sense of boundaries

The once quiet street became unusually congested, with onlookers discussing the recent explosion and almost no one caring about the injured nearby.

Uneasy red and blue lights spun and jumped in the night, and the ambulance crawled forward, barely managing to part the crowd before driving into the dark distance.

"Excuse me, sir, this is the treatment area. Please do not interfere with our work." A nurse-like woman asked the man in the long robe to leave.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, but it disappeared in an instant: "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm looking for my brother. He's on duty at the factory tonight, and I'm very worried about him."

Looking for her brother? Shi Mihong's face immediately popped into Qingcheng's mind. While everyone around her was busy, she took a white coat from the car seat, put on a mask, and went over.

The nurse was still urging him to leave: "That won't do. We have regulations that you should leave now. If you need to find someone, go over there to register with the police, or go to Ren'ai Hospital. Patients will be sent there."

"Sir, does anyone in your family work at this factory?" Kiyosumi asked knowingly. The man nodded affirmatively. She continued, "Are you twins? One of the injured looks a lot like you."

"That's right, where is he?" The man's eyes lit up with surprise.

As expected, the world is made of matter, and there is no such thing as supernatural forces. Qingcheng looked around and muttered, "He was just here. The young man suffered a very serious gunshot wound. Sigh, I hope he hasn't recovered yet."

With a clear sigh, the man ran towards the pile of corpses, ignoring everyone's attempts to stop him. He frantically pulled out Hongye's body and reached out a trembling hand to gently touch his brother's lifeless face. They were triplets, after all.

After understanding the situation, Kiyosumi swaggered over to the second person in the second row. The old man was curled up on the stretcher, the moonlight illuminating his trembling lips and pale face. He looked like he was asleep, only the bloodstains on the white sheet showed the pain he had suffered.

The oaths men make to women are nothing more than a few kinds. Qingcheng lowered her voice, as if it were a summons from the underworld: "Master, Sister Gui sends her greetings. You yourself swore that if you betrayed her, you would be torn to pieces. You are still 978 cuts short of a thousand cuts."

Mr. Da suddenly opened his eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing rapidly like a drowning fish. Qingcheng "accidentally" knelt down on the wound on Mr. Da's wrist.

Ah—Da Sheng let out a pig-like scream, dark red bloodstains spread from the gauze, and excess blood beads gathered between his fingers.

Kiyosumi forcefully pulled off his blood-stained ring, but Akira helped him catch his breath: "Sir, relax, relax quickly, you're overbreathing."

An indescribable chill swept over her, and Qingcheng immediately moved her knees away. Looking back, she saw that the man had walked over at some point. He didn't see Qingcheng, and his gaze met that of the Master. Upon seeing his face, the Master couldn't help but twitch.

Focusing her mind and ignoring the man, Qingcheng shouted, "Get me a sedative! The patient is breathing too fast and can't control himself."

She retreated into the shadows after she finished speaking. A bunch of newspaper reporters had already arrived at the factory gate, and the police were overwhelmed. The scene was chaotic with people and vehicles crisscrossing the area, and the management was in disarray under the flashing lights.

Taking advantage of the moment, Qingcheng slipped the old man's ring and three silver dollars into Grey Dove's hand. Three silver dollars were enough to bribe the policeman to release the man; hopefully, he wasn't too stupid.

The doctor brought over some medicine and injected it into the man. Under the influence of the medicine, his breathing gradually calmed down, and the man then spoke up: "Doctor, this man is my godfather. If you don't have enough cars, can I take him directly to the hospital?"

"Okay, okay." The attending physician waved his hand impatiently, as another nurse called to him from the other side.

Half asleep, the master cried out in a pitiful voice, "Gui'er, don't kill me! I dare not do it again, I will never dare to do it again."

Qingcheng watched them from afar. The man suddenly lifted the white cloth and saw that the master's limbs were properly bandaged. He curled up a cold smile and made a few sarcastic remarks. Judging from his lip movements, he should have said, "If I had known this would happen, why did I do it in the first place?"

"Let go!" With a furious shout, the gray pigeon rushed over to protect the young master, and the expected gunfight and brawl did not occur.

The two seemed to know each other. The man showed no surprise at Grey Pigeon's arrival. Instead, he hooked his index finger around her collar and tilted it slightly. This was a code word used by the Green Gang, meaning to talk elsewhere. Grey Pigeon actually went with the man.

Surrounded by the chaotic crowd, the air was stuffy and thin. Qingcheng couldn't stand it any longer. Her mind was filled with all sorts of possibilities and scenarios. How could an outsider like her interfere in other people's family affairs?

