought was very easy to read. So, Troy would move one step before TJ moved. And stupidly, it was not realized by TJ, who continued to attack based on his anger.


    Once TJ jumped up like a monkey to bang his knee on Troy¡¯s face. The guy had prepared his right fist, which he had deliberately hidden on his right body right side, when TJ was too focused on attacking him from the left. Before TJ¡¯s knee touched Troy¡¯s face, he pointed his Upper-cut from below and hit directly at TJ¡¯s lower jaw.


    Maybe the guy with thin eyebrows didn¡¯t expect his attack would be missed, and instead got a heavy blow that made his entire jaw go numb. Even the blow slipped on the bridge of his small nose as well.


    The fall of TJ indicates who would being home with the winning medal. As it should be, Jita Kyoei was invincible. Whether they were dead or still operating, they were like troops that have risen from the grave. Jita Kyoei will shake his enemy¡¯s knees.


    ¡°This is the beginning.. You asked for it..¡± TJ mumbled while coughing.


    He mourned all the members of his group who had been scattered on the floor like dying chickens. This sight made TJ very mad. He had been honing his skills for years, but still lost to such a small group. And again, the work he thought was almost done, turned out to be messed up by that damn group.


    In fact, it was Jita Kyoei who came like a group of lowly intruders into The North Viking¡¯sir. But with this number of members, they still lost.


    ¡°This means war, Troy.¡± TJ continued again. Even though he couldn¡¯t hold his head up anymore.


    Troy stood in front of TJ with a straight face. He scanned the surroundings with his eyes. It was a sight he hadn¡¯t seen in a very long time. It was a sight he didn¡¯t want to see again. How long would they have to y around in this kind of environment?


    ¡°We will see,¡± Troy replied. Then he took a deep breath before turning his back. ¡°I told you, I didn¡¯t want to make a fuss. You¡¯re the one who left me no choice.¡± he continued.


    The guy nced at Emma who was still watching him silently. The girl nced at TJ who finally gave up by closing his eyes. It looked like he fainted.


    ¡°Come on. I¡¯m sick of being here.¡± Troy said as he walked out of the building.


    Emma carried Calvin who was limping with the crutch method. She was also assisted by Ian.


    ¡°You can wear my jacket,¡± Nicko tossed his baseball jacket at Calvin, who had no idea where his shirt was.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Said the limping guy.


    Calvin removed his arm from Emma¡¯s shoulder. He preferred to hold on to Ian, who was clearly more able to withstand the weight of his already weak body.


    Finally, they had arrived at the metal gate where they left all the motorcycles. The seats of their motorcycle were already upied by the light snow that fell that night.


    ¡°Thank God, the bike is fine,¡± Emma muttered. She remembered what happened to Calvin¡¯s motorcycle at that time.


    ¡°For now..¡± Nicko said.


    Emma looked at him questioningly, ¡°Oh..¡± She took off the sses from her face and gave it to him, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Nicko took his sses back, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    ¡°First of all, Shouldn¡¯t we need to talk about this?¡± Calvin¡¯s words stopped the activities of the guys who wanted to get on their motorcycle.


    ¡°Oh.. By the way, where¡¯s your motorcycle?¡± asked Emma.


    ¡°Looks like it has been thrown into the sea by them,¡± Calvin answered with an innocent face.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32: Something¡¯s Not Right


    They threw Calvin¡¯s motorcycle into the sea.


    ¡°Ergh. This is crazy.¡± Emma muttered by massaging the bridge of her nose.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter. What else do you want to talk about?¡± Troy asked Calvin.


    Suddenly, the roar of an engine made them all turn around. It was Martin who had started his bike and pulled the twist throttle. Then he put on his full-face helmet, ¡°I don¡¯t have time anymore. I¡¯ll go first! Bye!¡± he said before riding his bike off quickly.


    ¡°What¡¯s with him again?¡± asked Nicko.


    ¡°He forgot that he is still downloading porn videos on hisputer. You know how his sister¡¯s mouth¡¯s like.¡± Ian replied with a straight face. The exnation made them all shake their heads in disbelief. But everyone was used to Martin¡¯s behaviour.


    ¡°Why did you guys suddenlye to my aid?¡± Calvin asked, returning their focus.


    .....


    Troy pointed at Emma with his chin, ¡°She came, asking for my help.¡±


    Emma cleared her throat, ¡°Of course I have to. Just imagine, if we hadn¡¯te, you might have died there.¡±


    ¡°I know you were trying to save me. But now, you might be in danger, Emma.¡± Said Calvin.


    ¡°We¡¯ve covered her face. She should be safe.¡± Nicko got in.


    Calvin sighed. Of course, a buff cloth and sses wouldn¡¯t be enough to cover Emma¡¯s identity. Who the hell do they think The North Viking is? In Handway City, they were known as abination of ninja and spy who can track people easily.


    ¡°She asked toe. I¡¯ve told her not to.¡± Troy held up his hands, a sign of innocence, as Calvin stared at him.


    Calvin shook his head with an ufortable face, ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t mind that anymore. But you guys. I know you¡¯re avoiding this. Why did youe for me, when you know what might happen in the future to your group?¡±


    Troy was silent, he just looked at all his friends in turn. If he thinks about it, why were they doing that anyway?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems my request got you into trouble ..¡± Emma said suddenly with a guilty face.


    All the guys stared at her. They start to fidget by scratching the back of their not itchy heads.


    ¡°This is hard to exin. The point is, you don¡¯t have to feel any guilt. This is the boy¡¯s problem, that girls don¡¯t understand...¡± Ian said in unsure.


    Emma¡¯s brow furrowed, she felt a little intimidated by Ian¡¯s words. But she tried to be open-minded, by thinking that what Ian said was only for Emma¡¯s safe.


    Emma was aware that the guys would see her as a weak woman and should be protected. If protecting her meant keeping Emma out of their troubles, then that was the right decision. The way to stay out of trouble is to avoid the problem itself.


    ¡°We¡¯d better head home now. I¡¯ll take you back to Troy¡¯s repair shop. Your car is there, right?¡± Ian asked.


    Emma nodded, then she looked at Calvin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be home after finishing some business with Troy. Thanks foring for me, Emma.¡± Calvin smiled gently.


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re going to take care of something.¡± Troy emphasized the sentence. Then he reached into his trouser pocket and threw a key at Ian, ¡°You wait at my house until Ie back.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± Ian closed his helmet ss and started the engine. Then he sped away, after making sure Emma was sitting correctly.


    Ian¡¯s leaving was followed by his other friends.


    ***


    Two guys were seen sitting on an old wooden chair near a dock. The cold sea breeze, along with the falling of little snows hit their bodies. But it seemed that their muscles work perfectly to protect against cold weather. The two guys didn¡¯t even look affected by the bone-chilling air.


    Troy reached into his jeans jacket pocket and pulled out a white box. He pulled out a cigarette and offered it to the guy beside him.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t smoke.¡± Said Calvin.


    ¡°Me too.¡± Troy put the cigarette back in and put the box back in his jacket, ¡°This belongs to my father.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you came to help me.¡± Said Calvin.


    Troy shrugged, ¡°Me too.¡± then he looked at Calvin with narrowed eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve told you, something like this will happen someday. They¡¯re getting crazier and so are you.¡±


    ¡°Why did youe to help me, Troy? You knew Jita Kyoei would get into trouble.¡± Asked Calvin.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be thankful, instead of having to question why I helped you out of those kiddo¡¯s troubles?¡± Troy snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thanked you earlier,¡± Calvin said while remembering. He had thanked Troy and his friends.


    Troy cleared his throat, ¡°Looks like your existence has been taken seriously by them.¡±


    ¡°From the start, I was serious about them. Either they started to get annoyed, or they were aggressively expanding the dark business.¡± Said Calvin. Then he red at Troy, ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re willing to get Jita Kyoei involved in this ¡®kiddo¡¯s problems that will cause you trouble. Just for the sake of helping a guy you don¡¯t know. Looks like this problem isn¡¯t a kiddo¡¯s problem anymore, huh?¡± he continued.


    Troy frowned. He knew Calvin knew something. He was like an eagle that always flew around the sky of Handway city. He seemed to know everything that Troy didn¡¯t even realize before.


    ¡°Seems like you know the problem, don¡¯t you? They¡¯re starting to nudge our way. I can¡¯t tell, what¡¯s the benefit of getting into the way of people, who are trying to achieve their dreams in the right way.¡± Troy added.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°That¡¯s what they do. I still don¡¯t know what it¡¯s about. But the bigger the business they develop, the more people will get hit. And this time, the studios are starting to lose their source of ie. Looks like, they are giving the more attractive offer than the gold-coated medallion that hundreds of people around the world are fighting for.¡±


    Troy looked thoughtful, as he stared at the asphalt road that had begun to be covered in white snow. His face was throbbing. Even though that wasn¡¯t what caused him to have trouble thinking, but he would use it as an excuse to leave that difficult conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m going home. My handsome face must be treated immediately.¡± The guy stood up. Then he turned to Calvin, who was still sitting,ying his back weakly on the seatback, ¡°Is your bike thrown into the sea for real?¡±


    Calvin shrugged, ¡°I hope it¡¯s still salvageable. Can you give me another discount?¡± he grinned expectantly.


    Troy rolled his eyeszily, ¡°I have to see the damage first. I¡¯ll take you home.¡± he said as walking up to the main road where his motorcycle was parked.


    ¡°Thanks again for helping me ¡®again¡¯.¡± Said Calvin in a friendly tone.


    ***


    ¡°Huh.. What happened? What did I do?¡± Emma muttered as she threw herself onto the sofa as soon as she got home.


    She nced at the clock on the wall, it was already midnight. The cold air made her condition even worse. She threw her bag carelessly and immediately went to the bathroom to take a warm shower for the health of her muscles and her aching mind.


    As soon as she finished showering, Emma went into the room where the heater was on.


    On the bed, the girl thought to herself. She pulled back the events of a few hours ago that felt like a crazy dream.


    Of all the events, why should she be dragged into such a problem? Emma reyed everything that had happened since she had just set foot in Handway city.


    How did she get to know Calvin Lee? How did she know Troy Roner? And ended up getting into the gangster fight.


    ¡°Uhh! I hate this..¡± Emma huffed by rubbing her hot eyes.


    Somehow, she felt so sad and lonely. Come to think of it, what made Emma feel ufortable, was what Ian said earlier. All this time, Emma had never felt so helpless.


    She had never felt so weak in front of other people. So far, Emma had never beenbelled as ¡®weak¡¯, while she was forced to justify thebel now.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with me?¡± She muttered to herself again.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33: Found


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me, actually?¡± She muttered to herself again.


    Suddenly, the screen of her phone turned on. Emma just remembered, three hours ago Jonas had sent her a short message, which she had not had time to reply to. Like a father, Jonas regrly asked how Emma was at least once per three days. He really knows how to treat that girl right.


    Emma is the type of girl who doesn¡¯t like to be cared too much, but always appreciates the affection she receives. She really appreciated Jonas who cared about her. And as a sign of her gratitude, she became quite obedient to the middle-aged man.


    Unconsciously, Emma had pressed the holly button on her cellphone. Yes, the number 5 button which was a speed dial to Jonas¡¯ cell phone.


    Only a few secondster, Jonas swiftly picked up the princess¡¯s call.


    ¡°Hello. Did something happen, Emma?¡± Jonas asked directly. His voice still sounded fresh, as if he wasn¡¯t a human who needed time to sleep. It was unusual for Emma to contact him first.


    ¡°Em.. That.. Actually, I didn¡¯t mean to call. The button was identally pressed.¡± Emma stammered a bit.


    .....


    A few seconds of silence across the phone, ¡°Yeah.. It could happen.¡± Jonas replied lightly. ¡°Since it¡¯s been connected, I just remembered that I haven¡¯t asked you for these two days. How are you?¡± he asked.


    Emma nodded slightly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. The food here is good and I¡¯ve made some friends.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? How about your ballet ss?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The girl answered briefly.


    Jonas could hear Emma¡¯s voice, which sounded sad, but she tried to hide it.


    ¡°Looks like your ballet ss didn¡¯t sound that fun. Are you thinking of changing course?¡± Guessed Jonas.


    Emma¡¯s brows immediately sharpened, ¡°Fun! Of course! There¡¯s nothing more fun than ballet!¡±


    Jonasughed loudly, ¡°Well.. Now, it sounds as fun as the beginning.¡± Said him. ¡°May I guess something? I thought you might have a bit of a problem. Hmm.. Is the parking fee more expensive there.. Or maybe you have annoying neighbours.. What is it exactly?¡± he pretended to be muttering to himself.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Emma was annoyed. She knew Jonas was fishing for her. Emma wasn¡¯t that stupid not to know that Jonas know her very well, ¡°Hey, Jonas. I have something to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Please..¡±


    Emma thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and cleared her throat, ¡°Do you believe in fate?¡±


    ¡°Fate? Hem.. Sometimes things happen that are out of our control as humans. I like to call it fate.¡±


    Emma patted her thigh, ¡°Is it, right?! It happened beyond our control. Like a fired arrow, it will turn if suddenly a strong windes!¡±


    Jonas nodded, ¡°Then what does fate have to do with your problem?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, Jonas. But I feel like there¡¯s a lot of things that keep getting me into the same troubles I¡¯ve always avoided.¡± Said Emma.


    ¡°It¡¯s called fate if you can¡¯t help but be dragged in a circle. But don¡¯t mistake a destiny for a fate, because you can control your own feet, right? What happens today, is the result of your decisions yesterday.¡± said Jonas. Then he cleared his throat, ¡°An old man once told me that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re disgusting, Jonas,¡± Emma said. She knew Jonas was quoting those words from the meaningful movies that he often watched.


    ¡°Emma, There are times when we have to follow what our heart desires. Don¡¯t think so hard that it shuts down your own inner voice. You seem to be confused. As an impromptu psychiatrist, I advise you to give your heart a chance to speak.¡± said Jonas.


    Jonas¡¯s words on the phone made Emma keep thinking. Until finally she fell asleep because of exhaustion.


    Emma woke up to the sun shining on her face through the window curtain. The sound of birds ying in the small garden of her house made Emma¡¯s mood feel better. It was as if she had forgotten all the events that had made her feel anxiousst night.


    With staggered steps, Emma walked to the kitchen to get some water. She drank a full ss of water. Then her eyes for some reason stared at the door leading to the basement next to the refrigerator.


    Emma ced her ss on the counter before opening the door. She turned on the light and walked down the stairs.


    Today is a holiday. Emma looked at her reflection in a pyjama suit with a cartoon panda print on it and messy tangled hair. She looked at the shelf in the corner of the room. On the shelf were several pairs of ballet shoes neatly arranged. They always looked so beautiful in Emma¡¯s eyes.


    She walked over to the shelf. But something was bothering her. She didn¡¯t reach for a single pair of shoes. But instead, her hand pointed to a cupboard door next to the shelf.


    Emma¡¯s eyes stared at the contents of the cupboard without blinking. She felt an ufortable feeling in her chest. A feeling that if been removed, would feel so pleasant. It is a feeling of longing.


    Emma pulled the Mok Yan Jong she had been ignored for a long time, out of the cupboard. Her delicate hands touched each of the wooden stalks. Her chest was pounding. She saw the face collections of menst night that made her hands itchy but helpless.


    ¡°HIYAAAA!!¡±


    CRACK!


    Emma threw a punch at the wooden stalk.


    That somehow made her smile.


    ¡°HIYAA!! HYAA!!¡± She threw her punches again.


    Emma understood now. This is what Jonas meantst night. She had to stop for a moment to hear her inner voice once more. Emma really loves ballet. She is crazy about ballet. But her love seemed to make Emma forget that she also likes martial arts. She likes to fight. Something that surrounded her for a long time that made her didn¡¯t realize that she actually liked it.


    ***


    That night, a shocking news came quickly to the ears of an entric guy with dozens of gold jewellery. News about the failure of The North Viking in catching a parasite that was previously not considered by them at all.


    Actually, the problem is not about Calvin Lee who managed to escape the arrest. But the people who helped free him. It was Jita Kyoei¡¯s name that seemed to stab their eardrums to bleed.


    The crazy news had already reached the ears of the Dragger group leader. A group that has a bad rtionship with The North Vikings after their territory was messed up by the motorists¡¯ group.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised those cowards finally lose. Yes.. it¡¯s because they are cowards and very weak.¡± Pablo Diablo tapped on his cigarette butt to knock fall its elongated embers.


    He couldn¡¯t forget how that damn group had invaded his precious Jen Marrie street. They thought they could take over the money mine easily. Luckily, they were stupid enough to believe three losers who actually stabbed them from the back.


    Pablo never ys in investing. It¡¯s okay to spend a little more money to win the fight. Three people named Lary, Brian, and Donny had be a Trojan for the group of The North Vikings. TJ is adept at burning the spirits of his members, but he is not good at business strategies.


    In fact, normal humans would prefer a bigger offer. And such a human would also be willing to stab people in the back. Although in the end, that shallow thought wouldter get them into new problems.


    ¡°But he was helped by Jita Kyoei.¡± Said a guy in a white t-shirt, who stood leaning in the doorway without intending to enter the room full of cigarette smoke.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34: Meeting In The Cafetaria


    ¡°But he was helped by Jita Kyoei.¡± Said the guy in a white t-shirt, who stood leaning in the doorway without intending to enter the room full of cigarette smoke.


    Pablo shrugged, ¡°Jita Kyoei doesn¡¯t like to get into trouble. They only care about judo, judo, and judo. Maybe, it turns out that Troy Roner is friends with Calvin Lee.¡± He answered easily. Then he got up from hisfy chair and walked over to therge window which had the colourful lights reflecting on his face. He looked at the scene of a busy street full of immorality.


    ¡°I¡¯m not seeing them as a big problem yet to worry about. I¡¯ve known Tobias Ian for a long time, what Jita Kyoei¡¯s mindset is, their goals. Dragger never had any problem with Jita Kyoei all this time, because we never nudged them. If there¡¯s a reason that makes them attack the other group out of the blue, it must be something very important to them. And I don¡¯t see any important thing.¡± Pablo continued.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said the guy.


    Pablo turned his back and looked at the guy who was still standing casually, ¡°Calm down, Markus. You just need to search for information as usual. Our business is still running smoothly as usual.¡± He grinned widely and spread his arms in front of the glittering window.


    ***


    Emma sat alone in the campus cafeteria. The food in front of her looked bad because of the way she eats reluctantly. She is ying with her food many times, before putting a single bite in her mouth.


    .....


    Lately, Emma was in a dilemma over her feelings. After spending a whole day practising Kung Fu and Karate, she found that she really missed those activities. Even so, Emma did not lose the slightest interest in ballet.


    ¡°If you can have two, why should choose one?¡± Emma said in her heart. It¡¯s not an affair, is it? She only has two hobbies. Why should it be so sacredly considered?


    Suddenly, those shady eyes caught the figure she had been looking for weeks. A small skinny girl was walking with a tray of lunch and sitting at a table alone. Emma then smiled widely at the sight.


    She immediately stood up with all her lunch and her sling bag. Then, she stepped closer to the girl¡¯s table, but one more sight made her stop. A guy seemed to have just arrived with his lunch. The guy was looking for an empty table to sit at.


    Emma smiled even more. What coincidence is this?


    ¡°Roger!¡± Called her. Then she pointed at Poppy¡¯s desk with a nce.


    Roger, who was surprised by Emma¡¯s sudden appearance in front of him, then shook his head after seeing the table that she pointed to. More specifically, to the person sitting at the table.


    ¡°Poppy, Can we sit here?¡± Emma went straight to the girl who had just put her ass on the chair. As usual, Poppy looks very cute in a pastel-coloured dress and jacket.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Poppy looked at a beautiful girl in fashionable clothes. She nced at a guy who was standing stiffly behind the girl in an ufortable gesture, ¡°Um.. sure.¡± she answered.


    Emma smiled happily, ¡°Come on Roger, have a seat.¡± she said as she sat in front of Poppy.


    Roger still stood there. He nced at Poppy while she was still staring at him. Roger saw no empty table left in the cafeteria. Thest table that had been left by Emma, was immediately filled with a group of noisy girls who liked to gossip.


    ¡°Roger?¡± Called Emma.


    The guy nced at her with a long sigh. But he ended up sitting at the table.


    Stupid Emma, ??she forgot that she was not the holder of the socialization championship medal. Now, the atmosphere at the table had be very awkward because the three people in it were not good at opening conversations.


    ¡°Eum.. I haven¡¯t seen you in the ballet ss in a long time.¡± Emma said before clearing her throat.


    Poppy nced at her briefly before returning to focus on her lunch, ¡°Ah, Yes. I have a business so I can¡¯t go to ballet ss.¡±


    ¡°I see.. But after thest regr ss today, will you join? There are a lot of new moves that are quite difficult. Maybe you want to practice..¡± Emma smiled.


    Poppy looked at her with friendly eyes then nodded, ¡°I will attend today. Thanks for thinking about me.¡±


    After that, the atmosphere was awkward again. But all was saved when a girl suddenly came to join in their table.


    ¡°Wow.. Today¡¯s lunch is delicious, right? Luckily, I met you guys. If not, I might end sitting with them,¡± Kathy said carelessly while pointing at the table with a group of gossiping girls with her chin.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯te today?¡± asked Emma. Her face looked very happy because she can gather with her favourite friends.


    ¡°I know.. But suddenly, I felt healthy and decided to go to college. It turned out that I wasn¡¯t wrong, because today¡¯s menu was very good.¡± sheughed. ¡°Oh, by the way, Who are you?¡± she looked at the guy sitting next to Emma.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m Roger Timothy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Kathania Dusk, majoring in IT. You can call me Kathy. I took ballet sses with Emma and Poppy. Anyway, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you. Are you a new guy, like Emma?¡±


    Roger shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯ve been here a quiet long time.¡±


    ¡°Really? Hmm.. That means I¡¯m still not getting around enough.¡± Kathy muttered, looking thoughtful.


    ¡°Roger is in the same course as mine. We usually sit together in the ss.¡± Added Emma. She felt a responsibility to introduce Roger further. Of course, Kathy had never seen Roger, because he was like an invisible shadow on campus.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nodded the girl with the ponytail. Then she seemed to remember something and looked directly at Poppy with her baggy eyes, ¡°Oh, Poppy! Where have you beentely? I could beat you in dance now because you never came to ss.¡±


    ¡°I have some business to attend to.¡± Poppy replied with a stiff smile.


    ¡°Business? It¡¯s that important that you can¡¯t show up for ballet ss, huh?¡±


    Poppy chuckled, ¡°Y-yeah.. They are quite important. It¡¯s just a family matter.¡±


    Emma looked at Poppy with a lot of thoughts in her head. She knows a little about the problems Poppy is facing, based on the story from Ms Diana. But it looks like she¡¯s trying to cover it up.


    Poppy immediately looked down to continue eating when she realized Roger was focusing on her too.


    Even the guy was shocked by what she did. He reflexively returned to eating in silence.


    ¡°Poppy!¡±


    The four people immediately turned their heads as arge voice resounded beside them. Except for Kathy who just looked around confusedly, they all widened their eyes when they saw the three tall guys who smiled faintly with a characteristic look that seemed disparage.


    ¡°Hey, Emma!¡± Said Brian with a big annoying smile.


    ¡°You guys have lunch here together? Can we join?¡± Donny asked a looking at Poppy.


    The girl with two big, innocent clear eyes didn¡¯t answer. She just looked at Donny while gulping.


    ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t ask Poppy, since she¡¯s your girlfriend. We should ask her friends.¡± Larry said.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re Poppy¡¯s boyfriend?¡± Kathy shocked. Then she shifted her seat, ¡°Of course you can join. You¡¯re in management ss too, right? That means you¡¯re friends with Emma and Roger too.¡± she said.


    Larry smiled kindly, ¡°You¡¯re right. I think you know us, don¡¯t you?¡± he continued to sit next to the curly-haired girl.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35: A J*rk Guy


    Brian and Donny followed. And of course, Donny sat beside his lover who was frozen as if she was studying the situation. Donny immediately embraced Poppy and gave him a quick kiss on the head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you guys a few times. I¡¯m Kathania Dusk, majoring in IT. I do, because you guys are quite popr.¡± She exined with a bigugh.


    Lary and Brianughed too, ¡°Really? We didn¡¯t notice that.¡± Brian said whilebing his hair with his fingers as if he was the most handsome man in the world. They looked very proud.


    In her mind, Emma was cursing Kathy for allowing the three crazy losers to join them.


    Yeah, Emma couldn¡¯t me her either, because Kathy certainly didn¡¯t know how bad the three guys are. Kathy is a friendly girl who is quite innocent. She just likes to make friends as much as possible, regardless of who her friends are. It seems like she dreams of bing one of the popr girls on the campus.


    ¡°How are you guys? Ever since we hung out togetherst time, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve never seen you guys again.¡± Emma asked coldly. Her cynical gaze made the three guys move ufortably.


    ¡°Hahaha.. You remember that, Emma? I¡¯m sorry, things were so messed up at the time. We thought you were behind us.¡± Larry said.


    .....


    Brian nodded vigorously, ¡°We were looking for you for two hours after realizing you weren¡¯t behind us. That was crazy. But you¡¯re all right, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Emma smiled sarcastically, ¡°Of course. We survived even though we don¡¯t understand what happened.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Poppy, Why are you just musing from earlier?¡± Kathy realized as she looked at the girl who usually talked quite a lot.


    Donny immediately looked at his girlfriend who became embarrassed, ¡°Are you full? Want something else to eat? I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡±


    Hearing Donny¡¯s offer, Poppy immediately shook her head and smiled stiffly, ¡°Huh? N-no need. I¡¯m on a diet.¡± she answered without looking at her boyfriend¡¯s face at all.


    Emma and Roger noticed something odd about the couple. Emma knew what kind of girl Poppy is. She does look soft, obedient, and innocent. But that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s a girl who¡¯s afraid to talk with people.


    With her gentleness, she was friendly to everyone so that she became a quite popr girl on campus. But Poppy¡¯s attitude now was like a puppy that was afraid of her master.


    ¡°Oh, Then I¡¯ll buy you a pretty skirt when your diet has seeded.¡± Donny smiled.


    ¡°What are you dieting for? You¡¯re too skinny already, Poppy.¡± Kathyughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You look so pretty like this and like anything. You don¡¯t need a diet to be able to wear a pretty skirt.¡± Emma continued by ncing at Donny sarcastically.


    Poppy just smiled and shook her head as Donny put a hug on her shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s not like that, girls. I have a weight standard that I set myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see, Haha.. That¡¯s pretty funny.¡± Kathyughed.


    Emma just smiled faintly. She felt there was something strange about the rtionship between Poppy and Donny. She didn¡¯t know if the others realized it or not, but the girl seemed to be under pressure from her boyfriend.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize you were there, Roger.¡± Donny looked far over to Emma¡¯s side, where a geeky guy sat on the very edge.


    Roger didn¡¯t answer. Since then, he had been eating in silence as fast as he can. He intended to leave as soon as possible from the table which was bing more and more like hell. Looks like he chose the wrong time for lunch.


    ¡°Oh yeah! What was Roger doing then? I hope you didn¡¯t be a burden to our girlfriends.¡± Brian asked Roger.


    ¡°He was very helpful. Roger stayed behind to look after the three of us until we got home safely. Luckily, Roger was with us at the time.¡± Emma said immediately.


    Hearing Emma¡¯s statement, the three guys looked at each other.


    ¡°Hahaha.. That¡¯s impossible.¡± Larry Laughed.


    ¡°Sorry, hem.. How to say it? But, a Roger can¡¯t possibly do something like that. I became more convinced when I saw him several times being asked for money by seniors.¡± Brian said to embarrass him.


    Roger suddenly stood up. Everyone stared at him in silence. Could Roger finally show his anger?


    No. His head remained lowered and Emma realized that the food on her tray had run out.


    ¡°I am done,¡± Roger said in a small voice.


    Donny secretly y-blinking with Brian who was sitting closest to Roger. They both smiled and nodded slightly.


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you guys to mu..¡± Before Kathy finished speaking, she immediately stopped when Brian rashly stood up from his seat and grabbed the ss of half-left orange juice on the table.


    ¡°Wait, Roger. You drink.. Oop!¡±


    Bump! Ssh!


    All eyes in the cafeteria immediately turned to those who made the noise. Including the twelve pairs of eyes of the guys that a few minutes ago filled two long tables near the entrance door. Troy and Ian looked at each other after witnessing the incident.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Emma?¡± Frank muttered as he sat down with the tray of his entire protein-packed lunch on the table.


    ¡°She¡¯s with the bastard,¡± Ian said while watching.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Emma asked Brian with wide eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to. I thought it was Roger¡¯s drink that was left behind. It turned out to be yours, huh?¡± Brian said while wiping his wet hands with tissue paper.


    Emma¡¯s hands clenched into fists. It felt like she wanted to grab the tray in front of her so she could use it to sh the stupid guy¡¯s neck. But of course, Emma had to keep her attitude. There¡¯s no point in dealing with the behaviour of the bullies. In fact, they will only work on Roger even more.


    ¡°Are you all right, Roger?¡± Emma asked, pulling out a bunch of tissue paper to wipe Roger¡¯s orange juice-drenched pants and hoodie.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m going.¡± He picked up Emma¡¯s ss -which Brian thought was his- now empty ss and ced it on his tray for him to take to the wash.


    ¡°You can wash your clothes in the toilet. We¡¯ll help youter.¡± Brian said jokingly.


    But Roger lowered his head even more and wanted to run away because he knew that it isn¡¯t just a joke. They are very able to approach him in the toilet, but not to help him clean his dirty clothes, but to prank him and take his money.


    ¡°What a stupid excuse? If you didn¡¯t know it was Emma¡¯s drink, you couldn¡¯t have said it right away. Besides, the ss was obviously right next to Emma¡¯s hand.¡± Kathy said to Brian.


    Emma immediately turned to him and looked at Brian who was blushing with embarrassment. That guy is stupid.


    ¡°Hey, Why do you say that? He really didn¡¯t mean to and wanted to help. Why are you bothering about something nonsense?¡± Larry said sarcastically.


    ¡°Looks like you guys were wanted to pranking him. Is that true?¡± Kathy frowned.


    Poppy looked at the girl with a panicked face. She knew that Kathy liked to talk a lot without thinking. Didn¡¯t she realize that those three guys could do bad things to her?


    ¡°Roger,¡± Emma mumbled as the guy quickly walked away.


    Emma was confused about whether to go after Roger or stay at the table because it seemed Kathy and Larry were having an argument.


    ¡°For a girl with an unattractive look, you talk too much. If you¡¯re not pretty, at least keep your mouth shut.¡± Donny¡¯s words took Kathy by surprise.


    Emma and Poppy suddenly looked at Donny in disbelief.


    ¡°You..¡±


    ¡°Ahh.. I don¡¯t have an appetite anymore.¡± Donny got up to cut Emma who wanted to protest at what he just said.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36: A Serious Problem


    Emma looked at Kathy who was immediately looking down and looked very surprised at the mean words of the jerk guy.


    ¡°Why have to be so troublesome? I just want to do a good thing. Girls¡¯ thoughts are hard to understand. Well.. at least it has to be fit with their face too.¡± Lary said as following his friends to stand up.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand, why are you using me instead?¡± Brian added with an innocent pretentious face. It provoked Emma to want to p him in the face.


    The three men had already stood up and were about to leave. Sliding their chairs impolitely into a mess.


    ¡°Hey..!¡±


    ¡°Emma, don¡¯t,¡± Kathy grabbed Emma¡¯s wrist as she was about to stand up to face the three impudent guys. ¡°They¡¯re right. I talked too much. I don¡¯t want you to get into trouble because of me,¡± she continued.


    They were just two ballerina girls. They shouldn¡¯t be hurt just because of the three big guys. No one will be able to protect them. So, at least they should stay out of trouble.


    .....


    Poppy was still sitting with her head down. Her hands squeezed her skirt in fear. But, what she feared finally happened. Donny called her.


    ¡°Poppy! Why are you still sitting there? Let¡¯s go!¡± Donny stopped walking to turn to look at his girlfriend.


    Poppy was sitting still. Her eyes were shaking and she squeezed her skirt even more.


    Emma and Kathy looked at Poppy in confusion, ¡°Poppy...¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Poppy!¡± Donny eximed again. Until the girl immediately stood up and rushed to tidy up all her things.


    She walked quickly to her boyfriend. Following the steps of that three guys.


    Emma and Kathy gaped at the tragic incident. They were still watching Poppy who was now in Donny¡¯s arms after they put the leftovers in the washing space.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be real, How could Poppy date a guy like him?¡± Kathy said nkly.


    ¡°She looks scared of him,¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Would Poppy get mad if I suggested to her to break up? That guy is really worrying.¡± Kathy continued again. But she sighed, ¡°But I¡¯m not that close to her...¡±


    Emma was still staring at the four people who were walking towards the cafeteria door. At that moment, she realized that Troy and his friends were in the same room.


    Donny cleared his throat and looked away as his eyes met with Troy Roner¡¯s who continued to watch him intently. The three guys had to pass through two tables full of Jita Kyoei members or also known as Judo ss guys.


    Those guys continued to stare at the three guys who looked as if they were arresting a tiny skinny girl in their midst. The noises they made earlier, also made Troy and the gang felt furious.


    Until finally, Donny and his guys passed through and disappeared from behind the ss door with their heads down. Of course, they knew who the faces on the tworge tables belonged to. And they didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of guts to just stare back at the stares that the twelve men gave.


    ¡°Cowardly bastard!¡± Martin muttered.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we warn Emma about those three? Maybe she¡¯ll get into trouble hanging out with them.¡± Nicko said with a worried face.


    As the only son with three younger sisters, Nicko was very concerned about women, who must always be protected. He can¡¯t stand seeing a woman being hurt by a man. He would immediately beat the man up without mercy.


    Troy shook his head before continuing to devour his beef steak, ¡°That¡¯s none of our business. We can¡¯t interfere.¡±


    Ian nodded, ¡°We don¡¯t have anything to do with Emma. Maybe, she¡¯ll feel ufortable if we suddenly show up to lecture her. We¡¯d better mind our own business.¡±


    ***


    As what¡¯s been predicted, after the incident at the cafeteria, Poppy didn¡¯t show up for ballet ss. Emma had wanted to say something to Ms Diana, but unfortunately, she was absent and reced by another teacher.


    The ss that day was felt like the wind blowing through Emma¡¯s hair. She could neither concentrate nor enjoy the ss she had always been waiting for. Emma realized that Kathy had the same feelings as her. But the girl looks more annoyed at Donny¡¯s evil words that bring down her self-esteem in public.


    ¡°Emma, are you busy today?¡± Kathy asked as they cleaned up after ss.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not. Do you want me to do something for you?¡±


    Kathy rubbed her arm ufortably, ¡°Would you like to have a drink with me? I¡¯m feeling.. a bit.. upset?¡± she looked confused.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll apany you to drink. But, today I don¡¯t bring my car, so maybe we should take the bus.¡± Emma answered quickly. She could see Kathy¡¯s face looks so sad. And of course, she would help if that friendly girl needed a shoulder to lean on.


    Kathy smiled happily and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s take the bus.¡±


    Emma nodded with a gentle smile, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ***


    A muscr hand with visible veins sticking out was polishing the red body of the motorcycle until it was shiny. His face reflected on the motorcycle¡¯s gas tank. He smiled, showing his white teeth.


    ¡°Thank you very much. You are great. I will be a loyal customer here.¡± Calvin said, then cleared his throat, ¡°Of course with a student discount..¡± he added in a small voice.


    Troy nced at him scornfully with a snort. The wide smile suddenly disappeared from his stern face. He walked over to the cashier table which was guarded by a middle-aged woman, who¡¯s had hands that seemed to be very dexterous in her work. The woman gave a paper to the son of the workshop owner where she had worked for the past fifteen years.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your bill,¡± Troy handed the pink paper to Calvin.


    ¡°Gosh.. I¡¯m going bankrupt..¡± He muttered with a sad face. Then he pulled his tattered wallet out of his trouser pocket and pulled out a card, ¡°Do you ept credit cards?¡±


    Troy looked at the ck card with an annoyed face. F*ck with being broke! It is a credit card with arge limit that only rich people have. Actually, what kind of human is Calvin Lee?


    ¡°Pay at the cashier,¡± Troy pointed his chin at the cashier table.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Calvin nodded and did as Troy told him to.


    The sun had set. But the light still leaves the sky orange and purple colours. It was as if an artist was sweeping his brush across the endless canvas.


    Calvin had finished making the payment with a feeling of crying over his credit card billter. Even though it will not be him who will pay the credit card bill, but his uncle, but for Calvin the money belongs to his parents and he must use it as wisely as possible. But what can he do if circumstances keep forcing him to pour out money?


    Just as he was about to start his motorcycle engine, he realized that Troy was standing behind him in the rearview mirror. Calvin turned and looked questioningly at the guy, ¡°Do you want to tell me something?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s actually something I want to talk to you about. Do you have time?¡± Troy asked.


    They ended up at a roadside tent tavern near Troy¡¯s workshop. The big and burly guy ordered some snacks that were suitable to drink with Baijiu (Chinese alcohol) that warmed their bodies in the middle of the falling snow.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Calvin asked after all the food had been delivered to their table.


    ¡°They stole judo studio students. This incident is like an epidemic that spreads very quickly. I have recorded that three studios have closed in thest four months. For some reason, there are several groups that seem to have amon goal. They are aggressively erging their respective groups. Recruiting many members who were the great student with the lure ofrge amounts of money.¡± Troy exined.


    Before Calvin could say anything more, there was the sound of the engine of a sports motorbike stopping at the door of the tavern tent. Then, two men came into their table.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37: The Same Purpose


    A downturned eyes guy in a ck leather jacket and the other one was a guy in a grey coat with sses. They were Ian and Nicko, the members of Jita Kyoei who seemed to have been contacted earlier by Troy toe chat together.


    Calvin looked at the three of them in turn. Then he chuckled before taking a sip of his drink.


    Ian snorted, then sat down at the table. But he would still make a chit chat with Calvin, even though, he was also quite curious about his condition after being beaten by The North Vikings the other day.


    ¡°How¡¯s your wound?¡± Ian asked after greeting Troy.


    ¡°Yeah.. They are like this. You can see for yourself. The hospital bill was pretty big. That makes me feel even more ill.¡± Calvin shook his head in disbelieve.


    So, here¡¯s Calvin¡¯s appearance.. Half of his face was covered with some band-aid. Both sides of his lower lip were torn. His left eye was badly swollen with blue, purple, and green colouration due to a blood clot. His left hand was wrapped in bandages because the wounds there were too big. And the right hand sticks a lot of ster bandages to cover wounds that don¡¯t need stitches. The rest were bruises of various sizes and colors that looked like a sad rainbow.


    ¡°What about your bike? Have you found it?¡± Nicko asked.


    .....


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°My current bike can be repaired. I don¡¯t want to bother with the bike they threw into the sea. It must have been difficult to save the engine because it was submerged in salty water.¡± He said. Then he poured the alcohol into two small sses and served it to Ian and Nicko, ¡°Here you go,¡±


    The two men took it and emptied the ss in one gulp, ¡°Thanks,¡±


    Calvin gave a small nod, then looked back at Troy, ¡°Continuing thest topic.. You should have thought that I already knew that. Then, what¡¯s your n of telling me that?¡±


    Ian and Nicko looked at each other. Looks like Troy has had a little talk with Calvin.


    Troy cleared his throat, ¡°I need a little help from you,¡±


    Calvin smiled faintly, ¡°Looks like Jita Kyoei will finally move. It seems true, that your help yesterday was not free.¡± Heughed.


    Ian nodded, ¡°If you think we¡¯re doing it for nothing, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re the funny one? It¡¯s like you don¡¯t know what Jita Kyoei is like,¡±


    ¡°Haha.. That¡¯s right. It seems that I was the one who expected too much.¡± He nodded. ¡°Then, what kind of help do you guys want? I¡¯ll return the favour. Tch! Why do I owe so muchtely?¡± Calvinmented his tragic fate.


    ¡°So far, we have been too focused on Judo. As you know, we never cared about gangsters and their matters. Because of that, we didn¡¯t realize that they were slowly shattering down the foundations of Judo athletes in Handway City. The point is, without the Martial Art foundation studios, it would be hard for the next athlete to enter thepetitions. And the studio¡¯s ie is from the students in it. It seems some big group pulled them out. I want to investigate their motives and get things back to normal. This is all for the future of the Handway city athlete club. This is a matter of great concern. This is what we¡¯ve been fighting for and dreaming of since we were so young. I don¡¯t want it all to just fall apart because of those bastard groups.¡± Nicko said in furious.


    ¡°You ask what their motives are? You should have known. It was money, money, and money. And one more thing, power. That¡¯s all. And of course, they can get it all with a business and a lot of strong members. Those things make them undefeated.¡± Calvin replied.


    ¡°The only way to stop this is to fight them. At least, they shouldn¡¯t drag the next athletes into their dark world.¡± Troy said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy, Troy. The boys joined the gangsters of their own ord. By joining the group, they will receive a lot of money, entertainment, and will also be feared. They are school kids who are easy to persuade with a bigger lollipop.¡± Ian said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Calvin nodded casually by shoving a piece of fried sausage into his mouth, ¡°And your group is too small to fight all of them. I told you, this matter is getting more serious. Now you only realize it when they have grown into giants that are too hard to beat.¡±


    ¡°I know. Yes.. I mean, I just found out too.¡± Nicko said.


    ¡°You know what, Calvin? We never want to get into trouble. But this time we have to do something. This is a crisis.¡± Troy said with a serious face.


    That look on His face even made him looks more ridiculous.


    ¡°Could you not be that dramatic? You¡¯re making it look like aedy scene instead.¡± Ian scolded.


    ¡°R-really?¡± The big guy mumbled as he moved back his face which had already moved closer to Calvin¡¯s.


    Calvin cleared his throat before straightening his back which he had pulled back earlier as Troy get too close to him.


    ¡°For now, I have no ns for you guys,¡± Calvin said to the three of them. He shrugged, starting to put on a sad expression, ¡°You must know it. All this time, I¡¯ve been moving alone to fight them without anyone willing to help at all. So, all I can do so far was only observe them without being able to do much.¡±


    Ian clicked, ¡°Yeah, yeah.. Just tell me the important part.¡± he was getting impatient with Calvin¡¯s behaviour.


    ¡°Calm down, He¡¯s expressing his all long disappointment..¡± Nicko rubbed his best friend¡¯s back. He is indeed the most understanding and gentle-hearted.


    ¡°Thanks, Nicko.¡± Calvin smiled with all his heart.


    ¡°Please continue. I¡¯m starting to hate you too,¡± Nico said with a friendly smile.


    Calvin nodded once, then continued, ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, there are four groups that are currently aggressively multiplying their members and expanding their territories. That¡¯s why they recruited a lot of males who are good at fighting. Maybe, you guys only care about those who are rted to you, which is the judo people. But the truth, they also recruiting guys from Karate, Muay Thai, and Boxing studios. It¡¯s not just the Judo studios that are in crisis. But they are too.¡±


    Calvin paused by taking another sip of his alcohol to clear his throat, which had be dry from talking too much.


    ¡°The four groups are the Creeper, Beast Empire, RJC or Red Jack Commander, and Hell Gate. You should have heard of at least one of the four groups¡¯ names. They¡¯ve been around for a long time, but the businesses are like.. well.. just ok. But it looks like someone set them on fire so they did all this.¡± Calvin continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard them all except RJC.¡± Said Nico.


    Ian nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that name either. Are they new?¡±


    ¡°Do you know Marcel Dous?¡± Asked Calvin.


    The three of them nodded. He is a guy whose when in the first grade of high school was fat and liked to fight.


    ¡°He is the leader,¡± The continuation made the three guys almost choke on their food.


    ¡°What? How could that be?¡± Troy denied. He remembered that the boy had no friends at all. He was a kid with a freak personality so that no one wants to be close to him.


    ¡°If Marcel bes a member of one of the groups, I still can reasonable it. But if he is the leader of a group, I can¡¯t believe it. Who wants to follow him? He¡¯s not the type of person who can be a leader.¡± Said Ian.


    Nicko patted Ian¡¯s shoulder then shook his head slowly. It made Ian and Troy both stare at him in confusion, ¡°Marcel Dous is Prince Bold a.k.a PB, the Fashion Design major student. The guy who gets the title of the most handsome, coolest, and popr on the campus.¡±


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38: Good Looking


    Troy and Ian gaped in disbelief. It turned out that they had been too busy with the world of Judo championships to notice all the madness that was going on outside the circle.


    Marcel Dous? That fat, ugly, scruffy, weird kid? He was in the same high school as Troy Roner and his friends. But they only know his name and face. Never befriend or get into trouble with that person. But in high school, whenever someone mentions Marcel Dous, everyone must know him.


    He was a quiet kid who was a bit strange in his behaviour. Maybe Marcel came from that kind of family, no one knows. But, because of his physical appearance, he became the target of bullying. But surprisingly, it turned out that he was very good at fighting. With his above-average weight, he became very strong.


    Sometimes, Marcel also causes trouble in a ss by suddenly attacking another kid who had bullied him. They were the only target for the boy. It seemed like, if he has a grudge, he wouldn¡¯t stop if he haven¡¯t killed that person. Marcel¡¯s behaviour who likes to throw tantrums and never talks, makes himbelled as a freak person and no one wants to be friends with him.


    But, no one expected that during college, Marcel suddenly appeared to the surface with a physical condition that was changed one hundred and eighty degrees. He had lost weight. His body, which was already tall from the first, made his body shape looks very attractive and dashing. His previously dull skin looks clean and radiant. His face did not change, but because he had lost weight.. he turned out to be a good looking guy.


    Marcel entered the Fashion Design major. The way he dresses was like a French model. And his demeanour also suddenly changed. He became very friendly, cheerful, and easy to talk to. Even the girls gave him a nickname, which he ended up making as a nickname for himself on the campus. PB or Prince Bold. Apart from being in a different location from his high school, something that looks like a change of identity, makes no one realize that he is Marcel Dous.


    Then what about Nicko? He knew it because he had the advantage of being able to memorize people¡¯s faces in one nce. Although Marcel¡¯s chubby face and his thin face looked very different, Nicko immediately realized that PB was Marcel Dous when he first entered university. He was even more convinced because he had heard someone from the administration room call his name by his real name.


    .....


    ¡°Actually, apart from the changes.. I have a great curiosity about Marcel and the group he leads. Until now, I still don¡¯t know how his group was formed in such a short time. His group must be big enough to be able to recruit the students of martial art studios.¡± Said Calvin.


    ¡°On campus, he also never did any shy thing. That¡¯s why I¡¯m surprised to know that he is a gangster group leader. He just looks like a good boy who likes to spread charm.¡± Ian muttered.


    ¡°Does this mean RJC¡¯s group is the first group we¡¯re going to target?¡± Nicko asked.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve never had a problem with the group because I¡¯ve never seen themmit a crime. The business they run doesn¡¯t seem to harm anyone.¡± Calvin said with a shrug.


    Troy nodded, ¡°Okay. We¡¯re not going to attack RJC. We¡¯re just making them stop recruiting the martial art students.¡±


    ¡°How to?¡± Nico asked.


    The four of them looked at each other. They all look like donkeys in cartoons. Neither of them had at least spoken to the guy.


    ¡°Tch.. You guys are idiots,¡± Calvin muttered as he leaned backzily in his chair.


    ¡°Well.. Looks like maybe we¡¯ll get into one more fight,¡± Ian said, making the others stare straight at him. ¡°We¡¯re going straight to the base.¡±


    ***


    This was Emma¡¯s first time eating with one of her female friends. She had always dreamed of something like this. Emma longed to be able tough with her female friends. It will be very nice because they will understand each other. Because women¡¯s feelings are certainly softer than men.


    Even though this time Emma was only going to eat with Kathy, she was already very happy. They eat in a small restaurant that serves a menu of various processed chicken. There were also some alcoholic drinks avable. This ce was rmended by Kathy.


    Emma sat opposite her friend. Fifteen minutester after ordering, the waitress came with their entire order. Emma was surprised to see how much Kathy ordered. She looked like if she haven¡¯t eaten for a week.


    ¡°Emma, today we will eat until our stomachs explode! I¡¯m the one who treats!¡± Kathy eximed after gulping down a half-full ss of cold beer.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She knew that the girl seemed very hurt after receiving bad words from Donny.


    A middle-aged man approached their table and arranged two sses of cold beer and two baskets of fried chicken and butter chicken.


    Kathy smiled broadly and grabbed the food with her eagle-like ws. After taking two big bites of his chicken breast, she took a sip of the cold beer and shouted ¡°Ahhhh!! This is so good!!¡±


    ¡°You often eat at this ce?¡± Emma asked as she picked up the fried chicken drumstick. She nodded when she tasted that the chicken was really good.


    Kathy shook her head, ¡°Actually, I rarely eat outside. But, I often order chicken from this ce to eat at home.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, I¡¯ll order chicken here often too. It tastes really good.¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°Right? My tongue is never wrong,¡± Kathyughed too much. But herughter faded for a moment as Emma looked at her with a sad smile, ¡°I look that pathetic, huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourugh if your heart doesn¡¯t want to, Kathy. I¡¯m not here to see you pretend to be happy.¡± Emma said softly.


    ¡°Tell me, Emma. Tell me that those guys are jerks.¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°They¡¯re more than a bunch of jerk losers. And nothing they said to you was true. Don¡¯t take their bullshit to heart.¡± She answered.


    Emma¡¯s words made Kathy feel so much better that she could make a faint smile. Then she took a deep breath before taking a big gulp of her beer again.


    Emma didn¡¯t stop Kathy from drinking. She knows, when a heart is feeling down, the short way to end it is by drinking. As long as she could take care of her and not get drunk too, then things should be fine.


    ¡°How does it feel to have a beautiful look, Emma? How does it feel to have a pretty face?¡± Kathy asked suddenly.


    Emma blinked a few times, ¡°Huh? It doesn¡¯t feel like anything.¡±


    Kathy chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re used to it. Do you know, Emma? I honestly feel envious of people like you. Have a pretty face, nice body shape, and cool style. Everyone will treat you well. You will be famous in a minute and be one of the popr kids without having to try hard. You don¡¯t need to introduce yourself, but everyone will already know you. You don¡¯t need to make friends, because friends wille to you themselves.¡±


    ¡°Life is easier when you are good looking.¡± She continued with a mumble.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39: The Risk Of Having Friend


    Emma leaned back and sighed at Kathy¡¯s words. That words again..


    She did not deny, everyone would think the same when they see someone who has a good look. But they only see the outside. Just see the happy side.


    ¡°Maybe, you¡¯re right that good looking people have an easier life. But, there are some ufortable things that we have to deal with. Regardless of how each person looks, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. You just need to live your life to the fullest.¡± Emma said.


    Kathy looked at the girl with sad eyes, ¡°Emma.. Do you know, why am I trying to be popr?¡±


    Emma shook her head. Actually, she was also a little curious about it. But all this time, she felt reluctant to ask her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, that I was the only daughter in the family. My mom was a popr girl at her high school. She had a pretty face, a nice body, and was also good at dancing hip hop which was a popr dance in her era. My mom has always been the centre of her group dance. The school was her kingdom and she was the queen. Until finally, she graduated, married, and had children. Since I was the only daughter she has, she wanted me to have a youth life as beautiful as hers. But s, I was born with a mediocre face like my father. I also don¡¯t have fashion sense like my mom.¡± Kathy exined.


    While she was talking, she kept gulping her beer and refilling it.


    .....


    ¡°My mom.. Always pushed and told me that I had to be pretty. I had to be cool and had to be the popr girl at school. She said, if I wasn¡¯t pretty, at least I had to be sociable to be epted and have lots of friends. She kept reminding me of all the rules to be popr in school.¡± Kathy chuckled with a few hups interspersed, ¡°Isn¡¯t that funny, that your own mother makes you insecure?¡±


    ¡°Seems like your mom isn¡¯t willing to give up her best school life yet,¡± Emma muttered.


    Kathy nodded weakly and sighed, ¡°Because of her.. I¡¯m trying to be someone else. Doing things I don¡¯t like. Being a boot-licker.. Why is my life like this?¡±


    ¡°Hey.. hey.. Don¡¯t say that. Even though she is your mother, but you own yourself. Don¡¯t let anyone decide the path of your life. You can do whatever you want. Nothing can stop you.¡± Emma said. She began to feel worried for her friend who seemed to have lost hope.


    ¡°I¡¯m really ashamed, Emma. Do all men look at me like Donny and his friends? Until whenever, I can¡¯t follow in my mom¡¯s footsteps ..¡± Tears dripped from one of her drooping eyes.


    ¡°I told you, don¡¯t listen to what they said. They¡¯re just looking for excuses because you were defending Roger. In fact, you¡¯re really great for having the courage to voice their mistakes and make stupid Brian embarrassed.¡± Said Emma.


    Emma snorted before letting out a huff. She leaned forward to look at Kathy seriously, ¡°Honestly, my life is a mess too, Kathy. I was born to walk in the path my father had prepared. I had to be someone else and do what I didn¡¯t want to. But I thought, if I stayed still, things wouldn¡¯t change. So I decided to fight and choose my own path. I¡¯m so d to meet a friend like you. We have almost the same background. I want us to support each other.¡±


    Hearing Emma¡¯s words, Kathy smiled. But her smile wasn¡¯t what Emma expected. She looks stupid with a reddish face.


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk,¡± Emma muttered tly. It was foolish of her to speak seriously with a heart to a drunken person who would not necessarily remember the contents of their conversation the next day.


    ¡°Hmm.. Isn¡¯t that the handsome PB?¡± Kathy said with droopy eyes as she pointed her finger to what¡¯s behind Emma¡¯s back.


    Emma frowned in confusion and looked back. She saw the table that Kathy pointed at, which was upied by three men in suits who seemed to be having a serious conversation. She returned her face to Kathy, ¡°Who¡¯s PB?¡±


    Kathy chuckled as she hupped, ¡°PB.. Prince Bold.. Don¡¯t you know him? Oh... Yes, you don¡¯t.. You¡¯re a very popr person. Knowing other popr guys doesn¡¯t really matter to you.. Hem.. you don¡¯t need to look for guys to get their attention. How lucky...¡± She muttered with her head bobbing as if it was heavy as stone.


    ¡°Kathy.. We have to go home. You¡¯re very drunk.¡± Emma said worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk, Emma. I¡¯m still conscious. Please stop the merry-go-round. I¡¯m going to throw up. Take me downstairs now. Let¡¯s have a drink together at the chicken restaurant.¡±


    Emma no longer paid attention to Kathy¡¯s nonsensical chatter. She went straight to the cashier to pay for their food. Even though Kathy¡¯s initial promise would be to treat. But Emma didn¡¯t mind that at all. She understood that Kathy was drunk.


    As soon as Emma returned from the counter, she was surprised to find Kathy was gone, ¡°Oh my.. Where¡¯s that girl?¡± she mumbled as looked around.


    How shocked Emma was, when she found Kathy already at the table she had pointed at by mentioning the name of ¡®PB¡¯ earlier.


    Insane! She came over to their table!


    Good grief! Emma felt like she was going to lose her mind in a minute. Looks like, when Kathy got drunk she became so troublesome andpletely lost her sanity. How could she walk up to a table of three men and tease them like a sl*t?


    Emma hurriedly stepped up to her, ¡°Kathy! What are you doing?! Let¡¯s go!¡± she took the girl¡¯s hand.


    Kathy turned to Emma with a stagger, ¡°Go? I¡¯m going on a date. Don¡¯t bother me! Leave me alone!¡±


    Emma nced at the three men who were dumbfounded at the two of them, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my friend. She¡¯s drunk. I¡¯ll take her away immediately.¡± Emma said while trying to pull Kathy.


    But suddenly..


    ¡°arghhh!¡±


    Emma didn¡¯t know what she had dreamtst night. She never thought having friends would be this troublesome. Emma couldn¡¯t believe that Kathy would throw up in there. That silly girl threw up right on a caramel brown hair man in fine clothes that look expensive.


    ¡®Ah.. Isn¡¯t that the man Kathy had referred to as PB?¡¯ Emma thought.


    As soon as she finished throwing up, Kathy immediately lost consciousness and fell asleep on the restaurant floor.


    Emma could only stand still with her hands covering her mouth in shock at what had happened.


    ¡°Hey! Are you woman nuts?!¡± One of the three men stood fiercely. He has a bald head with a body full of tattoos that cover up to hisrge neck.


    ¡°Sorry! I¡¯ll pay for your clothes,¡± Emma said to the man Kathy threw up on.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to talk, huh? Life isn¡¯t that simple, you know?! You woman messed up our meeting and your friend got our boss¡¯s clothes dirty.¡± Nagged the bald man.


    Emma snorted and immediately pulled Kathy to her feet, ¡°I know and I¡¯m sorry. I really willpensate.¡± she said while busy herself. Rather than the three angry men, Emma was more apprehensive about Kathy. She waspletely unconscious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any fear?¡± A man¡¯s baritone voice made Emma turn her head, ¡°You girls made a mistake. But you don¡¯t seem to care much about us. Doesn¡¯t he look scary enough?¡± he pointed to his bald men.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40: Prince Bold?


    Emma nced at the bald man again. Yes, he does look scary. But Emma didn¡¯t think to be afraid of him. The member of her father¡¯s mafia group looked much scarier than that person. They often carried Emma in their arms when she was a child. They were good uncles who used to buy her ice cream when she was a cute little girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m too worried about my friend. Let me take her home first, then I¡¯ll transfer thepensation money.¡± Emma exined to the man.


    ¡°Wait.. I think I¡¯ve seen you before,¡± The man who vomited earlier narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Oh.. My friend said you were PB. Could it be that you two know each other?¡± asked Emma.


    The man seemed to think for a moment, ¡°PB? Yes, that¡¯s my name.. on campus. Do we study at the same ce? At Jardin University.¡±


    Emma nodded with relief, ¡°You¡¯re right. We are studying at the same university. You don¡¯t have to worry. My name is Emma Hind. I promise will pay thepensation. You could find me on campus If I¡¯m not sending the money.¡± She said fast. ¡°Now, let us go.¡± She smiled forcefully.


    ¡°Emma Hilnd?¡± muttered the man. He stood up and took off his brown coat which was stained with vomit.


    .....


    ¡°Help her carry her friend,¡± PB ordered his two men while handing the coat to one of them.


    ¡°Okay, Boss!¡±


    Emma frowned, but she didn¡¯t refuse the help. They put Kathy in a chair pushed together so the girl could lie down.


    ¡°I happen to know the owner of this tavern. He will give your friend a hangover drink.¡± Said PB.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Thank you. Oh.. How much does your coat cost? I¡¯ll pay it back.¡±


    ¡°No need. It just needs to be taken to theundry.¡± He answered. Then, he turned to Emma, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Calvin Lee¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    Emma¡¯s forehead furrowed and her eyes blinked in surprise. She cleared her throat somewhat annoyed, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the rumours are going around on campus. But I¡¯m not Calvin Lee¡¯s girlfriend.¡± The answer was emphatic.


    ¡°Oh, It was actually from the girls. I just heard. I¡¯m sorry if it turns out to be untrue.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Emma replied. ¡°By the way, thanks for helping us and for understanding my friend¡¯s behaviour. She¡¯s not a good drinker.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t known her for long.¡± Said PB.


    Emma then turned her face towards the shop owner man who came to bring a ss of turbid water.


    ¡°This is a hangover drink.¡± He put the ss on the table.


    ¡°Thank you, sir. Sorry to mess up your tavern.¡± Emma said ufortably.


    The old manughed shyly, ¡°Ah.. It¡¯s okay. You are Boss Marcel¡¯s friend. So, you are also the special guest here. Haha..¡±


    ¡°Boss Marcel?¡± Emma repeated in a mumble.


    ¡°You¡¯d better give that drink to your friend now. It¡¯s gettingte. Shouldn¡¯t you girls go home?¡± Said PB to break Emma¡¯s mind. He hinted at the owner of the shop to leave immediately.


    ¡°You are right,¡± Emma said. She immediately went to Kathy and forcefully woke her up.


    After the girl¡¯s consciousness had awakened a little, Emma immediately gave her the hangover drink. After about fifteen minutes, Kathy finally woke up from her severe hangover.


    Kathy¡¯s vision was still blurry and wobbly. She looked at a tall man in a ck long-sleeved shirt with a high cor standing in front of her. Then she turned her head to the left, just to find Emma who was crouching, looking at her worriedly.


    ¡°Are you feeling any better?¡± Emma asked her friend.


    Kathy nodded then clutched her head, ¡°My head hurts so bad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you a taxi. How about it?¡± The man asked as he crouched down beside Emma.


    Kathy, who finally realized that the man was Prince Bold a.k.a PB, the handsome guy from the fashion design ss, couldn¡¯t help but gape. She suddenly felt so ashamed of her drunken state that she had to fall asleep on thebined chairs.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Please. Thank you so much.¡±


    PB nodded, then stood up. He approached one of his men who had straight hair to ask him to call a taxi. It wasn¡¯t long before he returned to Emma and Kathy.


    ¡°The taxi is right out front. I¡¯ll help you.¡± He said by carrying Kathy with him.


    PB opened the passenger car door and Kathy went inside. Emma, ??who was still standing outside, refused to join her in the car.


    ¡°Thanks for helping us. I¡¯m really going to change your coat. Or at least.. let me pay for theundry.¡± She took a small notebook and a pen from her bag. ¡°This is my phone number. Please send me your bank ount numberter. I don¡¯t like being indebted to someone.¡±


    PB received a piece of paper that Emma tore from the notebook, ¡°I see. Be careful on the way. Good evening.¡± He said as Emma got into the car.


    After that the taxi left, leaving PB who was still standing on the side of the road in front of the tavern, the two men approached.


    ¡°Boss, The new boys we¡¯re about to recruit are already at the main base. Should we go there now?¡± Asked one of them.


    ¡°Have you finished your work?¡± PB asked, keeping the piece of paper he was holding in the front pocket of his pants.


    ¡°Of course, Boss. We¡¯ve collected deposits at all the shops down this street.¡± Answered the men with straight hair.


    ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    ***


    ¡°EMMA!! I AM SO SORRY!!¡± Kathy whined as she hugged the girl.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Kathy. I understand you¡¯re drunk.¡± Answered Emma.


    ¡°But what I did was really embarrassing. You don¡¯t know, PB is one of the campus princes? Your name will definitely get ugly because of me. Just wait until PB tells the popr girl group who likes to gossip. Gosh! They are always envious of you. This must be an opportunity for them to make you look bad!¡± Her crying was too much.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem, Kathy. Take it easy. Besides, that guy named PB doesn¡¯t seem too bad either. He¡¯s nice and polite.¡± Answered Emma.


    ¡°Emma.. You are my best friend. I love you, Emma.¡± Kathy took her best friend¡¯s hands and held them in front of her face.


    Emma chuckled, ¡°Thanks for thinking that. By the way, is your house still far?¡±


    Kathy nodded, ¡°My house is near to our university. It¡¯s toote if you have to go back to your house. Do you want to stay at my house? Don¡¯t worry.. my room is quite spacious and clean.¡±


    The tavern they were going to was located quite far from campus. Emma and Kathy had to take several buses to get there. Emma herself had never crossed the street which had quite a few small shops and taverns.


    ¡°Okay, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Emma answered.


    Kathy grinned, ¡°Of course not, Emma. I¡¯d be so happy you wanted to stay!¡±


    ***


    Arriving at Kathy¡¯s house, they immediately went into the girl¡¯s room because it was veryte. They didn¡¯t want to disturb Kathy¡¯s sleeping family.


    ¡°Wee to my room, Emma,¡± Kathy said as she opened the door to her room. ¡°Pleasee in.¡±


    Emma stepped inside and looked around. Her heart fluttered because this was the first time she had stayed at her friend¡¯s house. Just imagine, sleeping together with fellow women of the same age. They could talk about many things throughout the night, even until morning came. Try each other¡¯s body care products, show off beautiful clothes, and more. It must be so much fun!


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower first, Emma. Then you can borrow my pyjama. Make yourself at home. You can mess with my things, as long as not with myputer.¡± Kathy said by opening her wardrobe.


    Emma chuckled, ¡°Of course I¡¯m not going to rattle your stuff, Kathy. What are you talking about?¡±


    Kathyughed too, then she went into the small bathroom in her room.


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s phone rang. It was a text message from an unknown number. So far, Emma¡¯s mailbox is only full of messages from Jonas or prepaid card operators. Even in Emma¡¯s contacts, there were only the numbers of Jonas and her family. So far, she had no phone number of her friends.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get Kathy¡¯s numberter.¡± Emma thought.


    Then she returned to the iing message earlier and read it.


    ¡®Good evening, Emma. It¡¯s me PB. This is my ount number xxxxx in the name of xxxx. I understand you don¡¯t like being in debt. But I seriously don¡¯t mind it. And if you persist, I will speak no more.¡¯


    Emma read the message with a mocking mouth. Even though PB had said so, but of course Emma still stood her ground, which was to rece the damage to the guy¡¯s clothes. Then Emma went into her online bank ount and transferred some money.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41: Online Message


    Emma replied to PB¡¯s message.


    ¡®Thank you, PB. But I still rece it. This is the screenshot and you can also check whether the money has been properly entered or not in your ount. Our problem is solved now. Sorry to bother you. Good evening.¡¯


    Send!


    After Kathy finished showering, she let Emma use her bathroom, towels, toiletries, and pyjamas.


    This was the first time Emma had borrowed this much of someone else¡¯s stuff. This was her first experience of having friends to get this close. She felt really happy.


    As soon as Emma finished showering, she found Kathy sitting cross-legged on her light blue gaming chair in front of theputer. Emma walked over to her.


    ¡°Where should I put the towels?¡± asked Emma.


    .....


    ¡°Just put it in that bunny basket.¡± Kathy pointed to a basket of dirty bunny-patterned clothes next to the bathroom door. Emma nodded and did.


    ¡°Have you lost your hangover? You really want to continue ying theputer again?¡± Emma looked at her in surprise.


    Kathy chuckled, ¡°My head still hurts.. But I won¡¯t be able to sleep peacefully if I haven¡¯t fiddled with myputer before going to bed.¡± She answered. Then, she seemed to remember something. ¡°Ah.. Emma, ??do you like ying games?¡±


    Emma frowned slightly, ¡°When I was little I used to y games a few times. But now I don¡¯t y that kind of stuff anymore.¡± She answered. Emma¡¯s time had been too tight and serious. She and her family never spend time ying games.


    ¡°Really? But you have to try a game made by the IT seniors at our university. They made it for the final practical exam. Everyone can vote. And especially for Jardin University students, the voter will be drawn at the end of the event and the winner will get present.¡± She exined.


    Then Kathy fiddled with herputer for a while and entered a web page. It was a special site for Jardin University¡¯s IT department. Then she stood up from her chair, ¡°Come here, Emma. Give it a try. Then, you can vote using your student ount.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can y it or not. I haven¡¯t yed a game in a very long time..¡±


    ¡°Rx, Emma. There¡¯s no need to worry.. It¡¯s just a simple game. You just need to give it a little try. It¡¯s really fun!¡± Cut Kathy.


    Emma was already sitting in her chair while Kathy flicked theputer mouse and selected one of five games for the first try. Then she straightened her back before pushing Emma¡¯s chair closer to theputer screen.


    ¡°How? It¡¯s fun, right?¡± Kathy asked, happy to see Emma looking serious ying those games.


    Emma nodded, ¡°There were some tough parts. But it was really fun.¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°They¡¯re really great, aren¡¯t they? I¡¯m also learning to make games. But I just make it a sideline. Because I think hacking is more important.¡± Kathy said.


    Finally, Emma finished trying all her games. Then she chose one of the games that she thought was the most exciting. Emma took it very seriously. She choose the game that has the best graphics, the most fun way to y, the most suitable music, the easiest to understand the exnation, and the most appropriate level of difficulty ording to the information suggested by the yer¡¯s age.


    ¡°Wow.. You¡¯re very selective as a judge.¡± Kathy looked admiration and surprised.


    Emma chuckled as she scratched her non-itchy head ¡°I don¡¯t like to choose randomly. Moreover, our voices affect their grades.¡± Kathy nodded in understanding.


    When Kathy was about to close the page. At a nce, Emma saw one of the ount names that caught her attention on the list of ounts that had already rated the game she had voted for.


    ¡°Wait. Isn¡¯t that Roger¡¯s ount?¡± Emma pointed to theputer screen.


    ¡°Roger? Oh, your friend from the lunch earlier?¡± then Kathy clicked on the ount that Emma pointed.


    Right. It was Roger Timothy¡¯s ount.


    ¡°He chose the same game as me. He has good taste too.¡± Emma smiled.


    Kathy looked at Emma and blinked. From the smile and the look in her eyes, Emma seemed to really care about the guy named Roger. Even though from what Kathy saw this afternoon, Roger seemed to ignore Emma a lot. But it seems she has a special ce in Emma¡¯s heart.


    ¡°That Roger.. Do you like him? Or do you two happen to be rtives? Or are you good friends?¡± Kathy asked innocently as if she were guessing.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know what we should be called. I consider him my friend. But I don¡¯t know what he thinks of me.¡± She answered honestly.


    ¡°Woah.. It¡¯s like unrequited love. So, do you like him or not? I can see.. that he looks careless. But doesn¡¯t that guy look.. well.. a bit geeky?¡±


    Emma smiled faintly, ¡°I don¡¯t love Roger, Kathy. But somehow, I have special feelings for him. When I see Roger, I feel like I see the old me, but in a different state. Roger looks like someone who is trapped in a situation where he couldn¡¯t get out from. It made me feel like helping him. I want to make him realize that he was in control to do anything in his life.¡±


    Kathy seemed to think for a moment, ¡°From your story, I¡¯m bing increasingly convinced that the guy was bullied.¡±


    Emma didn¡¯t answer. But from the girl¡¯s face, it looks like she agrees with Kathy¡¯s words.


    Talking about Roger made Kathy, who once dreamed of being a detective when she was little, now bes curious. Because of that, she tried to open Roger Timothy¡¯s ount even more deeply.


    ¡°Rather than dying of curiosity. Let¡¯s see what kind of person he really is.¡± She mumbled with a wide grin.


    ¡°I-is it okay?¡± Emma gave a worried face. But she didn¡¯t refuse Kathy¡¯s invitation because she was also really curious. Even though Emma knew that their actions were wrong. They shouldn¡¯t infiltrate into other people¡¯s ounts.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that Kathy can¡¯t do.¡± The dishevelled-haired girlughed. ¡°Just hacking a small website like this is very easy. Moreover, hacking student ounts on campus sites. This job is a piece of cake. Don¡¯t worry, Emma. This activity is impossible to be detected.¡±


    Emma got up from Kathy¡¯s chair, then she pulled out the small chair that was in front of the dressing table and sat down next to Kathy who had swapped chairs with her. She witnessed how shrewd the girl¡¯s ten fingers fiddled with herputer until...


    Bang!


    They are already on Roger Timothy¡¯s ount as a Roger Timothy. It seemed that the guy was asleep because there was information that he wasst online three hours ago.


    Kathy turned her chair to face Emma, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Emma. We¡¯re not criminals. We¡¯re just watching, not messing with Roger¡¯s ount.¡±


    Emma nodded, smiling awkwardly.


    Inside Roger¡¯s student ount, there wasn¡¯t much to see. It contains only assignments that must be submitted online. Even though normally, student ounts are also often used by students tomunicate with other campus friends. Because the university party also can¡¯t open the students¡¯ ounts.


    You could say the student ount had been set as a personal ount. Even, these ounts could also be connected to students¡¯ personal social media and emails.


    ¡°Looks like he doesn¡¯t have many friends, does he..?¡± Kathy muttered.


    Suddenly, a chat notification appeared at the right bottom of the screen. Kathy had arranged for Roger¡¯s ount to remain offline even though they were opening it. Who texted that guy this early in the morning?


    ¡°There¡¯s an iing chat,¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Should we take a look?¡± Kathy asked. But, even though Emma hadn¡¯t answered yet, Kathy had opened the chat, ¡°Even if we open it, we won¡¯t be caught either. Don¡¯t worry, my application is very safe for spying on people. Haha..¡± sheughed.


    ¡°Wait a minute.. Did you get into my ount too?¡± Emma looked at her suspiciously.


    Kathy casually nodded, ¡°I did, when the first time I talked with you. It seems that you rarely open your student ount, huh? But there are a lot of college boys who send you messages. And you didn¡¯t serve them at all.. Haha.. You are indeed a woman¡¯s role model!¡±


    ¡°You are...¡± Emma didn¡¯t know what else to say to the girl.


    ¡°Hey, Emma! Look at this,¡± Kathy leaned back with a surprised face.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Emma then read the contents of the new message that had been opened by Kathy.


    It was a message from a man with an ount called Carter Barewood. He was a senior in the Broadcasting major. He was also known as a delinquent student with a body full of tattoos. He was also the Baseball and Karate club boy.


    ¡®Roger! This Wednesday at the regr warehouse at five in the afternoon. If you don¡¯te, I will break your leg.¡¯


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42: The Beginning Of Disguise


    The content of the disturbing message made Emma and Kathy stare at each other.


    ¡°What is he going to do to Roger?¡± Emma muttered as she looked back at theputer screen.


    ¡°What else? They¡¯re definitely going to rob that guy.¡± Kathy said then gulped, though Emma was just muttering to herself instead of asking her. ¡°There are remnants of the previous message. Woah.. Looks like he¡¯s been robbed like this many times.¡± Kathy continued while pulling the scroll bar to see the contents of previous messages.


    Carter ¡®Bring your deposit tomorrow!¡¯


    Roger ¡®Ok.¡¯


    Carter ¡®If you want to live, bring the deposit.¡¯


    Roger ¡®Ok.¡¯


    .....


    Carter ¡®The day after tomorrow with the deposit and five boxes of cigarettes.¡¯


    Roger ¡®Sure.¡¯


    Emma clenched her fists as she read the contents of the message from the person named Carter. Was it one of the men Emma had seen beat Roger in the warehouse back then? From the way he spoke, it seemed she wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°This is crazy, Emma. Roger is in trouble,¡± said Kathy.


    Emma nodded, ¡°I have to help him. This is too far.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? How can you help him? Carter and his gang are dangerous guys. They¡¯re even crazier than Donny¡¯s. I heard they¡¯re also members of an evil group.¡±


    ¡°What? What group?¡± Emma frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. And I don¡¯t care either. I really don¡¯t want to deal with guys like them. Actually, it¡¯smon knowledge that those guys often ckmail and rob weak students. But no one ever dared to act because afraid of ending up being their next target.¡± Kathy shuddered.


    ¡°Kathy, can you find out about that guy named Carter? I¡¯m just curious.¡± Emma asked.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll just have to log into Carter¡¯s ount and the rest.. depends on his travel history on the inte.¡±


    Emma didn¡¯t expect this girl named Kathy to be so skilled. In an organization, people with abilities like Kathy are certainly needed.


    From Carter¡¯s student ount, Kathy could track sites and cyberspace that he had freely browsed with the email address he had connected to the ount.


    ¡°The inte is like the body. It has nerves, veins, and organs that are connected. That¡¯s why digital footprints are terrifying.¡± said Kathy.


    ¡°Look at this.. there¡¯s a website that looks suspicious. What is it? Carter logs in here a lot.¡± She continued.


    ¡°Maybe a porn site?¡± said Emma.


    Kathy shook her head, ¡°No.. It¡¯s like a made-up website.¡± She said like a Mrs Know it all, by opening the suspicious site page.


    ¡°What.. is this..?¡± Emma muttered.


    , Wee to The Bulls! A ce for bullies and cool kids from universities and schools. Here we will share tips and tricks to earn money easily and how to make the losers more afraid of us. Here we can also exchange information, videos, and photos.¡¯


    ¡°Damn it! I didn¡¯t know there was a site like this! Who made it?¡± Kathy said as she grabbed her own hair with both hands.


    ¡°Look, there are over five hundred members..¡± Emma pointed to the member logo at the top.


    Kathy nodded and then was busy with it a bit to find out how it worked and what the site actually was.


    ¡°This site is like social media. But we can only open it if we are members. The way to be a member is to be invited by The Bulls Co-Host that totalling twenty ounts. For a cheap site, they make it difficult to track. If not for messing around with Carter¡¯s ount, we¡¯ll never find this site. Because by searching the inte, we have to type a special code to bring it to the surface. Looks like the creators of this site are smart too. I¡¯m not going to underestimate them.¡± Kathy exined with a serious face.


    Then the two girls browsed the contents of the site. The Bulls site was like a paradise for bullies. They recorded their heinous behaviour and upload it there. They also shared tips and information on the best way to earn money by extorting money from the losers. Many also shared their experiences of daily bullying. They seemed to make the site a diary, exhibition, and entertainment. If you look at it, almost all of its members were male.


    Then, they saw all of Carter¡¯s posts on the site. What¡¯s even more astonishing was that this damn guy had been recording his bullying of many college geeks all this time. And there were a lot of Roger¡¯s videos.


    Emma and Kathy couldn¡¯t believe their own eyes. It turned out that the torture that Carter and his friends inflicted on Roger was truly beyondprehension. They filmed the violence they did to him, when they pranked Roger in the bathroom, in the warehouse, even.. One of the worst videos with lots of ¡®Likes¡¯ was when they stripped Roger and forced him to wear a girl¡¯s bikini.


    Seeing that, Kathy couldn¡¯t hold her tears to flow out. She and Emma both covered their mouths with their hands in shock. This is outrageous!


    ¡®I¡¯m really going to kill them!¡¯ Emma screamed in her heart.


    ¡°Emma..¡± Kathy brought Emma back from her thoughts.


    The round green-eyed girl looked at Emma sadly, ¡°I know you must be very angry seeing this. I feel the same way. But you have to keep your mouth shut about the information on this site and everything on it. It would be very dangerous if we found out about this site.¡±


    Emma was silent ¡°I see.¡± she answered.


    ***


    ¡°Wednesdays at five o¡¯clock. I¡¯ll finish them there.¡± Emma muttered as she stared at her reflection in therge mirror of her practice room.


    She looked down at therge boxing bag she had bought online a few days ago, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you jerks!¡± she shouted as she punched the bag with her hand wrapped in a special cloth to protect her skin from getting scratched by the bumps.


    As soon as she finished practising, Emma went to take a warm shower. As the water hit her head and ran down the drain, Emma was lost in her thoughts.


    ¡°How can I help Roger without getting caught? Do I need to tell Calvin about this? No. This is my business. Roger is my friend. Besides, if Calvin finds out, maybe he¡¯ll track down the site and things could fall apart.¡± Emma thought.


    ¡°Ugh.. Roger.. How can I help you?¡± Emma rubbed her face.


    ***


    For the past few months, Emma had chosen to use public transportation to go to campus. She will only drive a car if she wants to go somewhere aftering home from college, such as shopping.


    Because the weather was good, today Emma chose to use the bus to go to campus. She was trying to organize her messy mind because she saw the bullying that involved the person who had always been her seatmate when they were in the same ss.


    Although Roger is often silent and seemed indifferent, Emma knew that the guy secretly cares for her. Roger always kept double stationeries with him secretly, because Emma often lost her own. And, when that happened, Roger would lend his. When Emma forgot to bring her notebooks, Roger always shared them with her. Even, that guy always indirectly lends his very neat and detailed notebook to Emma.


    Emma knew that Roger actually wanted to be friends with her. But it seemed that he felt inferior if he was friends with a popr girl like Emma. He was also worried that Emma would get into trouble if she befriended a loser like him.


    Emma herself finally made up her mind after seeing The Bulls website yesterday. If she were in Roger¡¯s position, Emma would also be reluctant to make friends with anyone, because it would end up causing trouble for her own friends.


    Without realizing it, Emma had arrived at the campus gate. The long road leading to the building that used to give colourful views of tree leaves was now starting to turn white because it was covered in snow which had been falling quite heavily recently.


    Brum!


    Emma turned her head when she heard the sound of the engine roaring behind her. She stopped in her track and stepped back when she found the motorcyclist had stopped and stared at her.


    Even though Emma hadn¡¯t asked the rider what he needed, he had already taken off his full-face red helmet.


    Then Emma smiled and chuckled, ¡°You were startled me, Calvin.¡±


    Calvin chuckled, causing a puff of steam to show in front of his mouth ¡°Sorry. I forgot you don¡¯t know my new style motorbike.¡±


    ¡°Did you paint it another colour?¡± Emma looked at the motorbike. She remembered it was a motorbike that was destroyed by gangsters when she met Calvin in a battered state in front of the supermarket.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°To avoid any new problems. I painted it red. Not many people recognize my bike in this colour yet.¡± He said. Then he prepared to put on his helmet again. ¡°I stopped because I wanted to offer you a ride. Would you like it?¡±


    Emma thought for a moment then nodded. Even though the sky was clear, the temperature was quite cold. It felt like her feet would freeze if she had to walk any further.


    ¡°Okay. Come on up.¡± Calvin helped the girl into the back of his motorbike. ¡°Hold tightly. The asphalt is a bit slippery.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Answered Emma.


    Then Calvin put on his helmet and started the motorbike. Calvin deliberately drove his motorbike a bit slowly because he knew the wind would be very cold for Emma if he went at his usual speed.


    As soon as Calvin put on his shiny helmet, Emma could immediately see the reflection of her own face on the back of the helmet. Emma was silent at her reflection until her eyes narrowed.


    When Calvin approached her wearing a helmet earlier, Emma was quite surprised because she couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face. Emma thought he wasn¡¯t Calvin, but some other yboy trying to seduce her. The red helmet covered Calvin¡¯s face.


    Yes, the red helmet covered Calvin¡¯s identity.


    That gave Emma a brilliant idea. An idea that would help her save Roger on Wednesday. Why didn¡¯t Emma think of that? She just has to wear a simr helmet to cover her identity as Emma Hilnd. No one will know who he is. Not even Roger.


    ¡°The important thing is not getting caught. Of course, I won¡¯t be caught.¡± Emma muttered to herself with a smile.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43: Preparation


    ¡°What?¡± Calvin turned when he heard Emma¡¯s incoherent muttering.


    ¡°W.. what?¡± Emma repeated confused.


    ¡°Did you talk to me just now?¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No. I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± She lied.


    ¡°Oh.. I think I have a problem with my ears,¡± Calvin replied.


    It turned out they had arrived at the parking lot. Calvin parked his motorbike and helped Emma down from his high motorbike. It just so happened that Emma was wearing a rather tight skirt, so Calvin thought she might find it difficult to get off the bike.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma said.


    .....


    ¡°The first ss ismunication. Are you taking it?¡± Asked Calvin.


    Emma nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve never missed ss like you. So my schedule is normal.¡± She chuckled.


    Calvin smiled, ¡°Time isn¡¯t enough for me. If I were a god, I would make 48 hours of time go round in a day.¡±


    Emmaughed, ¡°If that happens, then I¡¯ll be moving to another. By the way, how were your injuries yesterday?¡± asked Emma. Calvin¡¯s entire body is tightly covered because he was wearing winter clothes.


    ¡°A lot has recovered. After that day, I went to the hospital to treat my wound. Luckily, my body recovered quickly.¡±


    ¡°Calvin, are you still going to do something dangerous like that? What happened yesterday is not something to be underestimated. I mean.. You could have died in their hands.¡± Emma said.


    Calvin smiled faintly, ¡°You¡¯ll know when someone who means a lot to you is hurt because of their crime. Of course, I hope that never happens.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think it¡¯s too dangerous. But if you feel it¡¯s worth it and you can afford it, I won¡¯t say any more.¡± Emma cleared her throat.


    ¡°Looks like this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you care about me so openly.¡± Calvinughed.


    Emma¡¯s cheeks suddenly turned red, until the girl turned her face away, ¡°If you said this thing as caring, then what about what I did yesterday? I actually went into the nest of those crazy guys to help you. Isn¡¯t that caring enough?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s included. Sorry, I forgot to take that into ount, because Troy was there.¡± He smiled sweetly.


    ¡°You silly,¡± Said Emma. Luckily, she was wearing makeup so the blush on her cheeks was covered by foundation. ¡°By the way, it seems I rarely see Troy on campus. Thest time I saw him was in the cafeteria. It was also the first time for me.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯ve run into him a few times. It¡¯s true that Troy and his friends rarely hang around. They¡¯re always busy in Judo ss.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Calvin!¡± Several girls greeted the guy as they entered the campus building. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s Emma too.. Hi!¡± they continued with a friendly look at Emma.


    Just like Calvin, Emma also returned their greetings in a friendly manner. But Emma knew after they were passing that girls group, they immediately talked about her from behind. Especially, because Emma was seen walking with Calvin who became the idol among the campus girls.


    Actually, Emma felt ufortable walking with Calvin on campus. Everyone would stare at them as if the two of them were a celebrity couple who was involved in a huge scandal.


    It was enough for Emma to get a nce from the men every day. By walking with Calvin, she seemed to get a double portion of it. Luckily, Emma never cared about the gossips around her. So, she wouldn¡¯t be bothered by the gossip that might being, as a result of her walking to ss alone with this handsome guy.


    As soon as she got to ss, Emma moved to the chair she usually sat in. But strangely, Roger was not there. Emma continued to sit in her ce while Calvin was still standing at the side.


    ¡°Can I sit next to you?¡± Asked him.


    Emma looked at him and blinked a few times. She was a bit confused why Calvin needed to ask permission just to sit next to her? Of course, he can sit wherever he wants, as long as it¡¯s not at the lecturer¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Of course. But.. maybe you could sit there.¡± Emma pointed to the chair to her left. ¡°Usually, Roger sits here.¡± She said as pointing to the chair to her right.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Calvin then sat in the chair Emma pointed to.


    While waiting for ss to start, Emma and Calvin were busy chatting. Actually, Emma didn¡¯t expect it to be so much fun chatting with Calvin. The man had broad insight and looked smart. The way he talked was also nice to hear. No wonder so many girls fell for him.


    Unlike Emma, ??Calvin felt that his conversation with the girl was a little awkward. Yes, it was because Emma looked a bit restless like she was waiting for someone. Of course, Emma must be waiting for Roger Timothy. The guy who made An Emma Hind prepare a chair for him.


    ¡°You¡¯re still waiting for Roger?¡± Calvin asked in the middle of their chat.


    Emma nodded, then looked back at the ssroom door, ¡°Usually, he¡¯s been here since morning. But now, the ss is almost full but he hasn¡¯t shown up yet.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯te today,¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.. I hope hees in today.¡± Emma muttered.


    But in fact, Roger did note until the seat to the left of Emma was finally filled by another student.


    The ss had gone on for fifteen minutes. During that time, Emma often nced at the ssroom door. But there was no sign of Roger¡¯s arrival. Maybe Calvin was right, that he was absent today.


    ¡°Calm down Emma. Maybe he¡¯s still sleeping in his room.¡± Calvin whispered.


    Emma turned to Calvin, who smiled warmly at her, but there was a hint of surprise on his face, ¡°Sorry, I made you feel ufortable, huh?¡±


    Calvin chuckled, ¡°Just a little. But that¡¯s okay. I know you care about him.¡±


    Emma smiled warmly. Luckily, she had a friend as kind and understanding as Calvin Lee.


    ¡°I know you care a lot about Roger. But please, don¡¯t forget my words. Don¡¯t get involved in his troubles. What else with the scamps. You can call me if you need help.¡± The guy suddenly said.


    Hearing that, Emma cleared her throat awkwardly because she felt used. But she still developed a smile that now became thin, ¡°There¡¯s no problem at this time. Of course, I will stay out of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Good then.¡± Said Calvin.


    ***


    The two bright blue irises trembled. The blue light from theputer in the darkroom reflected the blue light in the lenses of his sses. The tears that had been welling up in his eyes for a long time, couldn¡¯t he hold back anymore and finally flowed out.


    They said a man shouldn¡¯t cry. But for Roger, it was too painful to see the girl he loved was suffering so badly. And his chest felt stabbed when he realized the fact that he was unable to help her.


    For Roger, it didn¡¯t matter that his life was falling apart. It didn¡¯t matter if he had to be beaten and humiliated every day. As long as it¡¯s not the girl he loved.


    Theputer screen kept ying the video. It was as if the screen sucked out Roger¡¯s soul and tortured it.


    Roger grabbed his own hair with both hands. He burst into tears as he kept shaking his head.


    ¡°NOOOOOOO!!!¡±


    ***


    ck! ck! ck!


    Footsteps echoed in a deserted shop. Rock music ying at low volume. It was a shop that sold various motorcycle essories.


    Emma deliberately chose a not-so-famous shop in a mall located in downtown Handway. She didn¡¯t like crowds.


    Arge shelf exhibits a wide collection of helmets in various colours. Emma stood in front of it for a long time. She was confused about choosing the best helmet and ording to her taste.


    Just like girls in general, Emma would feel confused when faced with several choices. What¡¯s more, all the helmets in that ce were beautiful and to Emma¡¯s taste.


    ¡°Do you need help, Miss?¡± Asked the shopkeeper. A man in his forties with a thick moustache and beard, tattooed hands, and a buff on his head. He really looked like a 90¡¯s motorcycle gang member.


    ¡°Oh? No, I¡¯m just picking the best helmet.¡± Emma answered kindly.


    ¡°Hmm.. But the women¡¯s helmets are on the shelf over there.¡± He pointed to the other shelf which showed the helmet colours were brighter and sweeter. ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re looking for a helmet for your boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Umm..¡± Emma thought for a moment then nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m going to buy a helmet for my boyfriend. What¡¯s the best full-face helmet you have?¡±


    ¡°I see. What colour are you looking for? The most selling helmets on the market are usually ck.¡± The man stepped on one of the shelves with a line of full-face helmets at a fairly high price.


    ¡°I need something that isn¡¯t too shy. ck is fine too, as long as the quality is good. Ah.. and I need something that doesn¡¯te off my head easily.¡± Emma exined.


    The man looked at Emma confusedly, ¡®Can¡¯te off of her head easily? Didn¡¯t she just say that she wanted to buy a helmet for her boyfriend? After all, what kind of dangerous thing would you do that makes you afraid of having the helmet off your head? All my helmets are safe for a bike ride!¡¯


    Vampire lover! Check new story


    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44: Girl In The Mall


    The man shook his head as he sighed.


    ¡®Eh, Whatever.. Looks like she¡¯s just a weird girl. I don¡¯t want to deal with her any longer.¡¯ The bearded man thought. From his personal experience, usually a pretty and fashionable girl was weird and annoying. They seemed to feel that they are princes who must be obeyed by all their wishes, never stop talking, and often nagging.


    ¡°How is it? Do you have it?¡± Emma asked again with a furrowed forehead when she saw the man was daydreaming in his work.


    The man woke up from his daydream, then nodded while looking at the shelf in front of him. Then, he took two ck helmets of almost the same model and brought them to Emma.


    ¡°Actually this is the least selling helmet in my shop. The model is average but it¡¯s expensive.¡± He said.


    Emma frowned, ¡°Why is that? Is there anything special?¡±


    ¡°Of course. This helmet is very strong, using the standard of 200 ss international motorcycle racing helmet. Even though the material is very thick and strong, you can still hear clearly when wearing this helmet and it also has air cirction holes that are specially designed so the rider face and head will not be hot.¡± Obviously.


    .....


    ¡°Hem.. That¡¯s good too. But the model.. is too ordinary.¡± Emma muttered. She also wondered why the helmetpany made a product with very good quality but an ordinary model. As a fashionable person, Emma was disturbed by this.


    The man nodded, ¡°That¡¯s why these helmets don¡¯t have a good selling. Only a few people who wear helmets a lot on long trips usually buy them. As I said, the design is just like an ordinary helmet. When you wear this, you will seem to blend in with the other bike rider on the road.¡± Heughed then shook his head slightly.


    Wait.. Seems to blend with other people, huh? Wasn¡¯t that exactly what Emma wanted? Emma pped herself on the forehead for her shopping habits.


    She was always like that. Go to a store with the initial intention of buying one item, but ended up buying other stuff and some extra stuff that wasn¡¯t really needed. That¡¯s what she called Shopaholic.


    ¡°Bad habit.¡± She mumbled softly, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll buy that one.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Didn¡¯t you say the design was too ordinary?¡± Asked the shopkeeper confusedly.


    Then, he thought for a moment. If you look closely, it seemed that the girl didn¡¯t buy a helmet for her boyfriend, but herself. But the man shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Okay I¡¯ll get a new one in the warehouse.¡± He said before Emma could answer his earlier question.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emma said.


    The shopkeeper walked into a door behind the counter while Emma was still standing in front of the previous shelf. The girl took the disy helmet she chose and tried to put it on.


    Exactly as what the shopkeeper exined. The helmet was veryfortable to wear and the ck ss didn¡¯t interfere with the view from the inside at all. Then, Emma stepped in front of a ratherrge mirror as tall as a grown man. She looked at her own reflection.


    ¡°Hmm.. This is.. good. It¡¯s amazing.¡± She smiled.


    Could be seen a reflection of a person standing in front of the mirror. Her face waspletely invisible. Her hair that was rolled in, made her lose the physical features of her own gender. If it wasn¡¯t because of herdy¡¯s outfit, everyone would have a hard time figuring out that behind the ck helmet was a girl.


    Emma came out of the shop with a beaming face. It felt like this was the first time she didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of regret after shopping for an item. Thanks to the gentleman shopkeeper who helped her choose the good stuff she needed. Unlike the clothes and cosmetics shopkeepers who were sweet-mouthed who often made Emma tempted to buy unimportant items.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought the helmet. Looks like I¡¯m going to need a motorbike, right?¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    Then she took out her cell phone to call Jonas. Yes, about buying a vehicle, she would leave it to the experienced man. Emma intended to buy a sportbike like Calvin and Troy¡¯s. She would need the two-wheeled vehicle at high speed to escape in case someone catches her one day. After all, it would be very strange to buy a helmet but didn¡¯t have the bike.


    Emma must prepare all the weapons before going to the war. One wrong step could make her lose everything. Damn! How could she care about Roger so much?


    Before Emma pressed the ¡®5¡¯ button on the screen of her cellphone, her hand stopped in front of her chest when her eyes saw the figure of a girl walking with a middle-aged woman and stopped in front of a clothing store. They looked like they were going inside.


    Emma immediately walked up to them with a warm smile that was already etched on her face, ¡°Poppy!¡± she called.


    The cute fair-skinned girl with cherry red lips turned her head and looked a little surprised, ¡°Emma? H-hi.. You¡¯re here too?¡± she greeted.


    Emma was already standing in front of Poppy and nodded, ¡°I just finished buying things.¡± She held up therge paper shopping bag in her hand.


    ¡°Oh? From that shop, huh? Did you buy a helmet? Do you like riding motorbikes?¡± Poppy saw the logo on the same bag as the biker essories shop not far from where they were standing.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh.. not really,¡± She quickly put her shopping bag back down. ¡°I bought a helmet for my younger brother. He happens to like touring by motorbike. I can¡¯t ride a motorbike.¡± Sheughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Poppy said. Then, she flinched slightly and nced at the middle-aged woman who was standing quietly beside her, ¡°Oh, right.. Mama, this is Emma, my ballet ssmate at college.¡± She said.


    ¡°Emma Hind. Nice to meet you, Miss.¡± Emma stuck out her hand with a friendly smile.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, too. I¡¯m Christina, Poppy¡¯s mother. You are very beautiful.¡± She answered with apliment.


    Poppy¡¯s beauty seemed to have passed down from her mother. That woman, although already reached her middle-aged, but her beauty did not seem to fade. She still looked youthful with her petite stature. Her skin was also still very healthy and nice. Most importantly, she had a charming friendly smile. Emma could tell her age only just by seeing her outfit style.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss. Do you want to go shopping?¡± Asked Emma.


    The womanughed lightly while waving her hand in front of her mouth ¡°Eh.. It¡¯s not that. Actually, I want to go to the salon. But the clothes in this shop loos pretty. So we stopped for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Haha.. I also have sharp eyes. Can¡¯t see pretty clothes.¡± Emmaughed. For some reason, she was able to get along with senior people more quickly. Maybe it was because Emma had always been surrounded by old people who were her father¡¯s men.


    ¡°I can see it. All your clothes are very nice. It¡¯s only natural that you are very fashionable, Emma.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°Oh, Poppy. Instead of waiting for mama at the salon, why don¡¯t you go for a walk with Emma?¡± Her mother said.


    Poppy immediately nced at Emma with a confused face before turning back to her mother, ¡°Looks like Emma is busy. I don¡¯t want to bother her.¡± she chuckled ufortably, then whispered to her mother, ¡°Don¡¯t decide that right away, Mom. I¡¯m not that close to her.¡±


    ¡°I still have a lot of free time. I don¡¯t mind and would love to walk with Poppy. Going out alone isn¡¯t much fun anyway.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Well.. That¡¯s right. Better to walk together with friends than all by yourself.¡± The mother winked at Emma.


    ¡°Mama..¡± Poppyined ufortably.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not that close, then you have to have some chat to get close. I like someone like this girl to be your friend.¡± Whispered the mother. From the first look, she could already judge that Emma was a good girl from the upper ss. The girl was also very polite and friendly. It would be great if Poppy were good friends with people like Emma.


    At her mother¡¯s encouragement, Poppy finally agreed to go along with Emma. The two girls took Poppy¡¯s mother to the woman¡¯s salon before they spent time alone.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45: The Heart Attitude


    ¡°Usually, the treatments my mom does at the salon take a pretty long time. If you want to go home, don¡¯t hesitate to say it, Emma. I¡¯m used to waiting for my mom like this.¡± Poppy said ufortably to Emma, ??as she stepped out of the salon¡¯s ss door. Then, they stopped at a nearby cafe for coffee and waffles which Poppy thought were very good.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel reticent to me, Poppy. Just rx.. Besides, I also don¡¯t have anything else to do today. I feel happy to have friends while walking in the mall like this. By the way, why don¡¯t you have the self-care like your mama?¡± asked Emma.


    ¡°She¡¯s too talkative. I usually go to the salon with my other girl friends. Do you know Britney? She usuallyes with us too.¡± Poppy answered.


    ¡°Britney? Oh.. The girl with the blond hair?¡±


    Poppy nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s in ballet ss too. You cane with us too if you like salon treatments. We have a good favourite salon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you. Of course, I¡¯d like toe, if you have time. Maybe we could take Kathy along too.¡± She answered. Poppy nodded with a smile.


    Then Emma cleared her throat because she wanted to ask something more serious, but tried to keep things as rxed as they were now, ¡°By the way.. About the incident in the cafeteriast time.. Were you all right?¡± she asked. But seeing Poppy bing silent, made her continue, ¡°I was worried because you didn¡¯te to ballet ss after that, even though you said you would. Sorry.. I didn¡¯t mean to interfere in your business.¡± She exined quickly.


    .....


    Poppy shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emma. I¡¯m even thank you for bothering to worry about me.¡± She gave a thin smile. But Emma could see a tired look there. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Emma. Sorry, my boyfriend and his friends made you guys ufortable. I¡¯m really feeling bad good for Kathy.¡±


    ¡°Poppy.. Are you sure Donny is a nice guy? I mean.. He never said anything bad to you as he said to Kathy, right?¡± Emma asked cautiously.


    ¡°He.. treats me well, Emma.¡± The girl lifted her face and smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m happy with Donny.¡±


    Emma knew the girl in front of her was lying. But what could she do if Poppy said that she was fine? Even in thew world, if the victim consciously does not want to admit that he had experienced a crime, the criminal will be free from punishment.


    ¡°Emma.¡± Called Poppy.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emma answered quickly.


    ¡°A girl like you has a bright future. You are beautiful, brave, and independent.¡± She said suddenly.


    Emma shook her head briefly, ¡°What are you talking about? You too have a bright future, Poppy. You are beautiful too. All women have their own unique beauty.¡±


    Poppy smiled, ¡°You¡¯re right. But I¡¯m seriously telling you, Emma. You have to achieve that dream you told me about and stay away from anything that will get you into trouble. Be friends with good people.¡±


    ¡°You have to achieve your dreams too, Poppy. Don¡¯t you love ballet as much as I do? Even, you don¡¯t just love it, but you¡¯re really talented in it too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if those two things will suffice, Emma. I think I¡¯m going to disappoint a lot of people.¡± Poppy answered unsurely.


    Emma frowned, ¡°It¡¯s better to disappoint others than disappoint yourself. If you have a dream, then you have to try to reach it, no matter what the obstacles. In that way.. at least you won¡¯t regret you never tried..¡± Emma exined.


    Regret for never trying was something Emma had always been afraid of. It became the reason why she decided to leave her father¡¯s pce.


    ¡°I know.¡± Poppy smiled. But that smile disappeared in a single breath. ¡°In life, we regret a lot of things. Even before regretting never trying, a person can regret the decisions they had made in the past.¡±


    Emma frowned, ¡°Poppy.. Did something happen? You can tell me anything. Who knows if I can help, right?¡± She asked worriedly.


    Poppy shook her head again, ¡°No Emma. You¡¯re not going to be able to help me. This.. is beyond my control... neither are you. We¡¯re not strong enough.¡±


    ¡°Not strong enough?¡± Emma repeated. She didn¡¯t know what kind of strong that Poppy meant. Was it meant not powerful enough? Or what? But Emma felt she had no right to ask any further. Because Poppy seemed reluctant to exin to her in more detail.


    There were two possible reasons why Poppy was behaving this way. First, she thought Emma was not close enough to her. Secondly, the problem she meant was too big.


    ¡°Sorry, I confused you, didn¡¯t I..?¡± Poppy chuckled. She seemed to get carried away by Emma¡¯s demeanour which made her feelfortable. Even though at first, Poppy had intended to stay away from Emma because of the problems she was facing.


    Emma smiled sadly, ¡°No problem.. But I¡¯m serious, Poppy. If you need help or just a friend to lean on, I have plenty of time.¡± she replied with a littleugh to lighten the mood among them.


    ¡°Thanks Emma. But I¡¯ll try to manage it out myself.¡± She answered. ¡°Oh.. Can I ask you just one thing for help?¡±


    ¡°Sure. What is it?¡± Emma answered excitedly.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t go near my boyfriend, Donny. Honestly, I¡¯m a bit jealous.¡± She pretended to whisper before chuckling with an awkward face.


    ¡°Huh? Eum.. S-sure.¡± Answered Emma. She was a little surprised by Poppy¡¯s request. After all, why would she be around a disgusting guy like Donny?


    Poppy smiled kindly, ¡°Thanks for being such a good friend to me Emma. I wish I had known you earlier.¡±


    ¡®Maybe, I wouldn¡¯t end up like this..¡¯ She continued in her heart.


    ***


    ¡°Right. What should I do after this?¡± Emma read three sheets of paper with a wireless earphone plugged into her left ear.


    ¡°Just sign the receipt. And make sure the bike is what you ordered.¡± Jonas answered from the other line.


    Emma nodded, then did as Jonas instructed. After checking various things, the two men who delivered the motorbike Emma ordered finally left her house with their big truck.


    ¡°Huft.. Why this just small affair could make me tired?¡± Huge steam formed in front of her mouth as soon as she sighed.


    Maybe in Handway City, it was only Emma who ordered a sportbike in this cold winter. But the girl really needed a motorbike right now.


    She brushed her smooth hand on the motorbike body that still smelled of the factory aroma. The colour is dark ck as if the motorcycle could blend with the darkness of the night road. Emma really liked the shape of the bike¡¯s headlight which was like an eagle¡¯s eye. With a speed of 1103, of course, it could help Emma run from the pursuit of the thugs who would try to catch her.


    ¡°And the most important things..¡± Emma said by taking a rectangr metal te and sticking it on the motorbike police license te number. She smiled with satisfaction because the fake number te could stick well on the real one.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Roger. I¡¯ll beat them to a pulp.¡± She muttered.


    ***


    It was very hard for Roger¡¯s feet to step in today. He felt like a prisoner walking towards his own execution chamber.


    Life was so hard for Roger and it was getting harder and harder by the day. He didn¡¯t know since when exactly his life turned so miserable like this. He even forgot thest time he hadughed like when he was a child.


    Losing the love of his life, being a victim of bullying, having a family that felt like a stranger, and being a money bag for the bastards on campus. And now, he had to keep going even though he knew that a group of torturers were waiting to extort his money.


    Fear made Roger still have to go to college even though he was feeling very down.


    The guy sat in his chair. The ss condition was still very quiet. As usual, Roger woulde to ss long before ss started. It was his habit to arrive much earlier to wherever he was going. Roger didn¡¯t like beingte. He hated beingte.


    Not long after, the figure of a girl he knew entered the ssroom door. Roger immediately looked down. Meeting Emma was something he didn¡¯t want to face right now. He knew how troublesome the girl who seemed to always want to interfere in his affairs was.


    ¡°Hey, Roger!¡± Greeted Emma by sticking her ass on the chair next to him. ¡°It¡¯s not usual you¡¯re sitting in this row,¡± she said, noticing that they were sitting in the back row.


    Roger chuckled, ¡®I purposely moved far away to avoid you.¡¯ he said in his heart. But it seemed like wherever he moved, Emma would always find an opportunity to sit beside him.


    ¡°You didn¡¯te in yesterday. Would you like to borrow my notes?¡± asked Emma.


    Roger shook his head, ¡°No, thanks.¡±


    While waiting for ss to start, the two of them didn¡¯t speak to each other. Emma was confused about how to open a conversation with Roger. The man was too quiet. He just kept ignoring Emma.


    ¡°Hey, Emma!¡± Called Brian and Lary who had just arrived, as they passed their seats.


    Emma didn¡¯t answer but still gave a slight smile. She couldn¡¯t understand how shameless the two guys were. It was as if they had amnesia so they forgot what happened in the cafeteriast time.


    Roger lowered his head even more as the two bullies passed. Indeed, being around Emma would bring him closer to trouble. He didn¡¯t know when she would leave him.


    ¡°Uh.. I forgot to buy a drink.¡± Emmained as she opened her bag. Right after many secondster, the lecturer had entered the ss. ¡°Oh, unlucky me..¡± She mumbled softly.


    Suddenly, just after a glimpse, she found a bottle of cold water was perched on her table. Emma immediately turned her face to Roger with a questioning look.


    ¡°It¡¯s a new one. I haven¡¯t opened it at all. You can see the lid seal is still there.¡± Roger said without looking at Emma¡¯s face.


    Roger could ignore Emma with all his might. However, it was the attitude of a reflection of his kind heart that made Emma never leave him. And Roger could never resist doing those things.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46: The Dark Harvest Day


    Seeing Emma sitting uneasily beside him, made him feel disturbed. The truth was Roger just didn¡¯t like seeing other people have a hard time. The feeling was already running in his blood. He was a caring man. Unfortunately, he was also a loser.


    ¡°Thanks, Roger.¡± Emma smiled gently. Even though Roger didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°You are a very good guy, Roger. Something good wille to you. Life is not that cruel in treating someone.¡± Emma continued.


    Roger stared at her for a few seconds, then looked back down at her with a mocking smile, ¡°You¡¯d better say that to someone who doesn¡¯t have the same fate as mine. Because that would only make me think that life is very unfair just to me.¡±


    Hearing Roger¡¯s answer made Emma¡¯s chest throb. She knew what he was going through was tough to the extent that there were no more positive thoughts left in his head.


    When the problems you face are unbearable, you will feel the world is acting unfairly only to you alone.


    ¡°You have no idea how strong you are, Roger. You are the strongest guy I have ever met in my entire life.¡± Emma said.


    .....


    Roger looked back at her, ¡°Thanks for your insult. I¡¯m ttered.¡± He smiled. This was what he deserves. Humiliated, even bypliments.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you what you want to think. But do you know what?¡± Asked Emma. Then, she took one of the blue pens from the two that Roger had at his tableside.


    ¡°The strongest person is the one who can still spread kindness to others, even though he always gets evil deed.¡±


    Roger¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at Emma who was already busy with her notebook. Then, he nced at his one-left pen on his desk. During this time, Emma always lost her writing tools, especially pens. Because of that, without realizing it, Roger always had an extra pen on his desk in case Emma needed it.


    ¡®Strong?¡¯ He said in his heart.


    ***


    Her mouth kept chewing. While the others were busy packing their things to go home, Emma was still in her white ballet gown. The girl sat on the wooden floor of the ssroom while leaning against the mirror wall. In her hand, she held a bar of chocte with a mixture of caramel, nuts, and dried fruit.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going home, Emma?¡± Kathy walked over to her. She had finished taking a shower with her hair pulled back messily.


    ¡°I have some business to attend to. You can go without me.¡± Emma Answered.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t hang around outside for too long. It¡¯s been really coldtely. My fingers feel like they¡¯re going to freeze outside.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Kathy. Do you have any more online meetings with yourmunity?¡± Asked Emma.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll learn a lot tonight. Haha..¡±


    Emma smiled as nodding.


    ¡°Hey Emma,¡± Kathy immediately crouched down and brought her face closer to Emma¡¯s before ncing around to make sure it was safe enough to talk, ¡°You have to remember what I said this afternoon. Never tell anyone about what we saw in my room. I know you¡¯re friends with Roger. But don¡¯t get yourself into trouble by meddling in his matters. It¡¯s very dangerous. I¡¯m serious.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°I know, Kathy,¡± Emma answered lightly.


    ¡°Good! Then I¡¯ll go now,¡± She said before hugging Emma once and getting to her feet with her big gym bag which seemed she never change.


    Emma waved back Kathy¡¯s hand with a warm smile. Once the girl had turned to face the door, Emma mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kathy. But there are some things I can¡¯t let happen.¡±


    Once Emma¡¯s chocte was finished, she wiped her hands with a wet tissue then stood up. She nced at the clock on his cell phone which showed the number of 4:10 p.m.


    The campus is pretty deserted. Even in the bathroom, only Emma was left. Since it was winter, all the girls preferred to return to their warm homes as soon as possible.


    But Emma had a n today. After showering, Emma returned to ballet ss to store all her belongings in a special locker for ballet ss members. Then, she took a ratherrge ck leather jacket which she took out of her tote bag with a swan print on it. She also didn¡¯t forget to rece her high heels with male-style sneakers.


    Then, Emma took out her expensive ck helmet which she had secretly kept in the locker since yesterday. She tucked the jacket into the helmet cavity and walked cautiously out of therge and empty room.


    Seeing the condition of the campus was very quiet, Emma immediately put on the ck jacket and tied her hair in a rolled ponytail. Then, she walked quickly to the campus park.


    A small building with white paint that looked like it would blend in with the snow that had covered most of the withered grass around it. Emma narrowed her eyes as she asionally nced around. It waspletely deserted there with no one at all.


    Emma walked around through the line of trees that grew behind the warehouse where the garden tools were stored. She stood behind arge tree that grew behind the warehouse. Steam billowed in front of her mouth as she breathed.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t done anything yet, Emma¡¯s heart was already pounding hard. To be honest, she was very afraid of being caught and having her identity exposed. Surely, the entire campus would be in an uproar if news spread that she had attacked the delinquents.


    ¡®Don¡¯t back down, Emma. You¡¯re already here.¡¯ She said to strengthen herself.


    Dimly, she could hear the sound of several guys chattering whileughing. Emma immediately corrected her standing position so that it waspletely covered by the tree. Then she peeked.


    She saw three men walking leisurely towards the warehouse. One of them had a face that Emma recognized. The face that Emma saw through the profile photo on the university student ount. It was Carter Barewood.


    Behind them, another cool looking man in a luxurious coat walked in.


    ¡°All right. Time to show off, Emma.¡± The girl put on her helmet and closed the dark ck ss.


    ***


    Emma¡¯s words this morning sent chills down Roger¡¯s body.


    All this time, Roger hated the kindness of his heart that he could not control. It was even that kindness that made him a very weak loser now.


    The sadness that the world presented to Roger during his life, made him learn one thing. It¡¯s better to oppress than to be oppressed. Bad people have better lives than good people.


    That ideology had been embedded in Roger¡¯s heart. But unfortunately, even though he tried to be evil, he kept failing. Basically, God cursed him with a feeling of care so great that he could not resist.


    And that trauma.. The trauma of the events that had ruined his life. The trauma that made him a true loser to this day. The trauma that always made his knees tremble and paralyzed all his muscles.


    As usual, Roger would be in the toilet or the outskirts of the campus park during outside ss hours. Only in those secluded ces, he would feel safe. Now, the clock showed four in the afternoon.


    Roger¡¯s heart was beating wildly. He was very afraid. Because he knew the ckmail this time was no ordinary ckmail. For some reason, extortion these days was no longer carried out with the joking interlude by the delinquents. They looked like they were being pushed by something and so needed more money than usual.


    Roger, who busied with the inte only as his daily activities at home, received information from a special group site of anonymous ounts. It said that today is the Dark Harvest Day.


    So, The Dark Harvest Day was a new term whose name was coined by a big gang of gangsters. When The Dark Harvest Day came, the higher-ups of the gangster group would conduct a member performance review.


    It said the members were divided into several groups to carry out extortion. And one boss woulde along with a group to see if the member¡¯s way of working was optimal or not.


    With the Dark Harvest Day, of course, the extortion would be more severe than usual. If in the previous days, Roger could still save some of his money in pocket to survive for the next few days, but now he could no longer fool the delinquents. And what¡¯s worse, from the information that was spread, they would also take the victim¡¯s valuables.


    The clock showed twenty to five in the afternoon. It was hard for Roger to leave the toilet cubicle he had been in for an hour and a half. He was very afraid. But if he didn¡¯t go, he would dieter. Only this time, Roger wanted toete to somewhere.


    Roger couldn¡¯t believe that he was already standing in front of the garden tool warehouse. He heard a noise from inside. Terrible sounds that could make his knees shake violently.


    ¡°Roger!¡± The guy turned his head at a voice calling out to him from behind.


    ¡°You..¡±


    The guy stepped stiffly with both hands squeezing the straps of his backpack, ¡°You.. were also extorted?¡±


    Roger nodded, ¡°Yes ..¡± then looked down. It was Ferb Gardin. One of the losers on campus like himself. He was also a regr victim of bullying and extortion by thugs inside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel well. I¡¯m so scared.¡± Comined the guy with thick sses. His white hands were turning red from the cold weather, ¡°Come get in together.¡±


    Roger nodded weakly.


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s them!¡± A man shouted, as soon as the wooden warehouse door opened and revealed two stupid losers from behind.


    Inside, there were already two more losers who were kneeling on the floor with their hands held up high like an elementary school student being punished.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see what time it is?! You shits want to y with us?!¡±


    Roger nced at his watch, it was ten to five. The appointment was five o¡¯clock. They were notte. Yes, it was the hoodlums who just looking for an excuse to bully the two losers more.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47: A Mysterious Man with a ck Helmet [Bonus chapter]


    ¡°Hurry up! I don¡¯t have much time,¡± Said a man in a ck looked expensive coat while exhaling the smoke of his cigarette. He didn¡¯t seem interested in what he was doing now.


    ¡°Okey, Big bro!¡± Answered the three guys who were his subordinates. They were Carter, Alvin, and John.


    ¡°Everyone on knees!¡± Eximed Carter who was wearing a brown jacket.


    Roger and Ferb fell to their knees like the other two losers had done. Roger was at the very end of the line. He nced at the three losers beside him with an aching heart. Why did he have to live in such a pathetic condition? Actually, what was the sin he had done that made him end up like he was now?


    ¡°Give me your money! All. Of. Them.¡± Spelt Carter with a pretentious look on his face.


    ¡°If you still spare, even a penny, we will kill you in the most painful and humiliating way. More than you all can imagine.¡± Alvin who wore arge silver ne outside his thick shirt continued.


    As ordered, the four losers took out all their cash with trembling hands. They put the money in the palms of their hands that were joined like a bowl and then raised high above their heads. It was as if they were ves offering their offerings to a king.


    .....


    ¡°You know that, right? That¡¯s not enough.¡± Said the man in the expensive coat to Carter who was standing stiffly beside him.


    Carter nodded with a gulp, ¡°I.. I know, Big bro. Of course, we¡¯ll take everything they have.¡± He answered then immediately walked over to one of his friends who was collecting money, then whispered his ear.


    John who was whispered by Carter looked a little surprised. Then, he tried to control the expression on his face again, ¡°Understood!¡±


    ¡°Take out all your valuables. Watches, nes, belts, and other expensive branded items. Even if your shoes and socks are expensive branded items, you have to take them off.¡± The guy ordered.


    ¡°W.. what?¡± Mumbled the losers with very shocked faces, except Roger. He already knew what day this was. Therefore, he had prepared himself and his mental.


    ¡°What?! Do you want to refuse? Want to die?!¡± Carter snapped.


    The four losers immediately looked down in fear. It was unusual for their valuables to be asked for too. Usually, it¡¯s just money.


    Carter stepped back again to stand next to the man in a ck coat who was their boss. He smiled politely at him, ¡°They will give up everything. We are very much feared here. No one dares to contradict what I say.¡± he said.


    The man only nced at him briefly as he continued to smoke his getting shorter cigarette.


    Then, Alvin and John started collecting all the valuables the losers had let take off.


    ¡°If you have anything to hide, you will die. Better not even try.¡± Alvin threatened.


    ¡°Your shoes!¡± John, a short hair guy, kicked Ferb so that he fell backwards.


    ¡°Bu.. but how do I walk home? It¡¯s very cold outside..¡± He was shaking. Incidentally, he had shoes with a famous expensive brand, with the logo of a man ying basketball.


    Carter gritted his teeth and stepped forward. He immediately threw multiple kicks at Freb¡¯s body, as if the loser was a tree trunk.


    Ferb coughed as he protected his head with both hands to avoid being hit by Carter¡¯s kick.


    ¡°You dare to argue, huh?! You think you can argue with us?! Don¡¯t you know who we are?! How strong are you, huh?!¡± Carter shouted as he continued to kick hard.


    Unbeknownst to them, there was a pair of squinting eyes watching everything outside the warehouse from the gap in the wooden board wall with both fists tightly clenched.


    With his body shaking in pain, Ferb who was already battered, finally took off his shoes and jacket which turned out to be expensive branded too. He wouldn¡¯t dare try to fool the delinquents again. The important thing was that he was safe.


    ¡°Well.. Even though the jacket is dirty, it can still be washed. The important thing is that the shoes are still good.¡± John muttered as he collected the items.


    ¡°You saw what would happen if you had the slightest bit of courage to resist, right? Now, hand over whatever you think is worth selling. Don¡¯t let us find out for ourselves.¡± Carter said.


    Sure enough, the items on the floor that had been collected were increasing.


    The man in the expensive coat nodded satisfied to see the performance of his men that was quite good. Then, he threw the butt of his cigarette carelessly and stepped on it with his shiny ck loafers.


    ¡°Wait a minute...¡± Carter stepped forward with furrowed brows.


    He saw Roger was still fully clothed. Of the four losers, only he brought out the least amount of valuable things.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t give me your valuables?¡± Carter asked, pulling back the loser¡¯s hair so he could look up. Because Carter refused to crouch down to see the ugly loser¡¯s face.


    ¡°Carter, everything he has is cheap things. What do we take it for?¡± Said John.


    But that just made Carter even more surprised.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the kid you gathered today, were the ones with the most money?¡± The voice of the man in the expensive coat made the three guys gulp and stutter.


    Carter then returned his focus to Roger who was now giving a super frightened expression. He knew what was on his boss¡¯s mind. His fate would end up no less pathetic than the losers in front of him if he was judged to be ipetent in work to the cause his group name get in trouble.


    ¡°Why are you wearing cheap clothes today? Or perhaps.. you know something?¡± Carter asked, tightening his hand grip until Roger winced in pain.


    Carter and his two friends realized that Roger usually wore nice things. Although a loser, he seemed to have wealthy parents who could give him branded goods. In fact, he used to wear expensive belts and watches of imported production. The wallet that he usually carried was also an expensive brand made of genuine leather. But today, he didn¡¯t wear a belt and reced all those things with cheap ones.


    Roger quickly shook his head with difficulty because his hair was stuck, ¡°I.. I don¡¯t.. know anything. Ye.. yesterday I was sshed by Lary in the toilet. So, all my stuff.. got wet.¡± He exined in stuttering, trying to lie.


    Carter seemed to think about Roger¡¯s exnation. It was true that it¡¯s not just their group that abuses these losers. And he admitted, the worst ones who extorted all the losers in the campus area was this group of them. But Roger¡¯s reasoning sounded a little absurd to him.


    ¡°So, you mean that you only have one pair of expensive shoes? Also, does it mean you couldn¡¯t dry your wallet and belt that got wet? Can it be called a coincidence that today you reced all your things with cheap things and didn¡¯t bring the things you normally wear? I¡¯m sure I also often saw you changing expensive things.¡± Carter said.


    ¡°He knows something.¡± The man in ck coat stepped closer, ¡°You¡¯ve got to take care of it, Carter. This is your territory, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said softly next to Carter¡¯s ear, giving the guy goosebumps.


    ¡°T-this is serious. What if Big bor Eddy tells the big boss? We will all be finished.¡± Carter¡¯s two friends whispered to each other.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me second-guess, Roger. Tell me, do you know anything?!¡± Carter hissed in Roger¡¯s ear as he pulled his hair further back.


    ¡°I.. I Don¡¯t..¡±


    The man with the coat named Eddy finally crouched down beside Roger. Then, he removed the cigarette he had just lit from his lips. After that, he casually poked it on Roger¡¯s earlobe deeply.


    ¡°Arrhhhh!!!¡± Roger shouted with tears unable to flow down.


    Everyone in the room gasped at how sadistically Eddy treated Roger. The man did not hesitate to stick the embers of his cigarette on Roger¡¯s poor ear until it was extinguished.


    Then, Eddy pointed his cigarette butt at the two guys standing beside him. Deftly, John immediately took out a gaslighter and lit that white butt to light again.


    Eddy inhaled his re-lit cigarette, deeply. Then, he shot the smoke in Roger¡¯s face, right by his nostrils that made him coughed, ¡°If you don¡¯t speak now, then this thing will end up in your eyeballs.¡±


    Roger¡¯s whole body shook. Tears flowed from the corners of his eyes again. His ears and scalp were sore. It turned out that the idea of saving his valuables was something wrong. He should be wearing everything as usual. He shouldn¡¯t have tried to fight them even just a little bit. Because he was so weak! He should know himself!


    ¡°Say!¡± Carter snapped, stomping his hand grip on Roger¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I.. I¡¯ll say it! Please.. don¡¯t hurt me!¡± Roger begged. He gulped hard while the two men who tortured him seemed to be waiting impatiently. ¡°I.. I know. Today is.. T-the.. D-dark.. Har ..¡±


    BRUGHHHH!!!


    Immediately, everyone in the room turned to look at the source of the sound. It was the warehouse door which was wide open with a man dressed in all ck and a ck helmet standing in the middle.


    Carter reflexively removed his hand from Roger¡¯s hair. And Eddy stood up and looked at the figure with a questioning face.


    Carter stepped up to the figure at the doorway, ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± he asked fiercely.


    Emma stared at the four damn bullies with murderous eyes, though no one could see them because they were covered by the helmet¡¯s ck visor ss.


    The girl stepped inside and closed the door behind her with a single foot movement. BLAM!


    As soon as Carter was standing in front of her, Emma moved her foot to slide Carter stand, causing him to fall straight down.


    ¡°I-is that Calvin Lee?!¡± John whispered to Alvin.


    Alvin shook his head, ¡°Of course not, idiot. Calvin is much taller than him. He looks like a dwarf.¡±


    Carter quickly moved his long legs to slide Emma¡¯s back. But the girl quickly jumped back. As Emma was shifting, Carter quickly got back on his feet.


    Then, he threw his fist at Emma¡¯s liver, because she was wearing a helmet that he couldn¡¯t possibly hit. But, Emma swiftly dodged and turned her body to move behind Carter. Then, she threw the outside of her palm right at the right edge of Carter¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48: [Bonus chapter]The Battle In Park Warehouse


    Emma¡¯s strength was not as big as an adult male fighter. However, she took advantage of the gravity of the rotation of her body to provide additional thrust when she threw a punch at Carter¡¯s neck. The speed and bnce of the ballerina¡¯s spin should not be underestimated. Plus, the girl also mastered Taekwondo techniques that rely on a lot of body spin.


    Emma¡¯s punch felt like a strong stranglehold against Carter¡¯s veins and the side of his Adam¡¯s apple, making it hard for him to breathe. At that moment, he immediately staggered to the side in pain. As the man lost his bnce, Emma used the opportunity to hit Carter¡¯s neck and the back of his head with her elbow.


    The point that Emma hit made Carter immediately fall unconscious. Those were fatal points of the human body that Emma had learned since childhood. She had memorized it all by heart. All of the points that were allowed and should not be hit by martial arts athletes during a match, because it can cause fatal injuries to the opponent¡¯s body. But it was precisely these points that would be targeted in street fights. Because in realbat, there was no such thing as points and penalties.


    ¡°Turns out just a street fighter with no skills. You loser..¡± Emma muttered with a lopsided smile.


    Now, there were three more. Alvin and John immediately walked over to Emma at the same time.


    Carter was the leader who held the campus area for their group. Among all the members of that small group, he was the strongest. But the helmeted man could defeat Carter in just a few seconds. Although he has a short and small body, his ability cannot be underestimated.


    Alvin threw his fist towards Emma¡¯s liver, while John threw his kick at Emma¡¯s leg, sideways from the right.


    .....


    Emma smiled, ¡®Stupid. You left the left side nk.¡¯ Then, Emma quickly dodged.


    After that, Emma raised the outside of her arm to hit Alvin¡¯s arm from above. Then, continued to lower her body to the floor and grabbed John¡¯s still unstable leg because one of his kicks missed.


    ¡°Slow!¡± Emma muttered as she jumped up and kicked Alvin¡¯s left leg, right below his knee, from above. She took advantage of her body weight and of course.. gravity.


    CRACK! Alvin immediately fell.


    The punch goes to Emma again, which was from John. But she swiftly dodged while kicking Alvin¡¯s -who had fallen on the floor- face with her thick-soled shoe.


    John was one of the thugs who had the most unfavourable body for fighting. Looked like the guy did perfunctory works that only focused on building up the muscles in his arms and chest, just to look cool.


    Because of that exercise, he gained arge muscle mass in that area with the help of medicine. But, the muscles in other parts of his body were not trained. Plus, he wasn¡¯t really good at fighting. He thought, his big and muscr body was enough to make him strong. But his thoughts were wrong. And it would all be proven today.


    Just like Alvin, Emma attacked the leg of John that was still in a position without a stance. Plus, the man had weak, untrained looking legs.


    John didn¡¯t expect that the person in front of him could move to his side in less than a second.


    ¡®S-so fast..!¡¯


    Then..


    CRACK!!


    ¡°ARRHHHHH!!¡± The man fell to the ground as holding his leg which was in great pain. Although he tried to get up again to avenge, it was toote. Because as soon as he looked back at that ck helmet man, it turned out a ck shoe was already right in front of his face.


    BUGH!


    Johnid back with his nose and upper lip slowly oozing fresh blood.


    Emma smiled happily that her white teeth showed, ¡®I told you, didn¡¯t I? I won¡¯t let you bullying.¡¯ she said proudly in her heart.


    The four losers who were still kneeling in a row, looked dumbfounded with their mouths wide open. Did not expect, this mysterious man with a small body size could defeat three big strong men who had often beaten and extorted them. But still, the four people couldn¡¯t help but just freeze as spectators.


    Eddy smiled a little. He looked at his three subordinates with a look of wonder in his eyes. Indeed, from the start, he had never counted on them. Because ording to him, Jardin Universitycks potential, considering that there were many ¡®good strong guys¡¯ studying here. That¡¯s why he just let those guys like Carter and his friends find a side ie in this ce.


    ¡°For a mini guy, you are pretty good.¡± He said as he threw his cigarette butt on the floor.


    Emma didn¡¯t answer. Even though she really wanted to answer, she couldn¡¯t because she had a female voice. Even Emma¡¯s voice was quite light and soft. Making anyone who heard, would immediately know there was a girl behind the ck helmet.


    From the start, Emma knew that the man in the expensive coat seemed to be the boss of Carter and his friends. Because she knew the organizational structure of the mafia, Emma clearly knew that the higher a person¡¯s rank, then the stronger the person would be. Therefore, Emma would be more careful in dealing with the man.


    Emma reshaped her stance. She has high stamina. Beating the three losers just now was nothing to her. Even that girl could still breathe normally while smiling happily. Yes.. she felt very happy to beat bad people like them.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name? Are you the guy named Calvin Lee who often mentioned?¡± Eddy took off his coat.


    Even though he was covered in a white long-sleeved shirt, Emma could see the man¡¯s well-trained muscle structure. But that didn¡¯t thrill Emma at all. A good body didn¡¯t always determine a person¡¯s shrewdness in fighting.


    ¡°Hmm.. You don¡¯t want to answer, do you?¡± He muttered as he rolled his shirt sleeves up. Then, he quickly flew his long legs to kick the helmeted man¡¯s head, ¡°Then I¡¯ll find out myself.¡±


    The movement was fast. But Emma was no less quick to act. The kick that was aimed from her side, finally missed because Emma dodged by throwing her back backwards.


    Then, Eddy immediately gave a follow-up attack in the form of side fists from both hands which were thrown alternately while moving forward. But Emma was really nimble to dodge with just a few small movements.


    ¡®Oh.. Looks like his movements are so easy to read. He wasn¡¯t much different from the three losers. Just a little stronger and faster.¡¯ Emma thought.


    Unlike when fighting Carter, Alvin, and John. When fighting Eddy, Emma was not in a hurry to counter his attacks.


    There was one thing that Emma remembered from her master, Jonas. ¡®No matter how weak it may seem, never underestimate your opponent.¡¯


    Therefore, Emma thought to read Eddy¡¯s strength level and attack pattern first. Because in fighting, it was very important to know the level of the opponent¡¯s strength.


    ¡®Ugh! He¡¯s very fast. His feet are damn agile. Whereas earlier I thought he was going to attack my leg when I gave a passing kick. But it turns out he¡¯s smart too.¡¯ Thought Eddy.


    ¡®Of course, I¡¯m not going to use the same pattern you¡¯ve witnessed again, idiot!¡¯ Emma eximed in her heart as if she could read Eddy¡¯s thoughts. ¡®Now it¡¯s my turn!¡¯


    Emma jumped far back and did a high kick aiming for the forearm near the armpit of Eddy whose hand was still in the air because his fist missed again. Emma¡¯s kick hit the target. As soon as Eddy¡¯s arm went numb from the kick, Emma immediately shot forward by looking down and aiming a fist at Eddy¡¯s liver.


    Emma¡¯s punch sent Eddy flying backwards and crashing into a pile of fertilizer stockpiles. The man coughed and rushed forward again. He turned his fist back at Emma. But his left hand was already prepared to parry Emma¡¯s counterattack, following his prediction.


    Emma smiled again. The man¡¯s movements were really easy to read.


    As soon as Eddy pointed his right fist at Emma -??which he had predicted from the start that he would miss- but he didn¡¯t expect that Emma would avoid that far.


    That¡¯s right! With the speed of her feet, Emma darted towards Eddy¡¯s right side and kicked him in the ribs, even when he hadn¡¯t had time to use his left hand to parry.


    ¡®Slow and stupid.¡¯ Emma said again in her heart.


    Eddy fell to the side as clutching his ribs. But Emma wasn¡¯t the type to wait for her opponent to get to their feet before delivering a follow-up attack. The girl immediately jumped up and pointed the sole of her shoe right at the front of Eddy¡¯s face. The girl flew like a Shaolin.


    ¡°UHH!!¡± Eddy immediately bounced again until he hit one of the losers who were watching their fight.


    ¡°You lose, loser,¡± Emma muttered happily. Her mumbling sound could only be heard inside her helmet because she was only whispering.


    Eddy coughed while holding his sharp nose which felt broken. He looked dimly at the person in all ck who was standing in front of him triumphantly.


    ¡°Y-you.. W-who..¡± He stammered before falling unconscious because the helmeted man kicked his jaw again until blood and saliva from his mouth and nose spurted to the side.


    Emma looked around to the four big men who were already lying down and the four weak men who were kneeling. And.. a pile of valuables in the middle of the room. Then, she took the items and put them right in front of the losers. As a meant for them to take back their belongings.


    The four losers were silent. They were just pensive in shock to realize that they have been saved like this by such a mysterious figure. Even the Calvin Lee did not know that the warehouse was the main ce for the Carter group to extort people.


    Emma looked at Roger then nodded once, before walking away from the warehouse. Leaving all that mess and the four people she saved.


    The condition of the campus was already empty. Emma walked quickly towards the parking lot which was also very deserted. She approached a ck sports bike and got on it, took a key out of her jacket pocket and started the engine.


    Vampire lover! Check new story


    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49: One Girl, Five Men


    Brumm!!


    Emma¡¯s motorbike sped away on the asphalt towards the main road. Emma must get away from the campus area as fast as possible.


    Emma looked in the rearview mirror of her motorbike. But no one followed her. No one heard her voice. No one saw her face. Nobody recognized her. Today¡¯s mission was a sess!


    Along the way, Emma couldn¡¯t stop smiling until she arrived in front of the house and parked her motorbike in the garage. After wiping the remaining snow on her motorbike, Emma went into the house. She took off her helmet, jacket, andstly, ck gloves which had a little blood on them that made her wince in disgust, ¡°Ewhhh..¡±


    ¡°Huh.. Why do I feel so happy?¡± Emma muttered happily as she stretched her arms up. Her excitement was the same as when she took her first ballet ss.


    As Emma stepped into the kitchen to get a ss of water, her attention was drawn to the door next to the refrigerator. She stared at the door for a moment. There was a tingling feeling in her chest. Then she went into the room to change clothes into a tight pink suit that showed her beautiful curves.


    Emma looked at herself reflected in the mirror of the empty room. She had put on her proud pair of shoes, then slowly raised her right foot into the air until the beautiful shoe was at the same height as her waist, forming a straight line. Then, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, spreading her arms out like a baby bird ready to fly for the first time.


    .....


    Emma stayed in that position. Then, she opened her beautiful eyes slowly and looked at the big mirror in front of her. She saw a ballerina girl who was posing very beautifully. But she knew, the girl was not just an ordinary ballet dancer.


    ¡°Emma Hind. You are Emma Hind. You¡¯ve found yourself now.¡± Emma said with sparkling eyes.


    ***


    Was that Calvin Lee? No. He was a midget man who moved like a little ghost.


    ¡°He moves quickly because his body is light.¡±


    Eddy Norman, the manpressed the bruises on his face with several ice cubes wrapped in a cloth. He was in the branch basecamp filled with the level three holders.


    There were seven of them. Level three was the lowest level in the group. Those who head the entire subordinate group. Those who collected deposits processed them into money, and deposited them again to Level Twos. They also managed and ensured the needs of all subordinates were met. Made sure they do their job properly and did not mess up.


    ¡°If the higher-ups find out you were defeated by that person, your fate will fall apart. You will definitely be kicked out of here.¡± Said Tony Lin, his partner. ¡°Was he that strong?¡±


    Eddy nodded, ¡°His strength was not as big as the strong men I know. That¡¯s because he is a dwarf. But for such a small and skinny body, one hit he made was very painful. It seems he also mastered some martial arts. He.. defeated the four of us in just a few minutes.¡± He exined as looked down. He had arge bandage wrapped around his nose, to keep the bones from shifting after the surgery.


    ¡°It seems your pride has been badly tarnished.¡± His level mate named Gaston Morez Laughed.


    Eddy immediately threw the drink can on the coffee table beside him at the man with full force. But Gaston quickly caught it just before the unopened drink can hit his face. Then a secondter, he squeezed the can until the contents sttered out and made the canpletely destroyed, ¡°Let¡¯s go find him.¡±


    ***


    When your heart is feeling happy, even the trash can looks very beautiful in your eyes.


    Emma stepped into the campus corridor with a fluttering heart. Yesterday¡¯s events made her unable to stop smiling happily. Even when the main source of her enthusiasm for going to college which was ballet ss was not avable, she still felt excited to spend the day on campus.


    The passionate spirit made Emma go to campus too early. Therefore, the location where she studied still looked very quiet.


    ¡°Oh, right.. I forgot to return the files to the administration room. Are they open or not?¡± Emma thought in a mumble.


    Then Emma gave up on going into the ssroom but instead went to the third floor where the administration room was located.


    Emma pushed the door of the administration room several times, but the door wouldn¡¯t open. She peered into the inside of the blurry ss door, putting her eyes close to the ss and cing her palms on the outer sides of her face.


    ¡®Looks like the room is still empty.¡¯ Emma thought as she stepped back.


    Emma looked at the brown envelope filled the file in her hand and sighedzily. Looked like she would have to return to this ce after the second ss was over.


    Emma stepped back into the elevator that she had used to go up to the always deserted third floor. As she walked, she remembered how she had first met Calvin Lee. Emma never thought that that stranger would be her best friend now.


    When Emma had to turn left to get to the front of the elevator, her steps slowed as her gaze caught sight of a staircase leading to the fourth floor. Emma remembered the time on her first day, Calvin went up the stairs in a hurry when he had finished escorting Emma to the administration room.


    Come to think of it, in the few months Emma was studying at Jardin University, she had never gone to the fourth floor of the building. Actually, there were still quite a few ces that Emma had never been to. She never went around campus because she feltzy and thought it was unnecessary.


    But since it was still very early, Emma decided to go up to the fourth floor to see what was there. He had done all her coursework at home. Therefore, it must be very boring if you have to wait in ss alone without any activities. And the most disgusting thing was when the men started to approach her.


    It turned out that the fourth floor was almost the same as the third floor. The ce was very quiet because it was a floor whereb rooms at. They were usually used only during the day.


    Emma stepped lightly while looking left and right. Walking on that floor gave off a sensation like walking down a deserted hospital hallway. It made her think, why did Calvin go up to this floor at that time?


    As she walked further away, Emma realized she was not alone on the floor. Her sharp ears heard very faint voices that came from nowhere. Emma stopped in her steps, as the voice grew smaller. She frowned and took three steps back. Then, the faint voice was heard again.


    Emma immediately turned to the side and realized the sound wasing from the room to her right. She looked up to see the namete of the room which was a bit old.


    ¡°Radio Room? Isn¡¯t that on the first floor?¡± She muttered.


    Then the sound like several people chatting was continued. Emma became curious and put her ear on the door. Suddenly, the door opened from the inside. Then, Emma quickly pulled herself back and stepped back.


    A guy looked at her with a surprised face,e ¡°Emma? Why are you here?¡±


    Emma was pensive. It was Tobias Ian. Then, even before Emma answered, from behind his back, another guy appeared. That was Calvin Lee.


    ¡°I.. I was just walking around campus because I came too early. I was going to the administration room, but it was still closed.¡± She exined by trying to make up the expression on her face while showing the brown envelope she was still carrying in her hand.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be hanging around on this floor, Emma. It¡¯s too deserted in here. It would be dangerous for a girl.¡± Calvin stepped closer to her.


    Emma frowned and peeked inside, not responding to Calvin¡¯s worried words. But it turned out there were Troy Roner, Nicko Coffey, and Martin Brafo too. What were they doing?


    ¡°What room is this? Shouldn¡¯t the radio room on the first floor?¡± asked Emma.


    ¡°This is the old radio room. It¡¯s never been used anymore.¡± Ian replied.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that, Ian?¡± A voice called from within.


    Ian looked back, ¡°Emma Hind.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Emma?¡± Troy repeated in disbelief, ¡°Why did she get here?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Emma asked curiously. She saw the faces of the five men looked very serious.


    ¡°Um..¡± They paused to answer.


    Unlike his four friends, Martin grinned widely and waved his hands. ¡°Come in Emma. You have a curious look on your face.¡±


    The four guys immediately looked at Martin with exasperation. That crazy boy, whether stupid or brainless, they didn¡¯t know which one was right.


    Actually, Emma was a little hesitant to go inside. Since a kid, the middle-aged woman who used to take care of Emma daily needs, often told her not to trust men easily. Because maybe, behind their sweet words and smiles, there was a monster hiding and ready to pounce on her if they have the opportunity.


    Emma¡¯s life had always been surrounded by men who were her father¡¯s people. Therefore, the nanny who had a motherly heart always felt worried for the girl. She thought Emma the life lessons a mother should teach her daughter.


    In her mind, Emma was contemting on going into that abandoned room on this very quiet floor. Inside, there were five men whom she had only known for a few months and had only met a few times. Even though they never showed a bad attitude and were always polite to her, that didn¡¯t mean Emma could let her guard down.


    Emma was doubtful because she knew that the five men were not ordinary men. She had seen for herself that they were very strong fighters. It was unlikely that Emma would win if she was beaten up by them. Even if she won, she would at least suffer serious injuries.


    Vampire lover! Check new story


    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50: A Perfect Woman


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go inside, Emma. I¡¯ll walk you down.¡± Calvin said as taking a step forward. He could guess what Emma was thinking. That girl wasn¡¯t the type to trust a boy easily. Emma was a very alert and critical girl. She must have thought that it would be dangerous to enter a secluded room filled with men she still didn¡¯t know very well.


    Nicko finally came to his senses, ¡°Oh.. Right, Emma. You don¡¯t need to be here.¡± He said with a friendly smile.


    ¡°Why? Just let her sit here with us instead of being bored alone waiting for ss. It¡¯s still very early.. Akh!¡± Martin held his head after getting hit by Nicko. ¡°Why did you hit me, you son of a bitch?!¡± he growled.


    Nicko red, ¡°She¡¯s a girl! She must be scared if she¡¯s alone here with us. What¡¯s more, your face looks perverted.¡± he whispered annoyedly.


    ¡°Come on, Emma. How about we wait for ss to start in the cafeteria? Have you had breakfast?¡± Calvin was about to close the door. Before that, he turned his face to Ian, ¡°You guys go on ahead. I¡¯ll jointer ..¡±


    Emma appreciated the understanding of the men. Moreover, what Nicko whispered to Martin just now, didn¡¯t sound like a whisper at all. Maybe he raised his voice a little because Martin was too crazy to understand quickly. But it made Emma a little uneasy because she seemed very weak.


    ¡°Maybe, I¡¯ll just wait here,¡± Emma said as walking in with her chin up. She didn¡¯t like her pride being belittled like that.


    .....


    Calvin looked at the girl walking past him with blinking confused eyes. Well.. it¡¯s good if Emma didn¡¯t think badly of them. After all, they were also not lowly men who would do bad things to women.


    Nicko pulled up a chair, ¡°You can sit here, Emma. Would you like a drink?¡±


    Emma shook her head as she sat on the wheeled chair, ¡°No. Thanks.¡± She said friendly.


    ¡°Emma seems to be sittingfortably. Then, let¡¯s continue this discussion.¡± Troy said, rising to his feet. He didn¡¯t care about the insignificant drama just now. In fact, he did not feel sofortable if there were women in their midst.


    Calvin sat beside Emma, ¡°We¡¯re discussing something. You don¡¯t need to listen to us, because it has nothing to do with you. Tell me if you need anything.¡± He whispered to Emma. The girl nodded.


    ¡°The 37.1 AM broadcast never mentions RJC by name.¡± Said Calvin.


    ¡°Never mentioned doesn¡¯t mean free from crime.¡± Nicko replied.


    ¡°How was your investigation, Nicko?¡± Troy asked.


    ¡°Nothing. The information I have is the same as Calvin¡¯s. They hold a few blocks of streets full of shops. And they get paid for guarding the streets against other gangsters who are about to make trouble there.¡± The guy with sad eyes answered.


    ¡°What confuses me was, where did Marcel get that many people? They look like elite troops! I¡¯m really impressed!¡± Martin added.


    ¡°About that, only Marcel knows. We have too little information to go straight to their base.¡± Replied Ian.


    Emma suddenly cleared her throat, ¡°Sorry to interrupt. Are you guys nning to raid a base like yesterday again?¡± she couldn¡¯t bear to ask questions.


    The five men nodded innocently.


    ¡°Yeah.. we have a few things to take care of. Don¡¯t mind us, Emma. Don¡¯t get into trouble.¡± Nicko replied, waving his hand in front of his nose.


    Emma shrugged and stood up, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll have a look around this room. You guys could continue. As you all said, this has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Emma,¡± Called Ian.


    ¡°Hem?¡± Emma turned.


    ¡°Are.. are you friends with Donny and his group?¡± Ian asked somewhat hesitantly. Feeling concerned if his question maybe would make Emma feel that the man was pretentiously interfering in her personal life. But by continuing to meet Emma like this, Ian couldn¡¯t help but ask, because he was worried about the girl¡¯s safety.


    Emma shook her head with a hard jaw, ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t want to be friends with them.¡±


    Emma¡¯s answer made them all sigh in relief, ¡°Good..¡±


    Then Emma had something in mind, ¡°Do you guys.. maybe know something about that bastard Donny? There¡¯s a little thing that¡¯s bothering me about him.¡±


    Calvin looked at Emma questioningly, ¡°That guy always annoys a lot of girls. But my advice, you don¡¯t need to pay attention to him and just stay away from him. He will just get you into trouble if you get close to him.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you know something about him?¡± Emma was still standing on her question.


    ¡°Donny and his friends oftene into contact with many gangster groups. They are like fleas who work here and there, looking for the most profitable job for them. Therefore, girls who are close to them might be stuck in a difficult position. As you said, they¡¯re assholes. But they¡¯re actually worse than you think.¡± Ian exined.


    Ian¡¯s exnation made Emma gasp. If Donny turned out to be as bad as he said, then that meant Poppy was in big trouble. Poppy¡¯s attitude thest time she met Emma, ??also strengthened that suspicion.


    ¡°Looks like our exnation is enough, Emma. I¡¯m seriously warning you to stay away from them. It¡¯s because you are my friend. I care about your safety.¡± Calvin said softly.


    ¡°Woo.. What is this strange atmosphere?¡± Martin teased with a big smile, ¡°I feel butterflies flying in my stomach~¡±


    Instantly, Emma¡¯s cheeks got reddened. She looked away and cleared her throat awkwardly, ¡°I know. Anyways, you guys could go back to the ambush discussion earlier.¡±


    ¡®Damn! Why does Calvin always act so openly about his feelings? Even in front of the others, he was not shy at all. Why is my chest pounding like this? I don¡¯t really care about him either. But he should be thinking whether or not I will feel ashamed for his behaviour.¡¯ Emma scolded in her heart.


    The old radio room was still held all the veryplete old-style radio broadcasting equipment. Maybe, that¡¯s why the working radio room was moved now. Seemed like the university management felt sorry for getting rid of the good stuff that still works really well.


    There was a lot Emma could see in the old radio room. As she had read in the campus magazine, Jardin University had been stood for a long time. And it seemed that the previous alumni memories were left in this room.


    ¡°Kathy would love to be here. Has she been here before?¡± Emma muttered in a smile while checking some equipment.


    Emma suddenly remembered that she had snacks in her bag. Then, she took out a sky blue lunchbox from there and opened the lid.


    Martin, who had just yawned from boredom, nced at Emma quickly, ¡°Wow! What¡¯s that, Emma? Is that food?¡± he asked with saliva pooling under his tongue.


    ¡°Ah.. yes. These few days, I¡¯m learning to make sandwiches. Do you want to try? But I can¡¯t guarantee that it tastes good..¡± Emma answered unsurely. While at her father¡¯s house, Emma never cooked at all. Now when she was living alone, she had found a new hobby, namely cooking. It¡¯s also good if there were people who could give their opinion about the taste of the food.


    ¡°Of course, I will! Can I have one?¡± Martin rubbed his palms on the jacket he was wearing.


    Emma chuckled, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Then she pulled out the wipes from her bag. Clean your hands with this, and then get the sandwich.¡± Then, she used tissue paper as a cemat so the sandwich crumbs wouldn¡¯t fall all over the ce.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Martin answered obediently, then did everything Emma said.


    Martin took a bite of the sandwich eagerly, then his eyes widened, ¡°Wow! This is so delicious, Emma. You¡¯re really good at cooking!¡± he praised.


    Troy, Ian, Nicko, and Calvin stared at the back of the room with annoyed faces. Martin was chatting with Emma while eating snacks that looked very delicious. That guy didn¡¯t even listen to their important discussion at all. If Frank hadn¡¯t been absent today, they would have taken him instead of that stupid guy.


    ¡°Hahaha..¡± Martin was busyughing. But suddenly he felt a dark aura behind his back which gave him goosebumps. Then he looked back and...


    BUGH! BUGH!


    Emma gave a pitifulugh at Martin who was beaten by his friends. The guy was now huddled against the wall, chewing his sandwich.


    ¡°Would you guys like a sandwich too?¡± Emma held out her lunchbox. She actually prepared the sandwich for lunch and afternoon snacks. Today, Emma had intended to go to the park warehouse to make sure there was no more bullying. That¡¯s why she had to charge herself to the brim, just in case she had to fight again.


    ¡°Sure!¡± The four men answered in unison.


    ¡°We have to clean our hands too, right?¡± Troy asked.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t mess it up, okay?¡±


    Of the five men, the one who seemed most ustomed to living clean and tidy was Nicko. It was because, at home, he had many female family members. While the other guys seemed to have a lot of hassle having to do various procedures just to eat a piece of sandwich.


    ¡°Emma, if Donny or some other guy is bothering you, you can just tell me. I¡¯ll break their necks.¡± Said Martin with a hero¡¯s face.


    Emma chuckled, ¡°Thanks, Martin.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to take this lunatic too seriously, Emma. But it¡¯s true. You can tell us if you¡¯re bullied by thugs.¡± Nicko added.


    ¡°Hey, you guys. Don¡¯t keep swarming her like that. It¡¯s you guys who look like the perverts now.¡± Said Ian as stepping behind Nico, Martin, and Emma.


    ¡°But Emma¡¯s cooking is delicious. I¡¯d also beat up anyone who annoys her in exchange for a sandwich.¡± Troy innocently interrupted.


    Come to think of it, Emma was the perfect woman figure. Pretty face, beautiful body, kind, gentle, fashionable, and good at cooking. Any man would feel lucky to have a couple like Emma Hind.


    But in fact, they didn¡¯t know what was behind that elegant figure.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51: Calvin Lee¡¯s feelings [Bonus chapter]


    All this time, Troy and his guys were too busy with The Judo to never have a girlfriend. They were men who live in a harsh and burning world of men. In that world, there were no women who they feared would destroy their focus on Judo martial arts. Because they knew, sometimes there were fights between men because of a woman.


    However, it seemed that Emma had a special feature that made her could be epted by the members of Jita Kyoei. Apparently, now Emma already had enough friends to share herughter and to protect her.


    Calvin shoved his hands into the pockets of his white and ck patterned coat. He smiled gently. Seeing the figure of Emma who was not walking alone anymore made him feel happy.


    ¡°Her back could be perforated if you keep staring at her like that.¡± Ianughed.


    Calvin gasped then looked at the guy walking beside him, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You like her, aren¡¯t you?¡± Teased Troy who was standing to his right.


    Calvin didn¡¯t answer but looked down in amazement. Could it be that he had unwittingly had a crush on Emma Hind?


    .....


    ***


    Ever since Emma beat up Carter Barewood and his two bastard friends, there¡¯s been no more extortion activity in the campus park warehouse. This made Emma feel very happy. Even she saw that Roger was not as gloomy as usual. That¡¯s what made Emma feel her struggle was not in vain. Well.. even though she enjoyed that day¡¯s fight.


    Luckily, the news that Carter¡¯s group was beaten to a pulp by the mysterious helmeted man did not spread at all on campus. It must be because Carter was so embarrassed that he decided to cover it all up, while the losers were also unlikely to open their mouths wide. They had been saved once, so they should be grateful. No more looking for trouble by spreading any unnecessary news.


    Emma didn¡¯t have a ss today. Kathy said there was a location selling a lot of street food and fresh fruit called Ahmed Street. Merchants on Ahmed Street would only open their stalls in the afternoon when the sunlight was no longer dazzling. Usually, they would be open until ten at night.


    The time showed four in the afternoon. There should be quite many merchants who have opened their stalls by now. Emma didn¡¯t want toe home toote because she was going to try to make a fruit sd and candied lemon that the recipe she just got by watched a television cooking showst night.


    Using the help of GPS, Emma drove her car towards Ahmed street. No need to look for long, it turned out that the busy street was adjacent to one of the town squares of Handway. As Kathy said, it was like a paradise for food hunters.


    Emma parked her car in therge parking lot reserved for visitors to Ahmed Street. She immediately stepped down excitedly, carrying her little brown sling bag and several folded grocery bags in her calf-length mantel pocket. Emma would be hunting a lot today.


    Emma was not the type of girl who could eat too much. But she always felt hungry. The fact was her eyes were hungry.


    Yes, the girl was actually quite a shopping freak. Either when she was shopping at the mall or supermarket. Emma often bought things and groceries that she didn¡¯t really need. And as a result, those foodstuffs eventually be damaged because they were stored for too long in her cabs.


    It¡¯s no different when she was strolling through food heaven like now. Emma bought many kinds of street food just to have a taste of them all.


    ¡°Ouch.. My hands are full.¡± Sheined alone. But the grilled dumpling tent at the front looked very tempting. ¡°Should I put all the food in one stic bag?¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just hold it.¡±


    Emma jumped in surprise and turned to the tall figure who was already standing beside her with a friendly smile. His nted eyes would form a crescent moon shape when heughed. But it just made him look more interesting and funny.


    ¡°You are here?¡± Asked Emma.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°I¡¯m looking for food for dinner at home.¡± Then, he rubbed his chin with two fingers. His eyes fell on stuff in Emma¡¯s hands, ¡°You bought that many foods?¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Yes. It¡¯s because all the foods look delicious. But I can¡¯t seem to finish them all.¡± Emmaughed.


    Calvin chuckled and took the bags from Emma¡¯s hands, ¡°Let me hold them.¡±


    ¡°Is that all right? I¡¯m just troubling you instead.¡± She was still trying to hold back so that not all the food was transferred to Calvin¡¯s hands.


    The man shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Maybe you can share this with me a bit.¡± Heughed jokingly.


    Emma smiled widely and nodded, ¡°You can take whatever you want. It¡¯s even okay if you want to eat them all. I¡¯m already full though.¡±


    A few minutester..


    Calvin¡¯s face became t. He cynically nced at Emma who was receiving a stic bag containing a portion of still steaming roasted dumplings.


    ¡°You just said you were full..¡± Calvin said with his mouth full of sweet toast, which was one of Emma¡¯s leftover foods.


    ¡°My stomach is already full. But my tongue still wants to taste other foods.¡± Emma giggled after thanking her new food.


    Emma¡¯s spontaneous answer made Calvin identally spit out some of the food he had chewed, ¡°Ugh! Sorry...¡± he said while checking Emma¡¯s coat, whether it was hit by the spit.


    Calvin¡¯s behaviour made Emmaugh amused. Then, she took out a bottle of mineral water, opened the lid, and handed it to Calvin who was still coughing with his mouth full of food, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have put that much food in your mouth.¡±


    Calvin breathed a sigh of relief as soon as his entire food had been swallowed with the water. He returned the bottle to Emma, ??¡±Thank you.¡±


    Emma took the bottle and closed it again, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    ¡°Eum.. That..¡± Calvin realized something.


    Emma looked at Calvin, waiting for him to continue, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I forgot. Give me the water bottle back. I¡¯ll buy a new one for you.¡± He continued with an ufortable expression.


    ¡°Oh.. No need. There¡¯s still plenty of it left and I don¡¯t drink too much when I¡¯m walking around like this either.¡± Answered Emma.


    ¡°Is that all right? You know I was drinking from that bottle, right?¡± Calvin said a bit confused.


    Emma frowned as she stared at the contents of the mineral water bottle. She was just wondering if the leftovers from Calvin¡¯s mouth might have been in it. Fortunately, the water was still clean, ¡°Hmm.. Do you have a contagious disease?¡±


    Calvin shook his head hastily, ¡°Of course not. I mean.. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want to drink from someone else¡¯s bottle.¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± Emma understood, then smiled faintly and lowered her gaze back to the bottle she was holding, ¡°You¡¯re right. I should be like that. I¡¯ve always been like that.¡±


    Emma¡¯s answer made Calvin¡¯s chest thump and a tingling feeling welled up inside.


    Then Emma looked at Calvin¡¯s face again, ¡°Do you remember the conversation we had when we met at the seafood shop that time? After that, I felt that it seemed okay to open myself up to other people.¡±


    Calvin was still looking at Emma with an innocent face.


    Emma smiled gently, ¡°I used to think, even though I¡¯m hiding, someday there will be good people who will find and help me. But it seems, the real world doesn¡¯t go the way I thought. Even good people have their own problems because the world is that rough. Therefore, I was the one who had to step out. I didn¡¯t expect, the little thing you said to me made my mind change.¡± She said honestly.


    Calvin smiled warmly, ¡°It¡¯s okay if the world knows a little about you, Emma. If you continue to stay in a tightly closed room, you¡¯ll soon run out of air to breathe. An open gap doesn¡¯t kill you. Instead, it helps you to stay alive.¡±


    ¡°You sound like a guy I know. He¡¯s annoying, but he¡¯s always right.¡± Emma said as she stepped back.


    ¡°Emma.. Does this mean I can find out more about you?¡± Calvin asked, catching up to her pace.


    Emma cleared her throat awkwardly, ¡°Depends on the situation and the question.¡±


    Calvin smiled, ¡°Ok. Then, can I ask you something?¡±


    Emma turned to him with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the man you¡¯re referring to? Is he.. someone important to you?¡± Calvin continued. He could see Emma¡¯s face light up when she talked about that person. For some reason, it made him feel ufortable.


    ¡°He was.. The protector man since I was little. His name is Jonas.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Oh.. Protector, huh..¡± Calvin muttered. It seemed, even though Emma had always kept herself hidden, there were dozens of men who were willing to protect her.


    Secretly, Emma nced at Calvin who was walking beside her with his head lowered. A gloomy aura seemed to surround the guy.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t have to be so awkward with me, Calvin. You being so careful makes me feel that I haven¡¯t made it out of my old life. Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to be closer to me?¡± Emma looked away as her own words made her cheeks blush. She must be crazy!


    Calvin was stunned as he continued to stare at Emma. Made him walk forward without realizing there was an olddy who suddenly stop in the middle of the busy street.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t daydream,¡± Emma immediately grabbed Calvin¡¯s hand as soon as he almost hit the olddy with his big body.


    Calvin, who had felt like he was stepping on the wind, staggered because of Emma¡¯s hand¡¯s pull. He didn¡¯t hit the old woman he almost hit earlier. However, his body ended up crashing into Emma¡¯s body, until in the end, it was her body who was about to fall backwards. But quickly, Calvin fixed his footing and grabbed Emma¡¯s waist.


    Their eyes stared at each other. It felt as if a God had cursed the time to stop ticking. The two of them froze. They had never been in such a close position. A position they thought could only happen in romantic dramas.


    For the first time, Calvin could see Emma¡¯s two irises, which turned out to be much prettier than he thought. He could see his own reflection in the two hazel brown irises.


    All this time, Calvin had never dared to look Emma in the eye for more than five seconds. In fact, it made the man feel confused with himself. But now Calvin realized why his mind kept falling every time he faced Emma. Maybe what Ian said was true. That he liked Emma.


    Vampire lover! Check new story


    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52: Kathy¡¯s Cry


    ¡°Eum..¡± Emma brought herself up to her feet, free from Calvin¡¯s big hands that were still supporting her back waist to prevent her from falling backwards.


    Calvin¡¯s two deep ck irises seemed to hypnotize Emma for a moment.


    ¡®I was too shocked to turn into a statue just now.¡¯ Emma thought to herself. Trying to match a logical theory to her body¡¯s reaction which felt like she was paralyzed earlier.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± Calvin said in a hurry as he let go of Emma¡¯s waist after making sure the girl was standing properly, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks for catching me.¡±


    ¡®Damn! Why did I just stare at her like that? This is so embarrassing!¡¯ Calvin covered his face with one hand. However, he held his wrist with a somewhat confused face.


    ¡®Is it just me? Why her grip was so strong?¡¯


    .....


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to meet you today,¡± Calvin said with a beaming face.


    ¡°That¡¯s actually my words. Thank you for bringing my groceries, Calvin.¡± Emma said with a nce at the bag containing various kinds of fruit that filled the guy¡¯s hands.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hesitate. A woman shouldn¡¯t carry heavy things like this.¡±


    ¡°Em.. But that are just fruits.¡± Emma said as tilting her head.


    Calvin cleared his throat, ¡°I just wanted to look cool. Sorry if I¡¯m overreacting.¡±


    Emma smiled amused at Calvin¡¯s innocence, ¡°That¡¯s my car.¡± she pointed to a red car in the parking lot.


    Earlier, when they were busy hunting for food, the snow began to fall lightly. But it turned out that the pile of the white thing was quiterge now to be able to cover some parts of Emma¡¯s car.


    ¡°Thanks, Calvin. You are helpful.¡± Emma said by closing the back passenger door of her car, ¡°Hem.. Anyways, how did you get here? I didn¡¯t see your motorbike in this parking lot.¡±


    ¡°I came with the bus because the road is a bit slippery for bike tires. It happens that I¡¯m not on duty today, so I felt not in a mood to ride a motorbike.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Emma nodded. She knew what Calvin meant was something like hunting down gangsters.


    ¡°Eum.. By the way.. what do you think toe here again with me someday? That¡¯s if you have some free time, of course.¡± Calvin asked while scratching the back of his head.


    ¡°Why not? It will be fun!¡± Emma nodded.


    ¡°OK!¡± Calvin said excitedly. Then he escorted Emma to the driver¡¯s door. But the sight of snow piled up on the car hood made his heart move.


    Then, Calvin cleared the pile of snow on there and above the driver¡¯s door. He was worried that if Emma went in and out of the car door, the thicker snow above would fall on her head.


    ¡°Hey.. You don¡¯t have to do that. Your hands will get cold.¡± Emma gasped.


    ¡°Eh.. It¡¯s nothing. I just wiped the snow off a little bit here.¡± Calvin said, continuing his activities.


    Emma chuckled, staring at Calvin¡¯s behaviour as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. She didn¡¯t know that Calvin¡¯s original attitude was much better than when they first met.


    All this time, Emma was used to always getting good treatment from men. Because of that, she would regard their kind treatment as normal, thus epting all the kindness with a cold heart. But somehow, if Calvin did it, Emma would feel a little ufortable because it made her chest feel weird. If he treated her too much like this, Emma really wanted to force the guy to stop doing it.


    ¡°Ah.. This,¡± Emma muttered as she put her hands in the pockets of the coat she was wearing. From there, Emma pulled out a peach-coloured glove with a tulip embroidered on it, which she nned to use if she felt the air was getting too cold. But since she¡¯s been holding onto foods for a long time, she decided to keep in her gloves instead.


    Emma stepped closer to Calvin, who looked like he had finished doing his unimportant activity. The guy noticed that the girl was now standing close beside him. He turned and gave an innocent smile that required a question.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Give me your hands,¡± Emma said.


    Calvin frowned and showed his hands as Emma asked. Then Emma took both already very red hands and patted them clean of the remaining snow that was left.


    ¡°Your hands are as cold as the freezer in my kitchen.¡± Emma shook her head.


    Emma¡¯s hands were so warm. But Calvin could not feel the warmth that continued to touch his frozen hands, because his whole face was burning now. With sparkling eyes and sealed lips, he was still looking at his hands which were being cleaned by Emma.


    After making sure Calvin¡¯s hands were clean. Emma pulled her pair of gloves out of her coat pocket and put them on Calvin¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Well.. They look to be too small.¡± Emma muttered as she looked up to see Calvin¡¯s face.


    What in Heaven! Emma¡¯s face that suddenly looked at him, made Calvin almost die of a heart attack. Emma¡¯s two round eyes framed by eyshes as thick as a Chinese dancer¡¯s fan looked at him with a cuteness overload. It¡¯s as if Calvin was looking at the two zing eyes of the sacred cat pet of the Greek goddess.


    Calvin quickly grabbed both of his hands and..


    ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough! Ehm.. I¡¯m.. Cough! So.. Sorry! Because I ate a lot of fried food earlier so.. Cough! My throat suddenly itch..¡± He said as he covered his mouth and turned his face away.


    ¡°Oh.. I¡¯ll get some water from the shopping bag in a moment.¡± Emma immediately stepped to the car door.


    ¡°No need!¡± Calvin stopped her. Then, he again held his mouth with both hands, ¡°Cough! The itching is gone now,¡± He continued as clearing his throat.


    Calvin held his skin secretly as he pretended to cough again. After he felt his facial temperature had returned to normal, he finally stopped the coughing charade.


    ¡°Sorry, I was going to lend you my gloves. But it seems that they are too small. They are actually too big for my hand. I thought they would fit on yours.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°I see..¡± Calvin replied, then, there was silence for a moment. ¡°Sorry, but.. Can I try again?¡± he asked sheepishly.


    Emma nodded then handed the glove to the guy. Calvin tried to put one hand inside the cute, soft, and warm thing. With a lot of force, the glove finally fit, though it didn¡¯tpletely cover the entirety of hisrge palm. Fortunately, these gloves were not the type that has a section of fingers, so Calvin could wear them.


    ¡°Oh? They could fit?¡± Emma muttered as she nodded lightly.


    ¡°Yeah.. They actually could. Even though I gave a little force.. Haha.. They feel really warm.¡± Calvin said intently.


    ¡°Okay. Then you can take it. I don¡¯t need it because there¡¯s a heater in the car.¡±


    ¡°Really? All right then. Thanks, Emma.¡± Calvin said happily, like a child who gets a present on Christmas Day.


    ¡°Well.. I¡¯ll go home now. It¡¯s gettingte. You too hurry home. It¡¯s cold outside.¡± Emma opened her car door.


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯m also going to the bus stop now. Be careful on the road.¡± He said before closing Emma¡¯s car door while making sure the girl was in the driver¡¯s seat properly.


    Emma stared at Calvin¡¯s broad back as he walked further and further away. The man walked very fast because his legs were long. Unknowingly, Emma smiled to herself. She just woke up when she identally saw the reflection of her own eyes in the rearview mirror. Suddenly, her cheeks immediately became hot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it, Emma. Control yourself.¡± She said while patting her cheeks to wake herself up.


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s cell phone rang. She took it out of her coat pocket.


    ¡°Kathy?¡± She read the caller¡¯s name aloud.


    Ah.. Emma just remembered that during her sleepover at Kathy house, she exchanged phone numbers with the girl. Emma was surprised because so far she had never received a call from anyone except Jonas. Seeing someone else¡¯s name pop up when the ringtone sounded, it still felt strange to Emma.


    Emma cleared her throat a few times before dragging the ¡®Answer¡¯ symbol that was wobbling on the screen of her phone.


    ¡°H-hello?¡±


    ¡°Emma! This is terrible! This is crazy!¡± Kathy¡¯s screams made Emma spontaneously take the phone away from her ear.


    ¡®Crazy! Her voice was so loud. Is she talking about herself? Why would she scream on the phone like that?¡¯ Emma thought with bulging eyes as she stared at her cell phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Kathy?¡± Emma asked, now not daring to hold the phone too close to her ear.


    ¡°It¡¯s Poppy! She¡¯s in danger! You won¡¯t believe what I found!¡±


    **


    Emma stood in front of a house with a tall grey fence. She pressed the bell button a second time. When she was about to press it again, the fence finally opened. A girl with flowing red curly hair immediately hugged her with teary eyes.


    ¡°Kathy! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Emma asked worriedly. She rubbed her back to calm her down.


    Finally, Kathy led Emma straight into her room. The girl¡¯s body trembled slightly from the shock.


    ¡°Calm down, Kathy. Inhale.. exhale..¡± Emma directed her to sit on the bed.


    Kathy looked deeply at Emma. Then, holding her hand, ¡°You must see this,¡± She said before pulling Emma towards theputer desk.


    Kathy pressed one of the buttons on herputer keyboard until theputer screen that had been off turned on instantly. Emma lowered her back to look at the screen, which disyed a lineup of perhaps fifteen photos.


    Although the photos had not been opened to fully disy on the screen, Emma could see that in almost all of them were a face of a guy who had been sick of her for a long time.


    ¡°Donny?¡± Emma asked as she turned to Kathy who was sitting in front of theputer.


    Kathy nodded vigorously before double-clicking her mouse to open one of the photos.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53: What Happened To Poppy


    ¡°What is it?¡± Emma asked again when Donny¡¯s disgusting selfie already appeared as wide as Kathy¡¯sputer screen, which was alreadyrge from the start.


    ¡°Look at this, Emma,¡± Kathy pointed to an object behind the guy. The object looks a bit blurry. But for Kathy who had sharp eyes, she could recognize that it was Poppy.


    Emma¡¯s eyes widened, then she squealed in annoyance ¡°That stupid guy! We have to tell Poppy about this, so she can tell her idiot boyfriend to delete the photo immediately.¡±


    So, it was a photo of Donny taking a picture of his own face or what was usually known as a ¡®Selfie¡¯. The man photographed himself up close by sticking his tongue to the side like a pervert. From the photo, it could be seen that Donny was in a room that looked like a quietrge bedroom. Behind him, there could be seen the foot of a bed and arge wardrobe with a mirror.


    But the big problem was in the wardrobe mirror behind him. In the mirror reflected the appearance of a fair-skinned girl with flowing ck hair and a face that was clearly familiar to those who know her. The reflection was the figure of Poppy who was standing. But, she stoodpletely naked without a single thread on her body.


    Even though in the photo, Poppy¡¯s reflection in the mirror looked a bit blurry, but still it would destroy her self-esteem if any of her acquaintances see such indecent things.


    Kathy red at Emma, ??then shook her head, ¡°We can¡¯t do that, Emma.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Emma¡¯s brow furrowed as she stared in surprise at Kathy¡¯s horrified face.


    Then Kathy pressed the ¡®Next¡¯ button on theputer keyboard until the photos slid. At that moment, Emma immediately jumped in surprise with her eyes getting bigger.


    The next photo showed several men. They were Donny, Larry, and five other men that Emma and Kathy didn¡¯t know. The seven men were taking pictures in the same room. They were sitting in a long sofa posing coolly. However, on the far right side of the photo, there was some ck equipment scattered on the table that also captured the camera¡¯s frame range.


    Those were some cameras with all their essories.


    Emma gulped, her eyes quivering.


    Suddenly, Kathy pressed the previous button again and the photo shifted again. Now, the screen showed almost the same photo, in the same ce, but with one additional guy. The guy had a pretty handsome face with a proportional body decorated with some tattoos. The guy smiled broadly and was wearing only boxer shorts and a grey towel robe. Donny could be seen embracing his arm casually on the handsome guy¡¯s shoulder.


    Then, Kathy pressed the button again a few times until they arrived at a photo of Donny¡¯s face together with Lary in another position. They from behind identally caught a picture of a scene that seemed to burn Emma¡¯s eyeballs to scorch.


    On the far left side of the photo, there was arge bed with two persons sitting on it. The persons were Poppy and the handsome guy in the previous photo. They were bothpletely naked, sitting with a serious stare straight to the front of the bed as if they were watching something.


    ¡°T-this is..¡± Emma muttered as she looked at the other photos.


    Poppy only appeared in two photos. The rest of the fifteen photos were just selfies of Donny and his friends. However, from the photos, Emma could easily conclude. That those bastards were shooting a movie. There was even a photo that showed one of the men carrying arge camera like a news cameraman.


    Emma stepped back with weekend knees and fell to sit on the edge of the bed. She covered her mouth with both hands. Her reaction was the same as Kathy¡¯s earlier. She was really surprised as if the ground she was standing on shook violently.


    Poppy.. a daughter who really respected and loved her mother. A niece of an elegantdy like Ms Diana. A beautiful, friendly, innocent, and gentle girl who had a beautiful dream that she must achieve. Trapped by a f*cking demon who dragged her into hell and shattered her to pieces.


    Kathy stood in front of Emma and hugged her tightly. Kathy¡¯s tears began to flow down her cheeks, ¡°What are we supposed to do, Emma? There¡¯s no way we could leave Poppy like this. You can see it.. Now, it¡¯s clear why Poppy looks so scared and obeys all the words of that asshole Donny. It¡¯s because she¡¯s been chained by him!¡±


    In all her life, no one had ever made Emma this angry. She couldn¡¯t even return Kathy¡¯s hug. She grabbed Kathy by the waist and pushed her gently so that she could let go of her embrace.


    ¡°Where did you get the photos from?¡± Emma asked tly.


    ¡°It was when I was logging into the university¡¯s website, I suddenly remembered Donny who insulted me in public at that time. Then, I idly opened his ount and entered his social media. At first, I thought I wanted to prank him a little. But I saw him posted these photos in his ount.¡± Kathy exined.


    Emma immediately stood up and walked over to theputer and turned to Kathy, ¡°Can you open it again?¡±


    Kathy nodded. After a few seconds, they were already in Donny¡¯s social media ount. Emma saw the date of the post which turned out to be only three days ago.


    Then, the two of them checked a little of his social media content. There, Donny was never seen posting a single photo with Poppy. Instead, in his private message column, it turned out that there was a lot of evidence to show he oftenmunicated with many women. There were even some who called him ¡®Baby¡¯. And to made matters worse, some sent him their own nude photos at Donny¡¯s request.


    ¡°He¡¯s a real asshole. I really want to kill him!¡± Kathy growled.


    ¡°We have to find out about this. Donny must be working with a studio that produces porn films. From there, we can find a way to save Poppy.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°E-emma. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to save Poppy. But, how do we save her? What can we do?¡± Kathy said, looking down sadly.


    Emma gulped. Of course, she would go find the studio and ruin it. She¡¯s going to kill Donny, the goddamn asshole king who made Poppy¡¯s life miserable. In the same disguise as when she saved Roger, it won¡¯t affect her identity as Emma Hind. But how to exin it to Kathy?


    ¡°I think the only way to save Poppy is to talk to her privately. We have to convince Poppy to call the police for sexual very.¡± Kathy spoke again.


    Emma looked at the girl. That was true. Before going directly to the criminals, they should approach the victim first. Because it¡¯s only Kathy who knew the full story, Emma wouldn¡¯t do an attack without knowing anything about Donny and his guys either. Moreover, Emma was in an alone position.


    Emma nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. We have to talk to Poppy. But, could you find any traces of all this? I just wanted to know, who are the people who made Poppy a porn star. So, we can be more careful with them. Because.. we are just a woman. Am I right?¡± she gave a sad smile. It felt like saying that was like slicing Emma¡¯s own tongue. It¡¯s as if Emma admitted how weak a woman is, so they have to live a life full of caution.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll look for it, Emma. But I maybe will need some time, because Donny seems to be very careful about his personal data. I feel like.. he¡¯s hiding things on purpose.¡± she muttered.


    ***


    What exactly eternal love is? Does that mean true love? Love that as white snowkes slowly fall from the sky.


    What exactly eternal love is? Does it mean love that has been formed since a heart was still clean and unstained?


    The sound of a little girl¡¯sughter resounded. Her silky ck hair fluttered in the evening breeze. Her crystal clear eyes with jet ck irises and a wide sweet smile from both fresh pomegranate lips. The rows of her tiny teeth continued to show. She swayed on a swing, as the evening light shone behind her back. Very beautiful.


    The eyes with the dark circles opened. His blue irises were getting dimmer by the day. His face was dull and looked depressed. He looked really bad. His appearance and his life looked pathetic.


    The dream came again. Roger¡¯s happiness was only in his dreams. He didn¡¯t have the chance to feel any happy feelings in real life. Unknowingly, tears flowed out from the outer corners of his eyes.


    Roger thought sometimes. If he had let the little girl lose her balloon in the first ce, would his life still be like this now? Was he still such a pathetic loser now?


    Roger hadn¡¯t washed his messy face yet. He immediately put on his sses and went to sit in the big expensiveputer chair his rarely home mother had bought him. A mother who didn¡¯t even have time to cook for her only son. A mother who was too busy to have time to just say ¡®I Love You¡¯ to her son or just to peek at his son¡¯s bedroom door in the middle of the night to see if he¡¯s asleep or not.


    Roger pressed a key on hisputer keyboard which was still in ¡®Sleep¡¯ mode. Instantly, theputer screen lit up. He smiled bitterly. Then, bent down by grabbing his hair with both hands.


    It was the page of a paid porn site. A porn site that was popr among men like him. There, appeared an hour-long video that had just been posted four hours ago, but the audience had already reached more than six hundred.


    With a trembling finger, Roger pressed his mouse button to y the video. As usual, it was a movie containing bed scenes like on other porn sites. But what made it different was, the scene had a very good shot. As if the cameraman and director were the professionals. The only thing that bothering was the face of the actresses and actors were blurred.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54: A barrage of Bad News


    Roger gulped until the bulge of Adam¡¯s apple on his neck moved up and down. Then, he pressed a button that said ¡®Privilege¡¯ which made his ount bnce decrease a lot. Now, he had joined with one hundred and ten other viewer ounts that were willing to pay five times more money to satisfy their disgusting lust.


    Then, he was transferred to a branch site that reyed the same video from the beginning. But the difference was, now the faces of the two yers were not censored at all. The picture quality of the video was very high and clear. The sound of the video was also clearer and has an 8D Audio effect that made the audience could feel as if they were in the same location and witnessing the despicable scene directly.


    Roger didn¡¯t open the video to satisfy his lewd lust. He¡¯s also not wearing headphones, opposite with was suggested in the pop-out glowing bright yellow and red notification board. Because, the effect of the 8D Audio would only be felt if you covered your ears with headphones.


    Roger¡¯s tears trickled out. All the good memories of the past began to sh like fireworks in his head.


    Why? Even though he had sacrificed a lot.. But now the girl had fallen into a worse ce. And now he was too weak to help his treasure.


    Roger returned to ying the movie video that he had paused because his heart couldn¡¯t handle the scene. He just kept staring at the face of the female actress. Although the girl smiled,ughed, and seemed to enjoy what she was doing with the male actor, Roger could see those two familiar eyes. Behind her acting, it was two eyes that seemed to be screaming to stop and begging for help.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. I have to destroy them! I have to stop this!¡± Said Roger.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯ll save you, Poppy. Just wait for me!¡± He mumbled as he wiped away his tears and closed the video that hadn¡¯t even halfway ended yet.


    ***


    Fingers with nude-coloured polished nails were constantly tapping the surface of the table. She didn¡¯t notice that the aura that emanated out from her body was the same as the guy sitting beside her.


    Emma and Roger looked deep in thought with angry faces.


    ¡°That¡¯s all for today¡¯s ss. Thank you.¡± Said half front bald headed old man.


    Instantly, Roger immediately stood up with his backpack and left. Emma, ??who was still busy with her own thoughts, didn¡¯t notice that the people around her had left the ssroom.


    ¡°Hey!¡± She got startled when a guy who was already standing beside him called out.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Said Emma.


    Calvin smiled amusedly, ¡°Why are you daydreaming like that? I¡¯ve never seen you like that before.¡± he sat next to Emma.


    The girl rubbed her neck. It turned out that daydreaming had made her neck muscles tense.


    ¡°Your face looks really tired. Are you not feeling well?¡± Calvin asked worriedly.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m just a little sleep deprived.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have a lot on your mind. Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Asked Calvin.


    ¡®Ah.. There¡¯s a lot, Calvin. You can help me a lot. But unfortunately, I can¡¯t tell you anything.¡¯ Emma said in her heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. This isn¡¯t something I can tell you about. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Emma gave a guilty smile.


    Calvin chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Not all of our problems we can tell other people. But you must remember, if you need my help, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I will always be avable.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Calvin,¡± Emma answered. Then, a brief silence interrupted their conversation. Emma suddenly thought of something and looked back at Calvin again with her right jaw propped up with her palm so her long thick hair hung down like a waterfall.


    For a second, it made Calvin stunned. Until the man could gather his sanity again and cleared his throat, ¡°Em.. Do you want to ask something?¡± he asked with his eyes darting here and there.


    Emma nodded quickly, ¡°Do you know any porn sites that are popr among young people in Handway city?¡±


    Hearing Emma¡¯s question, Calvin immediately moved awkwardly. He scratched the back of his head as ncing up his eyes in thought. His face looked to be blushing, but it seemed that Emma who was too serious didn¡¯t notice this.


    ¡°Actually.. I don¡¯t really know much. As far as I know, the youth in Handway City never open porn sites because they are blocked by the Handway government. But, there are some people who sell giarism DVDs containing porn movies that taken from outside Handway City.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Emma mumbled confusedly, ¡°Could there be someone who spread pornographic films on social media as well?¡± she asked again.


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°The Handway City Government is very sensitive to things like that. Whether it¡¯s on social media, websites, even private chat groups. If someone distributes pornographic films, pictures, or videos, they will be immediately blocked. Even though many gangsters are hanging around on the street tomit various crimes, they don¡¯t even bother with the hooligans. Instead, they focus on things that don¡¯t really matter.¡±


    Emma frowned, ¡°Then, where do you usually watch porn?¡±


    ¡°Me? Why would you ask that?¡± Calvin asked back with reddish cheeks. He quickly leaned back, so Emma wouldn¡¯t see the embarrassed look on his face.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Emma asked lightly.


    Calvin put his palm over his mouth and rubbed it, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re just innocent or trying to prank me with that question. But, I¡¯ll be honest with you. I bought it from the guy who smuggled DVD from outside Handway City.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you did that..¡± Emma nodded with no other meaning.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m a man too. It¡¯s okay if I want to fulfil my biological needs once in a while!¡± He babbled with more reddened cheeks.


    Emma looked at him in surprise, ¡°I know you¡¯re a man. What¡¯s the matter with you, anyway? Why are you suddenly getting angry?¡±


    ¡°Ugh.. Forget it. By the way, why are you asking this?¡± Calvin asked as he caught his breath.


    ¡°My little brother asked me to get the video for him. He¡¯s grown now.¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°He asked his sister that thing?¡± Calvin gaped.


    Emma nodded, ¡°He is very close to me. But my parents were very restrained. So I helped him free,¡± Emma answered while wondering whether her lie made sense or not.


    ¡®Ah.. I don¡¯t care. Besides, it looks like Calvin will just believe what I say.¡¯ Emma thought.


    ¡°You are.. really a good sister huh,¡± Said Calvin. ¡°Do you need me to buy the DVD for your little brother?¡± he asked.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No need. But you¡¯re sure, right? That there¡¯s no other source for that kind of video except the smuggler you told me about?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.. Because you asked me, I only answered ording to what I know. It also happens that I rarely watch that kind of stuff. Therefore, I rarely look for them.¡± He answered.


    Emma nodded in understanding. It seemed she had to seek more information from other people. Calvin looked too good to know such things.


    But, what made Emma confused was.. that in Handway City was very difficult to spread porn movies. Then, where would Poppy¡¯s films be distributed? Did they sell it to other cities or even to other countries?


    In ballet ss, Emma stood side by side with Kathy. The two of them kept their eyes on the ssroom door, hoping that the girl woulde today.


    ¡°Looks like Poppy isn¡¯ting back, Emma,¡± Kathy said sadly.


    ¡°It seems so..¡± Emma said with a long sigh.


    Then, Emma¡¯s eyes caught Ms Diana who was getting ready alone by the locker, ¡°I¡¯ll go there a second,¡± Emma said immediately before leaving.


    ¡°Hei, Miss!¡± Emma greeted friendly.


    ¡°Oh.. Hi, Emma. You came today too, huh? I¡¯m d to see your skills have improved so much.¡± The beautiful woman smiled.


    ¡°Thanks, Miss. Oh.. By the way, how is Poppy? She hasn¡¯t attended the sstely,¡±


    Hearing Emma¡¯s question, the elegant woman¡¯s face turned sad, ¡°Poppy said that she had a lot of business with her group of friends outside the campus. She said that business was more important now than ballet. Until now, her mother and I were trying to understand her decision. Poppy¡¯s mother said she was still doing well at home, although she¡¯s be more silent and more introverted. But she doesn¡¯t show any signs like.. you know.. taking drugs. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m being too curious, Miss. But, do you maybe know what Poppy and the group were doing outside?¡± Asked Emma.


    Ms Dianna shook her head, ¡°Do you? Have you seen that girl recently?¡±


    Emma thought for a moment then nodded, ¡°Actually, we had a little chat when we met at the mall. At that time, she was with her mother. Oh right.. I¡¯m sure you know that Poppy has a boyfriend named Donny, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh.. That big man, huh? It seems he doesn¡¯t look like a good man. Actually, Poppy¡¯s mother never agreed with their rtionship. Poppy never showed her boyfriend directly to her mother. Even though since a kid, Poppy was very close to her mother. Even now, if asked about her boyfriend, Poppy would immediately shy away and look angry.¡±


    Emma was silent as she looked down. Lost in her own thoughts.


    ¡°Emma..¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± The girl snapped out of her reverie when the teacher called her name. Emma¡¯s face gradually turned ufortable when she saw Ms Diana¡¯s sad face.


    ¡°Looks like Poppy will be dropping out of ballet ss. I know, this news has nothing to do with you. But.. I thought maybe you deserved to know about this since you seem to care about her. From now on, you don¡¯t need to help me find out about Poppy anymore, Emma. Sorry for bothering you earlier.¡± The woman smiled as she rubbed Emma¡¯s shoulder.


    Emma looked at Ms Diana with a disappointed face. Then she nodded, ¡°Y-yes Miss..¡± She replied.


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55: A Website


    The two blue irises were seen moving to the right and the left. The owner was standing lean on the white wall outside the building. He was waiting for someone.


    Finally, the figure he had been waiting for had passed. A girl in a maroon mini dress with a id coat and thigh-high boots. She looked very beautiful with her jet ck hair flowing softly.


    Roger came out of his hiding. Then, he walked in the girl¡¯s footsteps. As usual, always followed five steps behind her. He took a deep breath, then crushed his frozen tongue.


    ¡°P-Poppy!¡± He called.


    The girl suddenly stopped in her tracks and froze. For a very long time, she never heard that voice call her name again. Poppy turned around slowly to find the guy standing five steps behind her.


    Roger felt his throat freeze. He continued to try to breathe normally, as in the exercise he had been doing for the past three hours. But now, he more looked like someone who was seeing a ghost. His tongue groaned and his mind went nk.


    Poppy knew Roger had something to say to her. Something important. But the girl would not let that happen. Poppy had crushed everything with her own two hands. And she didn¡¯t want it back, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me anymore!¡± she said, her eyes were quivering.


    .....


    What came out of Poppy¡¯s mouth gave Roger goosebumps. It was as if an iron golf club was hitting hard into his stomach. But somehow, the too-soon rejection actually felt like an adrenaline injection for Roger. It gave him a handful of courage.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going any closer. Like you¡¯d said.. five steps away. I¡¯m not getting any closer than that.¡± Roger said by raising his palms in front of his chest.


    ¡°Why do you keep following me?! I beg you to stop your stalker-like behaviour!¡± Poppy¡¯s eyes began to water. Her voice trembled.


    ¡°Y-you.. you know?¡± Roger stuttered.


    Poppy turned her face to the side. The cavities in her nose ached as she held back her tears in the cold air. Then, she nced at the figure of the guy in front of her, ¡°No matter how my life is, it has nothing to do with you. Please don¡¯t mind me. Remember everything I¡¯ve done to you.¡±


    Roger didn¡¯t think that all this time Poppy had realized that he was always stalking her. But why was she always silent? Ah.. so that¡¯s it..


    ¡°To you, I¡¯m just a shadow. Always near you, but never getting your attention.¡± Roger smiled sadly.


    ¡°What other nonsense are you talking about?! What a freak!¡± Eximed the girl again.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to ruin your life, Poppy. Stop. I¡¯ll help you. I promise I¡¯ll take it all for you.¡±


    Poppy clenched her jaw as tears finally flowed uncontrobly, ¡°WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!!¡± she shouted until her throat, which had be ustomed to her soft voice, became sore.


    ¡°You should hate me! You should want to kill me! Roger! I¡¯ve ruined your life! Open your stupid eyes and brain! Why do you still want to help me, huh?!! Why do you still care about me?!!¡± Poppy fell on her knees.


    Her tears kept flowing out and dripping on the cold snow, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be helped by you.. I hate you. You are a loser.. I want to see you care about your own life..¡± She muttered in her cry.


    Seeing Poppy crying like that made Roger¡¯s heart break. No matter what Poppy did, she was still the same Poppy in Roger¡¯s eyes. He wanted so badly to hug her, to whisper to her that everything would be all right. But Roger couldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°About what happened on Jen Marrie Street, let¡¯s pretend it never happened. I ask you not toe near me anymore. Just stay.. keep five steps away from me.¡±


    Those were the words Poppy said when she passed Roger in a deserted ce. At that time, even Poppy was reluctant to look Roger in the face at all. Roger just nodded slightly, and after that, Poppy walked away quickly.


    Roger was a ve to love already. His love for Poppy was too great, so what Poppy said was amand for him.


    ¡°Poppy.. I promise this is thest time I¡¯ll talk to you. But please stop this all,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote! It¡¯s beyond repair. I¡¯m stuck. And there¡¯s nothing you can do about it,¡± Poppy looked into Roger¡¯s quivering eyes.


    ¡°There is,¡± said Roger, ¡°I can do it. You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll save you,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just seeking death! Who are you?! What can you do?!¡± Poppy growled. Then, she got up and brushed off the remaining snow covered her front boots, ¡°If you want to get into trouble, it¡¯s up to you. But remember, don¡¯t bring up my name!¡±


    Roger could only stand limply by staring at Poppy¡¯s back which continued to drift away.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid, Poppy. I¡¯ll protect you.. even from your back.¡±


    Emma shifted her body to hide behind the wall again. At first, she wanted to look for Troy or another Jita Kyoei member who was said to be in the next building. But unexpectedly, her intention to go through a more long and quiet back way, actually made her able to witness this crazy incident.


    So, Roger and Poppy actually knew each other? They knew each other very well as if they have had shared the same past life. All this time, they both pretended to not know each other. No one knew that Poppy, the popr girl with a cute innocent face on campus, actually had a rtionship with Roger the loser.


    ¡°What¡¯s with all this madness? Does Roger know what happened to Poppy?¡± Emma muttered. She peeked again and found Roger had disappeared from there.


    ***


    ¡°Porn videos?!¡± Martin¡¯s eyes widened.


    Ian burst outughing. In his life, only Emma, ??a girl he heard asking such a frontal question to a group of boys.


    ¡°Hey, Emma. Why do you want to know that?¡± Troy asked in surprise. He still wore his Judo uniform with the ck belt.


    ¡°My younger brother asked me. Anyway, it¡¯s a long story. Do you know where to find it other than the DVD smuggler?¡± Emma asked impatiently.


    ¡°Well.. About that, just ask Martin,¡± Frank replied casually.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Emma hit her right fist on her left palm, ¡°Back then, you said he was downloading porn, right?! I just remembered. So, where did you download it, Martin?¡± Emma asked quickly. (Chapter 32)


    The others couldn¡¯t help butugh as Martin seemed to be scrambling to answer Emma¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok.. Just tell her anyway. There¡¯s no need to act embarrassed. Everyone already knows what kind of guy you are.¡± Nicko said to his friend whose face was now bright red.


    Emma didn¡¯t care about the noise the men were making. She kept looking at Martin with a hopeful face. He was the key for her to help Poppy.


    ¡°Th.. that. Eum.. There is a website that is not blocked by the government. But we have to pay if we want to enter into it.¡± He answered.


    Emma immediately clenched her jaw. It turned out to be true as she expected. It¡¯s impossible if all ways were closed, but there were still shooting practices as Poppy did. It¡¯s even clearer now, with the fact that the website Martin says was a paid site.


    ¡°Can you tell me what the name of the website is?¡± Asked Emma again.


    Ian smiled, ¡°Tell her, Martin. You know it¡¯s the website you used to watch in the middle of the night.¡± then theyughed together.


    ¡°Damn it, Ian!¡± Martin threw the bottle cap lying on the table at Ian¡¯s head. But quickly the man caught the blue lid that almost pecked his forehead.


    ¡°Are you guys watching from there too?¡± Emma asked them all.


    The four men immediately fell silent, ¡°Of course, not. We¡¯re not that perverted, to be willing to spend a lot of money just to watch a video like that.¡± Nicko replied with a blush on his cheeks.


    ¡°Oh.. Then you guys must be brought contraband DVD like Calvin.¡± Emma pointed it lightly.


    ¡°Shh.. Nicko, are all girls like her?¡± Frank whispered to Nicko ears.


    Nicko shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. But my sisters aren¡¯t as confrontational as her.¡±


    ¡°Can you help me, Martin? I love my little brother very much. Even my parents don¡¯t love him as I do.¡± Emma gave a puppy eyes that instantly melted Martin¡¯s heart.


    Because of that, Martin told himself that..


    ¡®Daring to open your cards to the girl you like is the manliest act not just any man can do.¡¯


    After receiving information from Jita Kyoei members, Emma immediately rushed home. This time, she wasn¡¯t going to ask Kathy for help. Emma nned to investigate it herself. Because by involving too many people, the possibility of her identity would be exposed was even greater.


    After bathing and eating, Emma went straight into her room and opened herptop. Then, she went to the browser page and type in the website address that Martin said to her earlier.


    ¡®canguagedictionary¡¯


    Then, a boring page appeared with a box in the middle to enter an email address and password. Emma tried to register with one of Jonas¡¯ email addresses. Incidentally, because the man was a member of his father¡¯s special mafia, he had hundreds of Email addresses for his work purposes. Most of these email addresses have been abandoned after one use.


    Even Emma had not even managed to enter the site, she had been asked to fill in her ount bnce to be able to continue to open the main page of the site.


    As shaking her head in disbelief, Emma filled the virtual bnce in her ount on the site using her credit card.


    Finally, the main page of the site opened after sucking up Emma¡¯s ount bnce. The girl¡¯s eyes instantly widened, ¡°Oh my.. They really made this kind of website?¡±


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    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56: canguagedictionary


    *Sensitive Content*


    Emma didn¡¯t want to exin what she saw there. Everything and the pictures were too vulgar to be detailed. Even her mouse cursor instantly changed to a male sex icon. At the very top of the page, there was an inscription that as big and clear as possible was exining that the video actor and actress were not using physical protection! That¡¯s one of the factors that caused the audiences to be willing to pay just to enter the website.


    Actually, the site had a very neat and attractive appearance. There also didn¡¯t show a bunch of ads and bugs. Truly, an exclusive website for weird brain porn maniacs.


    ¡°Okay, now, how do I track if Poppy was here?¡± Emma thought as pity her own eyes that had to see so many disgusting images there.


    Then, she opened the video that appeared at the very top. It was the most recently uploaded video and already had many views or viewers.


    ¡°Oh my.. should I see something disgusting like this?¡± Emmained.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± She narrowed her eyes and rubbed them lightly, ¡°The artist¡¯s face was blurred?¡±.


    .....


    Then, she got out of the video and opened several other videos. It turned out that all the faces of the video¡¯s actors and actresses were blurred. Damn! Then, how could she find Poppy?


    When Emma closed thest video, suddenly a billboard appeared in the middle of the page.


    ¡®Get a ¡®Privilege¡¯ ticket and watch the performance of your favourite cat exclusively! Click the button below!¡¯


    Of course, Emma immediately pressed the button. And again, she was asked to pay a very high price. Under the payment options, there was exined what benefits the viewer would get by buying the obscure Privilege ticket.


    The Privilege has various options as follows:


    1. Cat Eyes : Viewers can watch movies without censorship on the actor and actress face. Ultra-clear High Definition video quality, and 8D sound features. Can double zoom in on the video image.


    2. Rewatch : Customers can download movies twice. However, it only works for regr movies where the actor and actresses¡¯ faces are blurred.


    3. Cat Live : Ticket to watch the broadcast live for one hour. (Coming Soon)


    4. Cat Live Game : Cat Live viewers canment in thements column and can enjoy the Bid Game. (Coming Soon)


    All of these Privilege options can only be used for one-time usage per one payment. So, if the customer wants to use the Privilege again, he/she has to pay again.


    Emma read the announcement while blinking in disbelief. Seriously? Do they want to ckmail people or what? And again, there were still a lot of crazy people who were willing to pay dearly for it. But what she was sure of, Martin would buy the number two.


    Because Emma¡¯s goal was to watch without facial sensors, she bought the number one ticket. She must watch carefully. The video she had to open was the one with the background of the room that Emma had seen in Donny¡¯s photo that day. If she chose the wrong video, she might have to pay again to be able to open another uncensored video.


    No need to go far, the video that Emma suspected was in the top three rows. It looked like just been uploaded. She opened one by one before pressing the cat¡¯s paw print logo under the movie frame.


    Finally, Emma found the video she had looking for. The setting was a room that had shades of maroon and navy blue. She remembered it very well.


    ¡°It must be this..¡± Emma muttered by moving her cursor over the cat¡¯s footprint symbol. Then, Bag! She was redirected to another page and the video yed uncensored.


    It didn¡¯t take Emma long to realize that the actress¡¯s face belonged to Poppy. She immediately stopped the video and felt nauseous.


    ¡°F*ck you Donny!¡± She growled.


    Emma pondered. Most likely Roger also knew about it. She thought, should she cooperate with Roger to stop Poppy? But, if that¡¯s the case, Roger wouldter find out that the mysterious man in the helmet was actually Emma Hind. Even if she asked Kathy for help, she would be suspicious of her.


    Because everything was considered too risky, Emma began to forced her brain toe up with her own n. Actually, the only way was to beat Donny so he wouldn¡¯t get anywhere near Poppy again. Emma also had to threaten to crush his legs if he dared to open his mouth about what Poppy had been up to. But the problem was.. how?


    ¡°Oh.. Right!¡± Emma snapped her fingers as she recalled something she once thought was unimportant, but now would be of great help. Emma immediately took out her cell phone and called Jonas.


    After how many seconds since the first dial tone rang, Jonas immediately picked up the phone.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been calling me a lottely, haven¡¯t you?¡± His voice was excited.


    Emma ignored him and went straight to the point, ¡°Jonas, do you know the device that Papa¡¯s men usually used to change their voice on the phone?¡± she asked quickly.


    ¡°I know. What else do you need?¡±


    Emma pursed her lips, ¡®Else?¡¯. Jonas seemed to be able to smell that Emma was nning some things in her new home.


    ¡°Looks like you have a lot to do,¡± The man continued with augh.


    ¡°Stop your bullshit, Jonas. Let me speak. So, I have a group practice assignment. I need a tool simr to that. But it¡¯s not just for use on the phone. I need it to disguise my voice instantly.¡± she exined.


    ¡°Hmm.. It can do. But, maybe the device should be ced very close to your mouth. And the speaker must be close to it also so that your original voice could be covered.¡±


    ¡°Good! Please make some for me and send it with a package to my house. Oh.. please use good material too. Attach a microphone that is very sensitive to sound. Because, maybe I will use it while whispering.¡±


    ¡°Hem.. This is the first time you ordered me like that. Looks like I have to ask your Papa for a sry raise.¡± Jonas replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you, Jonas. I¡¯m counting on you!¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°Very well, Princess. If you have ordered, no one will dare to argue.¡± He mocked.


    Emmaughed, ¡°Thanks, Jonas. To make your report easier, I¡¯m letting you know now before you ask. I¡¯m fine here. I eat regrly, eat healthily, diligently practice self-defence, and the bonus.. now I can cook for myself. Amazing, right?¡± she held her chin up high.


    ¡°Cooking? Wow.. Looks like someone is ready to get married. I¡¯ll tell your Papa.¡±


    ¡°What?! Hey! Watch out if you dare say things to Papa! Oh.. and also for what I asked for, please keep it a secret from Papa,¡± Emma said quickly.


    ¡°As your wish, Princess. I¡¯m d to hear you¡¯re doing well. Take care of your health.¡± Jonas answered lightly.


    ¡°Good!¡± Emma said before hanging up the phone.


    She smiled widely. The n was still smooth so far. Hopefully, she could manage to free Poppy from the wolves¡¯ snare.


    ***


    Even though Poppy kept pushing Roger away, the man didn¡¯t want to give up. Behind the sses, his eyes were busy observing the structure of the city of Handway. As a loser who had no friends, Roger always spent his time in his room.


    He had no other activity, other than ying theputer and guitar in his cage. Even at home, there was no one to talk to. There were only two old maids in his house. His father and mother were too busy working to forget that they had a son whom they had not nned for.


    Secretly, Roger¡¯sputer skills were already at the same level as the IT majoring students. While looking for guidance from the inte, he tried to trace the website called canguagedictionary. And after two days of searching, he finally found the head office of the website.


    It¡¯s not surprising that its head office was in the city of Handway. Precisely near the harbour. There was a medium-sized building there. It was the office of a frozen seafoodpany. Yes, that¡¯s what the namete on the front said, and that¡¯s what people knew. But in fact.. it was the headquarters of a gangster group called Hell Gate.


    That¡¯s right, Hell Gate created the pornographic website. They made the top three floors of the six-floors building into an office that ran the website canguagedictionary. And the top floor became Roger¡¯s destination.


    ¡®I have to destroy the server.¡¯ Roger thought.


    The sixth floor was where the web server and file server were stored. Roger simply couldn¡¯t fight the men who trapped Poppy with force. But he could be a sewer rat that sneaked up on their servers. That way, Poppy didn¡¯t have to be forced to do her current job. All data would also be lost.


    Roger didn¡¯t care what would happen next. Most likely he will be caught. Most likely he would die there. The chances of him seeding may be only three percent. But he was going to take the ny-seven percent risk of being killed, to work out a three percent chance of saving the most precious girl in his life.


    ***


    Poppy stepped through the door to her favourite ss, which was ballet. She had no more time toe there. Let alone additional sses, she had oftenpleted regr sses because she didn¡¯t have as much time as she used to.


    Yes, now Poppy was no longer a free swan to swim and p her wings. Now, there was a chain that tied her legs. And the holder of the chain was Donny. Her own lover.


    Poppy¡¯s encounter with Donny was very brief. It was when she first entered the university. At that time, Donny looked like a nice cool guy. The man¡¯s appearance and countenancepletely matched Poppy¡¯s taste. The man also seemed to be able to protect her weak self.


    Donny, who had a cold and reserved impression made Poppy¡¯s heart melt when he treated her special. But, the innocent Poppy didn¡¯t realize that Donny would be the meanest man she¡¯d ever met.


    Of course, Donny¡¯s bad character was not seen in the early days of their rtionship. But over the past few months, Poppy hade to realize that Donny¡¯s vices were not something that she could let be. Unfortunately, it was toote for Poppy to get away from the man. She was already trapped by the cunning of Donny and his friends.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57: The Beginning of Poppy¡¯s Suffering


    Donny had a temperament. He even dared to be rude if Poppy upset him by not doing what he asked. Because of that, the love that Poppy used to feel for Donny had now turned into fear.


    -shback-


    When Donny asked her to drink with his friends at a bar, Poppy had already refused. But Donny almost threw a tantrum at her. That day, Donny seemed so emotional that his anger was very easily ignited. Frightened, Poppy finally had no other choice but to join the drinking event. Poppy did not expect that her decision would be the beginning of the destruction of her own life.


    There, Poppy was repeatedly forced to drink because she had lost a game, which she didn¡¯t even know what kind the rules were. It was as if Donny and his friends had nned to trap Poppy in the first ce. When she finally lost consciousness because the alcohol took over, she woke up and found herself lying in a long sofa, with her body covered only by a thin white sheet.


    Poppy was hysterical when she realized she was naked in an unfamiliar ce. Because her head hurt so much, it took Poppy a while to realize that Donny and his friends were near the sofa. They were ying cards at a round table.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping for a long time, honey,¡± Donny said when he saw Poppy had woken and sat up.


    Poppy¡¯s body shook violently. Cold sweat instantly trickled down her forehead. She pulled the sheet to cover her tiny body even tighter, curling up. She felt embarrassed because there were five men in the room. ¡°Do.. Donny! Why am I naked?! What are you doing to me?!¡± she screamed.


    .....


    ¡°What? Why are you asking? Don¡¯t you remember thatst night we all had a great time here?¡± Donny replied casually.


    ¡°Right, Poppy. You really entertained us,¡± Brian said with a thumbs up while grinning widely.


    ¡°Hem.. With such an innocent face, you¡¯re really great, apparently. You surprised usst night. Haha ..¡± Lary added.


    The answers of the damned men gave chills over Poppy¡¯s back. Her heart was beating so fast that she couldn¡¯t think anymore. Tears welled up in her eyes, ¡°Ugh.. No.. No,¡± she muttered hoarsely, shaking her head.


    Without realizing it, Donny was already walking towards her. The guy slowly hugged her tightly, ¡°Shh.. Don¡¯t cry, honey. Don¡¯t be afraid. I will always take care of you. Remember.. You are my lover, right? Like I always said, I will never let you go from my arms, Poppy.¡±


    Yes, when Poppy confessed her feelings to Donny, the guy smiled gently and hugged her. He epted the girl¡¯s feelings. At that moment, what Donny said made Poppy put her whole heart in the man¡¯s hands. And now, Donny gave her the same treatment and sentence again. But it¡¯s.. with a different feeling. Poppy didn¡¯t feel warm and happy. It¡¯s cold and scared!


    The man took Poppy out of his arms. Then, showed his cellphone screen right in front of her face. On Donny¡¯s cellphone screen, a video filled withughter and moan yed. It was an execution that cut Poppy¡¯s head off.


    Poppy covered her mouth with both hands. Her crying was getting worse. She couldn¡¯t believe those guys.. no.. even her own boyfriend, had the heart to do such heinous things to her when she was drunk. Poppy felt like she was watching a stranger who had the same form as her was doing filthy things with five men. She really looked like a whore!


    ¡°Honey, would you like to help me do something? I wish you would. Because if you don¡¯t.. maybe this fun video will be ying on every campus student¡¯s cell phone. And even.. on your mommy¡¯s phone. You¡¯re going to be very famous, honey.¡± he said with a faint smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right Poppy! You don¡¯t have to worry. The job isn¡¯t that hard. You just need to do things likest night. But, the recording will be using a better camera.¡± Said Brian lightly.


    ¨C shback Ends-


    ***


    Poppy did not expect, she had to take the bus to the harbour area almost every day. Arriving at a building with peeled off grey and white paint wall. A building that from the front had a name the frozen seafoodpany branch office, was actually a headquarters for demons. And that ce was a prison for girls who were victims of forcedbour like her.


    Poppy climbed the stairs to the second floor. She opened the door with lowered head. There were a lot of men and five other women who Poppy knew were fellow actresses like her. They all had the same depressing face as Poppy. Then, there were also six actors in the ce.


    ¡°Wow.. Finally our actress has arrived. Since you¡¯re the number one cat, you¡¯re going to be a big headed, huh?!¡± Brian said with arms akimbo.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Donny stepped past him to approach Poppy. Then, he embraced the girl in his arms while handing her a box of diet milk. After that, lead her walking to join the others, ¡°We can start the briefing now,¡±


    Poppy sat beside Donny on a two-seat sofa. Her two ck irises continued to stare at the long sofa nearby which was already fully upied by five women. It was as if Poppy¡¯s trauma had been ignited until her heart started beating hard. It was sad that she had to return almost daily to the ce where she was abused by her own boyfriend and his friends.


    ¡°Our ie for one week has been increased. Thank you to all of you who have worked hard.¡± Said a man in a shirt with neatly arranged hair and round silver-rimmed sses, who looked like a young office man.


    But in fact, he was the vice-chairman of the Hell Gate group and also the director who oversees thepany behind the website canguagedictionary. The man¡¯s name was Matsumoto Kei or more familiarly called Kei. He was a person that Hell Gate¡¯s leader trusted the most.


    It was Kei who made sure Hell Gate¡¯s source of ie went well. No one had ever seen that such beautiful-looking man fighting. He was always under the protection of the very powerful gang leader.


    ¡°It so happened that the creative and marketing team gave a breakthrough for our website. I saw it as a very interesting breakthrough and it is likely to increase our ie many times. And the good news, in this program, there will be a bonus system for the actress and actor. So it will increase your ie too.¡± He continued with a smile. Then, Kei instructed the one man standing at the far end to stand beside him.


    The man with square sses approached Kei with a paper in hand. He was the head of the creative team that Kei was referring to.


    ¡°Yes, so this program is called ¡®Cat Live and Cat Live Game¡¯. The program will bebined with a live streaming event, which is also a new program. So this is a Bidding War game. In one live broadcast session, ten Bidding slots will be opened, where one slot willst for only two minutes. During those two minutes, the viewers are invited to bid or offer how many coins they can give to win prizes. The winner is the one who can give the highest number of coins until the time in one session ends. The prize offered is, the winner will be given one right to ask the actress and actor to do anything they want at that time, through a specialment column. You could say, they have the right to control the actress and actor. But of course, violence or any kind of spread on the inte other than on our website is not allowed. So everything is safe.¡± The man exined.


    All the actors and actresses there were immediately stunned. What other crazy things do they have to do? But unlike them, the members of Hell Gate immediately apuded loudly while chuckling in admiration for the brilliant idea of ??their creative team.


    ¡°For now, during the trial and promotion period, we are only opening the ¡®Cat Live Game¡¯ feature on live broadcasts carried out by selected lucky actors and actresses. Of course, because of your achievements, we have chosen all of you here. For other actors and actresses, they have to wait about a few more months to be able to activate this feature in their live broadcast session. While those of you here are the lucky ones to be able to try this golden opportunity. Because at the beginning of theunch, the audience will definitely be willing to bet a veryrge amount of coins to watch your show. From the earnings on this program, you will get a bonus of two percent.¡± Exined the man with a handsome face and two shady grey eyes who was the head of the marketing team.


    ¡®Two percent?! Are they crazy? This is called vebour!¡¯ Thought of almost all actors and actresses. But they only kept those thoughts in their minds. Not daring to get a word out of their lips.


    ¡°What do you say, people? You are all understood, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kei asked all the actors.


    They all nodded fearfully, ¡°U-understood.¡±


    Kei smiled, ¡°Okay. Then, this program will start in the next few days. The exact schedule will be notified further by Donny. That¡¯s all for the meeting today. Thank you for your cooperation.¡±


    After the original meeting was over, Kei immediately went up the stairs to his room on the fifth floor. As usual, he was followed by two big bodyguards with dark skin. Then, all the office people were also got off, returned to their respective jobs.


    Donny stepped in again to give a further briefing to all of the actors and actresses, ¡°Okay.. After this, you all can go straight to the studio to shoot for the cover of this new program. And remember, don¡¯t mess up.¡± he said, receiving nods from all of them.


    Vampire lover! Check new story


    Cursed Together With Mr.Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

 Chapter 58

    58 Stalking Roger


    Emma knew, the way to find out about Poppy was through Roger. But she couldn¡¯t possibly ask the guy openly. Because of that, Emma decided to stalk Roger¡¯s movements. She was sure the guy would lead her to where Poppy was trapped.


    Emma nced at the guy who was busy writing notes beside her, ¡°Um.. Roger, can I borrow an eraser?¡±


    Roger didn¡¯t answer. As usual, he just passed the eraser over to Emma¡¯s desk without even looking at her.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma said by erasing unimportant writing that she had written to delete. When she was done, she gave it back to Roger, ¡°Sorry if I borrowed your eraser again. The one you gave me that time is gone.¡± she exined.


    ¡°Oh.. Gosh! I haven¡¯t even reced your eraser yet, have I?¡± She pretended to pat her forehead.


    ¡°No need,¡± The guy said coldly.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°You can¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t really like being in debt to other people. If I say I¡¯m going to rece it, then I¡¯ll rece it.¡±


    Roger again didn¡¯t answer so the problem wouldn¡¯t get any longer. He just sighed, shaking his head tiredly.


    .....


    ¡°Oh, if you want, can you apany me to the stationery shop on the ground floor? I¡¯ll also buy an eraser to rece yours.¡± Emma asked with a hopeful face.


    Roger looked straight at her then shook his head quickly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Give me the eraser any time.¡±


    ¡°I beg you, Roger. I will be confused about which eraser you like. You know.. women are like that, right? Confused when choosing things.¡± Emma persuaded.


    ¡°Just take the cheapest one, or whatever. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°How could I just take..¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Ehem.. Emma? Your name is Emma Hind, ??right? And you, Roger Timothy.¡±


    The girl immediately turned her face to the front, ¡°Yes, Prof?¡± she answered awkwardly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you two want to be in my ss? If my ss is too boring for you to keep talking like that, you two can leave.¡± Said the woman with thick sses. Her name was Prof. Natalia. The lecturer was famous for being fierce and snobby.


    Roger nced at Emma with an annoyed look. That girl always brought him trouble.


    Emma stuttered in response to Prof. Nathalia, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Prof, I was just ..¡±


    ¡°Please get out now, while I still haven¡¯t thought about leaving your course scores empty.¡± Cut the woman.


    Emma pursed her lips immediately. She turned to Roger with a face full of guilt. But like it or not, the two of them finally left the ss.


    From behind, Calvin Lee watched the incident with a sad face. How could Roger be so close to Emma? What exactly did that guy have that the other men didn¡¯t that attract Emma to him?


    ¡°If I were in Roger¡¯s shoes, that would be great,¡± Calvin muttered. Then he tapped his head lightly with the tip of the pen to wake himself up. All this time, Calvin had never thought of swapping positions with other people. But sometimes, Roger made him think like that. But indeed, for Calvin, Roger was very lucky to be that close to Emma.


    ¡°Roger, I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ll borrow Calvin¡¯s notester and share them with you too.¡± Emma said by chasing Roger¡¯s steps in the campus corridor.


    Roger sighed. This was the only time in his life, he was kicked out of ss by the lecturer. Then, he turned to face Emma, ??¡±No need. Please.. Please don¡¯t stick to me all the time.¡± Roger looked surprised by the words that came out of his own mouth.


    Roger said the same thing Poppy had told him. It was very painful. Why should he do the same to other people?, ¡°S-sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to push you away. But...¡± Roger was confused to give an excuse.


    Emma smiled gently. She knew that Roger must have felt guilty because he had been in the same position as Emma now.


    It was very painful when you cared about someone, but that person pushed you away.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, Roger. I know you feel ufortable about me. And.. maybe, you feel annoyed with the people who are always surrounding me.¡± Emma said.


    Roger nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I haven¡¯t been able to be honest with you. I¡¯m not a very talkative person. I hope you could understand, Emma. With me around, it can be dangerous for you.. and me also. The boys don¡¯t like it if I¡¯m friends with you. You know.. they will bully me even more because of that.¡± Heughed bashfully as he scratched his didn¡¯t itch head.


    ¡°R-really?!¡± Emma said surprised. As for thatst reason, she really didn¡¯t realize it. How stupid! Emma always forgot that Roger would be bullied even more for being around her!, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that, Roger. I didn¡¯t realize it.¡±


    Roger shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emma. I know you¡¯re a nice woman. But our worlds are too different. I¡¯m not the right friend for you. You can depend on Calvin Lee or the others. As male friends, they can protect you well. And also, they won¡¯t get you into trouble. I¡¯m just a freak guy who¡¯s always bullied. Don¡¯t trouble yourself by being friends with someone like me.¡± he exined slowly.


    Emma could hear the sad tone in Roger¡¯s voice. It must be painful to be in his position.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Okay. I understand, Roger. I won¡¯t be around you anymore. But.. even so, I still consider you my friend. And always will be.¡±


    If only Roger wasn¡¯t a coward. If only he could ovee his fear. If only he was a normal guy. Maybe right now, he wasughing with Emma and the others and.. Poppy in his arms. But it was all just a supposing that happened in his dream only.


    ¡°Thanks, Emma. Goodbye.¡± Roger said turning around and walking away.


    Emma let out a long, heavy sigh. Was that what it felt like to be dumped by the person she liked? It appeared to be very ufortable.


    ¡°Ugh...¡± Emma muttered as she stepped in the opposite direction to Roger. Even though she had been expelled, she would not stop her intention to stalk Roger.


    A pair of oriental eyes stared at the girl in brown boots who had just walked past her while contemting. She returned her position to its original ce. Because, previously, she was hiding behind an ornamental nt.


    ¡°Looks like Emma is getting closer to Roger. That¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡± She mumbled with a faint smile. But her innocent eyes couldn¡¯t lie. There was a sense of sadness over the jealousy.


    Poppy pressed against her aching chest. In all her life, she had never seen Roger smile since that incident. It turned out, his smile was still the same as before. Very sweet. And it was Emma who was able to bring that smile to Roger¡¯s face.


    Even though she couldn¡¯t hear their conversation, Poppy could see that Roger feltfortable with Emma. He must have had feelings for her. Poppy longed to be happy for Roger. But her heart could not do it. And.. after everything she had done to Roger, should her heart still be pounding when she saw the man close to another woman?


    ***


    Roger strode swiftly through the snow-covered streets of Handway City. There could be seen the shop owners along the street were busy cleaning their shop yard where the snow had piled up again. He continued to walk as if the cold air did not feel at all on his skin. The heat of anger had long since burned him from within.


    But Roger didn¡¯t notice, a few meters behind, there was a pair of feet stamping on his footprints. A woman with her hair tied down in a low ponytail with her head covered in a winter hat, a fur coat with a high cor that zips up to the top, and thick round sses, was following him.


    Emma didn¡¯t look like the usual Emma Hind. She looked more like a mom with three school kids. Her body was heavily covered in a strange style as if she was very afraid of the cold. Well.. this was Emma¡¯s first time spying on someone. Shebined several clothes that made her look strange.


    Roger stepped into a small, deserted seafood tavern. He sat down at a small table. Not long after, Emma came in and sat at the table behind the guy¡¯s back. Roger seemed to be waiting for someone.


    Emma sat with her back to Roger. And the guy was not aware at all. Thinking Emma was just an old woman who didn¡¯t know fashion.


    Emma looked around the room. The tavern looked a bit rundown. The number of the tables was also small. The owner was an old granny who looked quite healthy. But Emma could judge, maybe the granny opened the tavern just to spend her old days. On her wrinkled body, stuck the fine clothes that Emma could see were from some pretty expensive brand.


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang and the outside air rushed in. Emma knew the door had closed again when the strong wind stopped blowing from outside. Then, she heard the sound of a stool shifting behind her. The person Roger had been waiting for had arrived.


    ¡°Good afternoon. Can I take your order?¡± Emma gasped when she realized that the tavern owner¡¯s granny was standing beside her.


    ¡°Oh..¡± Emma hastily covered her mouth for fear that Roger would recognize her voice. Then, Emma opened the menu book and pointed to a picture of crab soup and a bottle of Sake. She hastily pointed at her own throat and moved her palm, ¡°S-Sorry, my throat is sore,¡± she said in a small, hoarse voice.


    ¡°Ah.. Alright. I will prepare your order. Please wait,¡± The granny nodded kindly. Then, she stopped at the table behind Emma and took note of the two men¡¯s orders which turned out to be only two bottles of beer and a te of fried squid.


    Emma was curious about the man sitting at the same table as Roger. Because of that, she pretended to go to the cashier¡¯s desk to ask for a napkin. Emma secretly nced at the man who was chatting with Roger, sitting facing inward. The girl was quite surprised to see the appearance of the man who looked like a member of a gangster.


    ¡°Did you bring the stuff?¡± Roger asked sternly. Even though he was actually afraid of the man with the long straight wound on his right cheek.


    The man nodded and took out a piece of paper from inside his old thick jacket. Although he looked scary with the back of his hands full of tattoos, he looked like a bum and.. one of his legs was limping.

 Chapter 59

    59 Hell Gate Group


    The man put the paper from inside his jacket on the table. Then, he slid it forward for Roger to see, ¡°I¡¯ll exin this map when I get the full payment.¡±


    Roger quickly nodded and took out a white envelope and handed it to the man with a polite gesture. The man immediately took the envelope and opened it. The white object contained a sum of money which he immediately counted deftly.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll exin,¡± He leaned back after stuffing the envelope into the inside pocket of his jacket, after making sure the amount of money was following the agreement.


    Roger nodded and listened intently. In front of him was a fairlyrge piece of paper folded into four parts. It was a map of a six-story building. Yes, it was a map of the Hell Gate¡¯s headquarters building.


    The man was a former Hell Gate member who had worked there for three years and had already been kicked out for a petty mistake. Previously, he was beaten very, very badly, causingcerations to his cheeks and deformities in one of his legs muscles which left him with a permanent limp.


    He also became a homeless man because when he previously decided to follow Hell Gate, he had to leave his family and everything he had, and tattooed the Hell Gate symbol in order to serve that damn group. Now, there¡¯s no workce was willing to ept him as a worker because they saw the tattoos and scars on his face.


    ¡°This is the ground floor. This is the top floor. You understand?¡± The man slid his finger from the far left of the paper to the far right. Roger nodded.


    ¡°As I said before, the server position is on the sixth floor. The rooms are here. On the fifth floor, there are three rooms. The first is the room of the Hell Gate leader, Ron Smith, the most powerful man in the group. Second, the vice leader¡¯s room, Kei Matsumoto, his strength is unknown because he has never fought. The third is.. the room belonging to the main guards of Hell Gate, the twins Gozu and Mezu, they are very strong. They are always guarding the vice leader, and also are the pirs of Hell Gate¡¯s defence. Of all the people in this group, those two are the ones you should avoid the most. They could break your spine in just one throw.¡±


    Roger gulped with difficulty hearing what kind of monsters were living in the building. Maybe, he would already lose his life just by getting to the ground floor, ¡°Okay. Then, what else?¡± asked Roger with cold sweat running down his back.


    .....


    The man nodded, ¡°The fourth floor only contains ordinary office workers. They are generally not good fighters and they don¡¯t live in the base. Therefore at night, the fourth floor will be empty. On the third floor, is the floor containing studio rooms for photoshoots and dorm rooms for film performers. The second and first floors were filled with Hell Gate group members¡¯ rooms, bathrooms, and other non-essential rooms. On the second floor, there is also a dining and meeting room. Here¡¯s the position,¡± He slid his finger across the box-shaped pictures which he had previously written the names of each room in the building.


    ¡°In this headquarters building, there are at least a hundred Hell Gate members staying at night. Just like me, they all don¡¯t have homes, so they live in the headquarters dorm. The good news is, I will give you an important key. On Saturday, Ron, the leader, will be leaving with fifty of his members to do battle with another group in the southern area. Therefore, the guard will be weaker than usual. This is your only chance to infiltrate inside. I¡¯ve drawn the dots to mark the point where the CCTV cameras are that I know of. At the main door, there are four guards. The back door has three guards.¡± The man exined in detail.


    ¡°I see. Thanks for the exnation,¡± said Roger. Then, he looked at the man in front of him with a bit of doubt, ¡°But.. the information you gave is correct, right? Sorry, I mean, you didn¡¯t set me up, did you?¡±


    The manughed, ¡°Who are you that I want to frame you? I have a big grudge against that damn group. Since you want to pay me, then I¡¯m helping you. This is an advantageous situation for me. But.. you may remember this shit. If you ever say my name in your action, then i will kill you by myself.¡± He smirked.


    ¡°I-I won¡¯t mention your name. I promise.¡± Roger answered.


    ¡°All right, kid. Then, what else do you want to ask? While I¡¯m still being kind.¡± Asked the man as greedily finishing the fried squid on the table. Then, he took a quick sip of his drink.


    Roger thought for a moment, ¡°The room on the sixth floor.. Is there a guard too?¡±


    ¡°Hm..¡± The man folded his arms in front of his chest as he leaned back, ¡°Usually, only one ordinary guard sits in front of it. Besides, you only have to worry about it if you can make it to the fifth floor alive. And..¡± he chuckled, ¡°don¡¯t expect you could make it through the fifth floor with your both legs still able to walk.¡±


    Suddenly, the shop door opened, indicating another guest had arrived. A tall man walked in and walked slowly towards the counter.


    The man sitting with Roger turned to the neer and immediately pulled his tattooed hands under the table when his eyes collided with his. His face looked frightened. Them, he hurriedly stood up, ¡°Okay. I think that¡¯s all. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. O-ok. Thank you,¡± Roger replied confused. Then, he got up from his chair and walked over to the counter, where a tall man with a long grey coat and a id scarf of the same colour tone around his neck was standing there.


    The tavern owner¡¯s granny came out from behind and smiled broadly at the tall man who was perched on the counter, ¡°Ah.. You¡¯reing?¡± she walked closer to him.


    ¡°Serve the customer first, Grandma.¡± The man said softly.


    The granny smiled and nodded. Then, assist Roger¡¯s payment. Once they finished, Roger immediately left after saying thank you.


    Emma was still sitting with her head lowered. She had heard all of Roger¡¯s conversations with the earlier man who actually was a former member of Hell Gate. Emma was happy that she finally had such valuable information. After knowing what Roger would doter, then she just had to wait for Roger¡¯s next step, as well as spying a little on Poppy. But unfortunately, now she felt a bit confused.


    Emma nced again at the counter. The man who had been standing there had already stepped into the table where Roger had been sitting before. He sat in the chair that had been upied by the man with Roger, where he could see Emma clearly.


    ¡°Shit.. Why is PB even here?¡± She muttered. Her appearance now was not like her usual self. She hoped he wouldn¡¯t recognize her.


    Emma didn¡¯t want to deal with that man anymore. But if she thought about it, this situation possible happened because this was the same street as the location of the chicken tavern that Emma went to with Kathy that night. At that time, they also met with PB. It seemed that the man was wandering this street very often.


    ¡°How are you? Have you been eating welltely?¡± The tavern owner¡¯s granny approached PB with a tray of crab soup and several small bowls of side dishes, all of which were still steaming hot with a delicious smell.


    ¡°Of course, I eat well, Grandma. I never forget what you said.¡± Answered PB. Then, he took the spoon beside the main big bowl, ¡°Wow.. it smells so good. I really miss my grandma¡¯s cooking. Can I eat now?¡± He looked at the old woman with the eyes of a child.


    The old woman nodded, ¡°Eat a lot, my dear..¡±


    ¡°Oh, Grandma, I brought your favourite candied peach. Have a try,¡± PB took out a clear stic bag from the bigger stic bag he had previously ced in the corner of the table and opened it.


    The grannyughed happily, ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother like this. I¡¯m already happy just to see youing here. Thank you, sweetheart, ¡± She caressed the boy¡¯s cheek affectionately with her fragile fingers.


    ¡®Ah.. Did she turn out to be his grandmother? No wonder his grandmother¡¯s clothes are beautiful. PB must have dressed her.¡¯ Emma thought with a smile to think that the man could act so sweet in front of his grandmother. Well.. all grandchildren were like that anyway.


    Emma immediately stopped her thoughts, then hurriedly finished the remaining half of her food. Then, she stood up before taking a quick sip of her drink. She approached the counter with her back to PB as best she could.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked the granny when she saw her grandson suddenly stand up.


    ¡°There¡¯s a customer who wants to pay. You just sit here, Grandma. I¡¯ve finished eating. Let me go to the cashier,¡± The guy said because he saw his grandmother was solemnly enjoying candied fruit. Even though it wasn¡¯t even five minutes, the crab soup bowl was empty. PB really liked his grandmother¡¯s cooking which he couldn¡¯t eat every day.


    Emma looked down for a moment as the guy stood opposite her behind the counter.


    ¡®Why do you have to assist me, anyway?¡¯ The girl cried in her heart.


    Emma immediately took out some money from her purse when PB gave the receipt. But it seems that the man was already suspicious of the girl with the messy style in front of him. He continued to watch Emma without blinking.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emma said quickly by cing the money on the counter. Then, she immediately ran away from there, even before the cashier finished replying ¡®You¡¯re wee¡¯.


    Emma walked with hasty steps. Even she almost slipped a few times on the slippery path. Roger was already gone. After all, Emma also had enough information for her n. So, she decided to end the stalking today.


    BUGH! CRACK!

 Chapter 60

    60 Emma¡¯s thoughts


    A faint noise made Emma slow her pace. Then, her head darted around, looking for the source of the sound. Until she found the noise getting clearer as she approached an entrance to a narrow alley.


    Emma stopped in her tracks and thought in surprise, ¡°Not on campus or on the streets. Why are there so many things like this?¡± she muttered to herself.


    Actually, Emma had no intention of interfering in what she was about to see. But as usual, out of curiosity, Emma nned to peek into the alley to see the source of the sound.


    When Emma poked her head in, she was quite surprised to see that the person who was being beaten was a man Roger meet earlier. Although she felt pity and empathy for him, Emma still had no intention of interfering in the matter she was seeing.


    The man who was a former member of Hell Gate was being pushed around by two men of the same size as him. Both men wore ck suits with tattooed necks and backhands. Rather than bullying, they looked more like they were forcing the man to open his mouth.


    Surely this was nothing more than a crossroads between gangs groups. It just so happened that the man met another member of a gangster group. Even though he had left the Hell Gate group, the tattoo embedded in his skin still gave the impression that he was an enemy.


    ¡°Interesting show, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Emma gasped and immediately turned around. Behind her, stood a man who she thought didn¡¯t recognize her before.


    ¡°P-PB?¡± Emma muttered.


    .....


    ¡°Emma Hind. Do you like the show?¡± He smiled in a low voice.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°I just happened to be passing by. I¡¯m going to the bus stop.¡± she lowered her voice too.


    PB nced into the narrow alley, then put his index finger to his lips, ¡°We better move from here,¡± Then, Emmaplied, and they walked away from themotion.


    ¡°What are you doing in this area alone?¡± Asked PB.


    ¡°I was going to eat at the chicken tavern that time. But suddenly, I changed my mind about eating crab soup, so I went to the earlier tavern.¡± Emma lied.


    PB nodded, ¡°Then, why did you act like you didn¡¯t recognize me?¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Oh.. that...¡± Emmaughed awkwardly, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m ashamed of you because I look ridiculous like this. Haha,¡±


    PBughed too, ¡°Well.. Your style is a bit quirky today. But it¡¯s okay if you think it¡¯s good. You have to wear what you like, not what other people like.¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡± Emma nodded. ¡°Um.. By the way, do you know what happened in the alley just now? I think you¡¯re quite familiar with this area, since your grandmother has a tavern here.¡±


    PB nodded slightly as he thought, ¡°Well.. Come to think of it, I do know this area quite well.¡±


    ¡°Those are.. a group that has been wandering in this area for a long time. Even though they look scary, they never bother the locals. The man who was beaten earlier.. seems to be a member of a group that once shed with a group that already held this area. Actually, the story is quite too long. I don¡¯t really understand either..¡± The man continued.


    ¡°Hem.. the gangster things again, huh? Groups like that are really troublesome. I think it¡¯s better if there are no gangsters at all.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Emma nodded, ¡°They are a group that always hurt other people. Even if they do good things, I know they will usually ask for something in return. In fact, if they weren¡¯t around, everyone would be fine. They just act like people need them.¡±


    PB lowered his gaze to his shoes that have colour contrasted with the white of the snow. He smiled faintly then nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. I also think they shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± Then he raised his head, ¡°Anyway, How¡¯s your friend? She was unconscious for quite a while. Her head must be really sore when she woke up.¡±


    ¡°Kathy? She¡¯s fine. As soon as she got home, she yed the PC games until morning.¡± Emma smiled to herself, shaking her head slightly.


    ¡°Looks like you really love your friends, huh,¡± PB said.


    Emma shrugged, ¡°I think so.¡±


    Imperceptibly, they had arrived at the bus stop. Emma looked at PB while chuckling softly, ¡°You actually walk me here.. Haha..¡±


    PB smiled, ¡°I am wanted to walk you here. I thought maybe you felt insecure after seeing what happened earlier.¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Thanks for worrying about me. Oh.. The bus ising,¡± Said her when she realized arge white and blue bus was heading towards her stop, from a bend in the main road.


    ¡°Be careful on the way. Soon, the sky will get dark. You know the road conditions are pretty desertedtely because the air is very cold.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thanks for the warning. I got to go now, okay? Nice to meet you here,¡± Emma said.


    The bus finally arrived at the bus stop, and Emma waited for the other passengers to get off before getting on the bus. Unexpectedly, many passengers got off at the stop.


    ¡°Oh, right.. Can I ask you something for help?¡± Emma asked hastily.


    PB raised his eyebrows, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°About today you met me. Can you not talk to anyone about it? I.. just feel ashamed if a rumour spreads that I¡¯m hanging around in clothes like this.¡± Emmaughed ufortably while scratching the back of her head that wasn¡¯t itchy.


    Actually, Emma just used her clothes as an excuse. The girl never cared what people said about her dress style. Not to brag, but many people did say that whatever clothes Emma wears will look good.


    The real reason was, Emma didn¡¯t want the news of her whereabouts at the tavern to spread, for fear that the news would reach Roger¡¯s ears. If that happened, Roger would surely know that Emma was stalking him.


    Hearing Emma¡¯s request, PB immediately chuckled, ¡°I won¡¯t say it.¡± He promised by raising his little finger.


    Emma let out a sigh of relief. From the way the man spoke, he didn¡¯t seem like the big-mouthed type of guy, even though he was always surrounded by girls. Therefore, Emma¡¯s heart could feel at ease because PB had promised.


    Finally, no more passengers were seen getting off the bus. Emma immediately climbed the stairs of the bus while taking out her wallet to tap it on the payment machine because there was an electronic card for public transportation in her wallet.


    Before the bus door closed, PB stepped closer and held the door. Emma looked questioningly at PB, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±, she just gave the lips movements.


    PB shook his head with a faint smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be bothered by what people think about your dress style. Your style isn¡¯t bad. Well.. even though it looks like someone in disguise. But, I like the uniqueness.¡± He winked as he removed his hand from the bus door which immediately closed.


    Emma was still standing near the bus entrance with her eyes twinkling. PB¡¯s words of encouragement made an imprint on her heart. Nope.. actually it wasn¡¯t his encouraging content that made Emma think hard. However, what did that guy mean when he said Emma looked like someone in disguise?


    ¡®He.. Can¡¯t possibly know anything about me, right?¡¯ Emma thought in her mind.


    ***


    The white light from the cellphone illuminates the face which was still pretty glowing without makeup. A face with a perfectposition. The skin was as smooth as silk and as fresh as morning dew. However, a look of great difficulty appeared on the face that had a beauty that overcame the charm of the shining brightly moon.


    Emma stared at the calendar app on her phone screen. The clock showed 11:59 pm, then changed to 00.00. Indicated the day had changed. Friday to Saturday. Yes.. It¡¯s Saturday. Because of that, Emma was unable to close her eyes to fall asleep.


    Was it proper for someone with a high ego like Emma to be afraid? Emma was ashamed of herself.


    More than fifty men and the strongest two were said to be able to break your spine in a single blow. Had Emma had too much fun with the girls¡¯ world that she¡¯s not as mentally strong as she used to be?


    Emma sighed loudly then put down her hand that was holding the cellphone to the side until it was bouncing on the bed. Now, her beautiful face was facing the full moon which could be seen very clearly from therge window of her room which she deliberately did not cover with curtains. She allowed the moonlight to apany her at night and the sunlight to wake her up when the morning came.


    Emma was confident that she was strong. As Jonas said, whatever we face, we must believe that we are the winners.


    But now, there was no Jonas who would hold Emma¡¯s back when the girl was kicked and bounced back. She waspletely alone.


    A smile appeared on Emma¡¯s face, ¡°I think, this is what Calvin has been feeling all this time. Calvin is right, just like him, now I am willing to defy death because the person I care about is hurt by those bastards.¡± she muttered.


    Previously, Emma couldn¡¯t understand why Calvin was fighting the gangsters like he was now. Even at one point, Emma had thought that the guy was just stupid. But now, it felt like Emma was going to bury her face in the sand. She was very embarrassed because she thought Calvin Lee was weird.


    In her life, Emma had never really cared about other people. Maybe because she was never close to anyone, not even her own family members, except Jonas. But all this time, it was Jonas who always protected Emma. The man was very strong and independent. It was as if he was a God who didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help.


    But in this new ce, in this new world, Emma found people who forced her soul and conscience to move. The people who made her feel affection, but were just ordinary people with many ws. They were not a perfect person like Jonas. Because of that, this was the first time for Emma to feel such a wave of burning anger. Felt what it feels like when the person she cared about was hurt.


    After learning the information from the results of stalking Roger and Poppy, Emma began to train hard at home. She continued to practice early in the morning before leaving for lecture and when she came home from campus to the night.

 Chapter 61

    61 Fear


    It¡¯s not enough just to practice. Emma even had to reopen some old videos on her cellphone. The videos were a teaching recording from Emma¡¯s martial arts teachers who had trained her since she was a kid to this age. Not a few Jonas videos were also included. It made Emma, ??for the first time in her life, miss the figure of the man with a thin beard and sad eyes.


    Emma looked at her phone screen again. As usual, the phone was always quiet without any notifications. Emma began to think, was this what called loneliness? Was this what it felt like when we needed someone to share our heart with, but realized that we didn¡¯t have it?


    Emma thought that being trapped in her father¡¯s golden cage was the biggest problem in her life. But now, she had even forgotten the problem. She realized the outside world was more terrifying than she had ever imagined.


    ¡°One.. Two..¡± Emma tried to remember when thest time she had interacted with Jonas on the phone. If past twelve in midnight was called a new day, that would mean three days had passed since shest spoke to him.


    Even though she was already in a declining psychological state, Emma was still stubborn to maintain her prestige.


    Finally, the girl pressed the number ¡®5¡¯ on the screen of her cellphone. Unexpectedly, it took a long dial tone for Jonas to pick up the phone. Emma took the phone from her ear just to see if she had pressed the right button before. Suddenly, someone finally picked up from the other side.


    ¡°Ugh.. Hello.. Who is this?¡±


    Emma jumped with a confused face when a woman with a husky voice picked up Jonas¡¯ phone instead. What the..! Never once Emma had known Jonas had a private life.


    ¡°Um.. N-no one. Sorry. I¡¯ll hang up the phone..¡±


    .....


    ¡°Hey. Darling, what are you doing?!¡± Jonas¡¯ voice was faintly heard as if he was snatching his cell phone.


    Emma pursed her lips tightly. She was in a state of confusion as to whether she should hang up the phone or wait for Jonas to speak. Ah.. Emma was so embarrassed now.


    ¡®Looks like they are.. Ah.. Never mind..¡¯ Emma cursed herself in her heart. Jonas must not have thought that she could suddenly call at this hour.


    ¡°Emma,¡± The girl straightened her back with a sprightly posture because she felt awkward.


    ¡°H-Hei.. Jonas. Looks like I¡¯m bothering you, no? Then, I¡¯ll just hang up now,¡± Emma answered quickly, frantically.


    ¡°No, Emma. Don¡¯t hang up.¡± Jonas cut her no less fast. There was a loud snort everywhere, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emma. I didn¡¯t think you could suddenly call like this. I seem to lose my guard a bit.¡± He exined in a voice as calm as possible.


    Emma was silent for a few seconds and then shook her head, ¡°No, Jonas. I should be the one apologizing to you. You weren¡¯t the one who was off guard. But it seems.. It¡¯s me who been too selfish with you all this time.¡± she smiled sadly to herself.


    Jonas frowned, ¡°Did something happen, Emma?¡±


    ¡°You must already know what answer wille out of my mouth, Jonas. Nothing. I just wanted to call you. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Hhh... Emma.. Alright. There¡¯s no problem. Fine.¡± Jonas nodded while rubbing his face roughly, ¡°So.. does that mean you miss me?¡± he gave a joking tone to his voice.


    Emma chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡± she said.


    Jonas chuckled, ¡°I was crazy enough to think you had a problem. And.. crazy enough to hallucinate that I was hearing you, for the first time, seriously apologizing to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also crazy enough to say that you¡¯re not hallucinating. I¡¯m serious, Jonas. I think I just realized that I¡¯ve been too selfish to you. I even forgot that you are a normal human being who also has a private life.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. Looks like your new world has changed you a lot, Emma. I don¡¯t know if I should be proud or worried.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°Hey.. I¡¯m not a kid anymore,¡± Emma shouted.


    Jonas nodded, ¡°Okay. But you¡¯re still a princess, who ran away from home.. Haha.¡± he said. Then, their conversation was spaced by a long silence. The man cleared his throat before muttering incoherently like a drunken man. It seemed like he was singing a colossal song in a messy tone to fill the awkwardness.


    ¡°Just say it, Jonas. I¡¯m not in the mood to refute your disgusting words of wisdom.¡± Emma said suddenly. But from there, Jonas could hear the murky voice of his Boss¡¯s only daughter.


    ¡°Hmm.. Let me think about it first.. It¡¯s actually a bit difficult without something to stir my brain. Besides, you know what time it is, right? Luckily, your father paid me quite a lot to work overtime.¡± Said the man.


    Emma snorted. But she still thought for a moment then opened her mouth, ¡°Let¡¯s just say.. in the movie you watch, the main character is a warrior, who is feeling scared. He has a sword that has not been used for a long time, so when he wants to use it again, he feels like afraid if the sword won¡¯t be as sharp as it used to be.¡± Emma exined haltingly.


    ¡°Hmm.. That must be so annoying. But, why should he bother with that? He just needs to sharpen his sword again. Then it will be sharp again.¡± Jonas replied while thinking. Then, he continued with a conclusion, ¡°If that person is afraid, what he is actually afraid of is not his sword is not as sharp as it used to be. It¡¯s actually him who bes weak.¡±


    As usual, Jonas¡¯ words were like a p in the face to Emma. The girl pondered for a moment.


    ¡°Emma.. The swordsman you told me about, seems to have lost his confidence. It¡¯s not that his hands and feet are not strong anymore, but he has lost his principles as a warrior. If you want to win, you have to believe that you will win. Didn¡¯t I say that to you before? Maybe, being immersed in a soft environment made your confidence drop. But that doesn¡¯t mean your sword isn¡¯t sharpened. You just refrain yourself for using it at the right time.¡± Jonas continued.


    ¡°What if the swordsman loses a leg? Won¡¯t he find it difficult to stand up straight?¡± Asked Emma again.


    ¡°A warrior always finds a way out because of his strong will. Even if he loses both legs, he will embroider wings on both his arms so that he can fly like a bird. If you are crazy enough to be a warrior, then you must be crazy enough to surpass the limit of yourself.¡± Jonas replied, ¡°Emma.. A warrior is not afraid of anything.¡± he continued.


    Emma gulped several times. For some reason, Jonas¡¯s words made her throat and nostrils feel like they were being stabbed by dozens of needles. There was something wrong with her eyes. They felt warm. But Emma wasn¡¯t going to let the oddity effect her any longer. She immediately cleared her throat several times to clear her voice.


    ¡°Okay. I think I¡¯m sleepy now. Thanks for telling me the story, Jonas.¡± Emma said.


    Jonas chuckled, ¡°Sure, princess. I trust you.¡± he answered with emphasis on thest sentence.


    Emma blinked at this. Then, she removed the phone from her ear, ¡°Bye!¡± then she hung up.


    ¡°I-I believe in you too, Emma.¡± Said her while touching her own chest with her palm.


    ***


    ¡°To.. today?¡± Poppy stuttered.


    Donny nodded with a leisurely gulp of his c, ¡°Momo just had an ident. So, today you are taking her ce.¡±


    ¡°B-but, I¡¯ve never yed with.. with..¡±


    ¡°Jacky. His name is Jacky. I can¡¯t understand what your brain¡¯s thinking, Poppy. What¡¯s the big deal if you haven¡¯t filmed with Jacky before? After all, you¡¯ve had your ¡®first time¡¯ with all your other co-stars, right?¡± Donny nagged.


    Poppy no longer answered when Donny mmed his c can down on the table, causing her to jump in surprise. The girl did not dare to make her boyfriend angry. Not only because she was afraid of being hurt, but because he was also holding a video that could destroy Poppy¡¯s life in an instant.


    It happened on Saturday, the university was free of ss. Even though Poppy had done a long day of the very tiring process from morning to evening shooting, tonight, she was forced to shoot again to rece one of the actresses.


    And what¡¯s worse.. it¡¯s not an ordinary shoot. But a live broadcast!


    Poppy couldn¡¯t imagine having to do such a disgusting thing on a live section, with a man she usually only gave a short smile when she passed by in the office. Poppy had to keep her expression low and make sure her face looked like she was enjoying whatever was going to happen next.


    It felt like Poppy¡¯s tears were going to burst right now. Maybe, this was the karma she deserved the most after destroying her best friend¡¯s life. Now, she must felt how to live such a cruel life.


    ¡°The car¡¯s here!¡± Brian opened the hotel door quickly.


    Then, Poppy, Donny, and the rest of the crew took their stuff and left therge, dimly lit room.


    As soon as she got into the car, Donny remembered something and patted his forehead, ¡°Ah.. I forgot. Brian, where is the pink bag I left you?¡±


    Brian seemed to think for a moment, ¡°Oh, wait a minute,¡± He got out of the car door and took something out of the back luggage that was being surrounded by the crew. Then, the guy with the big scarf covered his mouth, back into the middle passenger seat. Then, gave him a sweet pink paper bag with a maroon ribbon.


    Donny smiled broadly by tidying the arrangement of the ribbon on the bag. Then, he gave it to the girl who was sitting beside him with an innocent face guessing, ¡°Happy birthday, Baby.¡± he gave a long kiss on the lips of his lover.


    Poppy blinked. Oh.. She forgot that today was her birthday. No wonder, yesterday her mother bought a lot of groceries. It must be because today, her mother would cook a lot for the daughter¡¯s birthday. But sadly, Poppy was in a hurry to leave early in the morning. She didn¡¯t even have time to eat breakfast.


    Remembering what she had done to her mom, Poppy felt very guilty. Her mother must be very sad. In fact, Poppy most likely won¡¯t be able toe home tonight because the shooting might end at one in the morning.


    ¡°Why are you daydreaming? You¡¯re very moved, aren¡¯t you?¡± Donny stroked Poppy¡¯s head gently. He smiled sweetly. The smile that once made Poppy¡¯s heart to bloomed a field of flowers.

 Chapter 62

    62 The Awaited Night


    Poppy smiled faintly, wiping the tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes. Thinking of her mother¡¯s sadness made her unable to hold her cry. She took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Thank you,¡±


    ¡°Open it,¡± Donny asked.


    Poppy nodded and took out a shiny pink box that was prettier than its wrapping bag. She pulled off the ribbons that tied it and opened the lid of the box.


    Inside the pretty box was a package of very mour skin and hair care products. There was a glitter body lotion that had the biggest and most beautiful bottle. Poppy couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sweet thing.


    ¡°This is.. so pretty,¡± She mumbled with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Donny asked softly. Poppy nodded with a wide smile that deepened the shape of her dimples.


    ¡°How about you use them for tonight live shoot? Your hair and skin will look absolutely gorgeous. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Donny said.


    Poppy froze at Donny¡¯s words. Her hand that was holding the bottle of sweet lotion just now floated in the air. She slowly put the bottle back in the box.


    To Poppy, Donny was a piece of chewing gum. It was sweet and soft at the beginning, but became bitter and hard at the end. She shouldn¡¯t have forgotten that fact.


    .....


    The sweet taste that Poppy had tasted a few seconds ago now turned bitter after reality pulled her back to earth after she had flown into the clouds. It was very painful for Poppy to realize that the present was more than just a birthday present. He wanted Poppy to look really pretty tonight.


    ¡°What do you think? I¡¯d really like to see you use those things ASAP.¡± Donny asked again.


    Poppy turned to the guy, swallowing the disappointment so it wouldn¡¯t show on her face, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll use them for sure.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, honey.¡± Donny kissed Poppy¡¯s forehead happily.


    ¡°Oh..¡± Donny remembered something again, ¡°You¡¯ve taken the contraceptive pill, haven¡¯t you? Don¡¯t forget it. It would be very dangerous for you.¡±


    Poppy was stunned again, then, nodded slowly a few secondster, ¡°Yes. I.. will never forget.¡±


    ***


    For Poppy, the trip to the office seemed very short. Even though the location of the hotel was far from that damn building, that¡¯s what happened when we didn¡¯t feel like going somewhere. We would expect a journey that had no end.


    That building always scared Poppy. All her nightmares started there. Unfortunately, she still had to go to that hell. Poppy didn¡¯t understand what kind of gangster that had been employing her all this time.


    Hell Gate. It seemed the name fitted them very well. If you go into it, you would definitely not be able to get out safely. And of course, if you were dragged inside, you would feel the real hell.


    Before starting filming, Poppy rested in the actress¡¯s room. She also took a shower there, using all the body care products that were a birthday present from Donny. Actually, Poppy could no longer distinguish herself from a prostitute. She felt very disgusted with herself. She didn¡¯t even dare to cry, because it would make her eyes swellter. If that happened, she would be killed by the men who made her a ve.


    Time passed very quickly. The sky had darkened and the snowing quite heavy. Poppy entered arge room with a bed in the middle of the room, lots of filming equipment, and an additional room at the side that was divided by a soundproof ss wall. Her small body was wrapped in a white towel robe. As much as possible, she did not want to show what was behind the robe.


    There were already many people in therge room, including Donny. The man in charge of managing the actresses. He was standing, chatting with a tall man about the same size as him. Just like Poppy, the tall man was also d in a towel robe. With a heavy heart, Poppy approached the two guys.


    ¡°Oh.. Poppy,¡± Jacky greeted when he noticed the little girl¡¯s presence.


    Poppy gave him a faint smile, ¡°Hi, Jacky.¡±


    ¡°Hm.. You¡¯re really using them, huh? Your hair is getting really nice.¡± Donny kissed Poppy¡¯s head affectionately. Poppy didn¡¯t budge. Because she knew he didn¡¯t do it because he loved her.


    Jacky smiled seeing the closeness of the couple in front of him, ¡°You two are very matching, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Donnyughed, ¡°Well, We are. We work together to build our dream.¡± he said, looking at Poppy with loving eyes.


    But Poppy almost vomited blood by hearing his words. In this world, except the two of them, no one knew that eighty percent of Poppy¡¯s ie from that despicable job was taken by Donny. He exploited Poppy so badly. Turned the girl into a cash cow.


    Donny suddenly remembered a topic he had discussed earlier with Jacky, ¡°Oh, anyways, Jacky. Regarding earlier, looks like you two have to get acquainted again so Poppy doesn¡¯t feel awkward in the shoot. Haha..¡±


    ¡°Oh.. You¡¯re right,¡± Jacky nodded, remembering what he meant. Then, he stretched out his hand in front of Poppy, ¡°Sorry if I seem indifferent all this time. Honestly, I¡¯m a bit shy so I rarely talk to other actresses. Donny said, you feel awkward because you don¡¯t know me well enough. You don¡¯t need to worry, Poppy. I¡¯ll help youter. So, you don¡¯t need to be tensed.¡± he winked in a friendly manner.


    Poppy shook her hand for a little then smiled slightly, ¡°Thanks, Jacky. Sorry to bother you.¡±


    ¡°Nope.. Not at all. I have experience in this field for many years. It is true that girls who are new to this field, like you, will find it difficult to adapt to new co-stars. I have partnered with many girls. So, you can trust me.¡±


    ¡°Well! It¡¯s all clear now, right? You don¡¯t have to be afraid, honey. Like I said before, Jacky is a pro.¡± Donny put his arm around Poppy and rubbed her shoulder.


    In that ce, the ones that look the busiest were the crew on duty. Either those who were in charge of recording or those in the small studio that was blocked by a ss wall. That Live Streaming program was a big project. And this was the first live broadcast of the project.


    ¡°Looks like this project is going to explode. Just look at how many hundreds of visitors it has. And there are still a lot of ounts that keep signing in.¡± Said the man with sses who was the head of the IT department who held the website, to the head of marketing who monitored there.


    ¡°Mad! We¡¯re going to harvest money!¡± He mumbled excitedly.


    ¡°The coin purchases have increased drastically. This is crazy! They filled the coin bnce wallets into tens of millions.¡± Eximed one of the team.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be On Air in fifteen minutes. Get ready, Everyone!¡± Eximed the director to everyone who was there. They immediately stood in their respective positions.


    ¡°Come on, Poppy.¡± Said Jacky.


    ¡°You can do this, guys!¡± Donny left his girlfriend with a man named Jacky. Then, he went to stand in his ce, joining the rest of the crew.


    Jacky touched Poppy¡¯s back waist to lead her to the shooting point, which was the bed in the middle of the studio.


    Poppy gave him a faint smile before the man lowered his head slightly to Poppy¡¯s ear when they were far enough away from everyone.


    ¡°I wonder how an innocent girl tastes like,¡± He whispered with a chuckle. His face looked absolutely hideous when he briefly licked his lower lip.


    Jacky¡¯s true form was like a bolt of lightning that roasted all the muscles in Poppy¡¯s body.


    Actually, she wasn¡¯t afraid of Jacky just because she never talked to him. But she heard a secret confession from Momo that Jacky was a very rude pervert. He even often harassed Momo outside of shooting hours. But Momo never dared to open her mouth because Jacky always threatened her. The man was also always nice and polite in front of people, so whenever there were co-stars who revealed his ugly sides, people would not believe them and even think it was just nder to bring Jacky down.


    Jacky opened his towel robe, revealing his big muscr body that was only wearing long jeans pants.


    On instructions from the director, Poppy also, for the tenth time, was forced to take off the towel robe that wrapped her tiny body. Finally.. the whole world could see her wearing an indecent suit with shiny tight materials that only covered the small parts of her body. The cloth was of no use at all. It wore just to arouse the lust of the strange men who watch the program of the canguagedictionary site only.


    Poppy thought it was the same when she did this. The live streaming program would of course expose her face to anyone watching. There was no such thing as face blurring because this was a live broadcast. But even when the whole world finally learned of her depravity, Poppy had been dragged too far into that hell. She couldn¡¯t get out anymore. Because if Poppy ran away, they would easily catch her and finish her off. Now, the problem was no longer to maintain her good name, but to survive.


    All cameras and spotlights pointed towards the centre. On Poppy and Jaky. Then, the director raised his hand and shouted, ¡°Everyone gets ready! On Air is about to start, in.. three.. two.. one.. Acting!¡±


    ***


    Roger received a notification via email regarding the schedule changes of the actress and actor who would premiere in a live program. What was previously mentioned that the yer will be Momo, had now changed to Poppy.


    Usually, Roger would just curse without being able to do anything. But this time, he would help Poppy onest time. Because, maybe after this, Roger wouldn¡¯t be able to see the sunrise anymore.


    The clock showed 00:00. As usual, Roger¡¯s house was always quiet. His parents rarelye home. He only lived with a few housekeepers in his big house but was always cold. Roger left his house without anyone knowing. He drove his father¡¯s car to the port area.

 Chapter 63

    63 Behind the ck Helmet


    Once there, Roger parked the dark blue sedan. Again and again, he tried to regte his breathing so that his heart could beat more calmly. As he should be, Roger was very scared. He knew what he was facing would be more difficult than he imagined. But his love for Poppy gave him strength for the umpteenth time.


    Roger took a backpack and a metal baseball bat from the back seat. In the pocket of his jacket, he kept the floor n of the Hell Gate headquarters building that was given by the informant he had paid dearly at that time. Then, the guy with blue eyes got out of the car and crept toward the back of the building.


    Even though it was very cold, Roger waited near the ships¡¯ spare parts warehouse until 1:00 in the morning. At that time, there should be no more activity in the building. All the members must have gone to bed because tomorrow was Sunday, where they actually have more work on the weekend.


    Roger¡¯s feet felt almost frozen. He continued to stare at the front gate of the building, waiting for Poppy toe out. But until 1:30 in the morning, there was no sign of anyone leaving the building.


    Roger felt a dilemma. If he made a fuss when Poppy was around, it might end up getting the girl in trouble. Roger didn¡¯t want people to know that the reason he attacked the server was to help Poppy.


    ¡®Looks like Poppy¡¯s staying there.¡¯ Roger thought with a frustrated face. If he postponed his action today, he might not get the same opportunity for a second time. As the informant had said, this was a golden opportunity, where only half of the group¡¯s members remained in the office.


    Finally, Roger made up his mind. He would continue. Luckily, Roger had a ski mask in his backpack just in case. He would hide his identity so that Donny, who was most likely with Poppy inside, wouldn¡¯t recognize him whose whole head was covered in a mask like a thief, with only holes on his eyes, nose and mouth.


    Actually, theter the better. Roger peeked from the dump near the back door. It seemed the guards were already looking sleepy. They covered themselves tightly under their jackets for the cold air that felt to pierce their bones.


    Roger crept closer to three men much taller than him, who were sitting leisurely with their backs to him. Then..


    .....


    BUGH!


    A swinging baseball bat hit one of the guards in the back of his head making him instantly copse. Immediately, the other two men jumped up and swiftly attacked Roger who looked like a thief.


    Roger got into his original stance, then swung his bat again. But basically, he wasn¡¯t good at fighting and his knees were shaking now. So, after several times he managed to hit the two men, now his bat bounced into a pile of snow after his hand was hit by a kick from one of the guards.


    Roger groaned in pain at his wrist. He immediately ran towards his metal baseball bat which had been thrown a few meters away. But before he could reach the object, a kicknded on his back, causing him to fall forward.


    Augh rang out from the two men who were already standing very close behind him.


    ¡°Do we need to report to the chief that there¡¯s an intruder?¡± The man who had kicked Roger in the back asked his partner. He had a thin beard on his face.


    His partner chuckled, ¡°Are you kidding me? They¡¯re going tough at us for making a fuss over a sewer rat like him.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! How could a thief as stupid as you dare target the Hell Gate base? Are you new around here?¡± The man with the beardughed.


    ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m toozy to deal with a rat like him. I want to drink hot coffee. Let¡¯s just finish him now,¡± Said his partner.


    ¡°Sure.. You just finish him. I¡¯ll help Robby,¡± He pointed his thumb backwards at another man who had fallen from Roger¡¯s hit.


    As the two men chatted, Roger managed to reach for his bat, then quickly got back on his feet. He immediately swung his bat again at the man in front of him. But unfortunately, he lost the speed of the man. With ease, Roger¡¯s leg was grabbed by the man until he fell again.


    ¡°Idiot.. Looks like you don¡¯t have a brain, huh?¡± The man muttered as he grabbed Roger¡¯s bat. Then, he swung it towards the masked guy¡¯s head, which didn¡¯t even interest him to see his true identity.


    Roger couldn¡¯t dodge because his waist and right arm were being restrained with the man¡¯s foot.


    ¡®Shit! He¡¯s so strong! Why am I so weak?!¡¯ He screamed in his heart as he closed his eyes, preparing to receive a hit. Not even finishedpleting one step yet, it turned out that Roger had failed to save Poppy. Yes.. he was that weak.


    Roger was still waiting for the blow tond on his head, but strangely, he still didn¡¯t feel the pain he was waiting for. Could it be that he had actually been hit, but was now in dreand for having fainted immediately after receiving the blow?


    BUGH! BUGH! CRASH!


    Roger was surprised to hear the sound of the hitting of blunt object. He also felt the foot that had been stepping on his body had been moved. Surprised, he opened his eyes and found the man who was about to hit him, was already lying unconscious right next to his feet.


    Roger¡¯s eyes immediately looked a few meters ahead and found there was a brief fight between the remaining man and another man wearing a full-face helmet and all-ck clothes. Roger couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. It was the same mysterious man who had helped him and the other losers in the campus warehouse.


    Roger immediately got to his feet before picking up his bat again. He limped hesitantly towards the helmeted man who had just easily knocked thest guard man down.


    The helmeted man stood still, staring at Roger who was slowly approaching him. Roger couldn¡¯t see anything behind the pitch-ck helmet. Even the man was a little shorter than him. Roger wondered how such a small man could be so powerful.


    ¡°W-who are you?¡± asked Roger with a bat ready to strike. But he did not receive an answer.


    ¡°We have to hide. I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± Said the man in the helmet. His voice sounded like a robot. Roger knew right away that the man was wearing a very good sound masking device. Was he a government spy?


    There were severalrge drums near the door that fishermen usually used to store sardines. But it seemed like they were just essories to make Hell Gate¡¯s headquarters building really look like a frozen seafoodpany¡¯s office.


    The man in the helmet pulled Roger to hide behind the drums. Fortunately, the guards were defeated before they could report the intruder to the security centre team. Now, no one knew that the back door, which was used for throwing the trash only, had now been hijacked.


    Although feeling very confused, Roger did not refuse to follow the mysterious man who pulled him to squat there. The man¡¯s eyes widened as he took off his ck helmet.


    It turned out he wasn¡¯t a man as Roger had thought. Behind the helmet was a girl with beautiful light brown eyes. Her a little bit messy ponytail from being stroked by a helmet moved to the rhythm of the strong wind.


    ¡°E-Emma?¡± The guy with two blue irises stuttered.


    Emma nodded, ¡°We have to hurry, Roger. We don¡¯t have much time to hear my exnation.¡±


    ¡°H-how is that possible..? Y-You¡¯re Emma Hind?¡± The man muttered still in disbelief.


    Emma let out a long sigh. Of course, Roger would be surprised at the fact that the person behind the helmet was Emma Hind who had made his life uneasy on campus.


    ¡°Roger. I know this is unbelievable. As you have witnessed by yourself, well.. here I am. I¡¯m not just a ballet girl. But I have martial arts skills too. And, what you have in mind is true. The person who helped you and your friends in the warehouse that time was me.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°They¡¯re not my friends,¡± Roger said in a mumble. Then, he removed the cloth mask that covered his entire head, ¡°So you¡¯re stalking me? Why are you doing this, Emma? I told you not to meddle in my business. You won¡¯t get anything but harm. Actually, why are you doing this?¡± He growled.


    Emma was silent for a moment, then smiled faintly, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Roger.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The guy furrowed his brow.


    Emma looked into Roger¡¯s eyes sharply, ¡°I don¡¯t want to help you. But I want to help my best friend, Poppy.¡±


    Roger was stunned. Then, he looked back at Emma with a face full of questioning and surprise.


    ¡°Just like you, I really care about Poppy.¡± Sadness was clear on Emma¡¯s face, ¡°I know what¡¯s happening to Poppy right now and I can¡¯t ept it. You and Poppy are my friends. Well.. even though I don¡¯t know what you both think of me either. But, you two made me feel things I¡¯ve never felt before. My life in the past made me like a mannequin that has no feelings. But you two bring those feelings into this body.¡±


    ¡°Emma..¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s weird, right?¡± Cut Emma while chuckling to herself, ¡°Even though I know it¡¯s weird, I don¡¯t hate it. Even if you feel annoyed, I will still do it, Roger. I will help my friends, even if you hate me if I interfere.¡±


    Roger shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Emma. Sorry for making you feel bad. I just don¡¯t want you to get hurt because of someone like me. I¡¯m sure Poppy thinks so too. We know you¡¯re a very good girl with big dreams, and we don¡¯t want to drag you in our troubles.¡± he exined.


    ¡°I understand. But.. it¡¯s because you guys thought I¡¯m weak. But now you know who I am, right?¡± Emma smiled widely.

 Chapter 64

    64 Infiltrating Hell Gate¡¯s Headquarters


    Roger nodded with a smile, ¡°But there are dozens of strong men inside. And it¡¯s just the two of us. There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll get out safely. I¡¯d rather be crushed alone inside. Please, Emma. Let me move on my own.¡±


    ¡°Even now, you are still underestimating me, Roger. If you want to move alone, then it¡¯s up to you. But I also have the same mission. I will also keep moving on, even though it¡¯s a different team from you.¡± Emma insisted.


    Roger snorted in annoyance. He was only worried about Emma. But apparently, the girl was very stubborn and somewhat arrogant. Roger knew Emma was much stronger than he was. Roger had seen for himself how she defeated four gangsters with ease. But how could one girl be able to defeat dozens of fighters inside?


    ¡°I¡¯m not waiting for you to beat around the bush here. If you want to move apart, then I¡¯m fine. But you know, our chances of sessfully rescuing Poppy will be bigger if we work together.¡±


    ¡°FINE!¡± Roger answered with emphasis, ¡°We will work together. But I have a condition for you. If things get out of control, you must run away as soon as possible. With or without me.¡± He continued firmly.


    ¡°I also have an important request for you,¡± Emma said. She looked at Roger deeply, ¡°No matter what happens, don¡¯t ever tell anyone what you know about my identity. I came to Handway city to start a new life as an ordinary girl. In this city, nobody knows who I really am, other than you. Please keep my secret carefully.¡±


    Roger nodded. After learning the surprising thing about Emma, ??he could immediately guess that she had been pretending to be a normal girl all this time, so that no one knew her abilities, ¡°I see. I¡¯m a good secret keeper.¡±


    ¡°Nice. Now, show me the map. Let¡¯s make a n.¡± Emma said.


    ***


    .....


    All activities in the building had stopped. Everyone had gone to bed after the long activity yesterday. Emma and Roger crept through the back door they had hijacked earlier.


    Roger walked in the front with his hands kept holding his baseball bat. Since Emma was wearing a helmet, it was a bit difficult for her to sneak like this.


    Just as Emma had expected, based on the business that Hell Gate was running, guarding their base didn¡¯t need to be too strict. Since they do digital business, it would be pointless to rob directly into the building. Better to work with great hackers to break into their websites.


    The building was very quiet. The two of them crept up to the second floor easily without being smelled at all. Roger suddenly stopped his steps when he saw arge room with arge ss door. Inside, you there could be seen Donny, Brian, and several men were casually ying cards while drinking.


    Roger turned around to tell Emma about the first obstacle in front of them. But Emma was no longer behind him, ¡®What? Where¡¯s she?¡¯ thought Roger.


    Frantically, Roger scanned the surroundings and finally found the ck-helmeted figure standing next to a closed door. He rushed over to Emma.


    ¡°What are you doing?! Don¡¯t just disappear like that!¡± he whispered.


    Emma immediately put her finger in front of her helmet, signalling Roger to be quiet. She opened the helmet visor and closed the speaker attached to the bottom of the ck thing, ¡°I can hear Poppy¡¯s voice from behind this door.¡±


    Roger frowned then..


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The two of them immediately looked at each other with wide eyes when they heard that scream.


    ¡°That¡¯s Poppy!¡± He whispered with a worried face.


    The two of them also heard a slight male voice from inside. What Roger knew, it must not be Donny, because that guy was in therge ss room earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯ll open the door,¡± Emma said again by closing her helmet visor. She got a nod from Roger who asionally looked back and forth to make sure things were still safe.


    As quietly as possible, Emma lowered the door handle and pushed it gently, making a small opening for her and Roger to peek inside. It turned out to be a medium-sized room with four bunk beds ced side by side.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± Emma growled with both pupils shaking.


    That¡¯s right. The voice they heard earlier belonged to Poppy. Yes, she was in the room. Her hands were tied up to the end of the bed. She was not wearing clothes, but a headband with cat ear decorations perched on her head. In the middle of her lips was a long roll of cloth tied around her head, so that she could not scream. She could only cry hysterically when four men surrounded her to take turns satisfying their animal lust for her.


    Before Emma could move inside, Roger had pushed the door wide open and stepped inside at a brisk pace. Emma, ??who was still a little surprised, rushed in too and closed the door tightly.


    BUGH! BUGH!


    Roger hit the head of the man who was busy moving between Poppy¡¯s legs. Instantly, the man fell unconscious with blood flowing out of the wound from the baseball bat hit. Poppy immediately screamed in surprise because the man¡¯s body fell on her.


    The other three men immediately stepped away to see what was really going on. Their brains were still in a state of loading because the animal instincts were still controlling them.


    Emma kicked away the body of the man Roger had hit from Poppy¡¯s body. Then, she immediately took the nearest nket to cover Poppy¡¯s naked body.


    Emma held back her tears that felt like they were going to fall because she saw how her friend was being abused by those asshole men.


    ¡°Disgusting! Those sons of a bitch will make me throw up!¡± Emma muttered with disdainful nces at the three naked men who seemed to have finished their consciousness.


    ¡°Who are you?! You bastards!¡± Said one of them by throwing his fist at Roger.


    Another man approached Emma who was still busy untying the ropes that bound Poppy¡¯s hands.


    Roger didn¡¯t have time to warn Emma, ??because he was already busy fighting the man who attacked him. But when he nced at Emma, ??he saw that she was still dealing with the rope. Beside her, the man who had been about to attack her was already lying on the body of the man Roger had hit first. It looked right that Roger didn¡¯t need to worry too much about her. Emma Hind was an incredibly strong woman.


    The four men who were harassing Poppy weren¡¯t as strong as the guards at the back building. They were just a film crew who didn¡¯t know how to fight. One of them was a man with a pretty good physique and face. He was Jacky, the assh*le actor who invited the crew to work on Poppy in groups.


    Because of that, Roger managed to defeat the man who fought with him earlier. Meanwhile, thest guy who wanted to help gang up on Roger had immediately received a high kick from Emma, ??which was a technique in Taekwondo. The girl hadn¡¯t used her hands at all since earlier because she was busy untying the knots that tied Poppy¡¯s hands.


    All the men were already sprawled out with many bruises and cuts on their faces. For the umpteenth time, Emma looked at them with an expression of disgust.


    Emma and Roger turned to Poppy at the same time. Meanwhile, the girl who had been released from the bond was still crying by covering her body tightly with the nket that had been given by Emma. Her face looked confused, but at the same time relieved.


    Poppy didn¡¯t know who the two heroes in front of her were. Both of them were hiding their faces. But, one man in a ski mask really caught Poppy¡¯s attention. She looked seriously at the only holes in the mask that were the two eyes.


    ¡°Ro... Roger?¡± She muttered in a rough voice. She was very familiar with that reflection of the blue sky eyes.


    Instantly, Emma turned to Roger who was standing stiffly. He himself was also surprised how Poppy could recognize him immediately, even though his face was covered.


    ¡°You¡¯re Roger, right?¡± Poppy¡¯s cries grew louder as she moved closer to him.


    Roger didn¡¯t move. His eyes followed Poppy¡¯s figure who was crawling toward him.


    ¡°Five steps from me,¡± said Poppy, ¡°You should stay away from me. I already told you. Why are you stilling for me?¡±


    Roger smiled, then he knelt down to match Poppy¡¯s height. For the first time, he had the courage to stroke her soft cheek with his own hand. It was something he hadn¡¯t done in years, but he had never forgotten how it felt.


    ¡°Forgive me, Poppy. But this time, I have to break my promise,¡±


    Poppy shook her head, ¡°No. Don¡¯t do this, Roger! I don¡¯t deserve your help anymore. You should be disgusted with me. Why do you keep doing this?¡± she cried.


    ¡°Because until now, I still love you,¡± Roger answered.


    Poppy choked, then she immediately shook her head hard as holding Roger¡¯s hand with both hands, ¡°I beg you, Roger! Stop this. I can¡¯t return your feelings. I¡¯m begging you. You could die if you enter this ce. While you still have a chance, please get out! I beg with all my life. Please, Roger! I don¡¯t need you! I beg you!¡± She cried hysterically.


    ¡°Sorry Poppy. From the first.. I was that selfish..¡± Roger let go of his hand and stood up, ¡°Don¡¯t leave this room. Don¡¯t let them know you know me. As I should be, I¡¯m just a stranger to you.¡± he continued.


    ¡°If we sneak to the next floor, maybe they won¡¯t notice...¡±


    BRUGH!


    ¡°Hey! Have you guys finished yet...¡±


    The three of them turned their heads towards the door which was suddenly opened from the outside. A guy they knew very well by face was standing frozen in the doorway with his hand still resting on the door handle. That¡¯s Brian!

 Chapter 65

    65 Caught


    It¡¯s Brian! He pensively found his friends already lying on the floor covered in blood. Then, there were two men in thief costumes who definitely were the perpetrators of the massacre.


    ¡°INTRU...¡±


    BUGH!!


    Emma immediately threw a pillow beside her right into Brian¡¯s face to shut the guy. Then, she ran towards him to immobilize him. Emma was forced to use the Neil Knot technique to lock Brian¡¯s upper body with her legs and arms while covering his mouth to keep his screams from being heard by those outsides.


    ¡°Leave now! I¡¯ll take care of him. Don¡¯t get caught!¡± Emma said breathlessly because she was expending energy while holding Brian¡¯s body which was trying to fight back.


    Roger had no other choice but to leave Emma for the sess of their n. He immediately picked up his metal baseball bat which was lying next to Poppy, ¡°Get away! Don¡¯t interfere!¡± He said it again to her as he walked away.


    Roger had already gone past Emma. He went straight up to the next floor while Emma was still having a hard time dealing with Brian. It wasn¡¯t that she was losing power, but rather that she had to perform the locking technique in a slightly wrong way. Emma should have hooked her hands to lock Biran¡¯s right shoulder, but she didn¡¯t because she used one of her hands instead to cover the big mouth of him.


    Poppy who saw that the situation had be chaotic, immediately stood up. She wanted to run out of the room. But her legs were too weak to move after being worked on by those bastard men. Because of that, she identally fell.


    When she saw Poppy fall, Emma immediately lost her focus for a moment because she was worried about her friend condition. But her carelessness made Brian get an opening to fight back. With his left hand which he had been using to resist the pressure that Emma¡¯s legs were putting on his shoulders, he directly hit the helmet randomly.


    .....


    Emma, ??who was not alert, immediately lost control because she was suddenly hit hard in the face. Instantly, Brian could be released from Emma¡¯s lock, which also caused the hand that had been covering Brian¡¯s mouth to finally off.


    As soon as his mouth was free, Brian immediately shouted loudly, ¡°INTRUDER!!¡±


    Emma didn¡¯t care anymore. Even Brian managed to break his mouth from Emma¡¯s hand, but the position of his body was still in her lock. Brian¡¯s behaviour annoyed Emma. It won¡¯t be long before the hoodlums would arrive. And Emma wasn¡¯t going to let Brian tell his friends that another intruder had gone upstairs.


    Emma¡¯s position was still more advantageous than Brian¡¯s. Plus, Emma¡¯s lockdown had already made the guy weaken due to difficulty breathing. Brian just kept shouting with a red face. It was as if his blood had pooled in his skull from suffocation.


    ¡°Now you don¡¯t have to be silenced anymore,¡± Emma muttered by making the same lock pattern as before, namely the Neil Knot technique. But this time, Emma did it in the right position. Her hands intertwined to perfect the locking technique.


    Brian¡¯s shoulders were in the inserts of Emma¡¯s legs and elbows. Then, with one strong tug, there was a sound, ¡®CRACK!¡¯


    Finally, Emma let go of Brian¡¯s body. The man still had his eyes open. But he made no more sound and could not move. His face was so badly reddened with veins sticking out around his neck and forehead. From the pattern of his deep breathing, Emma could tell he must be having a hard time breathing.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lesson for degrading women and bullying my friend.¡± Emma mumbled while ncing at Brian¡¯s oddly shaped shoulder, because it had already been dislocated from Emma¡¯s lockdown earlier.


    As Brian lost consciousness, a loud noise approached. Emma looked ahead, where there were already about ten men standing there. They all alternately looked at Brian who was already lying on the floor and then at the figure of the midget man in the helmet. Emma smiled faintly because she saw Donny among the men. The only guy she desperately wanted to kill with her own two hands.


    Without asking again, the ten men immediately rushed to attack Emma at the same time. Emma knew many of them were quite good at fighting. But she could dodge their haphazard attacks with ease. Because, Emma was really excellent in gang fights like this. Her small and agile body moved like a squirrel. Shebined it with Kung Fu and Taekwondo techniques that rely on the speed of body movement.


    ¡°Shit! He¡¯s good at some martial arts techniques! I¡¯d better not underestimate him,¡± Donny said after ncing at the conditions in the room which filled with all his friends that had been made into cans of sardines by the mysterious man.


    But apparently, the battle that seemed to be almost won by Emma ??was too noisy, so the noise was heard throughout the other room, even to the upstairs and downstairs floor. Even Donny didn¡¯t even call for help support, because it turned out that a group of men had approached the location that looked like a fighting arena.


    Emma saw a bunch of big guysing up from downstairs. She took a deep breath, still fighting the remaining two men who were still trying to beat her. Emma hadn¡¯t felt this way in a long time.. No, in retrospect, this was her first experience fighting alone without the help of her father¡¯s men.


    Butpared to all that, there was one thing that really bothered Emma. Since then, the loser Donny was just kept watching beside Brian. It made Emma even more irritated because she felt like she was being watched like a fighting show by that damned guy.


    ¡®You cowardly bastard!¡¯ Emma screamed in her heart. She couldn¡¯t touch Donny because the attacks from other men kepting.


    Emma could see the difference between the bunch of men that had just arrivedpared to the bunch of half-drunk guys she¡¯d all knocked out. She could immediately tell that it was the mob that would be bothering her time. Because, from their body shape and style, it was obvious they were the kind of men who used to go down for gangs fights.


    ¡°Okay.. You can do this, Emma.¡± She muttered herself to build up her confidence. As Jonas said, if she wanted to win, she must believe in herself that she is the winner.


    A barrage of attacks rained down on Emma. But she managed to avoid all the Kicks and punches. Almost all of those men had a street fighting style. They made it difficult for Emma because there were so many of them. Emma beat them while counting in her heart. Because, as much as she knew, the number of members living in this base building was over fifty.


    ¡®I¡¯ve beaten over thirty. But why do they keeping?¡¯ She thought to herself. Emma was gasping for breath and sweat was dripping under her oversized ck jacket. Something went wrong. There were too many of them.


    And what¡¯s even weirder.. Why wasn¡¯t anyoneing down from upstairs? Did that mean Roger had been caught by the members upstairs?


    ***


    Roger¡¯s heart was pounding. There was a faint noise from downstairs. He was very worried about Emma. Could the girl defeat the fifty-plus members of Hell Gate? But even if Roger came down, he couldn¡¯t help Emma at all because he was too weak. In fact, it¡¯s possible that Emma would be bothered instead to protect him.


    Humans can make ns, but fate determines what will happen.


    If they followed the initial n, the two of them should have sneaked straight to the sixth floor which was the location where the server units were stored. But things got messy when they find Poppy who turned out to be in trouble, plus the sudden appearance of the big mouth Brian.


    However, Emma Hind wouldn¡¯t be her name ??if she didn¡¯t have a n B. As Jonas has taught her, in carrying out a mission, she must have at least two backup ns.


    Like the backup n Roger had agreed with Emma at the back door earlier, If their whereabouts were finally discovered, Emma had already said that she would face all the members of Hell Gate alone. That way, Roger could go to the server room without a hitch. Emma would buy time for him.


    Roger arrived on the next floor. It was a floor with several rooms separated by a ss wall which turned out to be an office. There was no one in the rooms. All lights were off. There were only small lights flickering from the CPU connected to theputer screen.


    ording to the map he had studied, upstairs was the real predator¡¯s cage. The predators should be sleeping now, right? Roger hoped so.


    And it seemed, for the first time in his life, Roger¡¯s wish had been granted by God. The floor that was said to be the monster¡¯sir was very deserted. However, it was different from other floors¡¯ rooms which were dominated by ss walls. On that floor, all the rooms were tightly closed. There were only a few thick, dark brown wooden doors that led to each room.


    Not wanting to waste any more time, Roger immediately walked quickly to the next floor. But when he arrived at the crossing of the stairs, his steps were immediately stopped when he found a man in a white shirt standing in the middle of the stairs.


    The man with the high sharp outer corners eyes smiled at him. Then, with his long legs, he kicked Roger¡¯s chest so that the guy fell to his back.


    Roger tumbled back down the stairs. He groaned at the pain all over his body and coughed as his chest was kicked so hard. It felt like his lungs were going to burst.


    The man walked down each step leisurely. His hands were tucked into either side of the pockets of his long ck trousers. On the bridge of his sharp and slender nose, perched a pair of sses that perfectly matched his small face. From the man¡¯s demeanour, Roger could guess, that he was Kei Matsumoto, the vice leader of Hell Gate group.

 Chapter 66

    66 Flyweight V.S Light Heavyweight


    ¡°From where you are headed to, I think I can guess what you¡¯re after,¡± Said the jet ck-haired man, ¡°So.. could you exin, what is your aim of targeting our server?¡± he stood right in front of Roger¡¯s face.


    Kei Matsumoto. A man with a very beautiful face. He often put a sweet smile on his face. But ording to the popr gossip, that smile was a devilish smile ready to dip its victim into boiling lead. He was a monster in an angel costume!


    And now, Roger could feel it firsthand. That smile that was supposed to look dazzling even made the hairs on his neck shudder. It was as if that man could do all kinds of bad things beyond Roger¡¯s imagination.


    Roger nced at his bat which was some distance away from him because it identally slipped from his grip when he fell earlier.


    Kei could see where the two bright blue eyes were rolling. He smiled again, ¡°You think your bat will be useful? I think I saw you¡¯ve been just like a burden that kept bothering your friend downstairs.¡±


    Roger choked, ¡°T-the CCTV..¡±


    ¡°Haha.. Did you just think about it now?¡±


    Roger gritted his teeth. How stupid he could forget the CCTV they should have avoided in the first ce.


    ¡°Hmm.. Talking about CCTV.. Well.. That useless thing turned out to be quite entertaining too. But you know? I actually don¡¯t need it to just know two rats are making a fuss in my ce.¡± Said Kei. Then, he looked ahead.


    .....


    Roger frowned, then looked back to see what caught Kei¡¯s attention. That¡¯s Donny Gruge.


    ¡°He almost beat all of our men.¡± The man said as soon as his foot stepped on thest step.


    Kei folded his arms across his chest, ¡°Even the new members from the martial arts studio?¡±


    Donny nodded in approval. The twenty men they had just recruited from several martial arts studios were defeated by the ck-helmeted man with ease. As if the man¡¯s body was a container for all martial arts techniques. He fought one martial art technique with the opposite technique. In addition to his great strength and stamina, he also seemed to have a very shrewd brain.


    ¡°One against.. Um.. Eighty, maybe? Quite interesting,¡± Kei muttered. Then, he returned his focus to the guy still sitting on the floor in front of him. ¡°Rather than that, we should ept an exnation from this weakling.¡±


    Then, Kei stepped back to sit on the stair. He didn¡¯t want to get his hands dirty by touching a rat like that weak guy. Taking care of this rough thing would only be a waste of energy. Because Kei preferred to work with his brain rather than his muscles. He always made other people do the physical work for him.


    Donny nodded once and then walked quickly to Roger. Seeing that, Roger immediately got up to run away from his spot. He nned to take his baseball bat to fight Donny, but he, who was already injured from the start, quickly lost to the man.


    A kicknded on the side of Roger¡¯s outer thigh. He immediately fell back before he managed to grab his bat. Donny grabbed the cor of his jacket to make him sit up.


    Roger looked at Donny with hatred. This guy was the one who ruined Poppy¡¯s life. He didn¡¯t know what the guy was doing to force Poppy into this kind of job. Roger was sure Donny knew that his girlfriend had often been harassed by his friends. But he did nothing, leaving her to suffer and cry alone. Because of what? Because Donny didn¡¯t have any feelings for Poppy. He was just a devil-hearted man who liked to take advantage of women.


    Quickly, Roger grabbed Donny¡¯s wrist which was still by his cor and pulled him down with full force. Donny immediately fell forward, while Roger quickly hit the back of his head. Roger didn¡¯t care anymore. What he wanted was to kill Donny with his own two hands. Even though he actually knew, Donny was a strong guy who also mastered several martial arts techniques.


    Roger¡¯s punch had just a little effect on Donny because he didn¡¯t hit properly. He didn¡¯t really understand the fatal points to hit on the human body. He was just a loser with a weak body, who was determined to fight to save the girl he loved.


    Donny smiled furiously. Then, he quickly headbutt Roger¡¯s chest, pushed the guy to fall backwards and lifted him up with a simple wrestling-like locking technique, ¡°You think you can attack me, huh?¡± heughed.


    Roger tried to fight back, but he was powerless because Donny¡¯s strength was very strong, ¡°No!¡± he screamed as one of Donny¡¯s hands pointed at his ski mask.


    And..


    ¡°Wha-?¡± Donny¡¯s face looked very surprised. He even let go of the body of the poor guy who was under his own body.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Donny? You know him?¡± Kei asked, who had been watching the scene while sometimes yawning sleepily. Even, once in a while, he nced at the clock hanging on the wall, worried about his sleeping hours that might be messy after this. Kei was a man who had an orderly lifestyle.


    Donny frowned with a face that wanted tough. Roger got up again and shifted to lean against the wall behind him. His face was no longer covered.


    With a big smile, Donny answered Kei, ¡°I don¡¯t really know him. But I know someone who knows him very well.¡± Then, he took his cell phone out of his pocket.


    ***


    ¡®Damn! Why are they keeping? Didn¡¯t he say only fifty men? Did I hear wrong?¡¯ Emma thought with a sweaty face.


    Emma fought fiercely amidst the bodies scattered lying on the floor. Those were the men she had defeated. Emma started to feel very troubled when several men with very young faces appeared. They were very adept at using martial arts techniques.


    From their attacks, Emma knew that they were no ordinary street fighters. Some master Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, and Wrestling techniques. Fortunately, Emma also mastered all the martial arts, so that the men¡¯s attack techniques did not surprise her.


    Emma¡¯s anxiety instantly faded when she found that there were no more additional men entering the battle arena. It seemed that all the members in this building have been exhausted.


    ¡®All I need to do is to finish off these four bastards. They are pretty strong, indeed.¡¯ Emma thought as she stared at the four men who looked like the high school boys. Each of them mastered their martial technique. Of all the members of this group, it was the four men that Emma thought were the strongest.


    Although the four men had abilities that were enough to impress Emma, ??it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Emma to knock them out.


    The four of them attacked Emma together. As usual, Emma was able to dodge nimbly. She was excellent in avoiding attacks that rely a lot on Grappling and Boxing techniques. Within minutes, Emma had managed to incapacitate two men.


    While dealing with the two remaining men, Emma saw two ordinary men passing through her floor heading upstairs. In their midst, there was a girl who was struggling from the arms clutches of the two men. That girl was Poppy. She got caught somehow.


    Emma cursed herself for not having time to see where Poppy had run off to at that time or at least protecting her until she really managed to escape from this hell building.


    Suddenly, an attack came right at Emma¡¯s face. Her cor was almost managed grabbed by the man. But quickly Emma put both hands to twist, and twisted the man¡¯s hand. Then, as soon as the man lost this stand, Emma immediately attacked the back of his head until the man passed out.


    BUGH!!


    Emma fell on her back when thest man caught the back of her thigh and did a headbutt at Emma¡¯s upper stomach to knock her down. Emma didn¡¯t notice the sudden follow-up attack less than a second after the man she had just hit fell.


    ¡®D-Double leg takedown..? Damn wrestlers!¡¯ Emma muttered grinning in pain.


    The man with straight hair had pushed down Emma¡¯s legs up to her waist with his muchrger body.


    ¡°Caught ya, finally!¡± shouted the man. After trying to catch Emma who was very slippery like an eel, he finally managed to demonstrate the technique he had learned in the wrestling studio.


    It was true. Since the beginning of the fighting with dozens of men, Emma had not been caught at all. Not even a single meaningful blow managed to hit her body. Emma managed to block and avoid all of the attacks because Emma was used to using Kung Fu techniques that often flow the opponent¡¯s attacks to other directions.


    Besides not consuming too much energy, this move was also very useful in gang fights like this. Because Emma actually flowed a punch from the person who attacked her, to his friend who was also about to attack Emma from the other side. That way, instead of hitting Emma, ??they ended up hitting their own friend.


    But things would be very troublesome when Emma was finally got caught. With a physical condition that was smaller and skinnier than her opponent, Emma was weaker in battles that rely on weight. If in fighting and self-defence sports, for examples such as MMA, Boxing, Wrestling, and others, the fighters would be divided by weight ss, so the fight would be fair, but that did not apply in the fight outside the ring. Here, even a kitten had to face against an adult wolf if the odds were up. And there would be no mercy there.


    ¡°Damn it! Even your body is as light as a girl¡¯s! You dwarf! I will destroy you!¡± The man above Emma¡¯s body insulted her.


    The man put his big arms around Emma¡¯s neck and squeezed her tightly. Emma¡¯s face turned red from choking. Her brain had to spin fast before she passed out from running out of oxygen.


    ¡®The helmet! Right!¡¯ Emma thought.


    With the remaining strength, Emma immediately put her hands on the man¡¯s back head above her and quickly pulled it down firmly.

 Chapter 67

    67 Hidden Feelings


    As soon as he knew his face was about to hit the ck helmet attached to his opponent¡¯s head, the man reflexively removed his hands to prevent that from happening. Now, his palms were pressed against the tiles to prevent his head from hitting the helmet. But he didn¡¯t know that this was exactly what the ck helmet man wanted to see.


    The position of the man¡¯s arm, which was already straight, created arge space for Emma¡¯s upper body to move again. Then, Emma quickly took the opportunity to grab the man¡¯s right arm, then pulled him again with all her might, until his face really hit the hard helmet. After that, Emma immediately moved her legs to twist the legs of the man who had lost focus. Quickly, Emma twisted her body like a snake, so that their positions had changed in the blink of an eye.


    Right now, Emma¡¯s legs were on the man¡¯s chest and neck. The man¡¯s right arm caught between Emma¡¯s legs. With Emma who already clutching his wrist with both hands, she followed by pulling the hands strongly while lowering the bend of her legs.


    CRACK!!


    ¡°ARGHHHH!!¡± The man¡¯s scream echoed throughout the room.


    The Jiu-Jitsu technique had broken the man¡¯s arm. Then, Emma let go of herself and stood up straight away, ¡°Feel this dwarf kick, you bastard!¡±


    BUGHH!!


    The man immediately fell unconscious with a slowly bleeding broken nose.


    All enemies have been ttened. Emma immediately turned to the stairs that led to the next floor, where Poppy had been dragged by two men. Emma fastly walked towards the stairs.


    .....


    But Emma couldn¡¯t help to slow down her steps while holding her stomach with a pained grimace on her face, ¡°Shit!¡± she murmured. Her movements were a bit hampered because the trace from the man¡¯s headbutt had caused quite a lot of pain there.


    ***


    Two men dragged a girl in their midst. The girl¡¯s face was puffy with tears, with clothes that seemed to be worn perfunctory. They headed to the fifth floor, ording to their superior¡¯s orders.


    Roger¡¯s eyes went wide as Poppy emerged from downstairs with two men holding her arms.


    ¡°Bring her here,¡± Donny¡¯s ordered leisurely.


    Poppy was released three steps ahead of Donny. She immediately sat on the floor with tears in her eyes. Her knees felt very weak from trying to struggle when the two men dragged her away. At first, Poppy nned to run away from the building. However, she found that all the doors had been locked because the information about the intruder had spread.


    ¡°Poppy.. My innocent and sweet girlfriend,¡± Donny said while still holding Roger¡¯s back under his foot, ¡°You know this guy, don¡¯t you, honey?¡±


    Poppy didn¡¯t answer the question. She just kept her head down as she continued to cry.


    Donny smiled faintly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to answer me. Maybe this loser can take your ce.¡±


    ¡°ARGH!¡± Roger screamed as Donny strongly stomped his foot on Roger¡¯s body.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Poppy shouted.


    Roger looked at the girl with a frustrated face. Realizing this situation made him very disappointed in himself. The girl he loved was cornered in front of him. But instead of helping, he got under the foot of the man who had ruined the girl¡¯s life.


    ¡°How romantic.. The innocent and the loser. Actually, you two can make a great couple. But sadly, Poppy likes me more than a weak loser like you.¡± Donnyughed.


    ¡°Stop it, Donny! I beg you!¡± Poppy shouted again.


    ¡°Oh? For the sake of this loser, you dare to shout at me, huh?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m doing now has nothing to do with Poppy. She knows nothing!¡± Roger breathlessly interrupted.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Donny lifted his foot and stomped it again until Roger squealed more.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Kei let out a voice. Beside him was a ck backpack which he was unpacking. In his hand, there was a paper that had many creases and wrinkles that was the map of the Hell Gate headquarters building, ¡°So, he wants to attack our server units. That¡¯s the reason he came here. Then, this..¡± The man continued to open Roger¡¯s wallet, then showed the contents of the wallet to the audience, ¡°The photo of that girl with him. So romantic.. He looks manly to embrace her like that.¡± he chuckled wittily because he found it funny.


    ¡°So you attacked our base just to save that bitch? You¡¯re really a good man, aren¡¯t you..?¡± Kei praised. Then, he stepped closer to Roger who was under Donny¡¯s foot, then crouched beside him.


    ¡°But, you know what? The love that too big will even be more difficult to requited.¡± He continued with a pitying smile.


    Then, Kei continued to stand up with a big yawn. He went to the other door on the same floor and knocked on it. Soon, the door opened, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t want to disturb your sleep. But it looks like you guys have something to take care of here.¡±


    Roger looked at Kei with his heart pounding hard. Then, his eyes widened even more when two tall figures of men came out of the room. They both look very, very simr. Their face and shirtless body had no difference. The only way to tell them apart was from the hairstyles. One had his hair cut short, and the other in a Cornrow braid.


    They were the twins Gozu and Mezu. The main guard of the Hell Gate. Two men with ranks below Kei Matsumoto. Even within the group, none of their subordinates dared to look the twins in the eye directly. Everyone would lower their heads while talking to the giant duo.


    ¡°Hoammm! It¡¯s okay, boss.¡± Said the short hair, who was Mezu, while scratching his hump.


    ¡°Huh? Why is it so crowded here? What¡¯s going on?¡± Gozu asked with a sleepy face.


    ¡°Two rats have infiltrated our base. One is downstairs. He¡¯s fighting the other members. Please don¡¯t let them get away, okay? I want to see their bones in front of my room, for me to make a doormat in the morning.¡± Kei patted Gozu¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Now I want to go to sleep. Don¡¯t disturb me,¡± He said as he walked away, entering his office where there was a bedroom inside.


    Gozu and Mezu looked at each other with an even face, then shrugged their shoulders. At first, they were fast asleep in the room. Just like Kei, the two of them were like corpses when they slept. No amount of noise would vibrate their eardrums at all.


    Even just a slight move, the twins did not take the matter that was going on seriously. Just need to finish off two rats? They could do it in less than a second with their eyes closed. But because the big brother ordered, they had to do it anyway.


    Then, Gozu and Mezu walked casually past Donny who was silent in front of them. One of them nced at the man who was stepping on one of the rats that Kei meant.


    ¡°Hey, manager. Are you guys in a talk?¡± Gozu askedzily.


    Donny smiled kindly, then nodded once, ¡°These two people are professing love to each other.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Then, we¡¯ll wait there,¡± He pointed to the stairs that led to the sixth floor.


    ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± Donny said excitedly and respectfully.


    The two men who were holding Poppy¡¯s right and left side instantly let out a sigh of relief when they saw the hideous dark-skinned twins finally sitting on the steps which Kei had previously sat on. They both leaned back against each other with sleepy eyes.


    ¡°Hmm.. Where were we?¡± Donny muttered, ¡°Ah.. Right. I wanted to ask Poppy something.¡±


    Then, he let go of Roger and swapped positions with the two men guarding Poppy. He put his arm around her as he pulled his phone out of his jeans pants pocket.


    ¡°Poppy, do you still think that you really are my girlfriend, hem?¡± asked the man.


    Poppy¡¯s tears were flowing again, and she shook her head weakly.


    ¡°Do you know why I never saw you as my girlfriend? It¡¯s because of that guy,¡± He pointed at Roger face who immediately gave a questioning look.


    ¡°You professed your love to me.. But actually, you are keeping another guy in your heart. The guy who is embracing you in the photo that you keep in your wallet.. is Roger Timothy, right?¡± he continued with a smile.


    Poppy and Roger immediately gasped. They simultaneously looked at Donny and turned to each other. It made Donnyugh out loud, ¡°How f*cking romantic, guys! It turns out that you¡¯ve been in love with each other all this time. However.. Roger.. I really feel sorry for you. You like a female demon like Poppy. She betrayed your love, just because she didn¡¯t want to date a loser. Look... this girl has even slept with guys, just because they look cool. She works on porn sites, taking advantage of her innocent face that most guys like.¡±


    ¡°Stop your bullshit, you bastard! I know you framed Poppy to do that!¡± Roger growled. He was now in a kneeling position with his arms and shoulders restrained by two men who were actually members of the film crew.


    ¡°But you like it too, don¡¯t you? I know you also watch this naughty girl on our website. Her face while doing that looks really cute, right? I know, people like you are willing to pay a lot of money to satisfy your fantasies by watching Poppy¡¯s vulgar actions even if only through theputer screen! Hahaha..¡±


    ¡°No! Stop it, Donny! I did what you asked! Why do you keep doing this?!¡± Poppy cried. Then, she looked at Roger with a face full of shame, ¡°Please don¡¯t listen to him, Roger!¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Because it turns out that your first love has messed up my workce to save you, then, that is the same as breaking the agreement, sweetie.¡± Donny smiled.


    Then, Donny fiddled with his phone for a moment and showed the screen right in front of Roger¡¯s face.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t do that! Please!¡± Poppy screamed as she struggled, trying to snatch the phone from Donny¡¯s hand. But of course, her efforts were in vain.

 Chapter 68

    68 Gozu and Mezu


    A video yed on the phone. Poppy was drunk. She walked aimlessly, bumping into a group of men who were surrounding her,ughing. Roger could identify Donny, Lary, and Brian among the crowd.


    Poppy looked so drunk that she lost control of herself. Then, the assholes stripped the girl of her clothes and told her to dance. Poppy didn¡¯t fight back. She did what the men told her to do.


    In her life, Poppy had never drunk much liquor. Because she was not good at handling alcohol, she could only drink one ss of beer at most. Poppy didn¡¯t know, if she got drunk, then she would do crazy things without realizing it. Poppy followed what the bunch of assholes told her, like a wooden doll controlled by the strings. She danced erotically naked like a whore. Then, one by one the men took turns to r*pped her. They recorded the whole heart-aching incident on Donny¡¯s cell phone which they continued to pass from hand to hand.


    ¡°In our agreement, Poppy will agree to work as a porn star in thispany in one condition that I don¡¯t share this video with anyone. But.. it seems Poppy doesn¡¯t care about this video anymore, becausest night, her face was already shown, spreading to all over the world during the live show. Isn¡¯t it right, honey?¡± He kissed Poppy¡¯s forehead roughly. Meanwhile, the girl could only cry hysterically while looking down, holding back the shame that seemed to be able to kill her.


