Chapter Thirty-Seven: "I'd Go Even If It Meant Facing Blades"

Chapter Thirty-Seven: "Even If Knives Fall From the Sky, I’ll Go"

His voice was filled with dejection. “At the time, I was the leader of the special operations team, personally responsible for close protection and with both targets under my watch. I used to be a thorough materialist, a staunch atheist, absolutely refusing to believe there was anything supernatural in this world. But that day…”

Chen Xiao’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

Officer Xu raised both hands, gesturing as he spoke. “There was only one place in that room that led outside—the central air conditioner vent. It was only about this high.” He indicated a span of barely a dozen centimeters. “The ducts inside were all flat! But that day, with my own eyes, I saw a man at least one meter eighty tall squeeze out from inside, crawling out of the vent in the ceiling! Every part of his body seemed like dough, able to bend and fold however he wished!”

His voice trembled with defeat and despair. “That guy suddenly leapt down, standing right in front of me. I was stunned. When I finally reacted, he easily subdued me. I remember—he just glanced at me, raised his hand, and my whole body went numb, completely immobilized!

I collapsed straight to the floor, unable to lift even a finger. I could only watch, wide-eyed, as that man used a thin piece of paper to slit the throats of both people I was protecting—right in front of me!”

“It couldn’t have been some kind of yoga technique, could it?” Chen Xiao offered a wry smile. “I’ve heard of certain miraculous yoga practices that let people compress their bodies, and in our own traditional martial arts there’s even the ‘bone-shrinking’ skill… As for your paralysis, could he have released some kind of drug into the air?”

“I thought of all that,” Officer Xu replied, a look of helplessness on his face. “But do you really think any yoga or martial art could let a burly man over one-eighty tall squeeze through a vent barely a dozen centimeters wide?”

Chen Xiao was silent.

“As for my paralysis, I suspected a drug too. But later, after a full medical exam, there wasn’t the slightest trace of any substance in my body! And don’t think anesthesia could do that—my mind was perfectly clear at the time, none of that dizziness or sluggishness you’d get from being drugged!”

He finally let out a heavy sigh. “That killer murdered those people right before my eyes, then opened the window and jumped straight out from a building dozens of meters high… and vanished without a trace. I thought he’d fall to his death, but nothing happened. After he went out the window, he simply disappeared.”

Officer Xu turned to fix his gaze on Chen Xiao. “After that, my team was severely punished internally for failing the mission, and as the leader, I took the brunt of it. The worst part is, I wrote everything I saw and experienced in my report. But the higher-ups said I was making it all up, that I was inventing this nonsense to shirk responsibility for failing the mission…”

His tone was heavy with disappointment. “I’m convinced that whoever did that was no ordinary human! But no one believed my report or my words! I was harshly disciplined, and because of that ridiculous report, they decided I was mentally unstable and suspended me for six months of psychological treatment. Later, I was dismissed from the special ops team and transferred here to K City as a regular cop… That’s pretty much how it all happened.”

Looking at Officer Xu, Chen Xiao couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy. Judging by what he said, it was most likely the work of an ability user. If it had been a few days ago, Chen Xiao probably wouldn’t have believed a word of this nonsense. But now…

“Nine years have passed.” Officer Xu shook his head. “I’ve tried to forget, and I pretend as if nothing ever happened. I just do my job as an ordinary police officer. But now, with your two cases, it’s all come back to me!”

His gaze sharpened, somewhat aggressive. “Chen Xiao, your injuries, and the car accident with those robbers that day—there’s more to it than meets the eye, isn’t there?”

Chen Xiao remained silent, but Officer Xu had already started the car again and drove on.

The rest of the trip passed in silence. When the car finally stopped at the curb near Chen Xiao’s apartment, Officer Xu spoke. “I know you’re not ordinary, Chen Xiao. But I mean you no harm. I’ve looked into your background, your life. You’re an ordinary student, nothing special, no trouble with the law. What happened today, I can guess at the dispute between that husband and wife. You stepped in to help, which means you’re a good person. I won’t give you any trouble.”

He paused, forcing a bitter smile. “It’s just, I really wanted some kind of confirmation from you. After I submitted that report back then, everyone in my old organization thought I was crazy. Rumors behind my back said I’d lost my mind. It was hard to accept! Even after psychological counseling, even after all these years, sometimes I still wonder—was I insane? Did I just imagine it all? But now, at least I’ve met you—you’re living proof, right in front of me! I can be sure of one thing: I am not crazy!”

He fixed his gaze on Chen Xiao. “I’m not insane, and I didn’t imagine it. Everything was real… wasn’t it?”