If Grey Pigeon's brain wasn't only the size of a pigeon dropping, then it means he was confident he could persuade the man to turn against him, so that the two could unite against a common enemy and help Mr. Da fight against Sister Gui.

After all, there were quite a few people in the Green Gang who ridiculed Sister Gui for being a hen crowing at dawn. The social environment influences the thinking of ordinary people, and the standards for evaluating men and women have always been different. The heinous crime of attempting to murder one's husband was enough to cause them a huge uproar.

Qingcheng originally had no intention of interfering in other people's family affairs, but suddenly remembered that she had just reached a cooperation agreement with Sister Gui, who was willing to assist in the construction of a secret transport line from Shanghai to Jiangxi. If she was forced to step down, the cooperation would fall through.

Moreover, allowing the young man recommended by Zero to take the stage would be an immeasurable disaster for the organization. She absolutely could not allow the worst to happen.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the empty corridor. He ran up to the rooftop in one breath. Qingcheng hoped that the boys had not yet finished their run. The warm evening breeze brushed his hair. The rooftop was empty and there was no one in sight.

Alas, she was too late; they had already called back. Qingcheng suppressed her disappointment. The sweltering air offered no escape. She tried to think of how to deal with Mr. Da, but the oppressive heat amplified her physical exhaustion. Qingcheng's mind was a jumbled mess, like a dark, starless night sky.

If all else fails, we'll have to go back and reorganize the operation, intercepting and killing Mr. Da on the way. Killing him later will be much harder. No, no, even if Mr. Da dies tonight, it will cause problems. Sister Gui might very well frame the organization for his death.

At that point, all the bigwigs in Shanghai will think that our Soviet area is two-faced, secretly selling opium. Zero and the secret agents will definitely be happy to damage the organization's reputation. So, Sister Gui can't win this round, but Qingcheng won't let her lose too badly either.

Since there were no sniper rifles available at the moment, Qingcheng planned to go back and get a 1911 for self-defense. He would then personally assassinate Mr. Da at the hospital, without taking his life. Making him mute would be a happy ending. After he had made arrangements with everyone and minimized the negative impact on the organization, it wouldn't be too late to send him to his death.

At this moment, Qingcheng noticed some leftover bullet casings in the corner of the rooftop. As she bent down to pick them up, she cursed inwardly, "That brat doesn't even know how to pick up bullet casings. I'll have to make Hui-ge train him properly when we get back. He's so unprofessional."

She had just stuffed the spent cartridge into her pocket when a leather shoe suddenly appeared in front of her. Qingcheng was stunned and before she could react, clatter—the Mosin-Nagant that was supposed to be taken away was now standing on the concrete floor.

"Is this what you're looking for?" the owner of the leather shoes suddenly asked, each word almost uttered through gritted teeth.

Under that intense and burning gaze, Qingcheng, emboldened by some unknown source, smiled, revealing her shallow dimples: "Haha, what a coincidence. Ah Xiao, you're on a mission, so I won't disturb you any longer. Bye-bye."

Just as Qingcheng was about to slip away, this action seemed to enrage Gao Junxiao. He grabbed Qingcheng's shoulder, his knuckles turning pale from the force: "Screw you, who's on the mission? Explain yourself."

"Be gentle, you're hurting me." Qingcheng complained and turned the tables. "You were holding a gun, of course you were on a mission, anyone with eyes could see that. I was just passing by, I heard the explosion and wanted to find a high place to watch the excitement, but watching the excitement is illegal."

"Heh, just passing by." Gao Junxiao chuckled, releasing his grip and glaring at Qingcheng with a sharp look, as if he wanted to devour her alive. "Your mouth is still so stubborn. Looks like you don't want her anymore."

"What do you mean 'my people'? My people are right here in front of me." Kiyosumi blinked twice, a playful smile playing on her lips. She figured he wouldn't dare do anything to the boy.

Gao Junxiao raised an eyebrow and slowly approached, their shadows stretching and intersecting, but Qingcheng did not retreat an inch, nor did she even furrow her brow.

He said with a hint of teasing, "Oh ho, now you're putting on a tough act like a telephone pole, but you're quite flexible when you're crawling through a dog hole."

"Which eye of yours saw me crawling through the dog hole?" Kiyosumi clenched her fist, her eyes flashing with a warning. Her mind was in turmoil. The stalker, the pervert who made her crawl through the dog hole—it was him!

“I didn’t see it with either of my eyes!” Gao Junxiao replied confidently, his hot breath spraying onto Qingcheng’s nose. “But whether you crawled through or not, you know in your heart. It’s not easy for your big hips to crawl through. If a dog knew beforehand, it would have to dig three times to avoid hurting your noble golden buttocks.”