    Roger¡¯s jaw hardened. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with anger. Then..


    BUGH!!


    Somehow, the blue-eyed man slipped from the grip of the two men who were holding him. And, he managed to hit Donny¡¯s hand quickly and hardly. The cell phone that was in Donny¡¯s hand immediately bounced away.


    Roger quickly elbow-nudged the jaws of the two men who wanted to hold him back. One of them fainted, but the other didn¡¯t. But one man who was still conscious, choose to immediately flee to the stairs instead. He couldn¡¯t take the situation anymore and didn¡¯t want to risk getting hurt more if he was around them any longer.


    Donny immediately let go of Poppy and parried Roger¡¯s came back punch. Poppy shrieked as she shuffled back away from the two men.


    .....


    ***


    Emma stepped up the stairs. Then, she was quite surprised when suddenly a man appeared quickly down the stairs. Thinking that he was an enemy, Emma immediately punched him in the face until the man fainted and rolled down. But she didn¡¯t know that the guy was just an ordinary film crew.


    The noise was getting louder and louder from the next floor. Emma quickened her pace. But the steps were stopped at the cross of the stairs when her shoe identally kicked a ck object lying on the floor. It was a phone that the screen was still on, even though it was cracked.


    Emma took the phone. The screen showed a video that has finished ying. It final image, which was Lary¡¯s blurry face, made Emma y the video suspiciously.


    The girl¡¯s face turned red as the blood in her head was boiling. The video which recorded the activities of a group of assholes was molesting Poppy, made Emma instantly burn badly. She didn¡¯t have to watch it to end just to make up her mind to kill Donny and all his friends. Emma really wanted to m the phone with all her might. But she thought that maybe the data on the cellphone would be useful for her.


    Emma stepped up slowly. She was quite surprised to see Roger who fought with Donny. Roger¡¯s face did look battered. But he could still stand up and keep fighting Donny who also looked tired with several wounds on his face.


    But that¡¯s not the problem that made Emma tskingzily. Behind the railing of the stairs beside her, which was the staircase leading to the next floor, Emma heard a loud back-and-forth-snoring sound. It was the voice of tworge, dark-skinned men who were sleeping as sitting on the stair.


    Emma didn¡¯t have to think hard to guess that the two men who had very simr faces were the twins Gozu and Mezu, the Hell Gate¡¯s main guard who was reported to be able to break their opponent¡¯s spine with just one m.


    Emma didn¡¯t understand why the twins could sleep there. However, it was something to her advantage. Most likely, the two bulls won¡¯t wake up until the sun came up because the noise Roger and Donny made couldn¡¯t even wake them up.


    Roger had never fought before. He just practised fighting perfunctorily in his own room. He bought a punching bag, but couldn¡¯t use it properly. It was because his body condition was very weak. Now the guy had to fight Donny, who had mastered several martial arts moves and had a bigger body than him.


    But Roger had one advantage. His body was already used to blows. Maybe because he was bullied too much. Somehow, despite feeling pain, despite being hit super hard, the guy was still able to stand back up.


    Emma smiled faintly, then began to walk quickly, nning to kick Donny¡¯s stupid head who was still focused on trying to beat Roger who kept holding his punches.


    ¡®I¡¯ll weaken him first. Next, it¡¯s your task to end that loser, Roger.¡¯ Emma said in her heart.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Suddenly, a voice from behind made Emma stop her steps. Then, she looked back in horror.


    Gozu and Mezu, with their demon eyes already wide open, stared at the figure of the midget man in the ck helmet with murderous grins. The two of them stood up from their seats while massaging the back of their own waist which felt stiff from sleeping in a bad position.


    ¡°H-how did they wake up?¡± Emma muttered in disbelief.


    Roger and Poppy looked at them in horror and disbelief. How could the twins be aware of Emma¡¯s silent arrival, while they even couldn¡¯t be awakened at all by themotion Roger and Donny made? Was that the instinct of a leader who guarded the gates of hell?


    Meanwhile, Donny seemed to be smiling with satisfaction. He was looking forward to seeing the helmeted man who had broken Brian¡¯s shoulder to be turned into biscuit crumbs by the monster twins.


    Seeing that danger had appeared like the risen sun, Emma immediately got into her stance. For real! The bodies of the two men were enormous like monsters. Their muscles were also big and looked tough. Emma gulped as she thought about how to defeat the two monsters by herself. There was no need to think anymore, to know that most likely, Emma¡¯s punch would only feel like a tickle to the iron muscles.


    ¡®Damn.. I¡¯m already drained of strength from fighting the earlier group downstairs. Howe they can be that big, anyway?¡¯ Emma cried in her heart.


    Emma stepped back while ncing at Roger. The guy¡¯s face was pale and looked very worried. He knew Emma couldn¡¯t possibly beat the two monsters. Emma could be destroyed in just an instant.


    ¡°YOU! ESCAPE NOW!!¡± Roger shouted at the two girls, before quickly throwing a fist at the jaw of Donny who was off guard.


    But Emma didn¡¯t think so. She immediately took a few wide steps back and picked up Roger¡¯s baseball bat from the floor. Then, she jumped high to kick Donny in the back sending him flying to the side.


    ¡°Make that bastard understand,¡± Emma said by passing the stick to Roger with a toss, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely win against them. I didn¡¯t approve of your agreement proposal earlier, did I?¡±


    Roger stared in awe at Emma who was standing sturdy like a warrior. He couldn¡¯t even believe that inside the ck helmet was a beautiful ballet dancer who used to smile sweetly at him. A girl with slender fingers and silky smooth skin who had just defeated dozens of men, and was now loudly and confidently saying that she would win against two monsters who each weighed nearly three times her weight.


    ¡°I like your confidence. But you¡¯re too na?ve,¡± Gozu said by clenching his fingers, ¡°We¡¯ll see how long you can hold on to your bones.¡±


    Then..


    The fight had begun.


    Emma Hind versus Gozu and Mezu.


    Roger Timothy versus Donny Gruge.


    ***


    ¡®The stands.. They are wrestlers. No wonder they have such a big body.¡¯ Emma muttered in an alert.


    It would be difficult for one person to fight two wrestlers at once. Likely, the two of them would attack simultaneously to corner Emma. The only advantage that Emma had was her body speed. Actually, being able to paralyze the two monsters was an impossible thing for Emma to do.


    ¡®I have to find their weakness. There¡¯s no way I can dodge their attacks until the apocalypsees.¡¯ Emma thought as she jumped to the side when Gozu speedily charged at her like a raging bull.


    Emma had to keep her eyes open to keep an eye on both of them at once. ¡®The key is not to get grabbed by them.¡¯


    The story would end if Emma were finally caught by one of the twins. Those two iron hands would break Emma¡¯s tiny body like a toothpick.


    While dodging, Emma studied the twins¡¯ attack patterns. Most likely they only mastered wrestling techniques. From the muscle structure, maybe they would give a littlebination of boxing for ranged attacks. Their type of thigh and calf muscles were veryrge and dense, not suitable for doing high kicks. Therge body also made them unable to move too fast. They were a defensive wall that guarded the Hell Gate well. But Emma could conclude that they were not the main weapon of the group.


    Gozu and Mezu, their tough muscles were like very thick armour covering every weak point in their bodies.


    ¡®I have to take them to a smaller space.¡¯ Emma thought.


    ¡°Come here, little mice!!¡± Mezu growled by jumping at the ck-helmeted dwarf.


    Quickly, Emma jumped away. Then, she flinched when she realized Gozu suddenly came from her right side with both hands ready to grip her.

 Chapter 69

    69 Not Equal


    Quickly, Emma jumped away. Then from her right, Gozu suddenly came with both hands ready to grip her. The girl immediately lowered her back and swung around in a circle to escape from under the man¡¯s big arm.


    ¡°Shit! That was close!¡± Emma mumbled breathlessly. Her stomach, which had been hit earlier, ached again. But Emma managed to hold it. For her, menstrual pain was more painful than this.


    ¡®It¡¯s the time!¡¯ As soon as she escaped behind Gozu¡¯s back, Emma immediately ran as fast as possible to the downstairs which was the location of the offices.


    Gozu and Mezu quickly chased after the damn mice, descending to the fourth floor. Their bodies were drenched in sweat because they were overwhelmed by chasing the ck helmet who was really as agile as a rat.


    ¡°That dwarf really is like a pest. He¡¯s hard to get rid of!¡± Mezu said as he came down the stairs along with his twin brother.


    Gozu stared straight ahead with his jaw clenched, ¡°Immediately destroy him once he gets caught. No more games. We underestimated him too much.¡±


    Mezu nodded, ¡°Right, big bro.¡±


    The twins saw a small ck figure standing on a desk with both arms folded in front of his chest at the far end of the office room. Apart from being agile, he was also very annoying. He was mocking them.


    An office with forty desks arranged in four rows, with aputer on top of each and a wheeled-office chair on the side. Emma had chosen the perfect battle arena to fight the two raging bulls. They would have a hard time moving there with their huge appearance.


    .....


    ¡°Hopefully the insurance can¡¯t cover the damage that will happen in this ce,¡± Emma mumbled while giggling happily. She looked at the two men standing behind the ss wall, watching her with an annoyed face.


    ¡°Kung Fu and Taekwondo mighte in handy in this ce. Looks like I can only aim for the range of their heads.¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°You think you can run from us, huh, you brat?¡± Gozu asked in a very deep voice.


    ¡°And you think you can catch me, huh? Usually, a big boy has a small brain.¡± Emmaughed, deliberately provoking them in a condescending tone.


    Emma deliberately ignited the emotions of the two men, because people would tend to act rashly if they were controlled by anger. Therefore, patience was one of the determining factors of victory in fighting.


    Gozu and Mezu entered the room. Despite their reluctance, they were forced to enter into Emma¡¯s game, because it was impossible to get the little mice out of the room either. Surely, she would be jumping around like a squirrel in this ce.


    Right as Emma had predicted. Once the two bison went inside, in just a few minutes, the room had turned into a ne crash.


    Gozu and Mezu looked like giants trying to catch a grasshopper with their big hands. All the tables had shifted everywhere. Theputer monitor fell down with the CPU units scattered on the floor. As Emma had nned, all the objects in the room made it difficult for the twins to make the attacks.


    ¡®Don¡¯t underestimate the feet that are used to dancing ballet. We can jump as high as we can andnd like feathers.¡¯ Emma said to herself as she jumped from table to table.


    As Emma continued to jump, she gave a long-range kick that targeted the twins¡¯ faces, necks, and the lower back of their heads.


    ¡°ARGHHHH!!¡± Mezu growled, already running out of patience. Then, he picked up the CPU and monitor that were scattered on the floor and threw them against the ss wall until it shattered. After that, he picked up various items in the room, then began to throw them outside to free up space.


    ¡°Tsk! This is no good,¡± Emma muttered. Then, jumped back up when Gozu was about to catch her.


    ¡®I have to end this quickly. But since then, my attacks were kept blocked. Their arms are like shields.¡¯ She continued in his heart.


    As soon as Gozu was blocked by a pile of tables that Emma passed easily, she immediately turned to Mezu who was busy throwing tables and chairs out of the room. At that golden opportunity, Emma ran and jumped very high then did a spin in the air to add boost strength to her long kick.


    ¡°MEZU, WATCH OUT!!¡± Gozu shouted.


    But when Mezu turned his head, he was already toote because the hard kick directly hit his jaw and ear. Automatically, the big man fell to the side. Even so, he was still conscious, even though it became difficult for him to get up from his slumped position.


    Emma quickly turned to Gozu who savagely shifted the big things in front of him to save his brother.


    As soon as Mezu was about to get back on his feet, Emma immediately made a spinning kick aiming at the same point that she had kicked before. Then, she gave a follow-up attack in the form of a swing back kick, which was a kickback like a horse after twisting her body. It hit Mezu¡¯s chin to the bottom of his nose.


    Emma¡¯s double attack was so fast. It hit Mezu¡¯s two weak spots, even before the man was knocked down by the first kick.


    Apparently, Emma¡¯s attack managed to make Mezu knocked down. Emma immediately ran away when Gozu managed to reach his twin brother. Mezu didn¡¯t copsepletely. Maybe, there was still a little bit of consciousness left as he still seemed to be groaning in pain.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens if you clean up the room when you should be fighting.¡± Said Emma who was already standing behind the pile of tables, in a joking tone.


    Gozu growled angrily seeing his brother hurt. Then, he stood up to face the ck helmeted figure with both fists tightly clenched, ¡°I will kill you!!¡±


    ¡°Try if you can!¡± Said Emma.


    Actually, Emma was already very overwhelmed. Her strength was exhausted because she had been jumping here and there, throwing kicks and punches that her opponents always managed to block, and trying to escape the two big men¡¯s catch. But, she still had to survive in order to save herself, her two friends, and thedies who had the same fate as Poppy.


    Then, a monitor unit flew towards Emma¡¯s head at full speed. It was thrown so strongly by Gozu. Emma, ??who was caught off guard, reflexed lie down on her stomach. The top of her helmet was scratched from scratching the monitor that was barely able to break Emma¡¯s helmet ss visor.


    The tables in front of Emma began to shift fiercely as a sign that Gozu was getting closer. Emma hastily got to her feet to escape. But she was surprised to see a CPU unit flying towards her again.


    ¡®Oh.. So you start to throw things now, huh?¡¯ The girl thought with sweat pouring down her back and head.


    Emma had a hard time avoiding Gozu who kept chasing her while asionally throwing things at her. As soon as Emma was about to jump to another table to avoid Gozu¡¯s catch, it turned out that one of the table¡¯s legs she was standing on had been broken. Which causes the edge of the table to be crooked when stepped on by her. As a result, Emma immediately lost her bnce and fell.


    Emma groaned in pain as she tried to get up to escape from there. But something very strong grabbed her ankle. She turned to her feet just to find the worst thing that had been in her image since the first. That¡¯s right, Emma was finally caught.


    ¡°GET READY TO DIE, FUCKING RATS!¡±


    Gozu dragged Emma¡¯s leg quickly and enfolded her body tightly. Emma gritted her teeth to suppress a scream because Gozu¡¯s strength was so strong. His grip was felt deep into Emma¡¯s bones.


    Gozu felt how light the ck helmet¡¯s body was. Heughed like a devil by lifting the body high above his head. Then, he raised his left knee into the air.


    ¡°D-dammn it!¡± Emma muttered, finding herself very high up in the air, facing the ceiling. She could peek down to see the position of Gozu¡¯s leg. She knew what the big man would do to her. Yes, he would break Emma¡¯s spine by mming her back against his concrete-like thigh bone.


    Emma gulped hard while thinking hard for a very short time. At thest second, just as Gozu was about to m her small body, Emma immediately manoeuvred herself by bending her body slightly to the side, then hooking one of her flexible legs around Gozu¡¯s neck. Emma had indeed missed, but because of that, the move that the big man had about to do was failed.


    Emma fell with the back of her thigh hitting Gozu¡¯s thighbone. In the second before the impact, Emma still had time to bend her knees slightly, so the impact on her hamstrings wasn¡¯t too hard. Probably, if she was even a split secondte, her small thighbone would crack when it collided with Gozu¡¯s hard bone.


    Even though she had fallen, Gozu¡¯s hand was still gripping the jacket Emma was wearing, about to pick her up again. Seeing that the situation was not favourable for her, Emma was forced to do something reckless.


    Before her back even touched the floor, Emma immediately grabbed Gozu¡¯s wrist as she threw her hips up in the air and hooked her legs around the man¡¯srge neck. With the strength of her legs, Emma twisted her light body up.


    Gozu lost his grip, as his wrist was twisted by Emma. That way, Emma was able to escape and was now perched on the back of Gozu¡¯s head with both legs strangling his neck.


    ¡°GRAGHHH!!¡± Gozu growled with his face starting to turn red while trying to free the legs of the ck helmet man that was choking his whole neck with a locking technique.


    With both hands, Emma tried to hurt Gozu¡¯s eyes. However, she gave up this action because she thought that if the man could catch her hands, then he would pull Emma down easily.


    ¡®D.. dammit! This isn¡¯t going to work..¡¯ Emma thought as she grimaced ??through the pain. She had used all her strength to strangle Gozu, but the big man didn¡¯t faint by that. He instead tried to pull off Emma¡¯s legs with fantastic strength, ¡®I have to run away from here.¡¯

 Chapter 70

    70 Self-Confident


    Emma put her hands together and clenched them into a big fist, then hit Gozu¡¯s head with all her might. It made the man feel dizzy for a moment. At that moment, Emma immediately let go of her legs and jumped down. Emma quickly ran back upstairs, to see how Roger and Poppy were doing.


    But when she got to the fifth floor, she found that the floor was empty and quiet with lots of spots and traces of blood all over the floor. But there was one thing that made her smile happily. Donny was lying on his stomach on the floor.


    ¡°Good job, Roger! You did it!¡± Emma muttered with a big smile.


    CRACK!! BUGH!!


    There was a noise from downstairs, which was certain to be the voice of Gozu doing unknown things. Emma then turned to the stairs leading to the top floor, which was her final destination. The location where the server units were stored.


    ***


    Poppy¡¯s eyes trembled when she saw the figure of the man she had hurt so badly, was now risking his life ¡®Again¡¯ for her.


    Poppy didn¡¯t want Roger to suffer anymore because of her. She thought.. in this world, there was no way any person could maintain their love so firmly, even though they had been hurt so badly. But as it turned out, that person was Roger Timothy. The guy who had been Poppy realized had always been watching over her from afar.


    ¡°Nooo!! Stop it, Donny! Please stop it!¡± Poppy shouted as the big guy mmed Roger back on the floor for the umpteenth time.


    .....


    Roger loudly writhed in pain. He coughed again as he vomited blood from his mouth.


    ¡°Donny.. I beg you to stop this. I-I promise I will do whatever you ask. But, please don¡¯t hurt Roger anymore. I beg of you!¡± Poppy cried.


    ¡°No..¡± Roger coughed as he tried to get up slowly, ¡°Poppy won¡¯t do anything for you anymore. You.. won¡¯t be able to control her anymore,¡±


    Donny chuckled mockingly, but his breath hitched. He wiped the side of his lips that were bleeding after being hit by Roger¡¯s fist. He never expected Roger to be strong enough to overwhelm him.


    ¡°Roger.. Stop it.. You won¡¯t get anything for this..¡± Poppy coaxed. But her words were ignored by the sky-blue iris guy.


    ¡°You.. call yourself a man. But in truth, you are lower than animals. Because, there¡¯s no way a real man dares to destroy a woman¡¯s life.¡± Roger said by raising his two fists again in front of his battered face which he still had the strength to endure.


    Donnyughed loudly, ¡°Even love makes you willing to be killed just for the girl who had betrayed you. You are the stupidest guy I have ever met.¡±


    ¡°You underestimate love because you never feel it!¡± Roger replied, ¡°And you never will!¡± he continued by throwing his fist.


    Donny immediately dodged, then he replied by punching Roger¡¯s sr plexus with full force, because his anger was provoked, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to protect Poppy because you are a loser!¡±


    ¡°Ughhh!¡± Roger automatically bent down with blood dripping out from his mouth onto the floor. He immediately fell to his knees in front of Donny, curled up as clutching his stomach. But with the rest of his strength, he still grabbed the man¡¯s leg and gripped him. He tried to push Donny¡¯s body back, but unfortunately, he was too weak to overthrow him.


    ¡°You two are a pair of losers. Whether you exist or not, I¡¯ll still make this bitch my cash cow.¡± Donny said while ncing down at Roger who was hugging his legs. Then, he kicked Roger so that he bounced and his back hit the wall. Then, he raised his right leg in front of Roger who was seating limply And..


    BUGHHH!!


    Donny fell forward, mming into Roger¡¯s legs.


    Behind him, Poppy stood with Roger¡¯s metal baseball bat which had been thrown off when the guy fought him earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your dairy cow! You son of a bitch!¡± Poppy screamed in tears. Then, she dropped the bat carelessly before approaching Roger. She helped Roger roll Donny¡¯s very heavy body to the side.


    Roger smiled as he saw Poppy¡¯s sweet face which also stared at him guiltily, ¡°Thanks for helping this loser, Poppy. I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t keep my promise to not be five steps away from you.¡±


    Poppy shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Roger. I did you wrong all this time. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± she said with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve forgiven you for a long time ago and always love you until this moment. I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t erase this feeling.¡± Roger replied.


    Poppy nodded solemnly. She didn¡¯t answer him anymore. It made Roger understand that it was true that Poppy¡¯s feelings weren¡¯t as great as his. But Roger never expected that either.


    Because, true love doesn¡¯t always expect a return. Just being able to see the person he loves lives happily is enough.


    ¡°Thank you for never forgetting me,¡± Roger said, referring to Donny¡¯s information that Poppy still had their childhood photo in her wallet. Even though she didn¡¯t love him, at least he still had a little ce in her memory.


    Roger struggled to his feet, and Poppy immediately helped him, ¡°We have to go upstairs to destroy the server.¡± Roger exined.


    ¡°What¡¯s on that server, Roger?¡± Poppy asked as she carried one of Roger¡¯s arms around her shoulder.


    ¡°The server that stores the data rted to the website and its applications. In essence, without the server, the website will not be able to run properly.¡± Roger exined as short as possible. He didn¡¯t really know much aboutputer engineering either. But he knew that the way to destroy the canguagedictionary website was to destroy the central server units.


    The two of them arrived at the empty sixth floor that had severalrge pots of ornamental nts ced on each corner of the wall and tworge windows in the middle. On that floor, there was a room with a door made of iron.


    ¡°That¡¯s the room. There should be a guard here. But it looks like he was joining the fighting downstairs.¡± said Roger.


    Poppy nodded before quickening her step so they could soon stop the source of her life¡¯s misery. Poppy couldn¡¯t wait to destroy a business that had ruined so many lives of girls like her, because Poppy knew she wasn¡¯t the only one who was framed to be an actress on that damn website.


    ¡°I already knew Donny would be hurt by women. Well.. it wasn¡¯t his heart that would get hurt, but he underestimates women too much to think they can¡¯t do anything to him.¡± Kei¡¯s voice immediately made Roger and Poppy turn around in surprise.


    Kei Matsumoto smiled broadly with both his hands tucked into his trouser pockets, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would make such a big mess at my ce. But you should thank me for giving the three of you time to exchange feelings.¡±


    Roger tightened his grip on his baseball bat. He didn¡¯t know whether Kei was good at fighting or not. As the information from the man back then, no one had ever seen Kei fight. But even so, Roger¡¯s current position was already badly injured to be able to fight even an ordinary person.


    Roger stepped back as Kei casually walked around them.


    ¡°Do you know how much loss I have suffered as a result of your actions? How are you responding to this all?¡± Asked Kei.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be kidding me! You¡¯vemitted acts of forcedbour and abuse on many women. We have evidence to charge you!¡± Roger answered.


    Kei smirked cutely, ¡°You talk like a superior. I want to see if your angel¡¯s n will work or not.¡±


    Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!


    They turned to the noiseing from the stairs. The figure of a man dressed in all ck with a ck helmet ran up to the top.


    ¡°Roger!¡± The robot voice sounded strange. It might have been a bit damaged after the battle after battle he¡¯d been through.


    ¡°Em..¡± Roger took a breath and closed his mouth. He almost slipped out the girl¡¯s name.


    Emma looked at Kei who was standing a few steps near Roger and Poppy. She didn¡¯t want to waste any more time. Behind, Gozu was chasing after her. Perhaps the huge man would soon make it to the top.


    Emma immediately ran to Kei and did a Jump Turning Kick Reverse by aiming at his head, considering Kei¡¯s very tall body.


    But Emma immediately darted into the wall because Kei quickly dodged to the side. Emma even caught a glimpse of the man¡¯s mocking smile as she shot past his face.


    ¡°Ugh! D-dammit..¡± Emma groaned in pain. Even though her attack was already quite fast, somehow Kei was able to avoid it easily. This was what happened when she acted rashly.


    When Emma missed earlier, she had time to nce at how Kei avoided her kick. Kei only moved a little, but his foot swept across the floor in a 90-degree motion, which was one of the leg movements in Kung Fu. That was enough to make Emma suspect that Kei wasn¡¯t really couldn¡¯t fight. He just didn¡¯t want to.


    Roger and Poppy rushed to help Emma.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Roger worriedly.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t underestimate that guy. He can fight.¡± she said while ncing at Kei who was standing,ughing at her.


    Then a loud noise was heard again. It was Gozu who had arrived with a face full of murderous intent, ¡°Where are you, son of a bitch?!¡±


    ¡°He.. he hasn¡¯t lost yet?¡± Poppy muttered with a horrified look.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°He¡¯s so strong. I was having a hard time defeating him.¡±


    ¡°What should we do? We¡¯re surrounded,¡± Poppy said frantically.


    ¡°No worries. I will protect you,¡± Emma said as she stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Kei,¡± Said Roger.


    Emma turned to him with a furrowed brow, ¡°With that condition of yours?¡±


    Roger chuckled, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I trust myself?¡±


    Roger¡¯s answer made Emma smile. Instantly, her power seemed to be refilled. Then, she nodded and pped her right fist against her left palm, ¡°You¡¯re right! We will be the winner!¡±

 Chapter 71

    71 Mission Completed


    As Emma¡¯s determination returned, Gozu ran towards her, which she immediately faced with full courage and confidence. Knowing that Roger seemed to have changed made the fire in Emma¡¯s soul rekindle. Emma knew that after this, things would never be the same as before. Whether for Emma, Roger, or Poppy¡¯s life. The lives of the three of them would be changed.


    Emma could imagine Roger would be released from the chains that had made him a loser. He would stand up for himself and fight for his love in the right way. Likewise with Poppy who would be free from the snares of hell made by Donny.


    Gozu looked very angry. He attacked Emma indiscriminately, while Emma continued to dodge him while asionally attacking his weak spot with a high kick from behind. Now, Emma knew that the big man was very weak in the head, just like Emma¡¯s earlier punch that could make him stagger.


    It seemed, Gozu and Mezu¡¯s habit when angry was throwing things like toddlers. Again, Gozu took whatever he could use to smack the rat that kept on running. Gozu looked at therge ornamental nt pot that was near the stairs and lifted it up as if it was as light as feather. With one tug, he managed to pull out the nts in it, then threw the big pot at the helmeted rat.


    The big pot made of y floated highly and lighting-fast across the centre of the room. Those two veined hands were really strong that made Emma gasp in awes. It looked like her father would be so happy if he got a bodyguard like these twins. But sadly, they both have stupid brains. They just had big muscles only.


    Therge bronze coloured pot floated straight at Emma. She immediately swift aside and..


    CRASH!!


    Emma dodged down reflexively covering her head with both hands when she heard the loud sound of breaking ss right behind her. Emma looked back and just realized there was a big window behind her. The pot managed to break through the window and make a veryrge hole that made a cold wind rush in. Even as if it was no longer a window, but a hole in the wall.


    Poppy just stood there in silence watching the two men protecting her, fighting to the death. She tried to work her brain, trying to fight her fear and helplessness. Then quietly, Poppy nced at the door not far from beside her.


    .....


    ¡®I have to be useful here,¡¯ Thought the girl. Roger and his friends have done a lot to save Poppy. At least, she could help a little, to save herself.


    As soon as everyone was caught off guard, Poppy quickly ran towards the door and went inside. She saw there was a wooden chair beside the door in the room, then used it to hold the door handle so that it could not be opened from the outside.


    Kei, who had been dealing with Roger¡¯s attack carelessly, immediately caught up to Poppy who quickly entered the server unit room. He rushed pressed the door handle, but the handle got stuck so the door couldn¡¯t be opened.


    ¡°F*CK!! Gozu! Break this door open!!¡± Kei eximed.


    But suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder, ¡°Your bodyguard almost died in my friend¡¯s hands,¡± Said Roger with a grin. Then, a fist aimed at his jaw. But with a palm, Kei easily held back the weak fist.


    That¡¯s right. Gozu finally lost his strength after kept chasing and got attacked by Emma. There was a lot of sweat dripping from his body. Even once in a while, it made Emma feel ufortable when she threw a punch at the man. Luckily, Emma was wearing her leather gloves. She just had to hit the right point one more time, then for sure, Emma would be able to overthrow the giant.


    Kei gritted his teeth when he saw that his man was on the verge of defeat. He was wrong for having underestimated those two men. Now, he didn¡¯t know what the bitch was doing in the server room. It¡¯s probably, all the servers wouldn¡¯t survive.


    On the other hand, Poppy felt as if she were in a giant refrigerator. She didn¡¯t expect the server room to be this cold. Inside the room, there were three strangely shaped metal cabs with lots of wires that made a strange sound. Then, Poppy looked around. She took a chair behind a desk.


    Poppy didn¡¯t understand what it meant to destroy the server. Therefore, she thought of sticking to the word ¡®Destroy¡¯, and started hitting the machines with the leg of the chair. Poppy didn¡¯t even think she might get electrocuted or maybe make something explode.


    As long as she continued to beat the machines, Poppy thought about what she had been through. How she had been harassed by those men. How Donny had taken her feelings and turned her into a cash cow. How they had forced her to hurt her own family and give up her dream. How they had made her secretly take contraceptives and another pill so that her period was still dyed until this moment. And how.. they tortured Roger.


    BUGHH!!!


    The metal door was finally sessfully broken by Kei who had kicked Roger so that he flew far away. But the man was toote, because all the units andputers had been destroyed by Poppy. The girl also unplugged all cables connected to the wall socket. Now, the room looked like a crashed ne.


    Seeing that, Kei then let out a long sigh. He nced briefly at Poppy who was staring at him in fear. Of course, the girl thought he was going to kill her. But Kei never wanted to get his hands dirty with something like that. ording to him, all the machines have been destroyed now. Why he should prolong the problem?


    Kei took out his cell phone from his pocket and called someone, ¡°The server units were destroyed by intruders. Clean this all up.¡± he said, then hung up the phone.


    Then, he walked out of the room again. He saw Gozu who was already kneeling on the floor while panting with a battered face. Then, he looked to the man in the ck helmet who had also reached his limit, although he was still able to try to stand up straight.


    Poppy left the room before Roger could finish his steps towards the server room. Poppy¡¯s face brightened as she looked at the man with tears in her eyes, ¡°The server has been destroyed,¡± said Poppy happily.


    Roger and Emma looked at each other. They both smiled happily because that meant they had won. What they were fighting for finally got paid.


    At the same time, Emma closed the fight by kicking Gozu¡¯s chest so hard, causing him to fall on his back, ¡°K.O¡± she muttered.


    ¡°I hope you lose a lot,¡± Emma said with her arms folded in front of her chest to Kei who was in the middle of them.


    Instead of showing an angry face, Kei smiled slightly as he raised his palms in front of his chest. A sign that he had given up that made Emma smile even more.


    ¡®Turns out he¡¯s not that cowardly.¡¯ Emma thought.


    But suddenly, Kei swiftly nced back, followed by a kick that aimed at Poppy who happened to be standing by the window. Emma did not have enough time to thwart the unexpected attack. But there was one person who saved Poppy.


    Roger who saw Kei¡¯s nce at Poppy, immediately knew that the damned man would harm her. Then, without further thoughts, Roger quickly ran and pushed Poppy from her stand. That way, Kei¡¯s powerful kick hit Roger¡¯s body instead.


    CRASH!!


    The sound of the broken ss from the window frame that shattered again because it got hit by Roger¡¯s body, seemed to be the most terrible sound Emma and Poppy had ever heard.


    Kei¡¯s kick managed to make Roger¡¯s body bounce through therge window. Roger fell out the window from the sixth floor.


    ¡°ROGER!!! NO!!¡± Poppy shouted by going straight to the window.


    Emma immediately threw a kick at Kei¡¯s jaw, until the man instantly fell unconscious. After that, Emma dashed down very quickly like a ninja, leaving everything on the top floor. Emma knew, the Hell Gate headquarters building didn¡¯t have a balcony at all. Without even having to look, Emma already knew that Roger must have fallen straight to the ground.


    ***


    Poppy¡¯s smile was the source of Roger¡¯s happiness. He didn¡¯t mind if he had to lose everything, as long as he could still see that smile.


    Roger felt a very hard kick on his arm and the right side of his body. The kick sent him bouncing into the vast and cold air. With that, he felt flying for the first.. and maybe..st time.


    Everything seemed to be slowing down. The sky, which had been dark before, had now begun to shine. Ah.. their fight reallysted until morning. The colour of the sky was stunning, although the snowkes still fell.


    Roger felt very happy that he had managed to save the jewel of his heart from the snares of the evil demons. He had managed to express his feelings to the girl he loved, though not in a romantic way. He also knew that the girl he loved so much still kept the picture of them in her wallet. Roger smiled. His life was full of that simple happiness.


    It all started at the park, some years ago..


    -shback-


    Roger was a very cheerful boy. Even though he had very busy parents, there were his grandmother and grandfather who took care of him with love.


    Actually, Roger¡¯s presence in the world was not the wishes of his own father and mother. They were a couple who were crazy about work and money. The case was simple. The father forgot to wear a protector when having sex with the mother after they attended an office party and drank until they were drunk. Because of that ident, they got a son.


    Because of Roger, his parents were forced to get married because they felt ashamed of their business colleagues¡¯ gossip. Roger¡¯s presence made the money-crazy couple feel troubled. Because in truth, they really didn¡¯t want to have children who would interfere with their careers, especially the mother¡¯s.


    Even when Roger was not yet reached six months old, he had been abandoned by his mother for a business trip abroad. Since then, Roger had always been cared for by his grandparents with the help of a nanny.

 Chapter 72

    72 Roger And Poppy (1)


    When he was five years old, Roger¡¯s grandparents were already very old. They could no longer y with him. And, two months before Roger¡¯s sixth birthday, his grandfather died.


    Roger sat alone in the park in his housing area with a sad face. He¡¯s very lonely. He always wanted to go to school, because at the school, he had many friends who always surrounded him. Roger turned to his nanny who was busy ying with her cell phone on a park bench. He became more sullen.


    In the elite residential park, no other kids were ying in broad daylight like this. But Roger got really cranky when he¡¯s at home. He was bored because he had nothing to do on the weekend, other than ying games and watching TV. That was also the reason he had worn sses since a very young age. Because Roger was very cranky, the nanny finally decided to take him to the park.


    Roger¡¯s eyes narrowed to stare far ahead. He saw something moving near the tree growing at the corner side of the garden. Roger nced at his nanny again, who didn¡¯t look after him at all. Then, he jumped off the swing and ran towards it.


    Getting closer, Roger could see that the figure under the tree was a girl around his age who was jumping with a sweaty forehead.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Roger asked to surprise the girl.


    The girl immediately stopped what she was doing and looked scared. She did not dare to answer the question of the child standing in front of her with a curious face.


    ¡°Why are you jumping around? Are you ying a game? Can I join you?¡± Asked Roger with a happy face. He was a kid who liked to y with other kids. At school, if there was no Roger in, then every game would feel less exciting because Roger was very active and cheerful.


    The girl shook her head. Then, she looked up. Roger also looked up to what the girl was seeing. It turned out, there was a heart-shaped balloon stuck in the lower branch of the tree.


    .....


    ¡°Wow!! There¡¯s a big balloon! Is that yours?¡± Roger asked with widened eyes. His blue irises were as bright as the sky on that sunny day.


    The girl nodded with a sad face. Her eyes filled with tears, about to cry. Roger smiled broadly while pointing confidently at his own chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Super Roger will save your balloon!¡± Eximed the boy by imitating the superhero style that he often watched on TV.


    Then, Roger climbed the tree very nimbly. Then, he tried to reach the dangling in the air string of the balloon with difficulty, and..


    ¡°YESS!! I DID IT!!¡± Roger eximed as he crawled back down and jumped anyway when he was already halfway down the tree trunk.


    A smile brightened up on the little girl¡¯s face. Her little hands pped happily, which made Roger¡¯s head grow even bigger. Roger shoved the balloon in front of the girl. But as soon as her hand almost grabbed it, Roger pulled back the balloon string again.


    ¡°I already saved it. Can I borrow it for a moment?¡± Roger asked enthusiastically. The girl who gave a confused expression immediately smiled broadly and nodded.


    ¡°HOORAY!!¡± Roger eximed and immediately ran around the park with the pink heart-shaped balloon.


    Roger returned to the girl with his clothes and hair soaked with sweat. His smile was the same as his two blue eyes, very bright.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Roger said by returning the balloon, ¡°What¡¯s your name? Is your house in this resident too? My house is there. The woman there sitting on the bench is my nanny.¡± Roger exined by pointing his finger to various points, even without being asked.


    ¡°My name is Poppy Castonia. I just moved into my new house.¡± The girl replied with a shy face.


    ¡°You mean your new house is here?¡± Asked Roger happily. Poppy nodded. ¡°YES!! Then, we can y together every day!¡± he jumped for joy.


    ¡°And you.. What¡¯s your name?¡± Poppy asked in a low voice. Her legs continued to sway to y with the pebbles on the ground as she put her hands behind her back. Her face always wanted to look down. Poppy was a shy girl for sure.


    Roger smiled broadly, ¡°My name is Roger Timothy. My dream is to be a superhero! Hiyaaa!!¡± he reenacted his favourite hero style, made Poppyugh at his funny behaviour.


    Beyond Roger¡¯s expectations, the cute girl named Poppy stretched out her small right hand which was holding the balloon string. He looked at her with a questioning face.


    ¡°You can have the balloon. This is for you..¡± Poppy said with both cheeks blushing.


    Roger smiled even widely before taking the string of the big heart-shaped balloon, ¡°Thank you, Poppy! I¡¯ll take good care of it!¡±


    From that day on, Roger and Poppy always yed together in the park every afternoon. After getting to know Poppy, one yearter, Roger¡¯s grandmother died. It made him very depressed and even more lonely. But, because there was Poppy by his side, Roger¡¯s loneliness could be cured immediately. The two of them became very best friends. Roger often yed to Poppy¡¯s house and vice versa.


    Although they always yed together, Roger and Poppy attend different schools. However, when they were about to enter junior high school, their parents identally sent the two kids to the same school. Then, that¡¯s where it all started..


    During his friendship with Poppy, Roger sometimes felt confused as to why the girl always looked gloomy and quiet. But Roger thought that his best friend just had that kind of personality from her nature. So, it didn¡¯t bother him too much.


    Despite her pretty face, Poppy looked very insecure. She only looked excited when she was practising ballet with her private tutor or when she was ying with Roger. Her beauty was hidden because she always lowered her head and bent her back. The shadow of her hair always covered her sweet face.


    Roger didn¡¯t know that in fact, Poppy had been a bully victim at school since she was very young. Roger only found out about this when they finally went to the same school. Incidentally, the junior high school they entered was quite well known and was still in the same area as ??their respective elementary school. So, not a few students from their old school entered the same junior high school.


    Roger and Poppy were ced in the same ss. Although he had a best friend at his housing estate, Roger also had many friends at school who were always around him. Like the other boys, Roger would sit down and hang out with his fun group. Discussed the topic of boys and yed the boys games.


    But it¡¯s a different story with Poppy. She sat in the very back seat, alone, without a single friend. Even the girls who were her ssmates in elementary school immediately avoided her and scorned her as if Poppy was a very strange girl. Even without Roger¡¯s knowledge, the girl had often bullied her verbally and physically in the female toilet.


    Incidentally, the student seats were arranged directly by the homeroom teacher. At that school, the rules for student seating positions were deliberately made. The students who were calm and could follow the lessons well would be ced in the back seat. While the students who couldn¡¯t stay still and couldn¡¯t follow the lessons would be ced in the front row so that every teacher could supervise them properly.


    Because Poppy was very quiet, obedient, and able to keep up with her lessons, she got a seat in the back. Meanwhile, Roger, who was part of the group of kids who couldn¡¯t stay still, was ced in the front row.


    Seeing Poppy¡¯s very different attitude at school than at home, Roger began to approach her at school. This made him often leave his own group to apany Poppy. In the end, he could conclude with confidence that Poppy had always been ostracized at school.


    ¡°Roger.. Why do you want to be friends with that girl?¡± Asked his male friend named Eric.


    ¡°You mean Poppy?¡± Roger asked confused. Then Eric nodded, ¡°What¡¯s wrong if I befriend her?¡±


    A girl named Addle perched next to Eric, who was her boyfriend, leaned her back forward and began to whisper, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Poppy has been ostracized since elementary school. She was very arrogant because her parents were rich. Back then, her mom used to scold four girls in the ss who identally broke Poppy¡¯s ballet shoes that she had ced on her table. She was so weird. Instead of socializing with the others, she practised that idiot ballet alone at the back of the ss. Because of that, no one wanted to be friends with her. I don¡¯t really know since when, but the kids started bullying her and everything that she did would look wrong in their eyes.¡±


    Eric, who also went to the same school as Poppy, then nodded, ¡°Not only that. Her look is also strange and geeky. Just seeing her makes my eyes hurt. And I think the other boys feel the same way. Whenever we talk to her, she always looks down and her eyes never focus. Her voice is small and stutters like a fool. In essence, Poppy Castonia is a freak girl. Just don¡¯t be friends with her, Roger. I¡¯m suggesting you.¡± The guy exined.


    Hearing the couple¡¯s story made Roger clench his fists. Then, he immediately stood up, ¡°It¡¯s the people like you two who make her look weird.¡± he said before walking away.


    Eric and Addle looked at Roger¡¯s back with a surprised face, ¡°Why did he even me us? What a weirdo..¡± Eric said.


    It wasn¡¯t Poppy¡¯s fault that she was now being ostracized. Roger knew it. Just like his, Poppy¡¯s mother was also a hardworking mother who was busy pursuing her career. Well.. although she wasn¡¯t as bad as Roger¡¯s mother, the time that Poppy¡¯s mother had for her daughter was cut quite much. So, without the woman realising, her daughter was already in big trouble.

 Chapter 73

    73 [Bonus chapter]Roger And Poppy (2)


    When Poppy was in grades one to four of elementary school, her mother¡¯s career was on the rise. Therefore, during those four years, Poppy spent more time with the nanny than her own parents. They even moved to an elite housing estate, which was their current house, because of their mother¡¯s high ie.


    To prevent her daughter from getting bored, or in another sense, as penance for guilt, the mother gave Poppy many private tutors. From there, Poppy finally found her interest in ballet dance. The mother who saw this wanted to support her daughter by enrolling her in various courses, paying very expensive private tutors, and also providing all the luxurious ballet equipment for her daughter.


    But all the fantastic facilities that Poppy received from her mother¡¯s money, did not make her social skills develop well. Due tock of psychological support from both parents and indeed her shy nature made the girl ended up as she was now. Although in the end, the mother had been home quite often when Poppy had entered the fifth grade, but it was toote. Because the girl was already immersed in a problem that she would never tell her parents.


    Roger felt very sorry for Poppy. If only he was mature enough to be more sensitive to Poppy¡¯s strange nature, maybe he could help her mentally byforting her in the first ce. But what could he do? Even then, Roger was just an ordinary little boy who only knew ying around. His sense of empathy was still in the developmental stage.


    Roger¡¯s presence in Poppy¡¯s life became a light that shone amid a dark day. Even what he was doing now, made her smile at school for the first time. Poppy was overjoyed when Roger chose to spend time with her instead of his popr group of friends.


    Even during sports hour where Poppy was usually always alone, there was Roger now who always apanied and became her partner in ying games. Even though, Roger usually would go to y ball with his male friends. But now, he left it all to apany Poppy.


    Silently, Roger thought about how to keep Poppy from being ostracized again. How could Poppy be epted in society and lead a normal life? Because, even though Poppy always smiled when Roger was beside her, he knew he couldn¡¯t always be there for Poppy. Because Roger was only a human. He could be sick, could have an ident, or something else. What Roger wanted was... Poppy could stand on her own two feet and see Poppy smile for many reasons, not just for him only.


    Roger opened the inte. Found out the reasons of how does a girl have many friends. The first thing that came up was the personality and the second was the looks.


    Yes, people tend to be more attracted to an attractive person. That was human nature.


    .....


    ¡°For point one, it might take a long time to make it happen. Then, I¡¯ll help Poppy with point number two.¡± Roger thought.


    After that, Roger shared his idea with Poppy. He said he would help Poppy to get along with the other kids. He would free her from the shackles of the status of a loser who was always ostracized. At first, Poppy was afraid and unsure. But Roger desperately persuaded her until she finally agreed.


    With that, Roger started to help Poppy to change her appearance, which people said was unattractive, although, for Roger, all this time Poppy looked beautiful in his eyes. Never once did Roger think Poppy¡¯s appearance was odd. He always liked the girl just the way she was.


    Since Roger was a boy, he was confused about how to dress Poppy right. But he got the idea to buy lots of teen girl fashion magazines and searched things on the inte too. He also apanied Poppy and her mother to the mall to shop for clothes.


    Poppy¡¯s mother was amazed at Roger¡¯s persistence in persuading her daughter. During this time, the mother realized that it seemed that Poppy didn¡¯t really like fashion. The girl kept wearing the t-shirts with boring colours and baggy jeans. Even though her mother tried to dress Poppy, she always refused because she was too shy to dress up. She was afraid that she would be mocked by her ssmates if she wore shy clothes.


    Roger never expected that it turned out that Poppy was very gorgeous when she dressed in a girly style. Her long ck hair which she always tied up carelessly was now loosened down and curled at the ends. She started wearing skirts, skinny jeans, and dresses with brighter colours. Her glowing fairy skin, clear eyes, and naturally red lips were now finally visible when her hair was cut in a trending style.


    Poppy moved shyly in front of a mirror. Roger stared at the reflection of the two of them in it with a warm smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, Poppy!¡± He admired.


    Poppy turned to him with flushed cheeks, ¡°Th.. thank you.¡±


    Roger stroked Poppy¡¯s head affectionately, ¡°From now on, you have to be confident, Poppy. You have to remember, no matter what happens, I will always be by your side. I will take care of you.¡±


    Roger¡¯s words made Poppy¡¯s eyes sparkle. She nodded with a warm smile.


    ***


    The two kids looked bored in a cafe that sold very tasty waffles. The waffle with ice cream topping on it, they set as their favourite waffle since the first time they visited the mall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a Photo box!¡± said Roger suddenly, ¡°Your mother is still at the salon, right?¡±


    Poppy nced at her watch then nodded, ¡°There¡¯s still an hour to go.¡±


    They entered into a Photobox which was in an arcade entertainment arena that was still on the same floor. Roger pulled Poppy¡¯s arm into the small box room covered by a curtain printed with many pictures.


    Roger swiped his card into the machine and the Photobox machine started running.


    ¡°Get ready..¡± Roger said stylishly. He nced at Poppy who just stood stiffly beside him, ¡°You have to make a pose, Poppy. Today is the first day you change your look. We have to immortalize it.¡±


    ¡°O.. okay ..¡± Poppy replied and made an awkward pose. She¡¯s not used to taking pictures because she felt bad at it.


    They took a lot of photos, from when Poppy used to be stiff until she finally looked rxed to express herself. Of course, she was carried away by the positive aura of the guy beside her.


    ¡°This is thest shot, right?¡± Poppy asked by looking at the screen attached to the Photobox machine.


    Roger nced at Poppy. Then, before thest shot was taken, he quickly put his arm around Poppy¡¯s shoulders and pulled her close to him. He also leaned his cheek on the girl¡¯s head which was only as short as his shoulder and smiled broadly.


    ¡°Hahahahahaa.. Look at your face!¡± Rogerughed when all the photos result were out of the machine.


    Poppy pouted seeing her face in thest photo which looked like a fool in shock. She immediately pped Roger¡¯s arm, ¡°Why are you suddenly hugging me? Look, my face is so ugly.¡± she scolded.


    ¡°No.. It¡¯s beautiful..¡± Roger teased. Then, he immediately grabbed thest photo and quickly put it in the pocket, ¡°I keep this photo!¡± heughed with joy before running away.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Poppy eximed. Then, she chuckled in annoyance as she looked back at the photos in her hands. She smiled, ¡°Roger..¡±


    ***


    The appearance of Poppy with a new style made all the kids bbergasted. They were not expecting that the girl turned out to be very beautiful and cute when wearing stylish clothes. It looked like Poppy had also changed her bag and shoes. Her long, flowing hair was pinned with a headband to reveal the shape of her sweet little face.


    ¡°Crazy! Is that really Poppy Castonia?!¡± Eric muttered, instantly making her girlfriend look up with a furrowed brow, displeased.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with her? She¡¯s just changing the hairstyle. What¡¯s so exciting about it?¡± Addle asked by folding her arms in front of her chest.


    All this time, it was Addle and her five girl friends who had always secretly bullied Poppy. Now, that Poppy had started to get the boys¡¯ attention, they became jealous. Due to this fact, it turned out that Poppy was the most beautiful girl in the ss. Moreover, because Roger was always beside Poppy, they couldn¡¯t bother her anymore.


    Roger sighed with satisfaction seeing the positive response from his ssmates. Now that the path had opened a little, Roger was about tounch the second mission. Although he really wanted to y with the boys in his group, Roger was willing to join the group of girls in his ss. Even though it made his rtionship with his friends of the boys group begin to stretch.


    Once he was able to mingle with the girls, Roger began to invite Poppy inside. He led her to be able to socialize with the others, stood up for her when someone insults her, and helped break the group¡¯s mood that sometimes became awkward because of Poppy¡¯s presence. Until finally, Poppy began to get used to talking with the other friends. Over time, Poppy¡¯s social skills and self-confidence grew rapidly.


    When Roger felt that he could let Poppy go a little, he returned to his own group. However, his friends became a bit ufortable with Roger who suddenly approached them again.


    In the minds of the middle schoolers, that boy was only looking for attention from the girls. And in their hearts, they were also jealous that Roger was so close to Poppy who was now the prettiest girl in the ss. Especially Eric, who had a secret crush on Poppy. It was him who provoked the boys in the group to stay away from Roger.


    As time goes by, Poppy had more and more friends. Her personality was also slowly changing. From a quiet and always gloomy figure, now she became talk active and always smiled. All the kids were also increasingly aware that Poppy actually had a good nature and was easy to make friends with.


    But not everyone was happy with the change. Addle and her friends were secretly envious of Poppy, who was growing in poprity and being loved by the boys. Whereas before, Addle was the prettiest girl and even held the status as the belle of the ss. But now, her position had been shifted by Poppy, who had even got the attention from the other sses¡¯ boys. What made Addle hurt more was even Eric, her own boyfriend, also went after Poppy.

 Chapter 74

    74 Roger And Poppy (3)


    Out of jealousy, Addle nned to frame Poppy. When the school hour was over, she and her group hid in the school backyard until the school was almost empty. Sure enough, when they returned to the ss, the room was empty and dark. Even in the school corridor, there was no one to be seen.


    Then, they went inside and scribbled on Eric¡¯s desk with mocking and insults. They didn¡¯t forget to draw the dirty pictures on it with a big marker. After the action, they put the marker under Poppy¡¯s desk drawer.


    The next day, the ss was in an uproar because Eric went into a rage after finding his desk had been scribbled on.


    ¡°Who did it?!¡± Growled Eric who was the leader of the ss. Everyone was silent because they did not know who did it.


    Poppy and Roger arrived at the ss with confused faces because of themotion Eric was making. As usual, Roger and Poppy very oftene to school and go home together because their house was in the same housing estate.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± Roger asked the friend sitting next to his desk.


    ¡°Someone scribbled on Eric¡¯s desk. But the culprit won¡¯t admit it.¡± He answered in a whisper.


    ¡°Calm down, Eric. We¡¯ll find out who did it,¡± Said Addle by trying to calm her boyfriend. ¡°Whoever did this, must be a weirdo! I don¡¯t know what the purpose was.. but, they certainly want to make a fuss with you,¡± she continued with a face full of prejudice.


    Poppy sat in her chair and took off her backpack with her eyes still fixed on themotion at the front-row table with a puzzled look on her face. Slowly, the other students began to arrive, until the ss was getting crowded. Just like the others, Edna had just arrived too. She was the girl sitting in front of Poppy, and was Addle¡¯s best friend.


    .....


    Edna stepped into her chair and smiled at Poppy, ¡°Good morning,¡± she greeted politely as usual. Yes, Addle and her group also started being nice to Poppy after she became popr.


    ¡°Good morning too, Edna.¡± Poppy said kindly.


    Edna sat in her chair and pretended to be looking for something in her backpack. Then, she took out a notebook, but it fell to the floor. Edna briefly nced at Poppy¡¯s desk before she descended to the floor to pick up the book. Then, when she was about to stand up..


    BUGH!!


    ¡°O!¡± Edna screamed while holding her shoulder, ¡°Ouch.. I¡¯m sorry Poppy. I wrong moved my leg.¡± she exined, still holding Poppy¡¯s table which was halfway fall due to being pushed by her body.


    Poppy smiled with both hands also holding her desk, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Edna. Luckily, it falls this way, so, I still could hold it up.¡±


    Edna¡¯s loud scream had caught the attention of all the ss members who were gathered in front. Several boys rushed to Poppy¡¯s desk to take advantage of the situation and pretended to help her, ¡°Poppy.. are you okay?¡±


    Poppy shook her head with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. The desk isn¡¯t heavy, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s been a lot ofmotion this morning,¡± Roger chuckles. Of course, he was the first to arrive beside Poppy. The boy helped lift her fallen desk.


    ¡°Thanks, guys. I¡¯m really all right,¡± Poppy said with a gentle smile, made Edna secretly look at her in disgust for always giving the boys a cheap smile.


    ¡°Wow.. You have a green marker that big? It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it.. I often look for markers like that, but it¡¯s really hard to find.¡± Edna said by pointing at Poppy¡¯sp.


    Everyone stared at the long object that Edna meant. At first, they did not notice anything strange. But slowly, they began to frown.


    Poppy took the big marker from above herp with a confused face, ¡°It¡¯s not mine,¡±


    ¡°Not yours? But it¡¯s in yourp.¡± Answered one of the girls standing beside her.


    Addle came to the back row before ncing at Edna for a moment with a meaningful stare, ¡°What¡¯s going on, guys?¡±, But then, she acted surprised to see the marker Poppy was holding and roughly grabbed it, ¡°This is yours?¡± she asked usingly.


    Poppy shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know why that thing could suddenly be in myp. Looks like it fell from my desk drawer.¡± she thought.


    Addle didn¡¯t answer. She just turned around and walked over to Eric¡¯s table. Then, she opened the marker cover and scribbled a line on the surface of the table. The result was, the line that she made looked exactly the same as the other scribbles.


    Eric looked at it with an angry face. He looked at Addle who was looking at him meaningfully, then turned to the back table, where Poppy was sitting. Then with rough steps, he approached Poppy who immediately gave a scared face.


    ¡°Did you do it?!¡± asked the guy fiercely.


    Poppy shook her head hastily and exined, somewhat stuttering, that she didn¡¯t recognize the marker. She kept denying that she was the one scribbling on Eric¡¯s desk.


    ¡°To be honest, I actually feel that Poppy is annoyed with you, Eric. You always approach her aggressively. If I were Poppy, I would probably be annoyed too. So.. if Poppy takes her frustrations out on your desk, I think it¡¯s only natural.¡± Said Edna suddenly.


    Eric immediately turned to the bespectacled girl with rekindled anger, ¡°What did you say?! How dare you say that?!¡±


    The other boys and as well Addle immediately restrained Eric¡¯s body.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Edna?! I didn¡¯t know you could be that annoying?!¡± Addle scolded her.


    ¡°Addle it wasn¡¯t me...¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to defend Poppy. I, who had been sitting in front of Poppy all this time, felt sorry for her who was always bothered by Eric. I also realized that Poppy actually felt ufortable and was already done with it. Maybe, Poppy didn¡¯t dare to express it directly. Because of that! As a friend, I want to help her to speak up.¡± Edna exined by cutting off Poppy¡¯s words.


    ¡°But I really wasn¡¯t the one...¡±


    ¡°Never mind, Poppy. You don¡¯t have to deny it anymore. OK! I¡¯m trying to understand that somehow you¡¯re annoyed by Eric, even though I¡¯m sure he never really intended to get close to you because he already has me as his girlfriend.¡± Addle cut Poppy¡¯s words. Then, she put an annoyed expression on her face and continued, ¡°But, you don¡¯t have to speak it in such a crazy way! You really insulted Eric. Your writing is also very hurtful. Don¡¯t you have a heart? Don¡¯t you have any sense? It seems that you¡¯re still as weird as ever. I thought you¡¯d changed?!¡±


    Roger looked at the whole ssmate who seemed to be intrigued by Addle¡¯s words. They started whispering to each other by looking usingly at Poppy. Poppy looked like she was about to cry and her head lowered again. Her hands were clenched into fists in herps and her body was shaking.


    ¡°I did it.¡± Said Roger suddenly. Then, all the kids turned to look at him.


    Addle and Edna looked at each other in surprise. Didn¡¯t expect Roger to suddenly admit to being the culprit.


    ¡°W.. what are you saying, Roger? Why would you even do that?¡± Addle asked with an awkward face, frightened that her n would fail.


    Roger paused with a deep breath. He gulped hard before speaking again, ¡°I¡¯m annoyed with Eric because he influenced the other guys to stay away from me.¡± Roger looked at Eric with an using face, ¡°I know you¡¯ve been badmouthing me to all the guys behind my back all this time. You know what? That kind of act is the work of a loser. Therefore, I repay you in almost the same way!¡±


    ¡°Then, why is the marker on Poppy?¡± Asked one of the boys, ¡°Or.. don¡¯t say you¡¯re the one...¡± he pointed at Roger with disbelief.


    Roger clenched his jaw and nodded, ¡°I hid the marker in Poppy¡¯s desk drawer. I thought, since you all liked her, you¡¯d forgive her if you found out. But it turns out... you guys are that evil.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re evil? You¡¯re the evil one, you idiot!¡± One of the guys growled.


    Poppy looked at Roger with wide eyes in disbelief, while Roger did not dare to look back at Poppy at all. He just put on an annoying look, as if he was proud of what he had done.


    ¡°You dare call me a loser?! You are a real loser here!¡± Suddenly, a fist flew to Roger¡¯s cheek. A punch from Eric made his blue-eyed old friend fall to the side and crash into the chair.


    Roger sat up as holding his aching cheek. He looked at all his friends who surrounded him with a disgusted look. In all his life, Roger had never seen such a look from anyone else.


    ***


    Several days had passed since the incident. Now, all the students in the ss ostracized Roger. But for Poppy, she was still surrounded by friends who had apologized to her because they had used her at that time. But Roger didn¡¯t mind. The important thing was that Poppy was no longer trapped in the shackles that ensnared her before.


    Now, Poppy could smile. Even though it wasn¡¯t Roger anymore who made that smile.


    ¡°Bye Poppy!¡±


    Poppy waved her friends back with a big smile. Then, she stepped back out of the school quiet gate.


    ¡°Poppy,¡±


    The girl turned to the familiar voice calling her. Her face instantly turned stiff, ¡°Ro.. roger..¡±


    The guy looked around to make sure no one was watching them. He walked over to Poppy who was standing stiffly. Then, he handed her a shiny pink box with a sky blue ribbon, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for didn¡¯te to your birthday party yesterday.¡± he said.


    Poppy looked at the gift with a surprised face, then looked up at Roger who was still giving her a faint smile. In that smile.. implied sadness.

 Chapter 75

    75 Roger And Poppy (4)


    ¡°Hey.. Just quickly take it. Since you were little, you have always been so excited when I gave you a present, right? Even if I gave you a stone, you¡¯ll stillugh.¡± Roger said by handing the box without fading his smile.


    Poppy epted the box hesitantly. Then, she looked at Roger who looked like was about to leave, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it was you. You didn¡¯t do it, did you? I know you very well, Roger.¡± Her voice trembled.


    Roger chuckled then looked deeply into Poppy¡¯s eyes, ¡°Even though I¡¯m a bit crazy, I wouldn¡¯t do something stupid like that. What¡¯s more.. how could I do something that would hurt you?¡± he answered. Then, Roger¡¯s smile faded as his voice lowered, ¡°Sorry to hurt you, Poppy. I don¡¯t know how to exin it better to you.¡±


    Poppy shook her head quickly. Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks, ¡°Why did you do that, Roger? Now, you¡¯re being ostracized because of me.¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t do it, then your life would return to how it used to be. In fact, it would be even worse. We don¡¯t know who is the real culprit. Even if we know who the culprit was, we still don¡¯t have the evidence to prove it. It¡¯s better to let things as they are for now. ¡± Said Roger. Then, he smiled sadly as he raised his hand to caress the smooth cheek of Poppy who lowered her face as she continued to cry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to repay your kindness, Roger. I¡¯m really sorry for making you ostracized. I¡¯m just.. I-I¡¯m too cowardly. How can I fix all of this?¡± Poppy cried that made her shoulders shake.


    Roger shook his head, ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong, Poppy. Everything is going right. My main goal is to get you out of those shackles of istion and get to see you mingling andughing with the others. The most rewarding thing for me is to see youugh freely.¡±


    ¡°But, what about you, Roger?¡± Poppy raised her face.


    Roger gently wiped Poppy¡¯s tears. He smiled broadly that showing his teeth. A smile as bright as the blue sky, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s only a few years. I can get through it. Those kids aren¡¯t everything to me. You know what? I have something more precious than them.¡±


    .....


    Poppy looked at Roger with pursed lips. Roger¡¯s words made her chest ache. The look in Roger¡¯s eyes somehow scared Poppy. Because in those words and those eyes was a hope that was expected from her. Yes, Poppy was afraid of not being able to give Roger what he deserved after everything he had given her.


    The days passed. Poppy confessed to all her friends that she had forgiven Roger for his acts. That meant Poppy didn¡¯t have to stay away from Roger again. Yet somehow, things didn¡¯t change at all. Even though Poppy was able to be friends with Roger again, the friends who now surrounded her did not let that happen.


    Roger was the ostracized kid in the ss. Even the news of what Roger had done to Poppy and Eric had spread throughout the ss to the entire school building. Now, all the students looked at Roger with disdain. Hating him for something he never actually did.


    Even though he was sure he would be fine, Roger didn¡¯t think that all the stares, scorn, and ostracisation slowly affected his mental state. Although he tried to cover it up with a smile in front of Poppy, somehow since when, Roger had lost his smile when he was behind the scenes. Roger felt like he was wearing a mask right now. Feeling something he knew was called loneliness.


    Roger often saw Poppy walking down the corridor with the other friendsughing. The girl¡¯s smile was truly beautiful. Although he was happy to see Poppy¡¯s smile that continued to bloom, Roger had to ept the fact that they had drifted apart. From a short talk, then just a greeting, then just a smile, and now, just a nce. That¡¯s how far Roger and Poppy¡¯s interactions were now.


    Perhaps it was a risk that Roger had to take when deciding to free Poppy from her chains. Now, the girl was free to be friends with anyone. Roger was no longer the only thing that could put augh on that sweet face. It¡¯s also impossible for Poppy to have to stick with Roger, who was being ostracized by the whole school¡¯s students. In the end, she had to socialize with the others, right?


    Although now she was the favourite student at school, Poppy had not lost haters. Addle still hated her deep inside. Especially since Eric broke their rtionship just to get closer to Poppy even more. It made Addle very hurt. Her hatred for Poppy grew bigger until it closed her humanity.


    Finally, Addle nned something very evil for Poppy. When the school hour was over, she found out that Poppy had a little business in the teacher¡¯s room that rted to her stupid ballet course ss schedule. Then, she waited on one of the school¡¯s balconies, which were decorated with flower pots on its every top railing wall.


    ¡°Poppy..¡± Roger emerged from behind the corridor pir.


    Poppy who was walking alone there about to go home, immediately jumped in surprise when she heard the voice calling her. She then looked around to make sure that nobody saw the two of them. Somehow, in her subconscious, she felt that she had to do that.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Poppy answered awkwardly.


    Roger smiled gently then walked over to her, ¡°How was your ballet course? We haven¡¯t yed togethertely. So, I was a little worried about you.¡± He scratched the back of his head ufortably.


    ¡°O.. oh.. Everything is going well,¡± She answered slowly.


    ¡°That¡¯s good then,¡± Roger replied with a smallugh. Then, awkwardness took over the brief conversation. They both just kept silent. ¡°How ab..¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± Poppy cut him off.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Roger looked questioningly with an awkward face.


    Poppy turned her face to the side as she continued to speak, ¡°Was you.. maybe.. expecting something from me?¡±


    ¡°Huh? W-what do you mean?¡± Roger asked confused.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s made me walk this far. I¡¯ve been able to get along with others again. I¡¯m no longer an outcast. It¡¯s all thanks to you, Roger. But, I was thinking.. Is it possible that you actually expected something from me in return?¡±


    Roger shook his head quickly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, Poppy. I don¡¯t expect anything from you. You remember, don¡¯t you? I said I just wanted you to be happy,¡±


    ¡°Then, Thank you!¡± Poppy cut off before the guy could speak more words, ¡°If that¡¯s the case.. that¡¯s all I can give you, Roger. I can only thank you.¡±


    Roger looked at Poppy with furrowed brows and a very confused face. Didn¡¯t understand what she meant.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Roger. I can¡¯t give you more than that. So, please don¡¯t expect anything further from me.¡± Poppy continued with teary eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead. Please be careful on your way home.¡± She rushed left, exit the corridor to cross the field to the front gate.


    Roger immediately moved his feet to chase Poppy. He still didn¡¯t understand what she meant. He thought that maybe Poppy had misunderstood that he wanted her to repay him. It could be that Poppy finally realized that he had feelings for her and thought Roger was demanding a return.


    ¡°Poppy! Wait!¡± Roger tried to stop her.


    Poppy slowed down and was about to turn back.


    SRUGH!!


    Roger looked up when he heard the noise from up there. His eyes immediately widened when he saw a nt pot already in the air, with full speed darting downwards.


    CRASH!!


    Poppy bowed down with her hands reflexively covering her ears. Darkness enveloped her. She looked down, where the shadow of her body became visiblyrge. Then, beside the shadow, a thick red liquid dripped.


    Poppy turned her head to someone who hugged her from behind. It was a guy who was much taller than her. The guy still managed to carve a smile that was as bright as the blue sky that was the same colour as his eyes. However, that was thest smile etched on that face.


    ¡°ROGER!!¡± Poppy shouted as the guy fell to the side.


    Roger was lying on the field. Fresh blood flowed out profusely from the back of his head.


    ***


    A monthter..


    Roger woke up with a blurry vision. The light that entered the room was very dazzling. His ears faintly heard the voices of people talking.


    ¡°Roger! Roger! Are you awake?!¡± A woman¡¯s voice finally sounded quite clear to the guy¡¯s ears. Yes, it was his mother¡¯s voice, which even he forgot when thest time he heard it.


    Roger found himself surrounded by many nurses and doctors. He didn¡¯t know what really happened. But, both his legs could not be moved at all and felt numb. He felt his lower body paralyzed.


    Thest thing Roger remembered was Poppy¡¯s jet-ck irises so close to his blue eyes. It turned out, those two eyes were indeed as clear as the ones he had been staring at from afar.


    ***


    Roger¡¯s mother sat elegantly in the chair facing the neurologist¡¯s desk. Behind the old male doctor, many screens were showing the X-rays results of the brain, skull, and spine of someone.


    ¡°From the results of the therapy, it shows extraordinary progress. I could say, this is a miracle in the medical world. Usually, a hard hit to the back of the head will result in paralysis, severe brain disability, or even death. Luckily, the impact is only slightly closer to the Spinal Cord. But somehow, he survived. All parts of his body can still function properly. However, he still needs a lot of therapy. And maybe, need to use a wheelchair and walking stick for an undetermined time.¡± The doctor exined.


    Roger¡¯s mother frowned, ¡°Is this the best doctor and hospital in the country can do? We flew all the way here because the news says this is the best hospital in the world. How much do you need? I¡¯ll pay more if it¡¯s necessary.¡±

 Chapter 76

    76 The Blue Sky


    The doctor shook his head, ¡°Sorry, Ma¡¯am. But this is the most we can do. Actually, Roger¡¯s case is the first we have ever found in medical history. This is a miracle, Ma¡¯am. No one has been as lucky as your son so far.¡±


    The woman snorted in annoyance, then looked at the old man in front of her with disapproval, ¡°But he won¡¯t be a bother, will he? I mean, we don¡¯t have to totally take care of him like a baby, right?¡±


    The doctor sighed wearily before nodding, ¡°Looking at his progress, your son will be able to carry on with his normal activities. However, the bad news is he will most likely experience a halt in body growth. Roger will have his current body size until his adulthood. He won¡¯t be able to grow taller or bigger. Possibly, will have a slight shrinkage in his legs and some muscles. And, he will also be weaker than the other normal people around his age. Both in strength, immunity, and health. Sorry, but we can only help Roger to get in this state. It¡¯s the furthest we can go for him.¡±


    After months of Roger doing therapy and treatment abroad, he was finally able to return to school. He used crutches to help him walk.


    Upon entering the ssroom, all eyes were on Roger. No one approached him. They only gave looks of pity, mocking, and surprise. Yes, all that made Roger ufortable.


    Roger didn¡¯t know what had happened while he was gone. But in the end, he heard all the students say that that time, he almost endangered Poppy¡¯s life. Somehow, the real event that happened was told and spread with a different story.


    They said that Roger stopped Poppy for confessing his feelings when she was about to go home. And while he was talking, suddenly, a pot from upstairs fell because of the strong wind.


    ¡°Luckily, it was Roger who was hit by the pot. If Poppy had been standing there, then it might have been her. He indeed deserved it.¡± That¡¯s a phrase Roger often heard. Even though he had been injured, no one knew the truth. Roger no longer had the power to exin because no one else would listen to him. And.. should he start thinking, who was twisting the story?


    After several months, Roger was finally able to walk normally without the help of the crutches. But, he somehow felt that his body became very weak. He could no longer be active in sports, got tired easily, and had no strength. When his friends grew taller and bigger, his body was shortened a bit and lost weight instead.


    .....


    Roger, who had been ostracized from the start and now had a very weak physique, began to make him the best victim of bullying. At first, it was Eric who started insulting his physique in public. Then, he said that the ident was the karma of the evil-hearted Roger. He was instigating everyone to feel that it was ok to abuse the weak guy. From there, Roger¡¯s real suffering had begun.


    The impact of bullying was very severe on the victim. Roger¡¯s life that changed 180 degrees made his mental shatter into pieces. Plus, he had no support from his parents at all, who always leave him alone. And.. there¡¯s no more Poppy who used to be the joy of his life.


    Because of the repeated blows that Roger received in his life, the guy started to lose his original character. He was so devastated that he turned into an introverted and insecure guy. Because his weak body couldn¡¯t fight those who hit him, made him a coward. His knees trembled in the face of bullies who were much stronger than him. Roger turned into a loser.


    Poppy was scared. Yes, the girl was afraid to be friends with Roger again. She knew Roger was the person who had changed and saved her life. But, she was more afraid if she returned to her old miserable life. It might be even worse.


    Yes, it was Poppy Castonia who made up the story. When she was asked about the ident that happened to Roger, Poppy was very scared. If she said that Roger was hurt by helping her, then, everyone would know that the scrabble on table event at that time, Roger also just made himself as a scapegoat to help Poppy. Because of this fear, Poppy was forced to give false information. She thought Roger could not survive because the blood he shed was so much at that time.


    The feeling of fear and difort that Poppy felt seemed to have taken over her conscience. She was too absorbed in the happy life that she had never felt before, and didn¡¯t want to lose it all again. The current Roger was no longer the Roger that Poppy knew before. The guy had be weak and couldn¡¯t even defend himself. Roger was no longer a strong man who could protect Poppy.


    Because of that, Poppy kept avoiding Roger until they seemed to be strangers who never knew each other. Even Poppy was kept silent when Roger was bullied in front of her eyes. She was forced tough too when everyoneughed at Roger. Even so.. Roger remained silent. He still protected the girl he loved in his own way.


    But at least, Roger still could see Poppy was always smiling. It was all enough for him.


    -shback End-


    BUGH!!


    Roger¡¯s bodyy on the snow with his face facing the sky. The pain was so severe that he could no longer feel his own body. Falling from the sixth floor straight down made all of his bones shatter. Even Roger didn¡¯t want to know anymore how the position of his legs and arms had be.


    The dark sky that began to be greeted by the sun was so beautiful. Made Roger smile. Maybe this time, he wasn¡¯t as lucky as before. Maybe this time, the task really was done.


    As Roger knew.. He was a child that nobody wanted. Yet, heaven still sent him down. Maybe he was actually an angel sent to protect a girl named Poppy Castonia.


    Roger did not regret the decisions he had made, either in the past or in the present. He was very grateful to have met Poppy, the jewel in his life. Because of that girl, he felt that he was important. When the world didn¡¯t seem to need him, Poppy was here to depend on him. Even though Roger felt pain, he could ept it with grace.


    Because, to fight for happiness, there are things that must be sacrificed.


    Roger understood that and chose to sacrifice his life. Because, Poppy¡¯s smile was the source of his happiness.


    A figure with a ck helmet rushed towards Roger. It was Emma Hind who immediately knelt down in panic beside his broken body. The girl opened her helmet ss visor quickly.


    ¡°Roger! Hold on! Please.. Hold on!¡± Emma eximed by holding the guy¡¯s left hand which was covered in blood.


    Roger seemed to be panting as if he was about to say something. Emma immediately put her ear near his mouth.


    ¡°Poc.. ket. Take.. the.. balloon in my.. pocket..¡± He stammered.


    Even though she was confused, Emma immediately reached into all the pockets in Roger¡¯s jacket and pants. Then, she felt a cold, stic object in the pocket of his jacket. She took it out. It was a deted faded-pink balloon. Emma looked directly at Roger questioningly.


    Roger smiled until his bloodied teeth lined up, ¡°T.. that.. That¡¯s.. Poppy. Poppy¡¯s heart.. Give it to.. her.¡±


    ¡°UGH!¡± Roger coughed a lot of blood from his mouth. He was barely breathing.


    Emma moved frantically, her face pale and her eyes quivering. She shook her head quickly, ¡°No Roger! You gave this to Poppy yourself. Look, I¡¯ve called an ambnce. They¡¯ll be here in a few minutes. You have to hold on! I beg you! You can do it, Roger! We¡¯ve made it!¡± Emma said with tears in her eyes.


    But not only Roger, but Emma actually also knew that the poor guy couldn¡¯t possibly survive with such severe injuries.


    Roger smiled again with a face full of blood sttered from his vomit. He looked at Emma with all of his heart and full of gratitude.


    ¡°My.. best friend..¡±


    Emma raised her face to look at Roger again while sobbing when she heard him saying words again. Emma tightened her grip on Roger¡¯s hand which had be freezing cold.


    ¡°You.. are.. my first.. best.. friend.. Em..ma.. T-thank.. you..¡±


    Then, Roger¡¯s eyes stopped moving, staring up at the sky with his mouth slightly open.


    ¡°No!.. No.. Roger.. No..!¡± Emma cried,ying her head on the guy¡¯s lifeless body.


    ¡°Rogerrr!! No!!¡± The faint sound of a girl¡¯s shrill scream was getting closer and closer.


    Emma hurriedly closed her helmet visor, removed Roger¡¯s hand and straightened herself. She desperately suppressed the tremors in her body from the deep sadness.


    Poppy burst into Roger¡¯s empty shell. There was no need to check again to know that the guy was gone. Poppy burst into tears, regretting all her evil deeds. Lamenting the fate of her love that came toote.


    ¡°No!! Roger!! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! Roger!! Please! Wake up!¡± She screamed as she hugged this empty body.


    Behind her, Emma just stood with tears streaming down her face from behind her ck helmet. Then, she stepped next to Poppy and knelt beside the girl. Then, Emma handed her the thing she had taken from Roger¡¯s jacket pocket.


    ¡°Roger said this is your heart. He asked me to give it back to you.¡±


    Poppy stared nkly at the deted balloon, then took it from the helmeted man¡¯s hand. She cried again as she held the balloon over her chest.


    Sometimes, we only realize how valuable someone was in our life after losing that person. Like the regret that always came toote.


    The faint sound of a siren was getting closer and closer. Emma hastily stood up and grabbed the shoulder of Poppy who was still kneeling beside Roger¡¯s body.


    ¡°We have to go now. Things will get worse if the authorities find us here.¡± Emma said.


    Poppy was silent, still staring at Roger who looked like he was looking at the sky with his bright blue eyes. Then, she raised her hand, and with her fingers, closed his eyelids, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I realized it toote. I¡¯m sorry I waste in admitting that I love you.¡± Poppy whispered before kissing Roger¡¯s frozen lips.

 Chapter 77

    77 Grudge


    With time running out, Poppy and Emma immediately ran and hid in the warehouse area which was quite far from the Hell Gate headquarters building. Not long after that, an ambnce arrived at the scene where Roger fell.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my bike. Please wait here.¡± Emma said to Poppy. The girl nodded.


    Emma walked quickly to the location where she parked her motorbike. But on her way, she saw three shiny ck sedans lined up on a deserted street behind the warehouse.


    ¡°Kei?¡± She muttered.


    The man with sses noticed the presence of a man in a ck helmet, standing still a few meters from the car he was about to get in. So, Kei was actually just pretending to be unconscious before. When no one was looking, he immediately ran away when the men from the branch headquarters hade to pick him up.


    Kei gave Emma a mocking smile while cing his index and middle fingers beside his forehead and moving them outwards as a symbol of goodbye. Then casually, got into the car which then sped away as the mysterious man in the ck helmet chased him like crazy.


    ¡°FUCK!!!¡± Emma shouted as she continued to run through the thick snow, chasing the car full of criminals. Chasing a man who had brutally murdered her best friend.


    After running a few meters, Emma couldn¡¯t help to slow down her pace, until she finally came to aplete stop, gasping for air to breathe. Of course, she couldn¡¯t keep up with the wheels of the car with her two feet. She just felt very angry and wanted to kill the man who had taken the life of her first friend.


    Emma¡¯s tears fell again as her hands rested on her shaking knees. She felt like she was standing in the air. She could not feel the asphalt she was stepping on. Her body felt to be floating.


    .....


    ¡°I.. will destroy you.. and the people like you. I will destroy the rogue gangsters and cowards who litter this city!¡±


    Emma returned to Poppy on her ck sports bike. She rode Poppy back to her house. On the way, the two of them did not speak to each other. It was only Poppy who sometimes pointed the way to her house to Emma. Each was lost in their own thoughts with raging feelings.


    Leaving the body of your best friend alone after seeing him die in front of your eyes was not an easy thing. Even though you knew an ambnce woulde, as a friend, at least you want to apany him to his final rest.


    Without realizing it, Emma had arrived in front of arge and luxurious house in an elite residential area. Poppy got off the motorbike. Emma saw that the girl¡¯s face was already very puffy and her eyes were red.


    ¡°Th.. thanks.¡± Poppy said. Emma nodded.


    Before Emma was about to leave, Poppy grabbed her arm.


    ¡°W-wait. What¡¯s your name? Are you Roger¡¯s friend?¡± Poppy asked curiously. As far as she knew, Roger never had any friends. And, this person who never showed his face had a very strange robot-like voice. Then, what¡¯s even weirder... he was willing to fight with dozens of men just to help the two of them.


    Emma was silent for a moment with her head lowered, then followed by a nod, ¡°I¡¯m Roger¡¯s secret friend. My name is... ck.¡±


    Poppy took off her hand from the arm of the mysterious man named ck. Then, the man nodded again once before hopping on his motorbike and speeding away.


    ***


    Calvin and Troy looked at each other with serious faces. Around them, the Jita Kyoei members seemed to be deep in thought, making the atmosphere in the room quiet.


    Overnight, the news of the Hell Gate¡¯s main headquarters being ransacked had spread all over the gangster groups. Not only that. The news even got into local television news.


    The news of the murder case of a university student being thrown from the sixth floor by a big man named Addo Windsor.


    But either because of cooperation or indeed Hell Gate was so great at hiding all the evidence, surprisingly, the local news and the authorities did not find any traces of the gangster¡¯s headquarters in the building where the incident urred.


    What was reported on the television was that there was a fight between two groups of thugs who broke into the frozen seafoodpany office building which was closed on holidays. They said the man named Addo, who was the perpetrator of the murder, was one of the employees who worked at thepany as security. A riot caused by a personal grudge then turned into a big problem.


    All traces of Hell Gate and the production house of the website canguangedictionary were disappeared along with the figure of Kei Matsumoto.


    But out of it all, the thing that surprised Calvin and all Jita Kyoei members the most was..


    ¡°The death victim was Roger Timothy,¡± Calvin said as he rubbed his frustrated face. He couldn¡¯t understand it. How could a Roger Timothy, who had been bullied, be so desperate to get involved with a group as big as Hell Gate?


    ¡°Gozu seems to have been used as a scapegoat to close this case,¡± said Troy Roner.


    Yes, Gozu had the real name Addo Windsor. And his twin who was often called Mezu, had the real name Andrea Windsor.


    ¡°I received information that a mysterious man in a ck helmet attacked them. Strangely, it was the mysterious man who seemed to be helping Roger Timothy to infiltrate Hell Gate¡¯s headquarters.¡± Ian said.


    Calvin exhaled in annoyance, ¡°Why did all this escape my attention? I didn¡¯t think that all this time they had been working on a porn site production house and exploiting many women. It turns out that their illegal boat engine transaction business is just for distraction.¡±


    So far, as Calvin knew, the Hell Gate group got their ie from the rental and illegal boat engine transactions business. They run away from taxes and were seen doing small-scale boat engine production themselves. They made fake boat engines at a low cost, but deceived buyers and sold them at high prices. They made fake products from well-known ship engine brands. They were also madly expanding their selling area.


    For Calvin, the crimesmitted by Hell Gate were still tolerable, rather than extortion and violence asmitted by the other gangsters. Because of this, Hell Gate was one of the groups at the bottom of the list for Calvin to exterminate. But apparently, he had been deceived by the group as well.


    ¡°Now, the canguangedictionary site can¡¯t be opened. It says that the server is down.¡± Martin said while looking at his cellphone screen.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t because of the Poppy Castonia video that went viral, we wouldn¡¯t have known that the website actually belonged to Hell Gate. They really are assholes!¡± Nicko was furious.


    ¡°Donny is still in the hospital. He has a pretty serious head injury. You can kill him when he gets out,¡± Frank replied by patting Nicko¡¯s shoulder. He knew, his best friend was very sensitive to all violence against women. Moreover, in this case, there was not only violence, but sexual harassment, very, and defamation.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s all rted. Poppy is Donny¡¯s girlfriend. But as for Roger.. I still can¡¯t figure it out. Did he do it to get his revenge on Donny for always bullying him or did he and Poppy have a rtionship too, I don¡¯t know which one.¡± Ian added.


    ¡°That¡¯s their personal matter. But I¡¯m sure Kei and Sam will not standstill. They will definitely find the mysterious man and rebuild their business. As we know, they have several branch headquarters.¡± Troy stepped in.


    Calvin nodded affirmatively, ¡°Neither of us knew what the mystery man¡¯s intentions are. We don¡¯t know whether he has good or bad ns and where he came from. I haven¡¯t seen him either.¡±


    ¡°So.. are we going to change targets?¡± Nicko asked by looking at Troy and Calvin, remembering earlier, their target was the RJC group.


    Troy folded his arms across his chest as he leaned back roughly on his seat back, ¡°Hmm.. Come to think of it, Hell Gate must be in a slump right now. Even, I heard that the martial-art studio¡¯s boys they just recruited were also finished off by that mysterious man. Chances are, they¡¯ll have a hard time getting new members for now.¡±


    Calvin turned to Troy with furrowed brows, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying we don¡¯t have to block Hell Gate from rebuilding their damn business? They¡¯re going to put a lot of Handway women in danger!¡±


    Calvin¡¯s anger made the atmosphere tense. He felt annoyed at Troy who kept caring about his Judo thing only. In fact, there were lots of weak young people out there who needed their help. However, it seemed that in this ce, it was only Calvin who had the heart to help the weak.


    ¡°Is the gold medal more important than the women¡¯s future? Don¡¯t you think that you guys are just like the people from the martial-art studios you talked about? For them, money is more important than achievement. And for you, the achievement is more important than humanity. ¡± Calvin continued.


    Troy immediately rose from his chair. Quickly, all of his friends followed, not to attack Calvin, but to restrain Troy who might be offended by Calvin¡¯s words.


    Troy looked at all his friends who surrounded him in frantic faces. He grabbed Martin¡¯s hand that was perched on his shoulder and took it down.


    ¡°Troy..¡±


    ¡°You want to stop me from going to the toilet?¡± Troy cut off Ian¡¯s words.


    ¡°W-what?¡± Ian said with a confused face.


    ¡°I want to pee in the toilet. Can¡¯t I?¡± Troy repeated in an even tone. Then, all his friends immediately dispersed and returned to their respective ces with awkward faces.


    Nicko clutched his chest, ¡°I thought he was angry..¡±


    Martin nodded, ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Calvin. Why are you getting so emotional? You¡¯re just making a fuss.¡± Ian scolded. He didn¡¯t want to imagine if Troy had actually gotten up to hit Calvin. It must be a really troublesome situation.


    ¡°Sorry. I got carried away. I was really desperate because I didn¡¯t realize there was a group that did such a cruel thing. Plus, the number of the victims.. it made me even more disappointed in myself.¡± Calvin answered while massaging the bridge of his own nose.

 Chapter 78

    78 The Old Shackles


    Ian sighed tiredly. He understood how¡¯s Calvin¡¯s feelings, but Troy and Jita Kyoei were his top priority, ¡°I understand, it¡¯s not easy being a hero who¡¯s fighting alone. But I hope you can also respect Troy¡¯s choices. For him, Judo and Jita Kyoei are half of his life. That¡¯s why he can indeed be quite selfish when ites to that.¡±


    Calvin nodded, ¡°Right. I see.¡±


    Calvin just closed his lips, and Troy came with a face that already looked rxed. Then, he sat back on his chair near the television.


    ¡°So.. Do we need to directly attack all of Hell Gate¡¯s bases or what?¡± asked the man while taking the game console that was nearby.


    Everyone there looked at Troy in disbelief.


    ¡°What? You all mind it?¡± Troy asked innocently. Everyone then nodded together.


    ¡°Troy, I actually am sorry if I was too careless. But you don¡¯t have to go along with my wishes if you have other priorities.¡± Said Calvin.


    Hearing Calvin¡¯s statement, Troy immediatelyughed mockingly, ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Why would I follow your wishes? From the start, I wanted to finish off the shitty group that has been harassed so many women.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Ian asked with a deep look at Troy.


    .....


    Troy smiled and patted his best friend¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Have you ever seen me ying with my words?¡±


    He looked at all his friends who shook their heads, answering the question. Then, Troy nodded casually, ¡°Then let¡¯s make a n.¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s a debt that I have to pay.¡¯ He continued in his heart.


    ***


    Emma rose her palm in the air. She was wearing all ck clothes. Even the scarf she was wearing was the same colour.


    For some reason.. at every funeral, the sky was always gloomy and pours drizzle or snow. It was as if it were crying with those who lost their loved ones.


    Emma remembered her mother¡¯s funeral. It was also in the winter and the sky was showering everyone¡¯s head with white petals. Unexpectedly, she had to feel the same experience again.


    ¡°Emma..¡±


    She turned to the light voice that called out to her. She smiled faintly, ¡°Poppy.¡±


    They had just finished attending Roger¡¯s funeral. His mother and father were seen crying there. Maybe, felt sorry for wasting their only son all this time. Reportedly, Roger¡¯s parents took the case to the police. The two who didn¡¯t know anything about Roger¡¯s life only thought of prosecuting the culprit who killed their son. Yes, Gozu finally got into prison for the next few years.


    Emma was very angry. Whereas, in front of her eyes, she witnessed herself that it was Kei Matsumoto who kicked Roger out the window. But, she didn¡¯t have any evidence and she also had to keep herself and Poppy from being caught in the act.


    ¡°How are you?¡± Asked Emma.


    Poppy shrugged her shoulders, ¡°I feel like my life is falling apart.¡± she answered.


    Emma just kept silent. She wanted tofort Poppy, but was afraid she would probably say the wrong thing to her. She herself was holding back tears at the great loss of Roger¡¯s death.


    After a moment of silence, Poppy finally spoke up, ¡°Um.. Emma. At that waffle caf¨¦, you said that I could talk to you when I had a problem, right? Is.. that still apply now?¡± she forced a grin that only made her face look even more pathetic.


    Emma was stunned for a moment to hear Poppy. Then, she immediately nodded and hugged her. Poppy then cried in Emma¡¯s arms.


    The two of them sat on a small hill around the burial field which had been covered in white snow. The snow was still falling, but not as much as before. Emma¡¯s hand was still on Poppy¡¯s shoulder who couldn¡¯t hold back the tears that kept flowing.


    ¡°Emma.. Maybe you¡¯re confused, why am I crying over Roger like this. Just like everyone, you must think we have no rtion, right?¡± Poppy said by looking straight ahead. Emma was silent. Then, Poppy turned to Emma who was sitting next to her.


    ¡°Actually, Roger and I were childhood friends. But.. I did something really bad to him when we were in middle school. Since then, our rtionship ended.¡± she continued.


    ¡°R-really?¡± Emma asked, ying dumb, ¡°If you did have something wrong with him, you don¡¯t have to regret it. Everyone makes mistakes. And I¡¯m sure Roger had forgiven you because he¡¯s a guy with a very big heart.¡±


    Poppy shook her head slowly, ¡°Unfortunately, what I did to him was too evil, Emma. Even I can¡¯t forgive myself. I.. betrayed him and took advantage of his love.¡±


    Emma looked at Poppy questioningly while the girl began to tell her about their very dark past. How a Roger Timothy who was a cheerful child with many friends, changed his life just because of a girl with a devil heart like Poppy Castonia.


    How Poppy always denied her own feelings for Roger because she couldn¡¯t ovee her immense fear. Since childhood, Poppy was a timid and weak girl. And that hadn¡¯t changed until now.


    ¡°Meeting Roger was the best gift in my life. But I destroyed him very cruelly. In fact... his death... I am.. I am the one who caused Roger to die...¡± She cried with shaking shoulders.


    Emma clenched her fists until they were reddish. Her eyes welled up with tears. It¡¯s a very tragic story. What Poppy had done to Roger was so cruel. Even Emma felt that she perhaps would not be able to forgive her if the story that came out of Poppy¡¯s mouth was true. But Emma tried to put herself together. If Roger, who was the victim, could still forgive and still loved Poppy, why would Emma, ??who had only known them for a few months, dare to judge?


    ¡°Poppy.. I don¡¯t know if what I¡¯m saying is true or not. Maybe, I¡¯m a good listener, but I¡¯m not a wise adviser. However, you have to remember one thing. Even until thest second of his life, Roger still loved you very much. Even though your story sounds so cruel, for Roger who lived the life himself, he may had a feeling of satisfaction that others can¡¯t understand. That¡¯s the reason for him to keep strong to protect you. Because of that.. you should respect Roger¡¯s sacrifice by not punishing yourself to the corner.¡± Emma said.


    Poppy stared at Emma for a few seconds before lowering her face with tears dripping on the white snow they were sitting on. She was very sorry. A regret that would haunt her for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Your life.. will be very miserable if you love the wrong person.¡± Poppy said.


    If Roger never met Poppy. If he had never fallen in love with her, he would still be alive now. Live a normal life with lots of friends surrounding him.


    Emma looked straight ahead. On the white burial field covered with snow. There were many things she still didn¡¯t understand in this world. What were care and love? While living in Handway City, Emma¡¯s eyes were started to open to the real world. How colourful and wavy.


    Love was aplicated thing. Something that couldn¡¯t be understood or learned. Something both beautiful and dangerous.


    ¡°Jonas.. What is love?¡± Asked Emma over the phone.


    Jonas chuckled, ¡°You¡¯ve been asking a lot of weird questionstely, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Just answer ording to the movies you¡¯ve watched,¡± Emma said tly. After her conversation with Poppy, her mind felt stuck on the strange thing called love.


    ¡°Hmm.. Do you know one word that that has no exnation?¡± Jonas asked.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Is there?¡±


    Jonas chuckled, ¡°Love is a word that has no exnation.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll return it to you. Exin the meaning of love in theory. Could you?¡±


    Emma was silent for a few seconds before replying, ¡°I.. don¡¯t know how,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve never felt it. Even people who have been in love, often find it difficult to put into words. You have to feel it yourself, Emma. You¡¯ll know when you know.¡± Jonas said ambiguously.


    ***


    At Jardin University, there was a girl who was popr for her friendliness and pretty face with an innocent aura. But it turned out, the girl who was always praised as a sweet innocent girl was not as innocent as she seemed. Just like a gue, the gossip spread very quickly.


    As Poppy had imagined before, there¡¯s no way that nobody on campus was a customer of the canguagedictionary site. Apparently, there was one of the students who had watched the live broadcast that night and recorded it manually with another cell phone. Then very quickly, the hot video was sent from one phone to another. Finally, all the people on campus found out that Poppy Castonia was a porn star who even broadcasted her lewd acts live on the inte.


    Not only that. Finally, the disturbing news reached Poppy¡¯s mother. The middle-aged woman was crying hysterically. Her career as a famous senior presenter immediately ran aground. She felt very disappointed in her daughter, as well as med herself for not properly educating and taking care of her only princes. But with all her might, she tried to be patient and epted it all. She knew Poppy must be very depressed because her disgrace was spread and her childhood friend died tragically. Poppy seemed to have a series of misfortunes.


    Poppy stepped into the campus lobby. She already knew what had happened. Because of that, she was no longer surprised at all the eyes that were staring at her with scorn and mock. Poppy held back her tears from falling. She kept walking with her head down as before, her past. Back to the state she was so afraid of.


    ¡°Wow.. our porn star ising. I wonder how much she got paid for all that moan?¡± Said one of the gossip girls as she passed her. Deliberately speaking loudly to be heard throughout the campus.

 Chapter 79

    79 A Discovery


    ¡°A night with you, how much do I have to pay?¡± asked a man with whistling when Poppy passed him.


    ¡°Wow.. Poppy Castonia! I love your moan! Would you look like that if you did it with me?¡± Eximed one of the guys standing in the middle of his guys¡¯ group. They instantlyughed together as they continued to tease Poppy who could only keep walking without raising her face a bit.


    Poppy suddenly stopped her footsteps because a pair of shiny ck loafers blocked her way.


    ¡®You can deal with it, Poppy. Don¡¯t waste Roger¡¯s sacrifice. You¡¯re not a loser anymore.¡¯ Poppy said in her heart, be prepared to deal with men who were more likely to insult her than people who teased her verbally.


    Slowly, she lifted her face.


    ¡°Ca.. Calvin Lee?¡± Her fearful face turned to surprise.


    Calvin smiled kindly, ¡°Emma and Kathy are waiting for you in the cafeteria.¡± he said with a wink.


    Poppy was stunned before nodding once and following Calvin. As he turned around, Calvin gave a warning look at the group of guys who had been insulting Poppy. They all fell silent with awkward faces.


    ¡°Poppy!¡± Kathy waved her arms wide. Beside her, Emma sat with a warm smile.


    .....


    ¡°Come, sit over here.. Have you had breakfast? The first ss will start in about half an hour now.¡± Emma said.


    Poppy nodded and sat a little awkwardly on the chair Emma offered, ¡°T-thanks,¡±


    ¡°Poppy.. From now on, we will gather together during free hours. What do you think?¡± Kathy asked before devouring herrge hot dog.


    Poppy was stunned and looked straight at Emma. The girl with the two beautiful brown eyes smiled and nodded. Apart from Roger, only Emma knew the story of her past. Poppy¡¯s eyes began to warm. Then, she wiped the corners of her wet eyes before nodding briskly.


    ¡°I will. Of course, I will. Thank you.. girls,¡± She said.


    Calvin, who was still standing beside their table, smiled happily. Everyone already knew about Poppy¡¯s vulgar videos, including him. He was relieved that there were still people like Emma and Kathy who would ept Poppy when everyone was cornering the girl.


    On the other hand, there were several pairs of eyes watching the four people from a distance. They smiled faintly. They were Jita Kyoei members. They didn¡¯t expect such a horrible thing to happen to a girl as innocent as Poppy Castonia. Now, they know why Poppy looked so scared of Donny. And it fueled their intention to destroy the gangsters.


    ***


    The most effective medicine for diverting sadness was to do what you love. For Emma Hind, it was ballet.


    By practising ballet, she could forget her feelings of sadness and anger for a moment. After fighting a few days ago, Emma¡¯s whole body ached from being hit several times. Perhaps, because it had been too long since she had fought, her body had be somewhat spoiled. Luckily, Emma had an efficacious way to speed up the healing of her wounds. That was by soaking in ice water. She got the method when she used to follow her teacher to study agility in the Tibetan mountains.


    Emma stood on one leg that was on tiptoe and rested only on her toes. Her other leg lifted like a crane. She spread her arms that kept moving following the kicks of her foot in the air.


    Why could a ballerina keep spinning on one leg without stopping or lowering the other? That¡¯s because they used the pushing force of one leg to keep the body spinning. To be able to do this, of course, a ballerina must have a good bnce and leg strength. That¡¯s what made Emma admire ballet dance.


    Ballet. Although it performed in gentle moves, it required very strong muscles to be able to do it. It was the power behind the beauty.


    By closing he eyes, Emma was so deep in the basic techniques of the dance. The ballet principles in Emma¡¯s fighting style have one thing inmon. Both utilize gravity and thrust. Emma wanted to deepen her bnce and mastery of every inch of her own body.


    Emma had been spinning like that for so long. Then, she stopped the movement slowly like a snowke falling from the sky. One foot that had been kicking the air finally touched the ssroom¡¯s wooden floor gracefully.


    She opened her eyes and was a little surprised when she saw a girl staring at her intently from the mirror reflection. At first, Emma was almost wondering, but she finally realized that the girl was also surprised by her own behaviour. She seemed to jump a little when she woke up from her stunned.


    Emma smiled and turned her back to face the big tall girl, ¡°Hi..¡± she greeted, trying not to be awkward.


    The girl was Rachel Markway who was famous as a mysterious and scary girl in ballet ss. Emma often noticed that she was always alone without a friend.


    After all the things Emma had seen, heard, and lived through, she no longer dared to judge people so easily. No one was born with a bad personality. Everyone had a past that shaped their character and mindset.


    ¡°You.. Rachel.. Um.. Markway, right?¡± Emma asked by remembering, when the big girl was about to run away.


    Rachel turned to Emma and nodded. Emma smiled kindly and stuck out her hand, ¡°I¡¯m Emma Hind.¡±


    Rachel stared at the soft hand for a moment then shook it awkwardly, ¡°Nice to meet you, Emma.¡±


    ¡°You like to practice until thiste too, didn¡¯t you? When I bumped into you that time, it was already veryte and alone like this.¡± Emma asked, trying to start a conversation.


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of,¡± Rachel said curtly.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Emma nodded. She immediately thought hard about what other questions she should ask to keep the conversation going. But Emma admitted that she was not as good as Kathy in socializing. She still had a lot to learn.


    ¡°The way you trained earlier.. That was really cool.¡± Rachel said suddenly.


    Emma immediately smiled broadly, ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s just spinning. All ballerinas should be able to do it, right?¡±


    ¡°But when you did it, it looked different. Your feet... they were not like ordinary ballet dancers¡¯ feet.¡±


    ¡°W-was that so?¡± Emma answered by rubbing the trunk of her neck while giving an awkwardugh.


    Rachel realized what she just said that seemed to make Emma feel ufortable, ¡°Ouh.. I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m being too presumptuous to you. I¡¯ll just go.¡±


    ¡°W-wait! I don¡¯t mind at all. You don¡¯t need to apologize, Rachel.¡± Emma said ufortably.


    Rachel smiled faintly at her, ¡°Okay then. See youter.¡±


    ¡°See you in the next ss!¡± Emma answered in a slightly raised voice.


    ¡°She¡¯s been the person I¡¯ve had the most trouble to get close with. Rachel is like the female version of Roger. I hope she doesn¡¯t have the same fate.¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s phone rang. It was a short message. She checked it and found the message was from Kathy.


    ¡®Emma. I¡¯ve found information from Donny¡¯s social media ount. He is associated with a group that seems to be called Hell Gate and The North Vikings. I found quite a lot of things. If you have time, you cane to my house any time.¡¯ -Kathy


    Emma locked the phone screen and lowered her hands with a face that seemed to be deep in thought, ¡°The North Vikings? Donny is also rted to the group that arrested and ganged up on Calvin at that time? Who was that bastard anyway?¡± Emma muttered.


    ***


    ¡°I worked for days to dismantle his inte trace history. He has several email addresses. I heard he was hospitalized because of a gang fight huh?¡± Kathy sipped her hot chocte. Her eyes were framed by sses that she only wore when her eyes were too tired to stare at theputer screen.


    Emma who was sitting on the chair next to Kathy nodded once, ¡°He is a very troubled guy. Luckily, Poppy could escape from that person. We have to keep her from getting caught by that bastard.¡±


    Kathy raised an eyebrow, then, returned to herputer after putting the mug back on the table.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Emma. Donny is a very problematic shit. The proof is, he hides all his activities very well. Maybe if it were not me, then no one could find his inte trace.¡± The girl said in an arrogant tone. But Emma didn¡¯t seem bothered at all by the girl¡¯s character.


    ¡°But.. Even so, there¡¯s bad news, Emma. All the clues that I found look like a veryplicated puzzle. But I¡¯m still collecting them anyway. Who knows if you¡¯re curious, right? Even though it seems that Poppy is safe now..¡± She continued.


    Then Kathy took out some paper with all the instructions she had printed out and handed it to Emma, ??¡±Look...¡±


    Emma took at the messy papers and arranged them neatly before checking the contents. Then, Kathy began to exin.


    ¡°Donny, Larry, and Brian aren¡¯t your usual bunch of jerks, Emma. They work for two gangster groups called Hell Gate and The North Vikings. Actually, I don¡¯t really know what kind of group they are. But, this.. on this paper is Donny¡¯s activities a few months ago now. At that time, there was a direct message from one of the men ounts who belonged to the locked club The North Vikings. It said that they were going to take over Jen Marie street. But, it was just one piece of evidence. After that, I couldn¡¯t find out what happened. But not long from that day, Donny seemed to post some photos of him together with the guys from the Hell Gate group. The man looked very proud to be joining the group because he often posted disgusting selfies with them. And what¡¯s even worse.. It turns out that the canguagedictionary, which istely going viral on campus because of Poppy, has been linked with the Hell Gate group! This means, everything is connected, right?¡± Kathy exined at length as she grabbed her own curly hair.

 Chapter 80

    80 Cross Paths


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It seems like they are all rted..¡± Emma nodded. In fact, from all the information that Kathy gave, she already knew half of it.


    ¡®So.. Donny worked with The North Vikings before? And they want to attack Jen Marie street. Could it be that at that time, Donny already knew that a group of gangsters would being when he took us down that street?¡¯ Emma thought to herself. Then, she closed her eyes, trying to remember more clearly what happened at that time. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide.


    That¡¯s right! Emma remembered some of the men who at that time chased her and her friends on Jen Marie street, who turned out to have the same faces as some of the men who were in the port boat warehouse where Calvin was being arrested. Even when on Jen Marie Street, they were seen wearing jackets with the same logo as theirs. But when they caught Calvin, all their jackets were just in ck.


    ¡°So, Donny and his friends are gangsters, huh? I just hate them even more.¡± Kathy muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They are evil brats. I wonder how big the gang of gangsters who employ them?¡± Emma said with full intent to lure Kathy.


    ¡°Shall we find out more? Honestly, I was also quite curious. So, I did some research about that group called Hell Gate because they created such crazy porn websites. Although I hate to say this, but I admit, they¡¯re so cool.¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°Sure. I¡¯m very curious too. We¡¯ll just have to see. There¡¯s no need to do anything to them. After all, it has nothing to do with us, right?¡± she said, chuckling too much.


    ¡°Actually, this Hell Gate group has another business, Emma. They sell boat parts. They even manufacture their own. However, it seems their business is illegal. They are very good at making money, don¡¯t you think? In fact, from what I found, they have stores in various locations to market the parts.¡± Kathy exined by fiddling with herputer for a moment and pointing her finger at the screen, ¡°Look.. This is what I found. They have four shops in several locations. How could be, an illegal business opens its shops on the open streets? But maybe they¡¯re camouging the shops.¡± she continued.


    Emma nodded. She seemed to think with a confused face, pretending as if she just knew it all. But in her heart, Emma was concluding many things. To Emma, ??those shops were definitely not just ordinary shops, but the headquarters of the Hell Gate branch.


    .....


    Emma could remember that morning. Kei was picked up by four cars out of nowhere. Now, she didn¡¯t need to look any further to know that Hell Gate had the branch headquarters.


    ¡°Well.. In this city, there are a lot of things we don¡¯t know. I call it the ¡®Handway Undercover¡¯. But what should I care? I can¡¯t do anything about it either. We¡¯d better mind our own business and stay out of trouble.¡± Kathy clicked the minimize logo on herputer screen to close everything rted to Donny¡¯s investigation, ¡°Ugh.. Finally.. My task is done. But it¡¯s also fun ying a detective job like this.. Haha..¡± sheughed.


    Emma just smiled at Kathy. That girl was very useful in things like this. If only Emma didn¡¯t have to hide her identity.. Kathy would be very shocked to hear all that Emma had been through. Unfortunately, she had to keep all the stories to herself.


    ***


    A printer spat out arge piece of paper slowly. Once finished, there was seen a map picture of a fairlyrge city. It was a map of Handway City.


    Emma took the paper that was still hanging in the lip of the printer, then, carried it over to her study table which had a wider top. While in Kathy¡¯s room before, Emma had secretly printed out the map that Kathy had marked from theputer while the girl was going to the toilet.


    ¡°Roger¡¯s acquaintances said that the strongest people in the Hell Gate group were the leader and the twins Gozu and Mezu. However, Gozu has gone to prison now. The main building is also no longer used by them after bing police evidence. Surely they all moved to one of these branches. But which one?¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Should I check this one?¡± Emma circled a dot on her map. Five secondster, she shook her head, ¡°No.. no.. it¡¯s too far. I have to get to the closest location first so I don¡¯t waste my gas.¡±


    Then, her eyes caught a Latin dictionary book at the end of the table and frowned. She lifted the thick book that she rarely touched and peered under it. It turned out that the thick book wasying on an eraser at the bottom. Emma smiled and took it, then she used it to erase the pencil circle on the map.


    When she finished, Emma looked at the half-stick eraser which she thought was missing. It was the eraser that Roger had lent her the first time they met. Emma¡¯s eyes began to tear up at the memory of her first friend who had gone.


    ¡°There will be no longer people with the same fate as you, Roger. I will protect Poppy and save girls who have the same fate as her. I will stop all of this. Pray for me from there, my best friend.¡± She said.


    ***


    A pair of feet stepped in a narrow alley that was dark and smelled damp. He was wearing a ck leather jacket. That night, it did not snow heavily. But the air that blew was so cold that it pierced the bones.


    Calvin Lee, a man who was already famous among gangsters as The Lonely Hero. They thought of Calvin as a strong man who was very naive and stupid. Trying to clean up Handway City alone, even though in his mind, he already knew that he would not be able to reach his goal.


    But this time, Calvin wasn¡¯t alone. Behind him, was a group of strong men named Jita Kyoei. They had searched for information about the Hell Gate in just a short amount of time. Now, they were heading to one of the headquarters branches. They would destroy the Hell Gate group.


    BRUMM!!


    Calvin and Troy stopped their steps, which was followed by the rest of the members who were behind the two of them. A few meters ahead, a ck sports motorbike emerged from the turn of the entrance to the Hell Gate headquarters on Paul Derrick Street. Then, the motorbike immediately speeded out of the entrance of the alley to the alley in front of it.


    Calvin turned to Troy who was also still stunned staring straight ahead.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like Hell Gate¡¯s style, huh..¡± Martin muttered behind them.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± said Calvin.


    Then, they quickened their pace to enter the base. But they found the iron door was unlocked, which was a strange thing. As soon as Calvin opened the door..


    ¡°W-what happened?¡± Ian stepped past Troy and Calvin who stood dumbfounded at the scene inside.


    ¡°Did the guy on the motorbike do this?¡± Nicko mumbled in shock.


    In front of their eyes, all the Hell Gate members inside the base were already lying battered up on the floor without a single person remaining conscious. Then, they went deeper inside to check things out.


    ¡°That guy really ransacked this ce.¡± Muttered Troy, who was standing in the middle of a room with several cupboards and a work desk.


    In the room, there was a pretty big man whose face Troy recognized, lying unconscious. It was Loris Jordan. One of the hoodlums he was in the same ss with in high school. It seemed that he had joined the Hell Gate and became the holder of the base that had be the wrecked ship.


    The person who attacked the Hell Gate headquarters rummaged through all the files in the cupboards and drawers in the room. He put them all in a paper shredder and destroyed them like a pile of snow on the floor. Not only that. In other rooms, he also destroyed various properties that were there.


    ¡°What exactly is that person¡¯s goal?¡± Said Calvin who was standing in the doorway.


    Troy turned to Calvin and shook his head, ¡°Could he be Roger¡¯s friend and seeking revenge?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. If he really was Roger¡¯s friend and cared about him that much, he shouldn¡¯t have been quiet all this time. Because it¡¯s so clear that Roger was bullied on campus.¡± Calvin replied.


    ¡°Tsk! He really did this all by himself. What kind of man is he actually?¡± Troy muttered again with a curious face.


    After they finished checking and got nothing, they all returned to the main room.


    ¡°Has anyone seen the license te number?¡± Nicko asked all the members.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°I saw it. It was ALB 110.¡±


    ¡°Frank and I will find out the owner of the bike after this,¡± Nicko said while writing down the number on his cellphone note. He got a nod and a thank you from Calvin.


    ¡°If it¡¯s true that the helmeted man is after Hell Gate, that means he will be aiming for the remaining bases. Maybe we can split up to meet him.¡± Ian said.


    It was actually useless for them to know who the ck helmeted man was. But Calvin, Troy, Ian, and Nicko agreed to find out about him. Because that way, they could tell whether the man had good or bad intentions. If it turned out that the man had ulterior motives, it meant that they were forced to take him down.


    Suddenly, one of Troy¡¯s friends on guard duty at the outside came through the door, ¡°Another member of Hell Gate is here,¡±


    ¡°Hm.. It seems that before dying, these people still had time to call for reinforcements.¡± Ian said.


    Troy smiled as he cracked his knuckles, ¡°Bring them here. At least we should go home sweaty, right?¡± the others nodded withughter.


    Hell Gate reinforcements didn¡¯t know that inside the base, a group of hungry piranhas were ready to tear their bodies apart.

 Chapter 81

    81 Hand Over The Mission


    Emma pulled the motorbike pedal carefully. Slippery roads were not really suitable for motorbikes. But, she had no other choices. For example, just like what she had just discovered. It turned out to be true that the ce called the boats spare parts shop were actually just a cover to hide Hell Gate¡¯s headquarters. It turned out that the main door was also in a small alley.


    But Emma was a bit disappointed when she found that there was no sign of Kei Matusmoto in the bases at all. She intended to find him to avenge him for killing Roger. Even though Emma didn¡¯t intend to kill him, at least she wanted to beat him to hisst breath. At least the man would fall into aa in Emma¡¯s hands. With that, she would only be satisfied.


    Emma opened herptop and searched for a website address in an inte browser. Yes, every night, Emma always checked whether the porn website was essible or not. She wanted to make sure that the pesky website didn¡¯te back up. Even now, Emma still couldn¡¯t sleep peacefully because she was afraid that there still were girls trapped in Hell Gate¡¯s prison.


    ¡°I have to wipe out all the bases immediately,¡± Emma muttered by grabbing her head with both hands.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Emma looked up when she heard someone calling her name. She smiled at the man who was now intending to sit in the chair next to her. Emma looked at the now upied chair with a sad look. Usually, Roger was sitting there. It was his seat.


    ¡°Trying to ept the death of someone important in our lives isn¡¯t easy. I understand how you feel, Emma.¡± Said Calvin. He understood what Emma was thinking as she looked at the chair he was now sitting on. ¡°Roger Timothy¡¯s passing was too sudden. It¡¯s natural if you miss him.¡±


    Emma smiled sadly, then looked away from the chair with a long sigh, ¡°Roger.. means a lot to me. He had taught me a lot, even after he left this world. May he rest in peace.¡±


    Calvin nodded slowly, ¡°How¡¯s Poppy Castonia?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Poppy is still depressed. And as you know.. the whole campus is now avoiding and sneering at her. But at least, she¡¯s back in active ballet again. Kathy and I are trying to be around her so she doesn¡¯t get caught up in the bad guys again.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Yes, that girl is indeed innocent. Actually, being innocent is kinda cute, but it¡¯s quite dangerous in this kind of environment. Luckily, there are you who can take care of her now.¡± Said Calvin.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think she wants to be innocent by purpose,¡± Emma replied with a disapproving face.


    Calvin grimaced awkwardly by scratching the back of his didn¡¯t itch head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to judge her. It seems that.. I said something wrong..¡± He cursed himself in his heart. Truly, he had never seen Emma surrounded by such a sinister aura.


    Emma sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck, then she shook her head, ¡°No, Calvin. I should be the one apologizing. I¡¯ve been emotionally unstabletely...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emma. You just lost your best friend. I understand.¡± Calvin smiled with a face that still looked awkward.


    ¡°Oh.. Do you know anything about the website that is currently popr on campus?¡± Emma asked, looking for a glimmer of information, as well as ending the awkward atmosphere between the two of them. He knew that Calvin was usually around like an eagle to spy on the activities of the gangsters.


    ¡°The website where Poppy used to work? Well.. Who doesn¡¯t know it now..¡± He answered with a slightly annoyed face. It seemed that Calvin also didn¡¯t ept that such a thing happened to Poppy. Then, he thought something, ¡°Oh.. Do you probably know, does Poppy have a rtionship with Roger?¡±


    Emma furrowed her brows then nodded somewhat dubiously, ¡°As far as I know, they¡¯ve been friends since kids. But apparently, because Roger didn¡¯t want Poppy to get in trouble by people who bullied him, they never seem to be in touch on campus.¡±


    ¡°I thought so. That¡¯s why Roger died at that building site. The guy who¡¯s in prison now is a member of Hell Gate. So it¡¯s true that Roger was there to save Poppy. That¡¯s because the website is Hell Gate¡¯s gold mine.¡± he thought to himself for the conclusion.


    ¡°You.. you know?¡± Emma asked directly. Then, she immediately shook her head by cursing herself in the heart and corrected her question, ¡°I mean, you know that far? Are you sure it¡¯s true?¡± Emma asked, ying dumb.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°Jita Kyoei and I have looked into it. We also know that the building that is said to be the office of the seafoodpany is actually the headquarters of the Hell Gate gangster group and Donny is working with them. Because of that, he trapped Poppy into it.¡± he exined. Then he sighed, ¡°Even, I just found out about this. If I had known a long time ago, Roger would still be here right now..¡±


    ¡°Calvin.. You¡¯ve done so much. You really are a hero. Roger¡¯s death has nothing to do with you at all. You don¡¯t have to me yourself for that..¡± Emma held his shoulder with a sad face. ¡°Calvin.. Now I understand your feelings. It¡¯s very painful when someone we care about is hurt by someone else. In this case, Roger and Poppy are the people I care about. And it feels like... I won¡¯t be able to forgive those gangsters. Before, I once thought you were naive for risking your own life to destroy the gangsters. But now, I¡¯m ashamed of you for ever thinking like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emma. I¡¯m used to being said to be crazy, stupid, and naive. But people¡¯s words won¡¯t let me down.¡± He smiled, then put his hand on Emma¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Emma. I will avenge your grudge. No.. not only me. This time, I was assisted by Jita Kyoei. We will destroy Hell Gate. There will be no more girls with the fate like Poppy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Calvin,¡± Emma said sincerely.


    ¡°But, actually we are facing a little confusing problem.¡± He muttered with a thoughtful face.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Emma asked, giving her the same confused look as Calvin.


    Those said, if we were interested in talking to someone, then we tend to follow their facial expressions subconsciously.


    ¡°We got information that there is a mysterious man who always wears a ck helmet. He finished all the members at Hell Gate¡¯s main headquarters that night. That man also beat Donny and Brian to the hospital. We think that man is Roger¡¯s friend. However, we still don¡¯t have enough evidence to justify that presumption.¡±


    Hearing Calvin¡¯s exnation, Emma gulped secretly before responding, ¡°Is.. is that so? It¡¯s pretty strange how a person acts mysteriously like that. Haha..¡± She tried to cover up her increasing heart rate.


    Calvin shrugged, ¡°We¡¯re still investigating who that person is. Looks like he¡¯s also eyeing the Hell Gate group. Yesterday, we saw him justing out of the group¡¯s branch headquarters. He was riding a ck bike. As reported, that guy was also wearing a ck helmet that day. The full-face type.¡± he exined.


    Emma didn¡¯t know how to respond anymore. All she knew now was her identity was in trouble. She really didn¡¯t expect the men to be able to find information so quickly and in such detail. But,e to think of it, they were actually on the same mission.


    ¡®Should I continue my intention? What if I bump with them and my identity will be exposed?¡¯ Emma thought to herself.


    ¡°Eum.. Emma..¡± Calvin wiggled his palms in front of Emma¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh.. Sorry,¡± Emma woke up from her muse.


    Calvin chuckled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about it, Emma. It¡¯s all our problem. Oh, then.. Come to think of it, isn¡¯t this coincidence really funny? Before this big case blew up, you just asked me where I used to download porn videos. It¡¯s as if everything was tied up in red string with the matter involving Poppy.¡±


    Calvin¡¯s words made Emma stunned, then she forced augh, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s all like a coincidence, right? Even though I don¡¯t know anything about that matter. You know.. I¡¯m still new to Handway City. I don¡¯t know anything here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should always keep yourself out of trouble, Emma. What happened to Poppy could happen to any girl, including you. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to protect you from thugs like Donny and Hell Gate. Leave your grudge to us. We¡¯ll make sure to take good care of it.¡± Calvin said seriously.


    ***


    Thatte afternoon, Emma sat on the side of a small river called Yellow Bridge, which was located near Ahmed Street. The water on its surface was already frozen. As it turned out, in Handway City it wasn¡¯t easy to get a sunny day like this in winter. Therefore, Emma intended to watch the sunset while calming her agitated heart and mind.


    She sat on a wooden park bench perched on a small ground beside the river where the grassy ground was covered with thick snow. Emma was apanied by a cup of hot coffee with Jazz music ying sweetly from her earphones. The sun was still quite high. She had enough time to rx before heading back home when the orange glowing sun finally changed sessions with the full moon.


    ¡®Should I just leave it all to Calvin and Troy? That way.. I don¡¯t have to risk that my identity will be exposed, right? I can go back to a normal life, focus on ballet. If the all-powerful Jita Kyoei had stepped in, could anyone really stand against their power?¡¯ Emma thought with a troubled face.


    Then, she sighed, ¡°But if I do that... my heart feels like...¡±

 Chapter 82

    82 Pretty Cat


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s eyes widened. There was a cat with thick, pure white fur that obscured it with snow a few meters in front of her. Emma immediately moved and looked around, looking for the owner of the pretty cat around the river. But there was nobody besides her.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Emma muttered as she watched the cat step closer to the edge of the ground, toward the water.


    Emma quickly got up and stepped carefully towards the cat. But unfortunately, the cat with the big bright blue eyeball instead ran up onto the frozen water.


    ¡°NO!!¡± Emma eximed while holding her head with both hands. ¡°Heiii!! Kitty!! Come here.. Come..¡± She tried to call the cat who was already on the thin ice.


    ¡®Damn! If it falls..¡¯ She thought.


    ¡°Pixy!!¡±


    Emma jumped when a man¡¯s scream echoed beside her ear. The man who made the sound was already standing beside Emma with a panicked face.


    ¡°I-is that your cat?¡± Emma asked no less panicked.


    The man turned to Emma and nodded curtly. Then, he looked back at the front with a worried face while calling his cat named Pixy. However, no matter how much the man tried to call his cat to return to the ground, the cat didn¡¯t seem to care and instead had fun running around on a thinyer of ice. It made Emma and him cringe in horror.


    .....


    ¡°We have to help her immediately. The further away, the thinner and weaker the ice will be!¡± Emma said by rushed removing the earphones from her ears.


    The man huffed in annoyance, then tried to stomp his foot, which was wrapped in shiny ck loafers, on the iceyer of the riverside. Emma watched it by covering her mouth with her hands to hold back a scream of fearsome at what she saw. The man continued to put his other foot on the ice.


    ¡°It worked...¡± Emma mumbled both pleased and amazed.


    But suddenly.. Crack! Crack! Crack!


    Theyer of ice that was supporting the man¡¯s entire body began to crack under his two ck shoes. The man looked down and realized the ice had cracked wider and wider.


    ¡°Come back! Hurry up! You¡¯ll fall!¡± Emma eximed while waving with a panicked face.


    The man immediately ran as slowly as possible. And when he almost reached the ground beside the river, the ice he stepped on was broken.


    ¡°OUCH!!¡± Emma couldn¡¯t contain her screams.


    Luckily, the man managed tond one foot on solid ground before his entire body plunged into the icy cold water. Only one leg was plunged calf-high into the water. Emma immediately helped the man get to the ground properly.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± the man muttered while looking at his cat that had run further and further away. His face looked really worried. It seemed that he loved his cat so much.


    Emma looked at the man pityingly. Emma had never had a pet because she wasn¡¯t good at caring for a living being other than herself. But, she could understand how worried the man was when he saw his beloved figure in danger. Even the life of an animal would be as important as a human¡¯s when it was owned by the right master.


    It was only natural for the iceyer to crack when it was the man who was standing on top of it. From what Emma saw, the man had almost the same size as Calvin Lee. Maybe he was a little taller than Calvin. His skin was pale white like a vampire and he had very deep and sharp grey irises. His jet ck hair was soft, with the backside styled like a tail covering his neck and the bangs covering half of his forehead that almost touched his long eyebrow.


    The man¡¯s backhands full covered with tattoos that seemed to be continued all the way up. Come to think of it, that man had an extremely gloomy and cold aura. It looked funny when a man with such an appearance owned a beautiful white cat with the name ¡®Pixy¡¯.


    ¡°Can you catch it for me?¡± The man looked at Emma.


    The girl who was judging the appearance of the man in front of her openly, quickly snapped out of her daydream. But the man didn¡¯t seem to care at all... or maybe he¡¯s just not aware.


    ¡°E-excuse me?¡± Emma shifted the knitted hat that covered her ears. She thought she heard wrong.


    The man nodded hastily, ¡°Your body looks light. Looks like you can walk on that ice.¡±


    Emma was dumbfounded with her mouth slightly open. She didn¡¯t expect the man to be so headstrong and ignorant by asking a girl he didn¡¯t know to defy death to save his cat which he didn¡¯t take care of properly so it could release to such a dangerous ce.


    But unfortunately, the jerk man asked the right person for this crazy thing. Emma didn¡¯t have a sweet tongue and behaviour, but her heart was very warm. Even without being asked, Emma might end up climbing onto the thin ice to help the cat.


    ¡°Daman it!¡± The man muttered himself as he took out his cell phone.


    Emma could peek a little that the man was typing the fire department¡¯s emergency number. But just like Emma, ??he knew it was hard for his cat to stay safe while waiting for Handway City¡¯s fire department that popr to be a bit slow to arrive at the disaster scene.


    ¡°I¡¯ll catch her,¡± Emma said suddenly.


    The man immediately turned to Emma with a slightly surprised face.


    Emma nodded after taking a deep breath and exhaling roughly, ¡°I¡¯ll walk on that ice and save your cat.¡±


    The man sighed and nodded in understanding. Then, Emma stepped closer to the iceyer in front of her with a pounding heart. She gulped a few times while catching her breath.


    ¡°Wait! Bring this,¡± The man handed Emma a sachet of a pink cat snack with a cute cat cartoon picture on it.


    Emma looked at the snack with a straight face, then took it from the man¡¯s tattooed hand, ¡°Thanks for the help. This is very useful.¡± she said sarcastically.


    Then, Emma exhaled loudly through her mouth so the steam billowed in front of her face, ¡°Okay Emma. You got this. You are a ballet dancer who is as light as a feather...¡± she mumbled herself to calm herself down.


    ¡°Her name is Pixy.¡± Said the man. It made Emma look up sarcastically and nodzily.


    One of Emma¡¯s feet was already on the ice, then she continued to put the other. The ice was very slippery, so Emma had to be very careful with her steps. Unknowingly, she had walked far enough on the ice.


    The setting sun gave a beautiful panorama to Emma¡¯s eyes. But her heart was still beating hard. She looked back to see the man in grey clothes was still standing in the same ce watching her.


    ¡°Hei.. Pixy! Come here Pixy!¡± Emma eximed when the white cat stopped a few meters in front of her.


    Seeing a glimmer of hope, Emma became excited to take a step closer. Then, she took a packet of cat snacks out of her pocket and opened it, ¡°Come here sweetie.. There¡¯s food here..¡± she said again.


    Pixy, who looked a bit tired after running around, was now sitting on the ice while watching a human girl walking carefully towards her.


    No matter how hard Emma called and showed the food at Pixy, it seemed that the white cat was indeed that stubborn. It didn¡¯t move at all. Just sitting with her cute big eyes and wagging her tail slowly. It made Emma shake her head in annoyance.


    ¡°Ugh.. It¡¯s so cold here. Is it because her fur is very thick, so she looks normal?¡± Emma muttered by hugging herself because the wind in the middle of the river was blowing very hard. Her steps began to tremble and theyer of ice she stepped on began to make a slightly loud sound, indicating that theyer was indeed getting thinner.


    Crack!


    Emma immediately stopped her footsteps as soon as she realized the ice in front of her cracked a little when she stepped on it, ¡®Shit.. I can¡¯t walk any further that way..¡¯


    Emma looked back and realized she was quite far from the riverbank. If she fell into the water, she certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to swim to the shore.


    ¡°Pixy! Come here sweetie..e here.. Please!¡± Emma coaxed while crouching there to provoke her with snack she was holding, ¡°Come on.. I beg you..e here. We can both die here if you don¡¯t obey.¡±


    It seemed like Emma¡¯s desperation had finally moved Pixy¡¯s heart, causing the cat to stand up and start walking elegantly like a model on ice. She turned to Emma ??who smiled widely at her.


    ¡°Yes, yes! Come on, honey! Good girl..¡± Emma said, continuing to shake the snack in her hand. Every now and then she looked down to see the condition of the ice that was supporting her body, whether it was still safe or not.


    Then finally..


    Whoops!


    ¡°OH, Finally!! You¡¯re so naughty! You should feel lucky because you¡¯re so cute!¡± Emma said while holding the cat with super soft fur in her arms.


    She turned around and began to walk carefully back to the riverbank. She could see that the man who owned the cat looked relieved. Emma smiled broadly at him, ¡°I did it!¡±. The man raised his thumb above his head.


    But halfway then, Emma found a new problem. During her life, she had never held a dog or cat because always lived a restrained and serious life. Emma had never owned a pet or knew anyone who had one. It could be said that this was Emma¡¯s first experience.


    Since Emma didn¡¯t hold Pixy properly, the cat started to wriggle its body. Emma started to feel troubled and panicked because she felt that Pixy would fall from her arms. The cat even scratched its paws on Emma¡¯s body.


    The man looked at Emma who was struggling in the middle of the ice, ¡°Damn! She can¡¯t hold the cat properly?!¡± he muttered with a worried face. His feet were itching so badly that he wanted to run over there to help. But of course, he couldn¡¯t.

 Chapter 83

    83 Frozen


    ¡°Whoa!!¡± Emma screamed as the cat in her arms almost jumped down. She caught Pixy again quickly. But, because of that, she slipped and fell heavily on the ice. Fortunately, Pixy was still in Emma¡¯s arms.


    Crack! Crack! CRACK!


    Emma¡¯s eyes widened. She immediately nced at the ice under her body which started to crack longer and wider, ¡°OH NO!¡± she eximed.


    Emma immediately stood up from her prone position with Pixy in her arms. She didn¡¯t care anymore whether the cat would be squeezed or suffocated in her arms. But she really tightened her arms to lock the cat so it couldn¡¯t run away again.


    Crack! Crack!


    The cracks under Emma¡¯s feet got bigger and worse, until... CRASH!! The crack broke. Emma quickly leapt forward slightly because having difficulty bncing as her feet kept slipping. But apparently, the cracks that led to the broken ice seemed to follow her footsteps.


    ¡°RUN!!¡± The scream of the man on the riverbank woke Emma from her shock.


    Then, Emma felt the ice she standing on start to shake again, which meant the ice down there was about to break.


    Crack! Crack! Crack! Emma started to run, while her every footstep made the ice crack badly and ended up in shards that kept chasing her. Emma ran as fast as she could on the slippery ice. It was as if she was running from a water monster that was about to sink her into frozen water.


    .....


    As soon as she got to the side, Emma felt that the ice floor couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. The crack that came from the middle had already spread almost to the edge riverbank. Once Emma realized that the distance was close enough, she immediately threw Pixy at her owner. Emma couldn¡¯t even believe she could throw something that far. Maybe, it¡¯s because she¡¯s been overwhelmed by adrenaline.


    The man immediately caught the white cat swiftly. But his eyes were still on the girl who was trying to reach the side of the river. Quickly, he hooked the leash on his cat cor and stepped on it.


    The sound of the ice cracking grew louder and Emma felt her feet shaking violently. Just a little more.. she would get there.


    Until at thest second, when Emma felt the ice had finally broken. She took the opportunity to jump forward. But unfortunately .. the jump was toote and she fell into the very cold icy water.


    Emma closed her eyes tightly as she held her breath. Her body was momentarily numb as the cold water made her muscles and skin feel frozen.


    ¡°Hold my neck!¡±


    Emma immediately opened her eyes in surprise at the voice. She began to notice that the only part of her body that became numb was from down up to her stomach, while she felt warm at the top. It was because the man who owned the cat was holding her.


    ¡°Quick!¡± the man called out again. His half body position was a few centimetres on the ice. He caught Emma¡¯s body with one hand, while the other gripped a short concrete barrier located a few inches from the side along the river. His body trembled because of his current position that crouching with his upper body across to the side while supporting the weight of a girl who was halfway under the water.


    Emma immediately wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s neck while the man wrapped one arm around Emma¡¯s back tightly. Emma couldn¡¯t do anything. She really hung her fate on the man who looked like a vampire. The river was very deep, even though it was close to the side. She also felt the flow of the water below was strong enough that her body kept about to sway with the water. Emma couldn¡¯t step on anything. She had to be pulled up.


    The man grimaced against the weight of gravity, the river stream, himself, and the girl in his arms. His hand that was holding on to the concrete rock that was slick with icy snow felt like it was going to freeze. If the grip was released, it¡¯s not only the girl who would fall but him also.


    Slowly, he felt the girl¡¯s body begin to shiver violently. They both gasped and struggled to breathe. After feeling she was holding on to him properly. He began to pull himself back.


    ¡°Arrgh!!¡± The man growled as he forced all his muscles to fight all the weight.


    Amazingly, the man managed to pull Emma out of the icy water. He pulled the girl onto the snow-covered ground. The two of themy on the white in with gasping breaths that made steam gather in front of their faces. Besides the two people who had just survived the ident, a cat sat staring innocently while wagging its tail.


    The man immediately got up from his supine position and grabbed the cat leash that was arranged under his body. He nced at the girl with an even expression.


    Emma sat up and massaged her legs for a bit, to make sure her numb legs were still there. Her teeth chattered from the cold, ¡°The cat.. is she okay?¡± she asked, turning to the man who was standing beside her. Emma thought about it because she had thrown the cat randomly before.


    ¡°Instead of thinking about the cat, you better think about yourself.¡± Said the man, still looking at Emma. The girl¡¯s clothes were wet from the bottom to the stomach. The only thing that was still dry was the shoulders and head. She shivered half to death.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Believe it or not, I¡¯ve been through much tougher than this.¡± Emma said as she stood up. Previously, she had soaked in ice water when her body was injured. But somehow, the river water felt colder.


    ¡°Your feet are frozen,¡± Said the man again.


    Emma pped her knees lightly, ¡°Looks like the cold is numbing them. I have to go home soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Thanks for saving my cat.¡± The man nodded before turning and taking a step away.


    Emma stared at the man¡¯s back with her mouth agape. She bit her lower lip in annoyance, then shouted, ¡°HEY!!¡±


    The man turned to hear Emma¡¯s loud shout. He frowned as he looked at her as if he was disturbed because he had been called out with an impolite shout.


    Even though her legs were frozen, Emma¡¯s anger had taken over her body, so that she was now able to walk, although with stiff movements.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± The man asked briefly when the girl who was almost frozen to death was already standing in front of him with an angry face.


    ¡°What?¡± Emma giggled in annoyance, ¡°You¡¯re still asking what I want? Hey, Mister! Look what I went through for helping your cat! You couldn¡¯t even take care of your own pet that made it get away and ended up stuck in the middle of the ice! And now you¡¯re guilt-free leaving me half frozen like this?!¡± she scolded with fiery eyes.


    Emma¡¯s words made the man¡¯s disapproving face even more obvious, ¡°From all the answers you gave to my question earlier, you sound fine. And I also didn¡¯t hear you ask anything from me. You are very strange.¡± He snapped.


    ¡°Huhh...?¡± Emma took a deep breath with an irritated face. Was this guy really stupid or what?


    ¡°If you really want to rampage here, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t have time to listen to you. Excuse me,¡± The man was about to turn back to leave.


    But Emma immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him around violently. The man turned to Emma, ??then, nced at his arm that had been gripped with disapproval face. That girl, apart from being crazy, had a lot of strength.


    Emma took a deep breath, trying to inhale the cold air into her chest cavity to extinguish the fire that was raging in there. Then, she sighed calmly, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t bring a private vehicle. I can¡¯t possibly take public transportation under this circumstance.¡± she softens her voice.


    The man thought for a moment with an annoyed look on his face, ¡°Do you mean you asked me to drive you home?¡± he asked.


    Emma smiled sarcastically, ¡°Don¡¯t you as a human being, have to show your good manners to those who have helped you? For example, by being responsible for the way Ie home in this state.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll call a taxi then,¡± He said before walking away.


    Emma nodded patiently, ¡°Thank you,¡± she muttered, then followed the man¡¯s footsteps up the highway.


    The man stopped beside a navy blue sedan. The car looked good and expensive. He opened the passenger door and put the cat in the small cage in there.


    Emma watched the man moving leisurely, while she was hugging her own body that shivered even more. The sun had set and the streets were dark, ¡°Can you move faster, please?¡±


    Emma was still staring at the man annoyed. He even had his own car. But, instead of driving home the girl who had helped him, he let the girl go home by taxi. If Emma¡¯s cell phone that was in her coat pocket didn¡¯t die from being submerged in ice water, she wouldn¡¯t be willing to ask for the man responsible for her way back home.


    The man did not answer Emma¡¯s question. He just took his cell phone out of his coat pocket and fiddled with it. After waiting for a while, a taxi finally arrived.


    ¡°Oh, finally.. I almost freeze to death..¡± Said Emma a little loudly. Hoping the man beside her heard it and felt bad. But in fact, the man just didn¡¯t care by smoking a cigarette.


    ¡®You damn jerk!¡¯ Said Emma in mind.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± The taxi driver greeted when the window opened.


    ¡°Good evening. I¡¯m going in..¡± Emma answered by opening the passenger door.


    ¡°W-wait, Miss. Sorry, but.. are your clothes wet?¡± asked the man with his eyes narrowed to see the girl¡¯s coat which was darker at the bottom.


    ¡°Oh? Yes, my clothes were wet before. But it looks like they¡¯re frozen now.¡± Emmaughed.

 Chapter 84

    84 Because Of an Annoying Man


    The taxi driver scratched his head in an ufortable motion, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. I think I can¡¯t drive you with my car. Your frozen clothes might be melted on the car seat and make it wet because taxis use internal heaters.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me? Are you serious, Sir?¡± Emma asked again with a disappointed face.


    The man nodded ufortably, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss.¡±


    Emma sighed, ¡°Okay,¡± she answered by closing the car door again. Then, the taxi sped away.


    ¡°Did you see that? He didn¡¯t want to take me because I¡¯m like this.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± The man interrupted Emma¡¯s rambling, ¡°I¡¯m calling another taxi. Please wait.¡±


    Emma looked at the man in annoyance. She never thought there was a man with such bad character in this world. Was it that Emma didn¡¯t know many people in her life, or did all the people in Handway City seemed strange?


    Not long after, a taxi arrived. But just like the first taxi, the driver also refused Emma to be his passenger. Then, they called another taxi but ended up in the same situation.


    Emma¡¯s breathing quickened. Her lips were already turned bluish. She leaned against the hood of the man¡¯s blue car while hugging herself because the cold seemed to have invaded her heart.


    .....


    ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. You.. drive me home. Hurry up!¡± Emma ordered, taking no refusal, to the man who was still smoking cigarettes beside her. She didn¡¯t even know how many cigarettes he had smoked since then. Emma hoped that he would soon die of tuberculosis.


    The man looked at Emma for a moment, ¡°Ok,¡± then, stepped and entered the driver¡¯s door.


    Emma immediately got into the front passenger seat. She hastily closed the door to prevent the cold wind outside from entering, ¡°Please.. quickly turn on the heater...¡± she said in a weak voice.


    The man stared for a moment at the girl who was sitting back with trembling body on his side seat, ¡°Hm,¡± He started the car engine and then pressed the heating button.


    Before leaving, he checked at the back seat and saw that Pixy was fast asleep in her cage, ¡°Where is your house address?¡± he asked. But, there was no answer. He frowned and turned to the girl.


    ***


    Emma frowned firmly. Her head ached terribly and her body felt ufortable. Even though it felt heavy, Emma still forced herself to open her eyes which felt so hot.


    Faintly, she saw the light of themp and the white ceiling. She looked left and right just to find herself lying on arge bed with a thick and warm nket covering her up to her chest.


    ¡°Hello, Dear.. Are you awake?¡±


    Emma turned to look at the source of the voice. She was somewhat surprised to find a middle-aged woman with burn scars all over her right cheek and neck. The woman smiled warmly at Emma.


    ¡°What happened? Where am I?¡± Emma asked, trying to sit up. Her voice sounded very hoarse.


    The woman immediately took a ss of water from the nightstand beside the bed and gave it to the girl who had just woken up, ¡°Please drink it. You fell unconscious due to a severe fever. Our doctor had examined you. Don¡¯t worry, you will recover soon.¡± She exined.


    Emma looked at the woman who had a warm smile. She sat in a wheelchair. Her legs looked a little smaller than they should be, which Emma was sure was due to shrinking. It¡¯s possible that her legs had been paralyzed for quite a long time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t do anything harmful to you. We¡¯re both women.¡± The woman continued.


    Finally, Emma nodded and epted the ss of water, then gulped it down. She did not suspect too much of the woman. Because, if she really meant to do bad things to her, she should have been able to do it earlier when Emma was unconscious.


    ¡°Excuse me, if I may ask, where am I and who are you?¡± Emma asked after putting the empty ss back on the nightstand.


    ¡°My name is Nancy Wargos. Right now, you are at my house at Odare Residence.¡±


    ¡°Meo..¡± Suddenly, a white cat entered the room with an opened door and jumped onto thep of the woman named Nancy.


    ¡°That cat! The vampire man..¡± Emma muttered as if getting her memory back.


    Nancyughed ufortably, ¡°Well.. Levi does have a bit pale skin. It was my son who brought you here. He said you fell unconscious because you fell into the icy river to save my Pixy. I thank you very much.¡± she said sincerely.


    ¡°O-oh.. I see..¡± Emma said as rubbing her neck embarrassedly. She had mocked someone in front of his own mother.


    ¡°Oh.. how about you? What¡¯s your name, Dear?¡± Nancy asked.


    ¡°My name is Emma Hind. If I may ask, how long have I been unconscious for?¡± Asked Emma.


    ¡°Hmm..¡± Nancy seemed to think, ¡°Levi brought you to this housest night. Since it¡¯s alreadyte now, I can say you¡¯ve been unconscious for almost a day. But the doctor already gave you an IV.¡±


    ¡°Late?!¡± Emma repeated, then searched to the left and right, ¡°Do you know where my cell phone is?¡±


    ¡°Oh.. We¡¯re drying your belongings. But it looks like your cell phone is broken. Don¡¯t worry, my son will get a new one for you. You¡¯d better get some rest now. You¡¯re still in fever.¡± Nancy held Emma¡¯s hand to feel her temperature.


    Emma looked at the hand that was on top of hers. Just like on the woman¡¯s right cheek, her hands were also full of burn marks. This made Emma feel sorry for the woman named Nancy. She must have been in a serious ident to cause her suffered severe paralysis and burns.


    ¡°By the way.. Where is your son now?¡± Asked Emma.


    ¡°Do you mean Levi? He¡¯s at work. I also have another son. His name is Lukas Wargos. My two sons work together. They have gotten along since childhood. Levi and Lukas are my most valuable treasures.¡± The woman answered while smiling and petting her cat.


    Emma smiled warmly. A mother¡¯s love couldn¡¯t be underestimated. She would love her children under any circumstances. Praising her children as they were the most beautiful gem in the world.


    Behind her smile, Emma snorted in her heart. So, that annoying man named Levi? How could a person with such a bad character have such a kind and warm mother? Indeed, lineage couldn¡¯t guarantee a person¡¯s character.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you here to rest. Later, our maid will bring you food and medicine. Anyways, do you want to borrow a phone to call your family back home?¡± Nancy asked.


    ¡°Eum.. No need, Ma¡¯am. The people in my house is used to it that I often don¡¯te home.¡± She lied. In fact, that¡¯s because no one would be looking for her.


    ¡°Ow.. No need to be so stiff. You can call me Nancy, Darling.¡± The woman winked.


    ¡°All right, then. Thanks, Nancy.¡± Emma said.


    After Nancy came out of the room, not long after, the maid came with a tray of porridge and sliced ??fruit for Emma. For the first time, Emma ate as voraciously as someone who hadn¡¯t eaten for three days. After eating, Emma took medicine and vitamins from the doctor. Then, she felt doze and fell asleep again.


    Emma woke up again with a headache that had disappeared. Her body also felt light and better. She immediately put on the house slippers that had been provided beside her bed.


    Before leaving the room, Emma approached the dressing table in the room to see her own appearance in the mirror. Honestly, in all her life, Emma very rarely fell ill. Even the flu was barely able to break through her steel-solid immune defences. But because of that, whenever Emma was to fall ill, she would be very sick like just like yesterday. Even a fever could make her faint instantly. It was that damn man who made her catch a cold by standing on the side of the road in the winter for hours in wet clothes.


    But, as she was known as the incarnation of the Greek goddess, the face of Emma who had slept all day and hadn¡¯t taken a shower, still looked just as gorgeous as usual. Even though she was still a little pale, it didn¡¯t detract from her beauty at all. It was only her hair that was a bit messy. However, it actually made her look even sexier.


    Emma realized she was wearing a pyjama suit, which probably belonged to Nancy. She brushed her hair and went to the bathroom to wash her face. When she was done, she walked out the door.


    In front of the room, there was a living room with severalrge sofas and arge TV attached to the wall. Emma scanned the room. From all the interior and size of the house, Emma could say that the family that upied the house was wealthy.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    A male voice startled Emma, ??¡±Oh? I wasn¡¯t looking for anything. Just take a look at your interior.¡± she answered casually.


    Levi gave a t face, then, stepped to sit on the sofa in the middle of the room. Unlike yesterday, he wore a ck shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the buttons on the chest open. It turned out to be true that the tattoo on the back of his hand continued up to his muscr chest.


    Secretly, Emma assessed Levi¡¯s body. It was just Emma¡¯s habit who would judge the body of a person who looked full of muscles like that. From the shape, Emma could tell what kind of exercise that person was doing. For the man sitting on the sofa, Emma could guess that he really did a very good exercise technique to bulk up all the muscles in his body, making them look solid and dry. He must have gone to a premium GYM centre and paid the instructor a fortune.


    Emma also sat on the sofa opposite Levi. The man took out a cell phone from his pocket and ced it on the table in the middle of them, ¡°That¡¯s a recement cellphone for your broken one. The type and colour are the same. For the SIM card and memory card, my maid will give it to youter.¡±

 Chapter 85

    85 Dinner Together


    Emma looked at the cellphone on the table, ¡°Ok. Thank you,¡± she said as took her new phone. Then, she looked at Levi again, ¡°No box? Are you sure this is a fresh one?¡±


    Emma¡¯s question made Leviugh sarcastically, ¡°Seriously.. Of course, it¡¯s a new phone. I purposely threw away the box. Do you mind it?¡± he challenged with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Surely it would be better if there was a packaging box, right? So I can believe your word that this is not a second used phone.¡± Emma raised an eyebrow in return. Unknowingly, she felt challenged by the man in front of her. So far, Emma had never been treated so irritably by a man. Since the first meeting, he always made Emma stroke her chest to collect patience.


    ¡°Give it to me then. I¡¯ll throw the phone away, and buy a new one right in front of your eyes.¡± Levi showed his palm in front of Emma.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want..¡± Emma replied with a faint smile as she put the phone on his palm, thinking that Levi had challenged the wrong girl.


    ¡°You¡¯re home, Levi? Oh.. you two are talking already, huh..¡± Nancy suddenly appeared and chuckled happily to see the two kids as putting her hand in front of her mouth that couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    Emma flinched when she noticed Nancy¡¯s arrival. She immediately pulled her hand along with the cellphone that had touched Levi¡¯s palm, ¡°Oh.. Hi, Nancy. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know where to find you.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize, Emma. You¡¯re still a stranger to this house.¡± Nancy smiled. She knew Emma was only being polite by not wandering around in the house of someone she had just met.


    Just like Emma, ??Levi also quickly pulled his hand down and put on an innocent face, ¡°Good evening, Mom. How are you?¡± he asked as stepped closer to his mother and kissed her forehead.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m good, Baby. Where¡¯s Lukas?¡± Nancy asked after giving her son a return kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Lukas is still working on some business,¡± He answered.


    Then, Nancy looked back at the beautiful youngdy sitting on the sofa watching their warmness, ¡°Oh, Emma. Since you just woke up, I think that you didn¡¯t seem to know my Levi well. Are you two getting to know each other better now?¡±


    Emma and Levi stared at each other for a moment, then, simultaneously turned their faces away.


    ¡°Levi.. Why are you so curt?¡± Nancy rebuked in a gentle tone. Then, she looked at Emma with an uneasy face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this one son of mine, Emma. I¡¯ve never seen him talk to a woman. Maybe, he just feels awkward to face a beautifuldy like you.¡±


    ¡°Mama!¡± Levi nced his grey irises in annoyance.


    ¡°Oops!¡± Nancy acted as she was slipped. Even though she deliberately said something that seeded in making Levi embarrassed, Nancy was both surprised and delighted when her cold, sinister son suddenly brought a very beautifuldy home. Even though it turned out to be an ident, as a mother of two single sons, she hoped to see at least one of them have a woman to hold with.


    Emma had never been in a situation like this. She felt ufortable and awkward. As usual, Emma would be very polite towards older people. She understood that the elderly do like to talk too much and humiliate young people with their words. But behind their annoyance, there was a very warm and loving heart.


    ¡°Um.. Nancy. I¡¯m actually feeling so much better now. Looks like I can go home soon.¡± Emma announced.


    ¡°Oh, are you? Hm.. it seems Doctor Joe¡¯s medicine is quite effective. But before going home, would you like to have dinner with us? Maybe my other son will be home soon. Also, the dinners have been cooked now.¡± Nancy exined while stroking a fluffy white cat sleeping on herp.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually not sure..¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Is that so?¡± Nancy made a sad face, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve asked the housemaid to cook more for tonight¡¯s dinner. I also brought out my favourite recipes. Hahaha.. I¡¯m so sorry. I seem to be overly excited myself after no guests visiting this house for years..¡± she continued.


    Emma took a deep breath. Her heart was too soft to be able to hurt the warm middle-aged woman who gave that puppy face. Finally, Emma put a smile on her red lips, ¡°Now that I think about it, I think I can still make time to have dinner with you.¡±


    ¡°Ahh.. Really? That¡¯s great! Thank you for taking your time, Emma. You don¡¯t have to worry. Levi will drive you home after this.¡±


    ¡°Mama!¡± Levi called out a protest.


    Emma immediately shook her head, ¡°No need, Nancy. I can go home by myself by bus or taxi. I¡¯m used to using public transportation.¡±


    But Nancy ignored her son¡¯s protests and shook her head firmly, ¡°Levi will take you, Emma. It¡¯s snowing hard outside and it¡¯s already dark now. It would be dangerous for a woman to wander around at this hour. Let Levi express our gratitude to the hero who saved my Pixy.¡±


    Emma and Levi could only put on a t face while sighing tiredly. Nancy¡¯s words were indeed too much and too dramatic. However, it contained a truth that the two young people could not deny.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Asked a man along with the sound of his footsteps approaching and now stopping.


    ¡°Lukas!¡± Nancy immediately turned her wheelchair and spread her arms to hug the burly man.


    ¡®Oh.. So, that¡¯s Lukas? He looks a lot like Nancy. The colour of his skin and eyes. While Levi looks very different. Maybe he got his father¡¯s genes.¡¯ Emma judged in the heart.


    ¡°We have a guest, Lukas. She is thedy I told you about yesterday. The person who helped my Pixy.¡± Nancy exined happily.


    Unlike Levi, Lukas seemed more polite by sticking his hand out first to Emma, ??¡±Lukas Wargos. Nice to meet you.¡± he greeted.


    ¡°Emma Hind. Nice to meet you too.¡± Emma replied with a friendly smile.


    ***


    What Nancy said was not just the words. The dining table was, indeed, full of a variety of very good looking dishes. Even her two sons themselves seemed amazed to see their dining table which looked different from usual. Apparently, the mother was really happy with the arrival of the girl named Emma.


    ¡°Enjoy the dinner!¡± Nancy said after leading the prayer meal solemnly. Her eyes immediately stared right at Emma, ??¡±Don¡¯t hesitate, Emma. Eat as much as you want.¡±


    Emma smiled and nodded politely, ¡°Thank you, Nancy.¡±


    The dish served was very varied and everything tasted extremely good on Emma¡¯s tongue. Even though she enjoyed the food, Emma felt a little awkward in the silence there. Apparently, Nancy had two pretty quiet sons. Levi was a curmudgeonly and annoying man. While Lukas looked polite, but he was actually the real one who described the true definition of a quiet person.


    ¡°Oh, Emma. What are you doing currently?¡± Nancy started the conversation.


    ¡°Mama..¡± Lukas tried to warn his mother.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to protect the girl. But, she got here by ident. Why are you asking about her life as if she were your rtive?¡± Levi replied by shaking his head without taking his eyes off the food he was eating.


    ¡°Oh.. yes, you are right.¡± She muttered, aware of her overzealous attitude to the point of forgetting who she was, ¡°Forgive me, Emma. Usually, our dinner is very quiet because these two kids never talk. I look like a bomb that¡¯s been waiting for a long time to explode, don¡¯t you think?¡± she exined to Emma with an ufortable chuckle.


    Emma put down her spoon and fork before waving her hands in front of her chest uneasily, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, Nancy. You don¡¯t have to apologize for being nice to your guests.¡± she smiled.


    Lukas and Levi looked at each other at the same time. It looked like they could read each other¡¯s minds. That girl was indeed good at talking. Maybe, if she instigated their mother to kill her own two sons, she would seed.


    ¡°Are you sure? Oh.. Thank goodness.. I really feel bad for you.¡± Nancy sighed as she put her hands on her chest. Then in a second, her face looked excited again, ¡°So.. What are you doingtely, Emma? Do you go to school or work?¡±


    ¡°Right now, I¡¯m studying at Jardin University. I¡¯m also active in ballet ss.¡± Emma answered with a smile, carried away by the positive aura emitted by the middle-aged woman sitting opposite her.


    After hearing Emma¡¯s answer, Levi and Lukas looked at each other silently for a moment. Then, they returned back to their dinner, allowing their mother to be all-out pouring her nagging to Emma.


    ¡°Ballet? Wow.. I used to have a dream to be a Salsa dancer. But that dream didn¡¯te true,¡± Nancy¡¯s face turned sad.


    ¡°I also dreamed of being a professional ballet dancer. It was a ballet that changed my life. I¡¯m sure you can achieve your other dreams, Nancy. One failure won¡¯t stop our lives there.¡± Emma tried tofort her.


    ¡°Not only are you beautiful, Emma. But you have a wise mindset too. I wish I had a daughter like you.¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°Thank you. But yourpliments are too much, Nancy. I still have a lot of ws and I¡¯m still trying to find myself.¡± Emma replied. ¡°By the way, this dish is really good. Did you make the recipe?¡± she asked.


    Nancy nodded quickly, ¡°I used to love to cook by myself. But since my legs are paralyzed, I can¡¯t do it freely and have to need the help of the maids. Do you like cooking too, Emma?¡±


    ¡°Coincidentally, I discovered that I have a hobby of cooking recently.¡± She nodded.


    ¡°Wow.. That¡¯s good news! I¡¯ll share my recipe with you after this. Then, you can cook it for your family at home. I¡¯ll double the recipe measure for you.¡±

 Chapter 86

    86 Not That Annoying


    Emma shook her head quickly, ¡°Ow.. that¡¯s not necessary, Nancy. Actually, I always cook for myself. I live with my aunt¡¯s family and not very close to them.¡± Of course he was lying.


    ¡°I see.. Ow Emma.. I know what it¡¯s like to live in a ce we¡¯re notfortable with. I believe you can hang on, Darling.¡± She said with a sad face. No wonder, although staying at her house all day, Emma didn¡¯t think about informing her family at all. It must be because the people she lived with did not consider her as family. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking this, but, where are your parents?¡±


    ¡°My father lives in another city quite far from this city. Meanwhile, my mother died when I was little,¡±


    ¡°Oh.. I¡¯m so sorry, Emma. So I guess you¡¯re not a native of Handway City, are you?¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a neer. I¡¯ve only been continuing my education at Jardin University for a few months. That¡¯s because there is a ballet ss there.¡±


    ¡°Oh my.. It looks that you are not only independent but also an amazingdy who dares to pursue your dreams.¡± She praised.


    ¡°I¡¯m done eating,¡± Levi said, then, walked away.


    ¡°Thanks for the food,¡± Lukas went with his brother.


    ¡°Gosh.. I think we¡¯ve been talking for too long. Sorry to interrupt your meal, Emma.¡± Nancy said with augh.


    .....


    Emma shook her head with a warm smile, ¡°Never mind, Nancy.¡±


    On the other hand..


    Levi and Lukas walked alone into the house¡¯s backyard to smoke. It had been a very long time since they had seen their mother talk that much. Actually, they also felt sorry for the old woman who looked lonely. But home was the safest ce for the mother.


    ¡°Jardin University, huh?¡± Lukas muttered.


    Levi nced nonchntly at the man standing beside him before lighting his cigarette with a gaslighter, ¡°She said, she¡¯s only been in this city for a few months. There are hundreds of students there.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Lukas nodded.


    Levi smiled faintly and patted his brother¡¯s shoulder once, ¡°Rx your shoulders a little, Lukas. This is nothing. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. But don¡¯t underestimate it. You know why we¡¯re here.¡± He replied without seeing Levi¡¯s face at all as he took a deep sip of his cigarette and exhaled its thick smoke into the air. It snowed heavily that night.


    ¡°I see. Now.. just get a sleep. Maybe Mama will trouble me a little because of that girl. Ugh.. Pixy, that damn cat. She always brings me trouble. If it wasn¡¯t Mama¡¯s favourite, I might have skinned her a long time ago.¡± Levi clicked.


    ¡°Watch your mouth, Levi. Don¡¯t make Mama fall sick again.¡± Luke warned him.


    ¡°Yeah.. Yeah.. I know,¡± Levi repliedzily.


    ***


    ¡°Thanks for the dinner and shelter, Nancy,¡± Emma said by hugging the woman warmly.


    ¡°I should be the one thanking you, Emma. I¡¯m so d to have known you. You know, my house will always be open to you. I hope we can meet again.¡± Nancy replied as she returned Emma¡¯s hug. Uncontrobly, her face gave a sad expression.


    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll drop by when my current business is done.¡± Emma nodded.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m waiting for that day toe.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Hurry up. I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Levi eximed from inside the car.


    Emma rolled her eyes sarcastically at the man. Then, she hugged Nancy again before getting into the car. As soon as Emma got into the passenger seat, Levi immediately started the car engine.


    ¡°What is your address?¡± Asked him.


    ¡°Take me to the 97th mile Rose Street,¡± Emma answered tly, without getting a reply.


    After that, silence dominated the atmosphere in the car. Emma didn¡¯t like this situation at all. She didn¡¯t know where they were now. She didn¡¯t know the way they were on. Apparently, Nancy¡¯s house was quite far from her house.


    ¡°Is it still far?¡± Emma asked after clearing her throat.


    Levi raised his eyebrows, ¡°Yeah. Maybe an hour and a half to two hours. The roads are slippery.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± answered Emma. Then, she pointed at the tape in front of her, ¡°You really don¡¯t like listening to music or the radio, do you?¡±


    Levi nced at Emma briefly, then refocused forward, ¡°I don¡¯t like noise.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emma nodded. Then, silence fell over them again.


    ¡°My mother. That¡¯s just how she is. Hope you can understand her. I don¡¯t like it when people think badly of her.¡± Levi said suddenly. It made Emma look up at him.


    The girl smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. If I may tell you a little, she has a somewhat simr nature to my passed mother. To be honest, I kind of miss being treated like that.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard,¡± Levi said meaningfully.


    ¡°You know what? As a pretty annoying person, you have a very nice mother.¡± Emmaughed to evaporate the sadness that arose in her heart from remembering her mother. She knew her words were rude. But Emma wouldn¡¯t hesitate to offend people who have misbehaved with her. Yes, that¡¯s how she was. It could be said that Emma had a vengeful heart.


    Even though Emma¡¯s words were rude, for some reason it made Leviugh, ¡°Besides, I never intended to be a good person.¡±


    ¡°You who love your mother so much is enough to prove how your heart is,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never want to know,¡± Levi answered.


    ¡°Oh, anyways.. Your house turned out to be very far from the location of the river yesterday, isn¡¯t it? Why did you go all the way there?¡± Emma was curious.


    ¡°It¡¯s near my workce.¡± He answered shortly.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emma nodded. That meant Levi¡¯s workce was very far from where he lived. It must be very tiring if you have to go back and forth on such a long journey.


    ¡°What do you think of Jardin University?¡± Levi asked before ncing at Emma briefly.


    ¡°Oh.. Of course, you know that famous campus. Hem.. the building and facilities are good. I also got a lot of surprises there,¡± Emma chuckled to herself.


    Levi¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°Surprise?¡± he repeated.


    Emma moved to adjust her seat, ¡°I made lots of good friends in my ballet ss. And the food in the cafeteria was delicious. For me, it was a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± Levi sighed quietly by returning his thoughts to focus on the road.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Levi. If I may ask, what happened to Nancy?¡± Emma asked in a small voice.


    ¡°It was a car ident,¡± Levi answered with a straight face. He already knew, sooner orter, the girl would ask about her mother¡¯s scars, just like everyone else.


    Emma nodded in understanding, ¡°Nevertheless, Nancy¡¯s spirit is still very fired.¡± she said, ¡°To be honest, I do feel envious of Nancy. Despite going through a lot, she still has that bright smile. Not like her, even the slightest trouble has been messing with my mind and heart for days.¡± she continued.


    ¡°Problems will always make us think, right? How is it possible to find a solution if you don¡¯t think about it?¡± Levi said tly. ording to him, the girl named Emma was tooplicated in living her life. Were all women like that? He didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t willing to find out.


    ¡°I know it,¡± Emma answered with a snort. Apparently, Levi was the type of person who dealt with every problem logically. Emma narrowed her eyes and looked at the man driving beside her, ¡°Can I bother you a little?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Even if I said ¡®No¡¯, you would still do it, right?¡± Levi replied as if he had known Emma for a long time.


    ¡°You¡¯re really ¡®to the point¡¯ guy, aren¡¯t you?¡± She grimaced in disbelief. Then, she cleared her throat, ¡°What do you think if the problem is.. you can¡¯t choose to stay away from a problem or approach a problem?¡±


    Levi immediately looked sarcastically at Emma, ??¡±What kind of stupid question is that?¡±


    ¡°I know this sounds stupid. But I¡¯m really confused about this matter. I¡¯m confused about which one to choose..¡±


    ¡°Depends on your strength and the result. If you¡¯re strong enough to face the problems you talking about, then you shouldn¡¯t have any doubts. And if the result is worth fighting for, why not?¡± Levi quickly cut her.


    ¡°The result, huh? That.. is actually something my heart really wants..¡± Emma muttered with a nk stare down.


    ¡°In that case, now it¡¯s up to your strength to decide what you should choose.¡± Levi continued. He did not expect to be able to talk that long with a woman, even to the point of providing input on her problem, ¡®What the hell am I doing with this crazy girl?¡¯ he clicked in his heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Levi. Now I understand. Thank you!¡± Emma said while clenching her right hand to hit on her left palm.


    Levi only nced at her briefly, then, returned his focus to the road before shaking his headzily.


    A navy blue car pulled up beside the bus stop which was empty without a single person. A girl came out of the passenger door and a man followed from the driver¡¯s door.


    ¡°Thanks for the ride,¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°You know what? I told my mother I was taking you home. You asked me to drop you off here yourself.¡± Levi looked at Emma nkly.


    Emma smiled faintly, ¡°I know. And what happens to meter is none of your business.¡± she raised her eyebrows.


    Levi smiled disbelievingly as he shook his head, ¡°Your thought is too positive, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Then, what do you think I¡¯m talking about?¡± Emma replied with a triumphant smile.


    Levi couldn¡¯t reply to her anymore. It turned out that women were that good at arguing. Levi felt lucky that he had never dealt with them.


    ¡°Goodbye, Levi! Nice to meet you..¡± Emma waved her hand as she walked away.


    The two grey irises were still watching the brown-haired girl¡¯s back until she disappeared around the corner. After that, he just got into his car and drove away.


    ***


    Emma entered the house with a tired face. The pile of snow in front of her house had piled up as high as a mountain because had been left just for one day. Emma had to clean it in the middle of the night so that tomorrow she could get her car out easily when she wanted to go to campus.


    After taking off her coat and hanging it on the wooden hanging shelf near the door, Emma sat down on herfortable soft turquoise sofa and pulled her new cell phone out of her bag.

 Chapter 87

    87 The Wolf in Sheep¡¯s Clothing Trick


    Emma didn¡¯t forget the most important thing to have on her phone. She reached into her bag for a moment to take out her number and memory card which were tucked into a small stic bag.


    Once she had installed and turned on her new cell phone, Emma was quite surprised to find that several notifications had entered her cellphone. They were text messages from Kathy, Poppy, and Calvin asking how she was doing.


    Emma smiled warmly in disbelief. Indeed, she had justmunicated with Jonas the day before yesterday, so technically, the man would not contact her again within the next three days. In Emma¡¯s mind before, there was no way anyone would look for her while she had been missing all day. But it turned out that she was wrong. Emma forgot that now she already had a friend who would worry about her.


    ¡°It feels.. really good..¡± She muttered as she opened the messages from the three people one by one. Each asked where and how Emma was doing in their own way.


    Emma shook her head, still smiling. Then, she put the phone on the table and leaned against thefortable back of the sofa. She took a very long breath. Reflecting on what had previously been troubling her mind before a tragedy with a cat named Pixy led her to unexpectedly meet some new people.


    Even though she felt Levi was an annoying man, Emma couldn¡¯t deny that his words were true. Why should she still have doubts when everything was so clear? What else should Emma really consider?


    All she wanted was to have a normal life in a beautiful and peaceful city. Have lots of friends andpanions so she couldugh with them. Do ballet and perform on stage without having to worry about anything else. All of that could only be felt when there were no more evil gangsters that kept disturbing the peace in the city that was Emma¡¯s home now.


    I¡¯m not weak. I would clean up this city,¡± Emma said to herself. She promised herself that this would be thest time she would have any doubts.


    ***


    .....


    A pair of bright brown irises framed by curly eyshes rolled slowly. Even though she stared intently, the beauty of the two eyes was undeniable.


    On a dark and cold alley, her figure was obscured by the darkness of the shadows. The ck helmet visor that protected her identity was still open, allowing her vision to be clearer.


    As Emma Hind had expected, the Hell Gate group was rebuilding its business. They had already lost a lot of girls, but now they were aggressively looking for new victims. Emma was sure that they were repairing their server and website now.


    Three handsome men with tall bodies and fashionable clothes were chatting casually with three pretty girls on the side of a very quiet alley. The three men with sweet smiles turned out to have very sweet lips too, so it was very easy for them to make the three innocent girls fall for them.


    Now, Emma knew how Hell Gate trapped girls. They used handsome men to ensnare innocent and pretty girls through dating apps, bars, or social media. They knew, most girls would be weak to a good-looking guy with a cool style. In the hearts of the girls, they would think that such men were good men. Because, they were too na?ve that they judge a man by his appearance only.


    ¡°This is the result of consuming too many princess fairy tale stories,¡± Emma muttered after chuckling as she watched the three girls finally agree to follow the three men from the blind date into a dark narrow alley.


    Emma had been spying on the other Hell Gate bases. Unexpectedly by Emma, ??it turned out that there were still many headquarter branches that were much bigger and more dangerous than the first one she had destroyed. It turned out that each branch had its own main function. But for now, it seemed that the leader was ordering each base to look for girls to be the new actresses for their website.


    Up to this moment, Emma had destroyed two Hell Gate branches. During that time, she had saved a lot of girls who almost fell into the trap of those damn men. For now, Emma was eyeing the third branch. After that.. she would attack the fourth base which is thest branch which was the base of the higher-ups of the Hell Gate group.


    As expected, the men took their victim into the base which they told the girls was their temporary rental t during their college.


    Emma was standing on the back metal stairs of a t building. It was an emergency staircase that was not usually used by the building upants. She watched the six people, a few meters above. The people did not realize that a ck figure was lurking them up there.


    Emma¡¯s eyes were like eagle eyes. Since kid, she had always had a routine health check-up every six months. And her family¡¯s private doctor always said that Emma had soldier eyes. Yes, she had very sharp and clear eyes. It was as if she was destined to do this kind of work.


    After seeing the six people had entered a back door of the building that looked like a t, Emma immediately followed by climbing the metal stairs of the building that looked a bit shabby.


    Emma crept on guttering that ran along the length of the building. Fortunately, Emma¡¯s body was small and light enough to be supported by it. Emma¡¯s small body pressed against the wall with small sideways steps. Until finally, she managed to reach a window on the third floor. Carefully so as not to make the slightest sound, Emma opened and entered through the window after making sure that no one was behind it.


    Emma managed to get into the building. Just like the other bases, the inside looked gloomy and stuffy. She really didn¡¯t like the smell of a ce that had stored poison from the cigarette smoke that stick to every yellowed wall.


    She walked around, looking for where the three men had taken their victims. Dimly, Emma heard the sound of some girls crying. She walked quickly towards the source of the sound which led her to a wooden grey bedroom door with a lot of peeled off paint. Without a second thought, Emma immediately broke in.


    The three girls were in the corner of the room. They were tied up and their mouths covered with ck duct tape. They were crying hysterically, begging for help. However, Emma did not find the three handsome men who had brought them inside.


    ¡°Calm down! I will save you,¡± Emma whispered to the girls.


    ¡°Hmmppp!! Hemppp!!¡± However, suddenly the three girls tried to shout at Emma with their eyes wide open.


    In that instant, Emma felt that something was wrong. Her ears heard a fleeting sound from behind her back, followed by a shadow approaching her head from the side. Emma immediately bent her knees quickly. Thanks to that, she managed to avoid the kick that should have been hit her head. With lightning speed, Emma turned around as she shifted forward.


    It turned out that in front of the door of the room, there was a group of men standing by holding the long wooden block in their hands with big smiles. A crested-haired man with superior style stood at the front. He was the one who had thrown a missed kick towards Emma¡¯s head.


    ¡°Stupid.. You think you can still enter our base again in peace after yesterday¡¯s attack on our other two bases?¡± Asked the dark-lipped man from smoking too much.


    ¡°Of course I know, idiot! It¡¯s just a cheap trap, right?¡± Emma answered with augh.


    Yes, actually, Emma had already known that she would not escape easily after her second attack and some of her actions of saving the girls from Hell Gate¡¯s trap. Emma understood that the gangster didn¡¯t need to be prejudiced anymore to clearly know that the ck helmet¡¯s goal was to destroy their group and business.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough that you ransacked the main headquarter. Now, you¡¯re even attacking the entire branch headquarters,¡± Said the man.


    ¡°In that case, you shouldn¡¯t be too happy about ambushing me like this. Because I will definitely defeat you, assholes. No different from the main base that been crushed by my hands. So, who¡¯s the fool here?¡± Emma replied arrogantly.


    ¡°Well.. You don¡¯t know the powers of the head of the third branch,¡± He smiled.


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t bother preparing myself.¡± Emma answered lightly before moving her left foot to kick up.


    At that moment, the crested man immediately looked down to dodge, but a knee flew towards his chin instead. He didn¡¯t have time to dodge the movement speed of the ck helmet who had just tricked him with a fake kick stance.


    A Long Knee hit from Emma, ??who was still in great fatigue, cut the inside of the crested man¡¯s mouth so that it bled heavily. The man spitted out blood everywhere, but Emma didn¡¯t wait any longer to give him another jab.


    As soon as the crested man who was the leader of the base fell to the side, all his men immediately rushed to attack the ck helmet man.

 Chapter 88

    88 Besieged


    Emma saw a group of men with long wooden blocks running into the small room. She looked back with a worried face at the three girls who were still tied up. Of course, Emma wouldn¡¯t have time to release the girls before she could beat all the thugs. Hopefully, the poor girls were still okay when Emma was done with her businesster.


    The members of the Hell Gate group who had predicted Emma¡¯s arrival, deliberately brought weapons in their n to gang up on her. Emma knew, weapons were things the weak would use in battle. Because of that, it wasn¡¯t umon for Emma to see that people with a baseball bat were usually the easiest to overthrow.


    But that didn¡¯t mean defeating them all was as easy as turning the palm. In such a tiny room, Emma was a bit difficult to be surrounded like that, plus with the three girls who might be the target of thugs. Because of this, Emma had to get out of the crowded room as soon as possible while she could still control the situation.


    Emma fought the men while slowly sliding towards the door. Even though she realized there were a lot of people waiting outside the room, it didn¡¯t bother her at all. Through her spying for the past few days, Emma learned that it was in this third headquarters branch where Hell Gate locked up most of the girls they forcibly hired.


    Thanks to the practice and the many fights Emma had been intely so her fighting skills had grown tremendously. That¡¯s why people said that practice was better than theory.


    So far, Emma had always been practised apanied by her martial art teacher and Jonas. This made her subconscious say that she would still be fine, although she wasn¡¯t too serious whenever she was joining the adults in the fighting arena. But now, the situation was different. Emma must fight seriously to defend her own life and the lives of others. If she was careless, she would be finished.


    Finally, Emma managed to get out of the room. Almost all the men who stood in her way had she defeated. In front of the room, there¡¯s only a few men remained which Emma finally finished off with a few kicks.


    ¡°Is this all you got?¡± Emma mumbled breathlessly as she looked left and right to find that it was already empty.


    Then, she went back into the room and released the three girls, ¡°You girls stick behind my back. Don¡¯t make a sound and don¡¯t be separated.¡± She ordered. The three girls nodded in understanding with frightened faces.


    .....


    Emma led them to a door that led to a metal staircase outside which was previously guarded by one man, ¡°Get out of here quickly.¡± said Emma after peering down through the window, making sure it was safe there.


    ¡°How about you?¡± Asked one of the girls who noticed that the helmeted man was not going to follow them out the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll save the other girls. Be careful, the stairs are slippery. Take care of yourselves.¡± Emma answered.


    The three girls nodded together, ¡°Thank you very much. Good luck!¡±


    Emma nodded slightly. Then, the girls quickly stepped outside to get down from the small stairs.


    ¡°Wait..!¡± The robot-like voice made their little legs stop. The three pairs of puffy eyes looked at the ck helmet questioningly.


    ¡°Remember this saying of mine. As women, we... ah no, I mean, you girls.. shouldn¡¯t be too innocent. Remember this. In this world, there are a lot of bad people. Either monsters or angels, you won¡¯t know someone¡¯s heart only by their appearance. Therefore, you must be careful.¡± Emma said.


    The three girls looked at each other for a moment, then, nodded in understanding ¡°We understand. Thank you,¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, hurry up go down. I¡¯ll watch over you until you¡¯re safely downstairs.¡± Emma said. Then, she did the guarding until she saw the girls disappear from the entrance of the empty alley.


    Emma closed the door that could have brought her out of this rancid hell. She refused the fresh air and entered into this cursed ce instead, to save the girls with a future that would be destroyed.


    For some reason, Emma couldn¡¯t find the rest of the Hell Gate members all over the floor, or even girls she was looking for. From there, Emma began to feel something was wrong and odd.


    Then... sure enough. She could see the real problem when she got to the bottom floor. It was a huge living room which was suitable for parking several cars. But apparently, that ce would be a battle arena for Emma.


    What made the girl let out azy sigh was.. there was a big man with dark skin that Emma knew his face. It¡¯s Mezu. Behind the man, there were dozens of Hell Gate¡¯s men with wooden blocks in their hands, ready to destroy Emma with the excuse of revenge.


    Emma came down the stairs, smiling. Sweat trickled down from her forehead inside her always closed ck helmet.


    ¡°We meet again, Bulldozer..¡± Emma greeted by raising her right palm facing the front. It was as if she was very rxed in facing a group of thugs that had now surrounded her.


    ¡°You got my brother in jail! I¡¯ll make you regret ever trying to y with Hell Gate!¡± Mezu eximed with both hands tightly clenched. The veins in his body were bulging out with a furious quiver in every muscle.


    ¡°Wait a minute.. Why are you ming me? Your boss was the one who put him in jail. That asshole also killed my friend! He even had the heart to make his own favourite subordinate be the scapegoat. Use your walnut brain to think!¡± Emma replied annoyed.


    ¡°You talk too much! I will avenge my brother and my group! This time, I will make sure to turn all your bones into biscuit crumbs!¡±


    Emmaughed loudly, ¡°Well..Try if you can.. Oh.. Is your jaw that I almost broke that day already healed? Looks like stupid people have a faster body recovery, huh?¡± Emma sneered. Secretly, she was indeed a specialist in the sharp tongue. However, she was always reminded by her nanny to always guard her words, so she wouldn¡¯t hurt other people¡¯s feelings with her tongue. But for jerk men like them, she didn¡¯t have to hold back, right?


    The ck helmeted man¡¯s words made Mezu very inmed. This was the first time he hade across a man who talked so much with such a sharp tongue. Mezu admitted, the man really managed to provoke his anger.


    Even though she keptughing loudly and talking casually, actually Emma felt a little worried about the fight she was about to have. Different from the previous condition, this time, Emma had to fight the bison in an empty and very wide room like a field. It seemed that Mezu had deliberately framed Emma to fighting in such a ce.


    The man, who Emma always said had a small brain, turned out to be able to learn from previous experiences. All of that was more troublesome because there were dozens of men armed with wooden blocks who would help Mezu crush her bones.


    Emma nced at the stairs beside her, ¡®Should I just run upstairs?¡¯ she thought.


    But, even though she hadn¡¯t moved yet, several men wereing down from the upstairs. Emma¡¯s eyes widened. She thought she had explored the entire floor by looking for the girls, but had found the floors were empty.


    ¡®Ugh! Stupid!!¡¯ Emma eximed in her heart. She just remembered that the building should still have one more floor. That was on the roof! Of course, such ts had a roof.


    Now, Emma waspletely under siege. She stood in the middle, surrounded by men bigger than her. It would be very difficult having to keep dodging and attacking Mezu, while facing dozens of men who were also attacking her at the same time.


    ¡°DEATH!!!¡± Mezu shouted as ran towards the dwarf man standing in the middle. He was followed by his subordinates who shouted as well and dashed to the centre with their wooden block raised as if they were facing dozens of members of an enemy group. It looked so funny and cowardly.


    ¡°You can do this, Emma..¡± The girl mumbled after taking a deep breath and exhaling. As her Kung Fu master, who came all the way from Wudang Mountain to train her, said.


    ¡®Calm is the main key in dealing with problems.¡¯


    The first attack came from the man behind Emma that she immediately dealt with a high back kick. Then, quickly, another attack came from the right, left, and front. Emma fought them all with a mix of Kung Fu, Taekwondo, and Muay Thai moves. She pushed up her movement speed to be able to protect her body from all those consecutive attacks.


    Until finally, the crowd in front of her opened to show a raging bull figure appeared and quickly lunged right in front of her face.


    Seeing the sudden danger, Emma immediately dodged as best she could. Thanks to her agile legs, Emma managed to escape the attack. But she realized, in order to not get caught by Mezu¡¯s hands, she had to take another risk.


    Bugh! Bugh! Bugh!


    Emma grimaced as she tried to get back up after the wooden block hit her shoulder and outer thigh very hard.


    ¡°Damn! This isn¡¯t good..¡± Emma muttered as she tried to dodge another punch. Her body that had been hit by the hard object felt very painful.


    Emma knew that she was really good at hitting and fighting techniques. But her weakness was her body¡¯s resistance to blows. The situation immediately deteriorated.


    Mezu who saw the ck helmet man was already looking overwhelmed, smiled broadly. He was sure that this time he would crush the dwarf¡¯s bones. Give him a lesson, because he had made his twin brother get into prison.


    Then, Mezu lowered his back slightly and his eyes aimed at the ck figure who was busy parrying the blows pouring down on her. The man¡¯s two big, hard hands looked like the ws of a Grizzly bear that were ready to grip.

 Chapter 89

    89 My Fight


    With a growl, Mezu ran towards the ck helmet man. His feet stomped as if shaking the ground he stepped on.


    Another blow came from above. Emma immediately crossed her arms in front of her face so that the block of wood hit her bones instead. A thump of the ground made Emma move her sight sideways, ¡°Shit!¡± she screamed, realizing that Mezu was running fast towards her.


    Emma didn¡¯t expect it to end up like this. Unable to fight the enemy. Had to give up her dream after this defeat. She failed to save the girls and bullied in Handway City. And what¡¯s even worse.. perhaps after this, she won¡¯t be able to dance ballet anymore.


    ¡°Attack!!!¡±


    Suddenly, all of the activity stopped when two Hell Gate members ran in from the front door screaming with limp legs.


    Mezu who was running, then stopped his footsteps. He looked with furrowed brows at the two men whose faces were battered.


    ¡°A-an.. Attack! Jita.. Kyoei!!¡± Said one of them with lips full covered with blood.


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Emma who had fallen on her back mumbled. Then, she realized that the off guard of all the members was an opportunity for her to escape.


    With that, Emma quickly kicked the three men who were holding her with two kicks. Then, she managed to get to her feet while the men finally came back to attack her again.


    .....


    A few secondster, a loud noise came from outside the door. Then, several members who were surrounding Emma ??finally shifted their focus to the front door. Some had already left the fighting arena to head there. But Emma still couldn¡¯t escape, because now she was really facing Mezu¡¯s attack.


    BUGH!! KRAK!! BUGH!!


    There was a man dressed in a ck motorcycle jacket with a yellow list entered the fighting arena. Emma knew that face very well. He was Ian from the Jita Kyoei group.


    Behind him, a group of big men followed. They were like an iron ship breaking through the thickyer of ice that blocked their path.


    Troy, Frank, Martin, Nicko, and.. Calvin Lee. They entered with heavy blows which instantly toppled the men with wooden blocks.


    The two sharp ck iris eyes stared at the figure of a man with the body covered in all ck clothes and a motorcycle helmet on his head, fighting a figure that was almost three times his body size. Calvin knew, it was Mezu, one of the twin pirs of the main guardian of Hell Gate.


    ¡°He¡¯s so tiny,¡± Said Troy who was standing beside Calvin. They stood amid the friends who were battling dozens of Hell Gate members as if it was nothing.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°With such a small body, he could defeat the twins Gozu and Mezu who are Hell Gate¡¯s strongholds. Look at that.. his moves are so agile.¡±


    ¡°We finally met him,¡± Said Ian who had just beaten ten people and piled them in the middle of the arena. He didn¡¯t look tired at all.


    Troy nodded once, ¡°Looks like he¡¯s fought it out. Even though he¡¯s agile, I can tell he¡¯s exhausted. I don¡¯t know what would have happened to him if we didn¡¯te here.¡±


    ¡°Hyaa!!!¡±


    Calvin shifted his body slightly, then smacked his elbow into the face of the man running towards him with a swing of a wooden block. The man immediately copsed due to Calvin¡¯s casual punch.


    Calvin and Jita Kyoei knew, Hell Gate was indeed very good at developing and hiding their dirty business. They also had a lot of members. However, unfortunately, their members were very weak in fighting. Because of that, Kei decided to recruit the members of the martial arts studio to be part of their members.


    With the help of Calvin and Jita Kyoei¡¯s group, Emma could focus on fighting Mezu without any interference from the rest of the Hell Gate group¡¯s members. But right now, Emma had a weakness that she didn¡¯t feel when she fought the monster at the main headquarter that day.


    Now, Emma¡¯s body had been quite a lot injured, causing her movement and strength to not be as strong as they should be. She also couldn¡¯t take advantage of a wide fighting arena like this ce.


    Emma¡¯s leg, which had previously been hit by a wooden block, was hurt when she ran too much. Sweat dripped behind her helmet. Emma panted when she realized, maybe she couldn¡¯t fight Mezu who at that time she could easily take down.


    As Mezu attacked back at her, Emma immediately jumped to the side. But unfortunately, her leg was caught by the hand of a man who was lying unconscious on the floor. Emma instantly fell and struggled to get up.


    At the same time, Mezu saw the golden opportunity. Then, he immediately turned around and attack the ck helmet man again as shouting in anger. He knew that his headquarter was now under the Jita Kyoei group control, which reportedly was also targeting Hell Gate to be destroyed. Perhaps the group that had raised him was already on the brink. However, as a pir of defence, Mezu would continue fighting until thest of his blood droop. He would defend his kingdom. He was a great and loyalmander.


    ¡°I WILL KILL YOU!!!¡± Mezu shouted with passionate steps.


    Suddenly, a powerful kick flew over to his right ear. Instantly, Mezu staggered to the side. Mezu held his right ear and jaw which were in great pain. The kick was very strong. He turned to a man standing a few steps away from him.


    ¡°A lonely hero..¡± Mezu muttered.


    That¡¯s Calvin Lee. A hero who wandered alone in the darkness of Handway City to help victims of burry, as well as looking for trouble with several gangster groups. But all this time, he had never touched the Hell Gate group. Now, he helped the man in the ck helmet as if they were on the same goal.


    Emma was surprised to see Calvin suddenly appear to help her. Just like that time, when Emma was helping Roger who was bullied by Carter in the campus hallway. Calvin also appeared to help her with the same flying kick. Emma looked around. Almost all Hell Gate members in the base had been knocked out by Troy and his friends.


    Emma was feeling lucky. Yes, if Calvin hadn¡¯t saved her, she might have been finished in Mezu¡¯s hands. But that didn¡¯t mean that Emma was happy. She immediately stood up with a grimace on her face. Then, stepped closer to the tall man who was still looking at her with a curious face.


    Emma raised her hand, and lightly patted Calvin¡¯s chest, ¡°Thank you. But this is my fight.¡± she said.


    Calvin furrowed his brows when he heard a robot-like voiceing out of the ck helmet. Even the man used a voice changer to mask his true identity. Even so, Calvin could judge that he was a gentleman who had a real fighting spirit inside that small body.


    ¡°Certain,¡± Calvin replied with a faint smile, then stepped back.


    Meanwhile, several additional members of the Hell Gate group appeared. As usual, they loved to call for reinforcements.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talkter,¡± Calvin said before leaving the ck helmet man to fight Mezu, just as he would not receive the ¡®No¡¯ answer.


    Emma ignored him. She turned her focus to the figure of Mezu who was already standing back a few steps in front of her. While enduring the pain, Emma caught her breath. Now, she could focus on one person. This time, she would not allow Mezu to rise again. Emma would tear down all the support pirs of Hell Gate.


    ¡°Jump highest andnded like a feather,¡± Emma muttered under her breath.


    As soon as Mezu ran towards her, Emma¡¯s leg which was still able to move normally, jumped up like a spring. Emma¡¯s jump was so high that it almost overtook the two-meter-tall man¡¯s head. That acrobatic scene even made Mezu gape in surprise.


    Quickly, Emma stomped on Mezu¡¯s back with her sore foot, then with her normal foot kicked Mezu¡¯s ear hard before jumping down behind the man¡¯s back.


    ¡®The back of a wrestler that always bends down will be the perfect foothold for the ballet¡¯s feet.¡¯ Emma said in her heart.


    The dwarf¡¯s kick was not as strong as Calvin Lee¡¯s, but he knew the fatal point that really made his opponent fall in just one attack. Mezu was unable to match the ck-helmeted man¡¯s fast-paced way of thinking.


    Emma looked at Mezu who was holding his right ear which had already received two kicks. He seemed to have lost his bnce. And as soon as the man lowered his hand, Emma could see blood pouring out of Mezu¡¯s ear.


    ¡®Hopefully, it¡¯s damage to his eardrum,¡¯ Emma thought. She had deliberately attacked the point that Calvin had previously attacked. That way, it would be faster to destroy him. Like a big ship that had many engines. With the damage to several main engines, it would make it unable to sail optimally.


    Now, Emma would not use the usual game ne that she had always relied on in facing a much bigger opponent than her. Usually, Emma always ran away, but now she would use a new strategy that Mezu had never seen before.


    ¡°Did I ever tell you that I¡¯ve been taking gymnastics sses for eight years?¡± Emma muttered with a smile, which of course, only she could hear. She hung her palms in front of her waist and then wiggled her four fingers as a symbol for the opponent to move first.


    The behaviour of the ck helmet man always managed to make Mezu¡¯s anger explode. As his opponent wanted, he charged like a furious bull being teased with a red g.

 Chapter 90

    90 His Name Is ck


    When Mezu drew closer, Emma immediately jumped to the side with a flip andnded on her hands. As soon as Mezu was about to turn around, Emma had already turned her body upside down. Her two legs were on top, spinning like a propeller, then hit Mezu¡¯s face with her foot in session.


    Emma¡¯s kick that used the thrust made Mezu instantly fall to the side. Seeing that Mezu¡¯s head was already on the floor, Emma immediately jumped back, now with her two feet stomping on the side of his head.


    As soon as Mezu was about to try to get back up, Emma quickly lifted her leg straight into the air and smashed it down so that the sole of her feet hit the side of Mezu¡¯s head again.


    The strong sole hit made Mezu¡¯s ears ring for a moment. His head ached so badly, it felt as if his eyes were going to pop out of his skull. Blood was also seen flowing a little from his nose. He winced because he felt like he was going to faint. His blurry vision still could see two legs with ck pants and shoes standing in front of his face. Then a secondter, the two legs disappeared.


    But, Mezu once again felt the presence of the figure who was now on his body. Mezu was no longer able to fight back. His head which was in charge of controlling all his limbs, was already in a state of crisis.


    ¡°Now, who broke whose bones?¡± Emma asked beside the man¡¯s ear.


    Then, Emma positioned her lower body under Mezu¡¯s head, then, wrapped her arms around his neck. She put both hands on Mezu¡¯s jaw, whose face was already very puffy from running out of breath. Then..


    CRACK!!


    Emma let go of her hands which had be powerless after forcing a tremendous amount of force to break the monster¡¯s strong neck. Then, she stood up, staring at Jita Kyoei who had almost finished defeating the group of Hell Gate¡¯s reinforcements. She admitted, the group had a lot of members. No wonder. It¡¯s because they could pay a lot of men from the money of enving the women. This made Emma even more annoyed and eager to destroy the group.


    .....


    Calvin and Troy, who had been watching the ck helmet man fight against Mezu, couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads in admiration. Honestly, so far they have never seen a way of fighting as the ck helmet man did. Besides being agile and great, he even had a clever and quick-thinking brain. Now, they didn¡¯t wonder why he was able to raid Hell Gate¡¯s main headquarters by himself.


    Emma saw Calvin and Troy who were a few meters away, watching her. She only realized that she was in the worst possible situation. If the two of them found out who she was, then all of Emma¡¯s goals ining to Handway City would be ended.


    As soon as the two of them were about to approach, Emma immediately shouted, ¡°Don¡¯te any closer! What do you want from me?¡±


    Calvin and Troy stopped their steps. On the other hand, all members of Jita Kyoei have finished defeating all members of Hell Gate without remaining.


    ¡°We want to know, who are you and what your goal is? You should know, the news about you destroying the Hell Gate¡¯s main headquarters had been spread everywhere.¡± Calvin answered.


    Emma thought for a moment. Of course, she didn¡¯t know about it. Emma was different from Calvin. She never knew information about any gangster group other than the Hell Gate that she wastely after. The fact that now, her figure became famous, gave a little sense of misgivings in her heart.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am. But, I only have one goal. I avenge my best friend by destroying the Hell Gate group. The one who killed Roger Timothy was Kei Matsumoto.¡± Emma answered with additional information.


    Troy and Calvin immediately turned to each other when they heard the news. It turned out that Gozu was just a scapegoat for Kei¡¯s crimes. The guy was actually worse than trash.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Roger had any friends. Are you a student at Jardin University?¡± Troy asked curiously.


    Emma chuckled, ¡°What do you know about Roger? You guys even just kept quiet even though you knew he was a victim of bullying. And also.. you don¡¯t need to know anything about me. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with anyone.¡± she answered.


    ¡°We have the same goal,¡± Calvin added. ¡°We also will destroy Hell Gate. But, you know that Hell Gate is very powerful, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m not sure, if you do it alone, you will seed. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we cooperate?¡± he continued.


    Emma thought about the offer. Of course, it would be better to work together as Calvin had said. But if it had to be like that, the risk of her identity being exposed would be much greater. After all, even if Emma refused, those guys would still be hunting down the evil gangsters like their original mission, right?


    ¡°I¡¯ll move on my own. Thanks for the offer,¡± Emma shook her head and walked away.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Calvin asked as he saw the man in the helmet go upstairs instead, even though the exit was in the front.


    Emma didn¡¯t answer and instead kept walking. Calvin and Troy nced at each other, before following in her footsteps.


    They all went up to the top floor which was the roof of the building. There actually was arge room guarded by two men.


    Emma, ??who was in the front, instantly knocked out the two guard men with her fists. Then, she broke down the room¡¯s door by kicking near the doorknob.


    Emma¡¯s uninjured foot kick was hard enough to knock the door open as the knob broke. Suddenly, a women¡¯s voice came from inside.


    Calvin, Troy, and their friends who were behind the ck helmet man, were gasped to see a group of girlsnguishing in the stuffy room. They were young women with pretty faces, consisting of girls from fifteen to twenty-two years old. There were about twenty-five women in total.


    ¡°T-that..¡± Martin muttered.


    Ian nodded, ¡°Imagine, they made heaps of money using those poor girls. What a bunch of assholes!¡± he said.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt us.. We haven¡¯t made a sound as you asked..¡± One of the girls cried.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°We¡¯vee to free you girls. Hurry back to your home and don¡¯t be caught in this kind of trap again. Got it?¡±


    The words that the man in the ck helmet made with his robotic voice made the girls cheer with joy, ¡°Thank you! Thank you very much!¡± they said while hugging each other in gratitude.


    Emma smiled sadly at the scene. She could understand the feelings of the girls, because she was a woman also. Being a victim of harassment was every woman¡¯s nightmare. Especially, if they have to give up their bodies to be a source of ie for criminals. That must be really scary.


    ¡°Guys, guard them until they returned to their respective homes,¡± Troy ordered all his members.


    ¡°Got it!¡± They answered.


    Nicko approached the group of girls with a sincere face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We are good men, not like them. We will take you home safely.¡± he said. He understood, maybe after what the girls have been through, it would leave a deep trauma on their mentality.


    ¡°I hope, at least one of them goes to the police to report this,¡± Emma said subconsciously to Calvin who was standing beside her.


    ¡°There may be, but it will be in vain,¡± Troy said.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°Handway City has very strangews. They discipline their citizens, beautify the city, yet seem indifferent to gangster activity. All crimes rted to those thugs had ended with the case closed. Even in Roger¡¯s case, if his parents didn¡¯t pay much money, it¡¯s possible that Gozu was still roaming freely now.¡± he exined.


    Hearing Calvin¡¯s exnation, Emma gritted her teeth in annoyance. She also remembered Calvin¡¯s story about his childhood. How he lost his older brother as the victim of bullying, and the authorities and the media kept silent and covered up the case. With each passing day, Emma realized how strange the city that she thought was beautiful and peaceful.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m impressed by your fighting technique,¡± Troy said suddenly.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma replied quickly, then, walking away.


    ¡°If you really don¡¯t want to tell us who you are, at least tell us what we should call you,¡± Troy eximed, staring at the ck helmet man¡¯s back. His eyes seemed to sparkle.


    Troy really admired a man who was strong and rich in fighting techniques. Just by watching that person fight with Mezu alone had made him unknowingly apud several times while watching the fight.


    Emma looked back at the figures of the two tall men, ¡°You can call me ck.¡± she said with a smile they couldn¡¯t see.


    Troy smiled broadly, ¡°Sure, ck. Hopefully, we can meet again in the next fight.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re a good person. It¡¯s not hard to notice.¡± Calvin added with his arms crossed on his chest.


    Then, the man in the helmet finally disappeared from behind the door that led to the stairs.


    ¡°You seem to like him a lot. Could it be that you...¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Troy cut him, knowing what the next word woulde out of Calvin¡¯s mouth. ¡°I just admire him. Of course, I like girls. But.. some things scare me.¡±


    Calvin looked at Troy questioningly. He had no intention of asking further questions that he thought would vite Troy¡¯s privacy. But he didn¡¯t mind if Troy would finally tell him a little about himself.


    Noticing Calvin¡¯s gaze, Troy then snorted and cleared his throat, ¡°Well.. they¡¯re fussy and controlling. Do you know? Just like Emma. She even forced us to use tissue paper just to eat a single sandwich and fuss over the breadcrumbs that would fall on the floor. They¡¯re surely a pain in the ass.¡± he exined with a shy face.


    ¡°You have a point. But in the end, we need them and must protect them.¡± Calvin replied.


    Troy raised his eyebrows briefly, and then headed for the stairs toe down, wrapping his arms around himself, ¡°We¡¯d better get home soon. It¡¯s so cold up here.¡±


    Just as he was about to reach the stairs, Ian suddenly appeared from downstairs.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Asked Troy who was a bit surprised by the sudden appearance of his friend.


    ¡°The ck helmet man...¡±


    ¡°His name is ck.¡± Cut Calvin.


    Ian nodded, ¡°You know what? He¡¯s destroying all the properties inside.¡±


    Calvin and Troy looked at each other, then smiled faintly, ¡°That sounds like fun, doesn¡¯t it? Looks like we can help him out for a bit.¡±

 Chapter 91

    91 A Bad Luck


    The wind blew hard against Emma¡¯s body. She was driving her sportbike that night. Her whole body ached, especially in her leg that had been hit, but still, she had to force to fight.


    Before leaving for home earlier, Emma had checked at the time on her watch which showed 1:00 am. She snorted in annoyance because she had to go to the campus at eight in the morning. Because she was in a hurry, Emma had unknowingly driven her motorbike quite fast on the slippery road. Then, when she crossed the corner...


    CRASH!!


    ¡°Ugh.. ouch..¡± Emma groaned.


    The sports bike she was riding slipped and instantly fell to the side as she suddenly pressed the brakes.


    An old man who had crossed the road at the wrong ce, immediately rushed to the figure of a man who was being squeezed under his own motorbike.


    ¡°Gosh.. Master.. I¡¯m so sorry. Are you all right?¡± Asked the old man as tried to lift the motorbike so the rider could crawl out.


    Emma was stillining of pain. It was as if she had fallen and then been hit by thedder. Her body, which had been in pain from the start, had smacked onto the hard asphalt and squeezed by her big bike. Indeed, being a lonely hero was not easy. For some reason, Emma felt like she¡¯d been having bad lucktely.


    Unintentionally, Emma took off her helmet ss visor so she could breathe properly after the crash, ¡°I¡¯m fine. But, can you help me move this bike to the side?¡± she asked.


    .....


    The old man, with all of his hair turned white, immediately nodded quickly, ¡°Of course, I can. That is my house,¡± he answered by pointing to a simple house nked by two bigger buildings.


    With the help of the old man who caused her to crashed, Emma pushed her motorbike to the side of the road.


    ¡°Are you hurt? Should I call an ambnce?¡± Asked the man worriedly.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No need, Sir. Thank you. I¡¯m just going to sit down for a while to calm down the adrenaline in my heart.¡±


    ¡°In that case, please rest for a while inside. I¡¯ll ask my wife to make a warm drink for you. If possible, she will also treat your wound.¡± The man offered with a face full of guilt. He saw the condition of the biker man whose knee pants were torn and showed arge bloody wound behind it.


    Finally, Emma nodded, ¡°Sure then. Thank you.¡± she said.


    Before entering the old man¡¯s house, which did not have a front yard, Emma opened her motorcycle seat and took out the bike cover cloth. She did not want the motorbike to be covered in snow and also to prevent the possibility of an enemy recognizing her motorbike when passing through the already empty road.


    Emma stepped into the very warm house. Either the air, the setting, and the smell really describe a warmth.


    ¡°You can put your helmet here, young man,¡± The man said by pointing to a small table near the entrance.


    Although she was a little hesitant at first, Emma decided to take off her helmet when she got inside. ording to her, she didn¡¯t need to hide her identity from people who didn¡¯t even know her at all. After all, the man was a harmless-looking old man. How could he know anything about gangsters?


    ¡°Oh, My.. You are a woman? I¡¯m sorry, I thought you were a boy!¡± Said the man with a dumbfounded face after seeing Emma¡¯s beautiful face.


    Emma smiled faintly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a woman who loves automotive.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see..¡± The old man nodded. Then, he walked inside and stopped in the living room, ¡°Please sit here for a moment. I will call my wife out,¡± he asked before going towards the kitchen.


    Emma followed the old man¡¯s instruction by sitting on the guest chair with the coffee table in front of her. As usual, Emma¡¯s eyes were immediately busy looking around and exploring the shape and interior of the house.


    Even though the house wasn¡¯t big, Emma could clearly feel the warmth inside, which was enhanced by the slightly yellowish light of themps. In addition, the house also had a very unique ssic interior. Maybe, it¡¯s because the owners were an elderly couple. The smell in the house smelled like freshly baked cookies from the oven. Even in the middle of the table, there were several jars of cookies that instantly made Emma¡¯s saliva pool under her tongue.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting,¡± Said an old woman with long white hair tied back as stepped out from the direction of the kitchen. Even though wrinkles covered her face, her natural beauty didn¡¯t seem to fade at all.


    Emma then smiled at the woman, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it,¡±


    Inside, Emma was a little surprised to see the granny¡¯s tall body. It seemed that the old woman had a height that was above the average height of the women in their country. In fact, it seemed that her body was slightly taller than her husband¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my careless husband. I¡¯ve often told him to always cross the road in the right ce, no matter when the road is busy or empty. But he always seems to be viting it secretly.¡± The woman shook her head as she put down the tray containing a cup of hot ginger tea and a first aid box.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ma¡¯am. Maybe after this, your husband won¡¯t do it again,¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°Well.. Hopefully, he will be careful next time. Maybe things could be worse than this, right? Humans can only understand after receiving punishment.¡± She pointed to the porcin cup that was already on the table, ¡°Please drink it while it¡¯s still hot. Oh, right.. you can also try these cookies. I just finished making them this afternoon with my granddaughter.¡±


    Emma immediately took the pretty cup and sipped its contents which tasted sweet and seemed to immediately warm her body, ¡°Thank you.. This is very delicious.¡±


    The woman nodded with a warm smile, ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name, Honey? I¡¯m Hellen Andreson, and my husband¡¯s name is Mathew Andreson. I¡¯m sure you two haven¡¯t had the chance to get acquainted, because my husband is the type of person who will have a long chat with strangers first before finally remembering to introduce himself.¡± Said the old woman, as giving out her right hand in front of Emma. From the look on her face, Emma could tell that she must really love her husband.


    Emma chuckled as she nodded and shook the warm hand, ¡°You know him really well, Mrs Anderson. My name is Emma Hind. You can call me Emma. By the way, where is your husband?¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Emma. My husband is upstairs. He¡¯s in the shower. Hh.. I hope he¡¯s not making a lot of noise. I¡¯m afraid my granddaughter might be wake up to it.¡± Hellen muttered with her face turning fierce.


    ¡°Oh.. Your granddaughter lives with you too?¡± Emma asked by pointing to the jar of ginger-man cookie that had been making her drool earlier, ¡°Can I open this?¡±


    ¡°Of course.. You can eat all you want,¡± Hellen replied as she opened the antiseptic wipe and a red medicine drop, ¡°This is a traditional medicine that our family has been using for a long time when ites to bleeding wounds. Would you allow me to treat your wounds?¡±


    Emma looked at her knees which were exposed because her pants were torn into circles there. Then, she shook her head, ¡°I think I¡¯ll take care of myselfter at my house. It¡¯s a bit troublesome when I¡¯m wearing pants like this. Thank you for the offer, Mrs Hellen.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. I think you are right. I¡¯m sorry to say this, dear.. But it¡¯s actually not good for girls to roam toote at night, especially on motorbikes. Besides the slippery roads, sometimes delinquents are wandering the streets.¡± Hellen whispered.


    Emma nodded with an awkward smile, ¡°Thanks for worrying about me, Mrs.¡±


    Hellen gave a small smile as she looked at Emma meaningfully, ¡°You are very much like my sleeping granddaughter. You are ady, but a bit tomboyish like a man.¡± Then, she remembered something and pped her forehead while shaking her head slowly, ¡°Oh.. sorry. I think you asked if my granddaughter lives here with us, huh? Why would I talk about things? Haha.. I¡¯m that old, indeed.¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mrs Hellen. But I think I already know that you all live together in this house.¡± Emma answered.


    Hellen nodded, ¡°Right.. It looks like you two are the same age. My granddaughter lost both of her parents when she was a child. Since then, my husband and I have been raising her. I feel sorry for her. We are very old already.. When we leave this world, then, she will be alone. Even we can only leave an old building on the side of the road for her to survive in the future..¡±


    ¡°You and your husband are still very healthy, Mrs Hellen. I¡¯m sure you still have plenty of time to see your granddaughter seed.¡± Emma said softly. Then, she nced at her watch. It was almost two in the morning. She was a bit surprised and hastily finished her drink and put the cup back on the tray, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mrs Hellen. Looks like I have to go home now. It¡¯s already toote.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. You¡¯re right. Sorry, I told too many unimportant stories. Let me walk you out. But, are you sure you can go home like this?¡± Hellen asked.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No need, Mrs. It¡¯s very cold outside. And I¡¯m still strong enough to go back home. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± she answered as stood up.


    Hellen gave Emma a guilty expression, then, she remembered something, ¡°Oh.. Wait a minute, Emma.¡± She stepped to the back quickly, then came back with arge women¡¯s brown coat in her arms, ¡°You have some rips in your jacket. Please put this coat on.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay?¡± Emma asked.


    Hellen nodded confidently, ¡°You can return it at any time, or if necessary, you can keep it for yourself. I don¡¯t know what more appropriate way to apologize for my husband¡¯s carelessness. Please, at least you ept this pointless offer..¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind it, Mrs Hellen. It was an ident.¡± Emma replied by taking the coat and putting it on, ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s very warm and pretty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if my husband can¡¯t take you. He¡¯s the record holder for the longest shower taker in Handway City.¡± Hellen said with an ufortable face as she opened the beige-painted wooden door of her house.

 Chapter 92

    92 Recovering


    Instantly, the cold air outside pushed its way inside. Emmaughed at Hellen¡¯s words. Hopefully, the olddy was just joking. ¡°Thanks for giving me a ce to rest, Mrs Hellen. I¡¯ll return the coat when I¡¯ve done theundry. See you next time.¡± She said.


    ¡°No need to rush if you don¡¯t have time. See you again.. Be careful on the road.¡± Hellen replied.


    Finally, Emma returned to her motorbike. As she predicted, the bike was already covered by quite ayer of snow. Luckily, Emma had covered it with a motorcycle cover cloth.


    ¡°Hh.. I¡¯m sorry.. you¡¯ve only been with me for a month, but you¡¯ve already injured like this..¡± Emma said by rubbing her broken and badly scratched motorbike¡¯s body.


    ***


    The sound of the rm woke Emma from her poor quality sleep. She groaned at the unbearable drowsiness, and her whole body aching in excruciating pain.


    Emma looked at the rm clock on the nightstand beside the bed. It showed six in the morning. Emma immediately pressed the white button above the cloud-shaped clock to stop it from beeping.


    ¡°Ugh.. I think I can¡¯t do this. If I force myself.. maybe I will die on campus,¡± Emma muttered to herself. She wasn¡¯t nning on being hyperbole. She just really felt that her body would fall apart if she forced herself to go to campus.


    Previously, Emma had just arrived at her house when it was almost 3 a.m. Then, she had to bathe, clean, and treat her very painful wounds until 5 a.m. That meant, Emma only had the time to sleep for about an hour after having spent all her energy fighting against dozens of men and one monster.


    .....


    For the first time ever of her study at Jardin University, Emma finally decided to skip college. She didn¡¯t even think about her ballet ss today. Because it¡¯s also impossible for her to dance ballet with her injured inside and out leg.


    Emma woke up again when the sun was already very high above the roof of her house. The birds no longer seemed to be singing outside her room window. Emma nced at the clock on the table again, it was already 2 p.m. Her stomach had even turned into a marching band as the protest of extremely hungry feel.


    With weak steps and a little limp, Emma stepped her bruised and injured legs into the kitchen. She yawned very wide with messy hair. She was really in a mess after experiencing various body strength testsst night. She opened a big, two doors refrigerator, then looked at the filling for a while, before closing it again without taking anything. Instead, she walked over to the counter, poured a ss of water, and gulped down its contents. While doing so, she checked her cell phone.


    ¡®Hi, Emma. Where are you? Why are you noting today?¡¯ -Calvin


    ¡®Emma.. I haven¡¯t seen you since the morning. Are you not healthy today? Poppy and I really worry about you. Please let me know when you read this message. Don¡¯t make me worry, okay?!¡¯ -Kathy


    Emma smiled by reading the messages from her two best friends. Then, she replied by telling them that she was fine and just feeling a little unwell, so she decided to skip today¡¯s college.


    ¡°Ugh.. I¡¯m so hungry..¡± She muttered by holding her stomach. After cooking so many times, Emma had no idea what to cook anymore. Actually, she could have cooked a simple menu. But, to Emma, ??cooking was an art job. Even though in the end, she would eat it herself, cooking a special menu gave a feeling of pleasure that made her stress evaporate instantly.


    ¡°Oh, right!!¡± Emma eximed before running towards her sling bag which she had ced on the shelf. Then, she opened the bag and took out an orange notebook with a dove picture on its cover.


    Her lips bloomed as she opened the pretty notebook. It was the recipe book Nancy gave her. She excitedly looked through inside and decided to make a Seafood Risotto.


    ¡®Hope it tastes as good as Nancy¡¯s..¡¯ Emma thought after she finished ting.


    She sat at the dinner table with a te of steaming risotto and a ss of fresh apple juice which she always kept in the refrigerator. The final result of the dish made Emma smile in satisfaction. It turned out to be really good! Well, even though it can¡¯t match what Nancy made.. but Emma was already satisfied with it.


    ¡°Think about her, I just wonder, how is Nancy doing? I don¡¯t know why do I miss her? Even, we¡¯ve only met each other for once.¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    Thinking of Nancy made Emma think of Levi too. Maybe, because she had never met a man who acted so rude to her, made his image so imprinted on Emma¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Hem.. Why am I thinking about him, anyway? I should just go to the hospital to check if my internal organs are still okay.¡± Emma grumbled, realizing that she had done washing the dish. Even the homework would feel so little if done while daydreaming.


    While driving, Emma called Jonas to report her current condition with a little spark of lying. Of course, Emma wouldn¡¯t tell him that she was involved in a fight and a bike ident that made her have to go to the hospital for over-worried about her own condition.


    ¡°It¡¯s not even a month, why should it be repaired?¡± Jonas asked in surprise.


    ¡°Well.. I find the engine sound a bit strange. Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s too cold here. I think the oil was frozen.¡± Emma answered casually.


    ¡°Hey.. You don¡¯t understand anything about the vehicle engine. Why would I provide a motorbike for you, if I knew that the oil will freeze? What are you actually doing there, Emma?¡± Jonas asked again. Now, his tone sounded irritated and more serious.


    ¡°You already know that I¡¯m not familiar with the engine. Because of that, I could have used the bike the wrong way. Are ballet and studying hard sound strange to you? Because that¡¯s just what I¡¯m doing here.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.. Why does it seem so hard to believe your words, Emma? Even when you were a kid, you got me in trouble a lot because you were so clever and lied too much.¡± Jonas replied.


    Emma stifled augh, then chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m no longer a kid, Jonas. Please, just trust me this time. I¡¯m not causing any trouble here. My life is fine and always will be. So.. don¡¯t worry about me or dare to send people to spy on me. I will really hate you if you do something unbelievable like that. I¡¯m just reminding..¡± She said.


    ¡°Very well.. I will do as you wish, ording to your dad¡¯s orders. As long as you keep the update to me ording to the schedule, then, I will not disturb your private life. So, apart from sending an engine and bike detail repairman, what else should I provide for you, Princess?¡± Jonas asked sarcastically.


    Emmaughed a little, then, started to think for a moment, ¡°Um.. Maybe you can send me more voice changing devices. And.. oh, right.. Please, increase my credit card limit a little.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, What?!¡± Jonas sounded disapproving of the request. Seriously? The credit card limit that Emma currently held was already very big!


    ¡°Well,tely, I just loved doing shopping. I often did cooking experiments, bought make-up kits, and you know.. Handway City has lots of nice ces. I hang out with my university friends almost every day.¡± Emma exined with a dust rain of lies.


    Silence for a few seconds on the other side. It seemed that Jonas was trying to regte his patience with the only daughter of the very feared leader of the mafia group. No wonder, if she was very arbitrary and looked not afraid of anything in this world. ¡°Okay, Emma. Okay. Fine. I¡¯ll ept and try to understand all your excuses. I¡¯ll do it. Are you happy now?¡±


    Emma nodded excitedly, ¡°So much! Thank you Jonas!¡± she said. ¡°Is there anything else you want to tell me? Otherwise, I¡¯ll hang up because I¡¯m driving right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only being polite after receiving everything you want, huh?¡± He mumbled with a click, ¡°There is no more.¡±


    ¡°All right, then. Bye ..¡± Emma answered with an amusedugh before pressing the phone button on the steering wheel of her car to end the call.


    Emma walked into a hospital corridor. This was the first time she had visited the Handway City hospital. And, she never thought that she had toe here for health treatment.


    After undergoing several examination procedures, Emma finally came out of the doctor¡¯s room with arge brown envelope in her hand. From the results of the examination, there were no significant internal injuries that would affect Emma¡¯s health in the future. But the doctor advised her to rest and not do any physical activity for days, which of course, Emma would most likely vite.


    After redeeming her medicine and paying for the administration, Emma nced at her watch and realized that she still had plenty of time left before had to head back home. If normally, Emma would spend her free time practising ballet or self-defence at home, now, she couldn¡¯t do that in order to recover faster.


    ¡°Hmm.. Should I just go find something to eat?¡± Emma muttered as she started the car engine. Then, she drove to a location near the hospital which was not too far from her campus. Yes, she went to a river that was a silent witness to the ridiculous event that had happened to her.


    Emma bought an instant cup noodle from a mini-market and a bottle of instant hot water that could be chemically heated. She parked her car on the side of the road and walked down to the river.


    Different from thest time Emma visited, several small families were ying in the snow with their children along the riverside park. Maybe, it¡¯s because the sky was still quite bright, so the ce was not as deserted as that time. Emma had no intention of being there until the sun went down. She just wanted to breathe the cold breeze that blew in the ce that calmed her soul.

 Chapter 93

    93 Thoughts Exchange


    Just as usual, Emma would sit on a wooden park bench on the side of the river. She cleaned the seat and backrest on the part of the chair she would be sitting on from ayer of snow that had covered quite thickly. Apparently, no one was sitting there that day. While enjoying the fresh breeze, Emma prepared her instant cup noodles.


    After waiting a few minutes, Emma took a sip of the noodle soup and instantly sighed in satisfaction. During her life, Emma had never eaten instant noodles because her elders said that the food was not good for her health. It was Kathy who introduced the delicious food to Emma. And now, she was starting to feel addicted. Emma was happy, realizing that she had be more and more like normal people.


    While slurping noodles and enjoying the view and the peaceful atmosphere, Emma felt something moving around her shoes. She immediately looked down and found a white cat almost disguised by the snow, ying with the leather straps of her boots that hade off.


    ¡°Huh? Pixy?¡± Emma muttered as she caught the white cat.


    A fairly long light blue leash warped Pixy¡¯s neck, ¡°Why are you alone here..?¡±


    ¡°Pixy! You damn cat!¡± A voice made Emma turn to the side.


    Her face immediately turned sinister when she found Levi Wargos running towards her in an annoyed face.


    Emma stood up from her seat with Pixy already moved into her arms, ¡°Your mother shouldn¡¯t have trusted you to take care of her cat,¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how naughty she is,¡± The man replied tly by taking the cat back.


    .....


    ¡°As far as I know, most animals are naughty. However, a careless owner will make things worse.¡±


    ¡°I can guess that you¡¯ve never had a pet.¡± Levi¡¯s reply made Emma unable to answer anymore. Because it¡¯s true. In all her life, she had never had a pet.


    ¡°By the way..¡± Emma cleared her throat to change the subject to save her pride, ¡°If you really have a hard time taking care of her, why do you keep bringing Pixy to a dangerous ce like this?¡±


    ¡°I had to take her with me because my mother has to go to the airport today,¡± Levi answered.


    ¡°Why did Nancy go to the airport? Was that overseas?¡±


    Levi nodded, ¡°She has a specialist whose fine with her. Coincidentally, the doctor moved abroad one year ago. So, we have to go to his new ce when Mom needs treatment.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. That must be quite a hassle. You and your brother are good kids. No wonder Nancy loves you guys so much.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°We did what we have to do,¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°No!! My cup noodles!¡± Emma eximed by approaching the red, bowl-shaped object that was no longer steaming. She quickly tried to take a sip of its soup, ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s cold...¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? Of course, it¡¯ll get cold in an instant. You¡¯re crazy, eating instant noodles in a ce like this.¡± Leviughed in surprise.


    ¡°Shut your mouth! I¡¯m not asking for your opinion,¡± Emma said with a stern look.


    Then the girl walked towards the trash can which was not far from there. Then, with a heavy heart, she threw away the instant cup noodles that were still reminded quite much, ¡°My peaceful atmosphere was instantly shattered. What a bad luck man! Every time he and his cat appear, I always get into trouble.¡± Emma muttered under her breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little limp,¡± Levi said when Emma came back with an annoyed face. But of course, he didn¡¯t notice it at all.


    Emma sat back on the park bench with her arms folded across her chest, ¡°I had an ident yesterday.¡± Then, she let out a surprised chuckle when she realized Levi was casually brushing the snow on the other side of the bench, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll sit down.¡± He answered with a cynical face, wondering why Emma suddenly raised her voice.


    Emma realized that she had overreacted and been not ssy. Her annoyed feeling towards Levi made her unable to control her temper. Then, Emma cleared her throat, ¡°You¡¯re still here? I mean.. I thought you were going home?¡±


    ¡°You kicked me out? Is this ce yours?¡± It seemed that Levi understood what she meant.


    ¡®Jerk! How could your brain respond quickly at this time? It seems this man does have negative thoughts towards other people.¡¯ Emma thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never said that,¡± Emma answered curtly, ¡°How is your mother? Yesterday. I had the chance to cook the recipe she gave me, and it worked. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy to hear this news.¡± Emma smiled to herself.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only her health deteriorated a bit after you left. A surge of excited emotions that quickly descended to sadness seemed to affect her nerves.¡± Levi exined casually.


    Emma narrowed her eyes as she looked at Levi, ¡°You made me feel guilty on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The man then chuckled, ¡°For a girl with a sweet mouth, you actually have a negative perception of others.¡±


    ¡°Haha.. You talk like you¡¯ve never looked at yourself in the mirror!¡± Emmaughed sarcastically. ¡°Gosh.. Talking to you always makes my blood boils.¡±


    ¡°Are all girls like you?¡± Levi asked suddenly.


    ¡°What?¡± Emma was stunned for a moment. Then began to answer, ¡°Maybe a few.. But humans have different personalities, right?¡± she added.


    ¡°There are some people who have multiple personalities. Some even fake their personalities. Some even lie to themselves.¡±


    Emma looked at Levi. He was watching a small family who was tidying up after ying in the snow a few feet from the bench they were sitting on, ¡°I¡¯m sure they have their reasons for doing that.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Levi turned to the girl beside him quickly.


    Emma nodded, ¡°There¡¯s a reason for every action someone takes. It¡¯s not up to us to judge them.¡±


    Levi was silent for a moment, then, took a deep breath, ¡°You must be very happy because I¡¯m starting to think that you¡¯re not that annoying.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I never cared what you thought of me. So, please keep that joy to yourself.¡± Emma smiled.


    Levi nodded, ¡°For a person with a big mouth, you have quite an open mind.¡±


    ¡°For a very annoying person, you can givepliments to other people.. even in an annoying way too,¡± Emma replied. Then, she smiled widely and extended her hand to the man, ¡°It seems we have quite simr personalities. Let¡¯s be friends!¡±


    Levi looked at the hand that was wrapped in thick white gloves, ¡°I never intended to be friends with anyone. The more rtionships I have with other people, the more burdensome my life will be.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. That¡¯s a strange thought.¡± Emma lowered her hand. Although she had never received such a rude rejection, it seemed that Emma had started to get used to Levi¡¯s character.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just think of you as someone to talk to. Nothing more than that.¡± Levi said tly.


    Emma looked at him sarcastically with a smirk on her face, ¡°You are the worst man with a feeling of superiority I have ever met. Do I look like I¡¯m begging you to date me now? Your attitude is unbelievable,¡±


    ¡°You said yourself that there is a reason for every person¡¯s actions,¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°Ughh.. I¡¯ve been sighing too much today by just talking to you.¡± Emma massaged the bridge of her nose. Though the purpose she came to this ce was to calm her soul, she instead ended up practising patience. ¡°Okay, Fine! I¡¯ll try to understand your attitude. What¡¯s your reason for behaving like that, huh?¡±


    ¡°Can we not interfere in each other¡¯s personal affairs?¡± Levi asked.


    It felt like Emma was going to bury her head in the snow to quell her anger that was about to explode. Then, she closed her eyes for a moment to regte her temper by clenching her fists, ¡°Of course.¡± She smiled sarcastically, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to know about my private life either. So, we should just share thoughts without knowing anything about each other.¡±


    But, Emma¡¯s face immediately turned confused when she saw Levi who suddenly held out his hand to Emma.


    ¡°Deal.¡± Said the man.


    ¡®He really is a very strange person. But.. I can¡¯t deny it. What he said in the car at that time had opened my eyes to what I had to do to make my dreame true.¡¯ Emma thought.


    The big hand with the back covered with tattoos was still hanging in the air. Then, Emma shed a smile with a quick shake, ¡°Deal!¡±


    ¡°Well.. I¡¯m going home now. Thanks for wasting my time and my instant cup noodles,¡± Emma said as she stood up, then, bent down a bit and stroked the head of the white cat that sleepingfortably in Levi¡¯s warm-looking arms, ¡°See you again, Pixy..¡±


    ¡°Usually, I¡¯ll put my legs higher when I sleep whenever they got injured,¡± Levi suggested as Emma was about to leave.


    ¡°Thanks for the suggestion. I¡¯ll go now.¡± Emma waved her hand briefly and then walked away.


    While walking towards her car, Emma looked at her own hands, ¡°With that cold look, he has really warm hands.¡± she muttered.


    ***


    A man with long, rocker-like hair, wiped his bloodied hands with a damp cloth. Behind him, two menid down. They were his men who were caught interacting with members of the other group.


    ¡°It¡¯s true what Kei said. All this time, I¡¯ve spoiled you all too much.¡± The shirtless man muttered. His name was Ron Smith, the number one of the Hell Gate group.


    ¡°Now, beating them all out is also pointless. We have toe up with a new strategy to recruit strong men. Otherwise, all of our members will be exhausted. Hell Gate will eventually fall.¡± Kei replied as busy chewing his sushi.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Kei. Those bastards won¡¯t be able to beat us down.¡± Said Ron.


    ¡°The loss we have suffered is huge. I don¡¯t even know anymore how to deposit to the ck Hole.¡± Kai sighed tiredly. Even though he looked rxed, there was a dark hue in his eye bags. ¡°I fought a lot for this. You know that, right?¡± he continued in a mumble.


    Ron immediately turned to Kei with a frantic face, ¡°Trust me, Kei! You know how strong I am, right?!¡± he patted his own chest.


    ¡°I know. And you also know that Jita Kyoei seems to have joined the ck helmet. Are you still that sure?¡± Kei asked.

 Chapter 94

    94 The Hell Gate¡¯s Brotherhood


    Ron could only silently look down. He looked down at his tattooed arms. But if they looked more closely, the ck ink streaks that make up the various images were covering a lot of scars. The scars formed from such a dark past.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let Hell Gate copse! I¡¯m the strongest man here. They won¡¯t be able to get past me if I¡¯m not dead!¡± Ron eximed.


    Kei looked at the figure of a man whose whole body was covered by the tattoo. A man with a body that had very dense and dry muscles. The muscles that seemed to be fused to his bones. The muscles were carved with blood and suffering. He was still standing in the middle of the room with his hands clenched tightly.


    Kei cleaned up all his food waste into the trash can and got up from the chair. He walked towards the door to exit the room. When passing Ron¡¯s standing figure, Kei patted him twice on the shoulder, ¡°As always, I¡¯m always counting on you, Ron.¡± he whispered as walked away.


    ***


    Ron walked slowly down the hospital corridor. No matter how much money he had, he still looked very messy. Perhaps, his homeless aura had stuck to his soul. But, he was used to it, receiving stares and scorn from those who passed him.


    The hand slid a door with a small window beside the handle. Inside, there was a bed that amodated arge man, who was lying unconscious with various life support devices. Beside the bed, there were two men who immediately stood respectfully when they noticed Ron¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Wee, Big bro Ron!¡± They greeted together.


    Ron smiled faintly as he nodded, ¡°How are you guys doing? Have you guys had lunch?¡± he asked.


    .....


    The two of them stared at each other for a moment, then, shook their heads slowly while looking down, ¡°Big bro Kei said, the financial conditions are not good now. So, the food allowance for all members had to be cut. But.. we don¡¯t have a problem with it, Big bro! ¡± One of them exined by giving his thumbs up at the end of the sentence. His eyes looked fiery.


    Ron smiled faintly, then stepped closer to them and patted both of them on the shoulder, ¡°Only a few men like you guys are left.. But at least.. there¡¯s still some, right?¡± he whispered. Then, he reached into his tattered coat. From it, he took out some bucks and handed them to them, ¡°Here. You two, go have lunch. I want to talk with Mezu for a while.¡±


    The two men who looked much younger than Ron, immediately broke into a smile as they looked at each other. Then, they quickly bowed respectfully to the man they respected the most in the world, ¡°Thank you very much, Big brother Ron!¡±


    Ronughed and then give a boys-roughly-pat on the shoulders of the two men, ¡°Hurry up and go.. Your stomachs are making a lot of noise!¡± heughed, followed by the two of them.


    As soon as his two men were out of the room, Ron sat on the chair beside Mezu¡¯s bed. He put the bunch of lilies he had brought into the vase on the table, ¡°How are you doing, Mezu? I brought your favourite flower. You know, right? It¡¯s winter now. It¡¯s very difficult to get it in this season. Yeah.. you can show your gratitude by waking up from your nap quickly,¡±


    Ron looked at Mezu¡¯s face, which had several tubes attached, with a sad expression. He didn¡¯t think it would end like this. Gozu got into prison and Mezuid in aa from severe head and cervical spine injuries. The doctor said that maybe when Mezu woke up, he would lose some of the functions of his limbs. He would be disabled.


    It felt like just yesterday when they were all finally able tough together. Living in a small house that amodated about twenty boys that felt very stuffy, a stomach that was always groaning with hunger, and shabby clothes that were rarely changed. That¡¯s called Hell¡¯s Gate. A ce where parents dump their children.


    Ron Smith, a child abandoned by his father who remarried after his mother¡¯s death. He became homeless at the age of ten. Ron¡¯s father dumped him in front of an abandoned house on the outskirts of the city, near the harbour area. To Ron, it was hell for him. Because of that, he always referred to the ce as Hell¡¯s Gate.


    At first, Ron just lived alone in the house. Had no one and was not cared for by anyone. He got food from the fishermen who feel quite sorry for him. But for some reason, the news of the abandoned house was known by several other parents who did not want their children.


    Ron started making friends, who were the abandoned kids his age or younger. From the fishermen, they learned to find their own food by fishing and begging around the harbour and port area.


    Year, after year had passed. The children turned into teenagers. However, the abandoned house where they lived was eventually demolished, because it stood on thend that had been purchased by a seafoodpany that was about to build their office building. Therefore, they had to sleep on the street. Fight with other homeless people for a begging stall and ground space to sleep on.


    Although they were tramps, Ron Smith and the twins named Addo and Andrea Windsor, were very strong and good at fighting. To survive in an increasingly cruel environment, they began to be brutal. Stealing, pickpocketing, and extorting people. They brought out of all their power so that their group could survive.


    Ron was the strongest and the oldest of all his stepbrothers. In order to earn money for a better life, he worked as a gangster servant, then, ended up as an underground fighter.


    Ron was got into an illegal underground fighting show in Handway City which had no regtions. He should fight with the guarantee of life or death in a poorly built Ring. Bet life against an opponent who was even allowed to carry sharp weapons.


    At that time, Ron¡¯s body was already covered in wounds. On the battle ring floor, he fell down after sessfully defeating a man with a veryrge body with a scythe. Previously, Ron had agreed to fight him with an empty hand for higher pay, even though he knew what would happen to him.


    In the end, even though winning the unfair battle, Ron fell with a body full of scythe wounds. In his blurred vision, he saw a pair of expensive shoes standing in front of his face, before he finally fell unconscious.


    Ron still remembered very well the time when he woke up in a cloud-soft bed, which he had never felt before.. or rather, had forgotten how it felt. He was in the hospital with a guy who looked the same age as his. A guy in very nice clothes. Smooth skin and charming silky hair. Even in the eyes of other men, the guy looked handsome.


    ¡°You¡¯re very strong. Your name is Ron Smith, right? How about we work together?¡± Asked the guy.


    From there, the lives of Ron and his brothers changed drastically. Kei Matsumoto was a young guy who had a brilliant brain. Actually, Ron didn¡¯t know the guy¡¯s background. However, from his appearance and what Kei could do, made him know that the guy was the son of a rich family.


    Kei offered Ron to set up a group that would run a business with a simple organizational structure. Namely.. Kei as the brain of the business, and Ron would lead all the members to grow the group bigger. Kei said, he only cared about business and Ron would be the leader. Because, Kei was not part of the brothers.


    ¡°Since this group is yours, then, you will be the one who gives the name,¡± Kei asked Ron with a friendly smile.


    Ron and the rest of the brothers looked at each other with happy smiles on their faces. Ron thought for a moment then said, ¡°Hell Gate.


    ¡°Hell Gate?¡± The others repeated.


    Ron nodded, ¡°We were able to gather together like this, because of our parents who abandoned us in this out of nowhere world. Since then, our lives have been miserable. It¡¯s as if they threw us at the gates of hell. But, we don¡¯t have to fear this hell anymore. Because, we will rule in it.¡±


    Kei gave enthusiastic apuse, ¡°Wow! Your idea is very good, Ron! Hell Gate.. I like that name,¡± Then, he pointed at the two twin boys standing beside Ron, ¡°And you two! From today on, your names are Gozu and Mezu! You are the pirs of the fortress that guard the Hell Gate. I will make you pirs that are very strong and cannot be destroyed!¡±


    ¡°YEAHHHH!!!!¡± They all eximed with burning enthusiasm.


    ***


    ¡°It feels like only yesterday you were practising wrestling. Now, you and Gozu have be very strong pirs.¡± Ron said in the silence of the room.


    But Mezu didn¡¯t answer. Only the Multi-parameter Monitor was sounded for him. Ron rubbed the corner of his watery eyes, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that damn group, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. I.. didn¡¯t have to watch you guys get destroyed. It¡¯s all my fault, Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I think, only by being able to deposit into the ck Hole on time and the business continues to run smoothly, then everything would be fine. We could stillugh together, enjoying life. Even though I have to bear the sins for ruining the lives of many innocent girls.¡± He added while holding Mezu¡¯s big hand, ¡°I was indeed too naive, thinking ck Hole and Dragger were the only ones I couldn¡¯t beat. But apparently... I am that weak. I should¡¯ve been stronger.¡±

 Chapter 95

    95 The Deterrent effect


    Ron didn¡¯t deny that no matter how much he spoke and no matter how hard his tears flowed, he wouldn¡¯t be able to wake Mezu up. A man as strong as Mezu was even made to be like this by a mysterious man who was said to have a midget body. Ron couldn¡¯t believe it, but he knew he had to. During his wanderings in the cruel world ofbat, Ron had never seen a midget man win in a battle with a much bigger opponent.


    ¡°My brain is not as smart as Kei. But, I believe.. this body.. can protect Hell Gate!¡± Ron said with both fists clenched.


    ***


    The two green eyes caught the figure of a girl in a blue and white coat, walking down the campus hallway, ¡°EMMA!!¡± her scream echoed there, followed by the sound of running boots.


    ¡°Kathy! Oh, you¡¯re here too, Poppy ..¡± Emma replied, after a reflex to cover her ears at Kathy¡¯s loud scream.


    ¡°What happened to you, Emma? Why are you limping?!¡± Kathy asked hoarsely.


    ¡°Did you have a road ident, Emma?¡± Poppy added.


    ¡°No, guys. I slipped on the terrace while cleaning the snow yesterday. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t go to campus. It¡¯s because I seem to have sprained my leg.¡± She lied.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t yesterday you say that you just weren¡¯t feeling well?¡± Kathy looked at her usingly.


    .....


    Emma grinned awkwardly, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t want to worry you guys. So I made the problem a little bit smaller.¡±


    ¡°Why you even would that?¡± Kathyined with a chuckle.


    Poppy smiled awkwardly as she rubbed Kathy¡¯s back, ¡°Just don¡¯t mind it, Kathy.. It seems like Emma really doesn¡¯t like to bother people. We also know that she is very independent.¡± Then, she looked at Emma from head to toe, ¡°But, is the injury serious? Have you seen a doctor?¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°Yes, after that, I went straight to the hospital and the doctor said the injury is not serious. I just need to rest for a while and reduce physical activity. It seems that in the past few days I can¡¯t take ballet sses.¡± She exined.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°Then, you really need to rest for a speedy recovery, Emma. I¡¯ll tell Miss Diana that you¡¯re injured.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. thanks, Poppy. But think I¡¯ll go see her myself and tell her I¡¯ll be absent for a few meetings.¡±


    ¡°Okay, if that so.¡± Poppy answered.


    Then the three girls stopped by the cafeteria to have lunch together. While sitting in that ce, they felt the rumours of scorn and stares from the people in therge room.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, guys. I made you ufortable.¡± Poppy said while looking down. She didn¡¯t even touch her sd at all because she had lost her appetite.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Poppy. We don¡¯t mind at all. They don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been through, so they can judge you however they want.¡±


    ¡°Emma¡¯s right. And you don¡¯t need to keep your head down like that either. You¡¯re only making them more likely to corner you. If you ignore them, they¡¯ll eventually get tired by time.¡± Kathy added. Then, she cut up the beefsteak and scooped up the spaghetti to pass onto Poppy¡¯s te, ¡°And... please eat more. You¡¯re too skinny to go on a diet.¡±


    ¡°Ouh..¡± Poppymented her te that was now full of food, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can finish this..¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Finish your food! Many people starve to death in this world.¡± Kathy replied, taking no resistance.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in sorry for Poppy. Kathy did have a tough and arbitrary character. But, she really cared about people she considered friends. Well.. the way each person showed their love could be different sometimes.


    ¡°Hey, look! Isn¡¯t that Brian and Lary?¡± Kathy whispered, pointing curtly at the cafeteria entrance.


    Emma and Poppy immediately looked at what the girl pointed. Yes, that¡¯s right, it¡¯s the two assholes who were best friends of Donny Gruge who was currently still lying in the hospital. But Brian was seen wearing arge cast all over his arm. He really looked stupid with that thing. Behind Emma¡¯s faint smile, she wasughing loudly inside her heart, because she had managed to teach a lesson to the loser man. Even Brian seemed to be teased by some of the guys as he walked. Now, he could feel the loser¡¯s position he used to bully.


    Lary and Brian were seen bringing their lunch. Brian even had to struggle to carry the tray in his stupid hands. Incidentally, all the tables were full that day, so they both looked confused looking for a table. But suddenly, the four men who were sitting beside Emma and her friends¡¯ table finally got up and left after they finished chatting after eating their lunch.


    Brian pointed at the table with his chin, then, he and Lary walked towards the empty table.


    ¡°Geez.. They¡¯reing.¡± Kathy mumbled with disdain mixed with panic.


    Emma immediately looked at Poppy whose face instantly turned pale white when she saw the two guys who had taken part in destroying her life, were getting closer. She seemed unable to hold her head down for fear. What these bastard men had done left a very deep trauma on Poppy.


    At first, Lary and Brian didn¡¯t realize that the girls who upied the table beside the empty table were Poppy and her friends. Then at the end, when they put their lunch on the empty table, Brian just realized Emma was staring at him very cruelly.


    ¡°Shh!!¡± Brian nudged Lary¡¯s arm, then pointed at the table beside him with a nce.


    Lary was a little surprised when he realized that the three girls beside him were Poppy, Emma, ??and Kathy. Yes.. Poppy.. the girl whose life they ruined. The girl who became the reason why Hell Gate group was being hunted by a group of heroes who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    Brian immediately felt a pain in the bones of his hand. It was as if he was traumatized when the man in the ck helmet broke his arm and dislocated him. Frantically, he looked around and his eyes fell on the tworge tables near the door. He gulped when he realized that all the Jita Kyoei members¡¯ eyes were looking at him with a warning look. Then, he turned his eyes in another direction. There, he could see Calvin Lee was waiting in line for food, also looking at them with murderous eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get away from here,¡± Said Lary who had also seen what Brian realized.


    Brian nodded quickly and picked up his lunch again from the table. Then, the two of them threw away all the lunch and went out of the cafeteria.


    Seeing that, the three girls burst intoughter. Even Poppy had no idea what had just happened. Her face looked very relieved and happy.


    Emma smiled in joy while directing her eyes to Jita Kyoei¡¯s group who were sitting at the table by the door. Then, her eyes met those of Nicko and Troy. Emma smiled warmly by moving her mouth a silent ¡®Thank you¡¯. The two men nodded their heads back.


    After the funny incident, the three girls returned to enjoying their lunch in peace. They may look weak and prone to being bullied by thugs. But from a distance, there was a group of men who did not hesitate to break the hands of anyone who dared to touch them.


    ¡°Oh, Poppy.. Do you have other activities outside of college?¡± Kathy asked, chewing on her steak, which tasted very good.


    Poppy thought for a moment then shook her head slowly, ¡°Unfortunately, there isn¡¯t currently. Before that incident, I was actually busy consulting with several ballet teachers from various studios. I had thought about working as a private ballet instructor for teenagers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, Poppy. I¡¯ve also noticed that there are very few ballet studios in Handway City. I don¡¯t think the qualities are good, either. So far, the ballet training I¡¯ve liked the most is at this university.¡± Emma responded in full support.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true, Emma. Most of the ballet instructors here think only about money. They don¡¯t really teach ballet with their heart. I can feel that.. Also.. has Miss Diana already told you about it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°About what?¡± Emma replied with a more question.


    ¡°Actually, Miss Diana is pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Woah! Are you serious? I didn¡¯t even know she was married..¡± Kathy said.


    Poppy shook her head, ¡°She¡¯s not married yet. Miss Diana is pregnant with her boyfriend¡¯s child. They say they will marry after the child is born. But because of that, Miss Diana will likely be on a hiatus from teaching for more than a year.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. That makes sense, because she must be worried about her pregnancy..¡± Emma muttered with a disappointed expression.


    ¡°Hhh... Ballet ss would be even more boring if we got a new coach. Should I just drop out of that ss?¡± Kathy thought as she squirmedzily. From the start, she did not like ballet. She shouldn¡¯t have to obey her mother too much.


    ¡°Well.. It can¡¯t be helped.. Miss Diana has to prepare herself to start her little family.¡± Emma shrugged as she took her steak into her mouth.


    ¡°It seems that my aunt learned a lot from what happened to my mother and me. The problems that happened to me made her sad too, so she¡¯s very afraid if she has to work while taking care of the children. She feels that she was unable to divide her time.¡± Poppy exined.


    ¡°Well.. We do have to learn from other people¡¯s lives too. But I¡¯m sure, eventually, she will find the right way if she really loves her career. I mean.. everything must have a way out, right? It doesn¡¯t mean a woman has to give up her career and her dream just for bing a mother.¡± Kathy thought.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as that mother manages her time well and doesn¡¯t push herself too hard, for me, everything will be fine.¡± Emma nodded.

 Chapter 96

    96 Lucky To Know You


    ¡°Oh, Poppy. Then what about your intention to be an instructor? Have you made a n to achieve it?¡± Kathy turned to Poppy.


    The girl with the two ck irises nodded, ¡°Maybe, I¡¯ll start pursuing the basic teaching certificate first in the next few days. Then after that, I¡¯ll start looking for students.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good n, Poppy. If you need help, feel free to ask me. I totally support your idea.¡± Emma said excitedly.


    ¡°Me too, Poppy! Tell me if you want me to build a website or if you want to find any information. I¡¯ll be sure to help.¡± Kathy added.


    ¡°Hey.. what¡¯s wrong?¡± Emma asked confused by touching Poppy¡¯s delicate hand.


    Poppy shook her head whileughing lightly by wiping the corners of her watery eyes, ¡°Sorry.. I just feel too happy and touched. So far, I¡¯ve never had friends who want to help and support me sincerely like you guys. Even though right now, I¡¯m like a scourge that deserves to be shunned, you guys are still really good to me.. ¡± She exined in a trembling voice.


    Emma and Kathy stared at each other for a moment. The faces of the two girls became sad to hear Poppy¡¯s words.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to talk about it anymore, Poppy. Maybe it wasn¡¯t time for you to meet your true friend. But now, you¡¯re with us. We are friends. And that¡¯s what best friends do..¡± Emma said.


    ***


    .....


    ¡°You have to be careful when cleaning snow, Emma. I¡¯ve slipped like that too. The difference is, I broke my leg straight away, so I had to take a ballet vacuum for a few months.¡± Miss Diana said worriedly.


    Emma chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re right. I was in a hurry so I wasn¡¯t careful.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, Emma. You should just rest so your leg will heal quickly. You don¡¯t have to worry about the grade of the extra ss either. I¡¯ll help out with it. I still have enough time to do it.¡± The woman winked. Before he gave up her duties as a ballet teacher at this university, she would help Emma as best she could. In her heart, Miss Diana was very grateful to Emma who had helped Poppy from trouble.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to do that, Miss,¡± Emma answered ufortably while rubbing the trunk of her neck.


    Miss Diana shook her head quickly, ¡°Nope.. It¡¯s alright. Then, I¡¯ll be back inside. See youter, Emma.¡± She said before leaving.


    ¡®Ugh.. that woman..¡¯ Emma watched the graceful figure disappear out through the door of the ballet ss.


    ¡°Hey, Emma. It¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it? If I be the teacher¡¯s favourite.. If I was also loved by her.. I would often skip ss without having to worry about my extra ss¡¯s grades..¡± Kathy wished alone.


    ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? Please don¡¯t talk carelessly. You might end up making Miss Diana seem unfair in the eyes of the other students.¡±


    ¡°But I do envy you..¡± Kathy mumbled weakly.


    ¡°By the way, what is that, Emma? It looks like a coat,¡± Poppy pointed to a navy blue paper bag next to Emma¡¯s sling bag.


    Emma nodded slightly after ncing at the object Poppy pointed at, before going back to rummaging through her locker to take home all her ballet shoes and equipment to wash while they weren¡¯t used for the next few days. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a coat.¡±


    ¡°May I take a look? It has beautiful colour. Did you just buy it?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Someone lent it to me. I was going to take it to theundry on the way home. So I purposely take it together with my ballet stuff that I¡¯m going to wash.¡±


    ¡°The colour does beautifully. But why is it so big?¡± Kathy muttered.


    When Emma looked back, she found Kathy and Poppy busy with the coats Hellen had lent her.


    ¡°That coat is very warm, you know..¡± Emma said as putting her ballet shoes into another paper bag that was almost full of keeping things from the locker.


    ¡°Look like it does. Let me try it on...¡± Kathy took the coat from Poppy¡¯s hand and put it on right away.


    ¡°Please be a little careful, Kathy. Emma still has to give it back to its owner.¡± Poppy said with a worried face of seeing Kathy¡¯s reckless behaviour.


    From the other side of the ballet room, the three girls didn¡¯t notice a pair of serious eyes watching them with furrowed brows. Her two grey-blue irises kept staring at the brown object they were holding.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that coat...¡±


    ***


    Emma reached into her sling bag with a furrowed brows, ¡°Ugh.. where¡¯s the key?¡± then, she saw a car key with a beautiful swan keychain made of ss, tucked between her make-up pouch and wallet, ¡°Ah.. here it is.¡± she took it and..


    ck!


    ¡°Ugh.. Damn it!..¡± Emma muttered as she stared at her car keys which had fallen on the asphalt as they slipped from her slippery gloves.


    Just as she was about to crouch down to pick up the object, a reddish-white hand had already taken the key and handed it to Emma.


    ¡°Calvin? Ah, thank you,¡± Emma said by epting the key. Then, she looked at her swan hanger with a disappointed face, ¡°Geez.. it¡¯s broken..¡±


    Seeing Emma who looked like a kitten made Calvin chuckle amusedly. The girl was really cute, even though she didn¡¯t mean it that way, ¡°What happened to your leg, Emma?¡± he asked after breaking his thoughts.


    ¡°I fell while cleaning the snow on my house porch,¡± Emma chuckled.


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°You need to be more careful, Emma. But, are you sure you can drive a car with a leg like that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Look.. I¡¯m here now. It¡¯s just a slight sprain.¡± Emma smiled. Then, she thought for a moment before looking at Calvin again, ¡°Are you going straight home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some food before going home. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m going to the supermarket after dropping myundry off at theundry shop. Do you think you¡¯d like to go together? We can eat on the way.¡± Emma offered. As she has said before, she would not close the opportunity to get closer to a man as good as Calvin Lee.


    After seeing for herself how unique a love was, Emma became very curious to try it for herself. As Jonas said, she would only understand if she experienced it herself. And maybe, Calvin could make Emma feel the experience called ¡®Love¡¯.


    ¡°Sure! But, let me drive, ok?¡± Calvin held out his hand in front of Emma for the keys with a big smile. He was really happy that Emma had asked him out first.


    Emma¡¯s car drove down the City of Handway that afternoon. It snowed like normal days in winter.


    ¡°It¡¯s snowing day and night. Looks like we¡¯re at the height of winter.¡± Emma muttered.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re already into winter break the day after tomorrow. Do you have any ns to spend the holidays, Emma?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. I¡¯m thinking of doing my cooking and ballet. Besides, maybe I¡¯ll find something else.¡± Emma answered. Then, she pointed to a blue and white building on the side of the road, ¡°Could you stop there for a moment? I¡¯ll put theundry down.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Calvin answered, then pulled the car over. ¡°Let me unload the stuff.¡± He immediately took off his seatbelt, about to get out. But Emma quickly restrained him.


    ¡°No need, Calvin. It¡¯s just two bags. I also wanted to make some special requests to the clerk.¡± Emma said before opening the door.


    ¡°Ok then. Just be careful, the floor in front of the shop looks slippery.¡± Calvin eximed when Emma opened the back passenger door to pick up the items forundry.


    ¡°Alright...¡± Emma replied before closing the door.


    Calvin¡¯s eyes kept on watching Emma until she walked into theundry shop, ¡°She really is an independent girl.¡± he mumbled in awe.


    Then, he looked back and forth to see what was inside Emma¡¯s car. Well, maybe like the average girl, her car was very neat, clean, and smelled good. Calvin saw the car perfume stuck to the car¡¯s AC window. He nodded when he saw that Emma was using a perfume with a well-known brand that Calvin knew was quite expensive. So, he could tell that she came from a rich family.


    ¡°Usually, a perfect girl like Emma has a fierce father,¡± Calvin muttered. Then, he pped himself on the cheek, ¡°What are you talking stupid?! How good are you, to even dream of marrying her?¡± But a smile then appeared on the handsome face, ¡°But.. shouldn¡¯t we dream as high as possible?¡±


    Not long after, Emma came out of theundry shop and rushed back into the car, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡± she said.


    Calvin shook his head quickly, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. So, shall we go straight to the supermarket?¡± he asked, and got a nod from Emma.


    After a slightly slower journey than usual, due to slippery roads, Emma and Calvin arrived at a famous supermarket which was thergest in Handway City.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to this supermarket,¡± Emma said as she looked around with sparkling eyes. She didn¡¯t even know there was a supermarket that was bigger and more luxurious than the one she had visited. As usual, Calvin Lee was always showing her what was new in Handway City.


    Calvin took a shopping cart and pushed it for Emma, ??¡±Looks like you¡¯ve never been around the eastern area of ??Handway City, have you? You could say, here is a major tourist destination in Handway City.¡±


    ¡°Wow.. No wonder, even though it¡¯s very cold outside, I see the streets in this area are still crowded with pedestrians. Ah.. I think I¡¯ve passed the main street when I just arrived in this city.¡± Emma thought.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve ever been to Handway City¡¯s main station, you¡¯ll know that Ren Otis station is indeed on the East Handway,¡± Calvin exined like a tour guide. Then, he pointed at the entrance to the market area, ¡°If you really like shopping for household needs, this supermarket is the mostplete one. You can find a lot of things and even lots of taster booths to try free food.¡± he continued.


    ¡°Ah.. If only I knew this ce from the start. I would be willing to drive all the way to this supermarket to shop until I¡¯m satisfied.¡± Emma muttered happily. ¡°I feel lucky to have known you in this city.¡±

 Chapter 97

    97 The First Man


    ¡°I knew you would like it. That¡¯s why I brought you here. I feel relieved that you are happy to be here.¡± Calvin smiled warmly at the girl who made his chest flutter.


    Emma looked at Calvin who was blushing with a sweet smile. The man was really nice. Come to think of it, didn¡¯t Calvin Lee describe an ideal lover? Handsome face, muscr-tall body, good at fighting, and an affectionate guy. He took all the privilege for himself.


    ¡°Hey.. Look, there¡¯s a sausage booth that¡¯s popr on social media. Let¡¯s try it!¡± Calvin pointed forward as he pushed the shopping cart faster.


    The two of them stopped at every booth they came across in the supermarket and tried out tons of tasters. Calvin invited Emma to do this. He wasn¡¯t even ashamed to eat many tasters in one booth. Emma could see that he was deliberately filling his stomach with free food. Even though he seemed shameless, Emma found it very funny and was described the innocent figure of Calvin Lee.


    ¡°Hmm.. The nuggets were delicious..¡± Calvin held his stomach while leaning on the handle of the shopping cart which was almost full of Emma¡¯s groceries.


    ¡°I can guess that you¡¯ve been doing this a lot, Calvin. Tell me, is it possible that you often use this method for dinner hacks?¡± Emma chuckled as she grabbed two bottles of sesame oil from the spice rack.


    Hearing Emma¡¯s guess, Calvin immediately burst outughing while nodding, ¡°I¡¯m really embarrassing, aren¡¯t I? Sorry for my uncontroble nature when I saw those free foods..¡± he answered, stillughing.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Rather than being embarrassed, I find your behaviour very cute. You are like a child walking with his mom in the supermarket.¡± She replied. But suddenly, Emma realized her words and immediately rubbed the back of Calvin who was slowly fading hisughter, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, Calvin. I didn¡¯t think before I spoke.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize, Emma. In fact, maybe I did this subconsciously because I missed that moment with my mom. Even though it¡¯s only a vague memory, it¡¯s etched a little in my memory when mom took my brother and me to the supermarket. We tried some delicious taster food that cooked right in front of us. Then, my mom finally bought the frozen foods for us to eat at home.¡± Calvin exined.


    .....


    Then, he sighed with thoughts drifting back to the past, ¡°The most beautiful thing is eating food cooked in front of you for free. At the booth, the staff cooks for us, giving it away for free with a smile, as if they sincerely do it to please me. Actually, it¡¯s not the food that makes me addicted, it¡¯s the memories it creates.¡± he continued.


    Emma looked at Calvin who was telling the story of his life with teary eyes. What that man went through must have been very heavy. He had no family at all. Must live alone without anyone asking about his condition.


    ¡°Can you cook?¡± Emma asked slowly.


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°Tried a few times, but always failed. I finally gave up. Not only am I not good at cooking, but really bad at it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. No wonder you always look for food outside.¡± Emma nodded in understanding. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be cooking for you often. I happen to be working hard to sharpen my cooking skills. I¡¯ll make some more and give them to you on the campus. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I.. that.. I would be very happy if you want to bother doing it..¡± Calvin smiled happily as he looked down with his hands scratching the back of his head.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Not a bother at all. Instead, I would love to do it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Emma,¡± Calvin said softly. It seemed he really had fallen in love with the brown-eyed girl.


    Spending time with Calvin Lee was so much fun. Emma even felt that time flies so fast when they walked together. He was also very funny and cheerful, making Emmaugh a lot at his antics. He treated Emma very gently and politely. Although his behaviour was a bit reckless, he never offended Emma. Because Emma also knew that Calvin had a good heart for real.


    After finishing shopping, Calvin and Emma stopped at a pasta shop near the supermarket with a simr concept as the malls.


    ¡°Do you usually always shop this much?¡± Calvin asked with a look of amazement at Emma¡¯s shopping bag which required two shopping carts to carry it. ¡°I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t fit in your car.¡±


    ¡°Usually a little less. But because it turned out that the products here were soplete, I was confused which one I shouldn¡¯t buy.¡± Emmaughed at her own vice.


    ¡°Hahaha.. You really are a shopaholic. But it¡¯s fine if it makes you feel good.¡± said Calvin.


    ¡°Someone once told me that I would have a hard time finding a husband if I kept this bad shopping habit of mine. I might end up dying their wallets.¡± Emma chuckled a little. That¡¯s what Jonas once told her while apanying her shopping. The man couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut.


    ¡°In my opinion, it is true that excessive shopping habits are not good. But I think, a man who is afraid of his woman spending his money, is actually a weak man. A strong man should not be afraid of anything. He should love his woman, not be afraid of her. If he loves his woman, he will try to make her happy, even by means of shopping. Therefore, as a strong man, he must work hard. So, even money matters will not frighten him.¡± Calvin exined as if he was like a warlord making a speech.


    Emma looked at him with an open-mouthed face, then, pped her hands in amazement, ¡°What a manly thought.¡± she praised with a littleugh.


    Indeed, Emma admitted that Calvin was a little naive. Maybe because he had a fairly rich family, so he hadn¡¯t felt how difficult it was to find the money. Therefore, what Calvin said was actually quite difficult for some men to do in the real world. But of course, it was not impossible to do. A person must have great determination to make it happen. And Emma was very touched that Calvin had such thoughts.


    ¡°Eum.. Emma. If I may ask, what causes you to have this shopping habit?¡± Calvin¡¯s question interrupted Emma¡¯s thoughts. At the same time, their ordered food arrived at the table.


    Emma looked at Calvin for a moment, then took a deep breath before speaking, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really remember when I started having this bad habit. But it seems.. ording to someone who knows me well, he said that I started to be like this a few years after my mom died. From there, I thought maybe I did it as an outlet for the loneliness and rebellion in my heart. Because my dad was always busy, he could not give love to me directly. He conveyed it through material such as money. Maybe at that time, my subconscious said that I should spend that material-formed affection, in order to get the true love.¡±


    ¡°And it continues to this day? If I may ask.. how do you feel when you do this habit when you are an adult?¡± Calvin asked carefully, afraid to offend Emma.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything. I feel like everything is normal, even though I know that it¡¯s wrong. Maybe this is what is called a ¡®habit¡¯.¡± Emma answered unsurely.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°Seeing so many experiences like this makes me think that parents really have an important role in the mental health of their children in the future..¡± He realized his words, then, moved restlessly, ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t mean to say you have a problem with your mentally. I meant, the character-building...¡±


    Emmaughed at the stuttering Calvin. He was really a pure soul. ¡°I understand what did you mean, Calvin.. Why are you so afraid of offending other people? It¡¯s like your heart has never been hurt by anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Even though my heart has been hurt before, that¡¯s not a reason for me to be able to hurt other people¡¯s hearts.¡± Calvin smiled.


    ¡°After everything you¡¯ve been through.. You still have a good heart. If only I had a heart like you,¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°You have a kind heart, too, Emma. I¡¯m even really amazed that you epted Poppy for who she is. You¡¯ve also always tried to help Roger, who has always been shunned by everyone. That¡¯s what makes you so special.¡± Calvin replied honestly.


    ¡°Do you know, Calvin? You are the first person I trust to tell about my life and my past. I want you to know that it¡¯s actually not so easy for me to do.¡±


    Calvin looked at Emma in disbelief, then, he smiled widely, ¡°Thanks for trusting me, Emma. I¡¯ll try to be around as your listener. You can depend on these two ears.¡± he pinched his ears, which immediately made Emma chuckle.


    When they left the supermarket, the sky had already darkened. Emma stared in awe at the beautiful street because it was decorated with decorative sparkling lights.


    ¡°This area is famous for its beauty at night. Whether in winter or spring.¡± Calvin said after ncing at Emma who was sitting in the passenger seat beside him. He smiled gently because he was happy to see Emma was busy looking out the window. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll take you on a walk for finding good food and fun ces in the area. How about it?¡±


    Emma took her eyes off the car window, ¡°How about now? It just so happens that it¡¯s not toote.¡± said Emma, ??looking at the leather watch wrapped in her wrist.


    ¡°Oh.. I¡¯m sorry, Emma. I¡¯m actually going to see Troy after this. We promised to meet in about two hours now.¡± Calvin answered with a regretful face.


    ¡°O-oh.. Well, that¡¯s fine, then.¡± Emma replied. ¡°Where will you guys meet? I¡¯ll take you there.¡± she continued.


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°No need, Emma. You can drop me off at the closest bus stop to your house. I¡¯ll take the bus.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I really don¡¯t mind dropping you off. After all, I don¡¯t have anything else to do at home either.¡± Emma told the truth. She usually would practice ballet or martial arts. But now, the condition of her leg was not supporting.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, Emma.¡± Calvin convinced. ¡°The streets are dangeroustely, because they get too deserted at night. I¡¯ve seen a few thugs wandering around. Please stay at home in this situation.¡± he exined.


    Emma didn¡¯t give more answers. She knew Calvin was only worried about her, and she appreciated it.

 Chapter 98

    98 Troublemaker


    ¡°Eum.. Calvin, Did you meet with Troy to discuss the people who caused Roger¡¯s death?¡± Emma asked carefully by ncing at Calvin who was still driving. Emma admitted, his face was many times more gorgeous when viewed from the side.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about a strategy to attack their base and knock out the leader.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. When are you going to do that?¡± Emma asked as calmly as possible.


    ¡°As for that, we¡¯ll talk about it tonight.¡± Then, Calvin nced at Emma and smiled gently. His hand unconsciously moved and stroked her head affectionately, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Emma..¡±


    Emma was surprised because Calvin suddenly stroked her head like a puppy. The crazier thing was, Emma even seemed to turn into a statue with her eyes kept staring at Calvin who was still focused on the road.


    ¡°Gosh! I-I¡¯m so sorry, Emma! I don¡¯t know what got into me..¡± Calvin said quickly as he pulled his hand back. His face instantly turned red from being so embarrassed.


    ¡®IDIOT! What were you doing, Calvin?! Have you lost your mind?!¡¯ Calvin scolded in the heart. It felt like he wanted to cut off his own hand that was like possessed, that it moved on its own without being ordered.


    Emma, ??who was still shocked and confused, couldn¡¯t say anything. Either she should feel humiliated or nostalgic. Finally, she remembered her mother and father who rubbed her head like a puppy when she was little. And suddenly, Calvin did that to her just now.


    Calvin¡¯s stupid behaviour just now made the atmosphere in the car awkward. Even the Jazz music that was ying seemed useless. Even though it was cold, Calvin¡¯s back was already covered with sweat. He had apologized several times, but Emma just kept quiet. This frightened Calvin, made him begin to think too far. He knew Emma was the type of a girl who was hard to trust and feel ufortable with men.


    .....


    ¡®Looks like this will be thest time I get to interact with Emma. Because, after this, Emma will definitely stay away from me. I really like a pervert! How could I be this stupid?!¡¯ Calvin cried in the heart.


    ¡°I.. I don¡¯t know what was got into me, Emma. But I¡¯m really sorry. If you allow it, I will do whatever it takes to let you know that I didn¡¯t mean to act rude like earlier..¡± Calvin said again carefully. It was hisst resort before epting the fact that he would no longer be friends with Emma.


    Honestly, let alone dating, Emma never had romantic physical contact with the opposite sex. Calvin¡¯s actions took Emma by surprise and forced her to think hard. She considered whether the action was eptable to her or not. But after being silent for a while, Emma finally decided one thing..


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad. I¡¯m.. just confused.¡± Emma finally replied. Calvin looked straight at her and pulled the car over.


    ¡°It might sound weird, but to be honest, I¡¯ve never dated any man in my life. My parents¡¯ strict protection made me very rigid in my mindset towards rtionships with men. I told you before, didn¡¯t I? That I have trouble socializing? This is one example of severe cases..¡± Emma continued by looking at the man beside her with a sad look.


    ¡°I swear I won¡¯t do it again if you mind, Emma. Just like you, I¡¯ve never touched a girl. That one earlier.. I don¡¯t know why my hand moved on its own. But I¡¯m really scared to make you angry. I don¡¯t want you to stay away from me because of my stupidity. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Calvin apologized quickly.


    ¡°No, Calvin. I won¡¯t be mad at you. Even though it feels strange to me, I¡¯ll get used to this sort of thing.¡± Emma answered. Then, she smiled gently, ¡°I feel lucky that you were the first man to do this for me. You are the most polite man I have ever met. It¡¯s just a head stoke after all.¡±


    Calvin¡¯s eyes lit up with joy. His face looked so relieved at Emma¡¯s reply, as if he could breathe again, ¡°Thanks, Emma. I meant what I said. Thank you very much.¡±


    Emmaughed lightly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go overboard like that, Calvin. You¡¯re just stroking my head, right? I think other people will think that I¡¯m a very boring girl for bothering about my head being stroked by a guy. Actually, this is really embarrassing..¡± she shook her head with a flushed face.


    ¡°Emma, ??you don¡¯t have to normalize something that makes you feel ufortable, just because everyone thinks it¡¯s normal,¡± Calvin replied. ¡°All men should respect women with all their choices. If a woman has said that she doesn¡¯t want to be touched, then the man should keep his hand away from her. No matter where, even if it¡¯s the ends of her hair.¡± the man continued.


    Emma smiled gently at Calvin¡¯s words. Again, he made her chuckle in admiration, ¡°If all men were like you, there would be no such thing as harassment of women in this world.¡± she said. Then, Emma looked down at the road ahead and pointed at the windshield. ¡°Maybe we can walk again. I was afraid you¡¯d bete for your meeting.¡± she continued with a slightugh.


    ¡°Gosh.. You¡¯re right,¡± Calvin replied by putting the car¡¯s handbrake off and stepping on the gas pedal. The atmosphere was so tense that he forgot he was pulling the car over.


    ¡°By the way.. About the mysterious man you told me about, do you know who he is?¡± Emma asked after clearing her throat.


    ¡°Oh.. That man.. You still remember him, huh? Haha..¡± Calvin answered. Then he sighed softly, ¡°Yesterday, we met him by chance, even joined the fight and talked to him. However, until this moment, we still don¡¯t know the identity of that man.¡± he exined.


    ¡°Then, what are you guys going to do? Are you guys still going to find out who he is?¡± Emma asked again.


    ¡°If that¡¯s possible, of course, we¡¯d like to know. But apparently, the man doesn¡¯t want to reveal his identity. His voice even sounds like he¡¯s using a voice changer. At least, we¡¯re pretty sure he doesn¡¯t have any malicious intent.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Calvin nodded, ¡°That day, we found him fighting dozens of men at the Hell Gate group¡¯s headquarters alone. He was even nearly wiped out by the strongest man there. He did that all just to save the many girls who were kidnapped in the base. Maybe it was too soon to judge him. But I admit he is very strong.¡±


    Emma couldn¡¯t help but put a smile on her lips. Although indirectly, but wasn¡¯t that apliment showed for her? Because, Emma was the person behind the ck helmet. Emma was the strong man Calvin told about. She felt very proud of herself.


    ¡°You seem to like such a strong and brave man.. Erhm.. If I may let you know, I also tried to get rid of the gangsters and have helped quite of people who were extorted by them..¡± Calvin said jokingly after noticing Emma who seemed to be smiling alone.


    ¡°Haha.. What are you saying, Calvin? All men will look cool if they have a good heart and don¡¯t hurt women. But to be honest, I actually admire the mysteriousness of that man. Because, living while hiding big things from other people must be very hard.¡±


    ¡°The only thing we know about him is, he refers to himself as ck. If he does have the same goals as us, I really hope we can cooperate in destroying the gangsters in Handway City. But apparently, he wants to move on his own.¡± Calvin exined.


    Emma looked at the man beside her who was talking with a low sigh. There was a look of disappointment on his face that made Emma feel a little guilty, ¡°He must have his reasons for doing that, Calvin. I¡¯m sure no one wants to fight alone in such a tough world. After all, you have to respect his will, right?¡±


    Calvin nodded, ¡°You talk like you¡¯re in the same position as ck. But you¡¯re right, Emma. I have to understand and respect it.¡±


    ***


    A man with a thin messy beard on his face was standing next to a hospital bed. On the bed, there was another man who had woken up from his briefa who could only keep his head down with shaking shoulders.


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t ying with us, none of this would have happened.¡± Ron¡¯s voice sounded very cold. The man on the bed still didn¡¯t answer. He forced him to sit up and removed the oxygen mask on his nose just only by his appearance from behind the door.


    ¡°I.. I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Said the man in a hoarse and weak voice. His head was a little dizzy from forcing himself to sit up. But he was that scared.


    ¡°You¡¯re Donny, right? Even though I¡¯m not smart, my memory is good enough to remember hundreds of members of my own group. Unfortunately... knowing them doesn¡¯t mean knowing what they¡¯re doing behind my back.¡± Ron hissed.


    ¡°I.. I didn¡¯t know it would turn out like this, Boss. I only used my girlfriend. I didn¡¯t know she had such a strong acquaintance. If I had known, I would have never involved her in this work in the first ce..¡± He exined with the head more lowered.


    Hearing Donny¡¯s words, Ron stepped closer to him and sat on the side of his bed.

 Chapter 99

    99 Parasite


    Ron stepped closer to Donny and sat on the side of his bed. Quickly, Donny forced his weak body to shift to give the number one more space, ¡°Lately, I just learned a truth that was enough to make my tolerant heart irritated. The news.. made me realize that The North Viking is much better than you.¡±


    Donny¡¯s eyes went wide at what Ron said. His head lowered and his neck stiffened. It was as if the neck could not support the weight of his own head.


    ¡°Why are you silent, Donny? Don¡¯t you want to exin something, or at least defend yourself?¡± Ron asked again.


    Donny nced with a fearful face at the figure with long ck hair, ¡°Wh.. why do you... think like that..?¡± he stuttered.


    Ron smiled faintly as he sighed softly, ¡°Someone had told me that you framed The North Vikings and tricked us into getting you to take their ce in my Hell Gate group. Tell me whether it¡¯s true,¡± he hissed. Of course, Ron would not immediately judge based on the story from one side only. He wanted to hear for himself the version of the story that woulde out of Donny¡¯s lips.


    But as Ron had expected from the start, Donny couldn¡¯t answer. In fact, he already knew that what TJ had informed him was the truth. But he still had the intention to give Donny a chance to exin.


    ¡°So.. It¡¯s all true, huh?¡± Ron muttered under his breath, ¡°It turns out that the saying is true that the taller a tree grows, the stronger the wind will hit. But I didn¡¯t know that the bigger a tree, the more parasites cling to it.¡±


    ¡°TJ admitted that it wasn¡¯t them who told Dragger, that Hell Gate sent The North Vikings to attack Jen Marrie street. It was you who said it behind our back. And, you ndered The North Viking by telling that they were the ones who said it to Dragger. You¡¯re the one who actually caused Hell Gate to sh with Dragger. You¡¯re the one who made us forced to always go to war with their powerful group and have to add a lot of strong members. It made Kei unable to find sources of funds to cover any losses.¡± Ron continued with both fists tightly clenched.


    Donny¡¯s heart was beating fast and hard. He felt himself being hit by a barrage of problems. He thought, with the trouble caused by Poppy¡¯s friends, he would be kicked out of Hell Gate after taking a few hits. But as it turned out, while he was unconscious in the hospital, things turned out to be the worst-case scenario. The cunning he did to join the Hell Gate group was finally exposed.


    .....


    Yes, The North Viking used to work for Hell Gate. It was the North Vikings who had previously been Kei Matsumoto¡¯s right-hand man to keep the group at the forefront and take care of the business needs of their canguagedictionary site. At that time, the website was just about to be developed.


    Previously, it was true that Hell Gate was in the business of selling illegal boat engines. But Kei got a good server and some reliable IT personnel to open a new, more profitable business. He also provided the capital to start up the business.


    How did Donny frame The North Viking? As Pablo Diablo once said, Donny was a very greedy guy. He would look for everything that was most profitable for him, even if he had to cut his own tail to get as much money as possible. Donny, who had been friends with TJ for a long time, received information about Hell Gate¡¯s exciting new business, when the two of them were drinking together at a roadside tavern as usual. TJ himself did not think that Donny was so disgusting that he could betray him like that.


    Donny envied TJ who was treated very well by Hell Gate. Even, Hell Gate¡¯s website business which involved many beautiful girls also made him really tempted. When Donny heard that Hell Gate was looking for more girls to expand their business, he started to think of a devious n. Donny told TJ that he knew an insider who was a member of the Dragger group, the owner of Jen Marrie street. TJ didn¡¯t know that on that street, Dragger was also the owner of all of the enormous prostitution and gambling entertainment.


    Donny gave fake information to TJ. He said that by that date, most of the Dragger men and their leader would be leaving to expand their territory. Because of that, the guard on Jen Marie street would be very weak. He invited The North Vikings to work together to take the entertainment women who work on Jen Marie Street, by attacking the street.


    However, on the other hand, Donny actually went to Dragger¡¯s headquarters and told his leader, whose name was Pablo Diablo, that there was an order from arge group that would attack Jen Marrie street. He was willing to speak only if Pablo paid for the information. Of course, Pablo did not think long to pay Donny¡¯s mouth. To him, the amount of money Donny demanded meant nothing to his fat wallet.


    Finally, Donny told them that the North Vikings would attack the street on that day. He even gave a guarantee that if that night no one came to attack, then he was willing to die in their hands. Therefore, on that day, Donny was willing toe to Jen Marrie street to gain Pablo¡¯s trust.


    Before that night came, Donny still took the time to visit The North Viking¡¯s headquarters which was also in the harbour area which was located a few kilometres from Hell Gate¡¯s headquarters.


    When TJ was off-guards, Donny secretly took the opportunity to insert a paper that seemed to be the evidence of fake orders and transactions to prove that they were The North Vikings who were paid ninjas of the Hell Gate group, into a pocket of a jacket with a fake logo that TJ would especially wear to attack Jen Marie street. Donny did this because Kei Matsumoto had said that no other group should know that The North Vikings were working for the Hell Gate group.


    In the end, The North Viking fell into Donny¡¯s trap. When they attacked Jen Marrie street, all of Dragger¡¯s men were already waiting there. No one went to expand territory. It was all just Donny¡¯s fake information.


    In an hour, The North Vikings were knocked out by Dragger. There, TJ realized that Donny had set him up. He even still had time to tell all his men about the bad news before he was arrested and forcibly taken to Dragger¡¯s headquarters.


    There, Pablo¡¯s right-hand man interrogated TJ to say the name of the big group that had ordered him to steal the prostitute women from Jen Marrie street. But he kept his mouth shut in order to keep Hell Gate¡¯s secret. However, when Draggers¡¯s men stripped his clothes off, they found the fake evidence paper that Donny had put into TJ¡¯s jacket pocket. It was the beginning of the war between Dragger and Hell Gate.


    What¡¯s even worse, Donny deliberately brought his female friends that night (Emma, ??Poppy, and the others.), to be a shield when The North Viking finally realized his true devilish form. At that time, Donny used his friends as bait to escape from their capture.


    When all of Donny¡¯s ns had worked and made The North Vikings expelled from Hell Gate, he immediately volunteered to join the group. Then, with his good performance and sweet lips, he quickly managed to get promoted and he was able to rece TJ¡¯s position who became a special team to manage the website business of canguangedistionary.


    TJ, who was finally knocked down by Dragger, held a huge grudge against Donny who he could no longer touch, because Donny was already under the protection of Hell Gate. TJ also no longer had the opportunity to tell the truth to the higher-ups of Hell Gate. However, when he heard the news of the attack on the Hell Gate headquarters which caused the group to lose many men, including the two pirs of the guard, Gozu and Mezu, he finally had the opportunity to meet Ron and tell him the whole true story.


    Ron felt very disappointed and angry, because all this time, he had kept a bunch of leeches that were secretly sucking his blood imperceptibly. All this time, Hell Gate was infected with disgusting parasites like them. As a result of this action, which was a form of Donny¡¯s greed, it gave serious side effects in the future and affected many parties.


    ¡°Greed is like an always hungry monster. In the end, it will eat its own host when the host can¡¯t feed it anymore.¡± Ron murmured, then rose to his feet. ¡°Your greed and rotten heart have caused many people to suffer. Hell Gate is on the verge of copse because of you. Remember.. Your life will not be the same as before after you leave this hospital. You will wish that you could back to live in this ce instead, or sleep in the coffin. Keep that in mind.¡± Ron continued before stepping out, leaving Donny¡¯s figure as if he was somewhere between life and death.


    Ron stepped on the hospital corridor with his hands still clenched into fists. Just because of one rotten-hearted bastard, he lost everything. Not only money and power that could still be soughtter, but his brothers who could only be helped by a miracle. If he wasn¡¯t in the hospital right now, he might have killed Donny with his own two hands.


    Once he arrived at thest Hell Gate headquarters, Ron entered his small room. It was very different from the room at the main headquarters, which even had a bathroom and bedroom in it. In this headquarters, Ron upied a room that previously belonged to the headman of the branch headquarters, who now had to be forced to sleep with the other subordinates in the living room. This was the onlyst base they have.

 Chapter 100

    100 Betrayal


    ¡°Where¡¯s Kei?¡± Ron asked one of the members who were sitting around.


    ¡°A few hours after you left, Big bro Kei also went somewhere, Big bro,¡± Answered the man with the hair parted in the middle.


    ¡°Did he leave a message?¡± Ron asked again.


    The man shook his head, ¡°He didn¡¯t, Big bro.¡±


    Ron nodded before letting out a long sigh, then, motioned for his men to leave his room. After the door closed, he immediately took his cell phone from his pocket, dialled someone¡¯s contact number before putting the cellphone to his ear while massaging his nose bridge.


    ¡°Hey, Garry. Have you had dinner? How are things there?¡± Ron asked as soon as the man on the other side picked up the phone.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left, Big bro. I couldn¡¯t hold it in. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Said the man named Garry who was at the headquarters of another branch that had previously been attacked by Jita Kyoei¡¯s group, The Lonely Hero or Calvin Lee, and the ck Helmet. After the attack, they destroyed the entire property of the base, making the losses even greater. The original owner of the building they rented was furious and fined them a heavy sum of money.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve worked hard. Have you told Kei about this matter?¡±


    ¡°I called him earlier, but he hasn¡¯t picked up yet,¡± Garry replied.


    .....


    ¡°He can be really difficult to be contacted sometimes. Especially when he¡¯s on his way home. Ask the others to bring all the important files and worthy properties left in the base here.¡± Ron ordered.


    ¡°Alright, Boss!!¡± Garry replied swiftly.


    ¡°Um... Garry.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± said the man.


    ¡°Please find out where Kei is now. Incidentally, I have something important to talk to him about. If you have met him or been able to contact him, tell Kei to return to this base immediately, or at least call me.¡± Ron asked.


    ¡°Got it!!¡± Garry replied.


    Ron hung up the phone and ced the phone on the table. Then, he mmed his back against the back of the chair quite hard. He shifted his hand massage to his forehead because he felt a sensation of dizziness that was quite severe there.


    All of this made him feel like he was going crazy. Every day he worried about Mezu¡¯s condition, who was still unconscious. Plus, the debts that were piling up and the information from Kei regarding the group¡¯s funds that were running low, were made him confused about what to do.


    Ron judged that Kei was too careless about this precarious situation. Even in his small heart, Ron felt that Kei seemed to not care anymore. But he always tried to get rid of these thoughts. Logically, it was also impossible for Kei to leave what he had built with hard work.


    Without realizing it, Ron had fallen asleep, leaning back in his chair. He woke up startled when he heard the sound of his cell phone vibrating on the wooden table. On the screen appeared the name of Garry who was one of his adopted brothers since they were homeless, ¡°Yes? Have you received any information, Garry?¡± asked Ron by rubbing his still heavy eyes.


    ¡°Ron!! This is terrible! Kei is running away!¡± The man eximed in a frantic voice.


    Ron¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°Running away? What do you mean?¡± he asked, ncing at the clock on the wall, it was 1:00 am! Crazy! It turned out he had been asleep for four hours.


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked for information, Ron.. I found that Kei had left the country six hours ago with all our important files. It turns out that he has also sold all the assets of the boat engine business and withdrew all the money from Hell Gate¡¯s ount into his ount. And he also... All this time, he always put your name on every loan application, Ron.¡± Garry exined in a weak voice.


    Garry¡¯s exnation made Ron¡¯s ears ring in pain. He was no longer able to respond to the man who was calling his name from behind the phone. His hands were so weak that he dropped the phone on the floor. No wonder Kei looked very rxed all this time. Wasn¡¯t it obvious that Kei had scammed him.. no.. he had deceived the entire Hell Gate group.


    Ron should have realized from the start, that Kei Matsumoto never really thought of Hell Gate as a brother. All that man cared about was money, money, and money.


    Suddenly, Ron¡¯s room door was knocked at a rapid rhythm from outside, before someone opened it without his approval. It was Max, the head of the branch headquarters he was currently upying. Max¡¯s face was already covered in sweat with dishevelled clothes.


    Ron didn¡¯t ask again. He just nced at the man with a grim face. The noise that came from behind Max was enough to let Ron know what was going on outside.


    ¡°Boss!! We¡¯re under attack!¡± the man eximed.


    ¡°Go..¡± Ron said quietly, which immediately took Max by surprise.


    ¡°B.. boss?¡± Max looked frustrated and confused.


    ¡°I SAID, GO!!¡± A ss ashtray floated with Ron¡¯s shout, and smashed straight into the doorframe to shatter.


    Max, who reflexively protected his head which was two centimetres away from being hit by the hard object, immediately stepped back and closed the door with a trembling hand.


    ¡°ARGGGHHHH!!!¡± Ron shouted as grabbing his long hair with both hands. Then, he ransacked his desk as an outlet for his unstoppable anger.


    He lost everything. Even worse than when he was homeless. Not only did he have no money, but the debts they used to fund their ongoing business and build Hell Gate bigger, turned out to be all on his shoulders. It was all because he was too stupid. And Kei, who had a smart brain, realized this easily. Kei had used Ron and his brothers for his personal gain.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left for me or Hell Gate anymore. If it¡¯s to be destroyed, I¡¯ll be blown away with everyone else.¡± The man muttered as he opened his office door, and stepped outside.


    He walked to the barrier of the second floor and looked down, where all the members of Hell Gate were battling a group of men. The group with a big and burly man who looked very prominent with a face that was quite familiar to people living in the dark world like them. He was Troy Roner, the leader of the legendary group, Jita Kyoei.


    At the final base, all the members of Hell Gate gathered together. There were about three hundred people in total. From the strongest to the weakest. Those who were truly loyal or those who were just want to have a good shelter.


    Even though it¡¯s a lot of men, it¡¯s not a big problem for Jita Kyoei¡¯s group. They have been vacuumed for a long time from the world of fighting between gangsters. But after being ignited a little with a few fights recently, it was as if the wick they had buried so deep was starting to light again.


    Jita Kyoei, who was famous for being bloodthirsty in their fight, was now showing their monster side again. The group that was feared and always expected to fall, now really rose and was witnessed by more than three hundred pairs of eyes.


    Calvin Lee was the first man who caught the figure of Ron Smith perched on the second floor while looking at themotion below with a cold face. Calvin smiled happily that he didn¡¯t need to bother looking for the leader of Hell Gate anymore. That had alreadye out of his own. It seemed luck was on his sidetely.


    Calvin looked up with a mocking grin on his face. Then, he raised his index finger and moved it inward, as a symbol for Ron toe down to face him.


    Calvin was already very upset about what Hell Gate had done to so many people. Not just a lot of girls, they also hurt people Calvin knew, namely Roger and Poppy. Their evil deeds could not be forgiven.


    Ron, who saw himself being challenged in such a lowly manner, immediately chuckled. He wouldn¡¯t be soft this time. Everything was already a mess. If he had to die, then he would drag all his enemies into the gates of hell with him.


    WHOOSH!! BUGH!!


    Everyone on the wide floor below was stopped moving. They stared at the figure who had just shot down from the second floor into the centre of therge room.


    Ron Smith¡¯s crazy action made everyone there gasp. Ron was now in the middle of the room in a squatting position, but with one knee almost touching the ground. His two fingers pressed against the floor to relieve the pressure on his body as he jumped from the second floor earlier. Truly, no bones were broken and thending was perfect. He looked like a warrior from a Kung Fu movie!


    Slowly, Ron rose from his position. His face looked very cold. Those ruthless eyes had never been seen by the members of Hell Gate who had worked with him all this time. Even those who had known Ron since they were homeless had never seen that look.


    ¡°You¡¯re great too,¡±


    WOOSH!!


    Calvin dodged very fast when Ron ran towards him and flew straight away with a circr kick using his long leg. Ron wasn¡¯t the type to wait for his opponent to make small talk during a fight.


    Why Hell Gate was untouchable? Why Kei Matsumoto was willing to spend a lot of money in the beginning to be able to build the Hell Gate group by making Ron Smith a leader? Why would he allow a stupid, reckless brain to take the number one spot in a group he financed with his personal money? It was because Ron Smith was so strong.


    Several years ago, before appearing in front of Ron in person, it was Kei Matsumoto who always ced huge bets in the underground wrestling events. When he saw Ron¡¯s extremely powerful figure, he judged that it was a very profitable opportunity. That way, Kei paid a lot to keep Ron paired with powerful opponents with various dangerous weapons.

 Chapter 101

    101 ck Is Late


    While working in the underground fighting match, Ron was always faced with the strongest opponent. Until thest moment when he had to fight a truly monster-like opponent, then winning, that was the time when Kei made up his mind to take Ron as his salve dog.


    Ron Smith used to have a nickname as Stray Dog. He could beat dozens of thugs with his bare hands. His bones, which had always been hammered by the blows of wooden blocks, became as strong as iron bars. His body used to being forced to fight on an empty stomach, made his immune system mutate to be stronger. A punch of his hand was equivalent to the punch of three men. His kick was equivalent to five wooden blocks hit. His speed had been trained as he often pickpocketed and escaped from the police chase.


    After Calvin dodged, another kick came towards his head again in a lighting speed. He managed to dodge that as well, but a fist quickly came back, lunging straight for his chest. Feeling it was no longer possible to get away, Calvin immediately covered all of his ribs by crossing his arms in front of his chest.


    Ron¡¯s double hit was sending Calvin bouncing backwards with feet dragged on the floor. Even though he was still in a defensive stance, the weight of his body and stance couldn¡¯t withstand the jabs Ron was giving.


    Seeing Calvin who was instantly dragged back a few meters with just a jab made Troy¡¯s attention focus on them. Troy had indeed heard of the rumours of how powerful a Ron Smith was. But he had nevere into contact with the man, so he had never seen this power for himself. Now that he had seen the slightest bit of Ron and Calvin¡¯s fight, he could judge that they shouldn¡¯t underestimate a Ron Smith.


    BUGHH!!!


    Just as Troy was about to move to help Calvin, suddenly arge, two-meter-tall man came in by smashing the back door of the building and breaking it.


    ¡°Gozu?!¡± Everyone was stunned.


    ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s this surprise again?¡± Martin said to Nicko who was beside him breathlessly.


    .....


    ¡°Looks like the madman escaped from prison,¡± Nicko said while looking at the prisoner¡¯s pants that were still attached to Gozu¡¯s big body. Even though it was snowing very hard outside, he was only wearing a tank top.


    ¡°We have to quickly end this before the police arrive,¡± assumed Ian, who just threw his fist at the jaw of an enemy and made him faint instantly.


    But it looked like things won¡¯t be as easy as they initially thought. With a total of all Hell Gate members to be knocked down, the fact how strong Ron Smith was, and the appearance of Gozu escaping from prison, would make them fight the whole night.


    ¡°I¡¯M COMING, BIG BRO RON!!! I AM THE HELL GATE PILLAR GUARD, GOZU!!¡± The man eximed as loud as he could by tightening all the muscles while clenching both hands tightly until all its veins popped out.


    Ron didn¡¯t expect Gozu to suddenlye to his aid. But he knew that he must have escaped from prison just toe to the headquarters. He was so loyal to the Hell Gate¡¯s brotherhood. With a sigh, Ron raised his thumb in the air with a faint smile. If it was true that Hell Gate must end, then, make it a battle they would do together as brothers.


    Calvin and Troy stared at each other from a distance as the chaos resumed. Jita Kyoei¡¯s men were not up to thirty people in total, but they had to fight so many Hell Gate¡¯s men.


    ¡°Leave this part to me,¡± Said Calvin who relied more on his lips movements, because Troy definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to hear his voice amid the chaotic noise.


    With the arrival of Gozu, Troy, who was going to fight Ron with Calvin, was finally forced to turn his wheel to fight the man with the big stature.


    Troy was a Judo fighter who also relied on the strength of his body weight to defeat his opponent. Unlike Calvin, Troy couldn¡¯t move that fast and agile. Actually, Troy and Gozu¡¯s fighting styles were almost the same. However, their body size was slightly different.


    ¡°Tsk! I should have practised more yesterday,¡± Troy muttered with a stance as he faced Gozu.


    As Troy had expected, Gozu¡¯s strength was truly great. The hulking man was an excellent wrestling fighter with a physique that gave him many advantages in groundbat. Gozu¡¯s grip on Troy¡¯s shoulders could even make him wince in pain.


    ¡®So this is the man that ck defeated? If ck can beat him, so can I!¡¯ Troy said in his heart.


    Even though in Troy¡¯s life, Judo seemed to be his lover, that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t do other techniques besides Judo. In the world of thugs, everyone must have Street Fight abilities.


    Troy realized Gozu was about to push him back. Quickly, he swung his fist from the side many times which hit Gozu¡¯s jaw.


    ¡®He is indeed the Troy of Jita Kyoei.¡¯ Gozu thought to himself. Never before had he felt a blow that was nearly as strong as the punch of the man who had previously defeated all the higher-ups of the Hell Gate.


    Troy smiled faintly. It would be a little difficult against Gozu, but that didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t. Maybe it would just take longer than the usual fight.


    On the other hand, Calvin wiped the side of his lip that was bleeding after Ron managed to hit him in the face with his punch. But it wasn¡¯t just Calvin who was hurt. Ron was the same. At first nce, their strength seemed to be on par.


    During his life, Calvin had never been able to touch a single number one leader of a big gangster group. Usually, he only could fight as far with the right-hand men of the group leader, because he always moved on his own. But now that he had moved together, he had hands to help him fight hundreds of gangsters that made him could feel what it¡¯s like to fight the main leader of a gangster group.


    No wonder why a Ron Smith could protect such arge group. This was the first time Calvin had faced such a strong person. Although he did not master a specific technique of martial art, Ron provided a mix of all the techniques he had recorded in his brain when fighting with all his opponents so far.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever find anyone who can make my battles fun,¡± Ron chuckled after spitting blood from his mouth onto the cement floor.


    ¡°So am I,¡± Calvin smiled kindly.


    Then, they run to each other and jump as throwing kicks. But, just like swords that were against each other, it sent both sides blowing each other backwards.


    But Calvin and Ron were very surprised when suddenly a metal coffee table flew straight at Ron and managed to hit him in the head. Ron, who didn¡¯t have time to dodge because he was in a semi-recumbent position, could only protect his head with his arms.


    It turned out that the perpetrator of the sudden attack was a midget man with a ck helmet who had a nickname, ck. He was standing by a window that was big enough for his tiny body to pass through. He was standing on a pile of wooden boxes and chairs stacked up against the wall.


    ¡°You...¡± Ron muttered as he stared at the figure standing like a hero in the moonlight shining through the window. It was the man who had ravaged his main headquarters.


    ¡°YOUU!!!¡± Gozu¡¯s scream made Emma gasp in surprise.


    Emma looked at Gozu with a gaping face, ¡°Hey! Shouldn¡¯t you be in the prison?¡± she asked with a chuckle.


    Within the room, many people knew ck¡¯s figure. Yes, that¡¯s because most of the men there, were the ones ck had knocked out. Not only the subordinates, but the figure of Gozu who was said to be the pir that protects the Hell Gate had also felt it.


    Emma huffed in annoyance. Because she arrivedte, Jita Kyoei and Calvin were already ahead of her. Actually, Emma was thinking of capturing Kei alone in the base. She deliberately chose the day when Jita Kyoei would attack the base. Emma thought, she would finish Kei first, then, let the Jita Kyoei members take care of the rest of the Hell Gate members.


    However, everything fell apart because of what happened three hours ago.


    ¡ª


    While Emma was cooking at home, she got a call from someone. It was the owner of the helmet shop that Emma was visiting. Previously, Emma hade back to the shop inside the mall for a quite long time. She said she would buy about fifty more helmets to spare.


    Emma found that every fight usually made her ck helmet to be damaged and Emma didn¡¯t like to use things that were already broken. Therefore, she ordered the helmet to be stored at her home. That was also the reason why she asked Jonas to increase her credit card limit.


    However, while chatting with the shop owner about when the helmet will be delivered, Emma suddenly smelled smoke. And it turned out that the food she was cooking had been burnt. A sizable fire raged above the pan which made thick smoke gather in the kitchen. Emma forgot to turn off the stove. Smartly, she forgot that she was cooking!


    Before Emma had time to think about how to put out the fire, the fire detector immediately rang loudly. Emma had never faced such an incident in her life. Therefore, it took her a while to realize that she had to use the fire extinguisher spray that Jonas had provided around the kitchen. But stupidly, Emma still didn¡¯t understand how to use it. Even though Jonas had previously exined to her, at that time, she didn¡¯t listen to him and just nodded away. Now, she regretted her rudeness over Jonas.

 Chapter 102

    102 The Family Who Stay


    After almost half of the kitchen set in her house caught in fire, Emma finally managed to use the red heavy tube tool and extinguish the fire that was raging. A few minutester, the firefighters arrived at her house.


    Because of this incident, Emma had to run out of time to clean up the mess. She even had to be bothered by the fire department who asked for some information for their report, even though they arrived veryte. If Emma hadn¡¯t managed to put out the fire herself, maybe half the house would have been burned down.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Ugh. What a bad luck.. My ns are all messed up,¡± Emma moaned quietly.


    BUGHH!!


    Gozu staggered to the side while holding his jaw that felt like it was going to snap from being hit by Troy¡¯s huge fist.


    ¡°Look here, you idiot! Your fight is with me.¡± Troyughed.


    As usual, Gozu¡¯s anger was easily provoked. Even though he wanted to kill the ck helmet because he had put his brother in aa, he wouldn¡¯t be able to attack the dwarf if he hadn¡¯t crippled Troy who kept getting in his way.


    ¡°I came here to avenge Kei Matsumoto for killing my best friend!¡± Emma eximed, ¡°Where¡¯s that trash Kei Matsumoto?!¡±


    .....


    Hearing Emma¡¯s question, Ron immediatelyughed, ¡°You¡¯rete. Kei Matsumoto has left. He.. is no longer part of Hell Gate.¡±


    Ron Smith¡¯s statement immediately made everyone in the ce stop their activities. Both friends and enemies were surprised to hear the words that came out of Ron Smith¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Boss.. What do you mean?¡± Asked Max whose face was already battered.


    In an instant, the vast room became buzzing with the murmurs of the Hell Gate members. Everyone started asking what the number one chief meant. Because, it was an open secret that Kei Matsumoto was actually the brain that drove Hell Gate and all their businesses. Unlike Ron Smith, who only relied on his muscles. If there wasn¡¯t Kei, then, Hell Gate was just a group that could stand by relying on violence only.


    ¡°All of Hell Gate¡¯s businesses have gone bankrupt. Kei took all assets and owed me debts. We have nothing but debt. Soon, we won¡¯t have a base either. We¡¯re back to being homeless.¡± Ron smiled at everyone.


    Gozu¡¯s eyes widened with fists tightly clenched, ¡°You bastard, Kei!!¡± he growled. In fact, all this time, he really trusted the figure of Kei Matsumoto who had changed his life, made him own a good home, registered him and Mezu into a wrestling studio, allowing them to enjoy life. But it turned out that it was all just a trick of him to take advantage of them. In his life, Gozu had never felt so hurt like this.


    The reactions of all the members of Hell Gate were exactly as Ron had imagined from the start. He knew, if he no longer had money and power, then everyone would leave. That was human nature. Just like ants swarming sugar.


    Ron smiled as one by one his members began to drop the wooden blocks they were holding. They all looked down with disappointed faces mixed with fear. From those faces, it was obvious that they didn¡¯t want to fight anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you one chance to get out of here. Because Hell Gate doesn¡¯t amodate those who are unfaithful.¡± Ron said.


    ¡°Big Bro! What are you saying?!¡± Gozu eximed in confusion.


    Ron raised his palm to Gozu, as a signal for him to be quiet, ¡°Kei has left. Likewise with all the rules he made. If any member wants to leave, they don¡¯t need to be punished anymore. After all.. we don¡¯t have any more secrets to be covered, right?¡±


    All the members of Hell Gate seemed to be ncing at each other. Of course, when they heard that the group they were working for had gone bankrupt, why were they still holding on? It¡¯s true what Ron said, they joined Hell Gate not to serve, but to earn money and instant fun life. Then, Those men walked out of the building one by one. Some were even seen running, as if afraid that Ron might change his mindter.


    All had left. Those who were not brothers would eventually leave when there was nothing left to gnaw at. Now only Ron, Gozu, and two others were left. They were all the children who had lived in an abandoned house near the port, as homeless people. In the end, only the real family stayed and remained loyal.


    Emma saw the incident with an aching heart. Not only was it dark, but the world behind the beautiful Handway City was also sorrowful. Even within a group, they could hit and deceive each other. The figure of Ron Smith that Emma had hated, even before seeing his face, now looked so pity in Emma¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°So, Kei has run away.. Then, how do I repay what he did to Roger?¡± Emma mumbled sadly. It felt like she had lost her strength and was not in the mood to fight. Because,e to think of it, wasn¡¯t Hell Gate already disbanded? Their business had also gone bankrupt, right?


    ¡°That means you can¡¯t get your revenge,¡± Ron replied. Then, he ran towards ck quickly, ¡°But I will take my revenge on you!¡±


    Fortunately, Emma had very good body reflexes. She was able to quickly dodge when Ron shot toward her as fast as a shadow. Emma even felt that her spirit was still left in the initial position she was standing in. Now, she was two meters away from there.


    Emma¡¯s heart was beating fast. She didn¡¯t know that Ron had such a terrifying speed. Emma¡¯s eyes widened again as she watched Ron start to take off his shirt, leaving him shirtless. Emma was not fascinated by the man¡¯s astonishing muscles, for she had seen such sights many times before. She was surprised to see how many wounds were scratched on the man¡¯s body. Even though it was covered by various tattoos, the wound was so big and deep that it could still be seen quite clearly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made our brotherying in aa until this second. You¡¯ve also destroyed my main base. You and that friend of yours.. you all destroyed our future.¡± Ron growled.


    Hearing what Ron said, Emma immediatelyughed loudly, ¡°You are concerned about us destroying your future? Then what about the innocent girls you ruined their future? If you don¡¯t want to be hit back, then don¡¯t hit in the first ce!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.. You¡¯re right. I used those girls for the benefit of my group. And you¡¯re also right, that even so, I don¡¯t have enough self-awareness to still want to revenge you for messing up our already happy life.¡± Ron answered.


    ¡°You bastards! You¡¯re all trash!¡± Emma growled, then, immediately attacked Ron at full speed. She used a Fly Kick that Ron could easily dodge. But it didn¡¯t stop there, Emma gave a follow-up kick while twisting her body.


    In that ce, only Emma could match Ron¡¯s speed. Even if it looked closely, Emma¡¯s movements were actually much faster than his. Maybe, she would be even faster if she took off her helmet which had been limiting her movements all this time.


    Seeing ck who almost got hit in the stomach, Calvin immediately moved to help. Now, he fought alongside ck as a partner to defeat Ron Smith.


    ¡°This is my...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who hates him.¡± Calvin cut ck who was about toin because he had joined the fight.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help it anymore. It¡¯s true that Calvin had held a grudge against the gangsters from the start. Even though Emma thought this fight was hers, for Calvin, all the fight was to please his dead brother.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I have to die here! I will protect all my remaining brothers! You bastards!!!¡± Ron eximed again as he again attacked blindly.


    Likewise, Gozu now had to face Troy and Frank at once. While the other two members of Hell Gate could only be silent in fear in a corner because they were considered as weak members. Even since they were all homeless, Ron had always protected and fed them. But of course, Ron did it sincerely because he thought they were all family.


    The battle was very fierce. It¡¯s actually very unfair and shameful to have to do a two-by-one fight like this. But Troy and Calvin had no more choice. With Gozu¡¯s escape from prison, it¡¯s likely that the police were currently on the run looking for him. They would all be caught and things would get worseter on.


    Ron was very strong indeed. But the power of Calvin and ckbined into one was like abination that equalled a disaster. Ron was not unaware that his strength was out of bnce with his opponent. But he would not give up until his body really couldn¡¯t fight anymore.


    To Ron, who since childhood had lost everything he had, it would be very painful if he felt it for the second time. Along with Hell Gate, he had a family that were his brothers. They had struggled together since living by the roadside, eating stale food to survive, and sleeping in the cold snow. They¡¯ve been through it together. Even though his family was only a few people left now, Ron would protect all those remaining with all his strength.


    ¡°Mezu is such a good kid! He¡¯s willing to not eat so the others can eat! Why did you put him in a state between life and death?!¡± Ron shouted at ck as he threw a spinning kick and was followed by a fist that aimed at her sr plexus. But he was thwarted by Calvin whonded a top-down kick that hit him in the back.


    ¡°I am indeed a sinner! Yes, punish me while my body is still left in this world. Maybe, this is the karma I have to pay.¡± Ron muttered as he vomited blood from his mouth onto the floor in two coughs.

 Chapter 103

    103 The End of The Hell Gate


    Ron looked at Gozu who was finally overthrown by Troy and Frank. Jita Kyoei¡¯s group was indeed very strong. And as it turned out, it was still much stronger than Hell Gate. The big man already copsed on the floor due to Troy¡¯s powerful Triangle Choke.


    Seeing Gozu being hurt again made Ron even angrier. He shouted along with another attack. However, all of these attacks were sessfully repelled and responded swiftly by Calvin and ck.


    During the fight, Emma felt something was off. She could clearly see the deep sadness on Ron¡¯s face. It was as if the man was sorry for something and worried about a lot of things. For some reason, Emma¡¯s heart was touched when she saw the figure of the man who was already battered, still trying to stand up to attack again.


    Calvin felt sorry to see Ron who already seemed unable to stand up. Even though Hell Gate had fallen, it actually didn¡¯t obvious what else Ron was holding on to that made him just keep attacking with a body condition that was no longer possible.


