Chapter 585: Chapter 400: Perfect Timing
Minamoto Tamako mistakenly thought his look meant he intended to get physical, so she slipped her hand into her pocket and gripped the gun handle.
Yi Zetao watched with a pounding heart. He didn’t expect things to escalate like this. He initially thought the little girl was just here to negotiate, to use her presence to intimidate and maybe buy a couple of guns... But now seeing her expression, it seemed like she was ready to go all out!
Is this really an eight-year-old? How can she have such a strong intent to kill!
Liu Daniu and Ma Xiang didn’t notice; they were following closely and chatting with Brother Sun.
Talking about the death of Cao Yan, they were indignant and mentioned their encounter with Lawyer Zhou. They also asked if Brother Sun could help them, as he usually had quite a relationship with their boss... After all, Brother Sun often visited their place for prostitution.
"Lawyer Zhou... sounds familiar... same name, maybe? I also know a lawyer named Zhou Hao, tall and slim, and his fees aren’t cheap!"
After speaking, Brother Sun teased, "Even pimps come to me asking for a meal, huh? Don’t bother pleading for leniency, even if Old Cao came himself, it wouldn’t work here!"
The lackeys and card players cheered and taunted Yi Zetao and the others:
"Didn’t Old Cao teach you any manners? He’s not around, and you’re already overstepping your bounds?"
"Why don’t you obediently take over Old Cao’s business, recruit some pretty girls, and make everyone happy first."
"If you’re really short on money, we still need someone to carry bricks on our construction site. How about it? For old time’s sake, two hundred a day!"
...
The faces of Yi Zetao and his people turned from red to white, and Liu Daniu couldn’t bear it anymore. He wanted to explode on the spot and slammed the card table angrily. Before he could speak, ten or more people stood up all at once, with serious expressions, no longer joking, and the atmosphere turned tense. If Liu Daniu kept pressing, he might just end up getting beaten.
Ma Xiang caved first; he tugged on Liu Daniu’s sleeve, urging him to soften up and apologize to everyone, suggesting that would smooth things over.
Liu Daniu’s face flushed with embarrassment; he couldn’t swallow his pride, but he didn’t dare strike out directly either. Two burly men were already gripping beer bottles beside him. No matter how bold he was, he didn’t want to end up with a severe beating.
Yi Zetao plastered a smile on his face and bowed in apology. But Brother Sun didn’t give him face; he casually tossed a mahjong tile onto the table and coldly said, "Dislocate his arm to teach him a lesson."
The crowd gathered, ready to take action when suddenly a crisp clicking sound was heard. Yi Zetao reacted first; it was the sound of a gun being cocked, and he quickly clasped his hands over his head and squatted down.
Brother Sun sneered, thinking the guy had prepared himself for a beating, about to commend him for his sense, when a little girl squeezed through the crowd and walked toward him.
Where did this kid come from?
Brother Sun was taken aback, then saw the girl pull a mock Type 64 pistol from her school uniform pocket, point it at his forehead, and seriously say, "Police, stop, hands on your head and get down!"
The room fell silent.
Before anyone else could react, Minamoto Tamako skillfully stepped forward, grabbed Brother Sun’s arm, and kicked him harshly in the back of the knee, forcing him to kneel.
Brother Sun was furious, instinctively wanting to resist, but Minamoto Tamako fired a shot beside his head, shattering the mahjong table with plastic shards spraying onto his face, making his heart tremble. He remained sprawled on the table, not daring to move.
"Now, in violation of obstructing justice, illegal gambling, attempted assault, and attacking a police officer, I will arrest you," Minamoto Tamako pressed the gun against the back of his head while deftly searching him, retrieving a folding knife from Brother Sun’s body and placing it on the card table, "Please come with us."
The card players and lackeys were all stunned. Minamoto Tamako exuded an aura too familiar; the demeanor and tone of this eight-year-old child were like that of a police officer, and the enforcement action was particularly skilled, just like an oppressive force over those engaged in underground dealings.
People outside the card room heard the gunshot, thinking a thermos had burst, and wanted to come in to check the situation. Yi Zetao was quick and blocked the doorway first, not allowing outside people in and claiming to be handling personal matters.
No one else dared to speak up since Minamoto Tamako had a gun.
Unlike Liu Daniu and the others, Brother Sun remained calm even with a gun to the back of his head. He raised his hands in surrender and questioned Minamoto Tamako, "Which deity are you? What do you want with me?"
Minamoto Tamako didn’t understand what ’deity’ meant, but she could see that she was outnumbered and that the criminal suspects seemed still inclined to resist and defy authority.
"Non-relevant individuals, leave on your own!" She looked around, loudly warning, "Otherwise, I’ll act!"
No one moved, and some looked hesitant, but since the others didn’t move, nor did they.
In this business, people liked to show toughness; nobody wanted to be the first to back down, fearful they might get ridiculed at future gatherings, just like Liu Daniu and his companions earlier.
Brother Sun put on a tough front, shouting, "The Type 64 mag only holds seven rounds! Six are left inside; you’d never get away after killing me!"
Minamoto Tamako considered saying, ’Then I’ll kill you,’ but her professional ethics prevented her from doing so. The more she warned, the less intimidation it seemed to provide, and others seemed to slowly think she wouldn’t dare fire, inching closer in a test.
Seeing no other way, Minamoto Tamako decided to make a blood show, making them realize the seriousness of the situation. After all, this is a dream, and they aren’t real people. She could let loose like her predecessors from the police department and enforce violently — if they were on the scene, Brother Sun’s head would already be blown open, with no unnecessary talk.
"What a brat, not studying well, from where did you get a gun to show off here..."
Brother Sun said as he slowly straightened up; he had mentally prepared to take a hit, thinking he’d settle this kid once not fatally shot.
He couldn’t believe these three pimps were so crazy, putting a little girl up front with a gun... Is this something a person could do?
No wonder they are looked down upon!
Minamoto Tamako took a deep breath; she slowly lowered her aim to Brother Sun’s abdomen, planning to shoot the liver or large intestine, not immediately lethal, but threatening enough.
Before she could pull the trigger, chaotic arguing erupted outside the card room.
Everyone didn’t care, keeping their focus on Minamoto Tamako until the arguing became screams, only then did they confusedly turn around.
After the screams, there was a series of chaotic footsteps like gamblers were fleeing in panic. Everyone thought maybe the cops had arrived, looking at Minamoto Tamako differently, thinking perhaps she was a dwarf plainclothes officer, seemingly an eight-year-old child but actually a working officer in their late twenties... but anybody slightly smart knew Minamoto Tamako’s origins were definitely fishy since police wouldn’t and dare not use a mock Type 64 pistol.
A moment later, outside the door calmed, perhaps too calm.
Within the card room, nobody spoke, and all eyes turned to the doorway. A sound of leather shoes clacking on the floor approached; a squeak signaled the door being pushed open, revealing a lawyer in a suit, carrying a briefcase facing everyone.
Zhou Hao — or rather, the young Fushimi Roku — lowered his head, removed a bloody pair of glasses with his right hand, pulled a lens cloth from his collar, and carefully cleaned them before returning the clean, rimless glasses to his ears, pushing the bridge with his middle finger.
The lenses glinted coldly as he surveyed the room, his gaze landing on Brother Sun and Minamoto Tamako.
"Good afternoon."
Fushimi Roku nodded in greeting, his tone as if the stains on his body and face didn’t even exist. He stepped into the card room, prompting everyone to take a step back, watching as he calmly reached back to gently close the door.
He sat opposite at the card table, fingers entwined, and seriously inquired:
"Am I here at a bad time?"