They actually mocked her for being fat. Qingcheng grabbed Gao Junxiao's collar and said, "Should I thank you for fattening me up?"

"Of course! You were just bumped into and fell on your butt, so it's just a little sore. If you were as skinny as a stick, your bones would have broken long ago." Gao Junxiao provoked fearlessly. "What kind of fetish is this! You're not going to be a proper rich young lady, but instead acting like a dog. Have I been feeding you too much? Can't you just behave yourself and get married?"

"Be a little more coquettish and obedient, and a man will cherish you for longer."

"Let men handle the important matters. If you dare to be better than him, he'll give you the cold shoulder on the spot."

Mrs. Li and Mrs. Zhao's words suddenly popped into my head, playing on repeat like a cassette tape.

The smile vanished from Qingcheng's face. "Be good, how do I have to be good?"

Like other women, they were considered raw materials in capitalist society. During this period, women could not speak or resist. They were obediently sold from their father's house to their husband's house, and then the transfer of ownership was completed, and they were used.

They make the best use of women, categorize them according to men's needs, and consciously uphold that distorted set of social rules, taking pride in their wives and feeling ashamed of their concubines, without realizing that it is all exploitation.

She obediently squeezes out every last drop of her value to ensure her husband's family's prosperity, yet she can't even leave behind a proper name. And she calls it that a woman's greatest happiness is marrying into a good family; her happiness is facilitating the happiness of others. This world is truly surreal!

Whether his offense was intentional or unintentional, the blood in Qingcheng's chest was churning. She was not convinced by the absurd rules of this corrupt world!

“No! I never do anything meaningless,” Kiyosumi said firmly, her tone tinged with anger.

"Then what's the point of what you're doing now?" A trace of melancholy flashed across Gao Junxiao's eyes. He seemed to be asking Qingcheng, but also himself. Then he sighed, "I've never seen anyone as stubborn as you."

"Now you see. There are guns that more than you can use." Kiyosumi expressionlessly snatched the Mosin-Nagant, effortlessly lifting the heavy weapon weighing dozens of kilograms.

Gao Junxiao was startled and suddenly pressed down on the muzzle of his gun. He said in a muffled voice, "Don't shoot. There are police officers downstairs. I know you know how to use it, but I'm afraid you'll be treated as a suspect. How about I do it and you go first?"

After a moment of silence, Qingcheng asked, "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm holding a gun?"

Perhaps the summer night's heat couldn't dispel the inner turmoil. Lowering his head, Gao Junxiao gave a bitter smile: "You won't tell the truth even if I ask, it's a waste of time. Just tell me who you want to kill."

"You're wrong. I shattered the entire old world, not just any one person," Qingcheng replied calmly. She skillfully cocked her gun and, through the scope, saw that Mr. Da was still lying on the ground, and the other two hadn't returned.

Having already finalized the assassination plan in his mind, Kiyosumi estimated that the rooftop was about thirty meters away from the treatment area. Since there was a sniper rifle, Plan A was safer and less likely to harm innocent people.

Recovering from the shock of being struck by lightning, Gao Junxiao opened his mouth to try and persuade her, but Qingcheng impatiently brushed his hand away, immediately squinted, tilted her head, and pulled the trigger in one smooth motion. The bullet burst from the barrel, hit the target, and she quickly ejected the bullet, chambered a new one, adjusted her position, and pulled the trigger again.

Both shots seemed to have missed. Downstairs, it was still as lively as a market. Qingcheng turned to look at Gao Junxiao, who was staring at her intently. A thousand words were conveyed in the moment their eyes met.

On the rooftop, only their clear and synchronized heartbeats remained, thump, thump... It was a communication that transcended words; they had long understood each other, only lacking a veil of understanding.

Gao Junxiao breathed a sigh of relief: "I'll look at the scenery for another five minutes, and call me when you've calmed down."

"Who gave you permission to look at the scenery? Come here." As Qingcheng finished speaking, she unbuttoned the Chinese knot on her chest.

"What? I'm warning you, seduction won't work! You still have to confess." Gao Junxiao said righteously and sternly.

"What are you thinking? You're so pathetic." Qingcheng pulled out two "little melons" from her chest, pried open his palm, and shoved them into his hand.

"Oh my! You hid it really well." Gao Junxiao, with a straight face, picked up a "little melon," smelled it, and couldn't help but slightly curl up the corners of his mouth.

Unable to bear watching, Kiyosumi shook her head helplessly: "Now I'll give you two choices. First, go downstairs and report me to the police. Second, go and blow up the trash cans near the ambulance at the Shikoku Flour Mill."