    ¡°Just give up! Stop this! You¡¯ve lost,¡± Emma eximed with a sad face that no one could see.


    Calvin nodded and added, ¡°Hell Gate has copsed. You have no more men. There is nothing left for you to defend,¡±


    ¡°Cough! Cough! No! Cough!¡± Ron struggled to get up from his fall, coughing blood back onto the floor. His chin was red with the blood he had been vomited out, ¡°Hell.. Gate.. will.. n-never.. copse..¡± he clenched his fists and went back forward to attack.


    However, Ron¡¯s limp steps could be avoided by ck just by moving her body a little. He really couldn¡¯t fight anymore, ¡°Hell Gate.. is my family.. We.. will not.. be destroyed.¡± He slowly muttered by turning around to attack.


    ¡°Stop this, Ron! You can¡¯t fight us anymore!¡± Emma eximed again, feeling sorry for the man¡¯s pathetic condition. She had no longer desire to fight anymore by seeing the condition of the opponent in such a pity state.


    .....


    Ron shook his head, ¡°NO! Hell Gate.. has always been the strongest! You all.. don¡¯t know.. what we¡¯ve been.. we¡¯ve been through.. to be.. this.. strong..¡±


    BUGH!!


    Finally, Ron Smith fell. Hey face down on the floor, gasping for breath.


    ¡°BIG BRO RON!!¡± His two men who had been just watching in fear, eximed.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t hurt our brothers again! Fight us instead!¡± One of the men shouted as he ran towards Ron.


    ¡°Hiyaa!!¡± They both attacked Calvin and ck at the same time, but were easily dodged and responded with a blow that instantly knocked them down.


    Emma nced at Ron who looked like he was about to get up again. She moved a little closer to him because his lips seemed to be moving. Emma¡¯s brows furrowed as she heard Ron say softly...


    ¡°Don¡¯t.. hurt.. my brothers,¡±


    Suddenly, the main door of the building burst open. Everyone inside immediately jumped in shock, thinking that it was the police. Fortunately, it turned out to be only two men in ck suits who entered while running towards Ron and kneeling beside him.


    ¡°Ron! What happened?!¡± Garry eximed as he rolled Ron¡¯s frail body onto his back.


    ¡°You guys..!! I will kill you!!¡± Eximed another man who was a member of the brothers.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t ..¡± Ron still managed to hold the man¡¯s hand. Then, he continued to say weakly, ¡°They.. are too strong. You.. can¡¯t.. can¡¯t fight,¡±


    The faint sound of police car sirens was getting closer and closer. Everyone in the building immediately moved and looked at each other with worried faces.


    ¡°The police are here. We have to run away of here,¡± Ian said to all members of his group who had been watching Ron¡¯s fight.


    ¡°Ian is right. We need to avoid trouble,¡± Troy said to Calvin.


    ¡°We¡¯d better go now,¡± Calvin unzipped his jacket and was about to leave.


    But Emma seemed to be staring at Ron who was surrounded by his two men.


    Ron looked at his two brothers with sad eyes, ¡°Go.. Don¡¯t wait.. for me.. Please.. take care of Mezu ..¡± he whispered.


    Garry shook his head with tears in his eyes, didn¡¯t expect it to end like this, ¡°I won¡¯t leave you, Ron, just like you who never left us alone.¡±


    ¡°Still.. you have something to take care of. Hell.. Gate.. will not.. die. You.. take care of our family.. Hurry up, go..¡± he replied before coughing again and almost losing consciousness.


    ¡°ck! Aren¡¯t you going?¡± Asked Calvin who had stepped into the back door.


    Emma flinched,ing out of her muse. Then, she immediately stepped away from the location before ncing back once to see the earlier scene.


    Not long after the leaving of Jita Kyoei, Calvin Lee, and ck, the police finally managed to arrive at the building that looked more like a warehouse. They found about a hundred more men were already lying everywhere on the floor. No one was conscious at all. As Ron ordered, the two brothers ran away before the police could see them.


    ***


    ¡°Thanks foring to help,¡± Calvin said to ck who was walking a few steps ahead of him.


    Emma turned to Calvin and the rest of Jita Kyoei, ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t mean to, I¡¯ll say ¡®You¡¯re wee¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Hell Gate has fallen. What are you going to do after this?¡± Troy asked in a casual tone, even though he was really curious.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But I hope not to see you guys again.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Tch.. You¡¯re so arrogant.¡± Martin mocked displeased.


    Emma just shrugged her shoulders, and walked away leaving them all. As much as possible, Emma did not want to have any further contact with these men as a ck figure. She would keep avoiding them as much as possible in order to minimize the risk that her identity as Emma Hind would be exposed.


    Brumm!!!


    A ck motorbike was seening out of a small alley, and immediately went away at full speed.


    Calvin and Troy stared at the figure that was getting further and further away at the crossroads, with suspicious faces.


    ¡°I be more curious about that person over time,¡± Troy muttered with his helmet ss visor was still open.


    Calvin who was sitting on his motorbike beside Troy¡¯s just nodded, ¡°Even so, we must respect his privacy. But.. Do you think he is a bit annoying?¡±


    ¡°I think he has a superior personality. But that¡¯s cool too, honestly.¡± Troy folded his arms across his chest.


    ¡°Hell Gate has fallen. Nicko and I have checked that the percentage of students dropping out from Wrestling studios has finally dropped drastically after the attack on Hell Gate¡¯s main headquarters. After this, we can focus on RJC.¡± Said Ian who was beside Troy.


    ¡°Damn it.. looks like that all this time, they were the culprits of many wrestling studios were closed. Actually, Hell Gate could fall not only because of us and ck. As far as I know, they also had problems with Dragger and had shed several times. Maybe, That was the reason why they were aggressively looking for strong new members.¡± Calvin muttered thoughtfully.


    ¡°Is Dragger also targeting the studio students?¡± Troy turned to Ian.


    Ian replied with a shake of his head, ¡°Apparently not. You know, Dragger is a very strong big group. Also, the members are not just the random men.¡±


    ¡°I hope you guys are still on my side in the future when I target them as a group that I must destroy,¡± Calvin muttered to himself but with a loud voice.


    But, Troy and Ian just stared at each other, without answering him.


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯ve been daydreaming a lot today, Emma.¡± Kathy surprised Emma, ??who was sitting alone in the cafe chair. Previously, they had promised to meet at that ce because now the university was paused for winter break.


    ¡°Gosh.. You startled me,¡± Emma held her chest which was suddenly beating hard.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Kathy asked, sitting down in the chair opposite Emma. She handed her arge bag of BBQ-voured potato chips that she had brought from outside.


    Emma let out a long sigh as she picked up a couple of potato chips and chewed one, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about something, which is really none of my business.¡± she answered. Then, she nced at Kathy¡¯s hand which only held a bag of potato chips, ¡°Have you ordered a drink?¡±


    Kathy nodded, ¡°Hmm.. You think about it like it¡¯s your own problem. You¡¯re indeed unique, Emma.¡±


    Emma smiled faintly, ¡°Maybe this is because I haven¡¯t taken ballet sses for too long. I think I¡¯m getting stressed myself.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s taking too long? You¡¯ve been on hiatus for less than a week. After all, we¡¯re already on a long holiday. So it shouldn¡¯t matter too much.¡± The girl with a cloud-like ponytail on her head, sang. ¡°Oh, Emma.. By the way, whose problem are you thinking about? I haven¡¯t gossiped in a long time.¡± she asked in a slight whisper.


    Emma immediately put on a straight face, ¡°You really are.. Geez, even if I tell you, you won¡¯t understand because you don¡¯t know the person.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. I thought it was the people at our campus. Is that a friend from where you used to live?¡± Kathy asked more.


    Emma thought for a moment then nodded, ¡°More or less,¡±


    ¡°Is that your best friend? What problem did she have that makes you bothered too?¡± Kathy asked again.


    ¡°He is.. just someone I knew. Actually, I thought that he was a bad person because of his behaviour all this time. But recently, I seem to have discovered a fact that he was acting annoyingly just to protect something.¡± Emma told with a brooding face.


    ¡°Hemm.. Well, of course, people act annoying as a form of their self-protection. Think about it, Emma.. The average annoying person was actually those who have problems in their lives.¡± Kathy said with a pretentious face.


    ¡°Yeah.. You¡¯re not wrong, anyway.. I guess,¡± Emma muttered with a doubtful face.

 Chapter 104

    104 Girls¡¯ Day Out


    Kathy held out her potato chips bag again, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not wrong, Emma. I know that kind of person very well. Do you know Charlote, the blonde-haired girl with blue eyes from the fine arts major? She has a pretty face but such an annoying personality. It turned out that her dad is a drunkard and her mom has a new husband -who everyone said- was trying to keep her away from her own mom. That made Charlotte very annoying and always tried to put other girls down to make herself look the best. She couldn¡¯t be nice to other people because her family condition was also not friendly to her.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. So that¡¯s the reason. I feel sorry for her..¡± Emma muttered to herself. She knew the girl named Charlotte. She was one of the popr girls who belonged to the gossip girl gang thattely often tried to make Poppy the target of their bullies. Luckily, Poppy was friends with Emma.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think people like that are to be pitied, Emma. There¡¯s never a right reason to hurt anyone else. If she does have a violent background, she shouldn¡¯t take it out on someone who doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°RED BAND!!¡±


    ¡°Ah.. My drink is ready,¡± Kathy mumbled as she rose from her chair as the cafe barista shouted the name written on her ss.


    Not long after, Kathy was back at her desk with arge tall stic cup filled with a ck drink and much ice.


    ¡°What is Red Band?¡± Emma asked confused.


    ¡°That¡¯s my pseudonym on the inte. Hahaha ..¡± Kathy answered.


    ¡°Your drink...¡± Emma muttered.


    .....


    Kathy looked down at her drink, ¡°Oh.. This is a five-shot Iced Americano.¡± she said casually before sucking on the straw embedded in the stic cup.


    ¡°I was going to ask why you¡¯re drinking that much-iced drink in this freezing cold. But now I¡¯m also blown away by how many shots you put in it.¡± Emma said in amazement.


    ¡°I have to cool my brain up because it¡¯s still boiling up fromst night¡¯s hacking war with another group. Ah.. that was so much fun. And you know what? I won! Ha!¡± She folded her arms in front of her chest with shoulders raised.


    ¡°Really? Then, congrattions! You¡¯re awesome, Kathy..¡± Emma praised with a warm smile, also felt happy to see the progress of her friend in the job field she really liked. Seeing Kathy made Emma even more motivated to be a professional in the world of ballet.


    After a few minutes of talking together, a girl in a maroon coat came to their table. Her hair was wavy at the bottom, tied in a ponytail with essories of two small crystal balls on the rubber, ¡°Hidies.. Sorry I¡¯mte,¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey, Poppy. It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re not having an important meeting, anyway.¡± Emma replied by shifting slightly to give Poppy space to sit.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty, as usual, Poppy. If only I could dress up like that..¡± Kathy muttered weakly as she looked at Poppy who was now sitting beside Emma.


    ¡°Sure you can dress up like this, Kathy. All you have to think about is whether it suits your taste and whether you have enough will to do it.¡± Emma winked.


    ¡°Thanks for the sarcasm, Emma. I really feel like you¡¯re a true friend now.¡± Kathy rolled her eyes as she sipped her coffee.


    Emma and Poppy couldn¡¯t help butugh. Of course, there were many girls like Kathy in this world. Those who always admire, even envy the beauty of other girls. Want to have good skin, hair, and body. On the other hand, they were toozy to take care of themselves and did not lead a healthy life.


    ¡°Anyways, how about your project, Poppy?¡± Emma asked.


    Poppy shook her head and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as I thought, Emma. It turns out that nowadays, it¡¯s rare for kids to take private ballet lessons. They want public ballet sses so they can practice together with other kids.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is, Poppy. Because practising together with friends is more fun than practising alone. I also, if it weren¡¯t for you guys, might have given up on college ballet sses a long time ago.¡± Kathy added.


    ¡°So what¡¯s your next n, Poppy? You¡¯re not going to give up on this project, are you? I¡¯ll help you if you need to in any way.¡± Emma asked seriously.


    Poppy shook her head, ¡°Of course not, Emma. Ballet is something too important that I can¡¯t give up, even by the greatest obstacle.¡± She replied. Perhaps, the hardest thing that made her ever give up on ballet was the incident that at that time required her to be a porn star.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what the market wants, then I¡¯ll have to go along with it so the business can run. Right now, I¡¯m looking for a ce to open my own ballet studio. My mom said she would help with the initial funding. But of course, I still had to find the cheapest one. Because, it is very likely that the initial capital wouldn¡¯t be returned quickly.¡± Poppy continued.


    ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll help you look for it. Maybe Calvin can provide some good information too, since he often wanders around Handway City a lot. Then, I¡¯ll ask him.¡± Emma replied.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll help you search from the inte too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the help, girls.¡± Poppy said, then, she nced at the clock on her cellphone, ¡°Oh.. the reservation time will start in an hour. Looks like we can go to the salon now.¡±


    ¡°Right.. It¡¯s almost 1 pm, huh?¡± Kathy muttered, ncing at her watch as well.


    As Poppy promised that time, she finally invited Emma and Kathy to go to her favourite salon. Before, Poppy always went with her girl friends who were among the campus popr girls. But now, she discovered that those girls were not her real friends.


    As soon as she arrived at the salon, Kathy looked amazed with her mouth wide open. Poppy¡¯s salon was huge and luxurious. All her life, Kathy only went to the salon to cut her hair. Because of that, she was amazed to see a special salon for full body treatment which was quite different from a salon that only provided barber services.


    Emma was also happy that she found a good salon in Handway City. Well.. Although the salon she used to go to in the city where she lived before, was still better, the salon she visited this time felt very special because she came with her best friends.


    ¡°Shh.. Poppy! You didn¡¯t tell me whether this salon was expensive or not.¡± Kathy whispered, starting to worry about her wallet. It felt no need to guess more to know that the cost of treatment in such a luxurious salon would definitely be expensive.


    Poppy chuckled, ¡°Calm down, Kathy. I brought you here because this salon belongs to my aunt. So, all our treatments are free.¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Wow!! Really?! This is awesome!¡± Kathy eximed in joy. So far, one of the reasons why she didn¡¯t want to go to a salon was because of the cost, which ording to her, was quite expensive. Kathy preferred to use her money to buyputer hardware and software rather than going to a salon.


    ¡°But, is this ok, Poppy? Is it usually like this?¡± Emma asked, a little worried. Emma was afraid that Poppy would get into trouble with her aunt. She knew this kind of treatment was not cheap.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°Whenever I bring my friends, we will definitely get unlimited free treatment. It¡¯s amon thing.¡± Then, she thought to herself, ¡°Maybe that¡¯s also the reason why the girls want to go to the salon with me,¡±


    ¡°Even if I had to pay, I¡¯d still choose to go with you, Poppy. You¡¯re such a nice person to talk with. I think the girls think so too,¡± Emma said gently by patting Poppy¡¯s shoulder a few times, ¡°Don¡¯t put yourself down, Poppy. Lift your chin up. You are a special girl. Remember that.¡± she continued by raising her own chin, for example.


    ***


    ¡°Wow.. It seems that you exercise a lot, huh..¡± Said the woman who worked at the salon to Emma.


    Poppy and Kathy, who were having the same body treatment in the same room, immediately turned to Emma.


    ¡°Haha.. You¡¯re right. My muscles are a bit hard, huh?¡± Emma answered awkwardly.


    The salon woman shook her head, ¡°No.. not really. This is a very perfect muscle shape and describes a good sport.¡± she said with a smallugh. Of course, the muscles of thedy she was massaging were as hard as those of a bodybuilder. But, she did not dare to openly mention it in front of the guest¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh, Emma. I saw that you had quite some bruises on your body. How did you actually fall?¡± Kathy continued to ask.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Emma. I¡¯m actually a little curious, too.¡± Poppy added. At first, she wanted to ask, but refrained from doing so because she was afraid that Emma would be offended. But in the end, the question was asked by Kathy without any burden at all.


    Hearing the questions from her two friends, Emma thenughed awkwardly. In her heart, she was frantically thinking about what to answer. Because she was lulled by thefort of being around with her two girl friends, Emma seemed to forget that she was a ck figure who often fought that causing her body to be covered in bruises. Emma even forgot the condition of her current appearance when she easily epted Poppy¡¯s offer to do body treatments at the salon together.


    ¡°I.. I...¡± Emma mumbled before she thought about an idea that should havee to her mind earlier, ¡°I practised ballet and acrobatics by myself at home. Actually, during this time, I often practice at home and fall a lot. Because of that, my body has some bruises.¡±


    ¡°Acrobatic?¡± Kathy repeated with a frown.


    Emma nodded quickly, ¡°When I was little, before getting to know ballet, I used to like acrobatics like those in circus shows. Actually, I¡¯m embarrassed to admit this.. But, when I was practising alone, I tried to experiment bybining ballet and acrobatics. Hahaha. ¡± she lied. She didn¡¯t care anymore if Kathy and Poppy would think that she was a freak. It¡¯s better than she couldn¡¯t answer their confusion. After all, they have also be friends now.


    ¡°Gosh.. You¡¯re so funny, Emma. I didn¡¯t know you coulde up with such a unique idea.¡± Poppyughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Poppy. I knew for a long time that Emma couldn¡¯t be that sane. Everyone indeed has a crazy side of themself! It turns out that Emma is a normal human too.¡± Kathy continued with a bigugh.

 Chapter 105

    105 The Loved Ones


    Poppyughed along at Kathy¡¯s joke. But from there, she smelled an opportunity, ¡°But actually, it¡¯s a very unique idea. Maybe when I¡¯ve opened my own ballet studio, we¡¯ll try the amalgamation. I¡¯m sure the results will be interesting.¡±


    ¡°Do you think so?¡± Emma asked Poppy. To be honest, even though she had never truly tried it, this crazy idea really did ur to Emma in her thoughts before going to sleep. She was indeed a full of innovation girl.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, Emma. Most amazing thingse from an idea that is considered crazy. When that happens, I hope you will teach us the technique you invented.¡±


    Emma smirked at Poppy¡¯s words, ¡°I would be very proud if I could do it.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Hell Gate has fallen.¡± The hoarse voice came from the lips of a man who had a scratch mark running along his right cheek towards his ear.


    ¡°Hem..¡± Replied a man with a very fashionable hairdo like a model. Like his elegant way of dressing, his personality was also quite elegant. He was seen sitting rxed in a director¡¯s chair while reading the newspaper with his legs folded politely.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished counting the total, Boss. There¡¯s still quite a lot left this month.¡± Said his crew who had short hair dyed fiery red.


    The man closed his newspaper and rose to his feet, ¡°Quickly pack everything up and hand it over to the wolf. Be careful on the way. Things are not conducivetely.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± Replied the subordinate by taking the red suitcase from the table with piles of money on it. Then, he left the group leader¡¯s room after greeting.


    The man d in a branded coat with a id pattern, turned to a big man with ponytailed straight hair, ¡°What about the new men?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty good. I¡¯ve taken from some of the best studios.¡± The big man in the ck suit answered.


    ¡°Hm.. Come to think of it, did we have too many members?¡± The leader muttered.


    ¡°We can rece the current weak members with new members from the studios.¡± The big man replied.


    ¡°But I know their parents. If those peoplein to my grandma..¡± he mumbled. His man could only stare at him nkly.


    Suddenly, a cell phone ringtone sounded, and the leader immediately took the cell phone out of his coat pocket, ¡°I have to go now. My grandma has called me.¡± he said by looking at the phone screen.


    ¡°All right, Boss. I¡¯ll get the car ready soon.¡± His man replied.


    In such a world of darkness, almost everyone thought that having someone they love was a burden. Even someone powerful would be too weak just because he had a parasite that would make him very easy to defeat. That¡¯s because he had a weakness, namely the person he loves.


    But it did not affect a Marcel Dous. In this world, the greatest source of his strength was his grandmother. Even though they would say that Marcel was a weak man because he had an old grandmother he had to protect, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to cut off that person¡¯s tongue.


    It snowed heavily. At that time, Handway City was in the peak of winter, where it would snow almost every day and the temperature was dropping. Because of this, the government would close all schools and universities, which they called winter break.


    Marcel opened the door of a small tavern that he had to even lower his head slightly as he passed through the doorframe. An old woman with white hair covered in a knitted hat immediately turned her head. She excitedly stood up with a big smile, walked over to her beloved grandson.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Grandma.¡± Marcel immediately hugged his grandmother warmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, my dear. Let¡¯s go now,¡± The grandmother then took her grandson¡¯s hand to get out of the closed tavern.


    After locking the door, Marcel got into the driver¡¯s seat of the car, ¡°Are you wearing the seatbelt properly?¡± he asked, examining the belt that ran across his grandmother¡¯s front body.


    ¡°Of course, My dear. I¡¯m not that old-fashioned,¡± The grandma smiled.


    Marcel chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just feel a little worried and guilty that it¡¯s been a long time since I took you out like this.¡±


    ¡°I know you have a lot of work to do. Don¡¯t mind it.¡± The wrinkled hand grabbed the grandson¡¯s head and stroked it gently, ¡°The older you get, the more handsome you are. Right just like your father.¡±


    Marcel shook his head slowly, ¡°No, Grandma. I look like mom. I don¡¯t look like dad.¡±


    The woman¡¯s sad eyes seemed to understand until she nodded in agreement with her grandson¡¯s feelings, ¡°You¡¯re right. You have to be like your mother.¡±


    Marcel took his grandmother¡¯s hand and kissed it once, before starting the car.


    Because of the long holiday, this was the only time Marcel was able to take his grandmother out together. Actually, his goal to work hard all this time was to make his grandmother happy. But what was happened instead, he often had to leave his grandmother alone in the small tavern.


    Indeed, the world was quite fair. If you want something, then you have to sacrifice one other thing. In Marcel¡¯s case, he chose to trade his time for money. He had to do that because he already felt how miserable it was to live without money.


    ¡°Marcel.. How do I look today? I¡¯ve chosen the best clothes to match you.¡± Said the grandmother bybing her grey hair.


    Marcel smiled, ¡°As usual, very beautiful.¡± he answered with a wink.


    ¡°Gosh.. I wonder why until now you still haven¡¯t got a girlfriend with such a beautiful smile.¡± The grandmother praised.


    ¡°They¡¯re not to my taste, Grandma.¡±


    The two wrinkled eyes narrowed, ¡°Your taste is too high, son. You should try to have a rtionship with a girl first to know her beauty from the inside.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t date a girl I don¡¯t like.¡± He smiled.


    The grandmother sighed tiredly, ¡°What an annoying guy you are...¡±


    Finally, they arrived at a parking lot that was quite busy with other cars that were already covered in snow. It was a very popr tourist area in Handway City during the winter season. There were so many sparkling Christmas ornaments.


    ¡°Wow.. How beautiful,¡± The grandmother muttered, sping her hands which were now wrapped in thick gloves.


    ¡°I think this ce is getting more beautiful by the years because the decorations are made as much and as beautiful as possible,¡± Marcel said while embracing the old woman after pressing the lock button on his car key.


    ¡°If only the Redvalley Street area could be this beautiful. There would be more visitorsing. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± asked the grandmother with her two faded green eyes reflecting the sparkling lights of the street.


    The street was swamped with people walking everywhere. They were all enjoying their winter break before the new year came. Usually, winter would be at its coldest about a week after the new year. At that time, everyone would choose to stay at home to escape the bone-chilling waves of cold air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I¡¯ll make the street this pretty.¡± Marcel promised. Then, he pointed to a clothing store with a well-known brand, ¡°Let¡¯s go in there.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to buy me useless expensive clothes anymore?¡± The grandmother guessed with a disapproving face.


    Marcel innocently nodded, ¡°The clothes that you¡¯re wearingtely.. I feel like I¡¯ve seen you wear themst year.¡±


    ¡°I did wearst year¡¯s clothes for this year. But that¡¯s not a problem, Marcel. Just save your money for something more important.¡± The grandmother reprimanded.


    But Marcel did not budge, and instead continued to walk causally by holding his grandmother¡¯s skinny hand, and then entered the shop that had a ssy design.


    After receiving greetings from the store staff, Marcel and his grandmother were directed to the section of the room that disyed women¡¯s clothing for winter, ¡°Hmm.. This year¡¯s collection is good too. I love that the designers have finally decided to add a bit of a bolder colour to their work.¡±


    ¡°Marcel. Everything in this shop is too expensive. Why are you always wasting your money on unnecessary clothes like this? Besides, I¡¯m too old to look pretty in any expensive clothes.¡± The grandmother persuaded her grandson to obey her to get out of the shop that had a bold perfume smell.


    Marcel took a few coats from the shelf then turned to his grandmother who was standing ufortably behind him, ¡°Appearance is important, Grandma. We are different from the past. I don¡¯t have much time for you. Therefore, at least I want to give you the best. ¡±


    Marcel¡¯s face that looked like that, made his grandmother purse her lips and couldn¡¯t talk anymore. She remembered the same face as the boy¡¯s. The face with the same expression that said would make her happy, but the person left with a full of regret face for not being able to keep his promise.


    Indeed, the old woman was not happy if her grandson kept giving her a lot of expensive things. Even the boy gave her a lot of unnecessary items. However, even though she didn¡¯t feel happy, she knew that it was the only thing his grandson could do in return for her. Although her heart was not happy, the grandson felt happy if he could give many things to his loved one.

 Chapter 106

    106 Three Pretty Girls


    So far, the old woman could only ept what her grandson gave her. She would smile and caress the boy¡¯s head affectionately, pretending to be happy. But actually, what she needed the most was the presence of the grandson who could always apany her in her old age. But, she understood that for the man who had suffered since his childhood, money was very important. ording to him, money could buy happiness.


    What she wanted.. At least, when she was gone from this world, her grandson wouldn¡¯t regret about hadn¡¯t made her happy. She just wanted to see her grandson smile, thinking that his grandmother had received enough happiness before closing her eyes forever.


    Marcel led his grandmother to the fitting room. He waited outside the door which the behind was a room thatrge enough to contain several cubicles for the women¡¯s fitting room with maroon curtains as the door.


    Inside, the grandmother tried on three of the clothes her grandson had chosen. Before trying them, she took the time to look at the price tags first, and immediately felt a headacheing on her after realizing that they were very expensive.


    But, what she could do? If she refused, then, her grandson would be disappointed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just try it and pretend that I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯ll pick the cheapest one.¡± She muttered to herself, thinking of how to save her grandson¡¯s money without him realizing it.


    ¡°Hahaha.. You¡¯re crazy, huh?!¡± A few girls giggled from the next room. The woman¡¯s wrinkled forehead became wavier at the sound.


    ¡®Sounds like young girls.¡¯ The woman thought that with a faint smile. Hearing the muffled noise made her feel funny and remember how much fun it was to be a youth with friends. Indeed, young age was a golden moment for many people. It was the time when they have the energy and physical condition that was in their prime.


    After trying on all the clothes that Marcel had chosen earlier, the grandmother finally put on the cheapest clothes that she would take outside to show her grandson. But, when she came out of the thick curtain of her cubicle, suddenly..


    .....


    BUGH!!


    ¡°Gosh! I¡¯m so sorry, Ma¡¯am! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± A girl eximed as she tried to help her up.


    The old woman held her old buttocks which hurt from hitting the wooden floor. She looked up, and saw a beautiful girl with red hair and light green irises that were simr to the colour of her dead son¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Ma¡¯am. I didn¡¯t know anyone was in that room. Are you all right?¡± Said the girl again by holding the body of the old woman in front of her.


    ¡°Sir.. sorry, you can¡¯te in. This is the women¡¯s changing room!¡±


    ¡°My grandmother is in there alone! Get out of the way! Let me in!¡±


    The noise from outside the door was heard in the changing room. The three girls and an old woman who were in there turned towards the door which suddenly opened with a man appearing behind it in a hurry.


    ¡°PB?!¡± The three girls muttered in unison.


    Marcel or who had a nickname as PB a.k.a Prince Bold on campus, seemed surprised when he saw Emma Hind, Kathy, and a girl he knew due to a viral video named Poppy Castonia. Why are they here?


    ¡°Marcel.. I¡¯m fine. Just get out from here, please. You¡¯ll be in troubleter.¡± The grandmother said by trying to stand, assisted by Kathy. She realized that her grandson was breaking into the women¡¯s changing room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ma¡¯am. But, are you really PB¡¯s grandmother?¡± Kathy asked after the old woman had stood up properly.


    The old woman looked confused, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you seem to have the wrong person, dear. I don¡¯t know who PB is,¡±


    The girls looked at each other with confused faces. However, they finally realized that they had not known PB¡¯s real name. In fact, it seemed that almost all the people on campus didn¡¯t know the real name of the man who looked like a charming Greek god.


    ¡°Please let us walk you out, Ma¡¯am,¡± Poppy said suddenly. She was the first to wake up from her thought mind.


    The fourdies came out of the changing room. They could even see two store staff seemed to be watching them with a slightly scared face, after seeing Marcel, who was on the verge of going into a rage when he heard his grandmother¡¯s voice which seemed to be in danger.


    Marcel saw his grandmother had left the room, then, immediately approached her, ¡°What happened, Grandma?¡±


    Kathy cleared her throat with a shy face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, PB. I identally bumped into your grandmother, so she fell.¡±


    Marcel¡¯s face which usually looked very kind and friendly like an angel, suddenly turned into a face of hideous wrath that made the girls in front of him shocked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Marcel. She bumped me just a little. But my legs were just too weak that made me fall.¡± The grandmother said quickly, afraid that her grandson would throw a tantrum.


    ¡°Kathy didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I hope you understand, PB.¡± Emma continued with a serious face.


    After had been told, Marcel finally seemed to calm his temper and nodded, ¡°Okay. I understand that it wasn¡¯t intentional. Sorry if it made you girls ufortable.¡±


    The girls shook their heads together, ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d better get out of this store. I feel bad for the staff we¡¯ve bothered with.¡± The grandmother said to her grandson.


    ¡°What about the clothes? Have you picked one?¡± Marcel asked by looking at his grandmother.


    The old woman nodded, ¡°This dress. I like it. If I could, I would immediately wear it like this.¡± she said to hurry things up.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± Marcel answered by calling one of the store staff. Then, the female staff removed the clothing tag that was still stuck under the dress that was now attached to the old woman¡¯s body, and then took it to the cashier.


    Marcel nced at his grandmother and nced at the three girls before walking off to follow the store staff in the Christmas-themed uniform.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to go there too to pay for this,¡± Emma said by showing a pretty maroon mini dress in her hand.


    Poppy and Kathy nodded together, ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll wait here.¡± Kathy replied.


    Suddenly, PB¡¯s grandmother cleared her throat to the two beautiful girls in front of her, ¡°Looks like you girls know my grandson, don¡¯t you?¡± she smiled kindly.


    ¡°Oh.. That¡¯s true. Please forgive us. We didn¡¯t know your grandson¡¯s name was Marcel. On the campus, he was known as PB.¡± Kathy replied politely.


    ¡°Sorry if our first meeting was a little ufortable, Ma¡¯am,¡± Poppy added.


    The old woman shook her head, still smiling, ¡°Don¡¯t mind about it. It was an ident that could have happened to anyone.¡± Then, she raised her eyebrows looking at the two girls alternately, ¡°By the way, what are your names? I didn¡¯t even know my Marcel had girl-friends.¡±


    ¡°My name is Kathania Dusk. You can call me Kathy.¡± The girl with curly ginger hair answered by shaking the hand of the old woman in front of her.


    ¡°I¡¯m Poppy Castonia,¡± The girl with the oriental cute face also shook the old woman¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lilian Dous. As you have known, I¡¯m Marcel¡¯s Grandmother.. or.. PB, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ma¡¯am. But first, I want to apologize if you misunderstood. Actually, we are not PB¡¯s friends. We only know him because he is the popr guy on the campus.¡± Kathy continued again.


    ¡°Oh, he is? Haha...¡± Subconsciously, Lilianughed proudly at that fact. The reason was, her grandson had never once told her about his school or college life. ¡°So you all go to the same university, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Kathy and Poppy nodded together with polite smiles on their faces.


    ¡°Well.. Now, what else do you guys know about my Marcel at his university? Can you tell me more?¡± She chuckled by covering her own mouth with her hand.


    Kathy and Poppy couldn¡¯t help but chuckle ufortably as they stared at each other, ¡°Actually we don¡¯t know much about him. But.. He¡¯s popr and liked by many girls.¡± Kathy answered.


    Lilian nodded in surprise, ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± he said by looking at Kathy for a long time, ¡°You know what? You have two very pretty green eyes.¡±


    ¡°R-really? Thank you.. You were the first to say that to me.¡± Kathy blushed.


    ¡°That means, they¡¯re too jealous to admit it in front of you. You¡¯re so beautiful.¡± Lilian replied by continuing to stare at those green eyes.


    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m done,¡± Marcel said as he walked closer.


    ¡°Oh.. We happened to be going out to dinner. Do you girls want to join?¡± Lilian asked the two girls.


    ¡°Oh.. We are so sorry, Ma¡¯am, but, we¡¯ve eaten and will go home after this. It just so happens that our house is far from here.¡± Poppy answered with a sorry face.


    ¡°But..¡±


    Poppy immediately nudged Kathy in the ribs because she looked as she was about to protest. She must be thought about when else would they get the chance to have dinner with a Prince Bold who was very popr for his pretty looks?


    Finally, Kathy fell silent and nodded approvingly, though still confused by Poppy¡¯s actions. But she was sure Poppy had a reason to be so rude at her like this.


    ¡°Oh.. I see. Alright. Maybe another time, if we meet again.¡± Lillian smiled.


    ¡°Right. Then, excuse us,dies.¡± Marcel said by leading his grandmother to leave the store.


    ¡°Bye, girls..¡± Lilian said before following her grandson.


    ¡°Goodbye..¡± Poppy replied.


    ¡°See youter.. Nice to meet you..¡± Kathy waved her hand excitedly.


    ¡°Hey.. what were you doing?¡± Kathy asked Poppy directly after the two of them had left the store¡¯s ss door.


    ¡°We can¡¯te home toote. Our house is very far from here. Remember Emma who will drive us home.¡± Poppy answered.


    Kathy immediately pped her forehead, ¡°I¡¯m so stupid! You¡¯re right, Poppy. Why didn¡¯t I think of that earlier?¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Hem? Where are PB and his grandmother?¡± Asked Emma who hade with a shopping bag in her hand.


    ¡°Huh? Oh.. They¡¯re already gone, Emma.¡± Kathy answered quickly.


    Poppy nodded then looked at her watch, ¡°We¡¯d better get home soon, Emma. It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    ¡°Is that all right? If you guys still want to go around a bit that¡¯s fine too.¡± Emma answered with an innocent face.

 Chapter 107

    107 It¡¯s Okay


    Kathy and Poppy shook their heads together with smiles. They already knew that Emma Hind was that kind to her best friend. She was the type of girl who was willing to do a lot for the people she liked. And of course, they didn¡¯t want to take advantage of Emma¡¯s extravagant kindness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Emma. It¡¯s gettingte. Our homes are far from here. I¡¯m also feeling sleepy already.¡± Kathy grabbed Emma¡¯s arm and dragged her out of the store.


    ¡°You sleepy at this hour?¡± Emma looked confused as she walked with two girls embracing her on the right and left.


    ¡°Did you forget? Last night, Kathy didn¡¯t sleep because of thepetition?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Oh, right, I forgot about that,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Ah.. Today is an awesome day..¡± eximed Kathy, who was sitting in the car¡¯s back passenger seat.


    Emma who was putting on her seatbelt, nodded in agreement. It seemed that she never stopped smiling today. It turned out that hanging out with the girls was so fun, ¡°When will we be able to go out like this again? When do you guys have time again?¡± Emma asked hopefully. It Looked like she was getting addicted.


    ¡°Oh.. I¡¯m sorry, Emma. My mom and I happened to be staying at my Grandma¡¯s house to spend this holiday.¡± Poppy who was sitting in the chair next to her, answered with a regretful face.


    ¡°Me too, Emma. My whole family going on an out of state trip.¡± Kathy added.


    .....


    ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s okay then.¡± Emma answered by shaking one palm of her hand, trying to look cheered up.


    ¡°By the way, Emma.. Don¡¯t you have a family event? Aren¡¯t you going to your dad¡¯s house?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Hm? Oh.. That¡¯s.. My dad happens to be very busy. He holds an important position in his job that makes him not have time for family. Since kids, my siblings and I were not close to my dad.¡± Emma exined by starting the car engine. Then, the car started to drive across the road with a view of snow piles on the right and left.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to stay here alone for the holidays, Emma?¡± Kathy asked with pity.


    Emma nodded, trying to put a smile on her face, ¡°I¡¯m ok. I came to Handway City for a new vibe, anyway. Since I haven¡¯t been here long, it still feels like a vacation.¡± She answered.


    Poppy looked sadly at Emma who was driving. Emma who noticed Poppy was staring at her like that, smirked in surprise, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t ask if you were okay or not, Emma.¡± Poppy answered slowly.


    ¡°Emma.. You always help us. So, if you have a problem.. or at least want to have a talk with us, you can do it anytime. Don¡¯t hold yourself back and cover it with that smile and always say that you¡¯re okay.¡± Kathy said while perched between the two front seats.


    Hearing Kathy and Poppy¡¯s words made Emma¡¯s chest throb. Her eyes felt warm from the strange feeling. She hated it but loved it. She liked how her two friends cared about her so much, but hated how her heart reacted to it.


    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s been too long since the circumstances have made me try to appear strong, that I think it¡¯s just my nature,¡± Emma mumbled.


    ¡°If you keep pushing your limit, it¡¯s going to be bad for you in the end, Emma,¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°Just like what I¡¯ve been experienced with you guys. It feels very different when I¡¯ve found the right friends. Maybe, even if I reveal all my deepest secrets to you all, then I won¡¯t be afraid. Because, it¡¯s you.¡± Poppy smiled as facing down slightly.


    ¡°Girls.. Honestly.. I..¡± Emma stopped. Then, she nced at Poppy and Kathy who were looking at her curiously, ¡°I..¡±


    ¡°I.. I actually have.. Eum.. Phobia. Yes, that¡¯s right.. I have a phobia of not having friends.¡± Emma continued. Her heart was pounding because she had almost decided to reveal her big secret to the two girls. But suddenly, Emma had doubts and ended up only telling one percent of her big secret.


    ¡°Really?¡± Kathy replied with a confused face.


    ¡°Honestly, I also have that kind of fear. But.. It¡¯s a bit strange for a perfect girl like you to have that kind of fear.¡± Poppy muttered.


    ¡°Perfect? ??I¡¯m far from perfect, Poppy. Actually, since I was little, I didn¡¯t have friends because my parents always restrained me. Therefore, when I was separated from my dad¡¯s support, I realized that I had difficulties in socializing, and that made me feel afraid of not having one friend.¡± This time Emma was telling the truth. Then, she sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t even know that my attitude, which you might think is good, was because of the fear of being not having friends or not.¡± She continued slowly.


    ¡°Gosh Emma.. I understand you must be very confused..¡± Poppy rubbed the girl¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Let alone other people, even, we are actually still having trouble knowing ourselves, Emma. It¡¯s natural for you to feel confused now. But don¡¯t let that thing makes you always think negatively of yourself.¡± Kathy suggested.


    Poppy nodded confirming Kathy¡¯s words, ¡°I¡¯m sure that kindness reallyes from your true nature, Emma. Doing good things isn¡¯t easy for someone with a dirty heart. If you do all of this with joy in your heart, then that is your nature.¡±


    ¡°I.. is that so?¡± Emma muttered, looking thoughtful.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m going to ask you one thing, Emma. When you helped Poppy, when you always cheer me up, and even drive us home one by one like this, did you feelpelled?¡± Kathy asked. Then, got a head shake from Emma.


    ¡°Then, you don¡¯t need to be confused anymore because you have found the answer.¡± Kathy continued by patting Emma¡¯s shoulder.


    Finally, Emma giggled in understanding, ¡°Okey. I get it now. Anyways, how about some music to chill things up?¡± she pressed the tape button.


    ¡°Nice! I¡¯ve been longed to have karaoke,¡± Kathy replied in excitement.


    Emma dropped Poppy and Kathy at their houses. Previously, because it was toote at night, Emma forbade the two girls who said that they wanted to go home alone using public transportation. Emma was worried that something dangerous would happen to her two best friends. The reason was, she was now more familiar with the crimes that were usually happened on the streets of Handway City.


    ***


    A pair of wrinkled hands with several tattoos engraved, seen counting the shabby money. He sat at a small round table with a slightly rusted iron folding chair.


    When he finished counting, he put the money, which wasbined with rubber bands with ten bundles in total, into a ck stic bag. In front of him, was a man with fire bright red hair who was enjoying chewing peanuts.


    ¡°Ok, You done?¡± Asked the red-haired man.


    The man who looked almost hit his elderly age, nodded as he shifted the bag in front of the man.


    ¡°Watch out.. The peanut shells will fall to the floor.¡± The red-haired man hastily covered the edge of the table with his palms.


    ¡°Oh.. Sorry. My eyes are not paying attention.¡± The tattooed manughed a little. His name was Albert. A tall man with dim blue eyes with tattoos covered his wrinkled body skin.


    ¡°Of course, your eyes are getting blurry. You need to change the lights in this room, Albert.¡± Answered the red-haired man while holding a glimpse of themp cover made of iron that had started to rust as well.


    ¡°Nah.. It¡¯s been like that for a long time. This ce will lose its identity if everything is too clean.¡± Albert answered as he got up to pick up the trash can.


    ¡°What are you doing, old man?¡± The man looked at Albert who was now handing the trash can to him.


    ¡°This is for your peanut shells, stupid.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. I can throw it myself. There¡¯s no need to treat me like that. If Marcel saw it, he might beat me up for being disrespectful to elders.¡± The redheadined.


    Albertughed at that rudeness. Hisughter really described an old man who sounded heavy and slow, ¡°Yeah.. He¡¯s the only one who can be rude to anyone, including elders. But.. isn¡¯t the boss always selfish like that?¡±


    The read-haired man shrugged his shoulders as he continued to eat the few remaining peanuts. He intended to leave after finishing the peanut, ¡°Of course, you know him, old man.¡±


    Albert let out a long sigh while shrugging. A cigarette was already stuck between his fingers which he took a deep sip before blowing the smoke out, ¡°Time flies so fast. I can¡¯t believe I have a new boss that looks like a mommy¡¯s boy.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Albert.. You better watch your word. You¡¯re always being rude just because of your old age. Even though he¡¯s much younger than you, he¡¯s still your boss.¡± Reprimand the red-haired man who had finally finished with his peanuts.


    ¡°Everyone already knows what I¡¯m like this. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s fussy. Even your boss doesn¡¯t mind the way I talk.¡± Albert turned his back.


    ¡°Hah! Such an annoying old man! What a nerve! If you were as young as me, I would have punched that pointy nose of yours!¡± The boy babbled while clearing the table from the scattered peanut shells.


    ¡°You try. Marcel will defend meter.¡± The old man replied by blowing his thick cigarette smoke at the short-haired boy whose hair was dyed a tacky red.


    ¡°You fuc...¡±


    ¡°Damian! What took you so long?¡± Another man with chocte skin and thick ck eyebrows and hair opened the door of the small gloomy room.


    ¡°Look at the behaviour of this cockroach, Renu. He¡¯s messing up at my ce.¡± Albert pointed to the small table beside him.


    Renu looked tired of it, and subconsciously moved his eyebrows while sighing, ¡°Hurry up, Damian. We still have a lot of work to do.¡±

 Chapter 108

    108 Not an Ordinary Coat


    ¡°Alright, dammit.. Just me me all the time,¡± Said the red-haired man named Damian. Then, he put the trash can that already filled the peanut shell into the corner of the room. When they passed Albert, they both even had time to bump into each other by putting on a cynical face.


    ¡°Let me walk you guys outside,¡± Albert said by wearing his big jacket which had some shabby rips.


    Renu didn¡¯t answer and Damian just walked out of the room which was at the very back of the ugly old building whose walls were only covered with cement and many scribbled murals.


    Once they out of the door, they were faced with a small hallway that became the ce where the room was located. After walking a few steps from the door of the room, the sound of music and noises began to get louder and louder. Until finally, they arrived at the end of the mouth of the hallway, then, colourful lights and deafening music started to beat them.


    The three people who were escorted by the four male bodyguards were still on the second floor which was less than half the size of the building. The second floor was useful for viewing, or rather monitoring the situation downstairs, at the crowds of people who were drunk, drinking, gambling, fighting, and more.


    After leaving the hallway, they had to walk on the floor made of iron bars with a barrier that looked like the iron pipes that faced the ¨C either chaos or pleasure ¨C below.


    The men got down from the second floor using an iron staircase which was guarded by tworge men at the bottom. Damian patted the arm of one of the guard men in a friendly manner, just to say hello, as he passed him. He was replied with a polite nod of the head from the two big men.


    While walking through the crowd of people who mostly had a gloomy, depressed, and drunk look, they also passed the core location of the building which was the spot where three fighting rings were located. Each ring was bounded by a long thin ck cloth as a barrier.


    It looked like a show was going on, because every ring was surrounded by many people who shouted boisterously with cash in their hands that they held up. Just like a candy bar being swarmed by ants, in each ring was two men were fighting fiercely.


    .....


    The building was so vast that they had to walk quite a distance to reach the exit which was the entrance as well. It turned out that the exit still did not lead them to the real exit, because they had to climb anotherdder that led to a narrow passage of stairs up until they reached an iron-bars door that led to a small gloomy alley.


    Finally, they came out of the Underground Cave which was located at the bottom of Bluevalley Street. If an ordinary person passed through the deserted Bluevalley Street that had a few abandoned shops, he would not have guessed that beneath the asphalt he stepped on was a paradise in the form of hell for the underground people.


    In front of the small door, a shiny ck sedan was waiting.


    ¡°Work hard, Old man..¡± Damian said mockingly as he patted Albert¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Asshole boy!¡± Albert replied.


    ¡°Marcel said that withdrawals would be made every three days now,¡± Renu said to Albert before getting into the car door.


    ¡°elerated again? Are you guys starting to lose faith in me?¡± Albert folded his arms across his chest with an embarrassed face.


    Renu shook his head, ¡°Some things are going on. You just need to work as usual. Marcel has no problem with you.¡±


    ¡°Hah.. Whatever,¡± Said the man with a slightly fat body. Then, he mumbled to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know who the money is flowing for. Oh.. it¡¯s none of my business, anyway.¡±


    Albert went back behind the iron bars and went down the stairs as the ck car drove away.


    ***


    That morning, Emma was busy in the kitchen. As usual, she was a diligent girl whose feet and hands would feel itchy if she didn¡¯t do something productive. Since childhood, Emma did not like to rx. She really liked getting up early and doing things. It was also the reason why she didn¡¯t refuse when her father arranged her to practice various kinds of martial arts.


    ¡°This is very cool!¡± Emma mumbled to herself while taking pictures of her cooking which she had arranged on her small dining table with pride.


    After breakfast, Emma nced at the sun-shaped wall clock that was still showing ten in the morning. She smiled and cleaned the house before practising ballet in the basement. The girl did all the activities she had listedst night. Reminded of the long winter break, she had toe up with ideas to fill her time so she wouldn¡¯t be bored.


    One day had passed. Emma didn¡¯t think that all the activities she wanted to do at home turned out to be finished in just one day. Now, she didn¡¯t know what to do but cook and practice.


    Emma nced at her phone which was quiet as usual. Since Poppy and Kathy had left, she had no friends to go out with. Every night, Emma always took out her motorbike to ride around the city, looking for someone she could help. But it seemed the streets were that quiet that she had not found a meaningful activity.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve be just like Calvin, haven¡¯t I?¡± Emma muttered as she listened to the 37.1 AM radio channel.


    It seemed, since the fall of Hell Gate and the news about Jita Kyoei who had joined Calvin Lee, the hoodlums have not dared to show their noses on the street again. Or, they felt toozy to go out because the air was getting colder? But for sure, whether the radio channel was broken or something.. It didn¡¯t announce any news. It just kept ying the same two or three songs over and over again.


    ¡°Could it be that the announcer is on vacation?¡± Emma muttered again with a sad face. It seemed like she was the only person in Handway City who had nothing to do on this long holiday.


    Actually, Emma could have called Calvin to ask him out. But she was reluctant because it seemed that Calvin was busy with Jita Kyoei to carry out their mission to save the martial arts studio industry which was being threatened. Even though she liked Calvin, Emma didn¡¯t have that big feeling that made her could miss him. It seemed that Emma¡¯s feelings for Calvin were still only a mere admiration.


    After finishing practising, Emma looked at the clock that showed that the day was still long. Finally, she decided to go outside, as well to return Hellen¡¯s coat which had been finished in theundry shop.


    Emma¡¯s car stopped at a house whose front door was covered with Christmas ornaments made of dried nts and ss balls. With a paper bag in her hand, Emma walked towards the door of the house after parking her car on the side of the road. Then, she rang the doorbell and waited in front while watching the busy streets in the area.


    Before long, Emma heard voices from behind the door after pressing the doorbell for a second time. She directly faced the door as the owner of the house turned the doorknob.


    ¡°Good day..¡± Emma stopped her greeting.


    It turned out that it wasn¡¯t Mrs Hellen or her husband who opened the door. It was a young girl with both sharp blue eyes who had a tall build. The problem was, Emma knew who the girl was.


    ¡°Emma?¡± The girl in the doorway greeted. Her greeting sounded more like a mumble. Of course, she was also confused as to why Emma Hind would evere to her house.


    ¡°Ra.. Rachel?¡± Emma stammered with wide eyes.


    Rachel just remained silent with a surprised face as she continued to stare at Emma who was no less confused than her.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that, Rachel??¡± The screams of an old woman could be heard from inside the house, then, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps, ¡°Are there any guests?¡± Helen asked by getting to the door because her question was not answered by the granddaughter.


    ¡°Oh! Emma Hind..¡± Hellen immediately passed her granddaughter who was standing still in the doorway to hug her guest who was still outside the door.


    ¡°H-hello, Mrs Hellen. I havee to return your coat,¡± Emma exined after returning the woman¡¯s warm hug. She showed the bag she was carrying.


    ¡°Oh.. You don¡¯t have to bother, Emma. I told you, you can keep it if you want.¡± She replied by letting go of her arms.


    Emma shook her head with an awkward smile, ¡°It just so happens that today I have a lot of free time. So.. I came.¡± She answered by secretly looking at Rachel who was watching the two of them with a fierce-confused look.


    ¡°Is that so? Then pleasee inside. I just happened to be making Lasagne and berry pie.¡± Hellen said by turning inward, ¡°Oh, right.. This is my granddaughter I told you that time.¡±


    Rachel and Emma just stared at each other, with Hellen still smiling as she watched the two girls in turn to wait for the two of them to greet each other. But her smile faded when she realized the girls were just standing there with a strange expression.


    ¡°Eum.. Why are you girls musing like that? Is there something wrong?¡± Helen asked. Then, she approached her granddaughter and whispered, ¡°Rachel! Appreciate our guest.¡± she grumbled before shing Emma an awkward smile again.


    ¡°Eum.. I.. that..¡± Emma looked nervous.


    ¡°Actually.. I know Emma because we took the same ballet ss at college.¡± Rachel exined in an ufortable tone.


    ¡°Gosh! This city is too small, isn¡¯t it? So you two are ssmates, huh?¡± Helenughed happily. Then, she immediately grabbed Emma¡¯s shoulder to lead her inside, ¡°We¡¯d better talk inside. It¡¯s cold outside, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It seemed everything moved like a dream that only passed briefly. Emma did not expect herself to be sitting at a dining table with a Rachel Markway sitting opposite her. Meanwhile, Hellen had juste out of the kitchen with arge pan of Lasagne that was fresh from the oven.

 Chapter 109

    109 Rachel Markway


    Emma lifted her paper bag again, and for the second time, tried to give it to Hellen who seemed to have finished with her busy life around the kitchen, ¡°Eum.. Sorry, Mrs Hellen. Here¡¯s the coat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course.. Sorry I was too busy myself to bother you holding onto that thing all the time.¡± The old woman with long white hair braided backughed as she took the bag.


    ¡°There are some snacks in it for my thank-you.¡± Emma continued.


    Hellen immediately checked the bag and found two boxes of ginger sweets and a box of chewy milk candy, all wrapped into a very pretty Christmas gift package. She smiled warmly then looked up at Emma, ??¡±You really are a very sweet girl. Thank you so much, Emma.¡±


    Then Hellen took her coat out of the bag for her to keep back so it wouldn¡¯t take up space. Rachel, on the other hand, nced at it and realized that it was the coat she had seen in the hands of the three girls in ballet ss at the time.


    During that time, Rachel and Emma kept silent until Hellen returned to the dining table. The woman immediately distributed her Lasagne pieces into three pretty tes and gave them to the two girls sitting at the dining table.


    ¡°Please have a try, Emma. Thissagne and berry pie is our family recipe for decades.¡± Helen said with a warm smile.


    Emma smiled back and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, she scooped the small pieces of food into her mouth, then nodded, ¡°This is so delicious.¡±


    Hellen, who had been waiting for Emma¡¯s judge, immediatelyughed with satisfaction, ¡°I¡¯m d if you like it.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh.. So you two study at the same university, huh? Does that mean you two are friends?¡± Helen asked to start a conversation.


    ¡°That.. that¡¯s right.¡± Emma nodded awkwardly.


    ¡°But we¡¯re not close,¡± Rachel added quickly.


    Helen then turned to her granddaughter, who she knew never had any friends. She sighed quietly before continuing to speak, ¡°The girl I told you about who fell off the motorbike because of your grandpa. That was Emma. It seems that you both have the soul of a man. At that time, grandpa even thought she was a man before she took off her helmet. Grandpa admitted that he was a little worried because Emma¡¯s clothes and helmet at that time were all cks like a thug,¡± Sheughed.


    Rachel nodded once as she looked at Emma, ??¡±That¡¯s quite surprising.¡±


    Inside her mind, Emma seemed to be screaming for help from the fate that seemed to always y games on her. Who would have thought that Rachel Markway was the granddaughter that Hellen was talking about that night?


    Emma could only curse her own carelessness, regretting why she had stupidly epted Hellen¡¯s husband¡¯s invitation to stop by for a while into his house, and what was worse, she decided to take off her helmet. Emma should have not epted any exceptions for not taking off the helmet that had so far covered her identity well.


    ¡°Emma, ??did you know that Rachel is as passionate about motorbike engines as you are?¡± Helen asked.


    Emma shook her head awkwardly, ¡°I just happened to move to this city, so... I don¡¯t really know a lot of people, including Rachel.¡± Emma answered awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh, really? But you¡¯re brave enough to ride a motorbike at that time.¡± Hellen replied while thinking.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help but smile awkwardly as she continued to eat her Lasagne. In her heart, she kept begging the old woman to stop talking about what happened that night. She could only hope that Rachel wouldn¡¯t think what Emma had done that night was strange.


    ¡°Anyways, Mrs Hellen, Where¡¯s your husband?¡± Emma asked to change the subject from the topic about her.


    ¡°Oh.. My husband is still working today,¡± Hellen replied.


    ¡°On holiday?¡± Emma asked again.


    Hellen nodded, ¡°His job is a bit different from other people¡¯s job,¡±


    Suddenly, Hellen pped her hands once because she remembered something, ¡°Rachel, why don¡¯t you try taking Emma to the garage after this? Show her the motorbikes your dad left that you often repair. Maybe you two can exchange ideas, no?¡± She said with a wink at her granddaughter.


    Hellen hoped that this time, Rachel could make friends so she wouldn¡¯t be a loner like she was now.


    ¡°Oh.. No need to bother..¡± Emma said with an ufortable face.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bother. Maybe you¡¯ll like it.¡± Rachel¡¯s answer took her own grandmother by surprise. Usually, the girl with blue eyes would try to avoid any activity with new people. But this time, she seemed interested in Emma.


    After finishing eating, as Rachel had promised, she took Emma to the house garage which turned out to be quite spacious. There were two big vintage motorbikes that were still in very good physical condition. But it looked like one of the motorbikes was still being dismantled.


    ¡°So.. Besides ballet, you also like bikes?¡± Rachel spoke to Emma first after turning on the garage light.


    Emma nodded, ¡°More or less,¡± she lied. Actually, Emma was a little surprised at Rachel¡¯s slightly different attitude from when she was on campus. Because, she usually looked very quiet when in the public. But it seemed that she was morefortable when she was at home.


    ¡°Actually.. I only started getting interested in bikes recently. So, I still don¡¯t know much. That¡¯s also the reason why I got into an ident that time, because I¡¯m still not that good at riding a bike.¡± Emma continued with a clumsyugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my grandpa¡¯s carelessness. He was stubborn. But, is your leg okay now? Last time you missed ballet ss because of that ident, right?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°Oh.. It was just an ident. I¡¯m healed now.¡± Emma nodded quickly, pretending to ignore thest question. ¡°Well.. Would you tell me what are you doing to this motorbike, Rachel?¡± she crouched next to the half disassembled motorbike.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to start it again, but somehow the engine won¡¯t turn on,¡± Rachel answered.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just take it to the repair shop?¡± Emma asked again.


    ¡°I want to try to fix it myself because it was a gift from my dad.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I heard from your grandma that both of your parents are dead.¡± Emma replied in sorry.


    Rachel nodded slightly, ¡°That¡¯s right. It happened a long time ago, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Um.. Rachel.. May I ask something that might be a little offensive?¡± Emma asked carefully.


    Rachel looked at her questioningly, then nodded.


    Emma cleared her throat once, ¡°Um.. I feel that you somehow always stay away from people when you¡¯re on campus. But.. now I realize that you¡¯re just as friendly as anyone else.¡±


    Rachel, who heard the question, seemed to think and sighed as she sat on the floor next to Emma. She didn¡¯t mind if her pants would get dirty from the dirty garage floor, ¡°I honestly feel like people are avoiding me,¡±


    ¡°Actually.. a few girls told me they thought you were a bit mean..¡± Emma even felt confused as to how to exin it right without hurting her.


    ¡°I know what they said behind my back, and I¡¯m d you can tell the truth in front of me,¡± Rachel replied.


    Emma was relieved that Rachel wasn¡¯t mad by it, ¡°Then.. Maybe next time you can show that you are different from what they think. I will help you if you allow.¡± she smiled.


    But Rachel shook her head with a faint smile on her lips. It turned out that her fierce face would be very charming when it carved a little smile, ¡°I don¡¯t like crowds. Let them walk away from me like that. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emma mumbled. It turned out that Rachel was an introvert. But Emma was determined to be friends with her when the college started again. Even though she was an introvert, it didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t need friends.


    ¡°Do any of your friends have the same hobbies as you?¡± Rachel asked. She could see that Poppy and Kathy looked very feminine.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. And actually, they don¡¯t know about this hobby of mine. So, do you mind keeping it a secret between the two of us?¡± she asked with an awkward smirk as she rubbed the trunk of her neck.


    Rachel smiled again. She realized one thing about Emma Hind. Apparently, even though the girl looked perfect, she was also trying to blend in with the other girls, ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°Thanks...¡± Emma said with a sigh of relief. Then, she stared at the motorbike in front of her again for a long time. Then, Jonas¡¯ words, which at that time mocked her that she didn¡¯t know anything about the vehicle engine made Emma think of an idea. She turned to Rachel who just stayed where she was, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re going to fix this now?¡±


    ¡°Probably, Yes,¡± Rachel answered. ¡°Is there anything you need?¡±


    Emma smiled broadly, ¡°Actually, I was thinking if I can absorb knowledge from you about vehicle engines. Haha..¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be happy to share it. What do you want to know?¡± Rachel walked over to the motorbike and put on the workshop gloves from the top of the toolbox lying on the floor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.. The most basic thing, I guess?¡± Emma shook her head in confusion.


    Rachel smiled with a nod. Then, she began to exin various things rted to the motor engine in detail.


    Emma didn¡¯t think that Rachel was a very kind and patient person. She wasn¡¯t as scary as the ballet-ss girls had rumoured to be. The longer they were together, Emma felt the girl were more easy-going so they could talk a lot. Rachel didn¡¯t say much, but every sentence she said was very clear and easy to understand.


    ¡°By the way, Rachel. Why are you taking ballet ss?¡± Emma asked in the middle of their activity.


    ¡°I found that I liked the special things of ballet.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Well, me too! What are the special things you talk about?¡±

 Chapter 110

    110 Him Again?


    Rachel shifted her gaze, which had previously been focused on the engine, to look at the pretty face of a girl who was watching her closely from the side, ¡°I remember in ss that time. You practised spinning move by your own. Your way of training amazed me.¡±


    ¡°You mean the self-bncing technique?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°And the utilization of gravity,¡± Rachel added. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really care about the beauty that ballet presents. I¡¯m more amazed at how it works. Where you have to be strong to perform something that looks soft.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s answer made Emma smile in amazement. All this time, she thought that she was the only one who had that opinion about ballet. But it turned out that this long, someone had the same thought as her, and the person was Rachel Markway. The introverted girl who was gossiped to be a female monster by the other girls in the ss.


    ¡°Is it like.. Jumping highly andnding like a feather?¡± Emma¡¯s face brightened.


    Rachel nodded with a thoughtful face, ¡°That¡¯s a nice phrase.¡± she agreed.


    Emma immediately stuck her hand out to Rachel, ¡°Then, that means we¡¯re on the same page, Rachel.¡±


    With augh, the big girl returned Emma¡¯s handshake, ¡°Nice to know it.¡±


    Emma didn¡¯t realize she had been at Rachel¡¯s house until the sun was almost setting. Rachel took Emma to the stainless sink in the garage. Their hands were full of oil and dirt. But they didn¡¯t think it was a problem, and instead, find it fun. It was true as Hellen said, Rachel had a rather tomboyish nature.


    .....


    ¡°Thanks for showing me much, Rachel. I¡¯m so d I got to know you closer than ever.¡± Emma said while drying her hands with a small towel hanging beside the sink.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. I¡¯m also happy to be able to share the same hobby with you.¡± Rachel answered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help clean this up. Where should I put the toolbox?¡± Emma pointed to the dark blue box that was still lying on the floor.


    ¡°You can put it in that cupboard, please. Thank you.¡± Rachel replied by pointing to a ratherrge wooden cupboard near the closed rolling door that led to the backyard.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emma immediately lifted the fairly heavy object and carried it to the cupboard that Rachel pointed out. She opened the two doors and saw a space to store the box. However, her focus was instead shifted to arge ck boxing sandbag lying on the floor beside the cupboard. ¡°Is.. this a?¡±


    Rachel who heard Emma¡¯s mutter then stepped closer to her after washing her hands, ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s a sandbag. It¡¯s used for practising boxing and kicking. It¡¯s my dad¡¯s too. He inherited it for me.¡± Rachel exined by cing the toolbox that was still on the floor in front of the cupboard.


    ¡°Ah.. Thank you,¡± Emma said when she realized that her work was actually done by Rachel. ¡°Did you use it? It doesn¡¯t look.. dirty.¡± Emma asked curiously.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°My dad was a boxing athlete. He taught me a lot of things when I was very young. For some reason, I feel like I still remember his teachings. I often practice boxing to remember what my dad had taught me.¡± She exined thenughed, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it suits my above average size body?¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Martial arts suit everyone. Male, female, fat, skinny, tall, short. Everyone deserves the ability to protect themselves.¡±


    ¡°Did you learn self-defence too?¡± Rachel asked lightly.


    ¡°Hmm? N-not really,¡± Emma answered awkwardly. Why did she have to lie?


    ¡°Oh.. I thought you were, because from what you said earlier, it seemed like you really like martial arts.¡± Rachel said, then, stepped toward the exit, ¡°Let¡¯s go back inside. Do you want to be here all night?¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Nope. I just happened to be going home too.¡± she answered, following in Rachel¡¯s footsteps. At a nce, she stared back at the boxing sandbag.


    Rachel and Hellen took Emma to the house¡¯s front door. The air was very cold outside. But luckily, it didn¡¯t seem to be snowing that day.


    ¡°You cane here any time, Emma,¡± Hellen said by giving Emma a paper bag with some slices of Lasagne and Apple Pie to take home.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs Hellen,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°If you want to learn more, you cane here a bitte like earlier. I also just happened to be spending the holidays at home.¡± Rachel said.


    Emma smiled at them both then nodded, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll stop by another time. Thanks for having me today,¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re delighted to have you as a guest. Be careful on the way home, Emma.¡± Helen gave her a short hug.


    ¡°See youter,¡± Emma replied.


    ***


    On the way home, Emma noticed that her watch had not yet touched 7 pm. But, her stomach had started ying musical dramas.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to look for dinner outside,¡± Emma thought, feeling it might be toote if she had to go straight home and cook for dinner.


    Then, she nced at the paper bag with a picture of the sun, sitting in the passenger seat next to her, and smiled. It seemed like Emma knew where she had to go.


    Emma parked her car on the side of the road which, unexpectedly, was busier than thest time she came. Out of curiosity, Emma decided to get out of the car for a moment and peek under the road which was a small river decorated with many sparkling lights.


    ¡°Wow.. This is insane! So it turns out that they are turning the river into an ice skating rink now? Looks like the water has frozen, huh?¡± Emma muttered, still perched on the guardrail which was a few meters higher than the river park area.


    Emma did not expect it turned out that the location of the small river where she once fell now had be a tourist location during the winter break. The ce was decorated with various lights so that it became stunning. It was even seen several booths selling food and renting ice skating equipment. The benches that were previously only a few, had also been added with non-permanent chairs that seem to have only been taken out during the winter break.


    Seeing all that, Emma immediately stepped back into her car excitedly, then, took a cup of hot coffee she had bought at a cafe beforeing to the small river.


    While looking at the people who were ice skating, Emma walked down the stairs casually. She stood while sipping her hot coffee slightly.


    ¡°Wow.. The ice skating rink has be huge..¡± Emma muttered in amazement as she stared far away at the length of the river. Not far from her spot, she could see a long coloured bridge decorated with lights.


    But, when she was busy looking around, Emma¡¯s pretty eyes caught a familiar figure. With a bit of hesitation, Emma stepped closer to the man who was sitting alone on a wooden bench.


    ¡°Levi?¡± Emma called when she had stood next to the man in the ck coat. She was quite sure when she saw the back of the man¡¯s hands that full of tattoos and his haircut which was quite imprinted on her memory.


    The two grey eyes then turned to the sweet face of a girl with light brown eyes whose lips curved into a smile, ¡°You? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Could you at least say hello to me back?¡± Emma¡¯s face turned sinister.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Levi asked again. Wondering why Emma could suddenly appear at the wrong hour. Why did she appear when he was fainally had time alone from all the fatigue and responsibilities that kept consuming his time?


    ¡°I was just walking around. This is a public area. Why should I ask your permission if I want toe to this ce?¡± Emma answered.


    Levi just sighed deeply, then, returned his gaze to the front, to the people who were ying ice skating.


    Without permission, Emma just sat next to the man. It happened that the chair was also stillpletely clean of snow. Maybe it was because it didn¡¯t snow that day and there were a few cleaners walking around.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Pixy?¡± Emma asked by looking down, thinking the cruel man maybe put his mother cat in the snow.


    ¡°None,¡± Levi answered curtly, without even looking at Emma.


    Emma¡¯s eyes widened, then she covered her mouth with one hand, ¡°Y-you.. Did you kill her?¡±


    The question was able to make Levi turn his head in disbelief at the girl, ¡°Are you insane?¡±


    ¡°With your temper, I¡¯m sane enough to think you could do such a heinous thing,¡± Emma answered lightly.


    ¡°You crazy woman,¡± Levi muttered as he looked away again. Honestly, he couldn¡¯t refute what Emma had said at this point. He knew he looked like a paid murderer.


    ¡°So.. why are you here alone?¡± Emma asked before taking a few sips of her coffee before it turned cold.


    Levi moved his head like a shake, ¡°Rxing my mind?¡± he wasn¡¯t even sure why he hade to this ce.


    ¡°Ah.. Surely you didn¡¯t expect that this ce suddenly became so crowded. I wanted to enjoy the solitude bying here. But it turns out that this ce has turned into a night market.¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°I knew,¡±


    Emma immediately nced at Levi again, ¡°You knew?¡± she repeated in disbelief. ¡°I thought you were a person who didn¡¯t like noises.¡±


    ¡°My life is already too noisy, that these people¡¯sughter is something different to my ears.¡± The man replied. To Levi, this was a different case with music ying in a car. Theughter of small children ying on the ice sounded sweet to his ears. In his heart, he admitted that it could calm his mind.

 Chapter 111

    111 The Wheel Of Life


    Through the grey eyes in the sharp frame, Emma could see something a bit odd about Levi. He looked tired, but his face didn¡¯t describe someone who was having problems, ¡°You¡¯re working on holidays too?¡±


    Levi shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think of my job as a job.¡±


    ¡°Very wise,¡± Emma replied with azy snort.


    ¡°Oh! By the way, how¡¯s Nancy?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°She just came back here yesterday. But two days ago, her health went down again so she had to fly back overseas. Maybe this time, she would be there a bit longer.¡± Levi exined with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Oh.. Is that so? I was thinking of visiting her on this holiday.¡± Emma looked down sadly.


    Levi nced at the girl beside him, then cleared his throat, ¡°This time it wasn¡¯t you. So, there¡¯s no need to think too much.¡±


    Emma looked up at Levi, ¡°Of course, I never thought it was my fault. Seriously.. I¡¯ve only met her once! There¡¯s no way I could have had that much influence on her.¡± Emma chirped.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that one meeting with the right person will be very valuable for someone who feels lonely in all her life,¡± Levi said.


    .....


    ¡°Does Nancy that lonely? Well.. Even though you and your brother look cold, I can see that you both love Nancy so much and never hesitate to show it to her.¡± Emma thought.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point. You don¡¯t know what my mother has been through. So you better stop judging as you please.¡± Levi reprimand.


    Even though she didn¡¯t like Levi¡¯s cynical tone, Emma didn¡¯t deny that it was true that she was too quick to judge someone¡¯s life. Usually, Emma would keep her opinion in her heart. But, maybe, because she felt that Levi was the type of person who was talking out all his heart want, Emma felt that she didn¡¯t have to hold back her opinions either. But it seemed he would be a little sensitive to all things rted to his mother.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be here at this time of night. If I had known, I probably wouldn¡¯te here.¡± Levi said suddenly.


    Emma woke up from her daydream and replied, ¡°I¡¯m bored at home. Actually.. a vacation like this isn¡¯t that much fun, I guess..¡± She even mumbled to herself.


    Levi nced at her stared at her for a long time, ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Emma turned to him, then, she lowered her head, ¡°Realizing what envy feels like,¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you never envied other people?¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever doing that,¡± she answered. Then, she took a deep breath, ¡°A little about myself. I can say that since I was little I lived in a golden cage. I nevercked anything materially. The only thing I didn¡¯t have was freedom.¡±


    ¡°Interesting past. Let me guess. You managed to escape from that cage, and now just realized what the real world was like?¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°Your guess wasn¡¯t wrong. By having freedom, I realized that there are so many things I don¡¯t have in my life. Something I didn¡¯t even recognize before. It feels surprising and fun to discover new things. But, it turns out that it somehow makes me feel sad and think the world is unfair.¡± Emma answered honestly.


    ¡°At least for the rest of your life, you¡¯ve felt all those feelings. I admit, as a woman, your decision to step out of yourfort zone was a bold move.¡± Levi shrugged his shoulders once, ¡°Knowing that your life isn¡¯t that perfect is also a good thing, right? Now you know that the world is fair because everyone feels that their life is unfair.¡±


    Emma nodded in response to Levi¡¯s opinion. He had a point too. Then, she turned to him, ¡°What about you? I¡¯ve already told you my part. Shouldn¡¯t this be fair?¡±


    Levi stared at Emma for a few seconds, then, mumbled to himself, ¡°Exchange thought Friends. I almost forgot about that.¡± he looked a little regretful.


    Levi¡¯s muttering was heard by Emma. She thenughed in satisfaction. She knew that he was regretful for the incident that made them identally make an impromptu agreement for their rtionship which was called the ¡®Exchanging Thoughts Friends ¡®.


    ¡°Your fingerprints are still on this hand, Levi,¡± Emma said by raising her right palm which was covered in a light brown glove, then continuedughing.


    Levi snorted. But the agreement was an agreement. The girl had already told him about the problem that weighed on her mind, which somehow made Levi feel curious. But if he thought about it, after all, they could also be said to be strangers who have no rtionship in real life. They only know each other faces and names. They didn¡¯t care what kind of life each of them was living.


    ¡°I... I could say that I had the opposite childhood of yours. If you lived in a golden cage, then I live in a rat¡¯s nest.¡±


    ¡°A rat¡¯s nest? Hahahahaa..¡± Emma burst outughing, ¡°You¡¯re too much! Gosh..¡± she held her stomach.


    Levi didn¡¯t angry to see Emma¡¯s reaction. He evenughed a little. For some reason, his heart was a little happy by seeing that his suffering as a child sounded funny to the ears of the girl who was born in a wealthy life. How unfair, right?


    ¡°The point is, my life was not asfortable as yours. I had to fight very hard and sacrifice a lot of things to achieve my dreams. The good news is, all of that has been paid now.¡± He smiled mockingly at Emma.


    ¡°Are you exining that now the wheel of life is turning for us?¡± Emma suddenly stoppedughing and put a straight face to Levi.


    The man raised an eyebrow with a faint smile, ¡°I told you the world is fair. Maybe you used to feel at the top, but now you are at the bottom. And I experienced the opposite.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Thanks for bringing me to my senses, wise man.¡± Emma replied sarcastically.


    ¡°So, what do you think of my backstory?¡± Now, it¡¯s Levi¡¯s turn to chase Emma, as if he was starting to like this game.


    Emma looked at him sarcastically, ¡°What? What advice do you think I should give you? Isn¡¯t your life is ¡®PERFECT¡¯ now?¡± Emma asked by disying a quotation symbol with her fingers which she held up beside her head.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Nothing is perfect in this world. I¡¯ve just had a better life than before. It was my dream, which was to have a better life.¡± Levi answered.


    Emma snorted. It¡¯s not that she envy Levi¡¯s life which had now be better. Throughout her life, Emma had never objected to seeing other people¡¯s sess. Only, it was Levi who expressed it in a very arrogant and obnoxious manner. It was as if he was mocking Emma.


    ¡°Hem.. Let me think about it first. Your perfect life seems to confuse me,¡± Then, Emma snapped her fingers which didn¡¯t make a sound because her hands were wrapped in gloves, ¡°If your life is asfortable as it is now, then, you just have to maintain it. Don¡¯t let yourself be miserable like before, live in a rat¡¯s nest!¡± Emmaughed.


    But Emma¡¯sughter slowly faded and her face turned a little worried when she realized that Levi¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t like what she expected. The man looked pensive with his jaw clenched.


    ¡°Hey.. I was just kidding. Sorry if my words offended you.¡± Emma said stiffly. She really was just kidding.


    Levi slowly turned to Emma, ??then, unexpectedly, smiled broadly. The widest smile that Emma had seen from Levi since the first time they had met. This made Emma¡¯s face, which looked worried before, turn into confusion again.


    ¡°Why should I be offended? Your words are true. Thank you,¡± Levi said with a smile that stillsted.


    ¡°What?¡± Emma could only stare, ¡°Then, why did you look annoyed earlier? I thought you were offended that I mentioned you used to live in a rat¡¯s nest?¡± she asked quickly.


    ¡°I was just a little taken aback by your words. About the rat¡¯s nest, didn¡¯t Ie up with that sentence myself?¡± He chuckled a little, then, took a deep breath, ¡°Besides all that. Something is knocking on my heart because of your words that advised me to protect what I have now. Since I¡¯m used to the current circumstances, I¡¯ve unknowingly be too soft. I forgot if one day, I maybe could be dragged back in a difficult circumstance like before if I didn¡¯t take good care of what¡¯s I currently have. You made me realize that.¡± Levi exined honestly.


    ¡°Woah.. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard you talk that long. And, your smile! Gosh.. I thought your lips hadcked the nerve to smile.¡± Emma pped her hands in amazement in slow motion as she shook her head, ¡°Besides, I¡¯d probably be mad if you actually got offended by what I said. Because you¡¯ve never been watching the way you talk to me either. So... why should I care?¡± she seemed to be thinking to herself.


    ¡°Am I that bad in your eyes?¡± Levi asked by hearing Emma¡¯s nags. It seemed he had only met someone as honest as this girl. Or do all women have the same honesty?


    Emma nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve never made up stories to insult other people. In fact, all of your behaviour deserves to be insulted.¡±


    ¡°Geez.. Your tongue is getting sharper.¡± Levi mocked as he reached into the pocket of his ck coat and took out a white box and a gaslighter. From inside the box, he took out a cigarette which he lit after.


    Emma only nced at the man next to her who seemed to be living his smoking activity. Actually, since a kid, Emma didn¡¯t really like men who smoked. Maybe because her mother died of lung cancer which was most likely caused by her father who was an active smoker. Since then, Emma had had a small trauma in her heart against those who smoke.


    But of course, Emma had no right to forbid Levi. She was a nobody and there was no ¡®No Smoking¡¯ sign in the ce, either. So, it was the right for him to smoke here.

 Chapter 112

    112 Ice Skating


    Even though they were sitting side by side, Emma and Levi were no longer talking. They just kept quiet enjoying the atmosphere that night which happened not to be snowing.


    Emma didn¡¯t know what was going on in Levi¡¯s mind. But, what she saw on the frozen river water caught her attention. The ice skating people looked so happy. The sound of the des of the shoes grinding against the ice was heard loud. It turned out that the people of Handway were good at ice skating. Even the small children seemed to have started to y smoothly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re staring at them like that, why don¡¯t youe down and y?¡± Suddenly, Levi¡¯s voice distracted Emma.


    The girlughed lightly by rubbing the trunk of her neck, ¡°I happen to not be able to ice skating. Hahaha..¡± Then, she looked ahead at the small river again, ¡°But it looks so fun and beautiful,¡± she muttered to herself.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re not the type to just watch something fun without trying it yourself?¡± Levi replied while blowing his cigarette smoke into the air.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°I should be like that..¡±


    ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    Levi¡¯s question made Emma immediately turn to him, ¡°Scared? That¡¯s thest word in my dictionary.¡± she replied in a displeased tone.


    Emma¡¯s reaction made Levi chuckle a little, then, he stubbed out his half remaining cigarette and stood up before heading for the trash can to throw it away. Then, he turned back to Emma, ??¡±Follow me,¡±


    .....


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emma¡¯s face suddenly gave a confused expression, but she stillplied to follow Levi¡¯s footsteps after running hastily tossed her empty coffee cup into the trash.


    The two loafers finally stopped at a booth where ice skating shoes were rented.


    ¡°Measure your feet there,¡± Levi pointed to a box-shaped object next to the long counter that separated the visitors from the inside of the booth.


    ¡°What are you nning?¡± Emma asked confused.


    ¡°Just take a quick measure. Why are you being so fussy?¡± Levi said impatiently. He was talking to the booth staff behind the cashier, but Emma interrupted him.


    Emma nced at Levi sarcastically, ¡°You sucker,¡± she mumbled. Even though she felt annoyed, she still approached the feet measuring spot and then measured the length of her foot.


    When finished, Emma approached Levi who was seen paying some money to the cashier before putting his wallet back into his coat¡¯s pocket, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Emma asked as she stood beside Levi.


    Levi didn¡¯t answer and instead took a few steps towards the table where the staff in charge of giving and receiving rented shoes was standing. After giving the staff two small ticket papers, the staff returned to Levi with two pairs of skating shoes.


    ¡°Sit over there,¡± Levi pointed to a long chair with his chin because his hands were full holding the shoes.


    ¡°We.. we are going to y?¡± Emma asked, finally realising what was going on.


    ¡°What else do you think we can do with these shoes? Sculpt blocks of ice?¡± Levi replied by sitting on a long chair next to the booth that had a bright white light.


    Finally, Emma sat down beside Levi without asking any more questions. The man then gave Emma a pair of pink shoes for her to wear.


    ¡°Ah.. You should have said earlier that these shoes were for me. I would have definitely chosen my own.¡± Emma mumbled sadly.


    Levi, who was taking off his ck loafers, then turned to Emma with a frown, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with those shoes? You haven¡¯t even tried them on.¡± he asked, thinking that the shoe size was too small or too big for Emma¡¯s feet.


    ¡°The colour doesn¡¯t match my clothes.¡± The girl answered with a tired sigh while looking at the shoes with a gloomy face. She was wearing clothes in neutral colours, but the shoes had quirky colours that looked very contrasting.


    Emma¡¯s answer seeded in making Levi gape. He couldn¡¯t believe there was such a troublesome person in this world. Were all the girls like that?! If they were, then he maybe wouldn¡¯t be married for the rest of his life!


    ¡°You better put those shoes on now before I throw them at that bald man¡¯s head,¡± Levi pointed to an old man with a bald head who was standing by the river while watching a little girl who seemed to be his granddaughter.


    ¡°You psychopath! He has nothing to do with me!¡± Emma babbled alone.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t have toin about such a small matter,¡± Levi replied, still focused on tying thece of ice skating shoes that had wrapped his feet.


    ¡°You take it for granted because you don¡¯t understand fashion,¡± Emma muttered. Even though Levi heard it, he just ignored her grumbling.


    Levi nced at the watch wrapped around his tattooed arm. Then, he nced at the girl beside him who was still busy with her skating shoes, ¡°Could you hurry up? I only rented these shoes for two hours. You¡¯ve been struggling with that thing for fifteen minutes.¡±


    Emma nced at Levi sarcastically, ¡°Could you be patient for a second? This is my first time wearing these weird shoes, you know?¡± she answered no less fiercely. Then, she returned to her feet with rolling eyes.


    Finally, Levi needed to wait again. Then, five minutester...


    ¡°Done!! Let¡¯s y!¡± Emma eximed as she stood up quickly. But it turned out that standing on ice skating shoes was not as easy as Emma imagined. Instantly, she lost her bnce and stumbled to the side, ¡°Uaaaa!!¡±


    Emma¡¯s eyes, which were tightly closed for ready to hit the ground, slowly opened. The girl realized that she didn¡¯t fall. Her body was floating in the air with an almost lying position to the side. One of her hands was pulled into the air. It turned out that Levi was holding her arm so she didn¡¯t hit the ground.


    ¡°Tsk! Can you not be reckless for a day?¡± Levi rambled by pulling Emma up in one motion, then, pressing her shoulder to take her to sit back down. With a sigh, he reached down, and shook the shoes that had wrapped Emma¡¯s little feet.


    ¡°Stupid! Look at this. You didn¡¯t tie them right. The shoces are too loose.¡± He grumbled. He nced his eyes at Emma¡¯s innocent face which gave a confused expression, then sighed tiredly, ¡°I should never have thought of doing this,¡± he muttered again.


    ¡°Le.. Levi.. You.. you don¡¯t have to do..¡± Emma said reluctantly by slowly pulling her legs back awkwardly.


    But violently, Levi pulled the leg again to get closer to him who was now squatting down in front of Emma¡¯s feet, ¡°Don¡¯t be fussy! You are the most troublesome girl I have ever met.¡± he babbled as kept busy tying Emma¡¯s shoces. When he finished, he stood up and immediately grabbed Emma¡¯s arms, then pulled her to join him.


    ¡°Woahh..¡± Emma tried to bnce herself. Luckily, Levi was still holding onto her arm so she didn¡¯t fall.


    ¡°How?¡± Asked Levi who saw that Emma had begun to sessfully adjust to the shape of the shoe, ¡°Are the shoes ufortable?¡±


    Emma just gave a confused face, ¡°The shoes feel so tight that I can¡¯t move my feet in them at all.¡±


    ¡°Good. That means they are tied right.¡± Levi nodded, then took Emma¡¯s walking shoes and his own to put them in the storage locker beside the lounger.


    When Levi was back again, he led Emma along the ground which was covered with a thickyer of carpet that led directly to the icy surface of the frozen riverside.


    ¡°Why do the shoce have to be tied this tight, Levi?¡± Emma asked. She walked like a penguin, holding on to the man¡¯s arm. She could even secretly feel his muscles being very dense and hard.


    ¡°If they¡¯re loose, then your legs, including your ankles, can still move. That would be dangerous and could cause you injury. That¡¯s also why you fell when you tried to stand up.¡± Levi exined.


    Emma nodded in understanding. That¡¯s true. She admitted that with feet that be stiff from the fingers to the ankles, made it easier for her to walk because she was more bnced.


    ¡°Hold me tighter,¡± Levi snapped Emma out of her daydream. The girl didn¡¯t realize that she had walked all the way to the very side of the river, and even Levi¡¯s position was already on the ice facing her.


    ¡°Should I just put my feet on here?¡± Emma asked with both hands gripping Levi¡¯s arms.


    The man nodded, ¡°Just get down on the ice. I¡¯m holding you.¡±


    Emma gulped before slowly stomping her feet one by one on the slippery ice. It really turned out to be that slippery ice. Even slicker than the roller skate she was usually ying as a child.


    ¡°Huuaaa..¡± Emma couldn¡¯t contain her voice as her legs moved back and forth uncontrobly.


    ¡°Position your feet following the letter V, like this.¡± Levi nced at his own feet.


    Emma followed the man¡¯s instructions, then, her feet immediately stopped slipping. Even though it was very cold there, Emma could feel she was sweating nervously.


    Honestly, when she was a child, Emma had fallen quite badly while roller skating. At that time, her mother was still alive and immediately took little Emma to the hospital. Emma had aceration that was severe enough to the back of her head that doctors had to shave her hair off. Since then, Emma had been traumatized by anything rted to roller skates or the like.


    Levi felt Emma¡¯s grip tighten on his arms. He didn¡¯t even know that she could show such a fearful expression. He smiled crookedly looking at Emma casually, ¡°I thought you were a brave girl. But you are holding me like I was going to throw you into the abyss.¡±

 Chapter 113

    113 The Warm Side Of Levi Wargos


    Emma chuckled with a gasp, made white steam continue to billow in front of her mouth, ¡°In my hometown, the winter isn¡¯t this bad that it freezes water. So, I¡¯ve never been ice skating.¡± she exined. Well.. actually, that was not the only reason Emma never tried this sport. She felt it was better to just say that reason than to say that she had a trauma that would make her look weaker in Levi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard you say that you¡¯re a ballet dancer. You should be able to quickly adapt to ice skating since they both rely on bnce.¡± Levi said by pulling Emma¡¯s hands, ¡°Straighten your legs,¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Emma nodded. Now, she would obey what Levi ordered her just like when she always obeyed all the instructions from her martial arts and ballet teachers.


    Levi pulled Emma¡¯s hands in the position they were both facing each other. The man sped backwards so the girl in front of him could learn to move forward on the ice.


    ¡°Good. Looks like you¡¯re getting used to it,¡± Levi nodded then loosened his grip on Emma¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Hey! Hey! What are you doing?! Don¡¯t let me go!¡± Emma gasped when she felt like he was about to let go of his grip. This made her tighten her grip on Levi¡¯s arms even more.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you go. Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t get panic,¡± Levi replied by moving his grip from Emma¡¯s arms to her palms. Now, they were holding hands like two people dancing.


    Subconsciously, Levi smiled at Emma. He knew that she should be quite proficient now. But for some reason, the fierce lion he used to see had now be a little kitten with two big sparkling eyes. He pulled her, and slid across the cold, slightly bumpy ice with the de-based shoes. It was as if they were dancing under the moonlight that lit up the night.


    ¡°Look.. You can now control it, can¡¯t you?¡± Levi asked, asionally ncing at Emma¡¯s feet that already knew how to move on ice.


    .....


    Emma nodded happily, ¡°Yes! This seems pretty easy,¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll let you go. Okay?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma nodded with a face turned tense.


    Levi smiled again, ¡°Don¡¯t be tense. You have to rx. I¡¯ll let it go now. One, two, three...¡± he let go of the two small gloved hands.


    ¡°Huaaa.. I did it, Levi! This is awesome!¡± Emma eximed with sparkling eyes. She was amazed at her own progress. Indeed, even though she had trauma, as long as there was an intention to try, anything could be possible to do.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll stay by your side if you¡¯re going to fall.¡± Levi said by sliding himself nimbly.


    Emma kept moving forward and twisting to unleash her abilities. On the other hand, Levi kept gliding around Emma like a swimming fish. As if he was a orbiting around the sun. Levi was very agile and good at ice skating. Even, Emma judged Levi¡¯s movements to look like ice-skating athletes that she had watched several times on the TV.


    ¡°Whoa!!¡± Emma suddenly lost her bnce and her feet slipped forward. That was the thing she was really afraid of doing this kind of sport. She was afraid of falling backwards to hit her back head like before.


    But like what Levi promised, he swiftly caught Emma¡¯s body whose head was almost hit the hard ice surface, ¡°I¡¯m holding you,¡±


    Emma wrapped her arms around Levi¡¯s neck which felt very warm. Then easily, the man lifted Emma up as if her body was only as light as pixy¡¯s, her mother¡¯s cat. Even on those two slick shoes, he did it so effortlessly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emma said when she had stood up properly.


    ¡°If you feel like you¡¯re going to fall, immediately steady yourself. It would be dangerous if you hit your head like that.¡± Levi suggested.


    ¡°Yeah.. I know. That was.. I really didn¡¯t expect the ice to suddenly ripple in that part.¡± Emma pointed to the bulge of ice that had made her slip.


    ¡°This is frozen river water. Not a man-made ice skating training ground. It¡¯s a bit more difficult. But it¡¯s better if you learn directly on rough terrain so you¡¯ll quickly be strong.¡± Levi replied by twirling behind Emma¡¯s body. Then, he held both of Emma¡¯s hands from behind, so that each of their hands was a pair.


    ¡°What else is this?¡± Emma asked confused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you to glide faster. You have to move your feet wider than before. With me behind you, you won¡¯t fall backwards.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Oh, okay, then,¡± Emma replied before they started sliding together in the man¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were this good at ice skating,¡± Emma asked with a cold wind blowing against the smooth skin of her face. Her flowing hair waved back.


    ¡°I used to have a dream of bing an ice-skating athlete,¡± Levi replied, still focused on looking ahead and alternately at the girl¡¯s feet in front of him. Now and then he warned Emma to move her legs even harder.


    ¡°You were? That¡¯s great! Then, how is it going?¡± Emma asked with a smile on her face.


    But Levi shook his head lightly, ¡°I already took it off. It¡¯s.. not something important.¡±


    Emma turned to the side, though she failed to see Levi¡¯s face which was quite far above her head, ¡°From the tone of your voice, it hears like it¡¯s something important. Why don¡¯t you try to achieve it?¡±


    ¡°Not everything you want can be achieved. And everyone has to ept reality.¡± Levi replied.


    Emma returned her gaze to the front. It turned out that they had slid far enough from the crowd. It seemed that Levi deliberately took Emma to a pretty quiet ce, because she had been disturbed by many people skating around her so she had difficulty learning.


    ¡°I happen to have self-principles that will do anything to achieve my goals. Well.. Even though people¡¯s nature is different that I don¡¯t have the right to force, but still I¡¯d like to encourage people.¡± Emma mumbled.


    ¡°So you¡¯re encouraging me on now?¡± Levi asked by slowly releasing one of Emma¡¯s hands. He slid beside her until they were only holding on to one hand. ¡°Keep moving your feet like before. Your bnce has improved,¡±


    Emma nodded once, then, her face looked thoughtful, ¡°I am also a girl with dreams. Of course, I understand the feelings of people who also have dreams to achieve.¡±


    Then Levi smiled faintly, ¡°But not everyone is born as lucky as you. You better know that.¡±


    Levi¡¯s words again made Emma speechless. Ah.. That¡¯s right. She forgot another reality which was something that happened a lot in the real world. If she thought about it, all children must have a dream. But not a few of them have grown up by throwing away those unfulfilled dreams.


    As Levi said, not all children were as lucky as Emma. She did not deny that she was born with a golden spoon in her mouth. Besides being pretty, she had a rich and powerful father. Because of that, Emma could have everything she wanted that money could buy. Even, when she decided to leave her father¡¯s house and fight against her own father, in reality, she still depended on the money sent by him.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m too naive..¡± Emma muttered subconsciously.


    ¡°It¡¯s good you noticed.¡± Leviughed by hearing the murmur.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help but frown. Even though she didn¡¯t like being teased like that, she couldn¡¯t argue with Levi¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a break. My legs are a little tired.¡± Emma said.


    Then, Levi slowed his moves, followed by the girl who was still in his arm. Finally, he led Emma to sit by the side of the frozen river, on fairly thick snow.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± asked Emma, who was already sitting with her legs stretched out.


    Levi shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not like you.¡± he said with a mocking smile and dashed swiftly into the middle of the river.


    ¡°Just try to practice ballet! You¡¯ll give up in five minutes! You¡¯ll feel your bones crushing!¡± Emma eximed annoyed.


    But Levi just smiled lopsidedly by continuing to move his feet until he was sliding very fast. Then, he easily twisted his body like a spring and lifted one of his legs. After that, he seeded up again and then jumped while spinning in the air.


    Insane! Emma didn¡¯t think that Levi could be that good at ice skating. She didn¡¯t know what caused him to give up his dream. But Emma could guess that he had received special training in this field, just like Emma who was currently taking ballet sses.


    Unknowingly, Emma kept watching Levi who was dancing alone. She could see that the man really loved ice skating. He moved and danced beautifully on the ice. Maybe for people who just knew him, they would not expect, with such a grim appearance, he had such a graceful hobby.


    Levi Wargos, a man who had an unfriendly nature and looked cold, became a different person when he was skating on ayer of ice. Amid the frost, the warmth radiated from him who was enjoying the time. The face that usually looked gloomy, now beat up the bright shining moon. His eyes seemed to reflect the sparkling stars that somehow could decorate the night sky. Levi looked like a carefree child who was ying, enjoying the world.


    Unknowingly, Emma smiled to herself by seeing the man. Emma felt as if she was looking at herself from Levi¡¯s figure. How she could be pleased when she was dancing ballet. How she felt as if the world was a wonderful ce without any crime. How she enjoyed the moments when she forgot all the problems that surrounded her.


    ¡°What?¡± Levi asked by sliding closer to Emma who was still sitting with a warm smile on her face.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Nothing. I just didn¡¯t know your face could look like that.¡±

 Chapter 114

    114 A Weird Feeling


    ¡°That¡¯s because you always think of me as a bad person,¡± Levi answered Emma by sticking out his hand, ¡°Looks like our time is running out.¡±


    Emma grabbed the hand that then pulled her up, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°I do not know,¡± The man answered lightly.


    Levi directed Emma to stand beside him, before moving forward slowly. Instinctively, Emma followed Levi¡¯s movements beside him. They slid into the crowd where the booth they rented shoes at.


    While moving her legs, Emma looked at Levi with a surprised mixed funny face, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± she repeated.


    ¡°I can¡¯t feel hungry. I¡¯ll eat when it¡¯s time to eat.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Huh? Is there such a thing?¡±


    Levi nodded, ¡°I won¡¯t make up stories about stupid things like this.¡±


    ¡°Is it a disease?¡± Emma asked with a serious face. She also didn¡¯t feel Levi was making up a story.


    .....


    ¡°Hmm,¡± He nodded slightly.


    ¡°Since when did that happen?¡± Emma asked again.


    ¡°Since I was a kid, maybe? I don¡¯t really remember.¡± He answered carelessly.


    Without realizing, they had arrived near the shoe rental booth. It turned out the ce was pretty deserted. It was because it was already quitete.


    Levi helped Emma to get to the ground. After being able to stand bnced on the ice, automatically, Emma was able to walk on the carpet. Then, the two of them immediately took their walking shoes from the locker and changed shoes on the long seat earlier.


    ¡°Thank you..¡± Emma said to the staff who was standing behind the booth, which turned out to be no longer epting new customers. This time, Emma was holding her own shoes.


    ¡°But have you had dinner?¡± Emma asked Levi as they walked away from the booth.


    Levi shook his head, ¡°You didn¡¯t see me do it, did you?¡±


    ¡°Hem.. I¡¯m so hungry..¡± Emmained while holding her own rumbling stomach. Even though she had previously intended to have dinner, she instead ended up ice skating with the man.


    Then suddenly, Emma¡¯s eyes caught a food booth selling toast. She immediately pointed at the ce with the bright white light, ¡°Let¡¯s buy some food there.¡±


    Finally, the two of them approached the toast booth. However, the owner of the booth seemed to be cleaning up his booth to close it.


    ¡°Sorry.. Can we still order?¡± Emma asked the saledy.


    ¡°Oh.. Too bad. Coincidentally, the food ingredients have run out. I¡¯m also preparing to close.¡± The woman answered.


    ¡°We can buy it there.¡± Levi pointed to another booth not far from there.


    ¡°I heard they¡¯ve run out of ingredients too. It was a busy night.¡± The woman informed.


    Sure enough, a few secondster, the owner of the booth came out from inside and started to close it.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. All the booths should be closed.¡± The woman added again.


    Emma let out a long sigh with a disappointed face, ¡°Oh!¡± she suddenly remembered something. ¡°Of course.. why did I forget it?¡± she pped her forehead. Then, she looked at the booth woman, ¡°Do you have an oven?¡±


    The woman nodded, ¡°Just a small microwave.¡± she shifted to show the silver object she used to melt the frozen jam.


    ¡°Perfect! Can I warm my food in it for a bit here?¡± Emma asked quickly.


    ¡°Of course,¡± The woman answered.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Emma said happily. ¡°Please wait a minute. I¡¯ll get the food in the car.¡± She said as she hurried off.


    ¡°Hey..¡± Levi was about to stop Emma who was running so fast in the heavy snow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡± Emma shouted, didn¡¯t stop her footsteps at all.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Levi clicked with a worried face, ¡°She could slip on the stairs if she ran like that.¡± he muttered to himself.


    ¡°Your girlfriend is so cheerful, isn¡¯t she? You both must have had a great time together.¡± Said the middle-aged woman with a chuckle. The rtionship of young people was very warm and romantic. She missed her youth when she had a lot of energy.


    Levi gaped at the statement of the woman in the thick jacket. Seriously?


    ¡°We¡¯re not dating.¡± He corrected with a face that was not happy and confused at the same time. Let alone dating, he wasn¡¯t even sure they were friends.


    ¡°Ah.. Sorry. I thought you two were a couple because you guys look so good together.¡± The womanughed even more. Indeed, she was one of that kind of elders. It was very easy for them to talk to young people as they please.


    Less than a minute, Emma finally returned breathlessly. She even ran fast on her way back to the booth.


    ¡°Here.. Please help me warm it up..¡± Emma ced two lunch boxes on the counter. White steam could be seen continuing to billow in front of her breathless mouth.


    ¡°Okay. Wait a minute.¡± The woman took the two boxes which turned out to contain a few slices of berry pie and Lasagne.


    ¡°I just remembered that there I have food in the car. Beforeing here, I visited my friend¡¯s house and her grandmother gave me the food.¡± Emma exined to Levi.


    The man only stared at her for a moment before turning his face towards the ice. For some reason, there was an ufortable feeling in his chest. It was the woman selling the toast that made Levi¡¯s mind unable to focus. How could that woman say something so random and baseless like that? Girlfriend? Look good together? Was she kidding? Levi even seemed to have rarely heard those despicable words in his life.


    Levi was surprised from his daydream when a box containing yellowish-brown food was suddenly floating in his face. Behind the food box that was still steaming, a pretty face of a girl with two beautiful round eyes and lips smiling broadly at him, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± Emma said.


    Levi blinked a few times beforeing back to his senses and taking a step back. There was a strange sensation that seemed to shock the blood vessels under his skin. A strange thing that made his blood boil disturbed. Suddenly, he felt very awkward at the girl who was still standing with a happy face in front of him. The girl who didn¡¯t know what the toast woman had just said. If Emma heard the same thing, would she get a strange feeling like Levi¡¯s right now?


    ¡°Come on, Levi. The food¡¯s going to get cold soon. Ah.. We¡¯d better eat in my car. This food will get cold in an instant if we eat it in the open air like this.¡± Emma muttered to herself as she looked around the already empty surroundings. It looked like the booths there have almost been closed by their employees.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Levi refused with a stiff tone.


    Emma looked at him with an annoyed face, ¡°I know. You have a strange disease that makes you unable to feel hungry, right? But of course, you have to eat to have energy.¡±


    ¡®My dear, Levi.. You have to eat to have energy..¡¯


    A woman¡¯s soft voice echoed in Levi¡¯s mind. Instantly, his whole body became stiff and the hairs on his neck stood. It was a sentence he had heard years ago. Warm and sad at the same time. The words he missed, but didn¡¯t want to hear again. And that sentence was said precisely by the girl named Emma Hind.


    ¡°Come on Levi! Why did you suddenly be a statue like that?¡± Emma babbled by stepping alone. She knew that Levi would follow her in the end. Who could resist the charm of Hellen¡¯s finest Lasagne aroma which was so tasty even by the smell only?


    Maybe, Levi¡¯s brain had also been frozen by the blowing winter wind. Without asking for his approval, his feet instead followed the girl up the stairs, and into the front passenger door of a maroon sedan.


    When Levi had conscious, he was already sitting in the car with a very nice perfume smell that slowly emitted warm air from the heater. He turned to the side and found a girl with thick wavy caramel hair, busy preparing food for the two of them.


    ¡°That woman was so nice. She even gave us food paper boxes and forks for free. I really fell in love with the old people in this town. They are so kind.¡± Emma chattered to herself. Then, she gave the box that she had filled with pieces of Lasagne to Levi who had been staring at her in silence, ¡°I promise you¡¯d love it. It¡¯s really good.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± Levi mumbled nkly.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean? I¡¯m sharing this with you,¡± Emma answered with a confused face.


    Levi suddenly realized what he just said. He didn¡¯t know why he could be weird like this. During this time, he had never been out of control. This was really weird.


    ¡°I.. I mean. Why don¡¯t you give me a fork?¡± Levi shook his head once to regain consciousness. Luckily, he could find another reason for what he just said.


    ¡°Oh.. Haha.. Sorry, I forgot. Here you go..¡± Emma put the stic fork into the food box that didn¡¯t have a lid, ¡°Enjoy,¡±


    After Levi received the food, Emma no longer waited for a second to eat her food. She even closed her eyes to enjoy the Lasagne made by Hellen, which she said was a recipe passed down from generation to generation by her family. Rachel must be very lucky to have a grandmother who was an expert at cooking.


    Levi¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t stop staring at Emma with a frown on his face. He was still confused about what had happened. Then, he looked at the food in his hands. He didn¡¯t feel like eating the food at all.


    ¡°Food tastes better when you¡¯re hungry. If you¡¯re never hungry, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯ve never had that sensation?¡± Emma asked as she munched on her dinner.

 Chapter 115

    115 It¡¯s Not Like You!


    Levi was silent for a moment as he looked at the food again, ¡°Maybe once. I don¡¯t want to remember it again.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emma nodded. From all of Levi¡¯s stories, Emma could guess that he had an unpleasant childhood due to economic problems. It seemed that it made a bad impression on his heart, so Emma was reluctant to discuss it further. Then, she continued to avert her eyes at the food the man was holding, ¡°Why are you just staring at it? Are you afraid I¡¯ll poison you?¡±


    Levi raised his face to look at the girl, ¡°You ever nned it?¡±


    ¡°Only once,¡± She answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Levi mumbled.


    Emmaughed then briefly pointed at the food in Levi¡¯s hand, ¡°Hurry up and eat. Do I need to feed you like a big baby?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so noisy,¡± Levi replied by forking the food into his mouth. Then, he nodded slightly as he chewed. It was true that the Lasagne was tasty. But Levi¡¯s tongue was used to delicious food because.. you already know.. his mother was very good at cooking.


    ¡°By the way, Levi.. I feel you suddenly became stiff after I left you in front of the booth for a while. Did something happen?¡± Emma asked casually. Now, she was chewing a piece of berry pie.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just toozy to hear your rambling.¡± He replied coldly.


    .....


    Emma snorted, ¡°As if you¡¯re just so much fun,¡± she replied sarcastically.


    For several minutes, there was no chatter between them. The two of them were just busy with their respective meals. Usually, at times like this, Emma would y music to break the silence. But somehow she even cared about Levi, who said he didn¡¯t like the noise from music, even though it was Emma¡¯s own car.


    ¡®Huft.. This time I will give in because he has taught me to ice skating.¡¯ Emma thought to herself as she nced at the man who was eating beside her.


    Actually, if it looked closely, Levi had a beautiful face. It¡¯s just that the look on his face looked fierce. What¡¯s more, with those two long, slightly sharp eyebrows that made him look as if he was angry all the time. His two faded grey eyesy deep inside, framed by slightly drooping eyelids in his eye sockets which, in fact, looked shady. But his white pale skin.. really described as if he was a drug addict.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Levi asked realizing that the girl beside him had been staring at him like a painting in an art exhibition.


    ¡°Could you maybe.. use drugs?¡± Emma asked frontally.


    Levi looked at Emma with a straight face, then, continued eating, ¡°You think I¡¯m that stupid of destroying my own body?¡±


    Emma nodded approvingly. Despite having such a physique, with the nature and family he had, it was very likely that Levi would not be using drugs. Emma could also judge that he was the type of person who loved himself too much.


    ¡°Oh, Levi. Actually.. Since you¡¯re here with me, I just want to tell you one thing that I happen to be unable to tell people I know.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°What is good about it?¡± Emma asked confused.


    ¡°That you still think of me as a stranger. That way, we won¡¯t burden each other.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Hem.. You have the point. That way, we can share stories freely with each other.¡± Emma rubbed her chin with her finger as she nodded.


    ¡°You got what I meant. Then, what¡¯s the problem of yours?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°Hmm.. Where should I start it, huh? Ah.. Let me start it with this,¡± Emma snapped her fingers, ¡°So, I have a friend that I just met. Actually, we are not close at all. I happened to have a problem with him that made us fight. But, now the problem was solved. Now, the new problem for me is that I know a little more about that person¡¯s life. I used to think of him as a very annoying person, but now I realize that his annoying attitude actually has a reason which is.. a good thing. Now, my problem with him has over, but.. it made me feel to have a heavy hearttely. I¡¯m at a loss whether to forgive that person or not.¡± Emma exined with her face slowly bing sad.


    Levi nodded in understanding, ¡°You mean you feel guilty for hating him for the first time?¡±


    ¡°Just a little...¡± Emma symbolized it by pointing her index finger close to her thumb with a small gap between them, ¡°The wrong that person did to me was so great. It made me hate him so much.¡±


    ¡°Hmm..¡± Levi seemed to think. ¡°Actually, as humans, do we have the right to judge something as wrong or right? Even if everyone says one thing is wrong, it doesn¡¯t exactly mean it¡¯s wrong. Who are we actually, to dare to judge fellow human beings?¡±


    Emma narrowed her eyes, trying to understand what Levi was saying. Then, she muttered to herself, ¡°Something wrong isn¡¯t exactly wrong, and something right isn¡¯t exactly right.¡±


    Levi nodded. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if Emma¡¯s story this time also bothered him, ¡°Actually, Emma. Some people make mistakes but don¡¯t realize it. That¡¯s because they are doing what they think is right that closes their eyes to ended up doing it. Just like cancer treatment. You¡¯re doing the therapy that has pretty bad side effects for your body under the reason of curing the cancer. You know that, but do it anyway to get better.¡±


    Emma thought to herself, ¡°Actually.. there¡¯s still a lot that I¡¯m confused about in this world. Feelings that I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I could guess it. You said you were a bird that just got out of the golden cage that had locked you in.¡± Levi said, ¡°Then, do you feel guilty now for that person?¡± he chuckled to himself.


    Emma looked at him sarcastically, before finally letting out a tired sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I should be feeling. I¡¯m even figuring out what my heart is saying. Isn¡¯t it so weird that I burden myself around with other people¡¯s lives?¡±


    ¡°It is weird. But it¡¯s quite special because, in this world, it¡¯s very rare for people to be willing to bother just thinking about other people¡¯s lives. It looks like your life is veryfortable to allow you to do that, huh?¡± Leviughed.


    ¡°If it¡¯s all true, I definitely won¡¯tin as much as now. You don¡¯t know the problems I face are so many.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t simply measure the problem you¡¯re having. You don¡¯t know how big the problems a lot of people have out there.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Emma rubbed her own face. ¡°You always make me feel wrong.¡±


    ¡°You just have a lot to learn. It¡¯s a good thing tho that you¡¯re willing to think.¡± Levi replied with an amused face, ¡°Does my opinion enough to cure the feeling that¡¯s bothering you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Pretty good. I¡¯m happy to have a new perception.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°A person¡¯s mindset is influenced by two things. Insight and environment.¡± Levi exined by holding up his two fingers while counting them one by one, ¡°You have livedfortably since childhood and you have never seen anyone living in hardship. Therefore, the cruelty of the outside world will certainly surprise you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s what happened to me. I was... shocked.¡± Emma muttered as she nodded.


    Suddenly, Levi¡¯s phone rang. He quickly took the ck thing out of his coat pocket and picked up the phone before ncing at Emma once. It seemed that the girl was still contemting her feelings.


    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s wrong? Ok, just run it. I don¡¯t want any dys.¡± He said to the person on the other line. Then, he hung it and put it back in his pocket, ¡°I have to go. It¡¯s getting veryte.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like work. Is your office still calling at this hour?¡± Emma snorted in surprise.


    Levi shrugged his shoulders, ¡°I guess I¡¯m quite important to them.¡±


    ¡°What a snob,¡± Emma hissed.


    Levi chuckled then opened the car door handle, ¡°Thanks for the food. It was delicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told ya..¡± Emma replied with a big smile.


    Then, before the man pushed the car door wide open, Emma cleared her throat, ¡°Levi,¡±


    The man stopped his movement and turned to Emma who was looking at him meaningfully.


    ¡°I think I know the most appropriate nickname for our rtionship.¡± She said.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Levi gave a questioning expression.


    ¡°Cyberspace.¡± Emma smiled widely.


    ¡°It means?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s just say we are two strangers who use anonymous ounts. That way, we are free to share our thoughts and problems, because we don¡¯t really know each other in the real world. As you said, we won¡¯t be a burden to each other. ¡±


    Levi nodded with a thoughtful face, ¡°That¡¯s good too. Goodbye, then.¡±


    ¡°So...¡± Emma made Levi stop his movements again, ¡°Does that mean we can still meet and share ideas again?¡± she continued in a low voice that sounded reluctant.


    Levi thought for a moment then nodded slightly, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Emma smiled, ¡°Thanks for your input. Safe driving,¡±


    Levi couldn¡¯t help but smile back. Then, he closed Emma¡¯s car door and walked to his car which was parked a few meters in front of Emma¡¯s.


    ¡°Thanks for giving me an excuse to ice skating again.¡± He mumbled to himself, then took a deep breath, ¡°Hah.. It¡¯s been a long time, huh? My legs got stiff just now.¡±


    Then, he nced at the red car that finally drove past him.


    ¡®It¡¯ste at night. Will she be all right?¡¯ He thought to himself. Then, his eyebrows slowly frowned sharply because he just realized something wasn¡¯t right. Levi immediately shook his head quickly to regain his senses.


    ¡°What are you thinking about other people for? It¡¯s not like you, you bastard!¡± He mumbled to himself. Then, he opened the car door and sat behind the wheel.


    While starting the car¡¯s engine, Levi reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a box of cigarettes and a gas lighter from inside. But something else startled him. He realized that his cigarette box was still quite full, only two pieces less. He remembered that the two pieces were the one he used when he got out of the car and the other one was when he had just met Emma. After that.. he didn¡¯t even remember or even just felt like smoking.


    ¡°What is this?¡± He muttered. ¡°Wait a minute..¡± suddenly, the thought of the moment when he and Emma were talking in her car crossed his mind, ¡°Did I.. did I mention her name?¡±

 Chapter 116

    116 Injustice


    A man with smooth skin was eating beef soup in a stall that was quite crowded with visitors. Before the soup was finished, a middle-aged woman approached him with a te of butter-fried chicken wings, french fries, and a ss of Sake.


    ¡°Oh.. I didn¡¯t order this..¡±


    The woman with the head that was already covered with a fair amount of grey hair immediately shook her palm, ¡°It¡¯s free, Boss. Please ept it.¡±


    ¡°Gosh.. Auntie, you don¡¯t have to be like this..¡± Marcel looked uneasy.


    The woman shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I made it with pleasure. I have a lot of customers today. It¡¯s all thanks to you, Boss Marcel.¡±


    ¡°I told you, don¡¯t call me Boss.¡± Marcel scratched the back of his non-itchy head. But, no matter how much he wanted to say it, it seemed that these people never wanted to hear and kept calling him by that name.


    ¡°I¡¯ve paid Yossi a weekly deposit,¡± Said the woman as she lifted the empty bowl from the table.


    ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am. If you¡¯re having a hard time, don¡¯t let my employees pressure you. Just tell me if someone¡¯s causing trouble.¡± He said.


    ¡°Oh.. Instead of being pushy, they¡¯re really nice to me. Just like the boss.¡± She winked, ¡°Remember. It¡¯s free. Don¡¯t leave cash on the table again. Excuse me,¡± she continued before leaving.


    .....


    Marcel couldn¡¯t help but smile weakly as he sighed softly. His eyes looked at the pile of food on the table, ¡°Looks like I have to pack some more food for the boys.¡±


    After finishing dinner, Marcel got into the car which immediately drove to his headquarters. A man in a ponytail drove the car for him.


    ¡°Had the boys at headquarters have dinner?¡± Marcel asked Kenny.


    ¡°Meals have been distributed ording to schedule. If you mean Damian and the others, I have a report that they have returned from Bluevalley.¡± The man with an expressionless face answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. They are the humans who are always hungry.¡± Marcel muttered in relief. He didn¡¯t like wasting food.


    Arge building that used to be a movie theatre had been transformed into the headquarters of a gangster group named Red Jack Commander, ormonly known as RJC. The building was very nice and well maintained. Maybe, the locals would think it¡¯s a private hotel or something. To be sure, no one could get in it except the men who always wear neat ck clothes.


    The ck car that Marcel upied entered the basement of the building. When the man came out of it, he saw several members lined up and saluting him.


    Marcel¡¯s loafers echoed against the marble floor of the building as he walked. Even the pattern of his shoes tapping as he walked was already memorized by the members, so that they would be ready to salute as soon as the man who had the appearance of a model passed by.


    The round-shaped building had five floors. The room, or more urately referred to as the house belonging to the leader of RJC, was on the fifth floor. It was a suite almost as luxurious as one in a five-star hotel.


    Kenny opened the door to a room that was almost the size of a fifth floor. Marcel casually stepped inside. As soon as he entered the door, he was faced with a living room that had a masculine interior dominated by ck and red colours. In the ck leather sofa located in the middle of the living room, Damian, Renu, and Vico were seen.


    RJC had three levels of members. The first was the chairman, Marcel Dous. The second was the Major, namely Kenny Brown. Then, the third was Soldiers which were Vico Hustle, Damian Jamin, and Renu Khan.


    Although Marcel was quite strict with the rest of his group¡¯s members, to the four of them, he was rxed like a brother. They could even enter his house freely as long as they didn¡¯t touch his private room.


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Boss?¡± Damian greeted in his usual loud voice. It looked like the three of them were ying cards with peanut shells all over the table.


    Marcel ced two stic bags of food on the granite table, ¡°ying cards again?¡±


    Damian nodded as he directly checked the contents of the stic bag. Instantly, a fragrant aroma burst out, ¡°Nice! Fried chicken! Thank you, Boss!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Marcel replied by taking off his coat and hanging it on the hanger near the door.


    Marcel joined Kenny who had sat down first. He didn¡¯t forget to grab a can of cold beer on the table, opened it, and took a big gulp, ¡°Why are you guys ying cards so muchtely?¡± he asked by picking up a peanut shell in front of Vico.


    ¡°Ah.. It¡¯s my money!¡± Vico eximed directly.


    ¡°Money?¡± Marcel put on a confused face while watching the peanut shell he was still holding.


    ¡°We use peanuts instead of money,¡± Damian said with a wide grin before quickly devouring the fried chicken that was already in his hands.


    Marcel let out a tired sigh, then, lightly tossed the peanut shell back on the table, ¡°It¡¯s the same as gambling. Even if you rece them with peanut shells, it¡¯s a start that ends in your desire to use real money.¡± he shook his head slowly.


    ¡°Is it? This was Vico¡¯s idea.¡± Damian replied.


    ¡°Rx, Boss. We will never get out of hand. Isn¡¯t it right, Renu?¡± Damian continued by embracing the thick eyebrows man who was sitting next to him.


    ¡°I thought you never wanted to y their stupid game?¡± Marcel asked Renu.


    ¡°They forced me,¡± Renu answered tly.


    ¡°Oh.. There are a veggie soup and French fries in the other stic. You can eat them.¡± Marcel remembered. It was because Renu didn¡¯t like to eat too much meat. He preferred to eat veggies to maintain his body health.


    ¡°This is great! Thank you,¡± It was Damian who was busy opening the other pouch.


    Marcel could only shake his head at the red-haired boy¡¯s behaviour. Maybe, because he was the youngest, his behaviour became childish.


    Finally Marcel got up from his seat, then, walked inside leaving the group of men behind. He stepped into his spacious room with arge window overlooking the white snow-covered streets of Handway City. The moon was shining quite brightly because it was not snowed all day.


    To be honest, he never liked winter. The snow that fell, piled up, making everything look pure white, seemed to frighten him. The memories that carved the wound in his chest seemed to never heal forever.


    He walked over to a big bed. Therge bed only amodated a lonely man. He sat on the side, then, his hand reached for a photo frame perched on the night table. Photo of a smiling family. Even so, that smile looked pathetic. But at least, there was some warmth in it.


    Marcel would never forget what he once had. All that disappeared and could not be returned. All that came and must be defended. All the memories that left scars that made him the Marcel Dous he was today.


    ¡°Jack.. Can you see me from up there? I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t be as brave as you. Sorry I can¡¯t be as strong as you.¡± He muttered while looking at the figure of the light brown-haired boy who wasughing widely in the photo. ¡°If grandma leaves in the end, doesn¡¯t that mean that I¡¯m the only living human in this photo?¡± he smiled faintly.


    After finishing his bath, Marcel came out of his room again into the living room. The room looked neat and quiet. The boys had gone. There was only a big man with shoulder-length hair who always seemed to be in a ponytail wherever he went.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Marcel sat on the sofa. From Kenny¡¯s face, he could tell that the man was about to pass along information that seemed quite important.


    ¡°They¡¯ve doubled the rate,¡± Kenny said.


    ¡°What?¡± Marcel¡¯s brows furrowed.


    Kenny nodded once, ¡°They said, since Hell Gate fell, they had to raise rates to cover costs...¡±


    ¡°F*ck with the costs! I know Hell Gate has fallen and I know things are getting a bit chaotic. But if they doubled it, that¡¯s uneptable!¡± Marcel¡¯s voice rose.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m also sure that RJC wasn¡¯t the only one who objected. But they didn¡¯t receive any protest. If anyone resisted, they would be done. That¡¯s what they said.¡± Kenny exined with his head down. To be honest, he felt ashamed of himself for not being strong enough to face those people. Everyone had tried, but they all failed and almost lost their lives.


    Marcel rubbed the bridge of his nose, ¡°If things are like this, it is certain that various groups will start a war to expand their territory to increase their ie. We can¡¯t stay calm. Speed ??up the members¡¯ recruitment and double it.¡± he ordered.


    Kenny nodded, ¡°Understood, Boss. Then, I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± He said by standing up.


    ¡°Oh.. Kenny. Please also make new rules for all members. Every morning, they must practice self-defence without exception. No one should bezy. Tighten the guarding of our territories. The mistake Hell Gate made was it let its guard too down so it could be easily attacked. That can¡¯t happen to RJC.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Kenny answered, then, bowed respectfully before exiting the room door.

 Chapter 117

    117 Be Seen


    As soon as Kenny walked out of the leader¡¯s room-house, the silence seemed to instantly engulf the entire room. A gloomy aura burst out from the body of the man sitting on the ck sofa.


    Marcel closed his eyes tightly with his head leaning back. His hands rubbed his face roughly. What¡¯s this problem again?


    ***


    In thest two days, the 37.1AM radio channel had suddenly be active. The news about street crimes was suddenly creeping up swiftly and continuously ying.


    With a wireless earphone plugged into her right ear, Emma hid in the shadows of a dark alley. She moved her fingers that felt like they were going to freeze because of the cold air. Every now and then, she blew her own hand to give warm air from inside her mouth.


    She saw six men with ck knitted hats wrapped their heads standing in front of a closed shop. It was a quiet street that led to an elite housing residence.


    Finally, after almost half an hour of waiting, two young men were seen walking across the street. But, when they realized there was a group of men standing in front of a small shop, they immediately stopped their steps because they knew it was a dangerous scene. Even so, they were already toote because the thugs had already seen them.


    Quickly, the six men chased the two poor innocent men. Even though they had run as fast as they could, the two of them lost speed with the feet that were used to running fast. In an instant, they were caught on the deserted street.


    The two of them knelt by the side of the street with the six men surrounding them. With a single threat, the two men were forced to take out all their valuable goods and ce them on the cold asphalt in fear.


    .....


    ¡°Is this all you have?!¡± Asked one of the thugs.


    The two men nodded quickly. They also did not expect that suddenly the thugs that liked to extort people woulde on the normally safe street they usually pass to go home.


    ¡°Let them go.¡± Suddenly, a robot-like voice made them all turn their heads. Slowly, a man in ck clothes and a ck helmet emerged from inside the shadow of another closed shop.


    ¡°T-that..¡± One of the thugs muttered. Of course, the rumours about the man in the ck helmet had already spread all over the city. It was the figure named ck who had a small body but was said to be actually a deadly monster.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to count to three. If you don¡¯t leave those two and their belongings behind, I¡¯ll make you thugs unable to walk anymore.¡± Emma threatened.


    Even though they know that it was the helmeted hero who had recently be the hot news among gangsters, they would not leave without fighting back. If they did, they would be killed by their boss.


    ¡°ATTACK!!¡± eximed one of the men, who seemed to be the leader of the small group.


    But of course, with great ease, Emma could defeat them all in no time. Finally, the six meny on the asphalt. And as promised, Emma broke one of the six men¡¯s legs. She was a serious woman with her words.


    ¡°What group are you guys from?¡± Emma asked, ncing at the logo on one of the men¡¯s jackets. She used her legs to turn the man to see his back, ¡°Hmm... Old Skull? What¡¯s that stupid name? Look. Tell your boss this. If he ever does this again, I¡¯ll crush Old Skull to the ground.¡±


    Then, Emma turned to the two weak men who were still sitting dumbfounded, ¡°Take your things and leave immediately. Be careful from now on. You don¡¯t know things are wildtely.¡± She said.


    The two men immediately nodded and ran with the goods that they had previously collected back while the ck helmet was fighting the hoodlums.


    ¡°Ugh.. This is getting out of hand! Why could they suddenly appear like this just like a disease?¡± Emma mumbled as she massaged her own back after two days of fighting dozens of times. Even more troublesome, she sensed that the thugs she¡¯d been dealing with recently had fairly good martial skills and were well-trained. It seemed that it had something to do with the topic that Emma had previously heard from Calvin and Jita Kyoei¡¯s discussion.


    ¡°It seems that Hell Gate has a great influence on the dark world of Handway City. Since their destruction, the crime has suddenly increased.¡± Emma muttered as she walked towards where her motorbike was parked. She was also very confused. Even though right after the Hell Gate had fell things seemed to have calmed down for a few days, it turned out to be a rainbow before the bigger storm.


    That day, it was already eleven in the evening. Emma decided to return to her house. She didn¡¯t think she would spend her winter break like this. Hunting down criminals like a hero. In fact, during her life, Emma had never admired a hero. ording to her, people who harm themselves to help others were actually stupid people. However, it turned out that she was now the idiot. That was what was called the power of the human heart.


    On her way, Emma suddenly saw an old man who had bounced out of a narrow alley. Then, he seemed to be trying to get back on his feet with difficulty before getting back into the mouth of the alley. But, he bounced back hard again, as if someone had thrown him out of there.


    Seeing that, Emma immediately put her motorbike aside and ran towards it to see what was going on. The condition of the street was quite dark because it seemed that the main streetmp near the alley, which was the gap between the two shop buildings, was broken. The street waspletely empty and gloomy.


    ¡°Hey! What the hell...¡± Emma stopped when she saw a girl being held captive by three men. Around her were ten five other menughing at an old man who seemed to be trying to stop them.


    The thing that Emma hated the most in this world was seeing women abused. She did not know whether the woman who was being held captive would be harassed or not. But of course, she knew who the viin was.


    Without any more thinking, Emma quickly ran and attacked the three men who were holding the poor girl. Although her vision was a bit impaired due to the dark streets and her ck helmet visor, Emma was able to get her fists and kicks right in the faces of the three men. In her action, she had been afraid that she would identally hurt the woman who was among them. Fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen.


    Something was quite surprising Emma. When the girl who was being held was finally freed from the clutches of the thugs, she immediately beat up one of the men who were moving to attack them. It turned out that the girl was quite adept at fighting!


    The old man, who had been knocked down several times, was no longer able to fight back. He saw that his granddaughter was freed and now there was a man helping them, or... so it seemed. But, he dared to bet that the man who suddenly appeared like a ninja was really a good person.


    In the narrow, dark alley, Emma fought more than five other men. The steam from the sewers made her vision even worse. But Emma was helped by the woman who had been held by the hoodlums. Therefore, she only needed a fairly short time to finish off the thugs.


    After throwing a high kick in the face of thest man who had thergest body, Emma finally closes the fight with a happy ending. She immediately approached the woman who was tiredly silent while leaning against the damp alley wall, ¡°Are you all right?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The woman answered breathlessly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this narrow alley first,¡± Emma said as she walked towards the entrance of the alley.


    ¡°Ah..¡± Emma stepped faster when she realized that the old man was sitting weakly near the mouth of the alley. She immediately approached him and crouched in front of him, ¡°Are you all right, Sir?¡± she asked.


    The man who had only looked down weakly, lifted his face when he realized someone was in front of him.


    And, Emma jumped in surprise when she realized that it was the face of a man she knew.


    Emma¡¯s eyes moved quickly turned to the side at the woman who should have been walking behind her. Sure enough, the woman was a girl Emma knew. The girl was already standing stiffly a few steps away from her with a surprised face. Maybe they both had the same expression on their faces.


    Rachel Markway.


    Emma¡¯s body suddenly stiffened. Her tongue went numb. So, the people she was helping earlier were Rachel and her grandfather?


    ¡°Y.. you.. Are you..¡± Rachel muttered, pointing at the helmeted figure.


    Emma¡¯s breath suddenly felt heavy. She stood up quickly and stepped back away from Rachel who was staring at her suspiciously. Emma shook her head as she continued to step back.


    ¡°No!¡± She muttered before running away towards her motorbike which was parked on the side of the road.


    Rachel looked at the motorbike that was driving away at full speed with a face that was still very confused. But, she immediately shook off all these thoughts because for now, the most important thing was to help her grandfather first.


    ***


    ¡°Shit! Dammit! What should I do?!¡± Emma muttered as soon as she entered the house and took off her ck helmet. She held her aching head with both hands, ¡°How that could happen?!¡±


    ¡°That.. was Rachel.. She.. recognized me,¡± Emma muttered again by throwing her body to sit on the sofa roughly.


    The thing Emma feared the most had finally happened. Her identity had been exposed. In the end, there was someone who knew her identity as a helmeted hero who had been secretly wandering Handway City.

 Chapter 118

    118 A Sad Snow


    Of course, Rachel would recognize Emma. It¡¯s not that she never heard from her grandparents about Emma who crashed her motorbike due to her grandfather crossing the road carelessly. It was impossible for the man to not tell about Emma who was dressed as a man with a ck helmet riding a motorbike. That¡¯s what caused Rachel to clearly guess that the small figure in ck clothes resembling a man who had helped her was Emma Hind.


    ¡°Ughh... How would I face Rachel on campus? What should I exin to her?¡± Emma groaned with a frustrated face.


    ***


    A table was littered with scattered papers, beer bottles, and snacks. Outside the table, various items were scattered on the floor. T-shirts, cell phones, pillows, cigarette cases, socks, and others.


    Yes, it really described a room filled with men. And the men were from Jita Kyoei¡¯s group and a neer named Calvin Lee. Despite being in the chaos, the men seemedpletely unaffected and focused on discussing their problems seriously.


    ¡°I just received the report today. Just like a squirrel btedly realizing winter ising, they recruit all the studio students in a rush as if there was no tomorrow. I heard, it¡¯s not even the best studio students are being their targets. Now, the new students are being taken out too.¡± Nicko exined, looking a bit ufortable with the condition of the table, which looked like a crashed ne. Apparently, he was the only one with a bit of a clean lover soul in the room.


    ¡°Not only that. The rate of thugs that have urred on the street has also suddenly increased in the past few days. Radio 37.1AM never even stops broadcasting the news.¡± Calvin added.


    ¡°What really happened?¡± Troy put his hands together and rested his chin on them. His face looked very confused. Even though Hell Gate had fallen, and since then, the crime had drastically reduced, somehow things get even worse than they used to now.


    ¡°Do you know what group has recruited the most studio students?¡± Ian asked in his rxed manner. Everyone turned to the man with curious faces. He smiled faintly, ¡°That¡¯s RJC.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Marcel Dous,¡± Troy muttered. ¡°What exactly is he nning?¡± he continued.


    ¡°While we thought RJC wouldn¡¯t do any harm, it looks like we can start worrying now. Remember my mistake in thinking that Hell Gate¡¯s business was just an illegal ship engine transaction? That was all a bunch of gimmicks. I¡¯m not sure if RJC only runs that one lenient looking business.¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Calvin is right. We can¡¯t procrastinate any longer. Big trouble is at hand.¡± Ian nodded.


    ¡°So far, I¡¯ve been spying on the strength levels of the RJC members. If I judged, their members are stronger than Hell Gate. They¡¯ve always managed to protect their territory. They are so strong that over the past few years, there hasn¡¯t been an opposing group that dares to touch them.¡± Frank exined.


    ¡°If they¡¯re as strong as you say, it would be a problem for us to attack it during this winter break. Our group is currentlyck of men.¡± Troy replied.


    That¡¯s right. Jita Kyoei¡¯ men are mostly on holiday with their respective families. Even the room had felt quite calm since there was no Martin who was always the cause of themotion. Even though he liked to be crazy and acted stupid, Martin was among the top three strongest in the Jita Kyoei core team.


    ¡°Are we that weak?¡± Calvin asked annoyed.


    Nicko cleared his throat by holding the shoulder of Calvin who was sitting beside him, ¡°This is not just a matter of being strong or weak. But everything needs a strategy. We can¡¯t just move with minimal knowledge of the opponents we will face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised at you. Even though you¡¯ve fought a lot, you still don¡¯t understand this.¡± Ian shook his head.


    ¡°Tsk..¡± Calvin rubbed the trunk of his neck, ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve always been attacking head-on rather than thinking of a time-consuming strategy.¡± he said as reyed his life experiences in his mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wonder why you get trapped and beaten so badly by those thugs,¡± Troy said with a chuckle.


    ¡°But I also knocked down them all,¡± Calvin replied with a slightly embarrassed face mixed with pride.


    Ian looked at Calvin with disgust, then, he leaned forward, ¡°It¡¯s different with Jita Kyoei. We always move with calction. So, get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Never mind.. Then, what should we do?¡± Troy intervened between the two men.


    ¡°Hmm.. I¡¯m thinking of spying on RJC. We have to find out first what caused them to suddenly attract studio students. While looking into it, we could also look for how many actually their hidden members. As far as I know, RJC has about two hundred members. But we can¡¯t rely on that invalid data.¡±


    ¡°Then, who will be the spy?¡± Troy asked.


    As expected, the first person to raise their hand was Calvin Lee. He did have that much spirit and tends to have a rather hasty nature in solving a problem.


    ¡°We need at least two people for this mission,¡± Nicko added.


    Then, they all looked at each other. As Ian said earlier, Jita Kyoei was indeed full of considerations.


    ¡°Should I..¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Ian, Frank, and Nicko quickly cut off Troy¡¯s words. Of course, the big man wouldn¡¯t meet any of the criteria for being a spy. He was a reckless man with an explosive temper. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from mming people when he was angry. All ns may fail immediately at the first step.


    Ian took a deep breath, ¡°Looks like I have to be me,¡± he saidzily.


    ¡°Are you sure? With Calvin Lee? You both?¡± Troy gave an exaggerated doubtful look.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been thinking that, indeed, the most suitable person for the task is Ian. However... the two of you were neverpatible.¡± Frank thought by looking alternately at Calvin and Ian with his arms folded across his chest.


    Calvin cleared his throat as he moved ufortably, ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. I¡¯m not fighting him on purpose either.¡±


    Ian looked at Calvin tly, ¡°As long as you can make sure to keep your attitude and don¡¯t be rash, I¡¯m fine too.¡±


    ¡°All right. So it¡¯s clear, right? Frank and I will set things up then,¡± Nicko eximed, getting nods from Ian and Calvin.


    ***


    A pair of eyes opened when the rm clock sounded. Actually, Emma had been awake for about an hour before the rm sounded at six in the morning. But the girl was reluctant to get out of bed. She felt reluctant to set foot in a world full of problems. She felt safer in her warm nket embrace.


    ¡°This is not you, Emma..¡± She muttered. Then, sat up reluctantly. She rubbed her face in frustration as she sighed again. ¡°You.. can deal with it, right?¡±


    That morning, the sun¡¯s rays were covered by snow falling from the sky. For the first time, Emma felt reluctant to do her usual activities. She refused to cook, practice ballet, or martial arts. It felt like she just wanted to escape from reality.


    Even though it was snowing heavily, Emma decided to go out early in the morning in a thick coat and knitted scarf that rolled around her neck with the remnants hanging down to her calves. With thoughts wandering, Emma stood alone at the bus stop. Not long after, a big blue bus arrived. Then, Emma went inside.


    The bus looked almost empty of passengers. In total with Emma, ??only three passenger seats were upied. It was because they were on holiday and it was snowing quite heavily that many people were reluctant to go out on such a freezing cold morning.


    Emma got off the bus stop that was as empty as the previous one. Her shoes made imprints on the snow she stepped on. She walked slowly until she came to a road that looked white with snow that had been raining down since the night. From a distance, she could see arge yellow bridge that stretches out in the sky.


    Emma approached the guardrail and looked down at the small river where the water was frozen and covered in snow. There was no one there at all. Not only because it was still very early, but also because the ice skating booth was no longer operating, due to the weather being too unfriendly.


    With weak steps, Emma walked the concrete steps down the river. White as far as the eyes could see. As usual, when Emma went to that ce, she would sit on a wooden park bench not far from the stairs. The bench was covered in thick snow which looked difficult to clean. This made Emma choose to sit on a bed of snow with her back leaned on the wooden bench.


    Because her mind was muddled, Emma forgot to put on her hat so snow could be seen piling up on top of her head. But she didn¡¯t care about any of that. She didn¡¯t care if her head would get bald like what people usually said. All she wanted was to get rid of the sorrow in her heart.


    Emma looked up at the sky that kept dropping white grains. Even though it wasn¡¯t as heavy as before, its presence still seemed to pierce Emma¡¯s heart. She never liked snow. Everyone she loved left when the snow came. The cold air that blew made her whole body shiver cold. It seemed to freeze her heart which always felt cold inside.

 Chapter 119

    119 The Fate


    Emma was not a girl with no feelings. But she was a girl who hid her feelings. All this time, it was not that Emma didn¡¯t miss her mother who was always understand and apanied her whenever she got into trouble. She just pretended that she was able to move forward from the good memories of her mother. But when serious problems approached her, it would be the time for Emma to stared missing the person who was usually by her side to give her a warm hug.


    ¡°Mom.. If you were still living, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen this path. If you were still by my side, I would have a real family, like the others.¡± She mumbled before burying her face in the knees she was hugging.


    ¡°I miss you, Mom. I don¡¯t know what to do. What should I do?¡± Emma muttered to herself as her body shivered from the cold inside and outside she was feeling.


    She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. Emma was just making up her mind, allowing the side of herself that she had always kept tightly closed to open and take a breath of the outside, just for a moment.


    Suddenly, she felt something heavy pressed against her head. Then, she raised her hand above her head and held a fairlyrge lump of snow perched on it. Slowly, she raised her face as she took it. It was cone-shaped snow that looked like a birthday hat. Emma immediately turned to the side, to find a pair of shiny brown loafers standing next to her.


    ¡°Y-you?¡± Emma stammered when she saw the face of a male figure was looking at her with a confused look. Emma woke up and hastily wiped the tears that were running down her face.


    Levi sighed softly and then smiled lopsidedly, ¡°Even though I purposely came early in the morning to be alone here, still, I met you in the end.¡± He said, sitting down next to Emma.


    Emma turned her face the other way. She felt very embarrassed because Levi was caught her crying. No one should ever see her weak side. She tried to catch her breath and continued to clean her face which must have looked puffy.


    ¡°It seems this ce is indeed suitable for calming the mind. I guess I¡¯m the only one who thinks so.¡± Levi muttered with a nce at Emma for a moment. The girl kept her back to him. Levi understood that a girl with a high ego like Emma would not like it when people saw her in such a state.


    .....


    ¡°Letting go of some tears doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re weak. Even a newborn should cry as a sign that it¡¯s healthy.¡± Levi mumbled again.


    Hearing what Levi said, Emma then turned to him for a moment. Then, she returned her gaze to the front by asionally brushing the snow off her head.


    ¡°No need to return this. I don¡¯t want to use second-hand stuff,¡± Levi handed a handkerchief to the girl beside him who sounded busy pulling her snot.


    Emma took the blue handkerchief and used it to wipe her nose and tears.


    The two people who met again by chance didn¡¯t talk to each other anymore. It seemed Levi was trying to respect Emma who was gloomy. Levi also came to that ce because he had a problem with his mind. Without realizing it, it seemed that their original agreement at that time had be amon thread that kept the two of them together.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Emma asked after a long time they both sat in silence, enjoying each other¡¯s atmosphere.


    ¡°I guess, it was the same as yours,¡± Levi answered. ¡°Cool air. Pure white scenery.. Is the best medicine for a troubled mind, right?¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t like snow, actually. But somehow.. this ce feelsfortable. For some reason, I instinctively came here instead.¡±


    Levi smiled faintly, ¡°Could it be that we are looking for something in this ce?¡± he muttered to himself.


    ¡°Do you alwayse here?¡± Emma asked, turning to him.


    Levi nodded, ¡°This is a ce.. where I see my other side. A ce where I can think about myself only.¡±


    Emma nodded in understanding. Then, looked back at the front, ¡°Sorry, I have to cry in front of you. I thought.. I won¡¯t find anyone here.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should be the one who apologizes for seeing a side of you that you don¡¯t want to show other people.¡±


    Emma immediately turned to the man with a surprised face.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s not hard to see what kind of person you are.¡± Levi also looked at Emma. Then, his expression softened, ¡°Maybe I understand because I¡¯m like that too.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯re right,¡± Emma looked down, ¡°Why do we have to live like this? Trying to look strong. Putting the ego first.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, the thing we think is the thing we want is actually the thing we hate. But in the end, we manage to fool ourselves.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°What¡¯s bothering you, Levi? Why did youe here?¡± Emma asked tly. Maybe, if she heard the stories about other people¡¯s problems would make her mind realize that she was not the only one who was suffering, so that the problem she was facing would feel lighter. That way, she would feel that the world had treated her fairly.


    Levi took a deep breath. In fact, he wasn¡¯t the type of person who would share his problems with other people. But somehow with this girl named Emma, ??he couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth.


    Every time he told Emma a little about his problems, it was as if the weight that was piling on his shoulders could be reduced by half. Perhaps, it was due to the feeling of security between them. The fact that the two of them were strangers who didn¡¯t know each other¡¯s life at all, made the two of them never worry about being judged.


    ¡°This is a problem at work. I made a mistake that hurt some people. Even so.. I still have to pretend that it wasn¡¯t a mistake, so that other people don¡¯t think it was wrong. With the privilege I have, I insisted to say that I was right, so that everyone would say the same.¡±


    Emma looked at Levi with a straight face, ¡°That was a very selfish thing to do.¡±


    Levi nodded, ¡°I know. It¡¯s something I have to do. Even though my heart hurt, I have to keep smiling. Therefore, don¡¯t think that you are alone in hiding your feelings in this world.¡± he smiled at the girl beside him.


    Emma, ??who was still showing a gloomy face, finally smiled too. She knew the annoying Levi wasforting her.


    When someone who used to make you angry, now made you smile, the feeling of happiness that was generated seems to be doubled. It was true what Emma had expected. Levi was a good man.


    ¡°Thanks, Levi. Now I don¡¯t feel alone anymore.¡± Emma replied. She knew it must be hard for him to admit his weakness in front of Emma. But he still did it anyway just to cheer her up.


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s bothering you?¡± Levi asked, looking at Emma.


    ¡°Hmm..¡± She looked up at the sky which was getting brighter. Unknowingly, the snow had stopped falling. ¡°I have a secret that I¡¯ve been keeping very tight. However, in order to do what I think is right, in the end, someone knew my secret. Maybe after this, people would see me in a different way. I feel helpless and scared.¡± Emma exined. Slowly, her tears fell again, which she quickly wiped away. ¡°At this time, I miss myte mother. That¡¯s what makes me unable to hold back tears. The sadder I get, the angrier and disappointed I am at my weak self.¡± she continued.


    ¡°Fear, helplessness, and sadness are really annoying. But it¡¯s a natural feeling that every human being has. I could get through it. But I don¡¯t know what about you.¡± Levi smiled mischievously.


    Emma immediately put on an annoyed face, ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t?¡± she challenged.


    Levi immediately chuckled. With a seemingly heavy burden, Emma was still a young woman with an unstable ego. Levi was happy that Emma¡¯s reaction was what he expected.


    ¡°Then prove it,¡± He said.


    ¡°You¡¯re just one point ahead of me, Levi. It¡¯s best not to feel so superior.¡± Emma bent her face.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Levi¡¯s face turned confused. He looked at Emma questioningly.


    ¡°Well.. Despite having burdens, you still have your mother and brother by your side. You are lucky because your family is by your side and supports you. I think.. a mother¡¯s love is what a child needs most. Someone who risked her life to give birth to you and take care of you until you grow up. They are a symbol of true love.¡± Emma said.


    Emma¡¯s exnation made Levi pause for a moment before he finally nodded, ¡°You seem to be very close to your mom to even think like that.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Unlike you and your brother who are very indifferent. If my mom were still alive, I certainly wouldn¡¯t ignore her for a second. Unfortunately, fate said otherwise..¡± Emma replied sadly.


    ¡°It¡¯s what fate does. It¡¯s you who think only the beautiful side of it.¡± Leviughed as he stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡±


    Emma frowned, ¡°Let¡¯s go where?¡± she also stood up from the pile of snow.


    ¡°We¡¯re eating. Your stomach¡¯s been making a lot of noise.¡± Levi answered without stopping his steps.


    ¡®Oh.. I just realized that I¡¯m hungry because I haven¡¯t had breakfast before I¡¯ve gone here. Very embarrassing!¡¯ Emma said in her heart.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bring a car, did you?¡± Levi asked by pressing his car key to make the blue car beep with the lights shing a few times.


    Emma nodded, then got into the front passenger seat at Levi¡¯s signal for her toe in before opening the driver¡¯s door himself.


    ¡°Where are we going to eat?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Hmm..¡± Levi rubbed his chin with a finger, then looked at Emma, ¡°You decide,¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Emma pointed at her own face.


    Levi nodded, ¡°I just remembered that I had rarely eaten outside.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Emma asked, getting a casual nod from Levi.


    ¡°Um.. Actually, I know a ce that serves quite good seafood menu. But it¡¯s a bit far from here. Do you know Redvalley street?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Redvalley?¡± Levi repeated with a pause for a few seconds. Then he nodded, ¡°Of course, I know. Let¡¯s go there.¡±

 Chapter 120

    120 Introduce Me


    A blue car arrived in front of a small, rather shabby looking tavern. Emma opened the door of the tavern with a tall man standing behind her tucking his hands in the pockets of hisrge coat.


    ¡°Excuse me.. Are you open?¡± Emma asked by poking her head into the no-customers tavern, ¡°Excuse me...¡± Emma called again.


    ¡°Yess...¡± An old woman¡¯s voice answered from inside. Before long, the woman stepped quickly out of the kitchen to greet her first customer, ¡°Oh, Dear, forgive me to keep you waiting. Pleasee..¡± she stopped when she saw the face of the girl who was perched on the door. ¡°I think.. I know you?¡± she continued with a thoughtful face.


    Emma smiled and nodded, ¡°We met at the clothing store that time. I was with my two girlfriends, one of whom identally hit you over.¡±


    ¡°Oh, My.. Yes.. Yes.. I remember now. Pleasee in.. It¡¯s cold outside.¡± She immediately set a table, ¡°We just opened, so it¡¯s still a bit of a mess.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯m the one whoes too early.¡± Emma answered by helping the woman down the chair from the table for herself and Levi to sit down. Levi just stood there, screening around the room. That man was useless.


    ¡°Please have a seat. Are you going to order yet?¡± The woman asked. She was Lilian Dous. The grandmother of Marcel Dous a.k.a PB.


    Emma handed the menu book to Levi, ¡°You can have a look at the menu.¡± She said quickly before turning back to Lilian who was still standing beside their table.


    Emma immediately pulled another chair toe closer to her, ¡°Please have a seat, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Ah.. Thank you,¡± Lillian sat down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I seem to have forgotten your name. I¡¯m senile.¡± sheughed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. My name is Emma Hind.¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°Emma.. Right. That¡¯s your name. And.. is he your boyfriend?¡± She looked at Levi warmly.


    Levi, who was busy looking at the menu book, immediately raised his head with a surprised face mixed with disapproval.


    Even though she was equally surprised, Emma was able to quickly hold Lilian¡¯s wrinkled hand, ¡°He¡¯s not. He¡¯s just my friend.¡± she gave an awkwardugh.


    ¡°Oh.. My bad,¡± Lillian said quickly.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°By the way.. How do you know that this is my shop?¡± Lilian asked.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been here once before. But we didn¡¯t know each other at the time, so it¡¯s only natural that you didn¡¯t recognize my face.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°Oh.. Have you? Then, I will remember you from today,¡± The woman gently stroked Emma¡¯s charming face.


    Emma smiled warmly at Lilian¡¯s motherly treatment. Then, she realized something, ¡°Oh, where is PB?¡±


    ¡°PB?¡± Lilian muttered before she finally remembered that it was her grandson¡¯s nickname on his campus, ¡°Oh.. My grandson.. He doesn¡¯t live here, Emma. I live alone. I haven¡¯t seen him in a few days because he has a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Is that so? You must be lonely living here alone,¡± Emma muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that PB has a job outside. Why didn¡¯t he just stay here with you?¡±


    ¡°It just so happens that his workce is quite far from here that he rented a room to stay nearby it.¡± She answered.


    ¡°I ordered Sashimi and a bottle of Sake.¡± Levi interrupted the two women¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°Oh.. You have made your order, haven¡¯t you? Then, how about you, Emma?¡± Lillian asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just order crab soup and Sake,¡± Emma answered.


    Lilian nodded as rose to her feet before cing back the chair she was sitting on, ¡°I¡¯m going make your orders. Please enjoy your time here.¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am,¡± Emma said no less friendly. As soon as Lilian left and disappeared behind the kitchen door, she immediately red at Levi, ¡°Hey, why would you be so rude to the elder?¡±


    ¡°No matter how old she is, she is a stranger to me.¡± He answered casually. Then, he continued to screen the room, ¡°This ce is so shabby.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?! Lower your voice!¡± Emma whispered angrily. She was even more furious when she saw Levi instead respond to her with a snort. ¡°Hei! I know your house is nice and your car is luxurious. But that can¡¯t be a justification for you to insult other people¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s insulting? I was justmenting on the shape of this ce. Even you think so too, right?¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t need to get it out of your mouth either.¡± Emma hissed. Finally, she felt tired and realized that arguing with the madman in front of her would only be a waste of energy. ¡°Anyways.. howe you¡¯re not wearing a gloomy colour?¡± Emma asked, staring at Levi¡¯s khaki-coloured coat. It made him shine even more than his usual look.


    ¡°I just adjust to my mood.¡± He answered carelessly.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying your usual mood is gloomy? Haha..¡±


    Levi raised his long eyebrows, ¡°Maybe,¡±


    ¡°Oh, Levi,¡± Emma leaned forward, ¡°From what I told to earlier.. if you were in my position, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°Hmm..¡± Levi leaned his back against the back of the chair. He seemed to think for a moment, ¡°Before your secret spilled out, maybe you can make a first move,¡±


    ¡°First move?¡± Emma repeated thoughtfully.


    Levi nodded, ¡°Before that happens, you can create a new rumour that can be rted to your secret. So, when it¡¯s finally spilled out, people have an exnation before they even have to ask you again.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. I understand, but...¡±


    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t exin it in detail, then I can¡¯t provide input that might be more precise with the problem you¡¯re facing. However, you should know that a problem is not created without a solution. In fact, it could even be that the problem that just happened was the answer to the previous problem that still doesn¡¯t have a solution. In the end, it all depends on how cleverly you to take advantage of the situation.¡± Levi exined.


    Emma tilted her head, ¡°That¡¯s quite a make sense,¡± she muttered. She even deliberately didn¡¯t tell Levi the problem in detail because she didn¡¯t want him to get to know her too well. But his answer was quite good.


    ¡°A suggestion must be based on logic. Therefore everything must make sense.¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°Actually, you do somewhat resemble a man I know very well. You guys are annoying, but unfortunately also quite wise.¡± Emma said by imagining Jonas, who recently seemed very busy, so he couldn¡¯t talk with her on the phone for too long.


    ¡°I assume he is a great man so you couldpare with me,¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°He¡¯s better than you. And you¡¯re actually nothingpared to him.¡± Emma rolled her eyeszily.


    Finally, their quarrel stopped because Lilian came with the food they had ordered.


    ¡°Please enjoy,¡± The woman smiled kindly at them while cing the order on the table.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Emma said.


    Lilian left her guest because it seemed that another customer had arrived and she had to serve them.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Emma asked Levi.


    The man shrugged his shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡±


    ¡°Just okay? Maybe it¡¯s because you didn¡¯t order the crab soup. The first thing I said was delicious was the crab soup. Would you like to try it?¡± Emma instantly scooped up the soup and pointed it in front of Levi¡¯s face.


    Levi opened his mouth and put the soup spoon in. Then, he nodded slightly, ¡°Well.. Not bad..¡±


    Levi suddenly froze. The soup has not yet beenpletely swallowed. He felt his throat turn into stone. What did he just do? Did he just take a feed from someone? With his sharp eyes, he looked directly at Emma who wasughing with satisfaction.


    ¡°I told you it¡¯s delicious.. It can even be paired with your mother¡¯s cooking, right?¡± Emma said excitedly to herself. Then, she quickly realized that the man in front of her was looking at her with a strange face. Emma¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Suddenly, the tavern door opened. With the cold wind that blew in, a man in a light grey coat showing his white knitted sweater with a high neckline appeared. Emma ??who was sitting facing the door of the shop, immediately recognized who it was.


    ¡°Hey..¡± Emma raised her hand once in the air.


    ¡°Emma?¡± Marcel muttered with furrowed brows, ¡°You are here?¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°I¡¯m rmending this ce to my friend.¡± she turned to Levi who also had stopped his eating activity.


    Marcel looked down and nced at the face of a man who gave him a cold stare. The man with the grey eyes and the back of his hands full of tattoos. He didn¡¯t look like a good person.


    ¡°What a coincidence you came here too. I had a little chat with your grandmother.¡± Emma said.


    Marcel smiled faintly, ¡°You were? I¡¯ll go to the back to greet her, then.¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°Sure,¡±


    Levi looked at the tall man in an expensive-looking style. Everything attached and arranged on his body, from his feet to his head, was everything that belonged to the upper-ss people. Levi smiled faintly.


    ¡°Why are you smirking like that?¡± Emma realized.


    Levi slowly deted his smile, then shook his head slowly, ¡°Why did you forbid me to smile? It¡¯s my right.¡±


    ¡°Whatever..¡± Emma muttered in annoyance.


    ¡°Hurry up and finish your meal. I have to go somewhere.¡± He said.


    ¡°Huh? You have a job?¡± Emma asked.


    Levi nodded once, ¡°Very much.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the food, Ma¡¯am,¡± Emma said.


    Emma and Levi were already standing by the door. In front of them, Lilian and Marcel were sided to usher them out.


    ¡°You can invite your girl-friends toe next time. Don¡¯t forget to bring Kathy too.¡± Lillian said. Of the three girls she had met in the store that time, it was only Kathy who stuck in her mind for good.


    ¡°Kathy?¡± Marcel mumbled.


    Lilian nodded, ¡°The beautiful red-haired girl who haske-green eyes. I really like her.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll take everyone.¡± Emma smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll go now, then,¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t introduced me to them, have you, Emma?¡± Levi suddenly made Emma stop in her tracks.

 Chapter 121

    121 The Handsome Spies


    Emma closed her eyes tightly as she patted her forehead, ¡°Ah.. My bad. I totally forgot.¡± Then, she turned back to face the two owners of the tavern, ¡°Sorry for beingte. He is my friend, his name is Levi Wargos.¡±


    Levi smiled kindly by reaching out his hand to the two people standing in front of him who had a slightly awkward faces.


    ¡°Of course, Emma¡¯s friends are as nice and polite as she is. I¡¯m sorry I thought you didn¡¯t want to get to know us.¡± Lilian said with a chuckle as she epted the handshake, ¡°My name is Lilian Dous. Nice to meet you, young gentleman,¡±


    Levi shook his head with a smallugh, ¡°People say I look a bit annoying. That¡¯s why a lot of people misunderstood me.¡± He replied by shaking his hand lightly, ¡°Levi Wargos. Nice to meet you too, Ma¡¯am.¡± Then, he pointed his tattooed hand at the man who was the same height as himself, standing next to Lilian, ¡°Then, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    Marcel stared at the hand that was still floating in front of his body, before eventually shaking it. Then, he raised his gaze to meet Levi¡¯s piercing grey eyes. He returned the man¡¯s friendly smile, ¡°Marcel Dous.¡±


    Levi nodded once, ¡°Levi Wargos. Nice to meet you, Marcel.¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay.. Looks like we can¡¯t stay here too long since Levi has work to do.¡± Emma said with a small tug to the back of Levi¡¯s coat.


    ¡°See youter..¡± Said Lilian which Emma waved as she walked out of the warm tavern into the cold outside air.


    While chasing Levi¡¯s steps towards his car, Emma continued to give a confused face, ¡°Hey. Why did you suddenly want to know my friends? It seems that this is outside the agreement.¡±


    .....


    Then, Emma got into the passenger door as Levi pressed the button on his car keys, ¡°Levi!¡± She called him again because he did not answer.


    Levi turned to Emma with azy face. His long eyebrow raised in a question mark.


    ¡°What happened to you? Didn¡¯t we promise not to know each other¡¯s lives? Aren¡¯t we just friends to mind exchange?¡± Emma asked seriously.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Levi answered while starting the car engine.


    ¡°Then why did you do it?¡± Emma was starting to lose her temper.


    ¡°I like the crab soup, so I want to get to know the owner of the tavern. Don¡¯t think too much into thinking I want to interfere in your life.¡± He said with both eyes focused on the road.


    ¡°Is.. is that so?¡± Emma mumbled, her eyes twinkling.


    ¡°What else do you wish for?¡± Levi chuckled a little teasingly.


    ¡°Are you kidding? What else can I expect from you?¡± Emma replied annoyed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand what I am like or things that catch my eyes. So you don¡¯t have to think too much about me. Because I will do whatever I want.¡± He mumbled.


    Emma nced sarcastically at the man who was still driving, ¡°Don¡¯t be so fussy. I didn¡¯t ask you to exin that.¡±


    Levi immediately chuckled when he realized Emma looked sulky, ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off at that time bus stop.¡± he said


    ¡°Um,¡± Emma answered.


    ***


    Nicko fixed the sses perched on the bridge of his long nose. His eyes were busy watching theptop screen since three hours ago. Besides him, Frank was busy with several sheets of paper with lots of pictures and writing on them.


    ¡°Madness! This is really a thing!¡± Nicko mumbled.


    ¡°Marcel.. That kid. I didn¡¯t expect him to be this clever,¡± Ian muttered as he shook his head.


    ¡°So, Underground Cave belongs to RJC. Not only does he rule Redvalley Road. He secretly holds Bluevalley Road as well.¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°That¡¯s clever. That kid purposely cleared Bluevalley road so everyone thought it was a dead street. But he built an empire under it. That f*cking bastard,¡± Ian added.


    ¡°With that much territory, there¡¯s no way he only has about two hundred members. I¡¯m sure he still has many times of them. Even we haven¡¯t found where their base is.¡± Troy looked deep in thought. ¡°How could he hide such a big thing so easily?¡±


    ¡°Troy. The current Marcel is no longer the Marcel we used to know. This is a very different person.¡± Ian looked at his best friend.


    ¡°Actually, RJC¡¯s main business is the Underground Cave. But he purposely shows Redvalley street openly so that everyone would think it was all he was doing all this time. Actually, the pattern he ys is the same as Hell Gate¡¯s.¡± He continued.


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°But he really takes care of Redvalley as best he can. The street that used to look shabby has now be very nice and peaceful since the RJC came to hold it. At least, that¡¯s the information I got from civilians who lived in the area for decades.¡±


    ¡°We should have been suspicious from the start. There¡¯s no way he could make so much money to buy expensive things attached on his body with just the ie from Redvalley Street that is filled with old people.¡± Ian said.


    Frank nodded, ¡°I estimate that the ie he might earn from Redvalley alone is less than half the ie from Underground Cave.¡±


    ¡°All the businesses on Bluevalley Street have gone bankrupt since RJC came to power. Besides, Redvalley Street has started to rise. It¡¯s like a lopsided scale. Why would Marcel do that?¡± Nicko thought.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out all that in the end. You two are leaving tonight, right?¡± Troy asked Calvin and Ian.


    ¡°Hopefully we would get a gap to find out their weakness,¡± Calvin mumbled.


    ***


    That night, although the temperature outside was freezing, the Underground Cave was totally a different world. There, many people seemed to be sweating. Their bodies burned with the desire to gamble with alcohol heated their internal organs.


    Even though it was snowing heavily outside, it didn¡¯t stop the people of the underworld from reducing their activities. As the night rose, the atmosphere got busier.


    Two men with different styles were seen walking on a deserted street. The snow that had piled up in front of the shops on the street looked like it had never been cleaned at all. Yes, it was because all the shops on the street had been empty for a long time.


    Calvin in his long dark grey coat, walked beside Ian who was wearing a ck leather jacket. They stopped at a door made of iron bars. Previously, it took them several days to find the location. Hiding behind dirty shop walls, only to observe where the people who came into Bluevalley Street had disappeared.


    Calvin opened the metal door which immediately gave a creaky sound. The two of them looked at each other once and nodded before walking down the small, steep staircase.


    They didn¡¯t expect that it turned out that the stairs led quite deep underground. Finally, they arrived at the end of the stairs which was another iron-barred door. But the difference was, there were two guards withrge bodies full of tattoos in front of the door. Both have bald heads.


    ¡°You guys new?¡±


    Calvin raised his eyebrows which were already dyed blonde, matching the colour of his hair which was covered in a knitted hat. Honestly, he really hated the tacky colour that had to pair with his oriental face. But for the sake of smoothing called disguise, he was willing to get rid of the jet ck colour of his hair.


    Meanwhile, Ian used a fake beard made by Nicko¡¯s sister who was a make-up artist.


    ¡°Yeah, I hope you guys have a lot of good stuff here,¡± Calvin answered.


    ¡°Name?¡±


    ¡°Antonio and Luke,¡± Ian replied by pulling his wallet out of his coat and touching his ID that was pinned inside.


    ¡°No need.¡± The guard¡¯s words made Ian stop his movements. ¡°Eighty dors each.¡±


    Ian slid his finger from the card slot into the middle of the wallet and took out a few bucks and handed them to the man, ¡°The treat is mine tonight.¡± He turned to Calvin with a smug look on his face.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t charge me for a drinkter.¡± Calvin hissed.


    The big man guard wrote the names of the two new guests on the daily visitor log board, then moved his chin forward, ¡°You can go straight in now.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. No ID needed? Fine then..¡± Ian muttered.


    Then the two of them stepped inside with smiles on their lips. Calvin nodded at Ian¡¯s shrewdness. It was not wrong that he became the No.2 in Jita Kyoei.


    The music started to get louder and louder as the two of them walked further inside. It turned out that they found other stairs that were quiterge. From there, they could see the appearance of the underground paradise. The two pairs of feet walked down the concrete staircase.


    What they didn¡¯t expect, it turned out that the ce was really densely crowded and boisterous. Many women in skimpy clothes were walking here and there with men reeking of alcohol embracing them. Walking further in, the noise grew louder. Until Ian and Calvin found a busy location with lots of people shouting and jostling like they were at a rock music concert.


    Apparently, these people were swarming threerge rings that were showing a fierce battle in it. The fighters were seen wearing various make-up and costumes. They were really dressed up to entertain the audience. It was also seen that the spectators were busy cing bets on who they thought would be the winner.


    After watching the situation there for a few minutes, Ian and Calvin went deeper which led them to a huge bar-like cavern with lots of tables and sofas around the sides. There could see many people dancing in the middle to the music rhythm.


    Besides the ring matches location earlier, the bar-like ce also had a deep elongated shape. At the end of the ce, there was arge bar table. Ian and Calvin walked over to the bar and sat down on its high chairs.

 Chapter 122

    122 Wee To RJC


    ¡°Drink?¡± A sexy dressed female bartender with a big chest smiled at the two good looking men who had just sat.


    ¡°Whiskey, please,¡± Calvin said.


    Ian smiled faintly as he looked at the hot woman, ¡°Anything your hands can make,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be impressed,¡± The bright red full lips woman answered.


    ¡°Wish I could hold the adrenaline,¡± Ian replied with a seductive smile.


    ¡°Making a sexy woman with a charming smile as a bartender was a brilliant idea,¡± Ian said by cing his joined fingers under his chin without stopping to stare at the woman.


    The red lips smiled, ¡°Are you guys new? I¡¯ve never seen you guys before.¡±


    Ian nodded, ¡°Looking for some new entertainment. I don¡¯t think I was wrong in choosing toe to this ce.¡±


    The womanughed even more, ¡°Then, I hope you are addicted,¡± she winked and handed him arge short ss filled with a light brown liquid. Inside, also sat arge ice ball. It was Calvin¡¯s drink.


    .....


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Calvin said with a smile.


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± The woman answered. Incidentally, her taste was a man with an oriental face and a very manly body like the blonde one. But the man looked introverted and a bit geeky, not like the droopy eyes that looked sexy sat right in front of her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, Lady? Do you think I have a chance to find out?¡± Ian asked, continuing to observe the slender hands that were making him a drink.


    ¡°Beatrice. How about yours?¡± The woman replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m Antonio. He¡¯s my friend, Luke.¡± He put his arm around Calvin¡¯s shoulders briefly until the man almost choked on the alcohol he was drinking.


    ¡°Burning Night,¡± Beatrice put down a slim tall martini ss filled with reddish-purple liquid.


    ¡°Burning Night, huh..?¡± Ian muttered by pulling the ss and pressing the ss¡¯s mouth to his lower lip, then, took a sip of the beautiful coloured drink, ¡°Beautiful and warm. As the name implies, and I hope, the maker too..¡± he continued by looking at the woman in front of him meaningfully.


    Even though he was smiling, in his heart, Calvin was cursing Ian¡¯s skill in seducing women. He didn¡¯t expect the droopy-eyed man to have such a deadly talent. He didn¡¯t even look like the usual annoying Ian with his characteristic slightly cynical look in his eyes.


    ¡®I¡¯d better keep quiet about this.¡¯ Calvin thought. He could only act cold and indifferent, which seemed to suit his aura more.


    ¡°Have you worked here long?¡± Ian asked in a deep voice.


    Beatrice nodded, ¡°Even before the change of owner.¡±


    ¡°Change of owner?¡± Ian repeated.


    Beatrice nodded again, ¡°Because the current owner treats his workers more humanely, I¡¯m staying here for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. d to hear that. I don¡¯t even know who the previous owner of this ce was. I think RJC founded this ce itself.¡±


    ¡°Haha.. That¡¯s impossible. There used to be no such thing as RJC because the leader was just a kid. But he turned out to be great enough to seize power.¡± Beatrice said.


    ¡°You seem to really admire him.¡± Ian smiled.


    ¡°All the women here admire him. He is extremely beautiful, well built, good at fighting, and.. rich.¡± Then the woman looked left and right before leaning forward with one hand ced on the side of her mouth, ¡°But, who would have thought if he was a fat kid who was often bullied?¡± she continued with a chuckle.


    Ianughed, ¡°Are you allowed to say that in this ce? You might get in troubleter.¡±


    Beatrice shrugged, ¡°Our boss almost neveres here,¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t?¡± Ian raised his thick eyebrows.


    The woman nodded, ¡°We are being looked after by a man who has been the manager of this ce since Appolo had held this ce.¡±


    Hearing Apollo¡¯s name, Calvin and Ian immediately nced at each other. The two of them were shocked to hear the new fact that the once-powerful group was the previous owner of the Underground Cave.


    In the past, Appolo was powerful because they were a gangster group whose standards were almost equal to a mafia group. The higher-ups were adult men who had mature minds. What made them strong was that, somehow, they could use a gun that was dered illegal by thews of Handway City. But suddenly, horrendous news spread saying that its leader died in an ident. After that, Apollo disappeared as if it was swallowed by the earth.


    But now the truth has been revealed. Apollo did not disappear because the leader died in a traffic ident. But the leader was killed by someone who made RJC its sessor. Was that person Marcel Dous? After all, regardless of who killed the Appolo¡¯s leader, wouldn¡¯t that give in to the fact that RJC was really strong?


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not from here, are you?¡± Beatrice asked.


    Ian came back from his thought, then smiled and nodded once, ¡°It seems life is very exciting here. Is your house in this area?¡±


    ¡°I rented a room with my friend,¡± Beatrice replied.


    ¡°Ow.. Then maybe living in this area would be nice too,¡± Ian blinked his eye.


    Beatrice chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re very flirtatious, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know. I can¡¯t help myself in front of a beautiful woman. Do you feel ufortable with me?¡± Ian asked softly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.. But you¡¯re polite enough for a flirt.¡± The woman who was making another drink replied, ¡°I like it,¡± she continued, making Ian chuckle in amusement.


    Calvin silently nudged Ian¡¯s leg. It was enough for him to hear him teasing the female bartender disgustingly. Calvin felt like throwing up by that.


    ¡°Anyways.. This ce is a gem. No wonder there are still many people whoe even though we have to be charged a hefty fee to enter this ce.¡± Ian said before ncing at Calvin sarcastically.


    ¡°That¡¯s because of the wrestling match over there.¡± The woman pointed towards the front with her chin, ¡°I heard that wrestling matches are the main source of ie for the Underground Cave. That is also the number one attraction why many people keep their hands on this ce.¡±


    Ian nodded, ¡°I can see it,¡±


    Beatrice suddenly seemed to flinch as she looked to the side, ¡°That¡¯s my boss. Don¡¯t let him see mezing around here.¡± she said before walking away to other customers to take their orders.


    Ian and Calvin both turned their heads toward the iron staircase in the corner. They noticed that the stairs led to the second floor above them with a floor made of iron bars.


    There were several men walking down the stairs. All of the men were dressed in all ck, except for one man who looked a little older, who only wore a bit shabby ordinary jacket. Then, two men look quite young but seem to be the most respected, because the two big guards who stay at the bottom of the stairs, immediately bowed respectfully when the two of them walked past them.


    Ian and Calvin looked at each other with the same thought. They could immediately guess that the man with the shining red hair and the man with thick eyebrows was Marcel Dous¡¯ aplice.


    ¡°Huft.. That old man finally left,¡± Beatrice returned to them.


    Ian immediately smiled at the woman, ¡°Do theye here often?¡± he asked.


    Beatrice nodded, ¡°Usually, it¡¯s only once a week. But they seem to be narrowing their schedule down to about every three days.¡± she seemed to think. ¡°It¡¯s been a bit tensetely. I¡¯ve seen a few thugs trying to mess around on this side of the street. Maybe that¡¯s also the reason.¡±


    ¡°So.. After from this ce, where do you n to go?¡± the woman asked, biting the side of her lower lip.


    ¡°We happen to have a business to attend to, so maybe we¡¯ll go by.. um.. now,¡± Calvin said quickly, taking out his wallet and paying for their drinks.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± The woman muttered with a slightly disappointed face.


    Ian took the washcloth ced near Beatrice, took a pen out of his jacket pocket, and wrote down the phone number, ¡°Call me,¡± He blinked an eye and walked away with his partner.


    ¡°They must be heading for the base,¡± Calvin said in their steps to cut through the crowd.


    Ian nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t be too hasty. Don¡¯t let anyone notice that we¡¯re following them.¡±


    The two men walked quickly up the first stairs. Then, as soon as they were on thest steps, near the railed door, they passed the old man and immediately acted casually. The old man nced at them briefly before taking another sip of his cigarette as he stepped down.


    After exiting the iron door, Ian and Calvin still had time to see a ck sedan driving away.


    ***


    In the spacious basement, around fifty men in ck shirts neatly lined up sturdily. They were guarded by several other men who walked to and fro around them with intimidating looks. Everyone immediately bowed respectfully as soon as a man appeared out of the elevator.


    ¡°Good evening, Boss!¡± They all eximed as soon as the man stepped out of the ss door into the basement of the building.


    ¡°They are the new kids from the studio,¡± Vico said as soon as Marcel was standing beside him.


    ¡°Only this much?¡± Marcel asked with a slightly disappointed face.


    Vico nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Actually, we did disqualify a few who we considered being too weak. I don¡¯t want them to be a burden in the group.¡± He admitted with a bowed head.


    ¡°Hmm.. Fine, if you think so. Good work,¡± Marcel nodded by patting the man on the back once.


    ¡°From now on, you all are the members of the Red Jack Commander. Follow all the rules and don¡¯t mess around. In this group, I attach great importance to loyalty. If any of you dared to renegade, don¡¯t ever think to be able to get out of here alive. And you should have understood that you will not be allowed to just leave this group.¡± Marcel said loudly.


    ¡°COPY!¡± They all said in unison with their heads still bowed respectfully, legs slightly wide apart, and hands ced behind their backs.


    Marcel nodded lightly, ¡°Wee to RJC.¡±


    Then, they all pped loudly. It was the third new members¡¯ eptance ceremony that week.

 Chapter 123

    123 A Compulsion


    After attending the new recruiting ceremony, Marcel returned to the top floor again. As usual, he was apanied by Kenny Brown who always walked beside him. They were directed to the ounting team office which was on the third floor.


    As soon as Kenny entered the door of therge room with several desks, everyone there immediately stood up and bowed respectfully. All members of the RJC knew that Kenny Brown was the Major or the number two position holder in the big group.


    But what surprised them all even more was another man followed behind the man with the ponytail. That was Marcel Dous, the leader of RJC who rarely even entered the ounting office. This made all the employees look at each other with confused faces mixed with tension. There must be a big probleming.


    Kenny immediately approached Andy Tan, who was the head of the ounting division. It was the man who used to provide Kenny with final financial reports and consult on RJC¡¯s financial matters. Now, he became very tense when the figure of Marcel Dous also approached him.


    ¡°We want to see the most updated financial reports to date,¡± Kenny said.


    ¡°Right.. right now?¡± Andy stammered again. But he didn¡¯t need an answer from the big man¡¯s mouth. Just from the look in his sharp eyes, he already knew that the man didn¡¯t ept any excuses.


    ¡°Everyone! Get yourtest reports out!¡± Andymanded all his staff.


    ¡°Ok!¡± The ten staff behind the desk with theputer, replied simultaneously.


    Then, within five minutes, Andy had thetest data requested by his boss. After that, Kenny took the collection of papers given by Andy and passed it to Marcel. ¡°Now, I want you to exin this report to Boss,¡± Kenny said.


    .....


    Andy gulped before taking a deep breath and starting to exin, ¡°This week¡¯s expenses have swelled tenfold. It¡¯s because of the addition of new members which has increased the cost and sry. The special martial arts training for the members also takes quite arge fee. Due to the nominal deposit for the ck Hole which is also increasing, making ie and expenditure unbnced, so we have to put our hands into the cash depository.¡±


    Marcel remained silent as he looked at several sheets of paper which showed several graphic images, numbers, and various details that he found quite confusing. However, that didn¡¯t mean Marcel didn¡¯t understand the report. He just didn¡¯t like the look of it.


    Kenny nodded slightly at Andy whose face looked a little pale from having to face the leader face to face and being forced to tell such very bad news. Then, Marcel stepped out of the room with Kenny following him. Everyone in the ounting room immediately rose to their feet and bowed respectfully again to their two superiors.


    ¡°We have to talk about this, Marcel,¡± Kenny said by closing the room door.


    ¡°I know.¡± Replied the tall man in the white shirt with the unbuttoned buttons to reveal half of his muscr chest. He stepped firmly into the special meeting room which was on the same floor.


    ¡°Until today, I have received reports of three attacks in our territory. Two of them were from the Creeper group. It seems that they also have felt pressured so they are getting desperate.¡± Kenny said once they were both sitting side by side at arge table surrounded by a few chairs.


    Marcel didn¡¯t answer, just gritted his teeth with a thoughtful face.


    ¡°Marcel, your decision to add members was not wrong, because we really need it. But with expenses that have swelled to that much, of course, we have to double our ie. Otherwise, RJC will be the next Hell Gate.¡± Kenny continued with a serious face.


    The Major understood very well how important the money was. And, he was also not stupid to know a fact that, indeed, they could handle one or five members who want to leave the group. But they wouldn¡¯t be able to control the hundred or so members who force their way out. Obviously, a group would have many members because of their good financial condition. But if they go bankrupt, they could not expect the members to share the misery together. Because, basically, loyalty was only owned by a handful of people. The rest were only concerned with their respective advantages.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Marcel said by standing up.


    But before the man left, Kenny held his hand, ¡°I hope you still remember my input yesterday. Please consider it. Actually, I represent the guys.¡± he said.


    Marcel stared at Kenny for a moment then nodded, ¡°Go get some rest. Tell the ounting department too. It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    Kenny sighed softly then bowed respectfully, ¡°Sure, Boss.¡±


    The bedroom door opened, providing a view of several blocks of road covered in snow that was still pouring down. Marcel stepped over to the window that ran along the walls of his room. Again, tears slowly rolled down his cheeks. Tears he couldn¡¯t hold back. Are those tears a sign of weakness? Or did the tears signify how heavy a burden he could no longer bear? He didn¡¯t know which.


    Marcel Dous, a man who had lost many things in his life. Now, he had many things to protect. Moves in a lie to protect the feelings of the person he loved. Doing things he didn¡¯t want to do to keep his promise to his older brother who had left the mortal world. Had to struggle with the trauma that kept feeding him.


    He leaned his back against the cold ss. His knees couldn¡¯t hold it anymore, so he slowly slumped down to sit on the floor. Alone, without being able to express what he felt to anyone. Have to face all the trials alone.


    ¡°What should I do? I shouldn¡¯t do it, right? This is called breaking a promise, right? Am I right, Jack? Then what should I do? I don¡¯t know what to do..¡± He sobbed.


    It seemed like crying was the only thing Marcel could do to keep himself from going crazy. Cry alone at night, but must be a strong Marcel Dous and be feared in front of people. Every night, Marcel always imagined a vision that would never happen. An image if Jack was still by his side. The two of them would protect their grandmother and their dreams together. Like a man who had two legs, so he could stand sturdy. Not like Marcel who now had to stand alone, supporting everything alone.


    ***


    ¡°What? B-but.. why did it go up so much?¡± Asked the middle-aged man who was standing in front of two tall men in ck coats.


    One of the men who had a bald head nodded, ¡°Sorry, Sir. There¡¯s been a lot of spendingtely. So, our boss was forced to increase the deposit fee.¡± he said.


    ¡°I see. B.. but.. It¡¯s tripled. That¡¯s too much..¡± He mumbled as he looked again at the circr letter he was holding.


    Suddenly, a tall man in a light brown coat appeared. The two ck-cloaked men immediately stepped aside while bowing their heads respectfully.


    ¡°Boss.. W-why is this..¡± The old man gave a pitiful look.


    ¡°Things around this street are in a state of dire. Because of that, we have to pay more to protect this street. I hope you understand. If you refuse, then we will stop protecting this street and you guys may please defend yourself.¡± Marcel said with a straight face and both hands tucked in the pockets of his long coat.


    ¡°B.. but this..¡± The man was still muttering with a scarred face. He thought about how the sustainability of his business if the deposit money had to be this big. Meanwhile, he had four children who were still in school and a sick mother. ¡°C-can you give me a little relief? You.. you know how my family¡¯s condition is, right?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has their own problem. And, it¡¯s their responsibility to solve it. I¡¯ve generalized the costs for each shop. No one will be privileged here.¡± Marcel said before leaving the shop that sold various processed chickens. Then, he got into his car door which Kenny had opened.


    Kenny walked briskly to the driver¡¯s door and got in, then, he started the engine. He had nothing to say to the leader. He knew he was in a bad mood.


    Kenny had known Marcel for a long time. He had received a mandate from Jack Dous to protect his younger brother. He knew how the two brothers were doing. He knew how much trouble they had to go through to get to this point. But now, Jack was gone. He left Marcel alone to carry out all the responsibilities of their dreame true. But, it seemed fate was ying tricks on them again.. No.. it was no longer them, but only Marcel Dous.


    Marcel and Jack had promised to protect Redvalley Street, the ce where they grew up. Protect all the citizens and shops there. However, because of the current problem, Marcel was forced to make a tough decision. Now, he looked like any other gangster who extorts the people who live within his territory.


    At first, Marcel had thought about increasing the Underground Cave entrance ticket, which they had previously increased in the same month. However, based on the results of the discussion, the RJC core team suggested not to increase the ticket price again. If the price was too high, the ce would have lost a lot of guests. It was more fatal because the Underground Cave was their main source of ie. If the ce went bankrupt, the RJC would have been finished.

 Chapter 124

    124 Redvalley and Bluevalley


    Kenny stared at the rearview mirror on the car ceiling, peeking at the leader who had a depressed face. The brown-haired man, still holding his head while staring at the road through the car window. It was very hard for him. Kenny could see that.


    ***


    ¨C shback ¨C


    In Handway City, there were two roads that stood side by side. The street names were Redvalley and Bluevalley. Even though they were located in the same area, the two streets were like two brothers who have very different fates.


    Bluevalley was a street that had many shops selling liquor, fine clothes, sharp weapons, and night stalls full of prostitutes. The street was like a paradise for night people. A lively street filled with lots of young people and having fun people.


    While, Redvalley was a street with many shops that mostly sell simple groceries, secondhand clothes, and cheap food. Most of the shop buildings had be one with the houses of the owners who were families with lower to middle ies. The buildings also looked shabby that making fewer visitors interested in visiting the street.


    Although different, the two streets have one thing inmon. They were both controlled by a gangster group named Apollo.


    To Apollo, Redvalley Street was their stepchild. Because Bluevalley Street provided a muchrger profit for the group. And it was not only that. The street had Apollo¡¯s enormous treasure. It was Paradise Cave which had changed its name to Underground Cave since the RJC took over.


    For years, the entire poption of Redvalley Street lived in suspense. Being in the shadow of Apollo who suddenly came to colonize their residence and was charged by a security fee that was burdensome because it was notmensurate with their daily ie and expenses.


    .....


    Among those miserable residents, there was one house that used its first floor as a tavern selling various processed seafood. In that house, lived an old woman with a husband and wife couple and their two teenage sons. The family lived in very poor economic conditions.


    Emily Dous was forced to live at her mother-inw¡¯s house with her husband, Garfield Dous. Emily herself was a widow with one son who was married to a beautiful green-eyed man. Yes, she knew Garfield was not a rich man. But he was a loving and caring man who can ept her and the child she brought.


    For several years, despite their low economy, they lived happily on the Redvalley Street of Handway City, raising their two sons who were three years gap of age, until the day when their lives were suddenly thrown down by fate with the arrival of a gangster group named Apollo.


    Apollo, a gangster group that had a great number of members. It initially controlled Bluevalley Street, which was mostly emptynd. They built a night empire there. After Bluevalley was sessful, they wanted to dominate Redvalley as well. But none of the civilians on the street were willing to sell their houses at a cheap price to Apollo¡¯s request. Finally, Apollo used a cunning way, namely by colonizing the street.


    Apollo¡¯s group often wreaks havoc on Redvalley Street. At will, they enforce a deposit withdrawal system with the excuse of security, even though it was them the ones that made the street unsecured. They were the culprit of the terrorized civilians. However, the civilians could not defend themself because they were just ordinary people of the lower ss and the police never paid attention to their reports.


    Over the years, Apollo colonized Redvalley Street. Making the business of the residents declined further because the cost of security service was too high. On the other hand, more and more visitors were reluctant to visit the slum street, making everything get worse.


    At Emily¡¯s family home, things get worse when her husband, Garfield, was fired from his job due to being ndered by his coworker. Due to the growing economic pressure, Garfield¡¯s character slowly changed as he fell into depression. He often came homete at night from visiting Bluevalley Street and having fun with the prostitutes there. He alwayses home drunk. That was not the only change Garfield had gone through. He even often beat his own wife, saying that he was married a burden because Emily carried a child that didn¡¯t belong to him.


    Emily¡¯s two teenage sons couldn¡¯t do much. Their eldest son, Jack Dous, was just in the first grade of high school, while their youngest son, Marcel Dous, was in junior high.


    Jack and Marcel were forced to be trapped in a predicament. Because the father was no longer working, it was their mother and grandmother who now have to work hard to support their family. Their old grandmother could only open a tavern with the help of her two schooling grandchildren. Meanwhile, the mother was forced to be a maid in a wealthy family¡¯s house.


    ¡°When do we get rich?¡± A fat boy asked as he stared at a luxury car that was stopped in front of an expensive clothing store.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about rich, Marcel. Think about how our family can live as peacefully as we used to. I think that¡¯s enough.¡± Jack replied as he continued to wave a few rolls of newspapers in his hand, so that what he was selling could quickly be sold out. They were standing on the side of a big busy road.


    ¡°Yeah.. But there¡¯s nothing wrong with being rich either. I can wear nice clothes like them. Ride a fancy car and live in a nice house.¡± Marcel mumbled to himself, ¡°No need to get up early to deliver milk around.¡±


    Jack smiled at his little brother and head-patted the boy who was shorter than him, ¡°I¡¯m sure we will change the future someday. It¡¯s not just our family, but everyone on Redvalley Street that suffering like us.¡±


    Marcel wiped the sweat that pooled on his forehead because the sun was scorching hot that summer, ¡°Why do you want to help other people, Jack? We are even still living in misery,¡±


    ¡°Your heart will feel full if you can share happiness. If you want to be happy, wouldn¡¯t it be great if the people around you are happy too?¡± Jack replied.


    Marcel nodded slowly while thinking, ¡°What¡¯s the menu for tonight¡¯s dinner? I hope grandma¡¯s foods could be sold out today so we don¡¯t have to eat leftovers anymore.¡±


    ¡°But you still like that food, don¡¯t you? You eat until you get so swollen.¡± Jackughed.


    Marcel couldn¡¯t help but snort in annoyance, but then heughed too. Even though he lived in poverty, Jack always apanied Marcel¡¯s days. They fought together. In this world, only Jack could understand the boy¡¯s feelings.


    After working several jobs to dusk, the two brothers returned to their home. But they found the mother was lying weakly in bed with their grandmother by her side. It turned out that their mother passed out at work. This was not the first time this had happened. It was the umpteenth time in these three months.


    Their suffering did not end there. Suddenly, a friend of his father came with bad news. Their father, Garfield Dous, had died from an alcohol overdose and was involved in a fight at the club on Bluevalley Street. That was not the ending. Because the father often went out for fun, it turned out that he had a lot of debt out there. It was known when a debt collector came to their house a few days after his father¡¯s funeral.


    Now, not only have to pay security deposits and survival costs, but the family was also in debt which was quite a lot and continued to interest.


    Jack and Marcel were just two innocent teenagers. They should study and y with their peers. However, due to economic problems, Jack was forced to give in to dropping out of school so that his younger brother could continue his studies. Both of them had to work very hard, from early morning untilte at night.


    Over time, their economic condition was getting worse. Their grandma¡¯s tavern was getting ramshackle and ugly. Their mother could no longer work as a maid because of her poor health. She could only walk around to deliver milk in the morning and then help the grandmother in the tavern with a weak body.


    Marcel, who had a fat body was often the object of bullying in his ss. It was made worse because his clothes were so shabby and even had some patches. Everything that stuck to Marcel¡¯s body was old cheap stuff. His shoes and socks had holes in them because he couldn¡¯t afford to buy new ones. He had to write using a pencil that was already very short because it was too difficult to buy a new one.


    One night, Jack and Marcel were chatting alone on the edge of an empty lot at the crossroads of Bluevalley and Redvalley. Whenever they were free, they sometimes really liked to sit there, figuring out how different the two streets were as if looking at the earth and sky. Bluevalley Street was brightly lit and full ofughter, while Redvalley Street was dark and full of tears.


    ¡°You look skinny,¡± Jack said to his brother who was sitting cross-legged on the grass, looking at the two roads.


    ¡°I¡¯m on a diet,¡± Marcel replied curtly.


    ¡°Hm.. A person who likes to eat as you can diet?¡± Jack said jokingly, then, he let out a long sigh and patted his brother on the back once, ¡°Your school is hard, huh? Sorry, I can¡¯t give you nice clothes yet. Sorry if you have to hold back your hunger at lunchtime.¡±


    Marcel shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re not the one who should be apologizing, Jack. I should have been stronger to protect myself.¡±


    Jack smiled faintly, ¡°No matter how strong you are, you are still my little brother that I must protect.¡± The answer made Marcel smile.


    ¡°Both of you. What are you two doing here?¡±

 Chapter 125

    125 Working For Apollo


    ¡°Both of you. What are you two doing here?¡±


    The two boys rose to their feet when they heard the deep, hoarse voice of a man rebuking them from behind.


    A man with a thin beard around his jaw and a body full of tattoos. He was wearing a wrinkled ck shirt with the chest button open to reveal a lion tattoo on it.


    Jack and Marcel nced at each other then looked down. From the appearance of the man, they could tell that he was likely a member of a gangster.


    ¡°We.. we¡¯re just sitting around here,¡± Jack answered quickly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know whether there¡¯s a snake in the bushes or not.¡± The man said by examining the two boys while sipping his cigarette casually. ¡°Go buy me a box of cigarettes at that store,¡± he took money out of his trouser pocket and pointed to a grocery store not far from where they were standing.


    Jack stepped hesitantly over to the man and epted the money. Then, the two brothers went to do what the man had told them.


    ¡°Here are the cigarettes and the change, Sir.¡± Jack handed the two items to the man who had just thrown away the butt of the cigarette he had finished.


    ¡°Take the change. You look so dirty.¡± The man said.


    .....


    Jack and Marcel immediately looked at each other with bright smiles. Even though the change was quite much, the man was kind enough to give it to them.


    ¡°What is your boys name?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jack, and this is my little brother, Marcel.¡± The brown-eyed boy answered.


    ¡°Are you guys still in school?¡± The man asked again.


    Jack shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve dropped out of school. But my brother still is.¡±


    ¡°You boys need a job?¡±


    The boys immediately answered in unison, ¡°Yes, we need!¡±


    The man smiled faintly as he lit his cigarette again. Then, he reached out his hand to the boys who were standing with beaming faces in front of him, ¡°My name is Albert. Tomorrow night at eight, meet me at Paradise Cave. I will give you a job that pays good enough to buy you boys some new clothes.¡±


    ¡°Paradise Cave?¡± The boys muttered.


    Albert nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a ce to have fun on Bluevalley Street.¡±


    ¡°So.. so we have to work on the.. Bluevalley Street?¡± Marcel stuttered.


    ¡°You mind? If you don¡¯t want it, that¡¯s fine tho,¡± The man replied.


    ¡°No! Of course, we want it, Sir. We wille tomorrow night.¡± Jack grabbed his brother¡¯s shoulder and squeezed it a little.


    On their way home, Marcel just kept staring at the face of his older brother who was taller than him. From the chubby boy¡¯s face, there was a look of confusion mixed with annoyance. They both really hate Bluevalley Street which was full of bad people, but why would Jack even want to work on that street?


    ¡°Why did you ept his offer? We hate Bluevalley Street. Because of that damn street, the gangsters terrorized our people. Because of that street, dad was changed. Even, dad died on that fucking street, Jack! Why do you want to work there?¡± Marcel asked, could not stand to be silent.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then I¡¯ll do it alone,¡± Jack replied tly.


    Marcel immediately grabbed his brother¡¯s cor to look him in the face, ¡°We can¡¯t do that, Jack! Are you losing your mind?!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to do it, Marcel. It¡¯s just me. I told you. If you don¡¯t want to do it, then just let me do it alone.¡± The big brother talked back.


    Marcel tightened his grip even more while his older brother could only turn his face to the side, ¡°No way! I won¡¯t let you! Because of that fucking street, dad¡¯s personality changed. He fucking tortured us! He hurt our mom! What happened to you?¡± He looked at his brother with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Are.. you don¡¯t care.. because dad is not your real father?¡±


    Hearing that question, Jack immediately looked at Marcel sharply, making his little brother gulp because he just realized that he had said the wrong thing. Then, he grabbed Marcel¡¯s hand to pull it off his cor before he walked away.


    ¡°Jack!¡± Marcel chased after him again.


    ¡°Mom is sick!¡± Jack eximed, suddenly stopping his steps. He stared intently at the surprised Marcel with both eyes bloodshot, ¡°Mom is very ill. We are really short on money. If we continue to live in this situation, mom would be in danger. Do you understand?!¡±


    ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong with mom?¡± Marcel asked with a surprised face. He knew that his mother was getting weaker day by day. But he only thought that she was just tired from working too much.


    ¡°Cancer. Mom has cancer. She has to have cancer treatment in hospital and we need so much money to afford it. You also have to go with school at least until you graduate high school. Dad¡¯s debt also has to be paid. We really need that fucking money, Marcel. I know, we do hate Bluevalley Street. I know it¡¯s a terrible way. But there¡¯s something more important than our hatred. It is our family.¡± Jack exined in a trembling voice.


    ¡°W-what..?¡± Marcel¡¯s knees went so weak that he fell to his knees. His mother? Cancer?


    Jack rubbed his eyes which couldn¡¯t hold back the tears. He tried to control his breath which made his nostrils hurt. Nothing could make him cry more than watching his family suffer. He could take excruciating blows to his body, he could work so hard that his bones broke, but he couldn¡¯t bear to see his mother sick like that.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to work there, Marcel. But I have to. To save our family,¡± He said before walking away again.


    The next day, Jack was on Bluevalley Street in his best clothes. It felt like he was hitting his own face. He hated the street so much, but had to work there. Holding back his hatred and shame, just for the sake of getting the bundles of money that seemed to control his life.


    After asking the way to several people, Jack finally arrived in front of a door made of iron bars that led directly to the narrow stairs going down. Even before walking down it, Jack could already feel that the ce was a hellhole. But ording to the people, it was the path to Paradise Cave.


    The boy with brown eyes and hair gulped hard before stepping down the stairs.


    ¡°Jack,¡±


    He stopped his step when he heard a voice call his name. He looked back and found a fat boy wearing a shirt that looked too small on his stomach.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jack asked with furrowed brows.


    Marcel smiled, ¡°I will save our family too.¡±


    Jack looked at his brother deeply, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been so sure. I¡¯ll fight with you, Jack. It¡¯s not just your family, it¡¯s mine too. Please teach me to be strong like you.¡± He smiled.


    Jack couldn¡¯t help but smile at what his little brother said. As a man, of course, Jack wanted his brother to be strong and independent. They were a pair of legs that must stand together so as not to limp. By standing together, they would be strong and could support the family.


    As soon as Jack was about to take another step, Marcel immediately held his hand with a serious face mixed with regret, ¡°Forgive my words yesterday that said you are not dad¡¯s son. I was an idiot.¡±


    Jack shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t hate dad, Marcel. Even though everything he did felt bad, we shouldn¡¯t hate him. Even though at thest moment, dad seemed to hate me because I wasn¡¯t his son, I still remember the times when he still loved me like his own son. We can choose the way we judge someone. And I will judge dad as a good father.¡± he exined.


    Finally, they arrived in a huge ce crowded with adults. The two boys did not expect that there was such a massive underground cave under the Bluevalley Street. Maybe, their father used toe to this ce so that he rarely came home. When they were about to enter, they were detained by two guards. Jack mentions that it was Albert who asked them toe. After that, they were immediately taken to a room on the second floor.


    Jack and Marcel entered a dimly lit room with a lot of cigarette smoke billowing out. Not far from the door, there was a desk with a man behind it. It was Albert who was only wearing a ck tank top which exposed his full tattooed body.


    ¡°Oh.. You guys really came, huh?¡± Albert greeted after exhaling his cigarette smoke. ¡°Come in, sit over there.¡± He pointed to two frail metal chairs in front of his desk.


    Jack and Marcel sat on the chairs that Albert pointed to, ¡°We came for the job, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Albert. I need someone to serve at the bar. You just need to clean up, take guests¡¯ orders, and sometimes entertain them if necessary.¡± Albert exined directly.


    ¡°Sorry, but are we really allowed to work here? Because, we¡¯re still underage.¡± Jack showed his student ID card. Marcel followed his brother¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Do you think this ce is legal? Why do you think Paradise Cave was built underground?¡± Albertughed, ¡°So, you want it or not?¡±


    ¡°May we know how much we get paid?¡± Jack asked without any chitchat.


    Albert lowered the corners of his lips to stare at Jack for a long time. But the dark brown-eyed boy looked at him back. Then, Albert smiled, he realized that the boy was kind of brave. He liked it. So, he took out two pieces of paper from his desk drawer and slid them in front of the two boys.


    Jack immediately looked for the numbers on the paper until he found a description of the nominal sry he would receive. It seemed that his heart would cheer with joy by seeing the information on the weekly sry which he thought was quite big. But he didn¡¯t want to show his joy for fear that Albert would think low of them. After being satisfied with the nominal sry, Jack read all the terms and conditions written on them. However, there was a condition that bothered him.


    ¡®By working in Paradise Cave, means the first party is also working for the Apollo group.¡¯

 Chapter 126

    126 [Bonus chapter] Viggo Fisher


    ¡°We have to work for the Apollo group?¡± Jack immediately looked at Albert seriously.


    ¡°Of course. This ce is theirs. Did you think it¡¯s mine? I work for them too.¡± Albert replied while exhaling smoke as he spoke.


    Marcel immediately grabbed his brother¡¯s hand and squeezed it tightly. He looked at Jack meaningfully. There was a worried look on his face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± Albert asked. ¡°Well.. It¡¯s notte to back down. Because, if you guys are already working here, it might be a bit difficult for you to get out. But...¡± he emphasized his tone at thest word, ¡°If your work is good, your status can be rise higher than just a bar waiter. Moreover, you are guys with the nice tall body. And I bet you boys already know, right? The higher the status, the higher the sry.¡±


    Jack looked down in deep thought. He nced at Marcel¡¯s hand which was still on his arm. He knew that his brother would not know what decision to make. But Jack didn¡¯t have much choice. He was the type of person who was willing to take risks to save what he had now. Because of this, everyone knew Jack Dous as a brave boy.


    ¡°I ept it,¡± Jack answered. Marcel immediately turned to his older brother with a face of disbelief.


    Albert smiled, ¡°Okay. Then how about you, fatty?¡± he looked at Marcel.


    ¡°I.. I..¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t ce you in a hard position. Maybe you¡¯d just be a waiter all the time. And I won¡¯t get in your way if you want to get out of here either. As long as.. you keep that fat body of yours while working here.¡± Albertughed.


    .....


    Marcel looked at the man with a confused face, ¡°Why do I have to be fat?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking, maybe you¡¯d entertain a lot of customers with your goofy-looking face. Anyway, you¡¯ll be useful, I believe.¡± He winked. ¡°So, how is it? You guys are the ones I¡¯ve spent the longest time interviewing.¡±


    ¡°Could we talk outside for a minute?¡± Jack asked.


    ¡°Hh.. What a troublesome brat. I¡¯ll give you three minutes. Hurry up!¡± Albert repliedzily.


    Jack immediately pulled Marcel out of the door and closed it.


    ¡°Jack, are you sure about this? That guy looks sly,¡± Marcel asked directly.


    ¡°We have no choice, Marcel. Where else is there a job that pays that much? Even the three jobs I¡¯ve been having now can¡¯tpare to the sry that Albert could give us. And what¡¯s more profitable, this job is only done at night. So, during the day, I can still do other side jobs and you can still go to school.¡± Jack exined at length.


    ¡°Is.. is that so?¡± Marcel mumbled.


    Jack nodded, ¡°We¡¯re just going to be waiters, Marcel. Even though he said it would be difficult to get outter, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to get out safely in the end when we have enough money to move out of our current house.¡±


    ¡°What if that doesn¡¯t happen? What if we never save enough money?¡± Marcel asked.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen, Marcel. I promise I¡¯ll get you out of here when things get better. I¡¯ll find a way out. I promise you. Now all that matters is mom¡¯s recovery.¡± Jack replied.


    Jack¡¯s answer made Marcel think. Her brother was right. If they continued to be afraid and didn¡¯t dare to take risks, then they would forever be trapped in poverty, not moving from the deadly circle. And what¡¯s worse, they might not have time to save their mother who was suffering from a malignant disease. Finally, Marcel nodded with conviction and they went back into the room.


    Two pieces of paper were signed by the two teenage boys. Papers that tied them in a work contract for two full years. They had to work in Paradise Cave as waiters and they also be subordinate to a gangster group called Apollo.


    The nights changed fast. Jack and Marcel started working hard in Paradise Cave. It was true what Albert had said. Marcel was loved by many customers because he looked cute with his fat body. But Marcel was never the least bit happy because the people were entertaining themselves by verbally abusing his physique.


    Just a few months after they started working, something that the brothers had never experienced before happened. It was when suddenly, the workce¡¯s atmosphere became very tense because Albert informed that the Apollo leader would being to the bar for a meeting with his colleagues. A man with a slightly fat body, blue eyes, and blond hair. His name was Viggo Fisher.


    The leader of Apollo who was always surrounded by dozens of men in ck formal clothes was visiting his number one gold mine called Paradise Cave. The man sat on arge sofa with several Ladies-bar on his right and left. A waiter came to serve drinks on the table in front of him. Viggo looked at the waiter with a judging face.


    ¡°Why does such a fat kid work here? Doesn¡¯t he look disgusting? Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Albert asked a man who was sitting in the chair next to him as the manager of Paradise Cave. Viggo¡¯s words also made all the guestsugh.


    ¡°Oh.. He entertains customers a lot with his fat body and stupid face.¡± Albert replied casually while cleaning the ashes of his cigarettes into the ashtray.


    ¡°He¡¯d better not be a bother here,¡± Viggo mumbled while fading hisugh.


    ¡°We will seeter,¡± Albert shrugged his shoulders.


    On the other hand, one of the ten waiters lined up waiting there was clenching his fists tightly. Jack was very angry to hear his brother insulted like that. He nced at Marcel who was still kneeling beside the table with a sad look. Were they so despicable that they deserved such treatment? Why were these people so mean? How many lives of families they had ruined? But how could they stillugh innocently?


    CRASH!!


    Marcel gasped as his chubby hand nudged a bottle on the table and spilt its contents. He slowly raised his face to see Albert who was looking at him with a so done face. Then, he turned his gaze to the hideous figure in the middle of the sofa who turned out to be staring at him with an annoyed face.


    ¡°IDIOT!¡± Viggo freely kicked Marcel¡¯s body so hard that the guy fell to the side. Then, his hand immediately grabbed the spilt wine ss bottle and lifted it into the air to prepare to hit the stupid fat waiter¡¯s head, ¡°I hate useless people like you the most,¡±


    The man swung the bottle he was holding down, but suddenly, a hand grabbed his wrist tightly. He was surprised and immediately turned around and saw two dark brown eyes staring intently at him.


    Quickly, the guy was arrested by Viggo¡¯s men. It turned out the guy was also a waiter.


    ¡°Jack! What are you doing?!¡± Albert red at him with a disbelieving face. That kid was really looking for death by acting like such a madman towards the notorious leader of Apollo.


    ¡°Hit me instead. Don¡¯t hurt him.¡± Jack eximed while he was lying on the hard bar floor with several men hardly pressing his back down.


    ¡°Jack!¡± Marcel eximed, trying to help his brother, but he himself was immediately arrested.


    This was the only time Viggo found a weak person who dared to attack him. And what was even more surprising, the guy was not only weak, he was a waiter. Normally, even a waiter would not dare to look at him openly. But this brown-eyed guy was different.


    Viggo smiled widely and stepped closer to Jack, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°I know. You are Viggo Fisher, the leader of Apollo. I know you wouldn¡¯t easily forgive others. Therefore, I beg you not to harm the boy. Make me his recement.¡± Jack answered firmly, breathing heavily from the weight pressing against his chest.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t do that. It¡¯s my fault. Please forgive us. Please spare us.¡± Marcel added with a pitiful face. From the rumours he often heard from other waiters, Viggo was notorious and never thought twice about killing people. If they both died here, what about their mother and grandmother?


    Viggo chuckled a little before ncing at Albert who looked dumbfounded at what was happening, ¡°What¡¯s this, Albert? Are they brothers?¡±


    Albert nodded doubtfully, ¡°R.. right. They are both brothers. Sorry for what happening, Boss. I didn¡¯t know they would do something so rude to you. Their works are usually pretty good, so I purposely chose them as special waiters to serve the Apollo meeting today.¡± He exined with his head bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Two troublesome boys, huh?¡± He looked back at his men who were still kneeling on the floor. ¡°Let them go!¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Yes!¡± the men answered and did so.


    ¡°I hate it the most when anyone breaks myposure. Not only that. You idiots even make a fuss in front of my important guests. But, I admit, with that lowly servant status, it turns out that you boys have guts.¡± He folded his arms across his chest, ¡°I will kill you both.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Jack and Marcel immediately raised their faces in surprise.


    ¡°But, since I¡¯m being kind today, I¡¯m giving you some leniency. You two can save yourselves. I appreciate your bravery as a man. That way, I¡¯d give you both a chance to fight my wrestlers. If you two could win, then, I will raise you as my wrestlers. But I certainly won¡¯t hold my wrestlers to finish you off here. So.. good luck,¡± He smiled as he snapped his fingers.

 Chapter 127

    127 Fight For Life


    Two big, muscr men stood within the two fighting rings. Jack and Marcel were ced in each ring to fight the wrestlers who had been fighting for years in Paradise Cave.


    ¡®Just fight! You can do it, Marcel! I know you¡¯re not weak! Do not forgive. Remember my words. In a fight, never give mercy to your opponent!¡¯ Jack¡¯s words were still ringing in Marcel¡¯s ears. His brother¡¯s words before they had to be forced to fight in separate rings.


    ¡°Raise the curtains!¡± The man who hosted the show eximed. After that, the ck curtain that separated the two rings was lifted, so that Jack and Marcel could see each other.


    On the other hand, Viggo was seen sitting on arge single sofa facing the two rings. Finally, the bell rang and the battle began.


    So far, it was only Jack and Marcel who knew each other¡¯s ability to fight. Actually, they both had the dream of bing Muaythai athletes, but it wasn¡¯t possible because they didn¡¯t have the money to register for the martial art studio and had to keep working all day to earn money. Instead, the two of them always used their spare time to practice.


    Jack looked at his brother who was in another ring. They both nodded together. Indeed, they have never received any special training. Indeed, they were too poor to be able to get training from a professional. But, it didn¡¯t make them weak. It made their spirit stronger.


    Everyone who watched the match did not expect at all that the battle would turn out to be so fierce. No one expected that the two bar waiters who had received mockers since the start had now turned out to be so powerful that they could overwhelm the two wrestlers who had years of experience.


    Jack threw his kick into the chest of the man in front of him which turned out to be his final attack on him. Yes, the kick immediately brought down the battered man. The uproar immediately resounded in the ce. Jack, who already looked exhausted, swiftly stepped to the edge of the ring to see his brother who was still fighting with all his might.


    Unlike Jack, Marcel was still weaker than him. The boy¡¯s face was covered in bruises and his mouth kept spitting out blood from the constant beating of his stomach.


    .....


    ¡°Marcel! You can do it! Come on! I can do it! You can do it too!¡± Jack eximed after seeing his little brother was lying face down. His eyes trembled at the sight. He had never seen his brother beaten up like that. It felt like he wanted to help, but if he did, it would be the end of their fate.


    Marcel, who saw the face of his big brother a few meters away from him, seemed to have received a huge new power. With all his strength, he rose from his slump. As soon as his big opponent attacked again, he immediately lowered his back and crashed into the man¡¯s stomach to make him fall backwards. With his fat body, he jumped on the man¡¯s chest and punched him in the head mercilessly. Like what Jack had said, if you were fighting, do not give mercy to your opponent.


    Viggo did not hesitate to apud. His lips kept smiling because he was very amused by the two fights he witnessed at the same time. He tilted his head at Albert who was pping in amazement beside him, unable to take his eyes off the arena.


    ¡°What are their names?¡± Viggo asked.


    Albert immediately turned to the chairman, ¡°It¡¯s Jack Dous and the fat one is his younger brother Marcel Dous.¡±


    Viggo smiled, ¡°Remove them from servant status. Make them fighters in the arena. Train them as core fighters. They will make a lot of money.¡±


    Since then, Jack and Marcel Dous¡¯ lives had changed. The dingy guys who had the bar servants status were now the core fighters in Paradise Cave. Not only that, but they also gave very rapid progress. They could beat opponents who were even bigger than them.


    Amused by the fighting between the two brothers, Viggo visited his gold mine more often. But what he didn¡¯t know was that the guy named Jack had another intention which would be the beginning of his destruction.


    **


    ¡°You are a very strong one. Come join me. We will establish a great empire. I will make you the number one.¡± Said a man with an oriental face and very fine hair.


    Jack who was cleaning the blood stter on his face and hands, seemed disinterested, ¡°Find someone else. I have more important things here.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s none. What I see, you are the most suited with that power of yours.¡± He denied it by pinning both hands in his trousers pockets. He was a tall man. His face looked beautiful.


    ¡°Hm.. Kei.. Matsumoto. That¡¯s your name, right?¡± Jack got up from his seat while throwing down the wet towel he had used to wipe the blood that wasn¡¯t his. Then, he brought his face closer to the sharp-eyed man, ¡°I can see the cunning in your nted eyes. You¡¯re just looking for a tool that you can control. Am I right?¡±


    Kei smiled faintly, apparently, Jack Dous was quite smart. That meant, he had to abandon his n, ¡°Hm.. Isn¡¯t there a strong but stupid one here?¡± he muttered as he walked towards the exit of the changing room which only contained the two of them.


    ¡°Definitely not my brother. If you dare to touch him, then I¡¯ll force you to have stic surgery.¡± Jack replied.


    Kei chuckled then shook his head, ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s strong enough.¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t know,¡± Jack said calmly. He could see that the nted-eyed man who had a sassy mouth was the type to easily judge others based on their strength. It seemed that he had a lot of things so he wasn¡¯t afraid of losing some things in his life. That¡¯s why he could act as he pleased.


    Jack, who had finished cleaning his body after the fight, finally came out of the room. But, he was quite surprised when he found a blue-eyed old man standing beside the outer door with two guards by his side.


    ¡°Chairman!¡± Jack immediately bowed respectfully.


    Viggo chuckled as he patted Jack hard on the shoulder, ¡°Keep your head up, young man. I have something to ask you.¡±


    Jack raised his head in confusion. All this time, slowly but sure, Jack had been trying to be an apple polisher to the leader of Apollo. He hade to Paradise Cave not only to fight. But, sometimes he greeted Viggo with hidden meaning.


    ¡°Just now, I heard a little of your conversation with that Asian boy. May I know, what is that very important thing?¡± Viggo asked with a slight smile.


    Jack looked surprised. He was silent for a few seconds before clearing his throat a few times. Then, he took a deep breath before answering decisively, ¡°This ce, this job, and this environment. They are all important to me. I will serve Apollo and nothing can shake my stance.¡±


    ¡°Hm.. Is that so? I thought it was your brother?¡±


    Jack shook his head firmly, ¡°We¡¯ve been here for two years. Soon, Marcel will be an adult and I don¡¯t have to protect him anymore. We¡¯ll all have our own lives and goals. It will be the time I should think about my own.¡±


    Viggo nodded at the guy¡¯s exnation. Then he said, ¡°Actually, It¡¯s not that I never realized about your behaviour trying to get close to me. Are you aiming to be part of my core team?¡± he asked.


    Again, Jack shook his head firmly, ¡°For me, to be a part of Apollo is a feeling of proud itself, regardless of what my status here is. Because, whoever works in Paradise Cave is part of Apollo. I¡¯m just showing my gratitude to you, because Thanks to you, I don¡¯t live in poverty anymore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good at talking, huh?¡± Viggo replied by lightly patting Jack¡¯s neck before walking away, leaving the guy alone.


    Jack clenched his fists tightly so they turned red, feeling his pride was destroyed by saying things that were contrary to what was in his heart.


    ¡®Everything will be paid off soon. I will destroy you, Viggo Fisher!¡¯ Jack eximed in his heart.


    A few days after the incident, Jack received word from Albert that Viggo woulde to watch the match at Paradise Cave with some of his colleagues. At first, Jack only responded casually. Whatever the theme was, he would fight as usual because he was sure that he would win, as always.


    But on the appointed day, Jack was surprised that it was Marcel who was asked toe into the fight. Reportedly, Viggo Fisher¡¯s colleagues wanted to see the chubby guy fight a new man who had won fights several times and was bing a fresh star.


    ¡°Jack, the Chairman asked you to be the referee for that match,¡± Albert said. From his face, he also seemed to know something.


    It seemed Viggo was deliberately trying to tempt Jack over their conversation a few days ago. He was indeed very cunning.


    Finally, the long-awaited day hade. The battle entertainment venue was cleared for some sessions to wee Viggo¡¯s important guests. Marcel¡¯s fight was deliberately set to be thest battle because Marcel was one of the strongest fighters there. He would fight a new boy who had never been paired against him.


    ¡°Alright! This is the fight we¡¯ve been waiting for! The final fight that concludes this event! With our number one fighter as the referee, wee.. Jack Dous!¡± The presenter eximed, answered by loud apuse from the audience. Along with that, a light brown-haired man in a referee uniform entered the ring.


    ¡°Our top two contenders! They are the strongest in the history of Paradise Cave! Those who have never faced each other. In this battle! We will see who is the strongest!¡± The presenter continued. Then, he spread his arms to point to the right and left sides of the ring.


    ¡°On the left side, is the Sumo Monster! Marcel Dooouggsss!!¡± He eximed, followed by loud apuse.


    ¡°Then, on the right side, is the Iron Bone! Roonnnn Smithhh!!¡± He continued with louder apuse.

 Chapter 128

    128 The Cruelty of Fate


    As soon as the bell rang, the fight had begun. It was a fierce battle. Two men with the same height and age, but different body weights. Marcel Dous was a fighter who maintained his excess weight, while Ron Smith was a fresh fighter who had light weight due to ack of food nutrients.


    Unfortunately, in the three rounds battle, it could be guessed who would be the winner. A Jab ended the match in the third round. Marcel fell backwards with a battered face. The anti-slip carpet that became the base of the ring was covered in blood.


    It was an entertaining fight, except for one person who had to hold back his emotions and the throbbing in his chest when he saw his own brother being beaten up by others to K.O. Jack was forced to let Marcel be beaten up and remained fair as a referee. He was not biased. The fact was, Marcel Dous was lost to Ron Smith.


    Once the match was over, for the first time, Jack was invited to Apollo¡¯s headquarters which was also located on Bluevalley Street. He was called directly to meet Viggo Fisher in his office room.


    ¡°Jack Dous.. Is this the same person who held my hand when I was about to hit a waiter boy a few years ago?¡± The man who was sitting on therge single sofa folded his legs.


    Jack bowed respectfully, ¡°We¡¯re just growing up. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Hm.. Seems you¡¯re right. Even siblings will be separated when they have their own lives. Even siblings rarely have time to meet when their parents have died. Is that right?¡± Viggo said.


    Jack just smiled faintly and nodded once.


    Viggo continued to smile silently, then took his cell phone from his trouser pocket, and put it to his ear, ¡°Tell him toe in,¡±


    .....


    At that moment, the door to the room opened. From behind it, a big man with a half hump long ponytail hair came in.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be your assistant. For starters, you¡¯ll be holding a few blocks of stores on Bluevalley Street. He¡¯ll be the one to help and exin what you need to know. From now on, your name is Red.¡± Viggo exined.


    The ponytailed man bowed politely to Jack, ¡°My name is Kenny Brown. Wish we could work together in good, Mr Red.¡±


    Jack looked at Viggo questioningly. The surprised face made the man with the tattooed bodyugh.


    Honestly, Viggo was indeed a leader who had a cruel soul. He was known to be sadistic and merciless. But that didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t like other people. From the first time he saw Jack, he could already feel the attractive aura of him. The way Jack looked at him with his sharp eyes made Viggo amazed and could immediately judge that he would be a great right-hand man. All of his judgments were also more unanimous when he saw Jack prove his loyalty through his attitude in the Marcel Dous VS Ron Smith battle.


    Jack¡¯s n went smoothly. He didn¡¯t think things would go this fast. In just a few months, Jack¡¯s position kept rising until he had many subordinates. But that was different for Marcel. The younger brother just remained a fighter as usual.


    But things didn¡¯t go that smoothly. The money the two brothers collected seemed never enough because their father¡¯s debt had a veryrge nominal value. In addition, there was a mother whose illness was getting worse and never got better.


    Cancer treatment was not cheap, but had an exorbitant price. They couldn¡¯t even register their mother in insurance because the insurance rejected people who were seriously ill.


    Even though Jack and Marcel¡¯s sries were now quiterge, they still couldn¡¯t afford to buy many things they want. All their money was spent on their mother¡¯s treatment. This made their mother, Emily, feel a burden. What she knew, her sons were working in a money lendingpany as debt collectors. This fact made the middle-aged woman feel hurt by seeing her children have to do such work only for a mother who could never provide a decent life for her sons.


    What¡¯s even sadder was she didn¡¯t even know that her two sons lied to her about their real job. Emily would have been even more devastated to learn that her two sons had been forced to work for Apollo, which the people of Redvalley Street hated so much.


    **


    Marcel walked over to Jack who was standing contemting in front of their house. He pulled his brother behind the house, ¡°Jack. Are you sure about your new assignment?¡±


    Jack chuckled while holding his head with a frustrated face, ¡°If I refuse, then everything will fall apart. Our struggle will be in vain.¡±


    ¡°But how do you extort our own people? How do we hide it again from mom and grandma?¡± Marcel asked.


    The news of Jack being appointed as Viggo¡¯s right-hand man had reached Marcel¡¯s ears. That was great news. But Jack¡¯s new assignment was a bomb that detonated right in front of his eardrums. He was now also holding Redvalley Street, which meant, he must be responsible for the withdrawal of deposits that have made Redvalley Street residents suffer. He had to openly hurt the neighbours who had helped their families when they were at their worst, to the point of not having the least money to eat.


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way, Marcel. Maybe they¡¯ll judge me as a criminal, a betrayal. I will leave this house. But you still have to stay to take care of our family.¡± Jack said.


    ¡°Then, what about mom?¡±


    ¡°Mom has been hospitalized. Although I hate to say it, I understand that the chances of mom returning home would not be fast. She still needs intensive care in the hospital. During that time, don¡¯t tell her anything. Just say that everything is fine.¡± Jack answered.


    ¡°Jack ..¡± Marcel looked at his brother with painful eyes. His heart felt heavy when he had to see his brother sacrifice so much, ¡°Let me help you out,¡±


    Jack smiled and shook his head weakly, ¡°You¡¯ve helped a lot, Marcel. Even then, you were willing to give in to Ron so that my n could go smoothly. I know it wasn¡¯t easy. For now, you could help me by taking care of our family. Remember, we are a pair of legs that have to do our job.¡±


    That was right. In that fight, it was a great opportunity for Jack to prove his loyalty to Viggo Fisher. Before the battle started, Jack had secretly discussed it with Marcel. Actually, Marcel¡¯s defeat from Ron was an intentional one. Marcel deliberately relented, taking deadly blows from the skinny man, so that his brother could gain Viggo¡¯s trust.


    The brothers knew that Viggo must have thought that Jack still cared about his little brother so much that he wouldn¡¯t let him be beaten almost to death. And Jack proved his changed-mind by just watching Marcel get killed in silence. He was a fair referee until the end. But on the other hand, they both know that Marcel¡¯s strong body could certainly withstand attacks from Ron Smith.


    Jack looked at his younger brother who was still looking down. He knew Marcel objected to this n, ¡°This is just a few months or years sacrifice for a peaceful life forever for everyone. Maybe at first, I was thought of as a viin, butter, I will return as a hero. Trust me, Marcel.¡± he smiled.


    ¡°Why are you so strong?¡± Marcel muttered with both fists clenched.


    ¡°Because I have you as my bother. And in the future, you will be stronger than me.¡± Jack replied.


    Come to think of it, that was thest time Jack and Marcel could have a long talk together. Because after that, Jack left the house by leaving a letter saying that he was tired of living in poverty and would live a new, better life. He made his grandmother, Lilian very sad. Although Jack was not his biological grandson, she loved the kid with all her heart.


    Not long after that, Jack appeared as the leader of a small group tasked with withdrawing deposits on Redvalley Street. It made their family hated by all the residents of Redvalley Street. They were considered a family of traitors and did not know how to thank others. At that difficult time, it was Marcel who had to protect his grandmother alone.


    **


    ¡°Mom was asking about you again,¡± Marcel said to Jack. They were both on the emergency stairs of the hospital. It was the only ce where they could meet for a moment because no one was watching.


    Jack just kept silent with a gloomy face, ¡°Just wait a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡¯s condition is getting worse. You know that, right?¡±


    ¡°I know. Then, what about grandma?¡± Jack asked.


    Marcel nodded, ¡°He¡¯s fine. Only her tavern has no customer.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see mom for a while? She really misses you.¡± Marcel asked again.


    Jack shook his head, ¡°If I get caught, I¡¯ll lose Viggo¡¯s trust. Everything will be ruined for nothing.¡±


    Marcel couldn¡¯t answer anymore. Apart from feeling sorry for their mother, he also felt sorry for Jack who seemed depressed. He had to pretend to be a bad guy, terrorizing the neighbours he used to greet. He had to hurt the people he loved. That was the tough thing to do.


    Not long after that, fate had to test the two brothers again. In the end, Emily, the mother of Jack and Marcel, couldn¡¯t stand it. Late-stage breast cancer had carved away her whole body.

 Chapter 129

    129 Jack and Marcel¡¯ Weakness


    Although the hospital doctors had tried their best, basically, their mother was toote to get the treatment. Jack and Marcel were toote to bring their mother for treatment so the cancer had already be malignant.


    Jack felt very sorry because he only dared to appear in front of his mother at thest second before the full of warmth woman left them all for good. Even, Jack had told his mother and grandmother before that he would fight and make them happy. But he had broken the promise in the middle of the way. Instead of being happy, he made his mother go away with a broken heart.


    It really hurt when we are toote to keep our promise. The most torturous thing is a sense of regret.


    The death of their mother made Marcel fall in pain. The reason was that since kid, he was very close and spoiled to his mother. Since his mother left, Marcel had be an introverted guy. He always closed himself in sadness to everyone. Usually, when times were tough, he had Jack to cheer him up. But Jack had no more time for him and they had to pretend they weren¡¯t in a family rtionship anymore.


    Marcel, who had lost his mother when he was in high school, made him a strange guy at school. He never spoke to anyone, was always gloomy, and isted himself from the world. All the kids thought he was an unsociable freak. With his fat body, he often got mocked by his ssmates. In fact, it was not that Marcel didn¡¯t want to lose weight, but it was his job as a wrestler that forced him to stay fat in order to attract the audience. Marcel felt his life waspletely ruined. He could only continue to hope in his brother¡¯s n which at some point would seed.


    Jack knew his brother was suffering. He knew that Marcel¡¯s life was so hard that his character changed. A talkative, cheerful boy had now be gloomy and closed. Even though Marcel had turned into an introverted guy, he still believed that his younger brother could still stand up straight, because, Jack himself was also trying desperately tounch his n.


    What Marcel didn¡¯t know was that, over the past few years, Jack had been secretly inciting many members of Apollo to defect with him. The first to be Jack¡¯s right-hand man was Kenny Brown. It turned out that actually, Kenny also held a grudge against Viggo who had hurt his father several years ago. Jack was clever to make Viggo like him and make him his confidant. The chairman even entrusted the location of his treasure space to Jack.


    One day, right after Marcel received his graduation letter, he saw his brother waiting for him alone in the garden behind the school which was overgrown with pine trees. Seeing Jack, Marcel felt awkward himself because they had not spoken for too long time. Even if they passed each other at work, Marcel had to bow to his own brother because of his status as Viggo Fisher¡¯s right-hand man.


    Jack smiled slightly. Between happy and sad to see his little brother had grown tall for the past few years, but escaped from his attention. He looked at Marcel intently, ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    .....


    Marcel nodded once with a downcast face, ¡°Fine,¡±


    ¡°What about grandma?¡± Jack asked again in a low voice. Marcel just nodded.


    Jack sighed softly, ¡°Sorry for making you wait too long. Sorry that I just sat still, watching you suffer alone.¡±


    Marcel lifted his head and looked at his brother, ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. I can deal with this.¡± he answered. The current Marcel was the same as his older brother three years ago. At that time, Jack was able to make big decisions with courage. He was a strong man. Because of that, Marcel didn¡¯t want to lose from him. He was also an adult and he had to be strong.


    ¡°My n has worked.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Marcel furrowed his brow. He looked at Jack seriously.


    Jack nodded, ¡°All this time, I¡¯ve been building my own group of defectors behind Viggo. Now, I¡¯ve gathered enough members. It¡¯s time to take that damn old man down.¡± Then, he walked up to Marcel with a smile and patted his brother¡¯s neck, ¡°After this, everything will change, Marcel. We don¡¯t have to pretend anymore. Our families will be back together and all the people of Redvalley won¡¯t be in misery anymore.¡±


    Marcel couldn¡¯t hide the excitement in his heart. Finally, their struggle for about six years would pay off. Their dream to eradicate crime and have a peaceful life woulde true. Marcel was relieved because for the past six years, despite the constant trials, his faith in Jack¡¯s n had never faded. Even though he saw Jack as if he had turned into a stranger, he still clung to their brothers¡¯ ties.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your n? What¡¯s my job on this mission?¡± Marcel asked enthusiastically.


    ¡°I¡¯ll knock out Viggo. Maybe, I¡¯d get into a fight with him. After that, I¡¯ll take over Apollo. I¡¯ll destroy all the dirty business in Bluevalley. That way, there will be only Redvalley in Handway City.¡± He exined, then, looked at Marcel intently, ¡°I¡¯m not going to involve you more in this, Marcel. You just need to do your job as usual and don¡¯te near us no matter what.¡±


    Hearing thest exnation from his brother, Marcel immediately pushed Jack¡¯s hand away in anger, ¡°Then what the use of me? Do you still think that I am weak?¡±


    Jack shook his head, ¡°No, Marcel. Precisely because I see you are very strong now. The most important thing you have to protect is grandma, because Viggo knows which family Ie from.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Marcel was surprised to hear that.


    Jack nodded, ¡°I know, it turns out that Viggo has been looking for our background information for a long time. He knows that we are the kids from Redvalley. That¡¯s why I decided to leave the house, as if leaving our family. But I¡¯m not sure yet if Viggo has one hundred percent trust in me at this moment. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll hurt grandma when I start attacking him.¡±


    Marcel fell silent, trying to digest and control his shock. All this time, he didn¡¯t know that Apollo had known their identities. If so, that meant their grandmother was in danger.


    ¡°Marcel. I believe you can protect Grandma. You can protect everyone in Redvalley. We share our duties. Remember, we are a pair of legs.¡± Jack said.


    Finally Marcel nodded in understanding, ¡°You have to promise it will work.¡±


    ¡°This is ourst chance, I will not waste it,¡± Jack answered.


    **


    In Apollo¡¯s group was actually an enemy under the nket. He had already prepared an attack n against Viggo Fisher along with all his defectors¡¯ men. But what he didn¡¯t know, exactly one day before the attack, it turned out that Viggo had received news about the n of his right-hand man.


    Thatte day, Marcel was preparing to fight as usual. In the dressing room filled with fighters, he was the only one who knew of the chaos that was toe.


    Marcel was named the strongest fighter in Paradise Cave since Ron Smith got out of that ce. Because he had be an undefeated senior fighter, Marcel got a lot of preferential treatment there. Marcel could roam freely in Paradise Cave, drinking and eating whatever was sold there for free. And Marcel would use his privilege to help his brother¡¯s final mission. Well.. even though Jack had said that he didn¡¯t need to do anything, of course, Marcel wouldn¡¯t be staying quiet.


    Marcel already knew every Apollo¡¯s men who had joined Jack¡¯s side. Therefore, he asked a bar waiter to prepare several barrels of cold beer to distribute to the members on duty. Marcel gave an alibi that the bonus from ticket sales that always ran out because of him was finally paid, so he thought about treating people at the bar.


    Secretly, Marcel put crushed sleeping pills at the random dose in one of the beer barrels that would be distributed to the Apollo men. He did not care whether the act would have side effects on those who drank it. He was just in a hurry and couldn¡¯t ept the risk that his brother would fail, because this was their only chance. The Viggo Fisher¡¯s men who drank the beer should have lost their consciousness in the next hour or two.


    ¡°In a good mood today?¡±


    Marcel turned his body backwards when he heard a male voice that made his heart skip a beat. He smiled before bowing respectfully, ¡°Chairman,¡±


    ¡°You are the best fighter here. But I never seem to talk to you. I even forgot that you are Red¡¯s younger brother. You guys are great men.¡± Viggo said with a sip of therge cigar he had just lit.


    Marcel lowered his head again, ¡°Thank you, Chairman,¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I think, if you two get together, maybe you¡¯d be even better than me. That¡¯s why it took me so long to think about whether Red deserves to be my confidant or not.¡±


    Marcel shook his head, ¡°We have gone our separate ways.¡±


    Viggo nodded, ¡°Of course. That¡¯s because you¡¯re all grown up.¡±


    Marcel smiled faintly then nodded again respectfully, ¡°I¡¯ll excuse myself, then.¡± he said before walking away after getting a nod from Viggo.


    ¡°The more mature a person is, the shrewder his brain will be.¡± Viggo¡¯s words made Marcel stop his footsteps. Slowly, he nced behind his back, where Viggo was standing casually there. ¡°You forgot that I¡¯m more mature than you two.¡± he smiled.


    Marcel¡¯s eyes widened. At that instant, he ran towards the exit of Paradise Cave. He didn¡¯t know where his brother was, but he knew where he had to go. Viggo already knew their n. That meant, he knew what was most important to the Dous brothers. Viggo must be targeting their grandma!

 Chapter 130

    130 Where is Jack?


    Marcel arrived at his house just to find his grandma¡¯s tavern was very quiet. He opened the sliding door roughly and ran up to the second floor, where they lived.


    ¡°Grandma!¡± He eximed, but there was no answer. ¡°Grandma!¡± he called again.


    Marcel¡¯s hands began to shake. All the bad thoughts popped up in his mind. He searched all over the house, but did not find his grandmother yet. Finally, he was about to run back to the outside, but as soon as he reached the door of the tavern, the door opened from the outside. He immediately let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Marcel?¡± The grandmother asked before suddenly receiving a hug from her grandson.


    ¡°Where have you been, Grandma? Why did you go out without locking the door?¡± Marcel asked breathlessly.


    ¡°I just went over to the neighbour¡¯s house for a while to borrow a can opener. What happened?¡± Lillian asked confused.


    Marcel shook his head, then let go of his arm. He looked at the grandmother¡¯s green eyes framed by her wrinkled eyelids, ¡°Grandma. You have to leave this house for a while. Don¡¯t go with anyone. I¡¯ll send you to the hotel.¡± he immediately called a taxi.


    ¡°Why? Is there a problem, Marcel?¡± The grandmother asked.


    But Marcel just shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t have time. I¡¯ll exin itter. Just remember my words.¡± he answered by pulling the grandmother out of the house when a taxi had arrived in front of their shop. Marcel immediately led his grandmother to get into the taxi¡¯s passenger seat.


    .....


    ¡°Remember my words, Grandma. Don¡¯t go with anyone.¡± He gave his wallet forcibly into his grandmother¡¯s hand, ¡°There¡¯s my card inside. Pay everything you need with it.¡± he said, before mentioning the name of a hotel which was a bit far from their location to the taxi driver.


    Finally, the yellow car drove away with a confused old woman inside. Marcel took his cell phone out of his pocket again, then tried to call Jack one more time. However, again, the number could not be reached.


    ¡®I have to go back there to warn Jack.¡¯ Marcel thought by turning around. But how shocked he was when he found a man was standing right behind him and in a second, he felt a hit in the stomach.


    Marcel immediately fell to his knees from the excruciating pain in his stomach. He turned to the man dressed all in ck who immediately walked away from him. In an instant, Marcel¡¯s whole body was covered in sweat and felt shivering. His face was reddened. He directed his hand to hold the location of his stomach which was very painful, then, he saw that his hand was covered in blood. Marcel was stabbed by that man.


    The severe pain made Marcel fall to the ground in front of his house. Hey on his back, holding his stomach. The road was deserted and there was no one to help him at all. Marcel closed his eyes. Was this his end? He could not protect anyone, and could not make anyone happy until the end of his life.


    ¡®Marcel.. You and Jack are my most precious treasure. I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t provide the two of you with the life you deserve. Maybe, if possible, I would have refused to God when both of you were appointed to be born from my womb. If possible, I would have chosen a good family for you. I really could not give you afortable life. However, I could only give you two each other. You and Jack belong together. You are brothers who willplement each other. In this life, the only thing that makes me happy is watching you two grow up to be the strong men amid this chaotic life. So.. promise me.. you have to protect each other. Understand?¡¯


    His mother¡¯sst words echoed in Marcel¡¯s ears again. He opened his eyes which were already filled with tears. The sky was still quite clear, but every beat of his heart made his vision darken. Marcel didn¡¯t want to give up so easily. He still had people to protect, his grandmother and Jack. Yes.. Jack was still struggling to make their dreamse true. Even, Jack didn¡¯t know that Viggo knew about their n. If Marcel had to die, at least Jack could live to be with their grandmother.


    With great difficulty, Marcel stood up. He took heavy strides into his tavern and picked up the washcloth lying on the table to press the wound on his stomach, then walked out again. With stumbling steps, Marcel walked back towards Paradise Cave.


    Unlike usual, the ce was very quiet. No visitors came. That was because Paradise Cave had already been shut down by Jack and his gang of renegades. Marcel didn¡¯t find Jack there. At various points of location, there were only a few of Apollo¡¯s men who were already lying on the floor. Finally, Marcel came out of the ce and walked towards Apollo¡¯s headquarters. He was sure Jack was there.


    It turned out that Marcel¡¯s guess was right. The condition of Apollo¡¯s base was even messier than Paradise Cave. Apparently, there had just been a great war here. Whether Viggo¡¯s men or Jack¡¯s allies, many were strewn on the floor. But, neither Jack nor Kenny was seen. They were nowhere to find. Marcel knew, that if they had won, the first person Jack would look for would be him.


    Full of trepidation, Marcel climbed the stairs to check through the building he had never entered. Even though he had to endure the pain and the blood kept pouring out of his stomach, Marcel was still able to endure it because of the worry that had enveloped him. He didn¡¯t care if he had to bleed to death. The important thing was that his brother survived.


    When he reached the third floor, Marcel heard the voices of several men talking. Then, he crept up and peeked into a room with the door open.


    How surprised he was when he found Jack and Kenny already kneeling on the floor with their battered faces covered in blood. Before them, Viggo stood with another man. The Apollo leader was pointing a gun in his hand at the two of them.


    ¡®So, he used a gun? What a coward!¡¯ Marcel growled in his heart.


    ¡°I already killed your brother,¡± Viggo said, making Jack raise his head quickly with his eyes wide.


    ¡°No! You¡¯re saying bullshit!¡± Jack growled.


    Viggoughed, ¡°If you want to be strong, then you can¡¯t have anyone you care about. That little brother of yours loves his grandmother too much, so he could be framed easily. Luckily, I got rid of him, otherwise, things might be different now.¡±


    ¡°I will kill you!¡± Jack shouted, then, his mouth was immediately shut with one kick by Viggo¡¯s men. For half an hour, Viggo had tortured the two defectors. Unexpectedly, the person he trusted had stolen all of his wealth which he kept in the treasure warehouse to pay his own members to stab him in the back. He should never have trusted anyone.


    ¡°You¡¯re still weak, Jack. You¡¯re still hundreds of years behind to match my strength. You are a stupid naive boy. After you die, I will make sure your grandmother¡¯s life is more miserable than before.¡± Viggo hissed.


    ¡°You bastard..¡± Jack said with fresh blood flowing from his mouth as he spoke. ¡°We.. the people who live in Redvalley, did nothing wrong to you. But.. why are you torturing us? They are good people who just want to survive with their families!¡±


    ¡°Red.. Red.. Red.. Even though you im to be an adult, you are still a very naive and stupid boy. The rule in this world is to eat or be eaten. If you are not strong enough, then be prepared to suffer.¡± Viggoughed.


    Jack clenched his fists, but, when he didn¡¯t even get to his feet, suddenly, a big man shot straight toward Viggo. That man was Marcel. He managed to grab Viggo¡¯s hand who was about to pull the trigger of his gun. It happened so fast.


    With thest of his strength, Marcel aimed the gun that was still in Viggo¡¯s hand at the viin¡¯s stomach, then...


    BAM!! BAM!!


    Viggo¡¯s old face turned deathly pale. He nced at the fat man who was still clinging to his body before he finally fell to the red carpet covered floor. On the other hand, Kenny immediately took down Viggo¡¯s men who are trying to save his boss.


    Seeing this shocking incident, Jack quickly rushed to Marcel who was already lying on the floor with a face as pale as a corpse. He saw that his brother¡¯s stomach was covered in blood, ¡°Marcel! What happened?! Hang on!¡±


    ¡°I.. I.. killed him.. did I? He.. is dead, right? Are we won?¡± Marcel muttered with a blurry vision. The older brother perched beside him with a panicked face.


    Jack nodded quickly, forcing a smile, ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ve won. You saved everyone, Marcel. You¡¯re the hero.¡± he said. ¡°Now, don¡¯t talk too much. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital. Our dream hase true. We¡¯re going home. So hang on. I beg you to hold on.¡± tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.


    Marcel smiled and nodded as his vision got blurry. He could no longer see clearly, apart from blurring, everything was getting darker because he had wasted too much blood. The voices he heard grew fainter. Thest thing he remembered was a deafening sound that was thest one before hepletely lost consciousness and felt something weigh down on his body.


    **


    BAM!!!


    Marcel opened his eyes and found the pure white ceiling with a silent buzz that hurt his ears. His eyes darted left and right, trying to figure out what was going on.


    ¡°Marcel.. My Marcel..¡± An old woman¡¯s voice that he knew so well echoed along with a soft grip on his hand.


    Marcel turned to the side and found his grandmother sitting beside the bed he was sleeping on. By looking around, Marcel could tell that he was in the hospital. He still remembered how painful the stab wound to his stomach was. But now, the wound was not too painful anymore.


    ¡°Jack.. Where is he?¡± That was the first question that popped into Marcel¡¯s mind.

 Chapter 131

    131 The Formation Of The Red Jack Commander


    ¡°Jack.. Where is he?¡± That was the first question that popped into Marcel¡¯s mind.


    Hearing her grandson¡¯s question, Lilian immediately burst into tears that she had been trying so hard to hold back. Not long after, several doctors came to check Marcel¡¯s condition. He had regained consciousness after the surgery. But until several hourster, Marcel had not received an answer from his grandmother regarding the whereabouts of his brother.


    Marcel swallowed his tasteless porridge. Beside him, his grandmother was peeling an orange for him. He nced at Lilian with a suspicious face. He knew his grandmother so well that he could clearly feel when the green-eyed old woman was sad. Even on the old face, it looked like she was holding back tears.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Jack, Grandma?¡± Marcel asked again. He knew something was wrong.


    Lilian ced the peeled oranges on the folding table above the legs of Marcel who were sitting on his bed, ¡°After you¡¯ve done eating the porridge, eat these oranges. You should eat a lot and rest more because you have lost a lot of blood.¡±


    ¡°Grandma.. You haven¡¯t answered my question. Where is Jack?¡±


    Lilian looked at Marcel intently, ¡°Marcel.. For now, think about yourself first. You should recover and be healthy soon, got it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any questions for me? Did Jack tell you everything?¡± Marcel asked.


    Lilian was silent for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and replying, ¡°That wound of yours.. was not a sharp weapon wound, but an iron stab sticking out of an unfinished building wall. Luckily, it didn¡¯t hit your vital organs so you still survived even though have lost a lot of blood.¡± The woman said, making Marcel frown. That was a report made to the police. In fact, she actually knew what happened was so much worse.


    .....


    ¡°Go to sleep, Marcel. The doctor said the day after tomorrow you can go home.¡± Lilian continued by getting up and leaving the room. As soon as she closed the door and stepped a little away from the front of the room, she could no longer hold back the feeling of weakness in her knees. The woman pulled over to sit in the waiting chair. She lowered her head and wept bitterly there.


    Finally, the day Marcel had been waiting for arrived. He had been released from the hospital. In a taxi, he and his grandmother returned to their house. As soon as he shifted the door of the tavern to be able to go inside the house, Marcel found lots of gifts arranged on several dining tables of the tavern. He turned to his grandmother who was standing behind him, ¡°Who gave those things, Grandma?¡±


    ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s all from our neighbours,¡± Lillian answered as she closed the door.


    ¡°What for?¡± Marcel asked again with a confused face.


    Lilian smiled faintly, ¡°As a token of gratitude.¡±


    Hearing that, Marcel smiled happily. It was true. It wasn¡¯t just a dream. He and Jack had seeded in making their dream happen. Apparently, the death of Viggo Fisher, which became hisst memory before losing consciousness was not a fantasy. They really had seeded in overthrowing Apollo. They managed to save the Redvalley Street from the colony of the rogue group.


    Then, Marcel ran to the back and up the stairs to their house. The pain in his stomach was no longer felt. He was too excited to meet his older brother. But the smile on his face slowly faded when he didn¡¯t find Jack in their house.


    ¡°Marcel..¡± A soft voice called out to him. Marcel, who was still standing in the middle of the room, turned around to find his grandmother who was standing weakly in the doorway of the room where the two brothers used to sleeping since childhood.


    ¡°Jack isn¡¯t here, sweetheart. He¡¯s home, but the better one.¡± The grandmother continued in a trembling voice.


    **


    Everything felt like a dream. Without realizing it, Marcel was already standing in a green field with many rows of ck tombstones. In front of him was a tomb that still looked new. Above the tomb, was a stone made of ck ceramic with a name engraved that so inappropriate to be there.


    ¡®Jack Dous¡¯


    Marcel fell to his knees. Slowly, his brain began to restore the memories he had forgotten for the previous few days. As it turned out, Marcel¡¯sst memory wasn¡¯t when he had shot Viggo Fisher down. His final recollection was of another gunshots sound and someone falling to his body. Marcel didn¡¯t think that it was Jack, his older brother.


    ¡°How? How did this happen?!¡± Marcel cried by turning his face to the figure of Kenny Brown who was also there. Kenny was standing next to his grandmother who was crying bitterly.


    Then, Kenny bent his knees to kneel beside Marcel who looked devastated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Marcel. At that time.. Somehow, Viggo wasn¡¯t dead yet. Suddenly, he got up and shot the gun in his hand at Jack¡¯s head..¡±


    Reality made Marcel feel like the ground he was standing on copsed in an instant, sending him to an endless hell. He couldn¡¯t ept that his brother was gone. They should beughing together now, celebrating their victory. They should have been happy after going through years of suffering.


    When they have seeded in reaching their dream, Jack was gone forever without being able to enjoy it at all. Jack was regarded as a viin for years, however, he could not return as a hero. He even died on the battlefield before he could return home. But, he had one promise he managed to keep. He really got his little brother out of the misery.


    ¡°Why did this happen? We should always be together. We are a pair of legs that support everything together so as not to limp. My brother.. he has sacrificed so much.¡± Marcel muttered with his face stuck to the grave ground. His tears flowed so hard that his voice was hoarse. Even the death of his brother was more painful than the death of his own mother. It hurt so bad.


    ¡°Marcel.. Jack is in a better ce now. He has back home with your mother and father. If we are sad here, Jack would be sad there.¡± Lilian knelt beside Marcel with tears in her eyes. ¡°Jack.. my grandson.. he was pretending to be a bad person all this time to save many people. He has managed to do it. As he wanted, he gave back happiness to everyone. My precious grandson..¡± she muttered while holding her throbbing chest.


    Slowly, Marcel clenched his fists, and then rose from his prone position. He nodded slightly breathlessly, ¡°You¡¯ve seeded in making our dreame true, Jack. You¡¯ve fought so much over the years. Now, it¡¯s my part to protect it. I¡¯ll take care of this dream of yours.¡±


    Lilian looked at Marcel intently, ¡°Indeed, Jack didn¡¯te back to our house. But all the people of Redvalley know about his sacrifices. Maybe he didn¡¯t hear praises in his life, but his name willst forever.¡±


    **


    Two men were seen standing under arge pine tree that grows in a public cemetery. It was Marcel Dous and Kenny Brown.


    Kenny Brown, who had been an assistant to Jack Dous, was the only person who held all of Jack¡¯s secrets and messages during his lifetime. Over the years, Kenny had been loyal to Jack. Sincerely, he appreciated Jack who had a good heart. Even so, Jack was also a very firm and strong figure.


    ¡°Apollo is fallen. Now, Bluevalley Street has left without a caretaker.¡± Kenny said. Then, he took a deep breath, ¡°Earlier, Red had told me, if one day something happens to him, then you are the most appropriate person to rece him. Apparently, his concern about the risk of thest dangerous mission was correct.¡± He continued, unable to hide the sad look on his face.


    Hearing Kenny¡¯s exnation, Marcel immediately looked at him with a disbelieving face, ¡°Me?¡±


    Kenny nodded, ¡°Red said that you are the most powerful person, even stronger than him. He knew your heart and soul more than anyone. Therefore, after Red¡¯s death, I will be your assistant to take over everything belonging to Apollo.¡±


    Marcel fell silent. He felt like couldn¡¯t carry out such a big task all of a sudden. So far, Marcel only knew how to fight. If he was physically stronger than Jack, it didn¡¯t mean that he could mentally match his brother. But that was thest order from Jack to him. After all, it was Marcel himself who said that from now on, he was the one who would protect their already aplished dream.


    ¡°What else my brother asked?¡± Marcel asked tly.


    ¡°You should have known what the first thing to do after Apollo fell. That was to destroy Bluevalley Street.¡± Kenny answered.


    ¡°Apollo is no longer around. Now, I have reced Jack and Viggo at once. But, there is one thing that I want to know. What is the name of the group that Jack has founded?¡± Marcel asked.


    Kenny shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s none. From the beginning, he said, if we finally set up an official group, it will be his brother who will name it. Because you two would be the heads of the group.¡±


    Hearing Kenny¡¯s answer, Marcel choked. He didn¡¯t expect that even in everyday life and in small things, Jack always thought about him. Marcel nodded once by clearing his throat which suddenly hurt, ¡°So.. I shall give it a name, huh?¡± he muttered.


    Then, he seemed to think for a long time before popping a name out of his mouth, ¡°Red Jack Commander. Actually, the leader of this group is not me. Jack Dous is still the leader, even though he¡¯s not here anymore. We¡¯re just his subordinates. I¡¯m just amander.¡±


    That was how the Red Jack Commander or RJC was formed. All of Apollo¡¯s men were dismissed by Marcel. Only those who were disloyal to Apollo ended up following RJC. Just as Jack and Marcel had nned at the start of their mission, Bluevalley Street was finally closed. Marcel disbanded every illegal business that was on the street and auctioned off everything in it. He used the funds of the auction to fix Redvalley Street. In just a moment, things have changed. Redvalley Street which was once a stepchild had be a favourite child. Redvalley, which was under Bluevalley¡¯s feet, was now on its top.

 Chapter 132

    132 How Does It Feel?


    Marcel and Jack¡¯s dream hade true. The people were happy now. Marcel left Bluevalley Street just like that, closing all the bad memories the street created. However, there was one thing that most people didn¡¯t know, including his grandmother, Lilian.


    There was one business owned by Apollo that still survived to this day. An underground business that was not smelled by those who were not part of the dark world¡¯s people. Because Marcel thought money was important, he was forced to keep the Paradise Cave business. He changed the name of the ce to Underground Cave because he felt the previous name was not suitable for the ce he considered hell.


    During his lifetime, Marcel had felt how hard it would be to have no money. It became a fear that seemed to haunt him secretly in his subconscious. He was afraid of being in poverty again. He was afraid that his and his grandmother¡¯s life would be miserable again if they did not have the money to buy power.


    Since childhood, Marcel had always wanted afortable life. He always got insulted for his physique and was always envious when he saw rich people who could buy and wear whatever they want. All of these things made Marcel madly change his appearance and body shape. He wanted to heal all the wounds that the bastards had inked in his heart over the years.


    Marcel understood that if he wanted to protect many people, he had to be powerful. That power he obtained with money, because basically, humans depend on money. It was impossible to survive without money in this day and age. They no longer lived in the stone era. Because protecting and advancing Redvalley Street required money, Marcel was forced to collect deposits from the street¡¯s dwellers. However, he cut the cost to be small, so as not to burden the residents. To cover theck of ie, Marcel used the ie from the Underground Cave which was a gold mine that was previously built by Apollo.


    Paradise Cave.. or.. Underground Cave was the reason why RJC grew this big. Armed with knowledge and direction from Kenny Brown, Marcel became proficient in business. In just a short period, he was able to collect the coffers of money, bing a rich man which was his personal dream. He could buy everything he want, but not with peace in his heart. Because, Marcel was not Jack. Every human heart was different.


    The truth was Marcel had broken the promise. He should have shut down all of Apollo¡¯s legacy businesses. But, instead, he still left one for him to survive. Or.. to keep Redvalley alive. Or.. to keep RJC in power.


    -shback End-


    ***


    .....


    ¡°That man in the ck helmet is like a ghost. He could appear anywhere and we couldn¡¯t even hear himing.¡± A bright yellow dyed hair man said. He knelt with his back bowed respectfully, without daring to look at the face of the person he was talking to.


    For the umpteenth time, the man with short hair kicked the yellow-haired subordinate who had made him upset. What really annoyed him the most was the information about the man in the ck helmet who kept thwarting their group¡¯s work. However, it was what the losers do, right? Throwing their frustration on others.


    ¡°Are you sure it was the same person who beat you to death?¡± Gaston Morez asked.


    ¡°Shut your fucking mouth! Who was death?!¡± Eddy Norman snapped. His face looked very irritated. He hated the midget man who always wore a helmet so much that he looked like a mushroom growing on rotting wood. The fact that he was defeated by that little bastard made him so embarrassed. His nose now had a rather odd shape because it had been broken earlier!


    ¡°How many times have we held ck Harvest Day, but the result was only a piece of fingernail because of that man. Not to mention Jita Kyoei who hase back and helped Calvin Lee. Too bad, ck Hole also increased the deposit rate. Dammit!¡± Tony Lin muttered.


    ¡°Actually, Calvin Lee and Jita Kyoei have been rarely seentely. However, it¡¯s that damn ck helmet who seems to have nothing else to do but wander around.¡± Eddy added.


    ¡°It¡¯s the time to find for him before we are killed by the chairman,¡± Gaston muttered.


    ¡°How many times are you going to say that? You¡¯ve been saying that shit until Eddy¡¯s nostrils are connected back.¡± Tony answered Gaston whose mouth was getting bigger by the day. He was sure that the man with the big muscles had actually been insecure by hearing only rumours about how strong the man in the ck helmet was.


    Gaston immediately turned to face Tony Lin, a man with soft ck hair that was always neatly arranged to frame his oriental face, ¡°Do you want to make a fuss in this chaos?¡±


    Tony just kept a straight face, not the least bit interested in dealing with Gaston¡¯s raging bull temper. A man with arge build who couldn¡¯t even control his own anger was a man who would quickly lose in a tactical battle. Actually, Tony had been looking alone for information about the ck helmet man. From the rumours he heard, the man had great fighting tactics. That¡¯s what allowed him to win, even when facing an opponent many times bigger than his own body size.


    ¡°We have to frame him,¡± Tony said.


    ¡°We could not.¡± Eddy replied, ¡°I heard, the next meeting will discuss our next target. Looks like the chairman would be focusing on RJC. Instead of chasing the dwarf man, I think, he would tell us to attack RJC¡¯s territory which is a gold mine.¡±


    ***


    TAK! TAK! TAK!


    The sound of knives shing with wooden cutting boards echoed in the kitchen, which was dominated by pastel-coloured ornaments. The ornamental nts that the owner of the house nted in ss vases have now grown quite tall. In a glimpse, Emma had been in that house for almost half a year.


    ¡°What are your ns for New Year¡¯s Eve?¡± Jonas asked from across the phone. His voice echoed in the kitchen which was joined with the living room of the open concept house.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Cooking, I guess,¡± Emma answered lightly as she put the chopped carrot into her soup pot. She identally connected her cellphone to a portable Bluetooth speaker that she ced on the counter table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think cooking is anything special anymore, seeing you do it almost every day,¡± Jonas said.


    ¡°Well.. But I like it,¡± Emma sighed quietly. Actually, she was also in a bad mood because she did not have more fun activities to wee the new year.


    ¡°I was wondering if you might want toe home and stay here for a night or two,¡± Jonas said, making Emma stop her activities for a moment before moving back again.


    Emma shook her head, though Jonas couldn¡¯t see it, ¡°Nah.. I¡¯mfortable here and I don¡¯t miss anyone at home. I¡¯ll even bet they don¡¯t miss me either.¡±


    ¡°Just because someone doesn¡¯t show you affection, doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t love you,¡± Jonas said. Then, a rumbling sound from behind the phone was heard, as if the old man on the other side was busy with something, ¡°Did you know that Edward will leave the country tomorrow to do his studies?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Emma repeated in disbelief. Edward was her younger brother. The boy had nned to continue his education abroad. But Emma had forgotten that it would happen within this month.


    ¡°Sometimes I¡¯m a bit confused. You all are siblings, but none one of you are close to each other.¡± Jonas muttered.


    Emma smiled a little, ¡°So do I, honestly. Actually, I see people attach great importance to their families here. That¡¯s very strange because I¡¯ve never felt it.¡± She sighed unconsciously.


    ¡°Everyone has a different life, Emma. If you don¡¯t find family in the house you were born in, you may find it in your new world. But one thing you have to remember. Blood is thicker than water. You will see for yourself one day. How strong the blood rtionship is.¡± Jonas replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it,¡± Emma muttered as she continued to stir the contents of her boiling pot. Then, she immediately regained herself by shaking her head a few times, ¡°Oh, Jonas. May I ask you something?¡± Emma asked with a smile on her face.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Um.. Actually.. I¡¯m a little curious about something, but I feel bad to ask you. But, if you don¡¯t mind, may I know, who was the woman who answered my phone at that time?¡± Emma asked with a little giggle.


    ¡°Oh.. Of course, you will. I¡¯ve been waiting for this day toe.¡± Jonas muttered with an exasperated sigh, ¡°So.. That was.. my lover?¡± he even hung his own answer.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Emma pped in motion. ¡°I¡¯ve expected it, actually. But I just felt it was so absurd that I couldn¡¯t help but ask you myself. So, it¡¯s true that miracles could really happen, huh? I didn¡¯t think you¡¯re a human, Jonas!¡± she continued excitedly.


    Jonas couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, ¡°Yes.. yes.. Make fun of me as you like,¡±


    ¡°How did it feel, Jonas? What made you know she was the one?¡± Emma asked curiously. Even though she hated to admit it, she was not blind to see that Jonas was a sexy man with a handsome face. In essence, he was a man with a figure who was above average in his age ss. With the looks like that, Emma could bet many women had approached him. But all this time, the annoying man seemed to have never been interested in women.


    Jonas smiled, ¡°Why do you want to know? I feel like this is not like you, you know?¡±

 Chapter 133

    133 Money Influence


    Hearing Jonas¡¯s question, which seemed to tease her, made Emma¡¯s veins pop out of her temples.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just answer right away, instead of being busy measuring what has changed in me?¡± Emma said sarcastically.


    ¡°Hmm.. As I said before, it¡¯s very difficult to exin what love is. Even when you¡¯ve felt it, you can¡¯t necessarily describe it clearly. However, one thing that you could probably understand the most isfort.¡± The deep-voiced man exined.


    ¡°Comfort?¡± Emma¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°Do you know, Jonas? Here, I feel veryfortable with a lot of people. The friends that I have here make mefortable. There¡¯s no way that means I love them all, right? Haha.. ¡±


    ¡°Nope.. You are wrong, youngdy. Thisfort is very different from thefort you feel with your best friend, or even with your own family. When you are with him, you will feel all the burdens you are feeling just evaporate. With him, you feel your heart always happy, no matter what he does. With him, you will never hesitate to spill everything inside your heart. And.. you will feel your attitude is different only towards him alone. You show a side of yourself that you even have never shown to your best friend. When you¡¯re in love, it¡¯s as if you¡¯re losing your identity.¡± Jonas exined at length.


    ¡°Wow.. Is the power of love that terrible?¡± Emma was shrugging her shoulders as her skin felt goosebumps.


    ¡°Much more terrifying,¡± Jonas replied confidently. ¡°Again, you¡¯ll know when you feel it.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯d be afraid to feel it if the effect turns out to be that big,¡± Emma mumbled to herself, which Jonas could certainly hear.


    ¡°Hahaha.. Usually, the things you avoid would easiere to you.¡± Jonas said again.


    .....


    ¡°Stop bothering me with those theories of yours, Jonas. Ah.. my soup is done. I¡¯ll be going to eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Eat much, littledy,¡± Jonas replied. ¡°Emma,¡± Suddenly, he called again as Emma almost touched the red button on her phone screen.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°If... Maybe, you¡¯ve had a case where you felt alone at a supposedly nice time. Don¡¯t forget, you have friends now. Perhaps, you could try stepping out of your cage a bit and be the first to say hello to someone else.¡±


    ¡°My cage?¡± Emma repeated in a mumble.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cage you made yourself. Not your father¡¯s one that you always me,¡± Jonas continued sarcastically.


    ***


    Emma looked at the calendar perched on her desk. The table was behind therge bedroom window that led to the snow-covered courtyard. It seemed that the peak of winter was over for it was no longer snowing day and night as it had a few days ago. With a purple ink marker, Emma crossed out the number 31 on thest sheet of the calendar.


    ¡°Tomorrow is.. New year, isn¡¯t it?¡± Emma mumbled by pressing her cheek against the table, ¡°I even have to go through it alone.¡±


    Then, Emma brought her face closer to the windowpane and breathed out her mouth on the cold surface causing steam to appear there. With her finger, she drew a symbol. It was a heart.


    ¡°What does love actually feel like? Would I not feel empty anymore with that?¡± She muttered to herself as she watched the steam gradually dissipate, being defeated by the cold outside.


    Then, Emma turned to look at the weaker clock perched on the nightstand beside her bed. It was still ten in the morning. Yesterday, Emma had spent the whole day touring Handway City as a superhero, searching for viins who had returned rarely to be seen.


    Actually, Emma felt confident that what had caused the crime rate to decline again was because she had appeared to wipe out the criminals. Emma couldn¡¯t help but smile to herself from feeling too proud of her secret aplishment. It was okay for her to feel lonely, as long as the pleasant feeling could still fill the empty blocks in her heart.


    Emma suddenly remembered what Jonas had saidst night.


    ¡®Perhaps, you could try stepping out of your cage a bit and be the first to say hello to someone else.¡¯


    Actually, if she thought about it, Jonas had a point. During this time, Emma always resigned when she found herself alone and lonely, even though she had several people she knew. Whether university friends or acquaintances she found outside the campus. If she really felt lonely, why didn¡¯t she try to go out to find someone to talk with?


    Usually, Emma somehow met Levi Wargos when she needed a friend to share the burden with. However, the agreement they made left Emma having no way to meet him other than through ident. If she thought about it, somehow fate always brought them together. However, Emma never objected in her heart, even though she always expressed her distaste for their meeting through her mouth. Actually, it would be nice to have Levi as a friend she could meet when she was feeling homesick.


    But, instead of pondering various useless things, Emma finally started to think and knew where she had to go. Excitedly, she put on her id coat and reached for her car key.


    The car stopped at a tavern after a few hours of driving. Emma got out of her car and felt the cold air hit her body. She walked quickly towards the door with high hopes. Her hand slid the door open, but...


    ¡°Huh? Is the tavern closed? Oh.. of course. It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve, right?¡± She muttered to herself as soon as she realized that the door to the tavern in front of her couldn¡¯t be moved.


    Emma let out a long sigh before turning her back to return to the car. She jumped in surprise when she found an old woman with two green irises was standing behind her.


    ¡°Ah.. Did I surprise you?¡± Lilian asked with a slightugh. Her old body was wrapped in a thick jacket with arge scarf covering his entire wrinkled neck up to her chin.


    ¡°Hahaha.. Yeah, I was a little surprised. I was thinking about having lunch here. But it seems your tavern is closed today, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lilian nodded, ¡°Yes, we are indeed closed because today is New Year¡¯s Eve.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± Emma answered, about to leave. But Lilian immediately blocked her.


    ¡°You want lunch, don¡¯t you? How about you go inside? I¡¯m almost done making the stew.¡± Lillian said.


    ¡°May I?¡± Emma asked as her face turned bright.


    Lilian smiled gently when she saw the beautiful face shining. She nodded, ¡°Of course, you can, dear. Please,e on in.¡±


    Emma helped Lilian carry her shopping bags into the house. It turned out that the old woman was stopping by some groceries shops near her tavern, so she locked her house door.


    Emma had been to the tavern twice, but didn¡¯t know that its back was quite nice. After taking off her coat, Emma walked over to Lilian who was standing in front of the stove.


    ¡°This is my grandson¡¯s favourite dish. We always cook it every New Year¡¯s Eve. In the past, we could only put vegetables in it with very little meat, but now I can put a lot of meat in it.¡± Lilian smiled warmly as she spooned the stew into two bowls, and then handed one to Emma.


    Emma took the white bowl and took it to the diner¡¯s table. Lilian followed behind her, so the two of them sat at the same table.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to eat this in the winter,¡± Lillian said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it warms the body. Thank you for inviting me in,¡± Emma looked at the old woman with a gentle smile.


    Lilian watched Emma who immediately ate her stew voraciously, ¡°Is something bothering you, dear?¡± She could see from the young girl¡¯s beautiful face. Her face looked somewhat sad, though she kept covering it with a smile.


    Emma immediately looked at Lilian awkwardly, ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°You look sad, my dear,¡±


    ¡°Am I..?¡± Emma rubbed the trunk of her neck while Lilian kept her warm gaze on her. ¡°Is that very noticeable? I¡¯m not sad actually. I just happened to be just a little lonely,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve. The time that we should spend with family, but you came here instead.¡± Lillian said.


    ¡°Incidentally, I don¡¯t live with my family in this city. I¡¯m a neer. Because of that, I don¡¯t feelfortable at home.¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°Ah.. So you live alone in this city?¡± Lilian rose her brows.


    Actually, Emma was about to nod. Honestly, she wanted toin about her loneliness to the right person. However, she kept thinking twice about doing that. Since childhood, a thought had been imnted in her subconscious that, we will never know what kind of devil is hiding behind someone¡¯s sweet smile. What you can¡¯t see doesn¡¯t mean doesn¡¯t exist.


    Emma wanted to trust other people, but she couldn¡¯t. There was a thing that was the priority for her to protect. That was her true identity. Maybe, the person she trusted the most, was the one who would destroy her life. It could happen.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°I live with my rtives. But we don¡¯t have a good rtionship.¡± she remained steadfast in her initial thought.


    ¡°Oh.. That must be very ufortable,¡± Lilian felt sorry for Emma. ¡°Ah.. Then, do you want to spend New Year¡¯s Eve with me here? I cook quite a lot.¡± Lillian offered.


    ¡°Eum.. Actually, I don¡¯t want to bother you. I¡¯m afraid to disturb you and your family.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°My family is only Marcel. Maybe, he¡¯d be here veryte today, or maybe he¡¯de tomorrow.¡± Lilian replied.


    ¡°Oh.. That¡¯s right. Where is PB?¡± Emma had even forgotten that the man with a model-like appearance was Lilian¡¯s grandson.


    Lilian sighed, ¡°As usual, he is working. He has a lot of work, so he doesn¡¯t have time to apany me.¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°It seems PB is a very hard working person,¡±


    ¡°Marcel went through a lot in his life. I think that¡¯s what made him think money was so important. Sometimes, I feel sorry for him, but still can¡¯t do anything about it. What can an old woman like me do, anyway?¡± Lilian muttered alone.

 Chapter 134

    134 A Grandmother¡¯s Worries


    ¡°You¡¯ve done more than enough. No wonder PB loves you so much. You¡¯re the best grandmother a grandchild could ask for.¡± Emma gripped the wrinkly hand. ¡°Hm.. The stew is delicious. No wonder PB likes it so much.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Marcel doesn¡¯t really like this stew. He prefers seafood soup to beef,¡± Lillian said.


    Emma frowned, ¡°Oh.. But I think I heard that this is your grandson¡¯s favourite dish so you cook it every New Year¡¯s Eve.¡±


    Lilian nodded, but her face turned sad, ¡°That¡¯s my grandson¡¯s favourite. But not Marcel. This stew is my first grandson¡¯s favourite. His name is Jack. He is Marcel¡¯s older brother.¡±


    ¡°Marcel has a brother? Doesn¡¯t he live in Handway?¡± Emma asked with a slightly surprised face.


    ¡°My Jack doesn¡¯t live here anymore. He already lives in a much nicer ce, with his parents.¡± Lilian answered by pointing up.


    Emma almost choked on the piece of carrot she was chewing, knowing what the old woman meant, ¡°I.. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± she stammered.


    Lilian shook her head with a smile on her lips, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even though they¡¯re gone, they still live in our hearts.¡±


    Emma knew how it felt to be left forever by the person she loved so much. When her mother died, Emma felt like her world was falling apart. It must be hard for PB and Lilian, having to lose that many family members. PB lost his father, mother, and older brother. Now, he had to live alone with his old grandmother.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, may I know what happened to your family? Was it an ident?¡± Emma asked carefully.


    Lilian shook her head, ¡°It wasn¡¯t an ident, but a cruel fate.¡± she answered nkly at her half-full bowl of stew, ¡°Marcel¡¯s life has been very hard. His father died of an alcohol overdose, his mother died of cancer, and his brother ... was murdered.¡±


    ¡°Was.. murdered?¡± Emma¡¯s eyes widened.


    Lilian nodded slightly, ¡°He was killed by a gangster who had colonized this street for years. That grandson of mine was trying to save this street from their colony. But that got him killed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to hear that, Ma¡¯am,¡± Emma said with a sorry face, ¡°Do the gangsters still rule this street now?¡±


    ¡°No. They¡¯ve lost. The ones who beat them down were my two grandsons. And now, Marcel is the one running this street.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Marcel? Howe?¡± Emma confused.


    Lilian nodded, then began to narrate what had previously happened on Redvalley Street before it became the peaceful street it was now. She told the story of an evil group called Apollo who built the illegal business on Bluevalley Street. How that bastard group made all the citizens of Redvalley Street suffer. The condition of her family in the past, especially the suffering of her two grandsons who did not deserve to be experienced by children their age. How her grandsons sacrificed to save the citizens of Redvalley Street. She told her what she knew so far. Although, all she knew was actually only a fingernail from what had really happened.


    ¡°So.. PB¡¯s job is to manage this street with his group?¡± Emma repeated thoughtfully. All of a sudden, all her memories rted to that man came back.


    Emma remembered the first time she met the man. PB seemed to be surrounded by several big men in all ck who looked very obedient to him. Again, Emma remembered that PB was once called ¡®Boss¡¯ by the owner of the fried chicken tavern. Did it have another meaning, that PB was the leader of a gangster group?


    ¡°Eum.. Can I ask you something, Ma¡¯am? I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m presumptuous. But I see that PB seems quite affluent, then, why did he let your tavern looks so simple like this? Shouldn¡¯t he at least give this ce a renovation so that it can be like other taverns on this street?¡± Emma asked curiously.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Lilian chuckled, ¡°Actually, Marcel has wanted to do that several times. But I don¡¯t want to change the memories of this ce. We¡¯ve suffered a lot in the past, so I won¡¯t be toocent about what we have now.¡±


    ¡°Gosh.. I was thinking that it was PB who didn¡¯t intend to do it,¡± Emma muttered, getting augh from Lilian.


    Suddenly, a knock sounded on the shop door. Lilian immediately went to the sliding door and opened it. It turned out that there were two men and a middle-aged woman standing outside. Emma¡¯s stew wasn¡¯t finished yet, so she was still sitting at the dining table.


    Lilian led her three guests into the tavern and closed the door to stop the cold outside air from entering inside. Emma could see that the faces of the three people looked unfriendly, as if they were having a problem.


    ¡°Oh.. Please sit down, I¡¯ll get you a warm drink..¡±


    ¡°N-no need, Lilian.¡± The woman with curly hair prevented her from going to the kitchen. ¡°Actually, we didn¡¯t mean to be here long. We just wanted to have a little talk with you.¡± The woman continued ufortably.


    Lilian looked confused because these people each owned a shop on Redvalley Street. They were quite close neighbours to her, ¡°Okay. Is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    One of the men in green knitted hats nodded, ¡°Actually, we want to ask you a favour, Lilian. This is about Boss Marcel. Did you know that he tripled the deposit cost?¡± the man asked in an uneasy tone. However, he had no other choice but toin to the old woman, who was the grandmother of the group leader who held the Redvalley Street.


    ¡°What?¡± Lillian looked surprised, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. Why would Marcel do that thing?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Lilian. Boss Marcel¡¯s men said, the current conditions are not good. So he has to tighten the guard on this street which causes costs to increase. Actually, we understand it, but...¡± The curly-haired woman seemed confused as she continued her speech. Of the three of them, she was the one who usually chatted with Lilian the most.


    ¡°We objected to this. We already told Marcel. But, he said that if we don¡¯t pay, then he will stop protecting this street. You know.. after Apollo made us suffer, we know that we need Marcel on guard. But in our opinion, he shouldn¡¯t have to increase the rate that much. Seeing how luxurious he looks, we actually feel he can still help us a little bit.¡± The moustached man added.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yohan. But I don¡¯t understand what you mean. Are you saying that my grandson corrupted your money?¡± Lilian asked with a frown.


    The three guests nced at each other nervously. They did think that way. With their own eyes, they could see the expensive branded things that were always attached to Marcel Dous¡¯ body. His expensive luxury cars, even the smell of perfume that wafted from his body smelled expensive. Wasn¡¯t it very clear that Marcel was using money extravagantly? He must have profited greatly from the job of running Redvalley Street.


    ¡°We are sorry Lilian. We really didn¡¯t mean it like that. But you know how things are with the shopkeepers on this street. Even though our shop is often busy, we also have big family members. We talk to you because you are the only one who is always listened to by Marcel. We hope you would help us, Lilian. Just like we used to help you when your family was still struggling,¡± The moustached man added.


    Lilian seemed to be ying with her fingers as an outlet for her troubled mood, ¡°I will talk to him. Please, you can respect my guest who is eating.¡± Lilian said with a nce at Emma. Finally, the three people nodded and left her house.


    Emma, ??who overheard all themotion, felt uneasy. She didn¡¯t like this kind of situation at all. Stuck in the middle of other people¡¯s disputes, know nothing, and have no right to act. It felt so awkward.


    ¡°Sorry, you had to hear all that, Emma. I really feel bad for you.¡± Lilian said with a troubled face as she returned to the dining table.


    Emma immediately shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯m the one who apologized foring at the wrong time.¡±


    ¡°No, Emma. I didn¡¯t know there was a problem here either. Oh my.. Marcel. That kid... what the hell is going on with him?¡± The woman muttered to herself. She also noticed that her grandson had been so busytely that he rarely came home.


    After washing the dishes in the kitchen, Emma turned back to Lilian who looked busy with her cell phone at the dinner table, ¡°Still no answer?¡± she asked.


    Lilian shook her head, then took the delicate hand of the beautiful girl who was sitting beside her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emma. You¡¯re a guest here, but you did the dishes. I¡¯m so embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°No need to be, Ma¡¯am. I know you are busy thinking about PB now. Calm yourself. I believe everything will be fine,¡± Emma said, also worried because Lilian looked like a frustrated person.


    Lilian ced her cell phone resignedly on the table, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid something bad might happen to my grandson. After all, he¡¯s still young. He has a very tough job. A lot of people depend on him. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too quick to judge. But, from what I can see, from the way he talks and treats other people, Marcel is a pretty mature man. He can handle anything.¡± Emma said to calm the old woman down.

 Chapter 135

    135 Make Sense


    Quietly, Emma was thinking about the words of the three people who said things were not good. Did it lead to the crime rate of the gangsters which had increased recently?


    If Emma thought about it, she had just wandered around her home and university area all this time. Of course, Handway City was too big for her to explore alone. Moreover, Emma was not the type to memorize ways easily. Since kid, she used to drive with a driver. She always sat in the back passenger seat and did not pay attention to the road ahead. That¡¯s why her insight of The Handway City¡¯s roads was so minimal.


    If Emma thought was true, that would mean that Marcel and his group were guarding Redvalley Street against other gangster attacks. A memory shed in Emma¡¯s mind again. When Emma was stalking Roger Timothy to meet a man who was a former member of Hell Gate, she ended up witnessing the man being captured by several men in ck clothes.


    At that moment, Marcel also appeared as if he wasn¡¯t surprised by what had happened. Wouldn¡¯t that mean he knew exactly what was going on? Because, the two men who were cornering the former members of Hell Gate were his own subordinates.


    ¡®Wait a minute..¡¯ Emma frowned.


    Marcel, Marcel, Marcel Dous. RJC. The four groups that made up many martial arts studios closed. Troy Roner. Calvin Lee. Their meeting!


    Good grief! Emma almost went crazy because a sh of memories that her brain had almost discarded were nowing back to life. Memories that she thought were unimportant ware turned out to be very important information.


    ¡®Marcel! That¡¯s right! Why am I so stupid?! How many times has that name been mentioned by Troy and his friends?¡¯ Emma thought.


    She even recalled the time when she entered the old radio room when Calvin Lee and members of Jita Kyoei were in a meeting. They said they were going to attack a group led by Marcel, whom Emma didn¡¯t know at the time because, the man she knew was PB, not Marcel Dous.


    .....


    Marcel led a group that seemed to be called RJC. They were tasked with guarding a street from attacks by other gangsters. So, what they were talking about then was Prince Bold or Marcel Dous. The street they were referring to was Redvalley!


    ¡°Emma.. Are you okay?¡± Lilian shook the hand of the girl who suddenly fell silent with a face like she had seen a ghost.


    ¡°Yes? Oh.. I¡¯m sorry, I seem to be daydreaming,¡± Emma immediately came to her senses and gave an awkwardugh.


    ¡°Ah.. You must be very confused about the situation, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m sorry to make you ufortable,¡± The old woman sighed.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not that.. I.. I¡¯m just.. thinking about my family in my hometown. I¡¯m thinking about my dad and my younger siblings.¡± She lied.


    ¡°Seems like you really miss them, that makes you give that serious face,¡± Lilian felt sorry for Emma who had to stay away from her family.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help but nod a little ufortable because she had lied to a woman as good as Lilian. However, she really was shocked at all the possibilities that formed in her mind.


    ¡°What¡¯s the time now?¡± Lilian looked at the clock on the wall which said it was 3 pm. ¡°Would you like to take a walk for some fresh air?¡±


    Emma paused for a moment before nodding, ¡°Looks like we both need to cool off.¡±


    The two women finally decided to walk outside. The problem that heated their brains would feel better if they got cold outside air. Luckily, it didn¡¯t snow that day.


    Lilian led Emma down a quiet, empty main street. It seems that the snow was rarely cleared from the asphalt road. The street was surrounded by shops. However, the shops were closed and looked abandoned.


    ¡°Is this the street called Bluevalley?¡± Emma asked the old woman walking beside her.


    Lilian nodded, ¡°As I told you, this street used to be very busy and nice. A lot of people spend their money on this street to have fun overnight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen pretty much the same street,¡± Emma said, imagining Jen Marie Street. Come to think of it, it was her first bad memory in Handway City.


    ¡°Surely Bluevalley wasn¡¯t the only street that provided nightlife in Handway City. But perhaps, it was the only street that sacrificed dozens of families to make it rise.¡± Lillian muttered.


    Emma looked around as she walked. Bluevalley Street was as quiet as a dead city. Even though Marcel could sell all the buildings to someone else or open a new business here, it seemed the trauma he had experienced was too great that he hated the street so much, even after Apollo had fallen.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very quiet street. Isn¡¯t it dangerous for us to walk around here alone? Have you done this often?¡± Emma asked.


    Lilian shook her head, ¡°Looks like this is the second time I¡¯ve visited this street again. But, you don¡¯t need to worry. Marcel¡¯s men are always on guard here, so no criminals ever get into the Bluevalley or Redvalley area.¡±


    ¡°Wow.. Looks like the organization that PB runs is quiterge, huh? Does that organization have a name?¡± Emma asked curiously. Secretly, she wanted to find some information because she had heard Calvin and Jita Kyoei discussing about Marcel. Emma just wanted to make sure that the Marcel they were referring to was, indeed, the Marcel whose grandmother was walking with her right now.


    ¡°Apparently not. Marcel said it was just a normal security services business. Actually, Marcel did the business because he wanted to make sure Redvalley Street was always safe. It was something he and Jack have wanted since they were teenagers.¡± Lilian answered, then, she sighed softly, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t expect that running a simple business like this could make him buy luxury goods and have many subordinates. But, everyone could see how much change has happened on Redvalley Street. I feel proud of Marcel. But what happened earlier just made me sad.. I don¡¯t know what is really happening.¡± The woman continued.


    ¡°Actually, as far as I know, it¡¯s true that the level of street crime is on the rise. If PB decides to increase the cost for its services, that¡¯s quite reasonable.¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°You think so? I didn¡¯t know that because I rarely go out of the Redvalley area. You know, I¡¯m too old to do that,¡± The green-eyed womanughed shyly. She was aware that her age and strength were getting weaker. She didn¡¯t want to trouble Marcel by wandering around alone outside her home territory.


    ¡°Actually.. From your story, I feel very touched and amazed by PB. I didn¡¯t know he loved his family that much. Not only that, but he had also saved a lot of people on Redvalley Street. He is like a real hero.¡± Emma said with full honesty.


    ¡°I feel very proud of him too. Not only me. Jack and his parents must be very proud of him from up there.¡± Lillian smiled. ¡°However.. From the look in his eyes, I can tell that he is actually feeling lonely. I feel that I haven¡¯t apanied him enough. I¡¯m afraid that what if my end woulde and Marcel would no longer have someone beside him. He¡¯d feel even lonely.¡±


    ¡°I admit the burden PB is carrying is heavy. But I can also see that you raised him very well. He must be a very strong man. You needn¡¯t worry.¡± Emma cheered her up.


    ¡°Thanks for cheering me up, Emma. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had any friends to talk with this long. That¡¯s why I should be more careful with my words about Marcel when I¡¯m chatting with my neighbours. Actually, I¡¯ve realized that they always thought Marcel was too extravagant. But apparently, they were too desperate this time, that they dared to speak it out.¡± Lillian said.


    ¡°Grandma!¡±


    Emma and Lilian stopped their footsteps and looked back when they heard the voice. A few meters behind, a tall man in a ck coat was standing in the middle of the road dominated by the white snow.


    ¡°Marcel?¡± Lillian muttered. She was quite surprised to see her grandson¡¯s sudden appearance. The reason was Marcel had said that he would returnte at night or even note home at all.


    ¡°Hi..¡± Emma greeted awkwardly.


    Marcel smiled briefly at Emma, ??¡±I didn¡¯t know you came here so often?¡±


    ¡°Emma came over for lunch. But our shop is closed, so I invited her in for a bit and walked around here.¡± Lilian exined, ¡°Then, why did youe home? Didn¡¯t you say you would be backte at night?¡± she asked.


    Marcel sighed tiredly, ¡°I saw a notification on my cellphone showing twenty-five times missed calls from you. After that, you didn¡¯t even answer your call. You made me worry.¡± The man shook his head.


    ¡°Gosh! I¡¯m sorry, Marcel. I forgot that left my cell phone at home. Ah.. this senile brain..¡± Lilian muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m here now. There¡¯s no need to mind about that anymore. Do youdies still want to continue walking around?¡± Marcel asked, looking at the two women in front of him.


    ¡°Eum.. It¡¯s actually quite cold. I was a bit thinking about your grandma¡¯s feet.¡± Emma said in a low voice, even though it was also heard by Lilian.


    Lilianughed at Emma¡¯s words, then nodded approvingly, ¡°You are very understanding, My dear.¡±


    Then, the three of them returned to the tavern. Lilian looked very happy that her grandson coulde home early to celebrate New Year¡¯s Eve together.


    ¡°Ah.. Marcel. Have you finished your work? I didn¡¯t make you leave your unfinished work, did I?¡± Lilian asked by putting the seasoned turkey in the oven.


    ¡°I left it to Kenny,¡± Marcel replied.

 Chapter 136

    136 Trustworthy


    Marcel took off his big coat and hung it on the hanger pole near the door, ¡°Would you like a drink?¡± he asked Emma, ??who had just sat down at the tavern¡¯s table chair.


    Emma shook her head with a smile at the man who was now only wrapped in a ck turtle neck knitted sweater, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m not thirsty.¡±


    Lilian came out of the kitchen, ¡°Emma can get her own drink here. She¡¯s been with me almost a day-long and had time to help me cook for a while in the kitchen.¡± she exined as she joined the two youth at the tavern table.


    Marcel looked at Emma with a bit of surprise, ¡°Oh.. You were?¡± Emma just shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Looks like you two get close easily.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I asked Emma to spend New Year¡¯s Eve here with us. That¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t have any family in Handway.¡± Lilian held Emma¡¯s shoulder warmly.


    Marcel nodded lightly, ¡°That¡¯s fine. You can stay here as long as you want, Emma.¡±


    ¡°Haha.. I won¡¯t stay that long. Maybe I¡¯ll be home tonight.¡± Emma answered awkwardly.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it a bit dangerous toe home toote? We have one more room you can stay in if you want.¡± Lillian said.


    ¡°Oh.. Thank you so much, Ma¡¯am. But I¡¯m not used to staying at other people¡¯s houses. Thank you for the offer.¡± Emma rejected. Actually, it was not too much of a problem if she had to stay overnight. But seeing PB who had returned made Emma think that her presence might disturb the two of them. Because basically, Emma was still considered a stranger to them.


    .....


    ¡°Oh, Grandma. You haven¡¯t said why you called me many times while I was in the toilet. Did something happen?¡± Marcel asked.


    Instantly, Lilian and Emma¡¯s faces became somewhat tense. They nced at each other awkwardly for a moment. Both had the same thought that this was not the time to talk about it. With Emma as a stranger, ??it would be very ufortable to talk about family matters.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing too important. I¡¯ll talk about itter,¡± Lillian replied.


    Marcel gave a confused look. But, because he was not a pushy person, he decided not to ask more.


    Feeling a bit awkward, Emma cleared her throat, ¡°Besides cooking a heavy meal, don¡¯t you make dessert?¡± she asked Lilian.


    ¡°Oh.. You mean sweets?¡± Lilian asked before shaking her head, ¡°We are a type of family that doesn¡¯t really like sweets. Do you like them?¡±


    Emma shrugged, ¡°I can eat it if there is one,¡±


    ¡°Actually, Marcel and his brother used to like sweets when they were little, but we deliberately didn¡¯t get them to eat sugar because our family has a diabetes history,¡± Lillian exined.


    ¡°You are? In that case, you do have to be careful with food.¡± Emma replied.


    The conversation between the two women felt wrong to Marcel¡¯s ears. His brows furrowed, ¡°Emma knows that I have a brother?¡±


    ¡°I was telling Emma why I only have you in this world. Your service to the Redvalley Street has impressed Emma as much as anyone else,¡± Lilian nodded with an innocent face.


    Emma felt so awkward. The old woman indeed talked too much when it came to her grandson. Perhaps, it was because she was quite old that she was not able to think logically about her own grandson¡¯s feelings. As Emma had heard, when someone was entering old age, her mind usually turned into a child again.


    Marcel slowly massaged his forehead. Even though he had tried to prevent Emma from knowing who he was and what he was doing. However, judging by Emma¡¯s face and her grandmother¡¯s attitude, it seemed that she had already poured out everything she knew to the girl she had only met a few times. Marcel shouldn¡¯t have loosened his guard from the first time he saw Emmae to his grandma¡¯s tavern.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I feel admiration for PB who loves his family so much.¡± Emma said by looking at PB intently. She tried to show on her face that she didn¡¯t really want to hear the story. She knew PB felt ufortable with his grandmother¡¯s mouth.


    Seeing Emma¡¯s eyes, Marcel immediately sighed softly. He seemed quite relieved, hoping that Emma wouldn¡¯t really interfere in his life, ¡°Thanks. Maybe you could just call me Marcel instead of PB. I don¡¯t even know why they made that name for me.¡±


    Emma chuckled as she nodded in understanding, ¡°Looks like your grandma knows the answer, Marcel.¡±


    Lilianughed as she looked affectionately at her grandson, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re so handsome, my dear. You¡¯re like a prince.¡±


    Of course, Emma wouldn¡¯t exin things like that from her mouth directly. She would feel very embarrassed if she had indirectly praised the person she had just met as ¡®A Prince¡¯. Although Emma had changed a bit, of course, she still had great pride.


    Finally, the night came down. Emma spent several fun hours at Marcel¡¯s and his grandmother¡¯s house. Even though Marcel and his grandmother only had each other, their warmth matched aplete family. It seemed that Marcel really loved his grandmother and he didn¡¯t hesitate to show it, even in front of Emma. Seeing things like this always made Emma feel jealous.


    ¡°Thank you for apanying my grandmother while I was away for work,¡± Marcel said by walking Emma to her car. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to drive you home? It¡¯s past eight night.¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No need. If you take me, then your grandmother will be alone. My house is quite far from here.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°I can ask one of my men to follow your car if necessary.¡± He offered again.


    Emma shook her head again, ¡°Thanks, Marcel. It¡¯s not the first time I drive home at this hour. I¡¯ve been on the roadter than this. I drive a car, anyway.¡±


    Finally, Marcel nodded to give in, ¡°Here¡¯s your food. Shall I just put it in the passenger seat?¡± he showed two stic bags he was carrying.


    ¡°Sure, thank you,¡± Emma answered by pressing her car key.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Marcel replied. Then, he opened the rear passenger door and ced the two white stic bags on the seat.


    ¡°Eum, Emma. Regarding earlier, I¡¯m sorry if my grandmother¡¯s behaviour might make you feel ufortable. I hope you can understand the olddy¡¯s mouth.¡± Marcel said as he closed the car door.


    ¡°Ah.. About that, huh?¡± Emma muttered. ¡°Actually, I want to apologize to you for not being able to avoid hearing stories I shouldn¡¯t have heard. I understand that you don¡¯t like it when other people hear them.¡±


    Marcel smiled forcefully and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s quite heavy.¡±


    ¡°I know. My saying that I admire you, it¡¯s not a mere small talk. It¡¯s not easy to do what you did.¡± Emma replied. She looked at the man who was standing ufortably with an asional long sigh, ¡°No need to worry, Marcel. That story will only end up in my ears. I won¡¯t tell anyone else because the main character doesn¡¯t want it.¡±


    Marcel could finally feel relieved. He was sure that Emma¡¯s words could be trusted. For some reason, he could sense that she was someone whose words could hold onto. At first, Marcel was quite worried because all he knew was that Emma was friends with Calvin Lee. Of course, Marcel knew who Calvin Lee was and what he was doing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now. Thanks for the food,¡± Emma said as she opened the driver¡¯s door, then, she paused for a moment before getting inside, ¡°Um.. Would I look rude if I gave you advice this early?¡±


    Marcel chuckled, ¡°I can listen to it,¡±


    ¡°If possible, I think you should spend more time with your grandma. She looks really.. you know? Lonely,¡±


    Hearing that, Marcel sighed deeply before nodding, ¡°I¡¯ll work on it. Thanks for thinking about my grandmother. I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind this feeling. See ya,¡± Emma answered by getting inside and closing the car door. Then, the maroon car drove away, leaving a tall man in a beige sweater standing, still watching.


    Emma looked in the rearview mirror above, then, found Marcel who was already walking back to his house. Lilian was about to take Emma to the car as well, but the two young people immediately forbade her because the very cold night air might make her knees hurt.


    Actually, Emma felt a little sad when she finally decided to go home. She had felt happy because she thought she could spend New Year¡¯s Eve with someone. However, she had toe back to reality. Everyone had their own family. Although every family had a different colour, what Emma had seen so far was that they all loved each other. Emma was begun to think, what was exactly wrong with her own family? Why did everyone turn their backs on each other like strangers?


    Emma deliberately pressed the gas pedal not too deep, so that her car¡¯s speed was slower. She felt not in the mood if she had to arrive at an empty house sooner. It was like being on the road was less painful than hearing her own breath in an empty, lonely house.


    By driving around the street, Emma realized that Redvalley Street was quite big. Even though it only had one name, Redvalley actually had several blocks of shops and residences. It was hard to believe that the street was controlled by a group led by Marcel Dous.


    By hearing for herself the background of Marcel¡¯s life, Emma realized one thing. It seemed she had to change her way of thinking. She could no longer beat all the gangsters. Although Marcel¡¯s group could be categorized as gangsters, he was indeed a good gangster.


    Seen the line of shops in front looks still brightly lit. Emma was stunned to find that some shops were still open on New Year¡¯s Eve. It seems that they were deliberately making the best of their time to collect the deposit money which was said to have increased quite high. This made Emma feel sorry for the shop owners. However, she was sure that Marcel woulde up with a wiser policy after discussing it with his grandmother.

 Chapter 137

    137 The Allegations Are True


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s brows furrowed. She even pulled her car to the side of the road and dimmed the maroon car¡¯s headlights. A few meters ahead, she saw a familiar motorbike. The red motorbike she knew belonged to Calvin Lee. After a few seconds, a man with slightly blond hair appeared and approached the motorbike with a food stic bag he was carrying.


    Fortunately, Emma¡¯s eyes were so sharp that she could still see a bit of the man¡¯s face, which was obscured by the helmet he was wearing. It was Calvin Lee, even though his hair had changed colour. She could see Calvin starting his motorbike engine and turning the red sports motorbike around before driving away.


    Emma immediately put her car into gear and stepped on the gas pedal. She followed Calvin¡¯s motorbike from behind. But, it didn¡¯t take long for Calvin to realize a car was following him. Finally, he pulled his motorbike over as soon as he was out of Redvalley Street.


    At first, Calvin thought it was a problem he was forced to face on New Year¡¯s Eve. However, that thought soon turned into a feeling of joy when he could see the maroon car clearly as soon as it stopped beside his motorbike. Calvin immediately took off his helmet while the windshield of the car was also open.


    ¡°It¡¯s really you,¡± Emma said with a littleugh.


    ¡®Ough! Dammit! My hair!¡¯ Calvin eximed in his heart. He forgot that he still hadn¡¯t ckened his hair. He regretted dying such an important matter. Now, he must look ridiculous in front of Emma Hind.


    ¡°Hahaha.. I tried dyeing it yesterday,¡± He replied by rubbing his neck trunk awkwardly.


    Then, Emma got out of her car door, after closing the window, and walked over to Calvin who looked like he had just turned off the engine.


    ¡°Buying dinner out again?¡± Emma asked.


    .....


    Calvin nodded, ¡°I told you, I can¡¯t cook.¡± heughed. Then, he raised his eyebrows, ¡°What are you doing thiste on the street? Did you buy dinner too?¡± he asked. He knew that Redvalley Street was filled with shops and taverns selling lots of good food.


    Emma thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just eat at the shop?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I thought so. But I saw that the shop was empty of visitors. Maybe the owner would close soon to celebrate new year¡¯s eve with his family, so I take away this food for me to eat at home.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Oh.. I see,¡± Emma mumbled, lowering her gaze.


    Stupid! Emma forgot one thing. She thought that she was the only one who didn¡¯t have a loved one to spend New Year¡¯s Eve with. She forgot there was Calvin Lee who had no one in his life. It was true that Emma isn¡¯t close to the rest of her family, but at least they were still alive. Unlike Calvin, his entire family was gone. He waspletely alone. Emma should be more grateful.


    Like what Levi had told her, she should not measure how big the problem she was facing, because she didn¡¯t know there were bigger problems that people out there were facing.


    Calvin looked at Emma who looked brooding. Subconsciously, his lips formed a sweet smile, ¡°Am I wrong if I think you¡¯re alone this New Year¡¯s Eve?¡±


    Emma woke up from her daydream, then, looked at Calvin with a slow smile, ¡°Want to eat together?¡±


    Calvin chuckled and nodded.


    On that cold night, a maroon car and a motorbike with matching colours were parked side by side. Not far from there, the two vehicle owners were sitting on a bench in front of a mini-market whose white lights lit up the deserted road.


    It was New Year¡¯s Eve, and almost all the shops were closed. Only the mini market was still open 24 hours as usual. Calvin and Emma sat in front of it with a ss of hot tea apanying them.


    ¡°Sorry if we have to eat here,¡± Calvin said in an uneasy tone. He really wanted to take Emma to a nice restaurant, but the circumstances didn¡¯t allow him. After all, Calvin could see that Emma was a girl who never cared about where she ate and yed. Despite her shopaholic nature, she had a simple soul.


    ¡°At first, I thought I¡¯m the only one who will spend New Year¡¯s Eve alone. However, I forgot that you also experienced the same thing.¡± Emma said by taking the warm fried chicken drumstick which they didn¡¯t take out from the stic bag so it wouldn¡¯t get cold by the air.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°I was thinking I¡¯d hang out with Troy or the guys. But it turns out that each one of them is going to spend it with their families.¡± Then, he sighed so the steam gathered in front of his mouth, ¡°Hh.. I just realized that even though I already have friends, doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t be alone anymore.¡± he chuckled as he shook his head.


    Emma looked at Calvin for a long time, ¡°For someone who has lost a lot, you look very strong. If I were standing in your shoes, I don¡¯t know if I could still put on a smile like that.¡±


    ¡°I just chose not to dwell in the sadness because it would do me no good and would only make me worse off.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Well.. I think you are right. It seems I have a lot to learn from you.¡± Emma nodded.


    ¡°How¡¯s the chicken? Is it good?¡± Calvin asked.


    Emma nodded, ¡°This is from the chicken shop I used to go to with Kathy. Since then, I¡¯ve often ordered chicken delivery from that shop. It tastes really good.¡±


    ¡°I see.. Looks like you already know a lot of ces in Handway City, huh? Nice to know,¡± Calvin replied. ¡°Actually, I want to take you to many ces but...¡±


    ¡°I understand that you have many things to do. I also have many things to do. So.. there is no need to feel a burden,¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°Thank you. Just wait until I destroy all of those thugs. Then, no one else will have the fear of going out and people like me won¡¯t lose their time worrying about someone getting hurt on the street.¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Although I agree with you, in reality, they are very difficult to eradicate. It seems there are fewer good people than bad people in this city.¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    ¡°Actually, there are a lot of good people. But they are not strong enough to fight back. Maybe the story will be different if those good people already have the power.¡± Calvin replied, then, he turned casually to Emma while chewing on his fried chicken, ¡°Seems like you know a lot about thugs, don¡¯t you? You weren¡¯t involved in any of them, were you?¡± he asked jokingly.


    Emma immediately swallowed her chicken and gulped down her tea with difficulty, ¡°Haha.. Of course not. Incidentally, I sometimes listen to the 37.1 AM radio channel while driving to avoid dangerous roads.¡±


    ¡°You heard it too? Hm.. You put it to good use. I never even thought about using it for that.¡± Calvin muttered.


    ¡°Anyways.. How are you doing with Troy and his friends? Have you guys seeded with that mission?¡± Emma quickly changed the subject.


    Calvin shook his head wearily, ¡°It¡¯s far from seed,¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. Looks like the problem is very serious, huh? I¡¯m curious about what happened,¡± Emma muttered with hidden intent.


    ¡°You should have known that Troy is the leader of a group called Jita Kyoei. They are experiencing a problem rted to the number of Judo studios that have lost students. After investigating, it turned out that not only Judo studios have experienced this, but all martial arts studios in Handway City. We found that the students were hired by several groups of gangsters. It was a strange wave. We¡¯re still investigating why they did this. But we already have the names of groups that are aggressively recruiting martial arts students. Do you still remember Hell Gate? The group that framed girls like Poppy Castonia?¡±


    Emma immediately nodded, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t forget. The bastard group that made my friends suffer.¡± she answered with a furious mumble at thest sentence.


    Calvin looked at Emma sadly. If she knew that the real culprit of Roger Timothy¡¯s murder was still out there, she would be very sad and disappointed. But, Calvin deliberately kept his mouth shut to keep Emma¡¯s feelings at bay. He really didn¡¯t want Emma to get involved in some dangerous gangster stuff. ¡°You can feel relieved now, Emma. It¡¯s because Hell Gate has fallen. They no longer exist. So, no more girls will suffer the same fate as Poppy Castonia.¡±


    Emma turned her attention back to Calvin, ¡°That¡¯s great. Thanks for beating them down.¡± She said with a sense of humour in her heart. The truth was she also helped defeat the group. It felt like she was thanking herself. Then, Emma cleared her throat, ¡°Then, since that Hell Gate group is gone, does that mean you¡¯re chasing another group now?¡±


    Calvin nodded again, ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve talked about it in the old radio room that time when you were there. But you didn¡¯t seem to be listening. It¡¯s a group called RJC. You don¡¯t have to worry because they don¡¯t do what Hell Gate does, so it will have absolutely nothing to do with you or your girl friends.¡±


    Emma smiled, ¡°They are not? What a relief..¡± But, she had a follow-up question, ¡°RJC huh.. That¡¯s a pretty cool name. Sounds like an abbreviation. Was my guess right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It stands for Red Jack Commander.¡± Calvin answered.


    ¡°Red.. Jack.. Com..¡± Emma muttered to herself while thinking. Her eyes stared nkly ahead with a frown. Red Jack? Jack? Marcel Dous¡¯ brother¡¯s name was Jack Dous. Wasn¡¯t that clear proof that the RJC that Calvin was pursuing was the group that Marcel led?


    ¡°The abbreviation is a bit odd. Probably there¡¯s a story behind it.¡± Calvin chuckled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about it like that, Emma. You¡¯d have forgotten this unimportant information in days, I think.¡±

 Chapter 138

    138 New Year¡¯s Eve


    ¡°Ah..¡± Emma immediately realized her gesture, and then,ughed back at Calvin. She had to be innocent and clueless so that Calvin wouldn¡¯t be suspicious of her. ¡°You¡¯re right. Actually, I was just looking for something to talk about.. Haha..¡±


    ¡°Ow.. Sorry if it made you feel awkward. I¡¯m not really good at finding a topic. I¡¯m embarrassed to make you do that.¡± He rubbed half of his face with one hand.


    Actually, Emma felt guilty because it was her lie that made Calvin feel guilty. However, she had no other choice. ¡®I¡¯m sorry Calvin..¡¯ Emma said in her heart.


    BAM!! SPATTER...


    Calvin and Emma flinched when they heard the explosion-like sound. They immediately looked up into the sky to see the remnants of the sparks from the fireworks that had just exploded. Soon, other fireworks began to follow to decorate the night sky.


    ¡°Wow.. It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Emma muttered as she looked up at the sky, didn¡¯t know where the fireworks came from.


    ¡°Want to go there? We still have time.¡± Calvin said, pulling Emma to her feet.


    ¡°Where to?¡± Emma asked while picking up their trash.


    Calvin nced at his watch. Then, he took all the trash that was in Emma¡¯s hands and ran to the nearest trash can to throw them away, ¡°To a city square near here. I just remembered that there used to be a lot of people ying fireworks there on New Year¡¯s night.¡±


    .....


    Finally, Emma followed Calvin to his motorbike. Then, Calvin took off the spare helmet he always put on the back of his motorbike. He gave it to Emma.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Emma asked while wearing the helmet. She watched as Calvin was taking off his big brown coat.


