Chapter 37: Superpowers and Non-Superpowers

"She knows us very well, but we know nothing about her." This is what Dazai Osamu said to the people in the detective agency later. He called everyone back and briefly introduced the situation to everyone.

Ranpo finally ate the Japanese confectionery that others brought back for him. While swallowing the sweet food, he said, "She came here at this time. Doesn't she know that Yokohama will be in chaos soon?"

Dazai Osamu answered him: "Actually, we still have some time to relax. Although the bounty for the human tiger has been widely spread, there are still only a few people who can actually do it."

"But each one of them is difficult to deal with, isn't it?" asked Junichiro Tanizaki. Kunikida's face was serious.

"Don't worry," Ranpo chewed, "some were stopped abroad, like the group," he swallowed and picked up another one, "and were stopped by the king."

"King?" Kenji Miyazawa was quick-eyed and quick-handed, and quickly grabbed one. He asked in a daze.

Ranpo and Dazai Osamu looked at each other. Finally, Dazai Osamu explained: "The King of Gold."

"We all know that there are no transcendents in Japan. This is the main reason why Japan was defeated so miserably in the supernatural battlefield. That king was a person who opposed war. The rapid surrender of Chang'an Island in the middle and late stages was also due to his decision." Dazai Osamu said vaguely: "You don't need to know what 'gold' is, it is determined by a precious thing. You only need to know that the power in Japan now is in his hands."

The others looked at each other. Ranpo laughed and said, "There are actually seven more kings like this."

"Of course, they are not always in the same position." Dazai Osamu did not elaborate, he changed the subject: "They have nothing to do with our current situation. What we should think about now is how she will deal with our Armed Detective Agency."

"What is her origin?" Dr. Yosano couldn't help asking, "Isn't this really a play put on by the Port Mafia and her? Just to confuse us?"

"No," Ranpo paused, opened his eyes slightly, and said seriously, "It is possible to do this."

"The Port Mafia sounds scary," he said, "but after all, it's just the Yokohama Mafia. Its main threats are its superpowers and heavy firepower. Once they encounter a hard-to-deal-with superpower user, and the other party knows their intelligence very well, then it won't be difficult to disperse the attacks, see a glimmer of opportunity, and go straight into the headquarters."

"That's what I said," Dazai said with a smile, "If you don't have the strength, it's better not to do this. Besides, this can only control it for a while. There are many factors she needs to consider, such as enemies from the outside world. This is why she completely controls the time in one night, such as internal enemies, especially most of them, and... Nakahara Chuuya." He spit out a name.

Edogawa Ranpo suddenly said calmly: "She deliberately chose this time to act, it is impossible that she did not consider him. Nakahara Chuuya is the most powerful force of the Port Mafia."

Dazai crossed his arms: "Maybe she plans to finish her business before he gets the news?"

"So what is her purpose? Will she attack our detective agency next?" Kunikida was cautious. He pushed his glasses and wrote it down in his notebook: "Also, you have said so much, but you haven't told me what you have found out. What force does she belong to?"

Dazai Osamu and Edogawa Ranpo looked at each other. "We had some guesses about her purpose, but we didn't expect that she would choose the most difficult and troublesome path," Edogawa Ranpo said calmly, "As for her origins..."

"This lady isn't from any big organization," Dazai Osamu said frivolously, "To be honest, she's probably from the Explorers' Association."

"Ah?!" Several people exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes," Dazai Osamu introduced him to everyone very enthusiastically, and took out a large stack of beautiful photos and magazine reports. He smiled and said, "He is the most senior member of the Nordic Exploration Association and a shareholder of the British Adventure Club. He has climbed the top ten peaks in the world three times. He also opened up a rainforest basin that humans have never reached. He is an honorary member of a country's history research department. He also donated 50 million US dollars to charity..."

“Ah~” His face flushed, his whole body swayed, his hands fluttered like seaweed, and he said intoxicatedly: “It’s simply the couple in my dream who committed suicide for love…”

Kunikida punched him on the head, stopping his unrealistic fantasy. He coughed and said, "Apart from these, what else?"

Dazai stood up with tears in his eyes, and put on his appearance. Suddenly, a trace of sarcasm appeared on his face: "If we go any further, there will be nothing to say. It's just some stupid people doing some stupid things..."

The camera turned and in the building of the Port Mafia, Mori Ogai was still tied to the ground, but a guard had been replaced beside him. After Kojima Nanako left, a familiar face came in that both he and Alice had seen before.

He stared at him intently and kept staring at him. Several minutes passed and Nishio Zhuang kept avoiding making eye contact with him. His hands were shaking slightly. He hadn't said a word since he came in.

It was Mori Ogai who spoke first. He said in a deep voice, "Nishio, I remember that it was me who promoted you to that position, right?"

Nishio Zhuang was silent for a moment, but still said: "Intelligence work is the top priority, so you should naturally promote people you trust."

Mori Ogai's eyes were heavy, as if deep black mud was surging up. He smiled creepily: "Yes, I trusted you, but you gave me this in return."

Nishio makeup avoids the face. "Can you tell me why?" Mori Ogai's smile deepened, and the expression on his face made people tremble with fear. "This way, I can learn a lesson, so that I won't be tied up here and become a prisoner like a dog next time... Or do you think I won't have a chance next time?"

