7:20pm.

From upstairs came the sound of splashing water, and raindrops tapped on the glass that was gradually aging with the passage of time.

Sakaki Makoto sat upright on the sofa with a cup of steaming coffee in front of him. He felt very uncomfortable because of the wet feeling all over his body.

The room was very damp. If you moved a little, you could hear the groaning of the wooden boards. Not only was the air filled with the smell of decay and mildew, but occasionally you could see a black rat as long as a finger running under the cupboard.

There was clearly a mouse in the house, but the pure black old cat lying on Sakaki Makoto's legs was so lazy that it didn't even lift its eyelids, and didn't care at all whether the other party was stealing oil or grinding its teeth.

It is said that pets follow their owners, Makoto Sakaki believes...

The old cat's behavior is closely related to the old woman next to him who is sewing clothes with a blanket on her legs and wearing reading glasses.

[The Meteorological Observatory has just issued an orange rainstorm warning. The rainfall has reached more than 50 mm, accompanied by a force 6 gale, which is expected to last for more than 3 hours...]

The black and white TV made a rustling sound and occasionally lost response, which made the listeners feel annoyed.

But the old woman didn't care, she was used to it.

A gust of wind blew, and the doors and windows shook violently. Sakaki Makoto once wondered how old this apartment was.

Sakaki Makoto was just about to warm himself up after picking up the coffee when he heard a loud noise from upstairs. It seemed like something had hit the floor, and the scattered dust fell accurately into the coffee cup, leaving a layer of black-grey oily film on top.

Struggling for a while...

Sakaki Makoto put down the coffee anyway.

He didn't want to taste the soil, maybe there was rat shit in it.

Not long after...

After taking a shower, Vermouth limped into the living room.

She was wearing a black T-shirt and holding a white towel. She kept wiping her long silver hair. Her red and swollen right toes did not dare to touch the ground. Her movements were quite funny, but her expression was still cold.

Arriving at the living room, she went straight to the refrigerator, took out a plate of ham sandwiches from the fresh-keeping layer. The sandwiches had been there for who knows how long and even the lettuce had wilted, then returned to the sofa and sat down.

Ignoring Makoto Sakaki's surprised look, she took bites of the sandwich and glanced at the fluorescent TV.

The atmosphere in the living room was very strange.

The old woman suddenly put down the half-mended clothes, stood up, opened the cabinet, slapped the rat away, and put a white medical box on the table.

"Um."

Vermouth agreed gently, and only opened the medical kit after she finished her sandwich. She took out a bottle of trauma spray and sprayed it on her toes.

"call..."

The feeling of fullness and the disappearance of pain made her breathe a long sigh of relief with a happy expression.

At this time, she noticed that Sakaki Makoto had been staring at her, so she asked:

"What's wrong?"

"fine..."

Sakaki Makoto shook his head:

"What did you bring me here for?"

"Waiting for someone."

Vermouth took out a makeup box from her bag and began to apply lipstick in front of a small mirror.

“How long will it take?”

Without asking who he was waiting for, Sakaki Makoto didn't care who the person was.

He needs...

It's time.

It is 7:30 now, and the plane takes off at 5:00 tomorrow morning. Apart from the time it takes to get there...

Makoto Sakaki has to complete the assassination before midnight, heading to New York.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to travel with Kidd and the others.

"About half an hour."

Vermouth said without even raising her head:

"Don't worry, they will bring more information."

"Since I agree to work with you, I will clear the obstacles for you and ensure that you return to Japan safely."

"but..."

She glanced at Sakaki Makoto:

"I have helped you so much without any grudges. You should also understand my difficulties."

"Once things become impossible, we must retreat immediately. Do you agree?"

"agree."

Sakaki Makoto nodded:

"I certainly won't put myself in a hopeless situation just for a prey."

"That's good."

Looking at herself in the mirror, Vermouth put the mirror down with satisfaction, stood up and walked towards the stairs:

"Let me change my clothes, if you want to take a shower..."

"There's hot water up there."

"Need not."

Sakaki Cheng declined:

"Where's my suitcase?"

"In my other apartment. I didn't bring it with me."

“........”

The evening news was playing on TV. The host was reporting live at the beach against the strong wind. The howling wind was raging outside the apartment, and the house was not quiet. However, the old woman and the cat on her lap were calm and busy with their own things.

"Can I smoke?"

Sakaki Makoto suddenly asked.

The old woman paused, looked at him, bent down to take out an ashtray from under the table, and then continued to mend her clothes.

"Thank you very much."

Snap!

The flames rose quietly, the cat stretched, jumped lightly off the sofa, and crawled into the old woman's arms.

It doesn't like the smell of smoke.

The tobacco was burning, and Makoto Sakaki leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and thought about how to deal with Lecter.

Psychologist Lecter is obviously a tough enemy.

Just from the other person's eyes, Sakaki Makoto discovered the difference between him and ordinary people.

If he can be likened to an assassin walking in the dark, then Lecter is a carnivorous plant that waits for its prey to come to it...

One is still, the other is moving.

To deal with this kind of people...

It is inappropriate to use force to attack.

It is necessary to use roundabout tactics to create a situation where the opponent is left alone.

8 o'clock in the evening sharp.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It’s even more exciting later!