    Calvin didn¡¯t answer, but put the coat on Emma¡¯s body, ??¡±It¡¯s cold,¡±


    Emma¡¯s cheeks instantly heated up. She looked at Calvin who was now only wearing a white knitted sweater over the inside of his id shirt which only showed the cor part. Calvin would be riding a motorbike. He would get the most wind hit to his body but still gave his coat to Emma.


    ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯ve already put on my own coat. You¡¯d be colder if you only wore those clothes.¡± Emma said, about to open the coat that felt a little heavy. But, Calvin quickly held her hand.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be cold. You¡¯re behind me.¡± The answer made Emma think hard. Then, Calvin smiled gently while buttoning his coat which was covering Emma¡¯s small body, ¡°Instead of me, you are the one who has to stay warm.¡±


    Calvin got on his motorbike and started the engine. Then, he gave his hand in front of Emma who was still standing transfixed, ¡°Come on up.¡± he said with a warm smile on his face.


    Thanks to Calvin who gave Emma his warm coat, she didn¡¯t get cold even though she was riding a motorbike on a cold winter night. Even though Emma was used to riding around on winter nights, she admitted that it was true that she always felt cold, but still forced herself to go down the road with her favourite metal horse.


    Like what Calvin said, it turned out that the mini-market they had visited was quite close to a square. Seen a namete made of carved marble. It said ¡®Mona Square¡¯.


    It turned out that many people gathered to celebrate New Year¡¯s Eve in the square. The people were busy setting off fireworks and preparing some of the biggest ones to beunched at midnight which would arrive in about thirty minutes.


    Calvin parked his motorbike in a parking lot that was already quite full of motorbikes and cars. He helped Emma by using his hands to hold her when she got off the high bike.


    Emma¡¯s face was full of joy. Of course, she would be happy because the square looked pretty with lots of lights and several small booths selling food. If she had known from the start that there was a ce like this, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been feeling down because she didn¡¯t have anything to do to wee the new year.


    Calvin, who saw Emma¡¯s happy face, smiled with all his heart. He immediately took off his own helmet and tied the helmet that Emma was wearing back to its original ce. ¡°Let¡¯s go there. What do you want to eat? Since it¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve, I¡¯ll be the treat.¡± He said after standing beside Emma.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Emma widened her eyes. The two bright brown irises instantly shone, reflecting the colourful lights.


    Calvin nodded confidently, ¡°I¡¯m not kidding.¡± he answered, before pointing to a booth selling roasted corn, ¡°How about that?¡±


    Emma immediately nodded, and then, they approached the booth. In just a few minutes, Calvin¡¯s hands were carrying three stic bags containing multiple kinds of food. However, he didn¡¯t mind at all as long as the girl beside him was happy.


    The two of them ended up sitting on a staircase that stretched across the square where a lot of people sitting there too. The whole time, Calvin only watched Emma who was busy eating while looking around at the view of the bustling square.


    When Emma finally turned her face to Calvin, she realized that the man was staring at her openly with a gentle smile, ¡°What?¡± Emma asked confused.


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°Did you enjoy it? The food and the view,¡±


    Emma smiled and nodded, ¡°If I think about it, this seems to be the first time I¡¯ve celebrated New Year outside the house since my mom passed away.¡±


    ¡°How is your new year usually?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Hm.. I celebrated it with some of my rtives, the people who are always around me. We celebrated it in the yard.¡± Emma answered. The people she meant were Jonas and her caretakers who worked for her father. As for her family, each of them chose to be busy with their own business which Emma didn¡¯t have any idea about.


    ¡°To be honest, this is also the first time I have celebrated New Year¡¯s Eve with other people since my brother and grandmother died. Usually, I just sit alone in a crowd like this. Watching peopleugh, even if it¡¯s not with me,¡± Calvin said. ¡°I¡¯m so d that you are by my side right now.¡±


    Emma cleared her throat as she turned her gaze forward to watch the visitors who usually formed a group. Judging from the members, they seemed to be families with young children and the elderly.


    ¡°They look happy. It seems like it would be really nice to be together in a ce like this with the family.¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°I still remember the feel a little. It was fun. I wish I could feel it again, even if it¡¯s impossible.¡± Calvin replied by looking at what Emma was witnessing. ¡°Emma..¡± he called.


    Emma then turned to Calvin with a questioning look.


    ¡°The times like we are feeling now will eventually pass. I think we can take this life experience as a lesson, so that when we start our own family, we shouldn¡¯t be selfish parents.¡± He said.


    Emma stared at Calvin for a while with a thoughtful face. That¡¯s right. Actually, what Emma and Calvin experienced was the result of their parents¡¯ greed. If only Emma¡¯s father paid more attention to his children. If only Calvin¡¯s parents didn¡¯t always work abroad. Then, maybe, things would be different now. But Emma strongly agreed with what Calvin said. In the end, all of that would pass and they could only learn from what had happened, so they wouldn¡¯t pass the same fate on to their children in the future. Because, they knew how painful it was.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go there for a minute,¡± Calvin suddenly woke Emma from her thought. She replied with a nod.


    Emma stared at Calvin¡¯s board back who was walking away. The man with dyed blonde hair was seen standing in front of a booth selling various types of fireworks. Unconsciously, Emma was already looking at him without blinking.


    Even though his hair was dyed weirdly, it turned out that Calvin¡¯s handsome face did give him a lot of advantages. It was as if anything stuck to his body would look good. It seemed, so far, it was only Calvin who understood Emma¡¯s feelings as a child whocks family affection.


    Just like Emma, ??Calvin was also living alone. Emma came to understand, maybe, apart from revenge, Calvin was hunting gangsters to cover the empty feeling in his heart. Because, that was exactly how Emma felt. From feeling lonely, she looked for activities that challenged her adrenaline and made her tired to death so she could sleep soundly at night.


    Calvin returned to Emma with four packs of Sparkles fireworks in his hands. He opened one of them and took out a lighter which he had also bought at the booth because he was not a smoker, so he rarely brought lighters with him.


    Calvin gave a spark stick that was shaped like a long small wire that could be held at the end. Emma epted the thing, ¡°I remember ying this a lot when I was a kid,¡± she muttered with a warm smile. It was Jonas who gave the sparks for her to y in the backyard for new year¡¯s eve.


    ¡°I usually celebrate every New Year¡¯s Eve by setting off these fireworks. Even though I light it alone, it feels good because it brings back fond memories of my childhood.¡± Calvin said by setting off the spark. After it was lit, he immediately lit Emma¡¯s.


    Emma¡¯s eyes sparkled as she stared at the reddish-yellow spark that looked like a flower, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful...¡±


    ¡°Those things are beautiful to you. But you don¡¯t know there¡¯s something more beautiful than fireworks.¡± Calvin replied.


    Emma immediately turned her gaze to the man who was staring at her deeply, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You,¡±


    WHIZZZ!! BAM!! BAM!! SPATTER...


    The two light brown irises stared at the gentle smiling man in front of her, against the backdrop of dozens of huge fireworks exploding in the sky. It looked like the time had shown 00.00, which indicated the year had changed. With that, the time in Emma¡¯s small world seemed to stop ticking. What Calvin said made her freeze.

 Chapter 139

    139 A Broken Heart


    A car stopped in the garage of a house that had a minimalist ent. From inside the maroon car, a brown-haired girl came down with a beaming face. Emma went into her house and put her things on the table. She pressed her palms to her cheeks which she had felt hot.


    Previously, after the fireworks show, Calvin took Emma back to the mini market to pick up her car. Then, Calvin followed Emma¡¯s car to near the Rose Street stop. Since it was toote, Calvin was worried because the streets must be very quiet and dangerous so he insisted on dropping Emma off.


    ¡°Ugh! How could he be so casual after saying something that embarrassed me?¡± Emma growled herself as she threw her body to sit on the sofa.


    After indirectly saying that Emma was beautiful, he then acted as if what he had said was a trivial matter. He didn¡¯t know that his words had made Emma¡¯s heart beat so fast.


    Even when Emma got home, she was still confused. The reason was this was not the first time she heard men say that she was beautiful. It was like being praised for being beautiful had be her daily meal, both by men and women. But when she heard it from Calvin¡¯s mouth, it was like an explosion in her heart.


    Emma thought, was this a sign that she was in love?


    ***


    The fact that Marcel Dous was the leader of the RJC group that Calvin Lee and Jita Kyoei were targeting was making Emma feel uneasy.


    Now, Emma had found out why Calvin and Jita Kyoei were after RJC. Come to think of it, everything made sense now. Why did RJC need additional funding? That was because they recruited martial arts studios students to strengthen the guard at Redvalley and Bluevalley Street. However, by doing so, they made the studios run out of students and in truth, they didn¡¯t know that this action made the former students give up their dreams of bing athletes.


    .....


    Emma understood that Troy Roner attached great importance to Judo and the future of the sport. Now, Calvin Lee, who also intervened, must have judged that RJC was a bad group because it had harmed many studios and killed the future of many young people. However, they did not know that RCJ did this because they had to. They had to protect the dozens of families that stayed in the street under their control.


    Knowing that things were not going well around Redvalley Street, Emma finally decided to focus on touring the area. As ck, Emma would be patrolling there. Perhaps that way, she could reduce the number of crimes so that the RJC no longer had to try to increase the number of its members.


    Honestly, Emma would not be able to choose which side she should be on. Calvin and Jita Kyoei or Marcel and his grandmother.


    ***


    The sound of a woman¡¯s cry coloured the usually peaceful withdrawal of the deposit. Ever since Marcel Dous tripled deposit rates, there was been a lot of drama on deposit collection day. The residents did not agree with the increase which they thought was too high. However, Marcel remained firm in his stance.


    ¡°Please, Sir. How am I going to raise the money to send my two daughters to school?¡± The middle-aged woman begged the two tall men in all ck who were standing in front of her. Usually, the two men were very nice and friendly, but now they looked like cold-hearted invaders.


    Behind the woman, two young girls were peeking from the kitchen door with tears in their eyes. They were the twin daughters of the widowed woman. The two girls were currently in high school and were preparing themselves and the funds so that they could go to college after high school graduation.


    ¡°Sorry, but that can¡¯t be done, Ma¡¯am. Policy is policy. We¡¯re just doing our job.¡± One of the tall men said.


    The woman nodded, ¡°I know. Therefore, I beg you, please help me to tell Boss Marcel. We really can¡¯t pay that much. Please don¡¯t make us suffer like this.¡± She cried.


    From a distance, a pair of green eyes were witnessing the heartbreaking event. Anger, sadness, and confusion welled up in Lilian¡¯s chest. Previously, she had told Marcel about the problem that was going on. However, Marcel didn¡¯t seem to heed his grandmother¡¯s persuasion. Lilian herself wondered why the normally obedient grandson had be so stubborn?


    Feeling too ufortable with the neighbours who kept sneering at her, Lilian decided to close her tavern for a few days. From morning to evening, she just waited for Marcel toe back home to talk to her.


    Finally, the night came. Lilian, who had been waiting quietly at the tavern table, finally moved when she saw the tavern door shifting open. From behind it, showed a tall man d in a coat disyed the logos of a well-known fashion brand which was known for its exorbitant prices.


    ¡°I¡¯m home, Grandma,¡± Marcel greeted by stepping inside. He took off his coat, revealing his sweater which also had a small logo of a well-known fashion brand on the right chest.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Lillian asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcel nodded. Then, he stepped closer to the table and ced a stic bag containing several hot red bean dumplings in front of his grandmother. He knew his grandmother liked the food so he bought it on the way home, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡±


    ¡°Marcel.. Can you sit down for a minute? We have something to talk about,¡± Lilian did not answer her grandson¡¯s question.


    Marcel stared at his grandmother for a long time, then sighed with a slight nod and sat on the chair table. He looked at his grandmother¡¯s eyes with a t face.


    ¡°What¡¯s really going on, Marcel? Why don¡¯t you want to lower the deposit rate?¡± The grandmother asked gently. But, there was a look of uneasiness on her old face.


    Marcel let out another long sigh before replying, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you the reason? That¡¯s because the expenses we have to spend are alsorge. If we don¡¯t raise it that much, then we can¡¯t keep it running optimally.¡±


    ¡°Marcel, you and your men are very strong. There aren¡¯t that many delinquents hanging around here either. It¡¯s unreasonable with such arge deposit increase.¡±


    ¡°Grandma.. You don¡¯t know how it¡¯s calcted. You only see everything from the outside, but don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on behind it. Please just trust me, Grandma.¡± Marcel said with a serious look.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, dear. But I see you keep wasting your money on luxury goods. You keep changing cars too. Can¡¯t you use the money to help our neighbours, instead? You could lower your business¡¯s profit just a little. I think it would help people a lot.¡± Lillian exined in a trembling voice.


    Honestly, Lilian¡¯s heart ached when she said that to her own grandson. She understood why Marcel could be so extravagant with his money. He had lived a very difficult life since childhood, so now he longed for a life like a rich people. However, she certainly couldn¡¯t let her grandson continue to be selfish like that.


    Hearing what his grandmother said, Marcel couldn¡¯t help but look down. His heart was pounding in anger, but he tried to endure it. Under the table, his hands clenched into fists.


    When a person actually knew that what he was doing was wrong, when someone else reprimanded him, a feeling of dislike would arise in his heart. It was because he was afraid of looking bad. That was how Marcel felt. But in his heart, he instead sought defence by thinking that his grandmother thought too much of others, rather than her own grandson.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk again tomorrow. I¡¯m tired.¡± He said, standing up.


    ¡°Are you leaving again?¡± Lilian asked as she got up from her seat.


    Marcel just nodded nonchntly as he took his coat again and put it on.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really tired, at least you can sleep here. Why don¡¯t you ever feelfortable sleeping here, Marcel? Is it only for New Year¡¯s Eve you just want to apany your grandma in this lonely house?¡± Lilian asked in a disappointed tone. Maybe, emotions had started to take over all her feelings.


    Marcel turned his body to face his grandmother, ¡°I don¡¯t like this shabby house. It reminds me of the old me. Reminds me of a fat, ugly kid who looks like a bum.¡± He answered quickly.


    Lilian seemed to be holding her breath with a pounding heart. Both of her eyes were faintly seen starting to tear up, ¡°If you keep thinking like that, your selfishness would only get bigger, Marcel. The longer it goes on, you would sacrifice more things for the sake of money. Do you still remember your goal in maintaining and repairing Redvalley Street? Your goal in defeating Apollo? It wasn¡¯t so that you could have the fun you are now, was it? But it was because you wanted to see all the Redvalley¡¯s people live in peace. Now you even look like Apollo.¡± She said.


    The grandmother¡¯sst sentence made Marcel¡¯s blood boil fast. The beating of his heart seemed to crack his ribs. Was he the same as Apollo now? How could his grandmother be so cruel to judge him just because of the neighbour¡¯s mouth?


    ¡°You¡¯d better keep quiet if you don¡¯t know anything. You don¡¯t know anything about this business. You¡¯re just an old woman who doesn¡¯t understand what is really going on. You¡¯d better enjoy your old life with the money I make.¡± Marcel replied in a deep voice. His face looked like a lion whose territory was invaded by the enemy. He spoke without thinking. It was as if the devil¡¯s seal inside his heart was opened due to the words of his grandmother.


    Marcel¡¯s harsh words made Lilian freeze. She could only stare at her beloved grandson walking out of the door and closing it. Not long after, the sound of a sports car engine starting growl, along with its departure.

 Chapter 140

    140 Kidnapping Attempt


    Lilian held her chest in great pain. Tears flowed down her cheeks. It was the first time in her life that she had felt such severe heartache. It was breaking to see her grandson consciously said something so mean to her. Marcel Dous, a good boy who always loved her, could say such an evil statement. It was the first time in her life that Marcel could stare at her so contemptuously.


    Unable to bear her own weight, Lilian shuffled over to the nearest chair to sit down before her old body fell onto the wooden floor. She could only cry, didn¡¯t recognize her own grandson. Seeing Marcel had changed made Lilian feel like she had lost her two grandchildren now. The feeling of loneliness was getting bigger, now mixed with heartache.


    ¡°Something must be wrong.. There must be a problem. There¡¯s no way Marcel be this way. I know him very well,¡± Lilian muttered as she took out her cell phone from her sleeping pants pocket.


    After calling a taxi, the old woman immediately took her coat and winter hat and put them on. As soon as she finished preparing, she got out of her house and locked the door. Not long after, a yellow car with a taxi logo arrived in front of her house.


    ¡°Good evening. Where do you want to go, Ma¡¯am?¡± The driver asked.


    ¡°Could you just drive me circling this street area and out a little? I¡¯m actually looking for an address.¡± Lillian answered.


    ¡°Sure, Ma¡¯am.¡± The man with the moustache replied before driving his yellow car.


    Along the way, Lilian kept staring out the car window. She intended to find out for herself where Marcel had lived all this time exactly. If Marcel didn¡¯t actually live in a rented t, at least, he lived in the office he¡¯d always mentioned. It was the office where he ran his business. The location he had never shown Lilian to with a thousand reasons of refusal.


    ¡°Do you know what the building looks like or at least the name of the street, Ma¡¯am?¡± The driver man asked.


    .....


    Lilian shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. But, maybe that ce is frequented by several ck cars.¡± she exined by remembering that all of Marcel¡¯s men always drove ck cars.


    The taxi driver just nodded nonchntly. He didn¡¯t care if the old woman asked him to drive around for hours looking for things he wasn¡¯t sure about. Instead, he would feel happy because the taxi meter would get bigger.


    Lilian kept her eyes on the car window desperately. She knew that doing this was like looking for a needle in a haystack. There was only one thing that made Lilian think that the location where Marcel lived was not far from the Redvalley area. That was because every time Lilian called Marcel and asked him toe, it only took him about ten minutes to arrive at their house.


    ¡°Geez! W.. what is this?¡± The taxi driver¡¯s exmation took Lilian by surprise.


    ¡°What is it?¡± The old woman leaned into the driver¡¯s seat. Then, she felt the taxi car suddenly braked.


    Lilian¡¯s eyes nced at the windshield and she was shocked to find seven motorbikes blocking their way. That was the cause why the taxi driver stopped the car so suddenly.


    ¡°Bastard! W-why did they intercept us?¡± The driver stammered. The group of men in ck leather jackets and faces covered in buffs made his heart flutter in fear. He really was in trouble.


    One of the thugs got off his motorbike, while three more motorbikes came and stopped behind the taxi. Therge man who had gotten off the motorbike walked over to the taxi and knocked casually on the driver¡¯s door window.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open it! What do they want?¡± Lilian eximed to the driver. They were both scared to death.


    ¡°I do not know either!¡± The driver replied, keeping his eyes on the man outside the window.


    The man knocked again on the window pane. However, the driver still refused to open the window. Instead, he honked his car horn while pulling out his cell phone to call the police. But suddenly..


    CRASH!!!


    ¡°WHY DON¡¯T YOU OPEN IT, MOTHERFUCKER!!¡± Eximed the man who had just smashed the car window with his iron rod.


    The shards of broken ss hurt the driver¡¯s face. He instinctively lowered his head while protecting his head with both hands as the thug put his hand into the window. However, he didn¡¯t hurt him anymore.


    ck! There was the sound of a car door opening. It turned out that just now, the thug reached his hand into the window to unlock the car doors.


    ¡°NO!! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!!¡± Lilian screamed as the door beside her opened and two other thugs pulled her out violently.


    ¡°SHUT UP OLD GRAND!¡± One of them snapped as he dragged the poor woman away from the taxi.


    ¡°If you call the police or anyone else, we¡¯ll find your car and kill you. I¡¯ve memorized your license te. Leave now!¡± The big man who had broken the window warned.


    The taxi driver nodded quickly, ¡°I.. I understand! I swear not to tell anyone,¡± he answered, ignoring the condition of his face which had many bloody scratches from the ss shards. At that instant, he immediately stepped on the gas to escape from that location.


    As soon as he finished kicking off the taxi driver, the man who seemed to be the leader of the small group turned to the old woman who was constantly screaming for help. Even though her mouth had been covered with a cloth by the two men who were holding her arms, her screams could still be heard. Indeed, old women were troublesome creatures. They should just die quickly.


    ¡°Can you shut up? Want me to cut your vocal cords so you can calm down a bit?¡± The man asked as he approached the old woman who was crying profusely. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time to catch you because you¡¯re like a pet locked up in a cage. Marcel Dous¡¯ weakness is his grandmother. Is that right?¡± he removed his buff and showed a devilish smile etched on his face.


    ***


    A ck motorbike drove on a very quiet street. Emma was used to the Handway City streets which werepletely deserted at night. Only at a few points were seen still quite a lot of activity at night. However, in outlying areas, the roads were usually empty when it was past nine at night.


    Emma had circled the area around Redvalley several times. The street looked had rarely nice settlements. Actually, Emma wanted to ride around Redvalley and Bluevalley streets to see for herself what kind of thugs were threatening the peace of society. But she was discouraged when she saw with her own eyes, how strict RJC¡¯s guards were for those two streets.


    To ordinary people, they would not be able to see that the streets were actually under guard. RJC was excellent at camouging while on duty. No one would ever realize that some men who looked like ordinary citizens on the move were actually gangster group members.


    With the appearance of Emma or ck being very suspicious like this, of course, the RJC members on duty would immediately chase after her form thinking that she was an enemy who wanted to make trouble. Because of that, Emma decided to just wander around outside of RJC¡¯s territory. She was sure that even if she did that, she would still be able to help RJC fight groups that were trying to cause trouble in their area.


    ¡°Ugh.. It¡¯s so cold today,¡± Emma mumbled with a shivering body for the umpteenth time. That day, she did not get a single prey. Just wandering around until she almost caught a cold.


    Emma pulled her motorbike aside for a moment to check the time on her watch which turned out to be 11 pm. Because it was toote and there was no sign of crime, Emma decided to go home. What¡¯s more, her house was quite far from her current location.


    With a rxed movement, Emma put her foot on the pedal again and pulled the gas on the iron horse. Even though it waste, she wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Emma rode her motorbike along the empty, dimly lit road before a taxi passed her from the opposite direction at full speed. Emma was surprised because the taxi looked a bit reckless as if the driver was drunk. But at first nce, Emma could see that the car¡¯s driver¡¯s door ss was broken.


    Emma¡¯s instincts instantly worked. She immediately felt something was wrong. Then, by increasing the speed of her motorbike, Emma rode down the big road. Finally, she saw a mob of motorcycles was quite far ahead. There was no need to think any further to find out that the bikers that blocking the road as if it belonged to them were a bunch of thugs. Emma immediately turned off her motorcycle headlights so the thugs wouldn¡¯t notice hering.


    Getting closer, Emma could see that the thugs¡¯ group was holding a woman captive. Until she realized that the woman being held captive by two men on her right and left was an old woman whose face Emma knew very well. It was Lilian Dous.


    Seeing that, Emma¡¯s growled in anger. Fuck! They really would have died at her hands for hurting that woman.


    Furious, Emma pressed the horn hard as her motorbike approached.


    SQUEAK!!


    A deafening sound came from the screeching of the braked tires. Emma immediately took on the motorbike stander and jumped down. Simultaneously, several men approached her by swinging the iron rods which were their weapons.


    The thugs didn¡¯t even need to ask who the ck helmet was and what he wanted. The figure of the ck helmet was already well known and the demeanour he showed had also shown that he wanted a fight.

 Chapter 141

    141 Saving Lilian


    The attacks from the group of thugs didn¡¯t stop Emma from walking straight toward Lilian who was being held captive by the damned losers. With agility, Emma dodged every attack and responded with many kicks and punches that instantly paralyzed the men in ck jackets.


    ¡°LET HER GO!!¡± Emma eximed angrily.


    The leader of the small group turned his back, and stood casually staring at the ck helmet man, ¡°If I refuse, what would you do, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to break your neck. Quickly release that woman before I do it myself.¡± Emma said firmly.


    The manughed, ¡°Try it, then.¡±


    Brumm!! Brumm!!


    Emma looked back when she heard the sound of the exhaust ring all around her. The motorbikes¡¯ headlights shone toward her as if she were a movie star receiving an Oscar.


    ¡°You coward bastards!¡± Emma muttered as she stared at the dozens of additional motorbikes that had entered the battle arena.


    ***


    .....


    Marcel clutched his head in frustration as he drove his luxurious sports car. In all his life, Marcel had never been angry with his grandmother or mother. He was a good son who never fought nor talked back at all. But today, not only did he fight back, but he also hurt his grandmother with cruel words that somehow managed toe out of his garbage mouth.


    What the grandmother said was true and Marcel realized it. But he really couldn¡¯t ept that his standard of living to be dropped. In fact, even from the start, the Redvalley Street would not be as advanced as it was now if Marcel had not kept the Underground Cave open. From the very beginning, the funds to maintain and protect Redvalley were never enough if it only relied on the deposits from the residents.


    All that pressure made Marcel lose control of his emotions so that he could hurt the grandmother he loved so much. As usual, regret always came toote. And it hit him very hard.


    You will only realize that you hurt someone, after seeing the wound you made.


    Marcel stopped his car just before entering the gates of his headquarters building. He contemted for a few minutes behind the wheel. His eyes seemed to be puddled. Did this mean that he was no longer able to bear the burden ced on his shoulders? If it was Jack, would he do the same? If it was Jack, would he be so depressed that made him hurt their grandmother? How did Jack and his mother feel when they saw Marcel hurt his grandmother?


    ¡°Tsk! You jerk!¡± Marcel growled by stepping on the gas pedal and mming the steering wheel. The car didn¡¯t go into the base, but instead drove away again, leaving the guards who were bowing respectfully around the gates to wee the leader.


    Marcel knew he was wrong. Indeed, he did not believe that he could change his perspective on money. He was also not sure if he could change the policy he had set for the deposit fee on Redvalley Street. However, he was a grandson who must apologize for hurting his grandmother, thest person he loved the most in this world. He would kneel at his grandmother¡¯s feet and beg for her forgiveness.


    When Marcel¡¯s car had entered the Redvalley Street area, his cell phone suddenly rang. He nced at the object he had previously ced on the passenger seat next to him. On the phone screen, the grandmother¡¯s contact name appeared. Marcel immediately grabbed his cell phone and picked up the phone.


    ¡°Hello..¡±


    Marcel stopped when the call was suddenly ended unterally by the caller. His brows furrowed in confusion as he removed the phone from his ear to stare at the locked screen of the phone.


    Even though it felt a little odd, Marcel didn¡¯t think about recalling his grandmother because she was close to home. Less than five minutes, Marcel¡¯s car had arrived in front of the tavern which was the house where his grandmother lived. He immediately got out of the car and opened the door of the shop. But the door was locked.


    ¡®Is grandma asleep?¡¯ Marcel thought, but he immediately denied the prejudice because his grandmother had just contacted him although he did not have time to answer.


    Finally, Marcel pressed the bell button beside the door. He waited a few seconds before pressing it again. However, there was still no sign of the door would be opened.


    ¡°Gosh! Idiot.. I have a spare key in the car,¡± He muttered as he walked briskly to his car for the keys.


    Marcel moved fast because he had an uneasy feeling for some reason, but he couldn¡¯t tell whether it was because he had just had a fight with his grandmother or if there really was something wrong.


    The tavern door opened with Marcel stepped inside. He took off his coat and immediately rushed upstairs which was the house. But Marcel¡¯s panic only increased when he couldn¡¯t find his grandmother in any room. The house was empty.


    With a little run, Marcel stepped down the stairs while holding the phone to his ear. He called Lilian who was now out of nowhere. In all her life, the old woman had never been outside the house at night. She even had never left the Redvalley Street area except with his grandson during this time.


    Marcel¡¯s call was still not answered even though he had called many times. Until he felt relieved when the dial tone stopped which indicated that his grandmother had picked up the phone.


    ¡°Grandma! Where are you?¡± Marcel asked quickly.


    ¡°I.. that..¡±


    Marcel¡¯s eyes immediately widened when he heard that it wasn¡¯t the grandmother who answered the call, but a man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Who are you? Where is my grandmother?¡± Marcel asked fast.


    ¡°I.. am a taxi driver. I.. I was the one who drove the woman who owned this cellphone earlier. She left her cellphone in my car,¡± The taxi driver answered breathlessly.


    Marcel could hear the man¡¯s voice which sounded like he had run a marathon. His feeling was getting worse, ¡°Right. Then, where did you drop her? I have to pick her up now.¡±


    ¡°Actually.. there¡¯s a problem..¡± The man muttered.


    ¡°What kind of problem? Can you speak clearly? You just need to tell me where you¡¯re dropping my grandma.¡±


    The taxi driver was silent. He was still in the parking lot of a motel because his house was still far away. He was so scared that he decided not to wander the streets until the morning came. Just like what the big scary man said earlier, he must not tell anyone about what happened earlier.


    However, the taxi driver was a nice man who understood that the passenger woman was in danger. If he was in her granddaughter¡¯s position, he would feel almost crazy to know that his grandmother was being caught by criminals.


    ¡°Sir! I¡¯m asking you, where is my grandmother?!¡± Marcel snapped impatiently. ¡°Listen! You don¡¯t know who I am. If you dare to touch a strand of my grandmother¡¯s hair, I assure you, not even the police can find your corpse!¡± He growled.


    ¡°There was a bunch of thugs who stopped my car. They caught your grandmother and told me to leave immediately. Please don¡¯t tell anyone I told you this. They also threatened to kill me if I opened my mouth.¡± The man exined with a trembling voice as if he was holding back tears. Of course, he would be scared to death. Now, he just realized he was in the middle of two criminals who were at odds. What bad luck!


    The information was like a bomb that exploded in Marcel¡¯s heart, ¡°Where.. Where did it happen? Tell me now!¡± He eximed while rushing to his car. He even left the tavern with the door open.


    In the car, Marcel pressed the gas pedal deeply while calling Kenny to immediately send troops to the road the taxi driver had mentioned earlier. Marcel¡¯s heart was beating briskly. He didn¡¯t expect his grandmother to go out in the middle of the night like that and got caught right away. No need to think any further to find out who did it. It must be the Creeper group that had been eyeing RJC¡¯s territory for a long time.


    The ck sports car drove like the wind on an empty road. Then, Marcel¡¯s eyes saw arge group of motorbikes with their owners who seemed to be involved in a fight. In his haste, he even hit some of the parked motorbikes before actually stepping on the brake pedal. It seemed that he did have an intention of doing this.


    Like a bullet, Marcel shot out of his car door at lightning speed. But in the end, he realized that the thugs were fighting.. or rather ganged up on a man who appeared to have a petite body with a ck helmet covering his head.


    Marcel, who was about to attack the thugs, became confused. He wasn¡¯t sure who should he beat? However, he could see from the leather jackets worn by the group of men, that there was the official Creeper logo on them. Whoever kidnapped his grandmother would not change the fact that the Creeper was an opponent who wanted RJC¡¯s destruction. Therefore, Marcel decided to finish them off first.


    On the other hand, Emma Hind was desperately fighting off the hordes of men that were swarming her. It had been a long time since Emma had fought that many men. Thest time she fought dozens of men was when she was attacking the Hell Gate headquarters. But the difference was, that this mob of motorized men had a greater fighting ability than the members of Hell Gate.


    Although a bit troublesome, that didn¡¯t mean Emma couldn¡¯t fight them all. With her already stable body condition and because she had fought many times during her time as a hero in the shadows, her abilities had greatly improved. Compared to Emma Hind who at that time fought with Hell Gate members, this current Emma Hind was a monster that was almost impossible to be touched.


    Actually, there was only one thing that bothered Emma quite a bit. It was she had someone to protect. Yes, Lilian was in the middle of the dangerous fight. Every now and then, the men tried to pull the old woman to take her away but were quickly thwarted by Emma. So, Emma¡¯s current state was, apart from protecting herself, she had to protect the old woman as well.

 Chapter 142

    142 The Enemy Of Your Enemy Is Your Friend


    Marcel saw the figure of his grandmother standing scared amid the chaos. With quick steps, he entered the battlefield with fists that flew straight at the thugs.


    Emma realized that a man hade to help her. She smiled in relief when she realized that it was Marcel Dous. From this moment, she could also see a bit of Marcel Dous¡¯ fighting ability. Emma didn¡¯t think that the ssy-model-like man turned out to be very adept at fighting. From his techniques, Emma could tell that he was good at Muaythai and Wrestling.


    With the joining of the two fighting monsters, in an instant, the group of thugs that had previously numbered a dozen of men was now just left a few. On the other hand, four ck cars suddenly came. From inside the cars, a dozen men in ck clothes came out and immediately enlivened the battle arena. However, it seemed that they arrived toote because all the enemies had already been overthrown by their Boss Marcel and a midget man wearing a ck helmet.


    After feeding his fist into the jaw of thest standing man, Marcel walked over, didn¡¯t care that his feet had stepped on the many limbs of the men lying on the asphalt. He approached arge man with short, thin hair. He knew that the man was the leader of the small motorized group.


    Roughly, Marcel tugged the cor of the face-battered man so that he could sit up from his supine position, ¡°HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY GRANDMA?!!¡± Marcel growled while hitting the man in the face many times.


    Emma just watched the incident in silence. The short-haired man that Marcel was beating up, for some reason, had been so persistent in attacking Emma earlier. He attacked her blindly as if he had a hidden grudge over her, even though Emma herself had never seen the man¡¯s face. Even so, the man with the big body ended up battered in Emma¡¯s hands in the end. It was because he fought by relying on his anger so it was effortless for Emma to defeat him, even though his body was much bigger than her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe how cowardly you all are. Deliberately targeting my grandma because you couldn¡¯t touch me, huh?¡± Marcel hissed. Then, he kicked the man on the shoulder until his back hit the asphalt again, ¡°Tell that cowardly boss of yours. If he has any dignity left,e with his best men, face me, Marcel Dous. Don¡¯t send trashes like you.¡± he continued, looking down at the man who had slumped helplessly.


    ¡°He¡¯s Gaston Morez, isn¡¯t he? The level three of Creeper,¡±


    Damian Jamin whispered to Kenny Brown who was standing beside him. In the emergency call earlier, it just so happened that the two of them were the higher-ups that were standing by at RJC¡¯s headquarters. Because of that, it was only them both who moved toward the scene, although in the end, they lost quickly to the leader.


    .....


    Kenny nodded, ¡°Stupidly, the Creeper even assigned someone like Gaston Morez to do this job. Good for us that it was that guy who caught Calvin¡¯s grandmother. Otherwise.. I don¡¯t know what would have happened.¡±


    ¡°Then who is that tiny man?¡± Damian moved his chin at the ck helmeted man who was standing alone while watching Marcel vent his anger on Gaston.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s the helmeted hero who was reported to have attacked Hell Gate¡¯s main base,¡± Kenny answered.


    ¡°Really?! Bloody hell! I didn¡¯t expect his body to be even that small,¡± Damian eximed by holding back so his voice wasn¡¯t too loud.


    Marcel stepped over to the ck helmeted figure who was standing two meters away from his spot where he beat Gaston. The ck helmet seemed unperturbed at the man who was quite tall above him, ¡°Why are you involved?¡± Marcel asked coldly.


    ¡°I saw the woman in captivity as I passed,¡± Emma replied, no less cold.


    Marcel¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He didn¡¯t expect that there would be a voice like a roboting out of the tiny man, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name is ck. The rest, you don¡¯t need to know. But one thing I can assure you. I don¡¯t belong to any group or have bad intentions like those thugs.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Marcel.. That man saved me from the thugs. If he didn¡¯te, I might have been taken away by them.¡± Lilian stepped over to Marcel, but was immediately restrained by Damian who had already secured her from the start.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not go any closer, Ma¡¯am. We¡¯ll never know what someone¡¯s intentions are.¡± Said the red-haired man with a friendly smile.


    Marcel heard what his grandmother said, but his face still looked stern, ¡°Take my grandma home and keep her there until Ie back. Then, clean up these people. Destroy their motorbikes.¡± Hemanded all his men.


    ¡°Understood!¡± They all answered in unison.


    ¡°What group are theye from?¡± Emma asked, making Marcel turn his head back to her.


    ¡°Why do you want to know? I still can¡¯t trust the words that you don¡¯t have any intentions. Every action is done with a purpose.¡± Marcel asked.


    ¡°I wonder if they might be the same group that attacks people on the street at night. Although they are different, the symbols on their jackets have the same elements that I often see.¡± Emma exined.


    Marcel looked at ck suspiciously. Apart from being great at fighting, the midget man was also smart enough to notice the small things. However, Marcel still didn¡¯t know what the man¡¯s intentions were. He also didn¡¯t expect him to say so, because there was no way someone with a hidden identity was willing to open his own card.


    ¡°I could say you are right,¡± Marcel nodded, ¡°They are a group called the Creeper. It has several branch groups. And yes, their business does focus on crime and extortion in the streets,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Creeper, huh?¡± Emma muttered as she thought.


    Marcel just continued to stare at the man whose face was not visible. He wondered who was behind it and what he was thinking, ¡°Do you recognize the Creeper¡¯s name?¡±


    In his mind, Marcel thought that maybe that man named ck was also the enemy of the Creeper. And, a famous proverb said, ¡®The enemy of your enemy is your friend.¡¯


    Emma shook her head, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard that name. But if the gangs of thugs that always cause trouble in the streets are offshoots of the Creeper, doesn¡¯t that mean the main tree must be exterminated?¡±


    ¡°You have the point,¡± Marcel replied. ¡°So, that¡¯s your goal now?¡±


    Emma was silent for a moment, then replied, ¡°What I¡¯m doing is teaching a lesson to the gangsters who are harming society. Whether it¡¯s the Creepers or some other group,¡±


    ¡°Then is it possible that you know my group?¡± Marcel asked with a suspicious look. If ck¡¯s goal was to defeat the gangsters, then why wasn¡¯t he suspicious of him and his group?


    ¡°Just so you know.. You¡¯re dealing with someone who has the sharpest eyes and ears in Handway City. I know you¡¯re RJC. You guys are guarding Redvalley Street. Am I right? And I have no further business with you.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°The Bluevalley Street is also ours. Better keep your feet from entering our territory.¡± Marcel said.


    Emma chuckled, ¡°Why would I enter that empty street? If I really want to benefit myself, what I¡¯m definitely after is the Redvalley Street that can make money.¡±


    Marcel fell silent with a thoughtful face. It seemed ck didn¡¯t know that Bluevalley Street had Underground Cave which was the real gold mine. It turned out that the title ¡®the sharpest eyes and ears in Handway City¡¯ was just an overconfidentpliment that he gave to himself.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done interrogating me, then I¡¯ll go. Just save your gratitude to me for saving your grandmother,¡± Emma said casually, walking past Marcel.


    ¡°The enemy of your enemy is your friend,¡± Marcel said, causing ck to stop in his tracks. Then, the midget looked back. ¡°If one day you find that we have the same enemy, we could be an alliance. You know, together is better than alone.¡± he continued.


    ¡°Thanks for the offer,¡± Emma said as she continued on her way.


    Marcel looked at the figure of a midget who was nagging a little beside his motorbike which was almost get destroyed by the RJC¡¯s members because they thought it belonged to a member of the Creeper. Marcel subconsciously shook his head in surprise. The motorbike even seemed too big to be suitable for ck to ride. He should have looked for a smaller bike. But maybe, the midget named ck did it on purpose because it was a motorbike with a big CC (Cubic Capacity).


    ¡°So, he really was the one who destroyed Hell Gate¡¯s headquarters?¡± Kenny approached Marcel who was still standing watching the ck helmeted man finally leave the messy scene.


    The man, whose hair was still neat even after fighting, nodded, ¡°It should be true. His name is ck.¡± He looked at Kenny with a serious face, ¡°That mysterious person seems to know a lot of things. He even knows the areas we hold. Surprisingly, he doesn¡¯t know about the Underground Cave.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a strange thing for a person who knows a lot of things. If his information is on par with the other major groups, then, he must be familiar with the dark world of Handway. There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t know the only underground kingdom of Handway City.¡± Kenny replied thoughtfully.


    Marcel nodded, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking about where he got this so close but yet so far information from. He¡¯s like ayman who identally sees things and confidently pretends to be an encyclopedia.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll be tightening the guard on our territory then. Maybe, he¡¯s been spying on us before or disguised as a customer in the shops of Redvalley Street. We¡¯d better not let our guard down.¡± Kenny replied.

 Chapter 143

    143 Worried


    Emma¡¯s first winter break in Handway City was filled with events that she would never forget for the rest of her life. Even though she went through it alone, the weeks seemed to go by in a glimpse.


    Winter wasing to its end. It was no longer snowing and the thick pile of snow that covered the streets was thinning. Emma chose to take the bus to go to her campus on the first day after a long holiday. She felt very excited because she longed for practicing ballet with her friends again.


    Even though it was only been about a month, Emma already longed for the long road to the university building which was surrounded by trees on its right and left. The longer Emma was in Handway City, the more she realized that she liked the many things here.


    The day went fast and fun. Emma took sses with Calvin Lee who was always by her side as if he were the substitute for Roger Timothy to sit beside Emma. Even so, Emma would never be able to remove the figure of Roger from her memories. That guy was the one who put Emma in the position she was today. That figure made Emma ultimately choose to be a useful person to others. Choose not to be selfish.


    ¡°Do you have extra sses today?¡± Emma asked Calvin who was walking beside her. He had ckened his hair back and gave it a little cut that made him look even more charming.


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°I have something to do out there.¡±


    ¡°Is that.. with Troy and the others?¡± Emma guessed in an unsure tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Jita Kyoei¡¯s members are fully back now, so we will quick things up for our goal.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Ah.. I see,¡± Emma muttered.


    .....


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get going now. Please give my regards to Poppy and Kathy. I haven¡¯t seen them at all today. Have a nice extra ss,¡± Calvin said after patting Emma¡¯s shoulder briefly. Then, he walked away with the asional nce back to wave at his crush.


    Emma just smiled as she waved back. She looked at Calvin¡¯s wide back which was getting further away. Her heart felt heavy. Could she let Calvin and Jita Kyoei attack RJC which was Marcel Dous¡¯ group? Both sides were Emma¡¯s friends. She cared for both of them. Did Emma need to prevent Calvin from attacking RJC?


    ¡°Emma.. What are you doing standing like a statue in the middle of the way?¡± Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder.


    Emma gasped and turned to face the nose bridge that was already at the side of hers, ¡°Where have you been, Kathy? I¡¯ve been looking for you since morning.¡± Emma asked the girl with red hair that puffed like twilight clouds.


    ¡°I was busy chasing the lecturer who gave me bad grades before winter break. I had to save my grades by begging him like a ve. Ugh.. How sucks..¡± Kathy babbled to herself by starting to walk without letting go of her arm on Emma¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Poppy is waiting for us in the ballet room. I had a chance to meet her this morning. But she seemed as busy as you are,¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re the only ones busy, Emma. You actually are too. But maybe, you don¡¯t really feel it because today was a good day for you.¡± Kathy answeredzily.


    Hearing Kathy¡¯s words made Emma think. Indeed, she had many activities today. But somehow, everything seemed to not burden her at all. Could it be because she was too excited on her first day back on campus? Or..


    An image of a sweet smile shed in Emma¡¯s mind. Thin lips with neat white teeth inside. From those lips, sweet words often came out like a fireworks explosion that made the heart flutter.


    Could it be that the thing that made Emma¡¯s day so much fun was that Calvin Lee was by her side all day?


    ¡°Emma! You¡¯re not listening to me, are you?¡± Kathy snapped by shaking her best friend¡¯s arm who walked with a nk stare.


    Kathy¡¯s call made the daydream of Calvin¡¯s smile vanish, ¡°Oh.. I¡¯m sorry. I was daydreaming unconsciously.¡± she stammered. ¡°W-what did you say earlier?¡± she asked with an uneasy chuckle.


    Kathy red with a straight face at the smooth, thick-haired girl beside her. Then, she let out a tired sigh before repeating thest sentence of a series of sentences that had poured out of her mouth that she was sure Emma didn¡¯t hear any single of them. ¡°Ms Diana. She¡¯s not teaching anymore starting today.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emma looked surprised, ¡°Why so suddenly? Shouldn¡¯t it be in the spring? Why didn¡¯t she tell us?¡±


    Kathy shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m disappointed about that too. But Poppy said, Ms Diana had to move out of the city suddenly because of family problems. Looks like her future husband¡¯s mother forced her to stay at her house. She must be struggling with that. I don¡¯t think I want to get marriedter.¡± she exined with a mumble at the end.


    ¡°Ah.. It¡¯s too bad.. I was thinking of having a small party with Ms Diana to make memories before she left.¡± Emma muttered. Then, she rubbed Kathy¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Actually, your partner¡¯s family issues shouldn¡¯t be a barrier for you to decide whether to marry or not. If they ask you to do something you don¡¯t like, you should refuse, because your life is yours.¡± She continued. Emma did realize that Ms Diana was too kind of a person. She was a person who hardly said ¡®No¡¯ to other people. Of course, such a trait would make her quite a hassle in the future.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Emma. I guess I just don¡¯t want to. I guess living alone is more fun than having to share with someone all my life.¡± Kathy said.


    Emma nodded, ¡°I think, as long as you¡¯re happy, you can do anything with your life. And of course, as long as it doesn¡¯t hurt other people.¡±


    Talking while walking did make the walk feel short. Imperceptibly, the two girls had arrived at the door of the ballet ss. Emma directed her hand to push the door. But suddenly, her hand stopped in the air when she remembered there was a terrible thing she might face.


    Too much fun today made Emma had forgotten that she had a problem with keeping her identity secret. She forgot that on campus, in ballet ss to be precise, there was a girl named Rachel Markway. She was someone who knew that the man in the ck helmet who always rode a motorbike in the dark night of Handway City was Emma Hind. She knew that the elegantdy who was a ballet maniac was actually a fighting monster and could knock out a group of men at once.


    ¡°Why do you stop? What¡¯s the matter with you today, Emma?¡± Kathy muttered as she shook her head in surprise, then, she pushed the door open anyway.


    The arrival of Emma and Kathy immediately caught the attention of Poppy, who had previously been having a serious conversation with the instructor and also a teacher of their new additional ss. Her name was Ms Tania.


    ¡°Oh, hey!¡± Poppy waved her hand high. Then, she turned back to the woman in front of her to end their conversation before walking quickly to her two friends who had just arrived.


    ¡°Well.. Looks like our teacher assistant is pretty busy, huh?¡± Kathy teased as she opened her locker door.


    Poppy just pursed her lips, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Ms Diana who asked for it, I don¡¯t think I would have done this troublesome thing.¡±


    Emma chuckled. It was rare for her to see Poppy grumble like that. Just like Ms Diana, Poppy also had a hard time saying ¡®No¡¯ to other people¡¯s requests. That was one of the reasons why she ended up bing an assistant ss instructor now that was against her will. It looked like Ms Diana deliberately pointed to Poppy because she was a disciplined person when it came to ballet.


    While storing her things in the locker, Emma kept her eyes on the ssroom door. Previously, the two light brown irises had searched all over the ssroom and couldn¡¯t find the person she was looking for. Apparently, Rachel Markway camete or, as Emma had hoped, didn¡¯t show up at all.


    ¡°Emma.. Are you waiting for someone?¡± Poppy asked, noticing that the girl with thick brown hair in a ponytail seemed not to be with them in mind. Emma was seen staring at the door and not joining in on her and Kathy¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°W-what? N-no, I¡¯m not,¡± Emma replied with a small, awkwardugh.


    Kathy nced at Emma with an annoyed look on her face and told Poppy, ¡°She¡¯s been acting weird since our first meet today. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with her either.¡±


    ¡°Oh... I see,¡± Poppy muttered, then looked at Emma with her clear ck eyes, ¡°I feel like you¡¯re waiting for someone, Emma. You have a worried look on your face. Is there a problem?¡± she asked seriously. As friends, of course, they should be able to help each other if someone had a problem.


    Emma quickly shook her head. Then, she forced augh, ¡°There¡¯s nothing, guys.. Actually, I¡¯m not staring at the door, but thinking about.. um.. tasks. Right, I was thinking of a rather difficult task.¡±


    ¡°Tasks?¡± Kathy and Poppy repeated in unison with confused faces. As they recalled, Emma was not the type of person who would allow coursework to make her always musing with that worried face.


    Emma nodded, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve had such a difficult task.¡±


    ¡°What tasks, Emma? Maybe we can help you with them,¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Oh.. Thank you, Poppy. Actually, Calvin will be the one to help meter. But, maybe because it¡¯s so difficult, I can¡¯t get the topic off my mind.¡± Emma exined quickly by rubbing the trunk of her own neck. ¡°Sorry if I didn¡¯t focus on you guys,¡±


    ¡°Well.. It doesn¡¯t matter, Emma. I had that kind of problem too when I was in elementary school.¡± Kathy replied.


    Poppy chuckled, realizing that Kathy was mocking Emma sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯d better get changed quickly. ss will start in five minutes.¡± she said after ncing at a big clock hanging on the wall.

 Chapter 144

    144 Mistaken


    Emma and Kathy went to the changing room to change their clothes. After that, they returned to the ss which was a little closer to starting. When they came back into the room, Emma¡¯s chest actually thumped a little, thinking that Rachel was already there. But it turned out that she was nowhere to be seen. This made Emma sigh in relief.


    When the ss was almost ten minutes started, the door to the room opened from the outside and a tall girl appeared from behind it. In a bit of a hurry, Rachel who seemed to have changed her clothes before entering the ss went straight to her locker and joined all the girls who were practising.


    For a few minutes, Emma didn¡¯t notice that Rachel had joined the ss because she had been too absorbed in the ballet practice she had been doing independently, until when Ms Tania paused the practice to rest for a few minutes, Emma¡¯s eyes caught Rachel¡¯s figure who was staring at her. Emma¡¯s knees felt weak instantly.


    Once the ss was over, Ms Tiana immediately called Poppy and again, they talked for a while with serious faces. After finishing talking with the new teacher, Poppy returned to her two friends who were still sitting waiting for her on the outskirts of the ss.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Poppy?¡± Emma asked, noticing Poppy¡¯s uneasy expression.


    Poppy immediately sat down with her friends on the wooden floor. Then, she leaned forward slightly, and instinctively, Emma and Kathy did so too, so that their faces were close to each other. It was a body pose of a gossiping scene.


    ¡°Gosh.. I¡¯m so confused, guys. Ms Tania seems to be a bit strict. She asked me if Rachel Markway is usuallyte for attending ss.¡± Poppy whispered.


    ¡°She did? It¡¯s her first day here though,¡± Kathy answered with disapproval, ¡°Then, what did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said Rachel onlyeste sometimes. There¡¯s no way I told her that Rachel really usuallyeste, right?¡± Poppy answered. Her voice sounded depressed.


    .....


    ¡°If Ms Tania really doesn¡¯t like Rachel, do you think she would give her a bad score?¡± Emma asked with a worried face because she knew Rachel was a good person. She was also worried that Rachel might not pass the extra ss because it would affect her final grade in the end.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will. Actually, she did mention it earlier, though not directly. But I understand that Ms Tania was indeed on that topic.¡± Poppy let out a long sigh.


    Kathy snorted, ¡°Geez.. From the first sight of her face, I knew that she was an annoying woman. She is the opposite of Ms Diana, who was understanding and never being strict. Ms Diana even made people who don¡¯t like ballet like me want toe to learn ballet. Even though Ms Tania has only been teaching here for a day, that woman has beenining about too many things!¡±


    ¡°It seems Ms Tania is a very strict person. At this rate, no one in this ss is allowed toete and be undisciplined. People are different in nature, so we must follow the way she teaches.¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to tell Rachel about this. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll get in troubleter.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°Are you going to tell...¡± Emma seemed a little agitated by Poppy¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°Rachel Markway! Hey.. Rachel!¡± Kathy¡¯s scream made Emma stop her words. Apparently, Kathy happened to see Rachel had just taken her things from the locker, so she unterally called out to her with a booming voice.


    Rachel, who was about to leave the ssroom, turned her head in confusion. It felt strange to hear her own name being called in the ss, except at the attendance listing. And what confused her more was that it was Kathy sitting with Emma Hind who called out to her with that loud voice.


    ¡®Could they possibly want to talk about the time Emma helped me?¡¯ Rachel thought to herself.


    ¡°Kathy! Why did you yell at her like that? She¡¯s fierce, you know!¡± Poppy whispered, unable to get her best friend¡¯s behaviour.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t judge someone based on the gossip,¡± Kathy answered wisely even though she had just judged Ms Tania went all out just from one incident.


    Emma had nothing more to say. She could only stare resignedly at Rachel who walked closer to the three of them.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Rachel asked as she stood in front of the three girls.


    ¡°Hey, Rachel!¡± Kathy greeted with a big smile, ¡°There¡¯s something Poppy wants to talk to you about,¡± she said.


    Rachel seemed to be frowning, ¡°About what?¡±


    With an ufortable movement, Poppy stood up from her seat, ¡°Um.. Maybe we can talk about it together somewhere else.¡±


    But Rachel immediately refused with a curt headshake. She didn¡¯t like an invitation to ¡®talk in private¡¯ by a stranger. In addition, she was also unsure why did Poppy ask her to talk alone to discuss Emma¡¯s problem? Was this some kind of bullying between girls? Or did she intend to talk behind her friend¡¯s back? She couldn¡¯t tell.. She didn¡¯t want to get caught up in negative thoughts, either.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just talk here. Everyone should be able to hear what we¡¯re talking about.¡± Rachel said as she sat down on the floor as well.


    Poppy and Kathy looked at each other with confused faces. Maybe it¡¯s true that Rachel was a strange person, like the rumours circting the air. Finally, Poppy decided toply with Rachel¡¯s decision by sitting back in her original spot.


    Emma gulped that hurt her throat when she realized Rachel had been staring at her curiously. Even though she wanted to, she couldn¡¯t run away from here because she didn¡¯t have a reasonable reason for it. In fact, they all had promised to see Poppy¡¯s new tattoo on her hipter in the bathroom.


    ¡°Um.. Rachel,¡± Poppy muttered.


    Rachel, who had been staring at Emma, ??then turned to Poppy who was sitting beside her, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Earlier, Ms Tania asked me if you alwaysete like today. It seems our new teacher is a bit strict and disciplined. She doesn¡¯t seem like she would tolerate a student whoeste to her ss. If you keepingte, I¡¯m afraid it might end up affecting your grades, Rachel. Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to tutor you at all. I hope you understand what I mean.¡± Poppy exined.


    Rachel¡¯s brows furrowed, then, she nodded slowly, ¡°I.. I understand. You don¡¯t need to apologize. I should be the one thanking you for being wholesome to think about me.¡±


    Seeing Rachel¡¯s nice response made Poppy heave a sigh of relief. Honestly, even though she didn¡¯t intend to judge people easily, she was also influenced by the gossip that was often told by ballet ss girls. But as it turned out, she waspletely wrong. Even though she looked fierce, but when she was spoken to, it turned out that Rachel could give a good response.


    ¡°And then?¡± Suddenly, Rachel spoke again.


    Poppy looked at the tall girl questioningly for a moment, then, she shook her head with a friendly smile, ¡°Actually, that¡¯s all I wanted to tell you, Rachel. Sorry if I look too serious like this is a big deal.¡± she answered with a slight chuckle.


    But Poppy¡¯s answer was not what Rachel had expected. She thought they wanted to talk about Emma¡¯s problem. Then, Rachel tried to ask one more time, ¡°I see. Is there nothing else you want to talk about?¡± She nced at Emma who had only turned his face in various directions, except at her.


    Poppy frowned in confusion and nodded, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Rachel finally nodded in understanding. Even though she was still quite confused, she decided to get up and leave after briefly saying goodbye to the three girls who were staring at her in confusion. Until thest second, she still took the time to nce at Emma. But the girl acted like a child who was covering up her mistakes.


    As soon as Rachel left them, Emma secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Her heart had been pounding wildly, thinking that Rachel would reveal her biggest secret to her two best friends. But it seemed that the blue-eyed girl realized that Emma was trying to cover up what she had seen that night.


    After finishing showering and packing, Emma and her two girls walked out of campus together with an exciting talk. But suddenly, Emma stopped her steps, ¡°Oh my.. I left my tote bag in ss.¡±


    ¡°You serious? What¡¯s in it?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°The clothes I¡¯m going to doundry and my notebook,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Notebook? Well.. I bet it¡¯s important, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kathy said, getting Emma¡¯s nod.


    ¡°Then we must hurry and get it,¡± Poppy said by looking at her watch.


    ¡°No need, guys. I¡¯ll get it myself. You guys can go home first.¡± Emma said, knowing that her two friends still had a lot of business to do after this. Meanwhile, their position had almost arrived near the university front gate. It would take a lot of time to go back to the ballet ssroom.


    ¡°Would you be okay, Emma?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Emma. The campus is almost empty.¡± Poppy added with a worried face.


    Emma smiled and shook her head, ¡°We don¡¯t have to worry anymore, guys. I don¡¯t think any of the bad boys dare to approach us anymore for fear of Calvin and Troy.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. You have a point,¡± Kathy nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°Well.. You two can go now. I¡¯m going to back the ss. See you tomorrow,¡± Emma said, waving her palm before turning away.


    Cold air blew into the campus lobby because the ss doors were always left open. Although the campus building had not closed yet, the condition really was almost empty. Emma could find that only a very few people were still in the building and they too seemed to be about to go home.

 Chapter 145

    145 Dual Identity


    A tote bag with a picture of a swany on the wooden floor in front of a locker. It had been left behind when Emma had rushed home so as not to run into Rachel. Stupidly, she ended up having to go back to that ss again.


    After picking up the tote bag that was left behind, Emma walked out of the empty ssroom while busy checking the contents of the bag. She just wanted to make sure that nothing else was left behind, especially the notebook she was going to use for her coursework tonight.


    ¡°Emma,¡±


    A bit heavy girl¡¯s voice made Emma jump in surprise when she had just exited the ssroom door that hadn¡¯t even closed back. ¡°Ra.. Rachel?¡± She stuttered.


    Emma thought she had let go of her fear of meeting the girl with the two bright blue eyes. But what he didn¡¯t expect was that Rachel was still not home, and somehow suddenly appeared like a ghost.


    The women ended up sitting across from each other in the empty ballet room. Rachel looked at Emma who had been holding her breath ever since as if the whole weight of the world had been ced on her shoulders.


    ¡°So you kept it a secret from your friends too?¡± Rachel was the first to start the conversation.


    Emma closed her eyes tightly until her brows furrowed. After taking a deep breath, she finally lifted her face and looked into Rachel¡¯s eyes, ¡°I am. It¡¯s because I have dual identities.¡±


    Rachel just nodded slowly, ¡°That¡¯s interesting. So, your second identity is a man in a helmet fighting criminal? Honestly, I think you have the guts.¡±


    .....


    For now, Emma didn¡¯t care about Rachel¡¯s opinion orpliment. There was only one important thing she had to confirm as soon as possible to prevent her from having sleep trouble tonight, ¡°Are you going to tell anyone else?¡±


    Emma¡¯s question made Rachel frown, ¡°Why would I do that, Emma? I don¡¯t know a lot of people here. I even don¡¯t have any friends to tell about this.¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± Emma muttered with a sorry face. She seemed to have forced Rachel to admit that unpleasant thing. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. But I¡¯m really scared if anyone finds out about this.¡±


    Rachel smiled faintly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid that I¡¯d tell anyone, Emma. You¡¯ve helped me and my grandpa. I should have thanked you instead. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been waiting for you here. I knew you woulde back to take your bag.¡±


    ¡°You knew?¡± Emma¡¯s eyebrows shot up high.


    Rachel nodded guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I left it be without telling you. I knew you didn¡¯t want your friends to hear about that day¡¯s incident. I really want to thank you for it. This is the only chance for me to talk to you alone.¡±


    ¡°Gosh.. it doesn¡¯t matter, Rachel. Thank you for understanding, even before I exined it.¡± Emma said with relief, ¡°I feel bad for you for making you think that way.¡± she continued guiltily. What if Emma had decided not to take her tote bag? Surely Rachel would be waiting in vain here.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it,¡± Rachel answered.


    Emma nodded lightly before clearing her throat and continuing her intention, ¡°So.. you promised not to tell anyone, right?¡± she chuckled awkwardly by rubbing her neck.


    Rachelughed and nodded, ¡°I promise.¡± she answered and giving out her hand.


    With a light, Emma immediately shook the hand, ¡°By the way.. May I know why at that time you and your grandfather could be beaten by the thugs? I¡¯m really curious,¡± she asked.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Since I already know one of your secrets, maybe I should tell you mine too so we can break even.¡± she answered, then continued,


    ¡°My grandpa was trapped in debt to a gangster group. The thugs at that time were gangster members to collect debts from my grandpa. I don¡¯t understand why a very small amount of debt can grow up to ten times in just a month. After I searched about it, it turned out that those people are deliberately trapping the elderly by giving loans that actually have an unreasonable interest. They know that many old people don¡¯t really understand about document matters, so they use that chance to run their business.¡± Rachel exined.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. It¡¯s not a business, it¡¯s a scam!¡± Emma growled.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I was just trying to make it sound less nasty to your ears, but it looks like I failed.¡±


    ¡°Then, how are things now?¡± Emma asked quickly.


    ¡°My grandpa was forced to take extra work, even on holidays. I also helped him by taking a higher paying side job. I think I¡¯d sell one of my dad¡¯s bikes to pay off the debt right away before the interest gets bigger. So far, the money we¡¯ve collected isn¡¯t even enough to just pay the interest.¡± Rachel answered.


    ¡°Rachel.. those bikes are the legacy of your father,¡± Emma looked at her sadly.


    ¡°I know. But, who is still alive right now is more important, right? I can¡¯t let my grandpa work so hard like this at his old age. I also can¡¯t let my studies be cut off because I can¡¯t afford to pay for it.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°This can¡¯t go on, Rachel. If this continues, there will be more victims just like your grandfather. I can¡¯t just stand by and watch you sell your father¡¯s treasure to pay off that stupid debt. I have to act,¡± Emma said, couldn¡¯t ept it.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly, ¡°Looks like we really can¡¯t do anything, Emma. Their group is too big. I know you are strong. But, you are alone and there are so many of them.¡±


    ¡°Rachel, you really don¡¯t know what I can do,¡± Emma replied with a crooked smile. Even so, she did not deny what Rachel had said. But that didn¡¯t mean she would give up before trying. Every problem had a solution, ¡°It just takes strategies, Rachel. Do you know the name of the group that scammed your grandpa?¡±


    Rachel nodded, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, my grandpa once said that there is a group that runs the ce where he works. The name is Creeper.¡±


    ¡°Creeper?!¡± Emma repeated.


    Emma¡¯s scream nearly made Rachel jump. She didn¡¯t expect Emma Hind to scream like that. Rachel awkwardly nodded again, ¡°I think that¡¯s its name. Have you heard of it?¡±


    ¡°Damn! This is insane.. What is this coincidence?¡± Emma mumbled as she leaned back, too surprised at the circumstances that seemed to connect her to various events. ¡°I have, Rachel. I know them all too well. So that bastard group runs that kind of business too, huh? They need to be wiped off of this earth.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a problem with them?¡± Rachel guessed with her natural t intonation.


    ¡°I can say, that¡¯s not really my problem. It¡¯s a very long story. But the point is that I¡¯m already fed up with every crime they¡¯vemitted. And after you told me about this, I became even more convinced that I have to step in to stop those scumbags.¡± Emma exined. Then, she rested her hand on Rachel¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Rachel. You don¡¯t have to sell your dad¡¯s bike or think of dropping out of college. You don¡¯t have to worry about the debt that should have been paid off. I¡¯ll destroy that loan shark named Creeper right away.¡±


    ¡°If Ie along, would I burden you?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s question made Emma¡¯s eyes widen, ¡°W-what?¡± she asked with a slight stutter. Her face looked confused.


    ¡°Can I.. maybe.. help you defeat them? This is my problem too, right? I can¡¯t let other people work hard and face danger to help me while I¡¯m just sitting around.¡± Rachel exined.


    Emma didn¡¯t answer. She was even silent because she was still trying to process what Rachel said. She never imagined that she would fight together with someone. What¡¯s more, that person was her girl friend. Actually, Emma wouldn¡¯t mind if Rachel would help her. But what they would face was very dangerous. Emma didn¡¯t know if Rachel was strong enough to carry out this mission.


    ¡°I can fight. Do you remember?¡± Rachel said again. She could see the doubt in Emma¡¯s eyes.


    Emma looked straight at Rachel again. Ah.. That¡¯s right. When rescuing Rachel and her grandfather in an alley at that time, Emma was not fighting alone. She knew that Rachel was helping her too. However, she could not see too clearly because the fogs from the sewers were thick at that time.


    ¡®It could even be that the problem that just happened was the answer to the previous problem that still doesn¡¯t have a solution.¡¯


    The words that Levi Wargos once said to Emma came back to life. Was this what Levi meant? Was Rachel, whom she previously thought was a big problem, now be a way out of the problem that had hindered Emma¡¯s goal from the start to live a peaceful life as a ballerina?


    If that was true, Emma would be so happy because she could share the burden. And, her side would also get stronger.


    ¡°How about it, Emma?¡± Rachel asked again. She was sure Emma would doubt her. But in truth, Rachel had been waiting for the right moment to show her fangs. She believed herself to be a strong woman.


    ¡°Okay. But it¡¯s going to be tough and dangerous, Rachel. I want you to know that. And also.. just like me, I hope you¡¯ll cover up your identity too, because I came to Handway City to have a peaceful life and study ballet. I don¡¯t want it all to fall apart. The reason is, if the gangsters find out that we are the ones behind the men in ck who always messing up their business, we and the people around us will be in danger.¡± Emma exined.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°I see, Emma. So what should we do first?¡± she asked directly.


    Emma smiled widely, ¡°I like your spirit,¡±

 Chapter 146

    146 The First Guest


    ¡°RJC is an evil group. Do you think it is okay to run a business where humans fight like animals without rules? They employ minors who have no choice to earn money other than by fighting.¡±


    The group of young men just stood there listening to Martin¡¯s babble. As it should have been, the atmosphere of the meeting became lively once the man had rejoined.


    ¡°I heard they tripled the fee rate for Redvalley Street. They already bing just like Apollo.¡± Ian said.


    ¡°What is Apollo?¡± Martin asked. He was the only member who had the least knowledge but always spoke the most.


    ¡°That¡¯s a big mafia group that once ruled Redvalley and Bluevalley streets. The leader was Viggo Fisher. You must have heard of the name at least once.¡± Ian exined.


    ¡°Oh.. I heard about it when I was probably in middle school. Damn! So Marcel managed to beat Apollo?! Oh, I heard Viggo Fisher died in an ident, wasn¡¯t he? So it was just a lie?¡± Marcel asked again.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°It was. The true cause of Viggo Fisher¡¯s death was that he was killed by Marcel Dous. But it seems that Marcel was strong enough to silence the police and the media at that time. Maybe it also was because from the start, Viggo was a mafia, so the police didn¡¯t want to work the case up to prevent amotion in the public.¡±


    ¡°But the problem we¡¯re still facing now is that we still don¡¯t know where the real location of RJC¡¯s headquarters is. Although it¡¯s not a hundred percent yet, I can already judge that RJC is much bigger and stronger than Hell Gate.¡± Ian exined. He was sitting in the office chair in the old radio room.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°The Underground Cave is way too great. I could find at least fifty guards inside when I once visited the ce. The other members guarding the inside and outside of Redvalley and Bluevalley streets were not even counted. And you guys should have known too that the liquor, women, and gambling businesses are the fast cash flows with great profits.¡±


    .....


    During this winter break, Calvin Lee had stopped by Bluevalley Street several times under the guise of buying dinner there. Well.. even though he did it willingly because the food there was really good.


    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t wonder why Marcel Dous always wears expensive brand stuff,¡± Nico mumbled.


    Instantly, everyone turned to him, ¡°How did you know his stuff is expensive?¡±


    ¡°Of course he knows. I think everyone can tell that the clothes he is wearing are all luxury ones. He looks like a model. I think I will also start to improve my style to be like that,¡± Troy looked thoughtful.


    ¡°Geez.. You better not try to do that, Troy. You and Marcel are different. Marcel has a supportive face when paired with luxurious clothes.¡± Ian replied.


    Martinughed, ¡°You¡¯re more suited to a workshop outfit, Tory!¡± he added, inviting the others tough.


    Troy nced at Martin in annoyance and tossed the drink can on the table beside him, but Martin quickly dodged so that the empty can hit the wall instead. In Jita Kyoei¡¯s group, Martin had the best movements and fastest reflexes. He gave a mocking expression to Troy who failed to hit him.


    ¡°Actually, I know that the clothes Marcel usually wears are expensive brands because I often see my sisters reading fashion magazines. But I swear they really are expensive. Even it cost like hundreds of dors for a single t-shit.¡± Nicko said.


    ¡°Hundreds of dors for a t-shirt? Gosh, that¡¯s insane,¡± Troy muttered.


    ¡°And he still raising the fee rate on Redvalley Street or as they usually said ¡®The Deposit¡¯.¡± Calvin added.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a strong impetus for us to get rid of that group? They seem to be wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing.¡± Ian said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to send some boys to go undercover and look for the whereabouts of RJC¡¯s headquarters. I¡¯ve been checking for the past two days that they¡¯re looking for additional members. They¡¯ve even started looking at studios in suburban areas. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t take more than a week for the information we need to get in my hands.¡± Frank said.


    ***


    Emma opened the small door on the fence and stepped inside. But this time, something was different. If Emma usually looked alone when she entered the house, now someone was following her from behind.


    ¡°You have a beautiful hose,¡± Rachel said. She looked impressed at the front view of Emma¡¯s house and yard. Even when covered by snow, the yard looked pretty with lots of ornaments and nts that were not leafy.


    ¡°Thank you. My dad¡¯s assistant made it. It will look prettier in another season, tho,¡± Emma answered by continuing to walk in. She smiled happily because she could share the work of a famous architect who was paid by Jonas to build Emma¡¯s small pce. Finally, she could show it off to others.


    ¡°Have a seat, please,¡± Emma said by storing her bag on a shelf attached to the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you hometer. So you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Would you like a drink?¡± Emma asked as she stepped into the kitchen, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve never had guests. So I¡¯m a bit clumsy, you know,¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Emma. I rarely have guests to myself either. You can give me anything to drink,¡± Rachel smiled.


    Emma sat beside Rachel with two sses of hot jasmine tea and ced them on the guest table in front of the sofa, ¡°So, we have to find out about the Creeper first. That way, we can stop their business. All I know is that the Creeper has several branch groups. It happens that it turns out that all this time, the thugs I often fought because they alwaysmitted crimes on the street were branches of the Creeper. I¡¯m sure their ie is currently going down drastically because they can no longer bully people on the streets ever since I started patrolling. Maybe that¡¯s also the reason theymitted a very serious fraud in the loan business.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯re right, Emma. If they had imposed a loan with such unreasonable interest a long time ago, surely my grandfather wouldn¡¯t have been trapped. My grandfather said that he was not the only one who was trapped, but his friends around his age were also the victims. They had never heard of any rumours of loan fraud before.¡± Rachel looked thoughtful.


    ¡°Looks like the Creepers are in for a problem that they need to make as much money as possible,¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°The night after tomorrow is my grandfather¡¯s shift for work at the printingpany. The factory is in a Creeper-controlled area. Are you off that day? I¡¯ll only attend one ss in the morning. I should have finished my lecture in the middle of the day.¡± Rachel exined.


    ¡°I have all day off. Then, I¡¯ll pick you up at campus. How about it?¡± Emma asked.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then, a smile appeared on Emma¡¯s lips. She looked at Rachel intently, ¡°Rachel, actually I have something I want to show you,¡±


    Emma opened the door next to the refrigerator and pressed the light switch. Then, she turned to Rachel who was standing behind her and smiled widely, ¡°Come on down,¡±


    Rachel¡¯s face looked confused. She wondered what the popr girl wanted to show her in the basement of that beautiful house. Could it be that she kept some motorbikes there? Because as Rachel remembered, Emma also liked bikes.


    However, Rachel¡¯s guess was wrong. Down there didn¡¯t store motorbikes or anything rted. It was just an empty room with a smooth wooden floor and a wall full of arge mirror, ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s a ballet room, isn¡¯t it?¡± she muttered.


    Emma nodded approvingly, ¡°I usually practice ballet here alone,¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Rachel gave a nod. ¡°Are you going to take me to practice ballet here?¡± she guessed.


    ¡°If you want, that could be done too. But I have another purpose by taking you to my practice room.¡± Emma answered.


    Rachel¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Emma smiled again and then stepped towards the door that seemed vaguely joined with the wall. It was a fairlyrge sliding door.


    As soon as Emma opened it, Rachel was stunned. Emma smiled even more with satisfaction when she saw Rachel¡¯s expression that matched her expectations.


    Behind the closet-like door, there was a medium-sized additional room. Inside there were martial arts training equipment that Emma usually used. Three hanging punching bags of various sizes were attached to a rail and connected to a steel frame. That way, the row of bags could be pulled out into the practice room.


    ¡°Holy God! This is.. madness! This is so great, Emma!¡± Rachel¡¯s two blue irises seemed to tremble at the contents of the warehouse. There were even various martial tools that she had never seen before.


    ¡°These are all tools I use to practice. Incidentally, I master some martial arts.¡± Emma said, leaning against the longest boxing bag hanging beside her which weighed eighty kilograms so it didn¡¯t move an inch as she leaned back.


    ¡°Who are you, really?¡± Rachel red at Emma as she narrowed her eyes.


    Rachel¡¯s behaviour made Emmaugh, ¡°I¡¯m Emma Hind. Actually, I¡¯ve been practising various martial arts since I was little because of my father¡¯s obsession. I ended up in Handway City because I wanted to live a new life.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not tired of the luxurious life, are you?¡± Rachel said. She could guess that Emma was a girl who came from a family that could be said.. very rich. There must be something that made her decide to get out of her family¡¯s house and live alone with a dual identity. But she was sure it was not the wealth that was the problem.

 Chapter 147

    147 Exchanging Phone Numbers?


    Rachel Markway wasn¡¯t the type to meddle in other people¡¯s lives. She would rarely ask about someone¡¯s life because she valued ??privacy. She didn¡¯t like to be disturbed, so she wouldn¡¯t do it to anyone else.


    Emma Hind noticed that Rachel Markway seemed to be on to something. It seemed like Emma was getting too excited because this was the first time she could truly be herself in front of someone. In front of Rachel, Emma didn¡¯t have to pretend to be a graceful beauty. She could freely show the fangs she had always been proud of without the fear of being judged. But in the end, Emma realized that she couldn¡¯t tell her secret too much to Rachel because they were still getting to know each other. Just being a partner alone made Emma d.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emma eximed, pping her hands once to get Rachel¡¯s attention back, ¡°Actually, I brought you here to gauge your skills. Please don¡¯t be offended by this, Rachel. I¡¯m not trying to judge you or else. I just need to know whether we should run or fight in some casester.¡± She exined in a careful tone.


    Rachel smiled faintly and shook her head, ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel uneasy for me, Emma. I understand your reasoning. But the truth is, from the start, I¡¯ve always wanted to show off what I¡¯m capable of, but was always confused about who I could show it to.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Is That so? Well, that¡¯s a melody to my ears! Then, show me what you¡¯ve got. Make yourself at home,¡± Emma winked and stepped back to let Rachel y with her self-defence equipment.


    Rachel touched arge punching bag in front of her. Then, she stood with a sharp look in front of the red, heavy object. A memory shed back in her mind. Memories that made her decide to learn boxing, following in her father¡¯s footsteps. The voices from those memories seemed to be ringing louder and louder in her ears, making her brows furrow. And..


    BUGH!!


    ¡°Wow..¡± Emma clutched her chest, ¡°That.. is a super powerful Jab,¡± she muttered in disbelief. Even men were not necessarily able to do it.


    Rachel lowered her fist which was still on the punching bag that was shaking slightly from the hard blow.


    .....


    It didn¡¯t stop there, Rachel followed with other jabs with equally terrifying force. Emma could see a series of basic Boxing moves such as Cross, Hook, and Uppercut. Granted, those were all basic moves, but Rachel made them all look deadly with the speed of her thrusts. Her stands were also great. She was excellent at harnessing her body weight and the thrust mechanism to make a series of punches that could break an opponent¡¯s jaw.


    Rachel stopped her action which she felt was enough to impress Emma just by ??seeing from the girl¡¯s gaping open mouth with both eyeballs that seemed to almost fall out from the eye socket of her skull. Rachel stepped back, leaving the punching bag which was already wobbling from the blows, ¡°How?¡± she looked at Emma with a smile.


    Like a judge, Emma pped her hands and shook her head in admiration. She really didn¡¯t think Rachel could be that strong. In fact, her punches were much harder than Emma could make.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make anyments. The point is, you¡¯re straight into the final round.¡± Emma said.


    Rachel immediatelyughed, ¡°I hope that means I¡¯m up to your qualification standards.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re way beyond my standards, Rachel. Oh my.. I didn¡¯t think you could be that strong!¡± Emma looked excited. At this rate, it was certain that they would be able to defeat the gangsters easily. Rachel just needed to practice a little more to deepen some techniques, then, she would be a monster.


    ¡°I thought it would be fun if we could practice together, Rachel. What do you think? I¡¯d teach you some techniques you¡¯d likely enjoy,¡± Emma asked enthusiastically.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. That way, I can be more useful when we fight the Creeper groupter.¡± Rachel nodded, making Emma smile with satisfaction. ¡°But for now, I have to go home because I have promised grandma to have dinner together.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Rachel. We still have plenty of time.¡± Emma answered.


    As promised, it was Emma who drove Rachel home. Along the way, they talked a lot. Honestly, Emma felt that of all people, even Kathy and Poppy, she was more connected when she talked with Rachel. The blue-eyed girl was very mature with a calm demeanour. On the other hand, she was also firm and rarely talked nonsense. That made her a perfect person to talk seriously with.


    Emma thought that Rachel was the best person to be a partner.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want toe in?¡± Rachel asked Emma who was standing at her house door.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m good, Rachel. Thanks for the offer. I have to do my coursework.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then. Thanks for dropping me off.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Give my regards to your grandparents, okay?¡± Emma said before returning to her car.


    Emma drove her car down the deserted Handway roads. She was in a bit of a hurry because the coursework she was supposed to do had to be submitted tomorrow. Suddenly, her stomach growled. Ah.. She forgot that she hadn¡¯t had dinner. It was because the time she spent with Rachel was too much fun that she didn¡¯t feel the hunger in her stomach.


    ¡°Looks like I have to look for food outside so I don¡¯t have to cook at home anymore,¡± Emma muttered.


    Finally, Emma decided to find a nearby restaurant that was still open. She drove her car a little slower and a little to the side to see the line of shops and restaurants on the side of the street, but suddenly, her cell phone rang.


    ¡®Damn! My phone is in the back seat.¡¯ Emma thought. Because Rachel was sitting in the front passenger seat, Emma put her sling bag in the back seat and she¡¯d forgotten to put it back in front when she¡¯d dropped Rachel.


    However, Emma¡¯s cell phone kept ringing. With a short thought, Emma moved her hand to the back because she was toozy to pull the car aside just to pick up the phone. In her thoughts, the streets were empty enough that she could ¡®not be too careful¡¯ for just two seconds. Once Emma managed to grab the strap of her bag..


    CRASH!!


    Along with the sound of the crash, the sound of a non-stop car rm rang. Emma¡¯s long hair fell to cover the sides of her face because her car stopped suddenly.


    Emma covered her mouth with one hand while her eyes widened at the windshield of her car. At the front, she could see the back of a shiny ck car. While gulping, Emma backed the car slowly and immediately grimaced when she saw that the back of the car she had hit was badly dented.


    ¡°Shit..¡± Emma muttered as she reached for her sling bag properly. Then, she took her cell phone out of it to see who had called her. It turned out to be true that it was Jonas. Geez.. Emma just remembered that today was indeed the day that annoying man should have checked whether Emma was still alive or not.


    ¡°Tch! If I had known it was Jonas, I would have left the call missed.¡± Emma grumbled.


    Then, Emma got out of her car awkwardly. She walked over to the car she had hit. The car was still making a loud rm sound and it looked like the car was parked because the engine seemed off and no one was in it.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Emma immediately looked back. She found a tall man in a dark brown coat standing a few steps behind her, ¡°I.. I¡¯m so sorry, Sir. Do you own this car?¡± she asked with a guilty face.


    ¡°I¡¯m the owner,¡± The man answered calmly, but his eyes stared at Emma¡¯s face as if he was thinking.


    ¡°Wait a minute..¡± Emma muttered, starting to notice that the man¡¯s face looked familiar, ¡°You.. are Nancy¡¯s son, right?¡± her eyes widen, ¡°Um.. I¡¯m sorry, I kind of forgot your name.. is that..¡±


    ¡°Lukas Wargos,¡± The man replied.


    ¡°Right! Lukas Wargos. Look, Lukas, I really am sorry. I identally hit your car,¡± Emma said with a puppy face.


    Lukas frowned, then, took two steps to the side to look at the back of his car because he saw a maroon car with a badly dented on the front side parked behind his ck car.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be responsible and pay for the repairs, so you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Emma said, following Lukas¡¯s steps.


    ¡°Maybe it will be necessary if the car isn¡¯t covered by insurance. And I don¡¯t think it is.¡± Lukas answered.


    ¡°You think?¡± Emma repeated with a thoughtful face.


    Lukas nodded once, ¡°This car is not mine. It belongs to my brother, Levi. Do you remember him?¡±


    ¡°Levi? Of course. I¡¯ve seen him a few times.¡± Emma answered.


    Emma¡¯s answer made Luke¡¯s brows furrow, ¡°You two met a few times?¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡±


    ¡®He never said anything to me.¡¯ Lukas pondered, but soon shook off his thoughts, ¡°I just happened to borrow his car for the first time. Maybe you should take care of this ident with Levi directly. Do you have a name card?¡±


    ¡°Name card?¡± Emma muttered somewhat confusedly. Then, she shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m still a student. What if I just give you my phone number?¡±


    Lukas nodded before taking out his cell phone, ¡°Number?¡±


    After Emma mentioned her phone number, Lukas seemed to be fiddling with his cellphone for a moment. Then, the iing message tone on Emma¡¯s cell phone beeped. Emma took out her cell phone from her coat pocket and found an iing message containing the contact of someone with the name ¡®Levi¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent him your number. You can talk about this with him. I¡¯ll excuse myself now,¡± Lukas said.


    ¡°Sure. Thank you, Lukas.¡± Emma replied.


    Lukas nodded slightly at her before getting into his car.


    Emma stared at the ck car with the dented back that finally drove away. It was an unexpected event. Luckily, Emma knew the owner of the car. Who would have thought that it turned out that fate made her and Levi indirectly have to exchange phone numbers?

 Chapter 148

    148 Chingsu District


    After arriving home, Emma immediately took a shower. Once finished, she immediately spread her books on her desk with a bowl of pasta she bought from an Italian restaurant. She decided to do her coursework over dinner because she didn¡¯t have much time left.


    ¡°Geez.. I guess I didn¡¯t realize that I was neglecting my lectures all this time for being a hero in shadow,¡± Emma muttered. Unknowingly, she lost her main goal because she chose to fight crime. In fact, Emma was quite concerned with her academics because she wanted a bright future. She was a girl with big ambitions. Finding herself caught off guard like this made her integrity tarnished.


    After a few hours of doing chores until her dinner bowl was empty, Emma started yawning sleepily. She nced at the clock and it was already right at the midnight. Come to think of it, she was no longer allowed to stay upte because she had started to go to college.


    ¡°Okay, Emma.. just a little more. You can do this!¡± She said to herself.


    But just as she was about to continue writing, suddenly, her cellphone screen lit up, followed by an iing message tone. Emma frowned as she grabbed the phone. Her eyebrows immediately lifted when she read Levi¡¯s name in the description of the sender of the message.


    ¡®So you hit my car? Impressive.¡¯ ¨C Levi.


    Emma pped her forehead lightly with a grimace, and then, replied to the message.


    ¡®I am really, really sorry! Is your car registered with insurance? If not, I¡¯ll take responsibility for thepensation.¡¯ ¨C Emma.


    ¡®No insurance. No wonder you ran into my car. I often see you musing around.¡¯ ¨C Levi.


    .....


    ¡®Thanks for bringing it up! Of course, I will be responsible. I¡¯lle to your houseter to take your car to the repair shop.¡¯ ¨C Emma.


    ¡®That¡¯s good. I don¡¯t want to full my hands because of you either.¡¯ ¨C Levi.


    Emma put her phone back on the table in disgust. Even chatting via message with Levi was also annoying. Emma shortly retracted her gratitude because it turned out that the owner of the car she hit was Levi. He would be causing her more trouble than a stranger.


    ***


    In Handway City, there was a location which was an industrial area. At that location, there were several factories buildings owned by variousrgepanies. The name of the location was Chingsu District.


    The origin of the road was called Chingsu District because there was once thergestpany in Handway City that produced raw paper and its various processed products called Chingsu Paper. It was the firstpany to stand on such vast vacantnd. However, thepany¡¯s ie was shrinking so they were forced to close their factories and leased their privatend to otherpanies. Since then, there have been severalpanies setting up their factories in Chingsu District.


    Initially, when it had just built thergest factory on thend, the Chingsu Paper Company formed a group to protect the factory area from thieves, rebels, etcetera. But in fact, the group had the main task of monitoring the employees who work in thatrgepany. They have to make sure that no factory employees misbehave, for example, running away during working hours, not wearing the correct uniform, establishing rtionships with fellow employees, and or going to take rest at inappropriate times.


    The group was certainly very well known in the Chingsu Paper Area. The owner of thepany named it the General Guard ormonly known as GG.


    The guard group had a leader named Lee Mu Fei. He had the rank ofmander in the group and he led about three hundred men spread throughout the Chingsu Paper area, starting from the entrance, front yard, back of the factory, offices buildings, and the inside of the production nt. The guard group was greatly feared by the workers and became the favourite of the owner of Chingsu Paper Company.


    Unfortunately, over time, the owner of Chingsu Paper grew older and began to get sickly. When the owner¡¯s children started to take care of thepany, it turned out that they were not good at business. This caused thepany¡¯s management to fall apart and Chingsu Paper¡¯s sales plummeted. It also had an impact on the fate of their GG. Gradually, the group began to lose its men bit by bit, along with many employees being fired.


    Due to the increasing debt, thepany finally decided to lease theirnd to otherpanies. Even so, the money was still not able to save the Chingsu Paper Company, so thepany finally closed down. All that remains for the sessors of Chingsu Paper was thend they still lease to the tenantpanies. The area was now called Chingsu District.


    Then, what about the fate of GG? Because the founder of Chingsu Paper highly valued Lee Mu Fei, he gave special conditions to the tenants to allow him to keep employing the GG group as a guard for the Chingsu Paper area, just like the ex-employees of Chingsu Paper Company who were eventually transferred to work fornd-tenantpanies. This condition was not ordinary. It was a legally protected written agreement that binds the tenants until they no longer lease thend.


    In the end, the founder of Chingsu Paper died. He bequeathed his properties to his children and made them fight over each other because they felt that the distribution of properties was unfair. Because of the fuss over inheritance, the three sons of the founder of Chingsu Paper did not have time to take care of the Chingsu District area. They just let thend move on its own as long as it continued to make money.


    How could a thriving tree die? That was because there were parasites on it.


    Until the end of his life, the founder of Chingsu Paper did not know that the Lee Mu Fei he had trusted for years was actually taking advantage behind his back. Although what Lee Mu Fei did, did not have a big impact on the paperpany, his actions proved that the founder of Chingsu Paper had misjudged him all along. Truly, Lee Mu Fei was a cunning man.


    While working at Chingsu Paper, Lee Mu Fei often cheated. He took advantage of the boss¡¯s trust to y at the back. He often took bribes from employees who wanted to work fraudulently. There were even employees who steal products raw materials little by little. Some often arrivete or run away during working hours. Lee Mu Fei didn¡¯t care what those people did as long as they gave him bribes. The bigger the fraud the employee made, the more they had to pay him and his men to keep their mouths shut.


    Because he had so much faith in the sweet-lips man, the founder of Chingsu Paper never had the slightest suspicion of him. He always received reports from the GGmander just like that, convinced that the boy he had brought from their hometown must do a good job and.. was honest.


    Unfortunately, the reality was way much different. The demons even could hide in the brightest ces. In fact, Lee Mu Fei even started his own small business within thepany. He, along with a man named Oscar Chopper, influenced all GG members to cheat with them. Even, if Lee Mu Fei found one of his men tried to be honest, he would fire him from his guard job easily.


    Oscar Chopper himself was a factory office employee at the Chingsu Paper Company. He was such a cunning person that he could easily influence Lee Mu Fei. In the shadow of the GG group, a real group they called the Creeper was standing.


    When Chingsu Paper finally went bankrupt, it wasn¡¯t a big deal for the Creeper. Because in fact, it meant that they had been released from their hide. Lee Mu Fei and Oscar Chopper could read the situation clearly. They knew that Chingsu District was no longer under the control of its owner, while they still had full authority to guard the area at the same time. Therefore, theypletely ditched the General Guard name and officially introduced the Creeper name.


    For many years, Creeper held Chingsu District road and run their main business. It was as if they were parasites that freely built their empire on the body of their host. The morepanies stood on that vast tract ofnd, the more employees would use their fraudulent services.


    The owners ofpanies that stood in the Chingsu District area actually already suspect that the Creeper wasmitting fraud. However, they finally decided to turn a blind eye because the losses they experienced were still smallerpared with thend rent they would have to pay if they set up factories elsewhere.


    Yes, from the start, the founder of Chingsu Paper had set a low rental fee for hisnd. What in the old man¡¯s mind was that indeed, hispany had gone bankrupt, but he still wanted to help his fellow business fighters, so he decided to set a low lease price for the next few decades.


    Creeper grew bigger and bigger. They knew that the Chingsu District would not be enough to fill their greedy stomachs. They were aware that in the end, the business would reach its maximum limit. If they made the rentingpanies¡¯ losses even bigger, they would choose to leave Chingsu District. If there were no more tenants, they would lose their prey. That was not all. They also thought, what if one day the children of the Chingsu Paper¡¯s founder were done with their fight over the inheritance? If the Chingsu District finally got their full attention, the rents would be raised and the Creepers would most likely be kicked out of here.


    Seeing a situation that could end badly, Oscar Chopper finally decided to expand beyond the Chingsu District and focus on a new, more sinister business. The business was mugging and extortion in the street. Meanwhile, Lee Mu Fei still maintained the Chingsu District because only his name was included in the agreement letter between the owner of the Chingsu District and the tenants.

 Chapter 149

    149 Get To Know Rachel Markway


    The twoke green irises stared straight with narrowed eyes at the two girls who were having a serious conversation. She actually had seen them since they were walking down the stairs. But she just wanted to make sure again that what she thought was true.


    Kathania Dusk didn¡¯t remember that Emma Hind was friends with Rachel Markway. With a questioning face, Kathy approached the two girls who were behind the stairs that were side by side with the wall to create a narrow, secluded space beside it.


    ¡°Hey ..¡± Kathy greeted with a peek from in front of the stairs in the main hall.


    Emma and Rachel jumped and nced directly at the red-haired girl whose hair was tied up in a bun. For some reason, Kathy was getting prettier day by day. Maybe it was because she often hung out with Poppy who always stole the moment to modify her best friend¡¯s style little by little. Without Kathy knowing, she had be more attractive and more aware of her looking.


    ¡°Are you girls really talking in this ce?¡± Kathyughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a cosy ce for hanging,¡± she continued. If she hadn¡¯t identally seen a bit of Rachel¡¯s head sticking out from behind the stairwell, she wouldn¡¯t have known that someone was there.


    ¡°Kathy..¡± Emma said awkwardly. She nced at Rachel who also had a slightly tense look on her face.


    ¡°Why are you guys talking here?¡± She asked surprised, then, remembered something and looked directly at her good friend, ¡°Oh.. Emma, ??Poppy has been looking for you. She brought a lot of souvenirs from her vacation,¡±


    ¡°Oh, r-really?¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°I just happened to have a few questions for Emma. I¡¯ll be going then,¡± Rachel said.


    .....


    ¡°Wait, Rachel,¡± Emma immediately restrained Rachel who was about to leave, ¡°Perhaps you want to join us for lunch at the cafeteria? We happen to be gathered here,¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t expect Emma to suddenly ask her to lunch with her friends.


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice idea. You could join us for lunch, Rachel. Didn¡¯t your ss just finish too? I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t had lunch yet. Poppy brought a lot of delicious snacks from overseas. You can try them with us.¡± Kathy said enthusiastically.


    ¡°I¡¯m.. not sure..¡± Rachel mumbled to refuse. She was just afraid that others would feel ufortable because she had an introverted nature. She was notfortable hanging out with many people and was afraid that the people around her would feel a negative mood from her.


    Before Rachel could finish her answer, Kathy had put her phone to her ear. A few secondster, it seemed that the person she was calling had already picked up the call, ¡°Poppy.. Rachel is going to have lunch with us. Please make one more seat. Yes, yes.. We are going there now. Wait a minute. We¡¯ll be there no longer than five minutes.¡± she said.


    Kathy¡¯s heedless act made Rachel choke. She knew that Kathy was a noisy, talk active person. However, she didn¡¯t know that the red-haired girl could act as she pleased.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rachel. Poppy has prepared a seat for the four of us. Let¡¯s go now. We can¡¯t leave Poppy alone in the cafeteria.¡± Kathy said as soon as she put her phone down.


    ¡°Come on, Rachel,¡± Emma said.


    However, Rachel gave an awkward face and looked at Emma meaningfully while Kathy had already stepped forward, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Emma. I don¡¯t think I can,¡±


    ¡°Oh, have you had lunch or something?¡± Emma asked, a little surprised. She didn¡¯t know that Rachel actually wanted to refuse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rachel. It looks like Kathy was in too much of a hurry, didn¡¯t she?¡± she gave an uneasy grin.


    Rachel shook her head slowly, ¡°Not really. I¡¯m honestly just afraid that I might make things awkward,¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s not true, Rachel. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. It¡¯s just a regr lunch.¡± Emma smiled at her and patted the tall girl¡¯s arm lightly, ¡°We¡¯d better catch up so Kathy wouldn¡¯t get mad,¡±


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help bute with Emma to lunch with her friends. If it turned out that Kathy had deliberately contacted Poppy to save a seat for Rachel, it meant that the method worked because it made Rachel feel bad if she refused their invitation.


    Rachel and Emma arrived at the cafeteria where they used to eat.


    ¡°Emma!¡± Kathy shouted, raising her arms high in the air. She was already sitting at the same table with Poppy who smiled kindly at the two girls who had just entered the cafeteria door.


    ¡°Come on, Rachel. Take it easy,¡± Emma whispered before heading back to the table Poppy had prepared.


    Poppy had almost taken the small round table that would fit three as usual. However, since there were additional members, she immediately moved to a square-shaped table that could fit four or more people. Poppy herself was excited when she heard that Rachel would be joining their lunch.


    ¡°Hey, Rachel!¡± Poppy greeted.


    Rachel smiled, ¡°Hi. Thanks for saving me a seat.¡±


    ¡°No need, Rachel. I just happened to be looking for a table,¡± Poppy answered.


    Rachel had no idea that she was eating at the same table with several girls right now. In all her life, she had never had a real friend. From the beginning, the furthest thing she ever did was group work. Most of the kids didn¡¯t want to be around her because they thought she was a weirdo. Rachel admitted that she was quite introverted and fortified herself from the outside world of the trauma she had experienced. But right now, she didn¡¯t expect to be able to sit together for lunch with three girls who didn¡¯t seem bothered at all by her presence.


    ¡°Poppy, aren¡¯t you going to bring out the souvenirs?¡± Kathy asked impatiently.


    ¡°Maybe we can finish our lunch first, Kathy. I¡¯m afraid the table will get too messyter.¡± Emma said.


    Poppy, who was just about to lift herrge paper bag, stopped her intention, ¡°Emma is right. We¡¯ll open itter, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. Alright,¡± Kathy shrugged her shoulders as she scooped more spaghetti into her mouth. Then, she looked at Rachel who was eating beef steak in front of her, ¡°Hey Rachel, how is your study?¡±


    Rachel, who had been eating in silence for a while and just listening to the three girls¡¯ chatters, then raised her gaze to Kathy, ¡°Pretty good,¡± she smiled.


    Kathy nodded slightly, ¡°Oh, there¡¯s ballet ss today, right? Don¡¯t forget to be on time, Rachel. You have to remember that our current teacher is a jerk,¡±


    ¡°I know. Thanks for reminding me.¡± Rachel replied with a chuckle.


    ¡°Kahty, you shouldn¡¯t talk so carelessly about teachers. If they heard you, you could get your score bad.¡± Poppy tried to remind her. No wonder Kathy had often been in trouble with Lecturers. It seemed that the girl was indeed a bit sensitive to the teaching staff.


    ¡°Ha.. If it wasn¡¯t for looking for a degree, I don¡¯t think I need to go to college to gain knowledge. I can find everything on the inte by self-taught. Even the way of learning is more fun and easy to understand than those crazed lecturers.¡± Kathy replied. It seems that she still didn¡¯t want to understand and was firm in her stance.


    Emma and Poppy could only stare at each other for a moment before letting out a long sigh. They knew that Kathy was quite stubborn. She would not want to change if she had not received a direct punishment. Therefore, it would be useless to advise her through words.


    Finally, Poppy turned her gaze to Rachel who was sitting next to Emma, ??¡±Oh, Rachel. If I may ask, what actually makes youete to ballet ss so often? I think the time gap between thest main ss and the extra ss is quite long.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. That¡¯s. Actually, I took a nap in the health unit room.¡± Rachel replied with an awkwardugh.


    ¡°A nap?¡± The three girls repeated in unison as they stared at Rachel in disbelief. It didn¡¯t really matter if she did it just a few times. But Rachel was alwayste for ballet ss, which was scheduled three to four times per week.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°It surely is a bit weird for adults to take naps.¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, Rachel. But you do look pretty tired,¡±


    ¡°Are you not getting enough sleep, Rachel? I stay up all night too. But I¡¯m not so tired that I have to take a nap on campus.¡± Kathy asked.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°I work a part-time job. I happen to have a shift from 1 AM to 6 AM, so I can¡¯t help but sleep when it¡¯ste.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Gosh.. it must be very tiring. Is it possible if you look for other part-time jobs that are more suitable for your schedule?¡± Poppy asked.


    Emma nodded, ¡°If I count it, you only have time to sleep when you get home from college, which is at fast as five or six per day. From my estimation, you probably only have about four to five hours of sleep.¡± she seemed to be counting her fingers with a thoughtful face.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly with a low nod, ¡°Four hours is actually the longest. I usually get three hours of sleep because I have to do chores and help my grandma at home.¡±


    ¡°Rachel.. It would be bad for your health,¡± Poppy said with a worried expression.


    Surprisingly, even though she felt like she was being scolded, Rachel didn¡¯t feel bothered at all. She knew that the three girls were worried about her. They inquired about the problems Rachel was having sincerely out of the concern and was not to find gossip material for them to talk aboutter behind her back. For some reason, Rachel could feel that these girls were very different from the girls who had hurt her in the past.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not as bad as you think. I still have a day off at work once a week. And our lectures aren¡¯t every day either. So, I can take advantage of that free time for a good rest.¡± Rachel said.

 Chapter 150

    150 A Secret Shortcut


    ¡°Rachel.. I¡¯m not trying to lecture you, but health is measured by daily routines. I don¡¯t think you can cover some days¡¯ck of sleep with a full sleep in one day.¡± Poppy replied carefully.


    ¡°Hm.. You should know who the expert on healthy living is here, Rachel. If Poppy has put out her healthy living theories that make you lightweight, you won¡¯t be able to argue anymore,¡± Kathy said mockingly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about that input, Poppy. Thanks for bothering to think about me,¡± Rachel replied to Poppy who sighed tiredly from being teased by Kathy.


    Poppy was impressed when she realized that Rachel wasn¡¯t as scary as the rumours had been. In fact, the tall body girl had a fairly soft speech, although there was a firm feel in it. It turned out that Rachel was a nice person and easy to talk to.


    Finally, Poppy opened a paper bag containing a collection of snacks and some merchandise that she had bought during her vacation to her grandmother¡¯s hometown which happened to be abroad. They enjoyed a variety of snacks together and Poppy shared them equally with her friends, including Rachel.


    Without realizing it, the four girls spent time together in the cafeteria until the next ss was about to start. Even, Rachel didn¡¯t realize how fast time had passed. Usually, whenever Rachel had free time, she would go to the health unit room to sleep. But now, she didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. It was probably the first time Rachel hadughed so much during her time at Jardin University.


    ¡°Looks like I have to go now,¡± Kathy rose from her seat and nced at her watch.


    ¡°We should all go now, I guess. This ce is actually almost empty,¡± Emma chuckled, didn¡¯t expect them to talk that long.


    ¡°Thanks for the souvenirs, Poppy. I really appreciate this,¡± Rachel said sincerely. Previously, she had refused when the ck irises girl gave her those things because she thought that they were just getting to know each other. However, Poppy kept pushing until Rachel finally gave in to refuse.


    .....


    Poppy smiled warmly, ¡°It¡¯s just a few snacks and little trinkets, Rachel. Of course, I¡¯ll share them with my friends.¡±


    Poppy¡¯s words made a small tickle in Rachel¡¯s heart. Maybe it was just a simple sentence for Poppy to say, but for Rachel who heard it, the sentence made her feel uneasy. Was it that easy to have friends? Rachel had better not let her guard down.


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯m going now,¡± Kathy eximed. She seemed the most in a hurry because she tried to look good to her lecturer, so she had to chase the front row of seats for her to sit on during the ss. But after taking one step, the red-haired girl turned around again, ¡°Ah.. Rachel, I hope you would have lunch together again. More members make it more exciting,¡± she said with a wink before walking away at a brisk pace.


    Poppy turned to the tall girl next to her, ¡°That¡¯s right, Rachel. If you still don¡¯t have any lunch buddies, we¡¯re open if you might want to join.¡±


    ¡°I.. I understand. Thank you.¡± Rachel replied awkwardly.


    Finally, Poppy also left Rachel and Emma who didn¡¯t seem too in a hurry to get to ss. Of course, that was because the two of them had other important topics to talk about.


    ¡°They¡¯re good girls,¡± Rachel muttered and was heard by Emma.


    ¡°We are all good girls. Therefore, we fit well together,¡± Emma looked at her with a smile, ¡°I hope you feelfortable with us, as much as we feelfortable with you.¡±


    Rachel just smiled faintly and cleared her throat a little, ¡°Then, do you have any ns for tomorrow?¡± Instantly, the atmosphere turned serious. Earlier, they were meeting to talk about this before Kathy came to interrupt.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Looks like Chingsu District has great security since it¡¯s a factory site. We wouldn¡¯t have any reason to hang around there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Emma. Last night, I had a chance to ask my grandpa. The Creeper is actually a group of guards employed by the official Chingsu District management. So, if they suspect us, they won¡¯t hesitate to arrest us even in the public. And, if that really happens, there will likely be nothing we can do to escape.¡± Rachel exined.


    Emma nodded with her index finger on her chin, thinking, ¡°That¡¯s going to be a pain in the ass,¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have an idea, Emma.¡± The tall girl said. Emma then looked at Rachel¡¯s face questioningly. ¡°I was thinking, we could disguise ourselves as employees working there. That way, we wouldn¡¯t be easily suspected since there are about tenpanies standing in the Chingsu District area. I estimate the total number of employees working there could be around three thousand people. If you like the idea, I¡¯ll ask my grandfather to borrow his female worker friends¡¯ clothes.¡± She exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good idea, Rachel. You¡¯ve even got the data ready. You¡¯re amazing,¡± Emma praised. Then, she nodded quickly, ¡°I totally agree with your idea. Ah.. but, are you going to tell your grandpa about your n?¡±


    Rachel shook her head, ¡°Of course, I will not, Emma. They¡¯d strictly forbid me if they found out about this dangerous mission. Maybe, I¡¯ll tell my grandpa that I¡¯m going to wear the uniform for college course needs. He¡¯s too old to suspect things.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. I see. Alright then. I count on you with this, Rachel.¡±


    ***


    The long-awaited day had arrived. Emma rode on her ck motorbike and stopped at an old abandoned bus stop on the back street of Jardin University. The street was very quiet, so Emma and Rachel decided to meet there.


    When Emma arrived, Rachel, who was also wearing all ck, was already standing at an old bus stop that looked like it had never been cleaned, so the snow was still covering parts of it. From there, Emma learned one more thing about Rachel Markway. She was truly an on-time person, of course, apart from beingte for ballet ss. Maybe, on the one hand, Rachel didn¡¯t really think that ballet ss was as important as her nap.


    Emma¡¯s ck motorbike stopped in front of Rachel. Previously, they had exchanged phone numbers and agreed to ride a motorbike. Because of that, Rachel also brought a ck helmet that she had bought a long time ago, but never had the chance to wear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Emma said before pulling the throttle when she felt that Rachel was already sitting properly.


    When viewed from the outside, no one would have thought that the ck sports motorbike was ridden by women. Emma Hind and Rachel Markway, the both of them managed to disguise themselves as men, just like there were now two ¡®ck¡¯ figures in Handway City.


    The ck motorbike arrived in an area that Emma had never been to before. The area had a wide, long road and was asionally passed by trucks carrying intermodal containers like the ones Emma had seen in the port area. Chingsu District was located in such a vastnd area. Emma didn¡¯t think that Chingsu District was indeed great.


    Previously, Emma had read the history of Chingsu District, which was actually a paperpany called Chingsu Paper which had now gone bankrupt. Emma was amazed, imagining how sessful apany was to be able to own such arge area. However, it turned out that the sessors of the giantpany acted like thorns in their own father¡¯s flesh. Out of greed, they turned thepany that his father had built with blood and tears into bankruptcy in just a few years.


    ¡°To enter the Chingsu District area, we have to pass through the main gate or the back gate that has a guard post. Usually, guests have to leave their ID cards if they want to enter. But of course, we can¡¯t do that if we don¡¯t want to be caught.¡± Rachel said beside Emma¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Then, how do we get in?¡± Emma asked, about to pull her motorbike aside.


    ¡°No need to stop Emma. Keep going straight this way. I know a secret shortcut.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Nice!¡± Emma eximed. It seemed that she had not mistakenly decided to be in a team with Rachel. It turned out that she was so reliable.


    Emma¡¯s motorbike sped down the main road which was getting more and more deserted. The further they rode, the more they could see howrge thend belonging to the Chingsu District was. Then, Emma saw a swamp ahead with frozen water. On instructions from Rachel, Emma stopped her motorbike there.


    ¡°Is this the secret shortcut you told me?¡± Emma asked in a robotic voice because of the noise masking device on her helmet.


    Rachel nodded by opening her full-face helmet. Then, she stepped up onto the side of the road and walked toward the wide swamp. With just a few seconds of gazing away at the ice, Rachel immediately returned with a look of delight.


    ¡°Follow me. I know where we can hide your bike,¡± She stepped back down onto the asphalt.


    Emma nodded and rode the motorbike slowly to follow Rachel¡¯s fast, wide steps. After walking a few meters, they arrived near arge tree that grew a few meters from the edge of the swamp. On the other side of the big tree, there was a giant wall, built high and long like a fortress. It was a wall that separated the Chingsu District¡¯s territory from the rest. The wall looked old but was still strong.


    ¡°We have to get the bike up on this ground. Would it be alright?¡± Rachel asked after they reached a dead end.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll turn off the engine first,¡± Emma nodded before she turned off the engine and got off the iron horse.

 Chapter 151

    151 Entering Chingsu District


    Emma Hind and Rachel Markway were strong girls who practice weight lifting a lot. With ease, the two of them lifted the big motorbike onto the sidewalk that connected to a little field with arge swamp in it.


    ¡°Try to slow down the bike and make it move as close to this wall, so that the tire tracks wouldn¡¯t visible,¡± Rachel said and immediately responded with a nod by Emma.


    The two of them pushed the motorbike through the thick snow that made the weight of the bike feel to be doubled. If it was ordinary girls who did it, maybe they wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    Finally, they managed to push the motorbike up to the big old tree that was growing alone. It turned out that between the tree trunk and the big wall was a gap that big enough to hide Emma¡¯s motorbike.


    ¡°The owner of Chingsu District still strongly believes in customs and myths. Thisrge tree and swamp are said to have existed since Chingsu Paper was founded. A Feng Shui expert said some spirits inhabit this tree and swamp. The spirits were not evil, but would be angry if their home was vandalized. Therefore, not even the sessor of the Chingsu Paper would dare to touch these two things.¡± Rachel exined, helping Emma to position her motorbike so that it could be perfectly hidden behind the trunk of the huge tree.


    Emma lifted her head up to see how tall the tree had grown. The branches have spread everywhere like the paths in an anthill. She couldn¡¯t imagine how shady the tree would be in summer.


    Emma took off her ck jacket and pants. Underneath the clothes, she was wearing the uniform that Rachel had given her when they had just met today. She changed it at the gas station toilet which was near the campus earlier. Not to forget, she wore a mask that contained the logo of the name of apany where Rachel¡¯s grandfather worked. Factory employees in the Chingsu District were required to wear masks as they work with a variety of chemicals. It was also what made Rachel very confident in doing this disguise. Their identities would remain hidden, although they didn¡¯t have to disguise themselves as men wearing helmets.


    ¡°How did you find out about this ce, Rachel?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°My grandpa used to take me fishing for mud crabs in the swamp. However, for the past two years, my grandpa has not been able to take me anymore because his legs often hurt when exposed to strong winds for too long.¡± Rachel answered as walking towards the swamp. Emma followed beside her. Rachel herself had changed into a factory uniform too. She had changed in the campus toilet before Emma came to pick her up.


    .....


    ¡°Look over there,¡± Rachel pointed away at a long fence made of wire, ¡°The secret shortcut is there,¡±


    Emma frowned. If that was true, the problem they face was that the fence was in the middle of the swamp.


    Rachel smiled faintly as she looked at Emma, ??¡±That¡¯s why I¡¯ve checked earlier to see if the water is still frozen or not. As I expected, it is.¡±


    ¡°Woah.. I didn¡¯t think it was the shortcut,¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°We¡¯d better move quickly. Be careful, the ice is slippery,¡± Rachel said as she stepped onto the ice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the ice will be cracking. Actually, this swamp isn¡¯t deep at all. It¡¯s probably only as high as an adult¡¯s chest. That¡¯s why the water freezes quickly.¡±


    ¡°Rx, Rachel. I¡¯ve had experienced something worse than this,¡± Emma answered, instantly remembering her experience walking on thin ice, risking her life to save a cat.


    The expanse of ice made Emma remember the moment when she learned to ice skate with Levi Wargos. Maybe, it would be fun to y Ice Skating in this ce. That time was the moment when Emma realized that Levi was a nice and fun person. There, she saw his warm side.


    The swamp stretched into the Chingsu District area. That way, the fence that was built as the boundary of the factory area was also built across therge swamp water. That was the reason why the fence only used a sheet of wire which was more stic and easy to build than a fence made of steel bars.


    ¡°I found this a few years ago while ying here in the winter,¡± Rachel said when they reached the wire fence. It turned out that there was a sheet of wire that part of it was detached from the support pole. The wires were quite rusty. Indeed, it was difficult to see from a distance. You have to approach it like this, then it would be seen that there was actually damage to the fence.


    The girls were on the north side of Chingsu District which was the back of a sewage management nt building. It was very quiet there and no guards were hanging around.


    Rachel widened the loose opening of the wire fence with both hands, so that it was wide enough for the two girls to pass, ¡°You can go in first Emma. Watch your step.¡± she said, still holding the wire open.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma said as passing the fence while bent down. Then, she switched to holding it back so Rachel could follow in. Now, the two of them were inside Chingsu District.


    ¡°Yeah! We made it in!¡± Emma whispered by giving Rachel a high five. They were so excited to have made it past the first hurdle.


    ¡°We¡¯d better make the most of this opportunity. If the waters have melted, then we won¡¯t be able to enter this way anymore. Winter is our only chance.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Emma nodded.


    Then, they walked stealthily to reach the factory site where Rachel¡¯s grandfather worked. Their goal was to ask elderly employees at the factory about where to loan money. As Rachel knew, it was only the paperpany where her grandfather worked that still employed quite a number of elderly people. They were assigned to do the wrapping work. Usually, the elderly were only scheduled toe to work on certain days of the week.


    But, before the girls found the paper factory building they were looking for, they were presented with a view of a group of men in factory uniforms who were dealing with two other men in guard uniforms.


    They were five men carrying a stroller with tworge blue barrels on it. It seemed the guard men were intercepting them. But not long after, the five factory workers were quickly let through after one of them gave an envelope to the guard.


    ¡°That¡¯s the bribe,¡± Emma whispered.


    Rachel nodded. The issue of bribery between employees and guards was an open secret. There was no employee who did not know that they could pay the guards to cheat while working. And of course, Rachel¡¯s grandfather knew this as a former employee at the Chingsu Paper factory before being forced to move to another paperpany in Chingsu District. Rachel had previously told Emma this during their trip.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand whether the Creeper¡¯s leader was aware of this practice of bribery or not.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they could be both a viin and a guard at the same time. They are like two-headed snakes.¡± Emma muttered.


    After the incident had passed, Emma and Rachel started moving again. Now, they were no longer sneaking around because they were already in a production factory area, which was normal for employees to roam around.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Suddenly, two guards approached Emma and Rachel.


    ¡°Show me your exit permit,¡± One of the two guard men ordered. If someone was assigned to leave the factory building, they would be given an exit permit by the manager in their field.


    ¡°Permit?¡± Emma repeated, trying to be calm. She and Rachel didn¡¯t understand what the guard meant.


    ¡°Yes. Permit to roam out of the factory building. Show it!¡± The man nodded once by sticking out his palm.


    ¡°Oh.. The permit letter, huh? Sorry, but we don¡¯t have one.¡± Rachel said in a very friendly tone.


    ¡°So you two are just spending shit outside?¡± The man asked again.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Actually, we¡¯re not just hanging around, but we¡¯re very hungry, so we intend to find food out for a while.¡± she exined.


    The two guards nced at each other. From the way the two girls spoke, which was so calm, it seemed they already knew how things worked in the Chingsu District.


    Emma smiled as she reached into her trouser pocket and took out a few bills, ¡°We are sorry. Actually, we are new here. But a senior said the guard could be kind enough to give us a little time to fill our stomachs.¡±


    ¡°New guys, huh?¡± The thick eyebrows man muttered while taking out a long small book from his pants¡¯ pocket. Then, he opened it, ¡°I¡¯ll get you an exit permit. One person has to pay five dors for an hour outside.¡±


    ¡°How about two hours?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°You can multiply it.¡± He answered.


    Emma separated twenty dors from her wallet, ¡°Okay. We¡¯d like to take two hours, please.¡± she said as giving the money to the man.


    The man raised his eyebrows casually and pointed his pen at the notebook, ¡°Name?¡±


    ¡°Rossa Swan,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jessi Moon,¡± Rachel added.


    The man continued to write on the two pages of the small book, then nced at the clothes of the two girls before writing again. He nced at his watch and took notes again. When he was done, he tore off the two pieces of paper and gave them to the two factory employees standing in front of him.


    ¡°I noted the time when this letter was written. So you should be back in two hours, from now on.¡± He said.


    ¡°Understood. Thank you.¡± The two girls answered.


    ¡°If you want to find food, you shouldn¡¯t be hanging around here. Ha.. It seems like Unipaper Company is reshuffling its workers into young people.¡± The blonde-haired man said as looking around. It looked like he was looking for another prey.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re new, we still don¡¯t familiar with this area. Would you mind showing me the way?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°Of course. Two dors,¡± The blonde man replied.

 Chapter 152

    152 Two Innocent Girls


    Emma and Rachel nced at each other and sighed quietly. Those men really.. Perhaps, if they could, they would charge money to the employees who wished to breathe within the territory of the Chingsu District.


    Finally, Emma pulled two dors out of her wallet and gave them to the damn man. Then, the two men stepped in front of them before gesturing to follow.


    The girls stared at each other as they walked behind the two tall men.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where else to look for money. I¡¯ve tried to borrow to everyone I know, but no one gave it,¡± Rachel said a bit loud then winked at Emma.


    Emma could read Rachel¡¯s sudden n. It was an opportunity for them to find the Creeper¡¯s headquarters in Chingsu District. Knowing how strong the group was and what its weaknesses were.


    ¡°Have you applied to a loanpany?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Yes, but it was rejected. Actually, I don¡¯t understand how to properly borrow money from a bank or loanpany. Do you?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°Ah.. Too bad. I don¡¯t know either. Huft.. I think this is the disadvantage of the person who was growing up in a remote vige like us. Due tock of knowledge, we have a hard time moving to the city.¡± Emma said in a rather loud voice.


    It seemed that the two girls¡¯ n had worked, because they made the two guard men hear their conversation clearly. The two men looked at each other and nodded once before stopping, then turning around. The girls who were following them were also stopped with confused eyes.


    .....


    ¡°So.. you two are looking for a loan, huh?¡± The thick brows man asked.


    Emma and Rachel nodded innocently. Inside, they were cheering for joy because it seemed that their n was starting to work.


    ¡°I am. I¡¯m having a hard time finding a loan. Do you think you know where I can borrow money?¡± Rachel asked in a sad tone. She acted like an innocent girl from a vige, making the guard men think that she innocently trusted them for real.


    But Emma leaned forward slightly, ¡°Pardon, but could you gentlemen help my friend? Incidentally, I don¡¯t have any money left to pay for that information.¡± she said, hoping to be pitied. Of course, Emma still had a lot of money in her pocket. It was just a trick to look poor for real.


    As Jonas once said, ¡®In disguise, the slightest thing will be very important and must be considered.¡¯


    The two men smiled behind the masks that covered their noses and mouths. The blonde nodded, ¡°Okay. For this, we won¡¯t charge you any penny. There¡¯s indeed a good ce to borrow money. And actually, it¡¯s still in this area.¡±


    Finally, Emma and Rachel asked the two men to take them to a ce to borrow money. They pretended to be holding their hunger with the excuse of being ¡®In desperate need of money¡¯. They skillfully pretended to be innocent and rather stupid girls. It seemed the two men didn¡¯t suspect them at all.


    With that, they changed the flow of the n. They no longer need to use the elderly employees to search the Creeper¡¯s headquarters, because it was the members themselves who invited the intruder in.


    Coincidentally, their location wasn¡¯t too far from a white, three-floor building. The building was not too big and maybe the size was just like an ordinary small office building. But beside it was another building that was even bigger with five floors high. From just a nce, Emma already knew that the tall building with many balconies was a dormitory, which was probably where the Creeper members stayed. If that was true, then the white building they were aiming for now, was the headquarters of the group.


    The two girls were led into the ss main door of the building. The cold air outside immediately turned into warm air, because the building¡¯s lobby even used heating.


    ¡°You two just wait there. I¡¯ll call the salesman to exin the loans.¡± The blonde said by pointing to arge ck sofa set on the right side of the room. Then, he left and disappeared behind a bulkhead into the deeper part of the building.


    Not long after, the man came back to them. ¡°Wait here. Our sales will get you soon. We¡¯ll leave you here.¡± he said.


    Emma and Rachel immediately stood up and nodded, ¡°Thank you very much, Sir.¡± they said in unison, though they felt disgusted inside.


    The two men just raised their eyebrows briefly and headed out of the building to go back on patrol. Emma and Rachel looked at each other and sat down. Both of their eyes could not stay still, kept screening around. They were looking for the spots of the CCTV cameras which turned out to be in the two corners of the small lobby. There was a receptionist¡¯s desk guarded by a uniformed man and a girl with pulled hair on the left side of the main door.


    Not long after, a man with sses and ck hair neatly arranged, showed up from behind a wall partition that led to the inside. He approached the two women who were sitting on the sofa waiting.


    ¡°Good day,dies.¡± The man greeted.


    Emma and Rachel immediately stood up to greet the man with a friendly face who always seemed to smile.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Rayn Elskar. I am the marketing service for lending money at thispany.¡± He looked at the two girls in front of him in turn, ¡°So.. who is nning to apply for a loan?¡±


    ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s me,¡± Rachel said, holding out her hand, ¡°My name is Jessi Moon. And she is my friend.¡± she turned to Emma slightly.


    Emma also shook hands with the man named Rayn, ¡°I¡¯m Rossa Swan. I¡¯m just apanying her here.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Please follow me inside to continue,¡± Rayn led his guests to follow him. They headed behind a bulkhead wall that revealed a passage with several doors on its right and left. Then, he opened one of them which was a rather small room with an office desk and two chairs facing it. Rayn motioned for thedies to sit down, while he sat on his own chair.


    ¡°So, how much do you want to apply for?¡± Rayn asked the girl he knew named Jessi.


    ¡°If I could, I¡¯d like it to be about a hundred dors,¡± Rachel answered.


    ¡°A hundred? All right, all right,¡± Rayn said after thinking for a second. That¡¯s a pretty small amount. It seemed she was really struggling with money that she just wanted to borrow only a hundred dors. ¡°We can give it today as well. But as you know, every loan requires coteral.¡±


    Rachel nodded, ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry, but I actually have nothing here. I came from the vige to work in the city. Therefore, I have nothing.¡±


    Rayn nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. You are lucky because our services are specifically for people who work inpanies within the Chingsu District. If you really don¡¯t have valuable assets for coteral, then you can use your employment contract at thepany you work for. We enforce this condition to make it easier for workers to get loans, because we know the difficulty of borrowing money from the bank and how hard to apply for a nominal that is notmensurate with the coteral.¡± he exined.


    ¡°Oh.. Good to hear that,¡± Rachel said as she sighed in relief.


    ¡°Anyways, youdies can take off your masks here. We use air filters inside this building, so there¡¯s no factory pollution from outside.¡± Rayn said.


    ¡°Thank you. But actually, both of us are having a bit of a cold since we came from the vige, so ourpany management requested us to always wear these masks while we are in the Chingsu District area so as not to infect others.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Is that so? Yes, indeed the flu is on the risetely because of the cold.¡± Rayn nodded slightly.


    ¡°By the way, Rayn. Before you prepare the file, may I ask about this loan service? I.. just wanted to make sure that this service is safe,¡± Rachel said in a rather embarrassed manner.


    Rayn chuckled. His face and gesture still looked like that of a friendly nice man who was full of smiles, ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel shy to ask reasonable questions like this, Miss Jessi. So, our servicepany is called Loyal Loan. We coborate with Creeper and allpanies in Chingsu District to provide financial support to the workers, especially to those who don¡¯t know about bank lending. The agreement we will maketer is also rted to thew. Therefore, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± he exined.


    ¡°Pardon me for interfering,¡± Emma interrupted quietly, ¡°Actually, what worries us is that the Creeper¡¯s name sounds a bit...¡±


    ¡°Hahaha..¡± Raynughed, then wiped the corners of his teary eyes while nodding in understanding, ¡°Oh my.. Honestly, I¡¯m a little tired of hearing about this misunderstanding. So many people have doubts because they hear the name Creeper is scary. It seems that from the start, the leader made a name too hastily. Here, The Creeper name actually stands for Care Expert (CaRE ExPERt). I don¡¯t know why they shortened it to be grim like that. But, you don¡¯t have to worry, because basically, Loyal Loan is a stand-alonepany. We just signed a contract partnered for several years with the Creeper for going to rent parts of their building for our office here.¡±


    ¡°God.. I see now. Ah.. I¡¯m so sorry if I hesitated a little earlier,¡± Rachel said with an awkward chuckle.


    Emma also nodded, ¡°Thank goodness there is such an excellent servicepany like yours.¡± She said, but maybe she would wash her mouth withundry detergent after this.

 Chapter 153

    153 The Leader of Creeper


    Rayn nodded to the brown-haired girl¡¯s question, ¡°No need to feel ashamed. So, do you have any more questions? If you don¡¯t have one, I¡¯ll prepare the file.¡±


    ¡°Actually, my stomach is a bit ufortable. Is there a toilet here?¡± Emma asked, pretending to hold her stomach.


    ¡°Oh.. Of course, there is. From this door, turn right, then left. You¡¯ll find the toilet.¡± Rayn exined.


    Emma nodded as she stood up, ¡°Thank you.¡± she said before holding the shoulder of the girl who was still sitting next to her, ¡°Jessi, I¡¯m going to the toilet. Will you be okay here alone?¡±


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Sure. But don¡¯t take too long, okay?¡±


    Emma nodded then immediately left the room and walked towards the toilet ording to Rayn¡¯s directions earlier. She walked slowly enough to look around.


    It turned out there was another lobby with a smaller size at the end of the hallway. There was a ratherrge staircase to get to the next floor. Emma walked to the stairs and looked up to find a few doors upstairs. There was also arge-sized painting on the stairs wall. It was a painting of a man in a cool guard uniform with a few small badges whose symbols Emma didn¡¯t know. It seemed that he was a higher-up in the Creeper group. Quickly, Emma took out her cell phone and took a picture of the painting.


    Suddenly, the voices of several men sounded faint and getting closer from upstairs. Emma immediately ran on tiptoe towards the entrance to the toilet and hid behind the wall. The voices of the men were followed by the knocking sound of their shoes as if they were going downstairs. Emma poked her face slightly from the wall. She could see three tall men still in the middle of the stairs. One of them had the exact same face as in the painting.


    ¡°Let Oscar take care of the trouble on the streets. I¡¯ll stay focused on the work in the Chingsu District. He has five hundred men over there. Why isn¡¯t that enough?¡± The man whose face was in the painting asked.


    .....


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Commander. But, Boss Oscar said, Gaston is still unconscious to this day. His defeat yesterday scared almost all of Oscar¡¯s men. Looks like RJC has gotten a lot stronger,¡± His man exined.


    Themander finally stopped in his tracks. Emma immediately pulled her face back behind the wall, still listening with keen ears. Themander turned to face his two subordinates who immediately respectfully bowed their heads fearfully, ¡°Aren¡¯t they adding members taken from the martial arts studio? Isn¡¯t that enough? If I have to draw people from here to there, the Chingsu District¡¯s guard will weaken and affect the ie here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve exined that to Oscar, Commander. But he said it was really urgent because they failed to kidnap Marcel Dous¡¯s grandmother. They were afraid that RJC would suddenly attack for revenge.¡± The man exined without raising his eyes the slightest.


    ¡°Oscar should know what the current financial situation is. If we keep pouring money out, we won¡¯t be able to pay the ck Hole. But why was that man too stupid to send a weakling to kidnap the grandma of that powerful leader of RJC?¡± He growled.


    The two men¡¯s subordinates could only look down in fear. Although themander never vented his anger on his subordinates, they were still very afraid if the monster was angry.


    ¡°Tell Oscar that I¡¯m going to Greenvalley. Change all schedules. Don¡¯t keep me waiting.¡± He said as he walked away.


    ¡°All right, Commander!¡± The two men bowed respectfully.


    As themander left, the man who had previously spoken to him remained standing where he was, while quickly taking out a cell phone from his coat pocket and immediately putting it to his ear. Two secondster, the call was picked up from across the line, ¡°Commander Lee Mu Fei is going to Greenvalley headquarters. We¡¯re on our way now.¡±


    Emma¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡®So that guy¡¯s name is Lee Mu Fei? He is the head of the Creeper. Then who is Oscar? His right hand?¡¯ she thought to herself.


    When Emma was about to enter the toilet, she was quite surprised when she saw a small board that read ¡®Staff Only¡¯. From that, Emma realized that Rayn might be a new staff or an idiot. Instead, he directed guests to go to the toilet which was reserved for employees working at the headquarters. No wonder the three Creeper¡¯s men were free to talk around here. That was because there shouldn¡¯t be a stranger in this small lobby.


    Emma rushed into the bathroom. She neither wanted to pee nor defecate. She had another intention that had been nned from the start, which was to find the air duct in the bathroom ceiling. And of course, she found it easily. There were three toilet cubicles in the small room. At the very end of the cubicle, the air duct hole was located.


    Emma understood that a gangster base must have very few women in it. Emma only had to worry about the one female receptionist she had seen outside. Maybe it was the woman with the hair in the bun that Emma had to worry about getting into this women¡¯s restroom.


    Quickly, Emma lowered the toilet bowl cover and climbed onto it. Then, she set her foot on the toilet water tank before climbing higher above the cubicle wall. Emma breathed slowly so her body could rx, because the cubicle divider was thin and she had to perch on top of it in a line. Even though Emma had to desperately maintain her bnce, she also had to strain her ears so she could hear if the main toilet door was open from the outside.


    Emma¡¯s hands reached for the hollowed venttion cover. She pushed it up and slowly poked her head into the airway. It was very dark in it, so Emma used her cell phone to light up the airways. After looking around the branching sections, Emma smiled with satisfaction. Then, she swiftly lowered her head and closed the vent before moving down.


    ¡°I¡¯d better go back now,¡± Emma muttered as she looked in the mirror to brush off the dust that had stuck to her face and hair. It looked like she would have to wash her hair tonight.


    ***


    On the other hand, Rachel was sitting innocently alone in front of a desk disying a pile of files. Inside, she cursed the Creeper. It turned out that this was their way of trapping their victims into signing loans with unreasonable interest rates.


    ¡°You can read through all the files first, Ms Jess. But, actually, the contents of the files are the copy of the first files. It¡¯s because we work with several parties, so quite a lot of files needs to be copied. Unfortunately, the regtions from the mainpany told us that we need the original signature and fingerprint of the loan recipient.¡± Rayn exined with a sigh. He gave Jess an expression of sorry, which the girl already knew that it was a charade.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand. But.. the writing is quite small, isn¡¯t it?¡± sheughed. As much as possible, she had to buy time for Emma. Actually, while waiting together in the front lobby, Emma had whispered that she would go to the toilet to check the air vent.


    ¡°Yes, it looks like there was a slight error in the printing of the file by our office staff. Would you like to change it to arger font? But maybe you¡¯ll have to wait about three more days because we have to pick up the file at the head office.¡± Rayn offered.


    ¡°Ah.. then that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll sign it today,¡± Rachel replied.


    The man smiled and nodded, ¡°Please take your time,¡±


    Rachel returned the man¡¯s smile before checking the papers in her hands. Inside, she was very annoyed at the reasons Rayn gave to trick her. They were taking advantage of people whock insight and were being squashed by the economy.


    By using employment contracts, they could turn these employees into cash cows for years, or even for their whole lives. The Creeper must have been cooperating on purpose with the factories owners. Really, Rachel couldn¡¯t believe why there were so many bad people in Handway City. She felt that the beautiful looking city was actually a cursed city.


    Carefully, Rachel read the first five pages of the agreement. Although the small front made her blue eyes hurt, she didn¡¯t find anything unusual here. In the agreement, it was written that the interest to be charged was only five percent of the nominal loan in one month. Actually, it was still within reasonable limits. Apart from interest, other agreement points were also normal. Rachel was confused. She knew they had other ways of scamming their prey.


    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Rachel pretended to cough. Then, she nced at the man, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± she said. The man just smiled back with the intention of not bothering her. But after a few seconds, Rachel coughed again, and now it was getting more intense. Her charade was great that made Rayn look quite annoyed, ¡°Cough! I-I¡¯m.. sorry.. Cough! My throat.. is dry,¡± she said while pretending to cough more.


    ¡°Ah.. Sorry, looks like I forgot to give you a drink.¡± Rayn said as he stood up from his seat.


    Rachel immediately shook her head, ¡°D-do you.. usually.. provide.. water?¡± she asked while coughing.


    Rayn smiled wryly, ¡°If needed.¡± he replied as he walked towards the door, ¡°I¡¯ll get some water first. I hope when I get back, you have finished checking the contract.¡±


    ¡°Sure.. I¡¯m sorry for troubling you,¡± Rachel said but the man didn¡¯t answer. Rachel smiled as Rayn walked out of the small room and closed the door.

 Chapter 154

    154 Disgusting Scam


    From the beginning, Rachel actually had noticed the condition of the empty room. They really didn¡¯t respect the workers, so there didn¡¯t seem to be any mineral water at all, neither on the table nor in the corner of the room. Rachel had guessed that they didn¡¯t store drinks, not even under the table. Therefore, Rachel turned their cruelty to her advantage.


    While Rayn was gone, with her speed reading skills, Rachel rummaged through the contents of the papers. From a short screening, she found that the file had twelve copies, which gave her sixty pages of tiny fronts. Just imagine, how could an elderly be able to read it all in an hour?


    Rachel could guess the trick used by the Creeper. She was sure that usually, people would only check the front, middle, and end of the page to make sure that the contents were really the same as the first file. Because of that, Rachel had purposely read the third of the twelve printouts of the contract files. And sure enough, she finally found the deadly mine.


    In the third file, there was written that the contract was thetest agreement that had been properly read and approved by the loan recipient. By signing the contract, it meant that all signed agreements were invalid and only this file of the contract was valid.


    They listed all their crimes in that legal contract file.


    1. Interest of fifty percent which will be doubled in the first two weeks after the loan date, will be charged ording to the remaining nominal of the loan. So, if the debtor does not pay the debt within two weeks of receiving the money, then the interest will change to one hundred percent.


    2. Subsequent interest will be increased by twenty percent every month.


    3. If the debtor iste in paying the debt or at least the interest, there will be an additional twenty percent interest.


    4. The debtor agrees to refuse legal protection. And if the debtor cannot repay the debt, s/he agrees toply with all sanctions given by the lender regardless of the form of the sanctions.


    .....


    Rachel gritted her teeth. Then, she immediately put the original file into her coat and signed the other files.


    Suddenly, the door opened. Rachel immediately feigned another cough as she signed the files in slow motion, as if she had be very weak. It turned out that the one who entered from behind the door was Emma. However, Rayn appeared behind Emma toe in with two bottles of water.


    ¡°Have a drink, please,¡± Rayn said by cing the bottles on the table.


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Rachel replied in a sarcastic tone. Then, she turned her body to the side and lowered the mask to under her lips before quickly swallowing a few sips of the water.


    ¡°Ah.. looks like you¡¯ve finished reading all the files, haven¡¯t you?¡± Rayn said happily when he saw that almost all the papers on the table had signatures on them. Like everyone else, the woman named Jess must have been too tired to read the sixty pages and decided to just sign it anyway. They were vige people, after all. Rayn couldn¡¯t help butugh inside.


    ¡°When everything is signed, you can take out your original identity card and your work card, okay? I¡¯ll process it right away. After that, we¡¯ll proceed to finger tapping on each letter as a sign ofpletion.¡± Rayn exined again.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Rachel answered.


    But secretly, Rachel and Emma nced at each other. Of course, they did not have identity cards or even work cards. It looked like they had to put an end to this charade.


    After Rachel had finished signing all the files, she pretended to reach into her pants pocket to pull out her wallet. But when her hand was still in her pocket, she immediately looked at Emma with a shocked look, ¡°My head.. My.. Head ..¡±


    BUGH!!


    Rachel fell unconscious to the side. This made Ryan and Emma immediately stand up in a panic.


    ¡°Gosh! What happens with your friend?¡± Ryan asked quickly.


    ¡°Jess! Jess! Wake up!¡± Emma shook Rachel frantically. Then, she looked at Ryan with watery eyes, ¡°My friend passed out. Actually, she was starving since three hours ago. Looks like her Gerd rpses.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Rayn held his head. The two country girls were troublesome for real. He was just about to receive his first bonus if this woman signed the contract. ¡®You damn girls!¡¯


    ¡°I have to take her to the hospital. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll hurt her stomach. Can you help call an ambnce or a taxi?¡± Emma asked quickly.


    Ryan rolled his eyes, ¡°Sorry. We don¡¯t provide medical services for anyone who faints here.¡±


    Emma could only grit her teeth seeing Ryan¡¯s expression which had turned into a very annoying one. As she expected, the demon had two faces, which one of them he used to incite potential victims. It seemed that he was showing his true face now.


    ¡°W-well.. I¡¯ll call a taxi by myself,¡± Emma said as she grabbed her cell phone from her pocket.


    ¡°Shut the door when you¡¯re done and carry your friends out. I have a lot of wasted important business to do because of you.¡± Ryan said by walking away, leaving the two women in the room.


    After Ryan left, Emma¡¯s cell phone rang. It was the taxi driver who told her that he couldn¡¯t enter the Chingsu District gate because he was being held back by the guards. Then, Emma brought her face close to Rachel¡¯s and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Emma left Rachel lying on the floor. She approached the receptionist¡¯s desk and asked the female employee there to contact the guard who was on duty at the gate post to let the taxi in. Luckily, the woman felt sorry for Emma who looked panicked because her friend had fainted, so she did what Emma asked.


    When the taxi arrived, the female receptionist and her male partner helped Emma carry Rachel¡¯srge body into the taxi.


    ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for your help. Sorry to bother you all,¡± Emma said earnestly.


    The two receptionists shook their heads with a smile, ¡°No problem. You¡¯d better get going before someone from above sees this.¡± The female receptionist said.


    ¡°Okay. Thank you.. Bye,¡± Emma nodded quickly, getting into the car. Then the taxi drove away, crossed the long Chingsu District road and finally arrived at the front gate.


    Emma¡¯s chest was pounding quite hard when the taxi was again stopped by several guards on duty at the gate. Emma and the taxi driver had to open their car windows wide. The taxi driver must also retrieve his identity card from the guard post. Luckily, Emma still managed to escape because the guards could see Rachel wasying on Emma¡¯sp with sweat dripping down her forehead and hair. Previously, Rachel used her drinking water to make that wet appearance on her forehead.


    Since the two girls were indeed wearing factory uniforms, it was considered enough to prove that they weren¡¯t outsiders. Finally, the taxi was allowed to pass smoothly.


    After getting far enough from the gate, Rachel opened her eyes. The two girls smiled amusedly, holding backughter. Their first n worked.


    ¡°Sir, please drop us off in front of the mini-market,¡± Emma pointed to a building with a white light shining brightly because the sky was starting to darken.


    ¡°Okay. But, what about your friend, Miss?¡± The driver asked while looking in the top rearview mirror.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°She is awake now. My brother works at the mini-market. He will take us to the hospital after this,¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Alright then,¡± The driver replied as he pulled the yellow car aside.


    Emma paid for the taxi before getting off by carrying Rachel who was still pretending to be weak until the taxi had really left them.


    Rachel and Emma burst outughing. They were very happy to be able to fool the many bad people in Chingsu District. Well.. although Emma felt a little guilty towards the two receptionists who were pretty kind to helping her earlier. Maybe the two of them could get into troubleter if Emma and Rachel¡¯s infiltration was exposed.


    Not long after, a different taxi approached them. Emma and Rachel quickly got in it before the skypletely darkened. The ck taxi took them to the border wall of Chingsu District where Emma parked her motorbike. It was already so dark there, so they were forced to walk while groping a little for fear of being caught if they used a shlight.


    Finally, the two girls made it to their motorbike and changed back into their previous clothes and drove home. At Emma¡¯s house, they immediately sat down on the sofa to discuss the results of their mission today. Really, they still had so much energy left that they didn¡¯t seem to feel tired at all.


    Emma ced two sses of warm chamomile tea on the table before sitting down next to Rachel who was focusing on some of the papers scattered on the same table.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s the trap?¡± Emma asked with a sip of tea which instantly warmed her body.


    Rachel nodded. Previously, she had told Emma what had happened and what she found when Emma was going to the toilet. She handed the paper to the girl beside her with an annoyed face. The thought of her grandfather being scammed into signing the contracts made her furious. It seemed that the grandfather did not even dare to tell Rachel that he was actually using his work contract as a guarantee. Now her grandfather had be a cash cow belonging to the Creeper.


    Emma took the papers and read them carefully. She even had to furrow her brows when she read the tiny writings on the paper. While reading that, Emma kept shaking her head.


    ¡°What a jerk. That group is a total jerk.¡± Emma growled. ¡°This is tantamount to them trapping people into very. How are those people able to pay off debts if the interest continues to grow crazy like this? Those people are working half to death and all their wages have to be handed over to that damn group? They¡¯re f*cking filthy!¡±

 Chapter 155

    155 Group¡¯s Burden


    Emma was extremely mad at how dirty the way Creeper scammed people were. It felt like this was the first time she¡¯d swear so much. But the tall girl beside her could understand that.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°It seems that my grandpa has also been trapped. It seems that he has made his employment contract as coteral, because I saw that our house and other building documents are still there. Those are thest assets we have. He wouldn¡¯t dare to touch it.¡±


    ¡°If they did withhold the employment contracts of the employees, those papers are the same as their property. Even if the Creepers were defeated in the end, while they still have the contracts, that means they still have as many cows as one farm for them to milk.¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°So what should we do next, Emma? From therge dorm building next to their office, it looks like the group has a lot of strong members.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Emma nodded. ¡°And actually, they¡¯re stronger than that, Rachel. While going to the toilet earlier, apart from checking the air vent, I discovered something even bigger.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The leader of the Creeper is a man named Lee Mu Fei. I found thisrge painting there, and luckily, the man appeared while I was there.¡± Emma showed Rachel the picture on her cell phone, ¡°From what I heard, the Creeper still has another big branch headed by someone named Oscar. The base is at Greenvalley Street. It seems that Lee Mu Fei and Oscar¡¯s rtionship isn¡¯t very good, as they are fighting over members to guard their respective areas.¡±


    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Rachel asked confusedly.


    ¡°Ah.. Looks like I have to exin to you a few things to make things clear.¡± Emma said.


    .....


    Then, Emma exined to Rachel everything about the gangsters of Handway City she knew. Even Emma also told about the involvement of Calvin Lee, Troy Roner who was the leader of the Jita Kyoei group, and Marcel Dous who was the leader of RJC.


    ¡°So.. RJC and the Creeper are enemies?¡± Rachel repeated.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Those two groups are both blindly erging their groups, recruiting members of the martial arts studio. That¡¯s what made Jita Kyoei¡¯s group angry and finally teamed up with Calvin Lee to stop the groups.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you friends with Calvin Lee?¡± Rachel asked.


    Emma nodded with a gloomy face, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m so confused right now. Actually, besides being friends with Calvin Lee and Troy, I¡¯m also friends with Marcel Dous, even knowing his grandmother too. Even though they don¡¯t know that I am ck, of course, I just can¡¯t see one of them breaking.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. That is confusing,¡± Rachel muttered. ¡°But.. If indeed RJC recruits new members because they are threatened by the Creeper, won¡¯t they stop doing that if the Creeper falls? If that happens, the feud between RJC and Jita Kyoei probably would stop.¡± She continued thoughtfully.


    ¡°That has a point. So to say the least, the Creeper is actually the source of the problem.¡± Emma nodded.


    ¡°But can we defeat them with our strength? From your story and what I witnessed myself, that group is powerful.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Actually, I already have a n, Rachel. The first thing we should do is.. make Lee Mu Fei and Oscar fight each other.¡± Emma smiled.


    ***


    Greenvalley was an ordinary street with a few closed shop buildings. From the start, the street did not have a strategic location, so thend price was much cheaper than Bluevalley and Redvalley.


    Why did Greenvalley have such a non-strategic location? That was because the location of the street was quite far behind its two siblings. Actually, Greenvalley Street shouldn¡¯t exist. However, after a paperpany built its factory around the area, arge wall was built separating the two areas.


    When the Chingsu Paper area was under construction, there was a dispute between thepany and residents who objected to the factory construction. In the end, Chingsu Paper bribed the Handway City government to permit them to build a big wall to separate their area from the locals¡¯ area.


    A big road was cut off by the standing wall. The road was eventually made into Greenvalley Street so as not to be an empty area. But unfortunately, Greenvalley became a location that squeezed between the giant wall and Bluevalley-and-Redvalley Streets in front of it.


    In the past, the Redvalley and Bluevalley Streets were controlled by Apollo. Apollo never wanted to nce at the Greenvalley Sreet which had no potential at all for their business. Finally, a group decided to sit in the squeezed street. The group was called the Creeper.


    A white-painted building that had begun to turn to be yellowish stood in the middle of Greenvalley Street. It was a three-floor building with many motorbikes parked on the vacant lot next to it. From a distance, three ck cars could be seen speeding and stopping in front of the building.


    A group of men ran out of the building and formed a straight line. They immediately bowed their bodies deeply towards the centre, where the leader would walk past them.


    One man ran to the passenger door of the car and opened it. Even, the other men who were in the front and back cars also ran down and formed a line to bow respectfully.


    From the passenger door of the car, a dashing man in a dark blue suit showed up. He had an intimidating sharp pair of eyes. He walked with steady steps, into the headquarters building.


    On the top floor was thergest room with many luxurious interiors and furniture in it. The owner of the room was at the door of his luxurious room, waiting for his colleague who was visiting.


    ¡°Afei. How are you?¡± Oscar Chopper greeted. He was a man with brown hair and a thin beard along his jaw.


    Lee Mu Fei or who was familiarly called Afei, only smiled briefly at hisrade in arms. Then, he pointed to the door of the room behind Oscar¡¯s back, ¡°We¡¯d better go in now. I just don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    The two men entered Oscar Chopper¡¯s office, leaving their respective bodyguards outside the door. Indeed, they both showed rxed expressions on their faces, but actually, an aura of tension was strongly felt.


    ¡°So you need additional men?¡± Afei asked as he took a sip of the rice wine Oscar had poured for him.


    Oscar nodded once, taking a sip of the liquor as well, ¡°We¡¯re in trouble. Lately, there have been a lot of impromptu superheroes appeared. They have overwhelmed my men.¡± he exined.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Afei ced his wine ss on the table in front of him, ¡°I understand the problem you¡¯re facing. But I sent a hundred men for you just two weeks ago. Is that still not enough?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough, Afei. It¡¯s not enough,¡± Oscar replied. Then he sighed, ¡°Due to the increasingly difficult conditions, I started aiming for Bluevalley and Redvalley streets. But it turns out that their defences are already very great. RJC seems to have wiped out all the martial arts studios¡¯ students in Handway City.¡±


    ¡°Besides.. If you recruit those students too, of course, we need funds to do it, right?¡± Afei was seen ying with his ss mouth.


    Oscar secretly gulped. Finally, due to ack of funds, he borrowed money from the central Creeper led by Lee Mu Fei to recruit stronger men when the ck Harvest Day program didn¡¯t run smoothly. Now, when the armour-skinned man talked about it, he felt a shudder of fear in his heart. Because Oscar knew that he wasn¡¯t a strong man like Afei. He was a weak man with a cunning brain. That was what kept him alive to this day.


    Even though he was intimidated by Lee Mu Fei, Oscar Chopper had one weapon that he had always used.


    ¡°Well.. Things have been getting tougher since the ck Hole started acting up again. But, shouldn¡¯t we be grateful that we¡¯re still in the ranks of the undefeated big group? Every time I look in the mirror, I feel like it all just happened yesterday. The time when there was no Creeper in Handway City. At the time, I was working behind aputer and busy contacting suppliers.¡± Oscar remembered. Then, he looked at Afei with an innocent face, ¡°Don¡¯t you still remember it, Afei?¡±


    The sharp-eyed man stared at Oscar for a long moment before replying in an even tone, ¡°You know I won¡¯t forget it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Oscarughed and nodded as he again poured the rice wine into hisrade¡¯s ss, ¡°I didn¡¯t say you¡¯d forget. You know how I like nostalgia,¡± he said. ¡°Ah.. If only we didn¡¯t have to separate locations like this, still leading the same ce as before. Surely it wouldn¡¯t feel this heavy. But.. Of course, I have to think about how to protect the kingdom we have built so hard together.¡± he continued.


    ¡°I can only give one hundred more men. Nothing more than that,¡± Afei said after Oscar kept his mouth shut from such unimportant small talk.


    Oscar smiled sweetly. In his heart, he was satisfied that Afeiplied with his request again, ¡°Although it may not be enough, indeed, I will use it as well as I could. Thank you, Afei.¡±


    ¡°I hope you can take care of all your men so that they can be strong and useful. The source of the Creeper¡¯s strength onlyes from my men. We can¡¯t keep depending from one side.¡± Afei replied before finishing a shot of his rice wine in one gulp. In fact, he was already very done with Oscar¡¯s performance.


    ¡°Actually, I also remember when those men were still under my feet too,¡± Oscar muttered under his breath, pretending to cough. He immediately pulled a bottle of whiskey from the table and drank it straight from the mouth of the bottle. ¡°Ah... Sorry, I choked. I¡¯m not used to rice wine.¡± he said with a chuckle. Basically, Oscar¡¯s this way attitude meant that he didn¡¯t respect Lee Mu Fei.

 Chapter 156

    156 RJC¡¯ Problems Increases


    Afei stared sharply at the man in front of him. The man even looked like his body weight had been increasing which made his stomach get bigger. Actually, Afei had known long ago that Oscar Chopper was azy man. This man couldn¡¯t fight at all and didn¡¯t even want to try. At this time, Oscar just stood beside Afei, as if he was the brains of the Creeper. However, the negativity of thiszy man became even more apparent when Creeper decided to branch out outside of Chingsu District.


    The Creeper outside the Chingsu District was like a spoiled rich man¡¯s son who had just grown up and knew the world outside. Recklessly, Oscar formed several branch groups under his feet to expand his territory to increase his ie and power, so that he could show off. But Oscar Chopper was not a war expert like Lee Mu Fei who understood how important the foundation of strength was. Oscar vigorously raised his group without thinking about the fighting abilities of the members. His brain was indeed cunning, but actually, he was not smart.


    If it wasn¡¯t because of the support from the central Creeper that was stillpletely under Lee Mu Fei¡¯s control, it was certain that the Creeper under Oscar Chopper would not have survived. In fact, Afei was so done seeing Oscar¡¯s behaviour, but he always remembered that if it weren¡¯t because of Oscar, he might currently be working as a regr security guard at a mall or otherpany. If Oscar had not insisted on persuading him to cheat, perhaps Lee Mu Fei would not be the powerful and feared figure he was now. There was no way he could send much money to his family back home.


    But as the days go by, Afei begin to think, was it worth it for him to keep someone like that? How long should he have to return the favour? Hadn¡¯t Oscar taken quite a lot from the work of the two of them.. or rather could be said.. Lee Mu Fei¡¯s alone work?


    If Oscar always brought out the past, couldn¡¯t Afei also be able to do it? If he recalled, it was actually Afei who worked hard to establish Creeper. And if he thought about it.. if he could betray the boss of Chingsu Paper who was very kind to him, why now should he feel reluctant to kick Oscar Chopper out?


    ***


    The ringing tone rang along with a lit cell phone screen on the bed. The ringing tone continued to y, but never picked up because the room was empty.


    Not long after, a muscr-body man with a back full of Egyptian tattoos came out of the bathroom door of the room. Water was still dripping from his hair, rolling down the curves of his uncovered muscles because he was only covered by a towel at his bottom part.


    Actually, when in the bathroom earlier, Frank Duk had heard that his cell phone was ringing. But his shower was almost finished so he decided to let it be for a while.


    .....


    Frank reached for the cell phone that was lying on his bed. It was a missed call from Louis Rough, one of the men he sent to spy and find out the location of RJC¡¯s headquarters.


    Frowning, Frank called his friend back. The dial tone rang a couple of times until it finally was picked up from the opposite line.


    ¡°Louis?¡± Frank said right away.


    A heavy gasp was heard from the other line, which Frank could read as a bad situation.


    ¡°Frank! This is... bad. We¡¯ve been caught,¡± Louis said breathlessly. It looked like he just got involved in a chasing scene with the RJC members.


    Frank could only be swearing by massaging his bridge nose as he sat on the edge of the bed, ¡°Are you okay? How about Justin?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We both managed to escape. But.. this might be a problem. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Louis said with the noise of the busy highway in the background.


    Frank nodded, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve worked hard. Now go home and don¡¯t hang around just yet. Maybe the RJC men are looking for you. Thanks for helping me,¡±


    Frank didn¡¯t think that his ns would fall apart. Like what Ian and Calvin said, RJC couldn¡¯t be underestimated. He knew that in the future, the problem would get worse and they had topletely remake their ns because of this failure. If possible, they should speak privately to Marcel Dous. But if the man refused to cooperate, then war would be inevitable.


    **


    A room with lots of old radio equipment was soundless even though there were several men in it. The atmosphere was quite tense. It was because Frank had just informed them about the problem of their mission.


    ¡°In the end, we still have to fight,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°But is the group really that strong?¡± Nicko asked.


    Frank nodded, ¡°They use the former cinema building on Finestell Street as their base office. It¡¯s a fairlyrge building, three times bigger than Hell Gate¡¯s main base. There may be around seven hundred or so members in it. Louis said those men are very good at fighting. Our boys couldn¡¯t even break through the gatekeepers.¡±


    ¡°Looks like Marcel has no reason to have a nice talk with us. With that kind of strength, he must be confident that he can beat all of us, that he¡¯ll choose the fight.¡± Troy replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to talk to Marcel and tell him the reason why we¡¯re spying on his group,¡± Calvin said. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the base alone,¡±


    ¡°Alone?¡± Troy repeated. ¡°Are you nuts? You could be killed in there, you idiot,¡±


    ¡°Troy¡¯s right. You¡¯ll be minced there.¡± Martin nodded.


    ¡°If wee in groups, it would be like we are challenging them to a fight. I don¡¯t think RJC is that cowardly to gang up on one person whoes to talk to the leader. Even though this is a harsh dark world, gangsters still have ethics.¡± Ian cut thoughtfully.


    What Ian said made the others pause while nodding in understanding. It wasn¡¯t weird that he could be the brain of Jita Kyoei. Ian¡¯s insight was indeed very broad. He could think like a professional gangster. And keep in mind, that since the beginning, Jita Kyoei was never formed to be a group of gangsters. They never run any business and seek profit or power.


    After finishing the discussion, the men came out of the room that they had secretly made into a special base on campus. Actually, long ago, it was the room that Calvin always used to study the 31.7 AM radio broadcast. However, since he started working with Jita Kyoei, he invited the group to make the abandoned room their temporary base.


    Calvin left the room first because he had other business rted to his lectures. With rather quick steps, he walked down the stairs but stopped when he was almost at the intersection of the second and third floors. Calvin stared intently at someone who seemed to be walking up the stairs in the opposite direction from him.


    Wasn¡¯t this an unbelievable coincidence? Marcel shifted his body to block Calvin¡¯s way and stepped up to force Calvin back until they ended up facing each other on the third floor.


    Calvin wasn¡¯t trying to fight Marcel. If fate really brought them together now, wouldn¡¯t that be better for him because he had nned to have a private talk with the leader of RJC in the first ce? Calvin could also see that it seemed that Marcel already knew that he was working with Jita Kyoei. It seemed that it was that easy for Marcel to find information about the people he was targeting.


    ¡°I thought you were a hero. But it seems you are also tempted by other people¡¯s treasures, huh?¡± Marcel said with a crooked smile.


    Hearing Marcel who seemed to have misunderstood, Calvin instantly chuckled, ¡°You seem to have misunderstood me. Sorry, but I¡¯m not so depressed that I have to target other people¡¯s money.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you targeting my group?¡± Marcel asked. ¡°I can¡¯t even believe you guys have to do it in secretly despite attending the same university as me.¡± he chuckled condescendingly.


    Calvin replied with a thin smile. He wasn¡¯t the type of man to get easily tempered just by hearing himself being insulted by the enemy, ¡°You can say whatever you want. But I¡¯ll tell you one thing. Don¡¯t think that we don¡¯t know that RJC¡¯s work is detrimental to other people.¡±


    Marcel red at Calvin, ¡°Our business has nothing to do with you. So, better find another group for you to disturb before you regret looking for trouble with RJC.¡±


    ¡°What your group is doing has a lot to do with our group, unfortunately.¡± Suddenly, Troy¡¯s voice came from the top of the stairs.


    Marcel looked back and saw that all the core members of Jita Kyoei were stepping down and walking toward him at a leisurely pace. He smiled crookedly, ¡°Ah.. What a coincidence. Or.. this is also part of your cowardly ns?¡± he said.


    At Jardin University, Marcel Dous was known as Prince Bold or PB. Not a single ordinary student knew that PB was actually the leader of a gangster group. PB was known as a beautiful man with great fashion sense and a friendly fun personality. He had no supervision from his group members while he was on campus. At Jardin University, Marcel Dous was just an ordinary student.


    But today, Marcel was surrounded by Jita Kyoei and Calvin Lee, who somehow suddenly targeted his group. Marcel actually felt quite burdened by knowing that there was another group, besides the Creepers, that wished for RJC¡¯s destruction.

 Chapter 157

    157 Get Into A Wrong Situation


    Another thing that Marcel had to deal with was that while his group was struggling with economic problems, he now found there was a new problem he needed to solve. It was tough, but he had to face it anyway.


    Alone surrounded by enemies did not make Marcel Dous flinch at all. He still stood strong with a rxed attitude and a t face. Even though they were alone on this floor, he knew that cowardly men wouldn¡¯t dare touch him on campus. If they really made a fuss in this ce, they would all be in troubleter.


    ¡°RJC recruits students from martial arts studios. Because of your actions, many studios have closed due to ack of students. Many young people who used to have bright futures have instead chosen to abandon their dreams in favour of joining an obscure group like yours.¡± Ian said.


    Marcel furrowed his brows in thought. It seemed that he understood the situation now, ¡°Ah.. So it¡¯s the Judo thing that you two praise, huh?¡± he muttered, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what do you want from me? Do you want me to pay for their losses?¡±


    ¡°Your money is not needed here. You just need to stop your work and return the students you took away to where they belong.¡± Troy replied.


    But Marcel immediately burst outughing at the unreasonable request, ¡°You guys are really funny. Entering my group is the decision of those students themselves. Why are you ming me? Then also, who the fuck are you to think I will do what you want? What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    Troy was starting to get annoyed at Marcel¡¯s attitude that had been looking down on them. His hands clenched in anger, ¡°Are you only going to do it if it will benefit you? Was our exnation not clear that your work has made much youth who have bright futures take the wrong direction? Are you going to remain stubborn with your selfishness?¡±


    Marcel smiled and patted clean the white spots that looked like dandruff that had fallen on Troy¡¯s shoulders d in an old ck jacket, ¡°Instead of taking care of other people¡¯s lives, why don¡¯t you take care of yourself first?¡±


    Immediately, the blood inside Troy¡¯s head boiled. He realized that he was neither handsome nor cool. He realized that the man in front of him was the idol of the girls who sometimes made his little heart secretly envy. But he couldn¡¯t hold back his emotions when the man, who hurt many people to look cool, insulted his appearance. He always worked in a repair shop to help his family¡¯s economy and tried to catch his dream.


    .....


    The others quickly restrained Troy¡¯s massive bull-like body that was being teased by a bullfighter. Troy was humiliated by Marcel and was about to butt him to death. But he was sessfully stopped by his friends who understood that they were now on campus.


    ¡°Hold yourself, Troy! He doesn¡¯t deserve to be the reason we get into trouble on campus.¡± Ian whispered with all his might to restrain Troy¡¯s body.


    Marcel smiled condescendingly at the group of losers in front of him, ¡°If you guys are still going to continue this, I won¡¯t refuse to fight because I can¡¯t possibly limit my work just because of a group of bright-future activists like you guys.¡±


    Calvin who was standing next to Troy who was calmer now, could only stare at Marcel sharply, ¡°You better promise to stop your group¡¯s dirty work when you loseter...¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Hi..¡±


    Suddenly, a girl¡¯s loud, light voice made all the boys freeze.


    Emma, ??Poppy, Kathy, and Rachel had just finished lunch. Kathy said she was going to hand over the documents to the administration room on the third floor and asked her three friends to apany her. Unexpectedly, just a few steps from the stairs they found a group of men they knew.


    Kathy looked down at the stairs where her three girls were still walking up, ¡°Emma.. Your friends are here,¡± she said happily, of course, because there was PB aka Prince Bold.


    After a few seconds, the three girls had caught up with Kathy, who was walking faster in front. They finally arrived at the third floor and found seven men who seemed to have a talk together near the stairs, or, it just looked like that.


    The appearance of the four girls, especially Emma Hind, made the seven men stunned. The aura of tension that had enveloped them immediately copsed. Slowly, Calvin and Marcel stared at each other at the same time before looking away again.


    Emma couldn¡¯t believe that she hade into the wrong situation. Besides her, Rachel was also aware of the predicament.


    ¡°Woah.. I didn¡¯t know that you two were friends too,¡± Kathy said kindly, clueless. She immediately stepped closer to the group of cool men, ¡°How are you guys?¡±


    ¡®Ah.. Kathy!¡¯ Emma groaned inwardly. She knew how Kathy¡¯s nature was. She liked handsome men and dreamed of bing one of the popr guys by trying to be close to them. Emma immediately turned to Rachel who really understood the meaning of the look in her eyes.


    Inevitably, Emma and Rachel followed Kathy over to the group of men.


    ¡°Oh.. Hi.. I¡¯m good.¡± Calvin answered awkwardly.


    Without amand, Marcel and Troy who had been facing each other closely, now stepped back and changed their faces to look more rxed.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you on campus, PB. How¡¯s your grandma?¡± Kathy asked kindly.


    Marcel looked a bit tense as he nced at Emma who, without knowing it, was trying to look rxed and pretended to be innocent. Then, he turned back to Kathy and smiled faintly, ¡°She¡¯s fine. Thanks for asking,¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡± Emma had to say hello to Marcel too.


    Marcel smiled at her ¡°Hi,¡±


    Seeing this, Calvin and all the Jita Kyoei members immediately looked at each other with hardened faces. Would they be wrong to think that Emma Hind was friends with that bastard Marcel Dous too? This was bad.


    ¡°Do you guys also have business in the administration room?¡± Poppy asked with her innocent face.


    ¡°Um.. Yeah.. But, we¡¯re done with it so we are having a little talk here,¡± Troy immediately answered while scratching the back of his non-itchy head with his eyes turned upwards.


    ¡°We¡¯re also here because Kathy will take care of the administrative matters. I don¡¯t know if there are still many students who haven¡¯t finished their administrative matters until this semester.¡± Poppy muttered to herself.


    Then Emma turned to her friend who was beaming, ¡°Kathy, maybe you can get into the administration room now while we still have enough time before ss starts again.¡±


    Kathy looked at Emma with an expression that turned t, then she nodded once, ¡°Yeah, I guess I have to,¡± she replied before looking back at Marcel, ¡°Then I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± she got a friendly smile from Marcel as the reply.


    Poppy suddenly remembered something, then looked at Troy, ¡°Pardon me, but if I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re Troy Roner, the teacher assistant in Judo¡¯s ss, right?¡± she asked.


    Troy nodded, ¡°I am. Is there something wrong?¡± he looked awkward.


    Poppy smiled, ¡°I¡¯m Poppy Castonia, the teacher assistant for the Ballet ss. Actually, this is my first time being an assistant and our former teacher never had an assistant. Because of that, I feel a bit confused about some jobs. So.. if you don¡¯t mind, can I ask you a little question?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can. Troy is the most professional coach assistant. Your decision to ask this kid is something very right!¡± Martin grabbed his big friend¡¯s shoulder even before Troy himself could answer.


    Troy slowly nced at Martin who was grinning over his shoulder, ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± he hissed silently just to make Martin happier.


    Poppy who didn¡¯t realize this, smiled broadly, ¡°Oh, good to hear that. Do you have time now? I¡¯m just going to ask a little. How about we talk there?¡± The petite girl pointed to a waiting chair right next to the administration room door.


    Calvin looked at Emma with a dubious face as he cleared his throat to get her attention, ¡°Looks like you two know each other, don¡¯t you?¡± he smiled faintly.


    ¡°Ah.. That¡¯s right. We met a few times off-campus by ident, and so did Kathy and Poppy.¡± Emma answered quickly. Then she immediately changed the subject, ¡°Well.. I guess I haven¡¯t introduced my friend to you.¡± Emma said gently nudging Rachel in the arm.


    Rachel flinched and held out her hand, ¡°I¡¯m Rachel Markway.¡± she said stiffly. Rachel didn¡¯t really like getting to know or befriend boys. She preferred to avoid these creatures, but of course, she had to help Emma with this situation.


    Calvin and Marcel returned Rachel¡¯s handshake while saying their names. But the situation there was very awkward. Either it was because they already knew that Calvin and Marcel were hostile to each other or the auras emitted by the two men collided with each other. What was clear was that Emma and Rachel could clearly feel that the two men disliked each other.


    ¡°Anyways.. Is there a problem if I get to know Emma?¡± Marcel asked suddenly, making Emma look at him questioningly. It seemed that he was deliberately looking for trouble with Calvin.


    Calvin understood what Marcel meant, but he responded with a smile, ¡°Trouble? What kind of trouble can you cause for Emma?¡±


    Hearing Calvin answer with a clever question, Marcel secretly gritted his teeth. But of course, he wouldn¡¯t lose to the phrase game, ¡°That¡¯s not for her, Calvin. It¡¯s for you.¡± he smiled.


    ¡°The problem for me is if Emma gets into trouble.¡± The ck-haired man replied.


    Emma snorted inwardly. For some reason, she was always in the middle of an argument. Now the two damn men were using her as their argument point when the circumstances didn¡¯t allow them to argue.


    ¡°Em.. Sorry to interrupt. What is the matter you two are talking about? May I know it? Because there¡¯s my name in your discussion.¡± Emma asked.

 Chapter 158

    158 Don¡¯t Involve Women


    Emma¡¯s voice, which sounded like a scolding, instantly made the sh of the feud between Calvin and Marcel disappear. Slowly, they nced at the girl who was staring at the two of them intently with her hands on her hips, ¡°Can I find out what you¡¯re talking about? If I am in trouble, can I know what the problem is? So that I can quickly avoid it,¡±


    Feeling that the situation was getting too messy, Emma decided to take control.


    ¡®I won¡¯t get caught up in other people¡¯s games. I¡¯ll make my own game.¡¯ Emma said in her heart.


    Emma did not ept that she had to be bothered and confused about how to avoid the two men. Now, she would turn things around, so that the men were trying to avoid her.


    Marcel and Calvin nced at each other briefly before looking back at Emma. They became confused about how to exin to the girl they were supposed to protect. Inside, they me each other for being cowardly by bringing Emma in to win over each other¡¯s egos.


    ¡°S-sorry, Emma. It¡¯s actually nothing,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°If it¡¯s nothing, then what was the point of your conversation earlier?¡± Emma raised her eyebrows. She would leave the two men at a loss as to how to deal with her. Emma herself understood that the men didn¡¯t want to tell her what had really happened to her.


    ¡°T-that.. actually..¡± Marcel stuttered. Apart from not wanting Emma involved, she also knew quite a bit about his life.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re used to this sort of thing, Emma. Isn¡¯t this a problem that pretty popr girls like you often face?¡± Ian immediately took a step in the middle by gently pushing the chests of the two men who were facing each other. With rxed steps, the man with sad eyes led Emma and Rachel away from two stupid guys who were confused to death against a woman.


    .....


    Martin, Nicko, and Frank who had also been watching them, couldn¡¯t help but sigh and chuckle to themselves, ¡°You two idiots..¡± Martin mocked in a whisper while embracing Nicko as he left Calvin and Marcel.


    ¡°How dare they think of bringing women into this?¡± Nicko shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you a thousand times, woman will only bring us trouble,¡± Martin said while looking around where Troy had been taken by Poppy, and Ian who had to calm Emma¡¯s anger. ¡°No matter how strong a man is, the one who can defeat him is a woman. That¡¯s what makes me afraid of that beautiful but deadly creature.¡± he continued.


    Nicko nodded, ¡°I agree with you on this one.¡± He was well aware of the nature of women. Do not forget that since childhood, Nicko had been living with his selfish sisters who had an extreme mood swings. ¡°They can change themselves from an angel to a monster just in one second.¡±


    ¡°Those two idiot guys can¡¯t control their egos. If it wasn¡¯t for Ian, I don¡¯t know what we should do to clear this up.¡± Mark mumbled.


    On the other hand,


    With her arms folded in front of her chest, Emma followed Ian who finally stopped a few steps from the two men who had just made a small fuss, ¡°Emma.. Emma.. Emma..¡± he muttered by rubbing his palms in front of his chest.


    ¡°Hmm..?¡± Emma looked at him with azy face.


    Ian smiled as he shook his head, ¡°Listen. Actually, I¡¯m not interested to defend those two idiots. But as a man withmon sense, I feel bad for you because of my friend¡¯s behaviour. You know, Emma.. with your beauty, it¡¯s impossible for a man to not at least try to win your heart.¡± he said with a smart-looking face. ¡°I see, Emma. That must be so exhausting to deal with. Looks like those idiots are going through their hot season. So.. just this time, please forgive them and let it pass. What do you think?¡±


    Rachel had turned her back to face backwards because she thought Tobias Ian¡¯s exnation for saving the situation sounded funny yet clever. it was funny because Emma and Rachel actually knew what the boys were hiding.


    Emma saw Rachel¡¯s back shaking slightly. She had to hold back her ownughter because she felt this was entertainingly funny. As she wished, she would not enter into the men¡¯s game. On the contrary, they were the ones who should enter the game.


    ¡°Thanks for thinking about my feelings, Ian. But just so you know, I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re in heat like a dog or a cat. I¡¯m upset because it looks like they¡¯re going to get me into some trouble. And I never wanted to get into trouble if it wasn¡¯t important.¡± Emma exined.


    Ian nodded understandingly, ¡°Sure, Emma. I¡¯ll definitely tell them that. I promise you, there won¡¯t be a fight between the two goats dragging your name around. You can trust me.¡± he winked.


    Tobias Ian was a smart, sweet-lips man. Even though his face was not the type that all girls like, it was simple for him to make girls fall in love with him. That was because he had a brilliant brain and a honey mouth. In addition, his body also emitted a faint fragrance from the smell of men¡¯s soap and shampoo. Emma didn¡¯t even want to know how many girls had be his victims.


    In the end, Ian¡¯s ingenuity also made Emma smile. The brown-eyed girl nodded, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll trust your word. Please keep your promise.¡± she emphasizes at the end of the sentences.


    Emma was quite satisfied because, with this incident, her disguise would be even more difficult to be noticed. All the guys would think that she was a girl who really didn¡¯t want to get into trouble. Even if ck¡¯s gender as a woman waster revealed, they would not have guessed that it was Emma Hind.


    Ian smiled warmly, ¡°I am a man who keeps my word.¡±


    As soon as he was done with Emma, ??Ian turned around to find Marcel was not there anymore, ¡°Where¡¯s that asshole?¡± he asked his four guys who were chatting while leaning against the wall.


    ¡°He left,¡± Frank answered with a straight face. He didn¡¯t even know what to do with all this mess.


    ¡°Oh..¡± Ian mumbled without stopping to look at Calvin intently. He hoped Calvin could understand the meaning of his gaze because he asked Calvin to be quiet this time. He had worked so hard to outwit Emma Hind and her girl-friend. If Calvin slipped up again, he didn¡¯t know what kind of excuse he had to use to trick her again.


    At that moment, the door to the administration room opened from the inside. Then a girl with curly red hair came out from there.


    ¡°Oh.. Are you done, Kathy?¡± asked Poppy, who had been talking with Troy ever since.


    Troy seemed relieved. Finally, he was free from the torment of chatting with women. He felt his whole back hurt from the tension of talking alone with the little girl named Poppy Castonia. Poppy¡¯s soft voice also made his blood pressure rise even more. Seriously, Troy Roner didn¡¯t like talking with this kind of girl.


    Kathy swept her eyes around as her face turned dispirited, ¡°Where¡¯s PB?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Martin replied with a slight chuckle.


    ¡°Ah..¡± Kathy mumbled. She cursed the administrative clerk who had taken too long working on her documents so she was in there too long.


    ¡°Are you done? If you are, we should go back to ss.¡± Emma said.


    Poppy nodded and turned to Troy who was beating his own sore back. But suddenly, he stopped what he was doing and smiled stiffly at Poppy who suddenly looked back at him, ¡°Thank you so much for the information, Troy. It really helped me in the future. We have to go now. Have a nice day.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Troy replied by scratching the back of his non-itchy head.


    Finally, the four girls left. Troy walked over to his four friends with limp steps, while Martin immediatelyughed out loud at him.


    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Troy smacked Mark on the head furiously. Because of that silly guy, he had to do the thing he least wanted to do.


    Having felt a little guilty towards Troy, Mark didn¡¯t dodge the blow. Even so, he stillughed happily as if the beat didn¡¯t hurt at all.


    Luckily, all of Martin¡¯s friends have gotten used to his crazy brain. When everyone was serious because Marcel had not given a positive response earlier, he insteadughed with joy because the image of Troy¡¯s face when he was facing Poppy kept reying in his mind.


    ¡°The girls are friends with him too,¡± Calvin said anxiously.


    ¡°How did they know each other? Did you hear Kathy ask about her grandmother? I didn¡¯t even know Marcel had a grandmother.¡± Nicko said.


    Frank shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But I don¡¯t think we need to worry too much about the safety of Emma and her friends. Marcel has had a lot of girl friends on campus and I¡¯ve never heard of any problems with the girls around him. Maybe he¡¯s just not that kind of guy,¡±


    ¡°I think so. But we still can¡¯t let our guard down. What just happened proved to Marcel that we do think about the safety of the girls. If Marcel feels too cornered, he might use the girls to threaten us.¡± Ian replied. They must always remember how things work in the dark world. Even friends could be prey if the predator was starving.


    ¡°It seems Marcel has also deliberately kept his true identity hidden from everyone here, including Emma and the girls. It means that he doesn¡¯t want them to get into trouble. But what Ian said is true. I can¡¯t help but feel worried about our female friends. At the very least, we should keep a close eye on them.¡± Calvin said, getting a nod from the others.

 Chapter 159

    159 An Unexpected Call


    ¡°Looks like the war has started, Rachel. We need to move quickly before things fall apart.¡± Emma said.


    The two girls were in the silent campus library. They deliberately sat at the most secluded and corner table which was far enough from a row of bookshelves, so that no one heard their conversation which was still carried on in whispers.


    ¡°The problem now is that we don¡¯t have much time to spy on both groups¡¯ areas at the same time. If entering the Creeper¡¯s main base, we could still do it. But that¡¯s a different story for their base on Greenvalley Street. I¡¯ve checked that in the area, there aren¡¯t any active shops that would allow us to disguise as customers.¡± Rachel propped her chin on her palm.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the fact that Rachel told her. Making a n was easy, but putting it into action was difficult. Emma could say that she was going to pit Lee Mu Fei against Oscar, but still didn¡¯t know how.


    ¡°Emma,¡±


    The light brown-eyed girl woke up from her muse and immediately looked at Rachel who was sitting opposite her, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Back then, you said that we had the same mission as Marcel Dous, didn¡¯t you?¡± Rachel asked.


    Emma nodded. Then her eyes narrowed, staring at Rachel suspiciously.


    Looking at Emma¡¯s face, she seemed to understand where Rachel was talking at. Thus, the blue-eyed girl nodded, ¡°You get my point,¡±


    .....


    ¡°But.. I think it¡¯s too risky, Rachel,¡± Emma muttered.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°In my opinion, everything has its risks. Even if we take the safest steps, we won¡¯t be able to escape if fate has spoken.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it would work?¡± Emma gave a doubtful face.


    Rachel shrugged her shoulders, ¡°I don¡¯t know. This is something I think is better than trying to do everything by ourselves even though we don¡¯t have enough experience. Sometimes the risky opportunity has a huge reward. If you want bigger fish, then you have to be brave enough to throw bigger bait. Isn¡¯t that the rule of the game?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Rachel. I think I was too coward..¡± Emma mumbled as her shoulders dropped.


    Rachel took Emma¡¯s hand and held it, ¡°You¡¯re risking a lot, Emma. Being careful doesn¡¯t mean being a coward. I can tell the difference and I¡¯m sure you can too.¡± When Emma finally looked up and smiled, Rachel continued, ¡°But this time we don¡¯t have much choice, Emma. We can either y it safe but bete or take a risk but save things in time.¡±


    Emma nodded, then she cleared her throat as she pulled her hand from Rachel¡¯s grip, ¡°Rachel.. Actually, there¡¯s something you should know. This idea of ??yours isn¡¯t just a point we had just written down in the ¡®nning List¡¯. When I defeated the Creeper¡¯s men together with Marcel, that guy actually offered ck to work with them.¡±


    Emma¡¯s statement raised Rachel¡¯s eyebrows, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Emma nodded.


    ¡°That.. is a shortcut that...¡± Rachel cleared her throat, ¡°would be a shame if we didn¡¯t go through it,¡±


    Emma smiled faintly, ¡°You think so?¡± there was no light in her eyes.


    Rachel understood that Emma actually objected. It seemed like Emma still had a lot of things she didn¡¯t want to say to anyone including her. There was something that makes the girl so afraid that people find out that she was a strong woman.


    It was true that this world was too judgmental. But a person would easily feel afraid because s/he had a trauma, right? Could it be that Emma Hind had a trauma, just like her? Rachel thought to herself. If indeed what she thought about Emma was true, she better not force her.


    ¡°In the end, it all depends on your decision, Emma. I believe, our mission would seed in one way or another. Maybe the way would be different, but I¡¯m sure you can guide this mission topletion.¡± Rachel said, then she smiled with a guilty face, ¡°Sorry if I pressured you too much. I know you have a lot of important things to consider. What a shame of me,¡±


    Emma immediately shook her head, ¡°No, Rachel. You have nothing wrong to apologize to me. Actually, this is a personal matter that I have to resolve on my own. I shouldn¡¯t have let this matter affect our mission. But...¡±


    Rachel nodded. Now her lips turned into a warm smile that made her warm charm radiate, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emma. If you need time to think, of course, you should have it. Just like you, I also don¡¯t want to bring my personal problems into this mission. I don¡¯t want you to force yourself because you wanted to help me. Just imagine that right now we are not two friends helping each other, but a team that has to seed in the mission.¡±


    ***


    Aptop screen emitted its blue light. In the darkness, it lighted up the face of a girl who was sitting in front of it with her chin resting on her knees that she was hugging.


    Emma should be doing her coursework, but her mind was too distracted to concentrate. She had absolutely no passion or the slightest desire to study. She was contemting a decision she had to make.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Jonas call me today?¡± She muttered as she stared at her cell phone screen which was always quiet. Reluctantly, she ced the object at random beside herptop on the study desk, facing the bedroom window that showed the round moon that was shining alone in the night sky.


    But like a coincidence, suddenly, an iing call on her cellphone rang. Emma grabbed her phone right away. She thought it was Jonas as it should be. But she was wrong. The person who called her wasn¡¯t Jonas, but someone she didn¡¯t expect to call.


    Emma pped her forehead. She forgot something very important. She forgot that she had a responsibility. She forgot that a few days ago, she had hit a car that turned out to be Levi Wargos¡¯s. But until this moment, she had not called him again after promising toe to his house to take his car to the repair shop.


    Emma touched the wavy green logo while her phone kept vibrating, ¡°H-Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hm.. I think I saw a released criminal.¡± A deep and somewhat hoarse voice sang lightly from the opposite line. Emma was very familiar with this distinctive way of speaking. Levi Wargos¡¯ annoying way of talking.


    ¡°Levi, I¡¯m really sorry. I totally forgot to call you. I was just about to call you, actually. But it seems that you called me first.¡± Emma said hastily. She gave some sparks of lies in it. She felt guilty and ashamed because it seemed like she was running away from responsibility. She unintentionally did something very unlike her usual self.


    ¡°That¡¯s what people who run away from responsibility but get caught, usually say,¡± Levi said casually. ¡°So, when do you think you¡¯ll being here?¡±


    Hearing Levi¡¯s words, Emma couldn¡¯t help but swear silently, ¡°I¡¯ll go there, of course. But.. I have a lot of work right now,¡± she let out a long sigh as she put her phone away so the caller wouldn¡¯t hear it, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Levi. I don¡¯t think I have enough time toe to your house right away. But if you¡¯re really in a hurry, do you mind helping me bring the car yourself to a repair shop and give me the billter? I really am sorry..¡± she asked carefully.


    The silence sounded from there. Emma waited anxiously for his answer. Normally, Levi would probably be angry now. Not only people who had a bad personality like him. Even ordinary people would definitely be disappointed if they were in Levi¡¯s position. The problem was that Emma had promised to take the car to the repair shop directly and bear the costs. However, she instead ordered the victim to take the car himself to the repair shop now.


    The longer Emma was in Handway City, the more she learned about one thing. She realized that the environment and circumstances could even change a person¡¯s principles. Because, the many problems thate together would make a person forced to choose which one she should prioritize. For Emma, ??who since childhood had the principle to be a perfect person and always put her good name and ego first, this reality really hurt her self-esteem as a human being.


    There was a faint sigh from the opposite line, ¡°What else happened to you?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Emma frowned in confusion.


    ¡°You¡¯re not good at hiding your feelings. Your voice is the same as the time when you let your body be covered in snow on the riverbank that time.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s very audible, huh?¡± Emma smiled faintly. ¡°At least, it looks like this thing can distract you from your anger.¡±


    ¡°Why should I be angry?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°Of course, because I hit your car, promised to take responsibility and forgot about it. This is really embarrassing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Emma answered slowly.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Subconsciously, Levi nodded his head, ¡°That indeed is a lowly behaviour. But you don¡¯t need to worry. I was kind enough to have fixed it myself for you. You better thank me for that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emma straightened her back immediately, ¡°Are you kidding me? Why didn¡¯t you wait for me or at least let me know?¡±


    ¡°Hei, weepy girl. So you think I¡¯d be willing to drive a dented car for days just to wait for you toe which I don¡¯t even know when?¡±


    Emma paused then shook her head weakly, ¡°Of course not, Levi. Sorry that I made you ufortable and get you troubled.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling done to hear your apology. Can¡¯t you show it with action?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Thanks for helping me, Levi. Please send me the repair shop bill and I¡¯ll pay for it right now.¡± Emma answered, trying to be patient. She knew that she was at the fault now, that she couldn¡¯t be tough.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say apologies? Not ountability? Recing it is a responsibility, but I think apologies have other meanings.¡± Levi replied.


    Emma frowned, ¡°Are you trying to extort me?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±

 Chapter 160

    160 Loss of Identity


    ¡°Hey! Who you think...¡±


    ¡°The small park near Rose Bus stop in fifteen minutes. If you don¡¯te, I¡¯ll report you to the police.¡± Levi cut Emma¡¯sint casually and hung up the call unterally.


    ¡°Levi! Wait..¡± Emma removed her phone from her ear and looked at the screen that had returned to the main menu. ¡°You jerk..¡± she mumbled annoyed.


    Although she was mad, Emma ended up in her car. With her mouth kept growling, she drove the car towards a children¡¯s yground and park near Rose bus stop in her housing area. There, she saw a familiar dark blue car. She felt like she wanted to hit the car, but of course, that would get her in another trouble.


    In the rather dark park, could be seen a man sitting on a swing with his long legs bent. After closing the car door and locking it, Emma steppedzily over to the man in the light brown coat.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Emma asked directly.


    Levi, who had been busy with his cellphone, immediately locked its screen and put it in his pocket while raising his face at the girl who was standing beside him. He chuckled when he realized Emma¡¯s face was pouting, ¡°Would you make that face when you¡¯re apologizing to someone?¡±


    Emma rolled her eyes, ¡°The problem is that I know what kind of person you are, even though you are a ¡®someone¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Sit down,¡± He pointed his chin at the hanging swing next to him.


    .....


    ¡°No,¡± Emma said sarcastically giving a face of disapproval. Who was he tomand her? He didn¡¯t know that Emma was a girl who didn¡¯t take orders.


    Levi snorted as he stood up. Then he grabbed Emma¡¯s shoulders and forced her to sit down.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Emma pushed Levi¡¯s hands away.


    ¡°What¡¯s so hard about sitting there? Why are you so stubborn?¡± Levi asked by pressing Emma¡¯s shoulder so that she sat on the swing. ¡°What do you think I would do by asking you to sit there?¡±


    Emma looked at Levi sarcastically, ¡°You idiot.¡± she muttered, while the man sat back down on the other swing. Then, Emma slowly turned her face because the corner of her eye saw something floating beside her head.


    It was an instant cup noodle whose steam slightly billowed upwards from between the lids. Emma blinked a few times before looking back at Levi who was handing the white-blue ss-shaped object to her.


    ¡°Looking at it like that, won¡¯t help the food keep warm,¡± Levi said.


    With a hesitant motion, Emma took the thing. She saw the grey-eyed man was already busy with the other cup noodles he was holding. It turned out that Levi had already prepared all of these.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emma asked quietly, looking at the thing that was now in herp. She opened the cup noodle lid wider until the steam was getting up bigger. So annoyed earlier, Emma didn¡¯t realize that Levi was carrying the two foods with him.


    ¡°What do you mean by asking what I mean? Obviously, I gave you food,¡± He answered by unfolding the fork that he had previously taken out of the noodle cup package. Then he used it to stir the noodles which had slightly overcooked.


    Emma was still silent, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve be a person who thinks too much of myselftely.¡± she muttered.


    Levi nced at her, ¡°At least you can talk while you eat that thing before it gets cold.¡±


    Emma sighed and unfolded her fork before started stirring her cup noodles. Slowly, she sipped the noodle soup. Ah.. it was so good and helped her mood get better.


    Levi silently watched Emma with a faint smile. It was true that women¡¯s moods would get much better if they eat something delicious. It seemed like pleasing the noisy creature¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t that hard. Their satisfaction was actually that simple whenpared to the men.


    ¡°I bought this because, at that time, I made you throw away the cup noodles you were eating by the river,¡± Levi exined.


    Emma looked at him with raised eyebrows, ¡°Oh.. So you noticed it, huh? I thought you didn¡¯t care at all,¡±


    ¡°I saw it. But I really didn¡¯t care about it at the time. But when I saw this food when I went to the mini market, I thought that maybe you need this kind of food now.¡± He said while thinking to himself. Actually, he also couldn¡¯t believe why he suddenly thought of buying the cup noodles for Emma.


    ¡°What is your purpose in bringing me here, actually?¡± Emma asked as she ate with an unenthusiastic motion.


    ¡°I just happened toe back from a friend¡¯s house around this area. Suddenly, I remembered the criminal who had damaged my car but has been disappeared without any information. So I tried to contact her to teach her a little lesson.¡± He replied casually while eating.


    Emma could only stare at Levi with a straight face, ¡°Hey. I already apologized to you, didn¡¯t I? I didn¡¯t hit your car on purpose. It was an ident.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would intentionallymit a crime. They must have had a reason for doing it.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Emma replied. ¡°Then, how¡¯s Nancy?¡±


    Levi nodded, ¡°She is fine. She came home a few weeks ago because she was constantly worried about her cat.¡±


    ¡°She is? Good to hear it. I¡¯m d to know she¡¯s well now.¡± Emma smiled.


    But Levi didn¡¯t seem to care about her empathy because he had other intentions, ¡°I told her that you were nning toe. She was very happy and waiting for you. But I think I¡¯ll tell her not to hoping anymore,¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to make me feel guilty again?¡± Emma asked with a cynical stare.


    Leviughed amusedly, ¡°You know what? In my eyes, you always give a very funny response.¡±


    Becauseughing while eating, Levi then choked. He coughed and hurriedly took a bottle of water which he ced on a short wall that fenced off the bushes beside him. It turned out that he had put all the food on it.


    ¡°Eat that. I hope one of the noodles stings goes into your lungs.¡± Emma mocked with augh.


    As soon as Levi finished gulping down the water in the bottle to half-empty, he then looked at Emma while shaking his head in disbelief, ¡°I already knew that you were a demon in an angel costume.¡±


    ¡°You provoked me,¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°Here,¡± It turned out that Levi had already handed Emma a new bottle of water.


    Emma took the water, ¡°Thank you.¡±, and immediately took a few gulps. Her throat was already a bit ufortable from earlier.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Levi said suddenly. The food he had had was finished and he put it back on the wall beside him to throw it awayter.


    Emma turned to Levi with a confused face, ¡°What is good?¡±


    ¡°Your voice has changed again. It¡¯s be normal.¡±


    Hearing Levi¡¯s answer, Emma fell silent. Finally, she realized that the feeling of despair in her heart had disappeared. From there, she also realized that Levi¡¯s real purpose for having here to this small park was not to mess with her, but to make her feel better. Even though Levi¡¯s way was annoying, he managed to cheer Emma up.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to be home toote?¡± Emma broke the silence.


    Levi looked up at the sky, which was clear enough for the moon to be clearly seen, ¡°I¡¯ve done it too many times. It seems that I can¡¯t tell the difference between night and day anymore.¡±


    ¡°I guess.. we both have a rather tough life, but were smart enough to cover it up,¡± Emma muttered as she looked up as well, staring at the same moon. That was indeed beautiful.


    ¡°Only a magician can read other magicians¡¯ tricks,¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m so confused, Levi. I feel lost because of the problems I¡¯ve been facing. I feel like I don¡¯t recognize myself anymore.¡± Emma said, staring at her empty noodle cup.


    ¡°Well.. Honestly, I¡¯ve ever been in the same condition.¡±


    Emma looked at Levi, ¡°You ever?¡±


    The man nodded once then looked up at the sky as he rocked his swing seat until the metal chains sound creaked, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. But that incident made me who I am today. For me, losing my identity is a process to maturity.¡±


    Emma seemed very interested in Levi¡¯s story this time, ¡°Then what did you do?¡±


    ¡°If you lose yourself, you just have to find it again. Be lost just only to be found.¡± He answered.


    ¡°How to?¡± Emma asked again.


    ¡°You¡¯ll only know how, once you¡¯ve found it. In other words, the answer lies within you.¡± Levi answered without stopping looking at the moon which seemed to be watching him too.


    ¡°Err.. you¡¯re not helping at all, Levi.¡± Emma sighed.


    ¡°Your problem would never be solved if you keep expecting someone else to solve it. The only one who can help you is yourself. Just like your question before, I¡¯m sure you already have the answer, but you just don¡¯t trust yourself.¡± Levi lowered his gaze and looked directly at Emma.


    The two light brown eyes could only stare at two sharp eyes whose irises seemed to reflect the moonlight. Emma¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°Are you a wizard?¡±


    Levi instantly chuckled, ¡°If it really exists, I would. I happen to like cursing people.¡±


    Emma didn¡¯t expect Levi¡¯s words to shock her again. It looked like Emma was really going to put abel on him as ¡®Jonas Junior¡¯. It seemed Levi Wargos could easily read Emma, ??just like Jonas who had been her bodyguard since she was little. Both men were annoying, but somehow very wise.


    Exactly as Levi said, Emma actually already knew that she had to ept Marcel¡¯s offer so that her mission could be sessful. However, she was too afraid and doubtful.

 Chapter 161

    161 Be Frozen Like Ice


    Emma¡¯s disguise was actually neat, yet she still wasn¡¯t confident in each of her own steps. In fact, as time goes on, it wasn¡¯t that Emma didn¡¯t realize that it was actually okay if her friends eventually found out that she was a strong girl who was good at fighting. Emma¡¯s friends would ept her as she was and wouldn¡¯t spill out her secret. But Emma never stopped doubting her friends and... herself.


    Emma knew Marcel as well as his grandmother. She knew what kind of people they were. Emma was sure that a Marcel Dous would not have the heart to harm a girl, especially his own friends.


    ¡°Find out something?¡± Levi snapped Emma out of her daydream.


    ¡°Huh?¡± She then turned to the man who was now staring with a faint smile at her. But suddenly, her cell phone rang. Emma immediately took it out of her jacket pocket and looked at it. It turned out was Jonas. She nced at Levi, ¡°I¡¯ll pick this up a minute,¡±


    Emma walked away from Levi before picking up Jonas¡¯ phone, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. What kind of tone is that?¡± Jonas asked, realizing that Emma was in such a hurry that she didn¡¯t have time to talk to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m outside, Jonas. Why are you calling me at this hour?¡± Emma asked quickly. When she was at home, she was waiting for Jonas to call her but he didn¡¯t. Actually, Emma could have called Jonas first, but she was afraid that what happened that time would happen again. She realized that Jonas also had a personal life. Therefore, Emma preferred Jonas to always contact her first.


    ¡°Hey, young girl. I called you on purpose at this hour thinking you¡¯d be home after 10 pm. Why are you still hanging around outside?¡± The man asked.


    Ah.. Emma patted her forehead softly while grimacing. She hadpletely forgotten where she was now. Of course, Jonas would scold her if he knew she was hanging around at this hour in the winter.


    .....


    ¡°Hello.. Miss Emma? Are you still there?¡± Jonas eximed from the other side.


    ¡°Yes, yes.. I know, Jonas. I happened to be meeting with my friend to have a little talk. His house is quite far from here so we rarely see each other. I don¡¯t feel good if I have to ask him to go home too soon.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°A friend, huh? Hmm.. Looks like you¡¯ve found my recement, haven¡¯t you?¡± Jonas guessed right on the target. Actually, he already felt that Emma didn¡¯t talk too much about the problems she was facingtely.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emma began to fidget, which indicated that what Jonas said was true.


    ¡°It was as I thought. One day, I will have to let you go into someone else¡¯s hands.¡± Heughed. Was this the feeling of a father?


    ¡°What are you talking about?! We are not in a rtionship.¡± Emma answered angrily.


    Jonas immediately burst outughing, ¡°So it¡¯s a special man, huh? You seem to be very interested in him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! Stop meddling in my business when you¡¯re not here!¡± Emma mumbled as she turned her back.


    Hearing Emma¡¯s words, Jonas realized that she seemed to need someone. However, Jonas realized that sooner orter, he would not be able to always be Emma¡¯s shoulder to lean on. The girl had grown into a woman. If she continued to depend on Jonas, her soul would continue to be a little princess. In fact, that was the reason for Jonas not to contact Emma too often. Apart from protecting her privacy, as apanion, of course, he wanted to see Emma grow up and be truly independent.


    ¡°Okay.. Alright.. No need to be mad like that. I won¡¯t interfere in your business, as you ask. But remember, your father and I haven¡¯t allowed you to bring men into the house. So stay together outside and don¡¯t go home toote. We¡¯ve taught you a lot about the dangers of the opposite sex. You must have understood it.¡± Jonas said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Emma answered before quickly hanging up the phone.


    As soon as Emma turned around, she was quite surprised to find Levi standing a few steps behind her while watching her appraisingly.


    ¡°Do you think, because it¡¯s a quiet ce so you can yell like that?¡± Levi asked with his arms folded on his chest.


    ¡°Did you just eavesdropping me?¡± Emma squinted her eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that important that I have to worry about your phone conversation. And, without eavesdropping, everyone could actually hear your loud voice.¡± Levi answered by lowering his hand and stepping back onto the swing. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You¡¯d better go home.¡±


    Emma nced at Levi for a moment before returning to her seat, ¡°I feel cramped at home. I think I¡¯ll have trouble sleeping tonight.¡±


    ¡°A lot of trouble will make it hard for you to sleep. Was that the person you always talked about?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Emma nodded. ¡°Maybe you heard a little. He is my guardian. Although he¡¯s very annoying, I do love him. You are the only person who knows about this.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Levi replied.


    Emma turned to him, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem necessary and neither can you.¡±


    ¡°Would you like some ice cream?¡± Levi asked suddenly.


    ¡°Ice cream?¡± Emma repeated confused, ¡°In this cold weather?¡±


    Levi nodded and stood up, ¡°You should have known there was a mini-market nearby.¡± he pointed towards the east of the park.


    Emma followed Levi¡¯s hand point. She could faintly see a bright white light covered in trees growing in the park. It looked like the mini market was across the street.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go there,¡± Levi said by pulling the shoulder on Emma¡¯s jacket so that she would stand up.


    ¡°Are you always this pushy?¡± Emma asked, stepping beside Levi.


    Levi seemed to think for a moment then nodded, ¡°I¡¯d better be the one forcing people than me having to obey.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s selfish,¡± Emmained.


    ¡°Sometimes, we have to be selfish to be in control of the situation. I learned that from someone. He was a great leader.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°Leader?¡± Emma frowned. Since getting involved with a lot of gangster group problems, she had be a bit sensitive to the ¡®leader¡¯ word.


    Levi nodded and looked at Emma with a faint smile, ¡°He is the president of country x.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course,¡± Emma nodded with a smallugh. It seemed her mind was in such aplete mess that she focused everything on gangster matters.


    Because they were walking while talking about light things, without realizing it, they had arrived in front of the mini-market. Levi opened the ss door and let Emma in first through under his hand.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Levi called out to Emma to follow him to the freezer storage that held a lot of ice cream.


    With a leisurely pace, Emma walked over to Levi who had quickly arrived in front of three blue freezer boxes ced in a row. She saw one of the ss doors had been shifted open by him.


    ¡°You like to eat ice cream?¡± Emma asked by looking at Levi who was screening the pile of various vours of ice creams with an enthusiastic face. She found it funny because it was rare to see Levi could disy such a face and act. It turned out that in addition to ice skating, he would also release his childish soul when he met ice cream.


    Levi didn¡¯t answer Emma¡¯s question, but took a matcha voured ice cream and handed it to her, ¡°You can choose the vour you like. But you have to try this one.¡±


    Emma took the waffle ice cream sandwich given by Levi, ¡°I¡¯ll just eat this one.¡±


    It seemed Levi really liked ice cream. He took quite a lot of them and brought them to the cashier then paid for everything.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma said as she unwrapped the ice cream and then ate it, ¡°It¡¯s cold..¡± she said while covering her mouth with her palm when her tongue went numb from freezing.


    Levi immediatelyughed, ¡°How does it taste? It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked as he ate his own.


    Emma nodded lightly, ¡°I do like green tea and matcha.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s too. But I meant was, your feelings get better after eating something chill, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Emma blinked in confusion and turned to Levi, ¡°My feelings?¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re overthinking things, isn¡¯t it better for you to be frozen like ice? So you don¡¯t have to feel anything. You can do everything logically without caring about your feelings. That way, you¡¯d feel better.¡± Levi exined.


    ¡°Have you ever done it?¡± Emma asked quietly.


    Levi smiled, ¡°Too often. And the cold air will help it to do its best.¡±


    Emma let out a long sigh. Slowly, her smile broke into a sad smile, ¡°Thank you, Levi. I was angry with you because you were so annoying when you forced me toe here. But now I know that you brought me here to cheer me up. And you did it.¡±


    ¡°I see the old me in you. When I heard your voice on the phone, I couldn¡¯t help but show you how to deal with it, because when I was in the same situation I always wished someone woulde to give me a little advice. However, I ended up having to solve it myself and when I was doing so, I made a lot of mistakes.¡± Levi exined. Then, he looked at Emma with a chuckle, ¡°I was afraid you weren¡¯t as strong as I am. And apparently, you aren¡¯t.¡± he continued with a wink.


    Emma squinted her eyes in annoyance, ¡°Do you know how annoying you are?¡±


    Levi nodded, ¡°You always tell me that.¡±


    ¡°Hah.. I should go home now. You¡¯re right. I feel much better now. Either because of this ice cream or I¡¯ve found something or.. someone more annoying than my problem,¡± Emma sneered.


    ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s all thanks to me,¡± Levi lifted his chin proudly.


    Emma chuckled as she nced at him sarcastically. Then she remembered something, ¡°Ah.. You said you¡¯ve fixed the car, didn¡¯t you? How much did it cost? You can text the bill to me along with your ount number.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Levi answered by stepping forward, leaving the front of the mini-market behind them.

 Chapter 162

    162 Friends Help Each Other


    Emma immediately followed the man¡¯s wide strides, ¡°Why not? I¡¯ll pay it back,¡±


    ¡°I said, no need. It¡¯s toote..¡± He teased Emma on purpose.


    ¡°Toote? You wanted to make me indebted to you, didn¡¯t you?¡± Emma asked, walking faster because the man didn¡¯t want to slow down.


    Levi smiled, ¡°I like the way you think,¡± he muttered.


    Then they stopped in front of Emma¡¯s red car. It seemed that Emma had taken her car key out of her jacket pocket, but she didn¡¯t seem willing to get into her car now. She still wanted to force Levi to give her his ount number and the repair shop bill.


    ¡°Levi. I really have to pay for it. I have to take responsibility. Why are you being so annoying?¡± Emma asked, irritated by looking at the man who seemed indifferent.


    Levi rubbed his ear which was hurting from hearing Emma¡¯s ravings which forced him to give his ount number and repair shop bill. Then, he saw the car key dangling in Emma¡¯s hand and quickly snatched it.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Emma eximed with bulging eyes.


    But Levi didn¡¯t care. He pressed the button on the remote key to open her maroon car. Then he put his hands on Emma¡¯s shoulders and pushed the grumpy girl toward the driver¡¯s door.


    .....


    ¡°Levi! Are you wishing to death?!¡± Emma growled as she tried to free herself from his grip, but really.. Levi¡¯s strength was great.


    ¡°You¡¯re too strong for a woman,¡± Levi muttered by opening the car driver¡¯s door and then directing Emma to get inside. ¡°You canpensate at any time. You¡¯re wee,¡± He said by throwing the bag of ice cream he bought earlier. The cold steamy objectnded right on the passenger seat next to Emma.


    Emma couldn¡¯t believe that Levi actually bought that much ice cream for her. She turned her gaze from the bag of ice cream back to the man who had full moon irises. He perched in front of her car door which was still open, ¡°You..¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be scolded again if youe home toote. If you don¡¯t want me to mess up more, you better hide your sad tone when you talk to me so I don¡¯t notice, it is if you can, of course,¡± Levi said before closing Emma¡¯s car door.


    Emma was still staring at Levi through the car window. He tapped on the window and then pointed to the street, as a signal for Emma to leave immediately. Emma could only chuckle with a confused face and started the car engine. Then, she drove away.


    The man with a little long ck hair was still watching Emma¡¯s red car that drove away and disappeared at a crossroads. A smile tugged his red lips.


    ¡®It is fine, right? Don¡¯t we don¡¯t know each other? It¡¯s certainly okay.¡¯ He thought.


    ***


    Rachel¡¯s eyes widened. She had no idea what Emma had said. Why did the brown-eyed girl suddenly change her mind so quickly?


    Emma nodded, ¡°I think it¡¯s the right decision, Rachel. I¡¯ve thought it through.¡±


    Rachel fell silent with furrowed brows. Then, she leaned back in the library chair where she and Emma had discussed yesterday, ¡°If you¡¯ve thought it through, then I will say no more.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I wanted to thank you for making me realize, Rachel. I¡¯ve been too naive. Even a Calvin Lee can¡¯t do it when he¡¯s fighting alone. He never seeds. I shouldn¡¯t be so arrogant as to believe don¡¯t make sense things.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to be sorry for, Emma. Humans grow up because they make mistakes and realize their mistakes. I¡¯m proud of you because you were brave enough to change your mind. It¡¯s actually a very difficult thing to do.¡± Rachel replied.


    Emma nodded, ¡°That is hard, but that doesn¡¯t mean it cannot be done.¡± Then she took out a notebook with a 3D unicorn cover with glittering powder. She opened the book and showed it to Rachel, ¡°This is our next n.¡±


    Rachel put her focus on the contents of the book and nodded, ¡°So we have to change costumes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I used to always wear a helmet from thinking the only thing I would do was fight. But it would be very ufortable to visit RJC¡¯s headquarters to discuss things with arge helmet covering our heads.¡±


    Rachel nodded in agreement, ¡°We can wear ski masks under our helmets. Oh.. crap, but our women¡¯s voices will still be heard.¡± it turned out that the solution still had another problem.


    However, Emma seemed to have a solution to the problem, ¡°Actually, it can be solved, Rachel.¡± she said and looked at her intently, ¡°Do you know the voice-faking device in my helmet? We can put it on the ski mask. But of course, we have to make some modifications.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. That¡¯s right. I have a lot of tools at home. Maybe we can do it in my garage?¡± Rachel asked.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll bring the tool to your houseter.¡±


    ¡°So you guys are here, huh?¡± Suddenly Kathy appeared like a ghost in broad daylight. She kept on surprising them.


    ¡°Shhh!! Kathy! This is library!¡± Poppy nagged in a whisper.


    Emma and Rachel turned to look at the two girls who were a few steps near their table.


    ¡°Oh.. Hey..¡± Emma greeted by slowly pulling out her unicorn notebook and it in the bag on herp.


    ¡°So, you guys always went heretely?¡± Poppy asked in a low voice, sitting down next to Emma.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°We happened to be in the same ss, so we did our coursework together.¡± Her brain works fast. Her major happened to share the same ss as Emma¡¯s major for several semesters. She could use that as an excuse.


    ¡°Are you two looking for us? Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± Emma asked.


    Kathy shook her head, ¡°Not really. It just so happened that Poppy and I wanted to find a book for our assignment.¡±


    ¡°Are you girls done?¡± Poppy asked Emma and Rachel. ¡°If so, would you like to have coffee at the new caf¨¦ near the park?¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°Actually I did. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Then the four girls went to a cafe that had just opened in front of the campus building. The location was quite spacious, built near a park so many students brought their coffee while sitting on benches. Maybe if spring had arrived and the grass had started to grow again, then people would sit on the ground.


    Emma brought the coffees her friends had ordered to the table the girls were already upied. A small round table was attached to arge window that led to the dense trees growing at the sides of the park. Clean snow dominated the scenery there.


    ¡°Thanks, Emma.¡± Poppy said.


    Emma smiled, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± she sat down on the empty chair next to Poppy.


    ¡°So you just have to wait for the certificate, huh?¡± Kathy asked Poppy as she sipped her Iced Americano.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°Because I was already trained and have gotten several special training certificates since a child, my teaching certificate application was confirmed faster.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s about your n to open the studio, huh?¡± Emma joined in on the ongoing conversation when she was ordering coffee.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Emma. Poppy will soon be a ballet instructor. She¡¯s just getting better.¡± Kathy raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    ¡°Wow! Congrattions, then. I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Emma said happily, ¡°Then what else have you prepared? Have you got a ce for it?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Emma.¡± Poppy said, but her face turned dispirited, ¡°Unfortunately, I still haven¡¯t found a ce. If there is a cheap one, the location is not strategic. If there is a strategic one, it is too expensive.¡± she sighed, propping her chin in the middle of her palms.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re looking for a building to rent, huh?¡± Rachel asked. She had been just listening while enjoying hertte.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°I am, Rachel. But it turns out that finding a good location for business isn¡¯t as easy as I thought it would be.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have a simple building to live in. It¡¯s located on the side of the main road. However, it needs renovation.¡± Rachel exined.


    Kathy snapped her fingers, ¡°Wow.. Isn¡¯t this like fate? What a coincidence, Rachel. I¡¯m sure Poppy will take it.¡±


    ¡°W-wait a minute, Kathy.¡± Poppy tried to calm her overexcited friend. Then, she looked at Rachel, ¡°Thanks for the offer, Rachel. I really appreciate it. But.. I also have to consider about the price.¡± she said ufortably.


    Rachel smiled gently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Poppy. It just so happens that the building has been empty for quite a while and we¡¯ve never rented it out. If you want, you can upy it and pay the renovation fee and the monthly bill only.¡±


    ¡°Gosh! You¡¯re such a phnthropist, Rachel. Is that building yours?¡± Kathy asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°It is.¡± Emma muttered then looked at Rachel, ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard your grandma say they have a building to pass on to you.¡±


    ¡°It was going to be built into a house by my mom and dad.¡± Rachel nodded.


    ¡°But.. is it okay if I rent it, Rachel? Because you said you didn¡¯t intend to rent it from the start.¡± Poppy asked carefully.


    Rachel shook her head, ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, Poppy. I didn¡¯t want to rent it out because I didn¡¯t trust the tenants who might use the building irresponsibly. But if you are the one who rents it, I know you can take good care of it. Anyway, I¡¯m d to help your business a little.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Rachel.¡± Poppy said with sparkling eyes, ¡°Of course, you can charge the rent price for me. But maybe I need a big discount,¡± sheughed shyly.


    Rachelughed along, ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to, Poppy. In fact, one of the reasons I didn¡¯t rent it out was because I didn¡¯t have the funds to do the renovations. You can see it as your year¡¯s rent.¡± she winked.

 Chapter 163

    163 Work Partner


    No one believed that Rachel had that kind of side, except Emma. Emma already knew that Rachel was smart. She was not surprised if that girl could think so.


    ¡°Oh.. You¡¯re kinda good, Rachel..¡± Kathy said, pretending to be sarcastic, making Rachel and Poppy chuckle.


    Emma smiled warmly when she saw Rachel was finally able to get along in her group. It seemed the introverted girl was prettyfortable with Kathy and Poppy. Now, the girl who was rumoured to be a monster was no longer alone.


    ¡°If it¡¯s true that Poppy would rent Rachel¡¯s building, how about we decorate the ce together? That would be fun and of course, save money. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Emma said.


    Poppy nodded happily, ¡°That¡¯s right, Emma. I¡¯ll also make that ce our base off-campus. We can stay there to do ¡®Girls Night¡¯.¡± she continued with a small pping. Just imagining it already made her rejoice.


    ¡°That can be done because the building does have four floors including the roof,¡± Rachel added.


    ¡°Geez.. I can¡¯t wait for it!¡± Kathy said, imagining it.


    ***


    After college, Emma immediately went back to her house to get some voice changers. Then, she rode her motorbike to go faster to Rachel¡¯s house. To avoid meeting other gangsters, Rachel asked Emma to park her motorbike in the garage behind her house, where Rachel also parked her father¡¯s motorbikes.


    .....


    ¡°Where are your grandparents?¡± Emma asked as she took off her ck helmet.


    ¡°They¡¯re both working,¡± Rachel answered as she lowered the garage¡¯s rolling door after Emma came inside.


    ¡°Your grandma too?¡± Emma asked with a surprised face.


    Rachel nodded weakly, ¡°It¡¯s just helping an acquaintance¡¯s food business because she happens to really like cooking. But I know that she actually does it because she wants to help Grandpa and me to raise money.¡±


    Emma looked at Rachel in sorry, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Rachel. It won¡¯tst long. We will stop the Creeper crime.¡±


    Rachel smiled and nodded, ¡°Come. I¡¯ve bought some ski masks and modified them a bit.¡± she walked over to a table in the corner of the room.


    ¡°Ow.. Looks like you move fast, don¡¯t you?¡± Emma praised by looking at the slightly messy table. She opened her backpack and took out a bag containing five voice masking devices.


    ¡°This mask only has holes in the eyes. I covered it with ss from old sunsses.¡± She showed a ck mask with a model that covers the entire head. In a way, the mask was suitable for a thief.


    ¡°This is the mask Roger was wearing,¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Rachel looked at her questioningly.


    Emma just shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Then she grabbed the mask that was in her tall friend¡¯s hand and put it on, ¡°Is there a mirror here?¡±


    Rachel nodded and went into her house, then soon returned with a portable mirror. She pointed it at Emma¡¯s face, ¡°Your identity ispletely hidden.¡± she smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Not even my eyes and hair are visible.¡± Emma said amazed. She turned to Rachel, ¡°You¡¯re a genius. You know that?¡±


    But Rachel shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t get excited just yet, Emma. Now we have to figure out where to put this voice mask.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. You¡¯re right,¡± Emma said by taking off the mask. ¡°Even though it¡¯s small, it will be very annoying if it is put here. It will also make our style look ridiculous, right?¡±


    ¡°Looks like we have to make a patch that covers our mouths. But it shouldn¡¯t be too big because we have to wear helmets.¡± Rachel said. Actually, she did not mind how their appearance would look like. But what Emma said was true that they would be disturbed if the sound masking device was simply attached to a cloth mask. Maybe it would also reduce its functionality.


    ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you working today?¡± Emma asked.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°I¡¯m working.¡±


    ¡°Gosh.. Then you should get some rest, Rachel. You might fall asleep at work.¡± Emma said worriedly. She took one of the masks on the table and put it in her backpack. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it at home. I¡¯ll leave one of the devices here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Emma. There¡¯s no need to worry about me.¡± Rachel replied.


    Emma immediately shook her head, ¡°No, Rachel. If you keep pushing your body like that, you¡¯re going to get sick. After this, I want you to go to bed right away. Sorry, but I have to force this time.¡±


    Rachel finally gave in and nodded, ¡°Okay. Thanks, Emma.¡± she said, then she raised the rolling door so Emma could back the bike out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Call me if there¡¯s anything you want to talk about. Of course, it has to be outside your sleep time, okay?¡± Emma said as she put her helmet belt on.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡± Emma eximed as she drove her motorbike away.


    Rachel waved her hand as Emma¡¯s motorbike drove away from her backyard. The smile still lingered on her face. She did not think that now she had a friend who could worry about her. She couldn¡¯t believe she had friends she could help. None of that would have happened if at that time she had refrained from speaking directly to Emma. It wouldn¡¯t have happened if she hadn¡¯t insisted on waiting for her to pick up the bag Emma left in ballet ss, even though she didn¡¯t know that Emma woulde.


    ***


    The sun was starting to set and the sky was getting dark. Rachel faintly heard a woman¡¯s soft voice. Slowly, she opened her heavy eyes and found her grandmother calling her name from the doorway.


    It felt like Rachel had just closed her eyes for a moment, but it looked like she had to get up again for work. She only had less than three hours to sleep today. Honestly, her body felt like dying because of it, however, she had to force herself so that her family could still eat every day and her studies could continue.


    Helen entered her granddaughter¡¯s room. She sat on the side of the bed and stroked Rachel¡¯s hair affectionately, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have to make you work like this, sweetheart.¡±


    Rachel sat up from her slumber. She smiled as she rubbed her sleepy eyes, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Grandma. You too have struggled. We are all fighting together here.¡±


    ¡°If your grandpa wasn¡¯t that stupid as to borrow money that he didn¡¯t really need, we wouldn¡¯t have had this much trouble.¡± The white-haired woman muttered.


    Rachel chuckled, ¡°Grandpa would be sad to hear that, Grandma. You have no idea how hard it must have been for him.¡± she said, imagining the Creeper¡¯s cruelty. Truly, she would eliminate that damn group.


    ¡°God.. If there weren¡¯t the man to help you guys at that time, I don¡¯t know what would have happened. But, you¡¯re really okay, right?¡± Hellen gave a very worried face while rubbing her granddaughter¡¯s cheek.


    Rachel fell silent. She knew what her grandmother meant. In fact, she didn¡¯t like it when someone talked about her past. But she understood that her grandmother was just too worried about the only granddaughter she had.


    Rachel cleared her throat a bit, ¡°Oh, Grandma. A friend of mine is nning to rent our vacant building. Is that okay?¡± she asked, trying to change the subject.


    ¡°Oh? The building? Of course, you can, sweetheart. But, isn¡¯t the ce aplete mess?¡±


    Rachel nodded, ¡°She¡¯ll pay for the renovation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably going to cost a lot of money. If she¡¯s willing to pay for the renovation, it¡¯s probably the equivalent of a few months¡¯ rent.¡± Helen looked thoughtful.


    ¡°Actually...¡± Rachel gave her a guilty look, ¡°I told her that she wouldn¡¯t have to pay for a year if she already covered the renovation costs.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you?¡± Hellen nodded, ¡°Well.. you can do whatever you want, Rachel. The building is yours anyway.¡±


    Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. Even though the building was indeed hers, she still thought that she must get permission from her grandparents in making decisions regarding the heritages of her own parents.


    After waking up from her short sleep, Rachel immediately rushed off to work. Even though it was night, she still went by bus because taxi fees were too expensive for her.


    It was a 24 hours mini-market. As usual, Rachel came to work on time. Actually, she had a co-worker there who was a girl named Elisa Lanken. But just like Rachel, she was also an introverted person.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Rachel greeted Elisa who had alreadye first.


    The girl with white hair and blue eyes replied with an awkward faint smile, ¡°Hey,¡±


    You could say, Rachel Markway and Elisa Lanken had opposite appearances. If Rachel had a big body, then Elisa had a short skinny body. The little girl was even smaller than Poppy Castonia.


    The night shift finally started. When the clock started to show 1 am, no one came to their mini market. It made Rachel very sleepy. She took advantage of the empty time to do her coursework so she could sleep on campuster.


    The two introverted girls rarely talked. Usually, they would only talk if there was something important, namely about work problems. Rachel saw Elisa as a mysterious girl. It seemed that the girl did not want to be approached and was morefortable being alone.


    Feeling very sleepy, Rachel finally got out of the counter and walked to the chiller section. She picked up a can of cold coffee there and carried it back behind the counter.

 Chapter 164

    164 Making Masks


    After being friends with Emma and the others, Rachel¡¯s introverted nature changed a bit. Maybe it was because she had realized that she wasn¡¯t as bad and scary as the other girls said. Emma, ??Kathy, and Poppy brought Rachel¡¯s long-buried self-confidence back to life.


    While opening her coffee can, Rachel nced at Elisa who was busy with a cloth and sewing kit in her hands. Rachel had already used to what the girl would usually do when the mini market was quiet like this. Elisa was always busy sewing an outfit that Rachel didn¡¯t really care about. But this time, Rachel had little interest in seeing her longer.


    Feeling a tall girl named Rachel kept watching her, made Elisa turn around because she felt little goosebumps. She thought Rachel was scary. Rachel¡¯s face was fierce and her body was a little bigger than normal females. She always looked at Elisa with a sharp gaze and never chatted with her.


    Rachel immediately smiled faintly as Elisa turned slowly to her. The white-haired girl in two pigtails also smiled stiffly. She looked awkward.


    Feeling a little curious, Rachel finally got up the courage to talk to the girl who had been her partner since the first time she worked at the mini-market, ¡°Sorry to disturb you. But, may I know what are you doing?¡± Rachel asked carefully.


    Elisa looked a little surprised because Rachel suddenly asked her to talk about something that wasn¡¯t about work. She cleared her throat slightly, ¡°Ah.. T-This is a costume,¡±


    ¡°Oh.. A costume, huh?¡± Rachel mumbled and nodded, ¡°Is that the unfinished work of your day job?¡±


    Elisa shook her head slowly, ¡°Not really. During the day, I go to school. This is just my hobby, I guess,¡±


    Rachel was silent a moment. Slowly, she noticed Elisa¡¯s style which she thought was pretty unique. Her bag, her jacket and her hairstyle. Yes, Rachel had seen something like that on the inte. It seemed that Elisa likes fantasy 2D animation and likes to imitate their styles.


    .....


    ¡°Is it could be that your hobby is making costumes after cartoon characters?¡± Rachel asked doubtfully.


    Rachel¡¯s question made Elisa smile. She nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. I like Anime and do cosy.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s face looked confused. Anime and cosy were something she never heard of, or perhaps, never caught her eyes.


    ¡°Anime is Japanese 2D animation. Cosy stands for Costume y, which is imitating the clothes, makeup and body styles of characters in an Anime,ics, movie or game.¡± It was clear that Elisa noticed the confused look on Rachel¡¯s face. As someone who really loved Anime, Elisa was very passionate about sharing her hobby with others.


    ¡°Oh.. Sorry, I¡¯ve never heard of that before. Now I know it, so it¡¯s thanks to you.¡± Rachel said.


    Elisa shook her head, ¡°No need to think about it. Would you like to see my works?¡± She asked in her light, childlike voice.


    Rachel nodded with a gentle smile. She did not expect that Elisa had a cheerful nature when she was being approached first. It seemed that the two of them had misunderstood each other so they continued to be too careful with each other.


    Elisa took her cell phone which she ced on the table and checked it for a while before showing Rachel a picture, ¡°This is one of the best costumes I¡¯ve ever made. From this, I got four thousand likes on social media. My social media name is Ms Sunny Day . If you would like, you can follow me, tho..¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Oh.. I¡¯m so sorry, I happen to not have social media.¡± Rachel replied ufortably, ¡°But your costumes are really cool. Did you make them all yourself?¡±


    ¡°Each of them, Rachel.¡± She answered. Then she shook her head thoughtfully, ¡°My bad. Actually, for someplicated essories, I asked one of my friends to help make them. But I did all the designs. You can scroll the pictures,¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so talented.¡± Rachelplimented her by continuing to scroll through the pictures on Elisa¡¯s phone gallery.


    While scrolling through the pictures, a picture appeared which Rachel thought was unique. In the photo, Elisa was seen wearing a costume like a female knight, standing side by side with a man wearing a very cool costume.


    What attracted Rachel was the costume the man was wearing. It was a fictional knight suit in ck with dragon scales detailing. And the man was wearing a mask that covered his entire head.


    The mask had a shape that resembled a ski mask, but appeared to be made of synthetic leather. The eyes spaces were hollow, so the man¡¯s ck irises were still visible. However, on the mouth was attached an additional mouthpiece that wasrge enough to cover up to the nose. It was as if he was wearing a special mask that allowed him to breathe in the poisonous air.


    Rachel immediately returned the cell phone to the owner, ¡°The costume this man wears is so cool, especially the mask. Do you think you know where I can get a mask like this?¡± Rachel asked quickly.


    ¡°Yes, it is cool. He is Otsuka Kun. Just like me, he makes his own costumes.¡± Elisha exined.


    ¡°Oh.. So.. it can¡¯t be bought, huh?¡± Rachel mumbled weakly. She was so excited at first, thinking that she¡¯d found the perfect mask for her and Emma to wear in action.


    ¡°Do you really need it, Rachel? Actually, Otsuka Kun made the mask himself. He¡¯s the one who made all my essories. Would you like me to introduce you to him?¡± She offered.


    ¡°You can? That¡¯s good news,¡± Rachel replied with a sigh of relief. Then she nodded, ¡°Of course, I will if it doesn¡¯t bother you.¡±


    Elisa shook her head, ¡°Not a bother at all, Rachel. It seems you¡¯re also interested in cosy, don¡¯t you? Do you want me to rmend you a good Anime rmendation?¡±


    ¡°Eum.. That¡¯s fine. But, maybe I don¡¯t have the free time to watch it,¡± Rachel replied while rubbing the back of her head.


    ¡°Nice! Maybe if you want, I¡¯ll text you the list. You can also contact meter if you want to meet Otsuka Kun.¡± Elisa said.


    ***


    ¡°Make masks?¡± Emma repeated.


    Rachel nodded confidently, ¡°He¡¯s an acquaintance of a part-time coworker of mine. He can make one pretty quickly. If you have time, how about we go there today?¡±


    ¡°Okay. I just happen to only have half-day sses for today. But aren¡¯t you tired, Rachel?¡± Emma asked.


    Rachel shook her head, ¡°My enthusiasm has covered my tiredness. After all, I did it because I really wanted to stop this suffering. The result of this struggle is well worth it. If we keep waiting for time, we will be the ones left behind.¡± She said.


    ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll get ready first. See you on campus.¡± Emma said before hanging up the phone.


    ¡°Gosh.. Rachel.. You are a warrior.¡± Emma muttered proudly. She didn¡¯t expect Rachel to be so helpful.


    As promised, after thest ss was over, Emma and Rachel immediately went to meet Elisa Lanken¡¯s friend. Elisa herself turned out to be a high school student.


    It was a small housing location near Jen Marrie Street. There was a rather small house that seemed to need quite a bit of renovation.


    Rachel looked at her phone screen again, ¡°Seems like it really is the ce to be.¡±


    ¡°It is? Well.. okay,¡± Emma replied by pulling off her car and turning it off.


    The twodies got out of the car and walked up the wooden steps in front of the house which squeaked when stepped on. Emma pressed the doorbell beside the door. They both waited for a minute, but no one responded to the bell. Finally, Emma pressed it again, looking at Rachel.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the house?¡± Emma asked. Rachel nodded.


    Not long after, some sounds were heard from behind the door. It looked like the owner of the house put so many locks behind the door that it took a long time to just open it.


    ¡°Who?¡± The door opened slightly and revealed the face of a ck-eyed man who was behind the tiny gap of the door opening.


    ¡°Oh, hello. I¡¯m Emma Hind and this is Rachel Markway. Is this really Ostuka Kun¡¯s house? We came here to order customized masks.¡± Emma greeted in a friendly manner, although there was a confused look on her face because the man behind the door seemed quite strange.


    ¡°Elisa Lanken told me toe here. We are friends at work,¡± Rachel added.


    ¡°So you are Elisa¡¯s friends?¡± The man repeated in his low, t voice.


    Emma and Rachel nodded in unison, ¡°Yes,¡±


    Without another word, the man opened the door wider so the two girls could see inside his house. They didn¡¯t know if it was intentional, but the conditions inside the house were the opposite of the outside, which looked dpidated. The inside of the house looked like a neatly arranged witch¡¯s house. There were many unique ornaments on disy there.


    ¡°Come in,¡± The man said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emma and Rachel answered as they stepped inside.


    ¡°Your house is awesome,¡± Emmaplimented it by looking around. She felt as if she was on a tour of a house of a fictional film shooting location. Even the man who owned the house also wore pretty unique clothes. The white-haired man was wearing an oversized shirt and pants that were a bit tattered like a dwarf in a fictional movie.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but are you Ostsuka Kun?¡± Rachel asked as she followed the man walking in front of them.


    ¡°My name is Ostuka Yamada. Kun is a close address for a young man. I don¡¯t know you and you don¡¯t know me well, so there¡¯s no need to use the word ¡®Kun¡¯ when addressing me.¡± He exined.


    ¡°O-ow.. All right,¡± Emma answered with a nce at Rachel. Again, they both looked at each other in surprise. Yes, it was a new culture shock for both of them.


    Otsuka took the two girls down to the basement where he worked on his various projects. The spacious basement looked quite full of strange items.


    Previously, Elisa had told Otsuka about her friend who woulde to visit him. Therefore, he did not need to be suspicious and immediately knew what to do.

 Chapter 165

    165 RJC Headquarters


    ¡°What kind of masks do you want to make?¡± Otsuka asked when he was already standing behind therge table in the middle of the room. In that ce, the table was his resting ce.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a simple mask. We wanted it to cover our entire heads and have a cover on the mouth so it doesn¡¯t disturb us when we¡¯re talking. But the cover shouldn¡¯t be too big or protruding forward. Ah.. and if you can, I wished the mask is made of soft material for sensitive skin.¡± Emma exined thoughtfully.


    ¡°The eyes must also be covered,¡± Rachel added.


    Otsuka nodded as he took out a paper and pencil. It was a rather troublesome request. He started to draw a sketch there. It only took him a few minutes toplete his very professional-looking sketch, and then showed it to the twodies who immediately put on an amazed expression on their faces. They stood to his right and left very curious about what he was working on.


    ¡°Wow.. This is a masterpiece,¡± Emma muttered as she grabbed the paper and looked at Rachel, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Rachel nodded with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡±


    Suddenly, the basement door opened from the outside and a white-haired girl in a high school uniform appeared, ¡°Otsuka Kun..¡± she said in a baby-like voice.


    ¡°Elisa-chan. Pleasee in,¡± Otsuka replied kindly. It seemed that he would only be friendly when dealing with the girl named Elisa.


    ¡°Oh.. You¡¯re here, Rachel?¡± Elisa greeted by removing her backpack and cing it on the sofa.


    .....


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Hi. She¡¯s my friend who wants to make masks too.¡± she pointed at Emma with her chin.


    ¡°I¡¯m Emma Hind. Nice to meet you,¡± Emma held out her hand in a friendly manner.


    ¡°Elisa Lanken.¡± The girl returned Emma¡¯s handshake.


    ¡°Oh.. I thought your name was Elisa Chan,¡± Emma said confusedly.


    Elisa chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s a close address for a girl or a boy.¡±


    ¡°Ow.. I see,¡± Emma replied. It seemed that Elisa and Otsuka had the same culture. It seemed like Emma had never known about such a calling thing.


    ¡°So, why are you guys making masks?¡± Elisa asked by joining them.


    ¡°This is rted to our group coursework,¡± Emma answered thoughtfully.


    ¡°Oh.. Did you guys major in art or design?¡± Elisha asked. ¡°When I graduate from school, I will major in animation design.¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°Yeah.. More or less,¡±


    ¡°Here, these are examples of the materials,¡± Otsuka took out a bundle of fabrics, united by an iron ring at their corner. He flipped through the pile of fabrics like a book and stopped at a piece, ¡°If you want a good one. This is the best material. It¡¯s synthetic leather on the outside and soft, thick cotton on the inside. But the price is a bit expensive,¡±


    ¡°It looks good too. Well, I think we can use this one. Please make everything ck.¡± Emma said without asking the price at all. It was her habit of buying things. One of the things that made many people envy her.


    ¡°How long the process will be? Sorry, but we¡¯re in a bit of a rush,¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°You can take it tomorrow morning,¡± Otsuka replied tly.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning? That soon?¡± Emma looked at him in disbelief.


    Elisa smiled, ¡°Believe me, Otsuka Kun is indeed very fast in his work and the results are always perfect. He used to be called the Handcraft God.¡±


    Otsuka smiled at Elisa, ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that, Elisa chan.¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Looks like we have to go now. I¡¯ll pick it up tomorrow morning and pay for it straight away. Is that possible?¡± Emma asked.


    Otsuka nodded, ¡°You cane at nine in the morning.¡±


    In front of the house,


    ¡°See you again, girls,¡± Elisa said. She was taking Emma and Rachel outside, while Otsuka preferred to stay in the basement to immediately work on the project.


    ¡°Thanks for helping us, Elisa.¡± Rachel said, getting a nod from the white-haired girl.


    ¡°Ah, right..¡± Emma stopped in her tracks and turned to face the house¡¯s front door.


    Elisa who was about to close the door then stopped and opened it wider again, ¡°Is there anything left?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left, but.. actually, I want to ask you something,¡± Emma said. Rachel looked at her best friend with a questioning face.


    Emma cleared her throat and continued, ¡°Incidentally, we should have made this project ourselves. If we get caught that we paid someone to make it, it might get us into trouble. So, can you guys keep this a secret?¡± she asked, wished that her reason was considered reasonable by Elisa.


    The white-haired girl was silent for a moment, then nodded with a smile, ¡°Of course,¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Have a nice day,¡± Emma smiled.


    Then they both returned to the car. Rachel looked at Emma who was already sitting in the driving seat with a slightly tense face.


    ¡°Calm down, Emma. I think they are pretty trustworthy. Usually, people who work professionally don¡¯t care and don¡¯t spill the information about their clients.¡± Rachel said. She knew what her best friend was worried about. ¡°I did some research about Elisa before. It seems she doesn¡¯t have too many friends in real life. She is only active on social media by hiding her real identity as Elisa Lenken.¡± she exined.


    ¡°Thanks, Rachel. But, I just feel like there¡¯s something odd about those two, especially the guy named Otsuka. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Well.. If that¡¯s how you really feel, maybe we should be more careful next time,¡± Rachel answered.


    Emma smiled at her, ¡°Thanks for understanding my weird feelings, Rachel.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, we just can¡¯t ignore our feeling. Someone said, every human being actually has a unique instinct within to predict something bad.¡± Rachel answered.


    Emma smiled warmly and started her car. The maroon car drove away, but what they didn¡¯t know was that a pair of eyes with ck irises was watching from the room roof window of the house they had visited earlier.


    ***


    A big, tall man with his hair in a ponytail walked towards a luxurious table with a director¡¯s chair facing backwards, against therge windowpane that gave a night view of a deserted city.


    ¡°We have guests,¡± Kenny Brown said.


    ¡°Calvin Lee? Jita Kyoei?¡± Marcel Dous guessed right away. Who else would visit if not a bunch of trouble-seeking geeks?


    ¡°No. It¡¯s ck.¡± Kenny answered.


    Marcel immediately turned his chair around. His expression looked surprised to hear the name, ¡°ck?¡±


    Kenny nodded, ¡°He came with a friend.¡±


    On the other hand,


    Emma and Rachel stood beside the motorbike they rode to reach RJC¡¯s headquarters. The two girls, or... the guys were surrounded by a bunch of other men who were members of the RJC.


    Emma didn¡¯t know where RJC¡¯s headquarters was, so she approached one of RJC¡¯s men who was guarding Redvalley Street. She said she wanted to meet Marcel Dous, so she was led to the wasp¡¯s nest.


    Now, the partner couple was in the basement of RJC¡¯s headquarters with dozens of men surrounding them like criminals. After a long time of waiting, a male voice eximed, ¡°The boss ising!¡±


    Hearing the notification, all the men who had been surrounding the two men immediately opened a way in the middle for their leader to pass.


    A long legs man wrapped in a casual suit, walked up to them apanied by his assistant who had his hair in a ponytail and another assistant who had thick eyebrows and tanned skin.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe,¡± Marcel said.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to talk about,¡± Emma replied immediately.


    ¡°Let us make sure you guys are unarmed.¡± Marcel moved his chin toward ck, signalling Kenny to check up the two ck-helmeted men.


    ¡°I¡¯m refused. I swear I¡¯m unarmed.¡± Emma rejected quickly, even before Kenny made a move. Of course, she couldn¡¯t let a man check-up her body. In addition to her identity as a woman would be exposed, her hand would also automatically punch Kenny in the face before his hand even touched her body.


    ¡°Refusing the arm check is one of the signs you¡¯re noting in peace,¡± Kenny said.


    ¡°You can try it if you want a fight here,¡± Rachel replied sharply.


    ¡°There will be no fighting here. Come with me,¡± Marcel put his hand on his assistant¡¯s shoulder and looked at him with a signal to let the two guests go.


    Emma and Rachel both sighed in relief. Honestly, they didn¡¯t think that there would be a check-up like this. Luckily, Marcel seemed to trust them enough to let them in without being checked.


    The two men took off their helmets and put them on their big motorbikes. Marcel who saw it was surprised because he thought he could see the face of the person behind the ck helmet. But he was immediately disappointed when he found that the two men were still wearing strange masks under their helmets. It looked like they really didn¡¯t want their identity to be exposed.


    Finally, Marcel turned and walked into the building with Kenny and Renu by his sides. Behind him, the ck duo followed. He led his guests into a meeting room guarded by at least thirty men who were standing along the walls of the room with their backs to them.


    ¡°Should I ask again, what do you want to talk about?¡± Marcel asked with a faint smile. He looked at the figure of a man whose body was much shorter than min. He was sure it was the figure of ck who at that time had saved his grandmother.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked me toe if I have the same enemy as you. Recently, I found that we need to destroy the Creeper as soon as possible.¡± Emma said.


    Marcel squinted his eyes, ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± he said. ¡°Incidentally, I didn¡¯t know that ck was two men. Are you two have the same nickname?¡± he looked at Rachel.


    ¡°Think of me as his shadow,¡± Rachel answered.

 Chapter 166

    166 Cooperation and ns


    It turned out that the other ck looked more mysterious.


    Marcel nodded in understanding. So, the short one was the leader, ¡°All right.¡± he replied casually. ¡°It happens that we¡¯re going to start attacking the Creeper base in a few days. Maybe you guys cane along,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to attack right away?¡± Emma asked.


    Marcel nodded, ¡°Of course. Especially if ck has joined. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll win easily.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how many Creeper¡¯s men there are?¡± Rachel asked.


    Marcel frowned, ¡°You guys sound the same. It confuses me.¡± he said honestly. He also couldn¡¯t see who was talking because both of them were wearing masks that werepletely covered up to their mouth.


    Actually, Emma felt sorry for Marcel who became confused by them. But she couldn¡¯t do anything. By only in this way, her identity could be protected and Emma decided to ignore Marcel¡¯sint.


    ¡°Creeper has nearly eight hundred members. Did you know that they have one more base in Chingsu District?¡± Emma asked.


    Marcel nodded, ¡°I know they have a branch in that area.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Branch?¡± Rachel repeated with a slightugh, ¡°That¡¯s their main base. All the strongest are gathered there.¡± she continued.


    Marcel¡¯s brows furrowed. He looked directly at Kenny meaningfully.


    Emmaughed, ¡°Looks like you guys don¡¯t have much information. Or perhaps.. your spies aren¡¯t doing their job well?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate my spies. We investigated those who were intruding on our area and it only showed Creeper in Greenvalley.¡± Marcel replied. Now his face turned serious. It turned out that this was the reason why he had had a hard time taking down Creeper, which for some reason be weak in one time and be strong in another time. It seemed like it was because they have extra people who only showed up when they were cornered.


    ¡°I have information that seemed quite important to your group. If you want that information, we must make a pact.¡± Emma said.


    Marcel and Kenny didn¡¯t seem to like ck¡¯s statement. It seemed that ck was the same as any other rogue group that ultimately wants RJC¡¯s property.


    ¡°If you want it, you must follow my n.¡± The continuation of ck¡¯s sentence immediately broke Marcel and Kenny¡¯s prejudices.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Marcel asked confusedly, trying to get more exnation.


    ¡°We have our own n to destroy the Creeper. It¡¯s a n that we think is the best and most effective. So, if you want this coboration, you must throw all your ns and follow ours.¡± Emma exined in her robotic voice.


    It was the strangest condition Marcel had ever heard. It seemed like ck was the kind of person who liked to rule and didn¡¯t want to be ordered around. He was a very superior figure. But what ck asked really took Marcel, Kenny and Renu by surprise. Instead of asking for money, ck just wanted himself to be obeyed.


    Marcel narrowed his eyes and looked at ck suspiciously, ¡°So we have to go with your n?¡±


    ck nodded firmly, ¡°Without exception. I don¡¯t want anyter disobedience. You don¡¯t have to worry. It will be over when the Creeper is down.¡±


    ¡°Are there any other conditions?¡± Kenny asked.


    ¡°Other conditions.. huh?¡± Emma mumbled.


    Then Rachel immediately raised her palm, ¡°You guys also have to help us free the victims of the Creeper crime.¡±


    ¡°You mean the victim of a robbery on the street? Isn¡¯t that what you guys always do?¡± Marcel asked.


    Rachel shook her head, ¡°They also carry out scams under the guise of lending money to extort their victims. We n to release the people who have been tricked by them. You don¡¯t have to worry either because this doesn¡¯t cost you a dime.¡±


    Emma smiled inside her helmet. Rachel seemed to be able to quickly realize that Marcel loved his treasure very much and didn¡¯t want to share it with anyone. A man who loved money.


    Marcel fell silent. He was contemting whether to ept the offer or not. Actually, if ck asked for material rations for their victoryter, it was a natural thing. He also would not mind sharing the results. However, this unusual request made Marcel suspect that ck had other ns that he was not aware of and that might even make things worse for RJC.


    Marcel¡¯s assistant, Kenny Brown, seemed to be thinking too. While working in the gangster world, he had never faced or even witnessed an incident like this. For everyone, wealth and power were everything. In coboration, the distribution of the final results usually would be a problem, where each party wanted to get the biggest and most profitable share.


    But there was one thing that Kenny knew from his life experience. Someone smart would usually refuse a small prize in order to get a much bigger one.


    In the end, all of their guesses were just guesses that were either true or not. They had absolutely no clue about ck¡¯s true intentions or ns. Let alone those things.. they do not even know their real face. They didn¡¯t know the purpose of the little man.


    Kenny cleared his throat and whispered something to Marcel. The nice skinned man listened intently and nodded once as the assistant stood up straight again.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see what your ns are. But...¡± Marcel emphasized his tone, ¡°You¡¯re only going to take care of the Creeper attack n. But my property is mine. You still have to get my permission if you want to use my men.¡±


    Emma smiled, ¡°Well, looks like I¡¯m just wasting my time bying here. Then we¡¯ll excuse ourselves,¡± she said by standing up. She was so annoyed with Marcel.


    It turned out that ck was a very strict person. Marcel silently chuckled as he watched the two below average sized men get up from their seats and walk towards the exit. He really couldn¡¯t pass up this opportunity. If he only needed ck¡¯s ability to fight, he could still let it go. But the problem was now that he found out that ck had very important information about the Creeper.


    Seeing the figure of the duo ck almost reaching the door, Marcel finally threw away his ego, ¡°Wait,¡±


    Emma stopped in her tracks. Behind the mask, she smiled lopsidedly again. Likewise, Rachel was finally able to heave a sigh of relief knowing that their move had worked.


    ¡°All right. You are free to use my men,¡± Marcel said in a muffled voice. He felt his pride was tarnished.


    Emma finally returned to her seat, followed by Rachel.


    ¡°You are so strange. What should I expect from joining your group, other than borrowing your power? If I can¡¯t get the power from you, then what¡¯s the point of me joining here?¡± Emma said quickly. Her mouth was already itching to scold the shrimp-headed Marcel.


    For some reason, Marcel couldn¡¯t reply to ck¡¯s tirade that humiliated him as if he were a child who had just made a mistake. Even though his pride had been hurt in front of dozens of his own men, Marcel felt unable to resist ck¡¯s words.


    ¡°Shut your mouth. I¡¯m already agreed to lend you my men that you can use tounch your n to defeat the Creeper.¡± Marcel said.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you should do. If so, it looks like we¡¯ve found an agreement here.¡± Emma replied, folding her arms in front of her chest.


    Marcel nodded once, ¡°Agreement has been made. Now you can share information about the Creeper.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Emma folded her arms, ¡°Does the agreement just like this? Where¡¯s the agreementtter that we have to sign?¡±


    Marcel, Kenny, and Renu looked at each other confusedly. Exactly what kind of madman ck was?


    ¡°Our agreement was witnessed by many people and the conversation was also clear. Why should we still need thetter?¡± Marcel asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Of course it is necessary. Any agreement must use evidence. I need something definite, not just words.¡± Emma retorted in annoyance, followed by a nod of approval from Rachel.


    All the men in the room couldn¡¯t believe their ears. What the hell was that? In this world, a man¡¯s words could be kept. If a man had made a promise, it was forbidden for him to break the promise, especially if it had been witnessed by many people. That was where authority could be proven. If a man denied the words he had said in front of his own people, he would lose honour and be considered unworthy to be a man, let alone a leader.


    Kenny grabbed Marcel¡¯s shoulder and squeezed it a little. He knew his boss was already feeling very annoyed with ck who was a bit crazy. But they needed what ck had right now, which was information. If they had to, they didn¡¯t have a chance but giving in and do what the man with the mysterious identity wanted.


    Kenny snapped his fingers and a man walked up to him respectfully, ¡°Ask the office to make an agreement letter.¡±


    ¡°Copy, Commander.¡± The man replied.


    But Emma was not satisfied with Kenny¡¯s orders, she finally added, ¡°Make the letter into three copies and bring your group stamps too.¡±


    Marcel immediately frowned, ¡°Stamp? We don¡¯t have it.¡±


    ¡°You have a building of this size, a financial management office, and a lot of assets. Your office section should have a stamp used for official administrative purposes.¡± Rachel replied. Then she turned to the man in charge of going into the office, ¡°Just tell the ¡®back office¡¯ what we¡¯re asking. They¡¯ll understand.¡±


    The subordinate blinked in confusion and looked at Kenny who was his superior. Kenny just sighed tiredly before nodding as a sign for him to do what their guest asked.


    The subordinate man nodded once with a polite gesture, ¡°Understood,¡± then he immediately went out of the room.


    ¡°Please be patient. I will share the information once everything is clear in ck-and-white.¡± Emma said by crossing her arms again in front of her chest while leaning back.


    Marcel shook his head in disbelief, ¡°I¡¯ve never met a man as troublesome as you two. Don¡¯t you guys trust your own dignity?¡±


    ¡°Dignity is one¡¯s own responsibility. But an agreement between two parties must have definite legal proof. I will never ept the slightest risk of betrayal.¡± Emma answered.

 Chapter 167

    167 A n


    ck¡¯s words were like a joke said in a serious, even tone. It was a strange way of thinking for people like them.


    ¡°Geez.. I can¡¯t believe this,¡± Marcel mumbled as he hit his back against the chair¡¯s back.


    ¡°You¡¯d better get used to this soon enough,¡± Rachel said. ¡®You¡¯ll face a more difficult one once you¡¯re married.¡¯ she continued amused inwardly.


    Not long after, Kenny¡¯s man finally arrived with a folder in his hand. Deftly, he took out the contents of the folder which were three pieces of paper, a logo stamp, and a nice-looking pen. It seemed to be the pen belonging to the ounting manager he used to sign files.


    Emma and Rachel smiled faintly as they nodded slightly. Everything they asked for was finally granted. It was an inexplicable feeling of joy.


    On the other hand, Kenny and Marcel¡¯s side could only frown. They became increasingly worried about the shrewdness of the ck duo. It seemed that the two of them knew a lot of things, even some things that Marcel didn¡¯t know were in the group he had been leading. He did not know that the office actually had a special stamp. It seemed that all this time, he had been focused too much on the smooth running of the business and the strength of his group. He didn¡¯t expect that the cks, apart from being strong and shrewd, were also quite meticulously careful.


    Emma and Rachel grabbed the agreement letter and read it carefully. Finally, the twodies who disguised as men nodded. Emma collected the three agreement letters back and gave them to Marcel, ¡°Please sign and give a stamp.¡±


    Reluctantly, Marcel did as ck asked. After that, he shifted the three papers roughly in front of the two masked men. Then the leader ck signed the three letters. Then unterally, ck took two papers for himself and gave one to Marcel.


    ¡°Is the troublesome process over?¡± Marcel asked sarcastically as he took the paper of his agreement and handed it to Kenny who was still standing beside him.


    .....


    Emma nodded, ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn to give the information. You¡¯d better write this down.¡± she said.


    ¡°The creeper at Greenvalley Street is not the main base. They have a bigger base in Chingsu District. There, they have a main leader named Lee Mu Fei, who I think is the real leader of the Creeper. Creeper holds the entire Chingsu District territory and is hired as the official guard there. They are greatly feared by everyone. They also run a business of taking bribes from rogue employees and have recently started a new business. It¡¯s a scam under the guise of money lending. If you think that Creeper is weak, that¡¯s because you only see Creeper on Greenvalley Street. The Creeper in Chingsu District that directly led by Lee Mu Fei has at least five hundred very formidable men. They are very strong and good at fighting.¡± Emma exined.


    Marcel and the others seemed quite surprised to hear that fact. Now their wonder about why they couldn¡¯t stop the Creeper had finally been answered. It turned out that the group they had been fighting against had strong support behind it. That was what causes the group to sometimes be very weak and be strong at other times, as if they were toying with their enemy by swapping their men.


    ¡°If Lee Mu Fei is the original leader of the Creeper, then what is the title of Oscar Chopper? He always ims to be the leader of the Creepers.¡± Kenny asked.


    ¡°Oh.. Is his name Oscar Chopper?¡± Emma muttered to herself as she rubbed her chin. Previously, she had only heard of Oscar¡¯s name but didn¡¯t know his full name. ¡°He¡¯s probably Lee Mu Fei¡¯s right-hand man. To be sure, Oscar holds the Greenvalley area, while Lee Mu Fei holds the Chingsu District,¡± she answered lightly.


    ¡°Lee Mu Fei runs a fraudulent business that hurts a lot of people. He charges unreasonable interest on debt and takes the working contracts of employees in Chingsu District as coteral. With these contracts, the employees will be their cash cows forever. Those employees are what we want to save. We have to get their working contracts back from the hands of the Creepers. Even though we can take down the Creepers in the end, that doesn¡¯t mean we can retrieve the contract files. Therefore, we must be very careful on this mission.¡± Rachel added.


    Marcel nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s say, to take down the Creeper, we have to take down the main base first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Once the main base is taken down, devouring everything in Greenvalley is meaningless because they are very weak. We can finish them in less than a day.¡± Emma nodded.


    ¡°Then what n have you made?¡± Marcel asked.


    ¡°I realized that Lee Mu Fei doesn¡¯t really like Oscar Chopper. He doesn¡¯t seem very supportive of the branch in Greenvalley. Even though they both have the same name as Creeper, I can guess that both of them are concerned about their respective territories. Currently, we are trying to find out more about that group. My goal is to pit the two of them against each other so that the Creeper would break apart. When that happens, it¡¯s easy for us to go in and attack them. Bones that break easily are those that are porous inside.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°Since you guys have been dealing with the Creeper in Greenvalley, what information do you know about them?¡± Rachel asked Marcel.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve exined, it¡¯s led by Oscar Chopper. But their leader is actually a weak idiot. He never goes into battle and can¡¯t read the enemy¡¯s strength. All hismands tend to be reckless that makes his men almost die in their enemies¡¯ hands.¡± Marcel exined.


    ¡°Hm.. It seems that it makes sense why Lee Mu Fei doesn¡¯t like Oscar Chopper. He must think of him as a burden in the Creeper group. But strangely, why does he still maintain such a person?¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°The dedication of a person in building sess will not be forgotten. If Lee Mu Fei was a good leader, he would not throw away those who have contributed to his sess. Oscar likely yed an important role in the formation of Creeper that Lee Mu Fei could not throw that man away, even though he¡¯s a burden to the group.¡± Kenny answered.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°I agree. But patience has a limit, right? And in the end, the group¡¯s future is the first. Lee Mu Fei could use the Creeper¡¯s future as an excuse to kick Oscar out.¡±


    ¡°Greenvalley Creeper¡¯s weakness is their poor defence due to weak members. For now, Greenvalley Creeper can be a strong group only because they borrow members from Chingsu District. So, what if the two ces are attacked simultaneously? Wouldn¡¯t they be fighting each other over the strong men to defend their respective territories? When that happens, I¡¯m sure the conflict between Oscar and Lee Mu Fei will grow even bigger.¡± Emma smiled behind the mask.


    ¡°Actually, things would be easier to do if we had continuously increased the conflict between the two of them. Your group members aren¡¯t that many either. I think it would be great if we could frame Oscar so that he would look worst in Lee Mu Fei¡¯s eyes. It would have been even better if the two of them had attacked each other from the start.¡± Rachel added.


    Marcel and his two men looked amazed at the two cks who were revealing their ns. It seemed they would rather use their brains than muscles to carry out missions.


    ¡°You two really are like snakes,¡± Marcel muttered as he shook his head slowly.


    But the two cks didn¡¯t seem to care about the opinions of the men around them.


    ¡°Oh.. right,¡± Emma muttered as she looked at Marcel, ¡°Do you guys have any IT specialists here? Something like hackers,¡± she asked.


    Emma remembered how Kathy got much information from the inte about the Hell Gate group at that time. But of course, she couldn¡¯t ask Kathy for help again this time because the girl didn¡¯t even know what the Creeper was. At that time, Kathy was able to find out about the Hell Gate group because they wanted to find out about the criminals who hurt Poppy, their best friend.


    ¡°We have someone who might be of use,¡± Kenny said.


    Then they all walked out of the meeting room and down to the floor that led to a hallway with many doors like a hotel. It was a dormitory for the RJC members. They walked quite a distance and stopped in front of a door which had its distinct paint. Where others had brown doors, this one had a ck painted door.


    Kenny knocked on the door, ¡°Danis! It¡¯s me,¡± he eximed.


    A few secondster, the door opened with a long hair bespectacled man showed up. It was a fairly dark room, but the light from the blue and green LED strip lights shone from the corner of the room.


    ¡°Good evening, Boss!¡± The bespectacled man looked down.


    ¡°You have something to do. Let us in,¡± Kenny said.


    The guy named Danis immediately opened the door wide, turned on the light and leaned against the wall to let the five people in. He was a bit surprised when he saw two men in all ck clothes and strange masks, like the characters in the game.


    ¡°He is Danis Ridegrey. He will help you with the inte orputer stuff,¡± Kenny said to both cks.


    Danis immediately understood what was this all about. Although he never went down to the battle, he was always updated on each group¡¯s mission. Danis was in charge of being an information seeker in the digital world for RJC.

 Chapter 168

    168 A Lazy Man


    ¡°We need information regarding the Creeper. Phone number, email addresses, and social media of Oscar Chopper and his aplices. Please also find out about all their branches.¡± Emma asked, ??which Danis quickly wrote down on a piece of paper.


    ¡°What are you nning to do with it?¡± Marcel asked curiously.


    Emma nodded, ¡°We will trap Oscar Chopper into wasting the money from the street business for his personal use and make him couldn¡¯t give monthly ie to the central Creeper. Even if we could, we have to clear out all the money in his group ount. Of course, that would make Lee Mu Fei mad because they should put the group first than personal needs.¡± Then she looked at Danis who was already sitting on hisputer chair, ¡°Can you do hacking?¡±


    ¡°Hacking? Actually, I.. I still need to learn,¡± Danis replied, stammering. His guts immediately shrunk for fear of being killed by his superiors for his ipetence in the field that he should be good at.


    ¡°Then learn it, because you will do it in the next few days.¡± Rachel said mercilessly.


    ¡°I¡¯lle here again tomorrow. Tell Danis to get ready because I¡¯ll be working alone with him.¡± Emma said to Marcel and Kenny. They were already in the basement.


    ¡°What are the details of your n?¡± Marcel asked curiously.


    Emma shook her head as she put on her helmet, ¡°You¡¯ll find outter. I wish I could count on that kid.¡±


    Emma and Rachel finally left RJC¡¯s headquarters. Their move to team up with RJC was sessful. Now they already had the strength equivalent to onerge group that supervised hundreds of strong members.


    .....


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll being there alone tomorrow, Emma?¡± Rachel asked as she rode the motorbike with Emma on the back seat.


    Emma nodded, ¡°It¡¯s ok, Rachel. Your side job can¡¯t be left behind. During that time, you can create scenarios to provoke the factory workers.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll ask my grandfather for more information. He¡¯s not too smart to be suspicious of any of my questions.¡± Rachel answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure this will work. We all can knock out the Creeper by the roots and RJC doesn¡¯t have to fight Calvin and Troy.¡± Emma said.


    ***


    Oscar Chopper was azy man who got a dot of luck. He said,zy people would find the simplest way to get the job done. Yes, that was exactly what he did.


    Oscar waszy to work to make a living. The moment he met the Lee Mu Fei, his cunning brain immediately worked. He used the man who came from the vige to make a kingdom for him.


    It seemed that Oscar never consider his social media. He¡¯s been quite active on it since high school. It seemed that he never thought that his enemy would spy on the social media he set up as a ¡®Private¡¯ ount. He never thought that one day, whatever he had shared on the inte would be a boomerang to destroy him.


    Emma Hind disguised as ck and sat in a chair next to a bespectacled man. It seemed that Danis¡¯s hacking skills were not as good as Kathy¡¯s. Since he was unable to log into Oscar¡¯s ount, Emma provided another solution.


    The solution was by creating a social media ount in the name of one of Oscar¡¯s friends whom they previously searched for with the ¡®Stalking¡¯ technique on social media. It was a technique to find out about other people¡¯s lifestyles that Poppy and Kathy often did. Usually, the two girls did this to find gossip about the members of the popr girl group on campus and their boyfriends.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the fake ount to finally get friend approval from Oscar. From there, Emma could judge that Oscar was too jobless so he often opened his social media.


    ¡°Hm.. He¡¯s so narcissistic, isn¡¯t he?¡± Emma muttered as she continued to scroll on theputer mouse.


    It could be seen that Oscar very often uploaded photos and statuses on his social media. Almost all of the photos showed his wealth and luxurious lifestyle. Yes, he was the type of person who used social media to show off. This made Emma upset because he got all those luxuries from the earnings of crime that cost many innocent people.


    Although she was disgusted to see the photos that Oscar uploaded, Emma was happy because she could find a loophole to deceive him. After conducting stalking, Emma found out that Oscar liked nightlife and gambling. It appeared from some of his photos which show that he went to Jen Marrie Street to have fun sometimes. In addition, Oscar also connected his social media ounts with several online games.


    Emma smiled widely for everything she had seen. The brown-eyed girl then turned to Danis, ¡°Can you make a website?¡±


    ***


    The finger kept sliding the phone screen from bottom to top. It was an activity he had been doing since two hours ago. His two blue eyes seem to never get tired of watching videos that were served by the inte.


    Suddenly, a message appeared on the screen of his cellphone.


    ¡®NO.1 POKER GAME IN THE WORLD. Here is a gathering site for the best gamblers around the world! Join thousands of gambling masters and prove that you are the No.1! Win tens of millions of dors in just one game! Click this link below and show off your skill!¡¯


    Oscar frowned. It was a text message with the sender¡¯s name ¡®777¡¯ written in red, something Oscar had never seen before.


    ¡°No.1? You don¡¯t know who I am?¡± He muttered by lifting his feet onto his desk which was always neat and clean. That was because he never used it for work other than to support his legs.


    Without thinking, Oscar swiftly clicked the link listed in the short message. He was immediately directed to a glimmering website. Really, the page was very eye-catching. Oscar also felt that he had seen such a luxurious look while gambling overseas. It looked like the big screens on buildings in Las Vegas.


    As it should be, the first thing you do before ying an online game was registering an ount or enter an existing one. As usual, Oscar would link his proudly social media ount to the game. He did this so that if he wonter, he could show it off on social media and make many of his poor friends jealous.


    However, there was something a little different about this game. After he finished connecting his social media ounts, he couldn¡¯t y right away. He must first fill in the bnce which he wouldter use to bet. That was a fairly natural thing in online gambling games. However, what was unusual was that the way to top up the bnce was different from usual.


    When selecting ¡®Fill Bnce¡¯ on the page, a column suddenly appeared and said,


    ¡®Fill in the code we sent via text message to verify the ount.¡¯


    Two secondster, a short message entered Oscar¡¯s cell phone.


    ¡®This is a secret code. Don¡¯t give this code to anyone! 198375¡¯


    It was a message from another number, not from 777. But Oscar didn¡¯t pay much attention to it and immediately filled the secret code into the verification field.


    ¡®Thank you. We are currently processing your ount verification! Don¡¯t leave this page. Please wait for a few minutes!¡¯


    ¡°Hm?¡± Oscar muttered. So far, he had never seen the process of getting into a game soplicated. But he thought that it might be because it was a special game only yed by professionals.


    Because the process was still ongoing, Oscar decided to go out to eat at a fast-food restaurant that sold his favourite cheeseburger as waiting. With the excuse of beingzy to wait, he left the phone locked and put it on the table.


    What Oscar didn¡¯t know was that now all his ounts had been hacked by someone he didn¡¯t know. Through the verification code, he allowed the stranger to gain ess to all his social media ounts even to his digital bank ount.


    Oscar didn¡¯t know what disaster was about to happen. He was devouring arge burger with four bodyguards surrounding him. More or less, he had been at the fast-food restaurant for half an hour.


    A man who was Oscar¡¯s subordinate approached him with a cell phone in his open palm, ¡°Pardon interrupting, Boss. This is a call frommander Lee Mu Fei.¡±


    ¡°Afei?¡± Oscar muttered with his full mouth. He grabbed the phone and put it to his ear, ¡°Hello, Afei! How are you?¡±


    ¡°Oscar! Are you crazy?!¡± Afei growled from the other side.


    Oscar then frowned in confusion, ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand. What happened?¡± He asked in a muffled voice as his mouth was still filled with food. He immediately chewed the food quickly and drank a cup of soda from the table.


    ¡°You took all the money in the second ount for online gambling! What¡¯s not crazy about that?!¡±


    ¡°What?! I didn¡¯t do that.¡± Oscar denied it after swallowing his food whole until it hurt his throat.


    ¡°You still dare to deny it? You even share it on your social media! I can¡¯t believe you dare to use group funds for your gambling game, you bastard!¡± Afei growled.


    ¡°W-what? W-wait, Afei. I really didn¡¯t do it. My cell phone is at the office. I¡¯m outside right now,¡± He exined with a pounding heart. He immediately stood up, about to leave the fast-food restaurant.


    From the opposite line, Afei could only sigh in annoyance. He knew there was no point in throwing his anger on the phone. He was so fed up with Oscar¡¯s behaviour. That man still dared to deny even though there was clear evidence. ¡°You¡¯d better clear this up, Oscar.¡± he hissed before hanging up the phone.

 Chapter 169

    169 Scamming a Scammer


    ¡°Afei! Hey, Afei!¡± Oscar eximed as soon as Afei hung up their call. He huffed in annoyance by randomly throwing the cell phone belonging to his subordinates, ¡°We¡¯re back to the base. Hurry up!¡±


    Arriving at the headquarters, Oscar immediately went to his study, where he put his cellphone which he had left to wait for the ¡®Login¡¯ process to an online gambling game site. He quickly grabbed the phone from the table and opened it.


    It took Oscar a few seconds to realize that his phone was in a strange state. He was still on the page of the online gambling game but there was nothing, apart from the words ¡®Thank You for Your Generosity!¡¯


    With cold sweat running down his back, Oscar immediately went to his banking app which he always used to do some transactions and check the bnce in the Creeper group¡¯s special ount. He opened thest transaction and found an expense in the form of a transfer transaction to another ount with an amount equal to the contents of the total bnce itself. Now the bnce of the Creeper group¡¯s ount was empty.


    But that wasn¡¯t the only surprise that Oscar found. On the hint from his conversation with Afei earlier, he immediately opened his social media. However, his ount was logged out of the application and when he wanted to log back in, a notification appeared that the password he entered was incorrect. Yes, that was because the person who scammed him had changed his social media ount password.


    ¡°Clif! Give me your phone now! Open my social media!¡± Oscar shouted with bloodshot eyes at one of the subordinates who was standing beside him.


    With crity and fear, the man named Clif immediately carried out what Oscar ordered. He opened his social media and opened an ount belonging to Oscar who happened to be friends with him, ¡°Here, Boss,¡±


    Oscar grabbed the phone roughly and checked his own social media ounts from Clif¡¯s ount. His heart seemed to be about to stop beating when he saw that he himself uploaded a lot of statuses and game activities that he never yed at all. And from the description of the hour, all the uploads were shared about half an hour ago.


    ¡®Oh shit! This game is fucking dope! I¡¯m sure I will win on the fourth try!¡¯


    .....


    ¡®Try again! Try again! This game is very addictive! For you guys who like online gambling games, you must y this!¡¯


    ¡®Fuck! Why do I keep losing?!¡¯


    Oscar¡¯s eyes quivered as he watched his cell phone screen showing the reminding notification of his hacked social media homepage before it got its password changed. He even got reports that he had sent messages to his social media friends that he needed money and asked to borrow money. He had heard of this type of scam and now he had be the victim.


    ¡°SHIT!! FUCK!!¡± The man eximed while grabbing his own hair tightly with both hands. The veins appeared to be sticking out of his forehead and neck which was already bright red.


    ***


    On the other hand,


    Emma who was disguised as ck burst outughing. She raised her high five to Danis who also gave an expression of joy. The bespectacled guy hit it and theyughed together.


    Danis was not a professional at hacking and creating fake websites. But he joined a group of ¡®Hackers¡¯ and became a junior there. With an injection of funds from RJC, he was able to pay one of his hacker friends who was abroad to hack social media ounts and empty the Creeper ount that was in the name of Oscar Chopper. Danis himself waspletely in awe of ck¡¯s brilliant n.


    ¡°Gosh.. Is making money really this easy? But you can¡¯t do this to anyone. Remember that! Got it?¡± Emma patted Danis¡¯s back who seemed to be younger than her. She could already feel that Danis was acting like a kid who should still be in high school.


    Danis nodded understandingly, ¡°I know. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t have the heart tomit a crime like this to innocent people.¡±


    But Emma shook her head casually, ¡°No, no.. It¡¯s not a crime because the Creeper got all the money by hurting other people. We¡¯re just taking what doesn¡¯t belong to them. We¡¯re avenging the victims of that bastard group.¡± she exined.


    Honestly, just a few hours working with ck already made Danis feelfortable. Even though he looked strange in his costume and mask, ck was a kind, patient and talkative person. ck seemed to understand that Danis was still a schoolboy doing Home Schooling so he was being pretty gentle with the shy guy.


    ¡°So, ck. What are you going to do with the money after this? And is this your ount? So your real name is Mario Orne?¡± Danis asked by looking at the ount number they used as a transfer destination from Oscar¡¯s ount. The ount also continued to receive money from members of Oscar¡¯s Creeper group from scamming proceeds via ¡®Direct Message¡¯ on his social media.


    Emma folded her arms across her chest and shook her head, ¡°This is an ount I bought illegally belonging to someone who lives abroad. And for this money, I will use it to cover all the funds in carrying out this scam. Then I would use the rest to run the next n,¡± she exined with great nning.


    ¡°Wow! You¡¯re very good at managing finances. Are you a businessman?¡± Danny asked curiously. He really felt admiration for the figure of ck. He also wanted to be a professional hacker and had bright ideas to scam bad people.


    ¡°A business, huh? Maybe I¡¯ll give it a try sometime in the future. But for now, I¡¯ll focus on my goals first,¡± Emma answered as she rose from her seat. ¡°If you see the transactions entered into the ount have stopped, you must immediately withdraw the money in it. I¡¯d call you again if I need help. From here, thank you for your help,¡± she continued and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Danis replied by giving a respectful gesture.


    Emma smiled amusedly as she walked towards a room with a jet ck door. In front of the door, she could see two tall, big men standing guard on its left and right. When Emma was about to enter, the two men immediately blocked her by spreading one of their arms in front of the door.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just walk in. What do you need?¡± One of the guards asked.


    ¡°I need much. Couldn¡¯t you have asked more politely?¡± Emma asked with her hands on her hips.


    ¡°This is our leader¡¯s room. No one is allowed to enter arbitrarily without permission.¡± The man replied.


    ¡°Tch! I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Emma squeaked in annoyance. ¡°Quickly open the door and say ck wille in.¡± She said, trying to contain her anger.


    Finally, one of the guards gave a slight nod before knocking on the door. Then he opened the door a little and poked his head through the door gap, ¡°Pardon me, Boss. Someone named ck wants toe in to see you.¡±


    ¡°Let him in,¡± Marcel replied quickly.


    Finally, Emma was let in. If only she didn¡¯t need to wear a mask which also had to cover her eyes, she would give the two guards a look of victory with ack of manners.


    ¡°Your guards are very rude. You know that?¡± Emma said as she entered and walked over to Marcel¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Was it done? How did it go?¡± Marcel asked casually.


    Emma smiled faintly even though no one could see it, ¡°I¡¯m not that stupid to think that Danis didn¡¯t tell you right away after what we were doing for hours in the room that smells like a boy in puberty.¡±


    Marcel sighed lightly. Of course, he couldn¡¯t lie to ck who was as clever as a snake. He had indeed heard thetest news from Danis who immediately contacted him a second after ck came out of his room.


    ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± Marcel asked.


    ¡°Please withdraw any remaining money in your reserve ount number. I would use it to stir up the peace in Chingsu District.¡± Emma answered, which sounded more like an order.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it after you make sure you won¡¯t use the ount again because we have to throw it away after that,¡± Marcel replied.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Of course, I know. We can¡¯t let the Creeper know that RJC is behind all this scam. Otherwise, things would get messed up. Ah.. Have you made sure that the person whose data you used to create the ount really can¡¯t be found?¡± She asked for the umpteenth time. She feltpelled to warn everyone about the dangers of one little thing that was sometimes overlooked because sometimes, a big problem started from something small.


    ¡°That guy lives in a small vige far away from this city. The Creeper wouldn¡¯t be able to find him and they certainly won¡¯t be willing to waste any more money after losing such a huge sum.¡± Marcel replied casually.


    ¡°Good then. My partner and I will take the next step. Starting tomorrow, I¡¯d like you to order some of your men to mess up Greenvalley Street and do patrol on the streets they often use to bully people. Overwhelm the Greenvalley Creeper, so that they would request for additional members from the Chingsu District Creeper.¡± Emma exined.


    Marcel asked nothing more. He had pretty much trusted ck¡¯s n which he thought was very clever. He didn¡¯t even mind anymore when ck told him to arrange his men to do exactly what ck wanted.

 Chapter 170

    170 Backfired


    Although he wasn¡¯t sure what ck¡¯s real goal was, Marcel was quite relieved to know that there was someone who could help him defeat the Creeper who had been the main reason they were forced to recruit members from the martial arts studio. If indeed the Creeper was sessfully overthrown, then Marcel has no other reason to increase the number of his members. That way, he didn¡¯t have toe into a fight with Jita Kyoei and Calvin Lee¡¯s group again. And most importantly, he could lower the deposit rate for Redvalley residents.


    ***


    Rachel saw arge ck GYM bag whose zipper was open. Inside the bag were piles of banknotes withrge denominations. She blinked in disbelief and looked at Emma again.


    Emma smiled at her friend who still looked dumbfounded, ¡°We paid the fees for creating a fake website and hacking with that money. Even what¡¯s in this bag is not half of the total money I still have at RJC headquarters. Just imagine what we can do with that kind of money.¡± Emma said.


    Rachel shook her head in disbelief, ¡°Creeper got this much money by scamming people?¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°Most of them are school kids. I¡¯ve learned that they have several branch groups, and all the money from the business is deposited in ounts that we¡¯ve drained. Let alone depositing to the central Creeper, I¡¯m pretty sure, now they even have to ask for an injection of funds to the centre to keep the groups on Greenvalley Street afloat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked my grandfather about the conditions there. At thepany where my grandfather worked, there were at least seventy people who were victims of scams. And that was only the employees he knew. If I pull otherpanies in the Chingsu District together, I believe the number of victims is in the hundreds.¡± Rachel exined.


    Emma nodded, ¡°I think all this money will be enough to pay for their demonstration in front of the Creeper headquarters.¡±


    ¡°That will work, Emma. After all, they have the right to say that they are aware of the scamming practices of the lending service. Indeed, they haven¡¯t had the courage all this time because they¡¯ve only moved on their own. But if there are at least fifty people who dare to voice their opinion, I¡¯m sure hundreds of others will follow. Creepers won¡¯t be able to avoid this.¡± Rachel seemed to chuckle.


    .....


    ¡°Then, we must prepare to return to disguise in Chingsu District,¡± Emma said.


    ***


    Chingsu District, Creeper Headquarters.


    Lee Mu Fei, or Afei, looked mad. Both of his eyes were reddened. He couldn¡¯t believe that Oscar could be scammed through an online game link.


    So far, Afei had often warned Oscar not to gamble. But Oscar always ignored him on the pretext that he used his own money to carry out such a dangerous game.


    To Afei, gambling games were dangerous. It was a game that his father used to y so much that their family was in huge debt and made Afei¡¯s childhood life miserable. He got to see his mother and older sisters working hard in the fields in their vige. As the eldest son, Afei went to the city to find money to pay off the debts his father left before running away with another woman. It was his past that made him the Lee Mu Fei he was today.


    ¡°Gambling is no different from drugs. It will make you addicted and ruin your life.¡± Afei mumbled a little at the words his mother always used to tell him and his siblings.


    Gambling was something Afei really hated. Now, he hated it even more because it got him and his group into trouble.


    Deep down, Afei had the suspicion that Oscar was lying to him by saying that he had been scammed by a game website. After years of knowing Oscar, Afei could tell that the man had a very difficult time controlling his lust. He had that lust for eating, drinking liquor, women, and ..st but not least, gambling.


    Afei still remembered when his father no longer had the money for him to take to a nightclub for gambling. He was like a hungry dog ??that was willing to scavenge trash cans, even eating carrion to fill his stomach and relieve his hunger. At that time, his father had almost sold his own daughter to get money. From there, Afei¡¯s mother continued to say that when a person was addicted to gambling games, he would be willing to do everything to be able to continue ying.


    ¡°That must be the only reason,¡± Afei growled himself.


    Suddenly, the door of the sharp-eyed man¡¯s office was knocked from outside. After shouting ¡®Come in¡¯, a man in a security uniform, who was his assistant, opened the door with a look of fear on his face.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Afei asked with furrowed brows. He realized something was wrong just from looking into the assistant¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This is Oscar, Commander. He¡¯s asking for an injection of funds for the members¡¯ lunch at Greenvalley.¡± The assistant said after taking a gulp.


    ¡°Funds? He still has the nerve to ask after he¡¯s stolen my money? What about the deposit for this week?¡± Afei asked angrily.


    The assistant shook his head slowly with his face down. Even though it was not his fault, he was very scared because he knew the leader was furious, ¡°He said he would not deposit because the money was gone, Commander. Many of our members alsoined because they were victims of a scammitted by people who hacked Oscar¡¯s social media ounts and borrowed some money from them.¡±


    Afei snorted in annoyance, ¡°That man is a troublemaker. What happened to him?¡±


    The assistant man shook his head again, ¡°Oscar said, he is confused about how to fix this because his group¡¯s men still have to work as usual to collect money again. Oscar¡¯s men look restless for fear that they won¡¯t get paid. Otherwise, they¡¯ll go on strike.¡±


    Hearing his assistant¡¯s exnation, Afei clenched his fists tightly until they turned pale. He was so done with what Oscar did, ¡°I¡¯m not going to inject money for him. He¡¯ll have to sort it out himself.¡± He replied. Then he gave the assistant a stern look, ¡°I want you to investigate what Oscar has been doing for the past six months.. no.. the past year. And also investigate this scam matter. I suspect Oscar is lying and really uses the money for gambling. That way, I¡¯ll have a reason to kick him off the Creeper.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Commander.¡± The assistant bent his back. Then he remembered something and lifted his face again, ¡°Pardon me, Commander, then what about the deposit for the ck Hole we have to make at the end of this month?¡±


    Afei was silent at the question. He let out a long sigh as he raised his hand to massage his dizzy forehead, ¡°If we really don¡¯t have enough money to pay it, sell one of Creeper Greenvalley¡¯s branch bases. Tell them that it¡¯s a policy that I made directly. And, increase the loan interest for the employees. If there¡¯s anyone who can¡¯t pay, feel free to take it from their monthly sry at the factory, even if it means their entire sry for the month.¡±


    ¡°All right, Commander!¡± The man replied again.


    ***


    Emma¡¯s eyes stared at theyer of ice on the swamp beside Chingsu District. It appeared that the flow of water under the ice sheet indicated that the ice would soon melt and could no longer be their foothold. That meant, they would have no more secret paths to enter the Chingsu District area.


    ¡°For now, we can still get through it, but maybe the story will be different in the next week or two. We¡¯d better make good use of this time.¡± Rachel said as she had finished hiding their motorbike at the usual ce.


    Emma looked at Rachel and nodded, ¡°We¡¯re moving now.¡±


    Finally, the two girls entered the Chingsu District area and they already knew what to do. It was bribing the guards so they could roam there, even into the territories ofpanies other than where Rachel¡¯s grandfather worked. Of course, it would cost them a fortune.


    Rachel was in charge of managing the area of ??the paper factory where her grandfather works. Meanwhile, Emma was tasked with going to the factory location of otherpanies. The two girls split up toplete their mission in time.


    Despite wearing a uniform from anotherpany, thanks to the bribe, Emma was allowed to enter the territory of anotherpany with the excuse of approaching her boyfriend who worked in a differentpany from her.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it what is called a backfired? They are the ones who enforce the system of bribes, but in the end, their own system that allowed intruders to easily enter their territory.¡¯ Emmaughed inside.


    What Emma and Rachel did was stir up some of the employees who seemed brave and liked by the others. It was certainly not hard to find them out because people who were liked in an environment would look stand out from the rest.


    In just an instant, the girls in disguise had already affected many workers. They said that their father was a victim of a scam as well. And they exin how the Creeper trapped its victims.


    ¡°If we continue to remain silent, the situation will not change. Can apany still run without employees? They can suppress one employee, but can they still do it if hundreds of employees protest? Would they still bother? Would they report hundreds of people to the police? Would they be willing if there was a production shutdown for days because the workers went on strike?¡± Emma said to the five middle-aged men who were standing around her.

 Chapter 171

    171 Greenvalley is Under Attack


    The workers who were listening to the speech nodded in agreement at the girl who hade from nowhere. But what the girl said was necessarily worth listening to.


    Emma put on a serious face, ¡°If you in some way need the funds to do it, then I can give it to you on the condition that you will lead the victims to voice this injustice. I do feel hurt that my uncle fell ill from being a victim of fraud, just like you. It¡¯s time for you to move, so the criminals don¡¯t keep making you their cash cow.¡± Emma continued.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. We can¡¯t just sit around being fooled like this. We must unite to fight them!¡± One of the men said.


    Emma nodded firmly then nced left and right to make sure the situation in the factory cafeteria was safe, ¡°I know it¡¯s not much, but maybe you gentlemen would need this,¡± she said quietly as she opened her sling bag and pulled a bunch of money out of it for her to hand out, ¡°If the demonstration works, I¡¯ll give you all more,¡±


    The middle-aged men looked at each other with disdain before the man who had just spoken to Emma cleared his throat, ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t need the money just to do this because of course, it¡¯s for our good too,¡± But both of his hands seemed to extend forward, ¡°However, perhaps you are right that it would cost a little to prepare. Therefore, we were forced to take this one,¡±


    Inside, Emma felt a little annoyed facing the group of men in front of her. But she still had a smile on, ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry. I will give the rest when this demonstration is over. I hope you can do it for at least one to two weeks, every few days. I will double the extra if you can help me with that.¡±


    ¡°Sure, if you insist. But we do it because we feel this scam is very burdensome for all of us.¡± The man replied.


    Emma nodded slightly, ¡°I know,¡±


    After that, Emma and Rachel met again when the break time for the two factory shifts was almost over. By sneaking, they managed to get out of the Chingsu District area without being caught by the guards.


    .....


    ¡°Has the money run out?¡± Emma asked Rachel once they reached the big tree hiding their motorbike.


    Rachel shook her head, ¡°Some people refused the money. They said it really had to be done. And now they¡¯ve got the courage,¡±


    ¡°Oh.. You¡¯re so lucky. Everyone I met epted the money with their hypocrisy. But I don¡¯t regret it at all because that was our aim to bring money here. After this, we just have to monitor how the condition goes after the Creeper in Chingsu District and Greenvalley fell apart at the same time.¡± Emma said as she sat on the side of the tree with Rachel. They deliberately waited for the sky to get darker enough so that they would not be seen by the guards who might pass near the swamp. The reason was pulling back the motorbike in the snow was more difficult than moving it forward.


    ¡°I hope this all goes well,¡± Rachel muttered as she leaned the back of her head against therge wall that stretched behind their backs. It was cold there and the snow was still piling up on the ground, though not as thick as usual.


    ¡°I also hope so,¡± Emma replied. Then she remembered something, ¡°Now, thest thing we have to do is find out where Lee Mu Fei kept all the employment contract files they were holding.¡±


    Rachel nodded, ¡°We have to get inside the base. Are you sure our bodies can get through the venttion duct?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure, Rachel. But I don¡¯t know if there could be a passage that¡¯s smaller that won¡¯t allow our bodies to pass through.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we¡¯ll be forced to go down and confront the Creeper,¡± Rachel replied lightly.


    Emma looked at Rachel¡¯s face from the side and smiled, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to fight together with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve trained me well, Emma. You won¡¯t be disappointed,¡± Rachel smiled.


    ***


    ¡°The first time I met ck was at Jardin University.¡± Said A man in a well-known branded coat.


    Oscar immediately got up from his seat, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s the same person?¡±


    Eddy Norman nodded, ¡°While doing ck Harvest Day, he beat me and all my men in a warehouse.¡± he answered by bowing his head.


    ¡°You too?!¡± Oscar¡¯s eyes widened. The blood vessels in his eyes were getting wider.


    Eddy nodded, ¡°T-that¡¯s true, Boss. He was very strong despite his small body. He came to save the losers of the campus that we were harvesting at that time.¡±


    Oscar threw his back against the back of the chair with a surprised face and jaw clenched. Probably, ck was the same as a man named Calvin Lee who was jobless that he decided to be a superhero and troubles many people. ¡°So, now ck is helping RJC?¡± he muttered to himself,


    Tony Lin nodded. Now, the members who left on the same level were only him and Eddy Norman. Gaston had been kicked out of the Creeper because he was too troublesome due to the healing process that took too long. It only wasted the group¡¯s money. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for it. This is the only information I could get, Boss. That man is truly mysterious and undetectable.¡± the ck-haired man exined.


    ¡°If someone like him were to join RJC, then we might die,¡± Oscar said without being able to cover his panicked face. Of course, it was because he couldn¡¯t protect himself with his big stomach and powerless fists. He then looked at one of his assistants, ¡°Has Afei given the injection money?¡±


    The assistant shook his head slowly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Boss. Themander said that he would not give any injections. He also said that he would sell one of our branch headquarters if he couldn¡¯t pay it to ck Hole this month.¡±


    ¡°What?! Are you crazy?!¡± Oscar held back his screams. Then he nced at his two subordinates who led each branch group that he had spread to several locations.


    Tony Lin and Eddy Norman were still looking down, but they secretly nced at each other with meaningful gazes. If it was true that the supreme leader of the Creeper was to sell one of the branch bases, that would mean it was one of their bases. But that was not what the two men were particrly afraid of because for sure, the first to be the target was the motorcycle group that Gaston previously led, which was currently still in a state of bobbing because its leader had been kicked out of the Creeper.


    In fact, the thing that made the two of them feel worried was the possibility that the Creeper led directly by Oscar Chopper would fall. If Creeper Greenvalley finally copsed, that would mean the group they were leading now would also disappear. Plus, the fact of the economic crisis that suddenly hit the Creeper gave a harsh reality that their group was forced to save money and work even harder.


    Suddenly, the door of the room upied by the higher-ups was knocked loudly from outside. Oscar, Tony, and Eddy immediately turned toward the source of the voice. Even though they didn¡¯t know what was toe, their instincts could immediately tell that something was wrong.


    Sure enough, when Oscar told his assistant toe in before his hand even had touched the doorknob, it opened from the outside. It was against the rules of decency which should not be done in front of their boss. But it seemed that the man behind the door had been pushed to the point of breaking the rules.


    A man with messy hair and a face full of sweat immediately stepped in and bowed respectfully, ¡°Forgive my impudence, Boss! There is an attack by RJC men outside,¡± he said breathlessly.


    ¡°W-what?!¡± Oscar gasped and hurried over to the window which was covered with a maroon curtain. He roughly slid the curtains aside to look out the window which led directly to the road ahead. Behind him, Tony and Eddy followed.


    It turned out a bunch of ck motorbikes that were no longer being ridden by the riders were parked outside. The riders of the ck horses had gotten off their motorbikes and were standing bravely.


    ¡°RJC! They¡¯vee for revenge! Call Afei! Call that bastard now!¡± Oscar eximed with a scarred face. Then he immediately ran towards his assistant who, with trembling hands, was looking for theirmander¡¯s contact on his phone. But it seemed that Oscar didn¡¯t have much time left, so he snatched the man¡¯s cellphone and put it to his ear.


    ¡°You!¡± He pointed to Tony and Eddy.


    The two men who were still standing behind the window immediately turned to face their boss, ¡°Yes, Boss!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and face them! If those bastards reach my room, I¡¯ll break your legs! QUICK!¡± He ordered in a loud voice that made a hoarse tone.


    ¡°O-ok, Boss!¡± Tony and Eddy answered together. Then they immediately left Oscar who was still waiting for Lee Mu Fei to pick up the phone.


    Beads of sweat were gathering on Oscar¡¯s forehead. The rest was running down his hairy back, ¡°Hurry pick it up, Damn it!¡± he growled himself.


    Suddenly, the dial tone that had been ringing was stopped, ¡°Good evening, Boss.¡± A man answered.


    Oscar knew it wasn¡¯t Afei¡¯s voice, but his assistant¡¯s. Moreover, Afei never held a personal cell phone because he was an old-fashioned and stiff man. ¡°Where¡¯s Afei?! Give him your phone, you bastard! Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± The man replied.


    Oscar waited for Afei to take his call while he perched behind the window, watching the chaos below. It was seen that his men were desperately fighting against arge number of RJC¡¯s men. The sight made Oscar¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    ¡°Yes?¡±

 Chapter 172

    172 Chingsu District is Under Attack


    Oscar was moved when he heard Afei¡¯s voice from the opposite line, ¡°Afei! Oh my God! Please, send a hundred men here. Our base is under attack by RJC!¡±


    But there was silence for a few seconds. The silence felt like tiny needles being pushed slowly through his eardrums, ¡°Af...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t send men anymore.¡± Afei¡¯s answer left Oscar speechless. ¡°Aren¡¯t there nearly two hundred of my men at your ce? Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Afei.. That¡¯s not enough. Even though there are two hundred men, I directed some of them to help guard the base of branch groups that are usually attacked by the enemy. But I didn¡¯t expect that today RJC woulde to my head base.¡± He answered in a desperate tone.


    ¡°In that case, have theme to your head base now,¡± Afei¡¯s voice sounded colder than usual.


    Oscar shook his head exasperatedly, ¡°They¡¯re on their way here but it most likely they won¡¯t be able to finish off all the RJC members who havee here. That group would still be able to return home safely,¡±


    Oscar¡¯s answer made Afeiugh. Perhaps it was the first time the blonde-haired man could make themanderugh, ¡°You wish you could finish off your enemy? Do you think fighting is easy? The fact that you still being able to call me now from your room is something you should be grateful for. Now everyone is fighting out there to protect you. You shouldn¡¯t expect too much, Oscar.¡±


    Oscar never expected to hear such insulting words from Afei¡¯s mouth. It seemed that since the scam Oscar had experienced, Afei felt much superior to him and began to put aside the contributions Oscar had given as one of the big factors in the formation of the Creeper group.


    ¡°FUCK!! FUCK YOU AFEI!¡± Oscar eximed by mming the cellphone belonged to his assistant who was standing with trembling knees behind him.


    .....


    On the other hand, two pairs of eyes of two men were staring into the upper window of a building that had about five floors. Not far from where they stood, a battle was taking ce between their group members and the members of the group whose headquarters they were visiting.


    ¡°They must not have expected that we woulde to the head base,¡± Damian Jamin said with his arms folded in front of his chest. It looked like his hair has grown a bit longer so he no longer looked so bald.


    ¡°Well.. A bad leader makes bad men. He¡¯s too stupid to think we¡¯re going to attack a small base filled with chicks only. Do they think RJC was the same as a group of little thugs? How funny,¡± Vico Hustle mumbled.


    Damian nodded, ¡°Just look at that,¡± he pointed his chin forward, ¡°Even though we didn¡¯t bring too many members, the knocked down men have piled up there that much. I¡¯m not surprised that Oscar was pacing back and forth in fear over there,¡± He looked at the windowpane which they had been watching from the start. But it seemed that the stupid man named Oscar didn¡¯t notice someone was watching him from below.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we shouldn¡¯t attack too badly. It¡¯s enough to just cause chaos. There¡¯s no need to break into the base,¡± Damian said to Vico.


    The man with a line scar on his lips nodded casually, ¡°I know. Kenny has mentioned it to me too. Looks like they¡¯re nning something big. They said it has something to do with that midget man named ck,¡±


    ¡°When I heard that ck joined RJC, to be honest, I was kind of surprised. Just imagining that he had toppled Hell Gate¡¯s main base by himself makes me wonder how he would have dealt with that stupid boy. I don¡¯t know how many sses he¡¯d broken,¡± Damian said with an amusedugh.


    But Vico shook his head casually, ¡°Your imagination is so wrong, Damian. He never roughly treated Danis in the slightest. In fact, Danis admitted to me that ck was very kind and gentle to him. Even though Danis couldn¡¯t do much of what ck asked, instead of getting angry, ck helped him to find another way out.¡±


    Damian¡¯s eyebrows shot up high, ¡°No way! Gosh! ck is such a weird guy. I¡¯m curious to talk with him directly,¡±


    Vicoughed condescendingly, ¡°You better not wish too much. Yesterday, Kenny told everyone that ck was a special guest for Marcel. He even scolded Roy and Donald who were guarding Marcel¡¯s door at that time, for making it difficult for ck to get inside. It looks like ck is indeed great that our boss treats him like a gem.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there is such a person. I shouldn¡¯t have been the one assigned to a remote vige that time to find someone to set up the bank ount Marcel asked for, so I could see ck without a helmet in person.¡± He pursed his lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s a waste because even under his helmet, he¡¯s still wearing a mask,¡± Vico replied.


    ¡°Hei, you two!¡± Two tall men were walking towards them.


    ¡°Hm.. If I¡¯m not mistaken, are they Tony Lin and Eddy Norman?¡± Damian muttered, still with his arms folded across his chest and buttocks leaning against the parked motorbike.


    Vico nodded lightly, ¡°Seems like we¡¯ll have to sweat a little on this small mission.¡±


    Not long after, the two of themy battered on the cold asphalt. Sorry, it needed to be rified that the two people who were lying down were Tony Lin and Eddy Norman. Of course, Vico and Damian could beat those two with their multiple meaningless punches.


    After kicking Tony in the back once, Vico found one of his members walking rather quickly towards him, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The rest of the Creeper men are heading this way. They were men who were guarding the branch bases. Should we stay here or leave now?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°Well..¡± Vico noticed the condition of the road that was already filled with the bodies of men who had fainted. Not to be arrogant, but all thaty down were The Creeper¡¯s men. Now, there were only a few Creeper members left who could stand up to fight. The men recruited from the martial arts studio were indeed not ordinary people. They were quite strong. Vico finally shook his head, ¡°No need. We¡¯ve done enough for today. Let¡¯s pull back,¡±


    ¡°Right. Of course we have to spare some for our sports tomorrow,¡± Damianughed. Then he walked to his big motorbike with Vico who then sitting on the back.


    Then the group of RJC motorcyclists headed in the opposite direction with the rest of the Creeper men showing upte.


    ***


    A man in a soldier uniform, which was a specially made guard uniform, knocked on the door of a room and entered it. The room looked simple. But the owner was someone who had a highly important position in that ce.


    ¡°Commander,¡± The man greeted with a respectful bow.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Afei replied, still busy with his notebook.


    ¡°I¡¯vee with the news, Commander. The Greenvalley Creeper has been attacked by RJC.¡± The man told.


    ¡°I know. How is it going?¡± Afei asked by stopping writing and putting the pen with the pointed tip he was holding next to the notebook.


    ¡°RJC had been fleeing just before the additional members at the Creeper Greenvalley branch arrived. RJC didn¡¯t have time to get inside the Creeper head base. But they knocked out a lot of our members.¡± He exined.


    ¡°No.¡± Afei shook his head slowly, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I want to know how it goes on my request of you to investigate Oscar Chopper.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t find that Oscar had been misusing the group¡¯s money all this time, Commander. He always gambled and wasted money. But what he used was his personal money which he got from the group¡¯s sharing ie as usual. What he does in excess is to use group property such as cars, houses and others for his personal use.¡± The assistant exined.


    The exnation made Afei fall silent. Although he would feel angry and disappointed to learn that Oscar had been using group funds for his personal purposes, that was precisely the information he wanted to hear from the assistant¡¯s mouth. It was because Afei waspletely fed up with Oscar¡¯s constant troublesome existence that never helped the group at all. He wanted to get rid of Oscar with the most usible reason so that it would not tarnish his image as a leader in the eyes of all his men.


    ¡°Pardon, Commander,¡± The assistant woke him from his thought. Afei nced at the man, ¡°Actually, Oscar asked you for more men because, after thest attack, their men became too few. It looks like RJC¡¯s members have gotten stronger so that the men they beat on average get pretty bad injuries.¡±


    ¡°Until then, I won¡¯t be adding any more men than I¡¯ve given. Let Oscar be at least more independent and could solve problems with his own brain and muscles.¡± Afei replied.


    However, it seemed the problems didn¡¯t stop there. The next day, a huge protest demonstration appeared in front of the Creeper Chingsu District¡¯s headquarters. Without needing to be called out, Afei immediately knew of the problem. Even though he seemed cold and careless, his ears and eyes were never closed to the surroundings involving the group he led.


    ¡°Commander,¡± The Creeper members in the headquarters lobby immediately bowed deeply when they realized the leader appeared from the inside.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Afei asked them.


    Themotion outside was even heard in the lobby. The phone at reception kept ringing. Every time the phone was picked up, the receptionist kept apologizing over and over and couldn¡¯t exin what was going on.


    ¡°The factory workers who are customers of our loan business are demonstrating outside, Commander.¡± One of the members answered.

 Chapter 173

    173 A Leader Is a Role Model


    Afei frowned and turned his gaze to the two receptionists who were busy answering the telephone. Without permission, he swiftly unplugged the cable on the telephone that was still in use and then asked the two employees working behind the desk, ¡°Who keeps calling here?¡±


    The two receptionists looked scared. The reason was that so far, they had never spoken directly to the leader of the Creeper who was their boss. ¡°They are.. the managers of thepanies here, Cmander,¡± The male receptionists replied.


    ¡°What did they say?¡± Afei asked again, even though he had already predicted what thepanies would say. He still wanted to hear the confirmation.


    ¡°Theyined because their workers went on strike as a protest by using the management of theirpany of cooperating with Creeper to scam workers into doing hardbour for life. Thepany said that Creeper should be held responsible for their losses because production went chaotic.¡± He exined.


    Afei¡¯s jaw instantly hardened. He looked ahead and walked towards the door. From there, he could see a collection of demonstrators who kept voicing their speeches with various insulting posters that they hold up high. All this time, Afei never thought that those people could unite to attack him back. He thought that they were old and stupid enough to think that uniting would render the Creeper powerless.


    ¡°You¡¯d better note out, Commander. They¡¯d get even more aggressive when they see you.¡± One of his assistants said when he had just entered the door.


    Afei huffed softly, ¡°This isn¡¯t good. If thepany finally reports this incident to the owners of Chingsu District, they might get the Creeper out of here,¡± he muttered with both eyes kept looking at the employees who were being blocked by all his men about twenty meters from the headquarters building. ¡°Push them back. Don¡¯t be afraid of those people. Show them how powerful we are here.¡±


    ¡°All right, Commander!¡± The assistant nodded and then went back to lead his men to dispel the demonstrators.


    Employees who had be victims of scams by the Creeper reached hundreds of people because the area of ??the Chingsu District was so big that the factories inside were also quiterge. As ordered by themander, all the Creeper men on guard tried to push back the demonstrators. But it seemed they had underestimated those people too much. The angry demonstrators finally hit back at the burly men who had been treating them unfairly.


    .....


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t only those who had been scammed who participated in the demonstration, but everyone who was fed up with the behaviour of the cunning group of guards called the Creeper had also joined in. Although many employees had bribed the Creeper to facilitate their cheating, there were not a few honest employees who wanted a healthy environment. In addition, it was felt that Creeper members tend to deliberately find fault of every employee to extort their money.


    In the end, the demonstration turned into a riot. Even, a few fights between employees and members of the Creeper happened. The factory workers had lost their temper and became furious when the people who were supposed to protect them used violence to stop their demonstrations.


    The riotsted until the afternoon. Due to the chaos, all the factories in the Chingsu District experienced production paralysis. All members of the Creeper came back overwhelmed and not a few of them were injured as a result of being hit with rocks by the demonstrators.


    Afei, who saw the condition was already in chaos, began to feel worried. He did not expect that the employees dared to attack him back. With arge number of employees, it was notparable to the number of members belonging to the Creeper in the Chingsu District. Therefore, Afei ordered his assistant to pull back all of their members lent to Oscar.


    As Afei had predicted, Oscar immediately called him when he heard the order that all the lent members must be returned.


    ¡°Afei! You can¡¯t do that! There are only a few members in my ce. Plus, because of yesterday¡¯s attack, no one can stand guard here. If RJCes again, we¡¯ll be crushed.¡± Oscar said over the phone.


    Afei sighed softly but deeply long, ¡°We are short of men here. So you have to hang in there.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Afei! Your men over there are strong, not like my men here. Creeper could be crushed if there¡¯s no bnce between both sides.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you saying, Oscar Chopper?¡± Afei asked tly which made Oscar speechless. ¡°It wasn¡¯t the Creeper that would be destroyed, but the group you led yourself. Do you think I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯ve been embezzling your group¡¯s ie statements so you didn¡¯t have to deposit everything to the head base? You¡¯re keeping the rest in your own pocket.¡± he continued. It was something his assistant had just discovered that he had asked to investigate if Oscar was cheating. And as it turned out, he was right. ¡°From the start, you only cared about the group under your feet and used us here to be your support.¡±


    What Afei said made Oscar¡¯s heart beat fast. He couldn¡¯t believe what his ears heard. Why did problems keeping to him like a bunch of arrows? He never thought that his cheating all along would be discovered. He thought, all this time, Afei had never paid attention to the reports he had given him because Afei was not the type of man who was concerned too much about money. That was what made Oscar confident to cheat all this time.


    But Oscar felt Afei was starting to be very curt towards himtely. It seemed that the sharp-eyed man was deliberately looking for Oscar¡¯s fault for a special reason.


    ¡°Are you going to get rid of me?¡± Oscar guessed.


    Finally, the question was asked. Afei smiled, ¡°You realize that you don¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Are you really doing this lowly thing to the person who raised you to the top? So Lee Mu Fei was a coward who betrayed the person who had contributed to his life?¡± Oscar said. His hand that was holding the cell phone to his ear started to shake. He was angry and scared.


    ¡°You still dare to say the word ¡®betrayal¡¯? Don¡¯t you realize what you¡¯ve been doing all this time bymitting that cheating? So far, I¡¯ve trusted you so much and you¡¯ve also taken too much as the pay of your sedition service that you are so proud of.¡± Afei replied.


    Oscar¡¯s jaw hardened, ¡°So, is this the end? You kicked me from the Creeper we built together?¡± he asked again.


    Afei nodded slowly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to confirm anymore. Take all the subordinates and base in Greenvalley. Think of it as my mercy to you. You and your group are no longer part of the Creeper.¡±


    Oscarughed furiously, ¡°You don¡¯t know what I can do. You will regret it for sure, Afei!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for what you can do without my support. And, don¡¯t ever call me Afei again. I never thought of you as a close person of mine.¡± Afei said before hanging up the phone.


    The cell phone that Oscar was holding slid onto the floor. It was all over. Started from a scammitted by those jerks and now he had lost everything. He was left alone and must face a very strong enemy, which was RJC.


    ¡°I will destroy you, Afei!¡± He growled.


    ***


    An offensive smile appeared on the handsome man¡¯s fresh lips. His eyes looked at the two ck-masked men sitting on the sofa in front of him, ¡°Looks like your n has worked,¡±


    Emma smiled inside her mask, ¡°I¡¯ve told you, you just have to do what we ask and everything will be finely done.¡±


    Several knocks on the door interrupted them and then the door opened with a man with a ponytail and another man with bright red hair came in.