Nishio's eyes flickered, and he finally said, "This has nothing to do with you. You are indeed a leader who cares a lot about the organization. Although some of your practices are criticized, overall it is you who has stabilized the Port Mafia."

"Then why did you betray me!" Mori Ogai suddenly roared and rushed over: "Look at what you have done, and what has become of everyone now..."

Xiwei Zhuang couldn't help but yell back, "What else could it be? Why do you think an ordinary person like me could sit in that position and see so much information?"

He panted and opened his mouth. He roared, "Yes, you are a superpower. The five major cadres in the organization are also superpowers. The cadres in the Central Plains are the best among them. There are so many gangs overseas. The most important positions are occupied by various superpowers. They kill people unscrupulously and obtain resources and wealth that ordinary people can't even think of. And I have paid so much effort and suffered so many injuries. There are still a few bullets in my body. There is even one that was left by a superpower next to my heart. But this position is the pinnacle I can reach!"

"This is as far as I can go!" He paced back and forth anxiously, his face flushed. "I can't become a cadre, and I can't take revenge. No matter what contributions I make in the future, I can only die in this position, Chief Sen," he approached, with a deeply suppressed anger in his eyes: "Not for a moment, not for a few years, but for a lifetime! Die in this position! Am I not good enough? Am I not working hard enough?"

"Chief Sen," he calmed down, his tone gradually softened and turned cold: "You promoted me, not saved my life. Perhaps your only mistake was that you shouldn't have let me know too much. Sometimes, you can live happily without knowing anything, but once you open your eyes and see the world, you want more, and you know what others have that you don't. When you know that your life will be like this, the fire in your heart will burn."

Mori Ogai was silent for a long time, and finally he said: "Then can she give you? A higher position, or..." He lowered his voice, and the remaining three words were like a whisper: "Supernatural power."

Nishio Zhuang looked dazed, as if he had returned to a certain point in the past. After he had completed an ordinary task, someone passed by and slipped him a note.

He went somewhere, and there he got something he had always dreamed of.

The cold blade was pressed against his neck, and the woman behind him who was restraining his movements was incredibly strong. He smelled the unique scent of a psychic, and he could only raise his upper body with difficulty and look at the other figure who had not moved.

"Is this what you said? Do you know about that guy?" He was not afraid at all and sneered, "I don't know of any intelligence transaction that starts with directly restraining the other party. If you do this, no one will sell you intelligence."

There was also a woman in front of him. Due to limited vision, he could not see her face. He could only see her gorgeous long dress and her slender jade-like hands. She was holding a cat in her hands. The cat's fur was as white as a ball of snow, and its amber eyes looked at him.

"Do you want revenge?" the woman asked.

"Of course," he said without hesitation, "Anyone who has an ice pick pierced within millimeters of the heart will want revenge. This is a life-and-death feud, and it is impossible not to take revenge."

"But he is a superpower," the woman said thoughtfully, "and you are just a civilian with only a little bit of martial arts skills."

Xiweizhuang was angry: "I know this, you don't need to emphasize it!"

The woman chuckled and said, "It seems that you really want super powers."

"If I had super powers, how could I let that bastard from the super powers world bully me like this!" Xiwei Zhuang shouted, "And you guys, how could you catch me so easily!"

The woman stroked the cat, and the cat meowed coquettishly. The woman sighed and said, "It's a pity that supernatural powers are innate. They are determined in the amniotic fluid. What you should have will always be there, and what you shouldn't have, no matter how hard you try, you won't have it."

Xiwei Zhuang became angry, and he gritted his teeth and said, "You said so much just to tease me?"

"How could this be?" The woman came over and stretched out her hand, but her beautiful palm shackled him so hard that it hurt. She lifted his chin and he raised his head. This posture made him extremely uncomfortable, but he still saw the woman's face.

Her appearance shocked him. Her golden hair was dazzling, her face was as delicate and flawless as a lily, and her blue eyes were intelligent and insightful, as if she could see through his heart at a glance. She smiled, and a strong aura rushed towards her. She opened her lips and said, "Then tell me, is there a possibility that there is a supernatural power that can grant supernatural powers to others?"

Xiwei Zhuang's eyes widened, and his whole body began to tremble: "How is this possible..."

"How is this possible?" Mori Ogai couldn't believe it.

"Why not?" The woman's words were no longer graceful. She was like a devil, persuading him: "There is no fixed number of supernatural powers. Except in certain circumstances, no one has two identical supernatural powers. What makes you say that there is no supernatural power that can grant abilities to others?"

Xiwei Zhuang insisted: "Don't even think about saying such unfounded words..."

"This guy is really stupid," a thin voice suddenly rang out, "He's already been caught, so he should just accept the dried fish he's been fed. Why is he acting like he's dying? He must have seen too little."

Xiwei Zhuang lowered his head in shock and saw a pair of amber eyes. The cat was looking at him with disdain. "Meow!" It screamed as if it was frightened: "Why are you looking at me like this suddenly? Your eyes are scary. Kind people, please protect the little cat!"

It meowed and tried to get into the woman's arms. "What is it saying?" The woman was a little curious: "You should understand it now, right?"

Nishio Zhuang looked at her in horror, he felt like he was dreaming. "No," he cried, "you are deceiving me, one of you is using ventriloquism, or some other magic trick..."

The person behind him had let him go at some point. He looked at the two swindlers and ran out in panic. "Such a childish trick," he muttered to himself frantically, "giving people supernatural powers... Such a clumsy lie..."