Gao Junxiao's expression changed: "Hmph, quite the boast. Why should I listen to you?"

"If you don't want to go, then forget it. I'll go by myself." Qingcheng said, about to take "Little Sweet Melon" away.

Gao Junxiao quickly stuffed the "little melons" into his pocket: "No, I'll go. I'm getting a wife who comes with her own arsenal. I've hit the jackpot."

"Eat shit, it's all premarital property." Kiyosumi rolled her eyes and changed the subject. "You haven't been an officer for so long that you've forgotten how to throw, have you?"

"How could that be? When I was practicing throwing, you hadn't even started writing your novel yet. You just wait!" Gao Junxiao squinted and replied angrily.

"Okay, I'll wait. The large one has an effective range of 11 meters, and the small one has an effective range of 8 meters. Throw the large one first, then the small one. Remember to tap the small one before throwing it," Qingcheng kindly reminded him.

"What, do I have to kneel and kowtow to it before I throw it? Why doesn't it reincarnate as the God of Wealth?" Gao Junxiao's dissatisfaction was overflowing.

"You ignorant bumpkin, no, he's just being argumentative," Kiyosumi mocked. "It's that after you pull out the safety pin, you tap the bullet and it explodes in 6 seconds. Didn't you study in Japan? You don't even know this? Did you buy your degree?"

Gao Junxiao was speechless.

"Of course, if you're stubborn enough to kowtow, I won't object." Qingcheng looked at Gao Junxiao's increasingly dark face and added, "At most, I'll help you collect your body. Your brains are definitely gone. At worst, you'll be an empty head and be a fool in your next life."

"Hmph, I'll deal with you when I get back." With a cold snort, Gao Junxiao turned and went downstairs. Hahahaha, Qingcheng loved seeing him pretend to be calm when he was clearly furious.

The streets were bustling with activity, and nearby residents came downstairs to watch. Some residents even talked animatedly when interviewed by reporters. The police officer couldn't get rid of the swarm of reporters, so he simply joined the interview team and chatted away.

boom--

In an instant, a huge white light enveloped everyone, and Kiyosumi raised her gun again, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

As people panicked and ran in all directions, covering their eyes, no one saw a huge lightbox swaying precariously in the wind, with only one of its two fixing screws remaining. Bang! Another deafening crash followed, and the glass along the street shattered simultaneously, shards falling like hailstones.

The explosion's powerful blast of air whipped Qingcheng's hair into a gust of wind, and the shattered lightbox plummeted to the ground amidst gasps of alarm. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger. The bullet fired, and with a clang, the light tube struck the bullet, changing its trajectory. Like a sharp sword, the tube pierced through Mr. Da's lung in an instant.

With a thud, the lightbox landed on the deserted street corner. As the dust settled, the bewildered crowd snapped out of their shock and screamed, "Ah! Someone's dead!"

Beep, beep...

A sharp police whistle rang out, and the ferocity in Qingcheng's eyes gradually dissipated. She circled the rooftop, where the organ case she had brought earlier was still there.

In less than two minutes, the Mosin-Nagant, which was about the same height as her, was dismembered into a pile of parts. Kiyosumi shook her hand, which had been burned by the gun barrel.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind her. Qingcheng turned around and saw Gao Junxiao at the top of the stairs, panting and saying, "You're awesome. I'm climbing stairs like an old lady now. You can't argue with that."

"You ran back, didn't you dazzle your eyes?" Kiyosumi packed all the parts into the violin case with a smooth and fluid motion.

"Don't worry, there's plenty of room to see your beauty." Gao Junxiao's tone revealed deep helplessness. "What exactly do you do for a living?"

After fastening the suitcase, Qingcheng asked with interest, "What do you want me to do?"

Under the moonlight, Gao Junxiao turned his pale face away without answering. Qingcheng stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Do you think it's possible that I'm one of our own?"

One sentence brought Gao Junxiao back to reality. He glanced warily at Qingcheng and said in a low voice, "Just because we do bad things together doesn't mean we're on the same side."

"What about doing bad things together in Xuzhou?" Qingcheng asked with a smile. "Some people seem to have made a fortune in Xuzhou, blessed by God, but they dare not touch it because of a few rumors. Isn't that a bit stupid?"

“You…” Gao Junxiao pointed at Qingcheng, his face darkening.

"Come with me if you want to know." Qingcheng grabbed the man, and Gao Junxiao gave in after a couple of seconds of hesitation. He must have a lot of questions he wanted to ask her, so she might as well give him another try.