    ¡°I have received thetest report. The Creeper Chingsu District and Greenvalley have separated. Lee Mu Fei had pulled back all the strong members that he previously lent to Oscar Chopper which numbered around two hundred people.¡± Damian exined. Previously, while attacking the Creeper¡¯s base in Greenvalley, he captured one of that group¡¯s men and threatened him to spy. It happened that because that man realized that the Creeper was about to be destroyed, heplied with Damian and Vico¡¯s request to save his own life.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Marcel said with a big smile. ¡°Then we can destroy the Creepers in Greenvalley and all their branch groups.¡±


    ¡°Ehm..¡± Rachel cleared her throat, ¡°Sorry, but we won¡¯t use that n. Let Oscar fight Lee Mu Fei alone, so that Lee Mu Fei won¡¯t suspect RCJ is behind this mess. That¡¯s our goal against them. ¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°Now, we need someone to instigate Oscar Chopper so that he dares to attack the Creepers in Chingsu District. When that happens, we will enter the Creeper¡¯s main headquarters to steal the stuff we need.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. But how?¡± Marcel asked.


    ¡°A leader is a role model for his followers. If the leader dares to stab his partner in the back, the mindset would not be much different from the men he leads. We will use the person who is around Oscar the most, which is his assistant.¡± Emma said.

 Chapter 174

    174 Hostage


    That night, a ck car drove sluggishly and stopped at the side of the road. Not long after, the car was turned off and a man got out of the driver¡¯s door. A man in a long ck coat walked towards a 24-hour mini-market on the side of the deserted road.


    The brown-haired man was named Lune Sky. He took a few packs of cigarettes and a few bottles of cold beer before bringing them to the cashier. Lately, he had been thinking a lot because the group where he worked was in an unfavourable condition. He thought about his future which was tied to a gangster group that was on the verge of copse. He felt like he wanted to run away from there instead of having to put himself in danger if his group would be attacked againter by the enemy, while they hadcked members. But if he just walked out, his boss would definitely find him and kill him.


    ¡°Sir, this is the total,¡±


    Lune¡¯s thought was broken when a girl called out to him while pointing at the small screen that disyed the numbers connected to the cashier¡¯sputer, ¡°Oh, sorry I was.. having some thought,¡± he said, pulling his wallet out of his coat pocket.


    The girl behind the cashier smiled and shook her head, ¡°No problem. Do you want a stic bag for this?¡± she asked kindly.


    Lune nodded, ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She put the in-all-ck man¡¯s groceries into a stic bag. Then she gave the groceries along with the change, ¡°Thank you. Have a nice day.¡±


    Lune smiled back at the friendly girl, ¡°I hope so.¡± he muttered under his breath as he walked out the door of the mini-market.


    When he reached his car, Lune got inside, started the engine and drove for a few meters. But soon the man realized that something was wrong with the tire of his car. He did not take the car to the middle of the road and returned it to the side. He immediately got out of the driver¡¯s seat and checked his car¡¯s right rear tire. Sure enough, it turned out that the tire was badly t.


    .....


    Lune¡¯s brows furrowed when he found a fairlyrge and neat tear there. It looked like the tire had been torn off using sharp stuff. He realized that someone was working on his car. He immediately got up from his squatting position and looked around the dark, deserted road. He got a bad feeling about this.


    While taking his cell phone out of his pocket, Lune got back into the driver¡¯s seat in a hurry. Once inside and closed the door, he quickly pressed the lock button. His heart was beating fast, realizing that he might be in danger.


    The dial tone kept ringing. Lune was calling some of his subordinates toe to pick him up immediately. If it weren¡¯t for theck of men, perhaps Lune wouldn¡¯t be wandering around alone. Usually, he had at least one bodyguard to keep himpany if he went out base alone. But now, everyone had to stay in the base to protect their weak boss. Yes, Oscar Chopper was that weak and selfish. He would order everyone, young and old, men and women, to stand in front of him to be a shield so that he would not be hurt.


    ¡°Where are those people?¡± Lune muttered frantically as he looked at his cellphone screen again after realizing that the dial tone had stopped because the person he was calling didn¡¯t pick up the phone.


    ¡°ARGH!!¡± Lune grimaced when he suddenly felt his neck being strangled back. His hands quickly grabbed the object that was wrapping around his neck and tried to pull it back. It was like a very thick leather belt.


    The strangle was so strong that Lune couldn¡¯t speak other than grimacing and making a strange sound as a sign that he was struggling to breathe. His hands couldn¡¯t help to hold and tried to pull the rope that was pressing against his throat, so that it loosened up to give him space to breathe.


    Lune didn¡¯t realize that the hand of the person in the back seat who was trying to kill him had reached towards the car door and pulled the car lock button. After a few seconds, Lune¡¯s eyes saw a man in ck clothes getting into the car through the front passenger door.


    The man had a small body. Not only his entire body and hands were covered by ck clothes and gloves, but the strange man also wore a mask that covered his entire head tightly. In an instant, Lune could guess that the figure was ck, a man who had been a hot topic of conversation in the gangster world.


    The man who had just gotten into the car was Emma. Meanwhile, the one who was strangling Luke¡¯s neck was Rachel, who when the man was in the mini market, had already broken into the back door of the car and got into it after she tore the tire of his ck car.


    Emma took out a very sharp pocketknife and opened it right next to Lune¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°W-what do you want?¡± Luke asked desperately. He could still speak because it seemed that the man who was strangling him was loosening the belt that was being wrapped around his neck.


    ¡°I want you to do something for us,¡± Emma said by sticking the tip of the knife under Lune¡¯s side jaw, right next to the veins in his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t move if you love your life.¡± she threatened in a casual tone.


    ¡°W-what is it?¡± Lune asked directly. He wasn¡¯t going to beg the men to let him go because they wouldn¡¯t do it. That¡¯s not how things work in the dark world. Here, there was no forgiveness or mercy. What exists was what was most beneficial and detrimental.


    ¡°Be our spy. And I want you to provoke your boss, Oscar Chopper to start a war with Lee Mu Fei.¡± Emma exined.


    Lune¡¯s brows furrowed instantly, ¡°I can¡¯t do that. Oscar would kill me if he finds out I betrayed him. Besides, what do you want from doing that? Our group is already on the verge of copse. You don¡¯t have to worry our men wouldmit any crime in the streets. So, you¡¯ve taken me captive for nothing now.¡± he exined.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°You don¡¯t have to guess what our ns are. Just tell us whether you¡¯re willing to work for us or not. If you¡¯re afraid Oscar would kill you, I hope you¡¯re not afraid this knife would cut a big tear along your neck.¡±


    Lune gulped which felt like a hand of ss slicing his desert-dry throat, ¡°P-please don¡¯t kill me. A-alright. I.. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll do what you ask.¡±


    ¡°You think I can just take your word for it? Of course, we have to have a guarantee for this. Tell us Oscar Chopper¡¯s and your group¡¯s biggest secret right now. Give me the most convincing secret so I won¡¯t kill you. Hurry up.¡± Emma said.


    Lune gulped again. His forehead was full beaded of sweat and his body was trembling, ¡°Oscar Chopper once molested a schoolgirl to death. He ordered two of his men to throw her body into the middle of the sea with bast so that it didn¡¯t float to the surface of the water. Until now, no one knows about this other than the four of us.¡±


    That confession made the blood in Emma¡¯s and Rachel¡¯s heads boil instantly. Unknowingly, Rachel tightened her grip even more, causing Lune to squirm and run out of breath.


    Emma immediately touched Rachel¡¯s hand lightly and shook her head. It was indeed a disgusting fact, but they could not kill their own hostage. They must not allow temporary emotions to derail their mission.


    Then Emma took out her cellphone and opened the video recorder which she pointed at Lune¡¯s face, ¡°Retell the information along with the name of the victim and where you dumped the body. If you make any kind of a mess, we will send the video to everyone in the dark world and the police, including Oscar Chopper. You don¡¯t think he¡¯d forgive you after revealing the secret that willnd him in jail, do you?¡±


    Lune¡¯s eyes widened. He didn¡¯t expect that ck would even think about recording him. He thought that just revealing the secret would make the two masked men let go of him. Previously, he thought that he still could deny that he was not the one who spilt the dark secret. But it turned out that ck was smarter than he imagined.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said? Say it quickly before this knife severs your tendons,¡± Emma growled. Her hand held a knife and the other held a cell phone that kept recording. Even so, she wasn¡¯t afraid the man would break loose because Rachel was always ready to save things.


    With a heavy heart and body still shaking, Lune finally said what ck asked with a camera recording his confession.


    Emma smiled as she finished recording the confession of the male assistant who worked for Oscar Chopper, ¡°It¡¯s clear now,¡± Emma said with her focus back on Lune. ¡°Tell me your number. You¡¯ll be our spy and tell us what¡¯s going on with the Creeper, both the Greenvalley and Chingsu District. You¡¯ll tell us anything you see and hear, in as much detail as you can.¡±


    ¡°A-Alright,¡± Lune replied and gave his phone number. Then ck tried to dial the number to make sure that it was indeed Lune¡¯s number which immediately rang when being called.


    ¡°Right.. What¡¯s your name?¡± Emma asked in a rather friendly tone as she tucked her cell phone into her leather jacket¡¯s pocket.


    ¡°Lune.¡± The man replied.


    Emma nodded, ¡°All right, Lune. Looks like our meeting ends here for now. I hope you wouldn¡¯t disappoint us. You should have heard who destroyed Hell Gate¡¯s main base and beat all your men whomitted crimes on the street. I hope you¡¯re not curious how we can break your fingers one by one if you can¡¯t work properly,¡±


    Lune could only gulp and nodded once a little because the sharp knife was still stuck on his skin.

 Chapter 175

    175 Inciting


    Lune¡¯s nod made Emma and Rachel smile with satisfaction. It turned out that threatening Oscar¡¯s men was as easy as they thought.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Emma said while pulling back the knife from Lune¡¯s neck. Because the knife was very sharp, it left a bloody scratch mark on his skin.


    As soon as she made sure Emma was out of the car, Rachel yanked off her belt reluctantly, ¡°You better do it well, you bastard!¡± she hissed emphatically before exiting the passenger door.


    As soon as the noose around his neck was released, Lune instantly coughed and took as much breath as he could because he had only been able to draw in little oxygen.


    ¡°Shit! Fuck! Dammit!¡± He eximed while beating the car steering wheel as an outlet for his anger over the bad luck that came repeatedly. It seemed that what the girl at the mini-market said oppositely happened to him.


    Lune stared at the figures of the two men in all ck who disappeared into a small alley. Then not long after, a motorbike slid out from there and drove away at full speed. He did not know that ck numbered two people.


    Since that night, Lune¡¯s life had be increasingly hard. He kept getting messages of terror from ck who always asked about what was going on in his group. The mysterious man also always pressured and threatened him to instigate Oscar to start a war.


    ¡°Is there any sign of RJCing?¡± Oscar asked. He was standing behind the window, as he had done so often these days. Dark circles could be seen under his eyes.


    Lune shook his head, ¡°Not yet, Boss. But they¡¯re still roaming our area so our men couldn¡¯t find prey for extort.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Fuck! It¡¯s all because of that bastard swindler!¡± Oscar growled. In fact, he wanted to find out who had cheated on him so bad, but he was short of money now that it could not be done. It was because everything costs money, even just to find someone.


    Lune cleared his throat. He had not yet started to speak but his heart was beating wildly and his palms were cold. However, he had no other choice because his life was in danger now. In the end, his logic chose ck as the party he should be afraid of over Oscar. It was because Oscar was already on the brink. If the man no longer had money, he couldn¡¯t do anything because of his weakness.


    ¡°Pardon me, Boss. If I may have an opinion, don¡¯t you feel that there is something odd about Commander Lee Mu Fei? All the troubles that have happened to you and our group havee in a row as if someone had nned it on purpose.¡± Lune said cautiously.


    Oscar frowned, ¡°You mean, this is Afei¡¯s n?¡±


    Lune shook his head slowly, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Boss. I¡¯m not trying to use the Commander.¡± he stepped back respectfully.


    ¡°No. Your thoughts are not wrong. That¡¯s because I also have the same prejudice. That bastard Afei, he¡¯s been spying on me and looking for my faults. Indeed, he wanted to kick me out of the Creeper from the start. He betrayed all my struggles that made him possible to own the Creeper group and live afortable life. When he¡¯s sessful, he¡¯s too greedy to share the profit results with me,¡± Oscar mumbled furiously.


    Lune nodded, ¡°But there¡¯s nothing we can do now. We can¡¯t possibly attack the Chingsu District Creeper because we¡¯re outssed by them.¡±


    Lune¡¯s statement offended Oscar. It was true that the group he led was less powerful than the one Afei led, but that didn¡¯t mean that Afei was greater than him. If Afei did have the muscle power, Oscar would prove that he had brain power. ¡°We are going to attack the Chingsu District,¡± he said.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Lune pretended to be surprised. But in truth, he knew that his words just now would hurt Oscar¡¯s pride. As an assistant who had followed Oscar for many years, Lune knew very well that the man had a shallow mind and a high ego. He realized that Oscar had been jealous of Lee Mu Fei all this time.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If Afei kicked me from the Creeper, I don¡¯t want that group to still be able to stand by and enjoy all the profit of my hard work. I want Afei to be destroyed,¡± Oscar said with great emphasis. Then he red at Lune, ¡°We will cause trouble in Chingsu District and attack their base. I know where Afei keeps all his treasures.¡± he smiled widely.


    ***


    ¡°So your grandfather is in danger now?¡± Emma asked Rachel. The two girls were sitting at the cafe in front of the campus, waiting for Kathy and Poppy to arrive.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not just my grandfather. All employees who have debts are getting chased by the Creeper. You remember when you first saved me, right?¡±


    Emma nodded.


    ¡°It happened exactly like that. They didn¡¯t bother the employees while they were in the factory because there would be a lot of eyes watching. That¡¯s why they purposely terrorized the employees outside the factory when they were alone. Creeper know that a prey who stands alone is much weaker than the preys standing together.¡± Rachel exined.


    ¡°Hm.. Since they couldn¡¯t fight the employees who were protesting together, they decided to attack the employees one by one on their way home. So, their dashing style doesn¡¯t reflect their cowardice at all, isn¡¯t it?¡± Emma looked disgusted.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Emma was moved when she heard the tone of an iing text message on her cellphone. She immediately took the object she ced on the table side by side with her Matchatte, ¡°This is Lune!¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows shot up. She immediately leaned forward to get closer to Emma, ??¡±What did he say?¡± she asked quickly as she looked left and right, just in case Kathy and Poppy had arrived.


    Emma smiled broadly, ¡°Lune seeded in inciting Oscar. They are going to attack Chingsu District this Saturday. He said Oscar would target Lee Mu Fei¡¯s treasure vault.¡± she said after reading the message.


    ¡°They must have kept all the contracts in there,¡± Rachel muttered.


    ¡°It seems so,¡± Emma nodded. ¡°We need toe up with a n with Marcel. This is thest mission. We¡¯re one step away, Rachel!¡± she eximed happily.


    Rachel also smiled widely but she immediately nudged Emma¡¯s hand and signalled through her eyes to tell her to shut up. After that, two girls came to their table and sat on two empty chairs.


    ¡°Gosh.. She¡¯s troublesome,¡± Kathy grumbled.


    ¡°Who?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Who else? Of course, our new instructor, Ms Tania, that witch. She literally handed all her work to Poppy. That woman got money for nothing. I don¡¯t even know anymore, who¡¯s the teacher and who¡¯s the assistant teacher,¡± Kathy replied with all the annoyance on her face.


    Poppy let out a long sigh, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, Kathy.. Just leave her be,¡±


    ¡°Leave her, like how? I can¡¯t stand to see her doing things like that to you, Pops! You¡¯re too kind and obedient to her. That¡¯s why her head is getting big and she keeps telling you things.¡± Kathy scolded.


    Emma¡¯s face also looked objected to what she heard, ¡°I know you are trying to be patient and understanding, Poppy. But from what I witnessed, what Ms Tania did was indeed excessive. We are not the only ones who don¡¯t like her, but all the students in ballet ss.¡±


    ¡°Because of that crazy woman, not only me but many ballet ss students feel like transferring to another auxiliary ss,¡± Kathy added.


    ¡°They are? If that¡¯s the case, our ss might be short of students. Wouldn¡¯t an additional ss be deactivated if there was a shortage of students?¡± Rachel asked.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true. That¡¯s what made me willing to help Ms Tania even though she hands me a lot of work. I¡¯m afraid that if she does everything herself, she¡¯d end up abusing our grades. I can¡¯t stand if the ballet ss is deactivated.¡±


    ¡°Of course that¡¯s uneptable. I chose Jardin University because there¡¯s a ballet ss here.¡± Emma said with a snort. If there was no more ballet ss, wouldn¡¯t that mean all her struggles were for nought?


    ¡°Do we need to make a petition to dismiss that woman?¡± Kathy asked.


    But Poppy shook her head weakly, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Kathy. But from what I¡¯ve heard, she is rted to the owner of Jardin University. There are rumours, too, that she has a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°A lot of money? Does she think that by having a lot of money so she can be arbitrary to other people?¡± Kathy growled.


    ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t just have money but there¡¯s something else that makes her feel like she can do anything,¡± Rachel muttered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just don¡¯t mind it, girls. Let¡¯s just leave Ms Tania alone. Maybe she is adapting to her current job. We¡¯ll see how things goter.¡± Poppy tried to calm her friends who seemed angrier than her, the victim.


    ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the location for your studio going, Poppy? Are you renting Rachel¡¯s building?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t had a chance to get there because Rachel is always busy. But we¡¯ve talked about the price and it¡¯s fine,¡± Poppy answered.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. Poppy just has to see the ce.¡± Then she looked at Poppy with an uneasy face, ¡°Sorry, Poppy. Soon, I won¡¯t be as busy as now so I will have more time. At that time, we will take care of everything. I promise.¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be long.¡± Emma nodded confidently. She knew what caused Rachel to have no time, even just to sleep.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel bad for me, Rachel. I¡¯m still working on things for my studio, so you can take it easy,¡± Poppy answered.

 Chapter 176

    176 Unexpected Attack


    As ck, Emma had already exined to Marcel Dous what Oscar Chopper had nned.


    With that, Emma ordered Marcel to prepare his men for a battle, straight to Chingsu District.


    ¡°Let Oscar and Lee Mu Fei attack each other first. When each of them is overwhelmed, then it¡¯s time for us to attack. That way, we won¡¯t have to spend a lot of energy.¡± Emma exined.


    In the meeting room, Emma and Rachel who yed ck were standing in the middle of the circle table. Marcel and Kenny stood beside those two. Meanwhile, the participants in the meeting were the entire core team of Red Jack Commander. They were Vico Hustle, Damian Jamin, and Renu Khan.


    ¡°We need good cooperation here. I hope you guys won¡¯t move recklessly. Follow our instructions because the two of us will be the first to enter the Creeper¡¯s base.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Creeper Greenvalley had three branch groups. I got information that one of the branches previously led by Gaston Morez had been disbanded and the building had been sold by Lee Mu Fei. Thest remaining branches are led by Tony Lin and Eddy Norman. When Oscar had started attacking the Creeper, we must attack his two branch bases until they arepletely swept clean. After that, you guys could wait formand whether our members in Chingsu District could fight them alone or not. If they are not, then all those who have defeated the branch bases muste to help.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t take long to clean up their branches. They even only have very few members left now¡± Marcel replied.


    Emma nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. Reportedly, Oscar drew half of the members of each branch bases to assist in attacking the Creeper led by Lee Mu Fei.¡±


    ¡°In that case, Vico and Damian would lead each group to destroy the two Oscar branch bases,¡± Kenny said.


    .....


    Vico and Damian nodded, ¡°Copy that,¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s obvious that the one who would apany me to attack the Chingsu District is Renu,¡± Kenny said.


    Renu nodded, ¡°As usual,¡±


    ¡°Lune said that Oscar would attack the factories first so that the owners of those factories would report to the owners of the Chingsu District to fire the Creeper as the main guards in the area. Oscar knows the location of the Creeper¡¯s main treasure storehouse. The two of us would start entering through the air vent when Oscar starts to enter the Creeper¡¯s main base. So, the process might take quite a while,¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°Then what about the base in Greenvalley? Shouldn¡¯t we attack it?¡± Marcel asked.


    Emma smiled and pped her hands once, before long, a bespectacled guy stepped into the room.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± The guy nodded once politely.


    ¡°Danis?¡± They all muttered in unison. Why did ck bring the boy who always locked himself in that room?


    ¡°Lee Mu Fei saved his money by converting it into valuable assets such as precious metals and storing them in a treasure vault. Meanwhile, Oscar Chopper kept all his money in several bank ounts and invested in the stock market. Oscar thought that his headquarters in Greenvalley didn¡¯t need to be protected too tightly because there are no valuables inside. Therefore, he¡¯d take almost all of his men to Chingsu District and leave a few to guard his base.¡± Emma exined. ¡°Later, Danis would lead a small group to enter Greenvalley headquarters and tap all theputers there. Oscar would not think that the data he stores on theputer could be stolen. Therefore, Danis would withdraw all Oscar¡¯s savings and investment.¡±


    Just by hearing it, Marcel could already imagine how much they could gain by destroying the Creeper. Even with just one previous bank ount, he saw that ck was able to do a lot with the money, including handing it out to factory workers who had done demonstrations. Marcel admitted that working with ck was the right decision, although he still didn¡¯t know what ck¡¯s real goal was.


    **


    That day hade.


    A container truck entered the factory area called Chingsu District. The big truck was stopped by the guards on duty at the entrance gate.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your license?¡± One of the guards asked.


    The moustachioed truck driver showed a letter that was not a license. It was a paper containing a request for an entry permit to illegally transport factory waste.


    ¡°Where are you guys from? Have you reported?¡± The guard asked again.


    The driver nodded, ¡°The factory employee who worked with my boss should have reported. Has he not?¡±


    The guard shook his head, ¡°All the factories are almost closed because today is Saturday. Could it be that he forgot and has gone home?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem possible. What time is it?¡± The driver asked quickly.


    The guard man immediately raised his arm and nced at the watch he was wearing, ¡°It¡¯s 5 pm.¡±


    The moustachioed driver lightly tapped the guard¡¯s shoulder as he handed something to him, ¡°Actually, my boss left this envelope and said it must be handed over to the gate guard. Maybe he¡¯s in the bathroom so he¡¯s difficult to be contacted. Is it possible that I can at least get to the parking lot of my destination factory and wait there?¡±


    The gatekeeper epted the envelope the man had given him and checked its contents. It was some money in the high nominal. Somehow, the colour of the money was looking so bright in his eyes. This was definitely a big business. Not yet giving enter permission, suddenly the cell phone in the man¡¯s pocket rang. He immediately picked it up, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Has the truck from BG Company arrived yet? If so, take the money and let them in. They already have an appointment with me,¡± The man on the call said.


    ¡°That is Lee Mu Fei¡¯s assistant,¡± The driver said.


    The guard looked at his cellphone screen again and it showed the number of one of Commander Lee Mu Fei¡¯s assistants. He immediately put the phone to his ear again, ¡°Alright, Sir!¡±


    ¡°This truck does not require inspection. Pleasee in,¡± The guard said to the truck driver.


    The truck driver smiled and put his hat back on, ¡°Thank you,¡±


    The truck carrying arge container drove into the Chingsu District area. But the guards who had been on duty at the gate didn¡¯t know that the container was filled with thirty people inside. They were the strongest people in the Creeper group that Oscar was leading.


    On the other hand, a blue-eyed man was smiling. Behind him were about two hundred members ready to fight. He was standing beside Lune, ¡°Your acquaintance is pretty good,¡± Said the man with a big belly.


    Lune smiled faintly, ¡°Since high school, he has been talented at hypnosis,¡±


    As it turned out, the truck driver was not someone who could only drive a big truck. He was a hypnotist who oftenmitted crimes on the street robbing. The truth that happened earlier was, that he swiftly put his cell phone into the guard¡¯s shirt pocket along by handing over an envelope containing fake money. He had given a suggestion to the gate guard so that the guard didn¡¯t realize that there was already a cell phone in his chest pocket that actually wasn¡¯t his. After that, when someone called the phone, the guard somehow assumed the number written on it was the number of Lee Mu Fei¡¯s assistant.


    In fact, since the first time the driver asked the guard about the time, he had alreadyunched his hypnotic action. And everything was perfect when he tapped the guard on the shoulder. Since then, the guard¡¯s subconscious had been under hypnosis.


    As soon as the truck carrying dozens of Oscar¡¯s men entered the area and parked, the driver and his drive-assistant immediately opened the door of the container. Then a group of men jumped down from inside.


    ¡°We¡¯re already inside. Ready to attack,¡± One of the men over the phone said.


    Oscar smiled, ¡°Attack now,¡±


    After themand was spoken, the group of men immediately lowered the small bridge that connected the container to the ground. With that, several dirt bikes shot down from inside the box-shaped container. Every bike was ridden by two people. The bikes rode towards the other gate.


    Meanwhile, after confirming that the container was empty, the truck driver set the gear and put arge rock on the gas pedal so that the truck headed toward one of the nearest gates alone and hit it to the ground.


    The attack took all the guards in Chingsu District by surprise. They did not expect that there would be an attacking from within the area. They had never prepared and trained for something like this.


    With a very sudden attack, Oscar¡¯s men, who only numbered thirty people, managed to knock out the gatekeepers who were their main targets. After that, they immediately took over the gate and opened everything wide. All the Creeper Greenvalley men who had previously spread out and hiding from a distance of each gate immediately rushed in.


    On the other hand, Afei was in his room working on the report he was going to make for the owner of Chingsu District. He was trying to save the Creeper¡¯s name or what he still often referred to as the General Guard. After all, he must save his group¡¯s future which depended on the decisions of the owners of the Chingsu District.


    If the children who inherit Chingsu District finally realize that they had to pay more attention to their father¡¯s inheritance, the business that Creeper had been running all this time would fail. And to make matters worse, their group would be fired and kicked out of Chingsu District.


    KNOCK! KNOCK!


    Afei raised his face with a frown, staring at the door that was knocked hardly and quickly, ¡°Come in.¡± he said.


    It was one of his assistants who gave a tense face, ¡°Our territory is under attack, Commander. It¡¯s Oscar. They make a mess by attacking factories.¡±

 Chapter 177

    177 Discarded Hero


    ¡°What?!¡± Afei immediately stood up from his seat. Then he rushed to the highest floor in his base building to see further what was happening.


    Sure enough, the road conditions were so chaotic. All the factory employees had rushed out, running to save themselves from the group of gangsters who suddenly became a riot. It looked just like a riot scene in the movie.


    It appeared that the gangsters led by Oscar were destroying the property of factories and roads in the Chingsu District. They were trying to destroy Chingsu District to get the Creeper fired. Oscar Chopper would destroy a group that no longer gave him an advantage.


    Afei¡¯s hands clenched tightly. His eyes trembled at the chaos that had urred. Wasn¡¯t it obvious that he would be over soon? Wasn¡¯t it obvious that the Creeper he had raised for years would fall?


    But Afei was a warrior. He was amander who led a powerful army. He would not let that cowardly group determine the future of the child he had raised for almost his entire life. Behind Afei, two of his assistants or right-hand men stood, ready to take orders. The man turned around, ¡°Get all the members out. Clean up the mess. Nobody can sit around today. Finish all of Oscar Chopper¡¯s men.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The two assistants answered respectfully. After that, they immediately ran to carry out the leader¡¯s orders.


    Afei stepped down to the lower lobby and nced at the reception desk with one woman and one man working behind it. It looked like they were busy picking up the phone that kept ringing. Afei knew that it was the calls from thepanies who were questioning the riots that had urred.


    Afei immediately approached the table and grabbed the handset of the two wired telephones that were being held by the two employees. He snatched the handsets and put them back on their bases.


    ¡°Tell them it¡¯s a group of thugs we don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t give them any information other than that.¡± He ordered. ¡°You understand?¡±


    .....


    The two pale-faced receptionists nodded quickly, ¡°Understood, Sir.¡±


    Afei left the two clueless receptionists. He went outside the headquarters to make sure that all his men had been deployed. Almost a hundred men were seen lined up with metal rods in their hands. In one shout, the group immediately dashed out of the base area towards the battlefield.


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s started,¡± Emma said after reading thetest text message from Lune.


    She and Rachel rode two different motorbikes. Rachel got her bike from Marcel. Since they no longer had to go in and out of the Chingsu District in hiding, they had to move apart.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Marcel said to the two cks who had just put on their helmets.


    Emma smiled from behind her mask, ¡°It¡¯s in my pocket.¡± she replied and started the engine before pulling the throttle, ¡°Don¡¯t forget your duty.¡±


    ¡°You can count on us.¡± Marcel nodded.


    Then the two men drove their motorbike out of the headquarters¡¯ basement. Marcel turned around and walked back into the base with Kenny beside him, ¡°Tell the others to get ready. Everyone can move in around fifteen minutes.¡±


    Kenny nodded and spread his orders via text message to the leader of each group that he had divided into three locations.


    Not long after, Kenny again received a message from ck saying that the situation in the Chingsu District was chaotic, so that all those tasked with attacking the branch headquarters could move.


    ¡®Move now,¡¯ ¨C Major.


    Vico, Damian, and Danis smiled after reading the short messages sent en masse by Kenny. The three guys were in different locations. Each of them stood with about thirty men gathered behind them.


    ¡°Attack!¡± The three of them eximed.


    **


    Emma and Rachel had arrived in front of Chingsu District and saw a container truck parked on the threshold of the main gate that had copsed.


    ¡°Your grandfather is safe, isn¡¯t he?¡± Emma asked Rachel.


    Rachel nodded as she stared at the phone screen for a message from her grandfather. Then she put the cell phone back into her pocket, ¡°He managed to escape from the area with his friends.¡± She answered with a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Ah.. What a relief. Let¡¯s go inside then.¡± Emma said before closing her helmet visor and continuing riding.


    At full speed, they drove to the northern part of Chingsu District towards the secret path they used to cross. They immediately got off the motorbikes and headed for the swamp, which turned out to have melted quiterge so that the surface of the ice could no longer be stepped on.


    But they were already prepared for it. Rachel had brought tworge cutting pliers to cut the wire so she could enter without having to cross the swamp water. Therge pliers were sharp and could instantly cut through the series of wire fences that stretched along the north side. As usual, the back of the waste factory looked empty, especially since there was a riot going on on the factory¡¯s main roads now.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Rachel and Emma to work together to cut the wire and pull it wide so their slender bodies could slip through.


    As nned, the two masked girls headed straight for the back of the Creeper¡¯s main base. Like most buildings, the ends of the air duct were usually at the back or side of the building to maintain the aesthetics of the building itself.


    ¡°There are two guards over there,¡± Emma said in a low voice while hiding behind the ornamental bushes that were nted neatly around the building. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re circling the building,¡±


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Are we going to beat them up? Looks like we can hide their bodies in that dumpster,¡± she pointed to a green dumpster next to the wall of the building.


    ¡°Alright. We attack right away when they turn around.¡± Emma said.


    The two girls were on standby waiting until the two men seemed to have finished making sure conditions were safe and headed off to the other side of the building. When the two men had their backs to them, Emma and Rachel immediately ran and attacked them from behind by hitting their humps which made them both faint without a sound.


    After the two men were lying on the asphalt, the two girls worked together to move the men¡¯s bodies into the dumpster one by one. They closed the dumpster after the two men¡¯s bodies got inside.


    ¡°They¡¯re so heavy,¡± Emmained by hitting her back a little which felt sore after carrying two big men.


    ¡°We have to climb up now,¡± Rachel said with a nce up at the air duct that was about three and a half meters from the ground. It just so happened that therge dumpster was right under the air duct. They should be able to get up there easily.


    They immediately climbed onto the closed dumpster. Rachel was in charge of opening the air duct¡¯ cover with the screwdriver she had brought while Emma was on guard in case a guard came. Having be ustomed to disassembling motorcycles, Rachel¡¯s hands could use screwdrivers in agility. In less than a minute, the cover was already open. Rachel let Emma go up first and then she followed.


    Finally, the two girls were already in the air duct passage in a crawl position. Not wanting to waste any more time, they quickly crept deep inside, leaving the sunlight in from the hole they had made until the light disappearedpletely. They had to use the small shlights they brought with them to light the way.


    Emma turned off her shlight when she realized there was a light ahead. She looked back with limited movement and ced her finger on her lips at Rachel who immediately nodded in understanding. Cautiously, Emma crept forward again to reach the lighting from below.


    It was a venttion hole that led to the front lobby of the first floor. It seemed that it was still quiet there, which meant Oscar had yet to reach the base. As nned, Emma would wait until Oscar and his group made it inside the base. At that time, Emma and Rachel could freely search for the treasure they were after in this mission.


    Emma dan Rachel waited there in the still position for about fifteen minutes. Even though they felt like their arms and legs were going numb, they still try to be patient for the sess of the mission.


    **


    The lips smiled widely. Oscar¡¯s confidence crept up as he saw that his n had worked. His group had messed up Chingsu District. They randomly destroy the property of factories and offices. Not only that, they wrote text messages on the walls of the factories that contained threats to the Creeper. That way, everyone would know that the reason they came and messed up was that they had a problem with the Creeper group.


    All of Lee Mu Fei¡¯s men were indeed strong. However, because of the sudden and unexpected attack, they were not prepared at all. Although many Oscar men lost at the hands of Afei men, that did not prevent him from sessfully reaching the Creeper¡¯s main base.


    A clean simple styled building truly described Lee Mu Fei¡¯s disciplined figure. Oscar had even almost forgotten how it felt when he was still living in that base. The time when he was still apanying Lee Mu Fei to build Creeper, helping him develop a business run in Chingsu District until he was eventually forced to leave thefort of it to expand the power of their group for the fear of the owner of Chingsu District didn¡¯t want Creeper as a guard anymore. But now, he was no longer wee in the building. He was considered a rebel whose presence would be blocked.

 Chapter 178

    178 In the Face


    ¡°AFEI!! Ah.. No. Lee.. Mu.. Fei..¡± Oscar eximed loudly with the twenty strongest men in his group behind him.


    His smile widened when he saw a man in his proud uniform walking out of the ss door of the building.


    Afei looked furious although his face still gave off a cold impression. His eyes were intensely staring straight ahead at a man with faded blue eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t recognize your strength, Oscar.¡±


    ¡°Same as you who don¡¯t recognize my abilities,¡± Oscar chuckled.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Afei asked tly.


    ¡°What do I want?¡± Oscar smiled widely. ¡°Certainly your destruction and.. the group you¡¯ve stolen. The Creeper.¡±


    ¡°I never took anything from you. Everything was mine from the first ce, even those people,¡± Afei pointed at the row of men standing behind Oscar, ¡°..also mine.¡±


    What Afei said made Oscar¡¯s blood boil. He loathed Afei¡¯s selfishness which thought everything was his. All this time, Afei only thought that Oscar was working under his feet and everything Oscar had was just a loan from Afei.


    ¡°You are a very selfish little coward. Hope you don¡¯t cry back to your mother when you lost everything,¡± Oscar said furiously.


    .....


    ¡°I told you to never mention my mother with your filthy mouth,¡± Afei replied by snapping his fingers. Just then, ten of his aplices came out of the ss door and stood behind theirmander.


    Afei¡¯s men did lose in number to Oscar¡¯s. But of course, they were not less powerful at all. In fact, the total number of men Oscar had so far was more than the total group belonging to Afei in Chingsu District.


    Oscar had more members because he had three branch groups with each member of theirs, while Afei only had one group in Chingsu District. Afei thought that there was no need to keep adding members because the area he needed to protect was only limited to the Chingsu District, unlike Oscar who continued to expand his territory by kept recruiting members.


    For Oscar, the quantity was better than the quality. He had a very different mindset from Lee Mu Fei who preferred to have few followers but were strong people. The two conflicting thoughts were also what made the two people often disagree and secretly grow a mutual dislike in each other¡¯s hearts.


    Suddenly, from the side of the building, two men appeared carryingrge stones and throwing them at Lee Mu Fei¡¯s men who were standing in a row in front of the ss door. Swiftly, they dodged and made the stone hit the ss door behind them to shatter.


    ¡°ATTACK!!¡± Oscar eximed, pointing forward.


    ¡°Finish them,¡± Afei muttered as he stepped back while all the subordinates standing behind him, dashed forward past him to fight all of Oscar¡¯s men.


    In fact in that battle, there was a feeling of sadness in the hearts of several members of the two sides of the conflicted groups. An ufortable feeling was felt by the old Creeper members. That was because, basically, Lee Mu Fei¡¯s men and Oscar Chopper¡¯s men knew each other.


    When the Creeper first stood up, they gathered together as a group in the same ce. But ever since the Creeper decided to set up a branch headquarters, some of the old members were sent to follow Oscar. Of course, the selected members could not refuse. They could only obey the orders of their bosses. In the end, it was also because of their bosses so they had to attack each other because they were trapped on two different sides.


    However, that was what happened in the dark world of gangsters. Friends could be enemies because of money. Those who did not have power were forced to submit and betray their own hearts at the behest of those in power.


    The fierce battle finally spread into the lobby. What they didn¡¯t know was that two intruders were watching their scene from behind the ceiling.


    Emma smiled happily when she saw that the battle had finally entered the main pce. It seemed that Lee Mu Fei¡¯s stronghold had already been torn down by Oscar Chopper.


    Now, what determined the oue was who fell first. But whoever won wouldter face RJC who was ready to enter the battlefield to clean up the rest of the war and plunder all the treasures.


    Tasia crawled forward again though her bones felt like they were about to break with Rachel following behind. After checking almost the entire floor through the air passage, they found that the first floor contained only unimportant rooms. As Emma had expected, most likely the important rooms were on the second or third floor. But they couldn¡¯t go upstairs through the air passage.


    Finally, the two girls arrived at the air duct of the women¡¯s toilet that Tasia had stopped while disguised as factory employees. After confirming that the women¡¯s toilet was empty, Emma and Rachel came down from there.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for RJC to step into the battle arena,¡± Emma muttered as she took out her cell phone.


    In a mission, ns often could not go as smoothly as nned. Emma judged that they could not wait which group would fall first. From what she saw a little and heard a lot through the vent earlier, she could judge that Lee Mu Fei and Oscar¡¯s group were nearly as strong, albeit with different versions. If they had to wait, it would be too long.


    However, Emma knew that the two groups had used all their strength. If Oscar was finally able to reach the main base, it would be because they had managed to break through the strong defences of the Lee Mu Fei men guarding the front, which meant that the main Creeper strong members had already lost more than half of their power.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told Kenny. They¡¯reing here now,¡± Emma said to Rachel in a low voice.


    Rachel nodded, understanding that Emma had slightly changed their ns. They would no longer wait for Oscar to reach the treasure vault, but instead search for it themselves. Rachel also considered that with his minimal fighting ability, it was very likely that Oscar would not be able to make it to the treasure room.


    Emma stepped slowly toward the toilet door and peeked outside. She could hear themotion from the fighting that was still going on in the main lobby, but there was no one in sight in the second lobby where the stairs leading to the second floor were.


    Emma moved her palms inward to signal to Rachel that things were safe ahead so they could move on. Quickly, the two girls went up the stairs in the second lobby.


    The second floor of the building seemed very quiet, as all the members had alreadye down to help in the battle downstairs. That was the reason Emma had to wait until Oscar had made it to the main base first before she could continue her movement.


    The second floor was dominated by wooden ornaments and a maroon carpet. Once there, Emma found several doors. ¡°We need to open the doors one by one,¡± she said to Rachel.


    Then each of them opened every door which turned out to be unlocked. Most of these doors lead to meeting rooms, weapons storage rooms, and other unimportant rooms until they arrived at thest locked door.


    ¡°Should we check upstairs?¡± Rachel asked.


    Emma nodded, ¡°We¡¯d check it outter. I have a feeling this room has something important in it. You get what I mean, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I know. How about we split up? I¡¯ll check upstairs,¡± Rachel said as she pulled out a small door-locking device, ¡°The training that RJC gave is pretty useful,¡± she said with a little giggle.


    Emma smiled, ¡°It¡¯s practising time,¡± she said as she took the small object from Rachel¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Take care of yourself. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Rachel said by gently patting Emma¡¯s shoulder before running away.


    ¡°Okay.. Let us see,¡± Emma muttered as she put the small, thin object into the keyhole.


    Meanwhile, Rachel went up to the third floor. It turned out that only two doors of rooms were on the third floor. The other was a ss door leading to the balcony that Rachel had seen from outside.


    Cautiously, she opened one of the doors but found only a room with three bunk beds like in an old hospital or military bedroom. Then Rachel closed the door back and headed for another.


    Just like the previous door, the door Rachel opened this time was also unlocked. As soon as she pushed the door, she found a room containing many tall wardrobes without doors full of hanging uniforms wrapped in stic.


    Rachel had been about to leave the room and return to Emma. But a small sound was heard from within the room.


    Rachel¡¯s brows furrowed. The noise sounded very suspicious and seemed to being from the wardrobes attached to the wall. Then she gave up her intention to leave and instead stepped into the room. She closed the door behind her.


    With slow steps, she approached the wardrobes one by one and looked through the collection of uniforms hanging there, but found nothing but the inside board of the furniture. Then she paced again, doing the same thing with the other wardrobes until she got to thest big wardrobe in the far corner of the room.


    When her hand was about to remove the uniform hanging from thest wardrobes, suddenly,


    ¡°GRAA!!¡±


    A man jumped out of the bundle of uniforms right in Rachel¡¯s face.


    Rachel who was shocked, instantly fell backwards because she was pushed by the man whounched an attack on her.

 Chapter 179

    179 A Safe


    Emma should have known that exams would be more difficult than daily practice. Again, she let out a long sigh with both hands still busy with the door lock and the breaker. Even though it was cold outside, sweat was running down her temples and neck due to the tension she felt. It was because Emma was being chased by time. She had to focus on the keyhole while being wary of her surroundings.


    ¡°Looking for an opportunity to steal?¡±


    The deep voice made Emma jump in surprise. She quickly turned her head towards the voice behind her. But when she turned around while still in a crouched position, she was shocked again when she saw the standing man who was about to kick her was quickly hit by a flying kick from someone.


    Emma covered her mouth with one hand while looking at the man who had fallen unconscious with his nose slowly bleeding. She could see that his left cheek had a reddish mark with the shape of a shoe sole.


    Emma immediately turned her gaze to the person who kicked the man, ¡°Ah.. Thank you, Rachel,¡± she said with a sigh of relief.


    Rachel smiled and shook her head, ¡°No problem. You¡¯d better be more careful, Emma,¡±


    Emma immediately stood up from her squatting position with a confused face when she saw two people following Rachel. She recognized the faces of the two people. They were a male and female couple who worked as receptionists downstairs.


    ¡°I found them hiding in the third-floor room,¡± Rachel exined before Emma yet opened her mouth.


    Earlier, when Rachel was removing a collection of uniforms hanging in the wardrobe, a man suddenly jumped out of it and attacked her straight away. The man was the receptionist who at that time helped Emma to carry Rachel who was faking unconscious into a taxi.


    .....


    It was true that the man had made Rachel fall and attacked her with several blows. It was because he was trying to protect himself and his girlfriend. He thought that the masked man who had entered the dressing room was a criminal, so he had to punch him.


    But of course, those were amateur punches that Rachel could easily parry. In an instant, Rachel had turned their position from the man who was on top of her to Rachel who was wrapping him up and locked all his movements.


    At first, Rachel did not realize that the man was the receptionist who had helped her and Emma. But a scream from a girl who came out from inside the wardrobe caught Rachel¡¯s attention. Then she realized that the two people were innocent and were trying to hide from the chaos that was happening outside.


    ¡°They are the receptionists downstairs.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Emma answered. She knew Rachel said that as a formality because they were currently disguised as ck, who was known to be a man the two receptionists had never seen before.


    ¡°We.. we won¡¯t bother you guys. We just want to get home safely,¡± Said the female receptionist whose face looked like she had been crying.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯re not bad people.¡± she answered before turning to look at Rachel, ¡°I still haven¡¯t managed to unlock it. It¡¯s been really hard to do,¡±


    ¡°Can I try?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°Please,¡± Emma gave the tool to Rachel. Then in less than a minute, the door opened.


    Emma gaped at the door her best friend had opened, ¡°Marvelous! You¡¯re amazing,¡± she muttered in disbelief.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter. Now, we need to continue our search,¡± Rachel said.


    Emma and the two receptionists flinched as they dragged the man Rachel had beaten unconscious into a room. Rachel closed the door to the room once everyone was inside.


    It was a room that did not have much decoration. It had only a work desk, two high cabs, and a set of guest sofas. It could be seen that the owner of the room was a very simple and tidy person.


    ¡°This ismander Lee Mu Fei¡¯s study,¡± The male receptionist said.


    ¡°Oh.. So this is real,¡± Emma nodded. ¡°Do you know where he keeps his treasured heart?¡± she asked directly.


    But the two receptionists shook their heads and seemed somewhat surprised that theirmander had treasures hidden in this building.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t anywhere, it should be here,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Usually, rich people would build a secret door to their ¡®panic room¡¯ or treasure vault.¡± Emma said. It was because her father had a safe kept in a secret cer whose main door was hidden behind a firece. Even Emma herself had only seen her father open the secret door twice in her life.


    Indeed, this room had no other door besides the exit, but Emma was sure that there actually was a hidden door. Then she pointed at the female receptionist, ¡°You. Help us stand guard at the door. Listen for any noiseing from outside.¡±


    The girl immediately nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± Then she jogged to the door and put her ear on it.


    Then the three of them rushed to find the secret door that Emma had been expecting to be in the room. Emma tapped lightly on the wall for a hollow voice, while Rachel and the male receptionist looked through every cupboard that might be a way to the secret door inside.


    ¡°Ding Dong!¡± Emma eximed when she found a part of the wall that when tapped had a different sound from the rest of the wall, ¡°It¡¯s here,¡±


    Rachel went straight to Emma and tried to knock on the wall. Then she nodded when she found what Emma said was true.


    ¡°We have to find a way to open it,¡± Emma said while feeling the entire wall covered in wallpaper with her fingers.


    Rachel and the receptionist man helped Emma check the wall and they found a line of gaps in the wall. It was impossible to open manually. There must be a button or handle to open the door.


    ¡°Find the button. Check everything in here,¡± Emma said.


    They all nodded and did as Emma asked. They felt like a group of detectives looking for a clue.


    The receptionist man opened a desk drawer and found a small ck box about the size of a pencil case under a stack of books. As he was about to move the box, he noticed that the box was stuck to the inside of a drawer. He immediately straightened his back and turned to the two strange masked men, ¡°I think I found it,¡±


    Emma and Rachel turned to the man and walked over to him.


    ¡°This box cannot be moved,¡± He said by trying to move it. Then identally, he pulled the side of the box up and made it open. ¡°Oh... It¡¯s opened,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Good work!¡± Emma said straight away. Then she looked inside the drawer. It was a ck button that was hard to be seen in the dark interior of the drawer. Then Emma pressed the button.


    CRACK!


    It was true. The wall immediately opened like a door. Rachel quickly walked over to the door and opened it wider with excitement. But her smile soon faded when she found another door behind it.


    ¡°Ah..¡± Emma groaned when she saw what was behind the wall.


    It seemed that the room certainly contained all of Lee Mu Fei¡¯s precious treasures because apart from being hidden in a wall with a hidden unlock button, it was also closed by a door that was impossible to open with an ordinary door breaker. Yes, that was because the door was a safe door that required a special key and fingerprint.


    ¡°That man really.. Ugh!¡± Rachel touched her ached head. It was only one more step before she could save her grandfather and every one the Creeper had tricked. But now, everything seemed impossible.


    Emma approached Rachel with a sorry face. She understood Rachel must be feeling very desperate, ¡°Calm down, Rachel. We¡¯ll find a way to open this.¡± Emma whispered as she rubbed the girl¡¯s shoulder.


    The receptionist girl, who had been standing at the door, also witnessed the incident. She frowned when she saw something on the big steel door, ¡°Hey!! Tammy!¡± She called her male friend and signals him toe.


    The man looked a little confused but heplied to approach the girl.


    ¡°Please rece me for a moment here.¡± She asked before stepping closer to the steel door which was making the two masked men desperate.


    It was Emma and Rachel who noticed that the receptionist girl was approaching and checking the side of the keyhole. They looked at the girl with confused looks but didn¡¯t stop her. From the start, Emma and Rachel did know that the two receptionists were good people who might be stuck working under a gang of jerks like the Creeper. Because the two of them had indeed helped them both, they agreed to return the favour by helping the receptionists to escape the Creeper¡¯s trap.


    ¡°I.. seem to know where the key is,¡± The receptionist girl said.


    Emma and Rachel¡¯s eyes got widened, ¡°What do you know?¡± Emma repeated.


    The girl nodded, ¡°One day when I was going to the toilet, I identally saw Commander Lee Mu Fei receive a strangely shaped key from his assistant. At that time, he called it a room key. But I clearly remember how therger that key waspared to the usual key. It had a pretty odd shape and I think it fits the hexagon keyhole in this door.¡±


    ¡°So, the key is held by Lee Mu Fei himself?¡± Rachel muttered.


    ¡°I guess so. At that time, he kept the key in the pocket of his coat. He had always worn a coat. Maybe, he always kept it there.¡± She exined.

 Chapter 180

    180 Cowardly Leader


    ¡°Always carrying around very important things with you is very natural, especially for someone who has a hard time trusting other people,¡± Emma said thoughtfully.


    ¡°So we have to look for Lee Mu Fei?¡± Rachel asked.


    Emma took a deep breath and nodded. It looked like they couldn¡¯t avoid the fight, ¡°We have to face that man and take the key. After all, this door requires fingerprints to open. We have no other way but to catch Lee Mu Fei straight away and drag him here.¡±


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Right. Then what about them?¡± she turned to the two receptionists who wore a questioning look.


    ¡°Can you guys wait here? Make sure no onees in and opens the safe. If you can keep this safe until wee back, we¡¯ll give you a pretty nice reward.¡± Emma said, not wanting to waste time begging the two of them. If needed, she would use the money to facilitate her job.


    Maybe Emma did have a habit of bribing people to do things because she understood very well that even the smallest service required payment. Emma realized that not everyone in this world was willing to do things for free. That was what Jonas taught her. If you want someone to do something for you, you have to be prepared to give them an advantage because not everyone had the heart to help you.


    The receptionists agreed to what Emma asked. Before the two girls left, Rachel told them to hit the man who was unconscious earlier if he seemed toe back to his senses.


    ***


    Kenny and Renu were waiting patiently near the Chingsu District area. They and their eighty members were ready to beat people. Yes, they only brought eighty members. It was because they had already read the situation of how the men group members of Lee Mu Fei and Oscar Chopper were doing. The two groups fought each other and had been in the fight for quite some time. Even if the Creeper finally reunited, there was no way they¡¯d be able to fight RJC who came in fresh and fit.


    .....


    ¡®Oscar has entered the base. Move now!¡¯ ¨C ck


    Kenny stared at the short message on his cell phone that had juste in. He quickly patted Renu¡¯s shoulder who was standing beside him, ¡°We¡¯re moving now.¡±


    The appearance of Chingsu District was like a city hit by a zombie apocalypse. The streets were aplete mess and a lot of men were lying scattered. Those who still standing could only continue to fight. However, each group of Creeper who were on Lee Mu Fei¡¯s and Oscar Chopper¡¯s sides did not think at all that RJC could suddenlye to their battle arena.


    Members of Lee Mu Fei and Oscar Chopper were confused about who they should attack. Now, they were like a triangle that attacked each other. And of course, RJC had more advantages than the two groups that had been attacking each other from the start.


    Red Jack Commander had so many solid members. Like a tsunami wave, RJC hit the two groups ferociously. Meanwhile, Kenny and Renu headed straight for the Creeper¡¯s main headquarters. They brought their remained men who hadn¡¯t found an enemy to be beaten.


    As soon as they arrived at the main headquarters, the two men saw that the tworge ss doors of the building had been shattered, revealing the chaotic conditions inside the building¡¯s lobby with many people fighting inside to the outside.


    ¡°That¡¯s Oscar Chopper,¡± Renu pointed to a man who seemed to be standing confusedly behind the three men who seemed to be protecting him.


    ¡°He¡¯s a burden,¡± Kenny muttered to himself. Honestly, seeing a man like Oscar made him feel ashamed. How could a man be born so cowardly? ¡°Let¡¯s finish it now,¡± he said again, taking a step forward.


    The arrival of a group of men in ck suits shocked Afei and Oscar to death. Although Afei had never been in contact with RJC, he was not blind about them. He knew that the first two men to enter the battle arena were members of RJC with one of them known to be very strong, named Kenny Brown.


    Unlike Afei, Oscar didn¡¯t need to try to remember anymore to know the new faces that appeared in their midst. It was two people from the Red Jack Commander¡¯s core team who were notoriously strong. In an instant, Oscar¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    ¡°Why did you guys stop?¡± Kenny asked lightly. It seemed that their presence surprised him so much that everyone stopped their fight.


    ¡°W-why did RJCe here?¡± Oscar asked quickly.


    Kenny turned to Oscar who was still being guarded by his men. He looked at the man disdainfully, ¡°We can go wherever we want,¡±


    ¡°What are you looking for here? We don¡¯t have a problem with RJC,¡± Afei said.


    ¡°Of course, the Creeper have a problem with RJC. To be more precise, you guys are looking for trouble by keeping intruding on our territory andstly, trying to kidnap members of our leader¡¯s family. It¡¯s best not to y dumb,¡± Kenny answered.


    Afei chuckled as he shook his head, ¡°If that¡¯s your problem, then you¡¯ve made a mistake bying here. The person who¡¯s been bothering you all this time is Oscar Chopper. So far, he has only used the name Creeper. But now our group is no longer in touch. You can see what we¡¯re currently doing,¡± he exined.


    Kenny bent down to pick up a wooden block lying on the floor that slipped from the hand of a man who was lying unconscious, ¡°I know. However, as long as it¡¯s a Creeper, then no matter what the history, we¡¯d keep that name removed from Handway City.¡±


    Afei and Oscar were both dumbfounded by what Kenny said. In essence, RJC wanted to destroy the Creeper no matter if it was the Central Creeper or the Branch Creeper. But what they didn¡¯t understand, where did RJC get the information that there would be a massive attack in Chingsu District? They hade to take advantage of the feud between the two leaders of the newly broken group.


    In that ce, the one who knew the answer was Lune. Yes, until the end, that man was still beside Oscar, his boss. He fought against Lee Mu Fei¡¯s men as if he didn¡¯t know anything.


    Lune, who was still standing, stared at Kenny Brown with goosebumps. He seemed to know why RJC hade all of a sudden. Of course, it was because they knew the n that Oscar had devised. And the only outsider who knew the n was ck. Lune didn¡¯t expect that ck was working with RJC. It was now clear why someone like ck had suddenly attacked him. He thought ck was just mad that the Creeper often hurt innocent civilians.


    It was all over for Lune. If it was RJC who fought them, even if Oscar and Lee Mu Fei were united, they would definitely lose under this circumstance.


    But Lune couldn¡¯t say much. He decided to be silent. Why should he be ced in the middle of the two parties that innocently employed him? Was this aedy scene?


    ¡°I think it¡¯s clear. There¡¯s nothing more to discuss,¡± Kenny said by swinging the wooden block he was holding towards one of the men standing closest to him.


    With that one hit, a deration of the start of the fight finally resounded. The three groups started to beat each other.


    If you want to finish quickly, you have to attack his head directly. That was what was in Kenny¡¯s principles in fighting. He immediately went to attack Lee Mu Fei who was ready to fight him.


    Lee Mu Fei was a Kung Fu expert. He used the famous Wing Chun technique. But he was able to make the martial arts up to the next level. Meanwhile, Kenny who had a huge body had Boxing and Wrestling fighting techniques.


    Kenny threw his jab at Lee Mu Fei which was immediately blocked by his arm. Lee Mu Fei¡¯s movements were extremely fast. His body was as light as paper. His punch was not as hard as Kenny¡¯s, but his hitting speed was incredible.


    When Kenny drew his Jab again, Lee Mu Fei swiftly dodged it by lowering his head. But Kenny immediately used his knee to hit Lee Mu Fei¡¯s face who had just lowered his head. Unfortunately, Lee Mu Fei quickly brought his palms together to knock Kenny¡¯s knees back down.


    At that time, Lee Mu Fei directly attacked Kenny¡¯s chin and sr plexus with a double punch so that the man couldn¡¯t help but hit back a few steps. It was the power of the blow by utilising the strength of the arm muscles, and the impact was quiterge if done at a close enough distance.


    Lee Mu Fei smiled faintly by wiping the bottom of his nose with his thumb. Then his legs put on a stance and he began to move back and forth thinly. Now, he was really going to fight.


    On the other hand, Renu was busy eliminating the rest of Oscar and Lee Mu Fei¡¯s men who had been there quite a lot from the start. However, Renu who was assisted by several of his men did not find it difficult at all. Until he managed to reach Oscar Chopper who stood scared behind his two men left.


    ¡°Kill him for me!¡± With a bang, Oscar pushed one of his men when Renu got closer.


    Due to Oscar¡¯s sudden nudge, the man standing in front of him directly bumped into Renu¡¯s body. Even Renu himself was quite surprised because how could the man named Oscar even push his own men.


    Renu couldn¡¯t help to take a step back when suddenly the man in front of him was thrown toward his body. Renu immediately restrained the man¡¯s body and threw him to the side after giving one punch to his side jaw.


    But when Renu was about to return to Oscar, the man had already disappeared from his spot. Renu looked left and right, looking for the slightly chubby figure, but couldn¡¯t find it. Ah.. of course. The man ran away.

 Chapter 181

    181 The Enemies Reunite


    ¡°Kenny, Oscar Chopper ran away,¡± Renu eximed to Kenny who was still busy fighting with Lee Mu Fei.


    Renu¡¯s shout made the people there stunned even though they were still fighting, especially all of Oscar¡¯s men.


    So, they were abandoned by the leader? Impressive wasn¡¯t it?


    Afei who heard it also smiled lopsidedly. He didn¡¯t seem surprised at what Oscar did, ¡°Coward,¡± he muttered. He knew what was going through in Oscar¡¯s men¡¯s minds right now. Then he shouted, ¡°You are all still my men. Fight for me,¡±


    What was previously an enemy was now turned into a friend. The men of Oscar and Lee Mu Fei who were attacking each other had now switched their targets. The two sides were now no longer under the leadership of two hostile leaders. Oscar running away from the fight and leaving all his men was a strong sign that he was no longerpetent to be a leader and dered his resignation.


    All of Oscar¡¯s men didn¡¯t think much to ept Lee Mu Fei¡¯s call as an order, because for those who had experienced what it was like to be Lee Mu Fei¡¯s subordinates finding that returned to themander was something to be grateful for. From the start, no one liked to be under Oscar Chopper¡¯s leadership.


    With theplete return of the Creeper¡¯s unity, it seemed that RJC¡¯s opponents had doubled and focused on attacking one target.


    Kenny and Renu realized that they had to work harder this time. They should start fighting quite seriously from now.


    Renu understood that Kenny was forced to leave all the rest of the fight to him because the ponytailed hair man was facing off against Lee Mu Fei who was the most powerful leader of Creeper.


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should bring my son,¡± Renu muttered while snickeringnguidly. The attacks kepting at him, which he responded with punches and kicks.


    The remaining members for Renu to bring were no more than fifteen men. They had to fight dozens of men in the not spacious room. Luckily, Renu had nimble feet. With many interiors that he could climb for jump everywhere, he was quite superior in the fight.


    Kenny managed to grab onto Lee Mu Fei¡¯s jacket and he immediately lifted the man up and mmed him against a ss table until it shattered. However, this seemed to not affect Lee Mu Fei at all. The man easily stood up again by kicking his legs in the air to jump up.


    Then Kenny ran towards Lee Mu Fei who had gotten up and threw a kick to his stomach followed by a fist to his chest. However, Lee Mu Fei¡¯s two hands were so quick and skilful to parry all of Kenny¡¯s attacks. If Kenny moved one punch, then Lee Mu Fei could counter it with five hand movements. Inbat, such a multitude and speed of movement would confuse an opponent who didn¡¯t use to it.


    Then Kenny took a few steps back with a stance on his feet and both fists steady in front of his chest. He saw Lee Mu Fei¡¯spletely calm face. The man with the sharp eyes gave a different foot-stance from Kenny¡¯s. And his hands were not giving a fist gesture, but the palms were open and the thumbs were bent inward. His face looked t, but his eyes were like a snake ready to peck its prey.


    From the posture that Lee Mu Fei showed, Kenny knew that he could not underestimate him. Maybe, this would be different from the fights Kenny usually did. Before, he had always faced enemies who used street fight techniques, boxing, or even those who had firearms. But to deal with a true Kung Fu user, to be honest, he had never been.


    Kenny stepped back and threw a high kick to hit Lee Mu Fei¡¯s arms. But the kick was immediately parried with the two palms of the god. And Lee Mu Fei quickly retaliated with almost the same kick motion. The two of them stepped back from each other to study the gap andunched another attack. All attacks that each gave sessfully parried. Arms hit arms, elbows hit elbows, and punches that just hit the air.


    Kenny excelled in strength and body size, while Lee Mu Fei excelled in speed and bnce. When Kenny threw one jab, he didn¡¯t notice that Lee Mu Fei¡¯s hand swiftly flew up and down to stroke his fist right inside Kenny¡¯s elbow. This made Kenny lower his arm which instantly felt numb. At that moment, Lee Mu Fei quickly kicked Kenny¡¯s chest in the middle which sent the big man flying backwards.


    Lee Mu Fei¡¯s right leg was still stretched out in the air with his hands still in the same position, straight in front of his chest. His body didn¡¯t sway an inch even though he was only standing on one leg. Slowly, he lowered his right leg back to the original stance.


    Lee Mu Fei¡¯s punch was indeed not as hard as Kenny¡¯s, but Kenny could feel the heat inside the man¡¯s punch. Kenny came back forward and now he was picking up speed. He lunged at Lee Mu Fei with punches and kicks. Because he raised his speed level, Kenny managed to hit Lee Mu Fei. His punches managed to hit the jaw and the side of Lee Mu Fei¡¯s chin. Then he caught up with him with a powerful kick from the side which instantly sent Lee Mu Fei flying down.


    Lee Mu Fei wiped the side of his lip that was bleeding out. Kenny did hit him very hard. It was so strong that it made his body bounce. Their weights were contradictory. But Kenny wasn¡¯t the first big man that Lee Mu Fei had ever conquered.


    Creeper had been around since the Chingsu Paper Company was founded. Even before Lee Mu Fei fought as an adult, he had fought many times since he was a child. He was the only son in the family who had to protect his mother and his sisters. When he was still living in the vige, Lee Mu Fei had learned with an old man who had very great Wing Chun abilities. From there, he gained the ability to protect the people he cared about. Because of that, he had already fought many kinds of men.


    Lee Mu Fei rose to his feet after wiping off his blood. He immediately jumped tounch a flying kick towards Kenny¡¯s head which was immediately parried by the man¡¯s big arm.


    Kenny retaliated with a fist that he also aimed at Lee Mu Fei¡¯s head, but missed because the man immediately dodged and instead aimed his punch at Kenny¡¯s ribs. He frowned and swiftly grabbed Lee Mu Fei¡¯s clothes by the back and grabbed his upper body before mming him back.


    To Lee Mu Fei, Kenny was indeed very strong. He was mmed with his head and hump hitting the floor first. Even though he felt hard pain, Lee Mu Fei was famous for having iron bones. He immediately stood up and attacked Kenny who still had no time to put on a stance back. Lee Mu Fei kicked him, even when he was still not in a standing position. His kick hit the side of Kenny¡¯s knee which immediately made him stagger to the side.


    But Kenny was not weak in taking a hit. He returned to his original ce and threw a high kick at Lee Mu Fei who was back on his feet and of course, he managed to parry him with his crossed arms. But with that, Kenny quickly aimed his punch at Lee Mu Fei¡¯s sr plexus, causing the man to be moved back a few steps. Then they again shed punches and kicks.


    The punch that Kenny threw at Lee Mu Fei was powerful to instantly send him blew when it hit him. However, Lee Mu Fei also managed to hit Kenny more, albeit with an unbnced force.


    From the outside, Lee Mu Fei¡¯s condition was far more pathetic than Kenny Brown¡¯s. Lee Mu Fei¡¯s face was covered in bruises and bleeding wounds.


    But Kenny didn¡¯t think that he was superior to the man whose face was battered but still managed to put on a calm expression. Kenny was holding back the pain raging inside his big body.


    ¡®Shit! He attacks slowly but sure,¡¯ Kenny thought to himself. It turned out to be Lee Mu Fei¡¯s way of attacking the enemy whose body and strength was greater than his.


    From earlier, Kenny realized that the man was deliberately targeting fatal spots on his body. Every time Kenny gave a hit, Lee Mu Fei could retaliate with five to seven hits. The sharp-eyed man cast his attack on Kenny¡¯s body, giving it light but many punches. If Kenny wasn¡¯t an attack-reading person and sensitive to his own body, he would probably only realise when his body suddenly copsed from those small, usually-ignored attacks.


    Kenny nced at Renu who was still fighting along with some of their men who were already half left from the first time they came. It seemed that some Creeper members had fled from the arena to inform the entire Chingsu District that Oscar Chopper had escaped and that all the men had been pulled back under Commander Lee Mu Fei¡¯s leadership. This made several Creeper members start arriving at the main headquarters.


    Renu saw Kenny was ncing at him. He immediately looked into Kenny¡¯s eyes even though they were both busy fighting. It was as if they realized that things weren¡¯t going as smoothly as they had nned and were starting to regret bringing too few men on this mission.

 Chapter 182

    182 Kung Fu Fight


    In fact, ck had warned that the Creeper members under Lee Mu Fei were not just ordinary people. They were educated like soldiers with rigid habits. Meanwhile, Oscar Chopper came to Chingsu District with his best members. If those put all together, the entire Creeper men were around six hundred and over in the Chingsu District.


    Lee Mu Fei wiped his nostril again and smiled crookedly, ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you think, is it? Now you know Creeper won¡¯t fall that easily.¡±


    Kenny and Renu looked at each other. There were no smiles on either of their faces. Even Lee Mu Fei himself realized that RJC had started to be cornered.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not that easy,¡±


    Everyone in therge lobby stopped their fight when they heard a strange robot-like voice. Two thin men with strange ck masks appeared from the inside of the headquarters.


    Lee Mu Fei was very surprised to see where the two men had appeared from. His face which originally seemed calm had now begun to panic at the bad feeling that ran through his mind.


    On the other hand, it appeared a man with his internal organs increasingly twisted by another trial that came again. It was Lune Sky who became the Marite puppet that many yers moved.


    Emma stepped in with Rachel behind her. She didn¡¯t expect things to be this chaotic. It looked like she would scold Marcel for being too arrogant to only send a few members on this mission.


    ¡°In a battle, we must not underestimate the opponent,¡± Emma said by looking at Kenny. It¡¯d better be a lesson for RJC.


    .....


    ¡°How did youe out of there? Are you..¡± Afei frowned.


    Emma nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. We are ck. Would it sound cool if I said we came here to defend the truth?¡± she chuckled.


    Both of Lee Mu Fei¡¯s brows sharpen. Of course, he¡¯d heard the name ck before. Oscar had always mentioned the name when he was reporting to him. Oscar said it was ck that made Creeper Greenvalley¡¯s earnings plummet. ck was also one of the reasons Oscar kept borrowing additional members and spending money on recruiting martial arts students.


    ¡°What did you do inside?!¡± Lee Mu Fei snapped.


    ¡°Looking for what Oscar is looking for,¡± Emma answered lightly. Then she looked around, ¡°By the way.. where is that man?¡±


    ¡°Oscar¡¯s gone. He escaped,¡± Kenny answered.


    ¡°Ah.. I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Emma replied with a nod.


    ¡°What is Oscar looking for?¡± Lee Mu Fei frowned.


    ¡°You should have known. But if you want to be sure, you can ask..¡± Emma pointed at a man who was standing in the corner of the room with a pale face, ¡°Lune.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so your name is Lune?¡± Kenny said by looking at the man.


    It felt like Lune¡¯s legs were about to turn into rubber so they couldn¡¯t support him anymore. Now all eyes in the ce were on him. Oscar was gone and he didn¡¯t have to be afraid of that man anymore. But now, everyone including Lee Mu Fei, already knew how rotten he was.


    Lee Mu Fei narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lune questioningly, ¡°Do you know anything, Lune?¡±


    Lune couldn¡¯t answer. His face was pale with sweat beading all over his face, ¡°I.. I.. ¡±


    Emma smiled. She didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of pity for Lune. Yes, Emma had trapped and threatened him, but that was because Emma had been disgusted with him from the start. Lune and Oscar were the same. They were selfish human beings who were willing to do evil and even betray others to save their own lives.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be able to answer that,¡± Emma said. Then she turned to Lee Mu Fei, ¡°How about we make a deal? Do you want to fight to the death here or make peace by following us upstairs? Because we need your fingerprint.¡±


    The word ¡®Fingerprint¡¯ left Lee Mu Fei stunned. That meant that ck knew about the treasure safe. What ck was after was what Oscar was after. So Oscar¡¯s intention to attack Chingsu District was not just to get Creeper fired from Chingsu District, but he wanted to take all the treasure that Lee Mu Fei had collected. And Oscar didn¡¯t even know that he had been keeping a traitor named Lune Sky.


    Emma took a step back so that she could stand next to Rachel, ¡°Let¡¯s just finish it all now.¡± she said with a nod from the tall girl.


    Then Emma immediately walked over to the dumbfounded Lee Mu Fei and threw a high kick, ¡°I don¡¯t like wasting time, you know?¡±


    Luckily, Lee Mu Fei noticed the arrival of a kick from ck. He immediately dodged and jumped back.


    Emma was already standing beside Kenny, ¡°You. Take care of the others. Let me fight him,¡±


    As they had agreed from the start, Kenny would obey ck¡¯s orders until the mission wasplete. Inevitably, he nodded and walked away from the masked dwarf. Then Kenny united with Renu to fight all the Creeper¡¯s men.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y with me, midget!¡± Afei growled.


    Emma smiled as Rachel stepped up to stand beside her, ¡°You¡¯re the umpteenth person to call me a midget. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve already beaten them all,¡±


    Lee Mu Fei didn¡¯t want to waste his energy on chit chat anymore. He surely felt that the situation was very precarious now. The problem was that all his treasures were in the safe and he was the key. If these people drain what was in the vault, then his life would have no meaning anymore. Lee Mu Fei would be a man who had nothing.


    Quickly, Lee Mu Fei dashed off with consecutive punches. But Emma quickly blocked it with almost the same movement.


    While Emma and Lee Mu Fei were attacking each other, Rachel used the opportunity to attack his leg by sliding it. Lee Mu Fei couldn¡¯t avoid that he instantly fell.


    Emma returned to her starting position beside Rachel. Her breath was a little ragged. This was the first time she had fought someone with such fast Kung Fu abilities, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s Wing Chun. Be careful with his hands. He perhaps would often aim at your face and neck. Focus on attacking his joints,¡± Emma said to Rachel.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Okay,¡± she answered though she didn¡¯t really understand Emma¡¯s exnation in the name of the martial she mentioned. But Rachel understood that the point was she had to be careful and now she knew where the right spots to attack the Creeper¡¯s leader.


    Emma looked at Lee Mu Fei who was quickly back on his feet. She saw the stance of his legs and the posture of his hands. Inside, Emma was increasingly convinced that the sharp-eyed man was mastered the Wing Chun technique.


    In battle, Emma did not like to use the same technique as her opponent. Since it was Kung Fu, Emma decided to use the Tai Chi technique.


    This was the first time Afei frowned in the battle. When he attacked ck earlier, he didn¡¯t expect all of his fast punches to be parried by the midget so perfectly. The hand movements that ck made clearly showed that the man also mastered Kung Fu martial techniques.


    But what surprised Afei even more was when ck started making a stance. The left foot with bent knee was ced in front and the left palm facing forward with the right hand further down. A movement that resembled a slow dance. A movement that seemed to follow the flow of the morning breeze. It seemed trivial but required arge amount of energy to do it. The strangely gentle movement made the sweat keep pouring out of the user¡¯s body.


    Emma focused herself on catching her breath while moving her arms as if she was about to dance. But the truth was that she was ready to receive an attack from Lee Mu Fei.


    Lee Mu Fei quickly aimed his hand attack at Emma and was immediately blocked by her arm. Again, the two of them got into a fierce parry fight. The speed of the two people¡¯s hands and bodies was simply incredible. With such fast movements and punches, they seemed to be moving on the wind because the noise of their battle was so quiet.


    There was no one-on-one agreement in the arena. That was because they were notpeting about dexterity. Although Emma was eager to measure her abilities against Lee Mu Fei, there was a mission that had to bepleted soon. Because of that, she had to be willing to ept Rachel joining her in the fight.


    Afei was so overwhelmed. In just an instant, it felt like his breath would run out. He had already received a lot of blows from the two cks. What was worse, he was already injured in a fight with a big man named Kenny.


    As soon as Lee Mu Fei got a kick in the chest from Emma, ??he bounced back and immediately received a rocky hard punch from Rachel. It was a double attack that the two girls had instinctively arranged. They had already read Lee Mu Fei¡¯s attack pattern while fighting.


    A hard jabnded on Afei¡¯s jawbone and was instantly sending him flying to the side. This time, he felt unable to stand up anymore. Since then, the two cks kept attacking his joints and ribs so that now his body felt like it was going to be paralyzed. The strong jab just now made Afei vomit blood because the inside of his mouth was injured. It was mixed with blood from within his body which was also injured from the ck Midget¡¯s hard kicks.


    Afei tried to get up but he fell again because his body was too weak. His vision was blurry when he stared at two figures of men whose entire heads were covered by strange ck masks. It turned out that what Oscar had said all along was true. It turned out that ck was as powerful as that.

 Chapter 183

    183 The Law of Karma


    ¡°You have lost, Lee Mu Fei,¡± Emma said.


    Afei looked around where all his men had been knocked down by Renu, Kenny, and the other RJC men.


    ¡°You guys are.. ying cheats,¡± Afei said angrily. But his head was too heavy to be lifted. He had fallen. He looked at Lune who was the only member of the Creeper who was still standing. It was because the man wasn¡¯t attacked by RJC. He was a traitor.


    ¡°We cheat on people who cheat,¡± Emma replied by looking down. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything else, Lee Mu Fei.¡±


    ¡°Have you found the treasure vault?¡± Kenny asked ck.


    Emma nodded, ¡°The room is closed by a safe door that requires a particr key and fingerprint.¡± She replied as she squatted down beside Lee Mu Fei.


    ¡°Wh.. what.. are you.. doing? S-stop!¡± Lee Mu Fei tried to struggle but Kenny and Renu swiftly restrained his legs and arms.


    Emma reached inside the fallen man¡¯s coat. As she had expected, the key to the safe was in his coat pocket, ¡°This is the key,¡±


    Silently, Lune could only stand staring with mixed feelings at the scene. He couldn¡¯t bear to see Lee Mu Fei¡¯s condition but he had his own priority that he had to protect. He would side with anyone who benefited him. If it was ck and RJC, then he would follow them.


    .....


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Afei tried to struggle again but all in vain. He looked at Lune who was standing looking at him, ¡°You. Disgusting. Traitor.¡±


    Seeing this, Emma removed her hands from Lee Mu Fei¡¯s coat. She subconsciously tightened her grip on the fairlyrge key, ¡°Do you not ept being betrayed? Do you feel angry when we cheated on you? Don¡¯t you realize what you have been doing all these years? Even the body of Chingsu Paper¡¯s founder has dried up but still thinking that you are a trustworthy man.¡±


    Afei was stunned to hear what ck said. He didn¡¯t know how ck knew what he had done. It might be that the man had searched the inte for information about the Chingsu District or Lune had told him about it.


    ¡°You.. can talk, because you.. don¡¯t know how hard it is to survive.. To live.¡± He was still trying to defend himself.


    But Rachel shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s no excuse for you to ruin other people¡¯s lives. You¡¯ve scammed a lot of innocent people. You turned them into cash cows to make your money hills even higher. You¡¯re no longer trying to survive but bing greedy. If you really know how miserable it is to survive, you wouldn¡¯t have the heart to do that to anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what karma is? Karma wille now, tomorrow, next year, or even in your next life. But you can be sure that it wille to you. What you did, good or bad, wille back to you. Just like you who betrayed others. You made a person who was kind to you lose his money. You took other people¡¯s rights. If all of that turned to you now, wouldn¡¯t it look stupid if you get angry?¡± Emma said.


    In that ce, everyone fell silent, listening to what ck was saying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what was the struggle to survive that you meant. But if you became strong because of that, then you¡¯ve misused your power. The power you got from a tribtion should make you appreciate life more, instead of making you feel right to destroy other people¡¯s lives.¡± Emma continued.


    What ck said threw Afei back to the previous years. In his childhood life when he was still living in a remote vige with his family. At that time the situation was tough. Afei didn¡¯t mind if he faced it alone. But he couldn¡¯t stand to see his mother and sisters go through the same thing.


    Afei remembered when he identally met a man who lived in the middle of a bamboo forest. An old man who lived alone. He helped little Afei when the boy identally swung an axe into his own leg while he was chopping bamboo in the forest. It was the first time Afei met the old man who was a former Wing Chun teacher.


    The man took care of Afei until he recovered and took him back home. Since then, little Afei often came to the old man¡¯s house. One day, Afei identally saw the old man practising Kung Fu alone behind his house. He immediately asked to be taught Kung Fu to protect his family from the bad guys who often chased his father who was a jerk. Hearing Afei¡¯s story and sincerity, the old man eventually granted his request.


    ¡°Kung Fu is not used to injure other people. Kung Fu was created to protect ourselves. Therefore, we use flowing movements to send the enemy¡¯s blows in another direction. That¡¯s because we shouldn¡¯t hit people if it wasn¡¯t because we had to,¡± The old man said.


    At that time, Lee Mu Fei did indeed have the pure intention of protecting his family. His heart was sincere, white as snow. He was a lump of raw iron forged by the cruelty of the world. But when he became sharp, he stabbed the wrong person.


    Afei, who was brought by the founder of Chingsu Paper to Handway City met a demon named Oscar Chopper who quickly defiled his heart. Afei was a miserable guy who tasted the pleasures of the world for the first time. His soul was unable to resist the temptation until he finally fell into a dark world. He forgot the reason why his teacher was willing to train him to be strong.


    ¡°Afei. Never use your power for evil. You must use the knowledge I gave you for good. That¡¯s why I trained you.¡±


    Lee Mu Fei had broken his oath. Why could he be defeated? It was because he had lost to his own selfishness. His original purpose of being strong was gone, reced by greed that slowly gnawed him from within.


    If the old man teacher who had trained Afei found out what his student had be now, he would probably be very sorry. He would regret that he only forged Afei¡¯s body but forgot to forge the child¡¯s soul.


    Slowly, tears rolled down the corners of Afei¡¯s eyes. He realized that he was guilty. In fact, his family in the vige had been livingfortably for many years. It had been a long time since he paid off his father¡¯s debt so that no one would bother his family anymore. But Afei found his heart had a deep hole that he frantically filled with immeasurable wealth. It made him greedy and even had the heart to stab from behind the person who had helped him.


    Emma looked at Kenny who reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a knife, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut his finger. You need his fingerprints to open the warehouse, right?¡± Kenny answered.


    Emma and Rachel gasped and turned to look at each other. Of course, it was too sadistic in their eyes. Did that man have no humanity?


    ¡°Wait,¡± Emma immediately grabbed Kenny¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just take him upstairs straight away?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he refuse?¡± Kenny asked back.


    Emma let out a long sigh then looked back at Lee Mu Fei, ¡°Hey. Do you want to see your fingers cut off?¡±


    However, Lee Mu Fei did not answer. It seemed that he was already deep in depression.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Let¡¯s just take him. There¡¯s no need to shed more blood in this fight.¡±


    ¡°Fine if that¡¯s what you want,¡± Kenny said. Then he easily carried Lee Mu Fei¡¯s body on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.


    ¡°It¡¯s easier if you just cut off his finger,¡± Renu muttered as walking beside ck.


    Emma turned to the man with thick eyebrows, ¡°You guys are seriously going to cut his finger?¡±


    ¡°That would be easier than having to carry his heavy body upstairs,¡± He answered by looking at Kenny who was walking in front of them. He felt sorry for his friend who had to struggle to carry a grown man up the stairs.


    ¡®What a strange solidarity. I don¡¯t understand the way the male brain thinks.¡¯ Emma thought to herself.


    Rachel was the one who walked in the front to show Kenny the way to Lee Mu Fei¡¯s study.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Kenny asked when he saw a man and a woman in the room.


    ¡°The receptionist staff working downstairs,¡± Rachel answered while receiving the safe key from Emma. It seemed like Emma had understood that she had to leave everything about the keys to Rachel.


    Kenny put down Lee Mu Fei from his arms and forced the man to stand by bringing his arms around his neck. Then Emma took Lee Mu Fei¡¯s hand and tried to ce his fingers one by one on a square-shaped screen attached to the door.


    Finally, the blue screen gave ess when Lee Mu Fei¡¯s right thumb was ced there.


    After his fingerprints were sessful scanned, Rachel, who had put the key in its hole could turn the key. Then there was a small knocking sound from the centre of the door as the door moved inwards. Rachel immediately pushed the door open.


    Everyone in the room was bbergasted. It was as if a yellow shine was reflected on their faces. Golden light emanated from within the warehouse.


    Rachel was the first to set foot inside. It was a room filled with several tables that held piles of gold bars of various sizes on them. No money there. The room contained only precious metals and a row of drawers with the size of a side of the wall.


    ¡°He literally kept all his treasures here,¡± Emma muttered.

 Chapter 184

    184 Creeper¡¯s Treasure Vault


    Kenny and Renu smiled happily. They looked at each other in excitement, ¡°Tie this guy over there. I¡¯ll call Marcel,¡± Kenny said to Renu.


    Renu immediately nodded and did what his superior ordered him to do. He pulled out a chair behind the desk and sat Lee Mu Fei on it. Then one of the RJC men gave him a roll of rope to tie the man up.


    Lee Mu Fei could only be silent, seeing his treasure vault entered by his enemies. It was as if he was an old lion being eaten alive by a group of Hyenas. He felt he had no right to prevent them. This was what thew of the jungle looked like in this dark world. The winner would take everything that belonged to the loser. The Creeper had been overthrown. Everything that had been collected by the Creeper was finally taken by RJC who managed to defeat them.


    His heart hurt. Yes, of course. Not just Oscar, but Lune as well. The two receptionists had also betrayed him. It made Afei think, had he been such a bad leader all this time that his own members had the heart to betray him? Was this really the karma?


    A few minutes after Kenny called Marcel about the sess of their mission, the extra members who had been prepared, arrived with lots of vans. They transported all the treasures in the vault into the cars.


    In the same room, Emma and Rachel finally found what they had been looking for. It was a pile of employment contracts kept by the Creeper. Even Rachel still had time to look for her grandfather¡¯s contract, which fortunately was also there. They even needed threerge bags to carry the documents stored there.


    ¡°We have to make sure nothing¡¯s left behind,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°I know. The fate of the employees is in our hands. We shouldn¡¯t be in such a hurry,¡± Rachel nodded. Then she remembered something, ¡°Oh, what about the two receptionists?¡±


    ¡°Ah.. You¡¯re right,¡± Emma smacked her forehead. Then she immediately walked out of the room and found the two receptionists and Lune standing quietly by the door like three students being punished by their teacher. Emma knew they were waiting for her promise.


    .....


    ¡°Oh.. W-we..¡± The reception girl was moved when she saw ck¡¯s figureing toward them.


    Emma raised her right palm briefly in front of her chest, ¡°I know,¡± It so happened that two men carrying arge bag passed Emma. She immediately stopped them and took out three gold nuggets that each weighed twenty grams.


    ¡°Thanks for helping us,¡± Emma said. ¡°The Creeper has fallen. Are you two would still have bonded with them? If so, I¡¯ll help you break free,¡± Emma asked the two receptionists.


    The receptionists immediately shook their heads, ¡°If the Creeper is fallen, then we¡¯re out of this job.¡± Said one of them.


    Emma nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good. In the future, avoid working in ces like this. Once you get caught, it¡¯s hard to get out.¡±


    The receptionist girl couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. The reason was that all this time she had been trapped working for the Creeper with all the dangers that lie in it. In fact, she and her partner were just ordinary people who were looking for a job as apany receptionists. They thought they would work for apany in the Chingsu District and were instead drawn to work at a gangster headquarters. They were even forced to swear not to get out of there and the Creeper guards also came to know their home address and parents.


    ¡°Thank you so much for saving us. I¡¯d be fine if I didn¡¯t take this gift. We already owe you too much.¡± The girl said. From earlier, she had been waiting for ck to thank him. On the other hand, she also wanted to make sure that the Creeper really disbanded and that she didn¡¯t have to work with them anymore.


    Emma smiled and shook her head, ¡°You guys are good people caught in the wrong ce. You can take this. Think of it as a token from me.¡± She said by patting the girl lightly on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯d better go now. Maybe the police wille to this ce soon.¡±


    Then the two receptionists nodded and quickly left after thanking ck again.


    Emma turned her attention to Lune who was still standing stiffly on his spot. Although Lune couldn¡¯t see Emma¡¯s cynical face behind the mask, it seemed that the malevolent aura that Emma gave off could be felt by him. Randomly, Emma threw the gold into Lune¡¯s hand and he caught it immediately.


    ¡°Th.. thanks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving this as a thank you to you. You are a disgusting man who will lick the ass of anyone who gives you an advantage,¡± Emma said straight away. Then she sighed, ¡°At least, we still have a little pity for the person we have taken hostage. I hope that we would never see you again in this dark world. If you¡¯re still roaming here, I make sure that my pity will not be left for you anymore.¡± she continued.


    Lune nodded quickly, ¡°I understand.¡± he said by looking down. Then he immediately fled past ck who had shifted his body as a symbol of letting him go.


    After a few seconds, Rachel approached Emma, ??¡±I¡¯m done,¡±


    ¡°Ah.. Alright. We¡¯d better go home soon. We just need to return these contracts to their owners, right?¡± Emma asked.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°So where are we going to keep all this?¡±


    ¡°You can leave them at our base and pick it up when we talk about profit sharing.¡± Kenny suddenly approached them.


    ¡°Leave them at your ce?¡± Emma repeated suspiciously.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ve seen enough that RJC isn¡¯t a group like the Creeper,¡± Kenny said.


    Emma paused to think for a moment. Then she nodded, ¡°Okay. We¡¯ve counted the number of documents. If one document is missing when we pick it up, RJC will be held responsible.¡±


    ¡°You can entrust it to us,¡± Kenny answered.


    That answer made Emma chuckled sarcastically, ¡°I had a chance to do so and did it, but then things almost fell apart,¡±


    ¡°The bags are inside. There are three of them,¡± Rachel said to Kenny. ¡°Looks like we can go now.¡± she looked at Emma.


    Emma nodded then looked back at the big man in front of her, ¡°You can take care of them yourself, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Do not hesitate,¡± Kenny answered.


    As Emma was about to walk away, she remembered something. More specifically it was someone, ¡°Oh! Kenny.¡±


    Kenny who was walking into the warehouse then stopped and turned around. He looked at ck who was still standing in the same ce.


    ¡°You said Oscar ran away, right? Would that be fine? Should we be worried?¡± Emma asked.


    Kenny smiled and shook his head, ¡°He has run away. But he will return to his empty house.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. Haha.. Of course,¡± Emmaughed.


    ***


    A few hours before...


    Oscar Chopper was the coward with the most rotten heart in the universe. Seeing that the situation was already chaotic, he decided to run away, leaving all his men who were fighting for him.


    Yes, Oscar never once thought of his own men. All he always thought about was himself. He would seek what was most beneficial to him and would leave everything that had the potential to harm him.


    As soon as he managed to get out of the Chingsu District area, Oscar got into one of the cars parked haphazardly there. It was the car he had brought from his base to Chingsu District. Since he was a snake, he had a n B from the start which was to ¡®escape¡¯ if things got messy. With that, he decided to pocket the car key himself.


    Oscar knew that if he ran away and left his group like that, it would be the same as saying that he had given up his group. It was a statement that Creeper Greenvalley was doomed. The group had already disappeared from Handway City because the leader had given up.


    Even though Oscar failed to loot Afei¡¯s precious treasure, he didn¡¯t lose anything at all. He purposely mortgaged one of the branch headquarters buildings that had been purchased by the central Creeper fund. He used the money from mortgaging the building for capital to attack Chingsu District.


    Oscar had it nned. If indeed he failed to seize Afei¡¯s treasure, then he would run away leaving everything he had built in Handway City. He would move to another city or even abroad. That was because he already had a lot of money in his bank ount and kept all his wealth in various stock investments. That way, he would still be a rich man who didn¡¯t need to work, even if he was no longer a gangster group leader.


    Once at Greenvalley¡¯s headquarters, Oscar immediately ran inside to go to his study and take some important documents which he kept in his small safe. But how surprised he was when he found his main headquarters had been messed up.


    He saw many of his men already lying battered on the floor. Oscar pensively examined the situation. So while he was away, his base was attacked? But he did not keep any valuable treasures in his base.


    Why did those people attack the base? Was RJCe back to take revenge because he once tried to kidnap the grandmother of their leader? But that didn¡¯t make sense because the two higher-ups of RJC had seen with their own eyes that Oscar was also in Chingsu District at that time.


    ¡°Tsk! Never mind!¡± He muttered as he ran upstairs to his room. He didn¡¯t want to dwell on the gangster problem any longer. What he had to take care of now was his future along with his treasures. After all, he also was sick of having to worry every day. He was tired of always being number two.


    Once in front of his study, Oscar¡¯s steps stopped when he found the door to his room wide open. From outside the door, he could see that the interior of his room had fallen apart as if it had been hit by a typhoon. With unsteady steps, Oscar went inside to find that the door to his safe had been opened, revealing its empty contents.

 Chapter 185

    185 Be Careful


    Who opened the safe? There were various important documents inside. Those were certificates of his houses andnds. Then with shaking hands, Oscar reached into his coat pocket to retrieve the cell phone he had forgotten about.


    His brows furrowed as he saw the many notifications of iing messages and missed calls on his cell phone screen. He opened the message which showed a pile of messages from Tony Lin and Eddy Norman.


    Boss! My base is under attack! ¨C Eddy


    Boss, we lost. My headquarters is no longer there. ¨C Tony


    Boss, is it true that you pawned my base building? RJCe and attack us. What should I do? ¨C Tony


    Boss! Where are you? RJC finished off all my men! ¨C Eddy


    Oscar¡¯s eyeballs shook as he read the messages. It felt as if his feet didn¡¯t touch the floor. His entire branch headquarters had also been attacked by RJC. Although from the beginning he had intended to leave them, the news of course made his mental state even more shaken.


    Then with a quivering thumb, he opened the app he usually used to monitor his stocks. His soul seemed to drift away as he found that he no longer had any shares. All the shares he owned had been sold without considering whether the stock price was going up or down at that time.


    Oscar¡¯s hands instantly trembled. He immediately ran into the room where he hired two brokers to look after the stocks he often referred to as his children. But he found one of his employees already lying unconscious on the floor with a bloody wound on his forehead and another employee had disappeared.


    .....


    He rushed to twoputers in the room. The twoputers were still on the ¡®Standby¡¯ with the monitor screen darkening. When he pressed a key on the keyboard of the twoputers, he found that bothputers had been set to factory defaults. And also all the data on theputer had been deleted without any residue as if it was a newputer that had not been filled with anything.


    Oscar immediately ran back to his room and opened the small cupboard next to his desk where he kept theptop he rarely used, but he knew that he stored a lot of data there. When he turned on theptop, he found the same thing. Theptop had been changed to factory defaults.


    ¡°ARRRGGHH!!!¡± Oscar shouted as he threw theptop until it smashed into the wall.


    The veins in Oscar¡¯s head were seen more sticking out. His face was red and greasy with sweat all over his body. Hepletely destroyed. Oscar Chopper not only returned to the bottom, but he was thrown to the lowest point in his life.


    **


    Marcel¡¯s eyes lit up. He saw a group of vansing with bags filled with gold and precious stones. His lips couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    ¡°Where¡¯s ck?¡± Marcel immediately approached Kenny who had just gotten out of the car. He would say his grateful to him.


    Kenny shook his head, ¡°They both left immediately after making sure there wasn¡¯t any workers¡¯ contract left there. The Leader ck said maybe he¡¯de tomorrow to pick up the contracts he left to me.¡±


    ¡°He did? I don¡¯t think he would trust us that easily,¡± Marcel mumbled.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t. But I managed to convince him.¡± Kenny answered by stepping into the base with Marcel, ¡°Have the others back yet?¡±


    Marcel nodded, ¡°Everyone has arrived. Danis was thest to finish his job. Thank you for taking the time for the boys. He managed to leave just before Oscar arrived.¡±


    ¡°That guy.. Oscar Chopper. He deserves it. I hope Danis did drain what he has,¡± Kenny muttered.


    Marcel smiled faintly, ¡°I heard he ran away and left the group while fighting. Was it true?¡±


    Kenny nodded, ¡°That kind of person is degrading men¡¯s pride in this world.¡±


    ¡°Oscar wasn¡¯t good at being a leader from the start. I feel sorry for his men,¡± Then Marcel sighed, ¡°Luckily, ck is on our side. He¡¯s the one who made all this mission a sess. I admit those two are badass. It would be very profitable if RJC could continue to work with them.¡± he continued.


    But Kenny¡¯s face didn¡¯t look as relieved as Marcel¡¯s. From his expression, it could be seen that he was thinking about something that seemed serious. The thing that made his forehead slightly furrow involuntarily, ¡°That ck.. I don¡¯t remember if they know that we have an Underground Cave,¡±


    Marcel immediately looked at Kenny and realized that his confidant¡¯s face looked strange. He shook his head briefly, ¡°I don¡¯t think they know,¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if my hunch is right or not. But I think maybe ck would see RJC in a different light if he found out,¡± Kenny said seriously.


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Marcel asked with a confusedly tense face. He knew that Kenny was not someone who liked to joke. He was always serious with his words and very wise in bringing them out.


    ¡°Do you know how strong ck is? Especially the ck who has the small body,¡± He asked Marcel.


    Marcel shook his head in disbelief, ¡°I¡¯ve seen him fight. I think he was pretty great. But at that moment, I knew he hadn¡¯t brought his full potential,¡±


    Kenny nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t think he has yet. When he was fighting Lee Mu Fei, I realized that ck, who is small like that, really shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. But that wasn¡¯t my biggest concern. When he won the fight with Lee Mu Fei, he was uttering unusual words from his mouth. Words that seem to describe that he surely has the intention of destroying evil, whatever ites from and in which form. When I saw him, I felt like I was watching a superhero movie.¡±


    Marcelughed loudly, ¡°I don¡¯t know whether tough or to be worried. In fact, this is the first time you¡¯ve told me this much about other people.¡±


    But Kenny didn¡¯tugh at all, ¡°That¡¯s because he really is that much to be talked about. I think if ck is really the person I think he is, then he wouldn¡¯t be silent if he knew there was a ce like Underground Cave.¡±


    ¡°The Underground Cave isn¡¯t the only nightlife in Handway City. There¡¯s still Jen Marrie Street and PP! Club. Those two ces aren¡¯t only providing illegal gambling. They also traffic in women,¡±


    ¡°I know. But I feel like ck trusts you. And I can see that he hates people who betray the trust of others. That¡¯s one of the reasons why he insisted on destroying Lee Mu Fei and Oscar Chopper. He indeed hates injustice.¡± Kenny replied.


    Marcel fell silent then nodded slowly, ¡°Okay. I see what you mean. After this, we don¡¯t need to cooperate with ck anymore. And he doesn¡¯t need to know about the Underground Cave.¡±


    **


    ¡°Good mornings, girls!¡± Poppy greeted her three friends who were gathering at the new caf¨¦, again. It looked like the new cafe had be their favourite gathering spot. It happened that today would be a seminar at their University. So, there would be no sses for the next hour.


    ¡°Oh.. Hi Pops!¡± Kathy replied before sipping her Iced Americano.


    ¡°Iced Americano? This early in the morning?¡± Poppy¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Seems like her stomach is made of steel,¡± Emma answered. She only dared to drink a warm Matcha Latte because she cared about her digestion.


    Poppy shook her head while Kathy just shrugged carelessly. She had just been working hard for the past few days and her brain needed a fuel change which was cold caffeine, ¡°You know my brain had been stifled for days. Why are you still insulting this drink of my life?¡±


    ¡°Oh? So your busy life is over? How did it go?¡± Emma asked.


    Kathy nodded with a big smile, ¡°Of course, my team seeded. It was a big project. We¡¯re strictly forbidden to tell this to outsiders. But I¡¯ll let you guys know a little. We did a hack that made a lot of money. It was a fake website. It was so much fun,¡±


    ¡°Wow.. But that sounds a bit scary. Are you sure it¡¯s not against thew? Is it possible.. to be considered a criminal act?¡± Poppy lowered her voice.


    Kathy shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know. But just so you know, the digital world is as dark and wide as that. In fact, all my team members live in various countries. But this friend of mine had made sure that we didn¡¯t harm innocent people. He said the target was a corruptor in his country.¡±


    Emma frowned, ¡°Eum.. Don¡¯t you think that the information perhaps should be investigated further?¡± she asked doubtfully.


    ¡°I thought so, honestly. But in the end, I didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore. Like I said before, the digital world is dark and vast.¡± Kathy took another sip of her coffee.


    ¡°Alright..¡± Emma and Poppy said at the same time.


    Then Poppy seemed to remember something very important. Then she turned to the girl in front of her who was enjoying her Hot Green Tea quietly, ¡°Oh, Rachel. Do you think you can take me to your building this afternoon? My mom just happens to have time to see it too.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. I¡¯m sorry, Poppy. But this afternoon I will have..¡±


    Suddenly, Emma cut Rachel¡¯s sentence by clearing her throat a few times, ¡°Are you saying that this afternoon you will help your grandmother make Cinnamon Roll? Haha.. Seems like you forgot about it again. You told me yesterday that your grandmother postponed it to tomorrow, right?¡± Emma said, ??looking at Rachel meaningfully. She knew that Rachel wanted to apany her to RJC headquarters this afternoon.


    Rachel¡¯s brows furrowed. Her face turned confused, ¡°Eum.. I think you¡¯re right. I.. forgot,¡±


    Emmaughed then looked at Poppy and Kathy who looked at them both questioningly, ¡°I recently found out that Rachel is the most forgetful person I¡¯ve ever met.¡± Then she looked back at Rachel, ¡°If you really don¡¯t have an event this afternoon, shouldn¡¯t you just show the building to Poppy? It just so happens that her mother rarely has time.¡±

 Chapter 186

    186 Shocking News


    ¡°Oh.. Emma. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Poppy immediately squeezed Emma¡¯s arm gently with an uneasy look at Rachel. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t, Rachel. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to rush a meeting. I heard you were off work today and my mom happened to be too. So I thought it was a good time. But I didn¡¯t mean to force you. Of course, this can be done another time even if my mother doesn¡¯te along.¡± She continued.


    Rachel nced at Emma briefly. She seemed to move her eyebrows slightly to signal to her that she would be fine if she went to RJC¡¯s headquarters alone. Rachel then cleared her throat before shaking her head, ¡°No, Poppy. Emma¡¯s right. I forgot that I had nothing to do this afternoon. So I could really take you there.¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Are you sure? There¡¯s no need to think about how I feel if you don¡¯t have time.¡± Poppyughed awkwardly by scratching the back of her head.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°I mean it. What time do we meet?¡±


    ¡°Hey.. Isn¡¯t that PB?¡± Kathy stared out the window overlooking the campus garden and the trail beside it. Her finger pointed at the figure of a tall man in a bright grey fur coat standing with his back to them and a book in his hand.


    Emma immediately turned to where Kathy¡¯s finger was pointing, ¡°I guess that¡¯s him,¡±


    But suddenly, the man turned towards them. Quickly, Kathy put down her finger. But she and Emma were already caught watching him.


    Emma and Kathy had to smile stiffly. They were so stupid. That was embarrassing. Emma felt her pride was tarnished because she was caught watching a man secretly by himself.


    Marcel smiled back at the two girls who were staring at him. Then he waved his hand over his head. Emma and Kathy also waved back briefly.


    .....


    ¡°Um.. It was unexpected,¡± Emma returned her gaze to Kathy who was still smiling wryly.


    Kathy raised her eyebrows as she sipped her Americano again, ¡°He¡¯s gorgeous today, as always.¡±


    Emma just shook her head slightly, ¡°Anyone could be handsome and anyone could be beautiful with the help of money,¡±


    ¡°Damn.. You¡¯re getting wiser, Emma. But I agree with you,¡± Kathy nodded.


    ¡°So, you girls are going to meet this afternoon?¡± Emma asked Poppy and Rachel who had been busy discussing their business.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°Would you like toe along, Emma?¡±


    ¡°I have something to do this afternoon.¡± Emma refused with a shake of her head.


    Suddenly, a barista came to their table with a tray of four tes of Cheesecake. The three girls gave confused faces while looking at each other.


    ¡°Who ordered this?¡± Poppy asked her three friends.


    ¡°Not me,¡± Kathy replied.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Emma added. When she turned to Rachel, she saw that the girl was also shaking her head.


    Poppy looked back at the barista, ¡°Sorry, looks like you got the wrong table. We didn¡¯t order this,¡±


    The barista shook her head. But she still put the small tes one by one on the table.


    ¡°Sorry, but we didn¡¯t order this,¡± Emma tried to stop her.


    ¡°Someone ordered these for you,¡± said the barista. Then she pointed at one of the tables near the caf¨¦ door, ¡°He ordered them for you,¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The three girls were stunned to see the direction the barista¡¯s finger was pointing at. It was PB aka Marcel Dous.


    ¡°Thank you again,¡± The barista said. In her heart, she felt the world was unfair. It was not that she didn¡¯t know the most handsome man on campus named Prince Bold. And the four girls, of course, were privileged with beautiful faces so that PB could treat them in such a romantic way.


    ¡°Ah.. T-thanks,¡± Poppy said as soon as she woke up from her shock. But the barista just walked away ignoring her.


    Marcel who was sitting at a small table near the door just smiled gently at the four girls who were looking at him with confused faces. Then he pointed to his own chest and pointed at their table. His mouth moved saying, ¡®May I join?¡¯


    Emma and Rachel gasped and secretly nced at each other. But they were toote to movepared to Kathy who immediately nodded and held up her thumb.


    ¡®Gosh.. Of course, you are, Kathy!¡¯ Emma thought as she looked at the curly-haired girl.


    Then Marcel reached their table, ¡°Hi,¡± he said as he pulled up a chair to sit there.


    ¡°Thanks for the cake, PB.¡± Kathy and Poppy said. Emma and Rachel smiled at him too.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. My girl-friends said the Cheesecake here was delicious. Is that true?¡± He asked as he sat down. Treating the girls was the right move for him to have something to talk about.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°This is delicious. Do you want to try it?¡±


    Marcel shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t really like cheese and sweets. You can enjoy them.¡± he smiled.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m wondering why you suddenly treated us. Could you possibly have something to say?¡± Emma asked directly in a friendly tone. She was not the type of girl who liked the small talk, especially with men.


    Emma¡¯s question made Marcel chuckle a little. His smile was deadly to girls who didn¡¯t have strong shields, really. Luckily, only Kathy was that kind of girl at the table.


    ¡°Honestly, this is my form of apology for what happened that day.¡± Marcel scratched the back of his non-itchy head.


    ¡°Well.. Of course,¡± Emma nodded. She was the victim who suffered the most serious injuries.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Kathy asked confusedly.


    Emma shook her head with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Kathy. It was just a bit of a misunderstanding. We agreed to forget it too. Is that right, Marcel?¡± she looked at the man who looked ufortable.


    Marcel nodded doubtfully, ¡°That¡¯s.. right.¡± From Emma¡¯s words, it was as if the girl had forgiven him. But from the tone of her voice and the way she looked, it was clear that she had a grudge against him.


    ¡°Oh PB, how is your grandmother?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°My grandmother? She¡¯s well. Maybe you can have dinner with her one day. She doesn¡¯t have many friends,¡± Marcel said.


    ¡°It must be fun,¡± Kathy replied.


    Emma looked at Marcel, ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s okay?¡±


    Marcel smiled meaningfully at Emma then nodded, ¡°Of course, you can, Emma. Now my grandma can go wherever she wants. I think she¡¯d like to meet you again,dies.¡±


    Marcel¡¯s face which seemed to have been freed from a heavy burden made Emma¡¯s heart warm. She nced at Rachel who also smiled faintly because she had the same thoughts as Emma.


    They knew that Marcel had always been worried about his grandmother¡¯s safety due to the Creeper. Now the Creeper had fallen. Nothing else would harm his grandmother and Redvalley. Emma was very happy to know that Lilian was able to freely enjoy the beauty of Handway City.


    ¡°Tell me when you have time. Maybe we could all meet at the same ce. We haven¡¯t been out together in a long time either,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Wow.. That¡¯s a great idea, Emma. Didn¡¯t we promise to go out together again when we got back from Madam Art Street?¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We even have an additional member now. The more crowded, the more fun.¡± Kathy nodded, looking at Rachel.


    Marcel smiled warmly, ¡°Thanks for giving me a chance.¡± he muttered to himself.


    Outside the caf¨¦, four men were standing under a line of trees where the snow had started to melt.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he a total jerk?¡± Troy said.


    Ian smiled faintly, ¡°That guy knows exactly how to win the girls¡¯ hearts.¡±


    ¡°Is that guy deliberately using the girls to weaken us?¡± Calvin wondered. Seeing a devil like Marcelughing with the four girls made his chest feel like it was burning with jealousy and worry.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Frank answered. Then he felt his phone vibrate. He took it out of his pocket. It was a message from one of his men, ¡°Guys! You must hear this news!¡±


    Troy looked at the phone Frank was holding, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The Creeper has fallen. RJC took them down,¡± Frank raised his head to look at the rest of his friends.


    Calvin¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You serious?!¡±


    Frank shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s not all. There¡¯s more shocking news.¡± He moistened his dry lips in one lick, ¡°You know Chingsu District?¡±


    ¡°I know the Creeper is split in two. One holds the Chingsu District. Reportedly, it¡¯s led by someone named Lee Mu Fei. But they¡¯ve nevermitted a crime like the Creeper whose headquarters in Greenvalley.¡± Ian replied.


    ¡°If you did know that, you should know that the Creeper in the Chingsu District is much stronger than the one upying the base in Greenvalley,¡± Frank said.


    Ian, Calvin, and Troy nodded. Of course, they knew that the Creeper members in Chingsu District had high standards of strength. In fact, it was said that they were made official guards by the founder of such arge factory area.


    ¡°You know why RJC was able to take down all the Creeper? It was because ck helped them.¡± Frank continued.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    **


    A ck motorbike arrived in the basement of a building. The arrival of the person riding the motorbike was weed by the guards on duty at the gate. Nothing else stopped him from asking about his identity or his purpose ining to that ce.


    Emma got off her motorbike and took off her helmet. Then she walked into the building to take the elevator to her destination floor. It was the floor where Marcel Dous¡¯ study was located.


    In the elevator, Emma met Danis and Damian, ¡°Oh Hi,¡±


    The two men seemed a bit surprised to be able to share the elevator with a man named ck. After the sess of their group in crippling an enemy group called the Creeper, the two of them secretly idolized the ck figure who was the core of the mission¡¯s sess, ¡°H-hello,¡±

 Chapter 187

    187 Peace


    ¡°Are you guys going to the same floor?¡± Emma asked when she saw Danis didn¡¯t press the floor button. Emma guessed it because she had pressed the floor number first from the basement.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Danis and Damian answered simultaneously. Then ck just nodded slowly.


    Danis took a deep breath and then turned his body to the masked man standing beside him, ¡°By the way, I want to thank you for trusting me to lead thest mission,¡±


    Emma smiled widely, ¡°I knew you would make it. Congrattions!¡± he tapped the shoulder of the boy who was much taller than her.


    ¡°Thank you! I couldn¡¯t have done that without your support,¡± Danis said with his head bowed respectfully.


    ¡°I can see you are talented. That¡¯s why I chose you. I suggest you to hard so that you could be more useful for many people in the future,¡± Emma said.


    Danis nodded firmly, ¡°Got it! I will remember your words,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing. Thanks for helping RJC,¡± Damian took the time to say this to ck. Although he had to look cool as one of the RJC core team, this youngest man in the core team couldn¡¯t help but admire ck.


    The Creeper was the only group that had bothered RJC this far. One of the biggest reasons why RJC was forced to recruit students from martial arts studios was because the Creeper was constantly trying to seize their territory.


    .....


    With the disappearance of the Creeper, they didn¡¯t have to waste money anymore by adding members. And of course, the members also didn¡¯t have to hold back the sadness in their hearts when they charge exorbitant fees to Redvalley residents.


    The elevator doors opened on the floor they were going to. Emma went straight to Marcel¡¯s room. The two guards who were standing in front of the door immediately shifted with their heads lowered. They no longer stood in the way of the ck who was reported to be the special guest of their leader, Marcel Dous.


    Inside the room, Marcel was seen busy with some documents with Kenny standing beside him.


    ¡°Youe,¡± Marcel said as soon as the door to his office was opened from the outside.


    Emma nodded, ¡°I want to take back the documents I left yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it ready right away,¡± Kenny said as he took out his cell phone. Then he was busy with the object to give orders to his men.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you came just to pick up the document. Let¡¯s talk about sharing the profits from this mission,¡± Marcel smiled as he folded his arms on the table.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s possible. I dide to get what I needed. Those are the contracts of the Chingsu District workers,¡±


    Marcel frowned. Previously, he hadn¡¯t thought that ck was serious by saying that he didn¡¯t want a share of their profits from taking down the Creeper, ¡°Are you sure? Even just one percent. Don¡¯t you want that? You know that¡¯s a lot of money,¡±


    Emma smiled sarcastically, ¡°I don¡¯t want to use that dirty money for my personal use,¡±


    ¡°What about your group? Where did you get your money from?¡± Marcel asked again.


    ¡°My group?¡± Emma muttered to herself. She was silent. She had no group. It was just her. Emma had no idea that with Rachel, ck would now finally be seen as a group. Indeed, ck numbered two people. Yet Emma never thought that she had a group. Then she immediately shook off her thought. She looked back at Marcel who was still looking at her with a curious face, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know anything about us,¡±


    ¡°Ah.. Of course,¡± The man said to himself by leaning his back against the back of the chair. ¡°If you¡¯re sure don¡¯t want a share of the proceeds, at least let us know if you need some help. We don¡¯t like being indebted to other people,¡±


    ¡°Seems like you want to end this rtionship, huh?¡± Emma chuckled.


    ¡°I want it just to be cooperation at a time. We don¡¯t need to depend on each other or know each other after this.¡± Marcel replied.


    Kenny secretly nced at his boss and nodded once, ¡®Those are the right words, Marcel.¡¯ he said in his heart. As much as possible, they should avoid ck.


    Emma nodded. In fact, she didn¡¯t mind that at all. Since the Creeper had fallen and Rachel¡¯s grandfather was out of debt, she didn¡¯t need RJC anymore. Just like RJC who didn¡¯t need her anymore. From the start, Emma¡¯s intention in cooperating with Marcel was only to borrow his army to carry out her mission. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s fine too. I also feel that there is no longer a link between us,¡±


    ¡°Then, is there anything we can help you with?¡± Marcel asked again.


    ¡°Hmm..¡± Emma thought by tapping her chin with her finger, ¡°Ah.. Maybe you guys can help me distribute each contract to their owners.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Marcel asked. Of course, it was an easy thing for him.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Simple, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Too simple,¡± Marcel replied. He thought it wasn¡¯tmensurate with the service ck had rendered to his group, ¡°Anyway, the motorbike I lent to your friend. He looks good riding it. Think of it as a gift from us. Please don¡¯t refuse this one. I have no other ideas other than this.¡±


    Emma was silent for a moment and then nodded. Come to think of it, it was pretty decent, considering Rachel didn¡¯t have her own vehicle, ¡°Fine if you insist,¡±


    Then Emma got up from her chair and stuck her right hand before Marcel¡¯s face, ¡°Well, it looks like our business is ended here. I hope you can run your business wisely and not harm the civilians. You understand what I mean, don¡¯t you?¡± She emphasized the end of the sentence.


    What ck said made Marcel and Kenny¡¯s eyes twitch. They understood what he meant. It seemed that ck indeed intended to be a Super Hero to uphold justice in Handway City.


    Marcel rose from his seat and shook ck¡¯s hand, ¡°Thanks for your help. Of course, I always make the best policy for my business. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll be monitoring until the end of the week to see if all the employees have got their contracts back. Please don¡¯t disappoint my trust,¡± Emma said as she prepared to leave.


    Marcel just smiled and nodded once. Then when ck had turned around and disappeared from behind the door, he looked at Kenny in horror, ¡°You¡¯re right. He¡¯s so scary.¡±


    **


    Several days passed. As Emma expected, now all Chingsu District employees had received justice. Marcel kept his promise by ordering some of his men to return the work contracts directly to each employee¡¯s house.


    With the down of the Creeper, Marcel finally decreased the fees rate for Redvalley residents to be more reasonable. He had also stopped looking for additional members because there were no more groups that interfere with his territory.


    But the dispute between RJC and Jita Kyoei was still not over. That was because Marcel refused to return the martial arts studio students he had already recruited. Even though the Creeper was no longer there, Marcel still had to be on the lookout if another group may take over the Creeper¡¯s position.


    In that dark world, gangsters were like parasites. If one disappeared, then it didn¡¯t take long for a neer to take its ce. That was because their principle from the start was to eat or be eaten.


    Although the situation between his group and Jita Kyoei was still tense, Marcel Dous was able to breathe a sigh of relief. He no longer needed to lock his grandmother in the house just because he was afraid that the Creeper would hurt his grandmother.


    As promised, Marcel invited his grandmother to go together to Madame Art Street. He said his four girl-friends, including Emma, ??would be going there too. Marcel was happy to see his grandmother so excited to go. Even now, Marcel still felt guilty because he had hurt his grandmother at that time. Therefore, he still tried to please his grandmother as much as he could.


    It was a beautiful five-star restaurant located on Madame Art Street. Marcel and his grandmother were sitting at a table that Marcel had reserved since morning. They waited for the fourdies toe.


    It wasn¡¯t that Emma and her friends arrivedte, but it was Lilian who was too excited and insisted on arriving at least half an hour early. She was afraid that her grandson¡¯s friends woulde first but she and her grandson had not yet arrived. It would be so embarrassing because Marcel was the one who booked the table.


    ¡°Marcel, how do you think I look tonight?¡± Lilian asked whilebing her hair, afraid it would be a mess because the wind was quite strong outside.


    Marcel smiled gently, ¡°You are very beautiful as usual, Grandma. But you are much prettier tonight.¡±


    Lilianughed shyly, ¡°I¡¯m still confused as to why you don¡¯t have a lover until now.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so excited to meet my girl-friends? You¡¯re acting like it¡¯s your first date.¡± Marcel asked with an amused smile when he saw his grandmother take out a small mirror from her purse to see the condition of her makeup for the umpteenth time.


    Lilian sighed, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because one of them perhaps could potentially be your lover. I have to show her that I, as your grandmother, am a ssy woman who has raised her grandson very well. So she could see that my Marcel is a very nice man and deserves to be her partner.¡±


    Lilian¡¯s exnation made Marcel¡¯s heart melt. He had indeed lost a mother figure but he swore that his grandmother seeded in recing a mother ce perfectly, ¡°I would throw away the most beautiful girl in the world if she dared look down on my grandmother. You don¡¯t have to try so hard to be liked by the girls, Grandma. Instead, they have to work hard to be liked by you.¡±

 Chapter 188

    188 Fine Dining


    Lilianughed at her grandson¡¯s words. Then her wrinkled hand caressed his baby¡¯s cheek, ¡°My dear Marcel, I am on my old age. I don¡¯t know how long I can apany you in this world. All I want is that when the time for me to leave finallyes, I could go in peace because I see that you already have a partner by your side. I¡¯d be very happy to see you have someone who can take care of you and share the love with you.¡±


    ¡°You know that I don¡¯t like it when you talk about death,¡± Marcel smiled faintly as he groaned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it either, honey. But death does happen. And fate can¡¯t be prevented.¡± Lillian replied.


    Suddenly a moustachioed waiter with a shining bald head approached their table, ¡°Good evening Mr Dous. There are four women who said they were joining this table. One of them has the name Emma Hind. If that¡¯s true, then I will escort them get over here.¡± He said politely.


    ¡°They are. Please take them here. Thank you.¡± Marcel nodded.


    ¡°Ah.. They came?¡± Lilian looked very excited. She looked at Marcel who looked at her with a loving smile. The man nodded.


    Not long after, the waiter came back with four beautifuldies following him. Politely, the waiter directed thedies and politely said, ¡°This is the table,¡±


    Thedies smiled at the waiter and said, ¡°Thank you,¡±


    Lilian¡¯s eyes lit up. She looked at the four beautifuldies. They were as beautiful as a set of ssic porcin dolls on disy in an antique museum.


    .....


    Because Marcel had previously mentioned the location of the restaurant he had reserved, Poppy and Emma immediately knew that it would be a ¡®Fine Dining¡¯. Because of this, they had to dress up finely to attend the dinner invitation. Moreover, they would meet Marcel¡¯s grandmother. Of course, they had to respect the olddy.


    Emma Hind wore a short ck silk dress which was paired with a knee-length Beige coat which was longer than her dress. She didn¡¯t forget to bring a ck purse that showed a logo from a well-known fashion brand. Her long legs looked slender and beautiful in ck Stiletto high heels shoes.


    Meanwhile, Rachel Markway seemed couldn¡¯t get away from her love of wearing pants. But she still looked very elegant in a sleeveless nude pink suit with a slightly low chest. The flexible-material pants that dangled from her stomach and widener until her ankles matched her tall stature. She also wore the same colour Stiletto shoes with a strap design.


    For Poppy, she chose to wear a long-sleeved white turtle neck knit topbined with a grey-blue id skirt and a Baby Blue fur coat. Her feet were wrapped in thin ck stockings with cute ck high heels shoes.


    However,pared to the three girls, there was a girl who looked conspicuous. She was even probably the first girl who made Marcel¡¯s eyes unable to blink.


    Kathania Dusk, the girl with two green eyes was wearing fresh-colour makeup. Her soft face was framed by red hair like fire which for the first time, was neatly arranged so that it looked perfectly charming. She wore a long-sleeved Emerald green mini dress with a slight floral ent at the bottom. Her feet were wrapped in ck high-heeled boots above knees tall. She also wore earrings lent by her mother which matched the colour of the dress she was wearing.


    ¡°God¡¯s grace.. You all so gorgeous,¡± Lilian muttered by covering her mouth with both hands. Then she turned to her grandson who just stood still like a statue. She nudged Marcel¡¯s arm, ¡°Why are you keep standing like that? Tell thedies to sit down, would you?¡± she whispered impatiently.


    Marcel snapped out of his daydream and then cleared his throat before pointing his right hand at the chairs on the side of the square table, ¡°Please, Ladies, have a seat,¡±


    The four girls nodded and filled the chairs at the wooden table, ¡°I¡¯m so d we could meet again, Lilian.¡± Emma hugged the old woman warmly. Coincidentally, she sat beside her, while her three friends sat in a row on the opposite chairs.


    ¡°How are you, Lilian?¡± Poppy asked.


    The woman looked at Poppy and smiled, ¡°Never been better. Youdies look so beautiful tonight. I feel like I¡¯m having dinner with angels.¡±


    Theyughed at Lilian¡¯s exaggerated words, ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t dress up like this quite often.¡± Kathy replied.


    Lilian¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°Oh, really? Ah.. Then what people say is true. A woman who rarely wears make-up would look charming once she puts it on.¡± Her eyes didn¡¯t stop staring at Kathy until the girl became embarrassed, ¡°You are very gorgeous, you know that? Your eyes are so beautiful,¡±


    ¡°Ah.. You embarrassed me,¡± Kathy said, blushing.


    Emmaughed, ¡°You have no idea how hard it was for us to persuade her to dress up like this. She always said the make-up was too much. But it turned out eyes-stunningly pretty.¡±


    Lilian looked surprised, ¡°I think I knew someone who thought like that. You remind me of my daughter-inw.¡±


    Hearing that, Marcel immediately grabbed his grandmother¡¯s hand gently. He smiled at her and turned to his girl-friends, ¡°Looks like we can order now,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Dressing up this much actually makes us quite hungry.¡± Emma said whileughing.


    Marcel sighed quietly. Then he whispered something to his grandmother to remind her that they had an agreement before going out to this dinner. Marcel had already told Lilian that she had to keep her mouth shut so she wouldn¡¯t tell the girls too much about Marcel¡¯s life. It was enough only Emma who knew the most, don¡¯t add her other friends. Marcel had memorized the nature of most women¡¯s mouths that easily spilt secrets.


    After ordering, the food came not long after. Lilian talked profusely with the four youngdies who surrounded her. Lately, things have been nice in her life. She found out that Marcel had lowered the fee for Redvalley residents and she had also been allowed to leave Redvalley streets even without Marcel¡¯spany.


    Meeting the four beautifuldies seemed to be the pinnacle of Lilian¡¯s happiness. She didn¡¯t expect Marcel to have so beautiful and kind friends like them. She would be very grateful if one of them could pair up with her grandson. She could clearly feel that these girls were good people.


    ¡°So, you all dance ballet?¡± Lilian asked while eating her dessert.


    The fourdies nodded, ¡°We could be friends because we take the same extra ss.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Maybe that was one of the reasons. However, I think it was fate that brought us together.¡± Poppy added.


    ¡°Fate?¡± Lilian looked interested.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°Actually, we got this close because of some.. uniquely special events. I never even thought that I¡¯d have friends like them.¡±


    ¡°Poppy.. You touched my heart,¡± Kathy said with her hands in front of her chest. Of course she did it as a joke.


    ¡°We can¡¯t y with fate. But fate can y tricks on us. Because of that, fate can be so surprising. Just like love. If you find the right friend, you would have a pleasant life.¡± Lillian said. ¡°By the way, do any of you have a partner?¡± she asked with a chuckle.


    Marcel immediately nced at his grandmother with a sigh while shaking his head. Of course, he couldn¡¯t stop the old woman.


    ¡°It just so happens that we don¡¯t have a partner yet,¡± Kathy answered by clearing her throat.


    ¡°Oh my.. Is it so difficult nowadays for people with attractive faces to have a partner?¡± Lilianughed, ¡°Youdies are just like Marcel. With his handsome face, he has never brought a girl to introduce me to, other than you all.¡±


    ¡°Grandma, I don¡¯t think they want to hear that,¡± Marcel said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t mind hearing that, P.. I mean Marcel. I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s true or not. Maybe nowadays, it¡¯s pretty hard to find someone who will love us for who we truly are.¡± Kathy replied.


    ¡°You think so?¡± Marcel frowned.


    Kathy shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel a lot of people judge others by their appearance? In fact, I used to be one of them,¡±


    ¡°Are you not now?¡± Emma asked.


    Kathy squinted at Emma and raised her hand to give a small symbol with her thumb and forefinger, ¡°A little,¡± she replied, inviting anotherugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re so funny, Kathy. I think I can stay young if I see you often.¡± Lillian said.


    After finishing dinner, the people continued to walk around a bit on Madame Art Street which was quite crowded. The street decorated with beautiful lights made Emma forget the problems that happened yesterday. She didn¡¯t know how long she could breathe lightly like she was now. Could enjoy the beauty of Handway City. If only she didn¡¯t know the dark side of Handway City, it must be so nice to have this feeling all the time.


    ¡°Thanks for your time, Ladies,¡± Marcel said to the fourdies who were standing next to a red car.


    ¡°We should be the ones thanking you for the dinner invitation,¡± Emma shook her head.


    Kathy nodded approvingly, ¡°Just so you know, it¡¯s rare for us to eat at a five-star restaurant like that.¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°I think you don¡¯t need to tell him that..¡± Poppy said in a low voice as she nudged her shameless friend¡¯s hand.


    Marcelughed at it, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m amazed you can be honest like that,¡± he said subconsciously looking at the green-eyed girl. Then he immediately realized that his words were too much when he saw Kathy¡¯s blushing face, ¡°Looks like I have to go now. My grandma probably can¡¯t wait in the car alone for too long.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Be careful on the way,¡± Emma replied.


    Marcel smiled kindly at the fourdies, ¡°See youter, Ladies,¡± He said before turning around and walking towards his car which was parked on the other side of the parking lot.


    As soon as he got to his car, Marcel went straight into the driver¡¯s door. Lilian, who had been waiting for her grandson to return, straightened her back excitedly.

 Chapter 189

    189 Fragile Building


    ¡°Did you drop them off? Did you wait for them to get in the car?¡± Lilian asked her grandson.


    Marcel was silent for a moment. Ah.. he forgot that he had to wait for the four girls until they got into the car. He swore inwardly and shook his head slowly.


    ¡°Good grief Marcel. Why could you be so rude? Didn¡¯t I tell you that you should treat women well? At this rate, how could they see you as a suitable man to be their husband?¡± Lillian grumbled while sighing many times.


    ¡°Grandma, stop telling me to find a partner. I¡¯m too young to get married. Also, they¡¯re grown women, not children to be watched over. Waiting for them to get into the car is unnecessary and just makes me look stupid.¡± Marcel said while releasing his handbrake to start the car.


    But Lilian stood her ground. She shook her head steadily, ¡°A man who treats a woman like a princess won¡¯t look stupid. That¡¯s what makes him look like real a gentleman.¡±


    Marcel couldn¡¯t answer anymore. He could only take a deep breath, knowing that he would not win if he argued with his grandmother. It was better if he stay silent.


    ¡°Oh, Marcel...¡± Lilian tilted her head to face her grandson who was driving, ignoring the boy¡¯s annoyed face, ¡°Do you like thatdy named Kathy?¡±


    ¡°What? Of course, I¡¯m not,¡± Marcel answered immediately. His voice was even getting higher.


    ¡°Hm..¡± Lilian smiled faintly and squinted her eyes.


    .....


    ¡°Don¡¯t think weird stuff, Grandma,¡± Marcel said when he noticed his grandmother¡¯s gaze that seemed to be teasing him.


    ¡°How I didn¡¯t think it was strange if I saw you looking at Kathy differently? In all the time I¡¯ve cared for you since you were a baby, I¡¯ve never seen you stunned when you look at a girl.¡± Lillian chuckled. ¡°You have good taste, my dear. I like thatdy too,¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Grandma? I don¡¯t feel a thing and I didn¡¯t stun by anyone,¡± Marcel denied.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t? Ah.. Perhaps it was my eyes that saw wrong,¡± Lillian nodded slowly. But she didn¡¯t mean what she said. She knew that her grandson was trying to hide his feelings. What a boy!


    ¡°But, wasn¡¯t Kathy gorgeous? Her eyes are like a calmke at the foot of the hill. Even when I was young, mine weren¡¯t as bright as hers,¡± Lilian continued while recalling the time when she was looking in the mirror when she was still a girl. She often admired the green colour in her own eyes.


    ¡°I prefer girls with brown eyes like mom,¡± Marcel replied.


    What Marcel said made Lilian realize that her grandson had anger toward histe father. To be honest, Lilian had always felt sad about it. But she never med Marcel and always tried to understand him because what her son did in the past was outrageous and must have left a deep scar on the hearts of his children.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like your father, Marcel. But you can¡¯t use that as an excuse for you to avoid people who happen to have the same physique as your father.¡± Lillian said slowly.


    Marcel immediately turned to his grandmother. His expression instantly turned regretful, ¡°I never disliked you, Grandma. You know that, right? I just prefer girls with brown eyes. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Lilian smiled and stroked her grandson¡¯s head, ¡°I know, honey.¡±


    ***


    Four girls stood in front of a four-story building. Although in need of renovation, the shape of the building was stunning with a ssic design.


    Poppy had already signed Rachel¡¯s building lease. For the next year, she would upy the building to be her Ballet studio.


    Although it was still in the process of being renovated, Kathy and Emma couldn¡¯t wait to see what the building looked like. They said that they would just look around a bit to help them find suitable furniture for it. Emma said that finding furniture took a long time. Therefore, they could at least start looking around from now.


    ¡°Even though it looks like this building needs a lot of renovation, it turns out to be just the outeryer. The building contractor said all the frames and walls are still in very good condition. So most likely, the process would bepleted quickly.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°My grandmother said my parents used to give all their attention to this building. That¡¯s why they hired the best builder contractors and architects.¡± Rachel exined.


    Emma nodded, ¡°They must really love you, Rachel.¡±


    Rachel smiled, ¡°Sometimes I think if they were still alive, maybe we¡¯d live here together.¡±


    ¡°Hey.. Why is the atmosphere getting sad like this? Aren¡¯t we going to have fun today?¡± Kathy snapped. ¡°Gosh.. The view here is so nice,¡± she muttered, looking down the balcony.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t cry over something that can¡¯t be changed.¡± Rachel took a deep breath and smiled.


    ¡°Looks like it would be great if we put a set of wicker chairs here. It must be great to read a book here,¡± Poppy said by gazing across the fairlyrge balcony. Even the tiles with the floral motifs haven¡¯t been damaged at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Poppy. It must be wonderful. We could sit here enjoying the sunset.¡± Emma replied, looking down at the end of the empty street that showed the open sky. The sunset was about toe and the sky was already a bit yellowish.


    ¡°Ah.. I can¡¯t wait for the renovation to be finished,¡± Kathy said as she leaned back against the balcony railing.


    But suddenly..


    CRACK!!


    ¡°Kathy!¡± They eximed.


    ¡°Whoa!!!¡± Kathy¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t even realize how she was hanging on the third-floor balcony. But her two eyes stared at the face of a girl with brown hair dangled down.


    A few seconds ago, when she heard the sound of metal breaking, Emma immediately turned and found Kathy about to fall. Luckily, her body reflexes were very fast so Emma could swiftly grab her best friend¡¯s hand.


    ¡°E-Emma,¡± Kathy muttered under her breath. She looked down and immediately grimaced at how high she was hanging in the air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look down. Hold me tight,¡± Emma eximed with her body on the dirty floor of the balcony. Her face grimaced against Kathy¡¯s weight. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll pull you up.¡±


    Then Emma tried to pull Kathy but she couldn¡¯t because her current position required her to rely solely on the strength of her one hand. And of course, it was impossible to lift the weight of an adult woman with her only strength.


    Seeing Kathy fall, Rachel who stood a few steps away from the two girls, immediately ran to Emma and ??tried to help her pull Kathy up. But Emma only had time to hold Kathy¡¯s hand only and the red-haired girl couldn¡¯t raise one more hand.


    ¡°Hold on, guys! I¡¯ll call for help,¡± Poppy said and immediately ran inside to call the construction workers.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Rachel called out to Poppy who had disappeared.


    ¡°Emma..¡± Kathy¡¯s face was panicked.


    ¡°We can pull her together, Emma.¡± Rachel said beside Emma. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you. She won¡¯t be able to hold on for too long,¡± she continued.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s try,¡±


    ¡°Kathy! We¡¯re going to pull you up. Can you raise your other hand? Try one more time.¡± Rachel eximed.


    Out of breath, Kathy nodded once and tried to lift another hand which for some reason felt so heavy because she was hanging on one hand that made all of her body weight drop to the other side.


    ¡°Come on Kathy. You can do it. We¡¯re ballet dancers!¡± Emma said. She hoped it had something to do with it.


    Unfortunately, Kathy wasn¡¯t strong enough to raise her hand too high until it reached Rachel¡¯s hand. The trouble was that Emma just held her around her wrist and she just kept sliding down.


    Rachel thought quickly and said, ¡°Emma will swing you. You should hold my hand when she swings this way,¡±


    ¡°Swinging me? Are you guys crazy?!¡± Kathy eximed, ¡°Call the fire department! Call 911!¡±


    ¡°You know the firefighters in this town are slow as a snail. Your hand would break when they arrive. Just trust us, Kathy.¡± Emma said quickly. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡±


    Unable to think anymore, Kathy finallyplied with a nod, ¡°Please don¡¯t drop me,¡± She said with teary eyes.


    Emma and Rachel shook their heads, ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± They answered at the same time.


    Emma took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯ll start,¡± she said, tightening her grip even though it was getting wet from sweat. She used one hand to hold Kathy and the other to support herself by holding on to the edge of the floor so she wouldn¡¯t fall down too. ¡°One.. two..¡± she counted as she swung her arm. With that, Kathy¡¯s body began to swing left and right.


    ¡°THREE!¡± Emma eximed as she tightened her arm swing to the right. At that moment, Kathy immediately straightened her left hand to the side. Thanks to the thrust, she managed to grab Rachel¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Rachel said with one hand she used to hold Emma¡¯s back and the other grabbed Kathy¡¯s hand.


    Emma smiled in relief. Then she looked at Rachel, ¡°Pull up on the count of three.¡± She said, getting a nod from her.


    ¡°One two three!¡± Emma eximed. Then the two girls pulled Kathy up with ease.


    ¡°Uhhhh!!¡± Kathyy down on the dirty floor after moving away from the edge of the balcony which was no longer blocked by the guardrail.


    Emma held her aching arm, ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked her friend.


    Kathy shook her head, ¡°My arm and wrist are in pain. I think something¡¯s broken,¡±


    Rachel who had risen to her feet smiled faintly, ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± she crouched down beside Kathy and checked her arm which was fine. ¡°It might hurt for a few days. But I¡¯m sure your arm is fine.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Kathy replied with a tired face.


    Rachel nodded as she helped the girl sit up, ¡°Where¡¯s Poppy by the way? Looks like we should check her out. We shouldn¡¯t be ying in a building that¡¯s still under renovation. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Emma stood also up, ¡°You¡¯re right. We have to find Poppy. I¡¯m afraid something might happen to her.¡±

 Chapter 190

    190 Starting to Worry


    The three girls immediately came down from the building that was still being renovated. Surprisingly, the condition inside the building was empty. Then when they reached the main door downstairs, they found Poppy who had just got in with three male workers behind her. Poppy¡¯s face looked so panicked.


    ¡°What?¡± Poppy was surprised to see her three friends who hade down, ¡°How could Kathy...¡±


    ¡°We pulled her up,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Gosh.. Thank goodness. I was so scared. It turned out that the workers were taking a break so I had to look for them outside.¡± The ck irises girl exined as holding her chest.


    ¡°So you two saved the girl who she said fell off the balcony?¡± One of the workers asked.


    Hesitantly, Emma nodded and smiled stiffly.


    ¡°Sounds impossible,¡± One of the men muttered as he rubbed his chin.


    Then another man who looked older came up to them. He had heard the news that a girl had almost fallen from the balcony of the building he was renovating. He heard the news from several residents who saw him eating at a tavern, ¡°Are you girls ying on the balcony?¡± he asked directly.


    ¡°We.. we were,¡± Poppy answered in a low voice when she saw the man¡¯s angry face.


    .....


    ¡°Look. I know you are the owner of this building and you also hired us. But I told you earlier not to y around here. This building has long been abandoned and is still under renovation. You should know that this is not a ce to y. If anyone gets hurt here, we will also be in trouble,¡± He nagged.


    ¡°We apologize for this incident, Sir. We understand and admit that we were wrong. At first, we just wanted to see a little progress on the renovation. But it seems we were too careless,¡± Emma said.


    The man just sighed as he shook his head slowly, ¡°If you¡¯ve seen enough, you can let us get on with our work now. We¡¯ll be closing this ce at six, so we don¡¯t have much time.¡± The man said intending to kick them out.


    The four girls nodded, ¡°Alright. We are sorry to fuss here.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Come on girls,¡± Poppy whispered before stepping out, followed by the others.


    The four girls got into Emma¡¯s car with a tense feeling. If only Emma hadn¡¯t caught Kathy quickly, they didn¡¯t know what would happen to Kathy. Falling from the third floor straight onto the asphalt road. If it didn¡¯t kill or put her in aa, it would definitely break a lot of her bones.


    ¡°By the way, Emma. Thanks for saving me. If you hadn¡¯t been so quick, I would have been dead by now. But.. how¡¯s your arm?¡± Kathy asked as soon as Emma started the car.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°My arm is fine, Kathy. I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe,¡±


    ¡°But, if I think about it, aren¡¯t you two so awesome? Are you two even human?¡± Kathy shifted to sit in the middle and moved her head so that she was between Emma, ??who was driving and Rachel, who was in the front passenger seat.


    Emma and Rachel nced at each other. Then Emma chuckled, ¡°What are you talking about? We were able to pull you up because we worked together. If I was alone I wouldn¡¯t be able to pull you up either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Rachel nodded.


    Kathy shook her head, ¡°Still, I think that¡¯s kinda weird, Emma. I know my weight¡¯s not light at all. Maybe for a guy the size of Troy Roner, he could tell that I¡¯m light. But we¡¯re both the same size. Don¡¯t you remember? You could swing me with one hand! Wasn¡¯t that crazy?!¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of the adrenaline,¡± Rachel answered tly.


    Emma snapped her fingers, ¡°That¡¯s right. Adrenaline. Have you ever seen an ordinary person who could run as fast as an Olympic athlete when he was being chased by a dog? Or an old granny who could even carry her two grandchildren at once when her house was on fire? It all sounds impossible but it¡¯s the adrenaline that makes it possible. Our bodies can do what is beyond our capabilities when we¡¯re panicking.¡± She exined.


    ¡°Really? Well.. It¡¯s pretty exining,¡± Kathy came back to her senses with a doubtful face.


    ¡°From your story, I¡¯m curious as to what the real situation was. Was it really that cool?¡± Poppy asked.


    Kathy nodded quickly, ¡°That¡¯s freaking cool,¡±


    ¡°Believe me it¡¯s not that much, Poppy.¡± Emma cut whileughing and turning the steering wheel. ¡°Kathy seems to find it all awesome because she was the one hanging down below. Rachel and I were still safe upstairs so it was nothing great at all.¡± She continued.


    ¡°Hmm..¡± Kathy mumbled softly as she squinted her eyes and shrugged.


    ***


    News of the Creeper¡¯s fall had reached the ears of a man whose neck was supporting a thick gold chain. Previously Hell Gate, then now Creeper. It seemed the situation was more serious than he had thought.


    Pablo Diablo took a sip of his cigar and blew thick smoke into the air while watching Jen Marrie¡¯s busy street with a straight face. He clearly knew that the level of his group was far above the Deadly Square. Those were the four major groups that spin the illicit business economy in Handway City. They were Creeper, Hell Gate, Red Jack Commander (RJC), and Beast Empire.


    Pablo himself led a group called Dragger which had a level above the Deadly Square. Even so, he admitted that the four groups were so powerful and influential. When Hell Gate fell, it didn¡¯t have much effect on Handway City¡¯s dark world economy. But now when the Creeper had also fallen, the ecosystem emptiness would begin to be felt.


    ¡°What would ck Hole do about this?¡± Pablo muttered.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t if the Creeper down, then RJC would get bigger? That¡¯s the same, right?¡± Creed Johnson said. He was a ck man with two deep eyes. His body was as tall as a basketball yer who reached 2.1 meters.


    ¡°If RJC is bigger than this, isn¡¯t that the same as it would level up to the equivalent of Dragger?¡± Pablo turned his body to look at Creed who was sitting on the sofa ying a game on his cell phone.


    Creed nced at Pablo briefly, ¡°But we all know what RJC¡¯s leader is like, right? I just can¡¯t judge him as bad or good. He seems like a good person trying to be bad. He wants to match Apollo but couldn¡¯t,¡± heughed.


    Creed¡¯s words provoked Pablo¡¯s chuckle. But theughter soon disappeared and was reced with a sigh, ¡°Marcel is indeed soft. Looks like he was forced to use dark means to protect the elderly on Redvalley Street. But that doesn¡¯t rule out the possibility that he would take over the Creeper territory. You know that human desire is unpredictable.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you going to do? After all, ck Hole hasn¡¯t announced anything yet. It seems that they are confused about dealing with this mess. This¡¯s kinda weird because when Hell Gate fell, they could immediately decide to increase the deposit rate,¡±


    ¡°Actually, if they raise the deposit rate again, I think I¡¯d start to object. Even though our ie isrge, I don¡¯t deny that the fee we have to give is already quiterge.¡± Pablo replied. Then he seemed to think for a while, ¡°Should we be the ones who take over all the Creeper¡¯s territory? That way, our ie would get bigger, right?¡±


    ¡°You want to start ying in the robbery business?¡± Creed immediately looked at him with a cold face.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not that talented?¡± Pablo took another sip of his cigar.


    Steadfastly, Creed nodded, ¡°That kind of robbery business is a very uncertain business and has many risks. The entertainment business like the one we run now is still often sought after by night people. But who would be willing to be robbed? The robbery business only benefits one side. Therefore, the superheroes are more focused on targeting them.¡±


    ¡°Super Hero? Ah.. You¡¯re right. I heard RJC was helped by a group called ck. Did you know that?¡± Pablo asked.


    ¡°Of course, I know. From the information I gathered, ck teamed up with RJC to destroy the Creeper scam business that killed the workers in Chingsu District. Things have gone fucking crazy. The most troublesome thing is when we could no longer tell who is the bad guy and who is the good one.¡± Creed replied.


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really care about ck. Even though they are said to be very strong, it doesn¡¯t seem like they have many members.¡±


    ¡°Reportedly, there are only two of them. However, since they are wearing masks, no one knows for sure whether the group had many members that alternated toe out or only has two members. Isn¡¯t it because they are mysterious, then we should be careful?¡± Creed said without taking his eyes off his phone.


    ¡°You advise everyone to be careful yet you look so rxed.¡± Pablo took a deep sip of his cigar. The man named Creed was indeed a game addict. Fortunately, he was quite smart and very adept at fighting.


    Creed shrugged, ¡°Not seeing doesn¡¯t mean not being alert. Your face doesn¡¯t have to look tense to be serious. Life is already tough, no need to try building a good image.¡±


    ¡°Your words are too heavy. You know that?¡± Pablo looked at him sarcastically. But of course, Creed didn¡¯t care. ¡°Looks like I have to expand the territory.¡±


    Creed nced at Pablo again, ¡°That¡¯s up to you. But then don¡¯t bother me if something goes wrong. You know I have to y games for at least eight hours a day. Don¡¯t make me short on game time.¡±


    Pablo couldn¡¯t help but give a t face, ¡°I can¡¯t believe a hand that¡¯s always ying games can crack someone¡¯s skull with just one blow.¡±

 Chapter 191

    191 Big Head


    ¡°It seems that Marcel doesn¡¯t get what we mean,¡± Troy said furiously.


    The four guys just looked at the man with fed-up faces. It seemed they couldn¡¯t live peacefully even for just a month. In fact, they had already seen that the tide of the martial art studios¡¯ students losing had already stopped. But the line was up again now. And when they traced it, RJC was the culprit.


    ¡°To be more precise, he doesn¡¯t care, mate.¡± Martin spun in the office chair he was sitting on.


    ¡°RJC won¡¯t listen to us. Looks like we have no other way but to attack them. Let the violence do the talking.¡± Ian said.


    ¡°When are we going to attack them?¡± Nicko asked.


    ¡°We should discuss this with Calvin Lee too,¡± Frank added.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call him toe over. I saw that jerk with Emma Hind. It¡¯s time for us to screw up their date,¡± Martin said before quickly pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. ¡°Hello! Calvin. Come to the meeting room now. We¡¯re going to attack RJC soon.¡±


    On the other line, Calvin immediately grabbed his cellphone which he had ced on the chair. He immediately turned off the speaker mode on the phone before cing it to his ear, ¡°You don¡¯t have to shout like that! Fine. I¡¯m going there now.¡±


    After that, Calvin turned off the phone. Then he turned to the side and found Emma was staring at him with wide eyes framed by beautiful curly eyshes.


    .....


    ¡°You.. have any business?¡± Emma asked lightly.


    Calvin chuckled awkwardly. He nodded as he scratched the back of his head, ¡°Sorry you had to hear that. Martin usually would only call me to tell a joke that was not important. I didn¡¯t expect him to say something important this time.¡±


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No need to apologize. You didn¡¯t turn on the speaker on purpose to let me hear the call either. If you¡¯re going, I can do the work on my own.¡±


    ¡°We still have tomorrow or this afternoon to work on it, Emma. You don¡¯t have to do all this alone. This is our job.¡± Calvin lifted theptop on hisp. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry that I have to leave now. The thing is.. it¡¯s quite serious.¡±


    ¡°I understand and don¡¯t mind it.¡± Emma put down the thick book she had been reading to Calvin to retype, ¡°All right. Either this afternoon or tomorrow morning, I have time for both.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Thank goodness. I feel bad for you, Emma. You don¡¯t have to worry. Just give me the book. If I have some free time in the meeting, I can work on it a bit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, you know?¡± Emma chuckled.


    But Calvin grabbed the book Emma was holding and took it, ¡°Please. Just so you know. I¡¯m defending myself so I don¡¯t feel too bad for you.¡± He winked at her.


    Emma smiled, ¡°Alright. But don¡¯t push yourself. You know it, right? If you don¡¯t concentrate on doing it, it puts you at risk of making a lot of mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Calvin replied. After he had packed all his things into the bag, he didn¡¯t leave immediately, but stood looking at Emma, ??¡±Let me take you downstairs,¡±


    Emma¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°Take me? Hey.. I can go alone,¡± sheughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s so quiet in here, Emma. Maybe some asshole might have stopped you on your way down.¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Gosh, Calvin. This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve been walking alone around here. I¡¯ll be fine. Do you think I¡¯m a kid?¡± Emma rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Calvin mumbled, ¡°I guess I¡¯m too worried about you,¡±


    Emma let out a long sigh, ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary. You¡¯d better get going now before Martin calls you again. He¡¯s a very fussy guy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Then I¡¯ll go first,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Bye,¡± Emma waved her hand briefly and the man in the knit sweater waved back shortly.


    As soon as Calvin disappeared behind the wall, Emma¡¯s face immediately turned serious. Her brows furrowed to describe how confused she was at the information she had just heard.


    Jita Kyoei would attack RJC? Why? Hadn¡¯t RJC stopped recruiting martial arts students?


    The creeper had fallen. RJC had no enemies threatening its territory anymore. Then what was all this? What actually happened?


    Emma took her sling bag and put it on. It was a fourth-floor hallway in the new campus building that was still rarely used. Coincidentally, she and Calvin got a group assignment. Thinking that doing it required concentration, the two of them decided to do it in a quiet ce and ended up choosing this ce.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I find out about this?¡± Emma muttered. If her two friends got into a fight, then one of Emma¡¯s goals in carrying out herst mission would mean failure.


    Emma went to the ballet ss. After putting her things in her locker, she approached her two friends who were gathered together.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Kathy?¡± Emma asked by looking around to find a figure who usually just tied up her red hair carelessly.


    ¡°Kathy doesn¡¯t go to ss today. She said her hand hurt from yesterday¡¯s ident.¡± Poppy answered.


    ¡°After regr sses, she went straight home to go to the hospital to have her bones checked,¡± Rachel added.


    ¡°Oh..¡± Emma mumbled by sitting on the floor. She started hitting her ballet shoes on the floor to make themfortable to wear. It was amon thing for ballet dancers.


    Poppy looked at Emma with a questioning face, ¡°Did something happen, Emma?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emma raised her face in confusion.


    ¡°You look like you have a lot on your mind. It¡¯s very clear on your face even though your face was fine this morning.¡± Poppy said quietly.


    ¡°I feel it too,¡± Rachel added while hugging her own knees.


    Emma smiled faintly and sighed softly, ¡°I just realized that what I¡¯ve done, which I thought had worked, turned out to still be failed. It makes me feel uneasy.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Is that your coursework?¡± Poppy guessed.


    Emma smiled faintly, ¡°Kind of,¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, Emma. I know it hurts when you try so hard and it doesn¡¯t turn out the way you want it to. But things can still be fixed.¡± Poppy said.


    Emma took Poppy¡¯s hand and held it for a moment, ¡°Thanks, Poppy.¡±


    Although Emma could trick Poppy, it was different with Rachel. She knew that what was bothering Emma wasn¡¯t her coursework. It must be something else, which probably had something to do with the gangster problem.


    ¡°Poppy,¡± A woman approached them.


    ¡°Oh, yes?¡± Poppy immediately rose from her seat.


    ¡°Oh, yes?¡± Ms Tania repeated. ¡°Maybe you could rece it with ¡®May I help you, Ms Tania?¡¯. I think that would sound more polite and pleasant.¡± The woman said.


    Emma then frowned and turned to Rachel who also looked displeased with the woman. But Poppy had indeed been too kind to allow the rude, snobby woman to do as she pleased.


    ¡°Sorry. May I help you, Ms Tania?¡± Poppy corrected her question.


    ¡°ss is about to start. But I left my files in the administration room. Could you possibly get them for me?¡± The woman asked.


    ¡°C-can¡¯t it be taken after the ss is over?¡± Poppy looked awkward.


    Ms Tania shook her head, ¡°Unfortunately, there are some of my notes in there. There are important data that I must take home immediately. Maybe I would run out of time if I have to go to the third floor to get the file when ss is over.¡±


    ¡°Pardon, Ms Tania. But we all know that a warm-up is important before dancing. Isn¡¯t there a score today? It would be a disservice to Poppy if she had to dance without a warm-up as usual. The administration room is quite far from here.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Hm.. Ms Hind. Isn¡¯t it rude to suddenly step into other people¡¯s conversations? I thought you were a ssydy,¡± The woman said with a condescending look at Emma.


    Emma smiled kindly and nodded, ¡°Perhaps my attitude makes you think of me as a rude woman. I was just thinking about my best friend who might be in trouble just for helping someone who identally forgot her stuff elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Emma,¡± Poppy whispered as she looked at the brown-eyed girl with a panicked face.


    But Emma didn¡¯t seem to care. She was so annoyed with people who acted as she pleased and still thought that she was the coolest like that woman named Tania. She knew she shouldn¡¯t serve an annoying person. But if that person had harmed others, then the person must be stopped before her head get any bigger. And again, she hated to see her best friend being trampled on by someone.


    ¡°Ah.. So you¡¯re that kind of person, Emma Hind? Well, I understand. But don¡¯t me me if you¡¯re not satisfied with your grades.¡±


    Emma nodded firmly, ¡°Yes, I am that kind of person, Ms Tania. So it doesn¡¯t meet your view of a ssydy? What does a ssydy look like in your opinion exactly? Do they always obey you to keep their grades?¡±


    Ms Tania chuckled then shook her head in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re a master at talking back, aren¡¯t you?¡± Then she looked at Poppy, ¡°Ms Castonia, it seems that I feel you are no longerpetent to be my assistant. The three of you, ah.. and your red-haired friend. You better be prepared to see your gradester.¡±


    ¡°We never expected to get good grades from a teacher like you from the start,¡± Rachel answered straight away with a straight face.


    Rachel¡¯s words made Ms Tania choke even more, ¡°What a strange ss. Even a giant could be a dancer here. It destroys the elegant image of ballet.¡± She said to herself before walking away, leaving the three impudent girls.


    ¡°She has a fucking garbage mouth,¡± Emma clenched her fists. She felt like she wanted to sew the woman¡¯s rude lips.

 Chapter 192

    192 To Intervene


    ¡°Oh.. Girls. I¡¯m so sorry. You got in trouble for defending me.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not just defending you, Poppy. It¡¯s more about that woman was going too far. I can¡¯t help myself to stop ignoring her.¡± Emma answered. ¡°We can take care of future matterster. But now I feel relieved that you are no longer her assistant.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d probably have a lot of trouble doing everything herself.¡± Poppy sighed. ¡°Thanks for saving me, guys. Finally, I¡¯m free from Ms Tania.¡±


    As they expected, Ms Tania was trying to make it difficult for the three girls to score. But luckily, Emma and her two friends had been practising so often that they had be adept at mastering some of the moves. This made Ms Tania very upset.


    Once the ballet ss was over, as usual, the three girls would shower in the campus shower room.


    ¡°Are you guys going straight home after this?¡± Poppy asked while drying her hair.


    Emma, ??who had finished cleaning up, shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ll continue my coursework with Calvin.¡±


    ¡°I went straight home,¡± Rachel answered.


    ¡°Oh, Rachel. You¡¯re not working part-time anymore, are you?¡± Poppy asked.


    .....


    ¡°I still work a few days but not as much as usual. That¡¯s why I have more free time.¡± The tall girl answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Working too much will have a bad effect on your health. You should give your body a break.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°Girls, looks like I have to go now,¡± Emma said by ncing at her watch.


    ¡°Oh.. You¡¯re done, huh?¡± Poppy looked at Emma in the mirror.


    Emma nodded as she looked at her phone, ¡°Calvin said his business will be finished soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, Emma. See you tomorrow.¡± Poppy said.


    After saying goodbye to her two friends, Emma immediately went over to Calvin, who she could guess was in the old radio room.


    Emma stood in front of the room¡¯s door before taking a deep breath. Then she knocked on the door and opened it. However, the room turned out to be empty. It seemed that Calvin and Jita Kyoei were done with their meeting.


    ¡°Why did youe here, Emma?¡±


    The sound made Emma jump in surprise and turn around. Calvin smiled kindly at her.


    ¡°Ah.. I thought you were still here,¡± Emma answered by closing the door again.


    Calvin shook his head, ¡°We¡¯re just done. You should just go straight to the cafe. Luckily, I realized I left my stuff here.¡±


    ¡°Then you can take it,¡± Emma opened the door again.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Calvin said as he entered the room. Emma followed behind him.


    ¡°Oh.. What is it?¡± Emma saw a paper folded into four parts. It looked like the paper wasrge. That was the stuff Calvin had left behind.


    ¡°Ah.. This is a map.¡± Calvin answered by opening his backpack.


    ¡°A map? May I see it?¡± Emma asked. She had a feeling about it.


    At first, Calvin seemed to think about giving the thing to Emma. But he shrugged by handing the map to her.


    Emma smiled, ¡°Thanks.¡± she said as she opened the map, ¡°Wow.. This is cool. Is this a building floor map?¡± she asked, scanning the paper carefully. In fact, she already knew that it was a map of RJC¡¯s headquarters with just a few seconds of staring at it. But she was just pretending to be innocent.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a map of a building.¡± Calvin nodded.


    After finishing studying it, Emma returned the paper to Calvin, ¡°Did you guys make it?¡±


    ¡°It was Frank,¡± Calvin replied.


    ¡°Frank? He¡¯s cool,¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°You think so?¡± Calvin seemed curious about Emma¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°Well.. He looks reliable but never voices it. I think people who hide their prowess are cool.¡± Emma said as she walked out of the room.


    ¡°H-how do you see me?¡± Calvin asked directly.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Emma turned around.


    Calvin looked at Emma deeply, ¡°What do you think of me? May I know that?¡±


    ¡°Eum..¡± Emma blinked a few times. Why did if Calvin asked like that, then she got confused? She rubbed the trunk of her neck and began to think, ¡°You.. I think.. you are kind and friendly.¡±


    Calvin smiled faintly, ¡°Is that all? Kind and friendly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to exin it. You make me confused if you suddenly ask like that.¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°Did I? Sorry then.. if I have confused you,¡± Calvin stepped out of the room and closed the door, ¡°I hope you like nice and friendly men too.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one that doesn¡¯t like nice and friendly people, I think,¡± Emma replied by paralleling her steps beside Calvin.


    ¡°I know. But aren¡¯t there too many people has that image? So that doesn¡¯t make it special.¡± He looked disappointed even though his lips were smiling.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a special person to me. You should know that.¡± Emma said.


    Calvin smiled and nodded. ¡®But I don¡¯t feel it, Emma.¡¯ he said in his heart.


    ***


    At home, Emma thought alone. She was checking the assignment she had done with Calvin this afternoon in the quiet campus cafe. She suddenly thought of what had happened earlier, when Calvin asked what Emma thought about him.


    In fact, Emma could always easily judge other people even though she never said it out loud. But in her entire life, it was only Calvin who asked her about it directly. For some reason, Calvin¡¯s question immediately made her brain feel like shut down.


    ¡°Calvin makes my feelings ufortable until now. Looks like I¡¯ll have to consult Poppy about this tomorrow. She¡¯s a feeling expert.¡± Emma said to herself.


    Once her coursework was over, Emma finally did what she had been nning. The thing that made her rush to finish her assignment.


    She still clearly remembered the map she had seen earlier. It was not a well-crafted map, but an attack strategy.


    She didn¡¯t know where Calvin and his friends could get a map of RJC¡¯s headquarters. However, Emma, ??who had entered the base several times, could recognize the pattern of the building even from a floor map. Although the paper did not show details of the location of the rooms, it was sufficient to describe where the core spots of RJC¡¯s headquarters were.


    On the map, there could be seen several X¡¯s which had crossed out the front door, back door, and second-floor window near the outer emergency stairwell. Emma could read that Jita Kyoei¡¯s group would enter from these points. They also outlined where the emergency stairs were located in the building.


    ¡°Why are they still fighting?¡± Emma muttered as she leaned back weakly on the back of her chair.


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s cell phone rang. She immediately raised her head again and grabbed the phone from the table, ¡°Rachel?¡± Then she pressed the green symbol on the screen of her phone and put it to her ear, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Emma. Am I bothering you?¡± Rachel asked from across the line.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No, Rachel. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Thank God. Are you.. at home now?¡±


    Emma nodded, ¡°I am. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Ah..¡± Rachel chuckled awkwardly, ¡°Actually, I was thinking ofing over to your house if you don¡¯t mind. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can, Rachel. I¡¯d love it if you came here.¡± Emma answered with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Rachel said. ¡°I happened to be in front of your house. Can youe out and open the door for me?¡±


    ¡°What? Are you outside already?¡± Emma asked as she got up from her seat and immediately walked out of the house. She couldn¡¯t believe what Rachel was asking.


    As soon as she left the door of her house, Emma stepped over to the fence and opened it. Outside, she found a girl with a helmet sitting on a dark blue motorbike. Then she chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t regret epting Marcel¡¯s offer,¡±


    Rachelughed along, ¡°May Ie in?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Tiger,¡± Emma answered by pushing the big fence open a little wider.


    Rachel started the engine again and rode her bike inside. Then she parked it in Emma¡¯s garage, next to the girl¡¯s jet ck motorbike.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you modify it so quickly. Did you take it to the detailing shop?¡± Emma asked as she walked in.


    Rachel shook her head and sat down on the sofa after taking off her leather jacket, ¡°I did the detailing myself.¡±


    Emma¡¯s eyebrows shot up, ¡°You did? Gosh, you¡¯re awesome, Rachel. I thought you were only good at fiddling with machines.¡±


    ¡°While fiddling with the engine, I studied detailing and modification. Therefore, this bike is actually a good experimental object. Thank you for epting the offer from Marcel, Emma. The bike¡¯s highly useful for me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me, Rachel. You overly deserve it. For what you¡¯ve done for their group, it¡¯s still underwhelming.¡± Emma said as she stepped out from behind the kitchen counter and walked over to Rachel with two hot drinks in her hands. ¡°By the way, why did you suddenlye here?¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling that something isn¡¯t right. Are my assumptions correct?¡± Rachel asked with a serious face.


    ¡°Oh.. About my face today, huh?¡± Emma guessed, ??smiling faintly with her eyes staring at the two sses she ced on the guest table.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°That wasn¡¯t about the coursework, was it?¡±


    Emma let out a long sigh, ¡°You¡¯re right, Rachel. It¡¯s not a college assignment. It¡¯s a matter that is still rted to ourst mission.¡±


    ¡°I thought so. What happened, Emma?¡±


    But Emma looked at Rachel meaningfully, ¡°But, Rachel. This matter has nothing to do with the Chingsu District or anything within it. So.. I can say that it has nothing to do with you anymore.¡±


    Hearing Emma¡¯s words made Rachel frown, ¡°So.. you mean that I have no right to intervene anymore?¡± she asked carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that you have no right, Rachel. But you don¡¯t have to burden yourself with these problems anymore.¡± Emma answered quickly.


    Rachel could see the look of desperation on Emma¡¯s face. She indeed understood what Emma was thinking, and she wanted to set things straight. ¡°Emma, ??listen to me.¡± She stared at her best friend as she gripped her shoulders.


    .....

 Chapter 193

    193 We Are ck


    Emma looked at Rachel with her big round eyes and a questioning face.


    ¡°Do you think I cooperated with you yesterday just because I wanted to save my grandfather? If you think so, then you are wrong, Emma.¡± Rachel said.


    Then she took a deep breath and started to continue, ¡°All this time, I¡¯ve lived on my own. I don¡¯t have any friends because everyone sees me as a monster. My big body, my scary face, and my introverted nature make people think I¡¯m weird. My dad was a boxer. I love autos and like to get my hands dirty with oil. I also love martial art sports and wanted to be free to get along with them. But I tried to all my passions cover-up for fear that people would look at me as a freak. Maybe they would say it was natural for me that I liked rough and dirty things because my physique alone was not graceful at all.¡± Rachel exined. Then she removed her hands from Emma¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°When I first saw you, I thought you were a perfect elegantdy. You were beautiful, gentle, and smart. But when I saw you practising ballet with unusual moves, I started to notice your difference. I felt there was something special about you. Maybe.. in the end, I could have at least one friend who was a little bit like me. And when I found out what you were doing behind people¡¯s backs, Gosh! It felt like I won a lottery. I finally found someone who could ept me and allow me to be myself and freely do what I love. I was like a monster released into the wild after being locked up in a dungeon for so long. That was how I feel because of you, Emma. And all those adventures.. I really love them.¡±


    Emma¡¯s eyes flickered. Her face looked tense at the outpouring of Rachel¡¯s heart. Emma had no idea that Rachel had been going through such heavy mental torture all this time. She did not expect what the environment could do to make a person judge herself to such a low level.


    In fact, Emma had always admired Rachel Markway, who she thought was wise and had a strong personality. She even relied on Rachel in many ways. But it turned out that Rachel had that much fear of the world. It was so painful to know that a girl as strong as Rachel had to think of herself as a caged monster.


    ¡°Please give me a chance, Emma.¡± Rachel said again, snapping Emma out of her daze.


    Emma immediately shook her head. She rubbed the corners of her eyes that were starting to water, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Rachel. It seems that I¡¯ve been careless about your feelings all this time. Sorry I misunderstood and thought that you were willing to help me just because it had to do with your grandfather and his workce.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, Emma. You¡¯re honestly the only person I can tell about my feelings to. And I feel sorry that I have to put this burden on you. However.. I just couldn¡¯t help it. Sorry for that,¡± Rachel said in a low voice.


    .....


    ¡°You never burden me at all, Rachel. I feel so honoured to be the person you could trust to share your feelings with. I just didn¡¯t think that all this time.. you had that much mental pressure. I¡¯m a girl who grew restrained and is out of my cage to fly freely. I want you to have the same opportunity, Rachel.¡± Emma smiled softly as she looked at her best friend.


    Rachel¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, ¡°I promise you won¡¯t regret it, Emma. When I said that I would fight with you, it wasn¡¯t just fighting once or twice. What I meant was that I will continue to fight with you. If your dream is to see a clean Handway City, then I¡¯ll join forces to make it happen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Rachel. Really. I appreciate that.¡± She said and hugged her.


    Emma was deeply moved by Rachel¡¯s words. Knowing that she was not alone anymore in achieving her dreams made her madly happy. Emma admitted that she was not without difficulty in her actions all this time. The problems thate and go that seemed endless, frankly made Emma overwhelmed in every decision.


    She realized that she was not mentally mature enough. Emma still didn¡¯t know much about the outside world and life. Because of that, she was usually afraid of making a wrong decision every time she had to. And she only had to rely on her own brain.


    Emma once had thought about how nice it would be to have Rachel as a partner in carrying out all of her missions. But Emma dared not hope for more. She understood that her job was dangerous and she didn¡¯t want to involve anyone in it, let alone her best friend. But apparently, what Emma thought was wrong. Rachel naturally wanted to help her. It was like a dreame true.


    ¡°So, ck is still two, isn¡¯t it?¡± Rachel let go of her arm with a smile.


    Emma nodded, ¡°ck is still two people. We are ck.¡±


    With that, officially and suddenly, ck was formed. A small group of two girls disguised under masks and ck clothes. They became mysterious figures to everyone in the dark world.


    ¡°So, Jita Kyoei will still attack RJC?¡± Rachel asked from the kitchen counter, looking at Emma who was busy cooking.


    Emma nodded while stirring her Spaghetti Carbonara, ¡°Isn¡¯t that weird? If RJC doesn¡¯t have any enemies anymore, that should mean they¡¯re not recruiting martial arts students anymore. Then why does Jita Kyoei still intend to attack them?¡±


    ¡°How do you know if RJC hasn¡¯t recruited members from the studio?¡± Rachel asked.


    Emma stopped stirring and then turned to look at Rachel, ¡°That¡¯s.. just my guess,¡±


    Rachel nodded slowly, ¡°You can¡¯t rely on a guess. That¡¯s why there¡¯s such a thing as research.¡±


    Emma turned off the stove and poured the contents of the pot into a pan made of heat-resistant ss.


    ¡°Do you need a hand with that?¡± Rachel asked, getting ready to stand up.


    Emma immediately shook her head, ¡°Don¡¯t try to get involved in someone¡¯s cooking. I can do everything myself.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Rachel raised her palms beside her head.


    After she finished pouring, Emma spoke again while thinking, ¡°So we should investigate first?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we should,¡± Rachel answered. ¡°Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t know why Jita Kyoei was nning to attack RJC. Let alone me, even you pretty much recognize those guys, right? I¡¯m sure Calvin and Troy aren¡¯t bad guys who would suddenly attack someone.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I agree with you to investigate. But I have one question. How?¡± Emma asked while grating the cheese.


    Rachel didn¡¯t answer. She had been thinking about that too. Previously, to find information about Creeper, they could disguise themselves as Chingsu District¡¯s employees.


    But for RJC, they couldn¡¯t do the same because there wasn¡¯t any woman in the base. It was a male nest. They also couldn¡¯t possibly ask Marcel directly because that would make him suspicious about them. After all, they had officially broken up the tie with RJC now.


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    Rachel immediately looked up at Emma.


    ¡°My hand touched the hot pot. Damn it!¡± Emma eximed by blowing her burned hand.


    Rachel just sighed deeply. She thought Emma had an idea.


    ¡°But I have an idea,¡± Emma continued.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows shot up enthusiastically, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Is it possible if we install a bug in the old radio room?¡± Emma smiled widely.


    ¡°Old radio room?¡± Rachel repeated. ¡°Oh.. Is it the room that Calvin and Jita Kyoei use for meetings? That¡¯s fine a pretty fine idea. But, do you have the device?¡±


    Emma smiled widely, ¡°That could be arranged.¡±


    ***


    A box car stopped in front of a house with a high wooden fence. A man got down from the passenger door and took a quiterge box in his arms.


    He stood in front of the fence and difficulty pressed the bell button. Not long after, the fence door opened and revealed a charming girl with two big brown eyes who was wearing a cooking apron, ¡°Ms Emma Wind?¡± the man asked.


    Emma nodded, ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Of course, that was not her real name. Jonas had arranged for the identity of the girl and himself to be safe.


    ¡°This is a package from Jonas Wind. Please sign here,¡± The man said by pointing his chin at the two pieces of paper stuck together.


    Emma took the pen on top of the box and signed the paper, ¡°The red one for me?¡±


    The man smiled, ¡°That¡¯s right,¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma said taking the red sheet on the paper along with the package.


    She immediately went into the house and opened the box. She smiled broadly at its contents. After that, she took the phone from the table and took a picture of the opened package and sent it to someone.


    ¡®The package has arrived. Thanks, Jonas!¡¯ Emma clicked the send button.


    Not long after, a reply message came, ¡®You¡¯re wee. But, I beg your pardon, Miss. You haven¡¯t exined what you¡¯re going to do with the thirty bugs.¡¯


    ¡®This is a college assignment. We will perform a drama.¡¯ Emma answered.


    ¡®You expect me to believe that? Indeed smart. Don¡¯t get involved with the police, youngdy. I¡¯ll be in trouble too then. Your papa would kill this innocent human, you know?¡¯


    Emmaughed when reading the message. Then she continued to type, ¡®What kind of police will interfere in the affairs of students who are doing their college work? Jardin University is weird. You will know for yourself if you study here.¡¯


    ¡®Right, it¡¯s up to you. Take care of yourself. I¡¯ll call you tomorrow.¡¯


    ¡®All right, Sir!¡¯


    With a smile still on her face, Emma put her phone back on the table. But not even after five seconds the cellphone had been lying there, it was now ringing again from an iing call.


    Emma looked at her phone screen and immediately picked up the call, ¡°Yes, Rachel?¡±

 Chapter 194

    194 Rocks


    ¡°Emma, I¡¯ve checked a few studios here. They¡¯ve indeed lost their students again.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°O-oh.. Is it? Are you sure RJC did it?¡±


    Rachel shook her head from the other side, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that yet. I just asked the receptionist at the studios. They admit that over the past week or so, many of their students have quit.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thanks for bothering to check around, Rachel. You can go back home now.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll look a little more. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I just happen to have nothing else to do on this day off.¡± She replied.


    Emma smiled, ¡°Okay then. Remember, don¡¯t push yourself,¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Rachel replied.


    ¡°Gosh.. Rachel is so ambitious,¡± Emma muttered after turning off the call.


    But suddenly, her phone rang again.


    .....


    ¡°What¡¯s this again? Levi? What does he want?¡± Emma said to herself as she stared at her phone screen.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She said as soon as she put the phone against his ear.


    A chuckle heard from the other side, ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything yet but you¡¯re already grumpy like that?¡±


    Emma sighed tiredly, ¡°Alright.. Why did you call me, Levi? What do you want?¡±


    ¡°You seem to think that I¡¯ll only contact you if I need something, huh?¡±


    Levi¡¯s question left Emma speechless. She remembered thest time she met Levi. He didn¡¯t want anything from her butforted her instead. But why did every time she found Levi contacted her, she felt strange adrenaline inside her chest that always made her a sensitive bitch for no reason?


    ¡°You still there? You¡¯re not daydreaming again, are you?¡±


    Shit! It seemed that Levi was starting to recognize Emma¡¯s habits. Then she cleared her throat as soon as she woke up from her thoughts. She shook her head subconsciously, ¡°Nope. I¡¯m working on something. By the way, you haven¡¯t exined why you contacted me.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to call you. Is that forbidden?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°It¡¯s just odd. Did something happen to you?¡±


    Levi smiled faintly across the line, ¡°I just need a friend to talk to. A friend who doesn¡¯t have to judge me.¡±


    Emma could hear Levi¡¯s tone which wasn¡¯t as annoying as usual. From it, she realized that he was probably having a tough day, ¡°Um.. Just so you know. I don¡¯t have a college today. Maybe I can stay out until noon.¡±


    ¡°I did not ask that,¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Emma¡¯s nerves were sticking out under her forehead¡¯s skin, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll hang up! Have a nice day..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± The manughed, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up at the usual bus stop. How about ten minutes from now?¡±


    Emma huffed in annoyance. But she was not angry at him, ¡°Fifteen minutes?¡±


    ¡°Deal. Don¡¯t bete.¡± Levi said before hanging up the call.


    ¡°Why did he even manage me?¡± Emma said to herself while staring at her phone screen. ¡°Geez.. I have to hurry.¡± Then she quickly walked into her room.


    Both hands opened arge wardrobe. Then she turned to the window of her room which showed the condition of the sunny sky outside. Winter wasing to an end. The snow on the street had already melted and the air wasn¡¯t as dry as it had been a few days ago. Soon, the white colour that usually dominated the scenery would change to the colours of flowers with the scent of young grass growing in the dew.


    Emma took out three sets of clothes from her wardrobe and threw them on the bed. Then she tried to select the best pairs in front of the mirror and made a little confused face.


    ¡°Ugh.. Looks like I have to go shopping for new clothes again. Why isn¡¯t there anything suitable to wear for this change of season?¡± She mumbled, ¡°Okay, Emma. Starting tomorrow, you should pay more attention to yourself. This gangster business is making you lose time to treat yourself.¡±


    ***


    A man in a greybined with beige long sleeve knitted top and ck jeans with dark Hazelwood sneakers was standing enjoying the cold breeze while leaning against his car. He looked at his watch again.


    Finally, the person he had been waiting for showed up. A woman appeared from the street corner, heading towards him. It was a girl with golden-brown hair framed on her face. She wore a long-sleeved knit top with a high neckline and a short jeans skirt. Over her shoulders, hung a long, browntte coat. She had ankle-high brown high-heeled boots warped her feet.


    Unconsciously, Levi smiled slightly as he got up from his lean. He folded his arms across his chest, ¡°You¡¯re five minuteste,dy. That¡¯s impressive.¡±


    ¡°Say that to this,¡± Emma thrust a lunch box in front of his face.


    Levi¡¯s eyebrows rose as he epted the object, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Food,¡± Emma answered casually by stepping over to the passenger door and opening it.


    Levi shrugged his shoulders and entered the driver¡¯s door, ¡°You cooked it yourself?¡± he asked as he sat down in the chair and closed the door.


    Emma nodded, ¡°When you called me, I happened to have just finished making them. Have you ever tried that dish? The name is Onigiri.¡±


    ¡°Onigiri?¡± Levi repeated by opening the cover of the pink lunch box.


    ¡°It¡¯s a typical Japanese dish. Rice stuffed with tuna inside and wrapped in seaweed. This is the first time I¡¯ve made it after watching a cooking show.¡± Emma exined.


    Levi took one piece of Onigiri that Emma said and immediately devoured it with a big bite.


    ¡°How is it? I haven¡¯t tried it yet. But I¡¯m confident that it tastes good because it was pretty easy to make.¡± Emma asked with an excited face.


    Levi shrugged, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Not bad?¡± Emma immediately took one piece and ate it, ¡°This is delicious!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to you. My tongue has high standards.¡± Levi said before devouring thest piece of food.


    ¡°Gosh.. How annoying,¡± Emma muttered, not trying to lower her voice so that Levi could hear that. But the man just chuckled.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma immediately looked at him with a confused face, ¡°Why are you asking me? Weren¡¯t you the one who asked me out?¡±


    ¡°I know. But I don¡¯t know of a good ce in this city other than the Yellow Bridge river in the winter.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Oh.. How about we go to your house? I haven¡¯t seen Nancy in a long time.¡± Emma said excitedly.


    But Levi shook his head slowly, ¡°Unfortunately, my mother has gone abroad again.¡±


    ¡°What? Did the diseasee back again?¡± Emma asked worriedly.


    Levi nodded once, ¡°It¡¯s like unpredictable weather.¡±


    Emma nodded slowly. Instantly, the atmosphere became gloomy. Now Emma knew why Levi became so sad that he had to find her. It must have been because Nancy had fallen ill again. A mother did have a big influence on the life of her child. No, both parents had great influence. The difference was that Levi only had a mother, just like Emma who only had a father.


    ¡°How about we go to the seaside?¡± Emma asked.


    Levi turned to her. It was the girl who was looking at him with a smile as bright as the sun in spring. Emma nodded, ¡°Do you know what it¡¯s like to have a sea breeze in winter?¡±


    It seemed like Emma¡¯s idea of ??going to the seaside was a good one. The ce was calmly quiet. Actually, it was not a tourist attraction but just a seaside location that was bordered by walls and corals.


    ***


    Emma came out of the car door followed by Levi. Strong wind hit them. Emma quickly tied her hair up to keep it from flying everywhere, ¡°Nice ce, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The wind is madly stro..¡± Levi stopped talking as soon as he turned to Emma. Then he quickly turned his face to the sea in front.


    While pulling her hair into a hair band, Emma looked at Levi confusedly. Then she lowered her hands from behind her head, ¡°The wind indeed strong.¡± she said. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, that was what she heard from Levi just now. For some reason, the man suddenly stopped his sentence.


    ¡°Why did you invite me here?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma smiled before pointing towards the open sea, ¡°I¡¯ll show you there,¡± she started to walk towards the stairs leading down. Levi¡¯s car was parked on the side of the road.


    Once they got on the seawall, Emma stood on the edge with Levi by her side.


    ¡°The wind is so strong. Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Levi asked with a bit of a shout because the wind that blew was so loud that it filled their ears.


    Emma shook her head hard. A smile remained on her lips. Then she stepped aside so she could stand closer to Levi and patted him on the shoulder to make him look down a little because she was about to say something.


    Despite putting on a questioning face, Levi bent his knees so that Emma could speak beside his ear.


    ¡°Look at those waves,¡± Emma said and pointed down at the strong, big waves that broke as they hit the big rocks. ¡°If you feel that your life is messy, you can see those rocks. They are so strong that even the great waves will break when they hit them. It does look messy and noisy, but it is proven that the rocks are able to protect the wall behind them. Wouldn¡¯t it be cool if we could be as strong as those rocks?¡±


    Levi blinked at what Emma was pointing at. Then he turned his face to the side, where Emma was standing right next to him. It looked like the girl was still smiling broadly while looking at the vast sea and the roar of the waves below them. But why was her smile so bright?


    Levi immediately straightened up his back again. But he didn¡¯t notice that one of Emma¡¯s hands was still on his shoulder. The strong wind made Emma seem to struggle to keep her bnce. Swiftly, Levi held her shoulder so she could cling to his body.


    Emma¡¯s heart was pounding hard. Either because she almost fell into the rocks or because Levi was holding her which almost felt like hugging and embracing at the same time? Emma froze for a few seconds before releasing her body from Levi¡¯s arms. But it seemed the man was indeed quite worried so his hand immediately turned to grip Emma¡¯s wrist.

 Chapter 195

    195 Abandoned Barn


    ¡°We¡¯d better get down. It¡¯s dangerous in here.¡± Levi said in a loud voice so as not to lose to the howling of the wind.


    Emma could only nod and follow the man down the huge high wall that separated the sea and the shore.


    ¡°How did you find out about this ce?¡± Levi asked with his hands in the pockets of his brown coat.


    ¡°One day, I was wandering around the pier and found this ce. I know it¡¯s not a tourist spot, but it¡¯s like a treasure to me.¡± Emma said. The day she meant was when she was investigating Hell Gate¡¯s headquarters at that time. She identally found this ce and immediately thought that one day she would visit it again. However, this had only materialized today.


    ¡°You walked around here? You better note here alone because I heard a lot of crime going on in the harbour area.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°It is? I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Emma looked thoughtful. Oh.. maybe it was because too many crimes happened in Handway City that she couldn¡¯t tell the difference between dangerous and harmless ces anymore.


    ¡°You¡¯d make me feel better. I think what you said was true.¡± Levi said suddenly as they almost got to the car.


    Emma looked at him and smiled warmly, ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. And d to know that we¡¯re even now.¡±


    Emma¡¯s statement made Levi stare at her questioningly.


    .....


    Then Emma chuckled, ¡°Thest thing you did for me. I don¡¯t know what you thought about it, but it made a big impression on me. You gave me the strength to live my day again. You gave a new perception to my mind which is still developing and trying to be mature. It meant a lot for me that I felt indebted to you.¡±


    ¡°Debt of gratitude.¡± Levi chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s a satan¡¯s circle. But today, I might be happy to go to hell.¡±


    Emmaughed, ¡°You¡¯re so weird. Very, very weird,¡± she said by shaking her head.


    Levi smiled. Then he nced at therge silver watch wrapped around his tattooed wrist, ¡°Emma,¡±


    The girl stopped walking when she almost reached the car door, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you really thinking of going home now? So, we¡¯re here just to watch the waves crash against the rocks?¡± He asked.


    Emma pulled her hand back from the car door. Her face looked contemting, ¡°I did think so. You forced me to choose a destination so suddenly.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for ming me. How about we walk around here a little bit? It¡¯s still quite daylight.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Now it was Emma who turned to nce at her leather strap watch. But it was already four in the afternoon. It happened that the trip from her house to this ce was not close. It might take them an hour to arrive.


    Emma was about to refuse Levi¡¯s offer. But she could see the unusual look on his face. Admittedly, Emma couldn¡¯t clearly see what that expression meant. It looked sad and happy, looked sad and calm. Emma couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    ¡°Well, fine by that,¡± Emma said by approaching Levi back. In the end, she gave in to her own desire to help the man who seemed to be having problems with his feelings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to see here,¡± Emma said as she started to walk with Levi beside her.


    Levi shook his head, ¡°I just need some peace.¡±


    ¡°I hope you won¡¯t regret it. You know I talk a lot. Looks like you won¡¯t have that peace.¡± Emmaughed.


    ¡°For that one, I can tolerate. Fortunately, the sound of the wind is madly strong here. Ifter you talk but I don¡¯t answer, that means I don¡¯t give a damn.¡±


    ¡°Haha..¡± Emmaughed sarcastically by ring at the damn man, ¡°You¡¯re overly good at ying with people¡¯s temper, are you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m always holding back my temper?¡± Levi said.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Emma looked interested, ¡°Just like?¡±


    ¡°Like a coconut. The shell is rock hard and difficult to crush. But the contents are very soft, even dominated by liquid.¡± He answered with a long sigh.


    Emma nodded in understanding. From what Levi said, she could conclude that he was always trying to be strong even though he had a fragile soul inside. It seemed like she wasn¡¯t the only one with such a fate.


    ¡°You might be right about coconut. But did you know? Coconut gives a lot of benefits. Maybe that¡¯s why it has a very hard and thick shell, which is to protect its precious contents.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Levi looked at Emma as he slowly stepped on the sand.


    ¡°That¡¯s not my opinion. But research does say that coconut has many benefits. For example, it can produce great oil. I also use it for my hair.¡± She exined.


    Levi nodded in understanding, ¡°I can see it. Your hair is like the tail of a wild horse.


    Emma looked back at him with a straight face, ¡°Should you liken it to a wild horse¡¯s tail?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the first thing that popped into my head the first time I saw your hair,¡± Levi answered.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Then she returned to the main topic, ¡°I myself also thought that I was awfully weak. That¡¯s why I tried to be strong. In the past, I hated the soft side of myself and my weak heart towards other people. But as I lived it, I realized that caring andpassion for others do not make me weak. In fact, they be a source of strength that is not only useful for me but for many people as well. When I closed my heart, I became a selfish person. In the end, all I did were only benefited myself. I did not develop and be a selfish human being.¡±


    Levi was silent listening to what Emma was talking about. He admitted what she said was true. But it was certainly not easy to be useful to many people in his case. Either Emma was pretty good at controlling herself or indeed the problems the two of them faced were too different. Just like fate, wasn¡¯t everyone¡¯s life problem different? Therefore, we should not lecture others as if we know everything.


    They continued to walk, enjoying the calm atmosphere. Although the blowing wind was strong and cold, the two of them felt peace in their hearts. It seemed that Emma didn¡¯t wrong to agree with Levi¡¯s offer to take a longer walk in that ce. She herself must cultivate her mentally in facing new problems in her life.


    ¡°Hey! Look at that,¡± Emma pointed ahead at a building shaped like a barn. She stepped faster to approach the building made of wood.


    ¡°Is that a barn? In a ce like this?¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Looks like this building has been abandoned. In another way, from the windows, it looks like a church, perhaps?¡± Levi concluded by looking straight at the open barn door. There was darkness inside.


    Emma stared at the two windows Levi was referring to. The two slightly broken windows were so high that they almost touched the roof of the barn. They were stained-ss windows that formed a picture of hills with sheep and shepherds. Then for the other window were pictures of a cross and a woman who seemed to be the Virgin Mary. Those were too pretty windows for an abandoned barn.


    Suddenly, Levi¡¯s phone rang. He immediately moved away from Emma to pick up the call.


    Emma nced briefly at Levi who was standing a few steps with his back to her. Emma shrugged and moved toward the barn. She was genuinely curious about the building. Apart from its unusual location, the barn looked dearly unique. From its shape and material, which was made of wooden nks with faded paint, Emma was sure that the building must have been so tempting when it was taken care of.


    ¡®Could this be a gangster¡¯s base?¡¯ Suddenly a thought popped into Emma¡¯s mind. ¡®But if it¡¯s truly a gangster¡¯s base, there¡¯s no way the door would open like this. It¡¯s dark inside anyway. Looks like someone used this ce to be a warehouse.¡¯


    Emma stepped back away from the barn. Then she pulled out her cell phone from her sling purse that she hung on her shoulder. She opened the camera and took pictures of the unique building like a tourist.


    She was thinking of showing the building to her three best friends and Jonas. Maybe the windows could be the inspiration for the window at Poppy¡¯s under-renovation studio. It would definitely be gorgeous when exposed with sunlight.


    Ah.. Talking about the sun, the sky had turned reddish-orange. Emma nced at her watch and found that they had been ying there for about an hour. Emma felt Levi approaching behind her. She was about to turn to the man to say that they should be back soon.


    But Emma became confused when Levi strongly grabbed the strap of her purse instead. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Emma did not expect that the person was not Levi Wargos, but a guy who was a thief.


    ¡°No!!¡± Emma yelped as she felt her purse slip from her unwary arm.


    On the other hand, Levi had just pocketed his cell phone. But when he turned his back to Emma, he saw the mugging process carried out by a guy so quickly to her.


    ¡°EMMA!¡± Levi was toote to tell her. With fast feet, the thief was already running as fast as a squirrel.


    Emma who had regained her sense, immediately ran after the criminal. Damn it! She had her important ID card and cell phone inside the purse.


    Not even running five steps, Emma found a tall man was chasing the thief at a crazy speed. Emma even needed to look twice before realizing that the man was Levi Wargos.


    ¡°Levi!¡± Emma shouted as she ran. But unfortunately, the short skirt and heels were not a goodbination for running on the beach sand.

 Chapter 196

    196 Together


    The thief looked like a teenager. He thought his feet were fast, but how surprised he was when he looked back and found a scary-looking man was almost grabbing him. The boy immediately panicked and stupidly ran into the barn building instead.


    ¡°HEY! You bastard!¡± Emma eximed as she watched the thief run into the barn and Levi was right behind him.


    ¡°Ugh! Damn shoes!¡± Emma growled as she tried to run on the sand after the two men.


    Emma didn¡¯t know if Levi could fight or not. But supposedly, his big build and good-looking muscles should be useful enough to deal some meaningful blows to the boy and of course.. save her dearly valuable purse.


    When Emma had reached the door of the barn and was finally able to step on the wooden floor of the barn which made her steps more stable, Emma heard running footsteps approaching her from the darkness.


    Emma¡¯s eyes widened when she saw that it was the thief boy. But the boy no longer carried Emma¡¯s purse, which meant that Levi had snatched it.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you slip off, you damn brat!¡± Emma growled as she prepared to throw her fist. Because she was wearing a short jeans skirt and high heels shoes, she couldn¡¯t make attacks using her feet.


    But once the boy got closer to her, Emma immediately realized that things weren¡¯t that simple. Things happened so quickly. However, Emma luckily still had time to realize that the boy was a pure loser because he pulled out a pocket knife from behind his back.


    Seeing the danger that appeared two seconds before the tragedy was about to ur, Emma immediately changed her stance of attack. If she thought to hit the boy in the face before, now she turned her focus to his hand that was holding the weapon.


    .....


    Swiftly, Emma held the hand that was about to hurt her with the sharp weapon and then flowed it into the air while moving her foot in a circr motion. She also still had time to give a punch to the wrist of the boy who had the same height as her. Because of Emma¡¯s punch, the knife the boy was holding fell onto the wooden floor.


    ¡°STOP, YOU BONEHEAD!¡± Emma shouted by running after the boy who immediately ran away from her at full speed. Emma knew that from the start, the boy wanted to run away. However, he seemed to be too panicked and remembered that he had a sharp weapon, so he used it recklessly.


    Emma ran a few steps out of the barn door. However, she realized that her efforts were in vain because her pace was outpaced by the thief. She also just remembered one thing that instantly stabbed her in the chest.


    ¡°Levi! Where¡¯s Levi?!¡± She muttered as she turned around to look at the barn behind her. The ce was so quiet.


    Emma immediately ran back inside. She didn¡¯t care what was in there. But Levi was there for sure. Emma¡¯s steps were stopped when she identally kicked the knife that the damn boy had dropped.


    Emma¡¯s eyes instantly trembled when she saw blood staining the knife. Of course, it wasn¡¯t Emma¡¯s blood because she wasn¡¯t hurt. But whose blood would it be if wasn¡¯t Levi¡¯s?


    Emma quickly stepped deeper into the barn. There were big boxes piled quite high there. The deeper she went, the darker it got. Emma did not like dark ces since childhood because, in the past, it made her miss her mother¡¯s presence. But Emma didn¡¯t need that fear now. She had to find Levi immediately.


    ¡°Levi!¡± She shouted. But there was no answer. She didn¡¯t have anything to lighten it up her way. Emma could only rely on the dim lights that came in from the cracks in the wooden wall and roof.


    ¡°Levi! Where are you?! Levi!¡± Emma shouted again. A fear quickly overtook her feelings. It was not a fear of the dark or the danger that maye in her way. What she was afraid of was the blood on the knife earlier. It could be the blood from the fatal spots of Levi¡¯s body.


    ¡°Levi! I¡¯ll kill you if you don¡¯t answer! Levi!¡± Emma¡¯s voice began to tremble and hoarse. She looked while stretching her arms in front of her because the distance of her vision was getting shorter.


    ¡°Levi..¡± Emma mumbled with tears in her eyes. The sound of the wind crashing against the building¡¯s nks and pushing in through every gap made Emma¡¯s feelings worse. It was a sound that was somehow simr to a hurricane.


    ¡°Emma..¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emma immediately turned around, ¡°Levi?!¡± she shouted again as she walked aimlessly. Levi¡¯s voice was faint.


    ¡°Emma.. Be careful.. Follow my voice.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Emma asked loudly. It seemed Levi was very far away.


    ¡°Follow this sound..¡± Levi shouted again.


    Then Emma heard a sound like iron being hit repeatedly. She knew it was Levi that made the sound. With slow steps, Emma walked, trying to sort out the hitting sound with the squeaking sound of the wood nks in the rumbling wind.


    After going quite a distance inside and passing the huge pile of wooden boxes stacked like a maze, Emma could eventually see a dim white light at the end of the barn.


    ¡°Levi!¡± Emma was about to run towards him but stopped immediately when the man shouted at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run! The floors are fragile. Watch your step!¡± He eximed.


    Emma nodded curtly and obeyed Levi¡¯s words. As she got closer to the man holding the light in his hand that came from his phone¡¯s sh, she realized that Levi wasn¡¯t sitting on the floor. One of his legs was stuck in there.


    ¡°Oh my God! Why did you get stuck in here?¡± Emma asked while covering her mouth as a symbol of concern and surprise at the man¡¯s condition.


    ¡°You canugh at meter. Now help me out of here.¡± Levi handed his phone to Emma, ??¡±Hold this to light me up. I have to see where my leg is stuck.¡±


    Emma took the phone and aimed the sh at Levi. One of the man¡¯s legs fell into the broken wooden floor. Underneath, there was a fairly deep, big space. But the hole on the floor looked big enough that the light could still shine through it.


    ¡°Looks like your foot gets stuck with rope,¡± Emma said while looking into the hole.


    Levi nodded, ¡°It is. I¡¯ll untie the rope. Keep the light inside.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emma nodded.


    ¡°Alright..¡± Levi mumbled to himself. Then he began to lean halfway down with one hand holding on to the wooden floor around him and the other he used to grab the rope that was entangling his leg.


    After a few minutes of struggling with the old rope, Levi managed to set free his leg. With that, he immediately raised his stuck leg onto the floor.


    ¡°Ah.. Thank goodness.¡± Emma said when she saw Levi had managed to get out of the hole safely. Emma still had time to shine a light on the hole, which turned out to be quite deep with lots of old ropes running irregrly. At the bottom of the hole were also some tools such as shovels and buckets.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your purse. Give me my phone back,¡± Levi said.


    Emma shifted her focus to Levi and gave the phone back to the owner. Then slowly, she took her purse which was still hanging in the man¡¯s left hand.


    ¡°We¡¯d better get out soon. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s already dark outside.¡± Levi said by pointing his cellphone light forward. Then he took Emma¡¯s hand and held it, ¡°Watch your step. The wood here is rotten. Let me be the only victim of this damn barn.¡±


    Emma didn¡¯t answer and didn¡¯t refuse. She didn¡¯t expect to hold hands with Levi. She could feel how warm his hand was. But Emma remained silent and just followed his footsteps. Besides that, her mind seemed to be drifting off somewhere. She continued to stare at the purse she had got back.


    Once near the exit door of the barn, no more light could be seen there. But the reason for the absence of light from outside was not because it was already dark outside, but that was because the big door of the barn had been closed.


    Levi immediately let go of Emma¡¯s hand and walked quickly to the door. He pulled hard therge wooden piece that became the doorknob. But the door still wouldn¡¯t open.


    ¡°Damn it! Someone locked the door from the outside!¡± Levi said while peeking from the gap of the wooden door. He could see there was arge piece of wood across the door. Then he banged on the door, ¡°Hey!! Open the door! Someone¡¯s inside!¡± But there was no answer at all from the outside other than the boisterous wind that blew.


    Levi put his hands down. He knew screaming would only be a waste of energy. When during the day, this beach area was deserted. He could imagine how empty it was at night. After all, the sound of the wind getting louder at night must also beat the sound of anyone screaming from inside this barn.


    ¡°Dammit! It¡¯s useless,¡± He muttered as he turned back to Emma who was just standing still a few steps behind him, ¡°We¡¯re locked in here. The good news is, this barn doesn¡¯t seem abandoned. The bad news is, we¡¯ll have to wait here until the owneres to open the door.¡±


    ¡°Shit.. That¡¯s quite bad news,¡± Emma muttered.


    Levi let out a long sigh, ¡°That son of a bitch thief! He literally gave me shit,¡± he said as he sat beside the wall. Then he looked at Emma who was still standing where she was. He called out to the girl, ¡°Hey. Are you going to stand there all night? Don¡¯t tell me you think I¡¯m going to do something bad to you. Just so you know, I¡¯m a noble man.¡±


    Levi¡¯s exmation snapped Emma out of her thought. Then she nodded once before walking over to that man and sitting next to him stiffly. But she held her breath as she clutched her chest which was feeling ached.

 Chapter 197

    197 Emma Cries


    Levi turned to the side, looking at Emma who suddenly became somehow strange. The girl sat with her slightly facing him so he couldn¡¯t see her face, especially because the barn wasck of light.


    Since the first time he had known this annoying girl, Levi had never seen her very silent as now. This confused him. Could something have happened to Emma? Could it be that the damn thief had done something to her? Levi was sure the two of them must have passed each other at the barn door.


    Levi frowned and he moved closer to see Emma¡¯s face, ¡°What happened to you..?¡±


    Levi stopped when he realized that Emma was crying. It seemed his conjecture was correct. Something bad must have happened to her. ¡°Hey, what happened? Did that thief do something to you?¡±


    Emma didn¡¯t answer. Her shoulders only trembled slightly while her hands continued to wipe the tears that were continuously flowing out. She didn¡¯t want to show herself crying. But it was the heart thaty inside her chest that forced her to do so.


    It happened that Levi was not the type of patient person. Seeing Emma cry like that made him panic alone. He immediately grabbed Emma¡¯s shoulder so she was facing him. He swore, that if that fucking thief boy did something to Emma, ??he would look for him and make sure he wouldn¡¯t be able to walk again for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on, Emma. I¡¯ll teach that son of a bitch some lesson. Did he do anything bad to you?¡± He asked seriously.


    ¡°No,¡± Emma answered briefly by keeping her face down.


    Levi was even more confused. Why were women so hard to understand? They just had to say what happened. How hard was it to do? Why did they have to cry without saying anything? Such behaviour indeed made a man feel like he was going crazy.


    .....


    ¡°If it¡¯s not, then what is made you cry? Just stop crying! Crying doesn¡¯t make you solve anything,¡± He said desperately.


    Levi¡¯s irritating sentence went straight into the part of Emma¡¯s brain that functions to separate logic and feelings. Levi¡¯s words were cruel. If Nancy had said that Levi had never hung out with women, then Emma would believe it by now. He couldn¡¯t handle a girl who was crying. He even said a cruel sentence which, unfortunately, made a lot of sense.


    ¡°I.. I thought you were dead. I thought the thief killed you,¡± Emma said in a hoarse voice. She desperately tried to stop her crying. It made it difficult for her to speak.


    ¡°What?¡± Levi put on a confused face. His eyes blinked.


    ¡°That kid.. He dropped a knife.. which was covered in blood. And.. you.. you suddenly disappeared inside. I thought.. he killed you. I.. I.. thought.. you died because you helping me. I really did afraid. I was so scared.. you died,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Ha..¡± Levi was silent to process Emma¡¯s words. Slowly, a wide smile formed on his lips. Then he startedughing out loud.


    Levi¡¯s behaviour made Emma frown in confusion. She looked at him with a questioning expression. She knew that Levi was insane, but she didn¡¯t think this was something so funny that he needed tough so happily like this, ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    Levi rubbed the edges of his watery eyes, and then replied with the remains of hisugh, ¡°You¡¯re crying because you¡¯re afraid I¡¯d die? That¡¯s so ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°Why it¡¯s ridiculous? I don¡¯t understand why that sounds funny to you. A person¡¯s life is something you can¡¯t take lightly.¡±


    Levi finally managed to stop hisughter although there was still a tingling sensation in his stomach, ¡°Alright, alright. I understand what you mean. Just stop crying then. Trust me, I don¡¯t deserve your tears.¡± he said in a weak tone at the end of the sentence. Then he immediately smiled again and messed the girl¡¯s hair excitedly.


    ¡°You¡¯re weird. Even the way you judge yourself is weird.¡± Emma said while fixing her hair. Then she wiped her remaining tears with her sleeve, ¡°But, even so, thank you so much for taking my purse back. One of the things that scared me was when I think you might lose your life just to get my purse back. You risked it to help me.¡±


    Levi nodded, ¡°I ept your gratitude. But there is one thing I need to rify here so that this misunderstanding doesn¡¯t continue any further. If you think I risked my life to protect your purse, you are so damn wrong, innocentdy. I asked for the purse back from that damn brat by telling him I would exchange it for money. It was an exchange.¡±


    ¡°W-what? So, you paid for it?¡± Emma asked with wide eyes.


    Levi shook his head with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re the one who paid for it.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Emma was stunned for a moment, then she immediately opened her purse. She found the contents of her purse were still the same as before. Then she took her wallet out and opened it. Sure enough, all the cash was gone. Her wallet was empty, containing only her cards. Emma did always bring quite a lot of cash every time she hang out from her house. So, it was no wonder if the exchange process that Levi said was sessful.


    ¡°You piece of shit! I shouldn¡¯t have cried over you!¡± Emma eximed by hitting her purse on his arm.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Levi immediately screamed in pain.


    Emma was surprised to find that. At first, she thought that Levi was just pretending to prank her. But Emma just realized there was a strange colour on his coat. Due to theck of light, Emma immediately took out her cellphone and shone the screen light on Levi¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Gosh! Your arm!¡± Emma eximed when she saw the condition of his coat which had a neat cut. On the cloth, she could see a lot of blood had seeped out, soaking around the rip. ¡°The knife! He did hurt you!¡± Emma muttered.


    Even though Emma only looked panicked now, Levi responded casually, ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch. There¡¯s no need to overdo it.¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be left like this, Levi. Your wound could be infected. It looks like it¡¯s very deep with that much blood,¡± Emma immediately grabbed Levi¡¯s arm, ¡°Take off your coat. I¡¯ll check the wound,¡±


    Then Levi shrugged and took off his coat. It turned out that the seepage of blood was even worse on his long-sleeved shirt.


    ¡°Give me your arm,¡± Emma said. After Levi gave her hisrge hand full of tattoos, she pulled the sleeve up slowly, ¡°My God.. The wound is deep,¡± she muttered with a grimace on her face.


    ¡°That kid¡¯s knife was still very sharp. It possibly was a brand new pocket knife,¡± Levi said while staring at the wound on his arm with a rxed face.


    Emma snorted, ¡°This needs to be treated immediately. It even looks like it needs stitches. But we can¡¯t get out of here.¡± she muttered with a worried face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. I¡¯ve been injured worse than this,¡± Levi pulled his arm.


    ¡°Wait. Do you bring a handkerchief?¡± Emma asked. She remembered that time Levi had given her a handkerchief when she was crying alone. It made her assume that Levi was indeed the type of guy who often slipped a handkerchief into his pocket.


    Levi nodded, ¡°It¡¯s in my coat pocket.¡±


    Emma immediately grabbed Levi¡¯s coat that wasid next to the man while telling him to direct the light from her cellphone to her hands.


    ¡°At least, the wound must be tightly covered so that germs don¡¯t enter and the blood can stop flowing out.¡± Emma said as she tied the handkerchief tightly around Levi¡¯s arm, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± she lifted her face to look at him.


    Levi, who had been staring at Emma quite long, suddenly realized and turned his gaze to the other side, ¡°No need to think whether it hurt or not. Hurry up and give me my arm back.¡±


    Emma squinted her eyes sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk. How many times have I said that?¡±


    ¡°To the stage it sounds boring,¡± Levi replied with a mocking smile.


    Emma snorted and continued to tighten the knot of the handkerchief. Luckily, the handkerchief was big enough to wrap around Levi¡¯s big arm even though Emma found it a bit difficult to tie it at thest moment. ¡°Hah.. Finally.. It¡¯s done. Hope it¡¯d be still fine until tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It will definitely be fine,¡± Levi replied while turning off the light of the cellphone he was holding. Then he returned it to Emma.


    ¡°There¡¯s still no signal,¡± Emma said while checking her cellphone, ¡°What about yours?¡±


    Levi checked his phone briefly and shook his head.


    Again, Emma sighed as she leaned against the wooden wall, ¡°This is bad. I have to make a presentation in ss tomorrow.¡±


    Levi just nced at the girl beside him with a t face. His gaze moved from her head, then slowly down to her feet. He blinked before turning his eyes ahead, at the pile of things leaning against a dimly lit wall across the room. Then he got up from his seat and walked over to the pile.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Emma asked as soon as she saw Levi walk away.


    The man checked out the items for a while. Then he found a pile of used cardboard boxes there. He checked whether the boxes were still in good enough condition. And they looked like hadn¡¯t been in the barn for too long.


    With his bare hands, Levi pulled the stic rope that tied the pile of cardboard until it broke. Then he took some pieces and carried them to where he had been sitting while shaking the objects to break down the dirt that had stuck to them.


    ¡°Make this a cushion. The floor is pretty chill,¡± Levi said by gesturing for Emma to get up. Then he put three cardboard boxes that he had folded and arranged them lengthwise. ¡°Sit on them,¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma said as she sat back down. Levi was right. Sitting on the cardboard was indeed morefortable than sitting on a dirty, cold wooden floor. ¡°This is a great idea. I didn¡¯t even think about using cardboard as a seat.¡±


    ¡°They can even be used as bedding. Your life is toofortable,¡± Levi replied.


    Then the man put a piece of cardboard for him to sit on, ¡°Damn.. This is better,¡± he mumbled himself. Then he nced at his coat that was on the floor and picked it up and ced it on Emma¡¯sp, ¡°Cover your legs with it. Aren¡¯t you cold wearing a short skirt like that? Sometimes I get confused with women¡¯s minds. Wearing skimpy clothes in cold weather? Very smart,¡±

 Chapter 198

    198 Strange Feeling


    Emma snorted, ¡°That¡¯s because we thought of something called Fashion. Looks like you need a lot to get used to women. Won¡¯t get married in the future?¡± wearing the coat which was so big it looked like a nket to her.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s enough just from you that I can tell everything about women. It¡¯s annoying, troublesome, and noisy. Did I ever say that I wanted to get married anyway?¡±


    Emma¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡±


    Levi shook his head, ¡°Marriage is a big responsibility, especially if you¡¯d have kids. Those two things will make you have to be careful about many things for the rest of your life.¡±


    Emma mused, ¡°Well.. guess you kind of right. But it doesn¡¯t as terrible as you said.¡±


    ¡°Just so you know. It is that terrible. When you get married, you have to be responsible to your partner. And when you have children, the burden of responsibility you feel will be a hundred times over. Just imagine that the future of a human depends on you. What you did when they were little will have an impact on their future. Isn¡¯t that terrifying?¡± Levi asked.


    Even though she couldn¡¯t see Levi¡¯s face clearly in the darkness of the barn, Emma could still see the glint in his two grey eyes. It seemed there were two things that made Levi have such a thought. First, he had a very difficult childhood that made him hurt until he became an adult. Second, he had a happy childhood that made him realize that his sess now was the result of the support from his parents.


    ¡°I remember you told me that your childhood was not very pleasant,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°I did? I don¡¯t even remember that,¡± Levi smirked faintly. It was a strange feeling when someone could remember everything he had ever said. Maybe from now on, he needed to be more careful in telling Emma things.


    .....


    ¡°What we went through in childhood might be what made us who we are today. Childhood is indeed important. But in the end, when you have grown up and be free human beings, you are the one who determines your own path in life.¡± Emma said.


    Then she took a deep breath, ¡°During my journey here, I saw a lot of events. Whether it was happy or sad. I will always use the mistakes and experiences of people¡¯s lives as a lesson for myself. But that all made me realise that so many people out there walked through their childhood with a scar on their hearts. But, in the end, they were the ones who choose what they will be. Some choose to use the wound as power and some make the wound as an obstacle in reaching their dreams. In my opinion, it all depends on the path you choose in the end.¡±


    Levi looked at the girl who was looking up. He also looked up at the roof and realized that there were open cracks in the roof. It allowed them to peek a little at the star-strewn sky, ¡°What are you staring at?¡±


    ¡°If you ask my eyes, I¡¯m seeing lines of stars. But if you ask my soul, I¡¯m seeing a bright future.¡± She smiled. ¡°The reason I came to Handway City was to realize my dream. Even though I have many problems and obstacles now, I will never give up. I will make all these obstacles be a new power for me. Until when my dream is achieved, I will appreciate it so much because I know how expensive I had to pay for it.¡±


    Levi smiled as looking up at the same sky, ¡°That¡¯s an interesting mindset. Then how about you? Do you want to get married? I don¡¯t think your childhood was that best either,¡±


    ¡°My childhood was a mess. Even now, I feel like I don¡¯t have a family toe home to. But that won¡¯t make me afraid to have a family and children of my own. If I didn¡¯t get what I wanted from my parents, then I¡¯ll be a parent who will give everything the best for my children. I will prove that not all children should be growing up with scars on their hearts. Even though I know that I am not perfect, I can¡¯t say ¡®No¡¯ to things that I haven¡¯t tried to do. For me, people who give up before trying are losers.¡±


    ¡°Do you see me as a loser?¡± Levi asked quietly without taking his eyes off the twinkling stars through the gaps in the wood.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t judge you any more than this, Levi. It¡¯s up to you what you want to be. But I¡¯m sure that what you choose is what you think is best for you.¡± Then Emma lowered her face and looked at Levi. The man also lowered his gaze and looked back at Emma. ¡°Because I don¡¯t know how big your scar is,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s huge and incurable. Unfortunately,¡± Levi replied with a gloomy face but he covered with a lopsided smile.


    Emma smiled faintly, ¡°And you hide it very well,¡±


    ¡°Should I be proud?¡± Levi asked again.


    ¡°Do you feel that way?¡± Emma turned the question.


    Levi fell silent and stared straight ahead, at the dark wooden wall, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    It was a long night. The two of them had to survive the night without eating or drinking. They had checked the warehouse together but could not find water or any other way out. Instead of wasting more energy, Emma and Levi decided to return to their ce to rest.


    Maybe because they were tired so there was no more fighting between the two people, or.. the circumstance that made them reluctant to do it? Wasn¡¯t it when you were stuck alone with someone, then like it or not, you have to be friends with that person? Work together to survive by giving strength to each other because, in the end, no one wanted to be alone.


    The wind was blowing harder. Not a single bar of signal had appeared on their cell phone which had be useless other than to be a shlight. Emma¡¯s teeth chattered. A gust of colder wind entered through the cracks in the wood and the roof of the barn which was full of big holes.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve reached your limit,¡± Levi said as looking at Emma whose body was shaking while pulling his coat up to her chest.


    Emma went awry because if she lifted the fake nket, half her bare legs would be exposed and be a feast of cold air. She chuckled lightly, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve been too arroganttely. My body hasn¡¯t been challenged to any torture in a quite long time.¡±


    ¡°You talk like a warrior who once trained at the foot of a mountain.¡± Leviughed.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help butugh back. Yet in her heart, she confirmed that she had indeed practised martial art on the mountain. Levi seemed to have underestimated her too much.


    ¡°Hei! What the hell are you doing?!¡± Emma eximed by pushing her back forward when she felt Levi¡¯s damn arm suddenly slip behind her shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re cold, right? I¡¯m trying to be a gentleman. Is this an act of harassment?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Emma gave a questioning look. Then she felt Levi¡¯s arm wrap around her shoulder while he shifted his body closer. Just by that, the heat from his body immediately could be felt by her.


    ¡°Tell me, dirty-minded girl. Is this called an act that demeans women?¡± Levi asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know if a man should do something like this to a weak girl who¡¯s almost frozen. But this just naturally popped into my head. I guessed it¡¯s a male instinct.¡±


    Hearing Levi¡¯s words made Emma instantlyugh, ¡°What are you talking about? Are you an animal? A male instinct?¡± Emmaughed as she shook her head, ¡°What kind of joke is that?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s an undiscovered theory. And I found it first,¡± He said tly.


    ¡°Right.. Just joke all you want.¡± Emma replied.


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s stomach growled loudly. The two of them were stunned for a moment before chuckling together.


    ¡°Apparently, not being cold anymore makes my hunger appear,¡± Emma said. Then she remembered that she had put a packet of candy that she had moved from her bag into her coat pocket. ¡°I knew bringing candy in the pocket would someday help me stay alive.¡± sheughed proudly as she took out the caramel candy. She got the idea from a Survival show on TV.


    Emma took out two candies from the opened packet. Then she ate one piece and gave the other to Levi, ¡°For you,¡±


    Levi raised an eyebrow, ¡°You only have two. Just take them all.¡±


    ¡°Precisely because it¡¯s only two. That¡¯s why I¡¯m giving one to you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were hungry?¡± Levi said again with a nce at the candy that was still floating in front of his face.


    Emma sighed impatiently, ¡°So you¡¯re feeling uneasy for me right now? I am hungry. But that doesn¡¯t mean you aren¡¯t. It¡¯s better if two people¡¯s stomachs are filled even a little than one person is full and the other is starving.¡±


    Levi was stunned. Then his hand slowly took the candy that was wrapped in waxed paper. He stared at it for a while until Emma snorted, ¡°Should I throw it into your mouth?¡±


    Levi nced at Emma who was leaning against his body sarcastically. He did not answer but put it into his mouth and chewed it. Had he been too selfish all this time? Or was it this girl named Emma who was too naive?


    Sacrificing for someone else he didn¡¯t even know well was a strange mindset. Emma was willing to share the little sweets even though she obviously knew that she only had two and her stomach was starving. She sacrificed for others even though she knew what the consequences of that useless kindness would be.


    Everything Emma did was new to Levi. Was it because Emma had always lived well since she was little? Levi felt foreign to it, even to his own feelings now.

 Chapter 199

    199 Unreachable Star


    ¡°How does it taste? It tastes good, isn¡¯t it?¡± Emma asked as she chewed her candy. She knew Levi didn¡¯t really like sweet food. But she was sure that everyone would love the caramel candy which also had been her favourite sweet since kid.


    ¡°Well,¡± Levi nodded slowly, ¡°It¡¯s sweet, soft and.. warm,¡±


    ¡°Warm?¡± Emma repeated confusedly. ¡°You seem to lose your mind,¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Levi shook his head, ¡°I guess that¡¯s how I feel,¡± then he was stunned, ¡®about you,¡¯ he continued in his heart.


    Emma shrugged at Levi¡¯s weirdness. Maybe the man was already sleepy and starting to talk nonsense. It was 1 am anyway.


    ¡°Well.. I think I did need sugar to fill my exhausted energy.¡± It felt so long ago that Emma had forgotten what it was like to be starving. Maybe she should appreciate food more from today.


    ¡°Looks like my arm is a little troubled,¡± Levi said quietly when he felt a strange sensation in his wound which he thought was unusual. He looked at his arm which was wrapped in a handkerchief with quite a lot of blood already seeping out.


    But Emma didn¡¯t answer. This made Levi frown and nce at the girl who was still in his embrace. Oh.. she was already asleep.


    Levi turned on his cell phone screen to see the time. It was almost 2 am. They had been trapped in the barn for nearly eight hours. Emma must have been exhausted. He saw Emma was unconsciously trying to keep her head from falling in her sleep. Then Levi smiled faintly, ¡°You¡¯re still trying to be a pricy girl even in your sleep, huh?¡± he mumbled.


    .....


    Then carefully, Levi brought his hand to hold Emma¡¯s head and slightly pushed her against his chest. It seemed that her consciousness had indeed gone somewhere so she didn¡¯t notice it.


    ¡°Um..¡± After a few seconds her head rested on something warm, Emma instinctively turned her body to the side and stretched out one of her arms to hug what she thought was a warm pillow. It was indeed veryfortable in the cold air.


    But what the sleeping beauty Emma did make Levi hold his breath. He never thought to prepare himself when Emma instead turned to hug him as if he was a giant Teddy Bear. Besides making Levi lose his breath, that girl also managed to make his heart pound hard that it hurt his chest cavity.


    ¡°Shit! What the fuck is she doing?¡± Levi mumbled softly. But of course, Emma had fallen asleep deep into dreand so she didn¡¯t hear it.


    Levi looked down at Emma leaning against him. Her hair was still tied back to show the outline of her face and her beautiful closed eyes. Maybe Levi had gone crazy for thinking that could the feeling tickling his chest was something called falling in love? Might it be that he liked Emma, the first girl in his life?


    He brushed the strands of Emma¡¯s hair that crossed her fine face. He couldn¡¯t smile even though his eyes were lulled by the beauty. He couldn¡¯t smile, though perhaps he had fallen in love because, in the end, they were strangers. And it would continue to be so.


    Levi felt a throbbing pain in his chest. Actually, was he certainly a selfish person? Why did he feel confused about Emma¡¯s mindset? But if he really was a selfish person, he might have given up everything and followed his heart¡¯s desire, namely trying to get Emma by his side.


    ¡®You are a star in the sky which I can¡¯t reach.¡¯ Levi said in his heart while fixing his coat which he lent to Emma to be her nket so that it could cover her body properly.


    Levi didn¡¯t know whether he should be grateful or cursed because he could be trapped alone with Emma in this ce. He was happy and angry. He knew that in this way, his feelings would definitely grow. But he could not refuse it. It was like a wound that kept getting infected.


    Until the end, Levi would leave things like this. He didn¡¯t expect Emma to have the same feelings as him. And hopefully, that would never happen. But if possible, if there was a God, he would beg to be allowed to continue to meet her. Just meet, nothing more.


    If people say that love was deadly, then Levi admitted it now. He didn¡¯t know whether he loved Emma or not. But he wouldn¡¯t deny it anymore. His feelings for Emma ??were not something ordinary. He probably would be ying with something dangerous because now, he could feel that it was only Emma who could fill the emptiness in his heart.


    Emma woke up from her sleep by feeling her pillow shaking. Her brows furrowed in upset and confusion. Her whole body ached from sleeping in such a bad position on the hard mat. She felt so tired. His eyes were so heavy and she felt reluctant to get up from the warm pillow she was hugging. As long as the weaker clock hadn¡¯t rung, Emma would continue to sleep.


    ¡®Wait a minute!¡¯ Emma¡¯s consciousness seemed to be screaming at her. Emma¡¯s eyes suddenly opened wide.


    She felt the pillow, or whatever she was sleeping on was moving up and down rapidly. Emma moved her hand and felt what she was touching which was hard and warm. She immediately got up from her sleeping position.


    It felt like Emma was going mad soon. It turned out that she had been sleeping on Levi¡¯s body while hugging him!


    ¡°You are out of your mind Emma! Where is your dignity?!¡± She cursed herself.


    ¡°Huh?¡± She muttered as she looked at Levi who was lying on the floor. He looked.. sick.


    ¡°Levi,¡± Emma shook his shoulder but Levi did not wake up from his sleep. His face looked corpse pale and sweaty even though the air was freezing cold.


    ¡°Hey.. Levi. Are you okay?¡± She tried to wake him up again. But Levi only responded with a groan and a frown. Then Emma tried to touch his forehead and, ¡°Gosh! He has a bad fever. The wound.. Ah.. I think it¡¯s because of the wound,¡± Emma muttered quickly.


    Then she again tried to wake Levi up by shaking his body even harder, ¡°Levi! Levi! Wake up!¡± but Levi¡¯s eyes remained closed.


    ¡°Oh my! What should I do?¡± Emma held her own head after removing Levi¡¯s coat that previously covered her body and then used it to cover his body now. Emma started to panic. The only thing Emma was afraid of was the possibility of Levi getting tetanus.


    Emma looked up at the cracks in the roof and realized the colour of the sky had changed somewhat. She immediately reached for her cell phone which turned out to be only five percent battery left and was still no signal. For some reason, the signal couldn¡¯t get inside the barn even though many of the roofs had been damaged. It was a strange thing actually. But Emma had no intention of thinking about it any further.


    After ncing at the time, she found that it was already five in the morning. With that, Emma immediately stood up from her seat and ran towards the door which was still closed. She banged on the door with all her might, screaming for help. She thought that, since morning hade, then maybe someone was already outside. But when she peeked through the gap of the wooden boards, it was still quiet and dark outside.


    ¡°Ugh! What should I do?¡± Emma muttered with a thumping heart. Then she shouted again, ¡°Help! Is anyone outside?! Please!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re.. noisy.¡±


    Emma quickly looked back and found Levi was sitting with his back against the wall while holding his head.


    ¡°Levi!¡± Emma immediately rushed to him. ¡°Are you all right? You have a high fever. It looks like your wound is infected. How are you feeling now?¡± She asked quickly.


    But Levi just let out a long sigh. His breath was heavy and ragged. He didn¡¯t answer any of Emma¡¯s questions. His eyes looked nk looking down with a slightly downcast face. It seemed like a high fever had put him in between his unconsciousness.


    ¡°Levi..¡± Emma looked at him while sitting in front of him, ¡°What should I do?¡± She asked in a weak voice. She was thirsty, hungry, and afraid. She kept imagining if something bad happened to the man in front of her.


    Then Emma immediately shook her head to put herself together again. She could not lose to the situation. She was the strong Emma Hind. She had trained in various dangerous situations, although she was always under Jonas¡¯ supervision. For some reason, Emma¡¯s mentality became weak whenever she was with Levi. It seemed that Levi was giving her bad energy.


    Emma pped her cheek. Then she looked back at Levi, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Levi. I¡¯ll definitely get us out of here. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital soon. Everything will be fine.¡±


    Then Emma was about to get up again to find another way out. But she almost fell because suddenly Levi grabbed her wrist. Emma unavoidably fell to her knees. At first, she was about to throw anger at Levi, but she was stunned when Levi was staring at her with a sad look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, mom,¡± Levi said as he continued to grip Emma¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°What?¡± Emma¡¯s eyes twinkled. But if someone was losing control, wouldn¡¯t it be fun to y the game along? Then Emma nodded with a smile, ¡°I won¡¯t leave you. Now please let me go, Levi.¡± She spoke softly just like a mother to her child.


    But Levi shook his head. His face even looked like he was about to cry, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t lie to me. I beg you. Please stay.¡± he buried his face in Emma¡¯s hands like begging.


    ¡®Looks like continuing to talk to a delirious person isn¡¯t a good idea.¡¯ Emma thought to herself. Then she patted Levi¡¯s back, ¡°Levi.. Wake up. It¡¯s me, Emma. I¡¯m not your mother.¡±


    Emma felt sorry for Levi. It seemed that he was very worried about his sickly mother. Just by looking at this, Emma could guess that Nancy¡¯s illness was severe enough to possibly threaten her life. As someone who had lost her mother to a serious illness, Emma understood Levi¡¯s feelings so well.

 Chapter 200

    200 Set Free


    Levi suddenly lifted his face to look at Emma again with a straight face. Then he let go of her hand, ¡°Ah.. It¡¯s you,¡± He said like a mumble and leaned his back against the wooden wall.


    Emma smiled in relief, ¡°Finally.. Are you sober now?¡±


    ¡°Stop asking me silly things, Emma. Why do you keep bothering me?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Emma looked confused and offended.


    Then Leviughed sarcastically, ¡°Don¡¯t ask again. Why did you make me like this? Why are you ying with my mind? Why Emma? Why did I have to meet you?¡±


    ¡°Levi, you have a high fever. You¡¯re not thinking straight now. Stop talking. You need to rest.¡± Emma said. She didn¡¯t understand what the madman was talking about. It was as if Emma had wronged him.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t care about me. You shouldn¡¯t keep paying attention to me. Everything about you, everything you do just makes me lose myself. I want you out of my life. But.. you keep me looking for you,¡± He muttered.


    Emma was stunned, trying to digest the strange sentences Levi said. At first, Emma chose not to pay attention to the delirious guy. But what Levi had just said made Emma¡¯s cheeks heat up. She seemed to follow where his talk was going.


    Emma cleared her throat, ¡°Stop acting silly. I won¡¯t tolerate you anymore even if you¡¯re delirious,¡± she said before about to get up.


    .....


    But Levi swiftly pulled her wrist again hard and hugged her.


    Emma gasped and froze for a few seconds. When she regained her consciousness, she immediately pushed Levi¡¯s chest with both hands. But Levi¡¯s power was surprisingly strong. Then Levi buried his face in Emma¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Can you help me? Just wait a minute. This is all I need. Everything is unbearable heavy. I am afraid of losing everything. Therefore, I have to give up what I want,¡± He whispered.


    Hearing what Levi said, Emma stopped struggling. Her eyes blinked slowly. She could feel Levi¡¯s pounding heart and heavy breathing. His body temperature was severely high as if it could burn Emma¡¯s skin. But one thing that kept Emma from throwing her fists at the first man who acted so impolitely at her. It was because Emma could somehow feel the sadness that he was feeling.


    Levi Wargos was the most annoying man Emma had ever met. However, he was a good friend. Just from his behaviour, Emma could tell that Levi was a strong man, both physically and mentally. He thought about everything using his logic.


    When they first met, Emma felt Levi was a man who had no feelings. He even acted annoyingly cold to a girl like Emma who had always received preferential treatment from men because of her beauty. But now Emma realized that Levi was not a man who had no feelings. He was a man who hid his feelings.


    Suddenly, a sound came from the wooden barn door. Emma immediately turned towards the door and saw the shadow of someone standing in front of the door from the gaps in the blocks. She quickly directed her hands again to free herself from Levi¡¯s embrace. This time, she unleashed her true strength, ¡°Levi! Let go!¡± she said as she pushed hard against the man¡¯s chest.


    As soon as Levi¡¯s arms were released, Emma immediately got up and ran to the door, ¡°Help! Open the door! Help!¡± she yelled as she knocked on the door.


    Emma could hear someone outside messing with something in front of the wood blocking the door. It looked like that person was unlocking the barn. After a while, the door finally opened.


    The sun was still not shining bright but the light was enough to illuminate the inside of the barn. Instinctively, Emma took a few steps back. It was because she was used to not approaching the unseen at close range. She would not know what kind of people were behind the door.


    A rather fat old man with a moustache stood in front of the big door while opening it wider. His face looked worried when he saw ady in the barn, ¡°Oh my! How did you get in here, Miss?¡± the man asked, stepping inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. But you have to help my friend. He¡¯s in danger.¡± Emma said as she walked over to Levi who was sitting against the wall with his eyes closed.


    ¡°Ah.. Could it be that you are the person that man is looking for?¡± The man said more to himself.


    ¡°What man?¡± Emma asked with a confused face. She felt so weak because she had been through thirst and hunger for hours. She didn¡¯t want to waste any more time. Moreover, Levi¡¯s condition was seriously rming.


    ¡°Wait a minute here. I¡¯ll call him,¡± The old man said and immediately walked quickly out of the barn.


    ¡°Hey, Sir! Wait..¡± Emma called him, still not understanding what the man meant. But the man only turned around briefly as he signalled for Emma to wait a moment.


    Emma snorted. Then she turned back to Levi and knelt in front of him, ¡°Wait a minute. The door is open. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital. Be patient.¡±


    Levi¡¯s eyes slowly opened. He stared at Emma for a few seconds, ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s open, huh? That¡¯s good.¡±


    Emma nodded with a faint smile, ¡°Have you regained your senses?¡± she put the back of her hand on Levi¡¯s forehead to feel his temperature. It was still highly hot, just as before. But Levi¡¯s face was not so pale anymore.


    Levi immediately pped Emma¡¯s hand, ¡°Ugh.. Don¡¯t talk to me too much. My head¡¯s killing me. I might be talking nonsense,¡± He closed his eyes again which felt burning hot and heavy.


    There was the sound of footsteps stomping the wooden floor. Emma turned towards the voiceing from the doorway. She was surprised when she saw a man walking behind the old man who owned the barn, ¡°Lukas?¡±


    ¡°You two have been together herest night?¡± Lukas walked over to Emma who was still kneeling in front of Levi.


    Emma nodded, ¡°We identally got stuck here. It was a long story. Basically, we met a thief and he cut Levi¡¯s hand with a knife. Now it gets an infection.¡±


    Lukas looked at his brother who was still sitting with his eyes closed. He lowered his body to match Levi¡¯s height, ¡°Hey, bud! Get up! Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Hearing the familiar voice, Levi opened his eyes slowly, ¡°Lukas? How did you get here?¡± he asked, thinking maybe he was just hallucinating because of the pain in his head.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been missing and unreachable sincest night. That was why I took the earliest flight home to look for you and then found your car on the road, so I looked for you around here. Everyone¡¯s worried about you.¡± Lukas exined.


    From the gaze of the thick-eye-browed man, Levi could understand the meaning of the sharp eyes staring at him. He massaged his head which was getting worse in pain, ¡°Sorry to bother you. Let¡¯s go home soon.¡± He tried to get up with a bit of a stagger while Lukas helped hold one of his arms.


    ¡°You should take him to the hospital. I¡¯m afraid the wound is infected with tetanus.¡± Emma said to Lukas.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to mind me. But I think I can¡¯t get you home, Emma. I¡¯ll..¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Lukas cut Levi¡¯s words. Then he looked at Emma and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll take you home. How about it?¡±


    Emma frowned and gave an awkward chuckle, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not necessary. You can order me a taxi because I ran out of my phone battery. Unlike Levi, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Well.. I¡¯ll order a taxi for you now.¡± Lukas took out his cell phone and slightly stepped away from them.


    Levi reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out some money from his wallet. Then he gave it to the old man standing with them, ¡°Please buy this girl water and food. She hasn¡¯t eaten or drank for almost twelve hours. You can take the change.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so necessary,¡± Emma said reluctantly.


    ¡°You have no cash.¡± Levi cut her. He remembered that he had spent all the cash in Emma¡¯s purse to give to the damn thief.


    The old man could only shrug and ept the money, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be right back. Wait near the bus stop which is quite busy.¡± He said to the only girl among them. He knew that pickpockets were frequent in this area.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Thank you. You can find the easiest one. I¡¯m not a picky eater.¡± She said before the man left.


    Secretly, while calling a taxi, Lukas nced to see it all. When he was done, he turned off his cell phone and put it in the pocket of his ck coat before walking over to Levi and Emma who seemed to be chatting a bit, ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered a taxi.¡±


    Then the three of them came out of the barn and headed for the road where Luke¡¯s car was parked behind Levi¡¯s. Because he was sick, Levi got into Luke¡¯s car first. Meanwhile, Lukas took Emma by foot to the bus stop, which the barn owner man previously said. Incidentally, the stop was not far from their car and was in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Sorry. It looks like my brother gave you troubles,¡± Luke said on their way.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°No need. We actually got into this problem because I was off guard to get my purse robbed by criminals.¡± she answered before telling a little about what had happened to her and Levi.


    Lukas nodded slowly, ¡°Then, why did you two go out together? Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to interfere. But as far as I know, Levi never goes out with his friends.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he never?¡± Emma raised an eyebrow, ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s usually like, but he called me to ask me out yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Hm.. Looks like you two are quite close.¡± Lukas muttered with a t face while looking straight ahead.


    Emma stared at Lukas for a few seconds. The man indeed was a bit weird. Maybe it was because his nature was too contradictory to Levi. ¡°Actually, we¡¯re not close at all. You could say we¡¯re just friends. Neither Levi nor I want to know about each other¡¯s private lives.¡±

 Chapter 201

    201 Rights of Freedom


    Emma¡¯s exnation made Lukas turn to her, ¡°It¡¯s an unusual friendship.¡±


    Emma chuckled, ¡°It is. However, maybe that¡¯s what makes us feelfortable and could be friends without a burden.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Lukas said while looking at a bus stop two meters in front of them. With that, their conversation stopped.


    ¡°Thank you for taking me. Be careful on the way.¡± Emma said.


    Lukas smiled faintly and nodded politely at her before walking away.


    As soon as Lukas got to his car, he got into the driver¡¯s door and found Levi leaning back with his eyes closed in the passenger seat. He smiled faintly as he started the car engine, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could be this weak. I know you know what I mean, Levi.¡±


    Levi opened his eyes slowly, ¡°I know. You can talk about itter. Now, let this weakling rest.¡±


    Then the car drove away, leaving Levi¡¯s car by the side of the road to be taken at another time. In the meantime, they had to treat Levi¡¯s wound which was not bad, but ording to Emma, ??it was almost infected with tetanus.


    ***


    .....


    As soon as she turned on her cell phone at home, Emma found that everyone had called her multiple times, especially Calvin. Despite the fact that they both had group assignments toplete, Calvin asked where Emma was and how she was as if he was the most worried one. Even Emma¡¯s three best friends didn¡¯t contact her as much as Calvin.


    After tormenting for hours in that damn barn, Emma was grateful that she was still okay. As soon as he got home, she immediately ate anything she could swallow. Luckily, she had some frozen food in the fridge.


    Because of today¡¯s incident, Emma was forced to skip sses. As usual, she would tell her friends that she was sick and didn¡¯t notice that her phone had run out of power while she was sleeping.


    Even though Emma felt guilty for lying, she would not break her agreement with Levi which said that they would not interfere in each other¡¯s lives. If Emma told them that she was locked up with a man, she could imagine how her three best friends would react. Things would be troublesome.


    Emma just replied to a text message from Calvin. Luckily, the presentation could still be continued tomorrow because there were too many groups in the assignment and not enough ss hours. Otherwise, it was certain that Calvin¡¯s grades ??would also be affected because he was in the same group as Emma.


    Feeling tired, Emma decided to have a full rest today. She was lying on her soft,fortable bed. Speaking offort, a memory ofst night¡¯s events made her choke.


    Emma still couldn¡¯t believe she could sleep with Levi. Well, even if it was ¡®just¡¯ a normal sleep. But it was Emma¡¯s first time sleeping side by side with someone other than her mother. In fact, she never slept next to her own brothers.


    But one thing crossed Emma¡¯s mind. It wasfortable, really. Although it was embarrassing to admit, Emma could not lie to her own feelings. Emma held her chest and felt an unusual flutter there. She hoped that the pounding happened just because she remembered the unusual event she had experienced.


    But a question arose in Emma¡¯s mind. What did Levi actually feel about her? While he was delirious due to a high fever, he said a sentence that had a meaning that Emma¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t ignore.


    Was it true that Emma make him couldn¡¯t stop looking for her? Was that exactly what Levi was feeling, or was it just his hallucination?


    ¡°Dammit..¡± Emma sighed, ¡°Why can¡¯t he be out of my mind?¡± she muttered as she buried her face into the pillow.


    ***


    A group of men gathered in a room with arge table and a few chairs. On the middle side of the table, the leader of the group sat with his hands lightly massaging the bridge of his nose. His head hurt because the problems did not stoping. When they had ovee one problem, now a new, bigger problem approached.


    ¡°So.. Dragger did this for real, huh?¡± Marcel said.


    Renu nodded, ¡°They regrly send some of their men to enter the territory that used to be held by the Creeper.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯tpletely controlled Creeper¡¯s former territory right now. But if we end up side by side with Dragger, then it will have a bad impact on our group.¡± Vico added.


    Marcel nodded, ¡°Dragger are apletely different group from Creeper. They are much stronger. Even their level is above ours. We can¡¯t take the risk if one day they start to invade our territory.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve recruited new members from the martial arts studios. That should be enough for tomorrow.¡± Damian said.


    ¡°Dragger is inexperienced in running a business like the Creeper. Even though they are old yers in Handway City, they are still new to the street crime business. To harass the main holders of this area is a reckless act that Pablo Diablo would notmit.¡± Kenny said, referring to RJC.


    Marcel nodded, ¡°I hope so. But our problem now is Jita Kyoei who starts to attack us because RJC doesn¡¯t want to return members from the martial arts studio and instead continue to recruit new members from there.¡±


    ¡°I guess that they will attack us soon,¡± Damian said as leaning back and folding his arms across his chest.


    ¡°Afterst time¡¯s incident, did they say anything else to you?¡± Vico asked.


    Marcel shook his head, ¡°Just like me, they also thought that talking won¡¯t solve the problem.¡±


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s only right that a man should solve things in a man¡¯s way.¡± Damian smiled as he punched his own palm.


    Beside him, Vico looked at the red-haired boy with a sneer, ¡°You do like it from your heart.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just attack Jita Kyoei first. That will give RJC a bad look. Let Jita Kyoei who is considered a group of heroes be the viin who attacks another group first.¡± Kenny said.


    Marcel nodded, ¡°Get ready, warriors. You must always be alert. The war is at hand.¡±


    ***


    The twodies sat under arge tree that had lost its leaves. Emma looked up at the branches of the oak tree, ¡°This tree will soon be lush again.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very fond of winter, do you?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°A lot of tough things in my life happened in winter. One of the toughest was the death of my mom.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Leaving behind by someone we love forever is hard. Sometimes I can get scared just imagining my grandparents leaving.¡± Rachel nodded.


    ¡°Someone told me that death is inevitable and will happen to everyone. Therefore, we must live life and make our loved ones happy while we still have time.¡± Emma smiled faintly. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t do anything for my dad.¡±


    Rachel turned to Emma, ??¡±Aren¡¯t you going to visit him for a while? Even though you say your dad is cold, a father should love his daughter.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re actually right, Rachel. But I¡¯m afraid that if I go back, then I can¡¯t go out again because I¡¯ve found my home here.¡± Emma answered. Then she looked down, ¡°I am a selfish princess.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about your own happiness is not a selfish thing. Before making other people happy, you should feel happy first.¡± Rachel said.


    Emma smiled at the girl sitting next to her, ¡°Thanks, Rachel.¡±


    ¡°Then, have you heard any other news about the problem?¡± Rachel asked.


    Emma understood what problem Rachel meant. Then she shook her head, ¡°Before installing the sound recorder this morning, I haven¡¯t heard anything. They should have another meeting this noon, as I heard from Calvin and Troy¡¯s conversation this morning.¡± she exined. Now, they just had to wait for the meeting to happen and got all the information they needed.


    Rachel nodded in understanding, ¡°If in the end, neither of them wanted to give in, what are we going to do?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s question made Emma sigh, ¡°That¡¯s something that has been worrying me the most until now. Neither group did anything wrong. Jita Kyoei is trying to save the future of the studio students, while RJC is trying to protect the citizens of Redvalley.¡±


    ¡°But if you think about it, RJC doesn¡¯t take studio students as they arbitrarily. In fact, it¡¯s the students themselves who voluntarily joined the group. Isn¡¯t it should be their right to choose to be athletes or gangsters?¡± Rachel said.


    Emma was silent for a moment hearing that. Frankly, such thoughts had indeed crossed Emma¡¯s mind all this time. But she tried to get rid of it because she was a person who was concerned about the bright dream for the future, just like Troy. But Rachel seemed to have a pretty high principle of freedom in life. That gave Emma new input into consideration.


    ¡°I guess you kind of right, Rachel. Everyone has the right to be free to choose their own path in life. However, I also appreciate the efforts of Troy and his friends to lead the kids back into their dreams, which logically is better than bing a gangster.¡± Emma shrugged her shoulders.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°I feel you, Emma. But in the end, Jita Kyoei can¡¯t do anything if the kids choose to stay at RJC. At least, RJC doesn¡¯t do any crime or illegal business in Handway City.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it has point. The only reason I still think about RJC¡¯s goods is that they¡¯re the only gangster group that doesn¡¯t do any crime or business that harms people. They were formed because they wanted to protect many people on Redvalley Street. I can¡¯t even imagine if RJC fell in the end. What would happen to the people of Redvalley Street and Marcel¡¯s grandmother? They are good people, Rachel.¡± Emma exined woefully.

 Chapter 202

    202 Something¡¯s Hidden


    ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s Marcel¡¯s grandmother, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re right. She¡¯s a kind woman. I couldn¡¯t bear to see her suffer either.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Rachel!¡± Emma held the girl¡¯s arm with her gaze straight to the front. It wasn¡¯t because she saw anything at the front, but she heard something.


    Rachel¡¯s eyebrows shot up. From Emma¡¯s movements, she could tell what was going on, ¡°It¡¯s starting?¡±


    Emma nodded. Then she took out a wireless earphone from her bag and immediately gave it to Rachel. She quickly plugged the small white object into her ear.


    There was a sound of the door closing and followed by amotion. At the same time, they could also hear the sounds of some men¡¯s insignificant conversation with theirughter.


    ¡°It¡¯s already started,¡± Emma said. Rachel then looked at her and nodded with a serious face.


    On the other hand,


    The old radio room was filled with full core members from Jita Kyoei and Calvin Lee. Ian locked the door of the room which could only be done from the inside. Because of course, they didn¡¯t have the key for the door so they could only install the slot lock which was installed inside. Most importantly, the contents of their meeting were not heard by others.


    ¡°Today, we will determine the right time to attack RJC,¡± Troy said. ¡°Prepare yourselves for the day after tomorrow.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s going to be the day after tomorrow, huh?¡± Calvin said.


    Troy looked at him and nodded, ¡°It is. You mind?¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow is the weekend. I think he wants to take Emma out.¡± Martinughed. Calvin just red at him. He didn¡¯t remember since when the two of them had been talking a lot. In fact, Calvin a bit regretted that he could befriend a madman like Martin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to that madman. My time is always avable to do attack.¡± Calvin said. Then he continued, ¡°Looks like RJC already knows about our n to directly attack them. I have no problem with that. But Marcel wouldn¡¯t drag the girls in the line, would he?¡± he looked worried.


    ¡°If he would, I will definitely kill that guy,¡± Troy replied.


    ¡°It seems you don¡¯t need to worry about that, Calvin. As far as I saw, Marcel never brings girls around. They¡¯re just normal friends. Last time, he took Emma and the other girls out to dinner with his grandmother. I¡¯m sure the girls weren¡¯t being taken advantage of for this case.¡± Frank exined.


    ¡°He even took them to see his grandmother? Well.. That¡¯s kind of sus, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Ian asked.


    Nicko nodded, ¡°That was suspicious because he is Marcel Dous. But with his changed personality now, I think it¡¯s kind of possible. It seems that he¡¯s just a yboy who thirsts for girls¡¯ attention. Or.. there is one of those girls he wants to be close to.¡±


    ¡°Well.. I can see you¡¯re starting to dislike Marcel, Nicko. Haha.. I hope the girl that Marcel is after isn¡¯t Emma Hind, because there will definitely be a personal war.¡± Martin said while looking at Calvin with a witty face, ¡°Am I right, Calvin?¡±


    ¡°Quit it.¡± Calvin red at him.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Why are we even talking about women?¡± Troy who was standing in front of the whiteboard put his hands on his waists and shook his head in disbelief, ¡°Don¡¯t let women make Jita Kyoei lose its principles, gents. You have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ian said with a sigh. Then he looked at Troy, ¡°Is the attack n still the same as we discussed thest time?¡±


    Troy nodded, ¡°Louis and Frank led a few men to be the bait at the front door. And the rest sneaked in from all the points we marked.¡± Then he looked at Ian and Calvin alternately, ¡°You two, don¡¯t forget the important job of looking for Marcel right away. We should attack the king so our time wouldn¡¯t be wasted.¡± He exined to get nods from Ian and Calvin.


    ¡°Then what about ck? Do you think he would help them with this case?¡± Calvin asked. He turned to Frank who was like an information source for the group.


    ¡°Oh.. Sorry. It looks like I forgot to tell you the additional information that Louis just got.¡± Frank got up from his lean, ¡°I recently learned that the reason ck helped RJC to attack the Creeper was to stop their scamming business. It seems the two groups had agreed to cooperate with different goals. RJC wanted to overthrow their main enemy and ck wanted to help the workers in Chingsu District.¡±


    ¡°Just like Mutualism Symbiosis? That was pretty fine of them. I knew that ck was brilliant.¡± Troy said.


    ¡°What¡¯s even more surprising was that I didn¡¯t know you could memorize at least one school lesson.¡± Martinughed. But as usual, no one paid attention to him.


    ¡°So you could say, even though he had worked with RJC, ck actually did have a good goal.¡± Nicko smiled.


    Frank nodded, ¡°And now, since both parties¡¯ goals have been achieved. It¡¯s said they no longer have anything to do with each other. The two of them were only using each other for a mission. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any special rtionship between them.¡±


    ¡°d to hear that,¡± Calvin heaved a sigh of relief. He thought that ck had joined RJC for real. Fighting against someone you¡¯ve fought together with was no fun. He realized that ck was not a bad person. Therefore, Calvin¡¯s heart would feel heavy if, in the end, he had to fight against the person who once helped him overthrow the Hell Gate.


    Ian suddenly thought of one thing, ¡°But.. If ck really had such good intentions, don¡¯t you think that he should have been mind because of knowing RJC¡¯s business?¡± his face looked thoughtful.


    vin snapped his fingers, ¡°That¡¯s right. Won¡¯t he know that the Undergr..¡±


    Suddenly, the earphone in Rachel¡¯s ear was unplugged. She immediately turned around in surprise because she felt a hand quickly take off the object from her ear.


    ¡°Is the song that nice? You guys look so serious,¡± Kathy said by putting the object into her ear.


    Emma who saw it was also surprised. Her face stared in horror at Kathy and Poppy who were already standing beside them.


    ¡°Y-you girls.. How long have you been here?¡± Emma asked while taking off her earphones.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you two say you were going to the mall near here?¡± Rachel added as she continued to stare at the earphone that was currently in Kathy¡¯s ear.


    Emma immediately reached into her bag and turned off the connection of the eavesdropper which was controlled by an application on her cellphone. Her heartbeat quickened when she saw Kathy¡¯s confused face. ¡°Oh.. Looks like we shouldn¡¯t be chatting here. I¡¯m in the mood for coffee. How about we wait for ss to start at the caf¨¦?¡± she asked with a littleugh as she got up from the bench against the short wall that fenced the oak tree behind her.


    Then Emma held her hand out to Kathy, ¡°Sorry I turned that off first. The Bluetooth connection on that thing is a bit poor, so if we walk too far apart it might get cut.¡±


    Kathy looked at Emma¡¯s hand which was still floating in front of her. Then she removed the earphone and ced it in the hand of the girl who was still smiling awkwardly at her.


    ¡°Okay.. Let¡¯s go,¡± Emma nced at Rachel and tilted her head slightly to the side.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Sure.¡± Her smile was no less awkward than Emma¡¯s.


    ¡°Did something happen? You guys look weird.¡± Poppy said on their way to the cafe.


    ¡°Weird? What¡¯s weird? Haha.. it seems like it¡¯s just your feelings, Poppy.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I feel like you two are being awkward,¡± Poppy said while looking at Emma and Rachel in turn.


    ¡°Oh, why don¡¯t you guys go to the mall?¡± Rachel tried to divert the conversation.


    Poppy let out a long sigh, ¡°I heard from a friend earlier that the discount shoes I saw in the advertisement are sold out. Luckily, I haven¡¯t gotten there when I heard the news. Otherwise, our time would have been wasted.¡± Then she asked Emma and Rachel again, ¡°Then why are you guys outside? I thought you said you wanted to do some homework at the library?¡±


    ¡°Oh.. that..¡± Emma thought hard, ¡°We wanted to do it, but I realized that I had left my sh drive at home. Coincidentally, the book that Rachel wanted was also not avable because someone else had borrowed it. Because of that, our n failed and we both ended up having some nice air at that ce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. But it was a pretty unique coincidence because you two could have problems at the same time.¡± Poppyughed.


    ¡°Well.. Looks like our lucks are running low.¡± Emmaughed too.


    Arriving at the cafe, they sat at the table they usually upied, which was near the big window. Each ordered their favourite drink and chatted as they waited for the ballet ss to start.


    However, there was something different about the atmosphere in their midst. Poppy was clearly aware of this. Then she immediately said, ¡°Kathy, did something happen? Why have you been quiet all this time?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Me?¡± Kathy pointed to her own chest.


    Poppy nodded, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in a good mood, do you? It¡¯s odd because you were still cheerful like fifteen minutes ago,¡±


    Poppy¡¯s question made Emma and Rachel nce at each other. It wasn¡¯t that they unaware that Kathy had been silent all this time and had looked at them both suspiciously several times. But they tried to ignore it so as not to provoke Kathy to ask questions.


    Kathyughed as she waved her hand in front of her nose, ¡°What are you talking about, Poppy? Of course, I¡¯m in a good mood. I¡¯m just thinking about something that I found surprisingly weird.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Poppyughed. It seemed that it was a truly astonishing thing that even could make someone like Kathy silent.


    ¡°It is. And actually, I wanted to ask Emma and Rachel something because I feel like you two are hiding something from us.¡± she looked at the two girls who looked surprised.

 Chapter 203

    203 Caught In the Act


    Kathy¡¯s words were like a bolt of lightning striking Emma and Rachel¡¯s hearts. The green-eyed girl looked at the two of them with a serious look. Meanwhile, Poppy just watched her three friends in turn with a confused face.


    ¡°What exactly happened? Why do I feel like I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t know anything?¡± Poppy asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°They¡¯re hiding something from us, Pops. I know that.¡± Kathy squinted her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, ¡°Are you guys going to exin that now?¡± she raised an eyebrow, not taking her eyes off her two best friends.


    Emma cleared her throat that feel desert dry, ¡°The two of us.. um.. we are actually, working on a.. project?¡± she seemed to think.


    ¡°Well, must be a very interesting project, Emma. You guys even are eavesdropping on other people¡¯s conversations. I don¡¯t know what device you used to do that weird thing, but I could recognize the voices of the men in there. Maybe I¡¯m being Mrs-know-it-all, but I think that the voices were nearly simr to the voices of Calvin, Ian, and Troy.¡±


    ¡°Kathy!¡± Rachel immediately reprimanded her in a whisper. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But can you lower your voice? There¡¯s a lot of people here.¡± the tall girl asked with a worried face, especially because Kathy had a voice that tended to be loud.


    ¡°Oh.. Even this also is a secret? I¡¯m getting more and more curious,¡± Kathy said.


    Poppy looked at Emma questioningly, ¡°Is what Kathy said true, Emma? Are you two really hiding something from us?¡± she asked quietly.


    Emma sighed as she nced at Rachel who was also looking at her. Rachel seemed to be shrugging, confused about what to do with the questions. She didn¡¯t know what Emma would do to avoid it again.


    .....


    ¡°All right. I will exin it to you. But, that can¡¯t be said here because there are a lot of people.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Hm..¡± Kathy nodded. It seemed that what her two friends were hiding was quite serious and important. ¡°Okay,¡± she replied and then continued, ¡°Do you guys have time after ballet ss? Can we gather at my house? It just so happens that my house is empty.¡±


    Rachel looked at Emma whose face looked frustrated. Then she held the girl¡¯s hand that was on herp and she gave her a gentle smile.


    Emma looked back at Rachel meaningfully and sighed as she nodded slowly, ¡°Okay,¡±


    ¡°All right! Looks like we have to go to ss now, girls. That damn witch will throw a tantrum if we¡¯re even a secondte.¡± Kathy said after ncing at her watch.


    In the ballet ssroom, they had their usual training. Well, of course with Ms Tania who was always cynical about the four girls because of the revenge she felt.


    But for today¡¯s ss, it was obvious that Emma had a lot on her mind. The thoughts in her head were in aplete mess state. Emma never thought that such an incident could actually happen. And what¡¯s worse, Kathy was the one who caught it.


    Poppy looked at Emma who was contemting herself alone in front of her locker. Then she returned her gaze to her two friends who were sitting on the floor with her. She looked at Kathy with a worried face, ¡°Kathy. Weren¡¯t you putting too much pressure on Emma? We are indeed friends. But that doesn¡¯t mean we have to know each other¡¯s secrets.¡±


    Rachel who was also there nodded, ¡°I think that¡¯s right.¡±


    But Kathy shook her head with a smile on her lips and arms crossed her chest, ¡°Sorry, guys. But there¡¯s something you really don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve suspected something strange about Emma for a long time.¡±


    ¡°You have?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyebrows rose.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever think that you¡¯re the only one who knows what Emma has been doing, Rachel. Well, even though I can only guess, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯mpletely blind.¡± she winked.


    For Rachel, it didn¡¯t matter if what she and Emma had been doing all this time would be found out by Kathy and Poppy. However, she knew that it was Emma who objected to it. Rachel tried to understand Emma¡¯s fears about her identity being discovered by others. To Rachel, everyone¡¯s fear was different. Because of that, she would remain silent and leave all decisions in Emma¡¯s hands because this was all Emma¡¯s secret.


    ¡°I do feel bad to you, guys. I can¡¯t exin anything to you. This is aplicated situation because it has to do with Emma¡¯s feelings.¡± Rachel said to Kathy and Poppy.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel guilty, Rachel. I understand your position. It¡¯s not easy to share secrets with other people.¡± Poppy smiled at her. Then her face seemed like thinking, ¡°But.. I never expect that Emma was such a mysterious person.¡±


    ¡°She is that mysterious, Pops. So, let¡¯s see how it¡¯ll go,¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°Ah.. Emma ising,¡± Poppy said when she saw Emma had finished her business with the locker and was now walking towards them with a tote bag hanging on her shoulder.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you guys waiting so long. I was looking for my lost underwear,¡± Emma said as she reached her three best friends.


    Poppy shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s ok, Emma.¡±


    ¡°Have you found the underwear yet? I have a spare one if you want to borrow it.¡± Kathy went to unzip her GYM bag.


    Poppy chuckled, ¡°But Kathy.. it¡¯s.. a bit...¡±


    ¡°No need, Katy. I just happened to find it. It turned out was tucked in the folds of my clothes.¡± Emma chuckled.


    After showering and changing clothes, ording to the n, the girls immediately went to Kathy¡¯s house, which was reportedly empty.


    ¡°Since my whole family is away for the past two days, I¡¯m the only one left in this house. So, enjoy yourselves,¡± Kathy said as she threw her bag on the sofa and went straight to the fridge.


    Poppy nced at a shelf that had a small sign with the words ¡®Bag Rack¡¯. It looked like it was made by Kathy¡¯s mother, and Poppy understood why she had to give the shelf a name. ¡°Girls, give me your bags. I¡¯ll keep them there,¡± she said to Emma and Rachel who were already sitting on the sofa. Her hand pointed towards the shelf.


    ¡°Oh.. Thanks, Poppy.¡± Emma said as she handed her bag, followed by Rachel.


    While cing all the bags, including Kathy¡¯s, onto the shelf, Poppy could only shake her head, ¡°She¡¯s such a messy girl.¡±


    Kathy came back with four sses and arge bottle of two litres of orange juice that her mother had prepared for her in the refrigerator, arge bowl of potato chips and a bowl of caramel popcorn, ¡°Okay, now can you exin what you need to exin, Emma..¡±


    ¡°Are we going to hear an exnation or watch a movie, actually?¡± Poppy muttered as she looked at the snacks on the table.


    ¡°All right..¡± Emma cleared her throat as she straightened her back from the backrest, ¡°Rachel and I have been spying on Calvin, Troy and the others. Coincidentally, they were joining forces to make chaos. And we¡¯re trying to prevent that from happening.¡±


    ¡°What kind of chaos that you mean, Emma?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°Eum.. It was chaos involving one of my other friends. Because of that, I tried to prevent it from happening.¡± Emma continued.


    ¡°Hm.. Looks like you¡¯re still trying to cover it up, Emma. Maybe I should talk to you first about my suspicions since you asked me to investigate something about Donny. Are you dealing with that kind of group again, Emma? Groups like Hell Gate?¡± Kathy asked.


    Emma frowned, ¡°H-how do you know?¡±


    ¡°Hell Gate?¡± Poppy also spoke. ¡°Wait, girls. What is going on here exactly?¡± The names of Hell Gate and Donny were a nightmare to her. She suffered from severe trauma that made her cry every night. In fact, she had almost attempted suicide because she failed to get rid of the terrible incident she had experienced when she was trapped in that savage group. No one knew the effects of the trauma, not even her own mother.


    ¡°Poppy..¡± Emma looked at her with a guilty face.


    Meanwhile, Rachel could only silently watch because, at the time of the incident with Hell Gate, she had not been friends with them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Pops. We didn¡¯t mean to hide this from you. But what happened was, due to an unnned incident, we identally uncovered Donny¡¯s identity and discovered that you were being toyed with by him. But since Emma and I were just ordinary girls, we could do nothing but try to persuade you to stay away from such a jerk. Since we couldn¡¯t protect you with our power, we thought to keep you from getting caught up again with a dangerous guy like him.¡± Kathy exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, Poppy. We didn¡¯t dare to ask you directly for fear that you would feel embarrassed and pressured by what happened, because we understood that it was very hard to tell others about what you¡¯ve been through.¡± Emma added.


    Slowly, Poppy¡¯s face was looking down. She couldn¡¯t hold back her tears when she heard it all.


    ¡°Poppy.. We really are sorry. Please don¡¯t get us wrong,¡± Emma said again slowly.


    ¡°Pops, it¡¯s really not what you think. Geez.. Why did it turn out like this?¡± Kathy scratched her head. She wanted to make Emma talk in the first ce but it was Poppy who started to cry now.


    Poppy shook her head as she continued to wipe her tears away, ¡°No.. Sorry.. I¡¯m not mad at you guys. I¡¯m just.. shocked. I was shocked to hear this news. It¡¯s maybe because of my trauma.¡±

 Chapter 204

    204 Trust and Confession


    Emma was still staring at Poppy. Then she poured the juice into a ss and gave it to her, ¡°Here. Have a drink to calm down. I know it feels terrible to recall it. But we did care about you, Poppy. We couldn¡¯t think of a better way to help you.¡±


    Poppy took the ss. She smiled faintly at Emma with tears in her eyes, ¡°I should be the one thanking you guys. Please forgive my unstable emotions.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t me the unstable emotions that trauma has done on you, Poppy. Trauma is a monster that only you can see it. Therefore, don¡¯t hate yourself for the fear you experienced. It¡¯s rare for someone with trauma to fully recover.¡± Rachel said while rubbing the back of Poppy who was sitting beside her.


    ¡°Rachel¡¯s right. Of course, you can cry all you want, Pops. But can I continue this?¡± Kathy gave an awkward faint smile.


    Emma sighed harshly, ¡°Okay, Kathy. I¡¯ll tell you that. Rachel and I formed a group to beat the gangsters. That¡¯s the point.¡±


    Kathy suddenly stood up from her seat. Then she pointed at Emma, ??as if she were a thief, ¡°I knew it! Haha! You finally admit it, Emma Hind!¡±


    ¡°You knew?¡± Emma looked surprised.


    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t know for sure. But I was just guessing,¡± Kathy replied before pulling her hands away and folding them across her chest.


    ¡°Do you remember when you asked me to find out about Donny? I showed you the location of the boat spare parts shops belonging to that group called Hell Gate. At that time, you said that we could do nothing and should not deal with criminals like them. But when you came home from my house, I found one thing! I realized that when I went to the toilet, you opened myputer again and printed the point map of Hell Gate¡¯s shops that I made! Haha.. You were indeed smart, Emma! But you can¡¯t mess up with myputer!¡± Kathyughed like a warrior with her hands on her waist.


    .....


    ¡°W-what?¡± Emma stuttered. Of course, she remembered it. But she did not expect that her actions had been known by Kathy. Then Emma pped her forehead, ¡°Ah! Of course! The printing history on the printer. It must still be there.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. It wasn¡¯t that, Emma. You think I¡¯d just think that you¡¯re printing something on my printer?¡± Kathy chuckled like a criminal, ¡°Sorry, Emma. But didn¡¯t I tell you not to fiddle with myputer? That¡¯s the thing I hate the most.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. I¡¯m really sorry, Kathy. It was unavoidably urgent.¡± Emma said with a sorry face.


    ¡°Well, since it was you and your intentions were admittedly good, I could still tolerate it.¡± Kathy shrugged and then continued, ¡°Because I don¡¯t like anyone messing with myputer, so all this time I¡¯ve been added the webcam function on my monitor. Besides being able to be used to take live video, I also use it as a CCTV for 24 hours. I also set it up so that all recorded videos would be saved and deleted every three days after getting my approval. Every three days, I would speed up the videos and check if anyone was secretly touching myputer, especially my brother. But guess what did I find? It was you, Emma. I caught you ying on myputer and printing something out of it.¡± Kathy exined.


    Emma, ??Poppy and Rachel were bbergasted at Kathy¡¯s exnation. It seemed she did have a psychopathic spirit in her. Turning a webcam into a CCTV? It was an idea that had never crossed their minds.


    ¡°You..¡± Emma nodded, ¡°are awesome. It was something I didn¡¯t expect at all.¡±


    Kathy smiled crookedly, ¡°Of course, Emma. You just don¡¯t know well who Kathania Dusk is.¡±


    Emma smiled forcefully, ¡°But, will you sit down, please? My neck is a little sore seeing you standing like a warrior like that.¡±


    Kathy finally sat down on the floor, now making her three friends have to look down slightly to see her from the sofa. At least that was better than having to look up. ¡°After that, to be honest, I became suspicious of you, Emma. But it seemed that you rarely use social media so I had a hard time finding out about you. But at one point, I ended up choosing to stop looking for it because I was sure you have reasons to hide what you were doing. I also thought that if you really think of us as an important part of your life, you¡¯d tell it yourself eventually, just like today. It¡¯s your decision to keep it hidden or not.¡±


    Kathy¡¯sst sentence made Emma move ufortably. She looked at Kathy¡¯s face which seemed to cover her disappointment. Did it turn out that all this time, Kathy had seen Emma from that perspective? Kathy realized that Emma was hiding something from her because she was not an important person in Emma¡¯s life.


    ¡°Well..¡± Kathy continued. ¡°From all your words that said that you have a phobia of fear of not having friends, or your habit which like to cut your own words to rece it with another topic. Maybe you always see me as a careless person. But I actually noticed and realized something was strange, especially with you, Emma.¡±


    Kathy suddenly remembered something else, ¡°Ah.. There¡¯s something else that¡¯s been bothering me too. When you two helped me out on that balcony, I thought it didn¡¯t make sense. If you were an ordinary girl, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be that strong to hold me down and even swing my body with only one hand. And at that very moment, the two of you worked together to cover it up.¡± she exined, looking alternately at Emma and Rachel.


    When Kathy finished speaking, the living room became quiet. Only the ticking of the clock could be heard there. The three girls looked at Emma who kept her face down. They purposely gave Emma time to think.


    ¡°If you mind telling us what your secret is, I¡¯m very okay with that, Emma. You don¡¯t have to think this friendship would end just because you have a secret you can¡¯t tell. The story is yours and you live it. It¡¯s your right whether to tell it or not to others.¡± Poppy said.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°I agree with Poppy. I¡¯m sorry if I sound pushy on you, Emma. But I just wanted to pour out all my suspicions about you all this far. It¡¯s not cool to be guessing things about my friends, right? It just makes us look stupid. At least now I don¡¯t have a burden anymore.¡±


    Emma gulped before lifting her face to look at Kathy and Poppy, ¡°I feel sorry for making you guys think that you aren¡¯t important to me. But it¡¯s real that I¡¯m afraid of not having friends. I¡¯m afraid of being left behind and everything will be changed for me.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I came to Handway City not solely to start a new life. I indeed wanted to live a normal and peaceful life. I wanted to look the same as other girls. But the fact is that I am quite a physically strong girl and master various martial arts. I also never hesitate to use them. But I¡¯m tired of the rough life full of violence. And I¡¯m afraid that if you all know about it, your view of me will be different. Maybe you will be careful with me, or what¡¯s worse.. don¡¯t want to be friends with me anymore.¡± Emma continued.


    ¡°Emma..¡± Poppy burst into tears again, ¡°what if I¡¯m asking you back? Aren¡¯t you being too unfair to yourself? I am a girl who is looked down upon by everyone because of the big mistake I made. I am a former porn star, which was against my will. The videos have already spread on our campus, Handway City, and even the whole world. However, when all my old friends left me, instead you came and made me your friend. You were not ashamed and still treated me very well, Emma. Then why should I judge your past? Why should I make you a stranger just because you¡¯ve done violence?¡±


    Rachel nodded in agreement, ¡°Nobody is perfect.¡±


    ¡°Why would you have that thought, Emma? You are our friend. And that fact won¡¯t change no matter what.¡± Kathy added.


    Emma¡¯s eyes felt hot. She wiped the tears that almost fell down her cheeks, ¡°Forgive my doubts towards you guys. Did I ever say that beforeing here, I never had friends? That¡¯s what makes me stupid. Too long busy alone with myself made me a selfish person.¡±


    ¡°If you mean being selfish to yourself, then you¡¯re right, Emma. But maybe I¡¯ll be upset if you mean being selfish to others. You¡¯ve been helping people so much, Emma. I even haven¡¯t seen you asked the payback from the people that you helped.¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°Remember what you¡¯ve done for me, Emma. Not just for me, but for my grandfather and the workers also.¡± Rachel stared at Emma. She had to make Emma stop looking down on herself.


    Emma finally nodded in understanding. Although her little heart still produced feelings of fear and worry, Emma tried to believe the words of her friends because she herself wanted her friends to believe in her. Wouldn¡¯t it be unfair if she couldn¡¯t trust them back?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to thank you guys,¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Just trust us and stop being selfish with yourself.¡± Rachel¡¯s reply was followed by nods of approval from Kathy and Poppy.


    After Emma could pull herself together, she started to tell what she had been hiding all this time. She told them that she had been trained since a kid because she grew up in a harsh environment. And how could she run away from home to end up living alone in Handway City and her goal to live as a normal girl to learn ballet.


    Until Emma came to a story about things that forced her to bring out all the things she had worked so hard to hide, which was her strength.

 Chapter 205

    205 Be Yourself


    ¡°All this time, I¡¯ve been secretly wandering around to stop gangster crimes. While doing my job, I always disguised myself as Emma Hind. From there, the people of the dark world began to recognize me as a man named ck.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°ck?¡± Poppy was stunned for a few seconds with a frown, ¡°W-What?! So, you are ck?!¡± Poppy eximed with bulging eyes.


    Emma nodded slowly, ¡°At first, I was just working alone. But because of an ident, I met Rachel. Long story short, it turned out that Rachel also has martial arts skills. And because she happened to have a problem with a gangster group, we decided to work together and have now created the group. Since then, the name ck has be our name.¡±


    Poppy shook her head quickly, ¡°No, Emma. I mean, you were that ck who rode that motorbike? The guy who always wore a ck helmet? The one who helped me and..¡± she stopped. It felt hard to mention the name of a man who had lost his life because of her.


    ¡°Roger,¡± Emma added while nodding slowly. She knew Poppy would be surprised by her confession, and it seemed she was right.


    Poppy was silent. She tried to digest what Emma said. If Emma was ck that Poppy knew. That meant that it was Emma who had helped her out from Hell Gate¡¯s snare. All the memories of the events that had happened during the past months reyed in her head.


    Emma took a deep breath. Then she moved to sit next to Poppy, ¡°Thanks, Rachel,¡± she said to the girl who immediately shifted her sitting position to give Emma space.


    Then Emma looked at Poppy who still looked so shocked that she couldn¡¯t even speak, ¡°Poppy.. Sorry if I¡¯ve been hiding the truth from you all this time. The reason I chose the path I¡¯m taking now was Roger and you. You could say that Roger was my first friend in Handway City. And you are my second friend. Roger had taught a lot of lessons for me who was stillpletely blind to the outside world. Therefore, I couldn¡¯t stand to see him continue to be bullied, and wanted to protect him even if I have to resort to violence. When I found out that Donny did bad things to you, I also couldn¡¯t ept that. When I was trying to help you, I found out that Roger also had a rtionship with you who was involved in a problem with Hell Gate.¡±


    Emma tried to hold back her tears because the moment when Roger died came back to her, ¡°Since then, I have seen how evil the gangsters in Handway City are. Before, I always thought of turning a blind eye to all the evil that I saw in this city. It was because I didn¡¯t want to deal with them. I wished to live a normal life the way I want. But my eyes opened when I felt how it was like when my own friends became the victims. Since then, I started to think about the feelings of the other victims. Even though I don¡¯t know them, it doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t feel pain. They are just like you and Roger. They also have family and friends who will feel sad to see the suffering they are going through. That¡¯s why.. I decided not to stay silent. I realized that with gangsters around, the peaceful normal life that I had always dreamed of will not exist. With that, I decided to step in to save the dreams of others and also my own.¡±


    .....


    ¡°E-Emma.. You..¡± Poppy¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she covered her mouth with one hand.


    Emma¡¯s story even also made Kathy unable to hold back tears. She rubbed her eyes a few times which kept getting wet.


    This was Emma¡¯s first time telling others about her feelings, goals, and reasons why she was the Emma Hind was now. Even though she had told Rachel many things, she had never told her what was in her heart. Now, Emma poured it all in front of her three best friends at once.


    The truth about Emma who was a hero who could fight hundreds of grown men was a big surprise for Poppy and Kathy. But they were more astonished at Emma¡¯s beautiful heart.


    Poppy had seen it with her own eyes. At that time, Emma did risk her life to help her and Roger. Emma was ganged up by hundreds of men in Hell Gate¡¯s biggestir. It was Emma who saved Poppy and all the girls who had the same fate as her. Even Roger breathed hisst breath apanied by Emma. And all this time, Emma had covered everything up by remaining gently feminine.


    Emma smiled wryly, ¡°This is the real me. I¡¯m not an elegant, perfectdy as people say. Even though that¡¯s the view I indeed want for myself, I¡¯m a girl who often solves problems with violence in reality. I¡¯m a girl who once broke someone¡¯s neck. I¡¯m a girl full of revenge and anger. I¡¯m.. far from what you thought,¡±


    ¡°Emma.. You¡¯re not the perfectdy. But you are the perfect Emma Hind. You¡¯re perfect just being who you are. And I¡¯m so proud of you. Thank you, Emma. Thank you so much for helping someone like me.¡± Poppy immediately hugged that brown-eyed girl.


    In fact, Emma witnessed how bad Poppy was that made Roger die. Even though Roger was the first friend who meant a lot to Emma, she still willing to help Poppy and was now be friends with her.


    ¡°Emma. Don¡¯t you know how awesome you are? Why do you think that being strong is a drawback? I don¡¯t believe in your mindset,¡± Kathy said with a look of astonishment mixed with sadness.


    Rachel smiled as she looked at Emma gently, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve seen it for yourself, Emma. You don¡¯t have to hold on to that fear. You have friends who will ept you as you are. And you can be yourself. If you don¡¯t want people outside there knowing your true identity, at least you have us to be your leaning on.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Emma nodded several times, ¡°I understand. I was wrong for letting fear close my eyes until I didn¡¯t realize that you all saw me as Emma Hind. I¡¯m really sorry for doubting you guys. And.. thanks a lot for awakened me,¡± she said with tears in his eyes.


    Kathy chuckled, ¡°Gosh.. I didn¡¯t expect this to be a mellow scene. But I¡¯m d that each of us can be ourselves in the end.¡±


    Then Rachel cleared her throat, ¡°If I may speak, I myself feel very lucky to have finally found a friend like you. I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I feel grateful not to have missed it.¡±


    ¡°I hope our friendship will never end until we are old and have our own families. Please, try to keep this remain,¡± Poppy asked.


    Emma nodded, ¡°I promise.¡± She replied before hugging each other.


    It was a day when the four girls could be themselves and ept each other as a group of friends. Everyone stayed, and no one left.


    ***


    ¡°So it was you who broke Brian¡¯s arm then?¡± Kathyughed as she threw a chip into her mouth.


    Emma nodded, ¡°He¡¯s still having trouble writing to this day. He deserves it.¡±


    Poppy smiled, ¡°You¡¯re awesome, Emma. I still can¡¯t imagine you being the one behind that helmet.¡± she said. ¡°By the way, how did you learn such great martial arts?¡±


    ¡°Since I was a kid, my dad hired various martial arts masters to train me and my brothers. It was because my dad¡¯s job was rather dangerous, so he thought that his children should be able to take care of themselves and be strong.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°Oh.. Did your father work as a policeman or was he.. a criminal?¡± Kathy looked interested. She never hesitated in speaking, especially to her close friends.


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really know if my dad is a good person or a bad person. He runs a casino and other entertainment businesses. Even so, he is still a father figure who loves his family so much. But he has be colder since my mother died.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Then what about Calvin and Troy? Is the matter you¡¯re talking about very serious? You¡¯re even eavesdropping on their conversation.¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Ah.. That,¡± Emma mumbled. Then she nodded, ¡°Calvin and Troy have the same job as us. They also hunt gangsters, but with slightly different goals.¡± Then Emma exined the outline of the dark world of Handway City that she already knew.


    ¡°So, now Calvin and Troy¡¯s group are going to attack the RJC you helpedst time?¡± Kathy asked.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Now we¡¯re in the middle of two sides.¡±


    ¡°Hm.. It¡¯s a pain in the ass. But why would you want to interfere anyway?¡± Kathy raised her eyebrows.


    Emma smiled faintly, ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t. But they are all my friends. Perhaps my feelings are too soft so I can¡¯t see them attack each other.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Emma. If I were in your position, I wouldn¡¯t have the heart to see my friends hurt each other. Maybe this is what calls woman¡¯s feelings.¡± Poppy nodded.


    ¡°Is your friend who is the leader of the RJC group truly a good person? Since I already know Calvin, I can¡¯t stop my heart from continuing to side with him. We all know Calvin is a genuinely good guy.¡± Kathy said with a shrug.


    Then Emma and Rachel looked at each other meaningfully. Kathy and Poppy realized that.


    ¡°Well.. Looks like there¡¯s something else you guys are still hiding, huh?¡± Kathy stared suspiciously.


    ¡°But if it¡¯s something no one else should know about, we don¡¯t mind if you keep it secret.¡± Poppy replied with one nce at Kathy who always acted as she pleased.

 Chapter 206

    206 Kathy¡¯s Big Project


    Kathy couldn¡¯t help but snort before chomping back on her potato chips in herzy sitting style with her legs stretched free, ¡°Yeah.. of course, Poppy. We¡¯re not part of the ck group.¡± she quipped.


    ¡°Actually, Kathy..¡± Emma mumbled.


    Then Rachel immediately grabbed Emma¡¯s shoulder and looked at her with a serious face, ¡°Are you sure you want to say that, Emma? Didn¡¯t you promise that person?¡±


    Emma sighed, ¡°I did. But you know yourself that one of these two girls has to know who the guy she has a crush on really is,¡±


    Hearing Emma¡¯s answer, Rachel let go of her hand. She knew who Emma was referring to.


    ¡°Kathy.. The fact is, the leader of the RJC is Marcel Dous.¡± Emma said quietly.


    ¡°What?¡± Poppy frowned.


    Kathy nodded. Then a secondter she realized, ¡°WHAT DID YOU SAY?!¡±


    ¡°Wait.. Am I wrong to remember that Marcel Dous is the real name of PB?¡± Poppy asked.


    .....


    ¡°Emma! Are you kidding me?!¡± Kathy immediately got up and grabbed the girl¡¯s shoulders with a serious face.


    Emma took a deep breath and slowly removed Kathy¡¯s hands from her shoulders, ¡°Marcel Dous is Prince Bold. The guy you like.¡±


    ¡°Darn it..¡± Kathy covered her mouth with both hands. She was greatly surprised.


    ¡°Is that mean that PB is the leader of that huge gangster group? But.. he looks like a genuinely nice guy. That¡¯s so hard to believe,¡± Poppy muttered.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Marcel is indeed a good man. I beg you guys. Please don¡¯t judge Marcel right away. He has a bitter past that I can¡¯t tell. His goal in growing RJC was to protect his grandmother and all the residents of Redvalley Street who was his neighbours..¡±


    ¡°You sure? Oh.. that¡¯s a relief,¡± Kathy¡¯s body which had been tense, got rxed again.


    ¡°Honestly, Marcel told me not to tell anyone about his true identity. But I had to tell you guys, especially Kathy who heartily likes Marcel. Therefore, please keep this a secret carefully.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°I never said I liked Marcel,¡± Kathy answered immediately in a rising tone. Then she paused by looking at her friends who were looking at her with apathetic faces, ¡°Is.. that so obvious?¡±


    The three girls nodded.


    ¡°Geez.. This is so embarrassing,¡± Kathy ruffled her hair until it became messier than usual.


    ¡°Sorry for making you break your promise, Emma.¡± Poppy said.


    Kathy snapped out of her frustration and looked at Emma, ??¡±Me too, Emma. I¡¯m also sorry for making you do that. After all, I was the reason you spill out a person¡¯s secrets.¡±


    Emma chuckled as she shook her head, ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize, girls. I was not openly revealing Marcel¡¯s secret. In fact, I¡¯m still keeping stories about his past. As for Marcel¡¯s real identity, there are already many people who know about it. Examples: Calvin and the rest of Jita Kyoei.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, what are we going to do, Emma? Troy said they¡¯re going to attack RJC the day after tomorrow.¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°Well.. You¡¯re right,¡± Emma answered. Then she thought for a moment, ¡°They said they would immediately look for Marcel. It looks like we should step into the fight, shouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Rachel raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°We¡¯ll try to prevent it of course. We¡¯d better exin to Calvin and Jita Kyoei that RJC¡¯s goal of recruiting studio students is for good. Maybe Marcel concerns with his ego too much so he hasn¡¯t been able to exin the reason well. We all know what men are like, right? They¡¯d rather solve problems with muscles than talk.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shockingly serious matter, isn¡¯t it? Are you sure you¡¯ll be all right?¡± Poppy asked worriedly.


    Emma smiled warmly at Poppy, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Poppy. We¡¯ve had much worse than them.¡±


    Rachel nodded once, ¡°At least our male friends aren¡¯t madmen who would attack indiscriminately.¡±


    ¡°Could I at least help you guys? Well, it should be inte-rted of course. The best of my ability.¡± Kathy asked while shrugging her shoulders.


    ¡°Right!¡± Emma pped once. Now Kathy knew what Emma¡¯s shadow job was. She didn¡¯t need to hide anything anymore, and of course.. could ask for some help from herputer enthusiast friend on this one. ¡°It so happens that.. there is,¡±


    The four girls ended up inside Kathy¡¯s room. They gathered in front of aputer with arge screen and colourful LED lights.


    ¡°Wow.. it looks like someone has just changed theputer equipment,¡± Emma cleared her throat.


    Kathy smiled with her chin up, ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± she nodded. ¡°This is all thanks to my hard work on thest big project.¡±


    ¡°Now I can see how big the project was,¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°Yourputer is awesome, Kathy. But, don¡¯t you want to clear up your desk a bit?¡± Poppy asked with a patheticugh. Her clear eyes stared at therge, eyes-hurting messy table. It was full of various papers, food and drink trash, and other objects. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t your mom get mad to see this?¡±


    Kathy shook her head nonchntly, ¡°She hasn¡¯t seen it yet. That¡¯s why I¡¯m still safe from nagging.¡± then she sighed, ¡°My desk usually isn¡¯t this messy. Since I got a lot of projects and college assignmentstely, I don¡¯t have time to clean it up. Well.. it doesn¡¯t bother me too much anyway,¡±


    ¡°Gosh.. I can¡¯t stand to see this,¡± Poppy muttered with a tired shake of her head. ¡°Kathy, can I clean this up? At least I can be a little more useful here,¡±


    ¡°You want to?¡± Kathy looked at Poppy with a questioning face. Then Poppy nodded innocently. ¡°Very well then. Of course, I would thank you if you are willing to bother doing that.¡± she shrugged.


    Then, Poppy was busy cleaning up Kathy¡¯s desk, which looked like a crashed ne. While next to her: Emma, ??Rachel and Kathy started to talk about what Emma had nned.


    ¡°What do you need, Emma?¡± Kathy asked as moving herputer chair left and right.


    ¡°I need your help to hack the messenger application used by Calvin and Jita Kyoei, as well as Marcel and his group members. Do you think you can do that?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Well.. Hacking such a well-known phone application is not an easy matter. Do you think I can find out beforehand what are you nning to do? So I perhaps could find an easier way,¡± Kathy replied.


    Emma nodded once, ¡°It¡¯s likely that war between RJC and Jita Kyoei is unavoidable. The only way to prevent that from happening, or at least slow it down is to disrupt theirmunication process. ording to what I¡¯ve learned from the map Jita Kyoei made, they would attack RJC¡¯s base from some point. Because of that, their group must be split into several teams. And as for Marcel, since he was the leader, he would put himself in a safe position first. However, he would still control the situation by channelling orders to his men.¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± Kathy nodded, ¡°So I just need to mess up theirmunication, right? It doesn¡¯t have to be hacking into the Messenger app. Hijacking their respective ounts on that app would be enough.¡±


    ¡°But what if they call by the cellrwork?¡± Rachel suddenly had a thought.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that. I can handle everything. But that means, while it¡¯s happening, I have to stay on guard here,¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Then, do you have time for it?¡± Emma asked.


    Kathy smiled crookedly, ¡°Of course I do. I will always set aside time for things like this. Haha..¡±


    Emma smiled, ¡°d to hear that. Then, what do you need to do it? I¡¯ll try to provide it for you.¡±


    ¡°Do you guys have their phone number or their social media ount?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°I have Marcel and Calvin¡¯s numbers. But I don¡¯t have any of Jita Kyoei¡¯s numbers.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Oh, I have it,¡± Poppy immediately walked over to the bed and took her cell phone there, ¡°I asked for Troy Roner¡¯s number when I consulted him about bing an assistant instructor.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Kathy said, ¡°All right! It¡¯s all I need. Our data isplete.¡± she smiled widely as she rubbed her palms.


    Rachel, who was sitting on the edge of the bed behind their chair, nced at the few sheets of paper that Poppy had ced on the bed when she was about to take out her cell phone. Rachel¡¯s smile suddenly turned into a confused face. She took the papers.


    Poppy, who had finished giving Kathy Troy¡¯s number, returned to the bed to pick up the paper she had unconsciously left. But she found that the papers had disappeared and had passed into Rachel¡¯s hands. Seeing Rachel¡¯s confused face, Poppy then asked her, ¡°Is there something wrong with those papers, Rachel?¡±


    Rachel nodded quickly, ¡°This.. Isn¡¯t this a picture of Oscar Chopper?¡±


    Hearing Rachel¡¯s words, Emma immediately turned around, ¡°Oscar Chopper?¡± she approached the tall girl, ¡°What¡¯s with Oscar Chopper?¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± Rachel showed the papers to the girl standing in front of her. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a photo of that cowardly man?¡±


    Emma immediately took the paper and screened it. Her face instantly also looked surprised, ¡°Yes it is,¡±


    What Emma and Rachel saw on the paper was a screenshot of someone¡¯s social media homepage which was split into several sheets of paper with different contents. And one of the contents was evidence of an uploaded photo of a man standing in front of an orange Ferrari. The person in the picture was believed by Emma and Rachel to be Oscar Chopper.


    ¡°Who is Oscar Chopper?¡± Poppy asked curiously.


    Kathy, who had been busy fiddling with herputer, eventually snorted and turned her chair around to face her noisy friends, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Kathy! Why did you keep this?¡± Emma quickly showed the papers to Kathy.


    The green-eyed girl looked at the papers after sliding the minus sses on her nose bridge, ¡°Oh.. This is my work material for myst project.¡±

 Chapter 207

    207 Leader


    Hearing Kathy¡¯s answer, Emma and Rachel looked surprised. Was the world that small?


    ¡°But.. That person was rted to that project you¡¯re working on, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Emma asked to reassure herself.


    Kathy nodded casually, ¡°My job was to find out the games that the man often yed in order to create a fake game website that could attract his attention. Wait. Don¡¯t tell me you know this person?¡± Kathy looked at Rachel and Emma with horror. The problem was that people who had be victims had beenpletely deceived.


    Rachel nodded confidently, ¡°We know him, Kathy. Very, very well.¡±


    ¡°My God! This is terrible! Is he a good person?¡± Kathy covered her mouth with both hands.


    But Emma patted the red-haired girl on the shoulder with a proud look instead, ¡°You did a good job, Kathy. He was a true jerk man.¡±


    ¡°Geez.. You almost gave me a heart attack, Emma. I thought he was a good person and my teammate tricked us into saying he was a criminal.¡± Kathy leaned back weakly in her chair.


    ¡°Does that mean that the project you¡¯ve always been proud of was a project to deceive Oscar Chopper?¡± Emma asked again with raised eyebrows.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°It was. I didn¡¯t know what his name was. At that time, the project leader only gave me a copy of the social media ount that he had hacked a little so that the owner¡¯s name was blurred and his identity was nk. That¡¯s because I was only tasked with finding out the games that the victim routinely ys. My project leader said that our client didn¡¯t want us to know who the victim was. So that guy¡¯s name is Oscar, huh? Was it true that he worked in government?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Looks like your project leader had told you little lies, Kathy. Oscar wasn¡¯t working in government. He was not a person who lived overseas either. Oscar Chopper was the leader of a disbanded gangster group called Creeper. And, you¡¯d be surprised to hear this fact, Kathy. Your clients were me and Marcel¡¯s men.¡± Emma smiled meaningfully.


    ¡°You gotta be kidding me, Emma!¡± She eximed.


    Emma nodded firmly, ¡°The mission I previously carried out with RJC was to overthrow the Creeper. At that time, I worked together with Marcel¡¯s subordinates to break into Oscar Chopper¡¯s ount. I didn¡¯t think that the Hackers hired by Marcel¡¯s men were your team. ¡±


    ¡°Dang! That¡¯s indeed dumfounding! I can¡¯t believe this. But it¡¯s a relief that the money I used was not the result of hurting people.¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°It did hurt some people. But the people were bad persons.¡± Poppy replied.


    ¡°Oscar was a criminal. He made my family suffer for months. You have nothing to regret, Kathy. He deserves it,¡± Rachel added.


    ¡°But, isn¡¯t that mean your hacker team were so great, Kathy? I admire you guys,¡± Emma praised.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°Well.. They really were. I¡¯ve also learned a lot from them over the years. If you need any more help, don¡¯t hesitate to ask me, Emma. I¡¯d be d to do it.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you guys would be unbeatable if you joined a crime-fighting group. Am I right?¡± Poppy asked.


    Poppy¡¯s statement made Emma clear her throat, ¡°Well.. I honestly was thinking that Kathy¡¯s abilities would be greatly useful for my work. However, I don¡¯t want to drag you girls into a dangerous dark world.¡±


    ¡°Dark world?¡± Kathyughed, ¡°You have no idea how dark the inte is, Emma. In fact, I often have to close all my cameras at work. You have no idea what a hacker can do.¡±


    ¡°Is it that bad, Kathy?¡± Poppy looked curious.


    Kathy shrugged, ¡°You heard for yourself what my hacker group and I have done. We broke into all ounts belonging to that man named Oscar in less than thirty minutes. We even hacked his social media and asked his friends to lend him money.¡± She exined with a raised chin, ¡°That¡¯s why, Emma. If you need a skilled Hacker for ck¡¯s group, I don¡¯t mind joining.¡± she smiled so widely.


    Emma blinked quietly. There was great doubt on her face. Rachel, who had been watching Emma, realized it.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s quite a good idea. Didn¡¯t you dream of having a reliable inte master to work with, Emma? I saw that you so much enjoyed your time with Danis that time. You looked proud of him,¡± Rachel said.


    Emma turned and looked back at Rachel, ¡°T-that¡¯s right, Rachel. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want Kathy to join. I¡¯m just afraid she¡¯ll get into trouble. The dark world of Handway City is a dangerous environment.¡±


    ¡°Then you can teach me to fight like you. At least I can protect myself a little.¡± Kathy replied.


    ¡°Good idea. Nothing is impossible.¡± Rachel nodded.


    Emma immediately looked back at Kathy with a surprised face and made Kathy chuckle.


    ¡°Are you underestimating me, Emma? You know that I don¡¯t like ballet. Who knows if I have a hidden talent in martial arts?¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°I guess.. you¡¯re right.. Kathy,¡± Emma muttered to herself. ¡°You will be weak if you think you are weak. You will be strong if you think you are strong.¡±


    ¡°Nice quote,¡± Kathy pped her hands in slow motion.


    ¡°Being a part of ck is something I¡¯ve never regretted until now, Emma. I¡¯m truly grateful that you¡¯d give me a ce in your group.¡± Rachel said.


    Emma was silent. Sometimes she forgot that ck was now a group. If Kathy were to join as well, wouldn¡¯t that mean ck would just get bigger? It made Emma¡¯s chest throb.


    ¡°What are you thinking, Emma?¡± Poppy asked quietly. She knew Emma was worried. Logically speaking, Emma should be happy to ept a particrly useful member like Kathy into her group. But Poppy wouldn¡¯t judge if it had anything to do with Emma¡¯s feelings and background.


    ¡°I¡¯m.. just thinking. With the addition of ck¡¯s members, will I be a group leader?¡± Emma answered slowly.


    Rachel frowned, ¡°Of course, Emma. You¡¯re the one who created ck. Its Vision and Mission were even formed based on your dreams. You¡¯re the leader of ck.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Emma.. But, is there something bothering you about that?¡± Poppy asked again.


    Emma nodded slowly, ¡°My dad is a leader of a group too. Although he is a good father and husband to his family, I always dislike his job. Because of his job, we all have to be isted at home and are always under strict surveince everywhere we go. Because he is a leader, everyone acted fake in front of me because they feared my dad. That.. indirectly makes me feel that being like him is a bad thing.¡±


    The three girls were silent listening to Emma. From Emma¡¯s story, they could more or less guess that the work done by her father was not much different from that of a gangster group, but perhaps on arger scale. This was also supported by how morous Emma¡¯s life was, as seen from the various items attached to her body, cars, and motorbikes that only people with a lot of money could buy.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t that kind of person,¡± Rachel said suddenly in a cold tone.


    Emma who was looking down, immediately looked at Rachel with a confused expression.


    ¡°R-Rachel..¡± Poppy called her in a low voice, ¡°What did you say?¡± she asked only with a movement of the mouth.


    But Rachel ignored it all. She continued to speak, ¡°I thought you were a brave girl who persistently pursued your dreams. I thought you were the type of person who didn¡¯t want to give in to fate and thought that your future was in your own hands. I¡¯ve always admired you, Emma. The side you have but always hide is honestly something tremendously amazing to me. But I was wrong. Even though you already have people who are willing to support you, it turns out that your personality is still weak. If you think you will be the same as your father, then you have to ask to your own self. Are you mentally strong enough to be a leader?¡±


    ¡®Holly hell, Rachel! You¡¯re a genius!¡¯ Kathy eximed in her heart even though she had been silent. It seemed, among all of them, the one who was strong enough to out-loudly open Emma¡¯s mind was that stern-faced girl.


    Yes, Rachel didn¡¯t mean to insult Emma. Like a lion. It must see prey to pounce and must meet challengers entering its territory to fight. Otherwise, it would continue to nap under the tree.


    ¡°Everyone has a different past and background, Emma. And quite a few go through it in such a bad way that it hurts. But you can use that either as a lesson or an obstacle. You¡¯ll either adapt to it or cry it out. I think you knew that. You¡¯ve always acted bravely. Have I been wrong to see you as my role model?¡± Rachel asked again.


    Rachel¡¯s words were like a hard smack to Emma¡¯s face. Her heart ached to hear those words. What Rachel said was so sharp that made Emma feel like she wanted to be angry at being insulted. But Emma had no reason to argue, let alone go against Rachel¡¯s words. It was because the words she said were fact. Emma¡¯s mentality was weak.


    In fact, by saying that, Rachel had taken arge risk. But she still did it anyway. If it turned out that Emma¡¯s response was not good, then their newly patented friendship would be destroyed without a trace. But if Rachel¡¯s intentions were toe true, then Emma would be a truly great leader.

 Chapter 208

    208 BLACK SWAN


    Everyone was waiting for Emma¡¯s reaction with pounding chests. Rachel still kept her stern expression, Kathy tried to rx, and Poppy gave a scared expression. As for Emma, ??it could be seen from her face that now her feelings were mixed.


    The clock ticked and the sound of the CPU roaring filled Kathy¡¯s quiet room. Until Emma took a deep breath to make her friends¡¯ hearts seem to stop beating for a split second.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve let you down, Rachel? But I¡¯ve never asked to be your role model, have I?¡± She smiled faintly at Rachel who was looking at her with sharp eyes.


    Then Emma sighed loudly, ¡°Even so, I can¡¯t deny what you¡¯re saying. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve been fighting with my mind all this time. The courage and fear within me are like two troops at war. I¡¯m like a rope being pulled by two contestants. Then what should I choose? Or.. what can I choose?¡±


    ¡°The answer is in your throat, Emma,¡± Rachel said tly.


    Emma nodded and smiled faintly, ¡°And very hard to get out of,¡±


    ¡°Emma.. Doing something your dad has done would not turn you into him. Yes, you are your father¡¯s flesh and blood. Maybe you got your eyes and nose from him. But that doesn¡¯t mean you are your father. You are only his child. And you are still Emma Hind yourself.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°Blood is thicker than water. It seems to be true.¡± Emma looked at her own hands, ¡°Apparently, his violent soul runs inside me. I even use the name of caring for others as an excuse to satisfy my thirst for viting.¡±


    Okay, Emma¡¯s statement this time was quite surprising for her friends. Of course, it was Emma¡¯s dark side that they had never seen before. It was indeed terrible. However, they would still trust Emma and believe that she would not hurt them. They believed that Emma was still sane.


    .....


    ¡°Well, that could be called a hobby,¡± Kathy said with an awkward face. Things that went through her head were sometimes quite strange. But what was even weirder was that she never hesitate taking it out in an inappropriate situation.


    Emma nodded, ¡°You know what? When I was little, people always said that I was excessively simr to my dad. Our faces and attitudes. They said that I was a clone of my dad in the female version.¡± Then she smiled faintly, ¡°I will prove that what they said is true.¡±


    The three girls looked at each other and then turned back to Emma, ??¡±Does that mean you¡¯re going to do it?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°Giving up before trying is a loser thing. Thank you for reminding me that I am not a loser.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Gosh..¡± Poppy and Kathy sighed in relief. It was a very tense situation. They were so afraid that Emma and Rachel would get into a fight. That would make things highly ufortable.


    ¡°Does this mean I¡¯m already a member of the ck group?¡± Kathy asked with a smile on her face.


    Emma smiled and nodded once, ¡°Sorry I made a silly drama. But, you should know that I¡¯m not a perfect person. I still have a lot to learn.¡±


    Rachel nodded, ¡°There are no perfect humans in this world, Emma. And no one is the strongest. Being a leader doesn¡¯t mean you have to be perfect. It¡¯s just being the bravest and most loved by your group members.¡±


    Emma looked at Rachel with teary eyes. Then she nodded once, ¡°Thanks for pping my face, Rachel. I will never forget your words that set me on fire.¡±


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s in a positive context,¡± Rachel replied, eliciting anotherugh.


    But amid theughter that filled the room, Emma realized someone was not as happy as she was. Emma could see Poppy¡¯s gloomy face, though she seemed to be forcing a smallugh on her lips. But the girl¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t lie. Noughter there.


    ¡°Poppy, is something wrong?¡± Emma asked her carefully.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Poppy snapped out of her thought. Then she shook her head, ¡°N-nothing,¡±


    ¡°But your face says otherwise, Poppy. Did something make you sad?¡± Emma asked again.


    Kathy also looked at Poppy in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Pops?¡±


    ¡°Eum.. actually I.. just...¡± She took a deep breath and forced a small chuckle, ¡°Sorry, maybe this is too much. I¡¯m just feeling down because it seems.. I¡¯m the only useless person here. But I¡¯ve only gotten used to my uselessness. Haha,¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, Pops? There¡¯s nobody useless here.¡± Kathy said confusedly.


    ¡°Everyone will be useful in their right positions. You shouldn¡¯t look down on yourself.¡± Rachel added.


    ¡°Poppy, you are a ballet instructor who¡¯s able to open your own studio. It¡¯s something the three of us couldn¡¯t do. From a young age, you knew what your dream was and could keep sticking with it to this day. That¡¯s a huge thing.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°But, it¡¯s only useful for me. Whereas you could help each other, even helped me, but I never helped you guys anything.¡± She looked down.


    ¡°Perhaps you don¡¯t realize what you¡¯ve done. But it¡¯s your presence here and your words of encouragement that have made me stand tall here. You¡¯re here to fill us, Poppy. Without you, our group is like a table missing one of its legs.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Group?¡± Poppy repeated and she chuckled awkwardly, ¡°Maybe you mean our friendship.¡±


    Emma immediately shook her head, ¡°What do you mean? When I said group, it meant ck¡¯s group. Kathy is already here and you..¡± She stopped talking and started thinking with a frown, ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t want to join us?¡±


    Emma¡¯s question instantly took Poppy by surprise. She immediately shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, Emma. I thought it was just the three of you because I wouldn¡¯t be of any use there.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t want to join, does it, Poppy?¡± Rachel asked.


    Poppy shook her head slowly, ¡°Of course, I want to. But I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯d be a burdenter. I don¡¯t want you to ept me into ck because you feel bad for me. I¡¯m really okay, girls. Just because I¡¯m not joining, it doesn¡¯t mean our friendship would be ended, does it?¡± She smiled sadly.


    ¡°No, Poppy. You¡¯re wrong. We really need you here.¡± Emma said.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°Just cut it, Pops. Don¡¯t add to the unnecessary drama again here. I¡¯m forcing you toe in. You ept it or not, it¡¯s up to you.¡± She rolled her eyes.


    Rachel couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as she red at Poppy. Although she felt a little sorry for Poppy, there was some truth in it. They didn¡¯t have time for drama anymore. After all, Poppy was an easy person to persuade. Rachel already knew Poppy¡¯s character. She was a person who was afraid of being a burden to others. In fact, Poppy was best at organizing things. Of course, that girl would be so useful to ck in the future.


    Poppy eventually gave up. She shrugged with a weak smile, ¡°If you guys don¡¯t mind having me in the group, I won¡¯t dodge anymore. I¡¯ll also try not to bother you. But I¡¯ll maybe just be a disy in ck¡¯s group.¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°Hm.. That¡¯s fine too. You could just be our mascot, Pops. You¡¯re the prettiest here and the number one girl in ballet.¡± Kathy continued Poppy¡¯s joke.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Poppy be the ambassador for our ballet ss?¡± Emma suddenly remembered.


    ¡°Ms Tania used my porn video case as an excuse to rece me with someone else.¡± Poppy replied with a careless face. She also didn¡¯t want to work with that annoying woman anyway.


    ¡°That damn witch!¡± Kathy growled.


    Emmaughed, ¡°Come to think of it, isn¡¯t this kinda funny? We are all ballet girls who are made into a group that fights crime.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Kathy nodded, rubbing her chin with her fingers. ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t you guys have a mascot or logo yet?¡± Kathy continued excitedly.


    ¡°Mascot and logo?¡± Emma muttered and shook her head, ¡°I never thought of that.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s neither mascot nor logo yet,¡± Rachel added.


    Emma shrugged, ¡°I didn¡¯t think ck would eventually be a group. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t think about those things. But now that you guys have mentioned it, it seems little things like that matter too, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Kathy nodded confidently, ¡°They are!¡±


    ¡°Since we are ballerinas in disguise, can we put the ballet-rted thing in our logo?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°Ballet? Nice idea,¡± Kathy nodded.


    ¡°Well.. But it seems that it will make us too obvious as ballet dancers. Maybe it will reveal our identity.¡± Emma said.


    Poppy nodded as she rubbed her arm, ¡°Actually, I think the ballet logo should only be used for that dance.¡±


    Then Kathy started to open herputer and look for references on the inte, ¡°Most people use objects or animals for their logo material.¡±


    ¡°They have cool logs,¡± Emma said after getting up from her seat to look at theputer screen.


    From behind, Poppy noticed a key ring hanging out of Emma¡¯s pants pocket. It was her swan-shaped ss keychain for her car key. ¡°I think I know what matches the logo,¡±


    Emma turned to Poppy, ¡°What¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Your keychain, Emma.¡±


    ¡°My keychain?¡± Emma took out her car key and lifted it. The ss swan swayed, reflecting the light of themp that looked gorgeous. ¡°A swan..¡±


    Poppy nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Like Odette.¡± she remembered the cartoon princess swan that she loved since childhood.


    ¡°Gorgeous and graceful. Just like ballet.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°I agree with the swan as the ck group¡¯s mascot and logo. That¡¯s a great idea, Pops!¡± Kathy¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°ck.. Swan,¡± Emma muttered to herself.

