Master’s a Byoukidere and Needs Pampering! - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Breaking Surface in the Dark (Part 2)

Jiang Zhi hesitated when the faint metallic smell of blood reached his nose. After a moment though, he kicked the first aid box underneath the coffee table over to the bleeding runner.

Zhou Xufang’s tissue regenerative abilities were 84 times faster than a regular human being’s. This figure was what the researchers at the laboratory had come up with 7 or 8 years ago. Whether or not that speed had changed over time, Zhou Xufang had no idea.

What she was sure of, however, was that a clot had already formed at the laceration created by the dagger mere moments ago. It shouldn’t take long before the scab could be washed off and her arm would return to its normal state with no visible scars left whatsoever.

She looked down at the first aid kit but did not bend down to use it—there was simply no need to. Right around then, the wail of police sirens could be heard coming from afar. The police were here, and so, the blood-red glow in her eyes gradually died out.

“Be very careful in the days to come.”

After saying that, she opened the door and disappeared from Jiang Zhi’s field of view.

They waited for a few seconds to pass before Ah Wan got up to check the front door. Turning around the corner, the mysterious runner was nowhere to be seen.

‘The hell? Was she a rabbit or something? How’d she run off so quickly!?’

“Boss.” Ah Wan scratched his head in confusion. “Somehow, I feel like that Z person isn’t trying to defile you. If anything, I think she’s tryna’ help us?”

Jiang Zhi stared at him in silence. He was visibly lost in his thoughts and it was doubtful if his brain had actually registered what Ah Wan had just said.

Mulling over their earlier encounter, Ah Wan added, “Also, her voice sounds really familiar.”

That was true. Even if she had deliberately lowered her tone, Jiang Zhi was still able to make out bits of her true voice. Those eyes, the coldness of her body, and the most obvious part, the manner in which she pushed him against the wall…

Jiang Zhi licked his dried lips, a turbulent look slowly emerging in his gaze.

A few minutes later, Qiao Nanchu came up to Jiang Zhi’s unit alongside Inspector Cheng from the Crime Investigation Bureau.

Scanning the interior of the room, Qiao Nanchu turned toward Jiang Zhi. “You hurt anywhere?”

He shook his head as he double-checked his body.

“You know anyone who would do this?”

His mind had already wandered off elsewhere. Absent-mindedly, he answered Qiao Nanchu’s question without giving much thought to it. “Lots of people are looking to screw me over. Can’t think of anyone right off the bat.”

It could’ve been the work of the Jiang family’s many enemies, but at the same time, it could also have been the work of his own family members. Many expressly denounced Jiang Zhi, yet there were even more who despised him but hid it behind a smile. Qiao Nanchu made the call for the sake of Jiang Zhi’s safety.

“You should move into my place for now.”

“The old lady called me and asked me to go back to their place.” Jiang Zhi’s gaze shifted over to the few drops of blood that had already dried up on the floorboard. Slowly, the glowing ember in his eyes grew into a small flickering flame.

“That’ll do. I’m sure whoever’s after you would back off under the watchful eyes of the madame.” The abrupt ringing of Qiao Nanchu’s phone interrupted their conversation. Picking up the call, he retreated to one side of the room and spoke for a few minutes before hanging up. “It’s a call from the CIB. Apparently, Z’s committed a new crime in the suburbs 30 minutes ago.”

This was the fourth case of the month. Just like what had happened before, the runner had left a “Z” marking at the scene of the crime.

Jiang Zhi’s eyelids fluttered. “It’s not her. She was here with me 30 minutes ago.”

The way he spoke sounded as though he was defending her.

Qiao Nanchu sat down on the sofa and looked at Jiang Zhi with a doubtful expression. “How are you so sure that the person you were with was the real deal?”

Jiang Zhi was uneasy after being asked such a question. Fortunately, after searching through his memory, he was able to validate his statement. “She smelled of milk, just like our last encounter,” he replied casually.

Qiao Nanchu grinned silently.

It was already past 9 pm, and the light radiating from Hua Yu Entertainment’s floor-to-ceiling windows had finally died out.

A knock came from the other side of the door.

“Executive Jin.”

“Come in.”

His secretary entered the room.

Jin Song sat comfortably in his leather chair, swirling a glass of red wine. A few top buttons of his shirt were undone, adding to the laid-back atmosphere. “Where’s the man? Is he here yet?”

The secretary shook his head.

Jin Song put his glass down. Stretching his arms, he leaned back into the chair with a subtle smile on his face. Hidden within his smile, however, was a sense of gloominess. “I paid 20 million, and this is what I get?”

“I’ve already contacted the runners,” the secretary explained.

Jin Song wiggled his foot but remained silent.

The secretary stepped forward. “Sir, there’s something fishy about this.”

Jin Song looked up, a signal for his secretary to continue speaking.

“In addition to the runner we hired, we’ve also got a team of men working for us.”

Jin Song thought about it and sneered. “So, you prepared a backup plan for assurance, huh?” He spun a half-circle on his chair before standing up in front of his desk phone, which he then used to dial for someone.

“Executive Jiang. What is the meaning of this? Hiring an additional team of men. Do you not trust my abilities?”

The person on the other end of the line gave him a brief excuse but refrained from speaking too much.

All of a sudden, a knock sounded from his door, and in came another person.

“Executive Jin.”

Jin Song looked over to that man standing in the doorway. He then spoke into the mouthpiece of the phone. “Rest assured, so long as the money is where it’s supposed to be, my mouth remains sealed.”

The person he was speaking to hung up immediately after.

Curling his lips into a mocking smile, he threw the phone onto the table. Looking back at the man from before, he barked out an order. “Linshu. C’mere!”

The fact that Hua Yu’s vice president owned multiple boy toys was no longer a secret in the entertainment industry.

It was almost 11 pm by the time Zhou Xufang returned to Yuquan Bay.

“You hurt?”

The webcam of her computer was directly connected to Shuang Jiang’s side. As soon as Zhou Xufang entered her room, she could already see the bloodstains on her forearm.

Zhou Xufang pulled her black hooded jacket off and threw it straight into the steel trash can. “Doesn’t matter.”

Shuang Jiang already knew about her speedy healing trait. The cap and mask she wore were also placed into the can. Alongside the jacket, she soaked them in dashes of pure alcohol before throwing in a lit matchstick. The resulting flames reflected off her glassy eyes, flickering in the darkness.

With a stone-cold voice, she said to Shuang Jiang, “Tell him that the mission was a failure. While compensation isn’t a problem, tell him that we need an explanation. I play by my rules, and the rule states that no one else should interfere with the missions assigned to me.”

Shuang Jiang instantly understood what she meant. “I will negotiate with him.”

Zhou Xufang closed the lid over the metal trash can, the air in her room now filled with the charred smell of burning clothes. “Shuang Jiang. I need you to help me with something.”

“Go ahead.”

She tossed a marshmallow into her mouth and proceeded to roll up her shirt sleeve. With a damp towel, she wiped off the dried blood that caked parts of her forearm. Her voice sounded just as cold and serious as the look in her eyes. “I need to know just who is trying to harm Jiang Zhi.”