The look in Officer Xu’s eyes was intense but pleading. Moved by his sincerity, Chen Xiao finally nodded. “…That’s right, you’re not crazy. There really are things in this world we can’t understand. I can confirm you’re not insane.”

It was as if a weight of many years was lifted from Xu’s shoulders. He let out a long sigh and shook Chen Xiao’s hand. “Thank you! You’ve finally let me put down a stone that’s been pressing on my heart for years. And about those robbers—it was you who flipped their car, wasn’t it? I don’t know how you did it, but that also helped us out.”

Chen Xiao could only smile wryly. It had actually been that woman, Red Seven, who’d done it. But since Officer Xu was convinced it was him, explaining would only complicate things. So he just let it be.

As Chen Xiao got out of the car, Officer Xu called after him.

“Oh, one more thing. In that case from years ago, when the killer slit the throats of the two targets, he used a thin piece of paper… I remember very clearly, it was a playing card.”

Officer Xu managed a rueful smile. “A red eight.”

It was as if he was merely unburdening himself—and he was. These things had been bottled up inside him for years. Anyone else would have thought he was making up stories. But now he could finally tell Chen Xiao, and even get some confirmation…

“If you ever need anything, you can call me directly,” Officer Xu said before leaving.

Watching the police car drive away, Chen Xiao stood there for a moment, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness Officer Xu didn’t give him any trouble!

But then he remembered the last thing Xu had said…

A playing card. Red eight?

Red eight…

Wait a minute!

Chen Xiao’s eyes suddenly lit up!

Black seven, red seven, black three… red eight…

Could it be…

If red eight stands for the eight of hearts, then does red seven mean the seven of hearts? And black seven… is that the seven of spades?

He remembered that European man he’d met before, who had called himself “Blackjack.” In playing cards, isn’t that the jack of spades?

If that’s the case, the assassin who caused Officer Xu to lose his job was most likely from the Service Club!

He stood there for a long time, his mind growing more and more chaotic.

His own body had clearly undergone some strange change… but he couldn’t figure out what.

To flip over a car… Had he become Superman?

Could he, like Red Seven, shout and flip a car with one hand?

Was this some sort of special ability?

Just as his thoughts grew more tangled, Chen Xiao’s phone suddenly rang.

He looked at the number—a string of gibberish. He pressed the answer button, and immediately, a dry, familiar old man’s voice came through.

“Chen Xiao, you brat!”

Huh? That old Edward? Well, he could be considered his boss now…

“Uh, what is it?” Chen Xiao held the phone blankly.

“Nothing much, just reminding you—tomorrow is Thursday! Remember what I said, no matter what, whether it’s wind or rain or even if knives are falling from the sky, you have to open for business tomorrow night!” Edward’s voice was gruff and unyielding.

“I got it,” Chen Xiao sighed.

Edward snorted, “As long as you haven’t forgotten!”

But then Chen Xiao suddenly realized something and quickly called out, “Wait, don’t hang up! I have something to ask you!”

“Spit it out!” Edward’s voice was impatient.

“Uh… There’s no cash at all in the shop. If a customer comes for coffee, there’s not even any change in the till. And there’s nothing in the kitchen—I don’t even have money to buy supplies… And if you’re not coming back this month, my salary…” Chen Xiao forced a laugh. “All that’s in the safe are those gold bars and diamonds…”

“Do I have to teach you everything? Are you stupid? Just take a piece and sell it!”

Edward’s answer was as brusque as ever.

“…” Chen Xiao was speechless—just sell off a piece? You really do trust me!

“Anything else? If not, I’m hanging up! I’m busy!”

“Wait…” Chen Xiao considered for a moment. “Uh… After you left yesterday, a girl named Phoenix came to the shop, looking for you… Do you know her?”

His heart pounded as he asked. Not for any other reason, but that girl named Phoenix had stirred something deep inside him. Every young man had his awakening, after all…

The old man seemed silent for a moment, then suddenly exploded.

“Phoenix? I don’t know any damned Phoenix!”

Without waiting for Chen Xiao to reply, he hung up.

What the heck… Chen Xiao was left dumbfounded. He still had more questions!

He didn’t know who else to turn to about what was happening to him. After some thought, perhaps he could ask Yanni (Black Three), who had been the friendliest to him, but she hadn’t left any contact information. So, Edward was his only option—Edward was part of the Service Club, after all, even if he was supposedly retired.

Holding his phone in a daze, Chen Xiao suddenly had a thought. He walked to the artificial hill in the community garden, stood there, clenched his fist, and focused with all his might…

If he could flip a car, could he knock over or even send this artificial hill flying with a punch?

Focus… concentrate…

He took a deep breath…

Smack!

A few seconds later, a muffled cry of pain echoed through the nighttime neighborhood.

“Ow… that hurts… I’m bleeding…”

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