 Chapter 209

    209 Call in the Midnight


    ¡°ck Swan. Right. How about that?¡± Emma said it louder until her friends turned to look at her.


    ¡°ck Swan?¡± They repeated in unison.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Why did I call myself ck? That was because I thought ck described me the most. I always move in the shadows. It¡¯s a figure whose true form is unknown to anyone. ck represents darkness. If I don¡¯t want to steal attention, I have to blend in with my surroundings. Therefore, I chose ck name to match the shadow in the dark underworld of Handway City.¡±


    ¡°We are ballet dancers who look graceful as swans. But, behind that, we are swans who move in the shadows to destroy injustice. We are strong women. We can do anything and destroy anyone. Even if we have to move in the dark, we will not lose our grace. Therefore, the name ck Swan in my opinion is the one that best describes who we are.¡± Emma continued.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting exnation, Emma. You seem to be excellent at orator.¡± Kathy said while pping her hands.


    ¡°I love the ck Swan name. It sounds cool and elegant. I¡¯ve seen The ck Swan dance at various ballet theatres. And they were breathtaking. A swan that is full of power but still elegant.¡± Poppy added.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make masks for the two of you after this.¡± Rachel said to Kathy and Poppy.


    ¡°Mask?¡± Kathy repeated.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Since helmets make it difficult to move, we decided to wear masks.¡±


    .....


    ¡°You two cane over to my houseter. I¡¯ll show you things.¡± Emma added. ¡°And Kathy.. you can learn self-defence with me or Rachel, if you want. So can you, Poppy.¡± She looked at the two girls.


    ¡°Roger!¡± Kathy saluted.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± Poppy smiled as she nodded.


    ***


    After the ck Swan was formed, Emma¡¯s sense of loneliness subsided until she seemed to not feel it anymore. She still couldn¡¯t believe that she was now the leader of a group of four girls.


    ¡°It feels like a dream,¡± Emma muttered as she looked out her bedroom window at the shining moon.


    Spring hade and Emma felt the flowers in her heart begin to bloom. It felt like she¡¯d been through a lot these past few weeks.


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s cell phone rang. She didn¡¯t think it was Jonas because this wasn¡¯t the day Jonas was supposed to call her. Slowly, Emma began to feel a strange thumping in her chest as she grabbed the phone from the nightstand. Ah.. she was right. It was Levi Wargos.


    After clearing her throat, Emma picked up the phone and put it to her ear, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Were you sleeping?¡± Levi asked directly, in a slightly hoarse voice that sounded deep.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Emma answered. ¡°Why did you call me?¡±


    ¡°Am I bothering you?¡± He asked.


    Emma shook her head, ¡°Not really,¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to call you.¡±


    ¡°O-okay. But if you want to ask me out, I can¡¯t do that because maybe I¡¯d get sleep in a few more minutes. It¡¯s already midnight.¡± Emma said, ncing at the clock on her nightstand.


    ¡°Sounds like a trauma. Is it possible that you won¡¯t go out with me anymore after what happenedst time?¡± He chuckled.


    Emma raised her voice, ¡°Well.. It was indeed an unpleasant incident. However, I understand that it was all an ident. So, it didn¡¯t seem like it had any significant effect on me.¡± She shrugged


    ¡°Oh.. Sood then. How are you? I didn¡¯t have time to contact you right away because I have a lot of important work.¡±


    ¡°I ept your apology, Levi,¡± Emma said. She was familiar with how difficult this man was to say the words ¡®sorry¡¯ and ¡®thank you¡¯. It seemed his tongue had a phobia of those two words. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can hear it in my voice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s clearly audible,¡± Levi chuckled.


    ¡°What about you? Your voice sounds even worse than when you nearly died that time.¡± Emma asked.


    Out of nowhere, Levi sighed heavily, ¡°There are some problems in my work. Maybe I will be so busy for weeks.. or months,¡±


    ¡°I wish you¡¯ll get through it all, Levi. I believe you are apetent person. Then what about your health? Honestly, when I said you were close to death, it did look like that.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re just exaggerating. I was fine and just needed a little rest.¡± He replied.


    Emma let out a long sigh, ¡°What a relief. I was madly panicked because you kept losing your mind,¡±


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really remember what happened. It all felt like a sh of shadow and light. Maybe it was because of the fever I had.¡± Levi said. Then he was silent for a few seconds and then continued, ¡°But.. I didn¡¯t say or do anything weird, did I?¡±


    Emma was silent. Her heart, which had been fine for a while, began to beat wildly as she recalled what happened that time. But now Emma realized a new fact. Levi had no recollection of that moment. He indeed just hallucinated during a fever. Didn¡¯t that mean that Emma didn¡¯t have to take all of Levi¡¯s words seriously? Why should she think about the words spoken by a delirious person? Didn¡¯t that mean she was the stupid one?


    ¡°Hey!¡± Levi startled Emma from her thought. ¡°I did something weird, didn¡¯t I?¡± he asked suspiciously.


    ¡°You did,¡± Emma answered. ¡°You kept mumbling incoherently and crying like a baby. That was ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°What? I really did that?¡± Levi asked quickly. Even the tone of his voice rose.


    Instantly, Emma burst outughing. She even had to make Levi wait for herughter to stop so she could speak again, ¡°Got you! How was it? Were you surprised? Your panicked voice heard funny! Haha!¡±


    ¡°I feel like I want to smack you down,¡± Levi muttered in a cold voice. But that only made Emmaugh even more.


    ¡°Hey.. You can give it a try. I¡¯ll break your arm after that.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Yes, dear. Just speak while you can. It¡¯s your luck cuz I won¡¯t make you regret your words.¡± Levi said sarcastically. Then he let out a small sigh to adjust the mood Emma had just ruined up, ¡°It¡¯s rare to hear you sound cheerful like this. It seems the wheel of life has been turned now.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. You have a point. I¡¯d better notugh too much.¡± Emma immediately controlled her unstable breath fromughing, ¡°It happens that I feel a lot of surprisingly good things that made me smile a lot today.¡± she exined in a happy tone.


    ¡°d to finally hear you say that. What¡¯s the good thing?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°Wow.. wow.. Wait a minute. It¡¯s unusual that you would immediately ask something like that. Why do I feel something strange here?¡± Emma gave a joking tone.


    ¡°That sounds strange because you never tell me anything nice. Don¡¯t you think that we¡¯ve only been telling each other problems all along?¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°Well..¡± Emma rubbed her chin, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re right,¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your admiration. So, what is the good thing?¡± He asked again.


    Emma smiled as she adjusted her seat on the bed with a pillow she ced on herp, ¡°I made a group with my friends and I¡¯m the leader. At first, I thought something like that would not happen because I never wanted to be a leader in any case. But in the end, my best friends made me realize that everything would be fine. Because of that, I also found a piece of myself.¡± She exined with a flowery heart.


    ¡°I see. So your true self is a tart that¡¯s lost its pieces? You pointed out a good parable. Then what kind of group did you mean?¡± Levi asked directly.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯ve never used cake as a parable, by the way. It was you, bastard!¡± Then Emma thought for a moment before answering Levi¡¯sst question. ¡°It¡¯s a group in my ballet ss. We¡¯re going to make a group for an arts event on campus.¡± She lied.


    ¡°Oh.. Why didn¡¯t you want to be a leader before?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°I was afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to give the best for the people who depended on me. The burden of being a leader is massive. It¡¯s because you have to be responsible for everyone. Even being responsible for myself is often difficult.¡± Emma shrugged. ¡°Incidentally, I wanted everyone around me to be happy. I didn¡¯t want anyone to feel wronged because I was the leader.¡± She continued while imagining herself being jailed in her father¡¯s majestic house.


    ¡°Many people fight each other because they want to be a leader. But they don¡¯t know that even the incumbent leader feels like stepping down but the circumstances force him to stay. Being a leader is not an easy job. But sometimes, to make sure everything goes smoothly well, you have to be willing to do it.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Levi. Since you said that, maybe I¡¯d continue to worry if it weren¡¯t me who take care of the group.¡± Emma muttered, more to herself.


    Levi smiled, ¡°That¡¯s the nature of a leader: always worried about the group, feeling like you¡¯re the only one who can make sure everything will be okay. You have them, Emma.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. I learned a lot of things today,¡± Emma leaned back, ¡°Then what about you? Is your work problem thatplicated?


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit troublesome.¡± Levi replied, ¡°I was faced with a problem that made us lose money. At that time, I had to choose whether to take any action or leave it all and consider it a business process.¡±


    ¡°If you are losing, of course you have to stop the loss, right?¡± Emma replied. She learned that in her business management ss. And there was not a single lesson that said that we should be silent if our business was losing money. As much as possible, we must find a way not to lose again. A business¡¯s main goal was to seek profit, not loss.

 Chapter 210

    210 Wee Them


    ¡°I am, looking for a way. But I¡¯m stuck in a situation that has a lot of side effects. Therefore, I¡¯m still thinking about the right decision for my problem now. Fortunately, the loss is still quite small. So, I still have time to think about it.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°Then take your time. But you have to remember, Levi. Time won¡¯t wait for you. You have to chase it. Just like the tide, you can¡¯t take time for granted. It looks calm at the first, but you¡¯d know you are fucked up when the big waves are in sight.¡± Emma said.


    Levi chuckled, ¡°You get wiser at night,¡±


    Emma just snorted, ¡°You are a nuisance all day.¡± she replied before yawning widely.


    ¡°Looks like the princess should go to sleep now,¡± The man chuckled. His voice no longer sounded like he had a fever.


    ¡°Stop making fun of me,¡± Emma snapped with a snort.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll remember what you said earlier. I¡¯ll hang up the phone. Get some good sleep.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°Well,¡± Emma replied.


    Then the call was ended, cing Emma back in the silence of the room. It created a sudden empty feeling in her chest.


    .....


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he alwayse and go as he pleases?¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    On the other hand,


    Levi lowered his phone. The wind blew against his face. He grabbed a white box next to him and took out a cigarette.


    After the cigarette was lit, Levi took a sip and exhaled the smoke into the air. He followed the smoke and his eyesnded on arge round, shining brightly object. The moon, the stars, and even the scent of the wind had given the colours of spring now.


    ¡°What a lovely moon,¡± He mumbled with a faint smile on his lips, ¡°Is Emma staring it from the house too? Well.. looks impossible. She must be sleeping like a corpse by now,¡± he found it funny himself by remembering when Emma slept on his shoulder without being able to waken up.


    ¡°Is the insomniaing again?¡±


    Levi turned back at the voice source. He smiled briefly at Lukas who paced closer to him from inside the house in long night pants and a ck long-sleeved shirt, ¡°How about you?¡± he held out his cigarette case.


    Lukas shrugged before pulling a cigarette out of the box. Then he stepped next to Levi and sat on the same bench, ¡°I was just in the mood for a smoke,¡±


    ¡°Without a cigarette?¡± Levi chuckled.


    ¡°I knew you were here,¡± Lukas replied.


    ¡°Ha.. Of course, you do,¡± Levi just nodded slowly.


    ¡°She¡¯s a sweet girl. Is she your type?¡± Lukas asked with his face still looking ahead at the collection of cypress hedges a few meters from their seats.


    Levi smiled faintly, already expecting that Lukas hade out on purpose to find out what he was doing, ¡°She caught a little of my attention. That should be fine.¡±


    ¡°You sure? I thought you had a phobia of women,¡± Lukas chuckled.


    ¡°I think so and still hope it was true. Maybe that girl healed me? I¡¯m not sure,¡±


    Lukas chuckled while exhaling smoke out of his mouth and nose, ¡°What I said that time didn¡¯t just pass through your ears, did it?¡±


    Then Levi turned to Lukas with raised eyebrows, ¡°Should I repeat it for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to meddle in your personal life, Levi. I¡¯m just worried it might have a bad effect on you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t harm us, much less myself. You needn¡¯t worry, Lukas.¡± Levi answered.


    ¡°Including her?¡± Luke raised his eyebrows.


    Levi nodded once, ¡°Including her.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯ve broken into their ounts, Emma. Right now, I¡¯ll be a parasite that lives in there and will rise in time.¡± Kathy rubbed her palms together with a big smile.


    A few hours ago,


    Kathy worked on herputer. Hijacking other people¡¯s ounts was her forte. It was a tiny thing to her.


    Tounch her attack on Troy and Calvin was not difficult at all. All she had to do was send a short message containing a link to a fake free meal voucher advert at a restaurant. As Kathy had expected, the two of them instantly fell into her trap.


    But Kathy must be more careful to trap Marcel. As Emma had told her, Marcel was the leader of a huge, strong group. With him knowing how his own men were able to break into Oscar Chopper¡¯s bank ount with the works of a Hackerst time, Marcel would definitely be warier of things rted to the inte.


    Although Marcel was Kathy¡¯s crush, when it came to work, the beautiful green-eyed girl would turn into a professional. Even though from the outside Kathy looked like a girl who was willing to do anything for the man of her dreams, she would in fact be a totally different girl when in work mode.


    In order to trap Marcel, Kathy had to think hard about how to trap him with just one throw of a fishing bite. After racking her brain for half an hour, she finally found a way.


    Marcel didn¡¯t need a free meal voucher because he already had a lot of money and could eat wherever he wanted. But of course, he would be interested in everything to do with his grandmother. Kathy could see the good grandson loved his grandmother so much. While apologizing to Lilian in her heart, Kathy designed a fake website.


    An advertising message entered Marcel¡¯s email that Kathy had tracked through his phone number. It happened that Marcel was quite active in checking his email because he took care of all the necessities and expenses at his grandmother¡¯s tavern. For the family¡¯s stuff, he would not leave them to anyone and would handle everything himself. He paid all bills online which were always rted to his email.


    Kathy designed a website for an online store that had promo ads for a package of elderly supplements that had ims of extraordinarily attractive long-term health benefits. As Kathy had expected, it didn¡¯t take long for the trap ads link to be clicked open by Marcel. He even tried to register an ount on the website to be able to see other products. But after he did that, the website would be an error.


    Emma, ??Rachel, and Poppy had no idea that Kathy could finish the job in just one night.


    ¡°Thanks, Kathy. We weren¡¯t wrong to count on you,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small thing for me.¡± Kathy lifted her chin with her hands ced on her back head in a rxed position.


    Emma pulled out a ck box containing slim ck headphones from her bag and handed it to Kathy.


    ¡°What this for?¡± She asked.


    ¡°This is the device we¡¯ll need formunicatingter. It¡¯s like a phone connected to the devices Rachel and I are wearing.¡± Emma exined. Then she gave two small ck things to Rachel.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Rachel said while epting an earphone and a small microphone which she would embed inside her mask.


    ¡°With these things, I hope our mission will go smoothly,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Anyways, Emma. Where did you get these things from?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s someone I¡¯ve known since a kid. He¡¯s my father¡¯s man,¡± Emma replied with a smallugh.


    ¡°These things seem expensive, Emma. So are our masks and clothes. I¡¯ve honestly been thinking about this for quite a while. But don¡¯t you feel heavy with all the expenses?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°Oh.. that...¡± Emma rubbed the bridge of her neck with a faintugh, ¡°Actually, I did dig a little into my pocket. But you don¡¯t have to worry about the money. Everything will be fine,¡±


    ¡°You know we can¡¯t let you dig into your personal pocket for too long, don¡¯t you?¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°I know, Rachel. But I¡¯m serious that we don¡¯t have to think about it. Now, we can focus on the mission first,¡± Emma answered.


    ***


    The group of men gathered in a big field. Jita Kyoei called all his members there. Even Calvin had no idea that Jita Kyoei had members outside their Judo club. It turned out that all this time, Jita Kyoei had not really died. They were like zombies sleeping underground acres of burialnd and ready to rise again on Halloween day. It was various men from other colleges and high schools in Handway City.


    With cars and motorbikes, a group of men drove towards RJC¡¯s headquarters. But when they hadn¡¯t got there yet, half of them turned to the other way with Nicko Coffey at the helm.


    The sun had set and the orange scenery had almost faded away in the darkness of the night sky. The group led by Troy Roner who was in the front line arrived at a half-round-shaped building like a cinema.


    On the other hand,


    ¡°They¡¯ve arrived.¡± Said Kenny who was standing beside Marcel¡¯s chair.


    ¡°Then we should wee them,¡± He replied.


    Troy already knew that there was no way Marcel would let his guard down after theirst time bicker. As soon as the tall gate of RJC¡¯s headquarters opened, a group of men in all ck revealed from behind it, walking casually and led by a man with red hair and a man with a wound on his lips.


    ¡°Damian Jamin and Vico Hustle. They put out two of the best street fighters on the front line, apparently.¡± Troy muttered. At his right and his left, Frank Duk and Louis Rough were standing.


    ¡°Just leave them all to us. Stay in your spot,¡± Frank said.


    Troy nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to check your phone when it vibrates.¡± He showed his cell phone briefly and puts it in his trouser pocket.


    Frank blinked slowly, ¡°I know.¡±

 Chapter 211

    211 RJC V.S Jita Kyoei


    Troy stepped forward. He was in the middle of the road and stopped two meters in front of the front row with a stout posture and chin raised, ¡°We will not attack if you surrender. We give you one more chance to wave the white g.¡± He said in a loud voice.


    Hearing that, Damianughed out loud until his body shook. His nature was a little bit crazy. Troy was used to that kind of attitude. Not infrequently he found many men with crazy attitudes in this dark world. In fact, he had one in his group, named Martin Brafo.


    After enoughughing, Damian stopped his bigugh in a second as if he had changed faces. Then he straightened up his back and red at Troy Roner. Then he raised his hands above his head to give the enemy his middle finger with an aggressive look.


    It was a refusal said with contempt. Troy clenched his jaw and nodded in understanding. There would be no peace here. The war would only be over until one of the groups waspletely destroyed.


    ¡°ATTACK!¡± The muscr man eximed, pointing his hands forward. Then from behind, all Jita Kyoei men ran past him towards the group of men dressed in ck.


    Seeing that, Damian spat on the asphalt road and ran to the enemies who were running toward him. All the members behind him immediately followed with the harmonization of the growl that was always heard in every fight.


    ¡°It¡¯s started,¡± Emma said. She was standing behind an old abandoned building not far from the war area.


    Rachel got off the motorbike she had been sitting on, ¡°Are we moving now?¡±


    Emma nced back at her and nodded. She held her mouth cover which had two devices in it. One was a voice changer, and the other was a microphone tomunicate with Kathy who was far away at her house.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Kathy said while she was sitting in front of theputer.


    Then Emma and Rachel covered their motorbike with arge ck cloth that obscured the tworge objects in the dark building. After that, the two girls in all ck clothes and masks headed towards the side of the building where in front of it there was already a big fight between two groups.


    Just like the n on the map that Emma had seen, some of the Jita Kyoei members who were branched into small teams, entered the RJC headquarters through several points other than the main door.


    Since Emma and Rachel had been inside RJC¡¯s headquarters several times, they knew exactly where the important rooms in the building at.


    Ian and Calvin entered through arge window after a few of their men had entered.


    The arrival of the intruders along with a loud sound of broken ss made the RJC members who were guarding the headquarters rush to the source of the sound. Before they arrived at the window, they were greeted by Jita Kyoei¡¯s men and immediately got into a fistfight.


    From afar, Emma stared at therge, shattered ss window. She could see from the outside the situation behind the window had been ravaged by the battle. But apparently, Calvin and Ian were right to go straight to Marcel¡¯s room because they didn¡¯t appear to be there.


    After the conditions behind the window were quite free, Emma and Rachel immediately climbed and entered through the same window.


    ¡°You!¡± Several of the Jita Kyoei men who were still there were surprised to see cks.


    Emma who had just entered the window immediately raised her hands as a sign of peace, ¡°We have business with RJC. This is not our fight. Please let us pass.¡±


    From what Emma saw, she could conclude that Ian and Calvin¡¯s team had managed to break through the defences of the RJC men who had blocked them. The RJC men were already lying battered on the floor and there were still four remaining Jita Kyoei members standing there, ready to fight again.


    The four men looked confused and didn¡¯t know whether they should attack ck or not, because when they fought Hell Gate, there was also ck who fought it with them.


    ¡°We will not fight you guys. But if you stand in our way, we have no other choice. We have no intention of fighting Jita Kyoei.¡± Emma said again, trying to convince the four men.


    One of the men huffed, ¡°Just pretend you didn¡¯t see us.¡± he said as he ran away followed by his three friends. He hoped that what ck said was true. However, in truth, he was also afraid of having to fight with two ck members who could destroy the main headquarters of Hell Gate alone.


    In the end, the four men let Emma and Rachel pass. Then the girls headed straight for Marcel¡¯s room. However, as it turned out, the journey was not as smooth as they had imagined. Inside the base, there had been battles at various spots.


    ¡°Emma,¡±


    Emma and Rachel immediately stopped in their tracks and leaned against the wall.


    ¡°What is it, Kathy?¡± Emma asked quickly.


    Kathy¡¯sputer screen showed three screen-views of Calvin Lee, Troy Roner, and Marcel Dous¡¯s cellphones that she hadpletely hacked. Since then, she had been monitoring the activity on the chat application and their mobile calls.


    ¡°Do you know what the Underground Cave is?¡± Kathy asked.


    Emma frowned, ¡°No, I don¡¯t. What¡¯s the matter with that name?¡±


    ¡°Look. Marcel is exchanging text messages with someone named Renu. They keep mentioning the Underground Cave. But I still don¡¯t understand the discussion.¡± Kathy exined.


    ¡°Underground Cave?¡± Emma repeated with a thoughtful face. Then she turned to Rachel, ¡°Do you know it, Rachel?¡± she asked but Rachel also shook her head.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what an Underground Cave is, Kathy,¡± Emma said.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll try to find out. You guys need to hurry. Calvin has just texted Ian that he has information on where Marcel¡¯s room is. Looks like the two are splitting up.¡±


    ¡°All right. Thanks, Kathy.¡± Emma said.


    Then the two girls moved again. They managed to avoid the fights in some areas of the building. Finally, they arrived at the floor where Marcel¡¯s room was. They could see three men were standing guard at the door.


    ¡°That¡¯s Kenny,¡± Emma said quietly. She must reach Marcel before Calvin and Ian did. She nned to mediate both parties directly.


    ¡°Emma, Troy¡¯s made his way through the back door. He¡¯s going to you,¡± Kathy¡¯s voice suddenly came in.


    Emma snorted, ¡°Gosh. Okay. Now it¡¯s time to mess with their messages.¡±


    ¡°All right, captain!¡± Kathy replied.


    ***


    RJC had predicted that Jita Kyoei would not attack one point only. Because of that, they had already mobilized arge number of troops to guard the back door. However, they did not predict that Jita Kyoei and Calvin Lee would be so cowardly that they also used the window as their entrance.


    Unfortunately, it turned out that it was the leader of Jita Kyoei who led the group to attack the back door. It turned out RJC was wrong. It seemed that Jita Kyoei didn¡¯t just want a fight, but they really wanted to destroy RJC.


    The back door of RJC¡¯s headquarters was only guarded by its regr men while the two best fighters of RJC were sent to the front battlefield which was actually Jita Kyoei¡¯s fishing bite.


    The n that Tobias Ian and Frank Duk had arranged was worked. They had deliberately mobilized arge group of men to attack the front gate. But they only sent one member of the core team to lead it. It was Frank with his right hand, Louis.


    Meanwhile, in the messy fight, Troy quietly retreated to aim for the back door of RJC¡¯s headquarters with several of his members who were waiting.


    On the other hand, Calvin and Ian entered through the second-floor window with several of their men apanying them.


    In the end, Vico got information that the back door had almost been breached by Troy Roner. Then, he immediately left the front door and left all the fights there to Damian. But unfortunately, by the time Vico reached the back door, all his men were t on the floor. No more fighting there. Troy Roner had made his way in.


    Vico immediately took out his cell phone with a mouth that continued to swear.


    Marcel took his vibrating cell phone. It was a message from Vico who informed him that Troy Roner, Tobias Ian, and Calvin Lee were heading to his room.


    Marcel clenched his jaw as he typed a message that telling Vico to hurry upstairs to get rid of them. And he also texted Kenny to tell all the members that the three strong men were heading toward his room. But he was very surprised when he found all his messages suddenly deleted by themselves.


    He frowned and went back to typing. But what he typed kept on deleting itself. He immediately pressed the phone logo to directly call Vico and Kenny, but the logo seemed to be frozen.


    On the other hand, Kathy smiled crookedly with her ten fingers dancing on the keyboard, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marcel. I¡¯ll treat you to a cup of coffee after this.¡±


    After sessfully breaking through the back door guarded by arge number of RJC members, Troy immediately headed for Marcel Dous¡¯ room. When he opened his phone to look again at where Marcel¡¯s room was, he got confused because all the contents of his messages had disappeared.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Troy muttered as he fiddled with his messaging application. He closed the application and logged in back. But it was still an error. ¡°Dammit! I haven¡¯t read Calvin¡¯s message.¡±


    In confusion, Troy immediately typed a message for Calvin. But he experienced the same thing as what happened to Marcel. Even when he tried to call Calvin, his cell phone turned out to be not working.

 Chapter 212

    212 Not as Easy as She Thought


    ¡°Fuck it!¡± Troy eximed. Then he looked back at a few of his men who had followed him. ¡°ns changed. I can¡¯t reach the others. We¡¯ll find Marcel Dous¡¯s room ourselves.¡± he said before running through every floor of the huge building.


    ***


    ¡°Kenny!¡± Emma eximed as she ran over to the man standing between two guards.


    ¡°Hey!¡± But Emma¡¯s steps immediately stopped when she heard the screams of a man calling her.


    Emma turned to the right. She instantly let out an annoyed chuckle when she saw Calvin standing in the middle of the hallway. To make matters worse, Emma heard a running sound approaching. When she turned to her left, it was Ian standing in the hallway near the emergency stairwell.


    ¡°Wow.. What is this? ck? Why are you here?¡± Ian asked directly.


    Kenny who saw this, immediately came over. ¡°You made it here?¡± He looked at Calvin and Ian in turn.


    Emma and Rachel looked at each other. Then they sighed together. Ultimately, this was the moment that decided what would happen.


    ¡°You.. are not helping them, are you?¡± Calvin looked at Emma.


    .....


    ¡°Stop this pointless fight. You¡¯d better go home.¡± Emma said to Calvin.


    ¡°Oh? So ck is really on his side with RJC? How interesting,¡± Ian chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just guess as you pleased,¡± Rachel hissed.


    Kenny just silently observed what was going on. He found Marcel¡¯s cell phone could not be reached. Could it be that Marcel did summon ck to help them?


    ¡°I told you before. Stop your fighting. It¡¯s useless.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, so don¡¯t interfere. If you indeed are on RJC¡¯s side, then you have to fight us.¡± Ian said lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that since we¡¯ve fought together one time, then we¡¯d be reluctant to beat you up,¡±


    ¡°ck. I know you are not a criminal. RJC has snatched the future of many students from the martial arts studios. We have spoken to them to stop it, but they refused and instead asked for a fight.¡± Calvin tried to exin. ¡°RJC is not a fine group. If you defend them, then you are so wrong.¡±


    Emma stepped closer to Calvin with a displeased face, ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. You don¡¯t have to judge me right or wrong.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me,¡± Ian said with a sharp look. ¡°Tell me, what RJC does are right or wrong?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to stop us. You just want to see us destroyed.¡± Marcel suddenly came.


    It turned out that Marcel had not been in his room all this time. He had been on the top floor, monitoring the situation below. Even though he was a master at fighting, Damian wasn¡¯t good at controlling the situation. After being left by Vico, the conditions below could have be chaotic. Because of that, Marcel decided to watch the youngest of the core team from above.


    Even so, Kenny still guarded Marcel¡¯s door to trick the enemy. They all knew that Jita Kyoei was after Marcel. Therefore, they made it look as if Marcel was in his room.


    But the instincts of a leader couldn¡¯t be doubted. Damian, who stood alone, was still able to lead his group against Frank and Louis and the many Jita Kyoei men who were outside the headquarters. Seeing this condition, Marcel decided to go down to get to Kenny. There was no way he could fight Calvin, Troy, and Ian alone. Even Marcel didn¡¯t know where Vico was because they all couldn¡¯tmunicate anymore.


    Marcel was surprised to see ck inside his base. He didn¡¯t know what the two masked men were looking for. But what he knew, the presence of these two men could either be a great weapon or a deadly boomerang for RJC.


    Ian looked back and moved to the side. Marcel walked leisurely towards the group of men.


    ¡°If destroying your group is the only way to stop you, then that¡¯s what we¡¯re forced to do,¡± Calvin replied.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Emma tried to mediate with them. Then she looked at Calvin, ¡°RJC recruit martial arts studio students because they need additional strong members to protect their area.¡±


    ¡°Hey, ck,¡± Ian chuckled, ¡°Are you stupid or what? All groups would do that to protect their territory. Not just RJC.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of people who live in the area and make a living there.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°I was thinking about stopping the recruiting. But Dragger started to expand its territory by taking over the area left by the Creeper. Therefore, we had to go back to the old way of expanding the territory. That made us need more men.¡± Marcel exined.


    Inside, Emma and Rachel were trying to recall Dragger¡¯s name. It looked like it was another gangster group. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but Emma felt like she¡¯d heard a rumour once or twice that the Dragger was a group associated with Jen Marrie Street.


    If that was true, then it meant that Dragger was a giantrge group. Ah.. the gangsters in Handway City seemed to be endless!


    ¡°Drager?¡± Calvin muttered. He and Ian looked at each other. They knew exactly how powerful the group that ruled Jen Marrie Street was. Calvin had always tried to fight them, but he couldn¡¯t even touch them.


    But Ian shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s your problem. Our interests are martial arts studios. The future of students who should be able to be athletes. And you took it away by making them members of a gangster group with an unclear future.¡±


    ¡°Their future is in their own hands. We never forced them to join us. It was a decision they made and it had nothing to do with you.¡± Marcel replied.


    ¡°But they¡¯ll stop if there¡¯s no longer a gangster group to house them, right?¡± Ian smirked.


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ll never understand, Marcel,¡± Calvin red at him.


    ¡°Just cut it. This war is pointless.¡± Emma said and nced at Ian, ¡°Can¡¯t Jita Kyoei just understand? Many families depend their living in RJC¡¯s territory. Therefore, the area must be protected.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there are indeed many who depend on that street for a living, including them,¡± Ian pointed at Marcel and Kenny and then turned to Emma¡¯s face, ¡°And maybe you too?¡±


    Emma hated the most when her face was pointed at by someone. She immediately pped Ian¡¯s hand roughly, ¡°Get your damn hand off my face, you bastard! ck has never depended on anyone to make a living!¡± she growled.


    ¡°You should have known what kind of business RJC has been running,¡± Calvin said.


    At that moment, Marcel was immediately moved. ck didn¡¯t know that they were running an illegal business in the Underground Cave. If ck found out, then it was certain that he would side with Jita Kyoei. ¡°No one doesn¡¯t know it, even ck. They know very well what we are doing,¡± he said quickly before ck had a chance to answer.


    Unfortunately, neither Emma nor Rachel realized that at this time, Marcel was indeed trying to cover up his group¡¯s crimes from them. Marcel was looking for an alliance. ck, who had helped him win the fight against the Creeper, made him yearn for the same thing to happen again.


    Marcel¡¯s n had worked. Because they were already ignited by anger, Ian and Calvin didn¡¯t even think about taking a second thought.


    ¡°ck is allied with RJC. How disgusting. You even tried to look wise by acting as a mediator.¡± Ian said whileughing. ¡°This is the first time Troy has misjudged someone,¡± He remembered how much Troy admired ck when they had just managed to tear down Hell Gate.


    Ian and Calvin¡¯s judgment was influenced by what always happened in the dark world. No matter how good a person was, he would be evil if he was faced with a lot of money and power.


    The money would darken a person¡¯s eyes. And it was what happened with the students in a martial arts studio who gave up their dreams to be part of the RJC group which would provide arge sry and group support for them.


    Calvin did not deny it. He even could only move sturdily when he had coborated with Jita Kyoei. Before, he could not do much because he only moved alone. Therefore, the fact that ck had joined RJC did not make him surprised.


    ¡°How funny,¡± Ian said with a half smirk, ¡°Why does it seem like we¡¯re fighting over ck? I don¡¯t think these two guys are that great that makes two groups try to exin to whom they should side.¡±


    Hearing that, Emma chuckled sarcastically, ¡°You think we wanted to be fought over on purpose?¡± It seemed like Emma had identally dragged her heartache into this matter.


    Since entering Jardin University, Emma often heard gossip from girls groups who said that she deliberately flirted to get close to handsome campus boys in order to be Belle who made the boys fight each other. Ha! It was disgusting indeed, even though Emma had tried to ignore it.


    ¡°We¡¯re still going to destroy RJC. And you two..¡± Calvin looked at Emma and Rachel, ¡°would be part of them,¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Ian quickly moved his feet and threw a 360 side kick towards Kenny who was standing in his kick range.


    Emma, ??Rachel, and Marcel immediately jumped back away from the meeting point. As Marcel had nned, now the ck was on his side.


    The two guards who were in front of Marcel¡¯s room immediately ran to attack Calvin but were immediately knocked out by him with double-high kicks to their jaws.


    Unfortunately, Ian¡¯s kick earlier missed a bit. At first, he was about to hit Kenny¡¯s chest, but because the big man managed to dodge, the kick only hit his arm.


    ¡°Emma, are we fighting them?¡± Rachel asked quickly in a whisper.


    Emma nodded slowly, ¡°We have to. Use n B.¡±


    It turned out that mediating the two groups was not as easy as Emma thought. She thought that exining RJC¡¯s intention to recruit martial arts students would make Jita Kyoei understand. But now, they ended up having to fight each other.

 Chapter 213

    213 Emma Hind V.S Calvin Lee


    n B was something that Emma and Rachel really didn¡¯t want to do. However, they had no other choice.


    Rachel nodded and gulped. Fought against her own friends? That must be frustrating.


    Instinctively, Emma paired up with Marcel to fight Calvin. And Rachel paired up with Kenny against Ian. It was an unequal fight. But since the goal was a victory, anything would be done.


    Calvin lunged at the two of them so quickly. Emma didn¡¯t think she had the heart to hit Calvin. It felt like her legs and hands couldn¡¯t take out the energy when they almost touched him. She just kept dodging away.


    Marcel realized that. But he was just silent. It seemed like ck indeed was a good person. On the one hand, Marcel felt guilty for using the man for his benefit. Even indirectly, he had lied to ck.


    Rachel threw her fist at Ian¡¯s face. But he managed to avoid it and swiftly got a straight kick from Kenny. He still managed to dodge a little from the attack but to no avail. Kenny¡¯s big feet hit him in the stomach so he almost fell backwards. Fortunately, because he had time to dodge a little, the power from the impact didn¡¯tndpletely on his stomach.


    ¡®Tsk! It is not good. They are both too strong. We lost number here,¡¯ Ian thought as he dodged the follow-up attack from Rachel, whose movement was faster than Kenny¡¯s.


    After avoiding Rachel, Ian deliberately shifted his body towards Kenny and immediately grabbed him by the cor and mmed him to the floor with a Morote Gari movement which was to catch one of Kenny¡¯s legs and knock him backwards.


    ¡°Ha.. You guys won¡¯t be able to hang on. Wait until Troy gets here. We¡¯ll have fun together,¡± Ian said.


    .....


    ¡°Troy?¡± Marcel mumbled. Oh.. Right. There was still Troy on his way towards them. From Vico¡¯s information earlier, Troy still had men following him. If they were to join here, things would be even more unfavourable.


    Marcel knew that in fact, ck would be able to fight Calvin Lee. If in the end, the situation forced them to, ck would not hesitate to do it.


    As the fight continued, Marcel approached Emma and said to her, ¡°ck. We have to split up the team again. Can your friend help Kenny find Troy?¡±


    Emma also thought that the three men: Calvin, Ian, and Troy, would be highly troublesome if they had joined here. As much as possible, they have to be separated to make it easier to be defeated.


    Then Emma nodded in agreement. By that, Marcel immediately ordered Kenny to go downstairs to find Troy and fight him elsewhere with Rachel.


    Ian smiled crookedly as he cracked his corbones and fingers, ¡°It is fair now,¡±


    Calvin looked at ck who was standing a meter in front of him, ¡°Are you sure going to do this?¡±


    Emma was silent for a moment and then nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll take this as practice, Calvin. Am I going to lose to you?¡¯ Emma said to herself before answering in her robotic voice, ¡°We¡¯ll see who¡¯s tougher,¡±


    ck¡¯s answer made Calvin let out a long sigh. There was no smile on his face. But he didn¡¯t look angry either. He realized that ck had been avoiding him since the start. But Calvin understood now. It turned out that what ck wanted was a one-on-one fight. He wanted to measure strength.


    Emma learned that Calvin didn¡¯t just master one self-defence technique. If it was in an official sport, it was called MMA or Mixed Martial Art, where all the moves from various types of martial arts werebined.


    Honestly, dealing with this was more difficult than facing a person who only mastered one type of martial arts, because the attacks that he would give tend to be rather difficult for Emma to predict.


    If Emma had mastered all types of martial arts, then Calvin seemed like a bnced opponent for her. But Emma had to be very careful because she knew that Calvin¡¯s movements were squirrel fast.


    Emma started to move, took a few steps forward, and was followed by Calvin. The two of them had their hands ready in front of their faces, ready to take an attack or parry an attack. They kept moving slowly in a circle, facing each other. It was as if there was an invisible ring that became the arena for the two of them to fight.


    Emma lost in body posture from Calvin. Her height didn¡¯t even reach Calvin¡¯s shoulders. Therefore, the length of her legs and arms were not the same as his. In one jab, Calvin could touch Emma¡¯s face. But that didn¡¯t apply to Emma. In a situation like this, Emma had to use her legs more. So, she would use Taekwondo.


    From Calvin¡¯s stance, Emma could tell that he was going to use Muay Thai and maybe Boxing. Of course, the power of a man was in his arms and that was deadly. Calvin was indeed smart if he chose both martial arts types to fight Emma who was weaker in upper fights.


    Apparently, Calvin and Emma had the same fighting principle. Both were more reluctant to attack first. So, Emma would relent this time. She decided to attack first.


    Emma threw a straight-forward kick with her right foot into Calvin¡¯s chest.


    But Calvin immediately shifted his body to the side with no effort and smiled, ¡°Yop Chagi (Side Kick)? A pleasant opening,¡± He knew it wasn¡¯t a serious attack.


    Emma squinted her eyes as she pulled her foot back quickly, ¡®Beautiful ent. Could it be that he is a Korean who understands Taekwondo? Ugh.. This will be a pain in the ass,¡¯ Emma groaned inwardly. Incidentally, her Taekwondo master was brought all the way by his father from South Korea. Her Sa Beom Nim was the best teacher in the country.


    Yes, Emma was correct. Calvin indeed had South Korean parents, but he was born in Handway City. However, he still remembered well when his grandmother used to teach a little Taekwondo moves, because in their hometown, his grandfather was a Sa Beom or teacher who opened his own Taekwondo training centre. Even Calvin¡¯s father was actually good at martial arts, but he preferred business.


    However, Calvin would use Muay Thai for this fight. Seeing ck¡¯s position which was still quite close to him, Calvin immediately took a step forward and threw a Knee Bar (Knee kick).


    Seeing that swift attack, Emma quickly moved sideways and bowed. Her right hand pushed Calvin¡¯s knee, which was still under her stomach, to the outside and her left hand immediately pushed down his upper back hard as she stepped back. Because Calvin stood on with only one leg, he instantly fell forward.


    Calvin could see a shadow from the side and when he turned, ck was already floating in the air. ck performed the Webster technique, which was a flip jump to rotate 360 ??degrees like a somersault with her right foot straight forward, so her heel would hit anything that was in front of her with the force of gravity from the spin plus her body weight.


    Fortunately, Calvin managed to swiftly roll his body to the side, so that ck¡¯s move did not hit his back.


    Emma quickly realized that Calvin could dodge it. Then she immediately shifted her foot so her heel wouldn¡¯t hit the hard floor.


    Calvin didn¡¯t expect ck to attack him like that, even when he was still in a fall-down position. It looked like this fight was going to get really serious. Then he quickly turned his body after rolling and resting on both hands with both legs swinging to the side to slide off ck¡¯s feet that had justnded on the floor.


    Calvin¡¯s long legs were able to reach Emma¡¯s standing position. Unfortunately, the man¡¯s speed made Emma unable to avoid the slide. And of course, Emma immediately fell to the side. Luckily, she still had time to move both hands and immediately made a sideways movement, so her body didn¡¯t hit the floor.


    Emma looked at Calvin with sharp eyes and heavy breathing. The faces of the two of them were deadly serious. Both understood that this fight would be excitedly appealing. So, there should not be a game anymore.


    Emma ran straight at Calvin, jumped up, and turned her body backwards 360-degree with her right leg straight towards Calvin¡¯s head. It was a Dolke Chagi or also could be called a Tornado kick.


    Even though Emma wanted to scream whileunching the attack, just as when she was practising, she didn¡¯t dare to do so because she was afraid if the voice changer device she was wearing wouldn¡¯t be able to cover up her loud screams, so that everyone present would hear a woman¡¯s scream from behind ck¡¯s mask.


    ck¡¯s movements were as fast as a squirrel¡¯s. Calvin didn¡¯t have time to move sideways. He just stepped back and parried the kick with both hands. Then he immediately threw Strike Knee as both hands directly grabbed ck¡¯s head and pulled it down.


    Emma, ??who sensed danger wasing, immediately used her hands to protect her face from Calvin¡¯s kneeling. She could immediately guess what other moves Calvin would throw at her. As Emma had expected, Calvin immediately followed it by elbowing Emma¡¯s head straight down from the air high.


    Had predicted it, Emma swiftly dodged to the side after her palms bounced off Calvin¡¯s knee. Then Emma immediately grabbed Calvin¡¯s neck with her right arm while hanging behind his back. One of her legs wrapped around the outside of Calvin¡¯s leg to weaken his stance. With maximum strength, Emma quickly pulled the slender neck to suffocate him and used all her body weight to knock Calvin backwards while twisting her slippery-eel body.

 Chapter 214

    214 Underground Cave is Under Attack


    Actually, the technique that Emma did was not clever enough because it made Emma¡¯s body pressed down by Calvin¡¯s body which indeed was much bigger than hers. But Emma had no other choice. Calvin was a formidable opponent because he mastered various techniques and was able to ovee Emma¡¯s ranged attacks. Therefore, she tried to use a little Jiu Jitsu technique.


    In the blink of an eye, Emma had performed the Rear Triangle Choke position. It was where Emma was under Calvin¡¯s back with one leg wrapped around his chest from behind and the other leg ced from behind the shoulder to the front. It was a position to strangle the opponent¡¯s neck.


    Both Calvin and Emma¡¯s faces were turning red. It was because Calvin had already strangled with one hand locked up between Emma¡¯s legs. And Emma was trying her best to use her legs to hold Calvin who was trying to escape.


    ¡°F-fuck! Jiu.. Jiu.. Jitsu?¡± Calvin muttered under his breath. He couldn¡¯t even try to hit upwards because if he let go of his defences, ck would easily choke him to death.


    Even though she was having a hard time, Emma still managed to chuckle, ¡°Move, Calvin.¡± she muttered to herself.


    But Calvin was not a Jiu Jitsu yer. He tried to escape by moving the parts of his body that were not attacked by ck. Yes, those were his legs. He moved his legs until they both slowly began to slide sideways on the floor. But sadly, that was precisely what ck wanted him to do.


    With Calvin moving, it gave Emma room to make the transition. She immediately shifted her hips to the middle so that her legs, which were trying to immobilize Calvin¡¯s movement, managed to make a lock.


    ¡°Grr!¡± Calvin tried to pull ck¡¯s leg that was pressing against his neck.


    ¡°Come on..¡± Emma growled as she tightened her choke. Her legs weren¡¯t long enough to perfectly perform the technique on Calvin because his broad shoulders made Emma¡¯s legs have a hard time choking him too deeply and it also happened with her arms that tried to strangle him so he would faint.


    .....


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to break your shoulder, Calvin. Please give up now,¡¯ Emma cried in her heart.


    On one hand, Emma began to feel sore in her nose. And her hands started to feel numb too. It was all thanks to Calvin¡¯s knee that hit her so hard earlier. Even though Emma managed to hold back with both hands, the impact still managed to hit the front side of her face. Luckily, Emma was sure that she didn¡¯t break her nose.


    ***


    On the other hand, Rachel and Kenny were rushing to look for Troy. They didn¡¯t know where he was. The battle between the two members of the group took ce on several floors. All members of the Jita Kyoei group tried to attack Kenny and ck who turned out to be allied with RJC.


    In the end, the two sides met. Troy, who was running, immediately stopped when he saw Kenny Brown who was Marcel Dous¡¯s right-hand man. And beside Kenny was a skinny man with a whole body covered in ck clothes and a mask.


    Troy immediately knew it was the other ck. He was the ck who reportedly had a deadly punch even though his arms were not much different from a broomstick.


    Troy frowned as he stared intently at ck, ¡°You? Allied with RJC for real?¡±


    Ugh.. Rachel hated drama like this. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to exin it to you.¡±


    Troy¡¯s hands were clenched into fists and his jaw clenched, ¡°You just have to answer, you idiot!¡± he immediately lunged at the masked man, followed by all the men behind him.


    Seeing Troying like a raging bull, Rachel immediately got into her stance and jumped the other way. Luckily, Kenny was there to handle all of Troy¡¯s men. If Rachel faced them all alone, she didn¡¯t know at what minute she would fall.


    ¡®He aimed straight at me,¡¯ Rachel muttered under her breath. It seemed that Troy was furious that his trust in ck had been betrayed. He must be the kind of person who really didn¡¯t like being stabbed in the back.


    ¡°I thought you were a good guy! But it turns out you¡¯re no different than them!¡± Troy eximed as he paced quickly towards ck, trying to reach the skinny body.


    Luckily, Troy¡¯s moves were still out of pace with Rachel¡¯s. She immediately dodged to the side and hit his ear with her elbow before walking away. It happened that Rachel had gotten some practice from Emma. Now, she knew some mixed martial arts techniques.


    But Troy could endure the pain of the blow. He did have the nickname ¡®The Armor Man¡¯ because his body could strongly take blows. Maybe it was because Troy had been used to being hit by blows since he was little.


    Then Troy chased after Rachel again. ¡°Don¡¯t run, coward!¡± He growled when he found that ck kept avoiding him. If in height, they were not much different. But when it came to body weight and muscle mass, they were not at allparable.


    Troy threw his blow into Rachel¡¯s face. And the girl quickly dodged by bending down and using the opportunity to give a Cross (straight forward punch) right on Troy¡¯s liver.


    Really, if Troy found out that Rachel was a girl, he might be ashamed of himself. But ck¡¯s punch was greatly strong and hit the exact spot, ¡°Uakh!¡±


    But Rachel couldn¡¯t be happy that she had managed to hurt Troy Roner because his attack was basically just a trap.


    Even though Troy felt pain from the blow that ck had given him, he had the advantage of his physical defence. After receiving the blow, Troy became able to grab ck¡¯s body which was as he expected: feather light.


    As soon as she came to her senses, Rachel saw arge hand gripping the side of her cor. Then, Troy¡¯s other hand was already gripping Rachel¡¯s shirt¡¯s back upper arm. After that, she felt a hook on one of her legs which immediately pulled her stance off.


    Then, in the blink of an eye, Rachel¡¯s back had hit the hard floor with Troy¡¯s hand still gripping her. It was the Kouchi Gake technique of Judo.


    Once ck had fallen, Troy immediately ced his body on top of the masked man. He easily did Open Guard Passes. He horizontally pressed his entire upper body onto ck¡¯s body that was lying on the floor. Then he pressed down all his weight on the skinny man.


    ¡°Hhh..¡± Rachel tried to free herself from under Troy¡¯s heavy body.


    Her brain and body were trying to synchronize themselves. She felt the panic would soon attack her, so she tried desperately to catch her breath to keep her mind calm.


    Rachel didn¡¯t like this position the most, when there was a man on her. It made her traumae back. But she kept reminding herself that now she was not seen as a woman, but as a man.


    Troyughed at ck who couldn¡¯t break free as he was pressing his skinny hands so they couldn¡¯t move. ¡°So you are actually weak than I thought,¡± He said breathlessly. Then he took ck¡¯s upper arm and coiled it around like he was hugging it.


    ¡®This is terrible!¡¯ Rachel thought. She knew what Troy would do next. He would tighten his grip on her arm and her upper arm would break.


    Rachel felt her other hand eventually free because Troy was now focused on the other hand he was gripping. Rachel quickly used one of her free hands to smack Troy in the ribs as hard as she could.


    Unfortunately, Troy was still able to withstand the blow and Rachel began to feel Troy tighten his arms. It looked like Troy was deliberately going to give a defect to the boxer¡¯s arm.


    Kenny, who had just beat up thest of Troy¡¯s men, immediately realized that ck was in danger. Troy Roner, the leader of Jita Kyoei indeed could not be underestimated.


    Kenny immediately ran towards the wrestling two men. Then he kicked Troy¡¯s back¡¯s side so hard. Incidentally, Kenny Brown and Troy Roner had almost the same height and muscle mass. They were bnced fighters.


    Troy was unaware of Kenny¡¯s arrival. And the kick that the big man gave instantly sent Troy threw to the side.


    Rachel even had time to groan in pain when her arm was almost carried away by Troy who had been gripping her tightly. Rachel immediately got up from her lying position while holding her upper arm which was still sore so badly. Hopefully, it was okay.


    ¡°You are okay?¡± Kenny asked ck who looked in pain.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Troy saw all his men had been knocked down by Kenny. Then, it was two against one now? Well, Troy had no problem at all.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forgive those who have hurt my friends. Get ready to treat your broken hand, you bastard!¡± Troy eximed with bloodshot eyes and a hardened jaw.


    When the battle was about to take ce again, Kenny¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. This made the three of them stop their movements.


    Kenny raised his hands up as a symbol to stop the fight for a moment.


    Rachel gave a surprised face that Troy had evenplied to wait for Kenny to answer the phone. Perhaps this was the rule of fighting in the dark world? How amusing.


    ***


    Vico who was heading to Marcel¡¯s room was continuously blocked by Jita Kyoei men who happened to be fighting on every floor. Their base was indeed in a state of shambles. He didn¡¯t expect Jita Kyoei to break through.


    Just as they were near Marcel¡¯s room, Vico got a call from Renu.


    ¡°Underground Cave is under attack. Tell it to Marcel. I couldn¡¯t reach him,¡± Renu said before hanging up the phone while taking his bamboo staff. In front of the area he was guarding was a group of motorized men. And the two front bikes were ridden by Nicko Coffey and Martin Brafo.

 Chapter 215

    215 Knowing the Truth


    Calvin grimaced in pain. He tried to escape from ck¡¯s grip. He didn¡¯t expect that even though he had a small body, ck was massively strong.


    Emma was still holding vin¡¯s hand and pulling it up. There was no way she¡¯d break her best friend¡¯s hand. Meanwhile, her leg, which was pressing on Calvin¡¯s neck, was starting tock strength due to being pulled by his hand.


    Calvin Lee was indeed a great strong man. In fact, ording to Emma, ??the strength of the ck-haired man was as great as Mezu from the Hell Gate, although the size of their bodies and muscles were quite different.


    ¡°Just give up!¡± Emma eximed.


    With a gasp, Calvin replied, ¡°In your dream,¡±


    On the other hand, Ian and Marcel were also fighting fiercely. The two of them had almost the same strength. The only difference was in their fighting style. But in terms of speed and strength, it was difficult to determine who would win the fight.


    Suddenly, a man with a scar on his lips came running.


    ¡°Vico?¡± Marcel muttered as soon as he noticed the arrival of one of his core team members.


    ¡°Underground Cave is under attack!¡± Vico said directly.


    .....


    Vico¡¯s words instantly made Emma pensive. Underground Cave? Wasn¡¯t that the name Kathy had mentioned earlier?


    Marcel was surprised to hear that. Oh.. of course. Troy Roner, Frank Duk, and Tobias Ian. Weren¡¯t Jita Kyoei¡¯s core members should be more than that?


    A smile spread across Ian¡¯s face. With Marcel¡¯s focus diverted, he immediately threw a punch at his cheek. Seeing that, Vico quickly stepped forward to attack Ian.


    On the other hand, Emma who had just heard the information immediately released her lock on Calvin¡¯s body.


    Feeling both of ck¡¯s legs loosen, Calvin swiftly released his body from the masked man¡¯s grip and took a deep breath from his choking.


    At that very second, the earphone in Emma¡¯s ear beeped. Kathy came into the line.


    ¡°Emma! Underground Cave is RJC¡¯s illegal night business. It¡¯s a nightclub and wrestling gambling ce that even employs the kids. RJC is lying, Emma. Their business is not only in Redvalley, but Bluevalley too! They illegally make people fight each other like animals!¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°Emma? Rachel? Did you hear me?¡± Kathy called out to the two girls again. She was confused because there was no answer and became worried that something bad was happening with her friends.


    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± Emma replied briefly.


    Calvin turned his body and quickly attacked ck who was still sitting on the floor. He immediately threw punches from the right and left to ck¡¯s head. However, ck only protected his head with both arms. This made Calvin confused and immediately stopped his punch.


    Emma was like didn¡¯t feel Calvin¡¯s punch. Once the man above her stopped, Emma moved her body slowly to get up and ced her left palm on Calvin¡¯s stomach to gently push him away.


    Calvin didn¡¯t understand what was happening. Suddenly, ck no longer attacked him after Vico¡¯s arrival.


    Emma stood with both legs feeling weak. She approached Marcel without paying attention to Ian and Vico who were in the middle of a fight with him.


    ¡°What is an Underground Cave? Marcel,¡± Emma asked tly with a sharp look at the man.


    Marcel fell silent and Vico looked shocked. Vico didn¡¯t notice there was a ck in the room when he yelled Underground Cave. He also couldn¡¯t understand why ck was suddenly inside their headquarters. However, what he knew was that ck had nothing to do with RJC anymore. Did Marcel summon ck as reinforcements?


    Even though Vico didn¡¯t know that ck shouldn¡¯t know about the Underground Cave, from what happened, he just instinctively realized that Marcel had been hiding the truth from ck all this time.


    Calvin who was behind ck could only be stunned to see what was happening. The fight between Ian, Vico, and Marcel also stopped.


    ¡°You.. didn¡¯t know about Underground Cave, did you?¡± Calvin asked ck with a confused face.


    But Emma didn¡¯t answer him. She kept staring at Marcel who looked slightly downcast. ¡°I ask you thest time. What is an Underground Cave?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my business,¡± Marcel directly answered as he raised his eyes to look at ck.


    Emma took a deep breath. Her hands clenched into fists. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been lying to me,¡± Then she pushed Marcel¡¯s chest roughly with her pointing finger. ¡°You run an illegal business and make young people fight each other for gambling. You put them into a deadly duel to increase your coffers of money, you asshole!¡±


    ¡°I never lied to you. It¡¯s just you didn¡¯t know about the Underground Cave. You never asked about it and we never told you. You were the one who judged one-sidedly in the first ce.¡± Marcel replied.


    Marcel¡¯s answer made the blood in Emma¡¯s head boil. She couldn¡¯t help but thrust her punch into Marcel¡¯s face. But the man quickly stopped it with his palm as the punch almost touched his nose.


    ¡°Your business location is in shambles, dickhead. You think you¡¯re the only one who could act rotten?¡± Ian said.


    From the start, Jita Kyoei had devised a n to destroy RJC¡¯s source of money, which was the Underground Cave. In fact, they only used the attack on the RJC headquarters as bait to keep the group¡¯s back on their money-mining location.


    But Marcel¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t what they had imagined. Yes, Marcel did not think that Jita Kyoei would attack his money field. But that didn¡¯t necessarily make him leave the Underground Cave unattended. He purposely closed the ce when he learned of Jita Kyoei¡¯s arrival. And, he put the most powerful man in his group there: Renu Khan.


    Marcel raised his hand slightly and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a can rolled and stopped next to Emma¡¯s feet. She frowned in confusion as she stared at the can. As soon as she turned back to Marcel, the man had already stepped back by covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief. Not until a secondter, the can released white smoke so quickly it fill the entire room.


    Emma immediately stepped back from her spot by covering her nose and eyes which felt a bit sore. She just realized that the can was a smoked gas which was usually used to block people¡¯s vision. It turned out that it was Vico who threw the object as soon as Marcel snapped his fingers. Didn¡¯t that mean that they had nned all of this?


    In order to stay away from danger, Emma quickly ran without direction, even hitting a wall several times until she was far enough and out of the white smoke gas. Since then, Emma was trying to hold her breath so as not to inhale the gas. She was afraid there might be a substance in it that would make her faint. She could no longer trust Marcel because she believed he would have the heart to do anything to save his treasure.


    ¡°Dammit! Looks like he escapes! You just wait, Marcel. I¡¯ll definitely kill you!¡± Emma growled as she looked at the fading gas. As soon as she turned to leave, a voice called out to her.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Emma stopped in her tracks and turned around. It was Ian and Calvin who had just out of the white gas puff. Emma was so much in a bad mood right now. She didn¡¯t want anything to do with anyone. She only focused on killing Marcel Dous.


    ¡°Feeling betrayed?¡± Ian smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°Sorry, we didn¡¯t know that you were clueless about the Underground Cave,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Where is that ce? I will destroy it,¡± Emma hissed.


    ¡°We¡¯re going there. The Underground Cave is actually our main target. With RJC¡¯s main business destroyed, they won¡¯t have any reason to look for new members.¡± Calvin exined.


    ¡°Wait for me out the building. I¡¯ll find my partner first. Maybe he¡¯s still fighting Troy.¡± Emma said as she headed for the emergency stairs, leaving the two men behind.


    ¡°Rachel, where are you now?¡± Emma pressed the button connected to the microphone that was on the edge of the mouthpiece on her mask.


    ¡°Kenny just left me after getting a call and Troy went after him. I¡¯m heading upstairs.¡± Rachel answered.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ming down the emergency stairs. Wait for me there.¡± Emma said as she continued to run down.


    Not long afrer, the two girls in ck masks met.


    ¡°Damn..¡± Emma breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she saw Rachel. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Rachel chuckled in disappointment. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m not strong enough against Troy. Good thing he went after Kenny instead of continuing fighting me.¡±


    Emma smiled weakly as she rubbed Rachel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thank you for doing your best, Rachel.¡± She said then took a deep breath, ¡°But you should know that Marcel has betrayed us. You heard what Kathy said, right?¡±


    Rachel nodded, ¡°Looks like he¡¯s using Redvalley as a side business to cover up his illegal main business.¡±


    What Kathy said was also heard by Rachel. It was a few minutes after Kenny received a call from Vico. After that, he immediately left Rachel without a word because he knew that the ck leader was aware of their rottenness and Marcel was also heading to the Underground Cave.


    ¡°We have to destroy that ce, Rachel. Marcel has turned us against Jita Kyoei. I even nearly broke Calvin¡¯s arm.¡± Emma shook her head in disbelief.


    ¡°Troy almost broke my hand too,¡± Rachel grimaced.


    ¡°Oh my..¡± Emma gasped.


    ¡°We have to move now, Emma. The Underground Cave business can¡¯t be left running.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Girls,¡± Kathy¡¯s voice suddenly came in.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°Someone named Kenny keeps trying to contact Marcel. He¡¯s texting him that he¡¯s heading to the Underground Cave and is entering through the back door. But I¡¯ve prevented the message from getting into Marcel¡¯s phone. What are you going to do now?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading for the Underground Cave,¡± Emma immediately stepped forward, followed by Rachel.


    ¡°Do you need me to find the location?¡± Kathy asked again.


    ¡°No need, Kathy. We¡¯re going to team up with Jita Kyoei. You just need to get Troy and Calvin out of the hijacking. Thanks for the help.¡± Emma said.

 Chapter 216

    216 Reur


    Kathy nodded at Emma¡¯s answer. ¡°Okay then. Just be careful, Emma. Especially when you say your names,¡± She replied before leaving the conversation.


    Rachel who was half running beside Emma, ??turned to her. ¡°Kathy¡¯s right, Emma. We should use pseudonyms when calling each other.¡±


    Her friends were right. Then Emma nodded. ¡°How about we use a number? I¡¯m number one and you¡¯re number two.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine too.¡± Rachel agreed.


    The two cks had arrived in front of RJC¡¯s headquarters. As promised, Ian and Calvin were already waiting for them there. They immediately took the motorbike and went to the Underground Cave together.


    So far, neither Emma nor Rachel had ever known there was a ce called the Underground Cave in Handway City. And now they know why that ce never crossed their ears.


    Underground Cave was a ce that was located below the ground. The entrance was only a metal bar door from an abandoned building. If you were not an original people of the dark world, then you wouldn¡¯t know what the Underground Cave was.


    ***


    Renu Khan was the strongest man in the Red Jack Commander group. He was even stronger than Marcel Dous, the leader of the group.


    .....


    Marcel and Kenny¡¯s decision to put Renu in the Underground Cave was not wrong. In the end, RJC¡¯s money mine was surrounded by half of the Jita Kyoei group¡¯s men led by Nicko Coffey and Martin Brafo. Unfortunately, Martin got his nickname as The Katana Of Jita Kyoei.


    The arrival of Jita Kyoei made Renu decide to take up his weapon. It was a very long staff made of bamboo. The man with thick eyebrows was a Smbam expert. He got the art from a very old man he met on a mountain when he visited his grandparents¡¯ home. It took years for him to learn it before the master passed away.


    Nicko and Martin went inside the small Underground Cave¡¯s main door. They had never been in that ce before. And now they could prove Calvin and Ian¡¯s words that it really was a big cave under the city.


    The two of them were followed by his troops who were walking behind them. Once they arrived at the entrance to the underground paradise, they found a man standing in the middle of the doorstep with a bamboo stick in his hand that was almost as long as his own height.


    ¡°Renu Khan,¡± Martin said the name of the man in front of him.


    ¡°Underground Cave is closed today. We don¡¯t wee any guests.¡± Said the thick-eyebrowed man. He was perfectly calm, like a collection of bamboo swaying in the wind.


    ¡°Unfortunately, this ce has to close for good. You guys have been doing illegal business and stealing the future of many youths.¡± Nicko replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s the police who have the power to shut down illegal businesses, not you. And someone¡¯s future is in their own hands, not yours. You¡¯d better get out of here,¡± Renu answered.


    ¡°Ha.. You knew that wasn¡¯t going to happen, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯ll kick out the people who are going to take over this ce? We¡¯re the ones who¡¯ll kick your ass outta here,¡± Martin chuckled.


    Renu nodded once and then made a stance on both legs. His two hands firmly gripped the bamboo stick and leaned forward. ¡°Then there must be a fight.¡± He said with all his men immediately ready behind him.


    Martin smiled crookedly. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this.¡± He said in a low voice but Nicko could still hear him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate that guy, Martin. He¡¯s the strongest in RJC,¡± Nicko said to his partner in crime.


    ¡°I am The Katana Of Jita Kyoei. I should boast,¡± Martin replied before running to attack Renu.


    Martin¡¯s advance was a sign of the start of the fight.


    Seeing the approaching enemy, Renu immediately drew his staff forward and swung it in a wave-like motion using both hands. The movement was so agile and fast as if his hands werepletely fused with the staff he was holding.


    Martin and Nicko were fighters who use techniques from Judo. They must really touch the opponent with both hands to be able tounch an attack. Meanwhile, Renu was a fighter who used long-range techniques from his staff. In this battle, Renu would be superior to the two opponents.


    Renu understood how Judo worked. Since childhood, he always loved any kind of martial arts. But Renu liked Smbam the most because it was unnecessary to touch the opponent directly. He continued to regte his breath while moving his bamboo stick to hit the opponents. Calmness in fighting was the key to victory. Of course, he was theplete opposite of Martin.


    This was the first time for Martin and Nicko to fight an enemy using this kind of technique. At first, Martin thought that the staff Renu was holding was a useless weapon that would break easily. But when it hit his upper arm, it was a pain that Martin had never felt.


    Punches, kicks, and ms were things Nicko and Martin were used to. But they did not expect a blow from a piece of thin bamboo would be so painful on their bodies. It was a pain mixed with excruciating agony. It made Martin remember when he was beaten by his mother using rattan as a child. But this pain was ten times more severe.


    ¡°Catch the fucking stick!¡± Martin eximed to Nicko.


    Nicko nodded in understanding. Actually, he already knew that they had to get rid of the staff that Renu was holding first, so they could easily end the fight. But unfortunately, every time their hands wanted to grip the long staff, they missed it quickly and were pped by the staff instead. Even their hands reflexively pulled back from the pain and soreness created by the blow of the bamboo stick.


    The fierce battle took them deeper into the cave. Tables, chairs, and sses that were arranged neatly became shattered all over the ce in an instant because of the riots that urred.


    Martin did not expect that he would have to coborate with Nicko just to fight Renu. He didn¡¯t think that Renu was that difficult to be knocked down.


    The anger of ego that had peaked made Martin slowly order all his muscles and skin to be invulnerable. He kept getting closer to Renu by parrying each of the man¡¯s attacks with both arms.


    Renu clucked inwardly. He already knew that Martin was one of Jita Kyoei¡¯s most powerful fighters. In fact, Martin¡¯s technique and strength were the same as Nicko¡¯s and Ian¡¯s. But what set him apart was his craziness. He would be a monster when he was fighting. He was a man who wasn¡¯t afraid to be killed and.. to kill. He would continue to move forward even though his legs had been cut off. He was Martin the madman.


    ***


    Troy chased after Kenny who suddenly ran away from the fight after receiving a call. Even though he didn¡¯t hear what the person on the phone said, Troy could guess that it was information about the Underground Cave.


    From the start, Ian, Calvin, and Frank had the n together. Nicko and Martin should wait and hide near the Underground Cave while Frank would give orders to attack after RJC¡¯s headquarter was sessfully overthrown.


    Unfortunately, Troy quickly lost to the cunning Kenny. Kenny knew all the outways of the headquarters building that had be his home all this time. He used a shortcut to avoid Troy and managed to escape.


    Kenny who had arrived at Bluevalley Street saw many motorbikes parked in front of the main door of the Underground Cave. There were also two groups of men fighting. He knew it was his men who were guarding the Underground Cave with Renu. They were fighting the men of Jita Kyoei.


    Feeling the need to immediately help Renu, Kenny decided to avoid the main door, but instead used a back door that only the core team of RJC knew.


    Kenny entered the abandoned building above the Underground Cave. Inside there was a hole under the concrete staircase that had lost its ceramics. The hole was closed by a wooden door that had to be pulled up to open. As soon as the door opened, there were seen stairs to go down.


    Kenny swiftly stepped down the stairs and closed the door again. Not long after, Marcel and Vico also arrived at the secret entrance. Even though they couldn¡¯tmunicate with each other, it seemed that their kinship was so strong that each of them could figure out what to do.


    The secret entrance hole to the Underground Cave led to Albert¡¯s room, the heart of the mine site.


    Kenny who was the first to reach the room, found Albert sitting alone quietly in his room with a pale face.


    Seeing the bookshelf attached to the wall of his room suddenly shift, Albert immediately stood up with a knife in his hand which he leaned forward. The old man was able to breathe normally again when he saw that the figure who had just entered through the secret door was Kenny Brown.


    ¡°Kenny! Thank God you¡¯re finally here! It¡¯s a mess outside!¡± Albert said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Renu?¡± Kenny asked directly.


    ¡°He should be fighting outside. You¡¯ve got to help him, Kenny. There¡¯s a lot of them,¡± Answered the man in the tank top.


    Kenny looked at Albert sharply. ¡°Albert, listen to me. This ce and RJC¡¯s headquarter are no longer safe. You have to take all the important files and take them to the hotel or somewhere safe. We¡¯ll catch you up after this.¡±


    Hearing that, Albert quickly nodded. He didn¡¯t think something like this would happen again. It was RJC who overthrew Apollo. But now, it was RJC¡¯s position that was in jeopardy. Honestly, he was tired of living a never-calm life like this.

 Chapter 217

    217 Chaos In The Underground Cave


    As soon as Kenny came out of the room, Albert did what the tall man told him to do. All the money and important files stored in the room were immediately cleared. It may take quite a while to do so. But he was sure that those strong men would be able to buy time for him.


    Before long, the same bookshelf shifted again and made Albert about to experience a heart attack again. It turned out to be Marcel and Vico.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Renu?¡± Marcel¡¯s question was the same as Kenny¡¯s.


    ¡°Kenny¡¯s already here. They¡¯re downstairs.¡± Albert answered. ¡°He told me to get all the files and..¡±


    ¡°Just do as Kenny told you to. Take care,¡± Marcel cut him and immediately ran out of the room with Vico.


    Albert could only let out a long sigh as he continued his work. ¡°You punk!¡± heined. He did not expect the snotty boy who at that time stood under his feet now turned to order him impolitely.


    ***


    Arriving at Bluevalley, the group of ck and Jita Kyoei found chaos in front of the main door of the Underground Cave.


    Ian got information from Frank who said that Kenny pulled back all his men from RJC¡¯s headquarters. Louis tried to chase them and realized that they were heading to the Underground Cave.


    .....


    ¡°Soon the RJC men will be swarming this ce,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°Is the front door really this small?¡± Emma asked.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a little hard to get inside with this crowd.¡±


    ¡°My informant said Kenny came in through the back door. Do you know where the door is?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know there was another door to get into that ce,¡± Ian replied.


    Emma was thinking that they had to find that back door. Somehow, she had a feeling that the door might lead her to an important ce in the Underground Cave.


    When they parked their motorbikes, Emma immediately stepped away from the guys. Then she pressed the button on her mouthpiece to connect to Kathy.


    ¡°Kathy,¡±


    ¡°Yep?¡± The girl who was still sitting in front of herputer answered her. She had been watching Marcel¡¯s message activity since then and was looking for other information about RJC and the Underground Cave.


    ¡°About that back door you mentioned earlier, would you be able to find out where it is?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never done that. But I¡¯ll try. Give me some minutes,¡± Kathy replied.


    Emma nodded, ¡°Thanks, Kathy.¡±


    ¡°What is your friend doing?¡± Ian asked while ncing at Rachel who was standing beside him. He looked at ck who drifted away from them and stood alone in the distance.


    ¡°Contacting our informant,¡± The tall girl answered.


    ¡°Seriously, how many of you are there? Is the informant an insider of RJC?¡± Ian asked curiously.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± Rachel answered tly by walking away from him to approach Emma.


    Calvin chuckled. ¡°They¡¯re annoyingly mysterious, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Both are goddamn annoying,¡± Ian snorted.


    ¡°We can¡¯t count on Kathy¡¯s uncertain search. Looks like one of us will have to stand guard outside to find the back door.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°You seem to have the same thoughts as me, Rachel.¡± Emma smiled faintly.


    Rachel nodded, ¡°If anyone came in through that door, maybe someone escaped from there as well. We have to sort things out today, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. How about you stand guard outside?¡± Emma suggested.


    ¡°Fine by me. I¡¯ll wait for the further order from you.¡± Rachel answered.


    Then the two girls approached Calvin and Ian who were ready to go.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay outside until information about the back door is found.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait with you,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°All right. ck and I will enter through the front door. Troy may already be inside.¡± Calvin checked his cell phone, ¡°My phone is back to normal now. If anything happens, you can call me.¡± He said to Ian.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ian nodded.


    ***


    Inside the Underground Cave, things were out of hand. In the end, Renu was cornered by the enemies. The number of RJC members was indeed more than Jita Kyoei¡¯s. However, Troy and his friends were always selective in choosing members.


    Jita Kyoei was not a gangster group that would pay men to be part of its group. Jita Kyoei was formed from a group of men who were passionate about Judo and wanted to join amunity that had the same dream. Therefore, the friendship in Jita Kyoei was so tight. That was because they were united not because of money and power, but truly of the care for one another.


    Almost all members of Jita Kyoei were students of the Judo studios. In fact, many of them were already athletes. The location of the Underground Cave, which was now crowded with many people, made Jita Kyoei¡¯s men superior because they found it easier to grab opponents with both their hands.


    The falling RJC members made Renu even more besieged by Jita Kyeoi¡¯s members that were still quite numerous.


    Nicko and Martin were the best fighting couple. The crazy Martin and sane Nicko were Yin and Yang thatplement each other. Then, when Renu was holding Martin who was busying him from the front, Nicko managed to touch the man at his blind spot.


    Nicko attacked Renu from behind as the man used the entire length of his staff forward at Martin who continued to lunge at him like a madman. A hard kick on his hump knocked Renu down.


    Seeing that, Martinughed loudly. His entire body was decorated with bluish-red bruises from being hit by a bamboo stick. Now, he could finally touch the already overwhelmed man.


    But before Martin stood in front of Renu, a big man suddenly came to attack him.


    Renu who managed to get back on his feet, rubbed his upper back which was in great pain. ¡°You finally here, Kenny,¡± he muttered to himself as he looked at Kenny who was turning into fighting with Martin.


    Suddenly, Renu felt a shadow move swiftly toward him. He immediately turned around while swinging his staff at the person who was about to attack him.


    Nicko¡¯s punch failed to hit Renu who swiftly parried it with his long stick. The fact that Kenny Brown had arrived as reinforcements meant that they had to fight one on one. But it turned out that Nicko¡¯s estimates were wrong because not long after, he saw the arrival of Marcel Dous and Vico Hustel.


    Seeing this, Martin and Nicko pulled back together.


    ¡°Darn it! Why did they alle here?¡± Martin said breathlessly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nicko shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no way we lost at the headquarters, right?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Troy is there,¡± Martin replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything else just yet. We¡¯ll sort it all out here. You can do it, can¡¯t you?¡± Nicko looked at Martin with a face drenched in sweat.


    Martin chuckled then stuck out his left fist, ¡°Never ask my guts,¡±


    Nicko smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll see who knocks out more,¡± He hit Martin¡¯s fist with his.


    Two of Jita Kyoei¡¯s core team vs four of Red Jack Commander¡¯s core team. It seemed they really enjoy having an unequal battle.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Renu asked Marcel in the middle of their fight.


    Marcel, who had just beaten one of Jita Kyoei¡¯s men, replied, ¡°The headquarters attack was just a trap. They did target the Underground Cave.¡±


    Renu clicked his tongue. ¡°At least secure Albert first,¡± he said without stopping waving his staff.


    Marcel nodded, ¡°Done,¡±


    Then they split up again to fight.


    Martin spat out the blood that had filled his mouth before wiping it with the back of his hand. He grinned widely until his bloodied teeth were clearly exposed. ¡°You guys made this fight so much fun,¡± he said with widened eyes.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a very wise decision to have trouble with RJC,¡± Marcel replied.


    ¡°Save that opinion at the end of the fight. I¡¯ll break every backbone in your body.¡± Martin replied with a giggle.


    ¡°Apart from being crazy, you also like to talk big,¡± Marcel smiled lopsidedly.


    ¡°Have you ever heard: never say ¡®Crazy¡¯ to a madman? You¡¯ll make him go crazier!¡± Martin replied by running to attack Marcel.


    ¡°So, you are here, coward?!¡± A scream made them stop.


    It was Troy Roner with both hands gripping the cors of the two unconscious RJC members. He seemed to have dragged the two of them inside.


    ¡°You have no idea how delightful this fight has been, Troy!¡± Martin eximed with augh.


    Troy smiled crookedly then released the two men from his hands. Then he stepped up to them. ¡°Kenny Brown. What a coward you are to leave the fight and your own friends. You¡¯re downgrading the man value in the eyes of the world.¡±


    Kenny just stared at Troy. In his heart, he was embarrassed at what Troy had said. Kenny hated a cowardly man who had the heart to leave his friend in a bad situation. It was something Oscar Chopper had done before his eyes.


    However, now Kenny was doing that to ck who had the intention to help him. He wasn¡¯t just trapping him but had left the ck alone to fight with the powerful Troy Roner. In fact, he was licking his own spit.


    It was a battle that had many pauses. Unexpectedly, almost all the core teams of the two groups had to fight in the same ce. Here, not only the prosperity of the two groups, but the strength of the core team of the groups would truly be proven.


    As time went on, the conditions on Bluevalley Street were getting busier. It was because all the members of RJC and Jita Kyoei came to fight as if they had moved the battle ring that had been at RJC¡¯s headquarters to the Underground Cave.


    ***


    An old man with a moustache who had just returned from a famous cake shop in the middle of the city, deliberately chose a detour to surprise his birthday wife. The n was that he would enter through the back door of his house so that his wife did not notice his return.


    The detour the man was taking was through Bluevalley Street which hardly anyone passed. Beside Bluevalley Street was Greenvalley Street which led to a dead end. No one had any reason to go down these two dead streets.

 Chapter 218

    218 Fake Angel


    The man drove his old car slowly down the dark, quiet Bluevalley Street. But he was shocked when he saw a bunch of vehicle lights far ahead. Only when he drove his car closer, his old eyes could see clearly that it was a group of gangsters fighting. It was so crowded and looked scary. It looked like a riot.


    Suddenly, the man¡¯s car window was knocked from outside. He jumped in surprise and turned to find a man in all ck standing in front of him.


    ¡°Open the window!¡± The stranger eximed, gesturing with his hand for the man in the car to open the window.


    With his shaking old hands, the manplied to open the window. ¡°P-please.. don¡¯t hurt me. I.. I don¡¯t have anything,¡±


    The gangster man peered into the already open window. He was quite surprised to find that in the car was only a weak old man. Then she peeked inside the window to make sure the man was alone. ¡°Don¡¯t go this way. Take another way.¡± He said.


    ¡°A-all right. But.. what happened?¡± The old man asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Better get going before you get hurt.¡± The gangster man replied before running away to join the riot at the front.


    The old man immediately heaved a sigh of relief before rushing on the gas to make a U-turn. By the time he got to the front of his house, he had forgotten his n to surprise his wife. Instead of going into the house, he went straight to his neighbour¡¯s house.


    ¡°Tom! Tomas!¡± The man knocked on his friend¡¯s house door.


    .....


    Not long after, a bald man appeared from behind the door. ¡°Are you losing your mind? Knocking on someone¡¯s door like that at thiste!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a riot going on in Bluevalley Street!¡± Said the man with the moustache.


    ¡°Bluevalley Street? Are you serious? What are they doing there for?¡± Asked the bald man named Tomas.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s a huge number of people. They have motorbikes and cars. We have to tell the gentlemen here immediately. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯d reach Redvalley Street and make riot here.¡± He said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Yonas. Wait a minute. I have to get my hat.¡± Tomas said as he went back into the house.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± The moustachioed man named Yonas growled.


    After Tomas was out of the house, the two men immediately went around calling for all men of Redvalley Street.


    To prove Yonas¡¯s words, they quietly headed down Bluevalley Street and found an even bigger riot taking ce on that street.


    ¡°This is terrible! Where exactly are Marcel¡¯s men? Why are they disappearing at a time like this?¡± Yonas said in a whisper.


    ¡°Could it be that they have stopped protecting Redvalley Street because the fee has been lowered?¡± Thomas sounded his thought.


    ¡°That¡¯s possible,¡± The other man replied.


    ¡°We¡¯d better go to Lilian¡¯s house now to ask her,¡± Yonas said.


    All the middle-aged men immediately went to a closed old tavern. Yonas rang the shop bell and waited in front of it impatiently and panicked.


    After several times ringing the bell, the door of the shop finally opened and a white-haired old woman appeared from behind it.


    Lilian was surprised to find many men of her neighbours had gathered in front of her house. In a thick sweater, Lilian stepped out of the door. ¡°What¡¯s happened? Why is it so crowded?¡±


    ¡°Lilian, is Marcel here?¡± Yonas asked directly.


    Lilian shook her head. ¡°He hasn¡¯te home since yesterday. Did something happen? Why are you gentlemen looking for my grandson?¡±


    ¡°Lilian, you need to call Marcel immediately. We saw a big riot on Bluevalley Street. I believe they are gangsters. We are afraid the thugs would reach this street and make a fuss here. It¡¯s very dangerous for our families.¡± Thomas exined.


    ¡°Oh my.. But, shouldn¡¯t Marcel¡¯s men have handled all of that?¡± Lillian replied.


    Yonas nodded. ¡°They should. But the fact is they are not here at all.¡±


    ¡°Looks like something bad happened, Lilian. You should contact your grandson immediately.¡± Thomas said.


    Lilian nodded quickly, ¡°I¡¯ll call him. You alle in first. Sit inside.¡±


    After picking up her cell phone in her room, Lilian returned to the tavern while called Marcel. But the call had never been answered even though the old woman had tried to call him many times.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t answered it up yet?¡± Yonas asked.


    Lilian shook her head. ¡°My grandson isn¡¯t usually like this. He would always pick up my call.¡±


    Then Lilian tried to contact the only person closest to her grandson: Kenny Brown, Marcel¡¯s assistant. He was the only Marcel¡¯s subordinate whose Lilian had the phone number. But unfortunately, after calling several times, Kenny also didn¡¯t answer the call.


    ¡°This is very serious. Marcel can¡¯t be reached and the riots on the next street are getting bigger. We can¡¯t just sit around and wait for them to bring the riot here,¡± Yonas said.


    ¡°If Marcel can¡¯t protect this street, then we must rise to do it,¡± One of the men from the crowd said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We have depended on others to protect our homes and families for too long. As men in this neighbourhood, shouldn¡¯t we join forces to protect our own homes?¡± Thomas asked with spirits.


    ¡°You are right! We have to move now!¡± Some of the men there answered.


    ***


    Passing through the front door which was only a narrow staircase was quite difficult for Emma and Calvin. RJC¡¯s men kept trying to stop them.


    Emma, ??Calvin, Rachel, and Ian were still fighting outside the Underground Cave until a mob of motorbikes and cars appeared. They were members of RJC, led by Damian Jamin. But behind them, Frank and Louis were seen leading the Jita Kyoei men who had been chasing them.


    ¡°Gosh.. The party is getting crowded,¡± Emma said to Rachel who was fighting next to her.


    Rachel smiled. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve fought this much.¡±


    ¡°I hope you get used to it soon enough,¡± Emma chuckled.


    The arrival of the big wave made Calvin and Emma eventually get a gap to enter the narrow door.


    ¡°Good luck!¡± Rachel said curtly as Emma walked away. Emma nodded at her.


    Emma and Calvin became a deadly fighting couple who could crush anything that got in their way.


    Even though they hurt, Emma¡¯s arms were still able to raise a very strong fist. Her adrenaline was burning when she saw that many enemies swarming her. Plus, Calvin who was surprisinglypetent made her enjoy this fight.


    The narrow path and the enemies that kepting from below and up the stairs made it difficult for the both of them to pass. But that didn¡¯t stop the two reliable fighters from entering RJC¡¯s underground kingdom.


    Emma was still bbergasted when she saw how big the Underground Cave was. She couldn¡¯t believe that under a dead road was such a big kingdom. Even though she was amazed, Emma became furious over the big lie that Marcel gave her.


    ¡®Does Lilian know about the existence of this ce?¡¯ Emma said in her heart. For real, this was so pathetic.


    This was a ce where many young people were forced to illegally fight each other like animals for gambling. They were young people who should be studying at school, having the education to be able to organize a bright future. But they ended up in a dark ce like this.


    It felt like Emma was about to hit Marcel¡¯s head on the wall. The feeling became worst because Emma had heard stories about Marcel¡¯s past. He should have prevented other children from having the same fate as him, instead of forming a new vicious circle.


    Emma was startled and almost mmed the person who suddenly touched her shoulder. Luckily, she soon realized that the person was Calvin.


    Even though ck was wearing a mask, Calvin didn¡¯t have to look at his face to know how shocked he was at what Underground Cave looked like. ¡°Nice to fight with you again,¡± He smiled after standing next to the short man.


    Emma sighed. ¡°This is not what I wanted.¡±


    ¡°No one wants a fight, ck. But sometimes it has to be done when words are useless.¡±


    ¡°We have to stop this as soon as possible. I¡¯m sick of it.¡± Emma said as she stepped forward followed by Calvin.


    In the centre of the cave, a fierce battle was taking ce. Emma could see it clearly. It turned out that Marcel and Troy were already there.


    Emma paced swiftly behind Marcel who was fighting with Troy. She immediately grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder and pulled him back to face her. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet!¡± She threw her fist at Marcel¡¯s cheekbones that sent him to fall.


    Marcel¡¯s friends who saw that, immediately wanted to attack ck. However, Marcel raised one hand as a symbol for them to stop.


    Slowly, Marcel got up to stand on his feet. He wiped his cheekbones which were bleeding from ck¡¯s heavy blow. He knew ck didn¡¯t want to knock him out yet by choosing his cheekbones as his first hitting spot.


    A faint smile formed on Marcel¡¯s lips. ¡°Come for revenge?¡±


    Emma¡¯s jaw tightened. It seemed she had never been this angry with her friend. ¡°Do you know how cowardly you are?¡± She hissed.


    ¡°I know. But you have to understand that it¡¯s not a matter in the dark business.¡± Marcel replied.


    ¡°Oh.. So that¡¯s what¡¯s on your mind, huh? Money, money, and f*cking money? Maybe you¡¯ll sell yourself off to raise the money too,¡±


    ¡°I will do whatever it takes to protect what I have now,¡± Marcel replied tly.


    ¡°By destroying other people¡¯s lives? By pretending to be a bunch of angels that protecting the residents of Redvalley? Am I wrong to think those old people don¡¯t know what kind of bastards you are?¡± Emma chuckled sarcastically.

 Chapter 219

    219 Redvalley Residents Arrival


    ¡°They got what they needed. In the end, I did this all to protect them. Money can do everything. Without money, you can¡¯t live.¡±


    Marcel¡¯s answer made Emmaugh in disbelief. It made her feel to beat him to death so he could wake up from his tightly closed mindset.


    ¡°You adore money so much that you don¡¯t even realize that it¡¯s money that going to ruin your life,¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are and what your life is like behind that mask. But I can tell that you have never experienced how hard it is to live without money. If you knew, you would understand my actions.¡±


    Emma smiled sarcastically. ¡°Not everyone is mentally weak like you. Keep that in mind.¡±


    Then Emma looked at the people around her, especially at the RJC members who were still silently watching them. ¡°You see? Is this kind of man who you think is worthy of leading you all? A money-mad guy who will do anything for money! A man who would destroy other people¡¯s lives for the sake of having a luxurious life!¡±


    Then Emma turned to Marcel with a savage look. ¡°This kind of evil man leads hundreds of people? You really are a poisonous snake.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Stop your bullshit, you d*ck head!¡± Vico said angrily, about to teach ck a lesson. He did not ept his leader and friend being insulted like that. ck knew nothing about Marcel.


    But Marcel stopped his man again. To be honest, he had no more defences. Marcel wasn¡¯t a bad-hearted person. But the mean world made him grow wrong principles in life.


    .....


    A difficult life and all the things that have been taken from him made him deify money with his soul. Even though he knew that he was wrong, Marcel couldn¡¯t beat his fear of being in poverty again.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Marcel said with a chuckle. ¡°I would do anything for money. I lied to ck about my business. I made the underage youths who were trapped in poverty be fighters in this ce. I made them the material for my gambling business. Even so, I kept this business hidden and covered it with a clean business on Redvalley Street, so that this Marcel Dous would not be a viin in the eyes of the people. I will always be regarded as a hero.¡±


    Emma was silent. Marcel¡¯s lips did make a smile, but Emma could see the scar in his eyes. What happened to Marcel broke her heart. It seemed that what Marcel went through was unbelievably hard to turn a loving child into a monster.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found the door,¡± Kathy suddenly came into the line.


    Rachel who was fighting outside the Underground Cave immediately answered. ¡°You can lead me, Kathy.¡± She said as she stepped away from the battlefield.


    Seeing that, Ian, who was fighting a few meters from Rachel, immediately followed her.


    With both eyes focused on theputer screen, Kathy began to exin. ¡°There is a building behind the Underground Cave¡¯s upper building. You can go through the building beside it. There is a shortcut to the back building.¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Got that,¡±


    Then the tall girl swiftly walked into the abandoned building with Ian. They had to make sure that none of the RJC members noticed their pullout, especially Damian who most likely knew where the back door was.


    ¡°Well..¡± Kathy squinted her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a big stair in the main lobby of the building.¡±


    ¡°Lobby?¡± Rachel repeated as she continued to walk. The dust on the broken floor flew up when she stepped on it.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m here, Rachel!¡± Kathy eximed with a big smile.


    Rachel and Ian were surprised to see a small drone hovering inside the building. Rachel smiled proudly. ¡°You.. really?¡±


    Kathy chuckled, ¡°The ce isn¡¯t too far from my house. But I¡¯m having a little trouble with the signal. Follow this thing right away,¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Rachel answered by doing what Kathy told her to do.


    ¡°You guys are out of mind,¡± Ian said in disbelief. His curiosity and admiration for the ck group unwillingly increased. They were unbelievably awesome.


    Kathy was like a treasure hiding in an old chest. She was a girl who looked ordinary and even tended to be messy. But behind that, she had a big surprise that was unknown to everyone. And when she showed it, everyone would be amazed.


    To find out the back door that Emma mentioned, Kathy had the idea of ??doing it by using the pictures taken by satellites. She even entered the satellitespany¡¯s database as an undetected silent virus. Although there weren¡¯t many above-view photos of the area, Kathy still looked for them intensely. It was like putting pieces of a puzzle together. Finally, Kathy found two photos showing the presence of a man standing in front of the building located behind the building that was used as a front door to enter Underground Cave.


    From this, Kathy suspected that the building was the location of the back door she was looking for. However, Kathy could not find any photos showing the inside of the abandoned building. If anything, it was a photo from years ago when the building was still in operation and didn¡¯t provide any clues.


    The only way to find out what was inside the building was to enter it, which Kathy couldn¡¯t do. Kathy suddenly remembered a thing that she had been assembling and modifying in such a way.


    It was a secondhand drone that she bought for a rather cheap price a year ago. All this time, Kathy had taken the time to turn the cheap thing into an amazing robot in her free time. And today, she proved its ability.


    After searching the building, Kathy found many shoe tracks leading down the stairs. There, she saw a door with the same colour as the floor.


    ¡°The door¡¯s over here. It¡¯s be one with the floor.¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°Found it,¡± Rachel replied, staring at the door that was attached to the floor.


    ¡°Alright. It looks like everything is clear now. I¡¯ll be back, then.¡± Kathy said.


    Rachel nodded and waved briefly at the drone¡¯s camera that was hovering in the air. ¡°Thanks for helping out,¡±


    Then the drone flew out through therge window of the building which had no ss.


    ¡°So, this is the door, huh?¡± Ian asked.


    Rachel nodded as she looked at the floor around her. ¡°It should be. The footprints here still look fresh,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll open it,¡± Ian stepped forward and reached out his hand to pull a rope that was connected to the door.


    However, before Ian¡¯s hand even touched the rope, the secret door opened by itself from the inside. Ian and Rachel were surprised and immediately took a step back while kept staring at the door that was opening wider and wider. From there, severalrge ck bags were tossed out, before being followed by a man in a shabby jacket whose forehead was covered with sweat.


    ***


    A group of Redvalley residents marched towards Bluevalley Street where the rioting was going on. They carried big shlights and some even brought axes. If they indeed have to fight, then they would. After all, the cops only came when someone died, right?


    In the end, the people of Redvalley didn¡¯t want to depend on someone¡¯s hand for their lives anymore. They were colonized by Apollo for a long time. But in fact, it was because the people of Redvalley were always busy thinking about their own business. They never thought of joining hands in facing problems.


    Until now, it was only when their trust in Marcel had subsided that they realized that they would be stronger if they were united.


    The battle that was taking ce in front of the Underground Cave suddenly stopped when a group of residents, mostly middle-aged people, came.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Frank asked breathlessly as he wiped the sweat off his temples.


    Damian was stunned when he saw the residents of Redvalley had suddenlye to the ce. He was getting choked up when one of the old men who owned the fruit shop he frequented, approached him with a confused face.


    ¡°You? Why are you here?¡± Thomas asked.


    ¡°I.. That..¡± Damian stuttered.


    Suddenly, an old woman came out from the crowd. ¡°Damian? Your name is Damian, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re working with Marcel. What is going on here?¡± Lilian asked as she approached the fiery red-haired man whose face was covered with wounds.


    ¡°What exactly is going on here?¡± Yonas added.


    However, all the people who had previously fought did not answer. They were like a group of children ying in the park untilte and then being picked up by their parents.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my grandson, Damian? Why are you all fighting here? Is Marcel okay?¡± Lilian asked with a worried look because the boy¡¯s face was battered.


    ¡°Hey! There¡¯s a door here!¡± A man suddenly eximed. He was already standing in front of the door with the stairs going down. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s headed somewhere,¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go inside! Please,¡± Damian said directly.


    Lilian then looked at him again with a confused face. ¡°Why can¡¯t we go in there? What¡¯s down there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s n-nothing. It¡¯s.. it¡¯s a garbage dump,¡± Damian answered quickly. He was even still thinking after finishing his stupid answer.


    Damian¡¯s nervous face and his unreasonable exnation made the citizens even more suspicious.


    ¡°There must be something down there. Let¡¯s check it out!¡± Thomas said. ¡°Gosh, those punks are strewn around here like corpses. I can¡¯t believe this.¡± He mumbled as he walked down the stairs.


    ¡°H-hey.. You can¡¯t..¡± Damian was at a loss as to what to say to stop the angry residents. It was as if he was watching the scene of the angry vigers in the movie Dr. Frankenstein in live.

 Chapter 220

    220 Marcel Dous¡¯s Burden


    Lilian stared at the boy in front of her for a few seconds before sighing while shaking her head and following the other residents into the strange door.


    ¡°Oh my God.. What is this ce?¡± Lilian muttered as she reached downstairs.


    Just like Lilian, all the residents of Redvalley were bbergasted when they saw the splendour of the underground kingdom. The ceiling was made like a rocky cave, decorated with many crystals and disco balls.


    It was an unexpectedly luxurious entertainment venue. Even though the tables and chairs were in a mess because of the fighting, the luxury of the ce was undeniable.


    As happened above, the ongoing battle was stopped when the residents arrived. All members of Jita Kyoei were confused by the arrival of those people. They also wouldn¡¯t attack civilians. Meanwhile, the RJC members gave super surprised faces because most of them know the faces of the residents. It was because they had been taking turns guarding Redvalley Street.


    The people went deeper and found a group of men gathered in the middle of the great hall of the ce. There, they saw the figure they had been looking for. It was Marcel Dous and some of his men who they often interacted with on Redvalley Street.


    Lilian, who saw her grandson with a face full of wounds, immediately walked over to him. ¡°Marcel! What happened to you, Boy?¡±


    Marcel wasn¡¯t the only one who froze by noticing the presence of the Redvalley residents in that ce. Emma stepped back when Lilian suddenly passed her from behind to approach her grandson.


    Marcel¡¯s tongue went numb. He couldn¡¯t believe his grandmother could get into the ce he¡¯d been hiding for so many years, the ce where his money came from. This ce was the reason why he could give his grandmother afortable life as a rich person. The ce where Marcel brought out his demon side.


    .....


    ¡°Marcel, please tell me what happened. What exactly is this ce?¡± Lilian asked again by touching her grandson¡¯s wounded face. ¡°Are you fighting?¡±


    All of Marcel¡¯s men looked at each other. They knew that their leader had been hiding the truth about Bluevalley Street all along. All the residents on Redvalley Street, including Marcel¡¯s grandmother, did not know of the existence of the Underground Cave which was actually very close to them.


    ¡°No fighting here?¡± Ian¡¯s voice caught the attention of everyone in the room. The man came with ck Number Two. They were holding a middle-aged man who was carrying severalrge ck bags.


    ¡°Albert,¡± Kenny muttered with his open-wide eyes. This was indeed a messed up.


    Ian threw Albert forward so that the man fell on the floor with his bags.


    ¡°You?¡± Lilian frowned. She remembered the man. It had been a long time, but she didn¡¯t forget his face. He was the man Lilian had seen talking with Jack when her grandson was still working as Apollo¡¯s confidant.


    Of course, Albert didn¡¯t recognize Lilian. There were too many faces that passed in his life¡¯s memory. He immediately stood up to face Marcel. ¡°Marcel. They caught me,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Marcel. We caught this man escaping from the back door. Looks like subordinates are the same as the leader. Has running away be your people¡¯s habit?¡± Ian said mockingly.


    ¡°What the hell is this? Can you guys exin what happened?¡± Yonas asked in a loud voice.


    ¡°This ce is called the Underground Cave. The night business and illegal gambling belong to the Red Jack Commander group led by Marcel Dous.¡± Troy answered.


    The news shocked everyone who was there. In an instant, amotion broke out in their midst.


    ¡°Illegal gambling?¡± Lillian repeated. Then she looked back at Marcel who was facing down. ¡°There¡¯s no way Marcel runs a business like that. His job is security. He works to guard Redvalley Street. Don¡¯t nder my grandson! I can sue you for libel!¡± She scolded the man with the big muscles.


    ¡°Sorry, Ma¡¯am. Instead of hearing the exnation from a stranger, why won¡¯t you ask your grandson yourself?¡± Emma said slowly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the man who saved me from being kidnapped? Even you are here too,¡± Lillian said. Then she turned back to Marcel, ¡°Why are you silent, Marcel? What they say is not true, is it?¡±


    Martin snorted. ¡°This is taking too long! Bring me the bag!¡± He roughly snatched the bags that were still guarded by Albert.


    This made all of Marcel¡¯s men move and wanted to block Martin furiously.


    ¡°Get your hands off!¡± Renu was about to swing his wand at Martin¡¯s head.


    ¡°Let him,¡± Marcel said suddenly.


    Renu stopped his hands. He looked at Marcel questioningly. ¡°What do you mean, Marcel?¡±


    ¡°Marcel! Inside that bag are important files!¡± Albert eximed, still trying to hold his bags which were being seized by force by Martin.


    ¡°I said, LET HIM!¡± Marcel snapped. Everyone there was shocked and speechless, except Martin.


    Lilian covered her mouth with both hands. She stepped back from her grandson who looked messy. Her eyes started to water. Now, she knew that what the big muscr man said was true. So this huge ce really belonged to Marcel? So all this time, Bluevalley Street was still operating?


    Marcel looked at his shocked grandmother. ¡°This ce is mine, Grandma. I run a dark business in this ce, continuing the biggest business that Apollo left behind. I employ people who are trapped in poverty as fighters to be gambling objects. This is a business that Jack hated so much, but I¡¯ve been keeping to this day,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Oh.. Marcel.. No.. Why? How could you do this..¡± Lilian muttered. It was as if her feet were floating in the air. The truth she heard from her own grandson¡¯s mouth broke her soul.


    ¡°Because I could,¡± Marcel answered firmly. ¡°I need this business to make a lot of money,¡±


    ¡°Money to buy all that expensive stuff? I didn¡¯t think you were so disgusting, Marcel!¡± Yonas said loudly.


    Hearing that, Lilian turned around and took a brusque step toward the moustache man before pointing at his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare insult my grandson! How could you say that to the person who saved Redvalley Street?! Where¡¯s your gratitude?!¡±


    Even though she felt disappointed in her grandson, Marcel was still her grandson, no matter what. She wouldn¡¯t let anyone hurt her grandson. Until she died, she would keep defending him. That was called family.


    Marcel smiled faintly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be mad at them, Grandma. What Yonas said was true. I used the money to buy all the luxury things I wanted. I have another huge, luxurious house. With this business, I have afortable life as a rich person, which I have always wanted since a kid. With this money, I hope to give my grandmother a decent life because she has suffered for decades. With money, I can be happy,¡±


    Then Marcel looked at the Redvalley crowd who were staring at him with disgust. He then chuckled. ¡°With this money too, I¡¯m keeping RJC standing and growing because Red Jack Commander is the token of the struggles and suffering that Jack had gone through to provide a better life for his family and the people of Redvalley Street.


    I want to keep it alive and grow it bigger. But unfortunately,tely, the danger is getting wider and I am forced, again, to use this dirty money to help my sainted business. That is to protect Redvalley Street whose ie is always lower than the expenses.


    If only rely on the ie from Redvalley residents¡¯ payments, I won¡¯t be able to eat three times a day. I¡¯ll see my grandmother freezing cold in the almost copsed house. The group that my brother had formed would disband due to financial difficulties.¡±


    What Marcel said made the Redvalley crowd fall silent. This made Marcelugh even more. He felt like he wanted to cry. It could be seen from his red eyes.


    ¡°What I have been doing is indeed evil. I admit that I am mad about luxury. I admit that I love money with my soul. But the funny thing here is that everything that Jack and I did for Redvalley residents seemed to be meaningless because I dreamed of bing a rich man.


    Jack suffered for many years, pretending to be a criminal and hated by everyone, just to defeat Apollo and be murdered. Jack¡¯s dream was to see all the residents of Redvalley live in peace. I was just trying to keep that dream. But why is it so hard? Why wasn¡¯t I the one who died at that time? So that I could take my despicable dreams with me, so that I don¡¯t have to make it happen and disappoint everyone!¡± Marcel shouted.


    ¡°Marcel..¡± Lilian¡¯s tears flowed freely.


    She approached the boy and hugged him tightly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t know your burden was this huge. Please forgive your ignorance grandmother. Please forgive me for always pressuring you to be liked by everyone. I have all the fault here. Oh, God.. My poor grandson..¡±


    Marcel tried to hold back his tears. He just stood there with his face down, couldn¡¯t even hug his grandmother back. He closed his eyes, so as not to have to see the faces staring at him with pity.


    Would Jack be strong enough to face this? If Jack stood in his shoes, what he would do?


    ¡°Having a lot of money has been my dream since I was little. I hate the condescending looks people gave me. I hate it when people wear nice clothes while I have to wear worn-out clothes with holes in them. I want to treat all those wounds in me. But what kind of job I could do to make it happen?¡± Marcel asked.


    Then he opened his eyes and red at the people around him. ¡°Tell me! What can I do to be rich?! A job that won¡¯t interfere with my time taking care of that damn Redvalley Street! Can you people answer?!¡±

 Chapter 221

    221 Live For Myself


    Everyone fell silent, unable to answer Marcel¡¯s question. It was because the question won¡¯t get an answer.


    Who could be rich without having to work hard? Have you ever seen a single mother who lived in poverty and had many children could focus on pursuing her career? In reality, a human being had only two hands, two legs and one soul. They were not robots that could work 24 hours a day.


    Now, Marcel¡¯s wound was seen by everyone. The reason why he continued Apollo¡¯s dirty business. The truth about him who prised money. And, the burden of carrying two dreams.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± Emma answered. With chest pain, the masked girl walked over to Marcel. ¡°You have been carrying a very heavy burden alone. That way, no one would understand it if you never say it out,¡±


    Marcel looked at Emma. ??¡±I don¡¯t need anyone to know. Why can¡¯t you just be honest? In the end, everyone will only think of themselves. There¡¯s no point in telling other people about your suffering.¡±


    ¡°If everyone thinks only of themselves, why do you think we are here?¡± Troy asked. ¡°Do you think we came just to look for trouble? You think we really like fighting? We are willing to spend our energy and time to save young people who were dragged into the dark world. Isn¡¯t your thoughts formed based on your own nature?¡± Troy¡¯s question left Marcel speechless.


    ¡°Jack¡¯s dreams and yours are so contradictory, Marcel. That¡¯s what makes it so hard for you to keep them together. You¡¯d be wrong to say everyone thinks only of themselves. In fact, it¡¯s not that there are a few Jacks in this world. From the first ce, it was you who wanted to feed the never filled hole in your heart.¡± Emma added.


    Today, Marcel wasn¡¯t just hit hard on his physique. But he was hit hard to the soul. Could a human being get lost within himself? If so, maybe that was what Marcel had been experiencing all this time.


    A person who had to live by bearing the dreams of others, while he was not that big-hearted to give up his own dreams. Someone who forced himself to be strong, even though he was not that strong. Living with a huge wound, which he was forced to cover in order to protect the one and onlyst person he loved. But his will was so strong that he unknowingly began to eat away by it.


    .....


    So far, Marcel had lived with two faces. He had his own face and the face of Jack. However, Marcel wasn¡¯t Jack. Even though they were brothers ¨C even though they both loved their families ¨C even though they were good boys, each person had different personalities and heart desires.


    In the end, Marcel failed to y the role of Jack Dous. It was because he wasn¡¯t Jack. It made Marcel greedy. He must look like an angel. And his heart¡¯s desire, which was originally the fleshy things, turned into a crime.


    ¡°Stop this, Marcel. I beg you to grant thest wish of this old woman¡¯s life. You¡¯ve suffered enough. You will stop it now, will you? You don¡¯t have to fight anymore, sweetheart. Just live the way you want.¡± Lilian said with tears continuously running down her cheeks.


    All the residents of Redvalley who witnessed it, felt regret piercing their chests. These people were old residents who had known Marcel Dous since he was a child. They saw for themselves how miserable the life of the child who used to have a fat body was.


    Marcel¡¯s mother and grandmother often begged for food from their neighbours to fill the stomachs of their children in their shabby house. His father was always drunk and beat his wife. Marcel and his brother could only sit on the side of the road across from the grocery store, watching the other kids get their ice cream when they could only gulp.


    In fact, the residents know how painful the life of a child who used to always give a polite smile even though the environment was not kind to him. The residents did know what Marcel and Jack had to go through to bring down Apollo and save their houses from the colony of the mafia. Yet just because Marcel wanted to live afortable and happy life for his grandmother, they treated him like a devil. So, who was the real monster here?


    Whose fault was it actually? Who made an innocent child turn into a monster like this?


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Marcel. It was our fault. We were too selfish. We only thought about ourselves. Lilian was right. We shouldn¡¯t forget about you and Jack. After livingfortably for too long, we even forgot how we got it. Fine life makes us forget why we are here,¡± Tomas said regretfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Marcel.¡± A middle-aged woman in the crowd added. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look after us anymore if you¡¯re tired. You can live the life you want. Sorry for messing up your life, Son,¡±


    Yonas briefly rubbed his runny nose and then cleared his throat. ¡°T-thank you for all your services,¡± He said awkwardly.


    The people realized how bad they were. Most of them also had children. How did it feel to see their children have to live a life like Marcel¡¯s? Would they have the heart to witness it? Then, why would they make other people¡¯s children feel that painful thing?


    Lilian smiled gently as she looked at her grandson sadly. ¡°Thank you for everything, Marcel. You are a good boy no matter what. Everyone has faults and wounds. Those are forgivable and can be fixed. You are free now.¡±


    Marcel¡¯s jaw quivered. With a tired face, he stared at the granny¡¯s face. Eventually, in front of everyone, the tears fell.


    With a heavy breath and a lowered face, Marcel nodded. The broad shoulders that usually looked strong to bear two dreams ¨C the shoulders that bore the lives of those who even sneered at him from behind ¨C the shoulder that bore all the demands, eventually trembled violently as the owner burst into tears.


    Arms embraced his grandmother, Marcel buried his face in her shoulder. Here, he was not the feared leader of the Red Jack Commander nor was the Prince Bold who women worship. Here, he was Marcel Dous, a spoiled grandson of an old woman. A child who had fear. A child who had a dream. An ordinary human.


    ***


    After that incident, the Underground Cave was closed. Everyone returned to their respective homes. There were no victories or defeats. All returned with a cavity in their hearts.


    RJC and Jita Kyoei. The two groups were not evil. They were just trapped in the situation. They were just young people who were looking for their identity and trying to achieve their respective dreams. Each of them had something to strive for.


    Before the fight was dismissed, Troy had time to speak to all the RJC members who were there. He conveyed his intention of attacking the group. He said that it was hisst fight to bring the students back to the studio, because, in the end, the decision was in the students¡¯ hands.


    At first, Jita Kyoei was meant to overthrow RJC. But after knowing the truth, they decided to abandon the intention.


    There had been too many wounds. They didn¡¯t want to add any more bad memories. As fellow human beings, they should not hurt each other.


    ***


    In a cemetery where the snow had just melted, a man in a long ck coat was seen sitting next to a tombstone.


    Marcel rubbed the little melted snow that remained on the tombstone that had the name of Jack Dous on it. He smiled faintly as he ced a flower bouquet there.


    ¡°How are you, Jack?¡± Marcel asked. ¡°I came here to apologize. I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t carry on with your dream. It turns out that I was too weak to bear it.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not as strong as you.¡±


    A tear rolled down Marcel¡¯s eye and was immediately wiped out by him before he took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve disappointed a lot of people. I¡¯ve tarnished your dream since long ago, Jack. But I pretended to be blind. I¡¯m selfish, aren¡¯t I?¡± He took another deep breath and continued, ¡°But.. This fear, this hunger.. I couldn¡¯t help it. I couldn¡¯t win over them.¡±


    Of all the feelings Marcel had experienced since that day, the one that hurt him the most was his inability to save his brother¡¯s dream. Marcel didn¡¯t know if in heaven his brother was angry with him or said that it was okay. But he wished that his brother, who had been taking care of him all this time, would understand that. He hoped that Jack would understand the limits of his power.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Jack. RJC will still be around. We¡¯ll still keep Redvalley Street. But now things will be quite different. I can¡¯t give my whole life to them anymore. I¡¯ll live my life for myself.¡± He exined.


    Then he rubbed his eyes again briefly before tapping the tombstone in front of him twice. ¡°Don¡¯t ask God to punish me, Jack. You know I don¡¯t like punishment. I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡± He smiled softly. ¡°See youter,¡±


    Marcel stood up. Then he stepped away from his brother¡¯s grave, step away from there, leaving the dream that he had now returned to its owner.


    His heart ached, but there was a sense of relief. The heavy burden that had been sitting on his shoulders was finally lifted.

 Chapter 222

    222 A Jerk?


    Red Jack Commander lost its main source of ie. Now, as it should be, the group relied solely on Redvalley Street.


    With the closing of Underground Cave, Marcel announced to all his members that there would be no more payroll and benefits for the members. All would only be paid based on their work guarding Redvalley Street. It was also with low fees, because the fee rates they provide to Redvalley residents were not big.


    Fortunately, Marcel had bought his headquarters building from the start. But they had to start to save on the cost of the building. Marcel evenid off almost all of his office workers because he couldn¡¯t afford to pay them anymore. Marcel sold his two private cars and used the money as severance pay for the members heid off.


    ¡°I¡¯m releasing all of you. Red Jack Commander is no longer detaining anyone. There will be no penalty or threats for members leaving. You need not worry. I will still give you the final paycheck,¡± Marcel said while he was standing on a small stage in the basement of his headquarters building, facing hundreds of his men.


    On Marcel¡¯s sides, all of his core team members stood with gloomy faces. The Red Jack Commander did not copse, but it did shrink. The group was no longer the same as before.


    ¡°Red Jack Commander has returned to its original duty, which is to protect Redvalley Street. We will not take advantage of them. Therefore, if you are looking for money or power here, this is not the ce for you anymore. Please, you all know where the exit door is.¡± Marcel said again.


    One by one, the members started to leave. Marcel was still standing sturdy, watching the members he had worked so hard to gather, were now leaving him. The RJC group that he had erged was now shrinking again.


    Of the more than four hundred members, now there were less than a hundred. Marcel looked at the rest of the members who were still standing tall in front of him. So, out of so many people, only this few were truly loyal to him? Of the many men, it was only a handful of people who really did not expect the benefits of RJC.


    Then Marcel turned to his core members. ¡°That includes you, gentlemen. I¡¯ve let you all go. Now you can leave.¡±


    .....


    Kenny, Renu, Vico, and Damian looked directly at Marcel with furrowed brows. Their faces had clear expressions of disbelief.


    Marcel chuckled. ¡°Hey.. It¡¯s not like our brotherhood is over. This group really can¡¯t do anything anymore. You guys also have private lives that cost money, right? Let¡¯s just say you¡¯ve changed jobs.¡±


    Even though Marcel was smiling, the four of them could see the sadness on his face. The reality was bitter, but no matter how ufortable it was, it must be lived.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We have a future. We have private lives. As you said, everyone needs money to live.¡± Kenny said.


    To be honest, Marcel never expected words like that woulde out of Kenny¡¯s mouth. Did the core team also only expect money and power all this time? The truth was like a tiny needle stuck in Marcel¡¯s heart. It may seem trivial. But the pain made him feel surprisingly ufortable.


    ¡°Kenny! What do you mean?!¡± Damian asked with an incredulous face. But calmly, Renu pulled the bright red-haired guy back to his spot. It seems that only Renu could read Kenny¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Even if we have to change jobs, our home is still here, Marcel. Red Jack Commander is our home. We are Red Jack Commander. It is one with our souls.¡± Kenny continued.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right! RJC is our home!¡± One of the subordinates shouted.


    When Marcel hadn¡¯t thought farther, other calls followed.


    ¡°RJC is our home!¡±


    ¡°We will be loyal to RJC!¡±


    ¡°RJC is our pride!¡±


    Vico and Damian looked at each other then smiled broadly before looking back at the members lined up in front of them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need hundreds of followers to be strong. Just a few loyal followers are enough to help you break all obstacles.¡± Renu said.


    ***


    ssical music yed in the earphones that were pinned in the ears of a brown-haired girl.


    Everywhere she walked, her charm would attract attention, not only from men, but even women would also nce at her.


    Emma couldn¡¯t believe it. She had been in Handway City all this time. From the first snow fell to thest snow melted. She had seen many things. She had learned many lessons. Everything made Emma appreciate the meaning of life more.


    The morning bus stopped in front of a bus stop of arge campus belonging to Jardin University. Emma Hind got off with several other students who happened to be on the same bus.


    The events that had happened five days ago made Emma barely sleep every night. Since that day, she had not seen Marcel Dous on campus. She honestly wanted to contact him. But she would feel awkward.


    Emma realized the special number she had used as ck could no longer call anyone at RJC. She also felt there was no point in contacting Marcel as Emma Hind.


    Emma understood that the hurt person couldn¡¯t be approached by force. Instead of healing the wound, you might end up making it worse. Sometimes, a wound was better left to heal by itself.


    The long road to the campus building that was surrounded by trees made Emma remember the first time she arrived there. It felt strange but beautiful. Emma couldn¡¯t wait to see the leaves on the tree grow back thick and keep changing colours with the seasons.


    Faintly and closer, Emma heard the roar of the motorcycle engine approaching and buzzing beside her. Emma knew by heart that it was Calvin Lee¡¯s motorbike. Then she turned and smiled.


    ¡°Good morning. Need a ride?¡± Calvin asked kindly after opening his helmet.


    Emma chuckled. ¡°It feels like only yesterday you did this.¡±


    ¡°A lot of things happened. But I still vividly remember this little thing for me to do again,¡± He replied. Then he raised his palm in front of Emma. The brown-eyed girl chuckled and put her hand there as a grip as she climbed onto Calvin¡¯s motorbike.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit busy these past few days. Anyways.. How are you?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°I can see it,¡± Emma raised her eyebrows. ¡°Good. And I hope you are too,¡±


    Calvin chuckled as he nodded. ¡°My face is a bit messy,¡±


    ¡°But is your body okay? I bet it was a great fight,¡± Emma asked. She was worried about Calvin¡¯s arm which she nearly broke at that time.


    ¡°It was indeed a big fight. Perhaps, it was a fight I will never forget. However, I am fine.¡± He replied.


    Calvin¡¯s motorbike arrived at the campus parking lot. He helped Emma down before he got off the iron horse.


    ¡°Do you still have so much business toe so early?¡± Emma asked in their slow pace.


    Calvin smiled faintly. ¡°How if I ask you first? Why do you alwayse so early?¡±


    Emma raised an eyebrow briefly. ¡°I.. just like the mood of the campus when it is still quiet. Coming in the morning and feeling the fresh air makes my heart calm.¡± Then she turned to the man beside her and asked, ¡°Now, how about you? Is it because you have important matters again?¡±


    Calvin shook his head with a smile still forming on his lips. ¡°That¡¯s because there is someone who alwayses to campus early in the morning. I want to have the opportunity to talk alone with her more often.¡±


    Calvin¡¯s answer made Emma almost choke on the fresh morning air she was breathing. The man was a true seducer. Was Emma an overconfident girl if she thought the person Calvin was referring to was her?


    ¡°Haha.. What nonsense is that?¡± Emma muttered as she looked around for a topic switch. ¡°Ah.. Is the cafe in the front open?¡±


    ¡°We have passed it by, haven¡¯t we? It¡¯s still closed.¡± Calvin answered right away.


    ¡°It is? I didn¡¯t notice. Haha,¡± Emma cursed herself in her heart. They had just passed the cafe. What a shame!


    ¡°Would you like something to drink? The cafeteria has been open from early morning. We can go there,¡± Calvin offered.


    ¡°Oh. It sounds fine,¡± Emma nodded.


    When they arrived at the cafeteria, which was still nearly empty, they met Jita Kyoei members who were sitting at a long table.


    ¡°Oh.. Hey Emma!¡± Martin greeted with enthusiasm.


    Emma was a little surprised to see Jita Kyoei in the cafeteria early in the morning. It was an unusual sight.


    ¡°Hey..¡± Emma replied by waving her hand a little.


    Calvin nced at Martin with a sneer. Martin looked more excited to harass him in front of Emma.


    ¡°Are you guys having breakfast? Why don¡¯t join us? We¡¯re having breakfast too.¡± Martin said before ncing at Calvin intently.


    ¡°Actually, we just wanted to buy a drink,¡± Calvin replied.


    Ian immediately cleared his throat when he felt a small kick on his leg. He looked at Martin who nced at him. ¡°Drink? That¡¯s not an excuse to avoid talking to us, is it? What else are you two doing this early in the morning? Shouldn¡¯t the first ss start quite a whileter?¡± He asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Of course we¡¯re not going anywhere. I haven¡¯t answered yet, have I? That morning talk with you guys sounded great. Don¡¯t you think so, Calvin?¡± Emma nudged him with her elbow.


    ¡°Well. I think you quite right, Emma.¡± He smiled forcefully at Emma. Then after the girl turned the other way, Calvin immediately looked at Martin and Ian with a murderous look. ¡°Bastard!¡± He said with only lips movement.


    The other Jita Kyoei¡¯s men sitting at the tableughed a little.


    ¡°You guys should stop bothering them. Maybe it¡¯ll make Emma feel ufortable.¡± Nicko said after the couple went to order food.


    ¡°Nah! I instead saved Emma from a jerk like Calvin Lee.¡± Martin replied.

 Chapter 223

    223 Emma Sick?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Calvin Lee was a jerk?¡± Troy said before taking a bite of his grilled sausage.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t. But to the men who are after Emma Hind, Calvin Lee is a jerk,¡± Ian replied by giving Martin a mocking look.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just be a female whisperer, Nicko? You damn brat!¡± Martin said.


    Then, they all immediately stopped the joke when Emma and Calvin came to their long table. Ian and Nicko quickly shifted their seats to make room for the two of them before Martin did. They really would not let the mad man near Emma for fear that she would be disturbed.


    ¡°You¡¯vee this early in the morning?¡± Ian asked Emma and Calvin.


    Emma nodded. ¡°We just happened to meet up,¡±


    ¡°I should be the one asking why you guys suddenly gathered in the cafeteria so early in the morning?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Just wanted to have a rxing bro-time. Is that a problem?¡± Martin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking,¡± Calvin said and rolling his eyes. Martin became too sensitive to him when Emma was around.


    .....


    Emma looked at the faces of the men at the table one by one. She chuckled because everyone had a cut or at least a bruise there, just like Calvin.


    ¡°Are youughing at our faces?¡± Nicko smiled.


    ¡°Sorry. But that¡¯s kind of funny. You¡¯ve worked hard,¡± Emma covered her mouth with one hand. Luckily, she was able to keep her face smooth. Even if there was a little bruise, she could cover it with a make-up foundation.


    ¡°You speak as if you saw our struggle firsthand. But it was indeed an interesting fight. Thank you.¡± Troy nodded once.


    Emma just smiled faintly. That was because she not only saw the fight firsthand, but also participated in it. But of course, Emma would y dumb. ¡°Then, does that mean your mission was sessful?¡± She asked.


    Troy shrugged his shoulders. ¡°The results are yet to be seen. But I¡¯m sure it could be said so. It was a battle with a result we¡¯ve never experienced before.¡±


    ¡°It was? What was that strange result like?¡± asked Emma again.


    ¡°It¡¯s a draw,¡±


    Emma smiled. ¡°A draw?¡±


    Troy nodded. ¡°We didn¡¯t lose, but we didn¡¯t feel like we won. It was a strange game from the start. But we were surprisingly satisfied with the ending.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news, although it¡¯s quite confusing to understand. But I can see your happy faces even though they are adorned with wounds.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°A man¡¯s life would feel meaningless without a single scar on his body,¡± Frank said.


    ¡°That¡¯s my bro!¡± Ian gave his fist bump to his best friend who immediately returned it.


    ¡°Anyways, where are your girl-friends, Emma? You girls usually are together even in the morning.¡± Calvin asked after he finished prepping his coffee and was now busy with his breakfast of scrambled eggs and four grilled sausages.


    ¡°Rachel has a fever, Poppy came a bitte because she has work to do, and Kathy has ss off today. Everyone is busy with their own business.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Would the girls really be that close with each other to know their activities in such detail?¡± Martin asked with a pensive face.


    Emma shrugged. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys?¡±


    ¡°One would just say he didn¡¯te. It¡¯s rare to tell us why in such detail.¡± Ian answered.


    ¡°Yeah, who cares anyway?¡± Troy shrugged his shoulders before taking a bite of his food.


    ¡°Well.. I guess that¡¯s one of the differences between boys¡¯ and girls¡¯ friendships.¡± Emma shrugged as she took a notebook out of her bag and ced it next to her coffee cup and a te of peanut butter toast for breakfast.


    ¡°Do you know there¡¯s a quiz for economy ss today?¡± Emma asked Calvin who had just torn off a packet of peppercorns.


    ¡°I do. I just happened to be studyingst night.¡±


    ¡°You were?¡± Emma¡¯s eyebrows shot up.


    Calvin nodded with a smile. ¡°I always study every night.¡±


    ¡°Every night? I didn¡¯t think you were that nerdy,¡± Ian looked at him with wide-eyes.


    ¡°Calvin stands among the three students with the highest total scores this semester in our batch so far. It¡¯s impossible to get it all by chance.¡± Nicko said.


    ¡°You have the point. Studying is important to me. And I don¡¯t care about being called a nerd.¡± Calvin said as he slowly poured ground pepper over the eggs.


    A faint gust of air flew the pepper kes past Emma who was staring at her notebook. As soon as the pepper kes were inhaled into her nose, Emma immediately covered her nose and mouth with both hands before sneezing a few times.


    Even the way Emma sneezed made the men who were sitting together at the tableugh because they thought her sneeze was damn cute.


    Calvin quickly pulled out two sheets of napkin paper that were in the middle of the table and handed them to Emma with an amused and guilty face. ¡°Oh.. I¡¯m sorry, Emma. Looks like my peppers flew towards you,¡±


    Still feeling itchy on her nose, Emma just shook her head slowly. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She replied as epting the paper and wiping her nose and hands. After that, she took out the hand sanitiser from her bag and put it on before returning to the notebook she had been reading.


    But Emma was surprised when a drop of blood suddenly dripped on the white paper in her notebook.


    ¡°Emma! Your nose is freaking bleeding!¡± Martin said as soon as he saw fresh blood flowing out of Emma¡¯s nostrils.


    ¡°Wha..?¡± Emma immediately touched her nostril and felt something wet there. As soon as she looked at her finger, it was true that it was covered in blood.


    Seeing this, Calvin swiftly took out a lot of tissue and put it under Emma¡¯s nose. ¡°Put your head up!¡± He said as he grabbed the back of her neck.


    ¡°Why do you have a nosebleed? Are you sick?¡± Nicko asked with a worried expression.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°The blood poured out quite much. You should take her to the clinic,¡± Ian quickly said to Calvin.


    Calvin nodded. ¡°I know. Please watch our things here,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold them for you,¡± Martin said, immediately standing up.


    ¡°Emma, ??we¡¯re going to the clinic. Can you walk? Do you have a headache?¡± Calvin asked the girl quietly.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine. Please calm down,¡± She said as she turned to hold the bunch of tissues Calvin was holding in front of her nose. ¡°Let me handle it myself. I really am fine.¡±


    Calvin¡¯s face looked overwrought. He nodded then grabbed Emma¡¯s shoulders to help her up. ¡°Listen. We¡¯re going to the clinic now. Tell me if you feel dizzy or anything. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Emma answered without lowering her face which was facing the ceiling.


    Then, Calvin pulled out a few more tissue paper before leading Emma off to the nearest clinic with Martin following them with their bags.


    ¡°Sounds a bit serious. It¡¯s past the season for people to get nosebleeds, isn¡¯t it?¡± Frank asked. Winter has indeed passed.


    ¡°Emma¡¯s face was a little paler than usual. She looked like she was exhausted.¡± Nicko said.


    ¡°I will follow them.¡± Ian stood up.


    Troy turned to his best friend. ¡°You too?¡±


    Ian shrugged once. ¡°You guys are boring.¡±


    ¡°You moron!¡± Nicko said in annoyance.


    ***


    Once in the clinic room,


    Emma was seated on the bed. A senior female doctor immediately approached the four students who came with amotion.


    ¡°What happened?¡± The doctor asked.


    ¡°Her nose is bleeding! Please check on her immediately. She has never been like this.¡± Calvin said quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just somehow my nose bleeds after sneezing,¡± Emma exined calmly.


    ¡°Well.. A nosebleed, huh? Alright, let me check it first. You don¡¯t need to panic.¡± The doctor said, more to Calvin and Martin who looked like they had seen someone brutally hit by a car. ¡°You gentlemen can back off a bit now.¡± She smiled kindly at them.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a nosebleed, Guys,¡± Ian said with his arms folded across his chest. He was the only one standing quite far from the bed.


    ¡°Then why did youe here?¡± Martin looked at him sarcastically.


    ¡°Making sure you don¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± Ian answered tly as he watched Emma who was being examined.


    ¡°Do you often have nosebleeds?¡± The doctor asked Emma.


    ¡°I think I haven¡¯t, in all my life. This is the first time I¡¯ve had a nosebleed.¡± She replied as she lowered her hand which had been covering her nose with a few tissue papers.


    ¡°You look pale today, Emma. Could it be that you¡¯re tired? Do you usually have regr check-ups? I¡¯ll take you if you want,¡± Said Calvin who was standing next to the doctor.


    The doctor smiled faintly. Even though she was old, she knew exactly why this girl could make three men go mad at once just because she had a nosebleed. Even when her face was pale and her nose was bleeding, she still looked like God¡¯s best masterpiece.


    ¡°Maybe you should take a few more steps back, Calvin. You¡¯re obstructing the doctor¡¯s work,¡± Ian eventually scolded him. He couldn¡¯t stand the stupid behaviour of his two friends. People like them were the ones who tarnish a man¡¯s self-esteem.


    With a worried face and without taking his eyes off Emma at all, Calvin finally agreed to take three steps back so as not to exhaust the oxygen around the doctor.


    Emma smiled faintly as she lifted her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. They sure are a bit rowdy.¡±


    ¡°I have a son who is in his final year of high school. They really are like that,¡± The doctor answered in a very calm and steady tone while examining Emma¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t feel dizzy? How is your vision?¡± The doctor asked as she took out a small shlight from the pocket of her white coat and aimed it at the eyes of the young girl in front of her.


    .....

 Chapter 224

    224 Poppy, The Heart Expert


    After the doctor lowered his shlight, Emma frowned in the re as she shook her head. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    ¡°Not all diseases will provide pain at the beginning of the symptoms,¡± Calvin said.


    He indeed couldn¡¯t hold his mouth because he was so worried. This was because Emma once told Calvin that her mother had died from cancer. This made Calvin think that Emma might have inherited the disease. What he knew was that a person who had hereditary cancer would have a greater risk of developing the same disease.


    ¡°Gosh, Calvin. Can you keep your mouth shut?¡± Ian said, shaking his head. But Calvin didn¡¯t mind him.


    After the examination, the blooding out of Emma¡¯s nose started to fewer and finally stopped.


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of illness or fatigue,¡± The doctor said.


    ¡°Is it because I sneezed too hard?¡± Emma guessed ??with a confused face.


    The doctor smiled faintly. ¡°You noticed that, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°But I always sneeze like that. Well, even though I did it a few times because I identally sniffed pepper,¡± Emma answered, subconsciously making Calvin feel guilty.


    .....


    ¡°Actually, the sneeze only triggered your nose to bleed. But the main factor is that you have an injury inside your nose. When you sneeze, the wound opens and bleeds a lot. It¡¯s a bit deep and actually quite big, but not dangerous.¡± The doctor exined. ¡°Are you taking aspirin?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°I took itst night because some of my muscles are a little sore. I went to a clinic and the doctor gave me the prescription.¡±


    ¡°It looks like your muscles are slightly inmed,¡± The doctor concluded. ¡°Aspirin works to prevent blood clots. Therefore, the open wound in the nose will bleed quite profusely. But you canpress it with ice and stop taking the aspirin for some days.¡± The doctor said.


    However, the doctor still looked at the face of the girl named Emma with a questioning look. ¡°It is a wound caused by a very hard hit. Often found in people who get hit on the nose.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s words made the three men who were there immediately frown in confusion. Come to think of it, they also felt aware of such injuries. Maybe it was the same as the bloody nose they often experience when fighting. But, who was the madman who dared to hit Emma in the nose?


    ¡°Is that true, Emma? Who hit you?¡± Calvin asked directly with a serious face, again stepping closer to her just to make the doctor shift her seat with a face holding backughter.


    Emma leaned back. It was the first time he saw Calvin¡¯s face so serious like that. But Emma did not believe she should see it in this situation. For a moment, her brain tried to process what was happening.


    Did Emma really have to answer Calvin¡¯s question about who hit her in the nose? Because the answer was him!


    ¡°So, it was true, huh? Someone had hit you in the nose. You can tell me who did it, Emma. I¡¯ll make sure the function of his hand won¡¯t be the same again.¡± Martin said with a fiery look.


    Emma immediately shook her palms in front of her chest. ¡°No one hit me. I just remembered that four days ago I did identally hit the door.¡±


    ¡°It must have been a loud bang. But it was a bit confusing, considering the shape of the door is-¡±


    Emma quicklyughed while nodding to cut off the doctor¡¯s sentence. ¡°I know. I am also confused about it. But believe me, it was a long and rather ridiculous story. However, if you saw what happened in person, you would definitely believe that this wound appeared because I hit the door.¡±


    ¡°Is it? You don¡¯t have to hide anything. You know that, Emma?¡± Calvin asked suspiciously.


    Emma just smiled and then shook her head. ¡°Why would I hide it?¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll give you a referral because you still have to go to the hospital to have the wound checked and have an X-ray to prevent infection and detect a possible nasal bone injury. You should also consult the doctor who had prescribed aspirin for you.¡± The doctor said as she wrote something down on a piece of paper in a doctor¡¯s notebook before tearing it up and giving it to the girl.


    ¡°Thanks, Doc,¡± Emma said.


    The doctor smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Be careful next time.¡±


    Then the four people came out of the clinic room with a feeling of relief.


    ¡°Thank God it wasn¡¯t anything serious. Your fuss was meaningless,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°People like you don¡¯t deserve to be around any woman. You can¡¯t give them the attention they deserve.¡± Martin said.


    ¡°Keep that advice to yourself, Idiot! Your exaggeration makes women feel ufortable.¡± Ian rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Okay, Guys. No need to fight. I¡¯ve caused you trouble. Thanks for bringing me here.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Anyways, how about I take you to the hospital after this?¡± Calvin asked directly.


    ¡°Hei! I was just about to ask..¡± Ian immediately covered Martin¡¯s mouth roughly until the two of them were left behind.


    ¡°I can go alone, actually,¡± Emma rubbed the trunk of her neck.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t bring a vehicle today. Please don¡¯t refuse this time. The sooner your wound is examined, the better.¡± Calvin said quietly.


    Emma sighed then smiled gently. ¡°All right,¡±


    Calvin smiled in relief then stroked Emma¡¯s head gently. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in front of the ss when thest one is over.¡± He said before pointing ahead.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emma followed Calvin¡¯s finger to find Poppy walking toward them from the end of the corridor.


    Poppy¡¯s face turned slightly surprised when she got close enough to Emma to see that something was wrong with her best friend¡¯s face. She immediately quickened her pace.


    ¡°Emma! Did something happen?¡± Poppy asked as soon as she reached Emma who looked a little pale than usual. She even threw a questioning look at the three men who were with her best friend.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Poppy. I just had a little nosebleed from sneezing too hard.¡± Emma chuckled.


    ¡°We just took her to the clinic and everything was fine. You don¡¯t have to worry, Poppy.¡± Calvin added with a friendly smile.


    ¡°Nosebleed? You?¡± Poppy raised her eyebrows high as she looked at Emma questioningly. But Emma just smiled awkwardly at her.


    ¡°Looks like we have to go now. Have a nice day, Ladies,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving too. See youter,¡± Martin said while waving his hand.


    ¡°Bye, Ladies,¡± Ian followed with a thin smile at them.


    ¡°You had a nosebleed from a sneeze?¡± Poppy asked Emma after the men had walked quite a distance. She couldn¡¯t believe that Emma had such a physique.


    Emma chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s true. But, it was actually caused by the wound inside my nose. It¡¯s the wound that I got in the fight against Calvin that time,¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Good grief!¡± Poppy covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°Is it really that serious? Are you sure you are okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Poppy. After thest ss, I¡¯ll go to the hospital for a deeper check-up.¡± Emma replied as she continued walking with Poppy following by her side.


    ¡°Then I will apany you,¡± said the girl in a dress wrapped in a knit cardigan.


    ¡°Ah.. Sorry, Poppy. But I promised to go with Calvin.¡± Emma answered right away.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Poppy¡¯s eyebrows shot up high. Then she nodded. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s fine,¡± Then she smiled amusedly. ¡°Looks like that guy is getting closer to you, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    Emma then turned to Poppy. ¡°You see it too?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Emma. Who¡¯s the idiot who doesn¡¯t notice that? Calvin really likes you and he doesn¡¯t mind showing it in front of everyone. But it seems he¡¯s still trying to keep himself from bothering you too much.¡±


    ¡°Well.. I think it¡¯s just my feelings,¡± Emma tapped under her nose gently to check if the nosebleed had really stopped.


    ¡°Then what about you, Emma?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emma looked at the cute-faced girl.


    ¡°How do you feel about him? You two have been very closetely. It¡¯s impossible you don¡¯t know that Calvin is the perfect guy in the eyes of girls. He is physically attractive, smart, polite, and kind. It seems impossible for a girl not to fall in love if a man like Calvin tries to get close to her.¡±


    ¡°Ah.. That.. To be honest, I¡¯m still confused about my own feelings.¡± Emma answered slowly with a gloomy face.


    ¡°Is it because you are inexperienced in love?¡± Poppy asked.


    Emma shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But I feel like there should be feeling that will arise when I¡¯m with him. But those feelings have nevere even though they should be.¡±


    ¡°From what you said, I¡¯m thinking that the feelings you¡¯re referring to have ever arisen in your heart,¡± Poppy looked thoughtful.


    Emma was silent for a few seconds and nodded, ¡°I think so, Poppy. Unfortunately, it came at a time when I wasn¡¯t with Calvin. It was another man.. who shouldn¡¯t have epted that feeling.¡±


    Poppy immediately turned to Emma. ??¡±So.. is there another man in your heart? I didn¡¯t know you were close to other men besides Calvin Lee?¡±


    ¡°Listen, Poppy, I¡¯m telling this to you only because I think you¡¯re quite professional in this field,¡± Emma lowered her voice.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not like that either,¡± Poppy muttered with an awkward smile. Emma liked to overdo it when it came to things like this.


    But Emma ignored it and continued to speak, ¡°I met a man by ident. In essence, we have an agreement that our rtionship is only as strangers who will not know each other¡¯s private lives. Actually, he is a very annoying person. When I met him, he always annoyed me with his insulting words. But on the one hand, he always gave wise advice when I was down. Unknowingly, every time I had a problem, I hoped to meet him to feel better.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an interesting rtionship,¡± Poppy rubbed her arm in surprise. ¡®Interesting¡¯ that she meant was another word for ¡®weird¡¯.

 Chapter 225

    225 Martial Arts Practice


    ¡°Even though I don¡¯t like him, I never hate him. Being with him confuses me, Poppy. It¡¯s because he is the only man who treats me in a way I¡¯ve never had from any man before.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°So, you think he¡¯s special because he¡¯s the only guy who¡¯s rude to you?¡± Poppy got the point.


    ¡°Ever since I realized there was something wrong with me, I became confused. Either this arises because he is a different man from other men or because I do like him,¡± Emma mumbled. Then she let out a long sigh. ¡°What do you think, Poppy?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Emma. But can I find out what you think about what he feels about you? Do you think he feels the same way?¡± Poppy asked carefully.


    Poppy¡¯s question again made Emma pause. ¡°I¡¯m.. not sure. In fact, even though at one point I felt he had feelings for me, he still said that our rtionship was just friends for talking,¡± She exined slowly.


    Even Poppy could hear the disappointment in the voice. It seemed like Emma really liked the man she was talking about. It made Poppy¡¯s old wounds open again. Was that the basic rule?


    Why was it always like this? Why did the heart always put itself in the wrong hands? Why not choose a cosy and warm ce? Why sat on cold, sharp rocks? Did the heart really like to be hurt?


    ¡°Emma,¡± Poppy looked at her with a tightness feeling in her chest. ¡°Know the right ce to put your heart into. No. Not only right, but the good one. Loving someone who doesn¡¯t love you back will only break your heart,¡±


    Emma stopped her steps and looked at Poppy with a surprised look. ¡°Poppy..¡±


    .....


    The girl with crystal clear eyes nodded. ¡°Make me the only stupid one standing, Emma. It¡¯s enough that I¡¯m the one who is guilty of wasting a heart that sincerely loved me just for a pile of trash. The suffering of regret that I have been hurting the man who should have received my whole heart, will be here until I die. Love is blind. But as a human, you can try to force your senses to work. This kind of pain is no joke, Emma. Even the strongest person might not be able to stand it.¡±


    Poppy¡¯s words left Emma speechless. Poppy¡¯s eyes clearly showed the pain she had been suffering all this time. Even Emma had forgotten how heartbreaking the story of Poppy and Roger was. And the pain and regret had lingered in Poppy¡¯s chest until this moment and as the girl had said.. until she died.


    Other people¡¯s life stories may change your way of perspective, but you could still forget them. But it didn¡¯t apply to the ones who felt it themself. Everything would ring in every second of their lives. It would haunt every breath they took.


    Although they smiled. And even though from the outside they seemed able to move on with life. But you wouldn¡¯t know the tears that flow out every time they went to sleep.


    ¡°I see,¡± Emma answered slowly.


    Poppy sternly smiled. ¡°Looks like first ss is about to start. See you at lunchtime.¡± She said before giving Emma a small wave as she left.


    Emma returned the wave with a faint smile. As soon as Poppy had turned her back, Emma¡¯s smile quickly disappeared.


    What Poppy said was true. Emma could not throw away the gem that was in front of her eyes. Calvin was a nice man who Emma knew very well. Calvin always treated her well. His personality was also sweet.


    As for Levi? Emma didn¡¯t even know what he was doing. He had deliberately distanced himself from her. From the start, a rtionship did not exist between them. He wasn¡¯t a nice guy who would treat Emma like a princess. He was an annoying guy who always got Emma into an argument. Although.. every moment that Emma spent with Levi left a mark on her heart.


    She had to use hermon sense and choose the best. That person should be Calvin Lee who obviously liked her.


    ***


    Arge red ribbon crosses in the front of a ssic designed building. A pretty girl with a petite body stood behind it. She wore a pink mini dress with cherry blossom details. Her ck hair was slightly past her shoulders and was wavy styled at the bottom.


    The smile on her cherry-red lips showed how happy she was today. In both hands, she held arge pair of scissors decorated with a ribbons bow. On the count of three, she used the scissors to cut the transverse ribbon.


    At the same time, two confetti were blown up from the right and left, showering her with colourful pieces of paper flying slowly.


    ¡°Congrattions, Pops!¡± Kathy eximed with the confetti in her hand.


    ¡°Congrattions, Poppy!¡± Emma and Rachel said at the same time.


    It was the opening ceremony for Poppy¡¯s ballet training which she named ¡®Dream Moves Ballet Studio¡¯.


    The opening ceremony was held quite lively. Previously, once the studio renovation wasplete, as nned, the four girls worked together to decorate the ce.


    And what¡¯s even crazier was, that they decided to make the third and fourth floors a special base for the ck Swan. Emma bought some boxing bags, punch mitts, head protectors, body protectors, and Mok Yan Jong. She put all the martial arts equipment on the fourth floor which was a spacious room with the same wooden floor as the room for dance practice.


    For the third floor, they made it like an apartment every girl dreamed of. Although the furniture was still few, they knew that the ce was their kingdom.


    Of course, no one knew about what was on the third and fourth floors, apart from the four girls themselves. Every time someone asked and wanted to go up to the floor where the stairs were fenced, Poppy would forbid them by saying that the two floors were still in mess and needed some repairs.


    After the opening party was over, the four girls spent their time rxing at The ck Swan¡¯s new headquarters.


    ¡°Are we going to stay the night?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Sure. But there¡¯s still no bed,¡± Poppy answered.


    ¡°No need to bother. We can sleep on the rug.¡± Kathy replied by opening theptop that was on herp. She was sitting on the floor on the fur rug because there was no sofa yet.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever do that?¡± Kathy raised an eyebrow. Poppy shook her head. ¡°Then you can try it today.¡± The bespectacled girl continued with a slight smile.


    ¡°I have no problem sleeping on the rug,¡± Emma said with an excited face.


    ¡°Ah.. I forgot to say this. I brought masks for Poppy and Kathy,¡± Rachel said as she stood up and walked over to her bag. Then she came back with two leather masks in her hands and gave each to the two girls.


    ¡°Dang! We actually got masks?¡± Kathy¡¯s eyebrows shot up.


    Emma and Rachel nodded with smiles on their faces. ¡°All members of the ck Swan must have masks to cover their identities.¡±


    Poppy put on her mask, and then went straight to the mirror. ¡°It covers my whole face,¡±


    ¡°Your whole head,¡± Emma corrected. ¡°No one should know our identity because what ck¡¯s job is rted to dangerous people. If the enemies find out our true identity, then we and those closest to us will be in danger.¡± She continued.


    ¡°Speaking of danger.. Won¡¯t you guys teach us self-defence?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you want to do it now? Is your work done?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I can work on itter. I don¡¯t feel like I can focus on anything like thiste at night,¡± Kathy closed herptop before getting up and stretching her arms out.


    ¡°How about you, Poppy?¡± Emma turned to Poppy who had just taken off her mask. ¡°If you¡¯re tired after all the party preparations, you can just watch for today,¡±


    Poppy shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not tired at all. Everything was fun today and I¡¯m excited to train with you girls.¡± She answered with a big smile.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Emma nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go up to the fourth floor!¡±


    The fourth floor had arge mirror wall and the four pretty girls were standing in their gym clothes.


    ¡°All right! Before starting, I will exin a little about martial arts from my point of view.¡± Emma said like a coach. ¡°So, just like dance, you need the ability to control your body, bnce, and focus when using martial art. You don¡¯t have to be strong to master martial arts. However, once you master the martial art, it means you are strong.¡±


    Rachel smiled as she nodded at Emma¡¯s words. It was a sentence that would ignite a person¡¯s enthusiasm to do what they previously thought was impossible. One needed a process to be strong. And it was never toote to learn something.


    ¡°Before we start training, the first thing to do is warm up,¡± Emma said. Then the four of them did a light warm-up like they wanted to do regr exercise.


    After the warm-up, Emma arranged several small h hoops arranged in a line. ¡°This is a bit of training for the legs muscles. Because we are women, biologically, the stronger part of our body is at the bottom. It was the hips and legs. Therefore, if one day we are forced to fight with an opponent who has arge body, we have to rely on the strength of our legs to fight. That¡¯s because it¡¯s likely that the force of the blow from our hands won¡¯t have much effect on it.¡±

 Chapter 226

    226 Damn Witch


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Rachel nodded. ¡°Even, I who always rely on fists, sometimes have to use my legs strength if the opponent is physically too big. It¡¯s the same as my experience when fighting Troyst time. His body was like a cloak of armour that my fists couldn¡¯t prate. I almost died at his hands.¡±


    ¡°That.. sounds terrible,¡± Poppy said with a worried expression.


    ¡°We should always avoid danger, but that doesn¡¯t mean danger can¡¯t touch us. When that happens, we must have the ability to save ourselves. That¡¯s the goal of martial arts.¡± Emma said.


    Ballet did look graceful. But basically, it took some inner strength to do it. What made ballet dancers able to move and jump as if their bodies were as light as feathers? In fact, a very thin person was not always able to jump as high as them. That was because they had huge strength packed in a pretty shell.


    The body that had been trained made Poppy and Kathy easily passed the first stage. Emma was not surprised by the abilities of her two friends. It was because she had mastered both: Ballet and self-defence. Both of them needed internal power to do it. Holding your own body weight was not an easy thing if you were just an ordinary adult who rarely trained your muscles.


    ¡°Do you know the simrities between dancing, ying musical instruments, and martial arts?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Equally tiring?¡± Kathy answered with her hands on either side of her waist. Sweat dripping down her forehead.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Emma replied. ¡°But there¡¯s more than that. It was your brain¡¯s ability to focus on more than one activity. That¡¯s what I call body awareness. When you dance, your legs and arms have to make different movements while your brain focuses on the music ying. When ying music, your hands or even your feet have to do different things at the same time. That¡¯s also what happens when you do martial arts. Your feet and hands do different things and you have to focus on each part of your body. Plus, all your senses have to be alert and your brain must think fast on the iing attack.¡±


    Kathy nodded approvingly. ¡°I remember the first time I learned ballet. I had a hard time following the movements. When I focused on the feet, I forgot about the hands. When I focused on the hands, I forgot about the feet. Who says that dancing is easy, anyway? It¡¯s not easy at all when you have choreography to follow,¡±


    .....


    Emma snapped her fingers. ¡°You got my point, Kathy. Martial arts aren¡¯t just about hitting or kicking because everyone can do it. Martial arts are both a technique and a skill. Therefore, people who can only hit will be easily defeated by the opponent who masters martial art techniques.¡± She exined while pulling out arge wooden doll that looked like a tree trunk in winter that had lost its leaves. It was Mok Yan Jong.


    With that tool, Emma taught the basic techniques of Kung Fu to her three friends. After that, she taught some basic Taekwondo techniques.


    Kathy and Poppy were able to keep up with all of Emma¡¯s training because they already had the three basic things needed. In the future, they only needed to increase their strength and speed.


    In that gorgeous building, without anyone noticing, not only ballet developed inside. It was the martial arts that made the masked girls strong. It was a building that secretly would change the future of Handway City.


    ***


    A girl was dancing alone in a ballet ssroom. She was still wearing a crop tee and ck leggings. Each time she raises her hands, a little abstract tattoo that formed a swan symbol appeared on her back hip.


    Suddenly, the big door of the ssroom opened, followed by three girls who entered with rough steps. Their faces looked displeased and one of them looked about to cry.


    ¡°Bitch instructor!¡± The girl with a red face and teary eyes growled.


    Emma, ??who was practising, then stopped what she was doing and looked at the three girls with a confused face. They were Britney, Linda, and Cecil. Emma approached them.


    ¡°Hey..¡± She greeted them with a confused face.


    ¡°Oh.. You¡¯re here, Emma?¡± Britney replied.


    ¡°Did.. something happen?¡± Emma asked carefully.


    Cecil nodded. ¡°That Ms. Tania threatened to void Linda¡¯s extra ss grade because she refused to do that woman¡¯s too much work.¡±


    Ah.. Emma didn¡¯t even know that now it was a girl named Linda who had be Poppy¡¯s recement as Ms. Linda¡¯s assistant. No wonder that in the end, they got into a fight. Of all the people Emma had met, she felt Poppy was the most patient creature in the world.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been with Poppy, haven¡¯t you? Was Ms. Tania abusing Poppy before?¡± Linda asked with an angry face.


    Emma rubbed her neck before nodding. ¡°That¡¯s the reason Poppy was eventually fired as her assistant. Even since then, Ms. Tania has always given the four of us bad scores,¡±


    ¡°Damn it! If I had known that she was a rogue instructor, I wouldn¡¯t have epted her offer to be an assistant. I think that by bing her assistant, she¡¯d add value to me.¡± Linda muttered.


    ¡°You guys havee?¡± Poppy¡¯s voice made the four girls turn their heads.


    Unbeknownst to them, Poppy and Kathy had entered the ssroom and approached them. But the happy look on the faces of the two girls immediately changed when they realized the tension that was in the middle of their ssmates.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Kathy asked directly.


    Then Cecil exined what happened between Linda and Ms. Tania.


    ¡°That damn witch is acting up again,¡± Kathy shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    ¡°That¡¯s the exact same thing she did to me,¡± Poppy said with a long sigh.


    ¡°Can we make a petition to change instructor? I¡¯m fed up with that bitch. Her ballet skills are average too. I wonder how someone like her could be an instructor at this university.¡± Britney said.


    ¡°I heard she was able to do it because of her ties to one of Jardin¡¯s officials,¡± Cecil replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t get rid of her from here either,¡± Kathy nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fed up with her. If she¡¯s not going to give me grades, I¡¯d better get out of this ss!¡± Linda growled.


    ¡°Linda.. But you love Ballet, don¡¯t you? You even persuaded us to choose this ss as an extra ss,¡± Britney said.


    ¡°If you leave, then I will too. Let that woman feel this ss has no students because of her bad personality!¡± Cecil added.


    ¡°Hey.. hey.. are you guys seriously going to do this? If this ss is short of students, then the ss will be closed.¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°Like I care,¡± Linda replied.


    ¡°We¡¯re only three girls. It wouldn¡¯t have any effect on this ss, would it?¡± Britney shrugged.


    ¡°Imagine if thirty people thought like that. This ss would be empty because of it.¡± Emma answered with a worried face.


    ¡°There has to be another way, girls. Don¡¯t just because of one instructor like her, this university will lose its ballet ss,¡± Poppy said slowly.


    Linda looked straight at Poppy with narrowed eyes. ¡°Of course, there is another way. You have a Ballet studio, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll continue my Ballet training at your ce. You¡¯re much more talented and professional than that damn witch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, but..¡± Poppy suddenly stopped her sentence when the ssroom door opened and revealed Ms. Tania from behind it.


    The woman with the peevish face walked over arrogantly. She sarcastically nced at the group of girls and chuckled. ¡°The rebels are gathering. How funny,¡± She muttered to herself in a voice a little louder for the girls to hear.


    ¡°Prepare a space for us in your ss, Poppy,¡± Linda said as she stood up.


    ¡°This ss will lose three students,¡± Cecil added with a weak shake of the head.


    ¡°This is bad news,¡± Emma muttered as she looked at her two friends in turn.


    Poppy nodded. ¡°This is what you¡¯re afraid of, isn¡¯t it Emma?¡±


    ¡°At least you got three extra students for your tutoring ce, Pops. Congrattion,¡± Kathy said by taking a deep breath and exhaling furiously.


    ¡°I never thought of teaching my own ssmate,¡± Poppy looked doubtful.


    ¡°You¡¯re very talented, Poppy. You have to believe in yourself. A teacher shouldn¡¯t hesitate.¡± Emma rubbed Poppy¡¯s shoulder.


    Poppy smiled as she looked at her best friend. ¡°Thanks, Emma.¡±


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Rachel?¡± Kathy asked, looking around.


    ¡°She¡¯s taking a nap in the infirmary,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°She¡¯s doing that again? Did she overwork again?¡± Kathy asked.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°She said she helped her grandmast night with the cake orders for this morning because the oven was broken.¡±


    At thest minute before ss started, the figure of a tall girl finally appeared. Rachel walked casually while ncing at Ms. Tania sarcastically. The woman couldn¡¯t argue with Rachel¡¯s arrival because she wasn¡¯tte. Everyone knew that the witch had a wish that Rachel would bete. She was like a crocodile waiting for its prey to drink by the river.


    ¡°Thank goodness you were on time, Rachel,¡± Poppy said with a sigh of relief.


    Kathyughed and patted Rachel on the shoulder. ¡°Good job, Rachel. I know you did it on purpose to piss off the witch,¡±


    Rachelughed lightly as she nodded once. It was true that she did that on purpose. She did have her own way of expressing her annoyance.


    ¡°You know what. Just now, for the first time, I saw Marcel Dous sleeping in the infirmary.¡± Rachel said as she opened her locker door.


    ¡°Really?¡± Kathy and Emma said at the same time.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t say hello. And he didn¡¯t seem to notice I was there either.¡±

 Chapter 227

    227 Borrow Your Time


    ¡°It won¡¯t take long. That annoying lecturer is deliberately pranking me. I¡¯m sure it was on purpose,¡± Kathy said with the phone to her ear. Then she nodded. ¡°Yeah, yeah.. I know. I¡¯ll probably be home in about an hour. All right. Bye!¡± She put her phone in her bag.


    ¡°Geez.. My youth..¡± Kathy muttered as she stared at the pile of books, papers, and stic folders that were on the waiting chair near the administration room.


    Then she took the heavy objects into her arms. ¡°Dammit! Did I go to university just to be bullied like this?¡± She grumbled as she started walking down the deserted campus corridor.


    For the past few days, Kathy had been her lecturer¡¯s errand girl. It happened again because she was trying to win over the lecturer¡¯s heart to get the best grades.


    Although Kathy was highly proficient in theputer and inte field, she would be a dumb girl if she was faced with textbooks. Her bad attitude also often made the lecturers dislike her.


    Even when the campus was deserted, Kathy still had to stay to help her lecturer tidy up. But she had to do it in order to graduate on time.


    Kathy had to walk with a pile of stuff that reached her chin. Fortunately, she was a strong girl. Even though her vision was slightly blocked, she still walked quickly.


    At the same time, a door slid open, showing a man with golden brown hair with a tousled face that still looked undeniably handsome. A backpack hung on his shoulder. Unlike usual, he looked dishevelled.


    Marcel was a bit surprised when he saw a girl pass swiftly in front of him. He frowned then he turned his face towards the girl who was walking fast. The curly red hair that bounced as she walked was familiar to his eyes.


    .....


    With wide strides, Marcel chased after the girl who was carrying the tall pile of books. ¡°Hey!¡±


    Kathy heard someone calling her. But she didn¡¯t stop, only slowed down a little.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Marcel quickened his pace. ¡°Kathy?¡±


    Kathy¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Yeah? That¡¯s me,¡±


    Marcel¡¯s brows furrowed even more. ¡®She really doesn¡¯t stop walking?¡¯


    ¡°Who are you? Walk beside me, please. I can¡¯t see your face,¡± Kathy said as she kept walking. She was in a hurry.


    ¡°Oh.. well,¡± Marcel muttered as he walked beside the red-haired girl. ¡°Do you need a hand with that?¡± He asked while walking.


    Kathy nced sideways. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s you, Marcel.¡± She said. ¡°They¡¯re a bit heavy. Will you be fine with it?¡±


    ¡°Precisely because they look heavy so I offered help,¡± Marcel gave an amused smile. ¡°Maybe we can stop walking for a sec?¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± Kathy immediately stopped in her tracks and made the top two books fall to the floor.


    Marcel moved to pick up the fallen books and put them back on the pile. Then he took more than half of the pile in his arms.


    ¡°Gosh.. It¡¯s be light now. Thanks for the help, Marcel.¡± Kathy said. Marcel just smiled at her and then continued walking.


    ¡°What¡¯re these for?¡± Marcel asked, looking at the pile of books in his hands.


    ¡°This belongs to my prof. He told me to help him clean up, while he went home first.¡± Kathy replied with an annoyed face.


    ¡°This is something the kids who often go after high grades do,¡± Marcel muttered.


    ¡°Of course, it is. Why do you think I would do such a troublesome thing?¡± Kathy let out a long sigh.


    Marcel looked at the girl who was frowning. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just study, instead of doing this? In the end, it¡¯s your academic ability that determines your grades.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I don¡¯t know why studying isn¡¯t my forte. And it seems that nature has never been on my side to be good at academics.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Marcel nodded.


    Kathy turned to the tall man and cleared her throat. ¡°Anyways, why are you still on campus at this hour? Was it that.. maybe you slept in the infirmary?¡±


    Marcel immediately turned to her. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, Rachel said she saw you sleeping in the infirmary. And.. your face now looks like you just woke up,¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°Well..¡± Marcel blinked a few times before nodding lightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I was sleeping,¡±


    Kathy nced at Marcel who was walking beside her. In fact, Kathy was very curious about Marcel¡¯s condition after RJC copsed. Kathy had heard the full story from Emma and Rachel. Even just hearing the story alone made her sad. Kathy would probably cry if she had to see by herself when Marcel opened his own wounds to everyone. But luckily, now Marcel didn¡¯t look too bad.


    After arriving at the lecturer¡¯s room, Kathy and Marcel put the stuff on his desk.


    Kathy stretched her waist as she groaned. ¡°My back! This fight better worth it,¡± She muttered with a grin on her face. Then she looked at Marcel. ¡°It would have been so difficult if you didn¡¯t help. Thank you, Marcel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The man replied with a sweet smile that would always cause two dimples on his cheeks every time he took it out.


    ¡°Are you going straight home?¡± Kathy asked, closing the door to the empty room.


    Marcel nodded. ¡°I identally fell asleep until this hour,¡±


    ¡°Do you know..¡± Kathy asked in a low voice. Marcel immediately looked at her questioningly, waiting for Kathy to continue her sentence.


    ¡°If I may speak.. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever looked this dishevelled. Looks like sleeping on campus isn¡¯t your habit also. Am I right?¡± Kathy continued by giving an awkwardugh.


    Marcel thought for a moment then nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I wasn¡¯t usually doing that.¡±


    ¡°You seem very tired. Do you have any extra activities?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°I did some model castings,¡± He replied.


    ¡°Model? That¡¯s a great choice. You can use your face and attractive body shape to make it. No wonder you are a fashion icon on this campus.¡±


    Marcel smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Then how does it go?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s still going well until now. They said the same thing as you,¡± Marcel said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Kathy shrugged her shoulders.


    Marcel nced at Kathy briefly. ¡°Being a model is my dream.¡± He said without being asked.


    Kathy smiled gently at him. ¡°I¡¯m so d you can chase your dreams. You can be whatever you want and that¡¯s a good thing. Never think about what people say because it won¡¯t have any good impact on your life. Trust me. I¡¯ve been there,¡± She said with a serious face.


    ¡°Did you experience it?¡± Marcel asked with raised eyebrows.


    Kathy chuckled. ¡°I did. I think anyone who is trying to fight for her dream must have at least once been criticized by someone else. But it¡¯s our choice to listen to it or not.¡± She replied before taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. ¡°Since figuring out my interest in the world ofputer science, I¡¯ve always wanted to be a good hacker. I want to be the next Steve Jobs. But over the years, someone has knocked me down. The saddest part is, that person was the closest one to me.¡±


    Marcel looked at Kathy with a curious face. ¡°Who is that person?¡±


    ¡°My mom,¡± Kathyughed.


    ¡°Your mother?¡± Marcel repeated.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°But my mom isn¡¯t bad. She loves me and wants the best for me. However, her ambition towards me has turned her way wrong, I think,¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the only daughter, my mom always said that I should be beautiful and be able to dance like her since I was young. She also wanted to be a ballet dancer. But she failed and is now forcing me to pursue her dream which is not my dream. She says that women must be beautiful, sociable, and so on in order to be epted by society. It made me have a life principle that ended up tripping my own feet,¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it true? You have to be attractive to be epted by society. Living as a physically ugly person is exhausting,¡± Marcel replied with a little pain as he recalled his childhood suffering just because he had an unattractive physique.


    ¡°I used to have that thought, Marcel. I¡¯ve been trying to look cool and trying to get close to popr kids on campus to be part of them. Because, ording to my mom, being part of that popr group was an honour. But in the end, I realized that it was all wrong. Pursuingpliments from people would only make you tired because it means you are not being yourself. You will keep smiling, but your heart is crying inside. In my opinion, people who suffer because of their bad physique are people who do not recognize how precious they are.¡±


    Unconsciously, they had walked up to the front of the campus building. Kathy immediately stopped talking and pointed at the lobby door. ¡°Oh my.. It turns out we¡¯ve had quite a long talk,¡±


    Marcel also just realized that they had arrived at the doorway of the main lobby.


    ¡°Did youe by car or bike? I¡¯m taking the bus home, so I¡¯ll be going that way. It¡¯s nice to talk to you,¡± Kathy said with a small wave of her hand before stepping down the big stairs in front of the door.


    Marcel looked at the red-haired girl who was walking away. He blinked a few times before clearing his throat and opening his mouth, ¡°W-wait.¡±


    Kathy immediately stopped in her tracks and then looked back at the tall man who was staring at her. ¡°Anything wrong?¡±


    Slowly, Marcel lowered his hand while briefly biting his lower lip. He didn¡¯t continue speaking. His face looked worried.


    Kathy gave him a confused look and went back up the stairs and stood in front of him. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡±


    Marcel immediately looked back at Kathy with his green eyes. ¡°Are you in a hurry to go home?¡±


    ¡°Well..¡± Kathy nced at her watch. ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°If you still have time, can I borrow your time to talk a bit more? The caf¨¦ is still open,¡± Marcel pointed to the new Caf¨¦ which was near the park and the tree line.


    Kathy stared at the ss-dominated building that Marcel pointed to. Then she smiled faintly. ¡°Okay,¡±

 Chapter 228

    228 On a drizzling night


    The two of them ended up in an almost empty cafe. The ce would close in about an hour. In fact, Marcel knew about it. But he just wanted to hear more about Kathy¡¯s story. Maybe what the green-eyed girl had would make him feel better.


    ¡°So, what changed your mind?¡± Marcel asked after their drinks arrived. Not to forget, he ordered a cheesecake for the girl in front of him.


    Kathy smiled faintly. It turned out that this was what made Marcel hold her back from going home. ¡°I found friends who changed my mind, or rather, my world,¡±


    ¡°The first time I met Emma. She told me that I shouldn¡¯t judge someone based on their looks only. From there, I realized that when I judge someone by their appearance, it would only make me harder on myself. I tended to feel not satisfied with my appearance. I felt that God was unfair for giving me an unattractive face,¡± She continued.


    ¡°You¡¯re attractive. Why would you think you aren¡¯t?¡± Marcel said immediately.


    This stunned Kathy for a few seconds. Marcel didn¡¯t even realize what just came out of his mouth for a while. Until their sanity had returned and made the two of them feel awkward.


    ¡°Geez.. You know this cheesecake is delightful. Thank you for ordering it for me,¡± Kathy said hastily while cutting the soft cake and then took a bite.


    ¡°I see youdies often order it, so it¡¯s as a thank you because you are willing to spend your time for me,¡± Marcel said before clearing his throat and ncing at his eyes in a random direction.


    Kathy nodded slowly. ¡°Continuing our topic.. Basically, after meeting my true friends, I realized that all that I was chasing all this time was actually in vain. They could ept me as I am. They never saw my physical or status. Even though my style was a mess, they never walked away from me out of shame, but helped me dress up instead. When I eventually realized how they treated me, I changed my perspective to not judge people based on their appearance. And that made me no longer judge myself. After that, I could focus on pursuing what I really want: that is my passion forputers science and my dream of bing a great hacker,¡±


    .....


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky to meet those people,¡± Marcel said.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°Thanks to them, I realized that I didn¡¯t have to try so hard to make myself valuable in the eyes of others. I just needed to find the right people who would consider me worthy,¡± Then she looked at Marcel with a gentle smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you will find those people too, Marcel. Therefore, you must stop limiting yourself,¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I limit myself?¡± Marcel asked.


    ¡°Because you look tired,¡± Kathy replied immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re dealing with, Marcel. However, I want to tell you this: Don¡¯t take other people¡¯s gazes as a burden for you to move on. In the process of achieving dreams, there must be many things that make us worry. However, worrying about those things won¡¯t make it any easier for us to get what we want.¡±


    Marcel was silent as he looked into Kathy¡¯s green eyes. The girl smiled as she scooped up the cheesecake and hung it in front of Marcel¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. You have to taste the sweetness of life. Sometimes, your tongue needs sugar,¡±


    Marcel chuckled before opening his mouth and taking the sweet. Then he nodded slightly. ¡°Indeed delightful,¡±


    ¡°Anything sweet is basically delightful,¡± Kathy said with augh.


    ***


    The snow had melted and the rain that often hammered made the roads wet. The dark alleys looked even more sinister as the steam from the sewers flew out to close visibility.


    A girl with short hair was walking alone in the middle of the drizzling night. She had just finished attending a friend¡¯s birthday party and had to go home alone because most of her friends were drunk.


    After getting off the bus, she had to walk to her t at the end of the street. As she walked, her ears filled with the sound of drizzle knocking on her umbre. But she immediately looked back when she heard the sound of footsteps that seemed to follow her.


    But once she looked behind her back, she found nothing. The girl¡¯s face looked frightened. She tried to catch her breath to calm down. After that, she turned her body back to the front. She was startled when she found two men already standing in front of her. Before she could scream, her mouth was covered with a handkerchief and her body was dragged into the dark alley on the side of the street.


    ***


    ¡°Crystal disappeared?¡± Kathy raised her eyebrows high.


    The girl with sses nodded. ¡°She is! She hasn¡¯t been home for three days and there is no news about her at all. Her parents have called me. They are looking for her,¡± The girl whose name was Lucy exined.


    ¡°Where was thest time you saw her?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Ourst met was at the birthday party of our ssmate, Tody. At that time, Crystal didn¡¯t give any suspicious behaviour. She was acting as usual and when we were about to get home, there was nothing strange about her.¡± The girl answered.


    ¡°Have Crystal¡¯s parents reported it to the police?¡± Poppy asked.


    The girl nodded. ¡°Yes. But there is still no news about the continuation of the case until now,¡±


    ¡°Handway Police is useless,¡± Rachel muttered.


    Emma nodded. ¡°They are. God.. I¡¯m so worried about her. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s more serious than we think,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better be careful, guys. I heard that street crime is on the rise again.¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°You have to be careful too, Lucy. Don¡¯t hang out outside at night,¡± Poppy replied.


    After the ballet ss was over, Emma and her three friends went to the caf¨¦ to buy drinks before going back to their respective homes.


    ¡°Poppy, are you going to the studio after this?¡± Emma asked while taking a sip of her Matchatte.


    Poppy nodded. ¡°Today, Linda and her friends wille to have a look. They said they¡¯d start next week.¡±


    ¡°Nice to hear that. It turns out that your tutoring ss gets busy quickly, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Kathy said after receiving her Iced Americano.


    Poppy answered with a happy smile, ¡°So far, I¡¯ve got about twenty members. I¡¯ve also found an additional instructor to teach while I was in the study.¡±


    ¡°You have to be careful when youe home at night, Poppy.¡± Rachel said.


    Poppy nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve got an electric shocker in the purse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ve been feeling badtely. Should we go patrol again, Rachel?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I think we should,¡± Rachel replied.


    After the Creeper and RJC cases were over, Emma and Rachel were no longer doing the patrol because they hadn¡¯t encountered the street crimes that Creeper usuallymitted with their branch headquarters. In addition, the coursework was quite a lot these days, so they should focus more on studying.


    ***


    Several weeks passed quickly. Poppy stood at the reception desk of her ballet studio to check the attendance list for today¡¯s students. She was still wearing ballet clothes, but covered with a long coat.


    ¡°Hey.. Are you guys going home?¡± Poppy greeted her three friends who had juste down from the second floor.


    It waste at night and there were only four of them left in the studio. Poppy knew that the three girls had been gossiping on the second floor, like they usually do.


    ¡°Yes. You still stay here?¡± Britney asked.


    Poppy nodded. ¡°I¡¯m checking a few things. Thanks for your time today,¡± Then she looked at the ss door in the front. ¡°Oh, looks like it¡¯s drizzling outside. You can use the umbres beside the door. But don¡¯t forget to return it, okay?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Linda answered by walking towards the door. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to the mini-mart for a while. I¡¯m out of tampons. You guys wait here. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Linda said to her two friends.


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll wait here. Don¡¯t take too long. We¡¯ll miss thest bus,¡± Cecil said as she leaned against the reception desk.


    ¡°I know. I take the umbre, Poppy!¡± Linda said by taking an umbre from the shelf next to the door before exiting the ss door.


    ¡°Are your houses nearby?¡± Poppy asked Cecil and Britney.


    ¡°Not really. But our bus goes the same line,¡± Cecil answered.


    ¡°Anyways, where are your three girls?¡± Britney asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re on their own business,¡± Poppy answered.


    ¡°Hey, Poppy. Is Kathy around with PB?¡± Cecil asked in a whisper.


    ¡°What?¡± Poppy looked at her questioningly. ¡°I.. don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve never seen them together,¡±


    ¡°Well, well.. Are you guys really friends? A few weeks ago, I saw Kathy and Marcel alone at the campus cafe.¡± Cecil said.


    ¡°They were?¡± Britney looked at her best friend with wide eyes.


    Cecil nodded confidently. ¡°I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t see wrong. The two of them had an intensely deep conversation,¡±


    ¡°Oh.. It seems like it was just a coincidence. The four of us are indeed friends with PB. Maybe they just crossed paths and ended up chatting at that time.¡± Poppy said lightly.


    ¡°AAH!! GOD!!¡± Britney suddenly shouted by staring at the ss door.


    It made Poppy and Cecil look back reflexively at what made Britney hysterical like that.


    They were shocked to death when they found Linda in front of the door. The girl was with two men dressed all in ck with their faces covered by masks. She tried to free herself from the grip of two men who were still trying to drag her away from the front of the ss door.


    ¡°Oh my, Linda!¡± Poppy eximed as she ran outside.


    Linda stared in horror through the ss door at her three friends who were behind the door. She tried to get away from the two men who were trying to cover her mouth with a handkerchief, while trying to scream for help. Luckily, she still managed to escape before being dragged into a dark alley a few meters away.


    Quickly, Poppy opened the ss door and kicked one of the men in the ear with the high kick she had learned from Emma.

 Chapter 229

    229 Threatened Girls


    Seeing the danger at the door, Cecil and Britney immediately took an umbre from the side of the door and together beat the two kidnappers with the umbres.


    ¡°Help! help!¡± Cecil shouted with all her might. However, one of the criminals punched her in the face, causing her to fall unconscious.


    ¡°Cecil!¡± Britney shrieked. Her hands were shaking because her fear only appeared when she realized that the kidnappers did not hesitate to hurt them.


    Poppy who saw this then threw back a double kick which made one of the men fall. After the man¡¯s grip was released, Linda immediately struggled and managed to free herself.


    In the end, the two kidnappers who had no fear ran away after realizing that they couldn¡¯t fight the girls easily.


    The four girls sat quietly in the studio, still with shocked faces. The ambnce and police were already in front of Poppy¡¯s ballet studio.


    A red car came to the front of the building and then a girl got down from it and quickly went inside.


    Emma went straight to Poppy and Britney. ¡°What happened?¡± She asked directly.


    ¡°Linda was almost kidnapped by those two men,¡± Britney replied.


    .....


    Emma then turned to Linda who was giving information to the police on the other side of the room. Then she looked back at the two girls. ¡°Are you guys all right? How about Cecil? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°One of the men hit Cecil in the face to send her passed out, Emma. Cecil is now in the ambnce being checked,¡± Poppy answered.


    ¡°Gosh.. This is terrible. But has shee to her senses?¡± She asked again.


    The two girls nodded. ¡°Maybe she has an injury to her nose,¡± Britney said.


    Emma snorted with her hand on her hips. She didn¡¯t even have any intention of sitting down at all. She was very worried about this situation. Earlier, when she was doing homework, she suddenly got a call from Poppy saying that they were attacked by two male kidnappers in front of the studio. Without thinking twice, Emma immediately came there and found everything was a mess. Even Cecil fainted from being hit by the bastards.


    ¡°Could it be that Crystal was kidnapped by them?¡± Emma muttered to herself. She immediately approached the two male policemen who were talking to Linda.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt. Can I have a word with you two, please?¡± Emma asked the two police.


    The police looked confused as they looked at each other. ¡°Well, what do you want to talk about?¡± One of them asked.


    ¡°Regarding the case that just happened to Linda, I think that this case might be the same case as the disappearance of one of our friends named Crystal Wind,¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°Crystal Wind?¡± One of the police muttered. ¡°Oh, right. I know the case. The girl who was reported missing,¡± He nodded.


    ¡°It happens that the case is being handled by another police team.¡± His partner added.


    ¡°At least you officers can match these two cases, right? And have there been simr cases?¡± Emma asked again.


    ¡°Look, Young woman.¡± One of the cops with a slightly distended stomach turned his face to Emma. ??¡±We know what we¡¯re doing. Even if you didn¡¯t say anything about your friend¡¯s disappearance case, we would have noticed it right away. We are professional authorities. You can entrust everything to us. Because that is our job. Got it?¡± He smiled forcefully.


    Emma¡¯s jaw tightened. She felt like she wanted to throw her fist at the police¡¯s annoying face. But of course, she couldn¡¯t do it.


    Emma smiled faintly with a cynical face. ¡°It¡¯s best if the job is done properly.¡± She said before leaving them.


    ¡°What happened, Emma?¡± Poppy asked as soon as she saw Emma back with a sulky face.


    ¡°Those damn cops,¡± Emma muttered as she took a deep breath to regte her emotions. Then she told Poppy and Britney what had just happened to her.


    Facing the police itself made Emma¡¯s temper rise. This was the first time Emma had confronted the Handway City police who were reportedly useless and annoying.


    Now Emma could feel it for herself and it made her imagine how Calvin felt at that time fighting for justice for his brother. She also thought about what it would be like to be a Redvalley residence that was colonized by gangsters but the police had never paid attention to their reports.


    ¡°Miss, we need the CCTV footage in front of the door. Can you help us?¡± One of the policemen approached them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show it to you,¡± Poppy said by bringing the two men to the reception desk where there was aputer there.


    After that, the two policemen finally left and not long after, the ambnce also left after treating Cecil who refused to be taken to the hospital. Luckily, the girl¡¯s nose wasn¡¯t broken. It was just an injury on the inside so it bled.


    ¡°Are you really all right, Linda?¡± Emma asked the caramel brown-haired girl.


    Linda nodded. ¡°I¡¯m so grateful that I was able to escape and run all the way to the door. I don¡¯t know what would have happened if they had managed to take me.¡±


    ¡°How did you actually meet them?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°While I was walking towards the mini-mart, I felt someone following me. Then suddenly a man appeared from a dark alley and caught me. And another man appeared out of nowhere. He pointed a handkerchief at my nose. I was scared that they put sleeping liquid in the handkerchief so I immediately held my breath. After that, I kicked back and hit the man who was hugging me from behind. Thanks to my kick, the grip was released so I was able to escape.¡± Linda exined.


    ¡°Are their faces visible?¡± Emma asked.


    Cecil shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re wearing ck masks and hats. Even their eyes were covered in shadows.¡± She said in a weird voice due to the nostrils patched with tissue paper.


    ¡°Maybe we can take a look at the CCTV cameras,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Nice idea. I also want to see when Poppy beat the guy up,¡± Britney added.


    ¡°She did?¡± Emma¡¯s eyes widened.


    Poppy nodded with a shy face. ¡°I did as you taught, Emma.¡±


    Emma smiled proudly. ¡°Well done, Poppy.¡±


    ¡°You guys learn self-defence?¡± Linda asked directly.


    ¡°Yes? T-that¡¯s right. We studied self-defence a bit because things were often unsafe.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Well.. Let¡¯s see the CCTV footage,¡± Poppy said immediately as she got up from her seat.


    It seemed that she and Emma had identally talked about their self-defence lessons. It would be bad if the three gossipy girls talked about it to people.


    The girls were standing behind the receptionist¡¯s table which became cramped due to having to amodate five people behind. Poppy fiddled with herputer with the other girls watching from behind. After being busy with herputer for a while, Poppy began to notice something was wrong. ¡°The record¡¯s gone. It¡¯s not there.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emma frowned.


    ¡°Are you sure it was there?¡± Linda asked.


    Poppy nodded. ¡°I opened it myself to show the cops. This is the folder. I¡¯m pretty sure!¡±


    ¡°This is crazy. Why did it disappear?¡± Britney said.


    ¡°Could it be that the cops removed it?¡± Cecil squinted her eyes.


    ¡°Judging from the annoying attitude of them, I don¡¯t know why I feel like they deleted it on purpose,¡± Linda said.


    Emma looked at her. ¡°They also acted annoying to you?¡±


    Linda raised her eyebrows once. ¡°That¡¯s simr to what happened to you, Emma. You think you¡¯re the only one being treated like that? I¡¯m the victim here. But I didn¡¯t feel safe at all after reporting to the cops.¡±


    ¡°What did they tell you, Linda?¡± Cecil asked.


    ¡°They asked if I had seen the faces of the two men or not and if they took anything of my valuables. I know they directed me to file a robbery report instead of kidnapping.¡± Linda exined.


    ¡°Damn it. Looks like they covered it up on purpose. I¡¯m sure they deleted the video.¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    ¡°Emma¡¯s right. For some reason, I also feel that the cops were deliberately covering up the case that happened to me,¡± Linda nodded.


    ¡°Have you thought about it? Isn¡¯t it very likely that the Crystal case was also covered by them?¡± Britney asked.


    ¡°It seems so,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Living in this city is getting unsafe. We can¡¯t even rely on the police anymore.¡± Cecil huffed.


    ¡°Oh, Emma. Where did you learn that self-defence?¡± Linda asked. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to learn it to be able to fight like Poppy. It reallyes in handy at the most unexpected times.¡±


    ¡°Well.. Actually, it¡¯s self-taught. But if you want special training, I know there are many martial arts studios in this city,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°You are self-taught? How is that possible?¡± Britney looked surprised.


    ¡°It.. just like that..¡± Poppy rubbed her arm ufortably.


    ¡°I taught her,¡± Emma answered immediately to bring Poppy surprised.


    ¡°Emma..¡± Poppy looked at the girl questioningly. Didn¡¯t Emma want to cover her abilities?


    Emma ignored Poppy. She knew that Poppy thought that she wanted to keep hiding her martial arts skills. But now Emma had a different thought.


    The evil that took ce in Handway City stalked the girls. Now even the people Emma knew were victims. As much as possible, she had to do something to prevent bad things from happening to the girls, especially her own friends.


    ¡°You?¡± Linda looked at Emma with a doubtful face.


    Emma nodded. ¡°I can do a little self-defence. And I taught Poppy that so she can protect herself when danger approaches.¡±


    ¡°You can do that for real, Emma? But you don¡¯t look like you can, you know,¡± Britney said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to show it on purpose. I wouldn¡¯t think of my martial skills as something I could be proud of. But I¡¯d be happy to teach women who want to protect themselves,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s cool, Emma. When can you teach us?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°As soon as possible,¡± Emma smiled a little.

 Chapter 230

    230 Girls¡¯ Cry


    The next day, all the members of the ck Swan gathered at its headquarters. Rachel and Kathy had heard about what had happened. Therefore, Kathy came to check theputers at Poppy¡¯s ballet studio.


    ¡°Someone actually deleted the file.¡± Said Kathy who was sitting before theputer with Emma, ??Rachel and Poppy behind her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you appear it back?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°No need to ask, Emma. It¡¯s a piece of cake.¡± She answered with her ten fingers that didn¡¯t stop dancing on the keyboard.


    Before long, a video appeared in the previously empty folder. Kathy managed to bring back the deleted video.


    ¡°The cops protect the criminals. That means the criminals must be rted to a big gang of gangsters.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Big enough to bribe the police to shut up.¡± Emma nodded.


    Then Kathy opened the video. ¡°Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s a clue here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so worried about Crystal. If it¡¯s true that she was caught by people like them, what do you think will happen to her now?¡± Poppy said. She imagined when she was being made a porn star by a gangster. She didn¡¯t want any other girl to have the same experience as her.


    .....


    ¡°Could it be the sale of human organs?¡± Kathy said, suppressing her voice.


    ¡°That means.. Crystal could be dead by now, right?¡± Poppy gasped as she covered her mouth with both hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that doesn¡¯t happen. That¡¯s why we have to quickly check this out. I¡¯m sure there have been enough victims.¡± Emma said.


    Kathy highlighted the time when the kidnapping took ce. Then the four of them watched it carefully.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Poppy eximed. Immediately, Kathy pressed the button on the mouse to pause the video.


    Poppy narrowed her eyes as she brought her face closer to theputer screen. Then her finger pointed at a small white dot on the cor of one of the men¡¯s jackets. ¡°Look at this. Could this be a logo?¡±


    ¡°Can you please zoom it in, Kathy?¡± Emma asked.


    Then Kathy nodded once before pressing a few buttons until the picture started getting bigger and bigger.


    ¡°That¡¯s an emblem of a logo,¡± Emma said straight away.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°But the picture is broken. We can¡¯t see the logo clearly.¡±


    ¡°When I was a prisoner of Hell Gate, I saw that each of its members had the same tattoos. And some also used pins or small batches on their clothes.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll save the video and search the inte for a simr image of the logo.¡± Kathy stabbed her ck sh disk into Poppy¡¯sputer and copied the data into it.


    ¡°Today, Linda and her friends areing to practice self-defence. I hope you guys cane along.¡± Emma said to Kathy and Rachel.


    ¡°You told them?¡± Kathy¡¯s eyebrows rose high.


    Emma nodded. ¡°There¡¯s something more important than covering up this ability. I have to teach the girls to protect themselves as much as possible. You can see from the video, can¡¯t you? The men decided to run away because Poppy was there to fight them back. They didn¡¯t even hesitate to hit Cecil. They still didn¡¯t let Linda go even though they saw the other girls step in. It¡¯s clear that they underestimated women.¡±


    ¡°Haha.. They must not have expected Poppy to be able to beat them back. Good job, Pops!¡± Kathy gave a high-five to Poppy.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wise decision, Emma. If we can¡¯t continue to be on the streets helping people, at least we can teach them to help themselves.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Poppy said as looking at the ss door which was opened from the outside by Linda.


    ¡°Hi!¡± Cecil and Britney greeted them.


    ¡°You guys gathered here?¡± Linda asked.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°We always practice martial arts here.¡±


    ¡°Gosh.. So it turns out that this ce is not only a ballet training studio, huh?¡± Britney said.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Poppy quickly put her finger on her lips. ¡°No one knows this.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Britney immediately lowered her voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re keeping this a secret?¡± Linda asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Well, kind of,¡± Emma answered in a low voice and an awkward chuckle.


    ¡°For real, you guys..¡± Linda shook her head.


    ¡°There¡¯s still training for the children upstairs. Looks like you¡¯ll have to wait,¡± Poppy said with an awkward smirk.


    ¡°Oh really?¡± The three girls looked a little disappointed.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. We still can talk here.¡± Linda answered.


    ¡°Sorry, girls. But I have business tonight. Maybe we can practice in another room to save some time?¡± Emma said.


    This made Rachel, Poppy, and Kathy look at each other in bewilderment. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Emma nodded at Kathy¡¯s question. ¡°We can practice on the fourth floor. All the equipment is there, isn¡¯t it?¡± She said with a big smile, provoking her three friends to smile too because they just realized something.


    On the fourth floor, Emma taught martial arts to her friends. She did not expect that she was so talented at teaching others. If Poppy was talented in teaching ballet, then Emma was talented in teaching martial arts. And she surprisingly enjoyed it.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Linda pointed to a white cloth with a ck abstract painting that formed a symbol that hung on the centre wall of the room. She narrowed her eyes as she thought for a long time. ¡°Is that a picture of a swan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the symbol of our group,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Your group symbol?¡± Britneyughed amusedly. ¡°Are you girls not too old to create a group that even has a symbol?¡±


    ¡°Your friendship deserves my thumbs up,¡± Cecil added.


    ¡°Age won¡¯t stop us from doing what we love,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°A lot of adults still like to y with dolls. That¡¯s fine.¡± Kathy added.


    ¡°But what adults do has a higher value than just ying. A lot of adults are buying toys and turning them into collectables that have high selling points. We¡¯re just taking it to the next level.¡± Poppy said while stretching.


    ¡°That sounds interesting. Feels like you guys are doing something here.¡± Linda replied with an overly suspicious expression.


    Emmaughed. ¡°We do practice here. It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Well.. That¡¯s right too,¡± Linda nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re awesome, Emma. I didn¡¯t expect you to be this good at martial arts.¡± Britney said while packing her dirty clothes.


    ¡°Those are just some basic techniques. But you have to remember: don¡¯te into danger just because you¡¯ve learned martial arts techniques. You shall use them in critical situations only. You understand what I mean, right?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I know. No need to worry.¡± Linda answered.


    ¡°Um.. Guys. Pardon interrupting. Can I ask you please not to talk about our activities to others? I don¡¯t want people out there to know that we¡¯re having martial arts training here, because this studio is basically only for ballet training. That¡¯s also what I wrote on the report for business registration in Handway City.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°Oh.. You¡¯re afraid of our gossiper¡¯s mouths, aren¡¯t you?¡± Linda replied with a crooked smile.


    ¡°Of course we have to. You all could spread a whole gossip in just a day. That¡¯s terrible.¡± Kathy shrugged. She had heard that she had been hit by gossip because she once had a small talk with Marcel at the caf¨¦.


    ¡°All right.¡± Linda nodded. ¡°Of course we won¡¯t do wrong the people who have helped us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Cecil added. ¡°Although we like to gossip, if we have to keep a secret, we are also experts at it.¡±


    ***


    The yellow-lit room was getting dimmer because of the maroon paint on its walls. It was a soundproof room. From outside, no one could hear the cries and whine for help from the dozens of girls who were confined inside.


    Although the room had been made soundproof, outside it was guarded by a group of men. They were men who had excellent fighting skills. That was because they were a mix of former students who used to be active in various martial arts studios.


    A man d in a white coat walked into a building that looked like a warehouse. He wore sunsses, even at night. When he opened his mouth, his two canines were covered with gold.


    The man¡¯s arrival was greeted with respect by everyone in the building. He stepped in steadily and the sound of his soles tapping made his arrival all the more dramatic.


    ¡°Boss!¡± Eximed all the men inside with their backs bowed respectfully.


    ¡°Where are my girls?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re inside, Boss. There are fifteen of them.¡± A dreadlocks man answered. His name was RB or Rude Boy. He was in charge of the building.


    ¡°Show me,¡± The boss ordered.


    Two men immediately brought a single sofa and ced it behind the man in the white coat. He sat there. After that, he opened his lips slightly, and then another man immediately pinned a cigar between his lips and lit it with a gas lighter engraved with a bear logo.


    RB slightly ran with some of his subordinates in front of a ck wooden door. When they opened the door, the cries and screams of the girls immediately heard heartbreaking.


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± RB snapped by pointing a knife at the girls. They immediately closed their mouths, although they couldn¡¯t stop crying.


    ¡°Take them out now. Don¡¯t get the slightest scratch on them.¡± RB ordered his subordinates.


    There was the sound of chains shuffling across the floor. The voice grew clearer and made the golden tooth smile widen. Behind the smoke rising from his cigar, he could see a group of beautiful girls lined up in front of him with their legs and wrists chained.

 Chapter 231

    231 Men Get Worried


    ¡°Well, this month¡¯s catch is pleasant.¡± Said the man with the golden teeth. ¡°Take them all,¡±


    These words made the girls who were chained like prisoners instantly cry hysterically.


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± RD then snapped at them again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call Dragger now,¡± Said the man with ck hair that matched the colour of his irises. He was the boss¡¯s assistant. His name was Juan Xavier.


    ***


    On the other hand,


    A man stopped in his tracks when he heard his cell phone ringing. He took the phone out of his pocket before picking it up. ¡°Yes? Well,¡±


    After hanging up the phone, the man went over to his boss who was talking to some of his men about their new brothel house. ¡°Pablo,¡±


    ¡°Yep?¡± The man with the thick gold chain ne turned around.


    .....


    ¡°I got a call from Beast Empire. The girls are ready. They¡¯ll bring them tomorrow.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Dang! That¡¯s very good news! Have the guys set up a ce right away!¡± Pablo said.


    ¡°Well.¡± The man replied. He was Markus Vaga, Pablo Diablo¡¯s right-hand man. He managed everything for business on Jen Marie Street.


    ¡°What about Greenvalley Street?¡± Markus asked as he walked beside Pablo.


    ¡°Ugh.. I¡¯m toozy to take care of it.¡± Pablo put his hands behind his head who was wearing a hip hop hat. ¡°It¡¯s hardly anyone passing by there. I wonder how Oscar used to raise money from that death street.¡±


    ¡°Oscar didn¡¯t make money on Greenvalley Street. He spread out his branch groups to roam the other bigger streets. Greenvalley was only used for the location of their headquarters.¡± Markus exined with a chuckle.


    ¡°Damn.. I think I made the wrong move.¡± Pablo muttered.


    ¡°Now all the streets that were formerly controlled by the Creeper¡¯s branch group have been taken over by RJC.¡±


    ¡°RJC? Hadn¡¯t they fallen?¡±


    Markus nodded. ¡°Underground Cave has indeed closed. They are also no longer erging territory and many men have already left. But I heard Kenny Brown and Damian Jamin are working together to form a small group under the name RJC to defend their holding territories that are outside Redvalley Street.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t just give up, do they?¡± Pablo muttered. ¡°Looks like what Creed said is true. I¡¯m not talented at running a street crime business like that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not talentless. But your hands are full. You even opened another brothel house. I know what your next n is,¡± Markus nced at the man with a faint smile.


    It made Pablough out loud. ¡°The closing of the Underground Cave is a great opportunity for me to seize their market. Where else can the night people of Handway find fun other than the two of us? Now, Jen Marrie is the only ce for entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Deadly Square is no longer Deadly Square. It¡¯s only the Beast Empire left. What will ck Hole do about this?¡± Markus muttered to himself.


    ¡°To this day, James still hasn¡¯t even said anything. When I went to his office, he said there would be a major overhaul. I don¡¯t know what it will be,¡± Pablo shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Looks like ck Hole will calcte RJC. That¡¯s because they haven¡¯t disbanded, but of course, they won¡¯t be able to pay the charge anymore since Underground Cave is closed. What do you think Marcel Dous would do about it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he can fight ck Hole. Even with so many men he used to have, he couldn¡¯t fight the power of the ck Hole. If ck Hole tries to act tough, my guess is they¡¯ll crush RJC to the ground and take everything they own.¡±


    ¡°Including Redvalley?¡± Markus raised his eyebrows.


    Pablo nodded once. ¡°Isn¡¯t Redvalley all RJC currently has as their source of ie? It¡¯s just my guess anyway. As for what happens next, we¡¯ll have to wait for ck Hole¡¯s decision. If they decide not to touch RJC, then maybe I will.¡± He smiled.


    ¡°Even after having so much, you¡¯re still greedy.¡± Markus shook his head.


    Pabloughed freely. ¡°Hey, That¡¯s what¡¯s called business, my friend. You can¡¯t just sit back when seeing an opportunity. It doesn¡¯t alwayse. You have to make the most of it. As long as I have the money to buy it, I won¡¯t hesitate to spend it, no matter how big the risk is.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe someone like you is still in high school. Why don¡¯t you just buy your school as well?¡± Markus asked, jokingly.


    ¡°No matter how smart and powerful a person is, he still has to go to school. My father and mother attach great importance to education because they couldn¡¯t get it as a child. Even though I don¡¯t intend to go to school, I have to do it to please them.¡± Pablo said in a tone that slowly became sad.


    ¡°They will be very proud to see your graduation certificate. Then where will you study after high school?¡±


    ¡°Jardin University, perhaps?¡± Pablo muttered thoughtfully.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Markus raised his eyebrows. ¡°All the heroes of Handway City were there, right?¡±


    ¡°I know. Even the ck group is rumoured to be from there. It seems that the university is destined to be filled with strong guys. Maybe I can gather strong men from that ce.¡± Pablo replied.


    Sometimes Markus had to remind himself again that the leader of such arge group was a high school boy. Pablo Diablo, although his speaking style was never heard serious, the contents of his brain would take everyone by surprise. For a teenage boy, he had a mature brain that often thought for the next few years.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll surprise them.¡± He said.


    ¡°That¡¯s my speciality.¡± Pablo chuckled.


    ***


    Kathy ced her cell phone on the dining table with the screen facing up, then pushed it in the middle for her three friends to see.


    ¡°It¡¯s simr!¡± Poppy said.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°It is, right?¡±


    ¡°It does look alike. So, what is that symbol, Kathy?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the symbol of a group called Beast Empire. The information I¡¯ve been able to dig up so far is that they hold most of the southern areas of Handway City. But the business they do is still unclear. They can cover it up pretty well.¡± Kathy exined.


    ¡°South of Handway City? Isn¡¯t your ballet studio on the border between south and west, Poppy?¡± Emma¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Maybe it¡¯s the reason they were able to hang around my studio that day.¡± Poppy nodded.


    ¡°Hey..¡±


    Kathy snatched her cell phone from the table when Calvin suddenly walked over to them.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± The man asked with a friendly smile.


    ¡°Good.¡± The four girls answered almost simultaneously.


    ¡°Oh, Poppy. I heard you¡¯ve opened your own ballet studio. Congrattions,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Thanks, Calvin.¡± Poppy replied with a no less friendly smile.


    ¡°By the way, I heard there was a bit of amotion yesterday. Are you girls all right?¡± Calvin asked cautiously.


    ¡°Oh.. It¡¯s reached your ears, huh?¡± Poppyughed awkwardly. ¡°We¡¯re fine. Thanks for worrying about us.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re here, Calvin.¡± Martin tapped the man on the shoulder. Behind him, Ian, Troy, and Nicko followed.


    ¡°Hi,dies,¡± Ian greeted the four girls who were sitting at the cafeteria table.


    ¡°Sorry if Calvin interrupts your lunch,¡± Martin said.


    ¡°What are you saying, Martin? Of course Calvin doesn¡¯t bother us.¡± Poppy said with a smallugh.


    ¡°He just came to ask how we were doing,¡± Kathy added.


    ¡°Ah.. really? Maybe he wants to join you?¡± Martin said again with a nce at Emma.


    ¡°The hell are you saying?¡± Calvin looked at him in annoyance.


    Ian shook his head at his friends¡¯ behaviour. Then he approached the table. ¡°Poppy Castonia,¡±


    ¡°Tobias Ian,¡± Poppy greeted him back pleasantly.


    ¡°I heard you opened a ballet studio on Ater Street. Is that true?¡± Ian continued.


    ¡°Oh my.. the news has spread all over the ce,¡± Poppy muttered to herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great achievement, Poppy. You¡¯re a student and now opening your own ss. Of course, the news will spread all over the ce.¡± Nicko winked.


    ¡°Ah.. Thank you. Actually, I got a lot of help from my family and friends. Without them, I couldn¡¯t make it.¡± Poppy answered as she looked at her three best friends.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy for your new business, Poppy. But I advise you to be extra careful as your studio is in the south Handway area.¡± Ian said.


    The four girls then looked at each other meaningfully. So, Jita Kyoei also seemed to know about the dangers that lurked the girls on the streets.


    ¡°I know,¡± Poppy nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? There was a robbery in front of Poppy¡¯s ballet studio.¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Troy stepped in. He looked at Poppy with a surprised face.


    Poppy nodded with an awkward smirk. ¡°It¡¯s quite a long story.¡±


    ¡°Robbery?¡± Kathy repeated. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a robbery. How did you hear it was a robbery, Calvin?¡±


    ¡°From the radio broadcast,¡± Calvin answered with an innocent face.


    ¡°37.1 AM?¡± Emma asked. Calvin nodded.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a robbery, guys. It was an attempted kidnapping.¡± Kathy said, pressing each word in thest sentence.


    ¡°Kidnapping?¡± The men repeated it in unison.


    ¡°Even on the radio, it was reported as a robbery. What exactly were the cops doing?¡± Kathy looked furious.


    ¡°It was an attempted kidnapping. But when we reported it to the police, they directed Linda to report it as a robbery.¡± Emma exined.


    .....


    ¡°Perhaps the news that spread was a report from residents who had asked the police. If from the beginning the police really wanted it to be regted as a crime of robbery, then they would have said the same thing to the locals.¡± Calvin said with a displeased face.


    ¡°Look. You have to be very careful from now on. For the past two months, there has been news of the disappearance of several girls in Handway City, especially the south Handway. Until now, there is no rity on the progress of the case from the police.¡± Ian warned the girls in front of him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep that in mind. Thank you.¡± Poppy replied.


    ¡°Do you gents have any idea of what happened?¡± Rachel asked directly.

 Chapter 232

    232 The Beast Empire


    The men nodded slowly.


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re still investigating it,¡± Nicko replied.


    ¡°Most importantly, you should always be careful and don¡¯t wander outside at night. You also don¡¯t need to find out about this matter because it might be very dangerous.¡± Calvin said.


    Ian took a piece of used receipt paper from his shirt pocket. ¡°Anyone brings a pen?¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± Poppy gave a pen with a sparkling star decoration at the top.


    Ian took the pen and wrote something on the back of the cigarette receipt. When he was done, he handed Poppy the paper along with the pen he borrowed. ¡°This is my and Troy¡¯s phone number. You can call us if anything dangerous or odd happens.¡±


    Poppy stared at the paper with two phone numbers that Ian had written down. ¡°Well, thank you. But this is a bit...¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t get us wrong. We¡¯re serious about this. You have no idea how dangerous it is out there.¡± Troy cut off Poppy¡¯s words.


    Even a Troy Roner who never wanted to have anything to do with women was willing to give his personal number to the girls. Jita Kyoei indeed took the matter very seriously.


    .....


    ¡°Well.. Thanks for worrying about us.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Remember. You shouldn¡¯t hesitate to contact us if anything happens. You are our friends. So, we don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to you.¡± Nicko reminded.


    ¡°We know,¡± Emma smiled at the sweet man.


    ¡°Okay then. Enjoy your lunch.¡± Ian said before leaving.


    ¡°Thanks again,¡± Poppy said to the men who were leaving their table. Troy just raised his hand as he walked.


    ¡°They must know something. Are we one step behind?¡± Kathy asked straight away once the men had walked quite far.


    ¡°We are new yers in this dark world, Kathy. We still have a lot to learn here.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also find out about this matter. That means it¡¯s obvious that they are after girls.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°We have to find the Beast Empire first. Only then can we stop this crime. It¡¯s still not certain that the Beast Empire is the culprit, right?¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Do we need to lure them out?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°You mean in disguise?¡± Kathy could immediately guess what was going through Poppy¡¯s head.


    The cute-faced girl nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s the only way to find out where the girls are being taken. I¡¯m thinking they might end up in a prostitution area.¡± She exined, based on her experience.


    ¡°The target is young women. What else is most relevant to that?¡± Rachel nodded in agreement at Poppy¡¯s estimate.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too dangerous?¡± Emma asked doubtfully. ¡°We don¡¯t know what kind of group they are yet, do we?¡±


    ¡°Then should we wait until another girl bes the next victim? What about Crystal¡¯s fate?¡± Poppy asked.


    Emma paused. ¡°Looks like we have to go back to patrolling every night,¡±


    ***


    It had been a long time since Emma had listened to the 37.1 AM radio broadcast. Usually, she listened to the radio broadcast alone. But now, three other people listened to it with her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was this kind of radio broadcast,¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°Calvin Lee listens to this too. All this time, we slept without knowing some people were fighting to protect the city like this.¡± Kathy said as she was busy in front of herptop.


    Poppy and Kathy were at the ck Swan base, while Emma and Rachel were patrolling with their motorbikes as ck.


    ¡°That Beast Empire.. Their members very often go on Jen Marrie Street. Do you know that ce?¡± Kathy asked Poppy.


    ¡°I do. I¡¯ve been to that ce and Emma had too.¡± Poppy answered straight away. She got up from where she was sitting and was sitting next to Kathy. ¡°They oftene down that street?¡±


    Kathy nodded. ¡°These are the social media posts of some Beast Empire men. Lately, they¡¯ve been there more often. What kind of ce is that actually?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it at the time, in fact. But I saw a lot of casinos there that seemed illegal. There also..¡± Poppy frowned and continued, ¡°a lot of women entertainers.¡±


    ¡°Could it be.. that they are rted to that street?¡± Kathy muttered.


    ¡°We should tell Emma about this. Maybe we should keep an eye on that street.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll find out about Jen Marie Street then.¡± Kathy¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at herptop screen, ¡°The street even has its own social media. They have good marketing techniques, dammit!¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make it very easy for them to be caught by the police?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯m sure even the cops woulde there to entertain themselves.¡± Kathy replied.


    After waiting for several hours, Emma and Rachel returned from their work. The two motorbikes entered the back of Poppy¡¯s studio building quickly, then parked in a small vacant lot that actually meant to be a garden.


    ¡°Damn.. My back,¡± Emma held her waist which felt sore from riding the motorbike for too long.


    Poppy and Kathy rushed downstairs to open the back door for Emma and Rachel to enter. While working as ck, they would all go in and out of the back door so as not to arouse suspicion.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Poppy asked directly as soon as she faced her two friends who had just returned.


    Emma nodded. ¡°There¡¯s been some fighting.¡±


    ¡°Was it?¡± Kathy raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°On the way, I ran into Calvin. He seems to be on patrol too.¡± Rachel said as she took off the mask that made the hair around her forehead sweat wet.


    ¡°Calvin has started moving again. We have to be careful not to let him follow us here.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°I found a new lead, guys. I¡¯ll show you upstairs.¡± Kathy said as she walked ahead of her three friends to walk up the stairs.


    The four girls ended up on the third floor. Emma and Rachel immediately sat on the queen-sized bed which was ced on the floor for them to sleep.


    ¡°Earlier, I had thwarted a girl kidnapping. There were more than two kidnappers. They hid the car on the other side of the road. Meanwhile, two men would hide in a dark alley. I beat the two men before they could catch their target.¡± Emma said. Then she let out a long sigh. ¡°Those men had Beast Empire emblem on their clothes.¡±


    ¡°So now it¡¯s clear that the Beast Empire is the culprit. In this case, you should see this,¡± Kathy said before walking towards the table under therge window.


    Kathy took herptop and sat next to her friends on the bed. She opened the pictures that had been taken from the social media of the Beast Empire members and exined what she had found.


    ¡°Jen Marie Street,¡± Emma murmured. ¡°That street is truly a disaster.¡±


    ¡°If Jen Marrie does have prostitution, at least there¡¯s evidence of it on its social media.¡± Rachel said.


    But Kathy shook her head. ¡°They don¡¯t show it at all. On their social media, they only exin where their casinos and bars are. But I¡¯m sure the women¡¯s thing is behind that all.¡±


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to check Jen Marie Street in person. I¡¯ll figure out the way.¡± Emma muttered.


    ***


    ¡°ck got in our way.¡± Said a man whose face was battered.


    ¡°So he now dared to nudge the Beast Empire, huh?¡± The lips, that framed the rows of gold ornate teeth, moved.


    ¡°Should we stop our movement for some while? It seems that it greatly affects the movement of the shadow heroes. They were not seen wandering around anymore after one of the Deadly Square groups fell. But now they are.¡± Juan said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Juan. They just don¡¯t know what the Beast Empire is. And they would never want to face Derric Hubbert.¡± The man with golden teeth smiled broadly.


    Beast Empire.


    One of The Deadly Square groups. The group was founded by Derric Hubbert ¨C A women yer man. He was the real image of a wild, dangerous-for-women monster.


    Derric founded Beast Empire about five years ago when he was still in high school. He was the son of a prostitute woman. Derric, who grew up in a bad environment and was never cared for by his mother, ended up being a dangerous guy.


    Since the first grade of high school, he had lived alone. Every night, he would take a different girl into his tiny house that was just a room in a shabby t. His addiction to women¡¯s bodies was like a drug addict.


    To Derric, all women were only objects of sex. Women were created to satisfy the lusts of men. The level of women was much lower than men. They could be paid with money. They were weak creatures that would obey with just a single blow. Women had no power. Forever, they would rely on men.


    As time went on, Derric¡¯s mindset became more and more severe. He was a young man who was squeezed by economic difficulties. It made him think of something that would cost him a lot of money.


    Derric¡¯s mother made the living by selling her body. It made Derric think that any woman could do what her mother did.


    It all started with the night when Derric asked his girlfriend to sell her own body to a masher. At first, Derric¡¯s girlfriend refused. But Derric insisted and ended up hitting her. He also threatened to hurt her more if she didn¡¯tply. Just as simple as that, Derric started doing his small business.


    From his own girlfriend, until he started trapping other girls. They were the girls who had the same life as him. Yes, they were people who didn¡¯t have a family that cared for them. They were the abandoned youths who live in a dark, poverty world.


    Worse yet, Derric began to invite some of his male friends to join his small business. They work together to trap the girls until the bunch of scumbags formed a group they named Beast Empire.

 Chapter 233

    233 Beast Empire and Dragger


    Beast Empire. They were Jita Kyoei¡¯s next target group after Red Jack Commander.


    In fact, the Beast Empire was thest target because they didn¡¯t take martial arts students that much.


    From the data that Frank collected, the group had only taken the martial art studios three times. That was because their group was not as big as the other three groups of The Deadly Square. But this was precisely what made the Beast Empire the only group that still survived now.


    At first, neither Jita Kyoei nor Calvin Lee paid much attention to the group, because Beast Empire was known to only do small business in the form of illegally selling cigarettes and liquor so they didn¡¯t have to pay taxes that tend to be expensive for both types of goods.


    They smuggled the goods and sold them to various entertainment businesses, such as Jen Marrie Street, which was held by Dragger. They were suppliers for these entertainment venues.


    Beast Empire was like an ordinary kid in the ss. They rarely attract attention because they were not noisy. They were neither too smart nor too naughty ¨C exactly as their group image in the dark world.


    However, no one knew that all this time, the Beast Empire had not only included alcohol and cigarettes in their business. They also became female providers for the entertainment business. Moreover, they also provide street people to be beggars or workers.


    How could the Beast Empire run such a big business without the police knowing? It was because Dragger was behind them.


    Three years ago, when Beast Empire was vigorously expanding their business, two middle schoolers suddenly came to see Derric. They were snotty boys named Pablo Diablo and Creed Johnson.


    .....


    The two teenagers said that they were the owners of a group called Dragger. They were running a nightlife business on Jen Marie Street. Arrogantly, asked the Beast Empire to find young girls asfort women for their business.


    Of course, the request was immediatelyughed at by Derric. He underestimated the two snot-nosed boys. But Pablo and Creed didn¡¯t feel angry at all for beingughed at. They were used to being belittled just because of their young age.


    The two kids in basketball clothes made a bet with Derric. They challenged the strongest man in the Beast Empire to fight with the two of them.


    Without thinking, Derric epted the offer. Initially, he appointed one of his men to fight them. But in less than two minutes, Derric¡¯s people had been knocked down by the two snotty boys.


    At that moment, Derric¡¯sugh disappeared. Just as Pablo and Creed had asked, Derric hadpletely sent all the strongest men in his group until he stepped in on his own.


    Dozens of strong men against two snots. But in fact, the boys who had been underestimated won the unfair battle.


    Back then, the Beast Empire was only a small group. Its members were not even thirty men. They just run a dirty business on a whim. They were like rats living in a sewer ¨C which every day had to scavenge the trash to fill their stomach.


    Derric didn¡¯t familiar with the world thaty beyond the dark alley he lived in. He did not understand the big gangster world that was out there. And he didn¡¯t know there was a group called Dragger led by a middle school boy. He didn¡¯t know that the Draggers were such a powerful group.


    Pablo looked at Derric who was slumped under his feet. He and Creed stared at each other with their arms folded across their chests. The Beast Empire was truly no match for them. The group was indeed weak. Naturally, it was because they had only used women as a measure of strength so far.


    ¡°We¡¯ve beaten you. You must keep your promise.¡± Pablo said.


    Grinning in pain, Derric nodded. ¡°Why us? Why did you choose our group?¡±


    Pablo smiled. ¡°Because you¡¯re talented in this field. You have good taste in women. In our group ¨C No. Even I, don¡¯t have that good taste.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Derric. We didn¡¯te to colonize your group, but to offer cooperation. This will all be a lucrative business for my group and yours.¡± Pablo continued.


    Creed nodded. ¡°Think of the fight earlier as a greeting. We didn¡¯t fight seriously on purpose.¡±


    ¡°N-not serious?¡± Derric muttered as he looked at all his members who were lying battered on the ground. Was this what he called non-serious? What kind of monsters were those two boys actually?


    After that meeting, Dragger and the Beast Empire¡¯s cooperation started. Derric, who previously only roamed around his home and school environment, could now see how vast the dark world of Handway City was.


    Through Pablo and Markus, Derric slowly learned how to raise his group. He now understood the concept of a gangster. With those insights, Derric and his friends erge their business empire.


    From employing only five girls as prostitutes, now they employed hundreds of girls and children. Beast Empire became a foundation providing illegalbour.


    If you think that Pablo was being nice to Derric, you better get rid of that thought.


    ¡®You have good taste in women.¡¯


    It was an inmmatory sentence that came out of Pablo¡¯s mouth. Well, Pablo honestly did think that Derric¡¯s taste in choosing women was that good. In fact, there were many better female service providers than Derric. Unfortunately, they were all EXPENSIVE.


    Yes, just like in the business world, Pablo would look for the cheapest supplier for his business. If people used the famous prostitution foundations that tend to be expensive, Pablo had other ideas.


    He even looked into the rat holes. He was sure there must be hidden treasures in every unexpected ce. Like a mine ¨C It was dirty and rough. But you would find gold ore among tons of sand. Then you had to process the gold ore into various jewellery to increase its selling value.


    Pablo made Beast Empire hisbour breeder indirectly. It didn¡¯t matter if he had to help the Beast Empire a little in their business. ording to him, it was still worth the reciprocity he¡¯d received.


    Beast Empire could be one of The Deadly Square because they were backed by Dragger. It made the Beast Empirepletely bow down to that monstrous group that owned Jen Marrie Street.


    ***


    Emma parked near a street she had vowed never to go again. But she only needed a few months to break her own oath.


    Four girls got out of the red car. They looked like ordinary girls who wanted to have fun.


    A dark alley was the entrance to the night paradise of the dark world of Handway City. The four girls walked into it and came to a busy street decorated with sparkling lights.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this ce,¡± Poppy muttered to herself.


    Emma put her arm around her shoulders and rubbed her upper arm. ¡°Be strong, Poppy. This ce will soon end up like any other illegal entertainment venue.¡±


    ¡°Damn! I didn¡¯t think there was a ce this big behind that dark alley!¡± Kathy said without blinking her eyes, staring at the twinkling lights.


    ¡°Many ces are not included in their social media.¡± Rachel pointed her chin at a building with arge sign full of lights on its top. The board had a 3D picture of a sexy woman whose legs were crossed so that it seemed toe out of the board.


    Emma¡¯s eyes noticed many men in and out of a building. There were even two scantily d women standing at its door with a sign in their hands that read 80 dors/hour.


    ¡°That¡¯s the ce,¡± Emma whispered.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to go inside.¡± Rachel said in their footsteps. Of course, they have no reason to go in there as customers.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Act like a regr visitor. We¡¯re just going to see what¡¯s on this street.¡±


    On a trip around Jen Marrie Street, Emma found about sevenrge buildings that she suspected were brothels. If in one of those brothel houses were fifty women workers, then in total, they had about three hundred and fifty women working on this street. What worried Emma was: Were the women working by their own will?


    After they finished walking around, the four girls stopped at a snacks-and-drinks store. It was the only ce that was at least a little morefortable for them than the other ces full of mashers. They sat together at a small table and ordered cold beers and a te of grilled foods.


    ¡°I knew it. There can¡¯t be no prostitution house in this kind of ce.¡± Kathy said in a low voice, before taking a sip of beer as her throat was very dry after a long walk.


    ¡°This ce is even worse than the Underground Cave. Is this all illegal?¡± Rachel asked.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve searched it. This ce isn¡¯t listed on the Handway City entertainment list. It¡¯s not even on the map either.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Pops. Have Linda and her friends stopped taking ballet lessons at your ce?¡± Kathy asked.


    Poppy shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re taking a day off. They said Briteny has been so busy that she doesn¡¯t have time toe. You know ¨C the three of them always want to stick together like chewing gums.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, Britney didn¡¯te to college ballet ss yesterday either,¡± Rachel muttered.


    ¡°What I heard, Britney¡¯s dad owns a business. She seems to be busy helping her dad.¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°What are you thinking, Emma?¡± Poppy looked at the girl sitting beside her. She realized that Emma had been pondering alone.


    Emma woke up from her daydream and smiled faintly as she grabbed a piece of grilled sausages from the te, ¡°I was just thinking ¨C how to find out what¡¯s going on behind all this. I¡¯m afraid if all of the women are forced to work in this ce.¡±

 Chapter 234

    234 Group of Female Entertainer


    ¡°Gosh..¡± Poppy let out a long sigh. ¡°I could never forget the feeling of being trapped in that nightmare.¡± She said with a traumatized face. ¡°When I had to let my body be seen and touched by men against my will, and knowing that I couldn¡¯t run away from that ce. I felt like I just want to die. The number of female workers in this ce is far more than those who worked for Hell Gate. If it¡¯s true that this is forcedbour, then those behind all of this must be powerful people.¡±


    ¡°Beast Empire. I heard the leader is..¡±


    ¡°Hi,dies,¡± Suddenly a group of men approached their table.


    Emma immediately stopped talking and looked up with furrowed brows at the five men who were giving faces as if they were the most good-looking men in the world.


    ¡°You girls are cute. How about you four join us? We¡¯ll treat you some nice drinks,¡± Said the man standing near Emma. He was wearing a jeans jacket. There was a scar forming a straight line on one of his eyebrows, which was either a real scar or a fake one.


    ¡°Sorry. We¡¯re not interested.¡± Kathy said with a forced, cynical smile.


    ¡°Not interested, huh? Haha.. Is it because of your faces? How arrogant,¡± Said one of them.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name? I think I¡¯ve seen your face somewhere.¡± One of the other men asked Poppy.


    ¡°Sorry, but can you guys leave us? You¡¯re disturbing ourfort.¡± Emma said, giving stern in her voice.


    .....


    ¡°Comfort?¡± The man repeated, then chuckled. ¡°We really can provide you with unimaginablefort. Just y with us. You won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    ¡°Emma,¡± Rachel gently nudged Emma¡¯s arm from under the table. Then she nced at one of the men.


    Emma squinted her eyes slightly at the point Rachel¡¯s eyes were looking at. It was the cor part of the jackets worn by the men. There were small patches with the Beast Empire logo on them.


    ¡°Oh! Shit!¡± The man who had been talking to Poppy covered his mouth with one hand in a quick motion, as if he hade across something very shocking. ¡°I know! Aren¡¯t you the porn star at canguagedictionary?!¡±


    ¡°Ha! Damn it! You¡¯re right!¡± His friend said with a bigugh.


    In an instant, Poppy¡¯s face turned red. She immediately hung her face in shame. The men were talking so loudly that the people at other tables began to notice them.


    ¡°Stop that! Your presence bothers us. Are you guys a nuisance?¡± Rachel hissed, rising from her chair. The girl had a height of 178CM, almost the same as the men.


    ¡°You girls can still be cocky? Hey, tell me. Are you a porn star too? Are you the big girl type?¡± Heughed.


    ¡°Oh. How funny,¡± Emma said with a cynical smile. Her voice instantly made the men stop and stare at her. ¡°Looks like you guys are loyal viewers of that kind of porn site. You even memorized the faces of the actress and equated random stranger girls with those who are always in your dirty fantasies. You guys surely have to look for girlfriends. So you don¡¯t have to watch porn or harass just any girl in public.¡±


    Emma¡¯s words instantly made Kathyugh and pped amazedly. ¡°Maybe the money they have is enough to subscribe to porn sites or treat girls with cheap drinks only?¡± She added.


    Now it was Emma and Kathy who deliberately spoke loudly in their light voices. This made the other customers who were thereugh. The group of men became embarrassed at the impudent words of the rude, pretty girls.


    ¡°How dare you! You don¡¯t know who we are, do you?!¡± Snapped the man who had a scar on the eyebrow.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Of course we do. Isn¡¯t it obvious that you guys are bullies?¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to ask again.¡± Rachel chuckled.


    ¡°Bitch! I¡¯ll teach you a lesson. You¡¯ll see!¡± The man growled.


    ¡°Should we ask back if you know who we are?¡± Emma said mockingly.


    ¡°You should be grateful that you are women. And those faces are saving you right now.¡± One of the men hissed. ¡°Come on. We don¡¯t have to waste our time on these cheap girls.¡± he walked away, followed by his friends.


    ¡°Jerks,¡± Kathy growled as she looked at the men who had finally left their table.


    ¡°They are Beast Empire¡¯s men.¡± Rachel said in a half-whisper.


    ¡°Are we in danger?¡± Poppy asked. Her face looked a little worried. But she knew that her friends were strong people.


    ¡°If they dare to touch us, then they are the ones in danger.¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°We have to be just a little careful. I think they¡¯re going to do something to us.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°It seems so. We must prepare ourselves,¡± Emma answered.


    Emma and Rachel¡¯s predictions came true when they leave the shop to head home. They found the men still waiting for them near the shop.


    ¡°Kathy. I need you to drive the car. Can you?¡± Emma said quietly as they walked, as if not realizing the men were following them.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kathy brought her hand close to Emma¡¯s furtively. Then Emma swiftly gave her car keys to her.


    But an unexpected event disrupted their ns. When they were about to go into the dark alley, a group of women in sexy outfits passed them.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emma immediately looked back to see the women¡¯s backs.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that..¡± Poppy covered her mouth. She also saw something strange about the group of women.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Britney?¡± Rachel asked quickly.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Kathy asked because she saw her friends suddenly stop walking. She nced at the men who were following them. The men immediately pretended to look the other way.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it? Britney is in that group of female entertainers who just walked by.¡± Poppy whispered.


    ¡°What?!¡± Kathy¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Britney works here. I can¡¯t believe this. We have to find this out,¡± Rachel said.


    Emma nodded once. ¡°We have to split up. Kathy, youe with me. Rachel and Poppy, follow them.¡±


    ¡°Looks like they¡¯re heading for the toilet,¡± Rachel said quickly.


    ¡°We split up at the toilet door,¡± Emma said immediately. ¡°Poppy, call me when you¡¯re in the toilet and talking to Britney.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Poppy nodded.


    Then the four girls immediately changed their destination. They followed the group of six women. Just as Rachel had predicted, the group of women headed for the toilet.


    Silently, Kathy looked back. ¡°Those guys are nowhere to be seen. Looks like they¡¯d stopped following us.¡±


    ¡°They think we realized they were following us,¡± Rachel replied.


    ¡°Stick to the n, guys. Britney might be in trouble.¡±


    Poppy pulled her cell phone out of her bag and tried to call someone. ¡°Hello, Linda? Are you with Britney?¡± She asked as soon as the call was answered.


    As they walked, the three girls¡¯ ears focused on Poppy who was calling Linda.


    ¡°You can¡¯t reach her? Being weird?¡± Poppy said. Then she nodded. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll hang up, okay?¡± She lowered her phone.


    ¡°Linda said Britney has been weird for thest three days. And since this morning, she couldn¡¯t be contacted at all. There¡¯s something wrong with her.¡± Poppy told her friends.


    ¡°That¡¯s the toilet. Kathy, youe with me.¡± Emma said before they reached the door and immediately turned elsewhere with Kathy.


    ¡°Those guys aren¡¯t following us anymore. What are we going to do, Emma?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°You brought your mask, didn¡¯t you?¡± Emma asked as she looked left and right. They were now next to a deserted public restroom building. There were people passing by in front of them, so they had to speak in a whisper.


    Kathy nodded, ¡°They¡¯re in the bag, as you asked me to.¡±


    ¡°Good. Get ready to wear it,¡± Emma said as she took her cell phone out of her bag. She waited for a call from Poppy. Not long after, a call came in and Emma immediately picked it up.


    in the toilet,


    Rachel and Poppy, who had just entered the female toilet, pretended they didn¡¯t know anything. Their eyes continued to study the big enough toilet.


    Inside the toilet, several entertainer women were using the toilet facilities. Some were lined up in front of the toilet cubicle and some were using the sinks. But Britney was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she was in one of the toilet cubicles.


    But out of it all, there was one person that caught Poppy and Rachel¡¯s attention. It was a woman who looked quite old even with heavy makeup and sexy clothes warped her body.


    They exchanged nces, able to read each other¡¯s thoughts. They could tell that the woman in the bright red dress was the madam or the brothel chief who took care of the entertainer. She was leaning against the wall beside the sink, smoking a cigarette.


    ¡°Hurry up! The guests will be here in thirty minutes.¡± Said the madam as smoke came out of her mouth.


    ¡°Okay, Madam.¡± The girls answered.


    From the faces of the entertainer women, it was clear that they were frightened. Even though heavy make-up stuck to their faces, their eyes and gestures couldn¡¯t lie. They were being pressured.


    ¡°After the porn site shut down, I don¡¯t have another job,¡± Poppy suddenly said to Rachel as she took out a lipstick from her bag. Inside, her cell phone was already connected to Emma.


    Rachel stared at the petite girl with a confused face for a few seconds. But the looks in Poppy¡¯s eyes that looked normal to people who didn¡¯t know them, immediately made Rachel understand what she meant.

 Chapter 235

    235 Acting


    Rachel turned on the tap and pretended to wash her hands. ¡°Then what are you going to do after this? Aren¡¯t there any other adult film production houses besides the one you used to work?¡±


    Poppy shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking for a simr kind of job. I¡¯m really in need of money. It¡¯s the only job that can make money fast.¡± She sighed heavily.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Poppy found a business card hovering beside her ear. She turned to see the Madam who was smoking beside her and pointed a ck business card at her. ¡°Are you interested in working in the entertainment andforting world?¡±


    Poppy closed her lipstick and put it in her bag without closing it. So it was true; the woman was the pimp. Poppy immediately gave an interested face. ¡°What a coincidence! Are you the madam?¡±


    The woman nodded once with sleepy-looked eyes because it was too heavy to bear the weight of her thick, fake eyshes. ¡°I have a brothel house in this area. Just call that number, then my people will pick you up. It so happens that we are looking for a new girl. You better not dy before the slot runs out. I¡¯ll help youter.¡± She exined while screening Poppy from head to toe.


    A girl with an innocent face, smoothly light skin, and a petite body but hadfy big boobs. It was the type of toy girl that many guys liked today.


    ¡°Thanks, Madam. I¡¯ll call you tomorrow.¡± Poppy replied with a sweet smile.


    Suddenly, the toilet cubicle door opened and a girl with blonde hair styled curly came out of it. She was instantly surprised when she saw two girls she knew were in the same room as her.


    The appearance of Britney also surprised Rachel and Poppy. However, because from the start they knew that Britney was in the toilet, the faces they showed were still close to normal expressions.


    .....


    The Madam, who was still in the same position: leaned against the wall near the toilet cubicles, noticed that Britney had a surprised look on her face. She immediately turned back to the two stranger girls who were in front of the taps. ¡°Do you girls.. know each other?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not,¡± Poppy shook her head quickly.


    But the madam frowned and her face turned suspicious. ¡°But you girls look like you do.¡±


    ***


    Outside the toilet,


    Emma and Kathy listened to what was going on in the toilet through the phone they connected to wireless earphones. Not to forget, Emma set the phone to remain ¡®mute¡¯ so that sounds from the surroundings would not be heard on Poppy¡¯s cell phone.


    ¡°Good job, Pops!¡± Kathy said in a whisper as she heard Poppy start a y to see if thedy with too much make-up inside was really the Madam of Entertainment Women.


    ¡°That woman works for Dragger. We can¡¯t just walk up to Britney.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Then, we go undercover. Wasn¡¯t it your n?¡± Kathy replied.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Unfortunately, I forgot one thing, Kathy. We did bring masks. But what about our clothes?¡± She held her own forehead.


    ¡°Gosh.. Dammit!¡± Kathy also just realized it. Then she looked around and peeked behind the wall she was leaning against. Then she noticed that there was a men¡¯s toilet next to the women¡¯s. ¡°Emma, how about we steal the men¡¯s clothes from the male toilet?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emma looked at Kathy questioningly.


    The public toilet was located on the outskirts of Jen Marie Street. Therefore, the back of the two toilets directly faced the back side of the busy street which was a narrow emptynd which was also the back side of the residential buildings on the other side of the street.


    Immediately, Emma moved to Kathy¡¯s side to see what was behind the wall. It turned out to be the back of the men¡¯s and women¡¯s toilets. Both toilets had a small, high window for venttion.


    ¡°You are right.¡± Emma nodded quickly. ¡°That can be done. I hope the toilet isn¡¯t crowded.¡± She said as she stepped under the window.


    Kathy followed behind Emma. Then she crouched beside the wall. ¡°Step on my thigh,¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Emma said as she stepped on Kathy¡¯s thigh bone to peek inside. Then she jumped down. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll be right back. Tell Rachel to buy some time,¡±


    ¡°Okay. Be careful,¡± Kathy said in a whisper. She knew Emma was going into the men¡¯s room. They had to peek through the window because it would be too risky to do so directly through the front door.


    Kathy immediately pulled out her cell phone and texted Rachel after Emma walked away.


    Emma darted to the men¡¯s room door after making sure it was safe inside. Quickly, she put on her mask after going inside and hid in one of the empty toilet cubicles.


    This time, Emma indeed depended on luck. She did not have much time to be able tounch the next action and -hopefully- save Britney. If no man came into the toilet for Emma to get his clothes, then all ns would fail.


    Legend said that every good intention would find a way. Emma breathed a sigh of relief when she heard footsteps and a few men talking to each other as they entered the toilet.


    Emma slightly opened the cubicle door which she had not locked in the first ce, then peeked outside. Three men were urinating; their backs were on her. Emma bit her lower lip as she let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡®Come on, Emma. You can do it.¡¯


    Then, quickly and quietly, Emma came out of the cubicle and knocked one of the men on the hump to send him unconscious.


    The other two men, who saw their friend being attacked, were shocked and immediately tried to attack the masked man back. But quickly, Emma knocked the two men down.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Please understand. I have no other choice,¡± Emma said in a low voice as she took off the jackets and shoes of the two men who were lying on the toilet floor.


    After putting on one of the jackets, Emma immediately stepped out of the toilet. Her fists were always ready to be in front of her body, just in case someone entered the toilet; because if that happened, Emma would be forced to paralyze whoever that man was.


    Luckily, Emma didn¡¯t bump into what she was afraid of. She managed to get back to Kathy, who was still waiting anxiously for her while listening to Poppy and Rachel¡¯s conversation from Emma¡¯s cell phone.


    ¡°Ah! Thank goodness!¡± Kathy said immediately as soon as Emma was back.


    Emma gave arge grey, blue jacket and a pair of men¡¯s shoes to Kathy who immediately put them on.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Kathy said when she finished wearing her disguise costumes.


    ***


    ¡°I was just.. surprised that there were so many people here. I-I thought this toilet has no visitor except us-¡± Britney stammered. ¡°-as you said,¡± she continued in a low voice


    ¡°You¡¯re still talking about that? I told you, didn¡¯t I? On Jen Marrie Street, you don¡¯t have to worry about who will see your face. The people whoe here don¡¯t care about who you are. They just know to have fun!¡± The madam said in a displeased tone.


    Britney just lowered her head, holding back tears. Then she nodded. ¡°I-I understand. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The madam could only sigh in annoyance as she red back at the girl who was still standing in front of the toilet cubicle. ¡°Your attitude is very outrageous. I hope you won¡¯t mess up on your first day.¡±


    Then she took a deep sip of her cigarette. ¡°I¡¯ve told RD to provide attitude lessons to these females. All they care about is the face and body.¡± She muttered to herself.


    In between, Rachel felt her phone vibrate. With a rxed attitude, she took it out and found an iing message from Kathy.


    ¡°Hey, look at this,¡± Rachel showed Poppy the screen of her phone like it was nothing.


    ¡°Oh.. That¡¯s interesting too,¡± Poppy said in a joking tone.


    Seeing the madam who had just finished scolding Britney, Poppy immediately took the opportunity to do what Kathy asked.


    ¡°Sorry if we made things ufortable,¡± Poppy said to the woman.


    ¡°Nope..¡± The woman waved her hand which had long, bright red nails. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. These girls are newbies. That¡¯s why they are still very spoiled. If you really want to join, I hope you can be more professional than them. Aren¡¯t you a former porn star?¡±


    Poppy nodded with a faint smile. ¡°I am. Of course, I¡¯m a professional. I already have a lot of experience from my previous job.¡±


    Britney looked at Poppy and Rachel with a horror look. What were the girls really thinking? Even Poppy; was she out of her mind?


    ¡°Are you girls done?¡± Madam asked while staring at her phone screen. ¡°Josh said the table is reserved. We can go there now,¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The girls said in unison.


    Poppy and Rachel nced at each other with nervous faces. Poppy then nced into her bag to see her cellphone which was still connected to the call with Emma¡¯s cellphone.


    ¡°Can I register too?¡± Rachel asked after racking her brains.


    ¡°You?¡± Madam looked at Rachel from head to toe. ¡°You¡¯re giraffe tall, you know that?¡± her eyebrows rose sideways.


    Rachel smiled faintly. ¡°I know. Is there a chance for a girl of above-average height like me?¡±


    ¡°Well.. Come with your friend when she will register. I will ask the boss,¡± The Madam answered. Then she cleared her throat. ¡°Perhaps you can wear hotter clothes when youe. That will help.¡± She winked an eye.


    ¡°Sure. Thanks for the advice. Have a nice night,¡± Rachel said to the madam.


    The woman raised her eyebrows briefly. Her chin was always up. ¡°Come on, girls. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± She said as he walked.


    However, before the madam made it to the exit, suddenly two masked men entered the toilet, closed the door and locked it from the inside.

 Chapter 236

    236 Saving Britney


    ¡°Do not move!¡± Emma eximed, pointing a penknife at the women.


    The arrival of Emma and Kathy disguised as robbers made the women in the toilet hysterical.


    Rachel and Poppy pretended to be scared like the other women. But inwardly, they sighed in relief at having managed to buy time for Emma and Kathy.


    ¡°If you scream, I¡¯ll rip your mouth off!¡± Emma threatened while keeping her knife pointed. Then she nced at Poppy and pulled her away.


    Emma held Poppy¡¯s neck in front of her with one arm, and then her other hand, which held the knife was ced near the girl¡¯s neck.


    ¡°P-please don¡¯t hurt me. I beg you!¡± Poppy said with tears slowly running down her cheeks. She yed so well.


    ¡°W-what do you want?¡± The madam asked with her body pressed against the wall.


    Kathy, unarmed, only pretended that she would be ready to hit the women if they dared to make a move. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t carry a knife as Emma did. But they had to move quickly before the women realized that they weren¡¯t men because Emma and Kathy weren¡¯t wearing gloves. Their trousers didn¡¯t belong to men either.


    ¡°You women belong to the Beast Empire, aren¡¯t you? They owe us two girls, damn it!¡± Emma said in her robotic voice.


    .....


    ¡°W-what? How did that happen? Who are you?¡± Madame asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business! This is a matter between men.¡± Emma answered. Then she pointed at Britney and another girl at random. ¡°You two! Come with us! Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°W-wait!¡± The madam was about to hold them.


    Kathy, who was standing next to the madam, immediately pushed the woman¡¯s chest back until her back hit the wall.


    ¡°GOD!¡± The madam held onto the criminal¡¯s hand that was pressing against her chest, just below her neck, very firmly.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not move, old woman. You still care about your life, don¡¯t you?¡± Kathy said in her robotic voice.


    The madam stared at the ck-masked face in front of her with frightened eyes. Then she nodded quickly with a hard breath because her chest was pressed tightly.


    Emma looked at Kathy and shook her head slightly to the side. Kathy nodded, then walked over to the exit, unlocked it to peek outside.


    ¡°Safe.¡± She said to Emma.


    ¡°Come here quickly!¡± Emma snapped at the two sexy-dressed girls who were still standing by their madam.


    ¡°Madam,¡± Britney and another girl looked at their madam with frightened faces.


    But the madam just clicked her tongue, and moved her chin towards the men. ¡°Just go with them,¡± she said in a whisper.


    For the madam, it was better for her to lose two new girls rather than put her life in danger. She didn¡¯t know what was going on with her bosses. As the masked man said, it was the men¡¯s problem. She didn¡¯t want to get involved at all. She only worked for them on her part.


    ¡°Quick!¡± Emma eximed, pointing her knife again at the girls.


    With a frightened face, Britney and the other girl she just met, walked slowly toward the gunman.


    ¡°You too! Come with us!¡± Emma said to Rachel.


    ¡°Please..¡± Poppy said to Rachel with tears in her eyes, pretending to beg her friend toe along so her life didn¡¯t fly away.


    With the victims already collected, Kathy immediately opened the toilet door, and stepped quickly behind the twofort women. She grabbed them by the shoulders. ¡°Obey, if you want to survive.¡±


    Then Emma forcefully dragged Poppy out of the toilet.


    ¡°Move!¡± Kathy snapped at the girls while pushing them a little.


    Before exiting the toilet, Kathy pulled out the key stuck in the keyhole of the inside of the door. When they were all out of there, Kathy quickly locked the door from the outside.


    Meanwhile, Emma immediately released Poppy. Then they dragged Britney and another girl toward the back of the toilet.


    Once behind the toilet, Emma and Kathy quickly took off their jackets and masks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be loud. We¡¯re helping you,¡± Poppy said quickly to Britney and the stranger girl.


    ¡°Put on the jacket,¡± Emma threw the men¡¯s jacket she had just taken off at Britney.


    Kathy followed by giving hers to the stranger.


    Meanwhile, Rachel swiftly picked up Emma and Kathy¡¯s shoes which they had left beside the wall.


    The two girls who were being rescued looked at them all with confused faces. It seemed that Poppy and Rachel recognized the two masked men.


    As soon as Emma and Kathy¡¯s masks were removed, Britney was gawked to see the faces of her two friends.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Emma said quickly.


    ¡°Act normally,¡± Rachel said to Britney and the strange girl.


    Britney and her friends nodded, and began to walk quickly following the four girls with their faces down.


    The girls strode swiftly through the crowds of Jen Marie street. After having walked quite a distance from the toilet, Emma looked back and found some men gathered in front of the female toilet.


    Emma was sure they were breaking down the toilet door. The madam must have contacted her people right away after the criminals left.


    ¡°We must hurry. Their help is here.¡± Emma said after looking back at the front.


    After getting out of the crowd of Jen Marie Street, the group of girls immediately quickened their pace to half-running and then real-running as soon as they got out of that damned street.


    They ran into the deserted parking lot, and approached a red car. Kathy, who had previously held the car key, swiftly threw it at Emma who was already standing beside the driver¡¯s door.


    Quickly, the girls got into the car even though they had to jostle.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Emma asked as she started the engine.


    ¡°Yes,¡± The girls answered in unison.


    After hitting the gas a few times to warm up the engine, Emma drove the car as fast as she could, out of the area.


    ¡°Damn! It was mad! What a tense!¡± Kathy eximed with a long sigh.


    ¡°What¡¯s really going on, guys? Why did you guys suddenly appear?¡± Britney asked directly.


    She had mixed feelings right now. She didn¡¯t understand what was going on. She was happy to have been saved and confused by the appearance of her friends. Everything happened very fast.


    Rachel kept her eyes on the rearview mirror, asionally ncing at the rear mirror to see if someone was following their car or not.


    ¡°No one¡¯s following us. But we¡¯d better hurry,¡± Said Rachel who was sitting in the front passenger seat.


    Emma nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s amotion going on in the Beast Empire right now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Kathy asked the stranger girl they were forced to take in the car.


    Actually, Emma¡¯s decision to bring another girl she didn¡¯t know was a risky thing. She didn¡¯t know if the girl was the victim of a kidnapping or if she worked for the Beast Empire voluntarily.


    But if Emma only brought Britney with her, it might be that the action would provoke suspicion from their madam. Then, Beast Empire would end up suspecting Britney and looking for her whereabouts.


    ¡°My name is Ava Morthkiel. Sorry, but what exactly happened?¡± Asked the girl with chocte skin and cornrows braided hair.


    ¡°Before answering your question, I want to ask you one thing first. Why did you end up working there?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I.. I was forced to do it. My own boyfriend set me up to work there. They-¡± She stopped to keep her tears from spilling out, ¡°They threatened me. If I didn¡¯t do the job, they would destroy my face.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Poppy and Kathy said at the same time.


    Briteny nodded. ¡°They did that to me too. They threaten us all. If we don¡¯t obey, they will find us and destroy our future.¡± She added without being able to hold back her tears.


    ¡°Those bastards,¡± Emma tightened her grip on the steering wheel. ¡°I¡¯ll finish them off.¡±


    ¡°Why are you guys suddenly helping us?¡± Britney asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very long story. But we were indeed investigating the case of the girls being kidnapped. And we bumped into you earlier. At that moment, we realized that something was off. We knew you well enough to know that you couldn¡¯t possibly work on Jen Marie Street of your own will.¡± Kathy exined.


    ¡°Girls.. You better stop what you¡¯re doing. You don¡¯t know what kind of people they are. Don¡¯t get involved,¡± Britney said with a shaking voice.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Britney. You don¡¯t even know what kind of woman we are.¡± Emma said.


    Britney frowned. She had never seen Emma¡¯s angry face before. Although the girl had a pretty and gentle face like an angel, she could feel the sinister aura from her. Emma¡¯s tone even sounded so cold to her ears.


    ¡°Poppy, could you get Linda and Cecil toe over?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Poppy answered, then took up her cell phone and did as Emma asked.


    The red car arrived in front of a white building with gorgeous details on the outer walls. After confirming once again that they weren¡¯t being followed, the six girls got out of the car.


    Before entering the ballet studio, Rachel helped Emma to wrap her car in a ck car cover.


    They all gathered on the third floor, waiting for Linda and Cecil toe. Even the two girls had to use a taxi toe to the ce because they were afraid of the dangers on the road.


    ¡°Britney?¡± Said Linda who had just arrived on the third floor.


    ¡°Linda!¡± Britney walked over to her best friend and hugged her tightly. In front of her best friend, she couldn¡¯t hold back the tears that eventually spilt out.


    ¡°What happened, guys?¡± Linda asked the others with a confused face, while her best friend was crying hysterically as if the apocalypse wasing.

 Chapter 237

    237 Human Trafficking


    Not long waiting, Cecil arrived at the studio to join the girls who had been waiting for her.


    ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Linda confusedly asked Emma who had been staring at the one-blind-sided window that led to the front street.


    Emma turned her body and walked over to her friends who had gathered. ¡°I will exin everything,¡±


    ¡°Me, Kathy, Poppy and Rachel. We¡¯re undercover to stop the crime in Handway City.¡± Emma exined.


    What Emma said made Linda, Britney, Cecil and Ava frown. They were still trying to digest the nonsense information.


    ¡°Wait a minute. What do you mean, Emma? Then why is Britney crying like this?¡± Cecil looked at her friend who had been looking down and couldn¡¯t stop crying. ¡°What happened to you, Britney?¡±


    ¡°Britney was forced to work as a prostitute on Jen Marrie Street,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°What? Are you kidding me?!¡± Linda looked at her best friend, whose cry immediately grew louder. She didn¡¯t know what was on Jen Marie Street. But, a prostitute? It was a job that highly religious girls would not do.


    ¡°Britney! Speak up! Is what Emma said true?¡± Cecil shook the girl¡¯s shoulders.


    .....


    Wiping her tears that kepting out, Britney nodded weakly. ¡°They.. forced me to..¡±


    ¡°Who forced you, Britney?¡± Linda asked with an angry face. Then she looked at Emma. ??¡±Who forced her?¡±


    Emma shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t know the exact story either. And I¡¯d also like to hear how Britney got there.¡± She answered as looked at Britney.


    ¡°Britney, I know it¡¯s very hard to do. But what you know will help the other girls to be free from those bad guys.¡± Poppy said slowly.


    Then Kathy walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water to give to Britney. ¡°Drink it.¡±


    Britney seemed to control her shortness of breath. Everyone waited patiently for her to speak; especially Poppy, who understood that the experience Britney went through was terrible for her psychological.


    ¡°It.. started as a part-time job,¡± Britney finally spoke.


    ¡°My dad.. His business was not so goodtely. Therefore, I looked for part-time jobs to buy my various personal needs so as not to burden him. I saw a modelling vacancy in the newspaper, and tried to give it a go. But when I went there, it was not a modelling agency.


    There were many big men waiting in a hidden room. When I was sitting in the interview room and handed all the forms and ID cards, the men came out of there and surrounded me. At that point, they gave me a real working contract. It wasn¡¯t modelling but was an agreement to surrender myself as belonging to abour foundation called Beast Empire. I must be willing to work for them without being paid for an indefinite period of time.¡±


    ¡°Then you signed it?¡± Linda¡¯s eyes widened.


    With tears flowing again, Britney nodded. ¡°They threatened me. They said they would destroy me right then and there if I didn¡¯t sign it.¡±


    ¡°But you signed it, Britney! You gave yourself to them. It¡¯s the same as destroying your own life.¡± Linda replied impatiently.


    Rachel grabbed the shoulder of Linda who looked furious. ¡°We don¡¯t know the real situation at that time. She was alone and surrounded by a group of men.¡± She said to warn Linda not to pressure Britney. ¡°She is the victim. We shouldn¡¯t judge the victim.¡±


    Linda turned her face away from Rachel¡¯s. She sighed harshly. What Rachel said was true. She shouldn¡¯t be judging Briteny for what she should and shouldn¡¯t do.


    In fact, the anger was a form of regret that Linda felt. She had failed to be a good friend. How could she don¡¯t know anything when her own best friend was in such serious trouble even though Britney had been showing strange behaviourtely? However, Linda didn¡¯t seem to care or at least tried to force her to say what was going on. She just let her be.


    ¡°I experienced it too. They forced us to sign it. They also recorded all of our data to study our home addresses and the people closest to us. They said they would hurt our family if we didn¡¯t obey. They even threatened to destroy our faces.¡± Ava said.


    ¡°Destroy your faces?¡± Emma frowned.


    Britney nodded. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a threat, Emma. They really did it. There¡¯s already a girl they¡¯ve destroyed in the face with acid solutions. It was a girl who fought back. They used it as proof to others that they didn¡¯t hesitate to do so if anyone dared to oppose them.¡±


    ¡°Even after having her face destroyed, they didn¡¯t let her go. After no longer being able to be used as a prostitute, the girl with the ruined face was turned into a beggar. They really are monsters. We have no more future now,¡± Ava started to cry.


    ¡°Those bastards..¡± Kathy clenched her fists, feeling like punching the leader of the Beast Empire¡¯s head with all her might.


    Emma was silent. Her anger was too severe that she didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. Her breath was heavy and ragged. She felt like killing those people right now.


    ¡°So what should we do now? Did you two run away from them?¡± Cecil asked Britney and Ava with a worried face mixed with fear.


    Britney shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But we didn¡¯t run away. Actually, Emma and the others pretended to be masked criminals and kidnapped us. That would make them think we were kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°You kidnapped them?¡± Linda turned at the four girls who suddenly looked very mysterious to her eyes.


    ¡°Is that all, Britney?¡± She looked at her, and then Britney nodded.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Emma said with a deep breath. ¡°I have said that we have a group, haven¡¯t I? When we said that it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary group, we weren¡¯t joking at all. Our group is called ck Swan. The four of us work with masks to cover up our identities; pretend to be the men who go around eliminating crime in Handway City.¡±


    ¡°Is that.. for real?¡± Cecil was stunned. From her face, it was still clear that she couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Unbelievable, isn¡¯t it? But it is the truth. Weren¡¯t you surprised to see Poppy beat the three men who almost kidnapped you the other day?¡± Kathy smiled lopsidedly, instinctively feeling proud of how awesome her group was.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very long story as to why The ck Swan was formed. In essence, the four of us work together to fight groups of gangsters and destroy their businesses that are detrimental to society. Therefore, we learn self-defence and be strong so that we can take out those bastards.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°So, does that mean you guys can save us?¡± Ava asked quietly hopefully.


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise that, Ava. But we¡¯ll try. The problem is; we don¡¯t know exactly what the Beast Empire is and how strong their group is,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°They are very strong, Emma. Too strong. Every day, I saw the faces of their men were always changing. Doesn¡¯t that mean that they have many members?¡± Britney said.


    ¡°They are not,¡± Ava shook her head with a serious look. ¡°They¡¯re much stronger than you know, Britney. I¡¯ve been trapped in that hell for over a year. And I think I¡¯ve seen enough of how strong they are,¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me what you know about them, Ava?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Beast Empire; they do Human Trafficking business,¡± Ava said, making the girls¡¯ eyes widen.


    In fact, from some information about the Beast Empire, it was clear that they were doing that kind of business. But Ava, who said it clearly still made the chest of anyone who listened to it hurt.


    The reason was that Human Trafficking was an extraordinarily evil business. In any part of the world, no one allowed such a business to exist. But in reality, this vile business that vited human rights was still going on.


    Just like a ghost wandering in the middle of the night, searching for their victims like a hungry monster; made anyone unable to sleep peacefully. Because, if you became their victim, even though your body was still alive, you would feel that you were dead and thrown into hell.


    ¡°They look for victims in various ways; kidnapping and deceiving. Kidnapping can¡¯t be done every day because missing people are definitely being searched by their rtives. But people who are framed like Britney and me, have reasons so that our family or friends don¡¯t have to look for us.


    They treat us like cattle. Sorting us like merchandise, then selling us to work in various ces. Let alone choosing our own work, we don¡¯t even get paid. They only feed us once or twice a day.


    The prostitutes like us are at least still taken care of a little to support our physical looks. But people who do not have attractive physiques will be beggars, ves and others. Those who work by relying on their body power have to work while starving. When sick, they untreated; had to share nkets on cold nights.¡± Ava exined.


    ¡°Actually, Ava and I are still quite lucky. Even though we have to lie to our family and friends to cover this job, at least we can still go home. Since we only work at night, we still have a life during the day so that we can take care of ourselves because stress will affect our physical appearance.¡± Britney added.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t know, Britney. In the end, we will end up like those people.¡± Ava looked at the girl who had the same fate as her.

 Chapter 238

    238 Strong Women Unite


    ¡°The outcasts; those who live without family ¨C Those who have no friends and are trapped in bad environments ¨C Those who are afflicted with economic hardship. Those people are the main targets of Human Trafficking. That¡¯s because they can¡¯t defend themselves. It¡¯s like in a war, they are civilians who will always be victims without being able to fight back. There is no one to save them. No one is looking for them. They are easy targets.¡± The blonde-haired girl continued.


    Britney¡¯s tears trickled down her cheeks. She stared nkly. ¡°In time, we will be one of them,¡±


    Ava nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of women who are just like us, Britney. They used to be good people who lived in good environments; havefortable lives and families. However, the criminals made them slowly abandon their families and friends. Those criminals.. make us slowly walk away from what we have until we realized that we no longer have anything. At that time, we no longer have a home to return to; because our home has moved into the nest of the criminals,¡±


    Cecil gasped as she covered her mouth with both hands. Her eyes trembled with fear. ¡°Christ! What should we do?!¡±


    Linda hugged Britney with tears flowing. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have let alone you like that. I am sorry.¡± she said in a trembling voice.


    Linda and Cecil felt shattered into pieces to hear what their best friend¡¯s fate would be like. It was a nightmare. A nightmare that even would make you cry in fear when you woke up. However, the worst was that it was not just a nightmare. That was reality.


    Another fact also made them realise that with Britney trapped with the monsters, it was the same that the safety of her friends and family was also in danger.


    ¡°Do not be afraid,¡± Emma said firmly. ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen. You won¡¯t end up like that. And that f*cking Human Trafficking business will soon disappear from Handway City.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re powerful, Emma. And, there¡¯s only four of us.¡± Poppy gulped. ¡°Honestly, I am afraid I¡¯d end up like those people. What I went through in the past is still haunting mytest sleep. I¡¯m really scared. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Even for decades toe, Poppy was not sure that she could get rid of the trauma.


    .....


    ¡°Beast Empire has many men. But what makes your n impossible is that there is a group that always helps the Beast Empire. I don¡¯t know if this is true or not. But what I heard is that Jen Marrie Street is owned by a group called Dragger.


    They are Beast Empire¡¯s number one customer. They always help Beast Empire in various ways. Maybe the leaders are friends. I myself even have been sold to the Dragger group to be a prostitute on Jen Marrie Street for almost a year now.¡± Ava exined.


    ¡°A street as big as Jen Marrie. The business they own is a giant, Emma. Even the Creeper or RJC businesses are still far smaller than them. We can imagine how big the Dragger is.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Shall we just run away from this city? Will they not be able to find us?¡± The desperate Britney looked at Ava with frantic eyes. ¡°This is ourst chance, Ava. Maybe we won¡¯t be able to escape them twice. I¡¯m so scared.¡±


    ¡°I already said that it won¡¯t happen,¡± Emma said again. Unlike the other girls, her face was still stern. ¡°Even if I have to get hurt, no.. even if I have to die, I will go into the grave with two hands covered in the blood of those damn bastards. If I must die, I will also drag them into hell.¡±


    ¡°E-Emma,¡± Poppy looked at the sharp-eyed girl.


    Emma looked at her friends one by one. ¡°Do you know why such a bastard group like them got so big? It¡¯s because no one is trying to stop them. It¡¯s because too many people don¡¯t care about others. Too many people only care about themselves. Too many cowards. Too manyzybones.¡±


    Then Emma chuckled. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not their kind of person. I will not stand silent and watch injustice grow freely. I can¡¯t stand to see peopleughing at other people¡¯s suffering. I can¡¯t hold myself from hitting those who hurt innocent people.


    I am Emma Hind. Even if I have to walk alone, the fire of my anger will not dim in the slightest. I will still destroy them; in any way. They shall know that they can¡¯t do everything they want while I¡¯m still alive in this world.¡±


    The girls fell silent to hear Emma¡¯s words. In their eyes, Emma looked like a war general shrouded in blue mes. Those two beautiful eyes looked sharp and zing. Was this the real Emma Hind? The Emma Hind who had been hiding within the figure of a graceful and gentledy.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Emma. I shouldn¡¯t be discouraged. We¡¯vee this far. Giving up is like admitting that I¡¯m weak.¡± Rachel said. Then she nodded once. ¡°You won¡¯t be alone, Emma. I will fight with you to the end.¡±


    Emma and Rachel¡¯s spirits helped burn their friends¡¯. What Emma said was true. How long would they have to depend on others to save themselves? Should they just sit back and wait until the criminals be monstrous big that they could no longer be defeated?


    ¡°Then, I¡¯lle too,¡± Kathy said, raising a hand briefly. ¡°This is kinda fun, actually. Well.. even though the risk is quite deadly,¡± she shrugged.


    Poppy looked at Emma regretfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I was afraid and doubted you, Emma. What you said is true. Without you, I might still be a prisoner of Hell Gate. The group was still standing; this ce even would never exist.¡±


    ¡°If you guys really are that strong, then teach me how to be strong. That way, I can save my friend.¡± Linda said.


    ¡°I want to be strong too. As you said, Emma, I can¡¯t rely on other people to save my life. I have to save myself.¡± Britney added.


    ¡°Sorry, I know I¡¯m not your friend. But if I¡¯m allowed to, I¡¯d really like to join. I have a lot of friends stuck there. I want to help them.¡± Ava said slowly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make it easy. Who wants to join the ck Swan? Please raise your hand,¡± Kathy said, raising a hand above her head.


    No need to think twice, all the girls raised their hands steadily.


    Emma smiled with mixed feelings, her eyes filled with tears. ¡°Thank you, girls. I don¡¯t know what to say..¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, Emma. We should be the ones thanking you. You have saved us. And we will help people who have the same fate as us.¡± Rachel replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Kathy nodded lightly.


    ¡°Seeing how big Beast Empire and Dragger are, do we need to add more members?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Linda. If I think about it logically, we dock members to fight two huge groups at once. But I don¡¯t deny that this job is something dangerous.¡± Emma said.


    Linda smiled crookedly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Emma. Just give me some days. I¡¯ll bring an army for you.¡±


    ¡°But, Linda.. I think this job is a bit...¡±


    ¡°Rx, Emma.¡± Cecil held the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°In addition to being the leader of a very influential Cheerleader club, Linda is also a core member of a humanitarian organization which is dominated by youths.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was such an organization?¡± Kathy replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s an association formed from our church. We often raised funds to feed the homeless and orphaned children. There are indeed many youths in it.¡± Britney added.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the girls to you. And you don¡¯t have to worry, Emma. I¡¯ll do it discreetly and smoothly. I guarantee your secret won¡¯t leak. You just have to wait for the results.¡± Linda said.


    ¡°Thanks for your help, Linda. But I have to say it again that I don¡¯t want anyone to be forced into this. They need to know that this is a dangerous job. In the end, they are women.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Are you kidding me, Emma? Then, what are we? We¡¯re women too, aren¡¯t we?¡± Linda replied.


    ¡°Emma, ??I know you are strong. Maybe all this time, people¡¯s expectations of women have been too rigid. Women are indeed described to be frail and elegant. But that doesn¡¯t mean a woman refuses to be strong. It doesn¡¯t mean all women want to live in a box. They want to be influential too. They want to do something for others but there¡¯s nothing to amodate them. In this world, it¡¯s not just you who wants to be a hero, Emma.¡± Rachel said.


    Rachel¡¯s words were a little sharp at times. But it was Rachel¡¯s words that could always open Emma¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I get it, Rachel.¡± Emma looked at her best friend. ¡°Thank you,¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both trying to grow up here. I love this rtionship.¡± Rachel smiled.


    ***


    The kidnapping of the twofort women had reached Derric Hubbert¡¯s ears. It was something that had never happened since the business was founded. And what even weirder was..


    ¡°We owe them two girls?¡± Derric frowned.


    RD nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what Elena said. The two masked men came and said that the Beast Empire owed them two girls. Therefore, they snatched two of our girls with them.¡±


    ¡°Owe my ass! What nonsense were they talking about?!¡± Derric eximed.


    ¡°The masked men? Could it be ck?¡± Asked Juan who was in the same room with them.


    ¡°I think so. We even found three men passed out in the men¡¯s restroom. Two of them lost their jackets and shoes. They imed that a masked man did it.¡± RD answered.

 Chapter 239

    239 Realizing the Importance of Money


    ¡°He did it all of a sudden. Is there any security camera footage there?¡± Derric asked as he brushed his philtrum.


    ¡°There was never a CCTV camera on Jen Marrie Street. Pablo didn¡¯t allow it because he didn¡¯t want to take the risk that the police would check his ce one day.¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Was he joking? Didn¡¯t he pay the police a lot?¡± Derric shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°He¡¯s that careful, indeed,¡± RD replied, considering that he had always been dealing with Dragger¡¯s subordinates, he was quite familiar with the mindset of the leader of such arge group.


    ¡°So it¡¯s certain that ck did it? Turns out they dared to nudge us in the end,¡± Derric said.


    ¡°Rather than that, I¡¯m more concerned about the reason they did that. Didn¡¯t we ever bother ck?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Let alone bothering them. I¡¯ve never seen them in person. But they were the ones who helped RJC beat the Creepers.¡± RD shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Could it be because Dragger nudged RJC?¡± Derric guessed.


    ¡°No way. ck eventually helped Jita Kyoei to defeat RJC, making them close the Underground Cave.¡± Juan replied.


    .....


    ¡°Dammit! Seriously, what kind of group is ck? What do they want?¡± Derric growled.


    ¡°To be sure, they have the same mission as Calvin Lee,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Calvin Lee? The sewer rat that often bothers people¡¯s business?¡±


    Juan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s clear that they want to destroy all the gangsters in Handway City. They are people who act like heroes.¡±


    ¡°To be sure, ck is holding two of my assets right now. They stole them and I have to get them back. They f*cking insulted me by doing that,¡± Derric said.


    **


    Dream Moves was a ballet dance course located on Ater Street which was on the western and southern border of Handway City. Even though it was still a new business, it only took a month for the ce to have arge number of students.


    Every day, many girls were seen in and out of the pretty-ssic-styled building.


    However, that was what people see from outside the ballet studio. The fact was, they didn¡¯t know what was really going on in there.


    ¡°One! Two! One! Two!¡± Rachel eximed, pacing back and forth with a slender wooden stick in her hand. In front of her were about fifteen girls who were doing muscle training.


    Dream Moves ballet studio was not just a ce to learn ballet, but on the third and fourth floors were the headquarters for a group called The ck Swan.


    The ck Swan was a group of about sixty girls. They were Handway City¡¯s girls who had the same mission: Be strong and eradicate crimes. They were led by a powerful girl named Emma Hind.


    While Poppy and two other instructors were teaching ballet on the first and second floors, directly above them, the girls were being forged by Rachel and Emma to be warriors who were not only strong, but intelligent.


    The third floor, which was the headquarters for the girls to gather, had turned into a girl¡¯s dream house. It was a second house of The ck Swan¡¯s girls. Therefore, almost every member contributed a variety of pretty furniture and knick-knacks to fill the very spacious room.


    When night came and the ballet studio was closed. The girls would use their time to practice martial arts using all the practice rooms on every floor.


    Emma did not expect that the girls had such great enthusiasm. Even though she had to teach many people at once, Emma never felt tired because the enthusiasm of the girls seemed to be her fuel.


    ¡°War is at hand,¡± Kathy said with both eyes, staring at theputer screen through the sses perched on the bridge of her slender nose.


    With her abilities, Kathy managed to hack a short message application belonging to a member of the Beast Empire named Rude Boy (RD). Incidentally, he was the only man who Kathy found had a social media ount. It seemed that the members of the Beast Empire did have closed private lives.


    From there, Kathy continued to monitor the activity on RD¡¯s short message. She found several numbers that discussed the search for two girls who were kidnapped by the ck group.


    ¡°They started looking for Britney and Ava. From now on, it¡¯s best if the two of them stay here and don¡¯t hang around just yet.¡± Emma said. She was standing next to Kathy¡¯s chair while staring at the sameputer screen.


    ¡°What are they nning next, Kathy?¡± Linda asked.


    Kathy shrugged. ¡°As it should be: Watching those girls¡¯ house,¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve stolen what they think is theirs. That means we¡¯re dering war,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Is this funny? We are the ones dering war but we are the ones hiding.¡± Emma chuckled.


    Kathy smiled amusedly. ¡°Fortunately, we didn¡¯t care about that stupid ¡®Group Self-Esteem¡¯ term. Who cares what they will say,¡± She shrugged as she grabbed a cup of cold yoghurt from the table and scoops it into her mouth.


    ¡°Anyways, Rachel. Are all the masks ready?¡± Emma asked the long-legged girl who was sitting cross-legged on the turquoise sofa near therge window.


    ¡°Otsuka said; next week everything could be done,¡± Rachel answered.


    ¡°Um, Emma..¡± Poppy called the group leader.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emma turned around.


    ¡°Our expenses are huge, Emma. I¡¯m not sure you can cover all of this with your personal money.¡± Poppy said while looking at herptop screen.


    After the ck Swan became arge group, Poppy suggesting to be a manager for the group. She was in charge of all financial and member management. It happened that Poppy was a meticulous, neat and organized person.


    ¡°The more people, the more needs. Of course, we need money,¡± Linda said as she sat beside Rachel.


    ¡°We can¡¯t always rely on your money, Emma. I can even guess how much money you¡¯ve spent on this group. Even though you¡¯re the leader, that doesn¡¯t mean you have to pay for everything.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°We have to do something if we want this group to continue to grow. Well.. Looks like what Marcel said was true. Everything costs money,¡± Kathy let out a long sigh before taking a spoonful of her yoghurt.


    Theputer she was using now even had just been bought using her and Emma¡¯s money. Of course it was too expensive for Emma to pay just with her money.


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Poppy said suddenly, attracting attention from other friends. She smiled broadly. ¡°How about we make a Y**tube channel?¡±


    ¡°Y**tube channel?¡± Emma repeated with both eyebrows rose.


    ¡°Well.. It¡¯s a pretty good idea, actually. Y**tube can indeed make a lot of money if your channel has a lot of subscribers.¡± Kathy said enthusiastically. ¡°Should I create a game channel? It¡¯s a good idea, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It can be done, Kathy. I was thinking about starting a ballet channel.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°Because you said that, I got inspired to create a cooking channel,¡± Emma said thoughtfully. Then she took a deep breath with enthusiasm. ¡°Then, we¡¯d better make it soon!¡±


    It seemed that The ck Swan quickly found a way out of their new problem. The girls took advantage of their ability to make money using the inte. It was not just the core team, but the members also racked their brains to be able to raise money.


    The ck Swan was a group filled with pretty girls. Those who were into the world of entertainment take the initiative to do live streaming on several applications.


    Despite being a fugitive, The ck Swan didn¡¯t seem to care about what was happening out there. They found out that the gangsters were looking for them. However, what they cared about was continuing to hone themselves to be stronger before actually jumping into the battlefield.


    Meanwhile, Dragger and Beast Empire continued to do their business without knowing that there were two groups of heroes were preparing for their group¡¯s copse. They were ck Swan and Jita Kyoei.


    **


    Managing her new group took much of Emma¡¯s time. She had a lot of activities. Lecture, study, practice self-defence and teach self-defence. Those all made Emma forget that she actually had a love story.


    A message that entered Emma¡¯s cellphone when she was on her way from home to Poppy¡¯s studio location seemed to make her heart beat again.


    ¡®Hey. Long time no see. Have you forgotten me?¡¯ ¨C Levi.


    The short message from the person who had caused Emma¡¯s feelings to fall apart made her sigh heavily. She pulled the car over to reply to the message.


    ¡®Hey. Seems like I¡¯ve actually kind of forgotten you. Maybe it¡¯s because we both have nothing to talk about?¡¯ ¨C Emma


    ¡®Did something happen?¡¯ ¨C Levi.


    Emma pursed her lips, and then took a deep breath before her fingers danced on the phone screen.


    ¡®There isn¡¯t anything. I¡¯m just telling the truth. We really only meet when there¡¯s a problem, aren¡¯t we? Don¡¯t we have any reason to meet other than trouble? (LOL emote)¡¯ -Emma.


    Emma was still staring at her phone screen, waiting for the reply from the grey-eyed man. However, after two minutes of waiting, no more replies came.


    Emma shook her head slowly as she put her hands on the gears and steering wheel to get back on the road. However, before her foot hit the gas pedal, her cell phone made a sound again. The difference was; it was an iing call ringtone.


    Emma stared at the phone screen. It had the name Levi Wargos on it. The girl let out a long sigh before picking up the call.

 Chapter 240

    240 End it


    ¡°Hello,¡± Emma greeted, trying to be as friendly as possible.


    ¡°Are you busy?¡± Levi asked directly.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way somewhere. I¡¯m in the car.¡± Emma answered, didn¡¯t even give a reply question.


    ¡°If I wanted to see you for a while, would it bother you?¡±


    ¡°I..¡±


    ¡°Well, I know it must be bothering you. Why am I still asking? Haha..¡± Levi cut in again before Emma could answer. But he didn¡¯t hear Emma say anything. It made him have to go back to his sentence, ¡°I¡¯m a selfish man, Emma. I would still ask you to spare a little of your time although knowing that you would be annoyed.¡±


    Emma let out a long sigh. Every time she heard Levi¡¯s voice sound like that, she would never be able to contain her curious feeling about what was going on with him. However, should the two of them continue like this? Even Emma began to think that perhaps she was being used by Levi.


    ¡°All right, Levi. I¡¯ll make time for you. It happens that I also have something to tell you.¡± Emma answered. ¡°At Caf¨¦ xx at 6 p.m. How about it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be waiting for you there.¡± Levi answered.


    .....


    Then Emma hung up the phone. She took another deep breath and exhaled long before driving the car back to her destination.


    After finishing all her business at headquarters, Emma immediately went to Caf¨¦ XX as promised. After about fifteen minutes of drive, the car arrived in front of a ssic vintage-style building. Through itsrge window, Emma could see a man sitting alone at a table on the second floor.


    Emma entered the caf¨¦, ordered a drink and walked up the stairs to the second floor. She saw Levi who was staring silently at therge window beside him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I amte,¡± Emma said as she pulled the chair in front of Levi for her to sit.


    Levi turned to the girl with loose, light-brown hair which was a little longer than thest he remembered. His dark red lips instantly curved into a smile as he nced at his watch. ¡°Pretty unusual. What do you want to drink?¡±


    Emma shook her head with a faint smile, ¡°I already ordered. Maybe the waiter wille to deliver it soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Levi answered.


    After the brief conversation, the two of them were both silents. For some reason, the atmosphere became very awkward. It was funny because the two of them were so close atst time they met. But it seemed that the ufortable feeling Emma felt was so strong that it affected the atmosphere around them.


    ¡°What..¡± The awkwardness grew even more when the two of them even tried to start talking at the same time.


    Theyughed. At that time, a waiter came to bring Emma¡¯s drink. But before he left, Levi held him back and ordered a slice of Blueberry Pie.


    After the waiter left, Levi let out a long sigh before taking a sip of his Espresso. ¡°Well.. Why is it so awkward? Don¡¯t you feel it? I think this atmospherees from you.¡± He said, trying to be his usual self.


    In all his life, Levi had never felt awkward in front of other people. He never cared about other people¡¯s feelings. If he was interested, then he would talk. If he wasn¡¯t, then he would be silent. That was how simple he was.


    But only for this girl named Emma Hind, it seemed that he didn¡¯t recognize himself anymore. Every aura that the girl gave off easily affected his feelings.


    ¡°You want to say something, don¡¯t you? Should I use the term ¡®Ladies first¡¯?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Emma nodded before taking a sip of her Matcha Latte. ¡°It¡¯s actually not so serious, Levi. I just wanted to tell you that maybe we won¡¯t be seeing each other very often.¡±


    Levi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t we really don¡¯t see each other often?¡±


    That was right. What was Emma thinking exactly? Honestly, she was feeling a little nervous right now.


    The girl cleared her throat to cover her nervousness. ¡°I mean, I might not get to see you again every time you ask me to.¡±


    ¡°Are you that busy?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma nodded slowly. ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°But why do I feel like there¡¯s another reason? Are you, perhaps, trying to avoid me?¡± Levi asked in a slightly joking tone to prevent Emma from feeling offended.


    ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding you. I just feel that...¡± Emma thought for a moment to find the right words. Her eyes looked up as she continued, ¡°there are enough things to take priority over this.¡±


    Levi furrowed his brow. His face looked thoughtful to draw a conclusion. ¡°So, you mean; there are many more important things than me?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡± Emma gave a doubtful face before nodding. ¡°It¡¯s kind of,¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Levi nodded then giggled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be that important to you either.¡±


    Emma smiled, ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Then Levi¡¯s giggle faded slowly. They were silent again for a few minutes until the waiter came back with Levi¡¯s order: A slice of warm Blueberry Pie with a delightfully crispy crust.


    Levi gestured his hand towards the girl in front of him briefly. The waiter understood, and put the pie in front of Emma.


    ¡°That¡¯s for you. I thought you liked pie,¡± Levi said after seeing Emma¡¯s confused face.


    Emma stared at the pie for a few seconds. What the man did make her feel a dilemma. Why would the little things that Emma often received from other men feel so special when it was Levi Wargos who did them for her?


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma said kindly after gathering her sanity back. ¡°Let¡¯s see how it tastes,¡± she said before cutting the small piece of the Pie.


    Levi stared at Emma as if she were a view of the green fields and mountains which refreshed his eyes that were too tired to see the bustle and pollution of the city. Even more, his lips unconsciously curled into a smile.


    ¡°Is it as good as the pie you shared with me?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Emma looked at the man. Oh.. he still remembered it, apparently.


    Emma smiled faintly. ¡°Feels to be almost the same taste. But my friend¡¯s grandmother¡¯s is a little better,¡± she exined.


    ¡°At least you seem to like it,¡± Levi said with both eyes still attached to the girl whose every behaviour made him chuckle.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you order for yourself too?¡± Emma asked.


    But Levi shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m cutting back on sweets.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡± Emma¡¯s tone was condescending. ¡°Your blood sugar has gone up? Would you at least give this a try?¡± she pointed the pie te at Levi.


    Levi shook his head with a faint smile. ¡°I won¡¯t eat even one bite. I just realized that I like sweetness. Therefore, I will stop eating it.¡±


    Emma frowned in confusion. ¡°If your blood sugar is normal and you like sweetness, then why are you avoiding it so badly?¡±


    ¡°Sweets makes me happy. I¡¯m afraid my stock of happiness will run out just for sweets. It¡¯s a shame because I want to spend it on things more important than just food.¡±


    ¡°What kind of bullshit is that?¡± Emma muttered with an incredulous face.


    Levi chuckled. ¡°Eat. If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll order more.¡±


    Although Levi did often say things like nonsense, Emma understood that there was a meaning in those strange sentences. Normally, Emma would have replied with a follow-up question because she could clearly see Levi¡¯s sad face which meant that he was having a lot of problems.


    But Emma had already told herself that she could no longer do this. Although she had thought that their rtionship was an interesting and funny thing, it was no longer the same now.


    Emma never thought that her heart would grow feelings for Levi. If they continued to do this, then the feeling would only grow bigger. As Poppy said; Emma shouldn¡¯t get caught up in those feelings with the wrong person because it would only end up painfully.


    ¡°Levi,¡± Emma called softly. It was as if all her passion had evaporated into the air until only emptiness remained.


    Levi looked at Emma who just kept looking down at her half-bitted pie. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t feel there was something wrong with Emma. From Emma¡¯s first message reply, Levi immediately realized that the girl was no longer the same. Therefore, he insisted on meeting in person.


    ¡°Yes?¡± The man smiled faintly. But for some reason, his heart began to beat violently.


    ¡°When I said I couldn¡¯t just meet you anymore, I really meant it.¡± Emma raised her face to look at Levi again. ¡°Looks like I can¡¯t be your friend anymore, Levi.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? Did I make a mistake the other day?¡± Levi asked, trying to be calm.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, Levi. I¡¯m the one at fault here. I just feel that our friendship is unhealthy. I just feel like I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡±


    Levi shook his head with a small surprised chuckle. ¡°That.. is a strange reason, I think.¡±


    ¡°What we have been doing is strange from the start, Levi. That¡¯s why I wanted to end it.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t it because of its strangeness that we do it? Then why do you suddenly want to end it when this strangeness starts to get fun?¡± He asked.


    But Emma immediately shook her head. ¡°No. Unfortunately, you¡¯re the only one who finds this fun.¡± Then she chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that we have quite simr personalities and mindsets. But now I seem to have found the difference.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to see me anymore?¡± Levi asked in a cold tone. Under the table, his fists clenched hard. He held back his feelings to keep his face.


    Emma nodded. ¡°From the first ce, we were strangers. I think, even if we don¡¯t see each other anymore, it won¡¯t have a big impact on our lives.¡±

 Chapter 241

    241 Out of Mind and Sanity


    Levi¡¯s fist tightened until his fingers began to turn pale. He nodded. ¡°Very well. I understand what you mean. If that is what you want, I won¡¯t force you because this kind of rtionship is what I want forever for us; an ordinary friendship between two strangers.¡±


    Levi¡¯s reaction gave Emma a painful throb in her chest. To be honest, her little heart expected rejection from the man. But Levi was still Levi Wargos. It was the figure of a man Emma didn¡¯t recognize well. The figure of a man who in Emma¡¯s eyes, could be cold and warm ording to his own wishes.


    Yes, Levi was that selfish. And logically, Emma already knew that Levi would agree to Emma¡¯s decision without any objections at all. Because in the end, the man still insisted on not wanting to know each other further.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s clear now.¡± Emma smiled widely, pretending to sigh in relief. ¡°Gosh.. it turns out that saying it is this easy, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Levi just stared at the girl who still smiled as if he didn¡¯t have any value in her eyes.


    ¡°Looks like I have to go home now.¡± Emma nced at her watch. Then she looked back at Levi, and forced a friendly smile. ¡°Thanks for your time and all your advice so far, Levi. I¡¯m sorry if I ever wronged you. But I really enjoy what we¡¯ve been through. You¡¯ve helped me a lot. I hope your life will continue to be happy in the future.¡±


    Levi chuckled. ¡°You said it well,¡±


    Emmaughed a little. ¡°Well then. Goodbye. Thanks for the pie.¡± she said before walking away.


    Levi didn¡¯t answer the farewell. His two eyes just stared intently at the girl who walked away leaving him at the table alone.


    .....


    The girl with two light brown irises of the same colour as her hair, took a step further and disappeared down the stairs.


    Levi returned his gaze to the front. He raised his hands which had been clenched on his thighs, to the table. He tapped the round object made of wood with his finger. His eyes stared at a small te that held the leftover pie slice.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t finish it.¡± The man muttered. Then, he stood up from his seat.


    Emma opened the cafe door and the still-cold spring night breeze blew her hair and gave a chilling sensation to her skin. For the umpteenth time, she sighed. However, the heaviness in her chest did not go away.


    ¡°At least it¡¯s over before things get tooplicated, Emma. You have done your best.¡± She said to herself as she stepped up and pressed the car door lock.


    She opened the door of her red car and got in. Just as Emma was about to start her car engine, the front passenger seat door suddenly opened.


    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± Emma asked with a surprised face.


    After closing the door, Levi was seen controlling his panting breath from running after Emma before the girl left ¨C or maybe.. he couldn¡¯t see her again.


    Levi actually had a formidable respiratory system. He wouldn¡¯t be panting easily just because he was running. He was used to doing strenuous exercise with a steady breath. But the panic in his heart made each beat seem capable of exploding his heart and copsing his lungs.


    Levi turned to Emma who was still staring at him in silence. Her questioning gaze with her confused face made his feelings mixed. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He couldn¡¯t even believe what he was doing now. Chasing a girl to suddenly break into her car? Was he a maniac with no self-respect? Maybe he had lost his mind.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Emma asked again without reducing her surprised expression.


    Levi was silent. His face was no less surprised than Emma¡¯s. He was shocked at his own actions so he couldn¡¯t answer Emma¡¯s question. What should he exin?


    Emma shook her head slowly and tiredly. ¡°Do you have anything to say? Or did I leave something there?¡± She guessed. But since Levi didn¡¯t reply, she continued, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing, you can get out of my car now, please.¡±


    The man¡¯s ambiguous behaviour really confused Emma. That was Levi¡¯s habit, indeed; confusing Emma was his forte. And Emma wasn¡¯t going to let that go on any longer because she realized that her feelings were surprisingly fragile. She might fall if she stood too long on the brink.


    ¡°Levi,¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t finished your pie yet,¡± Levi said straight away.


    ¡°What?¡± Emma frowned.


    Levi nodded at his own spontaneity. ¡°That¡¯s right. You haven¡¯t finished it yet. It¡¯s still left.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡± Emma asked. Now her confusion was doubled. What was the problem if she didn¡¯t finish the pie? Did she have to pay?


    Levi was silent, gulping as he turned his gaze randomly.


    ¡°Levi! Please stop joking! I don¡¯t have..¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Levi finally spoke, stopping Emma¡¯s words.


    The man looked at Emma with a gaze she couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with your decision,¡± Levi said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to end this. I still want to see you. Please, can you help me with this?¡±


    Emma couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. She thought Levi would agree with her decision. ¡°I.. I¡¯m sorry, Levi. I really can¡¯t do it anymore. You maybe think it¡¯s fine, but I have some objections to it.¡±


    ¡°I understand that you have to put yourself first. Yes, as humans we must put ourselves as the main priority. That is my life principle too. But...¡± Levi was paused.


    Emma looked at him questioningly. ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t if I should not see you anymore. It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s once a month ¨C or six months, or even a year. I¡¯ll be fine with that. At least I know that you¡¯re still there for me to meet. You¡¯re still there to talk to.¡± Levi continued in a low voice.


    Emma¡¯s astonished face eventually softened. Her face turned sad. ¡°What happened, Levi? Why are you doing this to me? Why are you doing this to yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into my personal troubles,¡± He said. ¡°Have you ever had a w that you didn¡¯t want to show anyone?¡± he looked at Emma sorrowfully.


    Levi¡¯s question made Emma feel a small stab in her chest. She thought for a moment, then nodded weakly. She also had a secret that she kept from people. And she had her own reasons for doing so.


    ¡°If I show my wound, maybe people who see it will be hurt too. Not only that, even my wound will get deeper. I don¡¯t want that to happen. I know I¡¯m selfish, but can you help me, please? This is myst wish to you.¡± Levi said quietly.


    Emma could only stare at him. She was confused as to what she should do. If someone asked you for help, would you help them, even if you know that by doing that, you would be harmed?


    ¡°You¡¯re the only person I can talk to, Emma. I understand that you think of me as a stranger because we both don¡¯t know each other¡¯s private lives. But instead, because of our rtionship, I feel very close to you. Because of this rtionship, I now feel dependent on you. You do have a big meaning in my life.. even though I can¡¯t show it,¡± Levi exined again.


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you feel, then why are you forcing us to be strangers?¡± Emma asked.


    Then she nodded. ¡°All right, Levi. Since you¡¯ve been honest about your feelings, then so will I. The real reason I don¡¯t want to continue this is; because I want more than this. I want to get to know you more because, just like feelings, any rtionship will continue to grow. From just greetings to chatting, making friends, being good friends and...¡± Emma stopped her sentences.


    ¡®What are you really saying, Emma? Have you gone mad?!¡¯ She eximed in her heart, trying to wake herself up before bing the stupidest woman in this world.


    Then Emma quickly shook her head. ¡°If you feelfortable with someone, don¡¯t you want to have a good rtionship with her? Feelings and rtionships are like a tree. If you know that a tree can¡¯t bear fruit, then you will cut it down and rece it with a new tree, which can bear sweet fruit.¡±


    ¡°Even if the tree can¡¯t bear fruit, doesn¡¯t it deserve a chance to live? Even if it can¡¯t bear fruit, what if it wants to keep trying to give you a small and insignificant profit? It will give you some cool air and shade. Are you still going to get rid of it?¡±


    Emma bit her lower lip. She couldn¡¯t stand to see Levi begging like this. What the man said really touched her heart. But Poppy¡¯s words kept ringing in her head.


    If Emma ended up helping Levi, would what Poppy had experienced happen to her too? Would she experience the same story and pain? It was a pain she couldn¡¯t even imagine to this day.


    ¡°But what if you only have a small, piece ofnd, Levi?¡± Emma asked after taking a deep breath. ¡°Like it or not, you have to choose one tree to nt.¡±


    ¡°Then keep me as a seed. You don¡¯t need to nt it. I don¡¯t need to grow on yournd. At least I¡¯m still with you, right? I won¡¯t consume yournd. There are still more suitable trees that can grow there. What do you think, Emma? Hm?¡±


    Levi had nothing left in his head to convince Emma to give him a chance ¨C to make her willing to help him. He indeed was out of his mind and.. sanity.

 Chapter 242

    242 ck Swan Moves


    Emma huffed softly. She closed her eyes tightly as she shook her head slowly. ¡°Levi...¡±


    Suddenly, Levi grabbed Emma¡¯s hand. She was extremely surprised when she felt the warm body wrapped around her, in her own car ¨C her territory. The shock left Emma unable to move. She tried to digest what was happening; gathering her shattered sanity just like shards of ss.


    ¡°In my life, I¡¯ve only ever begged once, which was to my mother. And now, I¡¯m doing it for the second time to you. Begging people is not an easy thing for me, but, Emma.. I¡¯m begging you so much. It means a lot to me, even though it looks very simple in your eyes.¡± Levi said without loosening his arms any little.


    Levi had never felt this hopeless in his life. No matter what happened in his work, he never felt so hopeless that he had to plead like this. Feeling Emma in his arms but no reaction from her made his heart throb painfully; realizing that there was no happiness left for him. He must endure all the problems thate without having a shoulder to lean on even just for a second.


    ¡°I won¡¯t disturb your life, Emma. You can pretend that I don¡¯t exist. You don¡¯t have to listen to my troubles. You just have to be there like a statue, pretending to listen. That¡¯s more than enough for me. When you like someone, you don¡¯t have to make him yours, do you? But that person will ease the pain in your wound even just by being able to look at him. Please just this once, Emma. I won¡¯t ask for more,¡± Levi said again in a trembling voice.


    What Levi had just said made Emma¡¯s heart flutter. Did he indirectly express his feelings? But Levi¡¯s attitude so far did not reflect those sentences at all.


    It was as if he only thought of Emma as the wind that blew past him ¨C a worthless wind that you would let go of. Emma was very surprised by Levi¡¯s attitude now. Did it mean that he had been hiding his feelings for her all this time?


    Then the incident when the two of them were trapped in the barn by the beach reappeared in Emma¡¯s memory. At that time, Levi also hugged her very tightly like now, but he was in an unconscious state. He was delirious. At that moment, Levi said that he had experienced a very hard thing that had him give up what he wanted.


    Could Levi really be in such a difficult situation? Maybe he did have feelings for Emma but couldn¡¯t keep up with them. He had to lock the feeling inside. But, why?


    .....


    The figure of Levi who begged desperately like this finally made Emma¡¯s ego lose. In the end, the girl nodded.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll let this go on,¡± Emma said.


    Emma¡¯s answer was like a breeze of fresh air blowing away the heat of the fire that was tormenting Levi. A feeling of relief filled his chest.


    He nodded and smiled gently. ¡°Thank you so much, Emma. You can keep my word. I promise not to stand in your way. Until the end, you will only think of me as passing wind. I assure you, even when I leaveter, I won¡¯t matter anything to you.¡±


    ¡°About how my feeling is in my own hands. But you¡¯d better be able to keep your word. Now, can you let go of this hug of yours? I might hit you soon,¡± Emma said.


    Levi closed his eyes for a moment. Maybe this was the first andst time he felt Emma¡¯s warmth. But, like what he said earlier, he didn¡¯t need to have this girl to keep his heart beating.


    Levi let go of his embrace after he had controlled his facial expression to at least look a little less embarrassing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my impudence,¡±


    Emma cleared her throat to get rid of her nervousness. ¡°Oh.. So you can say ¡®sorry¡¯ now?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll apologize more often after this.. for wasting your time.¡± Levi smiled faintly. Then he extended his right hand to Emma. ¡°Let¡¯s make a new agreement,¡±


    ¡°What other deal?¡± Emma asked, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Parasite rtionship,¡± Levi replied in a sad tone although his lips still forced a smile.


    ¡°Parasite?¡± Emma repeated.


    Levi nodded and exined, ¡°In the future, I will trouble you by wasting your precious time. However, I promise, I will only take that from you. You are a tree of shade that helps this parasite to live.¡±


    Emma sighed heavily as she shook her head slowly. But she also reached out and shook the man¡¯s hand. ¡°I agree,¡±


    Emma couldn¡¯t believe she did this, even though she knew that Levi¡¯s promise was something that didn¡¯t make sense. How could that man control her feelings?


    In the end, it was Emma herself who had to control her own feelings; if she could. Even though she clearly knew this fact, she still epted Levi¡¯s request.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Poppy. I don¡¯t know what kind of pain you meant. But if I have to experience itter, I think I¡¯ll be strong enough to endure it. For now, I¡¯ll let my heart win.¡¯ Emma said in her heart.


    **


    The days passed. Britney had been hiding in the base for quite a long time. She had to apply for a semester off to avoid danger. It was because the Beast Empire¡¯s men were also spying around the university to find her.


    Britney and Ava, who disappeared with no traces convinced Beast Empire that the two girls were purely kidnapped by ck without any special cooperation from the two parties.


    At first, RD had thought about whether the two girls were actually nning an escape because they were forced to work. If they had the chance to escape, they would definitely do it. No one worked for the Beast Empire at their own will.


    The members of the ck Swan had shown very rapid progress. From their strength, management and business; they started to develop well.


    No one would realize that several Y**tube channels were staying under the same production house. In order to hide the existence of their group, all the members of the ck Swan live an extraordinary life as usual. If they didn¡¯t know each other from the start, then they would still pretend to be strangers outside of the base.


    ¡°Here are the names of the Beast Empire and Dragger core teams.¡± Kathy gave Emma three pieces of paper for her to study with the others.


    ¡°Pablo Diablo. Is he a high school boy for real?¡± Emma had a look of shock on her face.


    ¡°I was also surprised when I found out about it,¡± Kathy said as she massaged her neck lightly. She worked for two full days to find out the core team of the two groups.


    ¡°A high school kid could lead such a big group to even own a business as big as Jen Marie Street,¡± Poppy muttered.


    ¡°If it¡¯s just a high school kid, do we have to be that scared of him?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°With such arge group and business, we do need to be ¡®that careful¡¯ with him.¡± Emma used her fingers as quote symbol to the sides of her head and moved them.


    ¡°We can¡¯t judge a person¡¯s abilities based solely on their age. Age is just a number.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Then, when are we going to attack them, Emma? I think our group is strong enough now.¡± Britney asked, ¡°I can¡¯t possibly take days off from my sses forever, can I?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°I know. We will attack them soon. But it requires the right strategy.¡±


    ¡°What ns do you have in mind, Emma?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t need to attack their base directly because that might be too heavy. For now, we can start moving to disrupt their business activities.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°You mean; start patrol around again?¡± Rachel asked.


    Since the ck Swan started recruiting new members and became a fugitive, Emma decided to temporarily stop their patrol activities. It was useful to prevent the Beast Empire from finding their group when they weren¡¯t strong enough.


    ¡°We will not only thwart their kidnapping, but we will also thwart their business transactions,¡± Emma said with a smile.


    **


    In the middle of the night, a van with ck-painted windows pulled up in front of an old house at the end of a quiet street. From the door of the house, came out a man with a mask and a ck hat.


    As the man was out of the house, another man also came out of the front passenger door of the ck van. They seemed to talk for a little while asionally looking around to make sure the situation was safe.


    After finishing the short conversation, the man who came from the car opened the rear passenger door of the car apanied by his colleague. The man who came out of the house gestured towards the upper window of the house which was covered by wooden nks.


    Not long after, another man came out of there. He was escorting a line of five girls behind him. The girls walked with chains tying their hands and one of their ankles. Their eyes were covered with cloth and their mouths were taped shut.


    The girls walked slowly, led by the man at the front of the line. Meanwhile, two other men came out of the house to escort them into a ck van parked in front of the house.


    ¡°The girls are already in the car,¡± Cecil said. She was hiding in the gaps between two abandoned houses. The darkness of the ce made the girl wearing a mask and all-ck clothes almostpletely invisible.


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯re ready,¡± said Emma, who was sitting on the ck motorcycle. Then she turned to her other friends who were on the other two motorbikes. ¡°They will be leaving soon. Wait for my signal, girls.¡±

 Chapter 243

    243 Car Intercept


    ¡°Roger!¡± Emma¡¯s friends answered.


    At the same time, the sound of the engines that had started growled in the basement of an abandoned building where they kept all their vehicles.


    ¡°They¡¯re moving,¡± Cecil said as soon as the ck van containing the kidnapped girls moved away.


    Then Cecil stepped back from her peeking position. She pressed the button connected to the microphone attached to the mouthpiece on her mask. ¡°AB, they¡¯reing towards you,¡± she said as she ran to the next post.


    ¡°Got it,¡± The girl named Abigail Bernard answered. She and her friend were in front of the house that Cecil was spying on.


    AB took a ck t round object with a diameter of seven centimetres from her pocket. Then she gave a signal to her colleague who was on a motorbike that rode on the other side of the road, right at the intersection.


    Before long, a van appeared. As soon as the car was about to pass through an intersection that had been secretly guarded, suddenly a motorbike appeared from that direction and cut the car¡¯s way.


    Startled, the car driver stepped on the brake and pressed the horn furiously.


    ¡°Asshole!¡± The driver eximed while opening the window.


    .....


    The girl in all ck justughed as she drove her motorbike away.


    ¡°F*cking biker!¡± The driver moaned again, couldn¡¯t stand his way suddenly being cut like that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s just a reckless teenager. Just get back on the road quickly. Don¡¯t let us bete.¡± His colleague, who was sitting next to him, said.


    ¡°Tsk! If I see him again, I¡¯ll hit that idiot!¡± The driver muttered to himself as he moved his car back.


    But everyone in the car didn¡¯t realize that while they were stopping, there was a girl who had quickly attached a tracking object to the back of their car.


    ¡°Okay, everyone!¡± Kathy smiled when she saw the flickering yellow dot start to run.


    On one of her threeputer screens, a road map of Handway City was disyed. The GPS device was already installed on their targeted car and now Kathy could track it easily.


    ¡°They¡¯re moving to Neem I Road,¡± Kathy said through hermunication device that lined to Emma¡¯s.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Emma said as she rode her motorbike around the road.


    ¡°Neem III,¡± Kathy said again, focusing on theputer screen.


    Previously, Kathy had already marked the approximate location of the Beast Empire¡¯s kidnapping warehouses. She got the information from Britney and Ava, who had often been brought to the warehouses.


    Unfortunately, just like the other captives, Britney and Ava were also always blindfolded when they were in the process of being transferred, so they couldn¡¯t see the way.


    However, in the ugly building were several windows whose wooden nks shutters have started to crack so there were some gaps that could be peeked through. From all the clues that Britney and Ava remembered, Kathy and two other IT members look for a road that shared simr characteristics.


    Although they could not find the specific location, they did find two road locations that most closely matched the characteristics mentioned by Britney and Ava. And this was the right time to see which location was the real location of the human warehouse.


    From the way taken by the ck van, theputer could immediately predict where the car was headed. A notification popped up on Kathy¡¯sputer screen that said ¡®Location B¡¯.


    ¡°They¡¯re heading to location B!¡± Kathy said excitedly. The program that she and her two juniors made turned out to be working well.


    ¡°All right. We¡¯re moving to location B now. Please show us where to intercept them.¡± Emma answered while riding her motorbike.


    On the same seat, Emma brought one of her members who were ready to ept her order to hand-code their friends, which now numbered three motorbikes after another motorbike joined.


    ¡°They¡¯re going down Krone Road. It¡¯s very empty.¡± Said a girl who was sitting in front of herptop next to Kathy.


    Kathy nodded, then pressed her device. ¡°Stop them on Krone Road. Daisy will show the way,¡±


    ¡°Daisy¡¯s talking,¡± Another Kathy junior came into the conversation line and started pointing the way like a GPS guiding robot.


    Meanwhile, Kathy was in charge of monitoring everything and giving orders to the other two girls who were her juniors in the team.


    As predicted by theputer, the van carrying the five kidnapped girls headed towards Krone Road. It was because they used the fastest route they used to take. And that route history was the route they got from the online GPS when they first started the journey to transfer prisoners from the shabby-looking house to the human warehouse.


    Automatically, the program in the application that Kathy made could read these habits easily just based on a few kilometres of the initial route that the van had passed.


    As soon as the car arrived at Krone Road, which was very empty with minimal light, suddenly a group of motorbikes stopped them.


    ¡°W-What is this?!¡± The driver eximed as looked to the right and left at the two motorbikes that were already on both sides of his car.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± The man in the front passenger seat asked. ¡°Keep going! Don¡¯t stop!¡±


    If their car stopped, the biker gang would easily hijack their car.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Asked another guy who was in the back seat to look after the girls.


    However, as the question had not been answered yet, the passenger who was in the seat of the motorbike that was riding beside the door of the car¡¯s driver seat, hit the window with a window breaker until it shattered. It was also followed by the same actions for the window on the front passenger door.


    The broken windows made the driver panic. ¡°What do you want?!¡± he eximed.


    ¡°Stop the car!¡± Rachel, who was beside the driver¡¯s door, eximed.


    ¡°You wish!¡± The man replied before spitting out the window.


    The two motorbikes following on the right and left of the car immediately slowed down their motorbikes until they were left behind the van.


    ¡°Haha! Eat that you, crap..¡±


    BAM!


    The driver instantly lost control of his car because the two front tires suddenly burst after crushing the barbed wire trap that Emma and her friends had put across the front way when the two men in the car were busy serving Rachel and her friends who were tasked to distract them from the start.


    The sound of squeaking tires of a car that continued to slide on the asphalt sounded shrill. Luckily, the driver was good enough to control the car so it wouldn¡¯t roll over because of losing control.


    The car stopped in a cross position in the middle of the road with a little smoke around the tires. There was the sound of the girls¡¯ stifled screams from inside the car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish them off,¡± Emma said as she walked with her friends by her sides.


    The car was surrounded by eight girls wearing all-ck clothes and ck helmets that were used to cover their identities and disguised themselves as a group of men.


    The men in the car immediately got out and tried to fight off the eight robbers. But they were easily defeated, and knocked down on the cold asphalt.


    Then a ck jeep came and stopped beside the ill-fated van. The jeep¡¯s window opened and revealed a masked person behind the steering wheel,


    ¡°Hello ..¡± Britney greeted.


    Emma smiled. ¡°You¡¯re fast,¡±


    ¡°I tried the NOS just now. It¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it?¡± She asked while thinking.


    ¡°Well.. actually, it was installed for emergencies. But, it¡¯s okay for this time. At least you know how to use it, right?¡± Emma chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah, just think of it as practice,¡± Britney alsoughed a little. Then she looked back. ¡°Are they done?¡±


    Emma turned to look at the ck van that was being robbed by the rest of her friends. Then Rachel exited the back door of the car with the kidnapped girls following.


    ¡°Is anyone hurt?¡± Emma asked, taking a step closer to them.


    The girls shook their heads. They still didn¡¯t know that it was women who were helping or -perhaps- arresting them now. They were like a group of kidnap victims being transferred to another criminal. The reason was that the group of short-statured men had scary costumes and voices.


    ¡°We can¡¯t break the chains. They¡¯ll be transported straight to the base.¡± Rachel said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°That will save time.¡± Then she turned to the girls who still seemed to be crying. ¡°The journey might be a bit ufortable because the chains haven¡¯t been opened yet. However, I hope you girls can work together so that everything goes smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡± The girls answered, trying to believe that the men were telling the truth that they hade to help.


    ¡°Come on, everyone. We don¡¯t have much time,¡± Rachel said to the girls as she helped them to get into the jeep.


    Emma walked over to the ck van and looked inside. ¡°Take everything that looks important. We need to get out of here before the police or their mene.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going first,¡± Britney said from the window.


    Beside her, Rachel got into the front passenger seat to apany Britney on the way home.


    After the jeep drove away, Emma immediately got back on her motorbike. She waited until all her friends got on their motorbikes and left, so she was thest person to leave the location to make sure everything was okay.


    Britney parked her car in an empty building behind the ck Swan headquarters. Then, she and Rachel escorted the girls into the ballet studio through the back door.


    Before long, Emma also arrived at the base. Even though it was two am, the situation inside the ck Swan headquarters seemed very crowded because several of its members were gathering afterpleting their mission.

 Chapter 244

    244 Not a Boss, But a Leader


    ¡°How was thest condition?¡± Rachel asked Emma who had just entered the base.


    Emma took off her helmet and mask which made her feel hot. ¡°Everything should be fine. The three men were also still passed out on the road.¡± Then she asked back, ¡°What about the kidnapped girls?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re on the second floor. Our girls are opening their chains,¡± Rachel replied as she followed Emma¡¯s footsteps.


    ¡°After this, the Beast Empire will be desperately looking for us. We must bepletely prepared for war. Do you think the girls are mentally prepared for that?¡± Emma asked with a slightly worried face.


    Rachel, who was the head coach of the group members, nodded confidently. ¡°They have great passion. You have to trust your girls, Emma.¡±


    Emma nodded with a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re right, Rachel. I just can¡¯t help but worry. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll get hurt,¡±


    ¡°Getting hurt is a consequence of our work. But those people are ready to ept it because they know that what we are doing is worth it. We are saving other people, Emma. Even if we do it in secret, knowing that you are a hero will certainly give a sense of pride.¡± Rachel exined while rubbing her best friend¡¯s back.


    Rachel understood the burden of being a leader was heavy. She not only had to think about the smooth running of the mission, but also paid attention to every member; making sure everything was okay.


    The next day, a meeting was held on the third floor. All the members of the ck Swan gathered there. Luckily, the room was big enough to amodate all of them.


    .....


    ¡°Ladies, I thank you for your hard work. You did everything so well that ourst mission went smoothly.¡± Emma said in her speech.


    ¡°But there is one thing I want to tell you: After that mission, the Beast Empire will not remain silent. Obviously, we have dered a great war on them. After this, things will be very dangerous. And perhaps, war will happen soon. Ready or not, we all have to be able to deal with it. I hope you girls can understand that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Emma.¡± The girls answered in unison.


    Emma¡¯s worried face couldn¡¯t be hidden. She looked at all the eyes of her friends who were looking at her. Then she gulped to clear her dry throat.


    ¡°Girls, I¡¯m so sorry to say this. I don¡¯t mean to doubt you guys, but I want to remind you of one thing. ck Swan is not the same as the other groups. Here, we have no superiors or subordinates. We are all friends on the same mission.


    And, we won¡¯t hold anyone here. I mean, if any of you have any objections or other interests, you don¡¯t need to make the ck Swan your top priority. We are all friends forever. So, you are free to have your opinion and decide whether to stay here or not. You.. understand what I mean, don¡¯t you?¡±


    From the other end of the room, Rachel stared at Emma with her arms folded across her chest. As soon as their gazes met, Rachel smiled gently as she nodded. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± she said with a mouth movement only.


    Emma smiled faintly at Rachel who was standing quite a distance from her. Since childhood, Emma was never a leader. She was a girl who was always taken care of like a princess.


    Now, after getting out of her golden cage, Emma had to live alone, including taking care of everything by herself. That was not all. Emma never imagined that she would be the leader of a group that had dozens of members like this. Now, she had to take care of so many people at a time when she sometimes still had trouble taking care of herself.


    From the start, Emma knew that being a leader was not an easy job. Her father was a mafia group leader who led about a thousand people who were spread to other countries. Even, from the eyes ofmon people, his work looked heavy. He was so busy that he didn¡¯t have time for his family.


    Not only her father, but Emma had also witnessed the experiences of the leaders of the gangster groups she had defeated. Just because of an ipetent leader, the group fell apart. Its members got hurt, not even a few whose future was ruined.


    Leaders bear a very heavy burden. Emma was afraid that she would make a mistake that would affect the lives of her members. However, despite feeling afraid, she would continue to live it and try to do her best; because she was sure, even though she never imagined that she would be a leader at first, she at least had her father¡¯s leadership talent running in her blood.


    Therefore, Emma decided to be honest with all her members from the start. She didn¡¯t want anyone to feel forced into her group because she was not a boss, but a leader.


    ¡°I¡¯m just an ordinary girl. I¡¯m not a girl who has superpowers and wise thoughts. Bing the leader of the ck Swan is a new experience for me. Because of that, I might make a lot of mistakes in the future. Honestly, I feel a little worried that I will disappoint a lot of people who have put their hopes in me. But I dare to promise you that I will work hard and give the best that I can. Therefore, I ask for your help in the future,¡± Emma said.


    The sound of apuse echoing from everyone made Emma raise her face.


    ¡°You¡¯re great, Emma! You¡¯re the best leader!¡± One of the girls eximed.


    ¡°Thank you for being our leader!¡± The other added.


    ¡°I never mind being here!¡±


    ¡°ck Swan is the best!¡±


    The girls felt both touched and proud of Emma. They knew that Emma was always trying to pay attention to everyone in the ck Swan group. In fact, Emma herself rarely mentioned that she was the leader of the group.


    She would go straight into the mission and make sure all the members were okay. She always called all her members: friends, not subordinates because she didn¡¯t position herself as someone at the top level.


    Emma always thought of others before herself. She always cared about the lives of her members and offered to help if anyone had a problem.


    In fact, she often felt bad to ept the results of her friends¡¯ work. She always told them to take at least half of their work ie for themselves because she didn¡¯t want the ck Swan to burden its own members.


    Emma was not the type of leader who would do anything to erge her group but would do everything to make sure the group would be afortable ce for its members.


    **


    Derric banged his desk hard as an outlet for anger. ck had really gone too far. After disappearing like cowards, they suddenly reappeared and disrupted the process of transferring their captives.


    Not only that; the damn masked men even took five beautiful girls that Derric had promised Pablo to be the entertainerdies for the new brothel on Jen Marrie Street.


    ck had intercepted Derric¡¯s men¡¯s car and knocked off all of his men on duty. They also looted all the important stuff in the car.


    ¡°So, it turns out that ck was not just two men. Ronny said there were about four motorbikes that stopped them. On each of them were two men, so a total of eight people attacked them.¡± Juan exined.


    ¡°It¡¯s got to be more than that. With all the bikes full upied, how could they take all the girls? There must be at least twenty of them,¡± Derrick replied. ¡°Did you find any other clues?¡±


    Juan shook his head. ¡°Looks like they chose that location on purpose to intercept our car. There were no CCTV cameras and it was surrounded by a few houses and a few small closed shops. Therefore, it was difficult to find evidence of their vehicle. They even took the camera in the car.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Derric hit his desk again. Then he got up from his chair and red at Juan. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything like this to happen again, Juan. You have to find the base of that f*cking group.¡±


    Juan nodded once. ¡°I understand.¡±


    **


    ¡°They keep on searching,¡± Cecil said.


    Linda nodded. ¡°I also saw some suspicious men on the bus. They actually put at least one person around a few blocks,¡±


    ¡°Of course, they would. We¡¯ve stolen their stuff.¡± Kathy chuckled.


    ¡°Did your team find anything out from all our loot, Kathy?¡± Emma asked.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°From their car camera footage, we found that Beast Empire has three human warehouses. Two of the warehouses are not big; just ordinary houses in bad condition. However, there is thergest main warehouse on Lunny Albert Street. That¡¯s the location of the warehouse that the van headed to yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I see. Seems they have a lot,¡± Emma rubbed her chin with her finger.


    ¡°Actually, the two houses are just transiting ces. Basically, everyone will be kept in the main warehouse which has a lot of rooms. It amodates people who are waiting for their turn to start working elsewhere.¡± Ava exined.


    ¡°Does that mean that the stopover warehouses will usually be empty?¡± Poppy asked.


    Ava shook her head. ¡°There are usually about five people at least, because the warehouses are transit points for sending captives.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve only been to the warehouse three times. Those are all information from the workers I met, so I can¡¯t guarantee that the information is one hundred percent correct or not.¡± She added.

 Chapter 245

    245 Girls Thoughts


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ava. There¡¯s no way those fellow workers lied to you. At least we now have a picture in mind of how the human warehouses are.¡± Rachel replied.


    ¡°Right now, the Beast Empire is looking for us. They may frame us bymitting crimes as much as they can to lure us out; considering that we had thwarted their kidnapping actions several times.¡± Kathy said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Therefore, we should attack them first.¡± Then she looked at Kathy. ¡°Looks like we have to use your Drone again, Kathy. I want to check whether the main warehouse is the headquarters of Beast Empire or not.¡±


    **


    ¡°Is this position safe?¡± Kathy asked.


    Emma nodded. ¡°It should be,¡±


    A dark green sedan was parked beside a small, quiet yground near a residentialplex. The park was located a few blocks from the Beast Empire¡¯s main human warehouse.


    Emma¡¯s cell phone rang and she immediately picked it up. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve checked all the streets. There¡¯s no sign of any Beast Empire members on patrol here.¡± Jane exined. She was one of the ck Swan girls who rode around on a bicycle to avoid suspicion.


    .....


    ¡°Got it, Jane. Thanks,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Can I fly it already?¡± Kathy asked, setting up a white object shaped like a four-legged spider with a propeller in each leg and a camera in the middle.


    ¡°Yes, you can. It¡¯s safe now.¡± Emma answered, getting ready to unlock the car as she kept looking around outside to make sure no one was watching.


    After unlocking the car, Kathy quickly opened the door and ced the drone on the pavement without getting out of the car. When ity well there, Kathy pulled herself back inside and closed the door.


    Kathy immediately grabbed the Remote Control which had a screen in the centre. She made sure that all the settings were running correctly so that there would be no problems in flying the drer.


    After doing a quick check, Kathy nodded, ¡°Ready to fly.¡±


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go,¡± Emma said before driving her car to another safer ce.


    After the car they were in stopped in front of an elementary school, Kathy flew her parked drone. The location of the school was not far from the park, but the location had be much safer to park the car for a long time so they would not look suspicious. From there, Kathy¡¯s drone and remote control could still be connected.


    The white object flew over the roofs of the houses and arrived at its destination. It was a gray-painted building that looked like a factory with a high gate.


    The dronended on the roof of another building directly opposite the warehouse. Kathy, who was the Drone Pilot, ensured that the camera on her Drone would capture a good picture of the activities that were happening there.


    ¡°All right. My baby is sitting well,¡± Kathy said as she let go of the remote control.


    Then she ced it between the chair she and Emma were sitting on; right in front of the gear stick. With that, the two of them would wait until there was activity going on there.


    ¡°Well.. Now we have to wait calmly,¡± Kathy said while taking a bag of potato chips from the car dashboard drawer. She opened it and offered to Emma, ??¡±Want some?¡±


    Emma smiled as she slipped her hand into the chips¡¯ bag and took a few. ¡°You like snacking, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Kathy nodded. ¡°Of course. If you¡¯re bored, you can¡¯t stand to have a snack, can you?¡±


    ¡°Anyways, can you teach me to fly a drone?¡± Emma asked, chewing on her chips.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kathy answered. ¡°But this is a bit difficult. Although it looks easy, flying a drone is not like controlling a toy car even though both use remote control. In flying this thing, there are many things that you have to pay attention to: Such as altitude, bnce, maic field and others. Why? Is it because you¡¯re going to use it to spy on the enemy?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°In our group, you are the only one who can fly Drones. It would be nice if someone else could do it so it doesn¡¯t depend on you alone.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have a point. Then I¡¯ll teach it to youter,¡± Kathy nodded, asionally ncing at the screen on her remote control.


    The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes while enjoying potato chips and watching the screen showing the situation in front of the Beast Empire warehouse which was very quiet.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of boring, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kathy asked.


    ¡°Bute to think of it, isn¡¯t this just like taking a break?¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°Well, I think you kind of right. Come to think of it, we¡¯ve been super busytely. But why doesn¡¯t it feel too tiring? In fact, it feels like time is really tight.¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because we really enjoyed it?¡± Emma shrugged.


    ¡°Possible,¡± Kathy nodded once before throwing the chips into her mouth.


    ¡°Emma, ? since we¡¯re alone like this, I wanted to ask you something, can I?¡±


    Emma turned to the girl with curly red hair in a ponytail. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve been seeing Marcel a few times recently,¡± Kathy answered in a whisper.


    Emma¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Really? And then?¡± she tried to look normal even though she was so excited and curious to hear what happened next.


    ¡°You... do think that I¡¯m getting close to him, don¡¯t you?¡± Kathy narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Emma.


    Emma instantly chuckled while rubbing the trunk of her neck. ¡°Well.. is it really that obvious? I¡¯ve been holding back my expression, to be honest. Haha..¡±


    Kathy gave a curt snort. ¡°I need to tell you this, Emma: Marcel and I aren¡¯t close at all. We just happened to see each other a few times. But we didn¡¯t talk too much,¡±


    Emma nodded slowly. ¡°Then did something happen that you decided to ask me something?¡± she asked carefully.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a little curious about Marcel. You know, right.. I was one of the dozens of girls who idolized that cool guy. But when I found out a little about his personal life, I was quite surprised. After that, my view about him changed,¡± Kathy shrugged.


    ¡°Do you have a bad view of him?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Kathy replied. ¡°But I feel sorry for him. I just realized that during the recent times we¡¯ve seen each other, Marcel seemed exhausted. It seems that after that incident, he became quite devastated,¡±


    ¡°Well..¡± Emma nodded with a thoughtful face.


    ¡°What happened to Marcel is a huge thing, Kathy. He is a man who is afraid to lose what he already has. Since childhood, he has been through a very hard life. When suddenly all of his achievements disappeared, he must have felt a great emptiness. What happened to him made a big change in his life, indeed. I can¡¯t really tell what happened to little Marcel. But believe me; it was the worst thing that could ever happen to a child¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know exactly what happened when he was little, for some reason, I feel like helping him, you know..¡± Kathy muttered to herself. Then she looked back at Emma. ??¡±Can we do something for him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, Kathy. I¡¯m honestly a bit awkward when I¡¯m too close to men. You know.. For mental and emotional problems, it must be done with a personal approach. Whereas men and women who are too close will most likely end up not being good..¡± Emma exined doubtfully while imagining the case that had happened to herself and Levi.


    ¡°You mean, there will be feelings growing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kathy guessed.


    Emma nodded a little. ¡°More or less. I think it¡¯s an undeniable thing,¡±


    Kathy looked a little sad, then let out a long sigh. ¡°That¡¯s kind of a shame. I don¡¯t think Marcel has any good friends to talk to. He seems lonely,¡±


    ¡°Since you two are both still single, isn¡¯t it fine to be close to each other? I mean.. you might be able to help him by yourself, right?¡± Emma said thoughtfully, looking for the right words to convey her thoughts without making Kathy think that she was suggesting her just approach Marcel right away.


    But Kathy seemed to have realized what Emma really meant. But she didn¡¯t feel awkward about it. She understood that she and Marcel were both ¡®Single¡¯.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do it, Emma,¡± Kathy replied thoughtfully.


    ¡°Howe?¡± Emma raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°From the start, I never thought that I would be close to Marcel. After you talked about male and female rtionships, I realized that if I were close to him, there might be a special feeling in my heart. I don¡¯t want that kind of feeling to exist for Marcel. I just want to be a fan of him like I¡¯ve always been.¡± The green-eyed girl replied.


    Kathy¡¯s answer made Emma think of someone. That¡¯s right, what Kathy said was almost the same as Levi¡¯s. They were both trying to contain their feelings; didn¡¯t want a special rtionship for unknown reasons.


    ¡°Sorry, but why do you think so?¡± Emma frowned.


    ¡°Because I feel a little scared of Marcel,¡± Kathy chuckled.


    ¡°What?¡± The confused look on Emma¡¯s face grew clearer.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of fear. Well.. how to exin it, huh?¡± Kathy seemed to think. Then, she continued when she found a good way to say it. ¡°I feel like he is on a way-higher level than me. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m looking down on myself, but we are both very different in every way. You know.. Marcel is Prince Bold. If I were together with him, maybe it won¡¯t look fine since I¡¯m someone who idolizes him,¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of deifying him too much?¡± Emma pulled out a point.


    Kathy snapped her fingers. ¡°You got my point, Emma. When I¡¯m with him, I feel like losing my true self because I like him too much,¡±


    ¡°Wow.. That¡¯s a new way of thinking,¡± Emma replied thoughtfully.


    ¡°Have you ever been a fan of someone or really liked someone?¡± Kathy asked.


    Emma shook her head innocently. ¡°I.. don¡¯t think so,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you find my way of thinking is strange. It¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand how it feels,¡± Kathy said as she reached into her chips bag.

 Chapter 246

    246 ck Again?


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right, Kathy. If I think about it, as you do, it turns out that I have a fear of liking someone too much. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll make him my top priority and put myself aside instead.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°I thought you were that kind of person, Emma? Don¡¯t you often put yourself aside and put others first? Just like what you always did for the ck Swan.¡±


    Emma shook her head slowly. ¡°That¡¯s different, Kathy. That person doesn¡¯t need help. But I might end up giving my all for him instead. Is that a selfish thought?¡±


    Kathy shrugged. ¡°Everyone has their own priorities in life. I don¡¯t want to judge. Maybe there¡¯s something that makes you think that way. Have you ever been traumatized by a rtionship?¡±


    Emma thought for a moment then shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But I remember my mom saying that love can be deadly. You might do anything for love. When you¡¯re in love, you can do everything as if you¡¯ve lost your mind. In fact, it was my mom¡¯s feeling for my dad.¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°That.. is beautiful and terrifying at the same time.¡± Kathy blinked her eyes. ¡°Then, why the hell would your mom tell that stuff to a child?¡±


    Emma shrugged. ¡°My mom is indeed unique. But I am grateful that she still had the chance to tell me before she actually left for good. Even though I was a child at that time; maybe she had realized that she was suffering from a deadly disease so she gave all the life lessons she had learned while she could.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Emma. I¡¯m sorry..¡± Kathy said guiltily.


    Emma chuckled while waving a hand slightly. ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m really fine. Now my mom is in heaven and doesn¡¯t feel pain anymore. She¡¯s still by my side and I can feel it.¡±


    .....


    Kathy just smiled sadly at Emma. This made Emma feel awkward. Then, she remembered something she might be able to discuss with Kathy. It was the thing that had been bothering hertely.


    ¡°Anyways, Kathy. I wanted to tell you something and ask about your opinion,¡± Emma corrected her sitting position.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Kathy asked curiously. It was because Emma looked quite serious.


    ¡°I know someone who doesn¡¯t want to be in a rtionship with anyone. He likes someone, but says he will hold back his feelings just because he doesn¡¯t want to be in a rtionship.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of weird. But I know a few people who had the same case. They did it for various reasons. Do you know why your friend has such a jerks thoughts?¡±


    ¡°The reason is quite ambiguous. He said that he has a w that cannot be shown to anyone. If it happens, then those who see him will be hurt and the wound he has will deepen. He said that everything is so heavy. He is afraid of losing everything. So, he has to give up what he wants.¡± Emma exined, recalling her memory of the words Levi had said.


    Kathy¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°Wounds that will hurt others too ¨C Give up what you want for fear of losing everything,¡± she muttered to herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s confusing, isn¡¯t it?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°It is. But hearing all those reasons, a conclusiones to my mind,¡±


    Emma¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°This is just my guess. But maybe he has a bit of a mental breakdown. Maybe he actually has Bipr.¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°Bipr?¡± Emma repeated.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a mental illness that causes a person to have very extreme mood swings. He can feel very happy and suddenly be very sad so quickly. It¡¯s as if he has multiple personalities. I once had a friend who had it. Serious Bipr made people around him feel annoyed. To be honest, I¡¯m not even friends with him anymore because of his illness. Until now, I still feel sorry that I stayed away from him. But at that time, I was still young enough to be able to think this broadly.¡±


    Emma seemed to think seriously. ¡°I think my friend does have a pretty strange nature. He can indeed be so kind and very annoying in a short period.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he has Bipr or maybe just recovering from Bipr. It could be that he is embarrassed to tell people about it and is afraid that the illness wille back at any time. He is afraid to have rtionships with someone, knowing that he will make others feel ufortable.¡± Kathy said.


    Emma nodded understandingly. ¡°That all makes sense. I¡¯ve never heard of such an illness. Maybe he does have it,¡±


    ¡°My advice is you don¡¯t need to question him about it because it may hurt his feelings and even provoke the pain toe back again. If you both are really good friends now, you should just stay with him as if nothing happened. But if you feel ufortable with it, you don¡¯t have to push yourself. Again, all of this is just my suggestion.¡± Kathy shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I see, Kathy. Thanks for your opinion. It really made my confusion lessen.¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°By the way, you look really worried about him. Is he so special?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a distant friend. We¡¯re not that close ¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Oh..¡± One of Kathy¡¯s eyebrows shot up in disbelief.


    ¡°He¡¯s just an ordinary friend. We¡¯re not close at all. Even the number of times we¡¯ve met in person can still be counted on the fingers.¡± Emma quickly exined to notice Kathy¡¯s expression.


    ¡°All right.. All right. I understand, Emma. There¡¯s no need to be panicked like that.¡± Kathy said casually.


    ¡°Oh! There¡¯s a caring.¡± Kathy said directly while pointing at the remote control screen.


    Emma sighed harshly. ¡°Finally they showed up,¡±


    The camera on Dorne captured two cars pulled up in front of the high gate of the Beast Empire warehouse. Not long after, the gate opened from the inside. But the cars did not enter it.


    Then, from inside the two cars, two men got out of each of them. The four people were standing next to the cars until a white sports car came and went straight into the warehouse.


    After the car entered, the two ck cars entered. Then, the gate was closed.


    ¡°That must be Derric Hubbert¡¯s car,¡± Kathy said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Judging by the car, he¡¯s probably as narcissistic as Oscar Chopper.¡±


    ¡°Or Marcel Dous,¡± Kathy continued. ¡°It seems almost all gangster leaders are like that.¡±


    ¡°It seems,¡± Emma nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this ce is their main base, Emma. If Derric really is that entric, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d want to share the building with his captives.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But we have to double-check because we¡¯re going to attack this ce and free everyone inside.¡± Emma replied.


    After waiting for almost an hour, Emma and Kathy finally saw hope.


    The warehouse gate was open again. Then a white car drove out, followed by two ck cars that had been following it from the start.


    Based on this, Emma believed that the building only functions as a human warehouse. That was not the headquarters of the Beast Empire because Derric wasn¡¯t there for too long. He came just to watch a little and then left again.


    ¡°All right! Time to n an attack,¡± Emma said.


    **


    In a room, with lots of old radio equipment, several men were gathered inside.


    ¡°ck again?¡± Martin looked surprised.


    Frank nodded. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re after the Beast Empire too. They¡¯re helping the kidnapped girls,¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s true that it was the Beast Empire¡¯s works,¡± Calvin muttered.


    ¡°Why is ck always on the same path as us? Is this a coincidence or they really are following us?¡± Troy asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a big head, Troy. What¡¯s the point of them following us?¡± Ian rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Now the Beast Empire is looking for ck¡¯s whereabouts. They don¡¯t even care about us at all.¡± Nicko said.


    ¡°Are we moving too slowly?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Or maybe we don¡¯t need to move at all? If ck is already targeting the Beast Empire, why are we getting our hands dirty and adding more enemies?¡± Ian pointed out.


    ¡°Dammit, Ian. ck had helped us. Why can¡¯t we show them some friendship?¡± Troy said disapprovingly.


    ¡°Looks like you really like ck that much, Troy,¡± Martinughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Troy said.


    ¡°ck never said we were their friends. Wouldn¡¯t it be a shame if we assumed they were friends?¡± Nicko asked.


    ¡°Should we call ck to ask if they need help; since we happen to have the same goal again?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit, Calvin.¡± Ian chuckled. ¡°We don¡¯t even have ess to contact them. As of this moment, ck is a mysterious group with no clear purpose.¡±


    ¡°I heard that there was an attack on Krone road. It was Beast Empire in a van. I don¡¯t know what happened because there just happened to be no CCTV cameras on that road. The information is also too little to search. But were two men enough to stop a car and loot everything of it?¡± Frank asked.

 Chapter 247

    247 Shining Girl


    ¡°Are you sure ck did all that?¡± Ian asked.


    Nicko nodded. ¡°All of it. And, there were not just two of them. ck is more than two men. The rest is hiding somewhere.¡±


    ¡°They are mysterious,¡± Troy muttered as he rubbed his chin. He didn¡¯t know how many times he had said the same words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep having a ride every night looking for them,¡± Calvin said as he stood up and grabbed his backpack from the table.


    ¡°If you met them, what would you do?¡± Ian asked.


    ¡°Offering an alliance maybe?¡± Calvin shrugged.


    ¡°Are you seriously going to do that? Don¡¯t you notice that there is Jita Kyoei¡¯s name beside you?¡± Ian asked.


    Calvin looked at Ian with furrowed brows. ¡°How long are you guys going to hold on to such egos? We¡¯ve experienced it ourselves. Our power was greater when we joined ck that we managed to defeat RJC. The same will happen to Beast Empire. Do we still have topete to prove who is the greatest at saving people?¡±


    Ian was silent. Calvin did have a point. However, Ian still had high suspicions of the group called ck. The grouppletely concealed their identity, just like a ghost that would appear and disappear suddenly without a trace. Ian also found their way of talking and thinking were quite strange.


    .....


    As a man, Ian attached great importance to the pride of his group. Although he did not pursue recognition as the greatest, at least he did not want his group to be seen as weak because it depended on other groups.


    Would you go after someone who was clearly ignoring you? As a fellow male, of course it would tarnish Jita Kyoei¡¯s self-esteem. They would look as if they hoped to have a friendship with ck. That of course would make ck a big head. Jita Kyoei must not be under any man.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue about this anymore. My goal is to destroy all the evil gangster groups in Handway City. If my way of thinking is different from yours, then I don¡¯t mind out of here and looking for another alliance, or even moving alone like before. I¡¯m sure ck has the same mission as me.¡± Calvin said before leaving the old radio room.


    ¡°He has a point,¡± Nicko said after the door closed.


    ¡°What¡¯s bothering you, Ian?¡± Frank asked. He realized that it was Ian who had been the most suspicious of the ck group.


    ¡°There¡¯s something odd about ck,¡± Ian replied with his arms folded across his chest while leaning his back on the chair¡¯s backrest. He let out a long sigh.


    ¡°They are indeed weird, aren¡¯t they? Everyone knows that,¡± Troy said.


    Ian shook his head. ¡°But that weirdness is out of bounds. Their mindset is different from any other group. They are too unusual. I feel uneasy because I can¡¯t read their pattern, especially that midget-ck. Everything he does ¨C every decision he makes is always out of my prediction. What I¡¯m afraid of is that they will do something that harms us without being predicted by me,¡±


    ¡°Well..¡± Nicko nodded slowly. ¡°ck is just that weird. Facing them, I feel like facing my sisters. They are so unpredictable. They can be so patient to unreasonable things and get furious for a small thing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of the leader¡¯s small body? Just like dogs, if it was a small breed, they would be very fierce. Large dogs tend to be calmer but lethal when they bite.¡± Martin said thoughtfully.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking a bad but perfect analogy, Martin,¡± Nicko said.


    ¡°To be sure, since ck started to mess with Beast Empire, the damn group became more and more frequent in recruiting martial arts studio students. Even though many students refused because they had heard of RJC¡¯s case, not a few were swayed by their offer. The problem is that Beast Empire isn¡¯t relying solely on money to attract martial-arts students.¡± Frank huffed and continued, ¡°They also use women to seduce the men,¡±


    ¡°They purposely attract high school kids who are in their puberty stage, have no mature mind and are very curious about the adult world. Of course, the boys wouldn¡¯t refuse if they were given free money and women.¡± Ian said, shaking his head in disbelief.


    Troy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It seemed the problems never stoping.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t act too soon to prevent a sh with ck. We still don¡¯t know exactly what ck¡¯s intentions are. Given the previous incident, we fought with ck¡¯s side due to a misunderstanding. We must prevent something like that from happening again. For now, we¡¯d better hold back and continue to watch only,¡± Troy said.


    ¡°What if ck really has a goal of overthrowing the Beast Empire just to destroy their business and save the girls?¡± Nicko asked.


    ¡°Then we will help them,¡± Troy replied. Then, he seemed to think and shook his head briefly, ¡°No. Even if it turns out that ck doesn¡¯t have the same goals as us, we will certainly go back to the original n; which is to overthrow the Beast Empire for the good of the martial-art world.¡±


    **


    Calvin sat alone in the campus garden. He was working on his coursework, but his brain couldn¡¯t concentrate because he was thinking about ck and the Beast Empire.


    During the meeting with Jita Kyoei, Frank shared the information he got about the Beast Empire group. Although it was still uncertain, Frank suspected that the Beast Empire had a very serious illegal business.


    It seemed like the Beast Empire had an illegalbour distribution foundation. They were likely to be supplying female workers to several nightlife spots in Handway City. And what was worse was that some of the female workers were actually obtained by kidnapping, as was currently happening.


    Unfortunately, Frank had some difficulties confirming his suspicions. But apparently, ck knew more about the Beast Empire than they did. He didn¡¯t know how they did it. They might have had spies who were insiders working for the Beast Empire.


    Lately, Calvin found out that ck was the one who stopped kidnapping crimes and other street crimes. But at that time, Calvin did not know that the perpetrators of the girl kidnapping were Beast Empire. Calvin and Jita Kyoei were always one-step behind to ck in fighting crime on the street.


    ck moved extremely fast, just like a ninja. Maybe that was also the reason Jita Kyoei waste to find out about the crimesmitted by the Beast Empire; they never got a chance to even touch them.


    But in the end, it was ck who attacked the Beast Empire¡¯s van openly, as if voicing that Frank¡¯s suspicions had been right all along. The Beast Empire was indeed the perpetrator of kidnapping and human trafficking.


    ¡°So rare to see you here,¡±


    Calvin snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the side. A pretty girl with wavy brown hair was sitting beside him while looking at him with a bright smile.


    ¡°Emma,¡±


    ¡°Are you doing coursework?¡± Emma asked.


    Calvin nodded. ¡°Yes. I just feel like getting some fresh air. Since I have a lot of work to do, I do it outdoors.¡±


    ¡°Oh. What work are you doing?¡± Emma asked since they took the same major.


    ¡± Human resources,¡±


    ¡°Oh, looks like I took a different ss with you for that one,¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t find you in that ss yesterday,¡± Calvin replied. Then he cleared his throat. ¡°Anyways, aren¡¯t you busy?¡±


    ¡°Busy?¡± Emma repeated.


    Calvinughed lightly as he scratched the back of his non-itchy head, ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve been very busytely. It¡¯s as if you¡¯re being pressed for time. It makes me feel reluctant to appear in your way,¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emma looked understand. ¡°I have been a bit busytely. I have some things to take care of,¡±


    Calvin nodded in understanding, then cleared his throat again, ¡°Um, Emma.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emma turned to the man who looked awkward.


    ¡°Actually, I was thinking of taking you to a concert this weekend. If you aren¡¯t busy that day, can you possiblye with me?¡±


    ¡°This weekend, huh?¡± Emma seemed to think for a while. Then she nodded, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ming.¡± she smiled widely.


    Emma¡¯s answer made Calvin smile with relief. ¡°Thank God. But you really do have time, don¡¯t you? I don¡¯t want you to force time to be with me.¡±


    Emma shook her head. ¡°No need, Calvin. I do have time. At least I should make time for myself, right?¡± she ended with a mumble.


    ¡°Time for yourself? Are you talking about private business?¡± Calvin asked a little confused.


    ¡°Well..¡± Emma smiled awkwardly, ¡°That actually does involve several people. But it¡¯s an off-university affair,¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± Calvin nodded in understanding. ¡°I think you better not push yourself too much, Emma. You look a little tiredtely.¡±


    Emma held her cheeks. ¡°Am I? Is it so visible?¡±


    Calvin smiled gently while shaking his head. ¡°Just very little. Maybe it was just me paying too much attention to it,¡±


    Calvin¡¯s words made Emma feel awkward. Then she nced at her watch. ¡°Well.. Looks like ballet ss is about to start. I¡¯d better go now,¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll pick you up the day after tomorrow.¡± Calvin Said.


    Emma smiled. ¡°Okay! Bye!¡±


    Calvin waved back at Emma without loosening his smile. Day by day, he was more and more fascinated by her.


    Emma Hind was a girl who knew exactly what she wanted, and worked hard to reach it. She was a girl who could respect herself. The figure of Emma who looked busy but still lived her day with a bright smile made her look radiantly shining; made Calvin want to be a part of her interesting life.

 Chapter 248

    248 Watch a Concert


    A girl stood in front of the bus stop. The charming girl was wearing a ck cropped tank top, ripped jeans, and a ck leather jacket that hung over her shoulders.


    After less than five minutes of waiting, a 90¡¯s Mustang car in moss green colour came up to her. The driver¡¯s door opened and a man got out of it.


    It was Calvin Lee wearing a ck t-shirt with ripped jeans and brown boots. He covered himself with a long ck leather jacket. Several girls, who happened to be waiting for the bus there secretly watched the dashing man in admiration. Then they turned to the girl that the charming guy was aiming for.


    ¡®Oh.. How natural. They are the people who live in ¡®that¡¯ world.¡¯ One of the girls said inwardly.


    Cool guys would usually be friends with those who had the same style and social talent as theirs. They would also have a partner who had the same level of good looks. Of course, such people lived in a different world.


    ¡°Sorry to make you wait,¡± Calvin said as soon as he arrived in front of the girl of his dreams.


    Emma smiled and shook her head. ¡°I just got here.¡±


    Calvin smiled brightly. In his eyes, Emma looked cool in such clothes. Unnned, it turned out that the two of them are wearing matching costumes. On second thought, Calvin and Emma did have the same fashion sense.


    Calvin opened the front passenger door for Emma. He pointed one hand at the car seat, ¡°Please,¡±


    .....


    Emma smiled gently at him. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Calvin even kept Emma¡¯s head from hitting the roof of the car when she was entering the door. Wasn¡¯t he so cute?


    After closing the door, Calvin strode quickly to get back into the driver¡¯s seat. Then, he drove the car away before the bus came.


    ¡°I thought you were going to ride a bike,¡± Emma said as she put her seat belt on.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold tonight, so I borrowed Ian¡¯s car,¡± He replied.


    ¡°Oh.. So this is Ian¡¯s car, huh?¡± Emma mumbled lightly.


    ¡°Since I live alone and don¡¯t have any close rtives or friends, so I think that having a bike is enough.¡±


    Emma nodded in agreement. ¡°And it¡¯s more eco-friendly too. But I didn¡¯t know you were so close to Ian that he would lend you his car?¡±


    ¡°We are not close. But Ian seems to trust me enough,¡±


    Emma chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s pretty funny, considering you guys don¡¯t seem to get along,¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Calvin raised his eyebrows.


    Emma nodded with a faintugh. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you two fighting.¡±


    Calvin seemed to be thinking. ¡°As far as I can remember; I¡¯ve never fought with Ian in front of you. Or maybe I forgot something?¡± he muttered to himself.


    Bam! Emma just remembered that she saw Calvin and Ian fighting while they were teaming up against RJC. Gosh! What an idiot!


    ¡°I saw it once,¡± Emma said in a hurry, ¡°But you didn¡¯t realize I was around there at that time.¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± Calvin gave a disappointed face. ¡°I thought you would always call me when you saw me. But it doesn¡¯t seem like you are,¡± he continued with an exaggerated sigh.


    ¡°Hey.. What¡¯s with that?¡± Emma giggled, hitting Calvin on the shoulder lightly to make him chuckle. ¡°I was in a hurry back then. I just happened to be passing by,¡± she exined, albeit with a lie. As time went on, she became used to making a lie.


    ¡°Alright.. I¡¯m just kidding,¡± Calvin replied with the rest of hisughter.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re getting closer to Troy and his friends. I¡¯m d to see you get to hang out with them. I mean, they¡¯re nice guys, just like you.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Calvin nced at Emma for a moment before turning his attention back to the road.


    Emma nodded. ¡°I¡¯vee across a lot of men with bad hearts. At first, I thought all men in Handway were the same. But when I met you guys, that thought was broke.¡±


    Calvin chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m d to be such a good man in your eyes.¡± Then he took a deep breath as he thought. ¡°Actually I¡¯m not that close with Troy and his guys,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know if we can be called friends or not. We just happen to have the same interests. Actually, we have had a difference of opiniontely. Maybe soon, we won¡¯t be able to work together like we used to because our goals aren¡¯t the same anymore.¡± Calvin exined.


    Calvin¡¯s exnation made Emma think. That was not good news. She didn¡¯t know what n Calvin was referring to. But it might be rted to the Beast Empire.


    It wasn¡¯t that Emma was unaware that Calvin and Jita Kyoei were also interfering with Beast Empire¡¯s business activities after RJC was no longer their target.


    The Beast Empire was known to also practice recruiting martial-arts studio students like some of the other major gangster groups that had fallen did. Therefore, even though the ck Swan had stopped eradicating crime on the street, Emma didn¡¯t worry because she knew that there was Jita Kyoei who would continue to protect the streets.


    ¡°Well.. Is it about the gangster thing you talked about before?¡± Emma asked, ying stupid.


    Calvin shook his head. ¡°This is a different matter. It just so happens that the problem I previously told you about has been resolved,¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Or does this have something to do with what you said in the cafeteria? You said you were investigating the girl kidnapping case.¡± Emma guessed.


    Calvin smiled faintly and nodded slightly. ¡°You have a good memory, Emma.¡±


    ¡°Ow..¡± Emma mumbled as if she didn¡¯t know anything. Then she turned to Calvin, ¡°If I may know, why do you guys have a different opinion on that matter? Don¡¯t you guys have the intention of saving people ¨C The victim of gangster crimes? Does Troy refuse to continue?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to help people. But they have other priorities that they might consider more important. Sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you the details. But things are quite busy right now,¡± Calvin took a deep breath.


    Emma nodded in understanding. So what she had suspected seemed to be true. It could be that Jita Kyoei was thinking of stopping their activities from disturbing the street crimesmitted by the Beast Empire.


    Could that damn group have stopped recruiting martial arts students? Emma and her friends hadn¡¯t been looking for that informationtely.


    ¡°Are you an oracle?¡± Calvin asked suddenly with a halfugh.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Emma came back from her daydream. She looked at Calvin in confusion.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been guessing, and strangely, all of your guesses are correct. I never even told you that the girls¡¯ kidnapping has something to do with gangster jobs. But you concluded everything urately as if you did know it from the start.¡± Calvin said lightly.


    Emma felt like cursing herself. She was too eager to know Jita Kyoei¡¯s next n that she became rash to speak without thinking.


    To cover her nervousness, Emmaughed along with Calvin. ¡°Did I? Well, a lot of people often say that. They say that have a 6th sense. But really, I just focus on collecting points from the story, then draw a line to each other.¡±


    ¡°So it means that I¡¯m the one who gave too much detail, huh?¡± Calvinughed.


    ¡°You just noticed?¡± Emma replied with augh. But secretly, she heaved a sigh of relief because she managed to find an excuse. Even so, it seemed that Calvin didn¡¯t have the slightest suspicion of her; which was good.


    The Mustang arrived at arge parking lot that was already quite crowded with cars and bikes. There were seen a lot of youth walking around there.


    As soon as Emma got out of the car, she could immediately hear the faint sound of music.


    ¡°Wow.. It¡¯s very crowded already,¡± Emma said while screening around.


    Calvin nodded. ¡°This band group does have a lot of fans.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d better go inside so we can get a spot near the stage,¡± Calvin continued after standing next to Emma. He noticed that the girl looked unustomed to a ce like this. ¡°Have you ever watched a concert before?¡±


    ¡°Nope. This is my first time. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so excited,¡± Emma answered with a big smile.


    Calvin also smiled. ¡°It¡¯s more crowded inside. We¡¯d better hold hands so we don¡¯t get separated. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emma answered.


    Then Calvin put his left palm in front of Emma¡¯s face. Then she put her hand in it. Calvin¡¯s smile grew wider as he held the girl¡¯s soft hand which immediately sank into his hand.


    Emma felt Calvin¡¯s warm hand holding hers tightly. She followed Calvin who was walking beside her.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you seem to be the one who showed me new things, Calvin,¡± Emma said in their stride.


    Calvin looked at her with a smile in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. I will show you a lot of things,¡±


    They arrived in front of the entrance. Calvin handed two tickets to the staff. After checking the ticket, the staff gave Calvin two bracelets.


    ¡°Please give me your hand, Emma,¡± Calvin asked.


    Emma gave her right hand to him. Then Calvin put a neon green bracelet on her wrist.


    After her bracelet was attached, Emma immediately showed her palm. ¡°Where¡¯s the other bracelet? I¡¯ll put it on for you.¡±


    With a grin that couldn¡¯t be held, Calvin handed her his bracelet. His eyes continued to stare at Emma who was putting the bracelet on his wrist. It was a very special thing for Calvin.


    After Calvin¡¯s bracelet was on, he took Emma¡¯s hand again. ¡°Don¡¯t let go of my hand. I don¡¯t want us to be separated.¡± He said before stepping into the door, which was actually just barrier fences because it was an outdoor concert.

 Chapter 249

    249 Shining Boy


    As Calvin said, it was fully crowded inside the concert venue. This was Emma¡¯s first timeing to a concert. Usually, she only watched how things were on television or the inte. But this time, Calvin allowed her to feel what it was like to be a part of it.


    It turned out that the crowd at the concert was worse than Emma had imagined. There were so many youths around her. It made Calvin and Emma no longer able to walk side by side. Calvin walked in the front with Emma following right behind him. The thing that kept them apart was that their hands were linked in a tight grip.


    Calvin continued to pull Emma while looking back several times to make sure she was okay.


    As she walked, Emma continued to stare at Calvin¡¯s broad back. Although the situation was so crowded that it made it difficult for her to walk, all her focus was locked on the figure who was paving the way for her; just like a camera that only focused on one object so that all the pictures around it be blurry.


    Unknowingly, Emma seemed to be hypnotized; either because of the noisy and crowded conditions, or because of the man who was pulling her in arge and warm grip. Did she ever say that Calvin Lee was so cool? Did she ever say that Calvin Lee was shining so brightly?


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because of the loud thumping music or if it was her heart, but Emma felt that her chest was about to explode from that thump that came from nowhere.


    Calvin Lee was a warm man. He was sweet and paid attention to every little thing about Emma. He was polite in treating Emma and never forced his will on her.


    Suddenly, Calvin stopped walking and looked back with a wide smile on his lips. He pulled Emma gently until she was actually standing next to him. ¡°This is our spot. Look at the bracelet,¡± He shouted because of the deafeningly loud music.


    ¡°Bracelet?¡± Emma muttered as she turned to the bracelet wrapped around her hand.


    .....


    ¡°The standing position of the audience is determined by the colour of the bracelet.¡± Calvin pointed up.


    As it turned out, four meters above their heads hung a neon green cloth g. Then when Emma looked to the other side, she saw that many other gs of various colours hung at a considerable distance. The colour of the bracelet indicated where to stand.


    ¡°The green stand is the best location to watch the concert,¡± Calvin said beside Emma¡¯s ear.


    ¡°What I heard, you have to move fast if you want to get a good spot at the concert,¡± Emma asked.


    Calvin nodded. ¡°As soon as the ticketing site opened, I immediately bought it two weeks ago. That¡¯s why I managed to get a good spot.¡±


    ¡°Gosh! You bought two tickets right away? What if I couldn¡¯t go?¡± Emma asked with a surprised face at the fact that Calvin asked her out two days ago.


    ¡°Then those tickets would be wasted. But thanks to you they aren¡¯t,¡± He answered lightly.


    ¡°At least you could ask someone else,¡± Emma shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I bought this toe with you. It would lose its meaning if I went alone or with someone else,¡± Calvin answered again.


    Emma couldn¡¯t say anything else. She paused with an awkward face, realizing that the thumping in her chest came from her heartbeat which became many times louder because of the man standing beside her.


    The lights were turned off. It was a sign that the concert was about to start. Not long after, stage lights turned on and the group band that thousands of people had been waiting for finally appeared. The audience¡¯s screams echoed to wee the famous group band.


    Tonight, Emma was full of joy because this was the first time she was watching a concert. Even though she didn¡¯t know the band, she enjoyed their great songs and performances. Besides all that, what really made Emma¡¯s heart feel happier was that Calvin was beside her. The man so much made her feel at ease.


    The concertsted for about three hours. Unconsciously, the concert was eventually over. The audience rushed out of the venue with bodies covered in sweat from jumping during the concert. The spring night air, which was still cold, couldn¡¯t even beat the heat from the thousands of people huddling.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect concerts to be this much fun. I mean, I¡¯ve often heard that watching concerts is fun, but this really exceeded my expectations,¡± Emma said on their way out of the concert venue.


    Calvin just continued to smile gently while listening to Emma who had not stopped talking. This was the first time he had seen Emma being so talk-active, but he liked it. He was d to be able to put a bright smile on the face of the girl he crushed on.


    ¡°We¡¯d better sit over there first. Aren¡¯t you tired after three hours of standing?¡± Calvin asked, pointing to a row of crowded concrete benches.


    ¡°Well.. After you say it, it feels like my legs are getting a little sore now,¡± Emmaughed.


    Then they approached the seats that were shaped like stadium stairs.


    Calvin cleaned the concrete part Emma was going to sit on with his hand. ¡°You can sit now,¡± He said when he finished making sure that the seat was clean.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emma said seriously.


    Calvin just smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll buy a drink and some food. Wait here a moment.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Emma nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere. I won¡¯t be long.¡± Calvin said before getting down the row of seats. Then he walked toward the booths selling food and drinks which were located a few meters from the seats.


    Emma let out a long sigh as she watched Calvin who had walked quite a distance thanks to his long legs.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s only you who can make me forget Levi,¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    It seemed Emma had made up her mind now. Either this was a temporary feeling or indeed something valid. She realized that what she felt for Levi and Calvin was the same. Greedy indeed, but that was how Emma felt. Her feelings fell for the two men.


    At first, Emma couldn¡¯t choose because all this time, her feelings fell deeper for Levi than for Calvin. But at the same time, Calvin was definitely a more suitable man for her. But now, Emma¡¯s heart was finally open to Calvin.


    ¡°If I go with you, I won¡¯t regret it because you¡¯ll never hurt me,¡± Emma muttered as she continued to stare at Calvin who was standing at the far end of the booth.


    Because all the booths were busy, Calvin had to wait quite a while. Emma patiently waited for her to return by looking around. She found many people were also resting their feet after standing for so long.


    While looking around, Emma caught something that immediately caught her attention. Near where she sat, a guy chatting beside a girl.


    Actually, they both looked normal. There was nothing wrong with a man chatting with a woman. But the problem was, the man was wearing a jeans jacket that had a small pin on the cor. The pin had the Beast Empire logo.


    In an instant, Emma sharpened her sense of hearing, trying to eavesdrop on what the two of them were talking about. But unfortunately, the two of them were sitting a bit away from Emma and it was really crowded there, making it impossible to hear what they were talking about.


    ¡®That man cannot be alone. There must be some members around here.¡¯ Emma thought in her mind.


    A concert like this was indeed attended by very many youths. No wonder this concert became the target of Beast Empire to ensnare victims.


    After the ck Swan had always thwarted their kidnappings and even released a few hostages, the Beast Empire must have been understaffed. Previously, Rachel had told Emma that there was a luxuriously designed building that was almost finished on Jen Marie Street. From the front sight, it was a brothel, indeed. That meant; Dragger needed a lot of female night workers that Beast Empire had to provide.


    After her eyes scanned the surroundings, Emma saw four suspicious men gathered on the side of the path. They seemed to be busy watching the people passing by. In Emma¡¯s eyes, they looked like they were picking targets.


    Emma turned to Calvin. The man was still standing in line in front of the booth. Then she immediately stood up, and walked down the seats. She walked slowly towards the group of four men she suspected.


    When she got close enough, Emma could see the same pin on the men¡¯s clothes. She smiled crookedly as she continued her leisurely pace. Then she opened her sling bag and took her a cell phone that had been lying on a ck mask.


    ¡°Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt,¡± Emma said while approaching the four men.


    ¡°Oh, no problem. Is there anything I can help you with?¡± One of the men asked kindly.


    ¡°Do you know where the exit from this ce is? I came here by taxi and didn¡¯t pay attention to the road. It happens that the taxi I just ordered cannot get in and is waiting at the exit.¡± Emma exined in an innocent tone.


    ¡°Of course we know,¡± The man replied before secretly ncing at his friends.


    ¡°Where are your friends? Are you alone?¡± Another man asked.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alone. My friends are home early,¡±


    ¡°Gosh, why don¡¯t they keep youpany until you get a taxi? It¡¯s a bit dark in front of the exit, you know,¡± One of them replied.


    ¡°It is?¡± Emma gave a worried face.

 Chapter 250

    250 Be a Kidnapping Victim


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t know where the exit is, how about we take you there? We just happen to be heading outside,¡± A spiky-haired man asked.


    ¡°Am I not going to bother you guys?¡± Emma asked hesitantly.


    The men shook their heads. ¡°Of course not. We parked near the north exit.¡± One of them answered.


    ¡°Well, okay then,¡± Emma said.


    Then Emma started to walk with the four men towards the exit which she believed was not the real exit. She basically didn¡¯t know where they were going to take her.


    However, Emma was sure that she wasn¡¯t the only one trapped by these Beast Empire members. Among the thousands of girls who came to the concert, there must be at least more than one person who got caught in the trap of these assholes.


    ¡°Is your house around here?¡± One of the men asked.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s far from here; near the harbour area,¡±


    ¡°Alright. Anyways, sorry, but may we know your name?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Sure. No need to apologize. My name is Nadine.¡± Emma answered.


    Then, the men one by one introduced themself so they would look friendlier. And of course, they all used fake names. After the chit-chat was over, Emma was immediately busy with her cell phone.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not walk around while ying on your phone. It¡¯s a bit dangerous.¡± One of the men said while exchanging nces with his friends.


    ¡°Ah.. It¡¯s only some second. I¡¯m texting the taxi driver that I¡¯m on my way out. He¡¯s a little impatient,¡± Emma answered with puppy eyes before putting her phone back in her bag to avoid suspicion from the men.


    In fact, Emma had just texted Rachel about what she was doing. She also turned on a small, square-shaped device the size of a matchbox made by Kathy that could track her whereabouts live. The device was always carried by each member of the ck Swan every time they go outside.


    But unfortunately, before Emma was about to send a message to Calvin that she had urgent business and had to go home first, the damn men made her cancel it.


    Emma knew that the men were afraid of her contacting her friends or family. If she spent a too long time with her cell phone, the men might snatch it from her.


    As Emma had expected, the men took her to a darker and quieter area.


    ¡°That¡¯s the gate,¡± One of the men pointed at a tall metal fence with a small door.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a gate,¡± Emma said with an awkward smallugh.


    The man nodded once. ¡°The north gate is small. But we do park the car here. That¡¯s our car,¡± He pointed to a minivan parked a few meters from the door.


    ¡°But my taxi isn¡¯t there. I think I¡¯ll have to call the taxi driver toe to this gate. Maybe he¡¯s at another exit,¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    Then she again opened the sling bag that was wrapped around her shoulder to her waist and took out her cell phone from inside. But secretly, she also took the tracking device made by Poppy which she hid between her palm and her cellphone.


    Seeing the girl take out her cell phone again, the men nced at each other and nodded. Incidentally, they were pretty close to the van now.


    Then, one of the men slowed his pace so that he left a bit behind without his potential victim noticing. He took out a bottle of chloroform and a handkerchief from his waist bag.


    Emma walked while looking at her phone again. But besides that, her eyes were also directed to the ground. She noticed the shadows of the people around her because the dim light of the streetmp wasing from behind them.


    As soon as Emma looked at a shadow and the sound of rough footsteps rapidly approaching behind her back, she immediately stopped and turned back as if she wanted to speak to the men walking slightly behind her.


    ¡°Guys..¡± Emma said as she turned around.


    But before her eyes, one of the men just stood right behind her and grabbed her swiftly.


    Emma screamed as the four men tried to hold back her body when she was about to run away. Intentionally, Emma loosened her strength but still tried to escape them. Her eyes were still on the man¡¯s hand holding a handkerchief. If she were to pass out, then her ns would fall apart in a bad way.


    After struggling for a few seconds with a small force, Emma immediately released a little of her original strength to get out of the men¡¯s trap.


    As soon as she managed to escape, she ran towards therge tree line that grew along the path. She immediately dropped her cell phone under the trees and quickly put the tracking device in the pocket of her jeans.


    Then Emma allowed herself to be caught by them. The man who had been holding a handkerchief that had been given the chloroform immediately covered Emma¡¯s mouth and nose with it.


    As soon as she was caught, Emma held her breath. She knew that she would soon be sedated, but she would follow the men¡¯s game. Three seconds after the handkerchief stuck to her nose, she quickly pretended to be unconscious.


    After their victim finally lost consciousness, one of the men hurriedly carried her towards the car.


    ¡°Hey! Her phone dropped there,¡± One of them said as pointed to the cell phone under the tree.


    ¡°Just leave it. Get out of here quickly!¡± His friend answered while walking briskly towards the door. He kept looking around to prevent anyone from catching up on their action.


    In the car were two other girls who had their hands and feet tied. One of them was still unconscious like Emma. The others just woke up but couldn¡¯t do anything because they were tied up, their mouths were covered with duct tape and their eyes were covered with cloth.


    Emma¡¯s legs and hands were quickly tied by the man who had been carrying her.


    ¡°This is amazing! Today¡¯s catch is a great product! We will definitely get a bonus from Boss!¡± One of the men said whileughing happily.


    ¡°We will have fun after this!¡± His friend said.


    ¡°I think this is enough. We can¡¯t carry more than this. The car won¡¯t fit,¡±


    His friend nodded. ¡°Then Rendy and I will go look for Jimmy and Tom,¡±


    ¡°I saw Tom talking to a girl. Maybe they¡¯ll bring another girl here,¡±


    ¡°Alright. Be careful. The venue is still quite busy,¡± said the man sitting behind the stirring wheel.


    After that, two of the four men left the van. After waiting for about fifteen minutes, the other two men they were waiting for appeared.


    The driver man immediately unlocked the door so his two friends could enter. As expected, they did bring in an extra girl. It was the girl Emma had seen chatting with one of the assholes in the seat near hers.


    After the unconscious girl was tied up, the driver started the engine. Then the minivan drove up.


    The muffled cries of the girls were getting louder and louder. This meant that almost all of them have woken up. Emma opened her eyes after almost half an hour of pretending to be unconscious. For some reason, her eyes and the girl who had just arrived were not blindfolded. Perhaps the men had run out of cloth to blindfold the other two victims.


    In the car were four tied-up girls and four male kidnappers. Two of the men were sitting in the back of the car that had all the seats removed to guard their catches.


    Emma pretended to cry hysterically, just like the other girls. However, she also realized that she wasn¡¯t good at crying acting. Her tears couldn¡¯te out. So, she had to cover it up by screaming and groaning. Fortunately, the two criminals sitting in front of her didn¡¯t seem suspicious of her at all.


    With the duct tape stuck to Emma¡¯s mouth, she couldn¡¯t scream much and it actually made it a bit difficult for her to breathe. She looked at the girls on her right and left. They must have had a lot more trouble breathing than her because they were really crying.


    Seeing the girls crying over their fate and experiencing the kidnapping process for herself, Emma was furious. She couldn¡¯t imagine how painful it was for the girls who had long been captured and had to work forcibly for that bastard group called Beast Empire. She also continued to think about the fate of Crystal, her ballet ssmate, whose whereabouts and fate was still unknown.


    Because the concert started at night, the event ended when it was veryte. The van drove down a quiet road. But they did not know a group of motorbikes heading towards them with the help of a GPS connected to a tracking device.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s following us!¡± The exmation of the driver man took his friends by surprise.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    They immediately looked at the car¡¯s right and left rearview mirrors because all the windows of the car had been painted white. From the rearview mirrors, they could see several motorbikes following their car.

 Chapter 251

    251 Emma Disappeared


    ¡°I-it¡¯s ck!¡± One of the men said with wide eyes.


    It was undeniable. ck¡¯s name was indeed well-known among the members of the Beast Empire. Not a few of them were afraid toe across the group that was rumoured to be dangerously strong.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± The driver cursed.


    ¡°Push the rm-¡±


    They were both surprised when they suddenly heard a knocking sound on the car window. As soon as the driver turned to the side, it turned out that one of the motorbikes was already beside the door of his car.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± The man eximed while mming his steering wheel to the side so that the body of the car hit the damn motorbike.


    Rachel¡¯s motorbike suddenly swayed. But she could easily control it back. ¡°Well. So you want to y with me, huh?¡± she murmured.


    ¡°They want a fight. Blind them up. Go with n B!¡± Rachel said to the girl sitting in her backseat.


    ¡°Aye!¡± The girl replied while taking out two round objects from the backpack she was wearing in front of her chest.


    .....


    Then, Rachel rode back to the front-side of the car. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± She answered.


    Then Rachel immediately pulled the gas pedal deeper until her motorbike was right in front of the minivan she was chasing.


    At the same time, the girl who was riding with Rachel immediately threw two dark water balloons right at the windshield of the car.


    The car¡¯s driver did not expect the motorbike that was chasing him moved so suddenly to ride right in front of his car; because it was a dangerous action for the rider. All he had to do was hit the gas to hit it, and the bike would surely fall.


    But everything happened so fast that the man didn¡¯t have time to think that the man on the motorbike would do anything else.


    Thest thing the driver saw was a ball flying right in front of the car¡¯s windshield, and it instantly went dark. It was a jet ck paint that covered all parts of the car¡¯s windshield, that even the sshes also hit both sides of the car door window.


    ¡°Cover perfectly! As the slogan says! Haha..¡± The girl behind Rachelughed. That was indeed the slogan of the wall paint brand they used to fill the water balloons.


    ¡°Hold tight!¡± Rachel eximed before swinging her motorbike away from the front of the car. She thought that the criminal might just step on the gas to at least hit them.


    The minivan¡¯s driver man lost sight of the road ahead. He had tried to clean the paint with water and a windshield wiper but it was in vain because the wind that hit the windshield was quite strong and the amount of paint was indeed a lot. Even when the water from the windshield wipers started working, those damn bikers were throwing paint on it again.


    Unable to see and afraid of ending up crashing into a building, the driver was forced to slow down. Not long after, another balloon was thrown at the windshield again, but the difference was that now both the left and right door windows were also being targeted by ck.


    This forced the driver to open his window so he could see the road, even if only from the side. But as soon as he managed to open the window, a soda can flew straight into his face.


    The can that hit the car¡¯s driver in the face flew very fast. That was because Ava, who was riding on another motorbike, threw it with all her might. She had been deliberately waiting for the window pane to open.


    The blow to his face made the man stagger. His nose instantly bled from hitting the rim of the soda can¡¯s lip and his whole face and clothes were wet because the can broke as soon as it hit his face. As a result, he was no longer able to control the car he was driving.


    ¡°Shit! Argh!¡± Eximed the man sitting in the front passenger seat when the car swayed awfully. He tried to take over the steering wheel but it was toote.


    Since the driver¡¯s foot was no longer on the gas pedal, plus the speed of the car had been slowing for minutes, the ck member¡¯s motorbike finally managed to approach the car door.


    Previously, Rachel had swapped sitting positions with her friend. Now, she was in the passenger seat because she had to jump into the minivan.


    Rachel perched on the car, holding on to the open window. She quickly pulled the car door lock and made the door open.


    Before the staggering man regained consciousness, Rachel quickly smacked the man in the jaw until he passed out.


    The other men in the car tried to attack Rachel, but she quickly dodged and pulled the car¡¯s handbrake before jumping backwards.


    ¡°Rachel!¡± Ava quickly rode her motorbike to approach the girl who was sitting on the asphalt. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked frantically as she got off her big motorbike.


    Rachel stood up with a grimace on her face. She shook her head slowly. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ava asked again because Rachel didn¡¯t look like that.


    ¡°I hope so,¡± She smiled even though it was covered by a mask. Then, she lightly touched Ava¡¯s shoulder before stepping forward. ¡°Come on,¡±


    The stopped car was swarmed by a group of men in ck, like a candy swarmed by ants.


    As usual, the Beast Empire men were trying to fight the ck group that was swarming them. But as old news, the men were quickly knocked out by some of the ck members.


    The back door of the minivan was opened, followed by the members of the ck Swan who immediately took out the kidnapped girls. They untied the ropes that bound the girls¡¯ legs and arms, and didn¡¯t forget the duct tape on the mouths and the cloth covering the girls¡¯ heads.


    ¡°We came to save you. Don¡¯t panic,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°There are three girls,¡± Emma said after untied and out of the car.


    Rachel nodded and then turned to the victims. ¡°My friends will drive you home. You better hurry,¡±


    Then, Rachel turned to her members. ¡°AB, ZD, and AV. Please take these girls home. Be careful on the way,¡±


    ¡°Okay, RC!¡± They answered.


    Emma watched Rachel¡¯s leg with a frown. Rachel was the one leading the mission this time. Because of that, the tall girl who seemed to be the most bothered walked back and forth to control the situation.


    Emma¡¯s hand touched Rachel¡¯s shoulder and held her there. ¡°Wait, Rachel. What happened to your leg? Why are you limping?¡±


    ¡°Ah.. I fell earlier. But it¡¯s okay.¡± She answered.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°You fell? When?¡± She asked again because she was sitting in the back of the car and all the windows were painted white so she couldn¡¯t see how her friends were doing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter, Emma. We¡¯re in a hurry now. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯m totally fine. Trust me.¡± Rachel smiled as she grabbed Emma¡¯s shoulders.


    Emma sighed, concern was still evident in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to move too much, Rachel. Sit on the bike or head back to the base. Let me take over this mission. I mean it.¡±


    ¡°But Emma...¡±


    ¡°Rachel,¡± Emma had to cut off her best friend with a guilty face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But this isn¡¯t a request; it¡¯s an order,¡± she said firmly.


    Rachel took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°All right. I understand.¡±


    Emma smiled at her guiltily. ¡°Thanks for helping me, Rachel. You¡¯ve done an excellent job. Now, I¡¯m going to change. You¡¯d better get back to base.¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°I will. Be careful, Emma. You should call me if something suddenly happens.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Emma replied. ¡°Now, please go home and treat your leg. I¡¯ll get to you after this.¡±


    Then, Emma got into the car and changed into a ck man¡¯s outfit and didn¡¯t forget to wear a mask.


    **


    The cramped concert venues caused the line at all the food and beverage booths to be snake long. Calvin felt bad for Emma because he had said he wouldn¡¯t be away for long. But instead, he made Emma wait for him forever.


    After getting food and drink, Calvin returned to his seat. But he frowned when he saw Emma had disappeared from their seats that even now had already been upied by strangers.


    Calvin looked everywhere, looking for Emma. But he couldn¡¯t find her anywhere. Then, he decided to sit down and put down all the things that had been filling his hands. He took out his cell phone and started calling her. But it never answered.


    ¡°Is she going to the toilet?¡± Calvin mumbled to himself while looking at his phone screen. He had called Emma twice but still got nothing.


    Calvin tried to text Emma, but just like the phone, Emma never opened the short message application.


    After waiting for about ten minutes, Calvin began to feel that something was wrong. He left all his food and drinks on the seat, and rushed to the toilet.


    The toilet was divided into two parts; male and female. Calvin waited in front of the female toilet because he couldn¡¯t go inside.

 Chapter 252

    252 Saving Emma


    After waiting for about five minutes, Emma was still nowhere to be found. So far, Calvin had counted and found there were already seven girls who came out of the toilet. He didn¡¯t know how many cubicles were in the toilet. However, the toilet wasn¡¯t big. And the men¡¯s toilet had only three toilet cubicles.


    ¡°Where is she exactly? Is she mad at me? Did I do something wrong?¡± Calvin muttered under his breath.


    Feeling Emma was not in the toilet, Calvin decided to go back to their seat. Maybe Emma had been back and waiting there. But it seemed Calvin¡¯s hopes didn¡¯te true because the ce was still empty.


    The location outside the venue was not as busy as before. People were heading home, while Calvin was still there, wandering around like a madman. He kept thinking about what he had done wrong that Emma left without saying anything to him, even though she knew that Calvin was buying food for the two of them.


    But if he thought about it logically, Emma was not that type of girl. Calvin felt that he knew her well enough. Emma was a polite and respectful girl. She was also very open about her feelings and did not like to pretend. She would immediately speak if she was not happy about something.


    Emma had been looking happily all night. Not once did she show that she was in a bad mood. If she did, Calvin would have noticed it right away. Calvin also felt confident that he was the type of guy who was quite sensitive to women¡¯s feelings and moods.


    There was no way Emma Hind would suddenly leave without any information just because she was angry with someone. Emma would definitely feel bad if she did that. After all, leaving suddenly was a very ssless act. And Emma Hind seemed unlikely to do such a thing.


    ¡°There is something wrong,¡± Calvin muttered.


    Then, Calvin continued to look for Emma in that ce. He didn¡¯t care if people were leaving the ce was closing soon. He was sure Emma didn¡¯t go home alone. He was sure something had happened to her; maybe something terrible was going on.


    .....


    Calvin got into his car to check the outside of the venue while trying to contact Emma. The ce was already very quiet.


    Then, Calvin¡¯s car arrived at the railing fence at the back of the venue. The ce was quite dark with a lot of trees growing on the inside of the fence.


    One thing made Calvin stop his car which from the start was moving at low speed. He saw a door that was oddly half open. His feelings told him that he should check the ce out.


    Calvin pulled over to his car and got out of there. He walked over to the fence and stepped inside. The ce was quite dark, though there was still some light to see from some of thempposts blocked by tree branches.


    He walked a few steps, following the path and realized that it led to therge sitting area, near the entrance of the concert venue.


    Finding nothing, Calvin decided to return to his car. Not to forget, he tried to call Emma¡¯s cell phone again. The dial tone kept ringing from the Bluetooth earphone he wore in one ear.


    Besides the sound of the night bugs and the trees swaying by the wind, Calvin heard a very faint strain of music. He immediately stopped walking. He took off his earphone and tried to sharpen his hearing.


    Suddenly, the faint music stopped ying. Calvin nced at his phone screen. His call to Emma¡¯s had been cut off automatically because it had not been answered. He immediately called her phone again. As soon as the dial tone rang, he heard the faint music ying again.


    Calvin¡¯s face suddenly turned tense. He immediately stepped to find the source of the sound. ¡°Emma! Emma! Are you here?¡± he eximed. But there was no answer.


    Calvin tried to focus on listening to where the source of the music was, until he saw a thin light among the short grass. He quickened his pace and grabbed the object which was a cell phone that had been lying on the ground with the screen facing down.


    He immediately studied the cell phone screen that was still on. He didn¡¯t know what Emma¡¯s cell phone was like because he never paid attention to it as a form of respecting her privacy.


    But one thing that made Calvin know that the phone was Emma¡¯s; was an iing call notification from a person with the name ¡®Calvin Lee¡¯. As soon as the call was disconnected, the iing call notification disappeared and turned into eighty missed call notifications.


    Calvin¡¯s grip tightened on the phone. He immediately ran back into the car and drove away. While driving, he grabbed his cell phone and hurriedly called someone.


    ¡°Christ! Pick up the phone, you bastards!¡± He cried to his cell phone with his jaw clenched because the person he was calling did not answer it.


    ¡°Yes?¡± The call was answered by a man¡¯s deep voice that sounded very hoarse. It looked like he was sleeping but was awakened by a call.


    ¡°Troy! Emma was kidnapped! She¡¯s gone!¡± Calvin said directly.


    ¡°What?!¡± Troy¡¯s voice instantly sounded fresh.


    Calvin nodded. ¡°He disappeared around the Benjamin Hederric Stadium.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure she was kidnapped?¡± Troy asked. His voice sounded as if he was getting out of bed and striding roughly on the wooden floor of his house.


    ¡°I found her phone on the ground! The empty garden! Don¡¯t waste time. Just hurry up and have the guys look for her!¡± Calvin eximed impatiently.


    The truth about whether Emma was kidnapped or not didn¡¯t really matter to Calvin. To be sure, the girl was in danger and they had to help her.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll call the boys,¡± Troy answered before hanging up the phone.


    Calvin hit the steering wheel. It was as if he had forgotten that it was Ian¡¯s car. Besides, he didn¡¯t care about it. Now, everything that went through Calvin¡¯s mind was: Where was Emma? Where was she taken? What should he do now?


    All those thoughts drove Calvin almost crazy. He was extremely worried about Emma; thinking why it must be her who was now a victim of kidnapping. He knew clearly what the Beast Empire did to the girls they kidnapped. It was a nightmare. Calvin would definitely kill those people if they did anything bad to Emma.


    In his heart, Calvin hoped that Emma wasn¡¯t actually kidnapped. He did not mind if he had to ept the anger of the guys for disturbing them at this time of night.


    Calvin kept trying to think positively that Emma was just wandering into a strange ce and identally dropped her phone and left it there. However..


    ¡®That doesn¡¯t make sense, Calvin! Are you that stupid?!¡¯ His brain eximed.


    Suddenly, Calvin¡¯s phone rang. Quickly, his hand grabbed the cell phone that he ced on the dashboard of the car. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Louis said ck made another attack on the Beast Empire car. It¡¯s on Noah East Road. We¡¯re on our way,¡± Troy said.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± Calvin hung up the phone.


    **


    ¡°Emma!¡± Kathy called out to the masked girl who was talking to Ava behind the minivan they were looting.


    ¡°You should see this,¡± Kathy said as soon as Emma had approached her.


    Kathy was an additional team leader who brought four motorbikes sent by Rachel. It only took them a few minutes to get to the scene of the incident which happened to be quite close to The ck Swan¡¯s headquarters.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Emma asked, following Kathy to peek into the car in the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Look at this,¡± She pointed to a red button the size of a finger press on the side of the car radio. ¡°Looks like this is an emergency button,¡±


    ¡°Emergency button?¡± Emma repeated with a frown. The reason was that such a button did not exist in the car they previously attacked. Then, Emma¡¯s face turned tense. ¡°Is it to call for help?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure yet, but that¡¯s what I think,¡± Kathy replied.


    Emma pulled her body out of the car. She looked at the four men who were in a state of unconsciousness after being beaten badly. They were also tied up with duct tape covering their mouths and eyes.


    They were seated in a circle on the asphalt with their backs to each other, experiencing what it was like to be in the position of the victim they kidnapped.


    ¡°They must have pressed it when their car was under attack,¡± Emma muttered.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°Beast Empire modified their car to prevent something like thest time from happening again.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, guys. You¡¯d better get out of the way,¡± said one of two girls who was holding a big hammer.


    Emma and Kathy took a few steps back from the front car door, letting their team work.


    The two girls who were carrying the hammer started breaking the dashboard of the car. Thanks to the training that Linda recently taught, they had be masters in quickly disassembling the contents of cars.


    It happened that Linda¡¯s father had a car spare parts factory and arge car repair shop that had many branches. Therefore, the knowledge she had about four-wheeled vehicles was quite a lot.


    ¡°Kathy, take a look at this. Is this a tracking machine?¡± One of the girls got out of the car with a ck square object the size of a matchbox with two cut wires sticking out.

 Chapter 253

    253 My Girl


    Kathy epted the ck box her girl had given her, and studied it for a moment. Then, she nodded lightly. ¡°This is a ¡®tracker¡¯ device.¡± She concluded, and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the cheap one. But they modified it a bit. At first, it only worked when it was turned on. It worked as a GPS to track lost items. But it didn¡¯t have long battery life.¡±


    Then Kathy mmed the device onto the asphalt and trampled it to pieces with the thick-soled shoes she was wearing.


    Emma stared at the ill-fated object while holding her own chest. ¡°Wh.. why are you destroying it?¡±


    ¡°This thing is of no use to us. As long as it is alive, its owner can trace its location.¡± Kathy replied while continuing to stomp on it.


    ¡°But.. you just take out the battery, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked the girl who had given it to Kathy.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m just expressing my anger. After earning a lot of money from destroying other people¡¯s lives, they are still this f*cking greedy,¡± Kathy replied before stopping her activities when the device waspletely broken apart.


    Emma cleared her throat and then returned to the main topic. ¡°If they did call for help, then the Beast Empire will soon arrive at the...¡±


    Before Emma could finish her sentence, a group of bikers had already surrounded them. The light from the headlights of the motorbikes dazzled the girls.


    Emma could not clearly see the riders of the motorbikes because of the lights. But she knew that they were the Beast Empire. That way, she immediately put up a position to be ready to fight.


    .....


    ¡°Get ready, guys. There are quite a number of them,¡± Emma said.


    Then, the light of the motorbikes disappeared when the riders turned off the engine. One of the men riding the motorbike in the middle front took off his helmet and got off his motorbike.


    ¡°That...¡± Kathy mumbled, then stopped when Emma put her hand on her chest to keep her from saying more.


    Emma was surprised when she saw that it was Jita Kyoei who came to them. She immediately pressed the button on the side of her mask¡¯s mouthpiece to tell all the girls to restrain themselves, because the group that had just arrived wasn¡¯t the Beast Empire.


    Troy stepped into the centre of the location. But before he could speak, Calvin got out of the car and randomly grabbed one of the ck members, who was the closest to his reach.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Emma?!¡± Calvin eximed while pulling both the cors of one of the ck members.


    Emma, who saw that her girl, who did not know anything, was being targeted by Calvin, immediately stepped up to them. She patted Calvin¡¯s arm. ¡°Hey. Let him go,¡±


    Just by looking at his behaviour and height alone, Calvin instantly knew that the man who had just approached him was the first ck he had met; which by other means, was the leader of the ck group.


    Calvin roughly grabbed the short man¡¯s shoulders. ¡°This is the Beast Empire car, isn¡¯t it? They kidnapped my girl. Where are the girls they kidnapped?¡±


    ¡®What? ¡®My girl¡¯?¡± Emma repeated in her head.


    Luckily, Calvin couldn¡¯t see the face behind the mask in front of him. Because, the face of the girl he was talking about didn¡¯t seem to believe what she had just heard.


    ¡°Where are they?!¡±


    Calvin¡¯s snap brought Emma¡¯s focus back. He even shook her shoulder violently.


    Emma swiftly pped Calvin¡¯s hands off her shoulders. ¡°They have been brought home by our members,¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calvin¡¯s brow furrowed.


    Troy, who saw Calvin attack the ck members in a such reckless manner, decided to interfere. Ian also approached the two people. They understood that Calvin was feeling very panicked because his crush was in danger.


    ¡°Calm down, mate,¡± Troy grabbed one of Calvin¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a girl with light brown hair and eyes; about the same height as you,¡± Ian exined to ck¡¯s leader.


    Hearing that, Emma immediately stepped back. So, Ian realized that ck and Emma Hind were the same height? Well.. She had to be more careful from now on.


    Emma cleared her throat once. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to insult me. The features you mention are too general anyway,¡± she said with the coldest intonation possible.


    Then Ian chuckled and turned to Calvin. ¡°Hey. Do you have a picture of Emma?¡±


    Calvin thought for a moment, then took out his phone. He opened the gallery, and came to a sacred picture on his cellphone. It was a photo of him with Emma that he had taken during the concert earlier. He showed the picture to ck¡¯s leader.


    Emma looked at the picture of herself smiling broadly next to Calvin, whose smile was brighter than hers. Before, Emma did not have time to see the picture they had taken in the crowded conditions of the concert. But she didn¡¯t expect that it turned out to be that good. They both looked very happy there.


    ¡°Was this girl among the abductees?¡± Calvin asked after pulling his phone back. He didn¡¯t want to let him stare at Emma¡¯s face for too long.


    ¡°Well. Yes, she was,¡± Emma nodded after clearing her throat awkwardly.


    ¡°She was?!¡± Calvin repeated.


    Jita Kyoei¡¯s men were also surprised. So, it was true that Emma was a victim of the kidnapping of that group of ruffians?


    ¡°Where is she now?!¡± Calvin asked again with a rough tug on the cor of the masked man in front of him.


    ¡°Hey! Get your hands off!¡± Kathy, who had been watching, couldn¡¯t stand to see Calvin treat Emma rudely several times. She quickly pped Calvin¡¯s hands so hard that his grips slipped from Emma¡¯s cor.


    Kathy understood that Calvin didn¡¯t know that there was a woman behind the mask ¨C even worse- it was the girl he liked, but she wouldn¡¯t let her best friend be abused like that; whether by a man or a woman, she would step forward if she saw her best friend being hurt.


    Emma cleared her throat as she adjusted her clothes. ¡°I already told you that all the girls are being driven home by our members,¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Then, take me to that girl¡¯s house.¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯s been a while since. Maybe my members have finished dropping them off, and now are heading straight back home.¡± Emma answered. Then she waved his hand once. ¡°You¡¯d better go home now. Trust me, we did get them safely home,¡± she said as she walked away.


    But Calvin quickly followed in ck¡¯s footsteps and grabbed his thin shoulder again roughly. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding about this, ck. I¡¯m really going to kill you if that girl doesn¡¯t get to her house safely. You¡¯d better be polite to her.¡±


    Emma was confused about how to react. She was ttered by Calvin¡¯s attitude that was so worried about her safety. It proved that she was precious to him.


    But on the other hand, Emma was not the figure of Emma Hind, who was a gentle girl like she always was in front of Calvin. Currently, she was a ck figure, who was the leader of a feared group of powerful warriors.


    Calvin¡¯s treatment which seemed to be condescending to her was indeed uneptable. As the leader of the ck Swan, Emma felt her self-esteem had been tarnished. Anger boiled up in her chest.


    She immediately squeezed Calvin¡¯s hand that was still on her shoulder before slowly pulling it off, because Calvin seemed reluctant to take his hand off her shoulder. That man intentionally showed part of his strength on it as a sign that he meant what he said. Therefore, the pulling-war process was like a power battle.


    ¡°You¡¯d better watch your attitude. I won¡¯t hesitate to kill you here for putting me down,¡± Emma said with a growl.


    Ian and Troy who saw this, immediately calmed Calvin. It wasn¡¯t that the two of them were afraid of ck or trying to keep the group leader¡¯s feelings in check.


    But, if a war urred just because Calvin couldn¡¯t control his behaviour because he was too worried about the girl he liked, it would be detrimental to Jita Kyoei. Fighting because of women was something they didn¡¯t deserve and would always avoid.


    ¡°What is your goal in continuing to attack the Beast Empire?¡± Troy asked ck¡¯s leader.


    ¡°We know what business they¡¯re in. They kidnap girls in this city. We want to stop that.¡± Emma answered quickly.


    ¡°Chief, we better hurry. The Beast Empire must be on its way here,¡± Kathy warned Emma.


    Emma nodded at Kathy, then looked back at Troy. ¡°We¡¯d better leave this ce soon,¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Troy stopped the man. ¡°If you guys really only have a goal of saving the victims, maybe we can work together again. We also want to destroy that group.¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°We can talk about itter.¡± Then, she held out her hand in front of Troy, ¡°Your phone?¡±


    Troy gave his cell phone to ck. Then, the masked man typed a phone number on it before returning it to him.


    ¡°You can text that number,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Well,¡± Troy answered before saving the number with the name ¡®ck¡¯.


    ¡°You guys go first. I¡¯ll finish off the Beast Empire with my own two hands.¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°They brought a whole group,¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°I can handle them. They need to know what¡¯s going to happen for daring to touch my girl,¡± Calvin answered, then he nced sharply at ck, ¡°And so do you.¡±


    Kathy looked at Emma with an amused smile behind her mask, while Emma¡¯s face turned pale because of Calvin¡¯s words, which were heard by everyone.


    Then Emma cleared her throat. ¡°As you wish,¡± she said as she got on the motorbike ridden by Kathy, and left with all her group, leaving the group of men there, along with the wreckage of the car they¡¯d destroyed.

 Chapter 254

    254 Visiting Jita Kyoei Base


    ¡°Are you sure you want to fight them all alone?¡± Ian asked Calvin.


    Calvin nodded confidently, ¡°I also need to study their strength. You don¡¯t have to worry. Leave this to me.¡±


    Troy shrugged. ¡°Well, If you say so,¡±


    Ian patted Calvin on the shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll take my car and leave a bike for you here.¡±


    Then the two men exchanged vehicle keys. Ian didn¡¯t want his car to be there when Beast Empire came and got into a fight with Calvin. They definitely would destroy his favourite car.


    Before Ian left, Calvin also left Emma¡¯s cell phone to him for fear that it would be damaged while he was fighting.


    ¡°Call us if you¡¯re too knocked by them that you can¡¯t walk anymore,¡± Troy said as he started his motorbike engine.


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen,¡± Calvin chuckled.


    Then, Jita Kyoei left the ce. Right after their departure, as Calvin had been waiting for, the Beast Empire subordinates came to the scene.


    .....


    It was a collection of men driving cars and motorbikes. There were probably around fifty of them. Calvin smiled, cracking his fingers.


    ¡°Time for a night workout,¡±


    **


    The ck Swan girls had returned to base. Emma¡¯s arrival was immediately greeted by her friends who were worried about her safety.


    Despite knowing that Emma was strong, it didn¡¯t deny the fact that Emma was really kidnapped by Beast Empire¡¯s men. She had to restrain herself from attacking back so that the impromptu mission went smoothly.


    ¡°Did they ever harass you?¡± Poppy asked directly. That was the first thing that popped into her mind; the thing she was most afraid of.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°Thankfully, they didn¡¯t. Thanks for worrying about me girls.¡±


    ¡°How did it actually happen that you got kidnapped by them, Emma?¡± Britney asked.


    ¡°Um.. that...¡± Emma had a hard time exining it from the beginning.


    Then, augh broke the worried mood. ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re dating Calvin?¡±


    Emma stared nkly at Kathy. Ever since Calvin suddenly came and said unnecessary words in front of them, Emma could already guess that Kathy would use the scene as material to tease Emma. And it looked like she was starting to do it.


    ¡°Calvin? You mean Calvin Lee?¡± Britney asked with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Which Calvin is a better fit for our Emma, ??Britney?¡± Kathy replied with a slight shake of her head.


    ¡°Gosh.. I know that you two do look close, but I didn¡¯t think that this incident could happen when you two were hanging out,¡± Britney said with a chuckle.


    Emma sighed. ¡°Come on guys. Stop teasing me. We¡¯re not dating.¡±


    ¡°All right, all right. I know it¡¯s a matter of your privacy. I¡¯m not going to talk about it anymore.¡± Britney said with the rest of her grin. ¡°Then, how did you get kidnapped?¡±


    Luckily, not all of Emma¡¯s friends had the same nature as Kathy¡¯s, so the tease didn¡¯tst long.


    Then, Emma began to tell the chronology of how she got kidnapped. From the moment she saw a girl chatting with a man, who turned out to be a member of the Beast Empire, until she ended up in a minivan to be taken to the human warehouse. She also did not forget to tell how the men treated their victims.


    ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t have much choice. If I didn¡¯t move right away, the girls¡¯ fate would be in danger. That¡¯s why I had to leave Calvin and go on a mission. Sorry for making you guys have toe so suddenly like that.¡± Emma said.


    Kathy shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize, Emma. If the girls were kidnapped, they wouldn¡¯t necessarily be kept in the human warehouse back then. They might just be given to Beast Empire¡¯s customers. It would be worst if you got a chance to save others, but didn¡¯t use it.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Poppy nodded.


    ¡°Anyway, where¡¯s Rachel?¡± Emma asked as she remembered her best friend who looked limp earlier.


    ¡°I already took Rachel home. She¡¯ll go to the hospital tomorrow to have her leg checked.¡± Ava answered.


    ¡°Oh.. I¡¯m really worried about her. I hope she¡¯s okay.¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Rachel did fall pretty hard from that car. She¡¯s the bravest girl I¡¯ve ever known. When I saw her in action, I felt like I was watching an action movie.¡± Ava said with an amazed face.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I chose Rachel as the head coach. She is the best example for all the members.¡± Emma said.


    Suddenly, there was a short ringing sound. Poppy immediately stood up and took a cell phone from her desk which was not far from where they were sitting together. It was ck Swan¡¯s special phone which was always held by Poppy as the group¡¯s manager.


    ¡°Hey, ck. It¡¯s me, Troy Roner from Jita Kyoei. Continuing what we were talking about. Where and when can we meet to talk about it?¡± Poppy read the contents of the message. Her face looked confused.


    ¡°Woah.. So fast, Troy!¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°What happened? How could Troy suddenly send a message like this?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°Troy Roner? Isn¡¯t he the president of the Judo club on campus?¡± Britney asked.


    Emma nodded. ¡°He is. Troy is the leader of the Jita Kyoei group that I often talk about. Earlier, Calvin suddenly came with many Jita Kyoei guys. Troy offered to cooperate again to finish off the Beast Empire group.¡±


    ¡°Well, so It¡¯s true as Rachel said. Beast Empire recruits martial arts studio students. That must be the reason Jita Kyoei wants to beat them up.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I will have a meeting with all core team members to discuss whether we need to cooperate again with Jita Kyoei or not,¡± Emma said, considering that Rachel was in a state of injury now.


    **


    Jita Kyoei had two headquarters. The old radio room was in the Jardin University campus and the other was Martin¡¯s small caf¨¦.


    The men would gather in a special room in the Punk-Rock cafe when they were off campus.


    ¡°ck already texted me. They¡¯reing here,¡± Troy said to all his friends.


    ¡°Come here? When?¡± Ian asked.


    ¡°Tonight.¡±


    ¡°Do they trust us so much that they dare toe directly to our base?¡± Nicko said to himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s on their minds. I don¡¯t know which is true: either the leader acts like he knows us very well or he really has no fear at all.¡± Ian muttered.


    ¡°Then, how¡¯s Emma, ??Calvin? You don¡¯t look as frantic as yesterday,¡± Martin asked.


    ¡°I called Rachel. She said Emma was right back home.¡± Calvin answered with a sigh of relief. He still remembered how worried he was when he didn¡¯t know about Emma¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Looks like Emma will only tell her female friends about her house. But I was relieved that at least someone could find out how she was doing, even though her cell phone couldn¡¯t be reached.¡± Calvin continued, referring to Emma¡¯s cell phone which was still in his hand. He would return it when he met her on campus on Monday.


    ¡°This is going too far. Even our female friends are victims now,¡± Nicko said as he rubbed his lips. ¡°I¡¯m worried about my sisters. This city isn¡¯t safe for girls anymore.¡±


    ¡°There is something that made the Beast Empire abduct girls even more. They looked like they were being chased by demons, so they dared to carry out kidnappings in such a short span of time. Unfortunately, I still haven¡¯t been able to find it. Beast Empire¡¯s information defence is so strong that it is hard to prate. They are very closed off,¡± Frank exined.


    ¡°And ck could find out that much information about that group,¡± Troy said, shaking his head slowly.


    Frank nodded, ¡°Their informants are indeed epic.¡±


    **


    The sun was starting to set. All of Jita Kyoei¡¯s core members, plus Calvin Lee, were still gathered in a room, which was Jita Kyoei¡¯s official headquarters.


    Troy rose from his seat as he read the message that had just arrived on his cell phone. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± He walked out the door.


    ¡°Can¡¯t they go in on their own?¡± Martin asked with a look of disapproval. ording to him, ck was too arrogant and spoiled.


    ¡°They don¡¯t want to go through the caf¨¦, so they have to use the back door,¡± Nicko said.


    ¡°That weird mask-headed is sure to terrify all your caf¨¦ guests, Martin,¡± Ian added.


    ¡°Assholes. Are they so famous that they have to keep covering their faces like that? Those guys are too much. They just want to look cool,¡± Martin snorted again.


    The door leading to the back of the building opened. Troy showed up with two men in ck behind him.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± Troy said while moving his chin towards a grey sofa that looked shabby and a bit dirty.


    Emma and Linda sat on the sofa. Usually, Emma was always apanied by Rachel if she wanted to have a meeting like this. However, because Rachel¡¯s leg was slightly sprained, she decided to take Linda along so Rachel could rest and recover.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re noting with your normal-height friend?¡± Martin asked.


    Emma looked at Martin sarcastically. That brat¡¯s mouth really needed to be taught a lesson someday. ¡°Whoever goes with me has nothing to do with you. I don¡¯t even think that you are a normal person either,¡±


    Calvin looked at Martin and shook his head tiredly. Then, he turned his gaze to Nicko, who was sitting next to Martin. He gave a signal for Nicko to immediately take the troublesome guy out of the room.


    ¡°Dammit! Why do I so sleepy now? Anyone up for some coffee? I¡¯m going to the caf¨¦.¡± Nicko got up from his seat while holding his neck, as if he felt sore in that part.


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Calvin answered, followed by a nod from the others.


    Then, Nicko patted Martin on the shoulder. ¡°Come have coffee together. Let¡¯s go out.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why me?¡± Martinined with a confused face.

 Chapter 255

    255 A Meeting of Two Superb Groups


    ¡°You are the owner of this caf¨¦. Make the most special coffee for me,¡± Nicko answered Martin¡¯s question while pulling the crazy guy away.


    After Nicko managed to get Martin out of the room, the conversation between Jita Kyoei and ck could finally start without interruption.


    ¡°Just like you, we also want to destroy the Beast Empire because they recruited martial arts students like RJC and Hell Gate,¡± Troy said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°I know. So, you guys ask for cooperation?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t ask it, but offer it. If you don¡¯t want it, that¡¯s not a problem. We will still carry out our mission. ck¡¯s presence will only make the mission easier. Without you, it doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t be sessful.¡± Troy replied.


    ¡°Your reasons for defeating the Beast Empire are eptable to us. Therefore, it seems that this cooperation will benefit both of us.¡± Emma answered, ignoring Troy¡¯s further reasoning.


    ¡°Then, what are your ns?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°Before revealing what our ns are, I want to ask you one thing first. What do you know about the Beast Empire?¡± Emma asked.


    Hearing ck¡¯s question, Troy went silent for a moment, wondering if they should easily tell what they knew about their enemy, even before the cooperation was officially legalized.


    .....


    But Ian gently nudged Troy¡¯s arm, then gave a look from his droopy eyes. From the gaze, Troy understood that Ian was telling him to tell ck the information they already had.


    ¡°You can exin to him, Frank,¡± Troy said.


    Then Emma and Linda turned to the man with chin-length ck hair in a ponytail.


    ¡°Beast Empire has abour supply foundation business. From my search, I found that they are doing it illegally. And they often target teenage girls and young women. Recently, I found out that they get female workers by using the kidnapping method. The victims may be turned into prostitution workers. But to be sure, we¡¯re still trying to dig deeper,¡± Frank exined.


    Emma nodded in understanding. In fact, it was all information she already knew. She just wanted to do a little testing; whether Jita Kyoei trusted ck enough or not. It was because, in coboration, mutual trust was something important. She didn¡¯t want anyone to be nudging each other.


    Amazingly, Emma¡¯s purpose in questioning it was realized by Ian. The man realized that the ck leader was testing Jita Kyoei¡¯s trust in them.


    Emma realized that the men in Jita Kyoei¡¯s group had very high self-esteem, especially Tobias Ian. Until now, all those men still thought that ck was a group of men.


    Because of that, they would be very hard at defending their dignity. Although Emma was a woman, because she grew up among men since childhood, she understood this point of view very well.


    ¡°Beast Empire runs the Human Trafficking business. They don¡¯t just work the girls out, but also the elderly and children.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°Human Trafficking?¡± Calvin¡¯s brow furrowed.


    Emma nodded, then told the guys all the business and evil she knew about the Beast Empire. She told the cruel things that the group would do to workers who wanted to rebel, and how they ensnared their victims. Beast Empire purely got all their workers from trapping and kidnapping.


    ¡°That bastard group!¡± Troy clenched his fists.


    ¡°Thest time we attacked their car, it was carrying kidnapped girls. They were in the process of warehouses transferring. After rescuing the girls, we realized that Beast Empire had sent their members to look for the girls¡¯ whereabouts.


    Therefore, we have not been able to return the girls to their homes until now and have been forced to keep them all in our ce. They will never be able to live freely until the Beast Empire ispletely destroyed.¡± Linda exined.


    ¡°So, you are giving amodate for all the girls you snatched from the Beast Empire?¡± Ian concluded.


    Linda nodded. ¡°That¡¯s only for the girls whose personal information has been known by Beast Empire. For girls who have just been kidnapped, like what happened yesterday, we immediately took them to their respective homes because they hadn¡¯t yet been taken to the Beast Empire¡¯s human warehouse for the information collection.¡±


    ¡°The space we have is limited. We can¡¯t save the girls with the same method over and over again. In the end, our ce will be too full and the Beast Empire will definitely find a way to prevent the same attack from happening again. Therefore, we must move quickly to destroy them.¡± Emma said.


    Ian clicked his tongue. ¡°It turns out the problem is more serious than expected,¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, Ian. It¡¯s a lot more serious than you all knew up until this point.¡± Emma replied.


    The men looked at ck with serious and questioning faces. He was curious about any other information the masked man had. If the problem they knew currently even had to be taken seriously, then what else was more serious than that?


    ¡°Beast Empire teamed up with Dragger, the owner of Jen Marrie Street,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Dragger?!¡± The men repeated in unison.


    ¡°F*ck! Of course, they are! They provide women. Jen Marrie should have a share, indeed! That loathsome ce is heaven for jerks and gamblers.¡± Ian said to himself as he threw his back against his chair¡¯s backrest.


    Rarely to be seen, a Tobias Ian seemed to rub the bridge of his nose. It indicated that he had already felt the pressure of the problem that was making his head ache. It was proof that the trouble that urred would cause them all big trouble.


    ¡°Jen Marrie Street has a lot of brothels. So, they get all of their female workers from Beast Empire?¡± vin asked.


    ¡°They are. Dragger is Beast Empire¡¯s number one customer. My people say that Dragger has been helping Beast Empire¡¯s business a lot over the years. Maybe if we harass Beast Empire, Dragger will also interfere.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good. The Dragger is a huge group. I¡¯m always targeting them, but I haven¡¯t been able to touch them one bit.¡± Calvin murmured.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Dragger, other than the fact that it is the owner of Jen Marrie Street. Judging by how big the street is, I can guess that they are arge group. But are Dragger as dangerous as you guys said?¡± Emma asked.


    Calvin Lee and Jita Kyoei were powerful men. Emma admitted that their fighting abilities were above average. It was all proven when they fought The North Viking, Hell Gate, and RJC. The number of members of Jita Kyoei which was only a little at that time, was able to tear apart the members of thoserge groups.


    If the men were saying that Dragger was a very powerful group, then that group might be beyond Emma¡¯s imagination.


    ¡°In the dark world of Handway, there¡¯s something called The Deadly Square,¡± Ian said.


    Emma looked at the droopy-eyed man seriously, ¡°I never know about that,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll tell you now,¡± Ian replied. ¡°The Deadly Square is four big gangster groups that hold several areas of Handway City. I don¡¯t know where the name came from, but their name became known to everyone after they started running big businesses together.


    It was as if they were in apetition to be the best, or someone had been forcing them to do so. The four groups of The Deadly Square are Hell Gate, Creeper, Red Jack Commander, and Beast Empire.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is just a coincidence or what. But the four groups also simultaneously recruited martial arts studio students. In fact, they had never done that before.


    I know that they are aggressively expanding their business which I never cared about. Buttely, they¡¯ve been desperately expanding their groups as if they¡¯re preparing for a huge war.¡± Troy Added.


    ¡°Then, is The Deadly Square the strongest group association in this city?¡± Emma asked.


    Calvin shook his head. ¡°The Deadly Square groups are strong. But they aren¡¯t the strongest. In fact, three of them are destroyed now. It¡¯s all like a game with levels. To be sure, Dragger stands one level higher than Deadly Square.¡±


    ¡°After fighting several members of the Beast Empire, I discovered that its members weren¡¯t strong people. Maybe it was because they only deal with women, children, and the elderly. Those men are nothingpared to the members of the RJC or Hell Gate.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Their group rarely relies on muscles to solve problems. They usually use money.¡± Frank answered.


    ¡°No wonder they get along so well with Dragger,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°The difference is; Dragger is a group that has a lot of both; money and strong men. It¡¯s as if they bought up all the advantages with them. The leader is also a smart guy.¡± Ian said.


    ¡°As far as I know, the leader is a high school student. Am I correct?¡± Emma said.


    Frank nodded. ¡°You are. But he¡¯ll be the first high school kid you wouldn¡¯t dare underestimate, ck. I can guarantee that.¡±


    ¡°Then, ck, what was that n you said earlier?¡± Troy asked the neatly seated man.


    Emma nodded once and then began to exin, ¡°Beast Empire has buildings called human warehouses. Two of them are just ordinary houses that are used as temporary warehouses and shipping transit points. And the other building is the central warehouse. It¡¯s quiterge with high walls surrounding the building. There, they keep all the captives. We n to attack the main warehouse.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re asking us to attack the central warehouse?¡± Troy asked.


    ¡°Nope. We¡¯re going to attack the central warehouse ourselves. But actually, I needed you guys to do other things.¡± Emma answered.

 Chapter 256

    256 Alliance of Heroes


    Ian frowned in confusion. He was interested to hear what ck¡¯s n was. He did not deny that the midget man¡¯s brain was clever.


    ¡°Right now, the Beast Empire is searching for our group¡¯s whereabouts. They are keeping a tight guard over all of their territories, even going undercover and going around various ces to find us.


    I can guess that they are tightening the guard on the main warehouse, so it might be difficult to break in from the outside. So, we need Jita Kyoei to take over the patrol work to thwart the daily crimes that Beast Empiremits. With that, Beast Empire will break its focus. They will loosen their effort to catch ck.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°We¡¯ve always been on patrol all this time. But you guys move like shadows that we didn¡¯t even get a chance,¡± Troy said.


    ¡°Sorry for making you lose your prey. However, we must move quickly so that no other girls be victims. Unlike you guys who have a mission to save the martial arts studio, we have a pure mission to save those innocent people.¡± Emma answered sarcastically.


    ¡°Good words, hero,¡± Ian replied with a cynical look.


    ¡°You can say whatever you want. But that is the main reason ck stands up.¡± Linda answered Ian¡¯s words.


    ¡°So, you won¡¯t be patrolling anymore?¡± Calvin asked.


    Emma nodded. ¡°We will provide all the information we know about the Beast Empire¡¯s movements, so that our movements will be in sync. During that time, my group will prepare ourselves and n to attack the main warehouse.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Are you sure you can attack the main warehouse alone?¡± Frank asked.


    Emma nodded. ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident about it. However, I won¡¯t ept the risk of getting in trouble because we don¡¯t have too many members. Therefore, on the day we attack the main base, I will need Jita Kyoei¡¯s help again. I need you to destroy two transit warehouses.¡±


    ¡°So, you want to reduce the men of the main warehouse, so that the battle bes even?¡± Ian asked.


    ¡°There are a lot of captives in that warehouse. Not only do we have to beat up the Beast Empire members, but also protect all the captives. That way, the gap between the numbers of our members will be a troublesome problem for us.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Well.. That¡¯s understandable. I admit it¡¯s an interesting n,¡± Troy said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just interesting. It¡¯s an amazing n.¡± Linda replied. The ck Swan core team, including herself, had discussed this n in a meeting. These were all the ideas and thoughts of all the core team members. Of course, this n was something great.


    ¡°We are cool now. We will cooperate and keep in touch until the Beast Empire falls.¡± Troy said.


    ¡°Do we need a letter of agreement?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? What¡¯s that for?¡± Troy asked.


    ¡°A legal agreement evidence?¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Evidence my ass! We¡¯ve said this in front of many witnesses. Anyone who breaks it is trash.¡± Troy replied in anger.


    ¡°You dare toe alone to our nest, and yet about an agreement like this, you even think of a stupid piece of paper? What country are you actually from?¡± Ian asked with both eyes narrowed in surprise.


    ¡°All right, all right,¡± Emma said while raising her hands beside her chest. ¡°If you guys object, then we don¡¯t have to. There¡¯s no need to be so fussy either.¡±


    Emma chose to give up because she had known these men as Emma Hind. They were trusted men.


    ¡°You hope we don¡¯t make a fuss after hearing your strange request?¡± Frank said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve let youe to our base that none of the other groups knows about. Does your trust in uspare to this? Would you allow us toe to your base, then?¡± Frank asked to test the damn mask.


    ¡°Certainly not,¡± Emma answered straight away as firmly as possible.


    ¡°By the way, do you guys know where the headquarters of the Beast Empire is?¡± Linda asked, trying to change the subject. Just like Rachel, she was also good at reading situations. Therefore, Emma made her Rachel¡¯s recement for today.


    Frank shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. They hid it well; probably just like you guys. However, we weren¡¯t that serious enough to focus on finding their base. Maybe after this, we¡¯ll start looking for it seriously.¡±


    ¡°Well, good, then. My team will also look for it. We can exchange information.¡± Emma said. Then, she got up from her seat. ¡°I think this is all. I will ask some of my core team to contact you, so that each department canmunicate well with each other.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thanks foring here.¡± Troy said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Thank you for having us. I hope each of us can seed in our goals without any problems.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out,¡± Calvin also rose from his seat.


    Then, the three of them walked out of the room, through a short passage that was part of the back path of the building, until they came to a back door made of iron. In front of the door, a ck motorcycle was parked.


    ¡°Thanks for walking us out,¡± Emma said.


    Calvin nodded, ¡°Actually, I have something to talk to you about a little.¡± he said somewhat hesitantly.


    Emma stopped her movement to get on the motorbike. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I want to apologize for my rude behaviour that night, as well as thank your team for taking my friend safely to her house.¡±


    Emma chuckled. ¡°I ept both. I know you¡¯re worried about your friend. Therefore, I won¡¯t mind it,¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re even sane enough not to call me your girl.¡¯ Emma said in her heart.


    ¡°From your words and actions, I can judge that you and your group are truly sincere in helping others. This information may not be important to you, but I just wanted to let you know that I am not a part of Jita Kyoei.¡± Calvin exined.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t?¡± There was no surprise in Emma¡¯s voice.


    ¡°It happens that I also have the same mission as you. Unlike Jita Kyoei, I fight the gangsters just to make this city safe and stop the oppression. But so far, I¡¯ve only been moving alone, fighting many groups, until Jita Kyoei discovered their problem regarding the martial arts studio. Since then, I¡¯ve built an alliance with them.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Well.. So, what do you want to talk about exactly?¡± Emma asked in confusion.


    ¡°I just want you to know that I have the same mission as you. So, I have a big hope for this alliance. Even if Jita Kyoei doesn¡¯t cooperate with you anymore, I will still support ck and am willing to help your mission. ¡± Calvin answered.


    Emma smiled behind her mask and nodded. ¡°I see. Thanks for saying it nicely. It seems like, among those guys, you¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t hold on to that bullshit pride. I really appreciate it.¡±


    Calvin also smiled at ck¡¯s answer. It was not wrong if from the start he thought that ck was a good man who he could trust. He was relieved because he was able to establish good rtions with a group that had the same mission as him.


    Now, Calvin¡¯s worries about not being able to avenge his brother¡¯s injustice had diminished considerably. A great hope arose. He was optimistic that in the future, there would be no more people who suffer the same fate as his brother in this city.


    ¡°Thank you. See youter,¡± Calvin said to the two masked men.


    ¡°See youter.¡± Emma and Linda answered at the same time as they got on their motorbikes.


    Then, the ck motorbike drove away and out of the alley that became the entrance to the back door of the building.


    ¡°Well.. Calvin really is a nice guy, isn¡¯t he?¡± Said Linda who was in the back seat.


    Emma smiled. ¡°He is kind and sincere.¡±


    ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t think twice to be in a rtionship with him, Emma,¡± Linda said.


    ¡°A lot of people say that. But I¡¯m not so sure,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t? Is there something wrong with him?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s still not the time. There are too many things going on. Maybe this isn¡¯t the time for me to think about a special rtionship; so is Calvin.¡±


    ¡°You two are like a pair of swordsmen. You¡¯ll make great kidster,¡± Lindaughed.


    ¡°Haha.. What are you saying, Linda? My adventure is still too long to think about marriage, let alone children. I don¡¯t even want to imagine it.¡± Emma answered.


    **


    The cold air dominated the dimly lit room because the air conditioner was turned on at the minimum setting.


    A bald man was sitting, wearing only a T-shirt. His whole body was covered with tattoos. The paintings that were embedded in his skin were also even found all over his neck to his scalp.


    His eyes were sharp and his jaw was firm and hard. His two talented fingers which were covered by the various drawings made by the tattoo artist, were arranging chunks of pure gold tes on the desk.


    Knock! Knock!


    The two sharp eyes turned to the door of his room. ¡°Come in.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice sounded deep and hoarse which gave anyone goosebumps just by hearing it. He was like a lion that ruled the wilderness.


    The door opened. A man walked in. He had a gold-coloured hip-hop jacket wrapped around his body and a shiny silver hip-hop hat covering his head.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Pablo greeted as he stepped inside. Instantly, he rubbed his own arms, for the freezing temperature of the room ¡°You crazy! It¡¯s ska freezing here!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss. I¡¯m tired of hearing those words from your mouth every time youe here.¡± The bald man replied.

 Chapter 257

    257 Mental Illness


    Pablo ignored the man who always seemed strange to him. He continued his steps on a long sofa near the bald man¡¯s desk, then sat there in a rxed style. His behaviour was followed by his friend who had a high posture like a professional basketball yer.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The bald man asked.


    ¡°We just wanted to talk about something. It¡¯s nothing so important; just about the future of the gangster business in Handway City.¡± Pablo answered with emphasis on thest sentence.


    The bald man was a feared man. In addition to his hideous form and terrifying strength, there was one absolute thing that was the reason he must be feared.


    His name was James Kade. The No.1 man of the biggest and strongest gangster group in Handway City, The ck Hole.


    James nced at Pablo and Creed with azy look. ¡°What else these kids want to say?¡± he muttered in a low voice but could be heard by the two boys he was referring to.


    However, Pablo never cared what James thought of him. He knew they were two parties who needed each other.


    ¡°Did you know that Deadly Square had been destroyed?¡± Pablo asked.


    James let out a long sigh at the trashy nonsense. ¡°Of course, kid. Deadly Square is made by ck Hole. Howe I didn¡¯t know about that?¡±


    .....


    Pablo nodded. ¡°Now it is Beast Empire the only one left in The Deadly Square. And that group is being attacked by ck and Jita Kyoei.¡±


    ¡°You cooperated with them, don¡¯t you? Then help them. You think we didn¡¯t know that you made the Beast Empire stand that big?¡± James replied.


    ¡°Hey, even so, aren¡¯t we all on the same level in ck Hole¡¯s eyes? If Dragger has to support the Beast Empire even when they¡¯re being pressured from all sides like this, it¡¯s certainly very unfair to Dragger. You even make us have to pay a fee as big as The Deadly Square in total.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Of course. Isn¡¯t it obvious that we are working harder than the others? What is the new policy from The ck Hole? We have been waiting so long for you to make a decision. Thetest policy you gave was only after Hell Gate fell. Then, after the Creeper and RJC fell, you are still silent like this.¡± Pablo said, like a child whining to get permission to go camping from his parents.


    ¡°Hey, kid. Making a policy isn¡¯t as easy as you think.¡± James replied.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m an ordinary kid? I also lead a group and a giant business. Every day, I have to make decisions for various problems that arise.¡± Pablo replied.


    ¡°You only lead one group, while ck Hole holds six groups at once.¡±


    The six groups that James was referring to were Dragger, Hell Gate, Creeper, RJC, Beast Empire, and thest one was their own group, ck Hole.


    ¡°Goddammit! I lost!¡± Creed eximed. He had been busy with his mobile game.


    Then, he ced his phone on hisp, while rxing his aching fingers and neck. ¡°If it¡¯s too heavy for the ck Hole, then let us go,¡±


    Creed¡¯s words made James¡¯ face stiffen. He looked at the dark-skinned boy with long legs, who had now returned to staring at his phone screen as if what he just said was a meaningless joke.


    James knew how the nature of the game-loving boy was. Even though he looked rxed and didn¡¯t care, his ears would always listen. He was like a Puss caterpir. It looked harmless, but it turned out to be deadly.


    Pablo realized that his friend¡¯s careless words made the atmosphere tense. He immediately opened his voice with his Hip Hop style, ¡°If you guys still want to keep us, at least let me take over the vacant areas of the Deadly Square¡¯s groups that had fallen.¡±


    ¡°That would create an imbnce. You know, I can¡¯t decide on my own just like that. ck Hole isn¡¯t a fingernail group like you kids.¡± James answered with a straight face. He no longer had an interest to follow the way these high school boys talk.


    Pablo realized that James was still offended by Creed¡¯s words. Then, he sighed. ¡°All right, James. I see what you mean. It¡¯s been a bit tensetely, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened to themtely. You should know what the situation is and what my limits are,¡± James replied. There was anguid tone in his voice.


    Pablo nodded. ¡°Okay! If it so, what can this boy do?¡± He patted his thighs before standing up. ¡°Call me when there¡¯s a new policy, okay? Especially about RJC. I feel envious of them, to be honest. They¡¯re still standing, not paying the fee, but still fine.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just mind your own business? After all, they¡¯re already poor and you¡¯re still rich. Why should you envy losers like them?¡± James said.


    ¡°Alright, fine! I¡¯ve heard enough of your advice, old man. You¡¯d better turn the air conditioner off. You don¡¯t look like a human.¡± James said as he walked towards the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break your jaw one day. You just wait,¡± James said.


    Pablo and Creed paid no heed to the bald man. They stepped out and closed the door behind them.


    ¡°This sucks,¡± Pablo said.


    Creed chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on. Is the ck Hole possessed by an angel?¡±


    ¡°Looks like something happened to the higher-ups.¡± Pablo shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°They really don¡¯t want to let us go. Doesn¡¯t that mean, now only Dragger and the Beast Empire are the sources of the ck Hole¡¯s ie? How ironic,¡± Creed said while staring at his cellphone screen in a sideways position. He could even do that while walking, without tripping over or bumping into anything.


    ¡°What do you think made them forbid us from taking over other streets?¡± Pablo asked.


    Creed shrugged his shoulders as he got into a ck limousine parked in front of a huge, luxurious house with two pirs in front.


    ¡°If Dragger gets bigger, maybe we can beat the ck Hole,¡± Pablo answered his own question.


    ¡°Hm.. That can be done. But you don¡¯t forget how strong they are, do you? You might be able to beat them from the number of members or the size of the business. But in the end, the strongest will rule.¡± Creed replied.


    ¡°When will we be able to surpass their strength?¡± Pablo muttered to himself.


    Creed shrugged again. ¡°Maybe when we¡¯re adults?¡±


    ¡°A few more years, then, I¡¯ll change the circumstance,¡± Pablo said.


    **


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± asked Emma, who had just entered a vet.


    ¡°She¡¯s sick. This cat is already old.¡± Levi answered.


    ¡°Where is your mom?¡±


    ¡°At home,¡±


    ¡°Has her health improved?¡±


    Levi nodded. ¡°She¡¯s getting better now,¡±


    ¡°Well. Happy to hear that,¡± Emma replied.


    Then, the two people were silent while waiting in the quiet vet. Even, in the waiting room, only the two of them were seen waiting for pets.


    ¡°Sorry to call you all of a sudden. I¡¯ve never taken Pixy to the vet. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll suddenly ask me to make a decision, and I¡¯ll have to discuss it with someone, except for my mother.¡± Levi said suddenly. He did not want to contact his mother who was worried about her cat at home.


    Emma turned to him. It turned out that Levi had changed his attitude. Now, he was no longer afraid to apologize.


    Then, Emma smiled. ¡°No need to be sorry. Of course, I will take the time, especially when ites to Pixy.¡±


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Levi asked suddenly.


    ¡°How am I doing?¡± Emma repeated, thinking back to her days. ¡°Well, a lot of things happened. But I just had a good one, so I feel grateful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear you¡¯re having a good day.¡± Levi smiled gently.


    ¡°How about you?¡± Emma asked back.


    Levi took a deep breath before replying, ¡°It seems the wheel of life is spinning between you and me. Unlike you, I have a problem. It¡¯s something that I always afraid would happen.¡±


    Emma¡¯s face turned worried. Could it be that Levi¡¯s Bipr came again?


    ¡°What happened? Could it be that you are.. sick?¡±


    ¡°Sick?¡± Levi repeated with a frown. ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t have any disease. I¡¯m the healthiest man alive on this earth.¡± he replied in a displeased tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration,¡± Emma muttered, ¡°All right. Sorry about my question. So, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Just say that I have something that I got with the very hard struggle. I¡¯ve sacrificed a lot to get there. That¡¯s why, I always feel afraid that it will disappear again, and my life will change to how it used to be. I will suffer. But,tely, I feel some people are starting to make me almost lose my achievements.¡± Levi exined.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard you talk about your fear. But, it¡¯s bad news that there are people who want to return your life to the way it used to be. Do they do that on purpose?¡± Emma asked.


    Levi shrugged his shoulders slightly. ¡°Actually, they don¡¯t know that their actions will have a big impact on me. The problem is, that we live in the same environment. Each of us has our own interests. And the actions that they take based on their interests actually made an impact on me.¡±


    ¡°Then, you can tell them honestly, can¡¯t you? That what they did was hurting you.¡±


    Levi shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t want people to know my secret. It will make me look weak. They will look down on me. I don¡¯t want it to happen.¡±


    Emma sighed wearily. She could understand how Levi felt. When you have a mental illness, it would be difficult to tell people. She herself didn¡¯t even know much about mental illness.

 Chapter 258

    258 Fulfill a Promise


    Not a few people saw all mental illness as one disease. They would think all sufferers were mentally crazy. And, who would take crazy people seriously? Levi had a job and a family to support. If she was in Levi¡¯s position, Emma would be afraid.


    ¡°In that case, is it possible that you left that bad environment?¡± Emma asked slowly.


    ¡°That¡¯s the ce I¡¯ve lived since I was little. In fact, they are neers. However, you can¡¯t just control everyone, can you? Isn¡¯t peoplee and go in life?¡±


    ¡°Well.. You¡¯re right. The situation is quiteplicated, indeed.¡± Emma said with a thoughtful face. ¡°If you can¡¯t tell the truth and can¡¯t get away from them, how about you thought them a lesson, like revenge? That way, they might understand,¡±


    Levi frowned and looked at Emma in disbelief. ¡°So, you¡¯re that type of person, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Emma shrugged. ¡°I never said I was a good person. I will be nice to those who deserve it. Why would I be nice to bad people? Especially, people who have been mean to me. I¡¯m the type to hit back.¡± she narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Gosh, I can¡¯t believe this.¡± Levi shook his head slowly. ¡°Is it real, that a girl tells me to take revenge?¡±


    ¡°Hey.. Don¡¯t look at the gender. I think, this is just perspective. Honestly, I¡¯m currently in the process of taking revenge. Haha..¡± Sheughed.


    Levi¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°You are? I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised anymore,¡±


    .....


    For some reason, Levi¡¯s surprise made Emma feel proud. She was happy to be able to show that a woman was also human, regardless of their form or their behaviour. You couldn¡¯t expect them to always be angels.


    Even a girl who looked gentle and affectionate could hold a knife behind her back. It was human, regardless of gender or who they were.


    ¡°But this is just my opinion. You don¡¯t have to follow it if it goes against your conscience.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Why do you think like that?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°Why would that go against your conscience?¡± Emma made sure.


    Levi shook his head. ¡°Why do you have to take revenge?¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Well, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not the type of person who likes to depend on other people; even on fate. I won¡¯t let fate control my life. Likewise, I won¡¯t wait for fate to avenge the wounds that other people have inflicted on me.


    I believe Karma exists. However, I can¡¯t stand waiting for karma to work itself out. Therefore, I will take revenge with my own hands. It will give me satisfaction.¡± Emma exined with a bit of augh.


    ¡°You must think of me as a mean girl, don¡¯t you?¡± She guessed without reducing the giggle on her face.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s the most reasonable thought I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± Levi said with a nk stare ahead.


    ¡°It is?¡± Emma was even more confused.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never even thought that far. Honestly, I think you¡¯re brilliant,¡± Levi stared at her in amazement.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Emma replied.


    Levi shook his head. ¡°Do you know why I feel confused about what to do?¡±


    Emma shook her head innocently.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of you.¡±


    ¡°Me?!¡± Emma said disapprovingly. ¡°Why me?¡±


    Levi chuckled. Emma¡¯s shocked and angry face looked so cute in his eyes. The longer the time they spent together, the greater his affection for the girl who was always there for him. He couldn¡¯t deny that since he met Emma, ??she had taken part in the various decisions he had made in his life.


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding,¡± Levi said, covering up what he really felt, for fear of burdening Emma. He had already said that he didn¡¯t want to burden her life if she was friends with him.


    Emma red at him. ¡°You really wish to die,¡±


    Leviughed out loud. ¡°Why are you getting fiercer every time we meet?¡±


    Emma snorted. ¡°By the way, if I¡¯m the cause of that confusion of yours was a joke, then what¡¯s the real cause?¡±


    ¡°Lately, I feel like my humanity has increased a bit. I¡¯ve be more sensitive and considerate of other people. I think it¡¯s because I get kindness from someone. Therefore, maybe I should at least not be so mean to others. I realized that kindness is warm.¡± Levi answered.


    ¡°Gosh.. Are you trying to look cool in front of me by saying that you are a bad person?¡± Emmaughed sarcastically.


    Levi chuckled in amusement. ¡°It took a simr thought to realize,¡±


    Emma snorted again. ¡°I already said that our mindsets are quite simr. I can tell that you are the type of person who would admire a viin in a superhero movie. In fact, I am also like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh.. Speaking of movies, I saw a teaser ad for a horror movie that¡¯s ying in theatres this week. Do you think you have time if I ask you out?¡± Levi asked excitedly.


    ¡°Well.. I¡¯m not sure..¡± Emma answered with a mumble.


    Actually, it was not that Emma didn¡¯t have time. She was indeed busy with the ck Swan business. But of course, she would make time for her personal life, even if only a little, because she cared about her own mental health.


    The problem was; should she do this? Went out alone with Levi might just stimte her feelings. Like a seed that had germinated. It would thrive if you keep watering and fertilizing it.


    Seeing the obvious doubt on Emma¡¯s face made Levi realize that he had crossed the line. He still clearly remembered what happened at the cafest time; every moment, Emma¡¯s expression, and the words that came out of their mouths. He still remembered everything and would always do.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems I asked you unnecessary things. Please forget it. Just pretend that I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Levi said with a little, awkward chuckle, as if he did think that it was a funny thing.


    Emma looked sorry at Levi. She knew that the man was hiding his feelings with a smile. She knew that he was aware of their boundaries and agreement. Levi had to restrain himself so that no more feelings would arise between the two of them.


    ¡°Mr. Levi Wargos.¡± A female receptionist called.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Levi stood up from his seat, saved from the awkwardness that was surrounding them. He turned to Emma, ??¡±Wait a minute.¡±


    Emma nodded as she continued to pay attention to Levi who was already in front of the reception desk, taking care of some files.


    ¡®Is Levi really suffering from Bipr? It seems that the people who are disturbing his life are his friends ¨C or maybe, his own family? But Nancy and Lukas don¡¯t look like they might do such a thing to Levi. They are a sweet family, even without a father. Oh.. Maybe his co-workers? Levi used to tell me that there were a lot of problems at work.¡¯ Emma thought to herself.


    ¡®If you two are good friends now, you¡¯d better stay with him as if nothing happened.¡¯ Kathy¡¯s words the other day echoed in Emma¡¯s head.


    ¡®Gosh.. I feel so guilty now. Come to think of it, Levi may be living almost the same life as me. I have a personal problem, but can¡¯t tell it to my own family. Even though I love them, I don¡¯t feel that close to being able to tell them what¡¯s going on in my head. From the attitude Levi showed, it seems that he has been very lonely all this time. If I were in his position, it would probably hurt.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m going into the examination room. Would you like toe with me?¡±


    Because she was busy with her own thoughts, Emma didn¡¯t realize that Levi was done with his business and was even standing in front of her.


    ¡°You done? All right. I¡¯lle inside.¡± Emma answered quickly as she stood up.


    Not long in the examination room, they came out of the vet building with a pink cat bag. There was even the word ¡®Pixy¡¯ on the bag. Luckily, the cute white cat just caught a harmless cold.


    ¡°Should I take you to the regr bus stop?¡± Levi asked when they were both in the car.


    ¡°Since this vet is pretty close to your house, can you take me to see Nancy?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°You want toe to my house?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°I promised to visit Nancy again, but never kept it until now. It happens that, I have nothing else to do today. I just wanted to say hi to her.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll still take you home, then.¡± Levi replied.


    **


    A dark blue car stopped in front of the gate of a fairlyrge house.


    Levi deliberately parked his car outside because he would leave again to take Emma home. He remembered the first time he met her and had to take her home. At that time, he felt annoyed because he had to bother taking the girl to her home which was very far from his.


    But this time, everything has changed. He was more than happy that Emma wanted toe to his house again, even though with the intention meet his mother.


    A girl with light brown hair that fell to her back, walked politely into the big house that had granite floors. She wore jeans and a white t-shirt with the logo of a well-known fashion brand. Even with a casual, clean style, Emma Hind looked like a model. She did have a good sense of fashion.

 Chapter 259

    259 Happiness Pill


    Emma looked around the house, feeling how quiet it was there.


    ¡°Is Lukas home too?¡± Emma asked Levi.


    ¡°He is still at work,¡± He replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to call my mother out.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Emma nodded.


    While waiting for Levi to return, a maid approached Emma to ask her what she wanted to drink. After getting Emma¡¯s request; a ss of water, the waiter went to the kitchen.


    The maid, who wore a special uniform and a very polite demeanour made Emma think back to her childhood. Or, to be more precise, the life she had left almost a year ago.


    Being at Levi¡¯s house, Emma was reminded of her father¡¯s house. The house was big and luxurious, but it felt lonely and cold. His father built a magnificent house like a pce, but the people were busy in their respective rooms. In the end, only their house workers roamed there.


    Not long after, Levi returned to the living room with his mother in a wheelchair.


    Emma stood up, but with a surprised and worried face because she saw an IV line going along with the wheelchair carrying Nancy. The tube in the IV bag was attached to the wrist of the woman who looked increasingly old.


    .....


    ¡°Nancy...¡± Emma said in a low voice.


    ¡°Emma,¡± Nancy replied as she opened her arms. Then, the beautiful girl in front of her went straight to hug her back.


    ¡°How are you, Emma? I really missed you,¡± Nancy said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Nancy. I heard from Levi that you¡¯ve been in the hospital a few times. Thank goodness you¡¯re well enough to stay home again.¡±


    Nancy nodded slowly. ¡°My health has been declining for a while. That¡¯s why I had to get hospitalized. But it¡¯s normal, Emma. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± She chuckled.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help but smile sadly as she looked at her.


    ¡°Please sit back, my dear,¡± Nancy said.


    Levi pushed his mother¡¯s wheelchair to face the sofa Emma was sitting on. Then, he sat down next to the girl who was chatting lightly with her mother.


    ¡°Sorry that it took so long to visit you again, Nancy. I¡¯ve been a bit busytely.¡± Emma said.


    Nancy waved her hand over her nose. ¡°No.. You don¡¯t have to think about that. I should be the one thanking you for bothering to visit me again.¡±


    ¡°By the way, how was my Pixy¡¯s examination, Levi?¡± Nancy asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just amon cold. She¡¯s be weak because she¡¯s old. You shouldn¡¯t have to worry too much. We all know she¡¯s a spoiled cat.¡± Levi shook his head slowly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say bad things about my Pixy. Even so, she¡¯s the one who always apanies me when you guys always go out.¡± Nancy answered.


    Seeing this, Emma couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It seemed so nice to have a mother. If only her mother was still alive, her life would have been a different story now.


    ¡°Oh..¡± Nancy remembered something and turned to the girl sitting across from her. ¡°I heard you apanied this boy to the vet, didn¡¯t you? Thanks for doing it for my Pixy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Nancy. Levi contacted me during my free time.¡± Emma answered.


    Then Nancy cleared her throat. ¡°Anyway, I think, you two are getting closer, aren¡¯t you?¡± she said beforeughing excessively while covering her mouth with one hand.


    It seemed like Nancy was so lonely. And it seemed to affect her health. Emma had only been in the house for half an hour, and Nancy was looking quite fit now.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends now,¡± Emma answered Nancy¡¯s words. Her sweet lips smiled broadly, with her eyes looking at Levi.


    The man smiled warmly. Seeing this, Nancy grew flowers on her heart. It seemed she would soon see Levi holding a girl¡¯s hand.


    Nancy hoped that the rtionship between the two of them would go well up the wedding aisle. If so, then even when she had to die, she would leave with a smile on her lips.


    ¡°Ah.. I¡¯m very happy to see you want to be friends with this one child of mine, Emma. He is a very secretive man. If I may ask for help, I hope you can apany him often, so that this boy is not always busy alone.¡± Nancy said.


    ¡°Mama,¡± Levi looked at her with a straight face.


    Then Levi turned to Emma with an embarrassed face. ¡°Sorry. Don¡¯t listen to her,¡± he said with a lip movement.


    But of course Nancy could see it all clearly. Instead of feeling irritated at her son¡¯s impudence, she became even more excited because she knew her son very well.


    Levi Wargos was not a man who easily said ¡®Sorry¡¯ to others. Levi was also the type of person who had a very hard time being nice to people. But apparently, Emma was able to break all the habits of him.


    ¡°Levi will always refuse anyone to be close to him. He has a phobia of women..¡±


    ¡°Ma!¡± Levi was now ring at his mother.


    Emma immediately grabbed Levi¡¯s arm and settled him with a small shake of the head. ¡°Don¡¯t be rude to your own mother.¡±


    ¡®Female phobia? Is that true?¡¯ Emma thought to herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Emma. She always talks nonsense.¡± Levi said before ncing cynically at his mother.


    Nancy was getting excited at the sight in front of her. She could confidently tell that his son really liked Emma. But apparently, he was too embarrassed to show it.


    ¡°Female phobia? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible,¡± Emma answered Nancy¡¯s words just now with a smallugh to lighten the mood, afraid that Levi would feel ufortable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Levi act weird to women. He seems to be doing fine when he¡¯s with me. In fact, we¡¯re going to go see a movieter,¡± Emma continued.


    ¡°You are?¡± Nancy covered her mouth with both hands.


    But Nancy wasn¡¯t the only one who seemed surprised. Next to Emma, ??Levi also looked very surprised. He looked at the girl in disbelief.


    Emma just nced at Levi, then smiled warmly back at Nancy. ¡°We are. Levi will take me to see a movie this week. And I think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Really.. I¡¯m so d to hear that, Emma. I think I can sleep soundly tonight.¡± Nancy said while holding her chest, ¡°Thank you for apanying my son, Emma. It means a lot, even to myself,¡±


    Since she got some more time, Emma joined Nancy for dinner again. They chatted a lot. Nancy, who had looked lethargic, became excited when she met Emma.


    She could even remove her IV tube because she thought it interfered with her movement. For Nancy, a girl named Emma was like a pill that made her sickness go away.


    After dinner, Emma had to say goodbye.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to wait until Lukases home? You haven¡¯t seen him either.¡± Nancy asked.


    ¡°Mama, Emma has nothing to do with Lukas. Why should she wait for him toe home?¡± Levi said. Then, his cell phone rang. He immediately excused himself near the gate to answer it.


    Emma chuckled awkwardly, then knelt in front of Nancy¡¯s wheelchair. ¡°What Levi said is true, Nancy. My purpose ining here was to meet you. Sorry for leaving too soon.¡± she knew that Nancy was just looking for an excuse to make her stay there longer.


    Nancy shook her head, ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, my dear. I understand your home is far from here. Actually, I¡¯m the one who is too selfish to keep you like this. It seems age has brought me into being a child again.¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°Nancy.. Don¡¯t say that. No one should spend their old age lonely. I¡¯ll tell Levi to stay with you more often.¡± Emma winked.


    Nancy smiled warmly as she raised her hand to caress Emma¡¯s cheek. ¡°You are a very nice girl, Emma. It seems that; to your words, Levi only listens,¡±


    The old woman let out a long sigh. ¡°Levi has gone through a very hard past. It makes him close his heart to everyone. Every time I see him, my heart actually hurts.¡±


    Emma looked at Nancy questioningly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nancy. But may I know what happened to Levi? To be honest, I do feel that he has a slightly odd personalitypared to other people I know.¡±


    Nancy smiled sadly. ¡°I¡¯d love to tell you this, Emma. It feels so heavy on a mother¡¯s shoulders, so it will be a relief to at least share it with someone.¡±


    Then she sighed again. ¡°Unfortunately, Levi strictly forbids me or Lukas from telling this to anyone else, whoever it is. He doesn¡¯t want anyone to know about his past. So, we try to keep his feelings in check by doing what he asks.¡±


    ¡°I see..¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Nevertheless,¡± Nancy took a deep breath as she shed her cheerful smile back. ¡°Now, Levi has be a different person. He can enjoy his life well. And since he got to know you, he seems more alive. I can¡¯t stop thanking you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, Nancy. I¡¯m just being the usual me. There¡¯s nothing special.¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°That special thing is you. I can see the way my son looks at you.¡± Nancy said.


    Suddenly, a car horn sounded. Levi seemed to have started the car right away, so his mother would understand that Emma had to go home soon.


    ¡°It¡¯ste, Ma,¡± Levi eximed from inside the car through the open window.


    ¡°He¡¯s worried about you,¡± Nancy said. Emma just smiled at that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about my mother. She is so selfish, isn¡¯t she?¡± Levi said after Emma had sat in the passenger seat beside him.

 Chapter 260

    260 Last Meeting Before the Attack


    Hearing Levi¡¯s words, Emma responded with a chuckle. ¡°Maybe when I¡¯m old, I¡¯ll be like that too if I feel lonely. As I said, people shouldn¡¯t spend their old age feeling lonely.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for putting my mom in a better mood, Emma. I so much appreciate it,¡± Levi said. Then, he looked into Emma¡¯sp, ¡°Is there anything of yours left in my house?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any,¡±


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go now. Maybe I¡¯ll hurry a little, since it¡¯s gettingte,¡± Levi said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. I¡¯ve already had dinner at your house, so it¡¯s fine if I get to my house a littlete.¡± Emma answered. Then she remembered something, ¡°Oh,e to think of it, Lukas came hometer than thest time I came to your house, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    Levi nodded, ¡°Because I have to take Pixy to the Vet, my job is taken over by him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, looks like your work really piled up,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Approximately So. Did my mother say something unnecessary to you?¡± He asked carefully.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emma said. Her face looked thoughtful.


    .....


    Levi could see from Emma¡¯s face that his mother must have said a lot of unnecessary words to her. He knew that his mother really liked the girl sitting next to him.


    His mother even openly always asked him when he would have a rtionship with Emma. However, it wasn¡¯t something he could do, and his mother was too old and innocent to understand howplicated the situation he was in.


    ¡°My mother¡¯s words; you don¡¯t have to take them seriously,¡± Levi said, making Emma turn to look at him.


    The man smiled faintly. ¡°I know my mother very well. Even before being old and somewhat senile like now, she did have a rather pushy nature. She also likes to exaggerate things when she talks. Without realizing it, she can burden someone with her stories. So, you don¡¯t have to take what she said too seriously.¡±


    ¡°Whether I feel burdened or not, it is my choice. I can choose which I should pay attention to or ignore. You don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Emma smiled at him. ¡°Thanks for thinking about my feelings.¡±


    ¡°You are indeed an independent woman.¡±


    ¡°If you think so, that means I¡¯ve seeded,¡± Emma said with a big smile.


    ¡°Sess in what?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°My main goal. All the things I did, that even got me here. I¡¯m trying to be independent.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to hear that.¡± Levi smiled sincerely.


    But Emma instead looked at him with a suspicious look. It was realized by Levi who could see the girl out of the corner of his eye.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked in confusion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my feelings or what. But you look like you want to say something but restrain it,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Oh, it seems your feelings are right,¡± Levi said tly.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well.. It¡¯s about the thing when we were talking with my mother. Actually, you didn¡¯t need to say that to my mother. I mean, I know you want to make her happy, but I honestly don¡¯t like it when you have to lie to her.¡± Levi exined uneasily.


    ¡°Huh? Lying about what? I didn¡¯t feel like I was lying to her. What are you talking about?¡± Emma asked, trying to remember what she said at Levi¡¯s home.


    ¡°You said we were going to see a movie. Even without saying that, my mother would still be happy just to meet and have a talk with you tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± Emma finally understood what Levi was talking about. Then she looked at the man meaningfully. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take me to see a movie? Is it cancelled?¡±


    Levi¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°I-I thought, you didn¡¯t like it. So, I cancelled it. I won¡¯t force anything on you.¡±


    Emma smiled faintly. ¡°Now that I think about it, It¡¯s kind of fun too. I haven¡¯t seen a movie in the cinema in a very long time. I like horror movies,¡±


    Levi was silent for a moment. He seemed to be deep in thought. Then, he cleared his throat ufortably. ¡°You.. There¡¯s no need to push yourself, Emma. Could it be that you feel sorry for me?¡±


    Levi¡¯s question took Emma by surprise. How could he possibly read her mind?


    In fact, Emma did feel sorry for Levi. She thought, how would it feel to be in that man¡¯s position? It must be so hard when you¡¯re surrounded by problems and didn¡¯t have the chance to have a little fun to keep your soul healthy.


    Even before Nancy said Levi was having a hard time, Emma had had some empathy for him since they were both locked together in the beach barn.


    When Emma remembered what Kathy had said to her, she felt that she should give Levi a chance. It was not a chance to get closer to her, but a chance to feel happiness, because she knew that Levi had feelings for her.


    Overall, they had agreed that there would be no special rtionship between the two of them. And in the end, they would only be friends.


    At one point, it made Emma feel safe because her subconscious would keep telling her never to take every moment they had together seriously. She also would not feel guilty towards Levi because it was he himself who made this agreement.


    Levi chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m right,¡±


    The man¡¯s words brought Emma out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Levi, I...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emma. You don¡¯t have to feel sorry for me.¡± Levi cut her. A smile was still visible on his slightly red lips. ¡°From the start, I was the one who kept begging you. So, it¡¯s only natural that you feel sorry for me.¡±


    Then he continued, ¡°I ept your pity. You can feel sorry for me if it keeps you by my side.¡±


    **


    Sunlight shone through the stained ss windows. It made the colourful light reflect on the wooden floor. It was a stunning view, just like a pair of light brown eyes pensively staring at it.


    Finally, after the ck Swan¡¯s finances had stabilized and improved, one of therge windows on the third floor overlooking the sunrise was changed with stained ss.


    It was an idea that Emma came up with when the building was still under renovation. The stained ss gave a painting of ss pieces that form a group of swans making the building became even more charming.


    Emma had not forgotten why she came up with the idea of ??installing stained ss in the building. She would always remember it. Every time she saw the stained ss, Emma would think of Levi thanks to what happened at the beach barn.


    ¡®You can feel sorry for me if it keeps you by my side.¡¯


    ¡®Is Levi that depressed to say that?¡¯ Emma thought.


    From the start, Levi always made Emma confused ¨C made her think. How could a person have such an annoying nature, yet on the other hand, he could be so warm? Maybe Levi identally yed with other people¡¯s feelings because of his bipr illness.


    Mental illness was indeed terrible. There was no tool that could detect it. It was a disease that did not cause visible pain. The symptoms that arise were also not like physical illness. It attacked a human¡¯s way of thinking and behaviour.


    It felt like the person was gone, even though his body was still intact and alive before our eyes. He would be a different person than we knew. And it was not something funny or weird. They needed help, but still many people took it for granted andughed at it.


    ¡°Emma,¡±


    The girl snapped out of her daydream. ¡°Y-yes?¡±


    Kathy chuckled. ¡°Did I surprise you?¡±


    ¡°I was daydreaming. Of course, I was surprised.¡± Emma replied, also with a littleugh. ¡°Is there something?¡±


    Kathy nodded. ¡°Frank has found the Beast Empire¡¯s main headquarters. It is a mansion located in a warehouse area near Chingsu District.¡±


    ¡°Near Chingsu District? That¡¯s a bit surprising,¡± Emma¡¯s eyebrows shot up as she epted a map from Kathy.


    ¡°Apparently, the Creeper was also not aware that the base was near their territory. Beast Empire has been hiding it well. After checking it, it turns out that the base is also Derric Hubbert and Juan Xavier stay house,¡± Kathy exined.


    ¡°We predict that the base doesn¡¯t hold too many men. Most of the Beast Empire¡¯s men are in the main human warehouse. The building is only a pce for the higher-ups of the Beast Empire. They enjoy their money in there.¡± The green-eyed girl continued.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll just have to worry about the main warehouse,¡± Emma muttered with a nod of understanding.


    ¡°I think so too. However, Ian said, we still have to find out how powerful Derric and Juan are. Why are they so confident, leaving the base where they live with only minimal protection?¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°Well.. Ian has a point,¡± Emma mumbled to herself, then looked back at Kathy, ¡°Can you find any traces of those two on the inte?¡±


    Kathy shook her head. ¡°They don¡¯t y games and they don¡¯t use social media. I¡¯ve even looked for bank ounts under their names, but to no avail. Chances are, they¡¯re using data that doesn¡¯t belong to them.¡±


    ¡°The business they are doing is a serious crime. That must be the reason they are so strict about hiding their identities. They are very careful,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Even so, I did find some social media belonging to Beast Empire¡¯s men. However, it¡¯s only the subordinates who stand on the lowest level. It seems Derric forbids all his core members from roaming the inte world.¡± Kathy said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Thanks for the help, Kathy. Let¡¯s have a meeting tonight. Looks like an attack is on the way,¡±


    **


    Emma, ??Rachel, and Kathy entered a door. Behind the door was a room with seven men inside.


    The three girls sat on the sofa facing a table surrounded by other sofas and chairs.


    ¡°The attack will take ce tomorrow night. We¡¯ll start moving at nine.¡± Emma said.

 Chapter 261

    261 A Stupid Cycle


    It was finally here. This was what the two groups had been waiting for. All ns were in ce. ck and Jita Koei; both had prepared everything to attack Beast Empire¡¯s business.


    ¡°All right. We¡¯ve got all the equipment ready,¡± Troy said.


    ¡°Equipment for?¡± Kathy asked confused.


    ¡°Burning the transit warehouses?¡± Troy replied.


    ¡°Are you seriously going to burn it?¡± Emma asked.


    Troy nodded. ¡°Jita Kyoei is never half-hearted in doing something. If we want to destroy their building, then we willpletely destroy it without a trace.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to take some of our members to go with you?¡± Calvin asked.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can do it. But if something unexpectedly goes wrong, I¡¯ll ask you guys for help. How about that?¡±


    Troy shrugged. ¡°Fine,¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leading a small group as a reservist,¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Since we started the attack at nine, you¡¯ll have to move from eight. Is an hour or so enough to make the main warehouse empty?¡± Rachel asked Ian.


    Ian folded his arms across his chest. ¡°Those three warehouse locations are quite far from each other. I don¡¯t think one hour is enough. Maybe you guys can start it around ten. That way, we can knock out every Beast Empire men thate, so that neither of them could rise to their feet to return to the main warehouse.¡±


    Emma nodded in agreement. ¡°All right. Then, we¡¯ll start the attack at ten.¡±


    Then Kathy opened the ck backpack she had been wearing. From inside the bag, she took out some equipment.


    ¡°Wow! What¡¯s that?¡± Nicko asked. Louis also looked with a curious face.


    Kathy smiled as she put the things on the table. ¡°These are the devices we need for tomorrow.¡±


    Then, she aligned the objects before pointing her finger at the item from the very end. ¡°This is amunication device. Every team leader who leads the attack in each location, must use this device tomunicate with other leaders. This way is more effective thanmunicating using a cell phone, ¡±


    ¡°Have you been using a device like this tomunicate all this time?¡± Martin asked, unable to remove the look of amazement from his face.


    Kathy nodded smugly. ¡°Of course. We won¡¯t be using cell phones, let alone a short message application that might be bugged. This will reduce the cost of the mission because it doesn¡¯t require a call fee or an inte connection to do it. As for the details, I won¡¯t tell you guys because this is apany secret.¡±


    ¡°Bugged?¡± Ian repeated.


    ¡°Yes, bugged. Just like at the attack on RJC¡¯s headquarters. I even bugged your cell phones so you couldn¡¯t receive and send messages or calls.¡± Kathy smiled widely.


    Even though her face was covered by a mask, everyone in the room seemed to be able to see the arrogant expression on her face just from her tone of voice.


    ¡°You f*cker! How could you be so rude?!¡± Troy said when he realized the incident that the IT ck expert man meant. At that time, he was really in trouble. It turned out that the culprit was this ck¡¯s arrogant men.


    Emma let out a long sigh. She knew Kathy really liked showing off and making others feel annoyed. ¡°Sorry, we better get this over with, KD*. There¡¯s still a lot to do at the base.¡± *(Kathania Dusk / Nickname)


    ¡°Okay..¡± Kathy said calmly.


    The men noticed that ck¡¯s leader seemed very fond of his members. He was annoyingly arrogant and cold towards others, but became gentle and polite to his own members.


    Then, Kathy began to exin the other devices and showed the boys how to use them. The tools that ck Swan lent to Jita Kyoei were severalmunication devices, a small location tracker that could fit in a pocket, and a signal-jamming device.


    ¡°You must remember that these devices are only lent by us. So, please take good care of them. I would really appreciate it if you could return it in good condition.¡± Kathy said as she stepped outside.


    ¡°I know. Why are you being so fussy?¡± Nicko replied, rolling his eyes while sighing. That was because he was the one in charge of all those things.


    So far, the man with the sses had the most contact with Kathy; because in the Jita Kyoei group, Nicko Coffey had pretty decentputer skills, even though he was nothingpared to Kathy.


    **


    CRACK!!


    Juan looked at the ss he was filling with hot coffee from the coffee machine. The ss suddenly cracked a little because it could not withstand the heat from the water. But, it somehow gave an ufortable feeling in his chest.


    He left his room and walked to the room of his colleague who was also his superior in leading theirrge group. He knocked on Derric¡¯s door twice before opening it.


    It turned out that Derric was on the phone with someone. Juan walked in silently and sat down on one of the sofas at the side of the room. Derric nced at the man briefly, and continued the call topletion.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Juan?¡± Derric asked as he ced his phone on the table.


    ¡°I just wanted to visit you and have a little talk,¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Deric¡¯s face gave a questioning look. ¡°I think it¡¯s impossible for a Juan Xavier to suddenly break into my room just to visit and have a little talk. Is there something that might be serious?¡± asked the man with the golden teeth.


    ¡°Our group keeps getting attacked. ck and Jita Kyoei are working together to bring us down. Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Juan asked.


    ¡°Of course I am. But that doesn¡¯t have to make us slow down the pace of the business we¡¯re growing bigger, does it? We have Dragger behind us. You have to keep that in mind so you can sleep peacefully.¡± Derrick replied.


    But Juan was not the same man as Derric. He was a deep thinker and a rather anxious kind of man. The slightest thing could make him unable to sleep at night.


    Juan was the figure behind the suppression of information about the Beast Empire. He always thought ahead, considering the risks that would arise from each action taken.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can rely one hundred percent on Dragger. In the end, they¡¯ll throw us out when we¡¯re useless.¡± Juan said.


    Derric chuckled. ¡°Juan, you better take your sedatives again. Think about it using your logic. If Dragger had that thought, then they wouldn¡¯t want to go with us in the first ce. Don¡¯t you remember how destitute we were?¡±


    ¡°I know Pablo has helped us so much that the Beast Empire can be as big as it is today. But he is a businessman with an amazing brain. We don¡¯t know what Pablo¡¯s real goals are and what his next action will be,¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re really that worried, you can think and guess what¡¯s going through in that high school boy¡¯s mind alone, Juan. I don¡¯t have time for that.¡± Derric said before letting out a long sigh. ¡°Listen, mate. Right now, the only thing we have to worry about is the attack from ck and Jita Kyoei. I can understand if you worry about those two damn groups. But for Pablo, it doesn¡¯t make much sense to me.¡±


    Juan was silent, trying to control his mind. Maybe it was true that he was overthinking. He was thinking about things that were not even necessary. It seemed Derric had also gotten used to him after they had worked together for so many years.


    ¡°Well. I¡¯m not going to talk about Dragger anymore.¡± Juan answered, then continued with a question, ¡°Now, what do you think about ck suddenly disappearing and as if their roles were reced by Jita Kyoei?¡±


    Hearing Juan¡¯s question, Derric paused to think while rubbing his chin with his finger. ¡°Well.. I¡¯ve been thinking about that too recently,¡±


    ¡°RD said he couldn¡¯t find any of the girls that ck stole from us. To this day, I still don¡¯t know what the group¡¯s real motive was for continuing to mess with us. At first, I thought that they wanted to steal female workers for free. But with the fact that they are now working with Jita Kyoei, that doesn¡¯t seem possible.¡± Juan exined.


    All groups that lived in the dark world of Handway City must know that Jita Kyoei¡¯s was far different from other gangster groups. They were a group that was not looking for money and power. They would even help helpless people for free.


    Jita Kyoei was a group that had the potential to be heroes, but refused to do so because of their obsession with the martial art sport of Judo.


    ¡°Jita Kyoei sent us a letter to stop recruiting martial arts students. But because I ignored it, they helped ck to mess with us. Should I stop the recruitment?¡± Derric asked thoughtfully.


    Juan sighed tiredly. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the men from the martial arts studio, then we wouldn¡¯t have a strong member. In fact, it¡¯s our fault for never putting pressure on our men to practice fighting properly. Now, we¡¯re the ones who are in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Goddammit! This is going awry. On the one hand, ck keeps attacking us, so we recruit more and more studio students, which only makes Jita Kyoei even angrier. This is a stupid cycle that has no end.¡± Derric growled.


    ¡°If it¡¯s true that Dragger can help us, should we just ask them to directly attack those two bastards at once?¡± Juan asked.

 Chapter 262

    262 Attacking Human Transit Warehouse


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Juan. Pablo has helped us a lot. If I still ask him to help with this too, I¡¯ll only lose face. By helping us with this problem, Dragger will risk getting their hands dirty.¡±


    Derric¡¯s answer was met by a low nod from Juan. It didn¡¯t ur in his mind before.


    ¡°Besides, have you found out where the headquarters of the two groups are?¡± Derric asked.


    Juan shook his head weakly. ¡°No result till this second. But we are still looking for him.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, all of Jita Kyoei¡¯s core team members are studying at Jardin University. Shall we just intercept them in front of the campus and take them all to the main warehouse?¡± Derric added with his stupid idea.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke around, Derric. How could we just do it like that? Jita Kyoei¡¯s core team is very strong. Plus, Jardin University contains strong men who belong to several gangster groups. It¡¯s even said that Marcel Dous from RJC is also studying there. Doing trouble around the campus is the same as humiliating all the students. They will only gang up on us.¡± Juan answered.


    ¡°Well.. That has a point.¡± Derric nodded.


    ¡°At that time, it was ck who attacked our logistics car. But when the relief team came there, they only found Calvin Lee. Even so, all of our relief team men were defeated by that Lonely Hero.¡± Juan said with a slight mumble.


    ¡°He¡¯s not a Lonely Hero anymore, Juan. Calvin Lee has joined Jita Kyoei. He¡¯s just showing off his strength by knocking out all of our men alone, showing us that he¡¯s that strong.¡± Derric said.


    .....


    But Juan shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m concerned about, Derric.¡± His brow furrowed. ¡°Since that day, ck haspletely disappeared. Jita Kyoei, who has always been on the streets from the start, has be their substitute in thwarting all our street work. I have a feeling that both groups are nning something big. ¡±


    ¡°What are they nning?¡± Derric muttered thoughtfully.


    ¡°Should we send all the members to the main warehouse?¡± Juan asked.


    Derric raised his eyebrows. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, then our base will be unguarded.¡±


    ¡°All of our real treasure: the workers, is in the main warehouse. Besides, I¡¯m sure that no one knows the location of our base. I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ve hidden it very well.¡± Juan answered.


    Derric sighed. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re that sure. Pablo asked me toe down to Jen Marrie Street tomorrow. He said he was going to talk about something important. I hope he doesn¡¯t rush for additional women. I¡¯m nning to bring RD. Can you rece him guarding the main warehouse?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± Juan answered.


    ***


    ¡°Remember, girls. The chin and jaw are the weak points of a human being. If someone gets hit hard there, then that person will lose consciousness. So, the chin and its surroundings are the points you should aim for in this battle.


    This isn¡¯t a show. You don¡¯t need topete to show how many techniques you have mastered. As much as possible, take down an enemy in one hit.¡± Emma said.


    The girl in a ck jacket and long baggy pants was standing in front of dozens of her group members who were wearing the same clothes. War was right before their eyes. This was Emma¡¯s speech to give strength to herrades in arms.


    Emma knew that this was the first war for all of her members. All this time, the girls had only been honed through various exercises. They had never once faced a fight head-on, either in groups or individually.


    They were all girls of various backgrounds, except for fighters. Because of that, Emma felt a little worried. However, she had made up her mind to believe all her members, that they were strong enough to make this mission a sess.


    ¡°So far, many men have thought of women as weak creatures; especially the Beast Empire who used women as their cash cows. Today, we¡¯ll show them that the creatures they always thought were weak, will actually break their legs.


    I understand that our identity as women is hidden behind a mask. But I¡¯m sure you all feel the same way I do. We don¡¯t do this to seek fame or look cool. Instead, we want to prove to ourselves that women are not weak.


    Women can be as strong as men. We are not under anyone¡¯s feet. We are able to stand on our own feet, and even able to help many people. We are the women who will change this city.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°YES, WE ARE!¡± The girls shouted.


    The girl with both light brown eyes smiled in satisfaction. Then, she got down from the stic chair that became her foothold while she was burning the spirit of her group. After the speech, all girls went to their respective posts.


    ¡°Jita Kyoei has started to move,¡± Rachel walked over to Emma and walked beside her.


    Kathy walked along beside Emma. ??¡±Jita Kyoei is divided into four teams. Ian is leading the team that will attack warehouse number one and Troy is attacking warehouse number two. Calvin Lee will guard around the main warehouse. Nicko is staying at the base to be the liaison operator. He will keep in touch with me.¡±


    Emma nodded in understanding. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get back to my post. Good luck, Emma. Take care.¡± Kathy said, giving her a short hug.


    Emma smiled as she returned the hug of the girl who had her red hair tied up in a bun. ¡°Thanks, Kathy. We¡¯re counting on you.¡±


    Then Kathy left Emma and Rachel, to return to herputer with her two juniors.


    Emma and Rachel continued to walk to the basement which was used as a garage to park the vehicles of all the ck Swan members.


    The inside of therge room with cement floors and all the walls painted pure white, looked very bright with a row of white lights on the ceiling. The room looked like a motorcycle and car showroom. It was very crowded there.


    The two girls in all ck approached a petite girl who looked busy with a ckboard mping a few sheets of paper containing a list of what to prepare for the ongoing mission.


    ¡°Hi, Poppy,¡± Emma greeted her.


    ¡°Oh.. hi, girls,¡± Poppy smiled at her friends.


    ¡°How is everything?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°All members have their ride prepared. Weapons andmunication devices are also evenly distributed. All ready to go.¡±


    Emma nodded with a warm smile. ¡°Thanks, Poppy. This would all be a real mess if you didn¡¯t manage,¡±


    Poppy shook her head. ¡°I was able to do this because Vivian was there to help and the girls were very cooperative. It¡¯s nothing, Emma.¡±


    ¡°This is a big thing, Poppy. One day you¡¯ll realize it.¡± Emma winked.


    Poppy sighed. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, Emma. If things get too out of hand, you probably shouldn¡¯t push yourself.¡±


    ¡°I know, Poppy. Thanks for worrying about us. But believe me, we can do it. All our girls are strong.¡± Emma answered.


    Naturally, Poppy was worried about all her friends. She was like a mother who sent her children to the battlefield. She didn¡¯t know what would happen to them and could only prepare them as best as possible and pray for them from a far ce.


    **


    ¡°We¡¯re already in front of the warehouse,¡± Ian said while pressing the small button connected to the earphones plugged into his ears.


    On the other line, Troy nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll be at the second warehouse in five minutes. You go first.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ian replied. Then, he looked back at the twenty men who had followed him. ¡°Attack now,¡±


    The group of men quickly circled a two-story house in a deserted slum housing area that had many abandoned, dpidated houses.


    Ian stood in front of the main door of the house, while Martin stood at the backyard door. Although not connected to any tools, the two men had the same instinct to kick the doorknob in front of them at the same time.


    The strong kick of the two men and the condition of the low-quality wooden door were the rightbination to make the two doors damaged so that they could be opened with just one more kick.


    The sudden arrival of Jita Kyoei made all the Beast Empire men in the ugly house shocked to death.


    Without further ado, Ian and Martin immediately led all their men to knock down all the Beast Empire men in the house.


    They broke into every room of the house, checking for any dungeons or other secret rooms. They didn¡¯t care if this was a fair fight or not, because the Beast Empire¡¯s men in there weren¡¯t prepared for the attack at all.


    To Ian, this was not a fight, but a raid. They were doing a job that should be done by the police who didn¡¯t do it because they had received a big bribe.


    Inside the house, six captives were locked up in two bedrooms. They were four regr girls and two elderly homeless. Quickly, Ian ordered several of his men to secure the captives out of the cursed house.


    Tobias Ian had been wandering in the dark world of Handway City for years. He was a man who didn¡¯t only know how to fight. During his life, Ian took the things he saw and heard as lessons and knowledge.

 Chapter 263

    263 Stretching Muscles


    Just by looking at it, Ian could immediately tell who held the power in this human transit warehouse. He did beat up the Beast Empire members who were there. However, he deliberately gave the man in charge of the warehouse a ck time, so that the man had the opportunity to contact the main warehouse to send help.


    ¡°What do you want?!¡± asked the man who had a scar line running down the side of his face. He looked scared as he pressed his back against the wall.


    Ian smiled wickedly. ¡°How does it feel when you want to run away, but all the windows are covered by wooden nks? Isn¡¯t it funny, that you closed the windows yourself?¡±


    ¡°Are you Jita Kyoei?! What do you want here? We don¡¯t keep anything here!¡± the man eximed.


    Ian nced at the man¡¯s hand which was holding a cell phone whose screen was still on. It seemed that the man had finished contacting his superiors to report what was going on at the transit warehouse.


    ¡°We want to burn this house down ¨C with you and all your men in it,¡± Ian answered the question.


    Hearing the answer, the man felt like he was going to pee his pants. He quickly shook his head. ¡°No! You can¡¯t do it. Look, our members are on their way here. It¡¯s a lot of them, much more than your men. If you don¡¯t leave soon, you will die here.¡±


    Instead of feeling threatened, Ian was satisfied to hear the news. He wasn¡¯t afraid at all of how many men woulde to retaliate against them. Ian didn¡¯t need to think twice as to whether his men were able to resist the oing wave of attacks or not. The more people whoe, the better. That was a sign that the main warehouse would be empty.


    **


    .....


    ¡°We will send a team there. Hang on!¡± Juan said with the phone to his ear.


    As soon as he lowered the cell phone and was about to contact his subordinate, suddenly the cell phone rang again.


    Juan looked at his cellphone screen with a frown when he saw the name of his subordinate who was in charge of the second transit warehouse. His uneasy feeling was confirmed when he answered the call.


    ¡°Boss! Our warehouse is under attack!¡± The man eximed with a hugemotion in the background.


    Juan¡¯s grip on the phone tightened instantly. If he didn¡¯t hold himself back phone might break right away.


    ¡°Boss! They¡¯re going to burn this ce down! We can¡¯t fight them! Boss! Can you hear me? Hello?! Hello?!¡± The man shouted again because his boss didn¡¯t answer.


    Juan clenched his jaw at hearing his subordinates sound so panicked like a criminal about to have dead punishment. He was annoyed at the fact that he had such a weak man.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Juan snapped.


    Then he tried to control his breathing before speaking again, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone there. Protect the ce. Don¡¯t act like a baby, damn it!¡±


    Juan hung up the phone while holding his head which immediately felt throbbing. He took a deep breath and let it out long. Then he looked back at his cellphone screen and looked for Zac¡¯s contact, a man who had the same level as RD. He was in charge of all the men.


    ¡°Zac,¡± Juan said as soon as the call was answered by the man with dark skin and hair in a crown row style braid.


    ¡°Yes? Did something happen, Juan?¡± Zac asked directly. He could clearly hear Juan¡¯s unusual tone of voice.


    Juan nodded. ¡°Our two transit warehouses were attacked by Jita Kyoei. Send relief teams to each ce. Arrange so that there are enough men left here,¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll send help now.¡± Zac answered right away.


    Juan put his phone back on the table. If only yesterday he had not thought about pulling the men from headquarters to the main warehouse, perhaps they would be short of people by now. It turned out that his hunch was right, but it was Derric who took all problems too lightly.


    The two transit warehouses were assets belonging to the Beast Empire. They had bought them, not rent them. If Jita Kyoei were to burn down the houses, then the Beast Empire would suffer a considerable loss.


    Even though they had made a lot of money from this Human Trafficking business, the Beast Empire¡¯s finances were not as good as they looked from the outside.


    Theirrge profits were also undermined by expenses that were no lessrge. After the Beast Empire was able to run independently, Dragger decided to stop their financial support for the group.


    Not just stopping financial support, Dragger also asked Beast Empire to pay dues or in other terms, join them to bribe the police so they didn¡¯t interfere with their business. Since the business carried out by the Beast Empire was a serious crime, they had to pay a hefty fee to the police.


    In fact, therein was the ingenuity of Pablo Diablo. It was as if he was investing in the Beast Empire. That boy had indeed helped the Beast Empire in growing their business. However, after the Beast Empire became independent, they were trapped forever as Dragger¡¯s servants.


    In addition to having to pay dues to the police and also pay all members¡¯ sries, because Dragger was a special customer of Beast Empire, Beast Empire must give Dragger a special price.


    The women-hire fee charged to Dragger was seventy percent lower than the other customers. Even Dragger didn¡¯t have to pay any side fees, as Beast Empire usually charged all of their customers.


    Those two things were enough to burden the Beast Empire. But there was one more thing that made Beast Empire have to work even harder. That thing was a group called the ck Hole which was the snake head of all theseworks.


    Just like all the groups that belong to The Deadly Square and Dragger, Beast Empire also had to pay a fee to this powerful giant group.


    **


    A pair of binocrs perched in front of a pair of light brown eyes with curly eyshes. From the binocrs, Emma could see a swarm of motorbikes and carsing out of the high gates of the Beast Empire¡¯s main warehouse.


    ¡°They¡¯re out,¡± Emma said to Rachel who was standing beside her.


    Then Rachel pressed the button on her mouth cover, then shared the information with Kathy as well as Ian and Troy who were at the transit warehouses.


    On the other hand,


    Kathy and her two assistants seemed busy in front of theirputers.


    ¡°I got the ess!¡± eximed Daisy, a bespectacled girl who was one of Kathy¡¯s assistants.


    ¡°Good!¡± Kathy said, rubbing her hands together.


    The ck Swan IT team was even happier when they discovered the fact that Beast Empire¡¯s main warehouse used the services of a ¡®Smart Home¡¯ system that was connected to all CCTV cameras, security systems, and several speakers located in various corners of the hallways.


    It looked like Derric was using it to monitor all the prisoners and the condition of the base online. It seemed that the Beast Empire had quite a stingy leader and a crisis of trust towards its own men.


    Derric Hubbert was seen trying to take advantage of the advanced technology of this century. He used it to reduce his business costs in terms of adding members as guards. While on the other hand, Juan Xavier was a very wary person. It was difficult for him to trust his own subordinates.


    The main warehouse, which looked like a prison, had plenty of room to store prisoners. Therefore, if they had to use the traditional way of supervising everything, of course they would need a lot of men to do it.


    Actually, in the main warehouse, there was indeed a special room to monitor all CCTV, which was guarded by two men in turns. But Juan, who was always worried, thought that he couldn¡¯t trust the guards one hundred percent just like that.


    Juan Xavier would feel more at ease if he could keep an eye on what was going on in the main warehouse that contained almost all of the Beast Empire¡¯s possessions, which he and Derric had fought for with their lives. The treasures were not money or gold, but prisoners and important documents.


    However, who would have thought that it turned out that there was a group that had members with impressive hacking abilities? The group ended up using the facilities that the Beast Empire was using as aunch pad for their mission.


    The security system that Derric and Juan thought would make their business run smoothly, turned into a boomerang for the destruction of their own group.


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± said Rena, Kathy¡¯s other assistant.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°We have to stay still. For now, we can only watch so they don¡¯t notice that their Smart Home system is being bugged.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll search the document room while I wait,¡± Daisy said.


    Kathy nodded casually as she took a sip of her seven-shot Iced Americano. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to enjoy your coffee, girls. Don¡¯t let yourself fail to enjoy the next party, for feeling sleepy,¡±


    Daisy chuckled. ¡°Even without coffee, I¡¯m ready to watch their panic.¡±


    **


    Troy looked out the window covered by the wooden nks. He smiled as he watched how many reinforcements the Beast Empire had sent.


    The small group that Troy led was only twenty members, including Frank Duk. But those twenty-one men were enough to make the Beast Empire threatened that it decided to send an additional sixty members there.


    ¡°Ready to stretch your muscles again?¡± Troy looked back at his friends who were waiting in a rxed manner.

 Chapter 264

    264 Attacking Main Human Warehouse


    All Beast Empire¡¯s men who had been in the transit warehouse from the start had been easily knocked out by Jita Kyoei. Now the men, who had been beaten to a pulp, were left to sit in two rows with their hands and feet tied with stic ropes.


    It was so easy for the Beast Empire¡¯s men to be knocked down even though the Jita Kyoei members still had time to rx a little in the warehouse. They spend the entire contents of the refrigerator and other food in the kitchen to recharge their energies.


    Troy and Frank casually descended the stairs to gather the members back.


    ¡°Our boxing sacks have arrived. Hurry up and gather everyone!¡± Troy said.


    In an instant, the guys gathered in the living room. They could hear the roar of motorcycle engines and cars outside. It seemed that the Beast Empire men were still contemting whether they should go inside or not. They still had the mentality of a bunch of losers.


    In order not to waste time, Troy led all his members out and directly fought the group of losers outside.


    Almost the same thing also happened in the first transit warehouse that was being attacked by Ian¡¯s team. The difference was that he did not find ropes like Troy, so he decided to lock all the Beast Empire men they had beaten so badly, into a closed room, which had been used to store captives.


    Chaos broke out in the two transit warehouses belonging to the Beast Empire. As Ian and Troy had expected, the reinforcements sent by the Beast Empire could easily be defeated by them, even though they were far outnumbered.


    After seeing the number of remaining standing enemiesst a few, the two men informed the ck leader that the attack on the main warehouse could be carried out.


    .....


    ***


    Emma saw the second wave of reinforcementsing out of the main warehouse gate. It seemed that Jita Kyoei was so great that the Beast Empire decided to send in additional reinforcements.


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a second waveing your way,¡± Emma said through the mic.


    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± Troy replied. ¡°We can¡¯t even call this a warm-up yet,¡±


    Emma smiled, then turned to Rachel and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Rachel nodded before going over to all the members who were waiting to make their move.


    As she followed Rachel from behind, Emma informed Kathy that an assault was imminent.


    The hordes that were hiding in several dark locations, together stormed a building with high walls whose gate slowly opened automatically.


    Behind the self-opening gate, the two men guarding it looked puzzled because they didn¡¯t feel like pressing the automatic gate-opening button.


    Even until the gate was opened to the end, they still didn¡¯t think that someone had tapped into the ¡®Smart House¡¯ system that was also connected to the automatic gate.


    The guards thought that it was probably Juan or Derric who had opened the gate because those two men were the only ones in control of the entire ¡®Smart House¡¯ system of the main warehouse.


    Derric and Juan decided to use an automatic gate because the gate which was the only entrance to their main warehouse was quiterge and heavy. Automatic gates were also more difficult to break into than ordinary gates. Controlling automatic gates was also easier, faster, and saved more energy.


    But the decision of the two big bosses of Beast Empire to plug all other door and security systems into the ¡®Smart House¡¯ system was a decision they would regret forever. Because, once the Smart Home system was sessfully hacked, the hacker would have all ess to all home devices connected to the system.


    The two gatekeepers immediately walked out of their posts to check if there might be any damage to the dynamo or the Autogate box. But before they had time to check, they were startled by a group of motorbikes that suddenly came rushing at the wide-open gate.


    At first, they thought that it was their own members who had been sent out to help with the transit warehouse. However, the types of motorbikes ridden by the men were much different. Also, all of those men wore strange masks that covered their entire heads.


    When they realized that it was a danger, the two men did not have time to escape because a man swiftly jumped down his bike right in front of them and threw a double-twisting kick which seeded in making the guards fall unconscious.


    Ava smiled with satisfaction. She still remembered the guards who had verbally abused her back then. She was satisfied to get her revenge.


    Then Ava took out a small round instrument the size of a coin with a thickness of about three centimetres. Then, she removed the tape, and stuck it behind the Autogate box, so that it was hidden.


    ¡°I¡¯ve put the device in there, Kathy,¡± Ava said by pressing the button on her mouth cover.


    ¡°Okay! Now, the gate will not be able to respond to anymands. Haha..¡± Kathy replied.


    It was a signal-jamming device. From the start, Kathy had known there was an automatic gate. After finding out about the gate system, Kathy found out that the heart of the gate was in its Autogate box.


    By disrupting the signal in the box, the gate system would not be able to receive orders to open or close. Beast Empire members would find it difficult to move the gate manually due to its heavy weight and special wheels. At least, Kathy could buy time so the girls could get inside.


    ck Swan¡¯s members spread to all corners of the main warehouse building. Suddenly, an rm sounded loud, followed by the appearance of a group of Beast Empire¡¯s men.


    They poured out in a rush from the building and immediately charged at all the ck Swan members who were attacking the guards outside the building.


    At that moment, Emma felt a sharp stab in her heart when she saw the waves of big tall men that rushed at the girls whom she had trained in such a way. This was the first fight of almost all members of The ck Swan. Emma couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of anxiety from her heart.


    However, Emma¡¯s anxiety quickly disappeared when she saw all of her friends could handle the wave of attacks so well. Emma and Rachel watched the scene with emotion and pride, like parents who watch their children be sessful in the future, for the lessons and upbringing they had taught them since childhood.


    The ck Swan members knocked down members of the Beast Empire. They performed various techniques that Rachel taught. All the thoughts that Emma conveyed seemed to absorb perfectly in their sponge-like brains.


    Emma and Rachel entered the main door of the warehouse, where many of their members had entered earlier to clear the way.


    Emma pressed the button on her mouth cover. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m counting on you. Get your posts done,¡± she said to Ava, Linda, Britney, and Cecil who were the leaders of the small teams that had their own tasks.


    On the other hand,


    Three pairs of eyes were enjoying the ongoing show. It was Kathy and her two assistants who were watching the attack via online CCTV footage while enjoying their coffee.


    Even though they look rxed, they actually y a very important role in each mission. Their eyes never leave theputer screen as if it was a part of their body.


    The ck Swan IT team was actually looking for the location of the room that stored all the captive data documents. As was well known, the Beast Empire did not hesitate to look for their captives who escape even to the edge of the world.


    In fact, that was what made the captives so afraid to escape. Even if they managed to escape, they would be caught again and receive terrible rewards.


    Freeing all the captives, but leaving their personal data in the hands of Beast Empire was tantamount to doing useless work. Therefore, Kathy must find the whereabouts of all the documents for Emma to destroy.


    On Kathy¡¯s side, Rena was breaking through the data of severalputers andptops connected to the inte router used by the Beast Empire warehouse. Since from the start they had attacked the router used by the building, breaking into theputer device had be easy.


    Nimbly, Rena deleted every data in all those devices. She didn¡¯t have time to check whether there was any data she could save or not.


    ***


    Therge warehouse had four floors which were dominated by rooms.


    The Beast Empire¡¯s main human warehouse was a prison for all captives and home to all of its members.


    As it should have been, Emma hade to immediately find out where Derric Hubbert was. She would knock him out so this could all end quickly. But what Emma didn¡¯t know was,


    ¡°He¡¯s nowhere to be found, Emma. Looks like Derric isn¡¯t in the main human warehouse,¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°Damn it. Are you serious?¡± Emma answered.

 Chapter 265

    265 Rachel Markway V.S Zac Tude


    ¡°There are two rooms that don¡¯t have CCTV cameras in them. I think they are the rooms of Derric Hubbert and his deputy, Juan Xavier. Earlier, I had seen a mane out of one of those rooms. And I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t Derric, but Juan.¡± Kathy exined.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Okay. I understand. Please don¡¯t open the prison cell door before you get my orders. It turns out that there are more of them than we thought. Maybe this will take a little longer than nned.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kathy replied.


    Then Emma turned to Rachel. ¡°Could it be that Derric is at their base?¡±


    Rachel shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s true, he must be heading this way.¡±


    ¡°Kathy still can¡¯t find where all the printed documents. Since Juan is the only one here, we should go to his room. Maybe that way, we can get a clue to all the documents.¡± Emma said.


    Then, as they were about to continue their journey, suddenly they heard the sound of running footsteps heading towards them quickly. The step sounded heavy and rough.


    Hearing danger approaching from behind their backs, Emma and Rachel immediately jumped sideways as far as possible.


    The figure that had been running towards them was already standing in the middle of the two masked girls. He was a dark-skinned man with a height of about 2.5 meters. His ck hair was neatly braided back in a Crown Row style. He was Zac Tude, the leader of all Beast Empire¡¯s men.


    .....


    Emma and Rachel nced at each other. Behind the masks, they both let out a long sigh because, in every mission, they always found something like this. A sudden obstacle came and made them have to separate.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him,¡± Rachel said.


    Emma nodded with a curt sigh, ¡°Be careful, Rachel.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Good luck.¡± The tall girl replied.


    After that, Emma quickly left to reach the stairs to the next floor. Seeing this, Zac immediately attacked her to stop her. However, his attack was quickly parried by Rachel, allowing Emma to escape safely.


    ¡°You can¡¯t touch him before stepping over my corpse.¡± Rachel said as she put on her Boxing stance discreetly.


    Even though she had a body height that was taller than usual women¡¯, her height was still nothing whenpared to her opponent man now. This was Rachel¡¯s first time fighting someone so far from her height.


    **


    Linda, Britney, Cecil, and Ava were spreading around the main warehouse area. Each of them led small teams assigned to attack several points of the location to break the attack focus of the Beast Empire members.


    Although this was the first time for the four girls to lead a war, they did very well. In the end, the number of members of the Beast Empire they had defeated was piling up. This meant that they had almost managed to finish off the members whose half of them were students from various martial arts studios.


    But the four girls did not know that a terrible monster they had to face wasing. Unfortunately, the monster first appeared in front of Britney who was leading the fight in front of the building¡¯s entrance.


    A man emerged from therge doorway of the building. He had fair skin and blonde hair. He was barely two meters tall, with veryrge and solid muscles. All the skin on his body was covered in various tattoos. That man was called Elbert Scarpsky, a pir of the Beast Empire¡¯s defence.


    After beating one man to the ground, Britney realized that arge man standing in the doorway watching her with his sharp blue eyes.


    Britney¡¯s face instantly turned pale with widened eyes. She had never seen such a scary man in real life. The man had a figure that Briteny remembered as the fighter on the TV show Sm*ck Down, which her older brother used to watch when he was little.


    Then Britney pressed the button on her mouthpiece. ¡°Guys, looks like I need some help here. A monster appeared all of a sudden. I don¡¯t think my team can handle it,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done here. I¡¯ll be there now. Hang on a minute.¡± Linda answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done too. We¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Ava said.


    It seemed that Cecil was still quite busy with her pos. But for Britney, two help from her friends may be enough. To be sure, she really needed help here.


    ¡°All right. Please don¡¯t take too long, guys.¡± Britney said with a smallugh that didn¡¯t imply a funny situation, but sheughed because she was embarrassed at herself for being so scared.


    **


    Rachel heard Britney¡¯s call for help. She was annoyed that she couldn¡¯te to help.


    It seemed, after the members had fallen a lot, the Beast Empire core team had finally decided to show their presence.


    Rachel didn¡¯t know what the ability of the man she was dealing with was, but from the attack he had just directed at Emma, ??it showed that he was a Taekwondo user.


    Rachel learnt that Emma was highly trained in Taekwondo. Her abilities were great, making her a good coach for all the members.


    From all the knowledge that Emma gave, Rachel knew that Taekwondo martial arts used a lot of legwork. And the man in front of her had a pair of long and slender legs. Plus, his body had arge posture, although a bit thin, but his bones also looked big and thick.


    Even though she had studied a lot of martial arts, since Rachel had be an expert in Boxing from the start and wasfortable with it, the technique she still relied on as much as possible was Boxing. Therefore, Rachel was more dominant in using both hands in fighting.


    Rachel understood that it would be her weakness in this fight. Although she had an arm¡¯s length that was beyond the standard of a woman, it would be far less than the length of the legs of her opponent.


    Zac stared at the thin figure of a man standing a few steps in front of him. The man didn¡¯t look like he could do any martial arts, but Zac didn¡¯t want to rush into judging him.


    Even though he hadn¡¯t put up any stances, Zac often heard the news from his subordinates about ck members who were tall like normal men. They said that the man often used fists to knock out his opponents. From there, Zac could tell that the man in front of him was a Boxer.


    Zac hopped on the spot before stepping forward to attack Rachel with an Upper Side Kick. Quickly, Rachel dodged to the side. It turned out to be true that the man was using Taekwondo techniques.


    In an unequal battle like this, Rachel had to keep in mind that distance was important. Since the man¡¯s arms and legs had longer reach than hers, Rachel had to stay away from him, so as not to be hit by his attacks.


    ¡®I already know how Taekwondo ck belt holders fight. You have no idea how great my master is,¡¯ Rachel said in her mind. What she meant as a master was Emma, ??her best friend.


    Like most boxers, Rachel would keep moving. Her feet never stopped doing small jumps in turn. She would move left and right quickly to outwit her opponent. Even so, her eyes never missed the sight of the man¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Are you trying to outwit me? It¡¯s useless, you know?¡± Said Zac with the stance still forming. He put his fits beside his head. He knew that boxers would tend to target the head area.


    Rachel chuckled. ¡°Speak after this fight is over,¡±


    ¡°Oh.. You¡¯re so confident, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zac said.


    ¡°I believe that you are weak,¡± Rachel answered to provoke him.


    Rachel knew well that a man would feel angry if he was called weak. From the various battles that she had been through, she realized that one would tend to be more reckless if a fight was ruled by anger.


    After saying thest sentence, Rachel got her legs ready as Zac moved swiftly toward her and swung a high kick towards Rachel¡¯s head with his right foot.


    Seeing this quick thing, Rachel dodged while pointing her back while swinging it to the right. She moved in the opposite direction to the direction of Zac¡¯s kick that swung from right to left.


    Once Rachel managed to dodge, she straightened herself back up and moved forward, as if there were four tiny wheels on the soles of her shoes. Then she quickly hit the right side of Zac¡¯s body, right on his liver.


    Zac didn¡¯t expect that his opponent could move so fast. Actually, the opponent who managed to dodge the kick was a natural thing. He didn¡¯t give a very serious kick either. But he did not expect that his opponent could move so fast.


    With his right foot still not touching the ground, the hit on Zac¡¯s liver was extremely painful. It made him fall to the side and writhe in pain.


    Rachel¡¯s punch was so hard that it made Zac instantly find it hard to breathe, feeling his heart beat slow and like he was about to lose consciousness. In fact, Rachel had deliberately put all her deepest strength into that one punch.


    Zac¡¯s previous attack actually opened an opportunity for Rachel¡¯s rapidly spinning brain. Rachel remembered a video left of herte father when he was still active in the boxing world.


    In the interview tape, her father mentioned how influential Liver was in his victory at that time. At that time, the father did win the fight after dealing a hard blow to the opponent¡¯s Liver.

 Chapter 266

    266 Blonde Monster


    The liver was one of thergest organs in the human body and thergest of the human abdomen. It was located on the right side of the human body. The liver was one of the most important organs, so if it was damaged, it would be difficult for a human to maintain his life.


    A blow to the Liver was not necessarily going to destroy it. But a blow to the liver would make the soft and stic object expand to the other side. It was like a balloon filled with air that was pressed firmly on one side, causing the wind to force the other side of the balloon to inte.


    By expanding the other side of the liver, it signalled various internal organs to react. The ones that get the biggest impact were heart rate, respiration, and blood vessel flow.


    A normal adult male, in general, was capable of delivering a punch of about six to eight meters per second speed. It was capable of dealing arge shock, or even a certain amount of damage to the enemy¡¯s Liver.


    As for MMA adult males, they were capable of hitting at twice the speed. In this case, Rachel was able to hit Zac¡¯s liver with her Rear Hook at twelve meters per second, even using her left hand.


    The blow that Rachel gave Zac even made the fingers bones of her right-hand ache because she had to hit through the man¡¯s ribs to hit his liver.


    After Zac fell, Rachel didn¡¯t wait to give him a chance to get stand up. Like Emma always said; in a fight like this, they weren¡¯t in the arena, giving people a show. Waiting for the opponent to bounce back was foolish.


    Therefore, Rachel then walked quickly and stood on top of Zac with her feet on either side of the man who was in pain, then she knelt there and threw her punches at the man¡¯s head and jaw.


    **


    .....


    While thinking that Elbert Scarpsky looked like a wrestler on the TV show, Briteny wasn¡¯t wrong either.


    It was Juan who first discovered the figure of Elbert Scarpsky. The two of them met each other in the Underground Cave¡¯s arena.


    At that time, Elbert became one of the five strongest fighting stars there. He got the nickname Blonde Monster because of his big, burly body and blonde hair.


    Elbert walked down the stairs in front of the entrance while cracking his neck, shoulders, and fingers. Although all the men in front of him looked the same because they were wearing masks, Elbert could see who was taking on the role in the small group that had beaten so many of his men.


    With wide strides, Elbert went straight to Britney who continued to stare at him while several times dodging the attacks of several enemies who tried to beat her. The arrival of the big tall monster made her eyes tremble. She was like a midget facing a Titan.


    ¡°T-this isn¡¯t good!¡± Britney said while avoiding the two-handed blow that the big man threw from up to down, as if Briteny was a cockroach that was easy to kill.


    The girl immediately did a forward roll to the side to dodge Elbert twice. Fortunately, she did take Gymnastics sses since childhood, so she had agile and flexible movement.


    ¡°Come here, dirty cockroach!¡± Elbert growled as he chased after Britney.


    In her avoidance, Britney felt anxious. At a time like this, she couldn¡¯t think any more of what to do to fight a man who seemed impossible for her to beat. She also saw her other friends, trying to avoid the man. The girls were equally afraid to face Elbert who looked like a monster.


    Suddenly, a girl came into the middle of the chase. She swiftly jumped high and kicked the back of Elbert who was busy chasing Briteny.


    However, the kick, which relied on gravity and the whole body¡¯s weight, didn¡¯t seem to have any impact on Elbert. His strong legs and back muscles were like shields and could effortlessly withstand the kick.


    Avanded back on the ground in a crouched position and one hand touched the ground to support the weight of her front body which almost fell, because she lost her bnce when the figure she just kicked didn¡¯t move an inch. It was as if she had just kicked a brick wall.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Britney shouted.


    Fortunately, Ava was able to dodge immediately when Elbert was about to attack her. Then she rushed to Britney¡¯s side. ¡°Oh my.. Is he a monster?¡±


    Britney nodded certainly. ¡°He really is a monster.¡± Then let out a long sigh, ¡°How do we fight such a giant man?¡±


    ¡°We have to work together. That guy can¡¯t be fought alone. Once he hit us, we can stay in the hospital for months,¡± Ava said.


    ¡°Oh, That¡¯s terrible,¡± Britney muttered.


    Then Britney pressed the button on her earphone which was useful to speak to the whole team. ¡°Attention Britney team. Remember what Emma said; don¡¯t get hit. Especially by that guy,¡± she said as she watched her friends who were around the big man.


    ¡°We have to devise a n to defeat him,¡± Ava said.


    ¡°Do you have any?¡± Britney asked.


    But Ava shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of it. It feels like this kind of thing doesn¡¯t exist in practice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because no one can pretend to be such a giant,¡± Britney replied.


    Then Elbert came back running. When he did that, the people around him could feel the shaking of the ground.


    Seeing dangering, Ava and Britney immediately ran in opposite directions.


    This made Elbert even more excited because he realized that the men from the ck group who were rumoured to be powerful and dangerous, actually looked so afraid of him.


    The group was just pretentious champions. Their bodies were small like dwarves and skinny like toothpicks. They would be crushed with just one hit from him.


    ¡°Yeah, keep dodging, coward bunch!¡± Elbert eximed.


    Not long, Linda finally came to the location. Even from quite a distance, she could already see a very conspicuous figure standing among her friends. A tall figure walked here and there, trying to catch a crowd of people dressed in ck running around like a group of frightened rats.


    ¡°This is not good,¡± Linda muttered in her run.


    Linda knew Britney very well. She was a girl who easily felt guilty. As much as possible, Britney would refrain from troubling others. But she would easily panic if she was faced with a problem that she believed she couldn¡¯t face.


    Recognizing Britney¡¯s weakness, Linda left her team at the location where her attack was assigned. Even though it seemed like leaving the task, Linda had made sure that the remaining Beast Empire members there, were already few enough for her friends to clean up.


    ¡°Guys, I¡¯m here,¡± Linda said while pressing the button on her mask.


    Ava and Britney turned to the person who had just entered the battle arena. The three of them were a few meters apart. Therefore, they mustmunicate through themunication device provided by Kathy.


    ¡°We have to work together if we want to knock out the giant. Have any of you tried to attack him?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°Me, Ava. I tried kicking his back with a flying kick. But it didn¡¯t have any effect. In fact, now my leg hurts a bit.¡± Ave exined.


    Linda nodded once. ¡°From the structure of his body, he has thick muscles in the back, chest, stomach, and upper arms. You have to avoid all those parts, because, with the strength we have, it¡¯s impossible to break through defences as strong as his.¡±


    Then she continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Emma once beat two guys this big on her own. She was aiming for the whole head, neck and side knees. Those are everyone¡¯s weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Linda. Thanks for remembering my story.¡± Suddenly, Emma came into the conversation. It was because the connections of all the chiefs were lined into one. And the three girls spoke using the leader¡¯swork, for Emma and Rachel could hear their conversation.


    ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t help out there, guys. I¡¯m still looking for the captive documents.¡± Emma said, then took a deep breath, ¡°But I believe you all can beat that guy. You are strong girls, no matter how big the difference in your body sizes is. At times like this, you can prove your fighting technique skills. And remember to keep working together because that is the key.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Emma.¡± They replied.


    ¡°All right, guys. We can do this.¡± Ava said as she prepared to jump.


    The girl had both legs that seemed to have a spring there because, before she worked for Beast Empire, she was working as an acrobat member of a circus show. ¡°I¡¯ll aim for the head.¡±


    ¡°Remember what Emma said. As much as possible, we should attack the chin and around the jaw so that he can fall straight down.¡± Linda said.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Britney replied. ¡°I¡¯ll get his attention,¡±


    Then, they put themselves in their respective positions. Britney ran towards the big man, pretending to be attacking his stomach.


    Elbert smiled lopsidedly. In his mind, he was making fun of how stupid the midget was, daring to attack him from the front like this. Then, he immediately prepared to grip the midget with both hands.


    However, the midget that he originally thought was going to attack him, instead swiftly threw himself in a sideways position until his small body slid fast forward and passed through between Elbert¡¯s legs.

 Chapter 267

    267 Three Against One


    In fact, Elbert had no idea what was in the three midgets¡¯ minds. They were tricking him, pretending to attack him from the front. It was only a fool who would attack from the front, knowing that the enemy¡¯s front part was his strongest side. Then, who was the real fool here?


    At the same time, Elbert received a kick on the outer thigh and outer side of his knee. He didn¡¯t expect it, and it made him stagger because the two-footed kick indeed hurt.


    While groaning at his leg, through the corner of his eye, Elbert saw a shadow aiming at his head at full speed. Luckily, he managed to protect his entire head in time with his big muscr arms. Therefore, he survived the kick.


    Avanded on the ground again and immediately jumped backwards with a long distance. She was breathless as she looked at the tall man with a sharp look. ¡°Damn it! My kick was parried again.¡±


    ¡°You bastards! So, now you cockroaches dare to fight me because there are three of you?! You cowards! I didn¡¯t expect ck to contain a bunch of cowardly dwarves!¡± Elbert eximed.


    ¡°Hey! Look at that rhinoceros-like body of yours! You expect us to fight you one by one? You are the more cowardly one!¡± Britney replied sarcastically.


    ¡°How dare he speak that stuff about ck?! He must learn something!¡± Ava said.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s a bit stupid, guys. If we y smart, it might not take us long to beat the man,¡± Linda said.


    ¡°We can¡¯t use the earlier method because he already knows the pattern,¡± Ava said.


    .....


    Elbert gazed at the three chipmunks that were surrounding him from about two meters away. He knew that the cowardly men were working together to devise another n to take him down. He had to be more careful.


    ¡°Lost ns? HAHA!¡± Elbert mocked.


    The girls were silent, paying close attention to the man in their midst. Britney¡¯s kick seemed to have a pretty serious impact on Elbert. She did have the strongest legs out of the three of them.


    ¡°Run his breath out,¡± Ava said suddenly, without taking her eyes off the man.


    ¡°What?¡± Her two friends asked.


    ¡°People of that size are not good at doing Cardio. They are weak at it because their own body weight is too heavy. That way, the energy they have is not as big as ours.¡± Ava exined.


    Ava¡¯s exnation made Linda nod quickly. ¡°Nice! You¡¯re right, Ava. The only way to start against a big opponent is to exhaust him. If we have to be shrews to beat him, why not?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s attack him one by one. y with his strength and concentration.¡± Ava said.


    Then the girls started to y their game. Alternately, they attacked Elbert with swift movements. Like a man hunting for shrews, Elbert was provoked by the game of the three masked girls.


    Ava, Linda, and Britney took turns giving Elbert some blows at several points. The points were the sr plexus, the two outer thighs, and the side ribs that cover the liver.


    They didn¡¯t put all their energy into those blows because they still had to conserve stamina. But still, if it was done as often as possible, the blows that had previously felt nothing on Elbert¡¯s body, began to be painful.


    The girls¡¯ n worked. Elbert did have a veryrge body. However, because of his size, his movements became much slower than the three girls who could move like mice.


    As time went on, Elbert finally started to look tired from his slowing-movements and the sweat that soaked his body that was not wearing a top.


    ¡°He¡¯s exhausted,¡± Said Britney happily. Her fear of the man was gone, and was now excited because she can prank him like a clown.


    ¡°His breathing is fast now. It¡¯s time to attack his sr plexus. Try it while he¡¯s inhaling, guys,¡± Said Linda.


    ¡°Okay!!¡± The girls answered.


    Elbert was overwhelmed. The three dwarfs then hit him with very fast movements. They were so agile that when Elbert was about to catch or hit them, they could always dodge away with ease.


    When Elbert was getting tired, his breathing pattern became fast because he needed a lot of oxygen for his heart which was pumping harder. But the three mice could see the opportunity clearly. They began to hit Elbert¡¯s sr plexus in turns. And yes, the blows felt pretty painful when he was in this state.


    When he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, Elbert eventually used one hand to protect his sr plexus which became the point of their attack.


    But what Elbert didn¡¯t know; the three men, who turned out to be women inside, actually smiled behind their masks. In fact, it was his attitude that they had been waiting.


    ¡°You know what to do, guys,¡± Linda said with a smile.


    Then, she ran around Elbert twice before turning her body to approach the man from the side. Elbert, who saw it, immediately protected his sr plexus with one hand, while he brought his other hand to give a blow to the shrew that tried to approach him in that annoying manner.


    As Elbert¡¯s punch flew towards her from above, Linda dodged it immediately. After dodging, Linda still managed to hit the man¡¯s inner calf to get his attention.


    With Elbert exhausted and all his focus on Linda, it was Ava and Britney¡¯s chance to make a serious attack.


    Britney, who had been guarding from behind, kneeled one meter beside Elbert¡¯s body with one leg forming a foothold.


    From afar, Ava ran straight at Britney and stepped on the foothold made by her to jump. Then Ava twisted her body with a kick and one leg bent, and..


    BOOM!!


    Elbert¡¯s hands instantly dropped limply, hanging at either side of his body. He stood in a daze and after two seconds, fell straight forward.


    Ava¡¯s flying round kick hit Elbert¡¯s chin. For Ava, it was a one-time opportunity that should not be missed. Therefore, she tried to move as fast as possible and deliver her strongest kick.


    The three girls stood around the big man, who had fallen on his stomach and face kissed the ground. Their entire bodies were covered in sweat and they were also gasping for air.


    For the first try, it was excellent progress if they could defeat a man of that strength despite having to work together. But in the end, they managed to do it.


    As it turned out, the pirs of the Beast Empire were indeed not that strong. Neither Derric nor Juan had poor talent or martial arts skills.


    All they were always thinking about was the money flowing into the business they were running. Therefore, they were also unable to choose a suitable person to serve as a pir of their group¡¯s defence.


    Elbert Scrapsky was just a man with a big body and muscles. He continued to erge and tighten all the muscles in his body, expecting those muscles would be the perfect shield to protect him from any blow. With all those muscles, the punches and grips he produced were extremely lethal.


    But Elbert never took into ount, what would happen if he faced an opponent who was actually much smaller than him.


    Elbert Scrapsky did insist on increasing his muscles. That was because long ago, he fought as a savage wrestler who yed in the show ring to entertain.


    But he never paid attention to fighting techniques or sharpened his brain. Therefore, in a fight like now, he was sessfully knocked down after bing the toy of the shrews he had previously humiliated.


    **


    Jen Marrie Street was a haven for Handway City dweller that was looking for women and gambling.


    Like other nights, the street, which had a rapid business flow, was never deserted. No matter what happened, Jen Marie Street would not die,


    for now.


    That night, Derric Hubbert was apanied by Rude Boy to have a meeting with Pablo Diablo, the owner of Jen Marrie Street. They came escorted by several men.


    An eight-story building stood on Jen Marie Street. Compared to other buildings that were decorated by a collection of twinkling neon lights, this building was the most ordinary looking.


    Beast Empire entered the main ss door of the building. They were directed to enter a ratherrge meeting room. After entering the room, they did not find Pablo there.


    ¡°Late as usual,¡± Derric muttered.


    RB smiled wryly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to wait for anyone else. He wants people to wait for him. That is him.¡±


    ¡°He really is a schoolboy,¡± Derric said.


    Not long after, the person they were waiting for finally came. A young man with an entric hip-hop style and arge gold ne and ring around his neck and fingers.


    He walked in a casual rude manner surrounded by several of his bodyguards. If it was said that he was a high school boy, then everyone would believe it. But if you look at the business he had, everyone would shake their heads.


    Realizing Pablo¡¯s arrival, Derric and RB immediately rose from their seats.


    ¡°Hey! How¡¯re you doing?¡± Derric gave the boy a ¡®Bro¡¯ greeting.


    Pablo smirked kindly. ¡°Well.. As you can see.¡± he spread his arms at his sides. ¡°What about you guys? Is business going well?¡±

 Chapter 268

    268 Pablo Diablo¡¯s Real Face


    When Pablo sat down in his chair, only then did the two guests sit back down.


    ¡°Not bad, just a little bit of trouble from a few foolish groups,¡± Derrick replied. Then he looked at Pablo who was sitting opposite him. ¡°What did you call us here for?¡±


    ¡°I received information from the ck Hole,¡± Pablo answered straight away. His face turned serious.


    ¡°ck Hole?¡± Derric and RB repeated simultaneously. Their faces also turned serious with a hint of worry.


    ¡°What information is that?¡± Derric asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not officially confirmed yet because James just told me. But soon, you¡¯ll be receiving the news directly from the ck Hole.¡± Pablo said, then continued, ¡°New rules have been issued. The fee is increasing again and ck Hole will take over all the businesses held by The Deadly Square groups that have fallen.¡±


    ¡°What? So, the ck Hole is going to take hold of it all? Will that be fine? We¡¯re going to be cornered, aren¡¯t we?¡± Derric asked with a panicked face.


    Pablo nodded slowly. ¡°I was thinking the same thing. I don¡¯t have a problem with the increase in the fees. But, ck Hole took over all of The Deadly Square¡¯s remaining businesses? Honestly, it also makes me worry a bit. But what can we do? We can¡¯t stop them anyway,¡±


    Derric was silent for a few seconds, then looked back at Pablo. ¡°Then, regarding that matter, what do you want to tell us?¡±


    .....


    Pablo lifted the short fat ss of dark brown liquor on the table beside his hand. Then he took a sip of the liquid to moisten his throat before speaking, ¡°Since the burden we are carrying has grown, we can no longer help you in bribing the police, even for a penny. Maybe, after this, we can¡¯t help you much with defences too,¡±


    Derric couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. All support from Dragger would be revoked? That meant the Beast Empire had to walk on their own two feet without anyone¡¯s help. Would they be able to survive that way?


    ¡°H-have you thought about it carefully, Pablo? You know that the cost of bribing the police is not small. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t afford it, but I¡¯m just worried that one day we will have problems with the payment. If our ce is closed, then we can¡¯t be worker supplier for you guys again, you know,¡± Derric exined.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Derric. The Handway police don¡¯t easily close illegal businesses. You¡¯ve seen evidence of the three downed Deadly Square groups. Even though they couldn¡¯t pay the police anymore, their business never got a crime investigation or appeared in the media. In this dark world, we are only a part of it, not its whole,¡± Pablo replied.


    Indeed, in Handway City, Dragger and the rest of The Deadly Square weren¡¯t the only ones that drive big business in the dark world.


    Like a wide and deep ocean, you didn¡¯t know that there was something bigger than the greatest. There were more ferocious than the fiercest. And there was something more terrible than the most terrible.


    Derric gulped. ¡°If that¡¯s your decision, fine then. But, maybe I¡¯ll make some changes to our business contract as well,¡±


    Pablo raised an eyebrow. ¡°Say it. I want to hear it.¡±


    Derric gulped again, trying to manage his nervousness but failed. ¡°We¡¯re going to increase the rent fee for workers. If our expenses are getting bigger, that means we have to increase our ie as well. So, I hope you can understand that.¡±


    ¡°What percentage?¡± Pablo asked while fiddling with the lip of the ss with his finger.


    Derric nced at Pablo¡¯s finger. He knew that this high school boy was not happy with his decision. ¡°Thirty percent.¡±


    After Derric answered, Pablo raised his gaze to look at him. His lips slowly curved into a smile. ¡°Thirty? Are you kidding me? Even the discounts you¡¯ve given so far haven¡¯t covered what Dragger has given to Beast Empire. Are you serious about your request?¡±


    ¡°I know Dragger has been helping us all along. But we¡¯re still not independent enough to survive alone. If you stop all the supports at the same time and ck Hole also increases fee rates, then there¡¯s nothing left for us.¡± Derric exined with a puppy face.


    However, Pablo was not affected by that at all. His face still looked cold and rxed. ¡°Then.. how long should I wait? Two months? Six months? One year?¡±


    Derrick was silent, and couldn¡¯t answer that question because he himself didn¡¯t know when his group would be independent without Dragger as support. Even today, they were unable to handle the two groups that were harassing their business.


    At first, Derric had thought of asking Dragger for a little help. Before, he thought Pablo called him to ask for more females like that time, which made hime with RB who worked as head of captives management.


    If Pablo did ask for additional female workers, even in an urgent situation, Derric would ept it on condition that he received a little help. But it turned out to be a mere hope.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do it, Derric.¡± Pablo shook his head with a chuckle. ¡°Until then, Beast Empire will depend on Dragger. Then, why would you even think of raising the price for us? Isn¡¯t it ridiculous?¡±


    ¡°Th-then how do we survive at this rate?¡± Derric asked Pablo.


    ¡°Hey, loser,¡± Pablo red at him. ¡°You are a grown man. Are you sure, asking a high school boy what you should do?¡±


    Derric was surprised at Pablo¡¯s cold and harsh attitude. Usually, Pablo was always friendly to anyone. However, in fact, the current situation made Derric realize that this was the true face of Pablo Diablo.


    Pablo was a cruel and cold guy who hid under his high school uniform, acting like a childish student so that people would underestimate him. But in fact, he was a frightening monster. It turned out that Juan Xavier¡¯s suspicions had been true all along.


    ¡°You knew this from the start, didn¡¯t you, Derric Hubbert?¡±


    Derric looked back at Pablo with a pale face.


    ¡°If I wanted, Dragger could have snatched all of Beast Empire¡¯s business in one move. If I didn¡¯t pity you back then, there wouldn¡¯t be a Beast Empire name today. And you, Derric, are still living around the trash cans and the sewers, squeaking like a mouse expecting dinner from today¡¯s garbage heap.¡± Pablo continued.


    The way Pablo dered his power over the Beast Empire was cruel. As Pablo had nned; to him, this was all a business. He poured money in the beginning as capital to see the Beast Empire formed.


    It was like putting your seed in a woman¡¯s womb. He watched his child grow up in someone else¡¯s body. Then, when the child was born, he would take it as his own. But of course, he would be kind enough to make the child¡¯s mother a free nanny on condition that the nanny must remain submissive to him.


    Beast Empire was that mother. Pablo used them to develop a big business, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about managing the business to grow.


    He just needed to give some money and input, and let the money-mad men grow his business. Then, when the business had grown big and profitable, Pablo just had to harvest the results, because, in the end, the business was his.


    ¡®Fuck! You are a cunning monster, Pablo!¡¯ Derric eximed in his heart.


    Although feeling furious at being taken advantage of, Derric ended up nodding. ¡°Fine. On this matter, I sumb to you. I won¡¯t raise the price of the workers just for Dragger.¡±


    Pablo smiled with satisfaction. Then in an instant, his face turned friendly again. It was as if the conversation had never happened.


    The man with the entric style got up from his chair, and then approached Derric and RB who sat next to each other. He stood behind the two men and put his arm around their shoulders. ¡°Thank you for taking your time toe to my humble home, Gentleman. That¡¯s all I want to say,¡± He winked.


    Derric smiled wryly. ¡°You are very wee.¡±


    Pablo returned the smile as he patted them on the shoulder twice. ¡°Looks like your phone is ringing, Derric,¡±


    It was so tense that even Derric and RB didn¡¯t notice that there was a ringing iing call from Derric¡¯s cell phone that he put in his white coat pocket.


    The man with golden teeth sighed as he looked at his phone. That was Juan. Then he swiped the green logo on the phone screen and put it to his ear.


    It only took two seconds for Derric¡¯s forehead to instantly furrow. His face turned tense.


    Juan reported to Derric that their main warehouse had just been attacked by ck¡¯s group. Meanwhile, their two transit warehouses were being attacked by Jita Kyoei.


    Derric dropped his hand, hanging limply with the phone which felt as cold as a block of ice to him. RB, who noticed Derric¡¯s strange behaviour after receiving the call, immediately asked him, ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    Derric then looked in horror at the dreadlocked man beside him. ¡°All of our human warehouses were attacked. The culprits were ck and Jita Kyoei,¡± he answered in a trembling voice.


    ¡°What?!¡± It felt like RB¡¯s jaw would fall to the floor.


    ¡°They¡¯re too strong. Juan said our men can¡¯t hold them back.¡± Derric said with his face down. His voice sounded like a mumble.


    ¡°This is a disaster!¡± RB grabbed her hair with both hands. He couldn¡¯t believe it could happen. Then, he looked Derric in the eye. ¡°We have to ask Dragger for help, Derric. There is no other way. Otherwise, we¡¯ll be over!¡±

 Chapter 269

    269 Power Loan


    Beast Empire was the only group that had the lowest strength standard in The Deadly Square. Unlike the three other groups, Beast Empire never thought about whether their group would engage in a physical battle with another group or not.


    In fact, Pablo had noticed it for a long time. He saw that Derric had never taken his group¡¯s defence matters seriously. For that man, as long as he had many members and could ensnare multiple victims, it would be enough.


    But Pablo never mentioned the matter to Derric because the Beast Empire¡¯s weakness would eventually be his advantage.


    The business run by the Beast Empire had a different type from other group businesses that tend to steal people¡¯s goods. The Beast Empire had never focused on having a special area as a money field.


    Beast Empire did have a main warehouse. However, they tend to search for victims in various locations. If the Beast Empire was forced to search for victims in the territory of other gangster groups, they would not hesitate to pay them some fee, exactly as Pablo taught; namely, the solution using money.


    Beast Empire never came into contact with other groups because what they were looking for was different from what other groups were looking for. Therefore, Derric never thought that he should have members who were good at fighting. For him, there would be no fighting.


    Emma was grateful that for the first battle of her group, they faced Beast Empire which had weak members.


    Emma still remembered when she had to deal with Hell Gate, Creeper, and RJC which had trained members. ording to Emma, ??the Beast Empire men were really nothingpared to the three groups.


    The Beast Empire core team included Derric Hubbert, Juan Xavier, Rude Boy, Zac Tude, and Elbert Scarpsky.


    .....


    Zac Tude and Elbert Scarpsky had been sessfully thrown out. Now, the members of The ck Swan were left looking for the rest.


    Emma¡¯s main target was Derric Hubbert, the chairman, of course. In war, the first person to be targeted should be the king. If the king had fallen, then all his subordinates would be distraught. There was nomand and they did not know what else to protect.


    But unfortunately, as Kathy already informed, Derric¡¯s whereabouts were unknown. He was not in the warehouse they were attacking now.


    In fact, this attack went a bit beyond the expectations of all the ck Swan core teams. They didn¡¯t take into ount that the Beast Empire members in the warehouse would be so many. However, it turned out that the ck Swan women could handle everything well.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s cleared, Emma. Looks like we can release the captives,¡± Kathy said while paying attention to all the CCTV which showed the situation in various corners of the warehouse.


    Emma nodded, then pressed the button on her mouthpiece to connect to all the team leaders, ¡°Everyone, the cell door will be opening soon. Please return to your team and get ready for n number two,¡±


    ¡°Okay, Emma.¡± Britney, Linda, Cecil and Ava answered.


    Then the four girls immediately gathered the members of their team. Once they gathered, each team went to the cell wards to wait for the doors to open and evacuate the captives.


    After everything was ready, Kathy opened all the cell doors, and the evacuation process was carried out as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Have you evacuated yet?¡± Nicko asked Kathy via voice message from the short message application they specifically use formunication between IT ck Swan and Jita Kyoei.


    ¡°It looks like it will all be over soon,¡± Kathy answered.


    ¡°Am I still needed here? If not, I¡¯ll join my friends,¡± Nico asked, for his itchy ass from sitting still. He wanted to go fight like the others.


    ¡°Well.. Let me ask our leader first,¡± Kathy replied.


    Then the green-eyed girl reconnected with Emma. She asked what Nicko wanted to know. Then, since ording to Emma ??everything would be finished, it seemed like Nicko didn¡¯t need to be behind theputer anymore.


    Suddenly, Emma, ??Troy, Calvin, and Ian¡¯swork reconnected. It was Kathy who was in charge of connecting the threemunicationworks of the four people.


    ¡°We¡¯ve burned the second warehouse. Maybe the firefighter will be here soon,¡± Troy said.


    ¡°The first warehouse too. We left all the Beast Empire men lying in the middle of the street,¡± Ian added.


    ¡°Haha.. Me too. There¡¯s no ce for them.¡± Troyughed.


    When they said they would burn the warehouse and its upants, they were just joking. They would never kill anyone. Just beating was enough. There was no need to get your hands dirty by taking other people¡¯s lives.


    Beast Empire had already sent two waves of troops to help the members in their transit warehouses. However, Jita Kyoei was too strong. Now, all members of the Beast Empire had been tied up and ced on the street in front of the houses.


    Jita Kyoei doused gasoline all over the buildings of the two warehouses and ignited the fire. Beast Empire¡¯s human transit warehouses were on fire now, been eaten by the mes before the eyes of its own members.


    Before the firefighter arrived because of the rising smoke, all Jita Kyoei members fled from the scene without leaving any trace.


    Jita Kyoei was not afraid that there would be a case because of the arson. Since the Beast Empire was also a gangster group with a series of crimes, they couldn¡¯t prosecute anyone in this case. In this dark world, no police could interfere.


    **


    Rachel saw a room whose door was wide open. She went inside with her eyes constantly on the lookout. Inside the room, she found a person dressed in all ck and a mask covering her head.


    ¡°Is this Juan¡¯s room?¡± asked Rachel, who had overheard the conversation Emma had with Kathy when she was in a fight with Zac Tude.


    Emma nodded. ¡°The documents aren¡¯t here,¡± she said as she continued to unpack the desk drawers in the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s a safe here,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Please,¡± Emma answered.


    Then the two of them were busy checking the contents of the room. But still, they did not find what they were looking for; the personal data of the captives.


    ¡°Maybe the documents aren¡¯t in this room. We should look in Derric Hubbert¡¯s room.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°I guess so. Or maybe they have another special room to store all the documents.¡± Emma shrugged.


    ¡°Just like the Creeper,¡± Rachel said to herself. Then she turned to Emma, ??¡±Have you met Juan yet?¡±


    ¡°Kathy said that he was out of this room. But after that, he disappeared from behind a door that didn¡¯t have CCTV. Looks like the guy ran away,¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I have a feeling he won¡¯t run away. It looks like he¡¯s looking for help,¡± Rachel said.


    Emma looked at her confused. ¡°A help? But, all of their members are in this warehouse. Where did they get any more help from?¡±


    ¡°Hey! ck!¡± Suddenly, a voice entered the leaders¡¯municationwork. It was Troy¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emma asked directly.


    ¡°Derric is in Jen Marrie Street. He¡¯s heading to the main warehouse with Dragger¡¯s troops,¡± Troy said.


    Emma¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°H-howe?¡±


    Troy shook his head as he climbed onto his big motorbike. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But one of my guys happened to be on Jen Marrie¡¯s street. He witnessed it for himself; Dragger had about eighty men and was led by Derric Hubbert.¡±


    Emma clucked her tongue. ¡°This is bad,¡± she said as she looked at Rachel who could also hear the conversation.


    ¡°The evacuation must bepleted quickly before they get here,¡± Rachel said.


    Emma nodded, then got back to Troy. ¡°All right. I will finish the evacuation as soon as possible. It seems that for this, we will need Jita Kyoei¡¯s help,¡±


    ¡°I know. We¡¯re heading that way.¡± Troy replied before disconnecting theirmunication.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can go out with all the documents. I heard Dragger has a great group of men,¡± Emma said to Rachel.


    Then Rachel patted Emma on the shoulder once. ¡°Don¡¯t despair, Emma. We can do it. Now, let¡¯s find Derric¡¯s room. Maybe the documents are right there. I¡¯ll tell the others to hurry up the evacuation.¡±


    Emma smiled warmly, then nodded once. ¡°Thank you very much, Rachel.¡±


    **


    Apparently, Derric had managed to persuade Pablo to lend him some power. Now, the ck Swan must race against time to get all the captives out and bring them to safety so they wouldn¡¯t be recaptured by the Beast Empire.


    After the announcement to all the team leaders, the evacuation process was elerated because the Beast Empire was heading towards them. All the captives became somewhat panicked and rushed out as quickly as possible.


    It did get a bit messy, but the process was quicker than expected. Of course, all the captives did not want to be caught again in the hell that had been their prison all this time. Making it out of that ce was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They would regret it all their lives if they missed it.


    But actually, there was one more problem faced by the ck Swan. With all the captives released, someone had to take them all to a safe ce. And to do that, it took a lot of people.


    The basic n of the ck Swan was actually very simple. First, attack the main warehouse until all of the Beast Empire men were knocked out. Second, evacuate the captives. Third, bring all the captives to a safe location.

 Chapter 270

    270 Last offers


    In the third n, it had been decided from the start that half of the ck Swan members had to take all the captives to a safe location because they had to use cars and motorbikes to carry the captives and guard them at the same time.


    But as usual, in a n, there must be an unexpected obstacle. The remaining members of the ck Swan instead had to face the Dragger men who were heading to the main warehouse.


    With that, Emma was forced to make a small change in a previously well-made n. She asked only Cecil to lead all the small groups that brought the captives to safety. Meanwhile, Linda, Ava, and Britney remained in the main warehouse.


    Each of the team leaders was also asked to quickly sort out the strongest members to stay in the main warehouse, because, they would have to face a group whose strength was unknown, and possibly much stronger than the members of the Beast Empire. Therefore, the next battle would not be easy.


    ¡°It was Juan. He must have called for help here,¡± Rachel said as she walked briskly towards the room that was suspected to be Derric¡¯s.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Dragger is a strong group. I think this is theirst resort against us. If we can defeat Dragger¡¯s men, it can be said that the Beast Empire has no reason to stand,¡±


    ¡°Looks like Calvin¡¯s help is on the way, Emma. I¡¯ll call him,¡± Rachel said.


    **


    ¡°I see,¡± Calvin said, holding the earphone plugged into his ear.


    .....


    ¡°They need our help. Prepare yourselves. This time, Dragger will be our opponent,¡± Calvin said to all the members under his leadership


    Then, they began to move in front of the gates of the Beast Empire¡¯s main warehouse.


    There, the captives were in the process of being transported by ck members.


    Calvin ordered his men to enter the gate and position themselves at several points, especially the entrance to the inner building. He approached two masked men who were propping up the gate wheel with some bricks.


    ¡°Are there still many captives?¡± Calvin asked.


    Britney looked up when she heard the voice of the man she thought was a Dragger member. Then she stood up from her squatting position while holding her chest. ¡°You startled me.¡± Then she shook her head, ¡°This is thest wave,¡±


    ¡°What are you doing? Where is your leader?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°We stuck the gate so it can¡¯t be closed again. Our leader is in the building. He has a duty to find the documents of all the captives. But it is said that Juan Hubbert has disappeared,¡± Britney exined.


    ¡°What I know is Juan isn¡¯t the type of man who would run away leaving a mess. If he disappeared, there must be a secret room in this building.¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Then you must inform our leader about that,¡± Britney replied. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to leave without destroying the documents,¡±


    **


    ¡°Secret room?¡± Emma repeated.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Juan is hiding in there. They might as well keep all the documents there. It¡¯s the same as the Panic Room,¡± Calvin exined.


    Emma sighed. ¡°All right. Thanks for the information.¡±


    Then Emma let go of the papers in her hand to the workbench of the room she was searching.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s not here either?¡± asked Rachel who had been searching along the wall for a hidden door that might lead them to the safe.


    The two girls were in Derric Hubbert¡¯s room. But in reality, the room was just an ordinary office that had many luxurious interiors. There were no valuable documents that Emma and Rachel were looking for.


    Then Emma called Kathy to ask her to find the location of the secret room that Calvin mentioned earlier.


    But the problem was; Kathy had been looking for all the doors that were connected to the Smart Home system. Apparently, the room wasn¡¯t connected to any system. In other words, it was a room that could only be moved manually.


    Although lost track, Kathy still had information about thetest-seen position of Juan Xavier. It was a cell door at the end of one of the corridors of the building.


    Together with Rachel, Emma entered one of the cells at the very end of all the empty cells. They both stepped inside and found only an empty cell room.


    But based on their experiences, a room that looked empty didn¡¯t mean that it was actually empty. Emma and Rachel started tapping lightly on the walls of the room. But strangely, all parts of the wall emitted the same sound.


    ¡°This is weird,¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Gosh... It¡¯s tiring,¡± Emmained while holding the back of her neck and massaging her throbbing head. Then, when her face turned up, she identally saw something, which was what they were looking for.


    Emma smiled broadly as she continued to look up. ¡°That is the damn door.¡± she pointed up.


    Rachel immediately looked up. So, it turned out that the door they were looking for was on the ceiling of the cell. On the white ceiling, there was seen a separate line in the shape of a rectangle.


    ¡°How does he get up there? How do we go up?¡± Emma said to herself.


    ¡°Usually, there is a rope to pull thedder down. But apparently, he raised the rope inward so that no one could enter from the outside,¡± Rachel replied.


    ¡°Even if we climb up, we won¡¯t be able to open the door if he locks it from the inside.¡± Emma sighed wearily.


    ¡°We have to wait for him toe down. There¡¯s no other way.¡± Rachel shrugged.


    ¡°They¡¯re here, guys.¡± Suddenly, Linda came into themunication line.


    ¡°All right. We¡¯ll be out soon,¡± Emma answered right away.


    **


    Derric¡¯s hands couldn¡¯t stay still. He continued to rub his full-of-rings hands as an outlet for his panic. He didn¡¯t know what had happened to his three human warehouses.


    Until the end, Juan was still able tomunicate with him. But Juan admitted that he was hiding in a secret room. Derric himself was not angry at the behaviour of the loser Juan because, if he were in that man¡¯s shoes, he would probably do the same.


    The problem was that Juan admitted that he no longer had ess to contact the people in charge of the transit warehouses. They did not know whether the two warehouses would be burned for real by Jita Kyoei or not. But for sure, none of the relief members who were sent there came back.


    Derric continued to stare at his phone screen. He was watching CCTV footage from the Smart Home system. But unfortunately, all CCTV movements were frozen. He didn¡¯t understand if the system had crashed or what.


    However, when RB tried to contact the Smart Home instation service, they said that the Smart Home ess used in the warehouse had been taken over by another party. And what made him even more annoyed was that the Smart House¡¯spany seemed to ignore theirints.


    ¡°Damn it! You f*ckingpany! No wonder the price is cheap! They have no responsibility!¡± Derric eximed in the car.


    Beside him, RB was sitting with a pale face. Just like his leaders, he was also not good at fighting. And also, thetest news from Juan said that Zac and Elbert had been defeated.


    Those two men were extremely strong in RD¡¯s eyes. But they were even defeated in less than half an hour by ck¡¯s group. Then, how about his faith?


    ¡°I¡¯ve risked everything on this. If we lose in this, we¡¯ll lose everything,¡± Derric muttered as he grabbed his hair with both hands in frustration.


    ¨C


    Previously,


    Derric faced Pablo with a mourning face. His eyes zed over as if he was about to cry. He waspletely helpless, not even thinking about saving his pride in front of all the subordinates around them.


    ¡°I beg you, Pablo! This is a very serious situation! Please help us!¡± Derric pleaded again.


    Pablo looked at the man condescendingly. Then he let out a tired sigh. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you? Dragger can¡¯t provide any more support. That includes power support,¡±


    ¡°Our ce is under attack, Pablo. All of my men have fallen. It was ck and Jita Kyoei working together. How could we possibly beat them?¡± Derric said again.


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely what¡¯s been a problem for me, Derric. By helping you now, what¡¯s in it for me? I¡¯ll only have another loss; the same as before. By raising you guys, I haven¡¯t even gotten my capital back yet.¡± Pablo shook his head slowly.


    ¡°Just this once, Pablo! I beg you! This business is our life.¡± Derric insisted.


    But Pablo¡¯s decision would not change just out of mercy. That high school boy was a cold-blooded being. He was a robot businessman. All that was in his brain was a calction to consider which one was beneficial and which one was detrimental. And his whole soul would follow the calction results.


    ¡°Fine then,¡± Derric nodded once. ¡°I understand you¡¯re thinking about profit. In that case, this is myst offer. If we lose, then all assets belonging to the Beast Empire will be handed over to Dragger. And if we manage to win this war, we will provide free workers for Dragger for life. You don¡¯t have to pay anything ¨C Make Beast Empire your cash cow. I¡¯ll find another way to keep the business running. Yes, there is another way. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    Secretly, a small smile was curved at the corner of Pablo¡¯s lips. ¡°Interesting offer. However, are you sure you can do that? What if in the end, you still can¡¯t keep the business running because the ie is not bnced with expenses? That¡¯s your problem from the start, isn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 271

    271 Dragger¡¯s Help Arrival


    Derric clenched his fists. Pablo indeed was a poisonous snake. It felt like he wanted to break the high school boy¡¯s neck. But what could he do? He was weaker. And that was a fact he couldn¡¯t deny.


    ¡°If we go bankrupt, then all of this will again belong to Dragger. Wasn¡¯t it Dragger who raised us from the start?¡± Derric forced a smile although his heart felt sliced by saying those words.


    Derric¡¯s statement made Pablo smile even wider. He was impressed by the man who was willing to humble himself to such an extent in front of him. Eventually, Derric didn¡¯t just realize what his position was. Rather, he also acknowledged how inferior he waspared to Dragger.


    During this time, the Beast Empire had always been regarded as Dragger¡¯s business partner. But in reality, the Beast Empire was Dragger¡¯s pet.


    Derric was toofortable with achievements that didn¡¯te entirely from his own efforts. He was so carried away by all theforts that he was blind to what was going on.


    Finally, Pablo nodded. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll lend you fifty men of mine. Is that enough?¡±


    ¡°Eighty. Please. I know how strong those two groups are.¡± Derric replied.


    ¡°Damn... This is why I never feel like helping you,¡± Pablo said. But before Derric spoke again, he cut him off immediately, ¡°All right. Eighty.¡±


    There was a huge relief on the faces of Derric and RB. In the end, Pablo lent his powerful men to help the Beast Empire save theirst throne.


    .....


    After the agreement was made, Pablo mobilized his eighty men to follow the leader of the Beast Empire to their main warehouse.


    ¡°You gave what he wanted, didn¡¯t you?¡± Markus Vaga asked Pablo who was standing in front of therge window that led to the sparkling street of Jen Marrie.


    Pablo turned around with a big smile. He nodded. ¡°I like the offer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Do you think I didn¡¯t know what he was offering? If his business was down, why else would we buy a carcass? What else are you up to?¡± Markus asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.


    That made Pablough. ¡°What? I just want to see how strong the ck group is,¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s your point,¡± Markus nodded slowly.


    The smile on Pablo¡¯s face gradually disappeared. ¡°ck has knocked out three groups of The Deadly Square. And now, they are on their way to destroy thest group. I started to see them as a threat. Before, they were able to enter our territory without being caught. Actually, it confuses me.¡±


    ¡°Even though they seeded in overthrowing all those groups, it does not cover the fact that ck has been assisted by another group. They have never worked alone, always looking for alliances. It seems it¡¯s their strategy.¡± Markus said.


    ¡°Who are the men behind the masks? They are difficult to catch because they hide their identities,¡±


    ¡°Hopefully we can find it out tonight. However, if the group we sent turns out to be defeated by them, what are you going to do next?¡± Markus asked.


    ¡°If that happens, then ck and Jita Kyoei will deal with Dragger. In the end, they will attack us. Before that happens, I¡¯d better take the first step.¡± Pablo replied.


    **


    A ck limousine pulled up in front of a wide-open gate.


    Imagine how was the feeling of a homeowner who returned home to find the condition of his house already ravaged because of robbers. That was how Derric Hubbert felt right now.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say over what he was witnessing. Only his hands were still tightly clenched. His rows of golden teeth clenched together against the anger that welled up in his chest.


    After a few seconds, two ck-painted school buses followed. The two buses were parked in front and behind the Beast Empire boss limousine.


    ¡°Ask nothing. Kill them all,¡± Derric said as soon as the leader of the group of men approached him.


    The man with night-dark skin and dreadlocks smiled lopsidedly. ¡°I see,¡±


    Then, the big, tattooed man wearing only jeans and a tank top turned to his eighty men who had gotten off the school bus behind them.


    ¡°Get ready to attack. After that, we¡¯re going home!¡±


    Then the group of men walked together entering the main warehouse gate. Inside there, on arge field, a group of short, skinny men whose heads were covered by the same strange ck mask had gathered. The sight made them chuckle.


    The group of men stopped their steps. They put on a fiercely defiant faces. They were Dragger¡¯s men who were given a mission to help the Beast Empire defend the crown of honour that ck and Jita Kyoei¡¯s group were trying to steal.


    A few meters before the vanguard, ck¡¯s group was lined up in a group. Even though their faces were covered by masks, in truth, the expressions behind them were no less defiant than their enemies.


    In the group were all the best members of The ck Swan who were the most proficient in fighting, had souls like hunters ready to kill, and had no fear. Those were collected in one group. The number was thirty-eight people.


    Compared to the number of Dragger¡¯s members, the remaining ck Swan members were few. It was an unfair fight. Moreover -although no one knew- the people behind the mask were women. In terms of body size alone, they were already far behind the Dragger members.


    However, fortunately, the small group led by Calvin Lee still had time to arrive early. There were less than twenty of them, but it should have been quite helpful.


    Calvin knew that Dragger¡¯s men were good at fighting. While fighting alone, Calvin several times tried to prate the Dragger¡¯s outermost defences, but he always failed.


    It was not that Calvin was outssed by Dragger¡¯s men. However, the fighting abilities they had and theirrge numbers were too much for Calvin to be able topletely eliminate them.


    Therefore, this fight would probably feel much different from other fights. In front of them was a group of strong men. It was not just a bunch of guys who just wanted to beat up someone. However, they did have abilities that supported their goals.


    ¡°Let¡¯s shock Troy and Ian with a sea of ??fallen humans,¡± Calvin said through the mic.


    From the other side, Troy chuckled. Even though his voice sounded severely disturbed by the wind and the signal couldn¡¯t catch the speed he was moving, everyone still understood what he was saying.


    ¡°Wait for us, guys. We want to have some fun too,¡± Troy said with augh.


    ¡°Then hurry up,¡± Calvin answered before disconnecting.


    Emma had juste out of the warehouse building. She saw groups of men standing like in a ceremony.


    ¡°So, Dragger really hase,¡± said Emma who had just stood in front of Linda in the front row.


    Linda nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of them. It seems they see us as strong as them.¡± she smiled confidently.


    ¡°Of course, Linda. But don¡¯t forget to never underestimate your opponent. It might just boomerang on you,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Looks like that¡¯s the leader,¡± Rachel, who was standing beside Emma, ??pointed her chin forward, at a dark-skinned man with dreadlocks.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even see Derric. Where is he?¡± Emma muttered as she stepped forward.


    ¡°No need to talk!¡±


    Emma¡¯s step stopped when the man shouted while raising one hand in the air as a ¡®Stop¡¯ symbol.


    ¡°Our job is only to eliminate you. There¡¯s no need to waste time talking. It¡¯s useless.¡± He said.


    His name was Jay Nichs; one of the Dragger members standing on level three. He was one of the six strong men tasked with leading teams in random battles like now.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emma chuckled. ¡°As you wish,¡±


    Then the girl ran fast, straight at Jay who was ready to receive her attack.


    The ck leader¡¯s action signalled that the war had begun. Behind him, all the members also ran towards the enemy. All the enemy members also ran towards them with screams.


    As soon as she got close enough, Emma immediately jumped with a twist kick, while Jay also ran towards her to hit back the kick with his long leg.


    But Emma wasn¡¯t serious about her kicks. It was just a fake move as if she was about to strike with a kick.


    Once the two were very close and Jay had cast his kick to parry Emma¡¯s attack. She cancelled her kick so Jay¡¯s moves were wasted and missed.


    Instead, Emma swiftly threw her hands to the side and caught Jay¡¯s head, as her body slid beside him. With that, Emma immediately pulled Jay backwards and was ready to do the lock because he fell on his back.


    On the other hand, the two groups that were running towards each other ended up colliding with each other. It was a loud crash; when everyone brutally attacked each other.


    As previously warned, the Dragger group members were far different from the Beast Empire. They were stronger and more adept at fighting.


    Although the members of the ck Swan could immediately feel the difference, they were not scared because this was an even opponent for well-trained soldiers.

 Chapter 272

    272 Stuck


    For Emma, ??beating Jay wasn¡¯t as easy as she thought. After giving the first attack, it turned out that Jay was not that easy to knock out. With therge number of Dragger members who interfered in their fight, it was difficult for her to make the perfect attack technique.


    Even though the members of the Beast Empire had been defeated, that didn¡¯t mean they would disappear immediately like in a video game. The men who had bounced back from their slump began to join the battle arena to help their ally, who was Dragger¡¯s group.


    Therefore, the gap in the number of group members was getting bigger. Thus, the ck Swan team and Calvin Lee began to feel overwhelmed. They needed the arrival of Troy and Ian¡¯s group as soon as possible.


    **


    On the other hand, Nicko Coffey had heard the news that there was an attack on the Beast Empire¡¯s main warehouse. Therefore, all members of Jita Kyoei were heading to the warehouse.


    Since Nicko was at Jita Kyoei¡¯s headquarters, he went to the main warehouse immediately. He knew that the distance between each warehouse from the three warehouses belonging to the Beast Empire was quite far, that it took time for Troy and Ian¡¯s team to be able to reach the main warehouse.


    Riding his motorbike, Nicko arrived at the Beast Empire¡¯s main warehouse. Even before he reached the gate, he could already hear the noises from behind the high wall. He saw tworge ck buses parked in front of the warehouse gate.


    ¡°How men did they bring to have to take two buses like that?¡± Nicko mumbled.


    He knew that this would not be as easy as he thought. One bus could carry up to forty people. If it was two buses, there might be eighty men in total. And they were not ordinary men, but members of the Dragger group who were renowned for their strength.


    .....


    After parking his motorbike, Nicko rushed inside the gate and found a great mess inside. It was a sight he had not seen for the past three years.


    Having just stepped into the battle arena, Nicko in no time received an attack from a Dragger man. Quickly, he was dragged into the big fight.


    While fighting various iing attacks, Nicko saw a ck member who seemed overwhelmed to fight four men at once. The man¡¯s body looked thin and short like most of the other members of the ck group.


    As soon as he finished mming thest man who came up to him, Nicko saw the figure of the little man running towards the side of the building with six men chasing him.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t good,¡± Nicko muttered as he continued to watch the man while fighting off the attacks that wereing back at him.


    Quickly, Nicko finished off the opponents who were ganging up on him. Then when he saw an opportunity to escape, he immediately ran as fast as possible to catch up to the ck man who was in trouble.


    Nicko ran behind therge building. With a sigh, he looked everywhere for a group of men who were chasing one man earlier.


    Then he heard a faint noise and immediately followed it. The noises took him to the other side of the back of the building where there was a lot of wreckage.


    One little man was busy fighting five men who attacked him repeatedly, while the other was already lying unconscious. Without thinking, Nicko entered the fight to help the ck man.


    ¡°Oh.. Thank God!¡± Britney muttered when she saw helping. She thought she would die in this ce.


    Nicko jumped into the middle of the two men who were in front of Britney. Then he did a split kick that hit the two Draggers in the chest, sending them flying sideways.


    ¡°Nice!¡± Britney said. She just realized that the man who hade to help her was Nicko Coffey, a member of the Judo club on campus, who was a friend of Troy Roner.


    Then an attack came from beside Britney. She noticed it, and immediately dodged by lowering her body down.


    After that, she threw her fists from the bottom up, as she stood up straight again. The blow was aimed quickly and precisely at the lower chin of her enemy. Thanks to the blow, the enemy had fainted now.


    ¡°Feel it, coward...¡± Britney said with a lopsided smile.


    ¡°WATCH OUT!!¡±


    Nicko¡¯s exmation took Britney by surprise. Everything happened so fast. In those seconds, she saw a panicked Nicko running towards her. At the same time, Britney felt a dark shadow and something veryrge weighing on her back.


    ¡°God!¡± Britney moaned as she pulled her sense that seemed to fly away when she fell into a prone position. ¡°W-what is this?¡± she felt something very heavy pressed down her entire back.


    ¡°Hey! Wake up. Help me lift this!¡± Nicko said breathlessly.


    ¡°Ahh.. Gosh!¡± Britney was surprised when she realized that she was on top of Nicko¡¯s body.


    The girl looked left and right, seeing Nicko¡¯s hands holding the nk that was weighing on her back.


    What happened a few seconds ago was,


    As soon as Britney knocked the enemy with her proud fist, it turned out that another man was hiding behind her.


    Unknowingly, Britney had her back to the wall which had several pieces of junk leaning; one of them was arge wooden door.


    The enemy, who was cornered by the two men chose to use objects around him to knock down his opponent. The man pushed down the door that was standing behind Britney.


    Nicko, who had just beaten a man who was attacking him, noticed the danger that was about to befall his ally members.


    But because he was standing too far away, he didn¡¯t have time to hold the door, and ended up cing himself in front of ck for the least, preventing the weight of the big door frompletely weighing on the little man¡¯s back.


    ¡°H-how did you get here?!¡± Britney asked with big blinking eyes. Her face was very close to Nicko¡¯s because they were stuck to each other, face to face.


    ¡°D-damn it! Instead of asking that, quickly help me lift this! It¡¯s so heavy!¡± Nickoined with both hands holding the weight of therge wooden door.


    Britney immediately gathered her sanity back. She was almost carried to their awkward condition and position. But she remembered that now, she was a ck member who was known to be a man. Quickly, her focus shifted to the door that was crushing on her aching back.


    ¡°Th-this is so heavy, my God...¡± Britneyined with a grimace on her face as she tried to lift her back up.


    Then she ced her palms on the ground beside Nicko¡¯s body, and pressed all the muscles of her back, chest, and arms as if in a Push-Up position. But she was not strong at all to lift the door.


    ¡°Your arms are freaking weak! What kind of man are you?! You should train your arm strength!¡± Nicko said.


    Britney just looked at the man with an annoyed face. She was not a man, but a woman. She was weak in upper body strength because she was a female, who was superior in exerting lower body muscle strength.


    Instead of feeling annoyed over the misunderstanding between the two of them, Britney chose to rack her brain to think about how she could get out of this position.


    Maybe if Nicko was alone with the door, he could push it up. But at this time, Nicko¡¯s body was being weighed down by another body. Therefore, it was impossible for him to escape from under the door.


    After thinking for a bit, Britney finally got the idea. ¡°Can you stretch your arms?¡±


    ¡°You know this door is heavy, don¡¯t you?¡± Nicko asked.


    Britney nodded. ¡°But if you can give me some space, I can get away from this position,¡± she exined breathlessly because she was also trying to hold the weight of the door with both hands to lighten up Nicko¡¯s burden.


    Nicko realized that it was a pretty good n. The man who was weighing on him had a small body. However, he was stuck in the middle. If Nicko could give him room to move, he could slip out.


    Then Nicko took a deep breath. Then, ¡°Ugh!!¡±


    ¡°Good! Just a little more!¡± Britney said while moving her body down to get past Nicko¡¯s arms that were pushing the door.


    Nicko put all the strength in the arm muscles that he got from various exercises at the club and the GYM. Even though it was just a door, it was so heavy because it was made of solid wood.


    With great difficulty, all of Nicko¡¯s veins popped out as he tried to straighten his arms. After feeling the space was quite big, Britney immediately escaped.


    As soon as she managed to stand up and look around to find that there was no one around, she quickly grabbed the door, and pulled it while pushing it aside to help Nicko escape.

 Chapter 273

    273 Trash Man


    Thanks to Britney¡¯s help, Nicko managed to get rid of the heavy door from his body. The man angrily threw the door beside his lying body.


    He was still lying on his back breathlessly once he was freed. His energy waspletely drained just because of one door. That was embarrassing.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Britney asked breathlessly, kneeling beside Nicko who was still on his back with his whole face drenched in sweat.


    Then the man nodded briefly. ¡°Yes. So, they ran away, huh? Of course, they did,¡± he said as he sat up and looked around. ¡°Those cowards...¡±


    ¡°Thanks for saving me. That door is so heavy. I don¡¯t know what would have happened if I had been there alone,¡± Britney said.


    Nicko shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯d better get back to the front to help the others,¡±


    Britney nodded as she helped him to his feet. Then the two of them rushed back to the big battle arena in front.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Nicko asked in their brisk pace.


    ¡°You can call me BR,¡± Britney replied.


    .....


    Nicko chuckled. ¡°An abbreviated name, huh? Of course you all keep your identity down to the very detail.¡±


    ¡°Our identities are very important. We don¡¯t want our private lives to be disturbed by meddling in this dark world. I hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Nicko said.


    **


    The battle was getting rougher and rougher. Dragger¡¯s men were indeed strong, thus making the ck Swan group start to be overwhelmed.


    Those girls had been fighting since a few hours ago. This was their 2nd round fight. And their stamina had started to erode.


    Fortunately, just when reinforcements were really needed, Troy and Ian finally arrived. Jita Kyoei¡¯s strongest core team, with a few of their members, came like a wave that rushed over all the remaining Dragger and Beast Empire members.


    The arrival of the reinforcements made all the members of the ck Swan, who had felt like dying, finally able to heave a sigh of relief. Like watching a light creep in amid the enveloping darkness, Jita Kyoei was a saviour soldier.


    The arrival of Jita Kyoei made Derric and RB, who had been just hiding and watching from the car, panic. Now, the number of members of the two opposing groups had finally be quite fair.


    ¡°This is terrible! We might lose!¡± Derric said, looking out the window.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Juan? Why can¡¯t we get in touch with him?¡± RB asked.


    Derric shook his head. ¡°Lastly, he was in the panic room. I don¡¯t know why my calls are no longer getting to his phone. This also happens to the heads of the transit warehouses,¡±


    ¡°It must have been those bastards who did it,¡± RB murmured.


    ¡°We have to get inside before it¡¯s toote. We can still salvage the captives¡¯ documents to sell to Dragger?¡± Derric asked.


    RB nodded. ¡°The captives have been released. At least, we can still look for them again. There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll escape too far in just a few days,¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take the back door,¡± Derric said.


    There was a small locked door behind the location of the Beast Empire¡¯s main warehouse. The door was made of iron bars like a prison cell and was locked using a manual system and not connected to the Smart Home system. Because of that, the door was very rarely used so far.


    Wherever Derric went, he would always carry a spare bundle of keys to all his warehouses and base. With one of those keys, he opened the back door and sneaked inside.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have to sneak inside my own property. They have to pay for this.¡± Derric muttered in annoyance, walking into the building.


    Because the battle took ce outside the warehouse building, the situation inside was quiet. The chaotic conditions of the warehouse due to the early battle made Derric drown in anger.


    The man just kept walking towards one of the cell wards which was the way to the hiding room.


    Finally, they came to an open cell door and went inside. Derric and RB looked up and found that the door to the hiding room could not be opened from the outside.


    ¡°JUAN! It¡¯s me, Derric!¡±


    Although there had been no response, after several times shouting and throwing things at the ceiling, the door above finally opened.


    ¡°Derric!¡± Juan said as soon as he opened the door and lowered thedder that was connected to the door.


    ¡°Are all the documents still there?¡± Derric asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Juan answered. ¡°How are things outside?¡± he asked, poking his head down.


    Derric shook his head. ¡°This is bad news, Juan. Looks like we¡¯re about to lose. We¡¯d better get everything important out of here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve packed things up. We can escape immediately,¡±


    Then, Derric and RB started climbing thedder that Juan had lowered.


    ¡°Are you good?¡± RB asked Juan.


    Juan nodded, ¡°I am. I still managed to escape in time, but suddenly my cell phone couldn¡¯t be used. My signal disappearedpletely,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we installed a signal jamming device,¡±


    The three men turned their heads in shock towards the bars of the cell door.


    Unbeknownst to them, four men were already in the cell room and closed the door. It was Emma, ??Rachel, Calvin, and Nicko.


    Previously, when Emma and Rachel left the cell room, they didn¡¯t just leave like that. Emma had purposely attached the jamming device Kathy had given her to the wall of the room because she knew that Juan had tomunicate with Derric.


    In addition, Emma also asked Kathy to keep guarding the cell door to see if Juan would get out of there.


    Before thedder was pulled up again, Calvin and Nicko immediately ran to hold it, while Emma and Rachel pulled Derric and RB down thedder they had not finished climbing.


    ¡°You guys have nowhere to run. It¡¯s over,¡± Emma said with a big smile behind her mask.


    Nicko pulled the cable ties out of the back pocket of his pants and threw them at Emma.


    Emma caught the clear package, and then forced Derric to sit on the floor. Then, she tied both of the man¡¯s wrists.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already released all our workers. What exactly do you want now?!¡± Derric eximed, watching his subordinates being tied up just like himself.


    ¡°Workers? You mean captives?¡± Emma rose from her crouched position and walked in front of Derric. The dark aura that burst from her body felt terrifying.


    ¡°If you just want to save those people, there¡¯s no need to destroy all my property! You ruined my business without a trace. Why do you have the heart to do that?! What did I do wrong to you?!¡± Derric asked in a trembling voice.


    The question infuriated Emma. She swiftly kicked one of the shoulders of the man sitting in front of her, and pressed it with the soles of her shoe firmly, so that Derric¡¯s back pressed against the wall behind him.


    ¡°You idiot! You really think you can say something like that after all the cruel things you¡¯ve done to all innocent people? Do you have to hurt me directly so I can do the same to you? Isn¡¯t it exactly your purpose? You hurt weak people because you know they can never avenge you?¡± Emma said.


    Then she chuckled sarcastically. ¡°All this time, you¡¯ve always looked down on women. You think of them as an object that can give you satisfaction as well as a mine of money.


    You feel like you¡¯re always higher than them just because you¡¯re a man with a trashy brain. You are so condescending to women as if you were born from the dirt like a potato. Do you even have a brain?!¡± Emma continued before hitting the man on the head in annoyance.


    Derrick was silent. While the two subordinates who sat beside him also could only look down. They knew they were wrong. However, all this time, they chose to be wrong, as long as they could enjoy a luxurious life. They would never care for the people they had hurt.


    ¡°The men who feel so superior over women are actually this weak, while your men are fighting outside and you are hiding here. You can¡¯t fight back in the slightest when captured. Can you be called men? ¡± Emma chuckled before getting off her foot roughly.


    Then, she turned to Nicko. ¡°Please take care of them. I¡¯m going to dismantle the room,¡±


    Emma, ??Rachel, and Calvin went up thedder which led them to a closed room. There were no other doors or windows.


    In the room, there were several chests containing packaged food and drinks. It turned out to be a ¡®Panic Room¡¯ as Kathy had said. However, there was an iron chest of drawers which contained several documents.


    Emma smiled with satisfaction when she found that it was the Beast Empire¡¯snd and building documents. Upon further inspection, it turned out that the drawer was where Derric kept all his asset documents.


    Even though she found the treasure, Emma didn¡¯t feel relieved yet because what she had been looking for in the first ce, had still not been found. The captives¡¯ data documents were not there.


    Then, Emma came out of the room. She returned to Derric who looked very frustratedmenting his fate.


    ¡°Where do you keep all the captive documents?¡±


    But Derric smiled faintly. ¡°You think I¡¯ll tell you?¡±

 Chapter 274

    274 The Fall of the Beast Empire


    ¡°Have you ever been told that it¡¯s rude to answer a question with a question?¡± Emma asked.


    Then she held out her palm to Rachel. ¡°The penknife, please. Today, I¡¯m going to y doctor,¡±


    All the men in the room gasped as they exchanged looks. But the two girls didn¡¯t care what the men thought. They would do anything to achieve their goals. And.. to avenge the girls whose future had been destroyed.


    ¡°Take off his pants, please,¡± Emma said to Calvin who was standing beside her.


    Calvin looked at the short man beside him before turning to the open penknife that was in his rubber-gloved hand. ¡°W-what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Removing something that doesn¡¯t deserve to be there,¡± Emma answered tly, staring between Derric¡¯s legs.


    ¡°F*ck! He¡¯s going to castrate him?!¡± RB¡¯s eyes widen.


    ¡°Rx. You are the next patient,¡± Rachel said with a smile. She hoped he could remember what their victims looked like when they were kidnapped.


    ¡°No! Please don¡¯t do this!¡± Derric eximed as he struggled when Calvin started to take off his pants.


    .....


    ¡°You left me no choice, Derric Hubbert.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Derric! I don¡¯t want to be castrated!¡± RB eximed while looking at his boss with a shaking body.


    However, Derric still seemed to be holding his mouth from speaking, even though his pants were half down, showing blue boxers underneath.


    In fact, Emma and Rachel were disgusted by the sight of the genitals of a stranger man; they hated it. But it seemed they would not be traumatized because they were the ones who would leave a big trauma on the man. And they were happy to do so.


    ¡°Derric!¡± RB eximed again.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll take you there!¡± Derric eximed immediately before Calvin Lee actually took his underwear down.


    Emma smiled. ¡°We¡¯d better go now. My knife is feeling down,¡±


    ¡°You crazy psychopath! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Derric eximed while being forced to his feet by Calvin.


    ¡°If I were indeed a psychopath, I would have cut your balls from the start and fed them to pigs.¡± Emmaughed, followed by Rachel.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s indeed nuts,¡± Nicko mumbled to himself, didn¡¯t expect that ck was such a person.


    It was a room with a locked ordinary door. The door was not connected to the Smart Home system and was not within the range of CCTV cameras.


    Strange indeed. Instead, it should have been the room that had to be the most protected with the most advanced system they could think of. But for Juan, the meaning of the word hiding was to make somethingpletely invisible. And in fact, their goal of hiding the room actually seeded.


    Because it could not be seen by anyone and appeared as an ordinary room, no one suspected the room was a room that stored important things.


    But still, Emma didn¡¯t want to lose for any reason. If she could not find what she was looking for by herself, then she would ask the keeper to show her where it was.


    The door to the room opened. It was a simple room that wasn¡¯t big. Inside were several iron drawers arranged in a row. Emma immediately opened the drawer.


    ¡°This is what we were looking for,¡± She said in relief.


    **


    The attack on the Beast Empire wasplete. The war ended with the defeat of the Dragger members who came as reinforcements.


    Thebined power of ck Swan and Jita Kyoei easily repelled Dragger and Beast Empire.


    All the enemies were left lying unconscious in front of the warehouse building. Meanwhile, all the members of the ck Swan were assisted by Jita Kyoei, tidying up all the documents into the van that Cecil drove from the ck Swan headquarters.


    Ian, Nicko, Britney, and Linda brought Derric and Juan out of the main warehouse, showing the leaders of the Beast Empire that their group no longer existed, including their business.


    The two men with battered faces could only go down the stairs and join their men to sit on the ground with their hands tied, bing a group of losers.


    ¡°What are you going to do with the documents?¡± Troy asked as soon as he got to ck¡¯s leader.


    Emma turned to the big man who looked messy. ¡°Troy.¡± She greeted, ¡°We will destroy everything,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had all my men take this whole ce down. Maybe they still have some things in store,¡± Troy said.


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you. As far as I know, the rule is that the winner can take all the property of the loser, right?¡± Emma asked.


    Troy nodded. ¡°Just like in the jungle. I¡¯ll collect everything. We can split them in two,¡±


    ¡°You can arrange it however you like,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Where are the captives?¡± Troy asked.


    ¡°We have given them food and drink. After that, they went back to their respective homes. But for those who do not have a home, they¡¯ll be staying at our ce for days or weeks,¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°Is your base that huge?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°It¡¯s big enough for us and a few others.¡±


    Then she took a deep breath as she looked outside the building, at the field where many enemies were fallen. ¡°Thanks foring to help us. It would be very troublesome if you weren¡¯t around.¡±


    Troy smiled crookedly. ¡°They are Dragger men who stand at the lowest level. Therefore, it was easy to fight them.¡±


    ¡°But, I¡¯ll admit that they¡¯re stronger than the members of the three groups I¡¯ve fought before. They¡¯re better trained,¡± Emma said.


    Troy nodded. ¡°Dragger takes good care of all his men. They produce a troop of soldiers. That¡¯s the reason they don¡¯t need to recruit martial arts studio students.¡±


    ¡°So, you guys have nothing to do with Dragger?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°It seems,¡± Troy answered. ¡°But after today¡¯s incident, surely they will be plotting revenge against your group and mine, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Do you mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. On the one hand, I do think that it needs to be eradicated from the roots. Otherwise, other groups might emerge ready to rece The Deadly Square groups. That way, the cycle won¡¯t end. We¡¯re just going round and round in the same circle.¡± Troy replied.


    ¡°Roots, huh?¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    ¡°This dark businesswork is like a snake¡¯s body, ck. You know, a snake must have a head.¡± Troy said.


    **


    ¡°They overthrew all my members,¡± Pablo muttered.


    ¡°Now, they¡¯re our responsibility, no?¡± Creed asked as hey on the sofa with his legs dangling from the armrests, still ying a cell phone game.


    ¡°They¡¯ve humiliated me by beating up all my men. Of course, now I have to make a move,¡± Pablo shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Damn.. I didn¡¯t think it would go this far,¡±


    ¡°From the start, we knew that Jita Kyoei was a strong group. But, I honestly didn¡¯t expect that they would tarnish their true goal.¡± Creed said.


    Then, he nced at Pablo with a chuckle. ¡°Are you sorry now for lending our members to those spoiled men?¡± he asked, pointing at the Beast Empire.


    ¡°Huh? Well..¡± Pablo seemed to think as he tapped his chin with his finger. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Now, I¡¯vee to know the power level of ck who joined Jita Kyoei. Plus, now, Beast Empire¡¯s business belongs to me,¡±


    But Creed widened his smile even more. There was an amused snort in there, ¡°Pablo, you¡¯re not like your usual self. Did I get the news too soon, or did you cover your ears on purpose?¡±


    Pablo frowned as he looked at Creed in confusion. He had been so busy taking care of his new business. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Markus said that ck had taken all the valuable documents belonging to the Beast Empire. Not only did they release all the workers, but they also destroyed their data documents. The transit warehouses have also been burned down.¡±


    Creed¡¯s answer raised Pablo¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°But they still have the data on theputer, right?¡±


    But Creed shook his head. ¡°Apparently, they have a capable hacking force. They broke into all of Beast Empire¡¯sputers and stole all the data before wiping everything out without a trace.¡±


    Pablo was now gawking. ¡°F*ck.. This means I¡¯m at a loss. But... are they really that great?¡±


    Creed shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Either they are that great, or Derric and Juan are too ignorant,¡±


    Pablo let out a long sigh as he lit his cigar. Then, he sat down in his work chair and leaned back. ¡°In the end, they managed to touch us.¡± he exhaled a puff of smoke from his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since someone could fight us, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve forgotten how it feels like to fight,¡± Creed smirked.


    Pablo chuckled. ¡°You¡¯d better prepare yourself,¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t moved my whole body in a long time. Only my finger muscles are getting tougher from ying games,¡±


    ¡°You can tell,¡± Pablo nced at him sarcastically.


    ¡°But, I¡¯m confident that even with these soft muscles, we can still beat them easily,¡± Creed said.


    ¡°As long as they¡¯re not as strong as a ck Hole, then we can definitely beat them, Creed. And of course, they can¡¯t possibly be as strong as a ck Hole because their strength can¡¯t even match Dragger¡¯s,¡± Pablo replied.


    **


    A man with sses was sitting on the steps of the campus park. He seemed so busy with his thoughts that he didn¡¯t notice a group of men standing behind him.


    ¡°What are you thinking?!¡± Martin called out beside his ear.


    ¡°F*uck!¡± Nicko jumped in surprise. ¡°You assh*le, Martin!¡±


    Martin, Troy, Ian, and Frank burst outughing at their friend¡¯s shocked expression.


    ¡°Why are you musing at yourself in a ce like this?¡± Troy patted Nicko¡¯s shoulder, who had a scornful expression on his face, as he sat down beside him.


    ¡°You are all bastards, you know,¡± Nicko said. Then he got rid of his annoyance and looked at his friends with a serious face. ¡°Hey, have any of you ever hugged a woman?¡±


    .....

 Chapter 275

    275 Hugging Woman


    ¡°What? Hugging a... woman?¡± Martin chuckled with a confused face.


    ¡°Why do you ask that out of the blue?¡± Ian also frowned. The problem was that Nicko was not the type of guy who liked to ask his friends about girls.


    ¡°I... think that I... had experienced something odd in the battle at the Beast Empire main warehouse,¡±


    ¡°Then, what does that have to do with women?¡± Troyughed along at this nonsensical conversation.


    ¡°Frank. Come here,¡± Nicko grabbed the shoulder of Frank who was sitting beside him.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Frankplied to turn facing him. But what happened next made him almost punch the bespectacled man in the face. ¡°F*CK! What the hell are you doing, YOU FREAK?!¡±


    Nicko¡¯s act was outside his normal habits, making all his friendsugh out loud. Well, even though they did get confused by his behaviour, it was really entertaining. Suddenly, he hugged Frank like a freak. Of course, it was disgusting for fellow straight men.


    ¡°Guys, looks like Nicko has a fever,¡± Martin said while cing his palm on Nicko¡¯s forehead roughly.


    Nicko immediately pped Martin¡¯s hand, ¡°Get rid of your filthy hands, you idiot!¡±


    .....


    ¡°What exactly happened to you?¡± Troy asked in between hisughs at Nicko.


    ¡°Guys. I¡¯m being serious. Please sit down and listen to me for a bit.¡± Nicko said, without the slightestugh on his face.


    ¡°All right, all right. Let¡¯s hear what this weirdo has, guys.¡± Troy said as he waved his hand as an instruction for his friends toe to sit on the steps.


    ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± Frank asked, noticing Nicko¡¯s serious face. Perhaps it was indeed a serious thing, even though it sounded ridiculous.


    Frank himself also knew so well what type of person Nicko was. Nicko was very much different from Martin. He was not someone who liked to do silly and nonsense things.


    ¡°Are you trying to get a girl? You can ask for input from Ian. He is the number one female whisperer in Jita Kyoei.¡± Martin said.


    Nicko shook his head. ¡°No. This really has something to do with thest raid at the warehouse. And it¡¯s about one of the ck members,¡±


    ¡°ck member?¡± Troy repeated, starting to take it seriously. He would be interested in anything to do with ck.


    Nicko nodded, then began to tell his experience when he saved one of the ck men who was beaten by Dragger men, until the incident when the two of them weighed by a door.


    ¡°At that time, he was on top of me. We were facing each other. At first, I didn¡¯t pay much attention because my focus was to lift the door. But after the incident was over, I realized that his chest... felt exceptionally soft,¡± Nicko exined with a pondering face.


    As he expected, his confession made all his friends burst outughing.


    ¡°Looks like the door hit you in the head. Or are you just being filled with lust?¡± Martin said with a bigugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. In fact, it feltpletely different when I hugged Frank. His chest was so soft. It was like he has a cushion in there.¡± Nicko replied.


    Then he started to get annoyed because his friends keptughing mockingly at him. ¡°Hey, you assholes! Do you know me as a man with such a brain? You know what kind of man I am, don¡¯t you?¡±


    After seeing Nicko getting emotional, his friends finally began to realize that he was serious. Then, they seemed to start thinking.


    ¡°I often hug women. It feels different from hugging men, of course ¨C especially if the woman has big tits,¡± Ian said while rubbing his chin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a lot of sisters? Have you ever hugged them?¡± Frank asked Nicko.


    ¡°In fact, I realized it because I did hug my mom sometimes,¡± Nicko answered. Then he pondered again. ¡°It feels exactly the same,¡±


    ¡°Well... This is indeed weird. Come to think of it, there¡¯s no point in that guy wearing a chest shield either.¡± Martin said.


    ¡°Idiot! There¡¯s no soft pillow-shaped shield! Even the bullet vest is hard, not soft.¡± Troy said.


    ¡°If I think about it, almost all of the ck members do have a small stature, unlike most adult men. If youpare them to the boys, they look like elementary school kids. Their clothes even look too big.¡± Frank muttered.


    ¡°Are you saying they are girls?¡± Ian looked at him.


    Frank looked back at Ian. ¡°What do you think? Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°Well..¡± Ian was lost in his thoughts again, ¡°Judging from their physiques, it¡¯s possible. But, how could there be a group of women who would do such dangerous things? They also have impressive fighting skills,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also thinking the same thing. Their fighting ability is great. And ck leader also has great strength despite having a dwarf body.¡± Troy said.


    ¡°Maybe they really are amunity of midget men?¡± Martin said with a shrug, but no one seemed to care about his opinion.


    ¡°But, in terms of ability, should we sort it out by gender?¡± Nicko asked.


    ¡°Nicko has a point. I lost arm wrestling to a girl once.¡± Martin confessed straight away.


    ¡°You ever?¡± asked all his friends with shocked faces. A Jita Kyoei lost arm wrestling to a woman? Where they should put their faces?


    ¡°It¡¯s legs wrestling. I was betting on a pretty big woman. Damn! Her legs were f*cking strong!¡± Martin said.


    Ian nodded. ¡°Women do have more power in their legs muscles. It can happen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very curious about ck. They cover their identities so tightly that they have to use voice masks and abbreviations for each member. We can¡¯t even see the colour of their eyes.¡± Frank said.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed too much, you know,¡± Ian replied.


    ¡°Oh! Emma!¡± Martin eximed suddenly, waving his hand high.


    ¡°Oh... Hi, guys!¡± Emma replied with a normal wave.


    Martin immediately stood up, leaving all his friends who were surprised to hear him suddenly shout. Then, he ran to Emma who was surrounded by her girls.


    ¡°Look at that silly guy,¡± Troy said sarcastically.


    ¡°Can we kick him out of Jita Kyoei? He made this group¡¯s pride fall.¡± Ian said.


    ¡°Emma, ??how are you?¡± Martin asked kindly once he was standing in front of her.


    The girl smiled sweetly. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Then, she leaned to the side a little, peeking behind Martin¡¯s back to see the other boys. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you guys to sit in the garden,¡±


    Martin nodded as he put his hands behind his head. ¡°They¡¯re talking about nonsense things.¡± Then, he smiled at all the girls, ¡°Are you girls nning to have lunch?¡±


    It happened that Emma was with all of her core ck Swan team. It was Rachel, Kathy, Poppy, Linda, Britney, and Cecil. All the girls looked at each other with ufortable faces. However, Martin was not aware of it.


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re going to the ballet room for some time before lunch,¡± Emma answered reluctantly.


    ¡°Oh? You are? We¡¯re going to have lunch too. How about we all share a table?¡± Martin asked excitedly.


    ¡°Um... Sorry, Martin. That seems a bit...¡± Emma rubbed the back of her neck. She knew the girls would not feelfortable with it.


    Seeing his stupid friend make trouble, Troy and the others rose to their feet to approach him.


    ¡°Emma.¡± Troy greeted as embraced Martin roughly.


    ¡°Oh, hi, Troy,¡± Emma smiled.


    ¡°Sorry,dies. Did this guy make you ufortable?¡± Ian asked politely.


    ¡°Not that bad...¡± Kathy replied with a t face.


    ¡°He asked us to have lunch together. But to be honest, we feel morefortable having lunch with the girls only,¡± Linda said directly.


    ¡°Re-really?¡± Nicko chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Then, you shouldn¡¯t have to listen to him. This guy likes to get along with people. Sorry if he bothered you.¡±


    Poppy shook her head with a warm smile. ¡°No need to apologize, Nicko. Martin was just trying to be nice to us.¡±


    ¡°Hey! You are trying to make me look bad, huh?¡± Martin rebuked his male friends.


    ¡°Shut up, idiot! Are you a jerk?!¡± Troy tightened his grip.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help butugh at the silliness of the boys. Then, she cleared her throat. ¡°Sorry for not being able to ept your offer for now, Martin. We can have lunch together next time. Coincidentally, we also have some business to do now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for that day. If I may, I¡¯d also like to have another very delicious sandwich of yours,¡± Martin said excitedly.


    ¡°No need to listen to him, Emma. See youter,¡± Troy waved briefly while his other arm still wrapped around Martin until he choked.


    Apart from that, Britney was quietly watching Nicko Coffey who was standing a few steps away from her. She still remembered what happened to them. Until now, Nicko did not know that the person stuck under the door with him was Britney.


    Sensing a strange sensation, Nicko swung his gaze on instinct, which directed him to a girl with bright blue eyes and long blonde hair styled inrge curls at the bottom. He was surprised when he realized that their gazes met.


    Britney jolted when she was caught watching Nicko by the man himself. Quickly, she turned her gaze elsewhere with a heated face.


    Nicko felt a tingling sensation in his chest. He didn¡¯t want himself to be too confident thinking that the pretty girl was staring at him just now. Their gazes might meet by ident. That happened very often in crowd conditions like this.


    But Nicko couldn¡¯t stop himself from ncing back at the blonde girl. When he did, it turned out that she was looking the other way. It made him sigh silently and unconsciously continued to stare at her.

 Chapter 276

    276 Watching Movie


    The girl, whose height reached around Nicko¡¯s chin, wore a white tank top with an unbuttoned Boyfriend-type cardigan. Her blond hair was thick and healthy looking, framing her pale face, flowing down like a waterfall and hanging in front of her full, soft chest.


    Wait...


    Nicko immediately pped his own cheek unintentionally. Had he gone mad? How could he put attention to a girl¡¯s chest? What kind of a jerk was he?


    ¡®Nicko! Have you lost your mind?! Are you seriously paying attention to a girl¡¯s chest? Don¡¯t you have to gouge out your own eyes? What if your sisters get that kind of treatment from a man? Don¡¯t you feel like killing him? Then, why would you do it to another girl?!!¡¯ Nicko screamed in his heart.


    ¡°Okay. That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll make another sandwich for you guyster. It¡¯s a promise.¡± Emma said after passing a short conversation with the guys¡¯ group.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to burden yourself, Emma,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. It¡¯s fine, Ian,¡± Emma answered before taking a step to leave with her. But her steps stopped when her bag and shoulder hit Britney¡¯s.


    ¡°Ouch...¡± Britney was shocked when she collided with Emma.


    Emma immediately grabbed the arm of Britney whose body had staggered a bit. ¡°Sorry, are you okay? Gosh, why are you daydreaming in the middle?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh... Haha... I¡¯m fine. It seems I was daydreaming,¡± She scratched her nape ufortably.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to ss,¡± Emma took the girl¡¯s hand as she started to walk away, leaving the group of men behind them.


    ¡°Is it true, that pretty girls will befriend pretty girls?¡± Martin asked in a mumble, looking at the group of girls walking away.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that somewhere,¡± Ian shrugged. ¡°But, isn¡¯t this campus famous for its pretty girls?¡±


    ¡°To me, all women are the same. What matters is their nature and heart,¡± Troy said confidently.


    ¡°Say as you please, naive man.¡± Ian rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± Troy replied while following Ian¡¯s footsteps as he walked away.


    On the other hand, Nicko was still staring at the group of girls. However, his gaze was pinned on the girl with blonde hair who had been stealing his attention.


    ¡°Nicko! How long are you going to daydream there?!¡± Martin shouted at him.


    Unknowingly, it turned out that his friends had walked away from him. Nicko quickly pulled himself together and was about to take steps to catch up with the boys. But he stopped again when his eyes found a keychain on the ground.


    Nicko picked up a keychain that seemed to have fallen from its w. It was a small ck swan-shaped doll. On the side was embroidery with two letters ¡®BS¡¯.


    **


    The smell of popcorn wafted thickly in therge lobby with the yellow light. Since it wasn¡¯t a weekend, the ce wasn¡¯t very crowded.


    A tall man and a chic girl were standing in front of the food counter. From the strangers¡¯ eyes, they would be judged as lovers. However, in truth, they were just friends.


    ¡°Why it takes so long for you to just choose popcorn vour?¡± Levi massaged the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°I¡¯m still wondering if my sugar intake today will be too much if I eat caramel popcorn,¡± Emma replied nonchntly.


    ¡°Then, you can just buy the salty one. Easy, isn¡¯t it?¡± Levi said.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°Hu¡¯um. I¡¯m in the mood for caramel vour. Stop babbling and give me time to think. You¡¯re making me take longer time.¡±


    ¡°Arggh.. You suck!¡± Levi massaged his forehead.


    Finally, the two of them were done with their popcorn problem. In the end, Emma bought caramel popcorn, even though it would vite the sugar limit she had set for herself. She called it ¡®Cheat Day¡¯.


    ¡°I hope we don¡¯t miss the movie because of your blood sugar problem,¡± Levi said as he walked to the theatre door with Emma beside him.


    The girl snorted, ¡°Hey, at least thank me because I bought tickets and popcorn for us. This is a downgrade for a woman.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Miss. If you don¡¯t suddenly cancel our appointment, then the tickets I bought at that time won¡¯t be expired. Besides, I already said that I was the one who bought all of this, but you were the one who insisted on buying them all. Then now, you¡¯re using all of those to attack me?¡± Levi looked at the girl beside him in disbelief.


    ¡°As long as you keep epting it, then I¡¯m the winner,¡± Emma smiled proudly.


    Levi couldn¡¯t think again. How he would deal with the girl named Emma Hind? He also didn¡¯t understand why he could rte and fall in love with a girl with such an annoying character.


    They should have gone to the moviesst weekend. Levi had even bought the tickets. But one day before the due day, Emma suddenly said that she couldn¡¯t go because she had important business. Therefore, their ns were cancelled and the tickets expired.


    Emma was forced to cancel her n with Levi because the Beast Empire attack was not finished yet.


    At first, Emma thought, after attacking the group¡¯s headquarters in one night, she would be free the next day. However, she did not expect that there were still many documents that needed to be checked. Plus, there were still quite a lot of captives still taking refuge in the building behind the ballet studio. Because of that, she was forced to cancel her promise with Levi.


    Feeling guilty, Emma checked whether the same movie would still be shown another day. Luckily, the horror movie they wanted to watch was still avable until the middle of next week. She immediately bought two tickets online. Then, she also insisted on buying popcorn and drinks, as her token of apology.


    The two of them entered the theatre door. Like a cinema in general, the room was quite dark because the movie was about to start. Once they were inside, Levi swiftly took Emma¡¯s hand to lead her to their seat.


    ¡°Watch your step,¡± Levi whispered as they were about to climb the stairs.


    After searching for a while, they found the row of seats that matched their ticket number and sat there.


    ¡°Why is it so empty?¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s because this movie has been ying for almost a week every day and today is a weekday,¡± Levi replied as he ced his popcorn and drink on the drink holder.


    ¡°But that¡¯s good too, right? You don¡¯t like crowds, do you?¡± Emma smiled guiltily.


    Levi looked at her then let out a long sigh, ¡°Say anything you want,¡±


    Emma giggled. ¡°The movie is about to start... Don¡¯t scream next to me, okay?¡± she said, ying her voice to make it sound scary.


    Levi just nced at her in disgust. ¡°We¡¯ll see who¡¯s the most scaredter,¡±


    ¡°For sure, that person is not me,¡± Emma said with a proud face.


    Half an hourter...


    ¡°ARGHHH!!¡± Emma covered her face with both hands.


    ¡°Shhh! Are you nuts? Don¡¯t scream that loud! You¡¯re embarrassing me!¡± Levi scolded in a whisper. However, he couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter because he found it funny to see Emma who had been screaming in fear. That girl was indeed the queen of talk big.


    ¡°Sorry. I just remembered that I¡¯ve never watched horror films in theatres. Usually, I watch them at home,¡± Emma said as she held her breath, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the sound would be this big that it keeps me shocked,¡±


    ¡°Well, at least now we know who¡¯s the most cowardly of the two of us,¡± Levi smiled triumphantly.


    But Emma looked at him sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m not scared. I¡¯m just surprised. You should be able to tell the difference.¡±


    Levi sighed tiredly. ¡°You¡¯re very stubborn, you know,¡± then he took out a pair of earphones from his pocket, ¡°Come here,¡±


    Emma looked confusedly at Levi who was moving closer to her face. Then, his hands slipped something into her ear holes. Emma touched the object that had plugged into her ear with a confused expression.


    ¡°If you¡¯re startled by the big sound, maybe it will help a little,¡± Levi said as he leaned back.


    ¡°Earphones? Well... Your idea is fine,¡± Emma nodded slowly.


    With both her ears plugged, the sound from the cinema speakers was not too loud in her ears.


    ¡°Are you really not afraid to watch horror movies? Could this possibly give you nightmares tonight?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never been afraid of ghosts. The reality of life is scarier,¡±


    Emma¡¯s answer made Levi burst outughing, ¡°You said it well. It¡¯s true.¡±


    Then Emma turned to him. ¡°Why do you like horror movies?¡±


    The man shrugged. ¡°Because I was trying to scare myself?¡±


    ¡°What kind of reason is that?¡± Emma stared nkly.


    Levi chuckled. ¡°It is weird, indeed. But that is my reason. I¡¯m looking for something scarier than what I¡¯ve been afraid of.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re going to talk about your fear again? Okay,¡± Emma said to herself.


    Levi then looked at her with narrowed eyes. ¡°You talk as if you are used to and fed up with my story,¡±


    With an innocent face, Emma nodded in approval.


    Even though it was annoying, Levi still chuckled at her response. He thought it was a funny thing ¨C How Emma judged the side of him that he never showed to anyone. Emma was always outspoken and never pretended. And Levi shockingly liked that.


    ¡°Sorry if I keepining about my life in front of you. Honestly, I really can¡¯t help it,¡± Levi muttered.


    Emma turned to him and stared at him for a while before removing a pair of earphones from her ears and giving them back to the owner.


    Levi looked at the two earphones that were now in his palms. ¡°They didn¡¯t help?¡±


    Emma smiled and shook her head. ¡°They did. But I don¡¯t need them anymore,¡±


    Levi¡¯s face turned confused. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I am used to it already,¡± Emma answered with a wink.

 Chapter 277

    277 Killing Myself


    Levi looked at Emma with a stunned face. The girl just smiled and returned her eyes to the big screen in front of them. It was a meaningful answer that was used to answer two questions at once. She was smart and warm.


    Levi couldn¡¯t contain his feelings. For him, Emma was like a portal that allowed him to enter another dimension that was so much different from the world in which he was born and lived. In the world that Emma offered him, everything looked beautiful and felt warm.


    He put his hand next to Emma, making her look at him questioningly. ¡°Instead of screaming, maybe you can crush my hand when you¡¯re startled,¡±


    Emma couldn¡¯t keep her amused smile from expanding. She sighed quickly as she ced her hand on top of Levi¡¯srge,fy warm hand. Then, their fingers intertwined.


    ¡°I¡¯m really going to break your hand, Levi. I¡¯m not kidding. You should know that,¡± Emma said.


    Levi nodded with a faint smile. ¡°I can take it,¡±


    ¡®I¡¯d better feel you break my hand first before you do it to my heart,¡¯ He continued inwardly.


    After two and a half hours, the movie the two of them were watching ended. Emma and Levi stepped out of the theatre with smiling faces. It was a good movie, but what made the two of them feel even better was the atmosphere that enveloped them.


    ¡°You did break my hand,¡± Levi said while looking at his hand which was red from being squeezed by Emma throughout the movie.


    .....


    ¡°At least I didn¡¯t embarrass you for shouting so loudly, did I?¡± Emma replied without any guilt on her face.


    ¡°In getting one thing, you have to sacrifice other things. For the sake of not getting embarrassed, I¡¯m willing to put my hand in torture. That¡¯s eptable.¡± Levi said with a straight face.


    The location of cinema that Emma and Levi visited was in arge mall in Handway City. After they finished watching, they continued to have lunch at a restaurant in the same mall.


    ¡°Order whatever you like. It¡¯s on me this time.¡± Levi said while winking and handing the menu book to Emma who was sitting in front of him.


    Emma smiled faintly. ¡°Sure, if you say so. But, you know what; I¡¯m the type of person who likes to order a lot of food even though I can¡¯t finish it,¡±


    Levi shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll spend on you. You gave me such a nice day. Little thing like this is nothing to me,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting better at talking, Levi. Well... Let¡¯s see what they have,¡± Emma muttered as she stared at the menu book.


    Emma never joked with her words. When she said she was going to order a lot of food, she really did.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot,¡± Levi said when all their orders came. He looked at their dining table which was full of various types of food.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Emma chuckled.


    ¡°I know. Let¡¯s eat,¡± Levi nodded.


    ¡°Gosh... This is delicious.¡± Emma¡¯s eyes widened at the first bite.


    Seeing Emma¡¯s reaction, Levi smiled warmly. ¡°I brought you here on purpose. This sushi restaurant has its own history in my life.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that a fun story?¡± Emma looked interested.


    ¡°Rather than fun, maybe a little sad,¡± He replied while staring at his food.


    Emma could see that sad smile. Levi was a man full of wounds. Even though he always covered his wounds so no one else could see, Emma would still understand him.


    ¡°If you want to tell me, you know I¡¯m ready to listen,¡± Emma said while chewing her sushi.


    Levi smiled faintly at her, then took a deep breath, ¡°This restaurant was the ce where I spent all the money I¡¯ve saved over the years, just for a single dinner. In this ce, Iughed with my mother and Lukas. It was the first time we had a fine meal.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emma looked sorry, then she cleared her throat and smiled, ¡°But, at least you guys can enjoy a morefortable life now. That¡¯s a relief, isn¡¯t it? Sometimes, we do have to go through hard times so we can appreciate what we have right now. ¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± Levi answered. ¡°Emma, ??have you ever loved someone?¡±


    Levi¡¯s question made Emma choke.


    Levi rushed to give her a drink. ¡°Sorry. Are you all right?¡±


    Emma shook her head with the rest of her coughing. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡±


    After pushing all the food down her throat with a few gulps of water, Emma was finally able to answer the question that had somehow taken her by surprise. ¡°The only person I love in this world is my mom. The second one is myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Levi nodded, ¡°So you¡¯ve never loved anyone, have you,¡± he muttered.


    Emma nodded. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve been too busy with myself. However, I realized that I¡¯m not the type of person who will easily fall in love with someone.¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason for that?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°Loving someone is a big thing. A person can do many things beyond her sane when she loves someone. Therefore, I will be very careful in putting my feeling,¡± Emma exined and responded with a nod of understanding from Levi.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Emma asked after clearing her throat.


    ¡°First, I wanted to ask you; what would you do if you were faced with two different loves,¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°Huh? Two loves?¡± Emma repeated. Then she looked deeply at him. ¡°Do you mean, you love two persons?¡±


    ¡°More or less,¡± Levi answered. ¡°Am I selfish?¡±


    Emma blinked a few times, then shook her head slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You can¡¯t control your feelings ¨C who and how many people you fall in love with. I think as long as you¡¯re not hurting anyone, then it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡®I hate to think like this. But, Levi, I hope one of those persons isn¡¯t me.¡¯ Emma said inwardly.


    Levi smiled faintly. ¡°You think so? That¡¯s a relief...¡±


    ¡°Faced with two choices is hard. But, of course, you can¡¯t be selfish by taking both, right? You see what I mean, don¡¯t you, Levi? Especially when it is... about women,¡±


    The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds in silence, until Levi nodded with a smallugh. Then he took a piece of sashimi and ced it on the small empty te in front of Emma. ?¡±Try this one. To me, this is the most delicious dish here.¡±


    ¡°T-thank you,¡± Emma said.


    While chewing, Emma silently looked at Levi with various questions in her head. What actually happened to him? Was it true that Levi loved two women at once? Was Emma one of them? Why was that man so mysterious?


    ¡®Geez... You don¡¯t have to think about it, Emma. It¡¯s none of your business. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t take bother about anything rted to Levi. You will only lose yourself.¡¯


    ¡°Eating at a sushi restaurant like this reminds me of a ce I went to when I first moved to this city,¡± Emma said to open a new conversation.


    ¡°It does? What is that ce?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sushi shop on a street called Jen Marrie.¡±


    Emma¡¯s answer made Levi¡¯s brow furrow. ¡°Why did youe there?¡±


    ¡°You know that street?¡± Emma raised her eyebrows.


    Levi nodded once. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that street. You shouldn¡¯t be there.¡± then he looked at Emma suspiciously, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you still go there often now?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t say I go there often, did I?¡± She replied with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve never been there again. As you said, I shouldn¡¯t have been.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen to you at that time?¡± Levi¡¯s face turned serious.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a long story. But when I first visited the street, suddenly, a gangster battle urred and I was caught in the middle of it. At that time, my friends and I were chased by some men. But luckily, we managed to escape.¡± Emma exined.


    Emma¡¯s story made Levi massage the bridge of his nose. He tried to catch his breath, then looked at her. ¡°Emma, ??listen to me. You have to avoid things like that. Maybe you don¡¯t realize it, but in this city, a lot of crime can happen.¡±


    ¡°I know. But I can take care of myself. You don¡¯t have to worry about me,¡± Emma replied lightly before taking another bite of her food.


    ¡°No, Emma. I mean what I say. You have to be very careful. Avoid ces like Jen Marrie Street. Avoid wandering around at night. If you see men in groups, you should stay away from them. Don¡¯t bring expensive stuff when travelling alone.¡±


    ¡°Wow... Looks like I¡¯ll have to use a note to write that all down,¡± Emmaughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, Emma.¡± Levi red at her.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I know you¡¯re worried. I also know that this city isn¡¯t safe. But I¡¯m also serious about saying that I can take care of myself.¡±


    Levi snorted in annoyance. Besides being stubborn, this girl also underestimated everything. ¡°Emma,¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°If something happens, you should call me. Don¡¯t rely on anyone else, let alone yourself.¡± Levi said.


    Emma smiled amusedly. ¡°Are you the police chief or something?¡±


    ¡°Stop kidding, Emma. I¡¯ll definitelye right away if you need me. Compared to anyone, I guarantee you; I¡¯ll be the first toe for you. And I¡¯ll be the one you can rely on the most. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°O-okay,¡± Emma answered with a slightly ufortable gesture because he talked as if Emma was very important to him. In fact, they had promised to be just friends.


    ¡°Can you promise me to do that, Emma? I might kill myself if anything happened to you.¡± Levi said with a serious face.

 Chapter 278

    278 Wise Advice


    ¡°All right, I promise. Damn... why are you being too much?¡± Emma mumbled as bit the tip of her chopsticks while giving an awkwardugh to lighten the mood.


    Levi realized that he was too much. He quickly rxed his tense shoulders and back as he let out a long sigh. Now, the anxiety in his life was increasing.


    The more people you love, the more burdened your mind would be. It was something he didn¡¯t like and had always avoided. But unfortunately, he was stuck with it now.


    ¡°Forgive my overreaction. I just don¡¯t want my friend to get into trouble. As long as I can help, I will do everything.¡± Levi said.


    ¡®Friend, eh? Good effort, Levi.¡¯ Emma said inwardly.


    It seemed that Levi was quite maniptive. He had promised not to make them both fall into unwanted feelings. However, in the end, he realized that he couldn¡¯t help but do the little things that made both of them feelfortable with each other.


    Together with Emma ??made Levi show the different side of him. He couldn¡¯t help but ced her on his first list. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from saying sweet things to her, honestly saying out what was in his heart.


    Even though Levi didn¡¯t want to admit it, in his subconscious, he knew that he was actually in love with Emma.


    Like Emma said; love could make a person do unusual things. And this was what Levi was experiencing now.


    .....


    However, Levi kept himself sane so he could think logically. Even though he felt a mass of butterflies filling his stomach when he was with Emma, ??he still had to be aware of reality.


    What Levi loved was maybe only ten percent of Emma. It was because he only knew ten percent of her life, and so did Emma, who only knew ten percent about his life.


    In other words, their feelings were naivety. Like a fan who idolizes an idol. She would follow all the idol¡¯s social media posts and any news about the idol ¨C watched videos of the idol¡¯s daily life and fell in love with him. But in reality, she didn¡¯t really know what and how the real life of the idol was.


    Unable to contain his own attitude, Levi could only always issue one statement to save things ¨C A sentence that was like a ball of destruction that was always ready to be swung against the walls that had been built higher and higher.


    ¡®We are friends.¡¯ Was a sentence that became a blockade to stop a development. It was the words that brought the two of them back to their senses.


    ¡°How is your work?¡± Emma asked.


    Levi shook his head with a faint smile. ¡°Things are getting messy. But I¡¯ve made some decisions that, hopefully, can save things.¡±


    ¡°Well... I¡¯m curious about what you¡¯re doing,¡± Emma said with a thoughtful face.


    Levi chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s just a small service business. Lukas and I happen to have high positions there, so we are the busiest men in thepany,¡±


    ¡°Looks like I can learn a bit from you,¡± Emmaughed.


    ¡°Are you going to start a business?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma thought for a moment, then nodded uncertainly. ¡°Actually, I just started it and it¡¯s under development now.¡±


    Emma was referring to her ck Swan group. But if she thought about it, to erge her group, she could also use a business strategy. And maybe, Levi, who was experienced in the business world, could provide her good input.


    ¡°That means you¡¯re the leader in the business. You¡¯re asking the right people, Emma.¡± Levi folded his arms across his chest with his chin raised, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Well... It looks like the small business is actually not that small. I smell the big boss here,¡± Emma narrowed her eyes andughed.


    It seemed that behind Levi¡¯s attitude that often boasts, the man was actually a humble person. He never wanted to show how rich he was and how big his business was.


    Leviughed too then shook his head slowly. ¡°You keep judging people. Just focus on your own business.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay...¡± Emma said. Then, she thought for a moment before asking the first question, ¡°How do you make your business big?¡±


    ¡°You just have to do it well. As a leader, you have to pay attention to the smallest details and have a broad view. First, focus on your business system. The second, pay attention topetitors,¡± Levi answered.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a bit confused about my business system. I don¡¯t seem to pay much attention to it,¡± Emma said with a thoughtful face.


    ¡°Of course, you have to know it clearly, Emma. You have to know what exactly you are doing and what your goals are. For example; if you want your business to be the biggest in this city, then you have to work hard to achieve it. Ambition is needed in running a business.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, Levi. Come to think of it, I think I don¡¯t ambitious enough about this. I just let it move with the flow,¡± Emma looked lethargic.


    ¡°In that case, I predict two things would happen to your business. Either it will stand still or it will bepletely destroyed. In running a business, you must not surrender to circumstances.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°When you just started your business, did you have that much ambition?¡± Emma asked.


    Levi nodded firmly. ¡°Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve all of this, Emma. Even when everything seemed impossible, I never gave up hope. When I had nothing, I was willing to cut off my hands and feet to make my n work. That¡¯s how big my ambition was and is,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved you didn¡¯t really have to,¡± Emma chuckled. ¡°But I have to admit; it¡¯s very inspiring.¡±


    ¡°Emma, ??if you want to dream of something, just dream it as big as you can, even if it seems impossible. When you no longer care about risk and what people say, you can do anything.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°Well... I understand,¡± Emma nodded slowly.


    What Levi said was true. All this time, Emma had always thought about what people thought about her. She was afraid to ept the risk that her identity would be exposed and she would return to living the same life as when she was at her father¡¯s house.


    But Emma realized that now, she liked what she hated so much before. Now, Emma was able to see the world of violence from a different perspective. In fact, it all came from within her herself whether she would let the environment change her or she would change the environment.


    ¡°What else do you want to ask?¡± Levi asked as he continued to eat the food.


    Levi noticed that Emma had started to stop eating, which meant that she was full already. And with all that much food, he ended up having to finish alone.


    ¡°Um... Do you need a lot of people to grow your business bigger?¡± Emma asked after waking up from her daydream.


    ¡°Of course. In running something big, you need a big team because there will be a lot more to do. And all of your people must have good skills and are reliable. You don¡¯t have to look after useless people.¡±


    ¡°What aboutpetitors? How to beat them?¡± Emma suddenly remembered the most important point in her group¡¯s current goal. They had to take down other gangster groups.


    ¡°Before trying to beat them, you must know clearly; who and what yourpetitors are. Thosepetitors will continue to emerge. When one falls, new ones wille. Therefore, you must not be ignorant and easilycent.


    You must continue to strengthen your business, even though everything seems fine because you wouldn¡¯t know whether someone is sharpening their sword behind your back,¡± Levi exined.


    ¡°That is very wise. Looks like you¡¯ve really been through a lot,¡± Emma said in amazement.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m currently doing what I just said. Some time back, I was caught off guard because everything was going so well. But when I realized, everything had be a mess, so I had to work hard to clean it up. That¡¯s why I oftenin in front of youtely.¡± Levi chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. I hope you get over it quickly, Levi.¡± Emma said.


    Levi nodded with a faint smile. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you decide to own a business. Your life will not be calm. However, it is a ssic art in business. Over time, you will get used to it and you will no longer panic, although there is still a feeling of fear to fall in your heart.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure the results will be worth it, won¡¯t it? Come on... No need to be naive. Otherwise, what are you doing it for?¡± Emmaughed. She didn¡¯t need to guess to know that Levi¡¯sfortable life now was the result of his big business.


    The girl¡¯s joke made Leviugh out. ¡°Yes, I did it for my family. Of course, I want my mother to spend her old age livingfortably. I¡¯m tired of living a hard life. It¡¯s better to ache my head because of business but still be able to eat well than have to think about whether you can eat or not every day.¡±


    Emma smiled faintly. ¡°I see. The fact that you¡¯re doing this for your family makes it even better.¡±


    ¡°I love my family so much. They are the reason I am still alive today. I will do anything to make them happy.¡±


    ¡°With a family like yours, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you think that way. I would do the same if my mom were still alive.¡± Emma muttered.


    After the long talk to buy time to finish all the food Emma ordered, Levi finally managed to finish it all.


    ¡°I feel like my stomach is going to explode,¡± Levi said as he walked slowly out of the restaurant with a stupid face because he was full.

 Chapter 279

    279 Photobox


    Emma grimaced ufortably at the man who said his stomach was going to explode. ¡°Sorry, but I told you to take away the food, but you refused.¡±


    ¡°Even if you take it home, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll eat it at home. The sushi won¡¯t taste fresh anymore.¡± Levi replied.


    Then, Levi saw an ice cream shop. He knew that the girl beside him liked sweet food. He immediately held her arm to stop her pace. ¡°Do you want ice cream?¡±


    Emma turned to the ice cream shop Levi pointed to, ¡°Sure,¡±


    They walked over to a shop that had lots of colourful lights and cute dolls on its front and counter. The shop had a carnival concept.


    ¡°Order whatever you like,¡± Levi said while studying the menu board behind the cashier.


    ¡°Wee to Joy-joy Ice Cream. We have an interesting promo this week.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? What is it?¡± Emma asked enthusiastically. Like other women, she could not hear the word ¡®Promo¡¯.


    ¡°This is a special promo for couples. Couple Joy Ice Cream x Familly PhotoBox. Two special ice cream cones with caramel or bubble gum vours, melted chocte and dried berry toppings. If you buy this package, you can take pictures in the Photobox and print the photos for free.¡± The barista exined and pointed at a photobox on the side of the shop with a pair of lovers waiting in line in front of it.


    .....


    ¡°Oh... I-I see,¡± Emma muttered, staring at the photo box the barista pointed at.


    The two of them then moved awkwardly. It seemed the barista mistakenly thought they were a couple. In the eyes of others, the two of them did look good together.


    ¡°D-do you want that voured ice cream?¡± Levi asked after clearing his throat awkwardly.


    Emma rubbed her nape. ¡°It sounds good. I¡¯ve never tried anything like the bubble gum,¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯d like to order the bubble gum vour one, please,¡± Levi said to the barista.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want one?¡± Emma looked at Levi.


    The man shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want sweets.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± Levi was about to go to the cashier. But his face turned full of questions when he realized the barista had not made his order and instead looked at him.


    ¡°Sorry. But this vour is special only for the couple package. If you want it, then you have to buy ording to the promo, which is two cones.¡± Barista exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit weird,¡± Emma said, displeased.


    But the barista just smiled awkwardly at the two of them. ¡°That¡¯s a central rule. So, we¡¯re just following it,¡±


    Emma let out a long sigh, then shrugged, ¡°Well, fine. I¡¯ll order another vour,¡± she looked back at the menu board.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Give us that special package,¡± Levi said to the barista.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Levi. I can order another vour. You don¡¯t want to eat ice cream, do you?¡± Emma tried to stop him.


    ¡°Sounds like you really want that one. It¡¯s fine for us to order it.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Well... if you don¡¯t mind,¡±


    ¡°Here you go,¡± After prepping, the barista handed Emma two ice cream cones. He also gave her a card with two small heart-shaped stickers. ¡°This is a ticket for the free photobox. You can use it before the expiration date written on the back,¡±


    ¡°I see. Thanks.¡± Emma answered while epting all of it until her hands were full.


    ¡°Gosh... It¡¯s delightful!¡± Emma muttered after licking her ice cream.


    ¡°It¡¯s done?¡± Levi approached Emma, as soon as he finished paying.


    Emma nodded, ¡°We got a photobox ticket. Do you want to keep it? It¡¯s still a week away from expiration.¡± she handed him the ticket along with one of his ice cream.


    Levi took the pink card and looked at it only out of curiosity. ¡°This is useless to me.¡±


    ¡°It is? Looks like I won¡¯t be using it either,¡± Emma muttered, then she cleared her throat, ¡°Hey, take your ice cream. It¡¯s going to melt.¡±


    Levi looked at Emma¡¯s hand which was holding a waffle cone with tall, untouched ice cream. Her smile broke slightly, and then he raised one of his eyebrows, ¡°Did I say that I was going to eat that ice cream?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emma frowned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I would eat one of the ice creams. I only ordered two. And both are yours. Please finish them.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re going too far, Levi! Take it! I¡¯m not kidding. I will melt soon!¡± Emma handed the ice cream to the tall man in front of her.


    But Levi backed away with augh. Emma looked very cute with each of her hands holding colourful ice creams. What a sight!


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding either. I told you I don¡¯t want sweets. My stomach is about to explode from eating all the sushi you ordered.¡± Levi said with a full meaning.


    Emma clenched her jaw as she red at him with hatred. ¡°You bastard,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°Gosh....¡± Emma had to lick the ice cream she thought was Levi¡¯s because the sweet cream was really starting to melt. She didn¡¯t want to dirty the shop floor.


    Seeing that, Leviughed amusedly until his eyes watered. He hadn¡¯t nned this. But, seeing Emma looked cute with two ice creams in her hands made his prank idea appear.


    Besides being funny, Levi could also give a little revenge on Emma because she had made him eat too much.


    ¡°You can finish it. You didn¡¯t eat too much, did you?¡± Levi smiled crookedly.


    ¡°You are a poisonous snake, you demon!¡± Emma red at him.


    Levi justughed, then took the sling purse hanging from Emma¡¯s shoulder carefully so as not to hit the ice cream she was holding. ¡°Let me hold your purse. Your hands are full. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Emma let Levi carry her bag. But she didn¡¯t move her feet to follow the man¡¯s footsteps. ¡°Wait, Levi.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Levi turned to her.


    ¡°What about the ticket?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t you just want to throw it away?¡±


    But Emma¡¯s face turned gloomy. ¡°It¡¯s a shame to throw it away,¡±


    ¡°Then you want to use it?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°Now?¡± Emma looked at him innocently.


    Levi¡¯s face suddenly turned hot. He blinked his eyes as he cleared his throat. ¡°Y-you said it would be a shame to throw it away. So I thought you might want to use it now,¡±


    ¡°Well... It¡¯s fine actually. Do you mind?¡± Emma asked.


    Levi shook his head as he scratched the back of his head that didn¡¯t itch. ¡°It¡¯s... just a photo, right? It doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± he avoided eye contact with her.


    Emma realized that Levi was confused about how to act. Indeed, if you had feelings for someone, a small thing could make you think too much. It was just a photo, though. But maybe it would give its own meaning to their feelings.


    However, Emma decided not to get caught up in this. If they were friends, then there should be no shame in doing something as simple as taking a picture together. In the end, it all depended on their point of view.


    ¡°Okay. Then, let¡¯s take some photos,¡± Emma said cheerfully.


    Then, they entered a white photobox that had a long curtain as the door.


    ¡°Wow... in all my life, I¡¯ve never taken a photo in a ce like this,¡± Emma said as she looked around the inside of the small box.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Levi said as studying a screen in front of them. ¡°Point the ticket barcode here,¡± he read the instructions next to therge screen on the machine.


    Then Levi looked back at their tickets and pointed the barcode on the back of the paper at the camera in front of them.


    ¡®HELLO, LOVELY COUPLE!¡¯


    Emma and Levi were surprised to hear the automatic greeting of the photobox machine. Their eyes were both wide. Then, the screen in front of them swiftly showed what was captured by the camera above, which was the picture of Emma and Levi gawking.


    ¡°Hahahaha...¡± They instantlyughed out loud when they saw their own stupid faces that suddenly appeared on the big screen.


    ¡°Gosh! This thing is something,¡± Emma shook her head slowly with the rest of herugh.


    Levi was stillughing as he looked back at the screen in front of them. ¡°Looks like we can choose the decorations,¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. There¡¯s a lot to choose. Ah, we got three shots too,¡± Emma said, also watching the screen with sparkling eyes. She didn¡¯t forget to asionally lick the two ice creams in her hands.


    ¡°You can decorate it,¡± Levi took the ice creams from Emma¡¯s hands, ¡°Don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    Emma chuckled, ¡°All right...¡±


    Before taking the pictures, they choose decorations for their photos. Emma chose a lot of beautiful stickers. Then, her gaze was fixed on the sticker in the form of writing,


    ¡®Best Friends Forever¡¯


    ¡°Emma, ??hurry up. It¡¯ll melt soon,¡± Levi said.


    ¡°Okay! Okay...¡± Emma chose something on the screen and went back to Levi to take back the ice creams.


    ¡°It¡¯s a...¡± Levi¡¯s words stopped when he realized something was wrong with the frame decorations on the screen.

 Chapter 280

    280 First Kiss


    It took a few seconds for Levi to sort out his heart when he saw the big word ¡®Best Friend Forever¡¯ that Emma had ced at the bottom centre of the frame. Indeed, they were friends. Why did Levi¡¯s heart have to hurt?


    ¡°Remember, we only have three takes. Each has a thirteen-second pause.¡± Emma said with a finger that was already above the ¡®START¡¯ button.


    Levi woke up from his daydream, then smiled, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°This is the first Take! One, two, three...¡± Emma pressed the button and immediately stood up properly while doing a pose.


    So far, Levi had never taken a photo because he felt like his life was not worth remembering. This made him stiffen when he had to pose for photos.


    CLICK!


    A sh indicated that their first photo had been taken. It was a nice photo. Emma posed cheerfully with two ice creams in her hands and beside her, Levi just stood with a stiff smile on his face.


    ¡°Hey, posing right. I¡¯m going to put one on the front photo board as a contribution to this ice cream shop.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you have the guts to do that,dy!¡± Levi said with wide eyes.


    .....


    Emmaughed. ¡°Get ready. The next shot ising.¡± she pointed forward.


    ¡°Look. The ice creams are melting,¡± Levi pointed at Emma¡¯s hands with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Gosh...¡± Emma immediately devoured one of the ice creams that started to drip.


    The photobox room was small and had a lot of white lights, so the temperature in it was a bit warm which made their ice creams melt faster. In addition, Emma and Levi kept wasting time fighting.


    Levi saw an ice cream cone that was melting. He nced at Emma who was still busy licking the other ice cream. Before it dripped on the floor, he ended up taking Emma¡¯s hand and devoured the ice cream that had been ignored by her.


    CLICK!


    Emma and Levi just remembered that the photo timer kept running, from the camera sh that was on. They immediately drew their faces back from the ice creams that had kept them busy. The two of them turned their heads to the screen which revealed a very silly second photo of them.


    The tragedy was enshrined in the second photo shoot. Emma and Levi were busy devouring ice cream, which both were in Emma¡¯s hands.


    To find the silly picture, they againughed out loud before they ended up looking at each other.


    Theirughter broke even more when they saw each other¡¯s faces that were covered with ice cream all over their mouths. In fact, they still had them in their mouths.


    Levi directed his fingers to clean both sides of Emma¡¯s lips. But in that very second, his heart was hitting hard, as if it was about to jump out of his chest. Unfortunately, it also happened to Emma.


    Either because the air inside the small box was getting warmer or it really came from inside the two of them. But like people who were having high fever, their consciousness seemed to evaporate like boiled water.


    Emma¡¯s full and fresh pink lips felt soft against Levi¡¯s fingers. Her beautiful face, even though it was a bit dirty with ice cream, seemed to bewitch him until his sanity was erased from his soul.


    The hands that had only nned to caress Emma¡¯s lips, now turned to hold her jaws. Then, he brought his face closer and immediatelynded a kiss on her sticky lips.


    Emma didn¡¯t know what was happening. She seemed to be enchanted by Levi¡¯s grey eyes that had been very close to hers. But suddenly, everything went dark. Not because she fainted. Not because of the ckout either. But it was because Emma closed her eyes.


    Emma didn¡¯t know what had gotten into her. It was as if she had shifted her soul and sanity that she couldn¡¯t move. Her hands were full of two ice cream cones. And her whole mouth was full of Levi¡¯s tongue.


    It was Emma¡¯s first time and, frankly, Levi¡¯s. At such a mature age, it might be embarrassing to admit that they had never dated anyone, let alone kissed. But what was happening right now made them look as if they had done it dozens of times.


    Maybe it was because of the ice cream that was still left in their mouths. Levi and Emma couldn¡¯t help the whirl that boiled up in their chests as if they were hungry wolves.


    The sticky and sweet taste of the ice cream mixed with the soft and tender lips mashing with each other. When their tongues coiled together and warmed each other, it gave an explosive sensation that made their brains suddenly go nk. It was as if time had stopped to give them space.


    CLICK!


    The sh from thest shot made both of them open their eyes, like a lightning strike that brought them back to their respective consciousness.


    Emma and Levi blinked at each other, though their lips were still patched to each other. They digested the crazy thing that was going on.


    Levi quickly withdrew his hands that were grabbing Emma¡¯s jaw and warm neck. He quickly backed away from her.


    Emma¡¯s body froze. Her eyes were wide as if she could no longer blink. Both of her hands were still holding the ice creams which had now melted so badly that it stained the floor and her own hands.


    ¡°E-Emma... I...¡± Levi stammered, still shocked at his own actions.


    ¡°Hh...¡± Emma could only gasp, then looked at her hands which were covered with melted ice cream. She was like a dazed person.


    Seeing that, Levi immediately took the ice cream cones from Emma¡¯s hands.


    Suddenly...


    ¡®Thank you for using Family Photobox! Have a lovely memory!¡¯


    After the photobox machine made a sound that startled the two awkward persons in it, the photo hole gave out three photos in one sheet of a little long photo paper.


    Levi and Emma looked at the photo that was still stuck in the hole of the machine. Both of their faces immediately turned red when they realized how crazy the photos were.


    In the first photo was the two of them posing sane. Actually, the result was very nice and cute.


    In the second photo, they were both busy eating the ice cream in Emma¡¯s hands. It was a messy picture with uncontrolled facial expressions.


    And the third picture was a thing that would make them probably decide to end their lives in shame. It was a picture that showed the two of them kissing hotly like a perverted couple.


    In a sh, Emma grabbed the photo paper, took her purse back from Levi¡¯s shoulder, and stepped out of the photobox while wiping her mouth, which was still sticky with the remaining ice cream and droll, with the back of her hand. She left Levi there alone.


    ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind, Levi! What did you do?!¡± He muttered as he grabbed his ck hair.


    Once out of the ice cream shop, Emma rushed to the toilet. There, she went into the toilet cubicle and locked it tightly.


    She lowered the toilet cover and sat on it with a pensive face. Everything happened so quickly, that she even still trying to study what had just happened.


    ¡®Did I just have my first kiss? And I did it with Levi?¡¯ She thought with a frown.


    ¡°Shit! You¡¯re nuts, Emma! Why did you let that happen?!¡± She ruffled her hair.


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s cell phone rang. She took it out of her purse. When she saw who was calling her, her breath hitched again. It was Levi.


    Emma didn¡¯t dare to answer the call. She just kept staring at her cellphone screen which kept telling her that Levi was calling, until the call stopped by itself, leaving a missed call notification.


    Not long after the call, a text came into Emma¡¯s cell phone. It was Levi again. Emma opened the message.


    ¡®Emma. Where are you? I apologize. Let¡¯s talk.¡¯ ¨C Levi.


    Emma stared pensively at the message for a long time, thinking about how to respond. She really couldn¡¯t face Levi¡¯s face right now.


    ¡®I¡¯m really sorry for my impudence, Emma. I¡¯ll exin. But, please don¡¯t disappear suddenly like this. Please tell me where are you,¡¯ ¨C Levi.


    Emma took a deep breath, then started typing to reply to the message.


    ¡®Please give me some time to pull myself together. I will go home by myself. You don¡¯t have to look for me.¡¯ ¨C Emma.


    ¡®I brought you here, so I must also take you home. You are my responsibility, Emma. At least let me drive you home.¡¯ ¨C Levi.


    ¡®Please don¡¯t force me, Levi.¡¯ ¨C Emma.


    Emma put her phone on her thigh. She leaned back as she closed her eyes. Slowly, her head began to ache.


    She fell into it. The promise that she thought would hold back their feelings was bullshit.


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s phone rang again. She opened the short message from Levi who had just entered.


    ¡®All right. You can go home alone. Be careful on the way. Let me know when you get home.¡¯ ¨C Levi.


    Emma was relieved that she was able to avoid Levi after what had happened to them.


    ***


    The sound of dripping water echoed in the bathroom. On the side of the room with white and cream shades, was an oval tub with a girl soaking quietly in it.


    Hot steam and fragrant aroma therapy filled the bathroom. It was the effort of a girl trying to calm her chaotic mind.

 Chapter 281

    281 Wanting You


    Emma couldn¡¯t believe she had to go through something like this. Recently, she had been busy with her ck Swan group. The feud between her group and the evil gangster groups was also heating up. When these things hurt her head, now, she had to deal with theplexity of her love story.


    Emma¡¯s brain couldn¡¯t stop reying the incident; when she was kissing Levi. Those pictures, sensations, scents, and feelings were vivid in her memory. They just didn¡¯t want to leave, even though Emma had tried so hard to get rid of them.


    Even though it was just a kiss ¨C amon activity nowadays. A kiss was no longer must be a sign of affection. Not even a few people did it just for fun. This activity also did not have to be done by a partner. It could be done by family, friends, or even twoplete strangers.


    But why did it bother Emma so much? It was because that kiss was her first one.


    Emma didn¡¯t know what about Levi. But, for her, a kiss was something that two people who love each other should do.


    In fact, in her life, Emma had only ever kissed her mother and possibly her father when she was very small. But now, she had to share it with Levi; a man who should be a stranger in her life!


    The feeling offort while doing it, Levi¡¯s warmth, made Emma¡¯s sense melt away. She admitted, Levi was surprisingly good at kissing. It looked like he¡¯d been doing this a lot. He also said that he was faced with two loves, which means he may have another lover out there.


    ¡°Is that your reason for not having a rtionship with me, Levi?¡± Emma muttered under her breath, hugging her knees. ¡°Is this the pain Poppy mentioned?¡±


    If Levi really already had a girlfriend, then that meant Emma was being toyed with by him all this time. But stupidly, she let it happen.


    .....


    Emma did not expect that she was weak in terms of love. She lost at this. Romance life was something Jonas or any teacher had never taught her.


    ¡°I let this happen, even though from the start, I already knew what the risks were. I should have protected myself. However, I still approached him. Do I like the danger that much?¡± She muttered.


    Until now, Emma had not told Levi that she had arrived home. As soon as she stepped foot in the house, she immediately turned off her cell phone. She didn¡¯t want anyone to bother her.


    ¡°It was only a kiss, Emma. You were in a desperate situation just now. You weren¡¯t thinking straight.¡±


    After contemting for a long time in the warm water that soaked her body, Emma finally regained her rity of thought -or- It seemed like.


    She came out of the bathtub with wrinkled fingers from soaking in the water for too long. Then, she dried off and put on herfy pyjamas. Her body felt warm, but not with her heart.


    Bathing was a great idea that Emma came up with. After doing so, she felt refreshed and saner. She felt able to face everything with a clear mind.


    Inside her room, with the window curtains wide open so that the moonlight could filter in, Emma sat neatly on her bed.


    She took a deep breath before turning on her cell phone which she had leftpletely dead for four hours.


    As soon as the phone was turned on, a barrage of notifications came. Actually, Emma didn¡¯t expect that there would be that many notifications and they all came from Levi.


    He had contacted Emma hundreds of times and texted dozens of times ¨C Asking where she was, if she was home yet, if she was all right, and of course, apologizing.


    While opening one by one the texts from Levi, suddenly, her cell phone rang. An iing call was from a contact named Levi Wargos.


    Emma took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then picked up the call.


    ¡°Emma!¡± Levi eximed, even before Emma said Hello.


    ¡°Goddammit! Finally, you picked up the call! Where have you been, Emma? Why did you turn off your phone? I¡¯ve called you hundreds of times. I¡¯m so worried,¡± Levi attacked.


    ¡°Sorry, I was busy,¡± Emma answered slowly.


    There was a moment of silence somewhere there. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever do that again. I told you to let me know when you got home.¡± Levi said firmly.


    ¡°I can do whatever I want, Levi. I¡¯m a free woman.¡± Emma answered.


    Levi took a deep breath. ¡°Emma, ??we need to talk,¡±


    ¡°I know. Let¡¯s talk.¡± she nodded.


    ¡°Listen, Emma. I¡¯m really really sorry about what happened. I wasn¡¯t feeling well. It felt like my body was moving on its own.¡± Levi tried to exin.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep apologizing, Levi. I couldn¡¯t even control myself. Looks like we were both losing our minds.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to defend me, Emma. The faults are mine. I started it.¡± Levi answered quickly, ¡°F*ck it! I even broke my promise. I¡¯m a loser,¡±


    Emma chuckled. ¡°It was an ident. It can happen to anyone. Humans have lust. And, you are a man and I am a woman. We just went out of control so the instinct took over our bodies.¡±


    Even though Emma didn¡¯t look angry about that incident, her attitude like this made Levi feel even guiltier. He knew something was going on in her mind, which she was hiding.


    Obviously, Levi was the first to kiss her. At the time, he was the one who emphasized that there should not be a special rtionship between the two of them. At that time, he promised that he would not let any feelings arise between them.


    Levi hated himself for having to do bad things to the woman he likes. He could have hurt anyone and not felt guilty about it. However, he felt something different for Emma.


    From the start, Levi knew he didn¡¯t deserve Emma. He knew that he would hurt her. For that reason, he decided to limit their rtionship. He had another love that was more important than Emma, ??at least for now. It was also the reason why he didn¡¯t want to get to know Emma too much. It was because he was afraid of falling too deeply in love with the brown-eyed girl.


    But today, Levi had made a huge mistake. He lost control of himself and kissed Emma instead ¨C A most forbidden thing for him to do.


    Levi had broken her heart. Emma was a good girl. She willed to help Levi, who obviously wouldn¡¯t give anything for her and tended toplicate her life. But with the heart of an angel, Emma kindly reached out her hand for Levi.


    Now, Levi had no other choice but to be responsible for Emma¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Emma, ??I have something to tell you,¡± Levi said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s forget about that incident,¡± Emma said quickly.


    ¡°What?¡± Levi frowned in confusion.


    Emma nodded. ¡°It was an ident. After all, it was just a kiss, right? Isn¡¯t it funny if we make a big deal out of it?¡± She chuckled.


    But Levi didn¡¯t feel that way. Maybe for Emma, it was just a kiss. But for him, it was a big thing and meant a lot.


    Levi didn¡¯t even understand why Emma could say it so lightly. In fact, Levi still remembered that Emma said she had never loved anyone before. She also never had a special rtionship with a man. Then why did she speak as if the incident had no meaning at all?


    ¡°As far as I know, you¡¯ve never loved someone,¡± Levi said quietly.


    ¡°Kissing someone doesn¡¯t mean you have to love her, right?¡± Emma replied lightly, ¡°Therefore, let¡¯s forget about that incident. Let¡¯s pretend it never happened.¡±


    ¡°I like you,¡± Levi said directly in a t voice.


    Levi¡¯s words made Emma feel as if a knife stabbed her in the chest. She didn¡¯t expect those words toe out of the mouth of the man who once told her not to get involved in special feelings.


    Emmaughed awkwardly. ¡°Stop joking around, Levi,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I really like you, Emma. Therefore, I could kiss you. I broke my promise. Now, I will take responsibility,¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°Responsible?¡± Emma repeated, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that my feelings are my own responsibility? It has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Levi paused, and continued, ¡°I really want to be responsible or whatever it is. This is too far...¡±


    ¡°Levi,¡± Emma cut him off ¡°Can you stop this? You didn¡¯t get me pregnant or anything. It was just a kiss. Get rid of your guilt. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not okay, Emma.¡± Levi replied.


    On the other side, Levi was in his office. He sat in arge leather chair behind his desk. For the first time, he locked his office door, so no one woulde in and see him looking broken.


    With the cell phone still pressed to his ear, Levi looked down with his arm resting on his femur. He didn¡¯t expect himself to be in a situation like this.


    Actually, Levi wasn¡¯t trying to be responsible to Emma. He was responsible for his own heart. He was the one who caused himself to fall into the feelings that he should have avoided from the start. Now, he had drowned in it.


    In the end, Levi, who previously didn¡¯t want a rtionship, now actually hoped to have one. He wanted to have a serious rtionship with Emma.


    He didn¡¯t care about the problems that mighte up. He wanted to be selfish to everyone, including Emma herself, because, that was Levi Wargos. He was a selfish man.


    Being responsible to Emma was just a bullshit excuse Levi used to justify himself to his own self. He desperately wanted Emma to be his. The feeling was unbearable.


    ¡°I want that rtionship. Let¡¯s have it, Emma.¡± Levi continued. He didn¡¯t mind that he looked like a loser by saying it over the phone.


    Emma was even more surprised. She had already cleared her mind by soaking for hours in the hot tub. However, she had not prepared herself for something like this.


    Did Emma like Levi? Of course, she did. You could tell she really liked him.


    If all this time Emma suspected that Levi had Bipr disorder, it seemed that it was true. How could he turn into heaven and hell in such a short time?

 Chapter 282

    282 A Choice


    The one who refused any specific rtion between the two of them was Levi. The one who asked to continue being strangers was Levi. And now, it was also Levi who asked to have a love rtionship.


    Levi Wargos greatly confused Emma Hind. He was the most confusing person Emma had ever faced in her life.


    Since realizing her feelings for Levi, Emma had quietly wanted a love rtionship between them. But now, when what she wanted was right in front of her eyes, she went doubtful.


    When Levi expressed his feelings and was honest like this, the first person that came to Emma¡¯s mind was Calvin Lee;


    The perfect man who also orbited in Emma¡¯s love world. A man who was logically, much better than Levi Wargos.


    However, Emma couldn¡¯t lie to her own heart. For some reason, her feelings fell deeper for Levi, even though her brain always said that she should prefer Calvin.


    If in the end, Emma chose Levi over Calvin, the whole world and even her own brain would judge her as the stupidest woman in the universe.


    Then, who should Emma choose?


    Levi Wargos or Calvin Lee?


    .....


    Levi waited for Emma¡¯s answer with his chest pounding. It felt like all of his blood vessels were about to burst from flowing blood too swiftly.


    This was the point when Levi threw all his pride away ¨C When he turned into someone he didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Levi. We¡¯d better get on with the friendship between two strangers.¡± Emma said slowly.


    That soft answer was a nuclear bomb exploded in Levi¡¯s ear. Emma rejected him.


    ¡°Emma...¡± Levi stuttered.


    Emma smiled sorrowfully. Honestly, it hurt her heart to say this, but...


    ¡°Levi, being with you makes me feel happy. I don¡¯t know exactly how you feel about me. But, to be honest, I do like you. I thought that it would be fun if we had a love rtionship. But you said that we shouldn¡¯t be on each other¡¯s paths.¡± Emma chuckled. ¡°To be honest, at that time, I felt annoyed with you. But gradually, I felt that what you said was true.¡±


    Emma¡¯s answer made Levi heartbroken. Certainly, he had rejected her in the first ce. Now, when he expected her love, it was toote. However, Levi did not want to give up because the word ¡®give up¡¯ was not in his dictionary.


    ¡°Emma... I¡¯m sorry for what I said at that time. I just...¡±


    Emma chuckled again. ¡°You apologize too often, Levi.¡±


    Then Emma took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Please don¡¯t think that I¡¯m seeking revenge now. I have my own reasons for not doing this. In my opinion, having a special rtionship will only hurt both of us. From the start, we keep our lives a secret from each other. This all started on a bad note, Levi. And I realized that I deserved better. So do you.¡±


    Levi fell silent. What Emma said was true, though notpletely. He didn¡¯t feel that Emma wasn¡¯t good for him. That girl... was too good for him.


    However, Levi admitted that he was a bad man to apany Emma. And it was true that she deserved the best.


    Levi knew that he was a troubled man. He was just too selfish to want Emma to get into his life which was as dark as the city sewers.


    Actually, Levi wasn¡¯t surprised by Emma¡¯s decision. Even though she was full of secrets, he was pretty sure that he knew her well enough.


    Emma was a girl who knew her value. She was a considerate and confident girl. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t let her life fall apart just because of a badly wed man like Levi Wargos.


    ¡°Understandable, Emma,¡± Levi said. Every word he said felt like hundreds of needles pricked in his own tongue. ¡°Now, I feel the reward for my attitude towards you so far. It turned out to be unbearably painful. I¡¯m sorry for treating you this way. I¡¯m sorry for making you feel this way.¡±


    Emma shook her head. ¡°Just like me now, I know you had your reasons for your decision. Therefore, you don¡¯t need to apologize. I won¡¯t judge someone because I believe everyone has their own priorities in life.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean we ended here?¡± Levi asked slowly.


    Emma chuckled. ¡°We haven¡¯t even started anything, Levi. But if you mean our friendship, it¡¯s a shame if a friendship had to be broken because of a feeling that was finally conveyed.¡±


    ¡°So, we can still meet and talk, as usual, can¡¯t we?¡± Levi forced a smile, which only made his heart ache even more.


    ¡°Exactly as usual. Let¡¯s forget about all this. That way, we won¡¯t bother each other. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine too.¡± Levi replied quietly, ¡°At least, we don¡¯t need to say goodbye,¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d to know that my feelings are not one-sided. Thank you for being honest with me, Levi.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for forgiving what I did. You may not hear this again, Emma; but, I love you.¡± Levi said slowly.


    ¡°Thanks, Levi,¡± Emma answered.


    Then the call was disconnected, leaving two people who each sat pensively in silence, and could only hear their own heartbeats that gave a breaking sound with each beat.


    Levi tightened his grip on the cell phone that he had just dropped from his ear. Slowly, the edges of the screen began to crack and...


    BAM!!


    Levi threw his phone against the wall until it broke.


    He slumped back down on the chair and leaned against it weakly. He covered his face with both hands.


    Levi felt devastated, confused, disappointed, and sorry. He didn¡¯t know what to feel. He had never experienced all of this. This was his first time. And this felt unbearably painful.


    On the other hand,


    Emma ced her cell phone on the bed beside her. She smiled faintly, but her heart felt sore. It was throbbing as if it could burst its blood out.


    Tears slowly flowed down her cheeks. Her shoulders began to shake. She bent her legs and hid her face in her knees, then began to sob.


    This was the first time Emma had cried out of love. She didn¡¯t know that it hurt this much. It felt like it would be better to take the blows from the Gozu and Mezu twins simultaneously, than have to feel the pain in her heart.


    It was an invisible pain. You couldn¡¯t even rub it to make it feel better. It continued to throb painfully. The pain could not be treated by medical methods. This was terrible.


    Emma loved Levi Wargos. She loved that man so much that it hurt her. However, in the end, she must be sane enough to choose the best for her life.


    When faced with the choice of Levi Wargos or Calvin Lee, Emma had to pick the best. And that person was Calvin Lee, even though her heart wanted Levi Wargos.


    Emma knew Levi was not good for her. This wasn¡¯t a grudge, but from the start, Levi always hurt her.


    He rejected Emma from the start. When Emma expected him, he pushed her away. And she had to ept it sincerely.


    If Levi suddenly asked Emma to be with him, should she immediately agree just because she really wanted him?


    Emma really valued ??herself. She lived her life for herself. She was her top priority. By epting Levi¡¯s request, wasn¡¯t it the same as if she didn¡¯t appreciate herself?


    Even if they did have a rtionship, Emma wasn¡¯t sure Levi would be honest about his life. Likewise, Emma was not sure she could be honest about her real life to him.


    Besides that, the fact that Levi had another love was uneptable to her. Levi did say that he loved Emma and really wanted her. But that attitude and sweet words would not make her fall that easily into his arms.


    Emma knew clearly that she could not share her love with anyone else. If she owned something, she wanted it to be hers alone. She also didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone who was currently in a rtionship with Levi.


    She was still sane enough to be able to think logically. Or, still able to be sane before beingpletely stupid and ending up nodding her head at whatever Levi asked for.


    Even though they like each other ¨C Even though they had the same feelings, for Emma, this was the best choice.


    Love did not have to own each other.


    You could love someone in another way, without having to make them your own.


    Therefore, Emma chose to continue her friendship; loving Levi by being a good friend who would always listen to his problems and give him a shoulder when he was down. They would be hang-out-friends tough together. Even, Emma would be the one to give the word ¡®congrattions¡¯ on Levi¡¯s wedding day in the future.


    For the first time, Emma was not going to try anything too risky in her life because she realized that her heart was not as strong as her body.


    Emma easily lost control of the thing that governed her feelings. Trying to have a rtionship with Levi was the same as digging her own grave.


    Even though her heart hurt a lot right now, Emma believed, slowly she would surely recover by herself. Even though her heart loved Levi more than Calvin, she believed that love coulde out if you were always together with someone. At least, that was what people often say. And she hoped it was true.


    For this reason, Emma would learn to love Calvin, a man who was more suitable for her.

 Chapter 283

    283 A Monster Group


    It was a busy-looking room. A room dominated by white and looked messy. In it, many people pass by with their own businesses.


    A tall man with an athletic body sat on a chair. In front of him, a woman was doing her makeup, and behind her, another woman was doing her hair.


    Her light brown eyes seemed to glow because they were exposed to the very bright dressing tablemp. The makeup on his face was just to emphasize all the sharp curves that already existed because his face could already be described as ¡®PERFECT¡¯.


    ¡°Is it done yet?¡± asked a bald man with oval sses perched loosely on the bridge of his nose. He wore a long scarf which was his mandatory essory at work.


    ¡°It will be finished soon,¡± The hairdresser replied.


    The man rolled his eyes. ¡°Hurry up. We are pressed for time. Can youdies work more professionally?¡± he said as he walked away with her feminine steps.


    ¡°Ugh... Sucks,¡± muttered the makeup artist with an irritated face.


    ¡°Lucy!¡± The hairdresser admonished her in a whisper and re. Then, she nce briefly at the male model they were making up.


    Marcel chuckled. ¡°Rx. I know he¡¯s kind of annoying,¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh... Th-thanks.¡± Said the two women awkwardly.


    After they finished, finally the model, whose career was starting to rose, went from the makeup chair to the dressing room.


    ¡°Gosh... He really is a prince. Beautiful and kind. I didn¡¯t know a man like him lived in this world.¡± The makeup artist said.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t talk too much here. You¡¯re being too loud. Remember, this is your first week here. Don¡¯t act up.¡± Said the hairdresser who was her senior friend.


    The girl noddedzily while cleaning up her makeup tools. ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯ll be quiet.¡±


    Her friend chuckled and rolled her eyes. But slowly, her smile widened. ¡°Did you know? Even, on his campus, Marcel called Prince Bold.¡±


    ¡°You serious?¡± The makeup artist looked at her friend who actually also idolized the handsome man.


    Her friend nodded. ¡°Do you still remember Denada; The rookie model that I did her hair yesterday? She is a student at Jardin University. She said that Marcel also studied there and is an idol for all sses. Girls call him PB a.k.a Prince Bold.¡±


    ¡°That nickname does suit him,¡± The makeup artist nodded, and then she looked curiously at her friend. ¡°Hey, did you have a chance to ask if he has a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I did. It¡¯s an important question.¡±


    ¡°Then what did she say?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, Denada didn¡¯t know either. She said that Marcel has never been seen dating anyone. But he always keeps his distance from women. Gossip says that he secretly is gay,¡± The hairdresser whispered.


    ¡°What?! Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just gossip. But I don¡¯t deny that it could be a fact. In this modelling world, girls are often disappointed because handsome models are mostly gay.¡± She let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Sorry,¡±


    The two girls jolted when they heard a man¡¯s deep voice suddenly ringing nearby. Even worse, the person who owned the deep Husky voice was Marcel Dous; the topic they were talking about.


    ¡°Oh... M-Marcel,¡± The makeup artist muttered.


    Marcel frowned in confusion though his lips still had a friendly smile. ¡°Sorry, did I startle you?¡±


    ¡°N-no. Is there anything we can help with?¡± the hairdresser asked. She realized that Marcel didn¡¯t seem to have heard what they were talking about. That was a relief.


    ¡°When I was changing clothes, my hair caught in a shirt button so it¡¯s a little mess now. Can you fix it for a moment?¡± Marcel asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Said the hairdresser and immediately got to work with a secret sigh of relief.


    When finished, Marcel stood back up from the dressing chair. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    On his way to the shooting corner, Marcel smiled faintly. ¡°A gay? Seriously?¡± he muttered under his breath with augh.


    Marcel Dous auditioned for modelling after the group he led was defeated by Jita Kyoei and ck. He had left his dark job and was now living the job he had dreamed of since childhood; Bing a model who could wear beautiful clothes by famous designers ¨C Taking advantage of his handsome physique that was called like a prince.


    Although initially it was very difficult and tiring to get to this point, now Marcel could taste the fruits of his hard work. He became one of the rookie models who were in demand by various local fashion magazines and designers.


    Marcel was grateful to his father and mother who gave the best genes to mix in shaping him, so that he could have such a charming appearance. Marcel didn¡¯t deny that he was indeed handsome.


    However, despite having that luck, Marcel never took anything for granted. He still tried hard and was polite to everyone. That was the reason why he hade to this point. He never acted arrogantly.


    In his journey to be a model, Marcel must have a person who could cheer him up when he was down. That person, certainly, was his grandmother. But there was one more person who seemed to be a beacon in the middle of a stormy sea for Marcel. That person was Kathania Dusk or usually called Kathy.


    Although Marcel was not very close to the green-eyed girl, he often looked for Kathy when he needed input. Kathy was a nice girl to talk to. She had simple and logical thinking. Her demeanour was also rxed and friendly. For some reason, Marcel feltfortable talking to her.


    He didn¡¯t know how Kathy felt about him. But Marcel considered her one of the most influential people in his current career. Unfortunately, Kathy never seemed to need Marcel¡¯s help. Therefore, he felt that he still couldn¡¯t give her anything back.


    After the photo shoot was over, Marcel immediately changed clothes and prepared to go home. Even though he had be a quite famous model, it did not mean that Marcel would be chased by fans and journalists. He was still considered an ordinary person. Therefore, he drove his own car to work.


    Marcel opened the driver¡¯s door and got inside. As soon as he closed the door, he let out a long sigh ¨C Exhaling all the tiredness with that sigh. He had left for work from five in the morning from home and now just finished at nine p.m.


    Even though it was tiring, Marcel was still grateful because there were still many people who had to work harder than this just to be able to eat three meals a day.


    While heating the car engine, Marcel took his bag which he had ced in the passenger seat beside him. He took out his cell phone which he hadn¡¯t checked since about three hours ago.


    Due to his busy shooting session, Marcel decided to keep his cell phone in his bag and would not take it out unless a call came in, because everyone who knew the current Marcel also knew that it had to be a very urgent matter if they had to call that guy.


    While checking his cell phone, Marcel got several messages from Kenny Brown, his right-hand man who was now the main manager for the business on Redvalley Street.


    After RJC was beaten back by Jita Kyoei and ck, it didn¡¯t mean that the group was disbanded. RJC was still existed and running. It was just that the group had shrunk and wasn¡¯t as big as before.


    There weren¡¯t as many RJC members as when Underground Cave was still standing. Now, RJC¡¯s business was only to maintain and manage Redvalley Street. Therefore, they did not need too many group members.


    Luckily, RJC still had quite a lot of followers. They were the men who were loyal to the group. The men, indeed, didn¡¯t work for RJC anymore. They had other jobs out there and lived outside of RJC headquarters as well.


    However, the RJC headquarters was still the headquarters where they gather to spend time with fellow members who were like family. When RJC needed additional people if someone disturbed their territory, those retainers also did not hesitate toe to their aid.


    All the loyalty that Marcel got from his followers was the result of Marcel¡¯s leadership attitude so far. He always considered each member as his own family.


    Even though RJC was no longer as powerful as it used to be and he could no longer rely on the ie from the business group created by histe brother, everything was still going well until now.


    Redvalley Street could still operate well, although they had to slightly increase the security fee. After knowing how Marcel was suffering and the reality of his business, now the people of Redvalley had never protested about the security fee. They worked together to help RJC improve Redvalley Street, which was actually their own home.


    But the happy ending that Marcel felt did notst long. That was proven by the contents of the short message that Kenny sent to him just now.


    In fact, all of RJC¡¯s core team realized that they hadn¡¯t been able to sleep peacefully just because everything looked peaceful. They knew that this was the calm before the storm came.


    RJC was one of the gangster groups that belonged to The Deadly Square; an organization created by force by a group of monsters called ck Hole.


    The ck Hole itself suddenly appeared like a hurricane that destroyed all gangster groups in the dark world of Handway City.


    ck Hole was a group that had almost the same age as other groups. They were not the oldest group. They were also still young. But what made ck Holes different from the rest was their power.

 Chapter 284

    284 Trouble in Ballet ss


    For some reason, the ck Hole suddenly attacked all major groups, as if they had nned it a long time ago. ck Hole took the four most influential groups in Handway City. Whereas they only had one branch group called Dragger before.


    Perhaps ck Hole was dissatisfied with just having Draggers and their own business. The leader had such big ambitions that he wanted to lead the four groups that had the most promising businesses in Handway City.


    Finally, the ck Hole attacked the four groups; Hell Gate, Creeper, RJC, and Beast Empire. The four groups lost at the hands of the extraordinarily strong core team of ck Hole. Therefore, they had to bow down to the monster and were forcefully dragged into The Deadly Square.


    Like leeches, ck Hole forced the five groups within its area to make mandatory payments regrly. ck Hole¡¯s source of ie was the five groups they had defeated.


    However, when one by one the Deadly Square groups fell, it meant that ck Hole¡¯s source of ie was also decreasing. ck Hole had to make a new policy, so that money continued to flow into their pockets.


    When the first group fell, ck Hole decided to increase the mandatory fee rates. But unexpectedly, it turned out that the other groups had also fallen because of the appearance of Handway¡¯s heroes whom they had always underestimated.


    It seemed like ck Hole realized that they couldn¡¯t just keep increasing deposit rates because it would actually kill the businesses belonging to all the remaining groups. Therefore, when the RJC eventually fell, ck Hole seemed to be silent.


    RJC had differences from the other three groups. Of all The Deadly Square groups that have been knocked down by the heroes, only RJC was still able to stand back up.


    Jita Kyoei and ck still let RJC stand because they were not against each other. It was just that each of them had goals that collided with each other.


    .....


    When Underground Cave eventually closed, RJC only had the business of managing Redvalley Street, which was not a dirty business. It was a business that did not harm either side. It was a pro-civilians business. For this reason, RJC was no longer attacked by hero groups.


    After a long silence, ck Hole reappeared with its new policy.


    ck Hole decided to take over all the businesses belonging to the entire group of The Deadly Square. They did not care whether the business had been destroyed or was remaining.


    ck Hole believed they could easily revive all the business again, just like saving a withered nt. It already had roots and just needed intensive care, then it would be fresh again.


    Then what about RJC whose status was still operating?


    ck Hole asked RJC to pay the fee again, just like it used to, without any free waivers as if RJC still had a big business like Underground Cave.


    Certainly, RJC couldn¡¯t do that. Not even Marcel could profit a dime for himself from the business that RJC was running now. Redvalley¡¯s managing business had so little profit that it ended up only being used for RJC group¡¯s own needs.


    Marcel worked hard as a model because he knew that he could no longer expect ie from the RJC business. He had to support his grandmother and himself using money that came from work outside of RJC¡¯s business.


    The fee rate that ck Hole asked for was a lot of money ¨C Money that only groups that had huge and profitable businesses could give. RJC couldn¡¯t possibly afford that.


    Then, what would happen if the RJC did notply with ck Hole¡¯s request?


    RJC would be destroyed by ck Hole and the business they own would be taken over by the monster group; Either Underground Cave or Redvalley Street. They would take everything.


    Marcel¡¯s hands clenched tightly. It didn¡¯t matter if the Underground Cave, which had been closed for a long time, was taken over by the ck Hole. For him, it was none of his business anymore.


    But what about Redvalley Street? Its people were what Marcel was most worried about.


    If ck Hole were to take over the business of managing Redvalley Street, it was certain they would colonize the street. The same incident as when Apollo was still standing would happen again.


    Marcel went to Kenny¡¯s number and called him. It didn¡¯t take long for Kenny to answer the call.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Kenny answered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read your text. Looks like we have to do an all core team meeting,¡± Marcel said, lightly massaging his forehead.


    **


    Nicko stared at the small doll in his hand. He stood while leaning against the wall, waiting for someone.


    After waiting for a long time, finally the person Nicko was waiting for appeared.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Nicko immediately called the girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.


    Britney and Crystal stopped the talk they were having while walking out of the ssroom.


    ¡°Hey...¡± Britney answered awkwardly.


    ¡°May I ask something? Is this yours?¡± Nicko held out the keychain doll in his hand.


    Britney¡¯s eyebrows rose high when she saw the object that Nicko gave her. She exchanged nces with Crystal with meaningful stares.


    ¡°I found it when we all met in the campus garden that time. I thought that this was yours,¡± Nico exined.


    ¡°Y-yes. It¡¯s mine.¡± Britney took her key chain which she realized had suddenly disappeared.


    ¡°Oh? You have one, too,¡± Nicko stared at the same key chain that hung on the side of Crystal¡¯s bag.


    ¡°Y-yes. We bought it together.¡± Crystal answered.


    The ck swan doll key chain was owned by all members of the ck Swan group. Coincidentally, Cecil had an older brother who owned a knick-knacks business. Then, she made lots of small essories like these for all group members.


    ¡°Thanks for keeping it for me,¡± Britney said.


    Nicko nodded and smiled while holding out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Nicko Coffey from the Engineering department,¡±


    ¡°Britney Jassey,¡± She returned Nicko¡¯s handshake.


    ¡°Good to know you,¡± Nicko said as he pulled his hand back, then he cleared his throat, ¡°Well, I better go now,¡±


    ¡°Sure. Bye,¡±


    ¡°Bye,¡± Nicko walked away.


    ¡°I think he likes you,¡± Crystal nudged Britney¡¯s arm when the bespectacled man had walked far enough.


    ¡°What are you saying? We even just met,¡±


    ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t even nce at me at all,¡± Crystal said with a chuckle.


    Crystal recognized Nicko¡¯s face because when she was being held captive in the Beast Empire¡¯s main warehouse, Nicko was the one who broke down her cell door. She admitted he was a cool guy.


    ¡°Anyway, this isn¡¯t anything serious, is it?¡± Britney asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Do you mean the keychain?¡± Asked Crystal, who had now joined the ck Swan group.


    Britney nodded with a slightly worried face.


    Crystal shook her head confidently. ¡°A key chain like this wouldn¡¯t be a reason for someone to be suspicious of us. Who would have thought that a keychain like this meant that you belonged to a hero group? You don¡¯t need to think about it.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Britney muttered.


    Then, they continued to the ballet ssroom.


    But when they opened the door, it turned out that the conditions inside were quite lively than they thought even though they came there too early.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Crystal asked the girls who were gathered with serious expressions on their faces.


    At the same time, Emma and Rachel also entered the room.


    ¡°You guys came too? Did something happen?¡± Britney asked when she realized that Emma and Rachel had joined the crowd. They alwayse to ballet ss at a tight hour because they were always busy.


    ¡°We heard there was amotion in the ballet ss. That¡¯s why we came.¡± Emma shrugged, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    As it turned out, Poppy and Linda were there too. As usual, Poppy felt that she had a responsibility in the ss her aunt had raised before. Even though she no longer had any duties in this ballet ss, she couldn¡¯t fight her instinct to get into it.


    ¡°Miss Tania is up again, Emma,¡± Linda said with a smallugh on her lips. ¡°That annoying woman doesn¡¯t deserve to be our instructor. I already knew it would turn out like this.¡±


    ¡°Grace resigned from being an instructor assistant and from this ss at the same time. Previously, she was involved in an argument with Miss Tania.¡± Poppy exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s bad news,¡± Emma muttered to herself, ¡°Then, why is everyone here?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the petition to rece Miss Tania with another instructor, which I asked you to sign?¡± Linda asked, and Emma nodded.


    Then Linda chuckled in annoyance before continuing, ¡°The petition was tly rejected by the university. They gave various unreasonable reasons and instead turned on us. They used us of bullying that woman. They even said that the bullying could be brought to justice.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, we are thinking of dropping out of this ss. Miss Tania has never been good at giving grades. She also always makes things difficult for girls she doesn¡¯t like.¡± Tilly said.


    ¡°If you guys go out together like that, then this ballet ss would be closed due to ack of students.¡± Poppy looked worried.


    ¡°We¡¯ve held on as best we can, Poppy. Why do we have to stand being annoyed by that crazy woman for so long? Moving to another ss is ourst n and she forced us to take it.¡± Tilly answered.


    ¡°Actually, when ites to grades, Miss Tania doesn¡¯t have much influence. In the end, the final grades will be given by judges from outside the campus on the art stage.¡± Rachel said.

 Chapter 285

    285 Dangerous World


    Warning! Sensitive Topic. Please be wise in reading. Thanks.


    **


    ¡°Well, at least after submitting the petition, the university has created a new grading system. Maybe they actually do feel afraid if all the ballet students leave the ss. But that doesn¡¯t help at all.¡± Linda said.


    ¡°I know that the scoring system is different now. But, how can our dancing be good if we have an instructor like Tania? If we keep fighting her, she will purposely give bad training so that our skills will also suffer. In the end, it will affect our performance on stage and get us bad grades from the judges.¡± Another girl exined.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re afraid of, you can practice at Poppy¡¯s studio,¡± Emma said with a smile on her face.


    Emma¡¯s words made all her The ck Swan friends look at her questioningly. What they knew was that Emma was worried that the existence of the ck Swan group would be known by people in her environment.


    Then, why did she suggest all ballet ss students learn at Poppy¡¯s studio?


    The girls seemed to think, then one of them replied, ¡°Actually, that¡¯s a pretty good idea. But we¡¯ll pay double for ballet lessons off campus. Not all of us have extra money, do we?¡±


    ¡°I happen to work at Poppy¡¯s studio. If anyone is having a hard time paying the fees, I¡¯ll help out with a discount.¡± Emma answered.


    .....


    ¡°Emma, are you serious?¡± Poppy stared at her in disbelief.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a shortage of teaching staff, do you, Poppy? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be in charge of this. I won¡¯t burden your business.¡± She winked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, Emma. But...¡± Poppy stopped. She couldn¡¯t continue because there were too many people.


    Emma smiled gently at Poppy, then held her hand while shaking her head slowly, ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡±


    Then Emma turned back to the girls around her. ¡°I mean what I said. If you are interested, please text me. I will register you immediately.¡±


    ¡°Is that okay, Emma?¡± Tilly asked. She also felt that what Emma was offering might burden the girl herself.


    ¡°I love ballet with all my heart. I think you can choose this ss as an additional ss because you really like ballet. I don¡¯t want people who love ballet to be forced to move to another ss just because of an unprofessional instructor. Therefore, I will help you, girls.¡± Emma exined.


    After that, the girls came out of the room because the ballet ss itself was still long enough to start.


    Poppy and Rachel immediately approached Emma to talk to her. They were confused at Emma¡¯s out-of-the-ordinary act.


    ¡°What were you thinking, Emma?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all if all of our friends learn at my studio. I will indeed give a special discount to my own friends. But you don¡¯t want people on campus to know about ck Swan¡¯s existence, do you? Inviting them to our studio will increase the risk of being exposed about what we are doing.¡±


    Emma smiled faintly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, guys. I have a new thought now.¡±


    ¡°New thought?¡± Poppy repeated questioningly.


    Emma nodded. ¡°The ck Swan is no longer a group that wanders around in the middle of the night to save people in narrow alleys. We are a group that is being hunted by various dangerous big gangster groups. Therefore, we must strengthen our group to deal with them.¡±


    Rachel crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°So you n on getting all the girls from this ballet ss into the ck Swan?¡±


    ¡°You came to the right conclusion, Rachel. During my time in this ss, I got to know all the girls here. I know what kind of people they are. They are persistent and disciplined girls. Therefore, it would be great if we got additional members who have those personalities.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Well... Looks like you¡¯re starting to get ambitious,¡± Rachel muttered.


    Emma smiled faintly. ¡°Someone said to me; that to make your business big, you must have big ambitions. Although it sounds greedy, I consider the ck Swan group as my business. Not for profit in the form of money, but with this group, I realize I can reach my dream of seeing Handway be a safe and peaceful city.¡±


    ¡°Your ambition is not wrong at all, Emma. As long as the goal is good, I will always support you.¡± Poppy said warmly.


    ¡°Thanks, Poppy. I really appreciate it.¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Are you sure they will ept your invitation? What if one of them refuses and instead leaks about ck Swan to the entire campus?¡± Poppy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m confident that they won¡¯t spoil this secret because I know what kind of people our friends are. And if our group is eventually found out...¡± Emma stopped her sentence.


    Seeing Emma pensive herself, Poppy smiled gently while stroking the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know you¡¯re still worried that people will see you differently, Emma. But you have to remember that we and all our friends are beside you. You will not be judged alone.¡±


    Emma shook her head and then looked at Poppy and Rachel. ¡°Guys, honestly, I don¡¯t care about that anymore. I don¡¯t care anymore if people find out about my real self. I don¡¯t care if people think that I¡¯m weird. ¡±


    ¡°Oh... I¡¯m d you¡¯ve changed your mind, Emma.¡± Poppy said.


    ¡°If so, what¡¯s bothering you now?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the safety of all members, Rachel. If our identities are discovered by the enemy, then all members will be in danger.¡±


    ¡°Emma, ??we are not the same girls as before we joined the ck Swan. Now, we are strong girls and can protect ourselves. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Poppy said.


    But Emma shook her head slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Poppy. But I still feel that this will be dangerous. I¡¯m not looking down on women. I know that all of our members are very strong. But the fact that we are all women doesn¡¯t rule out the possibility for our enemies to take advantage of that. You get what I mean, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Poppy and Rachel seemed to think for a moment then nodded. What Emma said was true. So far, they had not thought about that.


    Even though they had be strong, it didn¡¯t change the fact that they were women. It was very sad to admit this. Even though they felt like denying it, it was the truth.


    In this world, the burden that women carry was greater than that of men. Women seem to have to live in fear of danger.


    Why was it? It was not a job problem and it was not a social status problem. When gender equality had been upheld, it was no longer a problem.


    Women did not judge themselves as the most hurt creatures. A woman did not ask to be protected. A woman was not selfish by saying that their burden was heavy.


    But, the truth of the world had to be faced by women.


    In this world, there was one thing that no one could change ¨C A thing that had been arranged by the universe that had not been able to be changed by human hands until now.


    A woman could conceive, while a man cannot.


    What Emma feared the most in her life was maybe the same as what other women feared. That was being a victim of sexual harassment.


    It was true that sexual harassment could happen to both men and women. Even, to children and adults.


    But the worst thing was when a woman got pregnant because of that terrible thing. When the victim¡¯s traumatic wounds were still fresh, she must be faced with a choice of whether she should keep the fetus in her womb or not.


    If she chose to keep it, then she would be a mother with all the responsibilities. She had to go through the process of being pregnant for nine months and giving birth, which was not easy.


    And if she decided to take care of the baby, she would have a lifelong responsibility as a parent, plus the fact that the child was the result of the harassment.


    If she decided not to not keeping the fetus, she would have to go through the painful process of expelling the fetus.


    The risk of pregnancy, too, was not solely the only problem women had to experience. In this world, there were still many men who regard women as objects of lust and procreation.


    It was sad, but that was still a reality that had to be faced by various women in various parts of the world.


    The stigma was off the mark, making men with primitive brains feel superior. They felt superior and thought that they had a higher degree than women. This even made them didn¡¯t hesitate tomit crimes against women.


    It was that kind of man who always looked for opportunities to harass women and turned to find fault with the victim to justify their dirty actions.


    Emma grew up in an environment filled with men. In fact, she was the only daughter in her family. She did get very strict protection from her family.


    However, because the men in Emma¡¯s family loved her, ??they were the ones who provided her with important insights about how dangerous the world was for women. About how depraved the brain of a man who had a deviant mind. And a fact that there were not a few predators that roam freely in this world.

 Chapter 286

    286 Big Ambition for Big Dream


    So far, Emma had always been protected. Therefore, she wanted to protect her friends as well. Emma had seen what happened to Poppy, and it traumatized her pretty badly even though she always tried to get rid of it. For her, it felt inappropriate if she had to experience trauma when the victim was not herself.


    Emma couldn¡¯t even imagine how the incident had affected Poppy¡¯s mentality. Even though Emma was always silent as if she didn¡¯t notice, she knew that Poppy had a trauma that she tried so hard to cover up. The girl looked afraid of any man who tried to approach her. She had closed the door of her heart tightly.


    All of these things became a consideration of why Emma insisted on covering up her identity and that of all its members. They were like a flock of geese that dive into a crocodile-infested pool.


    Until Handway City waspletely safe, there was no reason for ck Swan to disy the identities of its members to the public.


    **


    Arge building that used to be a cinema looked dark in almost all parts inside. Only a few rooms were lit.


    It was not like the building had been abandoned. However, the owner of the building was only saving electricity bills.


    Inside the building was arge room filled with expensive furniture. It was the room where Kenny Brown, Vico Hustle, Damian Jamin, and Renu Khan lived.


    Previously, the room that looked like a penthouse was the residence of the leader of the Red Jack Commander group, Marcel Dous. However, since the Underground Cave closed, Marcel chose to live with his grandmother on Redvalley Street.


    .....


    In the living room, which had several long leather sofas, the RJC core team was gathered. Their faces all looked deadly serious.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to pay the ck Hole. They will destroy us for sure.¡± Renu said.


    ¡°If the ck Hole takes over our business, you know what will happen to Redvalley, right?¡± Marcel asked while massaging his forehead gently.


    ¡°They will incriminate all the citizens. That group is the evilest group I¡¯ve ever seen. They can¡¯t go easy on the citizens just because there are a lot of elderly people there.¡± Vico answered.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let this happen,¡± Damian said.


    Of all the members, Damian was the one who loved the elderly residents of Redvalley Street the most because he was a young man who had a somewhat childish demeanour, so those old people often spoiled him like a child. He was often given free meals and snacks.


    ¡°Then what can we do? Fight the ck Hole?¡± Vico asked.


    The burning anger in Damian¡¯s eyes then dimmed. He knew that they would not be able to do that.


    ¡°ck Hole is too strong. We can¡¯t do it.¡± Renu said with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°We can at least try,¡± Kenny¡¯s words made all his friends look confused.


    ¡°That¡¯s a heroic line, Kenny. But sorry. For real, that¡¯s too na?ve,¡± Marcel answered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that RJC would give up before trying. Does this shrinking group mean that it also happens to our guts?¡± Kenny asked.


    The four men fell silent. What Kenny said embarrassed them. It seemed true that the fall of their group unknowingly also affected the passion in their hearts.


    ¡°I know that continuing to fight is a principle of the RJC. But we¡¯ve tried fighting ck Holes before and we lost.¡± Damian said in a soft voice.


    Even though they both had a speck of pessimistic feelings, Marcel could read Kenny¡¯s face which looked like he was nning something. From the beginning, Kenny was the brain of RJC. Without him, RJC was never born.


    ¡°What are you nning, Kenny?¡± Marcel asked directly.


    Kenny nodded once. ¡°We still have an alliance.¡±


    Marcel frowned. ¡°Alliance? You mean...¡±


    ¡°Yes. The ck group.¡± Kenny answered.


    ¡°Oh... That¡¯s right. ck,¡± Damian said to himself.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to ask ck for help? We¡¯re going to fight together with them again?¡± Vico asked.


    Kenny nodded. ¡°ck is a strong group. Although, from what I have witnessed, they are not as strong as ck Hole, they will be of great help.¡±


    Marcel rubbed his chin. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, indeed.¡±


    ¡°The question is; will ck help us after we once tricked them? I still remember that the leader looked mad at that time.¡± Renu said.


    ¡°ck is on a mission to fight crime. If we give an exnation of what the ck Hole group is like and what they are going to do to Redvalley Street, I¡¯m sure ck will think about it.¡± Marcel answered.


    Although Marcel realized that what he had done to ck was unforgivable, he felt that he recognized the character of the masked group leader.


    ck had a noble mission. Let alone many people, they were willing tomit dangerous acts just to save one person.


    Marcel would never forget when ck fought the Creeper hordes alone just to save his grandmother. He was thankful for that.


    Redvalley was home to many families. There were many elderly and children there. ck certainly would help those innocent people from evil groups like ck Hole.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find ck and talk to him about this,¡± Marcel said.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that recently, ck teamed up with Jita Kyoei to destroy the Beast Empire,¡± Damian said excitedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even, the Beast Empire was assisted by eighty Dragger members led by Jay Nichs. And all of them were defeated by ck and Jita Kyoei.¡± Vico added, could not hide his amazed expression.


    ¡°Those two groups can¡¯t be underestimated at all. I¡¯m sure Dragger and ck Hole are nervous right now.¡± Renu muttered.


    ¡°For all men of his dispatch were knocked down, now Dragger is dering war on ck and Jita Kyoei. I just thought, maybe ck can¡¯t help us for now.¡± Marcel said with a tired sigh.


    ¡°Of course, Dragger has to attack those two groups. He has to prove that his group is still the second strongest group after ck Hole.¡± Damian answered.


    ¡°What Marcel said is correct. In the current situation, it is impossible to ask ck for help. They are already troubled with Dragger.¡± Kenny said.


    ¡°Dragger¡¯s attack on ck and Jita Kyoei won¡¯t be long from now. Is it possible that we buy time to wait for the conflict between them to settle?¡± Renu asked.


    ¡°The only way is to make a payment to the ck Hole. The rules they put out were only an option. Either we pay the fee or we give up our business.¡± Kenny answer.


    Marcel paused, deep in thought. He was considering something.


    ¡°Do you know... How long does it take to sell all the properties on Bluevalley Street?¡± Marcel asked.


    All of the men stopped their conversation. It was an astonishing question that left them all silent for a few seconds.


    ¡°You, want to sell it?¡± Vico made sure.


    Marcel nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all that¡¯s left. We can¡¯t possibly sell this base, can we?¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°But Marcel, you said that Bluevalley Street shouldn¡¯t be operational anymore. If you sell it, it wille back to life.¡± Damian said slowly.


    All of the RJC core team knew what a huge wound Bluevalley Street had caused on Marcel¡¯s life.


    Previously, Jack himself had the desire to shut down the street. And Marcel had vowed to turn that street into a ghost town.


    ¡°Since most of the buildings are quite broken, it might be difficult to find someone who wants to buy it. But I know someone who can help us sell the buildings quickly. However, the price will be very low.¡± Kenny exined.


    ¡°Kenny! Are you out of your mind? You don¡¯t seriously let Bluevalley Street work again, do you? What about Marcel¡¯s promise?¡± Vico snapped.


    But he was a bit surprised when he felt someone holding his shoulder. It was Marcel who was sitting beside him. He turned and looked at the brown-eyed man. Marcel just smiled sadly and shook his head slowly.


    ¡°In life, not everything goes ording to n. Sometimes, we have to give up our pride to stay alive. Sometimes, we have to break promises to save more important things.¡± Marcel said.


    Marcel was sure that Kenny understood this very well. Hence, the man did not hinder Marcel¡¯s decision to sell Bluevalley.


    ¡°What Jack wanted was for all the citizens of Redvalley to be able to live in peace without being colonized by anyone. If the ck Hole were to rule over that street, then what Jack most wanted would be destroyed.¡± Marcel continued.


    Marcel¡¯s exnation was met by understanding nods from his friends.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact my acquaintances and take care of the sales,¡± Kenny said.


    ¡°Thanks, Kenny. I hope the results are enough to silence the ck Hole for a month or two.¡± Marcel said.


    **


    Emma¡¯s n to increase her membership by attracting all the students in her ballet ss to Poppy¡¯s studio produced sweet results.


    The ck Swan group continued to grow in size. Day by day, its members were also getting stronger.


    Even though her group had arge ie, Emma still spent her personal funds to help a lot to expand her kingdom.


    Since Emma decided to rent the building directly behind Poppy¡¯s studio, the group¡¯s expenses also highly increased. Luckily, ck Swan¡¯s business, which relied on social media, ran smoothly, so all expenses could be covered well.


    All the input Levi told Emma, ??she kept on remembering.


    If you want to dream, dream as big as possible.


    Emma must have big ambitions if she wanted to achieve big goals.


    The way to achieve her goal was to have arge group. And the way to make the group bigger was to increase its members.


    Now, Emma no longer hindered Linda from recruiting many girls into the ck Swan. Therefore, ck Swan already had nearly four hundred great members now.

 Chapter 287

    287 Loser Title


    Dragger was different from other groups. To Pablo, trying to attack the enemy group when they weren¡¯t ready was an act of loser.


    Dragger¡¯s level was too high to do that. Therefore, they challenged the ck and Jita Kyoei groups to fight. And as the old rule in the dark world, whoever wins, would take what belongs to the loser.


    How could ck Swan know that Dragger was calling for war?


    It happened a few days ago;


    A message entered ck Swan¡¯s cell phone which was held by Poppy. It was a message from Troy Roner saying he had something to say to ck¡¯s leader.


    For that, Emma and Rachel visited Jita Kyoei¡¯s headquarters again. At that time, there were Troy, Ian, Frank, and Calvin Lee there.


    ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Emma asked Troy.


    ¡°I got a letter from Pablo Diablo.¡± Troy said.


    ¡°Dragger?¡± Emma confirmed.


    .....


    Troy nodded ¡°They wanted a war.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they did? But we didn¡¯t get any messages from them,¡± Emma said with a shrug.


    ¡°How do you think they could get to you? Have you forgotten that you are like ghosts?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Well... You kind of right,¡± Emma just remembered that all this time, they had always hidden themselves and only Jita Kyoei had ess to contact them.


    ¡°What did they say?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Dragger challenged us to fight next week. It¡¯s a basement of an abandoned mall building near Jen Marrie Street.¡± Troy replied.


    ¡°So, does that mean they challenged our two groups to fight them together?¡± Emma asked.


    Troy chuckled. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve been underestimated.¡±


    ¡°Dragger is a group that is not onlyrge, but also strong. It¡¯s only natural that they are that confident.¡± Ian said.


    ¡°Perhaps, Pablo is also deliberately angering us by doing this. And on the other hand, he also wants to show off that his group is the strongest. We all know what kind of boys Pablo and Creed are.¡± Frank added.


    ¡°He wanted to make our group look like a bunch of losers by agreeing to a two-on-one fight,¡± muttered Ian.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Emma crossed her arms over her chest.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you mind? By going up to their challenge, it would be like admitting that your group is the loser.¡± Calvin said.


    ¡°Actually, I do mind,¡± Troy said.


    But all the men looked questioningly at ck¡¯s leader who shook his head while chuckling.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Ian asked.


    ¡°Your stupidity,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Do you wish to die?¡± Ian red at her.


    ¡°The ones who want to die are you. Is this the right time to think about who will get the title of loser? You are stupid if you fall for Pablo¡¯s bait.¡± she said.


    Troy¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Pablo is just baiting us. Think about it with your brains. Pablo pretends to be superior so he looks like a cool guy who has no fear. He makes people think that his group is very strong and brave. With that, he challenges us to fight both of our groups at once. However, Pablo actually knew that you would reject the invitation and chose to fight one by one.¡± Emma exined. She smiled when she saw the faces of the men who began to realize their stupidity.


    Emma let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sure Pablo knows that Jita Kyoei is a group that cares too much about their pride ¨C A group of men who get angry easily if they are taken for granted. For that reason, Pablo didn¡¯t have to think long by issuing a statement that he challenged us both at a time.¡±


    ¡°My question now is; are you sure you will win if you do a one-on-one fight with Dragger?¡± She asked them.


    ¡°That¡¯s a hard question to answer. We¡¯ve never fought Dragger before.¡± Ian replied.


    ¡°By their fighting history, I judge that our strengths are equal,¡± Troy said.


    ¡°Well. If so, then you won¡¯t excel in the fightter, because, as far as I know, Dragger has a lot of men, way more than yours.¡± Emma shrugged.


    ¡°How do you know how many members we have?¡± Frank frowned.


    ¡°We have eyes, Frank. We know things you don¡¯t think we know.¡± Emma smiled behind her mask.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Ian and Troy growled at the same time.


    Then Calvin clucked his tongue because he was tired of seeing them always fight. ¡°Can you two stop arguing? If we attack each other, it¡¯ll just be an advantage for the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Calvin is right. We¡¯d better get serious about this.¡± Rachel nodded, ¡°Get to the point. Are we in or not?¡±


    Emma raised her hands beside her chest. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t care about the stupid jungle rules ¨C About who¡¯s the loser or who¡¯s the badass. If you want us to join, we¡¯ll in. But if you want to follow the n Dragger, we¡¯ll cool.¡±


    Ian knew that leader ck said that with a full meaning. He did not expect ck¡¯s thoughts regarding Pablo Diablo¡¯s true intentions. He admitted that it was an ¡®out of the box¡¯ thinking. ck always managed to surprise Ian with his cunning brain.


    ¡°What do you think, Ian?¡± Troy stared at him.


    The choice that was presented to Troy was too difficult for him. If Troy only thought about himself, he might choose to join ck again. But the problem was he carried the name Jita Kyoei with all of his guys. Thus, he needed Ian¡¯s opinion.


    What ck said was true. Jita Kyoei attached great importance to the pride of their group.


    Ian nced at Troy before letting out a long sigh as he stared nkly ahead again.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t join ck, then when the war happens, I will be there with them,¡± Calvin said suddenly.


    Emma looked at Calvin. Sometimes, she forgot that he couldn¡¯t see the real face behind the mask she was wearing. For some reason, she felt Calvin was so warm, even when Emma yed ck.


    Sometimes, it made Emma scared. The look in Calvin¡¯s eyes on her was differentpared to when he was looking at the others. It made her feel as if Calvin could see right through her mask.


    ¡°Hey, asshole. Are you serious dumping us?¡± Troy stared at Calvin in disbelief.


    Calvin shrugged his shoulders. ¡°We all have the same goal. That is defeating Dragger. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there too when Jita Kyoei is fighting Dragger if my body is still fine to fight in your battle.¡± He smiled innocently.


    ¡°Are you a fighting maniac or what?¡± Frank muttered under his breath.


    ¡°I agree with what Calvin said. In the end, we have the same goal.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°Gosh... I¡¯m getting impatient with you guys. I didn¡¯t know that boys also need a long time to make a decision. Are you girls who are confused about choosing clothes for a party tonight?¡± she asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Oh, you seem quite knowledgeable about women, huh? That¡¯s unexpected, with your attitude that seems to only care about the peace of the world.¡± Ian mocked.


    Emma bit her lower lip. It seemed she had spoken without thinking first. She said something that probably made her sound like a girl.


    Then Emma cleared her throat. ¡°Idiots. So what¡¯s your decision? You guys are wasting our time.¡±


    Finally, Ian let out a long sigh, ¡°Fine. I think it will be better if we join forces again.¡±


    Ian¡¯s words made Troy smile with relief. It turned out that the right-hand man also had the same thought as him.


    ¡°How is it, chief?¡± Emma looked at Troy.

 Chapter 288

    288 Opportunity to Talk


    The sound of a pen being tapped on the table was heard up around the chair that was being upied by a brown-haired girl.


    Emma was thinking about what would happen in the war.


    Previously, the ck Swan always attacked its enemies first. The truth was that what Emma had been doing all this time was cheating. She always attacked her enemy suddenly from behind.


    Hell Gate, Creeper, and Beast Empire ¨C Emma always attacked their base when they were unprepared. Even, before carrying out the attack, Emma had also messed up the contents of her enemy¡¯s group using Kathy¡¯s hacking ability.


    But what would happenter would be different from previous events. This was a real war, when both parties had prepared themselves respectively.


    Even though this was a two-on-one war, Emma saw this battle as fair because Dragger had a veryrge number of members. Maybe if ck Swan and Jita Kyoei werebined, then the number of their group could match the number of Dragger¡¯s group.


    Previously, Emma had asked Kathy to find out everything about the Dragger group.


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t difficult to find information about Dragger. It seemed they didn¡¯t really care if their general information got out.


    Everyone knew that Jen Marrie Street belonged to Dragger. The group was led by a high school boy named Pablo Diablo. The group also bribed the police to make it impossible to arrest them for their crimes and illegal business.


    .....


    Pablo did not hide that he was a high school boy. He did not hide where he went to school and who his parents were. He had a good rtionship with all members of his core team, like a family.


    So powerful, Pablo was sure that he had no weaknesses that his opponents could use to subvert the business or group he led.


    And another fact also made Emma always think about it. Dragger wasn¡¯t the strongest group. Above it was still a group called ck Hole.


    The ck Hole group had the biggest mystery. Kathy could find absolutely no information about them. Of all her efforts to search, Kathy only got one piece of information that the ck Hole had a leader named James Kade.


    The information that Kathy had worked so hard to find, was only in the form of a name. She did not know who was and the face of the No.1 of ck Hole.


    ¡®If Dragger is strong enough, I don¡¯t know what ck Hole is like.¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Emma,¡±


    She jolted slightly when she heard a very familiar voice calling her name. She nced at the man who was sitting in the seat beside her.


    ¡°Calvin, are you here?¡± Emma greeted him back warmly.


    Calvin nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t you usually be alone like this,¡±


    ¡°I woke up too early. Since I had nothing else to do at home, I decided to leave early. The empty campus felt peaceful.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Calvin answered with a smile he couldn¡¯t stop.


    Emma looked at him questioningly with a smile. ¡°Is there anything funny?¡±


    Calvin shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just d that I decided to leave so early today. Now I have the chance to interact with you.¡±


    Emma gave a confused look. ¡°Don¡¯t we always attend the same ss every day? We also always sit next to each other. I think they are interaction,¡±


    ¡°I know. But, every time ss is over, you always go straight away.¡± Calvin replied. There was a sad tone there.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Then she smiled guiltily at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it. If you want to talk, actually you can just talk to me right away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Emma. I feel bad for you because you seem so busytely. So I didn¡¯t want to disturb your time.¡± Calvin said.


    Emma smiled gently at him. ¡°You are very considerate, Calvin. Thank you for always thinking about my business.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I would never force my will on anyone, especially someone I care about.¡±


    ¡°You are very different from him...¡± Emma muttered to herself. She thought about Levi.


    Calvin frowned. ¡°With... who?¡± he asked doubtfully in a low voice.


    Emma realized that she had muttered to herself unintentionally. Then she shook her head. ¡°Someone I know. Forget it, he¡¯s not important.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Calvin smiled faintly. ¡°By the way, what have you been busy with recently? Do you have a project with the girls? You are often seen discussing something together with a serious face.¡±


    Emma raised her eyebrows. ¡°Was that very obvious?¡±


    Calvin chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was obvious or I was just paying too much attention to it. Sorry, but please don¡¯t think of me as a stalker. I just have a bad habit of paying attention to others.¡±


    Emma giggled. ¡°If you didn¡¯t mention it at first, I would almost have thought that you were a stalker.¡±


    ¡°Gosh... My points are decreasing again in your eyes.¡± Calvin covered one side of his face with a hand.


    Calvin¡¯s act made Emma chuckle. She knew he was only joking, and so did she.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s busy. You also look busy with your friends.¡± Emma said with one raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Well, you are right,¡± Calvin muttered, and then he let out a long sigh. ¡°Sorry for speaking so selfishly. I admit I¡¯ve had a lot of problemstely that need to be fixed.¡±


    Emma nodded. She knew what Calvin was talking about. It was a gangster group problem that actually Emma was involved in.


    Calvin looked at Emma who was pensive herself. Then, he cleared his throat. ¡°Are you... perhaps interested a little about my problem?¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emma moved. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but something suddenly crossed my mind. What happened?¡±


    Since Emma already knew about the problem Calvin was referring to, it didn¡¯t ur to her to ask again. In fact, what Calvin knew was that Emma didn¡¯t know anything about his job outside of campus.


    Calvin shook his head briefly. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Then he took a deep breath before telling about the problem he was having. ¡°You must have known it, don¡¯t you? Crystal¡¯s disappearance the other day was caused by a gangster group kidnapping her.¡±


    ¡°I knew. It looks like it¡¯s the same group that almost kidnapped Linda in front of Poppy¡¯s ballet studio. But I heard that the group is gone now. Did you guys catch the criminals?¡±


    ¡°We did, Emma. Me, Troy and his friends, and a group called the ck. We all busted that kidnapping syndicate.¡± Calvin replied.


    Emma smiled dly, acting as if she was both surprised and amazed to hear it. ¡°You guys are heroes! All the girls in this city should be thanking you.¡±


    ¡°We have different goals in doing so. There¡¯s no need to give us the herobel.¡± Calvin chuckled.


    Emma nodded. ¡°All right. Then, what¡¯s the problem now?¡±


    ¡°We will face tougher opponents,¡± Calvin replied.


    ¡°Oh, are you scared?¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s embarrassing to admit it, the feeling is honestly there, even if it¡¯s super tiny.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out to be how you really feel,¡± Emma rubbed Calvin¡¯s back, ¡°Rx. We can get through this.¡±


    What Emma said was sweet, but on the one hand, it also made Calvin frown in confusion. ¡°We?¡±


    Emma was shocked at her own words, then cleared her throat to shake off her nervousness. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ll always support you.¡± she smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Emma. That means a lot to me.¡± Calvin said. ¡°I hope that all these problems will be resolved soon, so that I can have more time to do various things that I want but have not been carried out until now.¡±

 Chapter 289

    289 Life and Death


    ¡°Mm? What is it?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I want to take you out... that¡¯s if you have time, of course.¡± He fiddled with his fingers then looked down. ¡°Mytest chance was ruined because of those rascals. I¡¯m really sorry for not being able to protect you. It should have been a fun day from start to finish.¡±


    Previously, on the first day after the incident where Emma was kidnapped, Calvin attacked her with questions.


    Calvin made sure that Emma was absolutely fine. He asked about the chronology of why she could be kidnapped. It made Emma have to rack her brain as creatively as possible to give the most reasonable answer. Besides that, Calvin also kept apologizing for not being able to look after Emma properly.


    ¡°Calvin, I don¡¯t know how many times to say this to you. It¡¯s not your fault. You don¡¯t have to keep apologizing like that.¡± Emma was getting annoyed.


    ¡°Sorry to make you feel ufortable. It¡¯s just that this feeling can¡¯t get out of my mind. As if my heart keeps saying that I shouldn¡¯t have left you alone there. I should have taken you to eat at a more appropriate ce. I shouldn¡¯t have taken you out when a girl¡¯s kidnapping was on the rise. I know that it must have traumatized you. I¡¯m the one who asked you out, but I couldn¡¯t get you home the right way. I feel like a total loser...¡±


    Calvin¡¯s sentence stopped when Emma held his hand. He looked at the girl who was smiling softly at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful because you think so much of me. But I¡¯m really fine, Calvin. You have given the best to me. Apart from that incident, I am very happy about the experience you gave me. I think I want to watch the concert again,¡± Emma said with a chuckle.


    Calvin gave a gentle smile. ¡°Then, I will look for another good concert. I promise.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m waiting for you to keep that promise.¡± Emma winked.


    ***


    Pablo stared at the piece of paper with angry eyes. It was a reply letter from Jita Kyoei who also included ck¡¯s name there.


    Creed perched beside Pablo¡¯s desk, watching his best friend who was burning with anger. ¡°They are beyond our expectations.¡±


    ¡°Jita Kyoei shouldn¡¯t be like this. I know very well what kind of group they are. Troy, especially Tobias, have high self-esteem. They couldn¡¯t possibly agree to a two-on-one fight. That should just make them angry,¡± Pablo said with a face of disbelief.


    ¡°Looks like the problem isn¡¯t with Jita Kyoei. It¡¯s a group called ck.¡± Creed said.


    ¡°ck. What kind of group are they exactly?¡± Pablo muttered to himself.


    ¡°Markus said that Derric and Juan have researched about them, but haven¡¯t gotten any information. Markus himself has also tried, but to no avail.¡± Creed shrugged as he sat back down on the sofa.


    It was rare to see a Creed who didn¡¯t hold a gadget in his hands to y games. The tall man who had enormous strength was also quite serious about the situation that was happening.


    ¡°It seems that ck should not be underestimated. It¡¯s not about their strength, but their brains.¡± Pablo said.


    ¡°I think they have reasons to cover up their identity. Are they not the police?¡± Creed asked.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem possible. Most of them are too small for Handway City police standards. They look like students. The elementary students, to be precise,¡± Pablo still remembered when he was in fifth or sixth grade. At that time, his height was like that of the ck members.


    ¡°Because they cover up their identities, it¡¯s difficult to find out where theye from and where their headquarters are, even though Markus has searched various warehouse locations that might be their headquarters,¡± Creed said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they have a base?¡± Pablo muttered to himself, then he shook his head, ¡°But they have quite a lot of members. There¡¯s no way they don¡¯t have a base, especially with the vehicles they frequently use.¡±


    Creed chuckled as he took his game gadget from his waist bag which he previously ced on the sofa. ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t need to think about this now. We have one big chance to find out who ck really is.¡±


    Pablo looked at Creed from behind his desk. ¡°We have to make sure to rip off their masks in the battle.¡±


    Suddenly, Pablo¡¯s cell phone rang. He looked at the screen that disyed the contact name ¡®James Kade¡¯.


    ¡°It¡¯s James,¡± he said for Creed to hear.


    The man who was ying the game nced at Pablo. Even though his eyes had returned to focus on the screen of his gadget, the worried expression there could not be hidden.


    ¡°Answer it,¡± Creed said.


    Pablo sighedzily before answering it, ¡°Hello..¡± his voice turned joyful.


    ¡°Now?¡± Pablo asked. ¡°Well.. sure,¡± he continued before ending the call.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Creed asked with a nce at Pablo.


    The man in the big yellow jacket got up from his seat and took out a cigar from a wooden box that was perched on the side of his desk. ¡°James told us toe. He said he had something to talk about.¡±


    ¡°What a pain in the ass,¡± Creed muttered, getting to his feet too.


    ***


    As usual, James never wanted to talk about important things over the phone. He preferred that the two boyse to his base and talk directly.


    The two boys walked into a room they hated. It was a room that had an extremely cold temperature with a bald man with a full body of tattoos in it.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that face?¡± James asked with one raised eyebrow. He noticed the faces of the two boys were gloomy.


    ¡°You call us on the weekends. Don¡¯t you know that teenagers need time to y?¡± Pablo asked cynically.


    James sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s only for a moment. Sit down quickly,¡±


    ¡°Tch... All right. What¡¯s that?¡± Pablo asked as he sat in his usual ce with Creed beside him.


    ¡°I heard that you guys are challenging two groups of heroes to battle?¡± he asked. ¡°Um... I forgot, what¡¯s the name of that group?¡±


    ¡°Jita Kyoei and ck,¡± Pablo answeredzily.


    ¡°Oh, yes, that. Are you sure you can wipe them all in one go?¡± James raised one eyebrow.


    ¡°Hey... Did you call us here just to belittle us? I¡¯d better go,¡± Pablo was about to get up.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a joking question, Pablo. I¡¯m seriously asking if you can win the fight,¡± James¡¯ face hardened even more, showing that he was serious.


    ¡°Do we need to fight now to remind you of our strength?¡± Creed put down his phone and looked at James.


    ¡°You¡¯re still that confident, aren¡¯t ya?¡± James said.


    ¡°Believe it or not, we can definitely beat them. Even without any members, we can beat them with just the two of us.¡± Pablo answered, no less serious. It was a rarely-seen sight.


    ¡°If you are that sure you will win, then fine. But you have to remember what will happen if you lose this war.¡± James said.


    Silently, Pablo gulped hard. He honestly wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure that they would seed either. And, he knew very well what the consequences must be received by the losing party.


    James looked at Pablo who was silent. ¡°What you have now actually belongs to the ck Hole. Did you forget your agreement at the beginning?¡±


    Creed clenched his fists. ¡°You talk as if you are the most powerful. Is that...¡±


    ¡°What I said is not purely from my own opinion.¡± James cut the boy off.


    Pablo and Creed then fell silent with frowns.


    James nodded. ¡°What happened to Dragger has got their attention, kids. You guys better learn to be wiser and more careful.¡±


    James¡¯ words surprised the two boys even more. They stared at each other, realizing that this was no longer a game to show who was the strongest, but had changed to show who would die and live.

 Chapter 290

    290 History of Dragger


    ¡°What did they say? How could they interfere?¡± Pablo asked with a worried look.


    ¡°You already know that The Deadly Square has all been toppled. It¡¯s certain that now, ck Hole has to intervene.¡± James replied.


    ¡°But there¡¯s Dragger, right? Aren¡¯t we the aplices of the ck Hole?¡± Pablo asked again.


    ¡°I know. But we can¡¯t count on you alone. We don¡¯t think you¡¯re strong enough. Therefore, we¡¯re taking over all of The Deadly Square¡¯s copsed businesses.¡± James said.


    Pablo was surprised to hear that fact. At first, he thought that all of these businesses would be taken over by Dragger because they were the aplices of ck Hole.


    The ck Hole group never touched on these kinds of businesses. From the start, Pablo was confident that all of that would be handed on to Dragger.


    He had even prepared himself and his members to propose new businesses that he would manage. But now, reality said that it was just a wishful thinking.


    ¡°Not strong enough? Are you kidding me? Who¡¯s been giving the ck Hole the most ie so far?¡± Creed snapped.


    ¡°Hey, keep your voice down kid. Remember where you stand and where you are right now.¡± James moved his finger to instruct Creed to sit back down.


    .....


    Then the bald man full of tattoos sighed tiredly. ¡°That decision was the result of a collective meeting. You can¡¯t just me everything on me,¡±


    ¡°But, this is all we can do, James. Now, the only ck Hole man we can meet is you. We don¡¯t even understand why you guys made up this new nonsense rule.¡± Pablo said.


    ¡°Come on... You boys just need to obey and win the war.¡± James flicked his hand briefly in front of his face. He couldn¡¯t stand the kids for long. They suck.


    ¡°Then what about Dragger?¡± Pablo asked deeply.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± James asked back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb, James. Those businesses. We should at least have a share in managing them. And also, with the Beast Empire¡¯s businesses. They are under Dragger. We are the ones who raised the Beast Empire.¡± James exined fast with a higher voice.


    ¡°From the start, the Beast Empire belongs to the ck Hole. You approached those sewer rats on our instructions. Did you forget?¡± James replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s just one sentence, James. One sentence. The ones walking, moving, bustling, and tired are us!¡± Pablo gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Hey, I told you not to take your anger out on me. If you guys really mind the decision, you bettere straight to them. I¡¯ve told you that I can¡¯t make decisions alone. This is a group of giants.¡± James said.


    Pablo clenched his fists with the anger he had to hold in his chest. ¡°We¡¯re not going to lose. Keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Keep your word. I mean it because no help willeter.¡± James said firmly. But there was sadness in his voice.


    In fact, James already considered the two boys like his own little brothers. Even though they were really annoying, James knew that they were actually good kids.


    But work was work. You couldn¡¯t get your feelings into it.


    In a business, you would befriend whoever gave you an advantage. And a friend could turn into an enemy. This was the ¡®eat or be eaten¡¯ game.


    Pablo and Creed came out of the cold room with hot hearts. They couldn¡¯t believe their weekend, which was supposed to be fun, had to be passed with such bad news.


    ck Hole had even said from the start that they would not provide assistance if Dragger lost the battleter.


    Pablo didn¡¯t understand what that group was actually nning.


    Dragger was a group formed by ck Hole itself. At that time, Pablo and Creed were just two ordinary junior high boys who went to a cheap school. They were the boys who were squeezed in the lower-ss economy.


    They were not smart in their studies, even though they had tried. It may be because they often ate instant food and consumed less nutritious foods, so their brains were unable to keep up with lessons.


    The only advantage Pablo and Derric had was their fighting ability.


    In the whole middle school building, Pablo was the strongest kid and Derric was the second strongest. They could beat students from the same school who join forces to beat them up.


    In fact, their talent had already begun to show when they were still in fifth grade. However, it got worse once they advanced to the junior high level. Every day, they fought.


    When all the kids in their school could no longer stand up against them, Pablo and Creed started challenging students from other middle schools and even high schools. Every day, they would fight as if that was all they could do to fill their youth.


    Pablo and Creed were bored with school life because they couldn¡¯t keep up with the lessons. Therefore, they used fights to fill boredom.


    Until one day, a man full of tattoos greeted them. The man said that they were talented kids standing in the wrong ce.


    The school was not the right ce for Pablo and Creed. Therefore, the tattooed man taught them business principles.


    Unexpectedly, it turned out that Pablo was interested. Unlike school lessons, the short business lesson he got from that man entered easily into his brain and he could digest it well.


    In the end, the man invited Pablo to create a business together. However, because Pablo was too young and didn¡¯t have anything, it was the man who financed Pablo to run a small business.


    Even though Creed was not as adept at doing business as Pablo, he was always by his best friend¡¯s side. Seeing that perfectbination, an idea was born to form a group.


    Pablo and Creed had both power and business acumen. If they created a group, it would quickly be a sess.


    With the help of the tattooed man, Pablo and Creed form a group called Dragger.


    However, one thing the two boys found out only after they had walked far enough was the identity of the man with the tattoos.


    Pablo Diablo and Creed Johnson were just children who knew nothing about the outside world. They were children who were born in families with a lower economic ss.


    Since childhood, their only job was to y in the small river behind the house. Therefore, they became easy targets to be tricked.


    The two kids just found out that the strange man who approached them was the leader of a group called ck Hole.


    However, back then, ck Hole was a small group. In fact, it was Dragger who made ck Hole as huge as now.


    When the business that Dragger ran got bigger, the ck Hole also got bigger.


    One more fact that Pablo and Creed did not know from the previous ck Hole was that the group had a very strong core team. Even, the president had demon-like powers.


    In fact, along the way, Pablo and Creed had the feeling that they were being used by the ck Hole because ck Hole started implementing a system of routine mandatory payment with high nominal.


    Feeling annoyed, Pablo and Creed thought about defecting. But before they could carry out their intention, the leader of the ck Hole could immediately read what the two boys were nning. Then, they were beaten to a pulp by two on one fight.


    It was the first time Pablo and Creed had lost a fight. And since then, Dragger hadpletely submitted to ck Hole.


    Not long after that, ck Hole started its next mission as if Dragger, who had set up a business on Jen Marrie Street, still wasn¡¯t enough. ck Hole was targeting four sessful groups to turn them into its gold mines.

 Chapter 291

    291 Reciprocity


    Back to the present, the reality was that the four groups that had been the gold mines of the ck Hole had fallen. In other meaning, only Dragger was left.


    Then why did ck Hole even act as if Dragger meant nothing to them?


    ck Hole should have kept Dragger standing. If in the war Dragger was defeated, it meant that Jen Marrie Street would move into the hands of the enemy.


    Pablo didn¡¯t understand what ck Hole was nning. He could even only meet with James alone. In fact, he usually could meet all of the ck Hole core team.


    James was the No.1 in the ck Hole group. However, because the group was sorge, every decision-making required the approval of all members of the core team which wasmonly referred to as the group council.


    They really made the group into a bigpany.


    Of all the things that were so confusing, Pablo didn¡¯t have many options at this point.


    All he had to do was win the war ahead.


    **


    .....


    Emma knew that today was thest weekend she could enjoy casually. It was like enjoying a clear sky before a big storm came.


    The news of the impending big war had been informed to all ck Swan girls. Therefore, all the members prepared themselves carefully by practicing as hard as they could.


    Since it was the weekend, Emma gave training and all group activities off. She believed that the members should be able to rx their shoulders so as not to get stressed.


    Emma did this based on her own experience. Ever since she was young, when she entered the school exam period, she would study like crazy. However, when it was very close to exam day, Jonas even took her on vacation for two or three days.


    Jonas said that a brain that had been pressured to work hard to learn would be stressed. Therefore, the brain must be given entertainment so that it was not stressed and could work optimally.


    Even though the method Jonas used may seem strange to some, it really worked for Emma.


    Emma thought it might work for her The ck Swan friends as well. But if not, that was not a problem either. She just wanted to see her friends having fun to relieve stress.


    The news about the war with Dragger must have at least put a little pressure on most members of The ck Swan group.


    After having faced Dragger members in the mission to attack the Beast Empire¡¯s warehouse, all of them could feel for themselves that Dragger members could not be underestimated. Dragger¡¯s members were indeed strong. If Jita Kyoei didn¡¯te that time, they might end up losing.


    ¡°I know, Jonas,¡± Emma said with the phone pressed to her ear.


    ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m ready to tell your papa if you need to increase your credit card limit.¡± Jonas said to reassure Emma.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you,¡± Emma answered lightly.


    ¡°You really have a lot of friends there, don¡¯t you? Usually, young people who have a lot of friends will often hang out,¡± Jonas said.


    Emma furrowed her brow in confusion, ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Do you have enough clothes? You haven¡¯t been shopping very often.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I told you not to keep checking my credit card transactions. You¡¯re kind of a stalker, you know?¡± Emma scolded.


    ¡°Of course, I have to keep an eye on what you¡¯re doing there. That¡¯s my job, youngdy.¡± Jonas answered. ¡°Besides, what do you keep withdrawing cash for? You¡¯re not doing anything illegal or... taking drugs, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Emma shook her head quickly, ¡°You¡¯re digressing, Jonas. I¡¯m going to hang up the phone,¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey. Wait a minute. You¡¯re really not having it, are you?¡± Jonas asked, emphasizing his tone.


    ¡°Do you know me as a girl who is willing to destroy my own body with drugs? Gosh... I don¡¯t believe this. Looks like haven¡¯t seen my face for almost a year have made you forget who I am,¡± Emma said with a snort of annoyance.


    ¡°Precisely because I haven¡¯t forgotten what you were like thest time we met, Emma. Compared to now, you sound very different. A person can change a lot in a year.¡± Jonas replied.


    ¡°All right, Jonas. Now tell me, what has changed about me? Is it bad or better?¡± Emma raised her eyebrows defiantly, though Jonas couldn¡¯t see her.


    ¡°It-it¡¯s getting better, actually. But, I can be worried, can¡¯t I? I¡¯m a human with feelings too.¡± Jonas said jokingly.


    Emma chuckled. ¡°I know that I¡¯m getting mature. Admit it to the face, Jonas. Then, stop meddling in my business as you promised me!¡±


    ¡°It looks like the little devil will be even more annoying when she grows up. Well... I need some headache pills now.¡± Jonas said, instantly inviting Emma tough.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re getting old, Jonas,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Okay then. I don¡¯t want to interrupt your date.¡± Jonas cleared his throat.


    ¡°What date? I¡¯m just waiting for a friend.¡± Emma replied sharply.


    ¡°I believe it,¡± Jonas replied.


    ¡°Hey...¡±


    ¡°I hung up. Have a nice day, growndy.¡± Jonas cut off straight before hanging up on their call.


    ¡°You annoying old man!¡± Emma growled as she lowered her cell phone.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so rude to your parents.¡±


    Emma then turned to the voice that was ringing right beside her ear. She was even more shocked when she found the man¡¯s face was too close to hers. ¡°I¡¯ll kick your leg if you do this again.¡± She said as she stepped back and pushed him away.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Levi said, stepping past the garden bench Emma was sitting on, then sitting next to her.


    ¡°I think this is the first time you¡¯ve asked to meet first. Am I wrong?¡± Levi said while thinking.


    Emma seemed to think. ¡°Is it?¡±


    Levi shrugged. ¡°Forget it. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Instead of something happening, a better word is; something will happen.¡± Emma let out a long sigh.


    After the emotionally draining incident that Emma and Levi had experienced, maybe it would be very strange if they met again.


    Actually, Emma knew that maybe they would be awkward if they had to meet after that incident. However, Emma did not want that incident to make them stay away. She didn¡¯t want her friendship to run aground for fear of feeling awkward.


    They both promised to be just friends. Emma herself also said that they would not be able to be together as lovers. For that reason, if she avoided Levi, it would even indicate that she wasn¡¯t sure she could keep her word.


    So far, Levi had been like an advisor to Emma. The man gave her a lot of input during the time she lived in Handway City. Thanks to Levi, she could be more mature in dealing with various problems in her life.


    Now, Emma felt that she needed Levi¡¯s input regarding the war she would face. Even if Levi couldn¡¯t help in the end, he could at least give Emma some peace of mind.


    Emma knew that this time she was using Levi. However, that man also often took advantage of her, didn¡¯t he? So, this could be considered as reciprocity. They were two troubled persons who lend each other a shoulder.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s a problem that hasn¡¯t happened yet? It¡¯s great that you can already predict it,¡± Levi chuckled.


    ¡°Stop joking around, Levi. I really feel pressured now.¡± Emma rested her elbows on her thighs and used her palms to support her chin. Then, she looked at the river that was flowing in front of her.


    ¡°Then, what kind of problem is that? I¡¯m ready to listen,¡± Levi said, staring at Emma who looked radiant as if she was reflecting the ripples of the water from the river in front of them.

 Chapter 292

    292 Tough Childhood


    Levi couldn¡¯t believe that Emma would ask him to meet him so soon. Apparently, his feelings for her were greater than her feelings for him.


    Even though it was disappointing, Levi decided to ept the reality. Emma rejected him and only wanted friendship, exactly what he wanted in the first ce. Therefore, he would do as Emma wished.


    For Levi, while he could still meet Emma, ??see her smile, and talk casually with her, that was more than enough.


    ¡°I will face a war,¡± Emma said tly.


    Levi frowned. Then he chuckled, ¡°A war?¡±


    Emma nodded slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a war,¡±


    ¡°I see. So, are you afraid to face it?¡± He asked, deciding to take Emma¡¯s game. Maybe the war was a parable that Emma used for the very difficult problem she was facing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯m scared or not. But, I feel worried for sure,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to be afraid and worried before facing something big. It doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re weak.¡± Levi said.


    .....


    He knew that Emma was a girl with high self-esteem. She didn¡¯t like being seen as weak, even by herself.


    ¡°What about you? What will you do when you feel that way?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Mm...¡± Levi crossed his arms across his chest and thought for a while. ¡°If I¡¯m worried, I¡¯ll do what I like. That way, I¡¯ll at least forget my troubles for a while. After that, maybe my brain will rx, even if I¡¯m lucky, I¡¯ll think of a solution that wasn¡¯t thought of before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the thing I¡¯m trying to do right now. But it still doesn¡¯t seem to work.¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see you doing anything now. You just sit and ponder and...¡± Levi stopped his sentence.


    He realized that the continuation of his sentence might offend thefort of both of them. Fortunately, he immediately realized the unspoken words that would have an awkward effect between the two of them.


    Whether Emma realized it or not, she said that she was trying to do the things she loved. And all Levi could see now, she was meeting him. Didn¡¯t it clearly mean that meeting Levi was something Emma loved?


    Emma frowned. ¡°Why are you stopping?¡±


    Levi immediately shook his head, ¡°I just forgot what to say, haha..¡±


    Emma rolled her eyes. ¡°Do you know how ridiculous you are?¡±


    Levi just smiled faintly. ¡°Is the war you are about to face that big?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. It involves several people who are all rted to me.¡± Emma thought for a moment. ¡°More or less, it¡¯s like group work. Later, we will have an important presentation as a group and I will be the leader.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Levi nodded in understanding, ¡°So, this is about your lecture, huh? It seems so heavy that you would call it a war.¡±


    ¡°That is a big problem that determines our life and death.¡± Emma gave a brief shrug before dropping it weakly.


    ¡°Have you prepared yourselves before the exam?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared ourselves as best we can.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever heard; The image of a pain hurts more than the pain itself?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma seemed to think, then shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But if I think about it, I feel like I¡¯ve experienced it,¡±


    ¡°You have?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°When I fell and hit my head as a child, so I had to have surgery. After the surgery, there was a day that I had to get my stitches to be treated by the nurses. At that time, I was scared to death and felt as if I could feel the pain in my head. But when I actually went through it, it turned out that the pain was not as bad as I had imagined. Is that the right example?¡±


    ¡°It is, Emma. It is a perfect example.¡± Levi smiled broadly. ¡°Without you knowing it, imagining a challenge before it actuallyes will only make it more difficult for you to face itter because, in your brain, you already have suggestions about how difficult the challenge is. When the difficulty level of the challenge is actually only fifty percent, it will be one hundred percent because of your own thoughts.¡±


    Emma nodded understandingly. ¡°I think you are right,¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am. Feeling afraid and worried is a natural thing for humans. But if you let yourself get lost in it, then it will drown you. When you actually can seed, you might fail just because of your own thought.¡± Levi replied.


    ¡°Fail because you thought you will fail. Win because you thought you will win.¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    Even though Emma was muttering to herself, Levi could hear her words. ¡°The difficulty you face is as big as your mind makes it out to be. If you keep saying that it¡¯s easy, then it will be lighter.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m a little afraid that thoughts like this will actually make me underestimate the challenge,¡± Emma said, looking at Levi with a sad face.


    Levi smiled faintly then shook his head. ¡°The one who determines how much effort you make is yourself. The only person who knows your limits is you. Taking things lightly doesn¡¯t mean you actually take them lightly. Even though they are light things, it doesn¡¯t mean you have to loosen up your hard work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say this, but it looks like your exnation has a point. It¡¯s eptable to my sense.¡± Emma chuckled.


    Levi ruffled Emma¡¯s hair briefly. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, this is quite a help. Thanks to you,¡± Emma wasn¡¯t even angry because her hair, which she always styled neatly, was messed up by the hand that was covered with a tattoo.


    Since winter was over, Levi often wore casual clothes that made his pale, tattooed skin more visible. Even so, he still often wore dark clothes.


    ¡°Do you want to go somewhere fun? Maybe it will rx your brain,¡± Levi said as he stood up.


    Emma frowned while looking at Levi who was standing in front of her. ¡°What ce?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon,¡± Levi replied as grabbed Emma¡¯s hand.


    Still holding Emma¡¯s hand, Levi directed her up onto the road, where he parked his car.


    ¡°You¡¯re not bringing a car, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Emma answered.


    **


    Less than half an hour¡¯s drive, they arrived at a mall that was not too big.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a mall here,¡± Emma said as she entered the mall door and looked around.


    ¡°This mall isn¡¯t as busy as the other malls. Even so, it¡¯s one of the oldest malls in Handway City. Therefore, the building looks a bit old and rarely visited. You know there are a lot of newer, bigger, and more modern malls now.¡±


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t know much about Handway City,¡± Emma asked. She still remembered the first time she met Levi. The man said that he didn¡¯t know much about good ces to eat because he rarely went around.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°But, since we were little, Lukas and I often snuck into this mall. At that time, we looked like homeless and had no money. But back then, this mall had the biggest arcade yground in Handway City.


    We came only to watch other children y. Just sitting on a toy that doesn¡¯t on was enough to make us happy. Unfortunately, we are often kicked out by the guards.¡± Heughed at the thought of the past.


    Emma looked at Levi with a sorry face. ¡°Sounds like your childhood was quite tough, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

 Chapter 293

    293 Surprising Appearance


    ¡°Tough childhood, huh?¡± Levi chuckled and took a deep breath.


    ¡°When I think about it now, it does look like that. But back then, we didn¡¯t really think about it. We just did things that made us happy. At that time, maybe our standard of happiness was that simple.¡± He continued.


    Emma smiled faintly. ¡°Now I understand why you put a lot of effort to guard what you have now.¡±


    Levi nodded. ¡°A person¡¯s mindset is formed from what he has been through in his life.¡±


    ¡°Back to the original topic,¡± Emma took a deep breath as she looked back at the surroundings in their steps. ¡°What are you going to show me?¡±


    ¡°We go up one more floor. Then you will know.¡± Levi smiled excitedly.


    Finally, they arrived at the second floor. Now, it seemed that Emma knew what Levi meant when he was little. The second floor was like an arcade game heaven. Not surprisingly, Levi and Lukas came to this ce every day, even though they couldn¡¯t y a single game.


    The colourful lights from the various game machines and decorations reflected on Emma¡¯s face.


    Levi turned to Emma. He smiled at her reaction. From the start, he had been confident that Emma would love this ce too. He felt that he knew more or less about her likings.


    .....


    ¡°Although most of the games here are old games, the machines are still good and well maintained. This ce used to be very popr.¡± Levi said while directing Emma to walk to the ticket counter.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you used to loveing to this ce,¡± Emma said.


    Levi nodded. ¡°At that time, this ce was a paradise for children and teenagers. Not, a few adults also came to y.¡±


    After arriving at the counter, Levi bought lots of coins. ¡°Unlike the old me, now we can y as much as we want.¡± he winked at Emma.


    Just like what Levi had nned, Emma looked so happy that she forgot her worries. They yed in that empty ce for three hours ¨C Tried various games andughed as loud as if the ce was their own. It was as if in this huge world, the two of them living it alone.


    Time would pass so fast when you enjoy it. They stopped their game when their stomach growled.


    Emma nced at her watch. ¡°Looks like I should be back soon. I have some things to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, all right then. Do you still have time to eat?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma shook her head weakly. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d been here this long,¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s just buy snacks, shall we? So we can eat them on the way home.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine too.¡±


    Then Levi took Emma to another floor where many shops there. And one of them was a small shop that sold tacos.


    ¡°Do you like tacos?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had it a few times. It¡¯s not my favourite food, but I think it tastes quite nice,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Maybe you can try this one,¡± Levi said again as he stepped into the shop.


    ¡°Boss,¡±


    Seeing a man with a face they recognized suddenly enter the shop where they worked, all the shop employees greeted him even though their surprised faces couldn¡¯t be hidden.


    This was a miracle. Levi had only evere to their shop once, when the opening day only.


    Levi raised his eyebrows briefly. ¡°How is it today?¡±


    ¡°G-good. Just like any other day.¡± answered the manager who happened to be behind the counter. Their boss just nodded curtly.


    Emma looked a bit taken aback. She looked at Levi questioningly, ¡°Boss? Are you the owner of this shop?¡±


    Levi smiled faintly then nodded. ¡°This is my business. I have several taco shop branches. This is one of them.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emma nodded.


    So, this was a business that Levi ran. He had a Food and Beverage business. In fact, Emma did not expect that the business Levi was running turned out to be a business like this. It didn¡¯t match his gloomy style.


    ¡°What would you like to order?¡± Levi asked, showing the menu to Emma.


    ¡°Since you are the owner, give the favourite menu here,¡± Emma answered with a big smile.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Levi said. Then he asked his employees to prep two of their signature taco menus and two soft drinks.


    While waiting, Emma nced at Levi and cleared her throat. ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect your business to be a food business. I thought I¡¯d heard that you¡¯re running a service business,¡±


    Levi nodded. ¡°I am. I also do a service business as the side one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°All the taco recipes here are from my mother because she is so good at making tacos. Therefore, Lukas and I were thinking about opening our own shop.¡± Levi said.


    ¡°Wow... Nancy is awesome.¡± Emma muttered in amazement.


    ¡°The tacos are ready,¡± Levi said while taking the big tacos and soft drinks he ordered.


    After that, the two of them came out of the shop. When they had just walked a few meters from the shop, suddenly, a ringing tone was heard from Emma¡¯s cell phone.


    ¡°My phone is ringing,¡± Emma said, stopping her steps. With both hands full of tacos and a ss of soft drink, Emma asked Levi to hold her food while she picked up the phone.


    It was Rachel. She told Emma not to forget their n to go to Ostuka¡¯s house. They n to leave in about an hour and a half.


    Unlike Emma, ??Levi¡¯s hands were big enough to hold two tacos at once, although he was having a bit of trouble eating his own tacos while waiting for Emma to answer the call.


    ¡°Ok, bye,¡± Emma said before putting her phone back in her purse.


    ¡°Sorry, let¡¯s get back walk,¡± Emma turned to Levi with a hand ready to take back her tacos.


    But what Emma saw made herugh out loud because Levi¡¯s mouth was messed up by the red salsa sauce.


    ¡°My face is messy, isn¡¯t it?¡± Levi could guess what was going on. He was starving after ying earlier and he couldn¡¯t resist devouring the taco that was already in his hand even though it was difficult.


    Emma nodded as took out several sheets of tissue from her purse. Then, she wiped the sauce around Levi¡¯s lips with a giggle.


    The tall man had to lower his body in order to receive that warm treatment from Emma. He nced at the position they were standing which was quite far from his shop. Actually, he did not want his employees to see him in this state.


    Levi was known as a cold boss. Actually, with Levi bringing a girl there alone, it made the employees shocked. But only to that extent, Levi decided to ignore it. But now, he was in a position where he looked like a child being taken care of by his mother.


    ¡°Hey, are you done?¡± Levi asked, noticing Emma¡¯s hand had suddenly stopped moving around his mouth.


    He returned his gaze from his own shop to the girl standing in front of him and realized that Emma was staring pensively elsewhere. He frowned and then turned to what Emma was staring at.


    Two meters from where they were standing was a man who was about the same height as Levi. The man stood still, staring at the two of them with a stunned face.


    Emma lowered her hand slowly from Levi¡¯s face while gulping down hard. She turned to face the man. ¡°C-Calvin,¡±

 Chapter 294

    294 In Between


    Calvin couldn¡¯t believe that he had to see such a painful sight ¨C The real scene he hoped was a dream.


    Calvin admitted that he was not someone special in Emma¡¯s life. He was just a university friend. He had no right to feel devastated by seeing Emma with another man.


    But he thought that all this time, Emma had at least almost the same feelings as he had for her. Maybe he was a grown man who was too innocent and naive. He thought that he was the only man orbiting in Emma¡¯s love world.


    All of Calvin¡¯s thoughts had been wrong. He did not know who that man was. But he was sure it was not Emma¡¯s brother or rtive. Until thest second, he still said in his heart, ¡®I hope I¡¯m wrong.¡¯


    After pulling himself together, Calvin forced a smile that could only crack very thinly. ¡°Emma,¡±


    Levi straightened his back. He looked at the man named Calvin, then looked at Emma who looked surprised. From there, Levi could judge that it seemed like the two of them had a special rtionship.


    To be honest, Levi felt a strange throbbing in his heart. It was a very ufortable feeling.


    Did Emma really have a special rtionship with that man? Were they close? Or maybe, they were actually dating? Was it possible that all this time, Emma had only been ying with his feelings?


    From the start, Levi and Emma agreed not to know about each other¡¯s personal lives.


    .....


    Now, this made Levi feel even more frustrated. He did not expect that tasting the bitter reality behind every sweet thing was so painful.


    From never caring or even thinking about Emma¡¯s personal life, now he was very curious about it.


    ¡°Y-you... are here,¡± Emma smiled awkwardly at Calvin.


    The man nodded as he stepped closer. It felt like all his joints suddenly became stiff and hurt when he moved. ¡°I¡¯m fixing myptop on the fourth floor. What... are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡± Emma chuckled awkwardly. She didn¡¯t even know why she had to chuckle. She was confused about what to do.


    Then, Emma pointed at the man standing right beside her. ¡°He¡¯s Levi Wargos, my friend. We¡¯re just taking a walk here.¡±


    ¡°Levi, he is Calvin Lee, my college friend. We are in the same major.¡± Emma exined to Levi.


    ¡®Friend¡¯ The word kept repeating in both men¡¯s minds.


    Certainly, both Levi and Calvin only had the status of a friend to Emma. Although bitter, at least each of them felt relieved that neither of them was Emma¡¯s boyfriend.


    Calvin reached out his hand to Levi with ??a better feeling. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡±


    Levi stared tly at the hand hanging in front of him. Only when Emma nudged him, he returned Calvin¡¯s brief handshake. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Levi¡¯s attitude made Calvin offended. It looked like this bastard called Levi saw him as an enemy. He deliberately acted indifferent to Calvin in front of Emma to humiliate him.


    Emma could feel the tension enveloping the two men who stood staring at each other beside her. Their eyes stared at each other intently and seemed to emit shes of lightning that collided in the middle.


    For the first time, the two men, who orbit Emma¡¯s love life, meet. This was something Emma had never predicted or imagined at all.


    Even though she considered herself too confident, she understood that both men had feelings for her. Just like Emma herself who selfishly had feelings for both of them at once.


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s cell phone rang again, ¡°Excuse me. I have to answer this,¡± Emma said awkwardly while showing her cell phone which kept ringing.


    ¡°Mm,¡± both men nodded, not looking at her at all. They were still staring at each other like two people in love. But of course, they were under different circumstances.


    Emma stepped away from the two men and answered a call that turned out to be from Rachel again.


    ¡°H-hello, Rachel? Sorry, I¡¯m leaving soon,¡± Emma said instantly before Rachel even said anything.


    She should have been on her way home now. Even though time was a bit tight, Emma thought that it would be fine to stop by to buy some snacks for a while. But she didn¡¯t expect it to turn out like it was now.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Emma. It¡¯s still forty minutes to go. I just happen to be on my way too. Are you still at the mall you told me about?¡± Rachel asked.


    Emma nodded. ¡°I¡¯m still here on urgent business.¡±


    ¡°Ok. I¡¯m on my way from my house to yours. To make it faster, what if I pick you up at the mall?¡± Rachel offered.


    ¡°Yes, please!¡± Emma answered immediately, ¡°If possible, could youe sooner? I¡¯m in trouble here,¡± she whispered.


    Rachel frowned. ¡°O-ok... But, you¡¯re okay, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Rachel. It¡¯s nothing dangerous. So you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Emma replied, understanding what Rachel was thinking.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be right there,¡± Rachel said before hanging up.


    Emma heaved a sigh of relief.


    Hadn¡¯t she said that she was a loser in love? Therefore, it shouldn¡¯t be surprising if she tried to escape from this situation.


    Emma turned back to the two men who were now not looking at each other anymore. Now, they stood a few steps apart with their backs to each other.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, guys,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°No problem.¡± Levi replied, then took Emma¡¯s hand in his, ¡°We¡¯d better go home now. You said you had to go somewhere after this, no?¡±


    Calvin¡¯s eyes stared intently at the pale, tattooed hand that was daringly holding the hand of the girl he liked. He raised his eyes back to the face of the guy named Levi.


    Levi himself realized that Calvin was watching his behaviour towards Emma. For that reason, he deliberately did that to irritate Calvin.


    In fact, Levi didn¡¯t have to think hard to know that Calvin liked Emma too. He would show who was in charge here.


    But apparently, Emma didn¡¯t n to help Levi¡¯s intentions run smoothly. She quickly pulled her hand, making Levi frown in displeasure and Calvin smiled happily.


    ¡°Well... Levi, I¡¯m sorry because I can¡¯t seem to go home with you,¡± Emma said with a guilty face.


    Levi narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The one who called me just now was my friend who was supposed to go with me after this. As it turned out, she happened to be in this area. So she said that she would pick me up directly at this mall so we can get to our next ce on time.¡± Emma pretended to nce at her watch, though she didn¡¯t really see the time. ¡°Actually, we¡¯re alreadyte. You know, my house is quite far from here.¡±


    ¡°Your house?¡± Calvin muttered directly. Don¡¯t tell him this man knows Emma¡¯s house and he doesn¡¯t?


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    ¡°Oh... I mean, the bus stop near my house.¡± Emma immediately revised her words, as well as cutting off Levi¡¯s. She knew what Levi was nning.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Calvin nodded with a rxed face. It turned out to be the same for him, Emma also kept her house a secret from Levi.


    Levi felt annoyance in his chest. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. ¡°So, you¡¯re not going home with me? How if I take you to your next destination?¡± he asked in a somewhat forcing tone.

 Chapter 295

    295 Must Be Me


    Levi was a pushy person, especially when he was upset like now. And Emma understood that.


    Emma immediately shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Levi. My friend is already on the way now. Besides, I don¡¯t want to burden you.¡±


    ¡°You always burden me, so, I¡¯m used to it,¡± Levi answered tly. Then he took a long sigh to calm himself. ¡°Fine if that¡¯s what you want. After all, we¡¯ve been hanging out together all day. Well, even though it wasn¡¯t as long as usual, but today was fun,¡±


    Hearing Levi¡¯s words, Calvin inmed. That jerk was deliberately saying that in front of him to make him jealous. Or worse... he was dering that he was a better man to Emma.


    But above it all, Calvin was more worried about Emma¡¯s reaction. She did not deny Levi¡¯s words. That meant that what the pale, corpse-like guy said was true.


    During this time, Emma was close to another man. And their rtionship seemed to have gone further than what Emma and Calvin had. As it turned out, Emma had always been a nuisance to that guy and often hung out together like this.


    All these facts made Calvin feel pain in his heart and a sense of worry gripped his mind.


    Emma realized that the ufortable atmosphere around them was growing. She immediately cleared her throat to break the silence, ¡°I¡¯d better wait at the lobby door. It looks like my friend will arrive soon.¡±


    Levi and Calvin woke up from their daydreams. Then both of them nodded and in unison said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you out,¡±


    .....


    God! Emma felt like jumping to the ground floor now. The two men began to perform various actions that made Emma awkward and at a loss as to how to respond.


    Calvin and Levi stared at each other with disapproving faces. That was embarrassing and disgusting. How could they talk at the same time like that? Each of them cursed and med the other in their hearts.


    Emma smiled wryly. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m fine going there alone.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll take you. At least I see you get in your friend¡¯s car.¡± Levi answered quickly, didn¡¯t ept rejections.


    ¡°You better not wait in there alone, Emma. The mall is pretty dead. I¡¯m afraid something might happen to you.¡± Calvin replied.


    Emma felt like a criminal who was being escorted by two policemen. Secretly, she sighed heavily before nodding. ¡°Okay... Then, how about the three of us go there together?¡±


    The two men nced at each other cynically. But they both had to nod because they had no other choice. Emma was in a hurry.


    Finally, the three of them went to the lobby door together. Even though Emma had tried her best to melt the tight atmosphere between the two men, it still seemed that the dark aura followed wherever they went.


    Ten minutes of waiting seemed like a whole day for Emma. She had to constantly mediate between the two men who seemed to be heading for a fight whenever they identally entered into the same conversation.


    The two of them kept fighting over Emma to talk to until she was confused and dizzy. Luckily, a grey minivan appeared. The car stopped in front of the three of them.


    Emma felt like flying when the windows rolled down to reveal Rachel Markway behind the driving wheel.


    ¡°Rachel...¡± Emma said with puppy eyes.


    Rachel raised her eyebrows when she found Emma standing with two good-looking guys, one of which was Calvin Lee. But who was the other man?


    ¡°Thank you for apanying me. Sorry I have to go first.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem, Emma. Hope your business going well,¡± Calvin said with his signature warm smile.


    Levi nced at the overly friendly man with a sneer. It seemed he was desperately trying to win Emma¡¯s heart. Levi really hated men who had an attitude like Calvin. As a man, he shouldn¡¯t be too friendly like that, even to women. He was only making himself look stupid.


    Then, the minivan sped away with Emma in it, leaving two men who had lost smiles that they previously showed in front of the girl they liked.


    ¡°So, your name is Levi Wargos?¡± Calvin asked directly with a t expression and voice.


    Levi looked back at him. ¡°You¡¯ve heard it yourself from Emma, ??haven¡¯t you? Have you gone senile?¡±


    ¡°Have you two been friends for a long time?¡± Calvin asked, trying not to listen to Levi¡¯sst sentence that demeaned him.


    ¡°Quite,¡± Levi replied lightly while slipping his hands into his front trouser pockets. His eyebrow rose. ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    Calvin shook his head briefly and smiled. ¡°You two are pretty good friends. Emma is a friendly girl. Of course, she has lots of girl or boy friends.¡±


    Levi looked displeased with Calvin¡¯s words. But he covered up his irritation so that the man wouldn¡¯t get what he wanted from saying such unimportant things. ¡°And you are one of them.¡±


    Calvin¡¯s hands clenched into fists. Then, he stepped closer to the pale man, ¡°Look. You better not get too close to Emma because she will soon be mine. Just so you know; we are very close and have a special rtionship.¡±


    Hearing that, Levi chuckled. ¡°Are you telling a joke? Who are you? Are you her boyfriend?¡± Levi asked before changing his facial expression to cold in an instant. ¡°Being close to Emma doesn¡¯t make you able to control who is allowed to be close to her. There¡¯s no need to get a big head over how special your rtionship is. You don¡¯t even know what the two of us have done. ¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calvin¡¯s frowned. His face looked surprised and angry at what Levi said. ¡°What do you mean? What have you two done?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. In fact, you¡¯re just a friend of Emma¡¯s. Even if you were her boyfriend, that wouldn¡¯t prevent me from making her mine.¡± Levi smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking around with you, clown!¡± Calvin hissed.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Levi replied casually. But there was a threatening look in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to ask you back not to get close to Emma because I know no man is closer to her than me.¡± Then, he walked away, leaving Calvin.


    The man with ck hair and bright light skin just stood there, staring intently at the man in ck who was walking further and further away. Calvin¡¯s gaze could make a hole in the back of Levi¡¯s head.


    ¡°Levi Wargos,¡± Calvin muttered furiously.


    On the other hand, Levi stepped with a fire burning his chest even though he looked rxed on the outside.


    Indeed Calvin was a friend of Emma¡¯s. But he couldn¡¯t ept the fact that there was another man close to Emma. He also didn¡¯t like seeing Calvin fighting for Emma. He didn¡¯t like the fact that Emma might belong to another man. He didn¡¯t like knowing that the person was Calvin Lee.


    This made Levi question the decision he had previously made. It seemed that his brain wouldn¡¯t be able to cooperate with his feelings. He could not let go of Emma. He couldn¡¯t just be her friend. He wouldn¡¯t be able to see her belong to someone else. He knew that status was important.


    The one who held the status of Emma¡¯s boyfriend was the one who would get all the attention and be her priority. And that person had to be Levi.


    ¡°No chances for you, Calvin Lee,¡± Levi muttered with fists clenched.

 Chapter 296

    296 Consultation in The Car


    ¡°I think I can guess what problem you¡¯re referring to.¡± Rachel said with augh she was trying to hold back.


    Emma let out a long sigh as she leaned her back deeply against the back of the chair. ¡°That makes my head hurt,¡± she said while lightly massaging her forehead.


    ¡°It looks like a love triangle,¡± Rachel guessed.


    ¡°M¡¯m...¡± Emma nodded with a pitiful face.


    Seeing that, Rachel chuckled. ¡°I think I know your weakness now,¡±


    Rachel¡¯s statement made Emmaugh. ¡°I guess they give me more headaches than gangster stuff.¡±


    ¡°By the way, who¡¯s that tattooed guy, Emma?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°His name is Levi Wargos. We met by chance due to a small ident. Actually, at first, we were just like normal friends. In fact... I could say that we fought a lot.¡± Emma chuckled.


    Rachel nced at her best friend who was sitting in the passenger seat beside her. ¡°I can see that...¡± she smiled in amusement.


    .....


    Emma understood what Rachel meant, ¡°Do I really look like I like him?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Rachel replied. ¡°If you like him and he seems to like you too, why should you bother?¡±


    ¡°That... actually...¡± Emma just muttered, didn¡¯t continue the sentence.


    Rachel hummed softly. ¡°Is it... because of Calvin Lee?¡±


    ¡°Well, Calvin Lee is only part of the reason I¡¯m worried. That guy named Levi; he had confessed his feelings to me. But I rejected him,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°You did? May I know why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we are very close but don¡¯t know each other.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... confused,¡± Rachel frowned.


    ¡°Our meeting was unexpected. At first, Levi and I often fought because we both have the same tough nature. But there was a period when we becamepatible when we talked. At that time, we shared the big lines of the problems we were experiencing. Even though it just happened like that, it turned out that we could fill each other. At that time, we agreed to be friends to talk, but with a condition that we don¡¯t need to know each other¡¯s personal lives. That¡¯s because Levi and I didn¡¯t want to be in a special rtionship.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°Then, in the end, you guys were trapped?¡± Rachel guessed.


    ¡°Indeed. At first, I thought it was just me liking Levi one-sidedly. But it turned out that he also has the same feelings. However, even though we like each other, Levi said that he didn¡¯t want any rtionship between us. He wanted to continue being friends. He begged me to ept it and asked me to stay. It was my stupidity that allowed it all to happen. To be honest, I¡¯m weak against Levi.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you were... rejected by him?¡± Rachel asked.


    Emma sighed softly. ¡°I guess so, Rachel. At that time, I felt hurt. But I didn¡¯t let that mess me up. But an incident made Levi say something I never expected. He openly confessed his feelings for me and asked me to be his girlfriend. But, when that happened, my view of Levi changed. I didn¡¯t think he was a good man to be my partner. Therefore, I rejected him and requested that we remain friends as usual.¡±


    ¡°Today, I identally met Calvin when I was with Levi. At that moment, the two of them stared at each other like rivals. Levi also deliberately cornered Calvin. This made me realize that Levi was trying to keep Calvin away from me. It seems he won¡¯t ept if we¡¯re just friends. He won¡¯t allow another man to be by my side¡± Emma continued.


    ¡°Well... It sounds like Levi is a selfish man, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Rachel said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°He¡¯s selfish and stubborn and annoying.¡±


    ¡°Still, those are the reason you like him, right, Emma?¡± Rachel smiled. ¡°I can guess that he is the only man who treats you like that when you are always treated like a princess by all men.¡±


    ¡°Damn... You¡¯re so right, Rachel. Why should I fall in love with someone who hurt me?¡± Emma said in frustration.


    Rachel chuckled. ¡°Calm yourself, Emma. From what I¡¯ve seen, quite a few people end up liking the wrong person. Sometimes, humans like to take risks because it gets their adrenaline pumping. I guess that¡¯s what happens to you now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just your feelings, Rachel. That is what happens to me. I¡¯m faced with two choices; Levi or Calvin. Even though Calvin always treated me kindly and sweetly, I don¡¯t understand why my heart falls on Levi.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°I understand. Hearts and feelings cannot be forced. It often makes you confused.¡± Rachel said. ¡°So, you¡¯re thinking about choosing Calvin? I think I know your character.¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure that feelings can grow like a tree. So, I chose Calvin over Levi. But the thing is that now, Calvin knows that I¡¯m close to other men. Doesn¡¯t that mean I have to let go of one of them? I¡¯m so selfish, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the rules, Emma. If you choose one, then you have to let go of the other. Selfish or not, in the end, it¡¯s what you have to do so you don¡¯t lose both.¡± Rachel replied.


    ¡°If I chose Calvin, I don¡¯t think I could bear to stay away from Levi. But, of course, I have to respect Calvin¡¯s feelings by not being too close to other men, who obviously like me. On the one hand, I recognize Levi¡¯s character. I think he won¡¯t let me go just like that.¡± Emma said weakly.


    ¡°You should be tough enough to stop him, Emma. If he stays around you, the feelings of the both of you will only grow bigger. And that will make you end up with Levi, not Calvin.¡± Rachel replied.


    ¡°Gosh... This is something...¡± Emma held her head with both hands.


    Rachel chuckled. ¡°Cheer up, Emma. I¡¯m sure you can choose the best. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t be of much help in this matter.¡±


    ¡°I know, Rachel. At least you¡¯ve been willing to listen to me and give your opinion. I really appreciate it. Thank you.¡± Emma said.


    Imperceptibly, their car finally arrived in front of a house that looked shabby. The two girls got out of the car and walked towards the door of the house.


    Rachel pressed the bell several times before the door opened and showed a girl with sky-blue hair.


    ¡°Hello...¡± Elisa Lanken greeted them.


    ¡°Wow! You changed your hair colour?¡± Emma asked directly with her eyes wide in admiration. Previously, Elisa¡¯s hair was white like Elf¡¯s.


    Elisa nodded. ¡°What do you think?¡± she gave cute gestures.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. It matches your eye colour.¡± Emma answered.


    Elisa chuckled. ¡°Come on in. Ostsuka is waiting for you.¡±


    Then the three girls went to the basement which was the location of the Work Shop owned by a guy with long bangs that covered half of his face, which made him look very gloomy.


    ¡°Hi..,¡± Emma greeted the man who was standing behind his desk.


    Ostuka only raised his face and nced at her two guests before walking towards the corner of the room where two ratherrge bags were stored. Naturally, the three girls followed him.


    ¡°Two hundred masks and jackets. You can check them first.¡± Otuska said.


    ¡°No need. We¡¯ve ordered from you many times and never had anyints. I trust it will be as good as ever,¡± Emma answered.


    Otsuka nodded briefly. ¡°I¡¯ll put them in your car.¡±


    ¡°Let us help,¡± Rachel said.


    Then the girls helped Ostsuka put the two big bags onto the trolley.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put it in the car myself. No need to help me.¡± Ostuka said.


    ¡°Sure. Here¡¯s the key,¡± Rachel replied, handing the man the car key.


    ¡°Anyway, why do youe here yourself, Emma?¡± Elisha asked.

 Chapter 297

    297 The Figure Behind 37.1 AM Radio Broadcast


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because my friends are on their free day, so Rachel and I came here because we had nothing else to do,¡± Emma answered.


    Then Emma opened her purse and took out two ratherrge brown envelopes from inside. ¡°Will you count this?¡±


    Elisa nodded. ¡°Sure. Just put it on the table. I¡¯ll get you the strawberry smoothie I just made. You guys should try it,¡±


    ¡°Oh, good! I happen to be thirsty.¡±


    Then Elisa went briefly into the kitchen and came back down with a tray of the tall four-ss container of a pink liquid. The blue-haired girl put the ss on the table, ¡°Try it,¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma said immediately while taking her ss.


    ¡°Oh... It¡¯s delicious.¡± Rachel said after trying the drink.


    Elisa smiled brightly. ¡°d you like it! Otsuka also said that it was delicious but I couldn¡¯t one hundred percent trust his words because he always says all my cooking is delicious even though sometimes the taste isn¡¯t really good.¡±


    Emmaughed. ¡°He is a nice guy though very quiet,¡±


    .....


    ¡°Only when he¡¯s with me he talks a lot,¡± Elisa said as she sat down at her desk. ¡°I¡¯m going to start counting the money, girls.¡±


    ¡°Sure. We won¡¯t disturb you,¡± Rachel replied as she casually stepped on a couch that was at the side of the room and sat there with Emma following her.


    Not long after, Otsuka returned with an empty trolley. He walked over to Rachel and returned the car key to her.


    ¡°Elisa, I heard that you don¡¯t work at the mini market anymore,¡± Rachel asked after seeing the blue-haired girl who had finished counting the money from the two envelopes.


    Elisa nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, Rachel. There was a robbery two weeks ago. It was a group of drunken hooligans. They took money, cigarettes, and liquor. Since that, the mini market is temporarily closed until now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s bad. Were you in charge at the time?¡±


    Elisa shook her head. ¡°Fortunately, I was taking a day off that day. But things were really messed up. I feel sorry for our boss.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know those hooligans could still act up. There are already many groups of men on patrol to catch groups thatmit crimes.¡± Emma said with a serious face. She was annoyed that such a big thing slipped through her fingers.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of the 37.1 AM radio broadcast,¡± Rachel muttered.


    ¡°Radio 37.1 AM? You guys listening to it too?¡± Elisa asked with both eyebrows rose high.


    Emma nodded and chuckled awkwardly. ¡°A friend of ours suggested listening to the radio if we were to go out at night. It would give us information on where the criminals are.¡±


    ¡°Buttely, that radio broadcast has been running quite infrequently. As far as we know, the men who patrol to keep Handway City safe also rely on it to pinpoint the location of any street crimes.¡± Rachel added.


    ¡°Oh my... It turns out the benefits are that big, huh?¡± Elisa said herself while turning to Otsuka who just listened silently with a t face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t on air because they give me so much work,¡± Otsuka, who noticed Elisa¡¯s gaze, spoke as pointed his chin at the two girls sitting on the sofa.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Emma asked.


    Elisaughed. ¡°The one behind radio channel 37.1 AM is Otsuka.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Emma and Rachel eximed in unison.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to shout like that,¡± Otsuka said with a disturbed expression.


    Emma and Rachel immediately looked at each other with tense and disbelieving faces.


    Emma looked at Otsuka again. ¡°W-wait a minute. So, you are that mysterious man?¡±


    Otsuka just nodded indifferently. ¡°The work you guys gave me was overwhelming and keeps increasing. Of course I don¡¯t have much free time to broadcast anymore.¡±


    ¡°God...¡±


    Emma couldn¡¯t help but ponder this crazy coincidence. How was it possible that they have been interacting with someone who turned out to be a mysterious radio announcer who always made all the people of the dark world of Handway City curious?


    ¡°D-doesn¡¯t... That means... you know what happened in Handway City?¡± Rachel asked stammering.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Otsuka frowned at Rachel¡¯s unclear question.


    Rachel cleared her throat and was silent for a moment to think of the right and correct sentence to convey her meaning. She was so shocked that she seemed to have lost the ability to speak.


    ¡°I mean... so, you know about gangster groups, their deeds, business, and.. about heroes,¡± Rachel asked.


    Otsuka casually nodded. ¡°How could I don¡¯t know? I am a repository of information. I also know that you guys are the people behind the ck group who are said to be the shadow heroes of Handway City.¡±


    Otsuka¡¯s answer was like a sword thrust straight into the hearts of the two girls at the same time. They no longer understood how to respond to all this madness.


    ¡°Y-you know?!¡± Emma eximed.


    ¡°I told you, don¡¯t shout here.¡± He looked at Emma in annoyance.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... but... Why you¡¯ve been hiding it from us all this time?¡± Emma asked in a lowered voice. She tried to hold back the turmoil of adrenaline that affected her voice.


    ¡°Hiding?¡± Elisa repeated, then she chuckled. ¡°We never hide anything, Emma. You never ask and we also don¡¯t feel the need to touch on the lives of our consumers.¡±


    ¡°Gosh... I can¡¯t believe this...¡± Emma held her head.


    ¡°So, you really are hiding your identities, huh?¡± Otsuka said.


    Rachel looked at the man seriously. ¡°Why do you think we dare to spend so much money to make masks?¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Otsuka nodded slowly. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that you guys also intended to hide this fact from us because that¡¯s a foolish thought, you know,¡±


    ¡°Of course. I thought you guys didn¡¯t care about street crime.¡± Rachel answered quickly. After all, she was the one who suggested to Emma to make a mask with Otsuka.


    ¡°It seems that our styles are not supportive, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Elisa said with an awkwardugh while scratching her cheek with her index finger.


    ¡°Sorry, guys. It¡¯s true that we identally judged you based on your appearance on purpose. But, that was seriously unexpected,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°Otsuka, I¡¯m sorry, but if I may ask, what do you know about the activities of the dark world?¡± She continued.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is all or not. But I know quite a lot. It¡¯s like a war between gangsters, like the one you guys had recently, which group fell and won, crimes that urred on the streets, and others.¡± Otsuka answered.


    ¡°Where did you get all that information?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I have amunity of losers. We are people who are always bullied and tortured by the people of the gangster group. We cannot fight them directly. Therefore, I created a spy group to report on various crimes that they do through radio broadcasts. Although I know, it was not much use, at that time I knew there was a man named Calvin Lee who was fighting gangster crime. Then, we intend to help him in this way.¡± Otsuka exined.


    ¡°Does that mean your group members have been spying on us all this time?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Not just you, but everything that happens in Handway City. We are a pair of eyes peeking from the windows of the houses and the city¡¯s CCTV. We are the insects, mildew, and steam that quietly hide in the darkness of the street.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Does that mean you know where our base is?¡± Rachel asked directly.

 Chapter 298

    298 Stronger


    ¡°A ballet studio called Dream Moves,¡± Elisa answered lightly as if it was not a big problem.


    ¡°You guys indeed know everything. That¡¯s awesome and scary at the same time...¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Since you guys did hide it and you guys aren¡¯t bad people either, we agreed not to tell anyone about it. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Otsuka said.


    ¡°Oh... Thanks for trying to calm us down, Otsuka. But I really can¡¯t stop worrying, even just a little, because, there are only girls in my group. It would be dangerous if our enemies found out about it.¡± Emma exined.


    Elisa nodded. ¡°I understand, Emma. You don¡¯t need to worry. In our group, I am the only girl. And I am the most feared person here. I will kill them if anyone dares to speak about you.¡± the cute girl smiled broadly with her chin up.


    Otsuka just looked at her sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re so proud, huh...¡±


    ¡°Of course... That is reciprocity for my services which always take care of you like a mother.¡± Elisha answered.


    ¡°Then, are you doing the broadcast in this house?¡± Emma asked curiously.


    Otsuka nodded. ¡°It¡¯s in the loft,¡±


    .....


    ¡°Would you like to see it? I¡¯ll be your guide,¡± Elisa offered excitedly.


    ¡°C-can I?¡± Emma asked back with a reluctant nce at Otsuka who looked displeased.


    ¡°Of course you can... Come on,¡± Elisa replied as she stood up from her work chair. Then she pulled Otsuka¡¯s hand to stand up. ¡°Come on, Otsuka... Why are you pouting like that?¡±


    ¡°You invite others to mess his house. I think it¡¯s quite natural if he doesn¡¯t feel happy,¡± Rachel said softly with an awkward grimace.


    ¡°Nah... You don¡¯t need to think about it, Rachel. Once in a while, he should learn to be friendly towards his guests.¡± Elisa replied.


    Otsuka¡¯s radio broadcast room was in the attic of his house. They had to climb adder hidden behind the ceiling on the second floor of the house, which had a rope to pull thedder down and open the door.


    Contrary to what Emma had imagined, the room looked very simple with a triangr window at the end.


    Beside the window was a set of radio broadcasting equipment that looked very simr to the ones in the university¡¯s old radio room. Otsuka used that old equipment to make a radio broadcast whose source no one knew.


    ¡°Wow... So, this is what¡¯s behind the 37.1 AM radio broadcast?¡± Emma muttered in amazement, more amazed at the simplicity of the room.


    ¡°Recently, I haven¡¯t been doing broadcasts much. My friends also haven¡¯t been reporting on street crime as much since the crime rate has dropped since you guys and Jita Kyoei moved.¡± Otsuka exined.


    ¡°d to hear that,¡± Rachel said. ¡°Then, may we know how this all works?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple way. We¡¯re also not a serious special group like you. We¡¯re just people who always shut themselves in the room and look out the window. From there, if they find a crime, then they make a report to me so I can broadcast it.¡±


    ¡°Well... If the method is just that simple, doesn¡¯t that mean you have a lot of members?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Members?¡± Otsuka chuckled. ¡°We are just a bunch of losers who spend almost all of our time in our rooms. We just interacted on the inte. We don¡¯t even know each other very well. In fact, we¡¯ve never shown our real faces and told each other our identities.¡±


    ¡°You guys, trust each other just like that?¡± Emma stared in surprise.


    Otsuka smiled faintly. ¡°You don¡¯t know what kind of life we ??lead.¡±


    ¡°Earlier, you said about the city¡¯s CCTV. Do you have ess to it?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, but I have a friend who works in the police CCTV department.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Emma and Rachel eximed simultaneously with surprised faces.


    ¡°The police received huge bribes from the gangsters. It was a direct order from the police chief to all his subordinates that they are prohibited from interfering in any riots caused by gangsters. Yes, they will check the location, but they deliberately only moved when the riots are over. The Handway Police will onlye if there is a traffic ident or natural disaster.¡± Otsuka exined.


    ¡°They really are assholes...¡± Emma muttered to herself.


    ¡°Except my friend,¡± Otsuka replied, ¡°He couldn¡¯t give up his job as a police officer. But he felt his pride being tarnished if he kept silent about what happened. Therefore, he thought of helping me when he found out that I was making a radio broadcast.¡±


    ¡°Then, what is your reason for creating a radio broadcast like this? I¡¯ve never thought of an idea like this in my entire life. Actually, your idea is awesome.¡± Emma said.


    Otsuka sat down on the chair he usually used for broadcasts. ¡°That¡¯s because I was a victim of bullying. That was the thing that made me drop out of school and shut myself up at home until now due to prolonged depression. I was too weak to fight back, so I thought of another way to stop those bastards.¡±


    Emma¡¯s face turned sad. In fact, the appearance of Otsuka, which looked rather gloomy, made her somewhat remember Roger, her first friend in this city ¨C the reason she started all this ¨C the basic reason why the ck Swan could form.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, Otsuka. I promise to destroy all those gangsters. They are the root of all the crimes that ur in Handway City, including bullying.¡± Emma said.


    Otsuka nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I want to know about you girls,¡± Elisa said with a thoughtful face.


    ¡°What is it, Elisha?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Is your group name really ck?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emma shook her head with a slight chuckle. ¡°ck is a name I came up with when I first started fighting gangsters. As for our current group, we have the name ¡®ck Swan¡¯.¡± She answered.


    ¡°ck Swan? That¡¯s an interesting and pretty name.¡± Elisa said excitedly.


    Emma nodded. There was a look of pride on her face. ¡°We use the swan symbol because we are ballet dancers. And the ck colour is a symbol of ourselves hiding behind the ck costumes and moving in the shadows.¡±


    ¡°Ah... Can I join you girls?¡± Elisa asked while linking her hands and cing them in front of her chest. Her big round eyes seemed to glisten like in a cartoon.


    ¡°No. You still have to take care of us.¡± Otsuka answered before Emma could even make a sound.


    Emma chuckled awkwardly. ¡°The ck Swan¡¯s door will always be wide open for you, Elisa. But it seems, you are really needed here.¡±


    ¡°Ugh... They really stick to me as if they were my children,¡± Elisa muttered.


    ¡°Anyway, Otsuka. Do you know anything about a group called ck Hole?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°ck Hole? Yes, they are the centre of all this chaos.¡± Otsuka replied before letting out a long sigh, ¡°Unfortunately, I know very little about them.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that little thing? One speck of information about the ck Hole would mean a lot to us.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°As far as I know, that group is controlled by a man referred to as No.1 with the name of James Kade. ck Hole is the leader of The Deadly Square which contains fourrge groups. He pulled the four groups into The Deadly Square by force. ck Hole knocked all four of them down. Besides The Deadly Square, they made Dragger the first group to make a lot of money.¡± Otsuka exined.


    ¡°Shit! The ck Hole sure is strong,¡± Emma muttered.


    Otsuka nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much strength each group has because I just watched everything from behind the scenes. However, it that could defeat all four of the major groups consecutively, was certainly very strong. Even, from my calctions, The ck Hole is stronger than Jita Kyoei and your group.¡±

 Chapter 299

    299 The War Begins


    ¡°Every day the ck Swan grows bigger. I¡¯m optimistic that was can beat the ck Hole no matter how strong they are.¡± Emma said with fiery eyes.


    ¡°Good spirit,¡± Otsuka said.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of days before we go to war against the Dragger. Do you have anything that can help us?¡± Rachel asked Otsuka hopefully.


    But the man could only give an apologetic face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t seem to be of much help to you. As I exined, we are the ones hiding behind the window. But if there¡¯s anything I can help you with, I¡¯ll call you,¡±


    ***


    The long-awaited day finally arrived. A real war. When the two camps had worn the best armour and sharpened their swords. Everyone had prepared as best they could.


    No more sneaking and no more hacking. The fight would be huge and fair. It was a battle that would probably be written down in the history books of the dark world of Handway City ¨C A fight that might change the future of many people.


    Emma stood with a mask thatpletely covered her head as usual. As the leader, she stood in the middle of Troy Roner and Calvin Lee. Behind the three of them, all members of Jita Kyoei and ck Swan had lined up like a group of soldiers ready to run over the battlefield.


    Several meters in front of them, a group of men with almost the same number of members also stood with grim faces. In the front row, two men in light-coloured clothes stood with smiling lips. They were Pablo Diablo and Creed Johnson.


    .....


    Unlike most fights, where the leader would stand behind all his soldiers to be thest defeated king, Emma and Troy had other thoughts. As leaders, they felt that they had to be at the front, as their name implies.


    ¡°Finally we meet in person,¡± Pablo said with a gaze towards ck. ¡°You are cuter than I thought, and so are your masked members. Are you a n of dwarves?¡±


    Emma smiled. ¡°Nice to meet you. You look even uglier than in the photos.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Pablo replied.


    ¡°We¡¯d better remember this. Whoever loses, has to give up everything they own to the winner.¡± Creed said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll never forget it. I¡¯m thrilled to have an area as big as Jen Marrie.¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°I know ck has a lot of assets. You guys hide an empire well. I hope you won¡¯t be cowards even if you loseter.¡± Pablo said.


    ¡°Tell that to yourself, boy,¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°We¡¯d better just start this fight. You don¡¯t need to talk a lot like a woman,¡± Troy said.


    In the middle of the line, Kathy stood beside Poppy. This was the first big fight for the two of them. Usually, they were always behind the scenes as hackers and group managers. But for this fight, ck Swan actually mobilized all of its troops into the battlefield.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± Kathy asked, turning to Poppy.


    ¡°Honestly, a little?¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Pops. Stay by my side. We fight together.¡±


    Poppy nodded. ¡°Even so, I¡¯ve been waiting for this for a long time; fighting with my best friends, not always hiding behind your backs, and being able to feel the thrill of victory. It might be difficult, but I¡¯m very excited.¡±


    ¡°Those men have destroyed the future of many people, especially girls like us. This is a grudge we must avenge.¡± Kathy said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right Kathy. I understand how their victims feel. I¡¯m not going to let more girls suffer like me.¡± Poppy replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit we need. We can do it, Pops! Remember to attack all the weak points we¡¯ve learnt, and... remember don¡¯t get hit.¡± Kathy put her arm around Poppy and lightly patted her upper arm.


    ¡°We fight together.¡± Poppy nodded enthusiastically.


    At the forefront, the leaders were ready to attack. The two enemies only needed to stare at each other for a few seconds before taking off running with a growl of screams. The steps of the leaders were followed by all their followers.


    ***


    ¡°The war has already begun,¡± Damian said with a cell phone pressed to his ear.


    He was standing alone, hiding behind a pir which was located some distance from the battlefield. He wore all ck like the ck members, but without a mask. In order to disguise himself as a spy, he was willing to change his hair colour to ck.


    Marcel nodded. ¡°Try not to get involved in it. Be careful, Damian.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise. Maybe I could have let my guard down by enjoying the show too much.¡± Heughed with small binocrs attached to his eyes. He really enjoyed the exciting battle like he was watching a world ser match live.


    Marcel just sighed before putting his phone down. He was in his car with Kenny Brown and Renu Khan. The car was parked not far from an abandoned mall building which was the location of the battle between the three major groups.


    RJC decided not to remain silent on the war that urred. Well, even though they didn¡¯t intend to get involved, they hoped for one faction to win the war. RJC hoped that ck and Jita Kyoei would win the fight because they needed one or two of these groups to ally with the RJC to defeat the ck Hole.


    ¡°Dragger is much weaker than ck Hole. If ck and Jita Kyoei lose to that group, then it¡¯s unlikely we can beat ck Hole even though we¡¯ve merged groups.¡± Kenny said.


    ¡°Dragger is a child of ck Hole. I think, if they lose in the end, ck and Jita Kyoei won¡¯t be able to get a dime of Dragger¡¯s treasure. James won¡¯t let that happen. In the end, Dragger will join forces with ck Hole to eradicate all the heroes.¡± Renu said.


    Marcel nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s getting heavier. We¡¯re all on edge. It looks like we¡¯re all fighting to make big changes in this city.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why Apollo never touched the ck Hole long ago. They always reasoned that ck Hole was a bunch of snot-nosed kids. But I¡¯m sure it was because Viggo already knew how strong that group was.¡± Kenny said.


    ¡°If Jack¡¯s still around, maybe we¡¯re strong enough to beat the ck Hole,¡± Marcel muttered.


    ¡°Maybe so. However, there¡¯s no use imagining the impossible.¡± Renu said.


    Marcel let out a long sigh. ¡°Actually, James isn¡¯t that strong. But that ck Hole... its core team is a lot. But if we all join forces, I¡¯m sure we can beat them.¡±


    ¡°The answer will be known at the end of this fight,¡± Kenny replied.


    ***


    Like two bulls fighting each other, the war broke out as soon as the two enemies collided.


    A battle between two camps possessing great power and great skill made it hard to choose which fight was more interesting to watch because everyone was fighting fiercely.


    As it should be, the leader against the leader and members against members. Dragger had arge core team. Luckily, Jita Kyoei and ck Swan were too.


    Even though it wasn¡¯t nned before, instinctively, everyone ended up fighting the person who had the same portion of strength.


    Emma no longer needed to worry about her friends because they seemed able to fight the Dragger members well in pairs, just like what Emma had instructed from the start. Because she knew that Dragger had a strong core team, she must ensure that her members use a cooperative system to defeat the enemy.

 Chapter 300

    300 Troy Roner V.S Pablo Diablo


    Emma¡¯s main target was Pablo Diablo; the main leader of the Dragger group. She saw the boy standing casually in the middle of the fighting crowd. He smiled crookedly at Emma.


    Emma clenched her fists, then sprinted at him. But suddenly, the corner of her eye caught arge shadow that was flying fast towards her.


    It was so fast that Emma felt that she could no longer dodge properly. It was the figure of a tall man directing his flying kick towards her head like a bullet. He had gotten too close to Emma. If she stopped her feet, she could be sure that her neck would be broken by the impact of that long leg.


    Finally, Emma decided to immediately fall backwards. Shended on her buttocks and back with a bang, shot straight forward without control, and then rolled sideways.


    Calvin, who was fighting several men at once, saw the incident out of the corner of his eye. He immediately ran towards ck, leaving his fight. However, before he could reach the masked man, several other men attacked him from various directions.


    Emma nced at Calvin who looked like he was going to save her even though he was already surrounded by several men. She slowly got up from her prone position, then made a gesture with her hand indicating that she was fine. Calvin responded with a nod even though his face still looked a bit worried.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± Emma stood up while patting her dirty clothes after rolling on the basement dirty floor.


    Creed smiled crookedly. ¡°Your reflexes are good too, huh? I thought my kick will get you,¡±


    Emma chuckled. ¡°It seems that you see me so weak. Is it because of our unequal size? Haven¡¯t you ever heard that a small person has nimble movements?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Haha... Yes, I¡¯ve heard of it. But from my experience, the strength of a person also follows the size of his body,¡± He answered with a meaningful look.


    Emma shrugged her shoulders. ¡°We¡¯ll find outter,¡±


    ***


    On the other hand, Troy, who saw ck fail to reach Pablo because he was already blocked by Creed, decided to be the one who would make Pablo fall.


    After mming an enemy, he approached Pablo who was just standing smiling condescendingly at him.


    ¡°Troy Roner,¡± Pablo said once the big man was standing a few steps in front of him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think Jita Kyoei would end up getting into a fight with Dragger,¡± Troy said with a faint smile on his lips.


    ¡°Apparently, Jita Kyoei has lost sight of its main purpose, correct?¡±


    Troy shook his head. ¡°Jita Kyoei¡¯s goals never change. However, it¡¯s people like you who make us have to do many things we don¡¯t want to do in order to maintain our goals.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve started ming others?¡± Pablo replied.


    ¡°As always, you want to be right. You¡¯re a kid after all.¡± Troy said.


    Pabloughed and started to walk forward. It was followed by Troy, until they faced each other in a circr pattern.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I punched a Judo fighter. I miss breaking their arms so they can¡¯t m people anymore.¡± Pablo said.


    Troy responded to him with augh ¡°You¡¯re getting talkative. You better make sure you can fight properly.¡±


    Pablo smiled and nodded slowly. Then quickly, he shifted his steps forward with two fists ready.


    Pablo Diablo was a Street Fighter. His attack technique was dominated by Kick Boxing. Even though he rarely fights because he was busy taking care of his giant business, his movements were still the same as before. He was fast, just like a bullet fired from a rifle.


    From the start, Troy had set his stance. He knew that Pablo was not a kid who could be underestimated even though his behaviour looked like he was. That boy was a leader who was able to gather many strong older men than him just by challenging them to fight, and of course won the fight in the end.


    Troy immediately dodged as soon as Pablo¡¯s fist went straight to his face with a very unsettling speed. Even though he managed to dodge it, just as quickly, another fist came from Pablo¡¯s left hand. Of course Troy couldn¡¯t avoid it. Because of that, he immediately directed his hand to protect his lower chin which was Pablo¡¯s target.


    Troy, who managed to block the boy¡¯s fist, immediately rotated his arm and moved one leg. With that, he managed to grip Pablo¡¯s inner elbow and kick his leg off.


    In this battle, from a physical perspective, Troy was superior to Pablo. Troy had a tall body posture. His body was covered with muscles. Meanwhile, Pablo had a slightly shorter height than Troy. His body also tended to be smaller. However, what made them equal were the many fighting techniques that Pablo mastered and of course... his speed.


    When Troy managed to m Pablo to the ground, the boy could think quickly to position his body so as not tond on a fatal spot. Pablo only wore a bright orange tank top in this fight because he knew that Judo fighters would take advantage of their opponents¡¯ cors.


    As soon as he fell, Pablo immediately rolled his body to the side before Troy could catch him again. With a very agile movement, Pablo kicked his legs into the air so that his whole body jumped andnded on his feet.


    He turned to Troy with a smile. ¡°The warm-up was decent.¡± Then he skipped a little, ¡®Now, let¡¯s take this seriously.¡¯ he continued in his heart.


    Pablo again attacked Troy with his fast fists. His feet moved back and forth and were unpredictable. He moved quickly with small jumps to outwit his opponent.


    Inwardly, Troy clucked in annoyance. This was the type of fighter he hated to fight. Troy himself realized that he didn¡¯t excel at Cardio moves like that. Compared to Boxing, Kung Fu, and other fighters who relied on long-range attacks, Troy, as a melee fighter, had slower movements and got tired easily.


    Pablo looked at Troy with a big grin on his face. He stepped back as Troy started to charge at him. Then he immediately ran to the other side, doing an acrobatic jump in a forward spin to direct his feet to kick Troy¡¯s head from the top.


    Troy, who noticed Pablo¡¯s movement, immediately dodged to the side. But apparently, it was just a trap that Pablo made. In just one second after one of Pablo¡¯s feet hit the ground, he jumped back while spinning his body with a kick that managed to hit Troy¡¯s side of the face and ear.


    The big man fell to the side. Pablo¡¯s kick was so strong. He utilized his body weight, muscle strength, hard bones, and gravity to create the spinning kick.


    In fact, Troy still had time to dodge, but his speed was far behind Pablo¡¯s movement. Luckily, thanks to him still taking the time to dodge it, even if just a little, the effect that Troy received from Pablo¡¯s kick wasn¡¯t as bad as it should have been.


    Troy¡¯s ears buzzed. His vision shook. He was still lying on the basement floor while holding the side of his facial skull which was in great pain.


    Troy learnt that Pablo had almost the same principles as the ck leader. He didn¡¯t want to wait for his opponent to get up before attacking him again. Moreover, each of them was betting something very important in this battle.

 Chapter 301

    301 Surrounded Alone


    Troy could see Pablo taking quick steps towards him. His vision was still a bit blurry. Even so, he tried hard to get up soon because if he didn¡¯t, he would be finished by Pablo that very second.


    Troy¡¯s ear was still ringing, but he had managed to force his legs up. However, Pablo was already standing in front of him to cast Double Punch on the right and left sides of Troy¡¯s face. Since his body¡¯s bnce still hadn¡¯tpletely returned, Troy could only receive the punch while protecting his head with his tworge arms.


    Amid the barrage of blows, Troy controlled his breath and tried to bnce his body so that his stance could get back into shape. He tried to avoid it by bending his body and sliding sideways.


    However, Pablo immediately grabbed the back of Troy¡¯s head and pressed him down while swinging his knee up to hit Troy¡¯s face.


    But the smile on Pablo¡¯s face disappeared when he felt a grip on his knee which was now floating in the air. His eyes were wide open staring at Troy who slowly raised his face which was originally downcast.


    The big man, who Pablo had just beaten so badly, looked at him with a big smile. It was as if he didn¡¯t feel the wounds all over the edges of his forehead and cheekbones.


    Pablo¡¯s heart seemed to still be left where he stood when Troy swiftly and strongly knocked him down with one leg still in his deadly grip.


    As it turned out, Pablo had underestimated Troy Roner too much. He thought the man would only focus on Judo. He thought that Troy was arrogant. However, what surprised Pablo was Troy¡¯s Jiu-Jitsu skills that were not there before.


    Quickly, Troy moved to weigh on Pablo¡¯s body which was slightly smaller than his. He forced his body to be behind Pablo. Then he directed his legs to mp the boy¡¯s body from the waist to the front. He wrapped around his waist and stomach with his big legs.


    .....


    Pablo had a hard time escaping from Troy¡¯s grip. He just desperately held back Troy from hooking his legs, so he still had hope of escaping.


    But on the other hand, Troy¡¯s hands were also almost wrapped around his head. The other man¡¯s arm was trying to cover the lower part of Pablo¡¯s face, precisely at his jaw. If Troy¡¯s hands could finally hold each other, then Pablo¡¯s life was over because his jaw would break.


    Troy smiled as heunched the Jiu-Jitsu moves he had just learned this week. Even though the technique he used was still not perfect, it helped a lot in this battle.


    Yes, Troy had always focused on Judo. Never once did he think about learning other martial arts because he only thought about winning as many Judo championship medals as possible. Even, from the beginning, Troy never thought of making Judo a weapon to fight freely as it was now.


    However, Troy could not deny the fact that was happening. In the end, Jita Kyoei got involved in a fight between gangsters. They were forced to fight outside the official arena. They had to fight in the streets; a ce they thought was a fighting arena for lowly people.


    Because of all these facts, Troy decided to learn another martial art. He knew that Judo alone was not enough to fight strong thugs like them.


    ***


    The two sky-blue eyes never stopped flinching because the attacks kepting at her. This was the first time Britney had fought this many opponents. Truly, this was a huge fight.


    Besides Britney, Linda helped her fight several men who kepting. Linda had a ratherrge body, almost the same as Rachel, while Britney tended to be shorter. They had decided to partner up in this fight because they couldplement each other.


    Actually, Britney and Linda were part of the ck Swan core team. But unlike the rest of the core team, they didn¡¯t fight against the Dragger group leaders. They only fight ordinary members but withrge portions. Following the war strategy that had been made, they were included in the team whose job was to reduce the number of the standing enemy, just like Calvin Lee¡¯s job.


    During the battle, Linda¡¯s eyes caught the figure of Ava and one of their friends who were fighting one of the leaders of the small Dragger team named Robert Kaenan.


    Robert was a man who always carried an iron rod as his weapon. Unfortunately, Ava and her team seemed overwhelmed by that man.


    Despite being busy with the attacks that kepting, Britney noticed that Linda was constantly facing the location where Ava was fighting. Therefore, Britney also realized that things might be quite dangerous for Ava and her partner.


    ¡°Help them. I can take care of this,¡± Britney said to Linda, as their backs met.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Linda asked before giving a man a high kick.


    Britney nodded. ¡°It seems that person is too strong for them. Don¡¯t worry. These guys are just ordinary guys. I will be fine.¡±


    Linda thought for a moment to consider whether she could leave Britney alone to face these losers who kepting. She looked back at Ava, who seemed to have been hit several times by a man named Robert.


    ¡°I will be right back,¡± Linda said.


    Britney immediately nodded. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    After Linda left her, Britney had to fight the men alone. Despite having a rather small body, Britney was not weak at all. She had agile movements and a light body, like a monkey.


    Not long after Linda left, suddenly, Britney flinched as soon as a chair was thrown right at her head. Because she did not have time to avoid it, she directed her arms above her head while looking down slightly. The chair that flew hit Britney¡¯s arm, but she moved her arm so that the chair also swung over her head. In the end, the chair bumped into the face of one of the Dragger men.


    Britney¡¯s eyes widened when she realized the culprit who threw the chair at her just now. It was a man with a brawnyrge build. His eyes were bright blue and his body was covered in tattoos. It was Elbert Scarpsky; the pir of defence of the Beast Empire that they had defeated at that time.


    Britney couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing.


    Elbert? So, he joined Dragger?


    Even though the face of the tiny man in front of him was covered by a mask, Elbert could smell that this person was one of the groups of men responsible for his downfall the other day.


    ¡°Surprised?¡± Elbert asked with a big smile on his rough face.


    Still with a face of disbelief, Britney asked Elbert, ¡°Wh-why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Does that have anything to do with you? I have the freedom to be anywhere,¡± Elbert answered.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Britney noticed a wave of extra men wasing into the battlefield. Even though she didn¡¯t remember everyone, she realized that there were some faces she had seen before. It was the face of the Beast Empire member they were fighting in the main warehouse.


    ¡°Beast Empire?¡± Britney muttered, looking around.


    ¡°Beast Empire no longer exists. Now, all of its members are part of Dragger.¡± Elbert said, enjoying the sight of how the dwarf was surprised to find himself surrounded alone.

 Chapter 302

    302 Emma Hind V.S Creed Johnson


    Britney swallowed with difficulty. She immediately looked for Linda¡¯s whereabouts and apparently she had disappeared. She was truly alone now.


    ¡°Scared? HAHAHA...¡± Elbertughed out loud.


    Of course there was a feeling of fear in Britney¡¯s heart. So, it turned out that the Beast Empire had joined forces with Dragger? Maybe they deliberately included the cowardly group members in the middle of the fight. Pablo seemed to be that sneaky.


    Now, the number of members from both sides was not bnced. Britney knew surely that at this time, she wasn¡¯t the only one who was having trouble. She would not be angry if Linda looked as if she had left her. She was sure that her threepanions must have been beaten back by this wave of aid.


    ¡°Does someone who has been overthrown deserve to speak like that?¡± Britney asked, getting into her stance. It looked like she had to do a lot of acrobatics now.


    Elbert¡¯s hands clenched tightly. He looked at the stupid costumed tiny man viciously. ¡°I¡¯ll crush you like gum!¡± he growled before running to lunge at the man.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Britney jumped aside as far as she could. But after shended, another man swiftly threw a kick at her.


    Britney didn¡¯t have time to dodge perfectly, so the kick still hit her hip. Even though it hurt, she didn¡¯t have time to stop for a moment just to moan because the men that surrounded her immediately attacked her in a barrage.


    ¡®Oh, Lord! Looks like I can¡¯t get past this,¡¯ Britney screamed in her heart while continuing to dodge, parry, and return punches that were aimed at her.


    .....


    Britney¡¯s eyes widened even more when she saw the group of men in front of her split. It turned out that they were making a way for the Blonde Monster to face Britney.


    ¡°GRAAA!!¡± Elbert eximed as he swung his hand downwards, right at the tiny man who could no longer run away.


    Britney couldn¡¯t run anywhere anymore. She was surrounded by men who seemed to form a cage to lock her up with a man-eating giant.


    Britney could only close her eyes. It would end here. Not only ending, but actually dying here. Did she regret her decision to enter the ck Swan and get into trouble? Of course not. She was proud if she died honourably in the struggle against criminals and defending the truth.


    A sound of a powerful blow rang in Britney¡¯s ear. At first, she thought it was a blow to her body which was now separated from her soul. However, she soon realized her preposterous thoughts after hearing a male exmation.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t stay silent there!¡±


    Britney¡¯s eyes opened wide immediately. Her eyes fell on the figure of Elbert who was sprawled on the ground. He was still twitching and trying to get up but seemed to have difficulty. Seeing this opportunity, Britney kicked the big man¡¯s face until hepletely fainted.


    Britney then looked around to find who had just shouted at her. She knew that it was that person who had knocked Elbert down and saved her from death.


    Before Britney found anything, a punch was flying towards her head. She realized it and immediately dodged and punched the person back.


    ¡°Are you seriously daydreaming at a time like this?¡± Nicko asked once he could get closer to one of the ck members who was almost dead.


    ¡°Thank you. But what happened?¡± Briteny asked directly while facing the iing attacks.


    ¡°Dragger yed dirty. They have so many men hiding and are realizing them out right now. Troy wants us to regroup.¡± Nicko exined.


    ¡°So, shall we go from here?¡±


    Nicko nodded. ¡°Pull back all troops,¡±


    ***


    A smile formed on the lips of the man who had the height of a professional basketball yer. He looked down at the short, ridiculous masked man in front of him.


    Emma¡¯s light brown eyes stared intently at Creed. Her stance was well-formed. She didn¡¯t know what Creed¡¯s fighting style was like. She was curious about the boy who was said to be unbeatable and deadly.


    Creed¡¯s one step forward signalled that their fight had finally begun. Emma was undaunted by Creed¡¯s intimidating move until he was standing right in front of her.


    Creed smiled. ¡°I like your guts¡±


    ¡°I have no reason to fear a brat like you,¡± Emma replied before shooting a kick forward with a shot at one of Creed¡¯s knees.


    Emma¡¯s movement was fast, but Creed¡¯s movement was no less fast. The man immediately turned his leg while swinging his arm at the same time to strike the side of Emma¡¯s face.


    The girl immediately dodged by turning her back. Quickly, Creed swung his long legs three times forward.


    In truth, Emma¡¯s first attack was just a test to find out what kind of fighting style Creed had. Creed himself had very long legs, which made Emma have to make sure whether his legs were agile or not. And from the way Creed avoided her kick speed, it gave bad news for her.


    ¡°He¡¯s agile. Looks like he has Taekwondo skills.¡± Emma muttered under her breath.


    It seemed that Creed was smart enough to take advantage of his physique, which had long arms and legs. That would be very profitable for him because he would have a long range.


    Creed¡¯s fighting style made Emma quite overwhelmed. He was a Street Fighter who mastered several random martial arts techniques. He also never gave pause in attacking his opponent. This was Emma¡¯s first time facing an opponent who had a somewhat simr fighting style to her own.


    Even though she was a bit cornered, that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t fight back. She moved quickly while aiming attacks at the man¡¯s long legs. From Emma¡¯s experience so far, she often saw that the longer a person¡¯s legs, the greater the risk of injury to their feet, especially because Creed¡¯s legs were rather skinny. The man had not built the muscles for his legs, perhaps, so he could move nimbly.


    ¡°Catch me, stick!¡± Emma said to burn the big boy¡¯s emotions.


    ¡°Thanks for the nickname,¡± Creed answered with a wide grin while swinging his kick.


    Emma immediately dodged with a snort. Apparently, Creed was not the type of man who was easily provoked. This would be a troublesome fight for Emma.


    A smile crossed Creed¡¯s lips. He knew that the ck leader was trying to provoke his anger so he would fight recklessly. However, little did the midget know that Creed Johnson was the most easy-going man in the history of the dark world of Handway.


    Creed had always yed games. From there, he actually learned a lot to control his emotions. He was smart enough to realize that temper would only make him lose the game or... the fight.


    ¡°He has a lot of energy. His movements won¡¯t slow down. His body is tough. His anger can¡¯t be provoked either. I have to think of a proper way to take him down,¡± Emma thought breathlessly. She had dealt a lot of punches to the tall man, but nothing seemed to have had a significant effect on him.


    Emma¡¯s eyes scanned around quickly while continuing to parry and counter-attack from Creed. Then, her gaze stopped at an angle that made her smile faintly.


    ¡°Oh, Emma. Why are you so stupid? Didn¡¯t think of that earlier?¡± She muttered to herself.


    As soon as Creed threw another kick, Emma quickly caught his leg even though it meant she had to ept the kick.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± It felt like Emma was going to vomit blood from the kick her chest had to deal with when she received the kick. However, she soon took her mind off the pain and hugged Creed¡¯s long leg.

 Chapter 303

    303 Creed Johnson¡¯s Weakness


    Creed was quite surprised when the nerd was willing to ept his kick in order to catch his leg which he had swung so hard. He didn¡¯t expect that the tiny man had enough strength to hold his leg. In addition to strong power, he also had good blow resistance.


    Even though she had seeded in making Creed fall, Emma did not intend to directly attack him. She knew she wouldn¡¯t seed. As soon as Creed had fallen, Emma immediately took the opportunity to control her breath and took a step back.


    Creed stood up with augh. ¡°You have nerve,¡±


    Emma just put her palms forward and shook her four fingers inward, as a symbol for the man toe. As Emma wanted, Creed started attacking her again. Emma simply parried all of his punches. But actually, she kept moving backwards until they reached the corner of the wall.


    When Emma made Creed fall, she deliberately shifted her back towards the wall which was quite far behind her. Emma knew that if she openly ran in that direction, the smart Creed would be able to immediately read her purpose for deliberately taking him there. With that, Emma made a strategy as if they met the wall by chance.


    While fighting, Emma noticed that many men wereing onto the battlefield. They were members of the Beast Empire that she had defeated before.


    With both eyes bulging angrily, Emma red at Creed, ¡°Beast Empire?!¡±


    Creed just chuckled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys take this into ount?¡±


    ¡°You cheating, coward! Bastard!¡± Emma eximed before throwing a kick to Creed¡¯s face, which the man instantly parried.


    .....


    ¡°Unfortunately, I see no cheating here. What I see is an off-guard. You shouldn¡¯t forget that Dragger is behind the Beast Empire, which means that the Beast Empire belongs to us.¡± Creed exined.


    Then he chuckled again. ¡°You think I¡¯m that stupid, letting Pablo invite two groups at once to go to war? Does this schoolboy surprise you?¡±


    Emma gritted her teeth. She was very upset by the facts of Dragger¡¯s foul y and the truth that she let her guard down. Anger made Emma not dy any longer to knock down Creed immediately.


    Their position was near the wall and several piles of junk. Emma fought Creed all out.


    Emma and Creed have equal fighting abilities and powers that were now almost equal. Her power became three times greater than before because the current situation was tight.


    Emma ran and jumped until her feet nted on the wall, as if she could defy gravity by walking on the surface of the wall. Her feet moved swiftly as if she was an acrobat.


    Emma kicked the wall to push herself away, so she could fly through the air to reach Creed¡¯s head. Her n to use the wall worked wlessly. By doing this, she couldnd directly on Creed¡¯s hump like a cheetah pouncing on its prey.


    Now, Creed understood why the midget had led him to fight around the corners of the walls. Previously, Creed had not realized that the ck leader had special intentions in doing so. He thought they just happened to reach their current location.


    Emma immediately pulled Creed¡¯s neck back with all her weight, having managed to ram her knee into the man¡¯s spine. What Emma did make Creed feel like his back would break, so he couldn¡¯t help his body to fall backwards too.


    Emma couldn¡¯t hold the grimace of pain that formed on her face. Her body was crushed by the body of a man bigger than her. Even though she had to endure the pain, she was d that her n had worked.


    Slowly, Emma could already feel that Creed was getting overwhelmed because the attacks that Emma had beenunching continued to sessfully hit him. Why? In fact, Creed had almost the same speed as Emma. The man was also adept at predicting his opponent¡¯s attacks.


    Actually, in their fight, Emma realized that Creed had a weakness that he was trying to cover up, or indeed the man didn¡¯t care about it.


    The weakness was in Creed¡¯s vision. Emma realized that Creed did not have a healthy eye condition. He often gave missed punches. It wasn¡¯t a miss because Emma avoided it, but a miss because his aim wasn¡¯t right from the start.


    During the fight, Creed even always furrowed with eyes that kept narrowing. From there, Emma realized that Creed might have a serious minus eye.


    From what Emma knew, eyes that were affected like that would usually have a much weaker vision in dim light conditions.


    This was a double benefit for Emma. She did n to use the walls and some junk to fight Creed. However, the light condition of the corners of the room was minimal, making it even more difficult for Creed to see. Therefore, Emma deliberately repeated the blows before delivering her ultimate attack.


    In fact, Creed did have poor vision. His both eyes were suffering from a fairlyrge minus. He got it because he yed too many games.


    Creed¡¯s eyes were too tired because he kept staring at all the gadgets andputer screens all day long for several years. Even though he already noticed that his eyes vision was getting worse, he still refused to wear sses, which would make him look like a nerd.


    It was crowded there. Troy had withdrawn all troops, both Jita Kyoei and ck. Everyone who had been scattered in various locations in the basement and parking floor of the building had now regrouped at their original location.


    Creed moved his eyes at the figure of arge man standing like a gori, about eight meters away from him. His eyes filled with anger when he realized that beside himy his best friend who had lost consciousness.


    Holding the two arms that kept pressing on his neck, he tried to break free from the grip that the ck leader made.


    Emma crossed her left arm across Creed¡¯s neck to choke him. Her left hand gripped Creed¡¯s right shoulder like a hook stuck in the gills of a fish. Then, she locked his left hand by carrying it with her right arm in a crossed position. Strangled both arms, she locked them by pressing his head sideways on the right arm and the side behind the man¡¯s head. That was the Rear Naked Choke (RNC).


    Emma¡¯s legs, which looked thin but strong, encircled Creed¡¯s stomach and pressed as hard as they could, so that his back could arch up and increase the pressure on her grip.


    Creed¡¯s head filled with sweat. His face was puffy with difficulty breathing. His hands kept trying to pull Emma¡¯s arms but didn¡¯t work because she had locked her technique well. His vision was getting blurry because his oxygen was running low. He would soon lose consciousness.


    On the other hand, Troy saw that the ck leader had seeded in locking up Creed. Because Pablo had been defeated by him, now only Creed was left for them to overthrow to finish this war.


    However, therge number of Dragger members who had gathered around overwhelmed them. Troy and Calvin, who were nearby, couldn¡¯t intervene to help Emma. Rachel and the others were also busy taking care of the men who were swarming them.

 Chapter 304

    304 Inside The ck Box


    ck Swan and Jita Kyoei were like a group of birds being attacked by a swarm of wasps. They were mobbed.


    ¡°No ¡®Tap¡¯ here,¡± Emma said. She was confident that she would finish Creed any minute. (In MMA matches, a tap is a sign that an opponent is giving up in the middle of a fight.)


    Unfortunately, Emma¡¯s confidence seemed to be just a sweet dream. She forgot that now they were surrounded by swarms of wasps. Suddenly, two men came up to them and one of them punched Emma in the side of her face.


    Luckily, the punch missed a bit because Emma immediately moved her head back. However, it still hit the side of her face so Emma identally weaken the stranglehold she was giving Creed.


    As soon as ck¡¯s grip had weakened, Creed immediately used the opportunity to escape from his lock.


    ¡°Shit! You cowardly bastard!¡± Emma eximed, finding herself already surrounded by the three men.


    Creed, who had managed to escape, immediately punched ck in the face, causing the mouthpiece attached to his mask to break and almost fall off.


    Emma covered her face and head with both arms. Luckily, Creed¡¯s punch didn¡¯t damage her voice device. But, now, Emma found herself in an even more serious situation.


    The two bastards of Dragger¡¯s men try to keep her from fighting Creed. Both men were big enough to grab her by the arms and force her to her feet.


    .....


    Emma looked at Creed with a vicious look. ¡°Fair fights are just bullshiting out of your damn mouth.¡±


    The boy smiled faintly as he rubbed his neck which was still sore from being strangled so strongly. In fact, his body still felt weak after theck of oxygen. ¡°A principle of life can change when you are in a state of urgency,¡±


    ¡°You seem so afraid of losing that it tarnishes your own pride! You, coward!¡± Emma hissed.


    ck¡¯s words made Creed clench his fists. In fact, it wasn¡¯t that he felt right about getting the upper hand by cheating. In fact, he also felt humiliated at having to deny himself a promise he had kept for years.


    This was the first time Creed had lost a one-on-one fight. Yes, although now it looked like he was on the superior side, in fact, he had already lost. If his two men didn¡¯t help him earlier, he would surely meet the same fate as Pablo now, and Dragger would be dered defeated.


    Creed and Pablo always pride themselves on the principle of justice in their fights. The two of them prefer to fight more enemies, rather than ganging up on someone. They had the self-esteem of teenagers who were mostly still naive.


    Today, Creed learnt to mature by finding that he must drop his own pride to survive in this world. Nothing could be perfect, even if you tried hard.


    Creed¡¯s fistnded on Emma¡¯s sr plexus. The blow was so hard that it made her cough and curl her body in excruciating pain. Even though she had been beaten like that, the two men to her right and left still held her without the slightest bit of respite.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call someone a coward if you¡¯re also a coward,¡± Creed said, stepping very close to ck. He squeezed the top of the mask that the midget man was wearing. ¡°Do you think covering identity is not a cowardly thing?¡±


    On the other hand, Rachel, Kathy and Poppy, who were fighting in the same location, saw what happened to their Emma. Seeing the leader and friend, being bullied by three men made them panic.


    By seeing Emma¡¯s condition that had been held by the two men, with Creed in front of her with one hand on Emma¡¯s head, everyone knew what Creed would do.


    The boy was about to take off the mask of the ck leader. Showing who was behind the mask to about a thousand people there.


    ¡°NO!¡± Rachel eximed with bulging eyes while she was continuing to clean off the attacks of the people who ganged up on her.


    ¡°HEY! HELP HIM!!¡± Kathy eximed to Calvin and Troy who were closest to Emma.


    The two men, who were busy fighting their enemies, immediately turned to Kathy who was still trying to run toward Emma, ??but kept being blocked by Dragger¡¯s men. They immediately turned their eyes in the direction Kathy was pointing. There, they realize that the ck leader had been incapacitated by Creed and his men.


    Despite the difficulties, because each of them was hindered by several Dragger core teams at once, Calvin and Troy forced themselves to help the ck leader even though it meant they had to take various hits.


    However, all the help was toote. Creed¡¯s grip was strong on Emma¡¯s mask. The girl¡¯s arms couldn¡¯t be moved and her stomach hurt after receiving a few punches from that jerk.


    ¡°Just so you know, the second purpose of this war is... to reveal your identity, shadow hero,¡± Creed whispered beside Emma¡¯s ear.


    ¡°You... damn bastard!¡± Emma growled.


    ¡°DON¡¯T!¡± Rachel eximed, watching Creed move his hand up, pulling the mask that Emma was wearing.


    The view that had been blocked by the smalls covering her eyes, suddenly changed. Her vision became clear and bright. Strands of long hair that were also pulled out from her jacket¡¯s neck along with the mask that was removed roughly, slowly hung down the sides of her face.


    Jonas once said that life was meandering. There was no straight path. No n could go wlessly even if you¡¯d prepared it as thoroughly as possible. The day may not always be sunny because a storm coulde at any time.


    From the very beginning, Emma had continuously mentally trained herself. When she decided to help Roger and Poppy, she knew there was a big risk she had to face. A risk, which even though she had avoided in such a way, would most likely still happen. It had always been a fear for Emma.


    But like what Jonas once said; You have to learn to face your fears, because one day, what you¡¯re afraid of wille no matter whether you¡¯re ready or not.


    ¡°Huh...¡± Rachel stopped her run. She stood quite a distance from Emma ¨C too far to be able to save the girl. She couldn¡¯t believe this would happen. She couldn¡¯t believe that this was the day The ck Swan¡¯s cover was exposed.


    Creed¡¯s eyes widened. He took a few steps back while still staring at the two bright brown eyes that were ring at him. He knew that his eyes had a pretty bad minus. However, his eyes weren¡¯t so blurry as to notice that the person in front of him was a girl.


    Just like Creed, the two men who were holding Emma were also surprised that they instantly let go of the girl¡¯s arms and stepped back with a dumbfounded faces.


    In the few seconds after Emma¡¯s mask came off, the fighting around her gradually stopped. They stopped in shock at the figure of the ck leader who was no longer wearing a mask. And what was even more surprising was the female figure behind it.


    ¡°Y-you are... a girl?¡± Creed stammered.


    Emma held her aching stomach as her body hunched forward. She tried to unite her consciousness, strength, and spirit back. After stabilizing enough, she straightened up back. She nced at one of Creed¡¯s hands that still holding her mask.


    Emma wiped the side of her lips, then looked at the blood that stained the finger of the glove she was wearing. She smiled crookedly and looked back at Creed.


    ¡°Is the fact that you gang up on women making your self-esteem even more tarnished?¡± She asked.

 Chapter 305

    305 ck is Emma Hind


    On the other hand, Troy and Calvin were also stopped from their attempts to approach the ck leader. Their surprise was far greater than anyone in the building. Not only because they found out that the ck leader was a woman, but because they recognized who it was.


    ¡°E-Emma?¡± Calvin muttered, not believing in his own eyes.


    ¡°She...¡± Troy held his head with both hands, like a baseball spectator watching his favourite team lose.


    ¡°H-howe?¡± Creed muttered.


    But when Emma hadn¡¯t answered yet, a figure dressed in ck with long hair suddenly flew with her knee, directly hitting Creed¡¯s head from the side, right on his ear. That person was moving as fast as a sh of shadow.


    Emma was even surprised to witness that. ¡°Rachel,¡± she gasped.


    Rachel was already on top of Creed¡¯s body. She in no time threw her fists at the man¡¯s head repeatedly. Her emotions exploded over what Creed had done to her best friend. She would make sure his face was ten times more ruined than Emma¡¯s.


    Even though she was surprised that Rachel had also removed her mask, Emma immediately realized that there was a war that she had to finish, with or without a mask. She nced at the two men who were still pensive on her right and left and attacked them.


    Emma and Rachel¡¯s movements made everyone regain their senses and the fight resumed.


    .....


    Rachel¡¯s sudden attack made Creed unable to put up a fight. Her hands could give a harder punch than Emma¡¯s. She hit Creed with such rage that the blow felt like a big rock hit the man¡¯s entire head and face.


    Creed couldn¡¯t stand up anymore. The punch from Rachel made his consciousness evaporate like boiled water.


    Rachel stared at Creed who was lying helpless on the ground with a battered face. He could no longer move from his crouched position. He was finished by Rachel. Creed Johnson was down.


    Seeing that their two leaders had fallen, the fighting spirit and courage of all the Dragger members had plummeted. The Dragger¡¯s core team was also only filled with a few people. The rest had fallen along with their subordinates.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the sane Dragger men to realize that they had lost. Realizing there was nothing left for their group, due to the rules of this dark world jungle, they must immediately stop this and save themselves.


    Emma was still standing not far from where Creedy. She crouched beside him. ¡°Dragger is defeated. All your men are running away. They have the same cowardly mentality as their leader. Don¡¯t forget our agreement. Now, Jen Marrie belongs to Jita Kyoei and ck... Swan.¡±


    Creed couldn¡¯t believe he would hear a woman¡¯s voice before he lost consciousnesspletely. He couldn¡¯t believe that the powerful ck was actually a woman.


    Emma stood up. She looked around at everyone who was staring at her with shock and a ton of questions on their faces.


    ¡°Are you all right, Emma?¡± Rachel asked.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Why did you take off your mask, Rachel?¡±


    The tall girl smiled faintly. ¡°I promised myself that I will follow your steps. When your identity is exposed, so will my identity.¡±


    ¡°Emma! Are you all right?¡± Poppy ran to her and immediately touched Emma¡¯s face without actually touching it. ¡°That bastard!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s treatable, Poppy. Nothing to worry about,¡± She smiled at her.


    Then Emma turned to the two tall men who were approaching her with pensive faces. She knew she had to exin things to them. But she would open it with a warm smile.


    ¡°Hi, guys,¡± Emma said to Calvin and Troy.


    ***


    Marcel¡¯s phone rang. At the same time, he saw several men running out of the abandoned building in front of him. From the way they were dressed, he could tell that those men were Dragger¡¯s. Quickly, he picked up the call and turned on the speaker.


    ¡°Yes? Who won?¡± He asked directly.


    From across the phone, Damian rubbed his face which felt stone stiff. He took a deep breath in and exhaled long. The sound reached the ears of Marcel and Kenny who were listening with great expectation.


    ¡°Did ck and Jita Kyoei lose?¡± Marcel asked with a weakened face. He guessed it because he heard Damian¡¯s sigh which only he would do when he had bad news.


    Damian shook his head. ¡°They won. Dragger lost.¡±


    ¡°Oh, That¡¯s great! Then why do you sound disappointed?¡±


    ¡°Disappointed?¡± Damian repeated. ¡°This is the sound of shock!¡±


    ¡°You were shocked because ck and Jita Kyoei won?¡± Marcel asked with a confused face.


    ¡°I was shocked at what was under ck¡¯s mask,¡± Damian answered, suppressing his tone.


    The answer made Marcel and Kenny stare at each other. Marcel immediately brought the phone closer to his mouth. ¡°Who is he? What kind of person is he?¡±


    There was a long sigh from there. ¡°I¡¯ll send the pictures,¡± Damian answered before hanging up the phone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that ck would reveal his identity in this war. But apparently, it was an ident.¡± Marcel said, responded with a nod of approval from Kenny.


    Not long after, Marcel¡¯s cell phone sounded with an iing message notification. Quickly, he opened the message containing two pictures. When he opened them to the size of the screen, his jaw almost dropped to the ground.


    With shaking hands, Marcel moved his index finger and thumb to erge the picture because he didn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    ¡°It is a woman?¡± Kenny muttered.


    Marcel shook his head quickly while calling Damian again. Then, the boy answered it.


    ¡°Surprised? Me too,¡± Damian said directly.


    ¡°Is that really a woman?¡±


    Damian nodded. ¡°He is the ck leader. And the other ck, who is of normal height, turns out to be a tall woman,¡±


    ¡°God! It¡¯s absolutely crazy! I can¡¯t believe this,¡± Marcel held his head with both hands.


    ¡°If the leader and the vice are women, it means all the members are women too. Now that it all makes sense why do they have such short and skinny bodies,¡± Kenny muttered to himself.


    Then Marcel realized something. He immediately brought the phone back to his mouth. ¡°Damian! Is there a girl with curly red hair over there?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t think so. They¡¯re all still wearing masks.¡± Damian answered.


    But Kenny looked at Marcel confused. ¡°Why do you suddenly ask that?¡±


    ¡°I know the girl in this picture. She is Emma Hind. She is my friend.¡± Marcel answered.

 Chapter 306

    306 Unusual


    ck was a girl. She was a figure who from the beginning of her appearance had caused an uproar in the dark world of Handway City, which was ruled by men. She was the figure that possessed terrifying fighting abilities, the figure who seeded in destroying the four major gangster groups.


    However, the thing that surprised Calvin Lee and the rest of the Jita Kyoei core team was who was the woman inside the mask of the ck figure. That girl was Emma Hind, their own friend.


    Isn¡¯t it very funny, that the person who made you curious to death, turns out to be very close to you?


    ¡°Looks like you guys were so shocked you couldn¡¯t even speak,¡± Emma said with a grin.


    ¡°You... really are Emma Hind, aren¡¯t you? Am I dreaming?¡± Calvin muttered, still trying to believe his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m Emma Hind. Sorry for lying to you all this time.¡± Emma said in a loud voice, so that all Jita Kyoei could hear.


    ¡°No way!¡± Martin eximed while grabbing his hair.


    ¡°Why, Emma? What¡¯s the point of all this?¡± Calvin stood on her side.


    ¡°You should already know what I mean. I want to destroy the gangsters in this city. That¡¯s all.¡± Emma answered.


    .....


    ¡°I mean, why are you doing this? This is very dangerous, Emma. Look, you¡¯re badly hurt now.¡± Calvin said. His face grimaced seeing the number of wounds on the face of the girl he loved. ¡°Those bastards...¡± he muttered, clenching his fists tightly.


    Calvin immediately turned around and stepped roughly towards Creed who was lying unconscious because he was beaten by Rachel. ¡°He¡¯s dead meat now,¡±


    ¡°Leave it, Calvin! You¡¯ll get yourself in legal trouble.¡± Ian immediately blocked him. He knew Calvin could truly kill Creed. He would not hesitate, even though Creed was in a stupor.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, Calvin,¡± Emma said loudly, making Calvin stop his track.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m injured. However, you must not forget that I am ck, who has been your fighting partner all this time. You must not forget that I was the one who attacked the main headquarters of Hell Gate, Creeper, and Beast Empire. Just like you, I¡¯m used to getting hurt.¡± Emma continued.


    ¡°I am indeed a woman. However, I am not weak. I am strong. And I have proven it to you.¡± She continued in a louder tone.


    ¡°Damn. I didn¡¯t think women could be this shocking,¡± Ian muttered.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you underestimate us too much,¡±


    Ian instantly turned to the girl¡¯s voice that answered him. Kathy smiled at him. Ian gaped even more.


    Emma looked at Kathy. ¡°Why do you take off your mask?¡±


    ¡°What? Your mask is also open,¡± Kathy replied casually.


    ¡°But... If your identity is exposed...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, Emma.¡± Poppy cut her after removing her mask as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you said, Emma. We are strong women. Although the risk of crime is more vulnerable to women, we can protect ourselves. And we don¡¯t need to be afraid because ck Swan protects each other.¡± Linda added before taking off her mask.


    One by one, all ck Swan women removed their masks in front of Emma and Jita Kyoei.


    All the men were bbergasted to find that the men they thought were men were actually women. Yes, all ck members were female. They weren¡¯t schoolboys or midgets.


    ¡°ck Swan?¡± Frank repeated what one of the girls had said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Our name is not ck. Our real group name is ck Swan.¡±


    ¡°What the hell...¡± Nicko muttered when the man beside him took off his mask. It was Britney. The girl even gave him a friendly smile.


    ¡°F*ck! I can¡¯t believe this. Is the world going to end?¡± Troy said while holding his head. He didn¡¯t know what to say or how to act anymore.


    Seeing all this chaos, finally, Ian, the sanest person in Jita Kyoei¡¯s core team, stepped forward.


    ¡°Emma, ??we need to talk about this. We can¡¯t all look at each other in this ce.¡± He said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. We should talk about the Dragger¡¯s treasure that fell into our hands, right?¡± she smiled.


    ¡°We can go to Jita Kyoei headquarters to discuss...¡±


    ¡°No need. Your ce is too small and messy. This time, I will be the host.¡± Emma cut with a big smile.


    She would show who the real Emma Hind was and how great the ck Swan group was.


    ***


    ck¡¯s identity had been exposed. Now, Emma would show her base to the Jita Kyoei core team.


    In the middle of the night, a group of motorbikes stopped in front of a pretty building with a ss door that had a sign with a swan motif that read ¡®CLOSE¡¯ hanging on the inside.


    Ian took out his cell phone from the pocket of his brown leather jacket. He re-read the address given by Emma.


    ¡°This is the ce,¡± Ian said to Troy and Calvin who were on his right and left riding their respective motorbikes.


    ¡°Ah... of course,¡± Calvin muttered with his head looking up to stare at the building¡¯s namete.


    The fact that Poppy¡¯s ballet studio was ck¡¯s headquarters made the boysugh. No wonder not a single gangster managed to find the headquarters of the ck group. Even if they searched for years, while ck still managed to cover up their identity, then no one would be able to find its base.


    ¡°They¡¯re smart,¡± Ian muttered.


    After Calvin called Emma, ??not long after, a girl in a baby blue long pyjama suit emerged from the studio. She opened the ss door and came out. ¡°Hi,¡±


    ¡°Hi, Emma.¡± Martin greeted too kindly, as usual.


    ¡°Where should we park our bikes?¡± Troy asked directly.


    Emma didn¡¯t answer and instead approached Calvin. ¡°Can I have a ride for a while?¡±


    The man smiled faintly. ¡°Of course,¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emma said as she climbed onto his motorbike.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wearing a helmet?¡± Calvin asked.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s near,¡±


    Then, Emma directed Calvin to ride his motorbike down another block which led them to the building behind Poppy¡¯s studio. Calvin¡¯s motorbike rode in front, so the others just had to follow it.


    They arrived in front of a building that looked empty. The building had window panes covered with newspaper and no lights were on, even at the front. It made the outside of the building and the street in front of it a bit dark.


    Emma asked Calvin to stop before she jumped down. She pressed the bell button beside the fences which were the only entrance to the building. Only after a few seconds, the fences open to reveal two girls inside. The two girls were in charge of guarding the fences for today.


    ¡°Thank you. girls,¡± Emma said as she stepped inside.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Emma. I¡¯ll direct them into the parking lot.¡± One of the girls replied.


    Then Emma turned to the group of men on motorbikes. ¡°Follow her. You will be directed to the parking lot. Park the bikes neatly and don¡¯t be noisy please.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Troy answeredzily. ¡°She¡¯s as fussy as your mother,¡± he said to Ian, which the man responded with a chuckle.

 Chapter 307

    307 Visiting ck Swan¡¯s Base


    The men¡¯s motorcycle sped into the darkness behind the fence. The darkness turned out to be only an illusion of tworgeyers of thin ck cloth that were hung a few meters behind the fence. This was useful for disguising all activities in the building.


    But when they had passed the twoyers of cloth, the men were amazed at what they found. It was a spacious basement dominated by white colours and bright lights. It was like passing through a portal and entering another dimension.


    Inside the parking lot, neatly lined up various motorbikes and cars that look clean and shiny. There were also several girls who were busy minding their business or just grouping to talk. However, the presence of the men suddenly became the centre of those beautiful eyes.


    It was a very strange sensation for all members of Jita Kyoei. They had visited the headquarters of various gangster groups several times. However, the atmosphere, sights, and even the sounds werepletely different from what they were facing now.


    ¡°Park the bikes here,¡± The girl who led them pointed to an empty corner of the parking lot. ¡°Please park them neatly. Linda will go berserk if she sees this ce in a mess.¡±


    Nicko didn¡¯t stop looking around. ¡°This ce is more like a Showroom than a parking lot,¡±


    Beside him, Frank chuckled. ¡°They¡¯re girls, Nick. You should¡¯ve known better,¡±


    Nicko could only nod slightly. With so many sisters, he should understand what happened.


    After parking their motorbikes, Emma approached them. She had just entered from behind a ck cloth curtain after helping her friend close the fence.


    .....


    ¡°You guys done? Pleasee with me inside,¡± Emma said as she looked at the row of motorbikes that had been parked neatly.


    ¡°Your headquarters is huge,¡± Troy walked beside Emma.


    ¡°Our headquarters,¡± She corrected him. ¡°You¡¯ve only seen a fraction of it.¡±


    ¡°Since when did you girls build this?¡± Calvin asked curiously.


    ¡°A few months ago. Previously, we only used the top floor of Poppy¡¯s studio. However, because our members increased, we took another building.¡± Emma exined.


    Then they entered a ss door and met a staircase that led them to the first floor and so on. Actually, Emma was inspired by all the gangster bases she had been to. The first and second floors of the building were filled with rooms upied by the girls. Those who didn¡¯t have a home or just want to stay overnight could sleep at the ck Swan base.


    The headquarters had a bright, neat, and clean feel because Emma really cared about the aesthetics of buildings, so she made sure that the inside of a building that looked unkempt from the outside, had to be beautiful on the inside, so that all of her friends and herself would feelfortable.


    So far, The ck Swan¡¯s headquarters had never been entered by men. Jita Kyoei was the first group of boys to enter the kingdom of the girls.


    Their arrival made the girls stare at them and whisper to each other as if they had seen aliensing. It actually made the men feel a bit ufortable.


    Emma noticed it from the looks on the faces and the silence of the men who followed her. ¡°Are you feeling ufortable?¡±


    Nicko shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but this does feel a bit weird,¡±


    Calvin nodded. ¡°Looks like we were just shocked,¡±


    ¡°It seems we all have the same thought,¡± Ian muttered with a nce at the group of girls who were watching them.


    ¡°Their stares and muttering mouths give me goosebumps,¡± Martin said while rubbing his arms.


    Nicko chuckled. ¡°Maybe, that¡¯s what girls feel when they walk past a group of men. The difference is, they used to experience Catcalling. I think this is a feeling of being intimidated,¡± (Catcalling is a form of verbal abuse in a public space. The perpetrator calls, whistles, and teases with words to someone who passes her/his eyes. Usually experienced by women.)


    ¡°We feel that way because we have no malice here. We are not men with bad thoughts and loser brains who feel that we are above women and feel that everything we do is right.¡± Ian replied.


    Imperceptibly, they arrived at the fourth floor which was arge room for gathering. Usually, all of ck Swan¡¯s core team held meetings there. The floor was very spacious because it had no room. It also had lots of pretty and cute furniture.


    The six men stood awkwardly at the top of the stairs. They found quite many girls that most of them they knew before. There, all of The ck Swan¡¯s core team gathered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk there,¡± Emma pointed at a table surrounded by several brightly coloured couches and bean bags.


    ¡°Oh, you guys finallye,¡± Poppy greeted with a cup in her hand. She stepped from the small kitchen on the other side of the room.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Nicko greeted.


    ¡°Sorry if it¡¯s a bit messy,¡± Poppy said while picking up some cushions that were lying on the carpet and putting them back on the couch.


    ¡°Not to worry, Poppy. Their ce is messier than this.¡± Emma chuckled a little.


    Troy looked at Emma sarcastically. ¡°We¡¯re boys. Thanks for thepliment.¡±


    Emma continued her chuckle. ¡°Well, please sit down.¡±


    Then the men sat down on the couches circling the coffee table. Some sat on the soft pink fur rug thaty in the middle.


    ¡°Now that Jita Kyoei is here, let¡¯s discuss the next matter,¡± Emma said to her female friends who were scattered with their own busy lives.


    One by one, the girls sat there. All of Jita Kyoei¡¯s men, except for Ian and Nicko, be tense because it was not usual for them to hang out with women. In fact, Troy once said that he was allergic to girls, therefore, he had to make sure that his male friends sat on his left and right.


    ¡°Oh, hi,¡± Nicko smiled awkwardly when Britney sat beside him. The girl also looked awkward. The two of them tried to cover it up so the others wouldn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°So, since we have defeated Dragger, that means Jen Marrie is ours, right?¡± Emma asked to start the conversation.


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be like that. But I have a feeling they¡¯re going to cheat. There¡¯s no way they¡¯d just give up the money field,¡± Ian answered.


    ¡°Behind Dragger is a group called ck Hole. Reportedly, it¡¯s many times stronger than Dragger. ck Hole is the head of the four big groups: Hell Gate, RJC, Beast Empire, and Dragger.¡± Troy added.


    Emma nodded. ¡°But we managed to take down all the five groups, didn¡¯t we? If Dragger hadn¡¯t cheated in that battle earlier, we should have been able to defeat them even more easily.¡±


    ¡°Emma, ??just now, Dragger pulled all of the Beast Empire¡¯s men into their possession. From there, we could already feel how hard it was to wipe them all out. Now, we can imagine how all the men we faced earlier will join the ck Hole group.¡± Calvin exined slowly.


    ¡°I see. Then, in that war, did you deploy all your men?¡± She asked.

 Chapter 308

    308 Men¡¯s Group and Women¡¯s Group


    ¡°Did in the war earlier, you have sent all Jita Kyoei¡¯s men?¡±


    Troy shook his head. ¡°Jita Kyoei is huge. But only a few members are active. We still have some followers, but they don¡¯t want to get involved in street fights. There aren¡¯t many of them either.¡±


    ¡°Emma, ??Jita Kyoei has principles that we don¡¯t want to...¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Emma cut Ian. ¡°Of course all of your members will follow the principles of the leader: put personal interests first and don¡¯t want to get your hands dirty. Now, you are feeling the consequences for yourself,¡±


    Troy and Ian were stunned by Emma¡¯s sharp words. They could only shake their heads slowly.


    ¡°Damn it! She¡¯s really ck. My brain still can¡¯t put this out,¡± Ian said while massaging his forehead which suddenly ached.


    ¡°Can you put your mask on again, Emma? Because we¡¯re used to receiving that kind of attitude from ck,¡± Nicko said with augh. He was also surprised, but he found it funny about his friends¡¯ reactions to Emma¡¯s attitude which seemed to have changed drastically from what they knew.


    Emmaughed along and nodded. ¡°Seems like I was a bit rough on you guys this whole time, huh?¡±


    ¡°You can be rough and tender. You¡¯re great in any way, Emma. And... a little scary, I think,¡± Calvin said with a chuckle.


    .....


    Emma held Calvin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Trust me, Calvin. I¡¯m also a bit confused right now about adjusting my attitude. I¡¯m used to being tough when dealing with men in situations like this.¡±


    ¡°You guys better get used to it,¡± Kathy said with a chuckle.


    ¡°All right. Then, how about we get on with this right away? I¡¯m already sleepy,¡± Linda said before yawning.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. Ok. let¡¯s get on with this,¡± Troy replied.


    ¡°Dragger still keeps some of the women on Jen Marrie Street asdies workers. Actually, that¡¯s one of the biggest reasons we want to take over, or even close down the street.¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°How about we go straight down Jen Marrie Street? There¡¯s also the Dragger headquarters building there. Let¡¯s see how Pablo reacts,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°What if he refuses?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°Then we destroy the base,¡± Emma answered.


    ¡°If you want to do that, then we have to do it as soon as possible before their strength returns,¡± Frank replied.


    ¡°First, we need to find out if the ck Hole people have been secretly waiting at Dragger¡¯s base knowing we areing,¡± Nicko added.


    ¡°Give us some time. We¡¯ll sneak over there to check the situation,¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°What? Sneak?¡± Calvin repeated with a frown.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll go undercover. It¡¯s the easy thing and we¡¯ve done it before. You don¡¯t need to be so shocked, Calvin.¡±


    ¡°Some of the girls here have excellent make-up talents. They can make our faces look different,¡± Poppy added.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s very dangerous.¡± Calvin answered firmly.


    ¡°Look, Ladies. Many of the Draggers already know ck is a girl¡¯s group. After thest battle, they must have tightened their guard over Jen Marrie Street. If you girls get caught, it will be very dangerous.¡± Nicko exined.


    ¡°You guys talk as if we can¡¯t fight them,¡± Linda said with her arms folded across her chest.


    ¡°Dragger is a very strong group. They are no match for the...¡± Troy stopped his sentence.


    ¡°Women?¡± Emma filled in the nk. Then she chuckled. ¡°Were we still not enough showing our strength? Do we need to fight again like the incident when we defeated RJC?¡±


    Emma¡¯s words made Calvin remember the incident Emma meant. At that time, Calvin fought against the ck. Didn¡¯t that mean he was fighting against Emma?


    He immediately looked at Emma with widened eyes. ¡°E-Emma, at that time, we...¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°I know, I lost to you. However, I almost won to you too.¡± She said, without realizing what Calvin meant.


    Calvin shook his head quickly. ¡°Not that, Emma. But I had...¡±


    ¡°Good grief!¡± Troy clutched his head in frustration. ¡°Does that mean I beat up a girl? I seriously almost broke her arm! Tell me that who I fought that day wasn¡¯t a real girl! I beg you,¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it was a girl. And that person was me.¡± Rachel answered with a straight face. ¡°I admit your power,¡±


    ¡°F*ck... I¡¯m going crazy...¡± Troy muttered.


    Ian rubbed his best friend¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. It¡¯s passed and it had happened. We didn¡¯t know that they were women.¡±


    ¡°Your friend is right. Let¡¯s just say that at that time we were men. The proof is that we are still fine now. If you guys continue to act like this, it will be clearer for you to say that we are weak.¡± Rachel said.


    ¡°What Rachel said is true. You have seen for yourself that we are not the women you have always thought we are. Just because we are women, it doesn¡¯t mean we always be objects that men can hurt. We are strong women who can protect ourselves, even others. You should always remember that and stop this drama.¡± Emma added.


    ¡°So, when will the disguise be done?¡± Linda asked with another yawn. She was so sleepy and tired from thetest fight. Her cheeks even hurt if she yawned too wide because she had been hit.


    ¡°How about tomorrow night?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll check the street conditions using the drone.¡± Kathy nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m going with you. I know what we have to do asfort women.¡± Britney raised one hand.


    ¡°Hey...¡± Nicko immediately turned to her with a disapproving look. Britney just stared at him with her beautiful eyes that blinked several times. Nicko then could only let out a long sigh before returning to his original sitting position.


    ¡°Are you... seriously going to do it?¡± Troy asked the girls.


    Emma looked at Troy tiredly. ¡°How much do I have to make speeches to you, Troy?¡±


    ¡°All right.. all right..¡± Troy raised his hands as a sign of giving up. ¡°But we have to apany you all,¡±


    Calvin nodded. ¡°At least let us keep watch around there, Emma. We don¡¯t know what will happen.¡±


    Emma sighed and nodded in understanding. ¡°All right. You guys can stay out of Jen Marrie. We¡¯ll be using themunication device as usual,¡± Then Emma turned to Kathy. ¡°Do we still have it, Kathy?¡±


    ¡°My team has made enough after all my devices were not returned by them,¡± She stared at Nicko with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, we were drenched in sweat the other day,¡± Nicko replied while scratching the back of his head that didn¡¯t itch.


    Kathy just sighed. ¡°In the future, I will make them waterproof.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I think that¡¯s all. We should also rest after the long battle just now.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Have youdies gone to the hospital? I see you all got hit pretty bad,¡± Calvin said as he stood up with a very worried face.


    ¡°We are doing it, but gradually, from those with the worst injuries,¡± Emma answered with a nod.


    ¡°Then. Thanks for inviting us over and clearing our curiosity about the ck base,¡± Ian said.


    ¡°ck Swan,¡± Rachel corrected.


    ¡°Ah, yes... I mean ck Swan.¡± Ian nodded.


    ¡°Hey, Martin. Can you stop embarrassing us?¡± Calvin stared at the figure of a guy with a scar on his eyebrow, who was busy eating various snack jars on the table.


    Troy just stared tiredly at Martin. He was never useful in every meeting. But earlier, that stupid kid kept on whining asking toe to ck¡¯s headquarters, especially since he already knew that ck was Emma Hind.


    Poppy chuckled, ¡°Do you want me to pack the snacks for you to take home?¡± she asked Martin.


    Martin looked at Poppy with sparkling eyes. ¡°Can I?¡±


    Poppy nodded. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll take food boxes in a moment.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really no need for that, Poppy. This guy will spoil if you treat him like this.¡± Frank said.


    Poppy shook her head as she stopped walking towards the bar counter which was attached to the small kitchen. ¡°That¡¯s no problem, Frank. I can make some more. I¡¯m d you liked my and Rachel¡¯s biscuits.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you two made these yourselves?¡± Martin turned to Rachel and rose his eyebrows high.

 Chapter 309

    309 This Is It


    Rachel stared at Martin for a moment with a straight face. She didn¡¯t really like a man who had a somewhat flirtatious nature like him. However, she knew that Martin was not a bad person. Maybe he was just trying to be friendly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rachel nodded once.


    ¡°Damn... you are so talented. It¡¯s delicious!¡± Martin said.


    ¡°Hey, you better clean up those crumbs you dropped. Emma will break your finger if she sees them. She doesn¡¯t like her house messy and dirty,¡± Kathy handed Martin a box of tissues.


    ¡°Oh, All... alright,¡± Martin replied and directly did what Kathy said.


    On the other hand, Emma was busy talking to Troy, Calvin, and Ian by the stairs.


    ¡°If he finds out you¡¯re women, it won¡¯t be long before they find out your base, Emma. You¡¯d better be on your guard,¡± Ian said worriedly.


    Emma nodded. ¡°I guess so. Maybe I¡¯ll do some revamping at this base. The problem now is security at Poppy¡¯s studio. She has many kids studentsing during the day. Could they possibly take advantage of that?¡±


    ¡°Involving children will only give the gangster group huge trouble. Chances are, they won¡¯t do it,¡± Ian answered.


    .....


    But Emma thought for a moment. ¡°But the Beast Empire also kidnapped children, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°More like homeless children, Emma. It would be a different case if they kidnapped children from good families, who even sent the children to a dancing studio. You can imagine what those children¡¯s parents would do if their child is hurt.¡± Calvin replied.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Maybe if the parents join forces, they¡¯ll be stronger than those gangsters because basically, gangsters bribe the police to shut up.¡± Emma muttered.


    Ian nodded. ¡°And those cops will stand up for whoever can bribe more. If the parents can do that, then that will be the end of the story for the gangsters. But unfortunately, the parents won¡¯t do that,¡±


    Troy nodded in approval. ¡°The old people in this city tend to mind their own family matters. They aren¡¯t young people like us who still have a lot of time and energy. Even so, what they can do is actually bigger than us. Therefore, gangsters never go looking fuss to them. The thing that moves those parents is hurting their babies,¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Emma muttered.


    Suddenly, Troy felt his phone vibrate and took it out of his jacket pocket. He paused for a moment staring at his cellphone screen before speaking, ¡°Guys. It¡¯s RJC. They sent me a message.¡±


    ¡°What did they say?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Wait... Does that mean you know that the leader of the RJC is Marcel Dous?¡± Ian confirmed it once more to Emma.


    The girl nodded lightly, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Marcel will be shocked to death if he finds out the truth,¡± Calvin muttered to himself and got an approving nod from Ian.


    ¡°They asked me how to contact ck,¡± Troy said. Then he looked at Emma. ¡°RJC would like to contact you.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re still going to stay here?¡± Martin asked with an unhappy face.


    Calvin nodded then raised one hand briefly. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Just go. Don¡¯t disturb them,¡± Nicko said to Martin. He smirked at his friend¡¯s sullen face.


    Martin grunted. ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± he said before mming the engine and riding his big motorbike at top speed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Emma. His madness will only get worse at this time of night,¡± Nicko said.


    Emmaughed awkwardly. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go now. That you for having us, Emma.¡± Ian said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. See you tomorrow,¡± Emma replied with a sweet smile.


    When the man rode away, she turned around to face Calvin. ¡°What do you want to talk about, Calvin?¡±


    He smiled faintly and awkwardly. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know where to start. There are so many things I want to ask and tell you, but never got the right time,¡±


    Emma could see the worry on Calvin¡¯s face. Actually, she knew that he must have a lot of questions. First, it should only be about when he met Emma when she was alone with Levi. But now, there must be more questions about Emma¡¯s status as the leader of the ck Swan.


    The two of them ended up on the first floor of Poppy¡¯s empty ballet studio. Emma only turned on one light at the reception desk. They sat there, facing each other, yet silent to one another.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re tired of hearing this, but I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re ck,¡± Calvin said to start the conversation.


    Emma smiled faintly. ¡°I have my own intentions by covering it up,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re badly hurt, Emma.¡± Calvin brought his hand to Emma¡¯s chin. But his hand stopped mid-air, ¡°Can I?¡±


    The girl nodded slowly, so Calvin proceeded to touch Emma¡¯s injured soft skin. There were some bruises there. Even, a corner of Emma¡¯s lips was badly injured.


    ¡°They must be so painful,¡± Calvin muttered slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emma. But, are you sure you really want to continue this? To be honest, I can¡¯t stand to see you face this kind of danger,¡±


    Emma touched Calvin¡¯s wrist and pulled it gently down. She smiled gently. ¡°Before falling asleep at night, I often think; what if one day you find out that ck is me? How will you react? What will you do? It all makes me curious. And all your reactions now are exactly the same as I imagine,¡±


    Calvin smiled faintly. ¡°I know this is out of the topic, but I¡¯m d to know I¡¯m in your mind before you sleep,¡±


    ¡°Gosh... I think about a lot of things before going to bed, really. I¡¯m the type of person who can¡¯t empty my mind when I¡¯m about to sleep,¡± Emmaughed.


    Calvin just smiled gently. He felt the little pricks that tickled and hurt him at the same time. As time passed, for some reason, he felt the distance between the two of them getting farther. Even, when they faced each other with this, he still felt that Emma was too far away for him to reach. It was as if she kept stepping backwards away from him and disappeared into the fog.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Calvin remembered something. ¡°Regarding that day when I fought with you, I¡¯m really sorry for being rude to you. Was after that... you okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emma nodded casually. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t need to feel guilty, Calvin. At that time, you didn¡¯t know I was me or even a girl. All you know, ck was a man ¨C just like what I wanted.¡±


    Emma looked at Calvin in guilt. ¡°Honestly, I was also very hard on you. Unlike you, I knew that you were Calvin but I almost broke your shoulder.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Emma. Maybe I would be relieved if you did break my shoulder then, so I wouldn¡¯t have to hit you. Until now, I feel like cutting off my own hands.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°Haha... You¡¯re too much as usual,¡± Emma chuckled.


    ¡°Eum... Did anyone else find out about your secret before us?¡± Calvin asked, moving ufortably.


    ¡°Yes? Of course. All my girlfriends share this secret with me.¡± Emma answered lightly.


    But Calvin shook his head slowly. ¡°I mean... someone other than your girlfriends. For example, the guy named Levi yesterday,¡±


    Emma was stunned for a moment. A feeling of difort slowly crept up to her hump. ¡®This is it,¡¯ she said in her heart.

 Chapter 310

    310 Don¡¯t Fall For Him


    ¡°Levi doesn¡¯t know that,¡± Emma answered Calvin¡¯s question with an innocent face.


    ¡°Oh... that¡¯s a relief...¡± Calvin muttered. Then he cleared his throat and his cheeks slowly blushed, ¡°If I may ask; are you two that close?¡±


    Emma swallowed, ¡°Well... we are quite close ¨C as best friends.¡±


    ¡°Um, how about me? Am I your best friend or your just friend?¡± Calvin asked, throwing away his pride. He knew that his question was awkward and embarrassing.


    ¡°Y-you? Well...¡± Emma thought as she cleared her throat, ¡°You... can be called my best friend too,¡± she smiled stiffly.


    But Emma¡¯s doubtful answer made Calvin¡¯s heart ache even more. Even though he kept on denying it, even though he tried to be confident, he wasn¡¯t that stupid to realize that Emma was closer to Levi. Even, with just that hour-long meeting, Calvin could see it clearly.


    ¡°Emma, ??are you very busy?¡± Calvin asked suddenly.


    Emma then wrinkled her forehead in confusion although she still had a smile on her lips. ¡°I can say Yes. You can see for yourself what we are nning. Why do you suddenly ask?¡±


    ¡°If I say that I¡¯m in love with you, will it bother you?¡± Calvin asked with a serious look.


    .....


    The question was like arge stone ball smashed into Emma¡¯s chest. She was stunned. She wasn¡¯t prepared to hear such a question in the middle of their casual conversation. She didn¡¯t know that Calvin could be this random.


    ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± That was the only question Emma could think of even though she already knew clearly what Calvin¡¯s sentence meant.


    ¡°I like you, Emma. I have had feelings for you for a long time. However, I am afraid that if I express it, you¡¯d feel ufortable. I see you are very busy pursuing your dreams. You said that you were bothered by men who kept getting in your way because of your look. I don¡¯t want you to feel burdened by me and think of me just like any other man. I don¡¯t want our rtionship to be awkward just because I confessed my feelings to you,¡± Calvin exined.


    Emma was silent. Calvin¡¯s face looked weak. His two jet-ck irises were like a mirror that reflected the thin dots of light that surrounded them.


    Emma should be happy because Calvin finally confessed his feelings. It was not that she didn¡¯t know that all this time, Calvin had liked her. Emma also never avoided him because she knew that he was a good man.


    Logically, Emma assumed that Calvin would be the right boyfriend for her. However, why was her heart now doubtful?


    ¡°Calvin,¡± Emma muttered.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Calvin answered while straightening his back in a ready gesture.


    ¡°Thank you for liking me. I really appreciate it. However, if you want me to return your feelings, I think I need a little time. And I don¡¯t even dare to promise,¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Emma. But now, can you tell me what I am in your eyes?¡± Calvin asked quietly.


    Emma sighed softly. It took a while for her to answer his question. ¡°You are a special person to me, Calvin.¡±


    Calvin chuckled as he lowered his head. ¡°I think you have a lot of special people in your life, Emma. Am I right?¡±


    That statement asking for justification made Emma freeze. It sucks when someone knew what your subconscious was thinking, even though you were trying not to notice it yourself.


    What Calvin said was true. She had many special people in her life. Roger, Poppy, Rachel, Jonas, and others. Everyone who made a difference and yed an important role in Emma¡¯s life would be considered a special person. Then if she said that Calvin was special, she was implying that Calvin was just like the others.


    ¡°I guess I was right,¡± Calvin muttered, without preventing Emma from hearing it.


    ¡°Calvin, looks like it¡¯s alreadyte. We¡¯re both tired after the fight. We¡¯d better talk about this next time when our minds are fresher,¡± Emma said slowly as she stood up from her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the back door,¡± she continued, about to leave.


    However, Calvin suddenly pulled her wrist so that she hit his chest, into the arms of the desperate man.


    ¡°Was I too soft on you all this time? Am I too slow on you?¡± Calvin asked right beside Emma¡¯s ear while hugging her tightly.


    Emma couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. She had to gather her sanity back to realize that her body was in Calvin¡¯s surprisingly warm arms. She blinked several times. She knew Calvin had asked her something, but her brain was too shocked to hear what he was saying.


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I was too soft on you. I thought, by trying to keep your feelings andfort, I could win your heart. But it turns out my thinking was wrong. Instead of getting closer, you¡¯re even further away from me. This is all my fault, Emma. I¡¯ve never liked a woman. It makes me clueless about how to make the right way to make the woman I like grow the same feelings as mine. I admit I¡¯m too slow in moving. I¡¯m too careful and don¡¯t dare to take risks,¡± Calvin exined with a trembling voice.


    When he met Emma, ??who was alone with a man named Levi at that time, he realized something that shook and changed his mind.


    Calvin witnessed with his eyes how Levi treated Emma. That guy, who looked like a delinquent had a coercive nature. Calvin was annoyed when he had to witness Levi being rude to Emma. However, what confused him was Emma¡¯s response.


    Emma seemed to understand Levi¡¯s character. She seemed to have gotten used to that pushy attitude. Somehow, it actually made the two of them seem very close because Emma also became casual and arbitrary towards Levi. They looked like siblings or... a couple.


    Unlike Calvin, Levi didn¡¯t look like he was trying to be polite and maintain an attitude towards Emma. He didn¡¯t hesitate to show that he was angry, he didn¡¯t hesitate to tell Emma what he wanted, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to hold her hand without asking her. That man had high confidence in women.


    Calvin admitted that he had been too careful about Emma. That was not the only mistake he made. He admitted, he had been too careless and underestimated his rtionship with Emma.


    Stupid. Yes, that was the word Calvin pinned to himself.


    What a fool he had been, to think that Emma would not go out with another man. In fact, Emma was like a goddess of many men¡¯s dreams. And again, the two of them were not even bound by any rtionship other than friendship. Now, after everything seemed toote, Calvin realized that he was an idiot.


    ¡°After this, I promise to fight for you. You will see my true struggle, Emma.¡± Calvin uttered without loosening his grip.


    Emma could even feel Calvin¡¯s hammering heartbeat as if it fighting with her own heartbeat. Emma pushed Calvin¡¯s chest slowly until she released enough strength to make him let go of his hug. But her efforts were in vain. Calvin didn¡¯t intend to let her go.


    ¡°Let me go, Calvin,¡± Emma said.


    Calvin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go. Give me a second chance, Emma,¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by second chance? Are you drunk?¡± She frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall for that pale guy. Give me a chance to make you like me more than him.¡± Calvin said as tightened his hug.

 Chapter 311

    311 Four Comfort Women


    Calvin¡¯s answer made Emma freeze. She didn¡¯t know that Calvin was that frustrated. She also didn¡¯t expect that Calvin would realize that her feelings for Levi were greater than for him. However, what Calvin didn¡¯t know was that Emma would never choose Levi.


    In fact, Emma hadmitted herself to choose Calvin. But that was not for now. Emma was still not ready to test her own heart. She also didn¡¯t have the heart to ept Calvin¡¯s love when she still had feelings for someone else.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask for a second chance from me because it will always be there for you,¡± Emma smiled while returning the man¡¯s hug warmly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to me yourself for being soft all this time. Actually, it was me who don¡¯t deserve all your love.¡±


    Finally, Calvin released his hug after feeling that Emma¡¯s answer was enough to make his anxiety subside. He looked into Emma¡¯s eyes intently as if he was still hugging her soul.


    ¡°For now, I can¡¯t return your feelings, Calvin. However, I won¡¯t refuse to grow those feelings. You are the best man a woman can have. In fact, I also hope that we can be together in the future. But, I don¡¯t want to receive love from someone I don¡¯t love. It¡¯s not now, but... maybe it will happen,¡± Emma said softly with a warm smile on her red lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I burdened you,¡± Calvin said quietly.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°Sorry if I act like an elusive butterfly. I¡¯ve been a lot of trouble for you, Calvin. If one day you get tired, please don¡¯t push yourself, okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, Emma. Trust me.¡± Calvin answered firmly.


    Emma chuckled. ¡°I can¡¯t control your decision. It¡¯s your life. But, I¡¯m really very grateful for your feelings for me. Forever, I will feel that your feelings are too big than what I deserve,¡±


    .....


    Then Emma got up a little from her chair and put her face close to Calvin¡¯s. Her hands held her jaw firmly, then she nted a kiss on his forehead with her eyes closed.


    Emma¡¯s scent politely greeted Calvin¡¯s sense of smell. He didn¡¯t know if she always used perfume or what, but the scent that came out of her body was always the same; Soft elegant scent with a hint of sweetness. It was intoxicating, especially at this close range.


    Emma took off her kiss, and then looked at Calvin¡¯s ck irises. ¡°I hope my exnation is enough for you, Calvin.¡±


    Finally, Calvin nodded. ¡°I understand. Thank you for giving me a chance in your busy schedule,¡± He stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to the door, yes?¡± Emma followed.


    ¡°Please, Thank you,¡± Calvin replied with a gentle smile.


    ***


    It was four women with heavy makeup but looking elegant because basically, their faces were already beautiful. They be even more charming with their sexy clothes.


    Emma, ??Linda, Britney, and Ava. The four girls wore heavy makeup and wigs to disguise their identities. All of the wigs they wore were purposely styled in a way that covered their ears because they hadmunication devices connected to the team on guard at another location.


    The four girls walked down the busy Jen Marrie Street as usual. Seeing that the street was still operating well, made Emma furious. It seemed like Pablo was just talking big when he said he was a real man to hold his word. But in fact, even though he had lost, he did not give what they had promised in the previous bet.


    ¡°We are almost at the main base,¡± Emma said, as if she was talking to one of the girls walking beside her. But actually, she was talking to a group of men who were hiding behind Jen Marrie Street.


    ¡°Understood. Be careful.¡± Calvin replied.


    Apart from Calvin, there were Ian and Troy who were also wearing earphones connected to Emma¡¯s. They listened worriedly even though they were used to working with the group they used to know as ck and sending those people to dangerous ces. But now, the situation was much different when they already know that ck was a group of women.


    The girls arrived in front of a building dominated by windows. From what Emma could see from the outside, it looked like the building had about ten floors in total. The main door was guarded by two tall men.


    ¡°Hello... Good evening,¡± Emma greeted with a friendly big smile.


    ¡°We¡¯re from Madame Gissale¡¯s brothel,¡± Britney said after joining in greeting. Her two blue irises were covered by a greenish contact lens.


    ¡°Oh, won¡¯t you gentlemen let us in?¡± Emma asked, pretending to be innocent and confused because the two guard men instead moved to block the entrance which was currently closed.


    ¡°Sorrydies, but we didn¡¯t have any information from our boss that there will be any prostitutesing tonight.¡± Said one of them who was wearing sunsses even at night.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. We came ording to the usual schedule and Madame Gissale also ordered us toe,¡± Britney answered thoughtfully.


    ¡°Could it be that your boss forgot to tell you?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± The man replied.


    ¡°Oh... Madame Gisalle will be mad if we go straight back to the brothel without bringing anything. Can you ask your boss, please? Maybe he forgot to tell you because he routinely orders women every week,¡± Britney asked. She was indeed adept at seducing men with her two doll eyes.


    Britney¡¯s prowess made the two men exchange nces. Yes, it was difficult for a man to refuse requests from beautiful and sexy women like them. Finally, the man they had been talking to nodded. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll try to contact him.¡±


    Secretly, Linda exchanged nces with Ava. From the start, the two of them stood behind Emma and Britney.


    ¡°Ah, looks like your shoe¡¯s untied, Jully,¡± Linda said.


    ¡°Oh, is it?¡± Ava immediately looked behind her feet. Then, she lifted one leg back like a horse with one hand trying to reach thece of her high-heels.


    At the same time, the guard man just put his cell phone to his ear. At that moment, Ava knew that this was the time for action.


    ¡°AH!¡± Ava screamed, pretending to fall forward, pushing Emma hard.


    Emma, ??who had been waiting for the collision, immediately fell forward and bumped into the male guard in front of her. She deliberately put maximum strength on it, so that the impact was strong enough to throw the man off bnce. She also swung up her hand and hit the man¡¯s arm, which was holding the cell phone.


    Emma¡¯s n worked. The guard¡¯s cell phone slipped from his hand and fell to the floor which was covered with a red carpet.


    ¡°Oh My God! Sorry... I¡¯m sorry!¡± Ava said with a frantic face as she approached the man.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry too. I was hit from behind by her,¡± Emma pointed at Ava who gave a guilty face.


    ¡°Are you okay? I¡¯m really sorry,¡± Ava said with her puppy eyes while holding the man¡¯s arm, preventing him from immediately picking up his dropped cell phone.


    On the other hand, Linda moved quickly when the cell phone finallynded on the carpet. Before the guard¡¯s partner could get it, Linda had already taken it. She bent her knees and hunched her back as she picked up the cell phone. She deliberately showed her cleavage to the guard.

 Chapter 312

    312 Entering Dragger¡¯s Base


    Linda got up and straightened her back in slow motion as if she indeed intended to tease the guard. But while doing so, her eyes nced at the cellphone screen and her finger immediately moved to press the red button to disconnect the call.


    ¡°Boss Lance,¡± Linda said in a thin voice and lips that barely seemed to move.


    Linda straightened up while looking at the male guard who was staring at her while biting her own lower lip.


    The man smiled faintly. ¡°You have a beautiful body,¡±


    Linda smiled seductively. ¡°Sorry if you had to see that. I did it on purpose,¡± she answered in a whisper in thest sentence.


    The man chuckled. It wasn¡¯t wrong for him to let the woman in the short red tight dress take his cell phone. He already knew that she was deliberately trying to show him her soft and bumpy chest.


    Linda pretended to be waiting for Ava and Emma who were apologizing to the male guard they bumped into. Meanwhile, Britney immediately approached the guard who had spoken to Linda. The blonde-haired girl pretended to beg to enter.


    While the two men were distracted, Linda secretly dialled 1382 and called it. As soon as the call was connected, it was immediately disconnected again.


    Kathy was at headquarters with all the hackers, plus Nicko and Frank who were just watching out of curiosity.


    .....


    ¡°Okay! We got the number, guys!¡± Daisy eximed.


    ¡°I have made the name. Launch it now,¡± Rena added.


    ¡®I ordered thefort women. There are four of them. Tell them toe in,¡¯


    That was the content of the short message the girls had made. They immediately sent the message to the number that just called.


    This was all a n that Kathy, Emma, ??Ava and Britney had put together in the hours before they went to sleepst night.


    ¡°Delivered!¡± Kathy pped her hands once. ¡°Good job, girls. I hope this works out,¡±


    Nicko and Frank, who had just been watching, looked amazed even though they didn¡¯t understand what was happening. Kathy just told them to pay attention to the end. Only then would she exin the whole n.


    ¡°Is that done?¡± Nicko asked.


    Kathy nodded as she turned her chair to face the two men. Now, she sat with her back to herrgeputer screen. She put her hands behind her head. ¡°If everything goes well, we should just be monitoring the camera that Emma willter install at Dragger¡¯s base.¡±


    ¡°Then, can we hear your n that sounds exciting now?¡± Nicko asked impatiently.


    Kathy nodded once, then started to exin, ¡°This mission is to infiltrate the Dragger base to check whether there is a ck Hole group inside or not. But it¡¯ll be troublesome if we have to sneak our way inside,¡±


    ¡°It happens that Britney and Ava were once trapped by the Beast Empire and had to work as prostitutes in one of Jen Marrie¡¯s street brothels. They both had learned that two of Dragger¡¯s superiors ordered women every week. From there, we decided to go undercover as a prostitute working in one of Jen Marrie¡¯s brothels armed with everything Britney and Ava know,¡± Kathy continued.


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s a bit worrying,¡± Nicko muttered.


    Kathy nodded. ¡°No need to worry. They are the strongest and smartest members of the ck Swan,¡±


    ¡°Actually, this was a backup n. We didn¡¯t know whether the girls would be able to go inside or not, due to the state of the Dragger¡¯s headquarters which must have been extremely closed off, even for prostitute workers. And, our prediction was correct. Emma couldn¡¯t enter inside. Therefore, a hacking team was needed. We had nned that Emma should make the guard take out his cell phone, because, through that phone, I will send a message as his superior saying that I did order thedies and have the guards let Emma and the girls in.


    Looks like our undercover team set up a little ident scenario to get hold of the guard¡¯s cell phone. I don¡¯t know how, but in the first ce, I asked them to check the contact name of the relevant boss stored in the guard¡¯s cell phone. And this was done by Linda.


    Linda mentioned the boss¡¯s name through themunication device twice. With that name, we set up a phone number that we would use to message the guard¡¯s cell phone, thus bringing up a name that was the same as the name the guard saved in his phone¡¯s contacts. How to? I can tell: it¡¯s quite hard to exin because it¡¯s a rather difficult thing that even made me have to ask my foreign friend for help.


    We created a special number that was easy to remember and short: 1382. Linda memorized the number and called here on the guard¡¯s cell phone, so we could find out his number. After that, we immediately sent a text message to the guard¡¯s number which he will think is his boss¡¯s contact,¡±


    Kathy¡¯s lengthy exnation left both men gaping. Yes, no need to ask for further proof. The ck Swan group was indeed cunning.


    ¡°Ah, they¡¯ve made it in!¡± Kathy said with her eyes widened when she heard the conversation from her headphones.


    ***


    ¡°We already know the room. No need to take us,¡± Britney said in a cute voice.


    ¡°All right. Don¡¯t wander around, OK? Actually, this building is currently refusing anyone to enter. So, youdies should head straight to Boss Lance and Kevin¡¯s room.¡± The guard said.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Britney replied.


    ¡°Have fun,dies! I hope I can get the part tooter,¡± said the man who had been seduced by Linda. He gave an impudent smile.


    The girls just smiled at the guards before walking in.


    ¡°He¡¯ll regret what he said when I make all his teeth fall out,¡± Ava muttered.


    Linda smiled at Ava and then put her arm around her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll make him know,¡±


    It waspletely quiet inside Dragger¡¯s headquarters. After going a little deeper, they didn¡¯t even find anyone standing guard ¨C so much different from the other normal group headquarters. Yes, of course it was because currently, the conditions of the Dragger group were much different from other groups. They were a losing group but still forced to raise the g and deceive their opponents in a bet.


    ¡°We¡¯d better start splitting up now,¡± Emma said in their step.


    The three girls nodded. Then, when they were far enough from the guarded main door, they immediately split up in the hallway.


    The undercover group¡¯s task was to find out whether the ck Hole was in the base or not. But the problem was, they never meet a single member of the ck Hole group before.


    However, it seemed that God would be on the side of those who have a good purpose. One time, Emma got a call from Otsuka. He shared an important piece of information.


    Even though he looked cold and annoying, Otsuka was actually a good friend, just like what Elisa said. Secretly, he tried to help ck Swan find out any information about the ck Hole.

 Chapter 313 - 313 Smoothest Mission

    313 Smoothest Mission


    Through his connections which were as broad as tree roots, Otsuka finally found a bit of information. He got a photo of James Kade. It was a photo taken from an old student card.


    Yes, it was the figure of James who was still very young. However, he couldn¡¯t possiblypletely change his face, could he? At least, his face now still had a resemnce to his face years ago.


    Besides James¡¯ photo, Otsuka also received information that all ck Hole members have a specific tattoo, whether it was on their hands or neck. To be sure, the tattoo was in the form of a circle logo with the letter H on the side.


    After searching everywhere, none of the four girls found any sign of the ck Hole group. Along the way, they only met Dragger members whose faces were injured from yesterday¡¯s battle. Every time they met those men, they always excused that they were looking for a toilet but got lost.


    Emma looked around but there was no one. She was on the fourth floor of the building, to be precise around the railing which was in the form of a 1.5-meter-high wall facing the main lobby of the building. Emma crouched behind the wall while taking something out of her purse. It was a small camera measuring 5 centimetres.


    Then, Emma took out a small mirror and held it up to peek to see if anyone was in the hall. Luckily, the two guards who had escorted them into the door, were now standing outside again. Because the situation was safe, Emma immediately stood up and installed the camera on the outside of the wall after adjusting the angle of the camera to point to the hall¡¯s main door.


    The camera was small and light. The only thing that made it inconvenient was the condition of the camera which was connected to a square-shaped battery with a length of 15 centimetres. The battery was useful for keeping the camera working for more than a week.


    After attaching the camera, Emma ced the battery in an ornamental tree pot that was located in the corner. The leaves, which were quite shady, also well enough covered the cables that connected the camera and battery.


    Luckily, Emma finished doing the activity before two men found her presence when she was about to leave.


    .....


    ¡°Hey! Hey! You!¡±


    Emma stopped in her tracks when two men called her. She turned around with a friendly smile. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The two men approached her, ??looking her up and down. Such a beautiful woman. From her style, it was clear she was a prostitute.


    ¡°I was looking for a toilet. But I think I got lost,¡± Emma replied in a cutesy tone.


    The two men immediately nced at each other. Their faces looked a little suspicious, and it was realized by Emma. ??¡±Can you gentlemen show me where the toilet is?¡± she smiled although secretly, her body was ready to receive or deliver an attack.


    Instead of answering Emma¡¯s request, one of the men asked her a question, ¡°How did you get into this building?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am the prostitute of Madame Gissale¡¯s brothel. I havee to serve Boss Lane.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met different women who have reasons like yours,¡± Said one of the men.


    Then, the other man grabbed Emma¡¯s wrist quickly. ¡°We just came from Boss Lane¡¯s room. He¡¯s sleeping because he¡¯s sick. You didn¡¯te for him, did you?!¡±


    ¡°Ah! What are you saying? Please let go of my hand¡­ It really hurts.¡± Emma said as she took her arm gently.


    Emma¡¯s soft and sweet attitude made the man unconsciously loosen his grip a little. But a secondter, Emma immediately threw her knee towards the man¡¯s ribs.


    From there, the two men knew that the beautiful woman in front of them was no ordinary woman. She was good at fighting and was definitely part of their enemy group, namely ck and Jita Kyoei.


    Without having time to report to the other members, the two men had already been beaten by Emma in several attacks. She immediately stepped quickly towards the centre of the hall which she and her three friends had set up from the start as gather point. ¡°We¡¯ve been caught. Let¡¯s back off.¡±


    ¡°Copy!¡± The three girls answered.


    ¡°You girls got caught? We¡¯re going there now,¡± Calvin said as he stood up. He was immediately followed by all his friends.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Emma said. ¡°There¡¯s a good chance we¡¯ll get out safely,¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting at a nearby ce,¡± Calvin said before jumping down from a small bridge for pedestrians.


    Emma clucked her tongue. This was what happened when the men found out her real identity. It would be troublesome and unprofessional for worrying.


    The four girls met at the gathering point. Then, they walked at a fast pace but still tried to look as rxed as possible.


    ¡°Shit! Why are they in?¡± Ava muttered under her breath when she saw the two guards were inside the door, not outside it anymore. It would make it difficult for them to escape.


    ¡°Oh, Hi¡­ Youdies are done? It¡¯s fast, huh? Oh¡­ of course, because Boss Lance is still unwell,¡± Said one of the guards.


    As soon as they reached the door while greeting the guard again so as not to be suspected, suddenly, there was a scream from the side of the hall. A group of men ran towards them.


    ¡°They are enemies! Don¡¯t let them escape!¡± One of the men eximed.


    The two guards were extremely surprised. However, before they had time to clearly realize what was happening, the four women immediately attacked them with high kicks that hit their chins. With high-heel shoes that were very thick and hard, they were able to make the two big men fall immediately.


    Emma and the girls rushed out the door before the seven men could reach them.


    However, wearing high-heeled shoes made the girls couldn¡¯t run as fast as usual. Luckily, as soon as they made it out of the building and into the middle of Jen Marrie Street, a group of men came over as aid. It was Jita Kyoei¡¯s group. The boys formed a wall that prevented the Dragger men from chasing the girls.


    Linda looked back. ¡°They¡¯re not chasing us anymore,¡± she said to make her three friends also look back. After that, their running steps slowed down.


    ¡°Ah¡­ good then. It¡¯s tiring to run in shoes this high,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Suddenly, Calvin was behind them.


    ¡°God! You surprised me,¡± Britney said, then looked back again. As it turned out, all of Dragger¡¯s men had been knocked out by Jita Kyoei¡¯s men.


    ¡°We¡¯re okay,¡± Emma answered. Then, she pressed her earphones in. ¡°Kathy, is the camera safe?¡±


    ¡°Alive and good, Emma. You put it in the right ce.¡± Kathy answer.


    Emma smiled. ¡°This is the smoothest mission I¡¯ve ever done.¡±


    After getting out of Jen Marrie Street, the four girls got into their ck van where Louis was in the driver¡¯s seat. Calvin, Ian, Troy and Martin went inside with them.


    ¡°What did you find inside?¡± asked Ian, who was sitting across from Emma. Incidentally, the car seats were deliberately made face to face.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s very quiet in there. Let alone the ck Hole members, even the Dragger members are rarely seen. I think a lot of the members aren¡¯t in there.¡± Emma replied while removing the wig that made her feel hot.


    Seeing the four girls wearing very short dresses, Calvin immediately opened his jacket and ced it on Emma¡¯s thighs like a nket. ¡°You can cover your legs with this,¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks,¡± Emma said a little shyly after clearing her throat, not because of the gentle action, but because it was Calvin Lee. The man baldly showed his concern for Emma in front of everyone. Actually, it was very sweet.

 Chapter 314 - 314 A Thank-you

    314 A Thank-you


    Calvin¡¯s gentle action was immediately followed by the other guys, so that now the girls could sitfortably because their previously exposed smooth thighs were covered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve put the camera on the safest spot where it¡¯s hard to be seen. We¡¯ll be watching Dragger¡¯s base 24 hours until the day of our attack,¡± Emma said.


    Troy nodded slowly. ¡°Would you need our help to keep an eye on that? To be honest, I¡¯m feeling a little bad because your group is already working on too much,¡±


    Emma looked at Troy for a moment. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter, Troy. But if you do feel that way, one or two of your guys can help us watch over the camera,¡±


    Linda nodded. ¡°Well, having to stay awake from night to morning is not really liked by our girls. Staying upte will make our eye bags darken,¡±


    ¡°Then let us rece you,¡± Martin replied as held up his thumbs while grinning widely.


    ¡°Anyway, how did you get a picture of James Kade and the information that all members of the ck Hole have the same tattoo?¡± Troy asked Emma.


    ¡°One of my friends told me. He is the guy behind the 37.1 AM radio channel.¡± Emma answered casually.


    Hearing that, the guys were stunned, especially Calvin whose face waspletely shocked.


    .....


    ¡°You sure?¡± Calvin asked with widened eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that he is part of the ck Swan too?¡± Troy asked.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°He is the craftsman who made our masks and costumes all along. We also just recently found it out and I won¡¯t mention his name because he is very introverted. But, he has aworking group with very many members. They roam the inte world and are closed people who often be targets of bullying like Roger.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess. The guy created thework and the 37.1 AM radio broadcast because he couldn¡¯t stand the way those thugs were treating him?¡± Ian asked.


    ¡°Exactly, Ian. They can¡¯t fight them back physically. But their abilities can really help our work. Because we have the same goal, he was willing to help ck Swan.¡± Emma exined.


    ***


    On this sunny day, Emma sat on a wooden swing at the yground near her house. It seemed that this might be the only day in the next few weeks when she could rx. However, she did not spend this free day alone.


    Emma flinched when something hard and cold pressed against her cheek. A chuckle from a male voice sounded from behind her, making herugh because she knew who he was.


    ¡°You. Sur-¡± Levi immediately stopped his words when he saw Emma¡¯s face when she turned to him.


    ¡°Gosh! What happened to you?¡± Levi asked quickly.


    Emma knew what Levi meant. She immediately held the side of her lips at a nce. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing? Are you out of your mind? Your lip is badly injured like that. Did you get hit by someone?¡± Levi kneeled in front of Emma with one hand holding down the swing that the girl was sitting on.


    ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous. How could someone dare to hit me¡­¡± Emma replied, ncing in another direction to relieve her nervousness from lying.


    ¡°It sure looks like a punch wound, Emma. Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m an idiot! It¡¯s obvious,¡± He looked at Emma sharply as if he could prate what was in Emma¡¯s mind. ¡°Tell me; who hit you?¡± his voice became very deep.


    Emma cleared her throat, then took the ice cream in Levi¡¯s hand. She knew that the matcha ice cream was for her. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I had a little ident during my morning jog, a cyclist hit me.¡±


    ¡°How is it possible that being hit by a bicycle can cause a wound on the corner of the lip like that?¡± Levi frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s possible. You didn¡¯t see the real events. This does sound strange and absurd. But, it really happened,¡± Emma said while opening the ice cream wrapper.


    ¡°Emma,¡± Levi grabbed one of Emma¡¯s hands to make her focus more on their conversation than on the ice cream which he was sure only she used as a distraction.


    ¡°Not everything has an exnation, Levi. Can I ask you to trust me on this?¡± Emma asked with a deep look at him.


    Levi stared at Emma¡¯s light brown eyes for a long time, then he nodded with a sigh. ¡°Fine. Even though it¡¯s hard to believe, I will do what you ask,¡± he answered, rising to his feet and sitting on the swing beside Emma.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emma said with a chuckle as she put the beautiful green ice cream into her mouth, ¡°Mm¡­ this is so sweet,¡±


    Even though she looked rxed, Emma heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. She felt guilty for lying to Levi and even forced him to believe her words. She had no other choice but to do what she just did.


    In fact, Emma had covered her face, which still had some bruises, using a lot of make-up foundation. Levi only saw wounds that couldn¡¯t be covered by makeup. Just Imagine if the man saw the bruises on Emma¡¯s face. Maybe he¡¯d go berserk like Godzi.


    ¡°How have you been all this time? How was the test you told me about? The thing that made you scared and worried,¡± Levi asked.


    Emma nodded slowly then smiled broadly. ¡°One of the biggest things I feared has happened,¡±


    Levi¡¯s eyebrows rose high. ¡°It was? Was it fatal?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± Emma answered without dimming her smile.


    Levi¡¯s face turned confused. ¡°Your face doesn¡¯t match what you¡¯re talking about, you know?¡±


    Emma immediatelyughed. ¡°That day, I experienced what I had always been afraid of happening. However, after going through it, I realized that it wasn¡¯t as bad as I imagined. In fact, the thing I least wanted to happen gave me a new chance,¡±


    Emma¡¯s exnation made Levi also smile happily. ¡°I told you that the image of the pain will hurt more than the pain itself. I¡¯m happy you could prove it yourself,¡±


    Emma nodded, then let out a long sigh. ¡°I went through a lot of things that were both surprising and interesting. I can¡¯t imagine if my spirits were dimmed at that time. Maybe that would make me eaten by fear,¡± She looked at Levi with an even brighter smile. ¡°I asked you out today to thank you. I¡¯ll treat you to an all-you-can-eat meal anywhere,¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s an interesting reward. But, can I exchange it for something else?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°If that¡¯s not weird, then fine,¡± Emma answered.


    Levi then snorted. ¡°What do you mean by Weird?¡±


    Emma chuckled. ¡°All right... What¡¯s that, Levi?¡±

 Chapter 315 - 315 Must Be Firm

    315 Must Be Firm


    ¡°I happen to be feeling really downtely. I need something to put my mind at ease. Would you like to go ice skating?¡± Levi asked.


    Emma stared at Levi for a while. Not that she felt that his request was weird. But, she could see a great pressure on Levi¡¯s face. It looked like he was exhausted.


    ¡°Sure. Where¡¯s the ce?¡± Emma asked excitedly. She didn¡¯t want to talk about the problem Levi was having right now. From the time they had spent together, she had learned that Levi would be morefortable pouring out his mind when he was the one to talk about his problems first without having to be asked.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Levi asked as he stood up.


    ¡°Breakfast,¡± Emma answered.


    Then Levi nced at his watch. ¡°How about having lunch before going ying?¡± he asked, holding out his hand in front of Emma¡¯s face.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Emma replied, putting her hand in his warm grip. Then Levi pulled her up from the swing.


    ***


    Emma didn¡¯t know there was an amusement park with a carnival concept in Handway City.


    .....


    They got out of the car and Levi bought a ticket to enter the park. The ticket was quite cheap because the amusement park looked like a carnival with lots of booths, stalls, and a few small shops.


    Even though she had promised to apany Levi to ice skating as a thank you, Emma still insisted on treating Levi to a meal. Thus, they ended up in front of a bright yellow and red food truck and ordered a two-pack of burgers and fries.


    ¡°The burger here is so delicious,¡± Emma said as she rubbed her full stomach. They had just finished eating and were still sitting at one of the small tables in front of the food truck.


    ¡°The fast food here is really good. Unfortunately, this ce is quite dead because the location is not strategic and the games are outdatedpared to the famous big amusement park north of Handway.¡± Levi exined.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s such a shame,¡± Emma muttered.


    Levi nodded. ¡°Reportedly, this ce belongs to a rich man who built it for his son. But when his son grew up, he didn¡¯t take care of this park and just let it run by his employees,¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°All right... I think we¡¯ve had enough of sitting here. Shall we skate now?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I purposely asked you to eat here because the ice-skating location is in this amusement park.¡± Levi answered while standing up from his stic chair, ¡°Let¡¯s go there now,¡±


    It was a medium-sized ice skating location surrounded by a ss wall and decorated with small triangr gs hanging above. There were also many small lights that were not turned on during the day.


    When Emma and Levi came, the ce was almost empty with only two children and their mother.


    The two of them entered and were immediately met by a long counter with a row of skate racks. Levi pointed towards the shoe rental section. ¡°Measure your feet first. I¡¯ll go to the cashier to buy a ticket,¡±


    Emma nodded. Not long after, Levi came with two pairs of shoes for both of them.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t measure your feet first?¡± Emma asked.


    Levi chuckled. ¡°I know my skate size by heart. But I know you won¡¯t remember yours.¡±


    Emma snorted. ¡°I do remember. But I¡¯m just not that sure. Measuring feet doesn¡¯t take a lot of time and effort anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Whatever you want to say,¡± Levi said as he stopped on a long chair.


    Emma sat on the chair and was about to take her shoes from Levi¡¯s hands. But the man did not give it and instead knelt in front of her. Without saying anything, he grabbed one of Emma¡¯s feet and took off the shoes she was wearing.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Wh-what are you doing?¡± Emma asked ufortably, about to pull her foot out of the man¡¯s hand.


    But Levi still held Emma¡¯s ankle which was the size of his grip. ¡°Don¡¯t be fussy,¡±


    Emma gulped to shake off her nervousness so she could speak casually to Levi. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I can put on my own shoes,¡±


    ¡°Your shoes are dirty because the streets were muddy after the rain this morning. Your hands will get dirty if you put them on yourself.¡± Levi answered without looking at Emma¡¯s face.


    Shit! At this rate, when would Emma forget about Levi? How could she choose between Levi or Calvin?


    ¡°It¡¯s done. Try standing up and walking a bit,¡± Levi said to startle Emma from her reverie.


    Levi stood up from his kneeling position while holding Emma¡¯s hands to help her up. Because the shoes in this ce were rather old, Levi was afraid that there might be some that were of too bad quality to be dangerous for the wearer.


    ¡°Do the shoes feel weird or loose? Do the des feel wobbly?¡± Levi asked while holding Emma¡¯s hand.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong. Everything is good,¡± She formed an ¡®Ok¡¯ symbol with one free hand.


    ¡°Then wait here a moment. I¡¯ll put on my shoes and put our stuff in the lockers.¡± Levi ced Emma¡¯s hand on the wall beside him so she could hold on. He didn¡¯t want her to go back to the chair and walk this way again.


    Emma turned her head back to watch Levi who was picking up their shoes and Emma¡¯s bag. The man, who was originally cold and annoying, now had turned into warm and caring.


    Initially, Emma thought that a man with Levi¡¯s personality would be very difficult to change. However, now her thinking had been changed by that man. Levi really had changed. Yes, even though he was often annoying, she could feel his sincerity. She could feel Levi¡¯s love for her.


    With her hazel eyes following Levi¡¯s steps, Emma sighed in exasperation. Even to this day, she still felt that her feelings were greater for Levi. Not only that. When they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time, Emma begin to miss him ¨C The thing she never felt for Calvin.


    Emma¡¯s heart was too deep to fall for Levi. However, she must keep in mind the reasons that made her decide not to have a rtionship with that man.


    Until now, she didn¡¯t even know what things Levi was hiding from her, which for some reason, she believed was much. And she would never forget Levi¡¯s words that he had another love. Until now, or maybe forever, the two of them would keep their real lives a secret.


    ¡°I have to act firmly on him,¡± Emma muttered.

 Chapter 316 - 316 Rude

    316 Rude


    Levi closed the locker door and locked it. He kept the key in his trouser pocket as he walked over to Emma. He smiled warmly when he caught her watching him. ¡°Am I that eye-catching?¡±


    Emma looked at him sarcastically. ¡°Disgusting,¡±


    Leviughed and then stretched out his hands in front of Emma. ¡°Your eyes don¡¯t lie, Emma.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy yourself, mister,¡± Emma replied, cing her hand on the big, warm palm.


    The two of them walked a little until they came to the door of the ice field. Levi stepped in first so he could immediately hold Emma. Once the two of them were inside, they slid into the centre together.


    Since spring still brought cool temperatures, the conditions on the ice field were colder. Emma giggled when her body was able to remember how to bnce itself as Levi had taught her at that time.


    ¡°I think I have talent in ice skating. This is just my second time and I¡¯m so good at it,¡± Emma said while gliding slowly with Levi guarding beside her.


    ¡°You¡¯re toocent. You don¡¯t know you are moving like a robot now ¨C stiff,¡± Levi answered while skating backwards.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have much time. If I learn this rather seriously, it might only take me two or three months before I can be more proficient than you,¡± Emma replied.


    .....


    ¡°Oh... Haha...¡± Levi gave a sarcasticugh, ¡°I want to see it. Do we need to make a bet? Whoever loses has to grant whatever the winner wishes,¡±


    ¡°Tch! Child¡¯s y,¡± Emma sneered.


    Levi chuckled and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°A scared Emma? Are you kidding me,¡±


    ¡°I am not kidding,¡± Levi gave a condescending face as if he thought Emma was cowardly.


    Seeing Levi¡¯s face, Emma¡¯s self-esteem was tarnished. ¡°I¡¯ll find some free time to learn this. When I win, you have to be my maid and help me go shopping crazy to carry all my shopping bags for half a year,¡±


    ¡°Is that your request for the bet?¡± Levi chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking the worst. Maybe I¡¯ll change itter,¡± Emma replied sarcastically.


    Levi nodded slowly. ¡°I already know what my request is that you must grant if I win,¡±


    Levi and Emma were like hot water and cold water. Emma was always exploding and often angry, but Levi responded with ease andughter.


    ¡°Oh? Is this for real? I didn¡¯t say it would be serious,¡± Emma said with one raised eyebrow. She really thought this was all a joke.


    Levi looked at Emma questioningly. ¡°I thought you agreed to do it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. How could I have that much free time? If so, we might have to wait a very long time,¡± She replied.


    ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s a shame,¡± Levi let out a long sigh as he turned his body to face forward.


    Emma nced at Levi who had suddenly be a bit silent. She was just kidding and she thought Levi understood that. But why was he being so serious like that?


    A feeling of guilt slowly crept up on Emma¡¯s chest. Maybe she had gone too far because she felt the two of them were that close to being able to understand each other in a joking or serious situation. Emma forgot that when they first met today, she had seen Levi¡¯s face which looked like he was depressed. Maybe that¡¯s what made his sense of humour not work so well today.


    Emma cleared her throat. ¡°Well... if the bet really could be done, what would you ask for?¡± she asked tofort Levi. She could help a little if he asked for something she could do. Yes, she would do it even without a bet.


    Levi looked at Emma. Then he slowed down his skates a bit. He smiled faintly with a weak expression on his face. ¡°I will ask you to be my girlfriend. It doesn¡¯t have to be long ¨C Four months is enough. That way, I can have the opportunity to prove my love to you,¡±


    Levi¡¯s answer made Emma stunned. She didn¡¯t expect that request. Ah... Luckily she did not really agree to the bet. Otherwise, she would be stuck in her own game. She was also just kidding when she said she could beat Levi¡¯s ice skating skills in just two months.


    Because her focus was scattered, Emma forgot that she was sliding on ice. Suddenly, her feet became closer to each other until both of her shoes hit each other. She instantly lost her bnce and staggered.


    Emma was stupid. She would bump her feet and it was unexpected by Levi, so he didn¡¯t have time to move faster when she fell. Levi, who saw that Emma had staggered backwards, immediately rolled over to the side of her body and made his own body as a mat for Emma to fall.


    For Levi, he didn¡¯t have a problem falling a thousand times on the ice, as long as it wasn¡¯t Emma who did. When you love someone, then your desire to protect them will be even greater, even for the slightest thing.


    Emma fell onto Levi¡¯s body in an oblique position. But she didn¡¯t expect that Levi could quickly help her by bing a human mat.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I think I didn¡¯t focus,¡± Emma said as she was about to get off Levi¡¯s chest. But she couldn¡¯t move because the man¡¯s arms held her there. He hugged her.


    ¡°Please, just wait a bit like this. One minute... no, just half a minute. It will help me a lot. I miss you so much,¡± Levi said near Emma¡¯s ear. The pain from his body hitting the hard ice was not felt by him at all.


    ¡°I miss you so much, Emma. Days feel like years to me. I want to hear your voice and talk to you. It¡¯s fine over the phone. However, I¡¯m too afraid to call you ¨C thinking you¡¯ll be annoyed and won¡¯t see me again at all. But I really can¡¯t take it anymore,¡± He continued, closing his eyes tightly.


    Feeling Emma in his arms was a heavenly breeze blowing to ease the pain from the torments of hell that Levi was currently undergoing.


    Emma froze. All of Levi¡¯s words flowed like music that entered her heart through her suddenly-hot ears. It was beautiful. It was warm. It was intoxicating. However, this must not happen.


    Emma immediately removed her body from Levi¡¯s warm andfortable embrace roughly, then fixed the strands of her long hair.


    Emma¡¯s attitude was recognized as a rejection by Levi. As soon as she released herself by pressing his chest very roughly, he already knew that his heart would hurt again. Levi opened his eyes with a straight face, staring at the high ceiling filled with dew from the icy cold steam below.


    Emma sat beside Levi with her chest pounding loudly. ¡°Levi, I have something to tell you. We have to talk,¡±


    Levi sighed heavily and sat up. He looked at Emma with a cold questioning gaze, even colder than theyer of ice they were sitting on.


    ¡°Levi, we can¡¯t...¡±


    Emma froze again because Levi suddenly hugged her again. However, Emma¡¯s astonishment didn¡¯tst as long as before to realize that Levi had gone too far. She was already used to Levi¡¯s frontal acts which sometimes became too much. However, Levi was at the stage of not respecting Emma now.


    ¡°Let go of me. Now.¡± Emma said with a suppressed tone of voice. However, Levi didn¡¯t buy it. He was still hugging her tightly and silently.


    ¡°I SAID LET ME GO, FUCK!¡± Emma eximed, pushing the man¡¯s chest with full force. Maybe Levi¡¯s chest would hurt a lot after this. However, Emma did not care. Wasn¡¯t this called rude?

 Chapter 317 - 317 Give up

    317 Give up


    Emma did like Levi. They both were friends ¨C The good ones. However, rude was rude, whoever did it.


    But what was even more surprising, Emma¡¯s punch had no significant impact on Levi. Yes, he did move back an inch or two. But he came back stuck to her like a postage stamp.


    What happened to this madman? Did loving a girl he couldn¡¯t have made him lose his mind?


    However, this was not the time for Emma to feel awed by Levi¡¯s tenacity or madness. She didn¡¯t know what Levi meant by doing this to her. However, she would know that once she let go of his tight embrace. And it had to happen right now!


    Emma struggled to keep trying to push Levi off. She had never expected that Levi was this strong. She couldn¡¯t let go even though she had put out her inner strength. Was it because she was too surprised that her strength was weakening? And maybe, it was also because Levi¡¯s body waspletely attached to hers, so it was difficult for her hands to move to push him away?


    ¡°Are you crazy?! Let me go!¡± Emma growled with a nce at a woman and her two sons who were watching the two of them as they walked out the door. Maybe they feel ufortable seeing this event. Emma was even more embarrassed because the both of them must have looked like a perverted couple who didn¡¯t know the ce.


    Emma again pushed Levi and it seeded in making the man let go of his hug. She almost pped him but her hand stopped when she realized Levi¡¯s face was quite close to hers. She looked into his eyes which were focused on the bottom of her neck. Brow frowning, she followed the direction the two grey eyes stared.


    It was a pendant in the shape of a star that Levi had between his two fingers ¨C A beautiful pendant that seemed to twinkle in the whiteness of the ice around them and was attached to a ne that was wrapped around Emma¡¯s neck.


    Emma was stunned. Apparently, Levi had been putting a ne around her neck. That was what caused him to insist on not letting go of his embrace. He wanted to put a ne around the neck of the girl he loved.


    .....


    ¡°You shine like a star, and I am a wanderer lost in the desert. The only hope to get out of this barren and harsh ce is to follow the star,¡± Levi raised his eyes, looking at Emma deeply with his gleaming eyes.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want me. I know there is another man who you might think is much better than me. But I beg you, Emma. Just give me a chance. I need you the most. You are my star.¡± He continued.


    Levi¡¯s words were like a knife that stabbed into Emma¡¯s chest. Supposedly, she felt happy when the man she liked had feelings for her that big. She should have felt grateful because she had such a beautiful meaning in Levi¡¯s eyes.


    However, the fact that she had to reject him made her heart ache immensely. Again, Emma was faced with a situation that made her confused about whether to choose her logic or her feelings.


    The pain travelled up Emma¡¯s throat and nostrils. She knew she would probably cry because of this. Before that happened, she immediately stood up and slid away from Levi.


    In his life, Levi had never studied or been taught how to deal with rejection. Was it wrong if he kept trying? Was it wrong if he fought for his feelings? Did he really have to give up everything for Emma? Was he ready to lose everything for her?


    Levi understood that the biggest reason Emma rejected him was their condition. He understood that he was a selfish man. He forced Emma to ept his love and be his, even though he himself still hid many things from her. But, he was in a dilemma. The problem was that it wasn¡¯t just Emma that he had to protect.


    The incident just now made Emma¡¯s adrenaline surge. Previously, she had to walk carefully with the skates. Now, she could walk quickly on the two des. She immediately sat down on a long chair near the locker and struggled to take off her shoes which had been tied very tightly by Levi.


    After her shoes were off, Emma immediately went to the locker, but she stopped because she just remembered that she didn¡¯t have the locker key. She clenched her fists and turned around. But how surprised she was when she found Levi was right behind her back.


    Levi¡¯s face looked gloomy, much bleaker than when they first met this day. It was as if he had just heard the news of his mother¡¯s death and had lost hope. Emma was increasingly feeling sorry for the impact she had on Levi. At times like this, she began to regret their first meetings ¨C Regretting all the stupid conversations and agreements they had made.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know I¡¯ve crossed the line,¡± Levi said as he stepped closer to the girl in front of him.


    Emma took a step back only to bump her back against the locker door. ¡°Let me go,¡±


    Levi immediately shook his head. He ced his hands on either side of Emma and pressed his palms against the locker door to lock her in the middle. ¡°No. I won¡¯t let you go,¡± he said with his face hung down.


    Levi¡¯s intimidating attitude didn¡¯t make Emma afraid. She wasn¡¯t the type of girl who would go limp in her knees from being pushed like this by a man. On top of all that, she felt confused.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Levi? You keep asking me to give you a chance. However, you keep a lot of things from me. You even said that you have another love. Now, think with your brain. Am I that stupid to ept your love?¡± Emma asked.


    Levi¡¯s head was still down. His mouth felt dry, like a barrennd that had not tasted rain for decades. He couldn¡¯t answer Emma¡¯s question. And that felt very torturous.


    It felt like Levi really wanted to open his mouth as wide as possible and tell Emma all the reasons. But he couldn¡¯t. The risk was too great ¨CNo, It wasn¡¯t a risk. The risk was the degree of likelihood that a side effect would ur. In this case, there was no risk because the side effects would definitely ur. And when that happened, Levi would lose everything, including Emma.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say it,¡± Levi said slowly.


    ¡°Then I can¡¯t ept you, Levi. Please, don¡¯t make this more difficult and painful for both of us, hm?¡± Emma asked as gently as possible.


    ¡°This is indeed difficult. Sorry if I¡¯m forcing you to feel the difficulties that I¡¯m feeling,¡± Levi said without even lifting his face.


    Emma looked at the man with a concerned face. If she was strong under pressure, then she was actually weak in holding sympathy. Emma was weak when it came to people who beg her. She was easy to like others and easy to pity others. If her mind was as hard as a rock, then her heart was as soft as cotton.


    ¡°We keep walking in a circle, Levi. This will never end if we don¡¯t end it,¡± Emma uttered.


    Finally, Levi raised his head. He looked into Emma¡¯s brown eyes as if he could findfort in them. However, he couldn¡¯t force her to do what he wanted. Emma had rejected him many times, but he kept forcing his will on her. He must be very grateful if Emma still willing to see him again and spend time together even if only as a friend.


    Levi shook his head slowly. ¡°Very well. I give up. I won¡¯t try to get you anymore. I won¡¯t force you to follow my very selfish heart,¡±


    ¡®Give up¡¯ was the sentence Emma wanted to hear from Levi since they started to get stuck in this stupid love circle. Yes, that was what her brain wanted to hear. However, it was not what her heart wanted to hear.

 Chapter 318 - 318 This Is The Last Time

    318 This Is The Last Time


    Emma realized clearly that her heart never wanted Levi to let her go. She knew that her heart wanted him. Hearing that Levi gave up on her directly from his own mouth sent a throbbing pain inside Emma¡¯s chest, because, it meant that she also had to let Levi go with all her feelings for him.


    For Emma, letting Levi go was like a bitter pill. She had to force herself to swallow it in order to recover from her illness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I really can¡¯t do it under these circumstances. I hope you understand,¡± Emma said while gently pushing Levi¡¯s chest.


    Levi lowered his hands and then took a step back to give Emma space. Then he nodded. ¡°I understand. From the start, I should have. It was my stubborn and selfish mistake. I made you feel ufortable, yet continued anyway,¡±


    Emma was still looking at Levi sorrowfully. Was it all over? Would they split up at all? To be honest, she didn¡¯t want it that way. However, she would give the final decision to Levi. If for Levi, the way to forget her was to never see her again, then she would do that.


    Emma ran her hands to the back of her neck. She took off the ne with the star pendant that Levi had just given her. ¡°Give this beautiful pendant to a more appropriate person, Levi.¡±


    Staring at the ne for a moment without touching it, Levi smiled faintly and took it.


    ¡®Looks like he¡¯s really going to stay away from me after this. I hope it will make him feel better and get over me as soon as possible, and so do I.¡¯ Emma thought inwardly.


    However, Emma was surprised when Levi stepped very close to her again. Then he circled his hands around her neck again, making her able to smell a scent that for some reason she really liked from a Levi ¨C The scent of soap mixed with cologne and very faintly of tobo.


    .....


    When Levi released her, Emma immediately reached for something that was hanging below her neck. The star pendant was twinkling there again. Emma looked at Levi in confusion.


    The man smiled warmly. His two grey eyes were like a cloudy sky that was able to give peace to some sses of people. And apparently, Emma was in the group.


    ¡°The only woman who deserves to wear it is you, Emma. Therefore, I beg you with one request. Never take this star off from there. And, please stay as my best friend,¡± Levi said with a sad smile.


    If only Levi would open up about his life to Emma, if only Emma was the only love in Levi¡¯s life, if only there was nothing hidden between the two of them, she must have chosen him a long time ago. In fact, if Levi had never asked Emma to be his girlfriend, she would have been the one to ask him first because she was the type of girl who would fight for everything that she wanted.


    Emma smiled with a slight chuckle. ¡°Those are two wishes,¡±


    ¡°Oh... Sorry, I corrected my request. Make it two. How?¡± he asked hopefully.


    Then Emma raised her right hand in front of her chest. ¡°This is ourst agreement,¡±


    Even though his heart wanted to scream, Levi still put a smile on his lips and shook that soft hand. Really, he still hoped that this hand was the one he would hold for the rest of his life until he was old. However, life was cruel to him, and he had to ept it even though it felt unfair.


    ¡°Deal,¡± He said.


    Once again and for thest time, Emma and Levi made a pact that they would remain on friendly terms. Levi had also admitted that he had given up on trying to get Emma, so he would no longer deliberately take romantic actions toward her in order to make her ept his love.


    At the very least, Levi would try to treat Emma fairly if he remembered that. Of course his instincts would make him protect what he cared about. Maybe he would identally be sweet to Emma, but he would try not to.


    The two of them walked around the amusement park in silence. They didn¡¯t even pay attention to the street so they kept walking aimlessly.


    Emma was still clutching the pendant on her neck. She did like the star-shaped object decorated with small crystal stones that made it twinkle when exposed to light.


    Suddenly, Emma¡¯s eyes caught a small shop selling a variety of unique knick-knacks. She immediately entered the shop door made of wood that was a bit rickety. The shop was run by an old woman with thick sses. She greeted them in a friendly manner.


    Since childhood, Emma always liked to enter shops that sell knick-knacks. Buying things that she didn¡¯t need was her favourite thing to do.


    ¡°You like stuff like this?¡± Levi asked with both hands pinned in his trouser pockets.


    Emma nodded with a big smile on her lips and her eyes twinkled exploring the various things in the shop. ¡°There are so many unique items here. Do you like them too?¡±


    ¡°No. It all looks like trash to me,¡± He answered with a disinterested look.


    Emma nced sarcastically at him. ¡°This ce is cramped and you are too big. Since you can¡¯t appreciate the unique items here, you might nudge them out of caution. So-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside. Don¡¯t take too long,¡± Levi said, cutting Emma¡¯s words. Then he got out through the shop¡¯s ss doors.


    Emma snorted with both eyes still watching the figure that was now standing outside and took out a box of cigarettes from inside his coat pocket. ¡°It seems that there is a good point in me rejecting him,¡± she muttered.


    The small shop had two shelves in the middle which disy lots of unique and pretty items. Then on the side of the wall was a shelf that disyedrger unique items.


    Emma wandered around and picked up three items that caught her eye and might prove quite useful. She also did not forget to pick up some essories for the girls. But then, her eyes caught an essory that stunned her for a while.


    It was a bracelet made of ckces with a t round silver ornament. On the silver ornament was engraved a picture of the moon which had a frankly odd shape. But, although weird, Emma somehow could recognize that it was a picture of a moon.


    Emma took the bracelet, and then nced at therge window of the shop to see the figure of Levi standing while smoking.


    Suddenly, Levi¡¯s eyes also nced inside until their eyes met. Emma was a little taken aback, but managed to cover it up well. She showed her palm and said ¡®Wait¡¯ with lip movements.


    Then, Levi took off the cigarette stuck between his red lips. He said ¡®Hurry¡¯ with a lip movement while blowing out smoke from his mouth. After that, he threw his short cigarette butt into the trash. It was a sign that Emma had been in the shop long enough.


    Emma immediately went to the cashier. She ced the small bamboo basket containing her items on the counter.


    ¡°You are my first customer today,¡± The woman said with a warm smile.


    ¡°Am I? This park is indeed quiet. Maybe because it¡¯s a working day,¡± Emma replied. Though it was almost meet sunset, she was the first customer. Wasn¡¯t it sad?

 Chapter 319 - 319 Moon and Star

    319 Moon and Star


    The woman shook her head. ¡°This ce has always been dead. I set up this shop eighteen years ago. In the past, this park was very lively and colourful. It¡¯s nice to see a young couple like youe to a ce like this for a date. It gives back good old memories,¡±


    ¡°O-oh¡­ Is that so?¡± Emma chuckled awkwardly. She and Levi weren¡¯t a couple ¨C even though it looked like that. However, she didn¡¯t feel like exining it. If they chatted too long, Levi would throw a tantrum for waiting too long.


    ¡°Oh... You buy this bracelet?¡± The woman said as she was about to check the tag of the bracelet with the moon engraved.


    Emma nodded doubtfully. ¡°Yup. Is there anything special or wrong about that bracelet?¡±


    The woman chuckled and shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with this bracelet. I don¡¯t sell cursed items, you know?¡± She winked, then continued, ¡°It¡¯s just that this bracelet does have a meaning. It¡¯s been here for a quite long time and didn¡¯t sell well because it wasn¡¯t pretty enough. However, the craftsman said that he made this bracelet because it was inspired by his own life story.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Emma seemed interested.


    ¡°Well¡­ Actually I forgot a bit because it was a long time ago. But what I remember, it¡¯s about the full moon emitting its light after being closed by an eclipse. Therefore, the moon carving bes a bit weird,¡± The womanughed, ¡°He¡¯s not a very talented craftsman. But he¡¯s a good person despite his frightening appearance. I think he has an interesting life story,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the full story will be very meaningful,¡± Emma said.


    The woman nodded. ¡°The winding story of life does have great meaning. You also have to have a big heart to be able to see it as a positive thing and share it with others.¡± She said as she put all the items into a green paper bag and handed it over, ¡°Thank you for shopping at my shop. That bracelet ¨C I give it free for you,¡±


    .....


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Emma asked reluctantly. She could see that the shop must be dead on other days as well. She didn¡¯t want to burden this good woman with free stuff.


    ¡°Giving a gift to the first customer every day is a tradition since the first day this shop opened,¡± She winked.


    Emma smiled gently. ¡°Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. I wish that this ce will be as lively as it used to be,¡±


    After finishing paying, Emma came out of the shop. She chuckled in guilty when she found Levi¡¯s sulking face. He must be so bored waiting for her.


    ¡°Sorry, the shopdy told me something too interesting for me to pass up,¡± Emma said.


    Levi just stared at her tly before letting out a long sigh. ¡°Forget it. We¡¯d better go home soon. It looks like it¡¯s going to rain. If it actually rains, I¡¯ll take you home,¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not allowed!¡± Emma chased after Levi¡¯s wide strides.


    ¡°Let the sky decide. Maybe you will get a punishment from nature for making a kind-hearted man like me wait for you so long,¡±


    ¡°You jerk! I¡¯m going to steal the umbre from your car!¡± Emma hissed.


    Leviughed amusedly and patted Emma¡¯s head. ¡°You even dare to mess up my car?¡±


    After a quick walk to the car, they immediately leave the amusement park. The trip to the bus stop where Levi usually picked up and dropped Emma off went fast enough because Levi slightly elerated his car to avoid the rain. He knew Emma really didn¡¯t want him to know where her house was. Perhaps, Emma kept her privacy because it was Levi who was obviously hiding things from her in the first ce.


    Emmaughed with small apuse as their car pulled up to the bus stop before the rain had started, even though the sky was already very dark.


    ¡°Take an umbre just in case,¡± Levi turned his body towards the back seat and grabbed a pink folding umbre that belonged to his mother which she never used.


    ¡°I¡¯ll return it soon,¡± Emma said while epting the umbre.


    Levi shook his head slowly. ¡°You can even keep it. Thank you for apanying me today,¡±


    ¡°I should be the one thanking you because I¡¯m the one who called you out,¡± Emma answered, about to open the car door. But she stopped because she remembered something.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± She muttered as she reached into her green paper bag.


    Levi looked at Emma¡¯s hands with furrowed brows.


    ¡°Give me your hand,¡± Emma said with one hand clenched to hide something.


    ¡°Which hand?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°The one which is seldom used for rough things,¡± She thought.


    Then Levi stretched out his right hand.


    Emma looked at him with narrowed eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were left-handed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right-handed. But my left-hand does a lot of the brute work,¡± He replied.


    Emma shrugged, then ced her hands on his wrist. When she pulled back her hand, only then appeared a ck bracelet with a moon-carved pendant wrapped around Levi¡¯s wrist.


    Levi frowned while pulling his hand to see the details of the bracelet Emma gave him. ¡°What picture is this? Is it the moon?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°That is the moon,¡±


    Levi looked back at Emma with a questioning expression that didn¡¯t diminish at all. He did not understand why Emma gave him the bracelet. Was it a return for the ne he gave?


    ¡°Because you¡¯ve given me the ne, I¡¯m giving you the bracelet. If I am a star, then you are the moon. We can¡¯t be together, but we always apany each other,¡± Emma exined in a low voice because it took a big heart to say it.


    Just like Emma, Levi also needed an iceberg of heart to be able to nod in understanding and smile at that. It hurt, but it was the truth.


    ¡°Thank you. I will always wear it and will always be your moon,¡± Levi said.


    Emma couldn¡¯t help to hold her lips together tightly. Then she cleared her throat to relieve the dryness there. ¡°Well, the sky is starting to drizzle. I¡¯d better go home now,¡±


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll open the door,¡± Levi immediately got out of the driver¡¯s door without waiting for Emma¡¯s approval. He knew Emma had to open the umbre.


    Levi walked quickly and opened the door for Emma. He took the umbre from Emma¡¯s hand and opened it. Then, Emma got out of the car with Levi who had covered her so that she wouldn¡¯t be hit by the drizzle.


    ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t walk too slowly ¨C the rain will pour down soon,¡± Levi said while passing the umbre he had just opened to Emma.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Okay. Be careful on the road too,¡±


    ¡°See youter,¡± Levi said while patting Emma on the head as if she was a child.


    ¡°See youter,¡± Emma replied before quickly walking away. From earlier, she felt unable to look at Levi¡¯s face. She felt like she wanted to cry.


    Emma didn¡¯t look back to see Levi. Maybe he had just left ¨C she didn¡¯t know. However, she raised her hand to hold the star pendant Levi had given her. She felt like she wanted to look back for a second. But if she did, she might regret itter, just like the previous events. Therefore, she would continue to step forward, away from that man.


    Behind Emma¡¯s back, Levi was still standing beside the car with drizzle raining down on his head. He could only stare sorrowfully at the star that was moving farther and farther away from him. He raised his right hand to look at the bracelet Emma had given him and touched it.


    ¡°Forever, I will be your moon. But that¡¯s okay, Emma.¡±

 Chapter 320 - 320 Meet RJC as Black Swan

    320 Meet RJC as ck Swan


    It was a room with five bunk beds ¨C A room in shades of purple and dark blue with lots of LED lights on the walls and glow-in-the-dark stickers in the shape of stars of various sizes.


    Inside the room, several beds were filled with sleeping girls. One of those girls was Emma Hind. She didn¡¯t feel like going home, so she chose to sleep at the headquarters after the event with Levi which made her heart fall apart again.


    Emma looked at the silhouette of the stars and moon moving around from the nightmp on the nightstand, while still holding the pendant Levi had given her. Today, Calvin actually asked her to go out. But she refused because she thought meeting Levi was more important because she wanted to thank the man who had given her a lot of advice.


    It waste and she had to go to campus tomorrow. Emma didn¡¯t know what would happen tomorrow ¨C whether Dragger members were looking for her and the girls on campus or not. But she was sure she and all of them could take care of themselves. Plus, Calvin and Jita Kyoei also said they would be keeping an eye on them just in case.


    Suddenly, the bedroom door opened slightly so that the light from outside filtered in and was followed by a girl who stepped inside on tiptoe so as not to disturb the sleeping girls.


    Emma turned to the girl who seemed to be looking at the beds. She narrowed her eyes to see better in the dim lighting of the room. Because she couldn¡¯t see the girl¡¯s face clearly, she turned on her cellphone screen and covered it halfway with her palm to prevent the light from spreading too widely.


    ¡°Poppy?¡± Emma called in a whisper.


    ¡°Ah, there you are, Emma,¡± Poppy answered in a whisper.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Emma sat up.


    .....


    ¡°Sorry, did I disturb your sleep?¡± Poppy sat on the edge of the bed.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t slept. Is there something?¡±


    Poppy nodded. ¡°Can we talk outside for a minute?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go outside,¡± Emma immediately got off the bed and walked out the door.


    After arriving outside the room, Poppy immediately gave Emma the ck Swan cell phone. ¡°It¡¯s RJC,¡±


    Emma took the cell phone and read its contents.


    ¡®ck, we already know who you really are. At thest war, we sent a man to see what happened. We have something important to discuss with you. I hope we can meet soon to clear things up.¡¯ ¨CRJC


    Emma let out a long sigh. She didn¡¯t expect that there was actually an impostor who witnessed their fight. However, she wasn¡¯t too worried because everyone would find out eventually. Creed himself had seen that Emma was a girl. It was very likely that he would be loudly telling his allies to burn their spirits because ck was actually a group of girls they could definitely beat.


    ¡°Is Rachel here?¡± Emma asked Poppy.


    The girl in pink bunny pyjamas shook her head. ¡°She went home tonight, and so is Kathy,¡±


    ¡°Mm...¡± Emma nodded.


    Poppy looked at Emma questioningly. ¡°Did... something happen, Emma? You look tired,¡±


    Emma smiled faintly at the sweet girl. She took a deep breath and then replied, ¡°You are my best friend who can read my feelings the best,¡±


    ¡°Is it the same man as thest one you told me about?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°This time it is over for real even though it hurts my heart,¡±


    Poppy hugged Emma warmly. ¡°You can get through this, Emma. I¡¯m sure you have chosen the best. I know you are a wise girl,¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Poppy,¡± Emma answered.


    Then Poppy let go of her embrace. ¡°Then, what are our answers to RJC?¡±


    Emma stepped into the gathering room followed by Poppy. ¡°Of course we have to meet them. Tell them I¡¯ll be there. Tomorrow afternoon after college, I¡¯ll take Rachel to RJC headquarters.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Poppy replied.


    Emma arrived at the gathering room. Because it was sote, it became very quiet there. There were only two people sitting in front of one of theputer monitors showing the hidden camera footage that Emma had previously installed at Dragger¡¯s headquarters.


    Emma and Poppy approached the two of them. They were Nicko Coffey and Britney Jassey.


    ¡°Hi,¡±


    Emma¡¯s arrival surprised the two of them. It seemed that the conversation they were having was so exciting that they didn¡¯t even notice that someone was standing behind them.


    ¡°Ups... Sorry, did I startle you?¡± Emma chuckled.


    ¡°Hahaha.. There wasn¡¯t anyone here before, so we were surprised when you suddenly appeared,¡± Nicko replied awkwardly.


    Britney nodded in confirmation. ¡°Th-that¡¯s right. Anyway, is there something, Emma?¡±


    Emma shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to check things out for a bit. Anyway, why are you in charge here Britney? I thought Nicko was in charge today with Frank?¡±


    ¡°Frank has some important business to attend to and can¡¯te here. It happened that the boys couldn¡¯t rece him too,¡± Nicko answered for Britney.


    ¡°Actually, Nicko can do it alone, Emma. But I just can¡¯t sleep so I apany him,¡± Britney exined.


    Emma and Poppy smiled faintly. Maybe in the future, there would be ck Swan¡¯s girl dating Jita Kyoei¡¯s boy. Emma wouldn¡¯t mind that because, she certainly would respect and give freedom of privacy to her friends. There were no special rules here.


    ¡°I see. If you need anything, you can look for me on the second floor ¨C the Stars room.¡± Emma said.


    ¡°Ok,¡± They answered.


    ***


    Emma and Rachel rode a ck motorcycle to a building they had visited several times before. Therge building that was once looked like a luxurious and magnificent empire now looked like an abandoned building.


    They entered the gate of the semicircr building and drove into the parking basement which was now quite dark because only a few lights were turned on.


    Three men seemed to stand there waiting for them. Emma¡¯s motorbike stopped and she turned off the engine.


    Seeing the two people who were cks that they had known all this time, made Marcel Dous, Kenny Brown, and Renu Khan held their breath. Now they knew that behind the helmet and all-ck clothes was a woman.


    Emma and Rachel got off their motorbikes and finally... took off the full-face helmets that covered their entire heads. Now, there was no longer a mask behind the helmet, but their beautiful faces were disyed.


    Even though they already knew the truth, the sight of the two beautiful girls made the three men¡¯s eyeballs seem to jump out.


    Emma smiled at them. ¡°Long time no see. Well¡­ So, the RJC became like this, huh?¡± She looked around.


    Well, from the way Emma spoke, it gave confidence to the men that she really was a ck leader who had an annoying sharp tongue. However, for some reason, their irritation couldn¡¯t be triggered as easily by the sound of robots they usually hear. Her signature light and smooth voice had a huge effect overshadowing her sharp words.

 Chapter 321 - 321 Doubting the Black Swan

    321 Doubting the ck Swan


    ¡°You should have known we had fallen, right¡­ Emma? Or¡­ ck?¡± Marcel looked confused.


    Emma smiled broadly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to hide anymore, Marcel. You can go easy on me. I¡¯m the Emma Hind you know and the ck who fought together with you,¡±


    Marcel took a long sigh. ¡°Well... It seems my brain is confused about adjusting to this situation,¡± Heughed as he invited Emma and Rachel toe inside.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happened to the others too,¡± Emma replied with an amused chuckle.


    ¡°Sorry if we were rude to you for thinking you were men,¡± Marcel said.


    Emma shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem, Marcel. We were also rude to you,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that you are women. But you are indeed powerful,¡± Kenny said, especially to Rachel because they once fought together to defeat Lee Mu Fei.


    ¡°We are happy to know that what we are doing has made men stop looking at women as weak. Thank you for thepliment,¡± Rachel replied.


    Then they arrived at the room that used to be Marcel¡¯s house when RJC was still victorious. Inside, there were Vico Hustle and Damian Jamin. Now, Emma and Rachel as representatives of The ck Swan meet with all of the Red Jack Commander¡¯s core team.


    .....


    They were all seated on arge sofa that surrounded a ss table. Emma exined that her group had the real name ck Swan. The reaction of all RJC members was not much different from Jita Kyoei¡¯s.


    ¡°So, did you guys invite us here just to prove that we¡¯re girls?¡± Emma asked.


    Marcel shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s more than this, Emma.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± Emma asked. Now, she shifted her personality into working mode and it seemed to make the figure of ck in a maske to the surface.


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve nned to ask you for help. However, I don¡¯t know whether this is still worth discussing with you or not. Because, since knowing that ck is a woman, we have been quite doubtful,¡± Marcel said.


    Emma and Rachel immediately took offence at Marcel¡¯s words.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emma asked with a displeased face.


    ¡°Are you going to say that your wish can¡¯t be done by girls?¡± Rachel asked with her arms folded across her chest. She stared at Marcel coldly.


    Now, ck was not wearing a mask. However, the two girls¡¯ faces that were exposed made them look hideous with intimidating res.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just thought this would be very dangerous for you,¡± Marcel exined slowly.


    Emma shook her head tiredly. She had grown tired of this sickening treatment they had to face ever since ck Swan¡¯s identity was exposed. ¡°Marcel, if you think that¡¯s a dangerous thing, then what about what we¡¯ve been through all this time? Haven¡¯t you seen what we¡¯ve been up to?¡±


    Marcel fell silent. Then Emma chuckled sarcastically while folding her arms across her chest. ¡°Do we have to wear masks again, so you don¡¯t judge a person¡¯s ability and strength based on their gender? Do I need to pretend to be a man again to get an acknowledgement? Is it just man who can be considered capable?¡±


    ¡°Emma... I didn¡¯t mean that...¡± Marcel said. He was confused about how to exin his true intentions to the two angry girls.


    Letting out a long sigh for the umpteenth time, Emma nodded. ¡°I clearly understand what you mean, Marcel. I also understand that you are saying that it¡¯s because you are worried about us, right? But Marcel, I need to emphasize to you that your worry is a form of your thinking that you don¡¯t believe in our power. It is the result of your thinking that we are weak.¡±


    In the end, Marcel could only remain silent. What Emma said was true. He was worried that ck Swan couldn¡¯t face the fight ahead because they were girls.


    During this time, Marcel lived surrounded by several women. His grandmother and mother were always suffering and could not protect him or themselves. They were always victims of male rudeness and couldn¡¯t fight back. Therefore, in Marcel¡¯s mind, it was embedded that women needed to be protected and could notpete with men¡¯s strength.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be frank, Marcel. I feel insulted by your opinion of us. I can¡¯t believe how big the change you view us after knowing that we are women. It¡¯s very upsetting,¡± Emma hissed while rising to her feet.


    ¡°Wait a minute, ck.¡± Kenny also stood up and blocked Emma who was about to leave. ¡°Sorry if we offended you. But please give me a chance to speak,¡±


    Emma stared at therge ponytailed man for a few seconds. Then, she turned to Rachel to ask her opinion on whether they should give this man a chance because Rachel was the type of person who has a cool head.


    Then, Rachel nodded slightly in approval. The two girls were indeed a perfect match. They sat down again as a symbol that they agreed to give Kenny a chance to talk.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if this opportunity I¡¯m giving doesn¡¯t disappoint me because I already feel sorry foring here just to hear your insults,¡± Emma said with a nce at Marcel sarcastically.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to insult you at all, Emma,¡± Marcel¡¯s words stopped when Emma raised one hand as a symbol that she didn¡¯t want to hear his excuses anymore.


    ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Emma turned at Kenny.


    ¡°Maybe Marcel had a bit of experience that made him think like that about women. Actually, I¡¯ve said this to everyone,¡± Kenny looked at all the members of his group who have now hung down their heads. ¡°Just because ck is a woman doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t face bigger challenges than yesterday¡¯s problems,¡±


    Yes, before ck arrived at their headquarters, the entire RJC core team had actually discussed this with each other. All of them, except for Kenny, were unsure of ck¡¯s ability to help them fight the ck Hole.


    Kenny could see it clearly. When it was finally discovered that ck was a girl group, all of its members became hopeless. They admitted that they couldn¡¯t bear to see women having to fight physically with a group of men as strong as ck Hole. It was undeniable that they would definitely be heavily injured because of that fight.


    Indeed, his friends have good intentions because they didn¡¯t want to see women get hurt. However, Kenny could not ept it.


    Kenny was off with all his friends¡¯ thoughts, including Marcel who was the leader of the RJC. In fact, before knowing that ck was a girl, their spirits were all burning high because to them, ck was very strong, so there was hope for them to be able to knock out ck Hole even if only by twenty percent.


    Even though Kenny also had feelings of worry for the women, he insisted on believing in the ck Swan¡¯s power, just as he believed in ck¡¯s power. He didn¡¯t want to doubt one¡¯s ability just because she was a woman.


    Previously, Kenny had debated this with all members of the RJC core team. But because he was outvoted, he couldn¡¯t do much, and let his friends say what was in their heads directly to ck. Then, here they were.

 Chapter 322 - 322 Become a Mediator

    322 Be a Mediator


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if my friends doubted you a little. Believe me ¨C they are just worried too much. I need to say that we rarely interact with women. Hence, we don¡¯t understand your feelings,¡± Kenny said. Then he let out a long sigh. ¡°To me, even though you are women, you are still the ck who had helped us take down the Creeper. You even defeated our group. It¡¯s a shame if we still have the guts to doubt your strength,¡±


    Kenny¡¯s words made Emma and Rachel feel better. That was what a woman wanted when they feel a man had a fault. She wanted him to realize and admit his mistake.


    Finally, Emma nodded once. ¡°I hope you can exin your mindset correctly to all members of your group, Kenny, so that they don¡¯t just judge women randomly,¡±


    ¡°All right, Emma. I understand. Forgive my short thinking,¡± Marcel said after getting a nce from Kenny who seemed to say ¡®I already said it, but you jerks didn¡¯t listen.¡¯


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry too. We shouldn¡¯t have doubted you,¡± Renu said, followed by nods from his friends.


    Emma and Rachel nodded in understanding. They also didn¡¯t want to be too rigid with prolonged anger just because of a mistake that was actually quite reasonable.


    ¡°Very well. I ept your exnation this time. So, what kind of help do you want to ask us?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Before that, we¡¯ll exin the matter first, Emma,¡± Marcel said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m all ears,¡±


    .....


    ¡°You must already know that RJC is one of the groups of The Deadly Square under the confines of the ck Hole. All groups of The Deadly Square are required to pay a huge monthly fee to ck Hole. When the Underground Cave was still standing, we were able to pay for it. However, ever since the downfall of our group, ck Hole keeps asking us to pay the fee even though our business was destroyed.


    Now, we only have Redvalley Street to maintain. Our business on Redvalley Street has a profit that we can only use for the operational costs of our headquarters. We cannot pay for the ck Hole at all. However, ck Hole made a policy that said that if a group could not pay the fee, they would take over all of the group¡¯s assets and businesses,¡± Marcel exined.


    Emma and Rachel frowned. That was very bad news. They knew that after Underground Cave closed, RJC focused on Redvalley only. In fact, Marcel had to work as a model to support his grandmother and himself. In truth, protecting and managing Redvalley Street was not a business, but a voluntary.


    ¡°So, If you don¡¯t pay the fee, then this whole ce and Redvalley Street will be taken over by the ck Hole?¡± Emma asked.


    Marcel nodded. ¡°I still don¡¯t mind if they take this base building and everything in it, Emma. But I can¡¯t see Redvalley being taken over by a group as vicious as ck Hole. They are just as heartless as Apollo. They never care about how the people on the street could collect money. The important thing is they can get as much money as possible,¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. Hasn¡¯t the copse of your group been going on long enough? How did you pay the fee all this time?¡± Emma asked.


    Marcel was silent for a few seconds. Then, he swallowed and cleared his throat to control his voice. ¡°We were forced to sell Bluevalley Street. Even so, the proceeds could only cover the fees for a few months. That¡¯s the reason we are still able to survive now,¡±


    As someone who knew quite a bit of Marcel¡¯s childhood story, Emma understood that Bluevalley Street meant a great deal to him; not in a positive way, but in a negative way. Emma knew that Marcel didn¡¯t want the street to operate at all. Therefore, he deliberately made it a dead street. But if he sold it, it meant that the street with a lot of bad memories would be back in operation. That must hurt him so much.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you had to do that, Marcel. I know you don¡¯t want to see that street back in operation. However, what you¡¯ve done is for the best to help the people of Redvalley right now.¡± Emma said slowly.


    Marcel smiled faintly even though his eyes couldn¡¯t do what his lips were doing. ¡°Thank you, Emma.¡±


    Then Marcel took a deep breath and continued the main topic, ¡°The money from the sale of Bluevalley Street cannotst long. Therefore, we have a n which is actually very risky. We n to attack the ck Hole and destroy them.¡±


    ¡°And you asked our help to do that?¡± Emma asked.


    Marcel nodded. ¡°ck Hole is a powerful group. They have a team ofmanders consisting of five powerful people, and the No.1 is like a monster. Those six men were the ones who defeated the four groups that ended up being dragged into The Deadly Square, including RJC. We¡¯ve been beaten by them before, even when our group was intact and victorious. Now, RJC isn¡¯t as big as it used to be. Attacking the ck Hole with our own strength is simply a suicide mission.¡±


    ¡°With the help of the ck Swan, we at least have some hope of seeding in taking down the ck Hole. Yes, they are indeed powerful. But I believe that we might at least be able to match them if we merge,¡± Kenny added.


    Emma nodded while thinking. ¡°Actually, I was imagining back when we joined forces to fight Jita Kyoei. At that time, I felt that the strength of the two groups of us joining together was bnced against the strength of Jita Kyoei. Now, my question is; is ck Hole as powerful as Jita Kyeoi?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I can say that ck Hole is stronger than Jita Kyoei. And the fact that Dragger, Hell Gate, and Creeper have been taken over by them, makes ck Hole a much stronger group than Jita Kyoei.¡± Kenny answered.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good,¡± Emma said with a cluck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to say that you are incapable of carrying out this mission. However, I just want to emphasize once again to you that this mission is extremely dangerous. As a fellow leader, I know you will think of your member.¡± Marcel looked at Emma seriously.


    Emma nodded in understanding. ¡°I am thinking about that, Marcel. But it seems that regardless of my thoughts and decisions now, in the end, we will face the ck Hole as well because The ck Swan¡¯s main mission is to destroy the source of this chaos. We will destroy the head of the snake. After all, we¡¯ve managed to defeat the Dragger. I¡¯m sure ck Hole is also after us right now,¡±


    ¡°So that means you¡¯re joining us?¡± Marcel asked.


    Emma nodded. ¡°I intend to do that. But I will still talk about this to the girls first. ck Swan is not like other groups where all members must obey all the decisions of the leader. The girls who participated in this mission are the ones who wanted to. So, I can¡¯t promise all my members cane,¡±


    Marcel shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, Emma. We appreciate even the slightest bit of help from the ck Swan,¡±


    ¡°By the way, if ck Hole is that strong, why don¡¯t you guys get Jita Kyoei to join in? There¡¯s Calvin Lee too. They¡¯re tough guys,¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°We did n to ask for their help. But I don¡¯t know whether they will give a positive response or not. Because, you know¡­ we are not get along,¡± Marcel exined.


    ¡°If you guys often get into arguments, I have no problem mediating between RJC and Jita Kyoei.¡± Emma shrugged.

 Chapter 323 - 323 Got to Move Fast

    323 Got to Move Fast


    Marcel and Kenny looked at each other with bright faces. Then Marcel looked at Emma again. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°The bigger our alliance is the better. You mustn¡¯t forget that there is a ck Swan¡¯s dream in this mission. Of course I want this mission to seed. I also want to enjoy a quiet life with lots of free time for fun. My wish is this chaos could be over soon.¡± Emma answered.


    Emma realized that her time had been taken up very much during this time. When she was ying ice skating with Levi yesterday, she imagined if all this time she had free time. She could practice ice skating because it was a lot of fun. She and Calvin were also able to spend a lot of time together because they were not bothered by these gangster problems.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, Marcel. RJC and Jita Kyoei should meet soon. If you want, I can also provide a ce,¡± Emma said.


    ***


    ¡°Joining RJC?¡± Troy¡¯s eyebrows rose.


    Emma nodded. ¡°That¡¯s up to you. But, ck Swan has joined this mission. I¡¯ve also asked the girls and they all joined, except for those who already have children,¡±


    ¡°Nowadays, there are no more groups recruiting students of the martial arts studio. Are you going to refuse since your business is done?¡± Calvin asked with an appraising look at the group of men sitting in front of him.


    ¡°So, you want to join them?¡± Ian asked Calvin.


    .....


    ¡°Of course. There¡¯s Emma here. How can I note?¡± Calvin answered directly.


    Emma instantly choked on the air she was inhaling. Since the conversation between the two of them in the lobby of Poppy¡¯s ballet studio, Calvin had be frank in showing his feelings for Emma.


    ¡°Oh, so all this time, Jita Kyoei has joined this side because they have their own goals? I guess those people sincerely want to eradicate crime in Handway City?¡± Linda said frontally with her arms folded across her chest.


    ¡°Hey, the people you¡¯re talking about are here,¡± Ian said in annoyance.


    But Linda instead raised one eyebrow. ¡°It turns out you have self-awareness, huh?¡±


    Nicko sighed tiredly, then patted Troy on the shoulder. ¡°You better make a decision soon, Troy. Anyway, isn¡¯t ck Hole also targeting Jita Kyoei now?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Just like ck Swan, in the end, Jita Kyoei will also fight the ck Hole, right? Instead of doing it individually, why don¡¯t we make this short and easy by doing it together?¡±


    ¡°I heard that men are efficient thinkers?¡± Linda asked.


    Ian scowled. ¡°Hey you girls, stop trying to corner us.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re just annoyed because even when things are so urgent like this, you guys are still thinking about your stupid prestige,¡± Linda said.


    ¡°Maybe we will meet with the RJC directly. We also have to see how ethical they are in asking for our help,¡± Troy said.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve told Marcel that ck Swan can provide a ce for you to negotiate. Think of ck Swan¡¯s base as your second base,¡±


    Troy stood up from his seat. ¡°Thanks for the offer. I¡¯ll definitely consider it, Emma.¡±


    ¡°In the future, you don¡¯t need to bother taking care of us, Emma. We will negotiate by ourselves, and I will inform the ck Swan directly if there is confirmation.¡± Ian said.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m waiting for news that won¡¯t take long,¡± Emma replied in her steps leading the men to the basement.


    ***


    After returning to their own base, the Jita Kyoei core team was back in talks.


    ¡°RJC really are a bunch of losers. They¡¯re deliberately using those sharp-tongued girls to corner us,¡± Troy said as threw his big body on the sofa.


    ¡°That¡¯s the cunning Marcel Dous. He¡¯s used to being surrounded by women, so he¡¯s good at taking advantage of situations... and his face, of course,¡± Ian replied.


    ¡°Should we call him?¡± Nicko asked.


    ¡°Even after their group has fallen, they are still arrogant,¡± Frank said.


    ¡°It seems Emma is on Marcel¡¯s side. Is it because he is the most handsome guy on campus?¡± Troy asked with a frown.


    But Nicko shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Emma is that type of girl. Maybe she sympathizes with Marcel because there are citizens of Redvalley behind him. Although Marcel seems like an asshole, we have to admit that he protects a lot of weak people,¡±


    Ian nodded. ¡°Nicko is right. In the end, we have to lower our prestige so that the enemy can be defeated. Hating each other will only make us all weak. Maybe it¡¯s time for Jita Kyoei to test our pride,¡±


    ***


    The sky was shining brightly because it had rained quite heavily this afternoon. Now, twinkling stars fill the night sky along with a bright moon that formed a crescent.


    It was sote. Every day, time was tight for Emma and Calvin. But ording to their promises, they would take the time to hang out even if it was only for an hour or two.


    ¡°Whose car is this, Calvin?¡± Emma asked after Calvin got into the driver¡¯s seat of a moss-green sedan.


    ¡°It¡¯s mine. I bought itst month,¡± He answered with a faint smile that very often adorned his face.


    Emma¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Oh, I thought you were morefortable riding a bike?¡±


    Calvin nodded. ¡°Yes. But that¡¯s if I¡¯m alone. If I bring you, I feel ufortable if I continue to ride a bike, especially since it often rains in spring,¡±


    ¡°So... You mean you bought this because of me?¡± Emma chuckled sarcastically.


    ¡°Yes. Do you feel morefortable?¡± Calvin answered with an innocent face.


    ¡°You¡­ You serious it¡¯s because of me?¡± Emma¡¯s eyes widened. She was just kidding. She thought Calvin must have other reasons to buy a car. Logically, there was no way he would spend such money to buy something to please someone when he didn¡¯t really need it.


    Calvin nodded lightly. ¡°Of course, Emma. You are my top priority right now,¡±


    Emma gulped hard. Her face turned ufortable. Then, she looked at Calvin. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to do this because I also feelfortable riding a bike. But I¡¯ll thank you because you¡¯re thinking about me that much,¡±


    ¡°Well, this kind of Calvin is not holding back. I hope you¡¯re not surprised, Emma.¡± He winked at her.


    ***


    The car entered a veryrge parking area with many cars parked facing arge screen that hung quite high. It was a Drive-in Cinema.


    ¡°This is thest movie for today. I didn¡¯t get to see what it was but it should be good,¡± Calvin said while pulling on his car¡¯s handbrake.


    Emma nced at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s almost eleven. Luckily, we got here before the movie started.¡±


    Calvin nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to buy some food. You wait here for a while, ok?¡±


    ¡°Wait, Calvin.¡± Emma held his arm. ¡°Actually, I brought food from home.¡±


    Calvin turned to Emma. ¡°You did? What is it?¡± He asked excitedly.


    Emma opened her bag which was bigger than the bags she usually carried. ¡°I made Gimbab.¡± She said as she took out a lunchbox.

 Chapter 324 - 324 Car Cinema

    324 Car Cinema


    ¡°Gimbab? Oh... I haven¡¯t eaten Gimbab in a long time,¡± Calvin said with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Actually, this is my first time prepping this, so... I don¡¯t know whether this is good or not,¡± Emma said doubtfully.


    Calvin peeked at the lunch box that Emma showed him. The ck box contained pieces of three sticks of seaweed rice rolls filled with various vegetables and meat. ¡°Can I have some?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°Of course. I made it especially for you. I heard that this is the easiest Korean food to make. It¡¯s not difficult to make either,¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten Gimbab in years. Thank you so much, Emma. I really appreciate this,¡± Calvin said, looking at Emma warmly.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll like it. I don¡¯t know how Gimbab should taste. Therefore, you have to be honest with your opinion,¡± Emma said.


    Then Calvin put a piece straight into his mouth. In fact, Emma didn¡¯t know that Calvin¡¯s mouth could open that wide. Sheughed a little to find his face so funny.


    After waiting for Calvin to have chewed and swallowed his food, Emma spoke again, ¡°How is it, sir? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Definitely delicious. Well, although the seasoning isn¡¯t quite like Gimbab as it should be, it is tasty,¡± Calvin replied. Then, he raised his hand and rubbed the side of Emma¡¯s face. ¡°You worked hard for me. Thank you very much,¡±


    .....


    Emma smiled gently, then shoved a piece of Gimbab into her mouth. She couldn¡¯t put one in straight like Calvin, so she had to take a bite in half first.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get drinks and some snacks. I won¡¯t take long,¡± Calvin said before getting out of the car.


    Emma¡¯s heart felt warm. Yes, this was how she should feel if it was the right man for her. It had to be a man who would treat her right and be honest with her. Now, they didn¡¯t need to hide anything from each other.


    This time, Calvin kept his word. He did not take long outside and returned with potato chips and popcorn. He deliberately didn¡¯t buy soda or coffee because it was alreadyte, so he only bought Emma Lemon Tea.


    ¡°Oh, it starts,¡± Emma said while looking at the big screen in front.


    ¡®Under The nket¡¯


    Emma read the title of the movie on the screen before the writing slowly disappeared and the movie started.


    ¡°What genre of the movie, Calvin?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s romance. It was an action movie before this one, but, we didn¡¯t have enough time to make it on time. Do you dislike romance movies?¡± Calvin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve watched romance movies. It depends on how good they are. If the storyline is good, then I¡¯ll like it,¡± Emma answered lightly.


    Calvin chuckled. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve never watched a romance movie in my life. So, this is my first time,¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Emma chuckled. ¡°Hopefully this is good enough to make a good first impression on you,¡±


    Then, they began to calm down with the movie ying. The two of them focused on watching while chewing food. Only when the movie ran for almost close to thirty minutes did Emma and Calvin realize that something was wrong.


    ¡°Um... Calvin. Actually, what movie is this?¡± Emma asked with a frown. It seemed that she could not see the big screen in front of them.


    Calvin¡¯s body tensed and he moved ufortably. Now, he realized just how stupid his damned brain was. A romance movie with the title ¡®Behind the nket¡¯ ¨C What else did he think the meaning of the movie¡¯s title was?


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t think it would be this kind of movie. I swear, I didn¡¯t choose this movie on purpose.¡± Calvin said.


    Emma still looked away from the hot scene that was ying on the screen. Could this be called an ordinary movie when it kept showing bed scenes in the first five minutes until now? Yes, this movie did have a storyline. However, they seemed unable to focus on the story because there were too many hot scenes. This was not a romance movie with hot scenes added, but a porn movie with a romance story.


    Emma didn¡¯t understand why a movie like this could be shown in a car cinema. Maybe because it was thest movie and it was ying in the middle of the night. If she noticed, there weren¡¯t too many cars parked here. And, on average, the cars had dark widows and some of them were shaking. Gosh... this was madness.


    ¡°Emma, I¡¯m sorry to make you ufortable. I¡¯m going to get us out of here,¡± Calvin said.


    Then, Emma nodded because she did feel awkward and ufortable with the movie.


    ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t know a movie like that would be showing. I bought the tickets in a hurry so didn¡¯t look into it seriously,¡± Calvin exined while driving.


    ¡°I know, Calvin. There¡¯s no way you did it on purpose. But, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s hrious?¡± Emma said withughs.


    Calvin¡¯s face, which originally looked panicked, slowly began to rx. The two of them thenughed together until their stomachs hurt and their eyes watered. That was something they never thought could happen.


    ¡°Gosh... my stomach hurts,¡± Emma said wiping the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful when buying tickets next time. That damn movie messed up my ns,¡± Calvin said, stillughing.


    ¡°What else do you have nned?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Well... It should be just watching a movie because the movie willst for two and a half hours. But, we can have time together at least,¡± Calvin shrugged.


    Falling silent, Emma felt sorry for Calvin, who had prepared many things but was messed up because of a hot movie. Then, she nced at the time on the car dashboard. They still had over an hour before it was time to go home.


    ¡°What if we go somewhere else?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Calvin stared at her.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t we still have an hour? I think it would be a shame if we just went straight home,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Then, do you have a ce you want to go to?¡±


    Emma thought for a moment then shook her head, ¡°It seems impossible at this time ¨C Everything must be closed. How about you?¡±


    Calvin shook his head. ¡°Same thought,¡±


    ¡°Well, do you have a ce that has lots of memories? Or any ce thates to your mind right now?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°Well, if there is anything, it¡¯s just a stupid ce,¡± Calvin answered while thinking.


    ¡°A stupid ce?¡± Emma repeated with a chuckle. ¡°What kind of stupid ce?¡±

 Chapter 325 - 325 Hot Car

    325 Hot Car


    ¡°It¡¯s a ce I used to go as a kid when I wanted to cry,¡± Calvin replied with a chuckle.


    ¡°Could I see it?¡± Emma asked.


    ¡°But you might feel ufortable because it¡¯s an abandoned basketball court,¡± Calvin rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°I wanted to see why you feltfortable crying there when you said it was a stupid ce,¡± She smiled gently.


    Then, the car drove to a ce which was only lit by twompposts whose light was dim and one was flickering.


    Calvin parked his car beside the court. ¡°See? This ce is gloomy, right?¡±


    Emma nodded. ¡°Was it the same as this before?¡±


    ¡°There weren¡¯t too many wild weeds back then. Now they are quite tall and there are lots of them. It might be dangerous if someone were to wander there at night,¡± Then Calvin pointed to a long metal chair located on the side of the court. ¡°I used to always sit there and cried,¡±


    ¡°You must be very lonely,¡± Emma said quietly.


    .....


    ¡°When all my family left me one by one, it was so painful when I had to realize that I was left alone in this world. Usually, I always keep myself busy with various activities. I purposely tighten my time with anything so that I don¡¯t have to remember being alone. However, all those thoughts eventually would pop up when I was about to sleep and just woke up.¡± Calvin exined.


    ¡°I promise you, Calvin. I¡¯ll make those people pay their sins,¡± Emma said.


    Calvin looked at Emma with a gentle smile. ¡°You are a brave girl and have a heart like an angel, Emma. In my life, you are the only person who dared to risk yourself to help me. That is what makes you very special to me,¡±


    ¡°I think you deserve it, Calvin. I have absolutely no qualms about making sacrifices for someone like you. Basically, I dared to do this because I was inspired by you. At a time when no one cares about their surroundings, you are willing to fight alone to stop crime. Truly, you are the real hero,¡±


    Calvin let out a long sigh. ¡°Thank you for thinking of me that way. But,tely, I¡¯ve started to realize that it seems like the empty feeling inside me will never be filled even though all of this is over,¡±


    Brow furrowed, Emma looked at Calvin questioningly. ¡°Are you still lonely until now?¡±


    Calvin chuckled. ¡°Of course, Emma. Even though I always endured it and covered it with a smile, the immense pain of losing everything I had is too difficult to erase. No matter how hard I tried, it never worked,¡±


    ¡°Did you know, Emma? As time went on, I realized that my action of hunting down those thugs was my way of venting my loneliness. The goal of eliminating the gangsters in Handway City was actually just an excuse for me to have a purpose in this empty life of mine. So I started to think; if this is all over, what else should I do to endure this pain?¡± Calvin continued with a downcast face.


    Emma understood the pain Calvin felt. During this time, Calvin always smiled friendly to everyone. From his warm and cheerful demeanour, no one would have thought that he had a sorrowfully dark past.


    Loneliness could be felt by everyone. However, not everyone was able to cover it with a smile.


    When you have to keep smiling over the real pain that continued to tear your heart, it must be so hard. And Calvin had to do that for years, even when he was quite young. Calvin could still be a perfect man in front of everyone, even though he was falling apart inside.


    Emma lifted her hand and grabbed the side of Calvin¡¯s face to direct him to raise his head and look at her. She smiled gently and said, ¡°What you¡¯re going through is hard, Calvin. I understand that. However, you have to keep in mind that life goes on. If your goal has been reached, then you can make a new one. When you have written a full page, you can turn the sheet to write on a new page,¡±


    Calvin smiled with tears in his eyes. Even though the car was dark, Emma could see the outside light reflection on two jet-ck irises.


    ¡°Can you help me with that? It might be hard for me to do alone,¡± Calvin asked in a slightly restrained voice that made it sound a bit hoarse.


    Emma nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be by your side the whole time. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything,¡±


    Emma¡¯s answer warmed Calvin¡¯s heart. He immediately leaned forward to hug her. ¡°Can you promise me?¡± he whispered into Emma¡¯s ear. The scent of her soft flowing hair gave him a deeper calm.


    ¡°I promise,¡± Emma answered while wrapping her arms around Calvin¡¯s big back which felt a bit hard.


    ¡°Thank you, Emma,¡± Calvin said, closing his eyes to enjoy how warm the girl drowned in his arms.


    Then, they broke the hug. However, they were still very close. Emma¡¯s hands were still resting on the shoulders of the man in front of her.


    Calvin held the sides of Emma¡¯s jaw and neck which felt slightly hot and soft in his palms. Their eyes stared at each other for a long time. Even though the lighting there was poor, they seemed to have the ability to see each other through to each other¡¯s souls so that they didn¡¯t need any words to be able to know what the person in front of them wanted.


    Slowly, Calvin pulled Emma¡¯s face closer to his andnded his lips on hers which were far softer than he had ever imagined.


    Emma wrapped her arms around Calvin¡¯s neck. Although where they were sitting now made it difficult for the two of them to move freely, that didn¡¯t prevent them from hooking up to each other as close as possible.


    All this time, Emma had never imagined she would kiss Calvin. And she did not expect that the man wasfortably warm and gentle. This was her second kiss, and how Calvin gave off his warmth made Emma instantly forget the first.


    With one hand holding the back of Emma¡¯s head and the other holding her lower back, Calvin couldn¡¯t seem to stop himself from pulling Emma deeper into him, as if he could swallow her alive like a sweet and chewy jelly candy.


    The kiss that had Calvin nned would onlyst less than five seconds, now had even bewitched him to be wild. Since Calvin wasn¡¯t the pushy type of guy, he wouldn¡¯t carelessly kiss a girl aggressively on their first impression. However, he did not expect that things would turn out like this.


    Huffed, Emma¡¯s whole body started to feel hot from the heat that enveloped her from Calvin¡¯s body. The soft lips that now felt hot seemed to be sending electric shocks that continued to sting her body. Instead of stopping it all, Emma¡¯s hands tightened around Calvin¡¯s neck which felt right in her arms. She raised herself even further until she was kneeling on the chair.


    Just let¡¯s say Emma had gone mad. Or maybe she was influenced by the stupid movie that they identally watched at the car cinema earlier. She didn¡¯t know what possessed her to make her desire explode like this.


    Feeling that Emma was already perched higher than him, Calvin found it difficult to move and felt sorry for Emma, whose knees probably hurt because she was perched on the box between the two front seats of the car. Finally, in one tug, Calvin moved her body to the driver¡¯s seat and sat on hisp.

 Chapter 326 - 326 Mutual Strategy

    326 Mutual Strategy


    A groan was heard from their throats as both of them opened their mouths and crushed each other. Emma and Calvin¡¯s bodies, which were close, seemed to be dancing together to the music made by their own subconscious.


    Emma¡¯s fingers subconsciously started stroking Calvin¡¯s head. She pulled and pushed the man¡¯s head repeatedly as if their lips-meeting was not enough. It was as if the heat they exchanged from them wascking.


    Calvin¡¯s hands moved to touch Emma¡¯s jaw and neck. As if knowing what was on Calvin¡¯s mind, Emma opened her mouth wider. And just as she expected, something hot and soft immediately filled her mouth.


    It wasn¡¯t that Emma had never drunk alcohol. She knew how it feels to be drunk. But what entered her mouth now seemed to contain thergest amount of alcohol she had ever consumed in her life.


    Both feel drunk ¨C Drunk by romance ¨C Intoxicated by their own body heat ¨C Intoxicated by the desires that surged within their cores.


    Groaning, Calvin pulled his head back only to hit the headrest of the car, ¡°Mh... E-Emma¡­¡±


    Hearing Calvin called her name several times, Emma woke up and took a deep breath as she opened her eyes. That way, she could see Calvin¡¯s face and his blushed cheeks. Even so, Emma was sure that her own cheeks were much blushed than his.


    ¡°Ah¡­ E-Emma... I¡¯m sorry... but can you...¡± Calvin stammered as his voice became deadly hoarse and heavy, but sounded so sexy to Emma¡¯s ears.


    As her consciousness had almostpletely returned, Emma noticed something was off. She frowned and looked down while rise her body a little because she felt something hard pressing against her buttocks.


    .....


    ¡°Sorry, Emma. I-I can¡¯t...¡± Calvin immediately picked up Emma and moved her back to the next chair like moving a child.


    Then, Calvin hurriedly opened his jacket and used it to cover hisp. His cheeks became even redder until he turned his face away in embarrassment towards Emma.


    Emma was still trying to process what had happened. She didn¡¯t even remember when she moved to sit on Calvin¡¯sp. And, ah... looked like she knew what was going on now.


    Suddenly, the heat began to creep up Emma¡¯s cheeks. She didn¡¯t need to look in the mirror to know that her face must be very red by now. She covered her mouth with one hand as she looked at Calvin with mixed feelings.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t help it. Sorry. But if we don¡¯t stop it, maybe... I¡¯ll do something bad to you,¡± Calvin exined while rubbing his face with his palm.


    Emma was stunned for a moment. Then, she startedughing to make Calvin look at her with a confused face.


    ¡°Is there something funny?¡± Calvin asked.


    Emma nodded. ¡°Gosh... Sorry. I shouldn¡¯t beughing. I don¡¯t know why I find this hrious. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t beughing¡­¡± she said, trying to hold back herughter desperately.


    Even though Emmaughed it off, Calvin felt relieved that she was not mad at him. In fact, he was worried that Emma would get angry because he couldn¡¯t hold his own body. He was afraid of making Emma feel ufortable or even worse, feel harassed.


    But with Emmaughing like this, Calvin could really breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if youugh at me, Emma. But, this ce isn¡¯t romantic at all. It¡¯s embarrassing to have our first kiss here,¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emma looked at him with thest of herugh.


    ¡°All this time, I always imagined kissing you for the first time under the stars, on the beach, flower garden, or in sparkling lights. But look where we are¡­ An abandoned court?¡± Calvin sighed.


    ¡°Oh, you... thought about that, huh?¡± Emma muttered.


    Calvin nodded while looking at Emma intently. ¡°I like you, Emma. You are the first girl who filled my heart. Therefore, I want to give everything the best for you. I want you to feel my feelings for you,¡±


    Emma¡¯s cheeks gradually turned red. Calvin was a sincere and kind man. He was a perfect gentleman. Although Emma felt sorry that she had not been able to grow the feelings that Calvin deserved, she was grateful that he still wanted to ept her and be by her side.


    Leaning towards Calvin, Emma kissed his cheek gently. ¡°I can feel it clearly, Calvin. You don¡¯t have to try to do it. Your sincerity is screaming out loud to my ears,¡± she whispered before returning to her seat.


    Calvin looked at Emma awkwardly. Even though he was embarrassed, his lips formed a wide smile. He nodded. ¡°Thank you, Emma. I will wait for you until you have the same feelings as I have for you. When that happens, I promise to make you the luckiest girl on earth,¡±


    Emma chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re too much,¡±


    ***


    Emma sat between the two leaders of two big groups. On her right was Troy Roner who was apanied by Tobias Ian from the Jita Kyoei. And on her left was Marcel Dous who was apanied by Kenny Brown from the Red Jack Commander.


    Emma¡¯s arms were folded across her chest. It seemed like it had been ten minutes since the two sides faced each other yet didn¡¯t utter a word.


    This was the first time RJC had visited the ck Swan base. Apparently, now the ck Swan headquarters became the meeting centre of the three groups.


    The tension between them was finally interrupted by the arrival of Poppy who was still wearing an apron. The girl with the long ponytail brought a tray of muffins and ced it on the table in the middle of them.


    ¡°Oh, Th-thank you, Poppy,¡± Marcel said directly.


    ¡°Thank you, Poppy.¡± Troy was also noticing the arrival of Poppy who brought snacks for them.


    Poppy smiled kindly. ¡°I hope this can melt the tension between you guys. I feel sorry for Emma to wait there. For your information; we have a lot of work to do. So, please help to appreciate her time,¡± she said without reducing her smile one bit.


    ¡°Thank you, Poppy,¡± Emma said meaningfully with a single nod.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Poppy answered before going back to the kitchen.


    ¡°Right, I understand,¡± Troy said, then looked at Marcel who still seemed to maintain his pride.


    ¡°Can you guys stop holding on to your stupid egos? If you want to fight as a way of discussing, I have a practice room at your disposal. Maybe you want to use violence, in keeping with the ways of the men you¡¯ve always been proud of.¡± Emma said.


    Marcel turned to Emma. ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever being proud of that,¡±


    ¡°Then hurry up and talk!¡± Emma replied, ring at them both.


    Marcel clucked and took a deep breath. ¡°We need your help,¡±


    ¡°I know. But we still don¡¯t want to be led by your stupid ns,¡± Troy replied.


    Yes, that was what had been happening. Previously, the boys said that they would discuss on their own and would return to Emma when the results of the discussion were in ce. However, Emma instead got the information that they were fighting because of disagreements.


    In the end, it was Emma who had to step in again and mediate between the two parties who never got along.


    ¡°Guys, please. We¡¯re on the edge. We don¡¯t have time for this argument,¡± Emma said.


    ¡°If you guys really don¡¯t want to lead each other, how about we make a n together?¡± Rachel asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, Rachel. This is indeed a war sparked by the RJC. But we can all strategize together, right? So, there¡¯s no one to lead and be led here,¡± Emma said.


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