Chapter 46
"Hello, Mr. Lantang."
He nodded at me, not seeming to care why I was there.
When I arrived, I happened to see Mr. Lan Tang reading a book. Without the need for earmuffs, he tucked his hair behind his ears and sat comfortably and leisurely on the chair.
I didn't dare look at him, so I found a corner and sat down to fold a paper crane.
To be honest, my memory is pretty good. Although I can't fold it into the shape I want, I can still remember the basic steps.
People say practice makes perfect, and I think that's true too.
After I folded the fiftieth failed paper crane of the day, I left the "cage" that imprisoned Mr. Lantang.
It wasn't really a cage, because Mr. Lantang could still go shopping happily after I left.
I don't really want to think about what he and Mr. Mori agreed on.
*
Mr. Mori couldn't do anything to him, it must be because of Ran Tang's powerful supernatural powers. More importantly, if Ran Tang died, it would be a losing deal for Mr. Mori.
Even if Lantang voluntarily accepts punishment, it does not mean that Mr. Mori will actually punish him.
Mr. Mori is a shrewd hunter. In his territory, every dead branch and leaf, every bush, every gust of night wind blowing in the face... are all traps he has designed.
It makes you alert, gives you a shock, makes you nervous, and finally makes you so fragile that you break at the slightest touch...
He will use the smallest cost to gain the greatest benefit. This is him, and this is his optimal solution.
Now against Lan Tang, Mori Ougai used the trap he was most familiar with.
Only a fool would choose to shoot a brown bear that is not hungry and has a gentle temperament. A smart person would let it wear a collar voluntarily, and use honey or something else to make the brown bear relax its vigilance towards him or even regard it as an ally.
But of course a smart man also knows that brown bears are hard to tame and will attack their owners if they are not careful, so he will bring his gun and appear in front of the bear with the chain in hand.
My appearance is undoubtedly a "chain" to Lan Tang, reminding him of the collar around his neck, but my existence has one more function than a mere chain - I can suck blood.
Suck blood from Lan Tang's fatal spot, suck blood from Lan Tang's wound.
It secreted mucus that prevented the wounds from healing, and greedily sucked the tears and blood that the huge creature shed when it was exhausted.
I am not really a smart person. I am always being pushed and squeezed, following the flow of people to a destination I don’t even know.
*
It was another day of torture for me and the fifty not-so-paper cranes. I twisted my neck and saw Lan Tang finally pick up another book. I couldn't help but ask, "Why did Mr. Lan Tang stay here?"
Brown bears belong to the forest; that is their home.
He chuckled, put the book down, straightened his smooth and delicate shirt, and looked at me leisurely. "You are finally willing to talk to me, Rong."
The brown bear was sleeping on the ground, carefully grooming its claws like a cat, inadvertently revealing its dangerous fangs.
"Would you like to guess the reason? If you guess right, I can give you the information you want directly. If you guess wrong, there will be no punishment. After all, I am a very generous person. Or rather, I am very generous in front of my children."
…
“Is it because of Chuuya?”
"No, no, no." He raised a finger and shook it.
"Is it because of your partner?"
"No, he must have been killed in the explosion, but I guess that's enough."
"Then, is it because of... me?" I asked him with a trembling voice.
"Congratulations." Lan Tang showed a kind yet scary smile. Under the dim light of the basement, it was like a person who should have been dead suddenly appeared before his eyes, bringing with him the chill of death.
"Remember the question I asked you earlier? I asked you if you've ever been betrayed, but you avoided the subject. Tell me what you understand by betrayal. You also told me that if Dazai Osamu betrayed you, you would wonder if there was something wrong with you."
"I'm curious, Rong, how can people who have never been betrayed just rely on their blind self-confidence and incorrect understanding of others to arbitrarily conclude that 'being betrayed is normal'?
You realize you said that in a 'never gonna be betrayed' tone?" His smile died on the last syllable.
…
My back was soaked with cold sweat, and the dangerous aura emanating from Lan Tang finally made me realize that I was not facing a tamed dog that would wag its tail at humans, but an untamed beast that could kill someone with a single slap.
"I've said before, I'm a very generous person, Rong, especially in front of children." Looking at my fierce look, Lan Tang curled the corners of his lips happily.
...What? It's like saying: Be glad you're still a child.
"You should be well aware of your brother Dazai's reputation and rumors in the Mafia, just as I heard, oh, and Mori Ogai who you used as an example.
You seem to be very sure that he will never stand on your side, but people's hearts are unpredictable. Can you guarantee that you will never believe that Sen Ou Wai will believe you?
Is this what you've been pursuing?
The moment you achieve this goal, you will fall into an abyss of doubt and fear because you understand human nature much better than you think.
…You understand others as easily as you understand yourself.”
He leaned back in his chair.
"I'm looking forward to it. I'm really looking forward to the moment when you get betrayed, Xiao Rong. Ha, ha ha ha ha..."
He laughed wildly, losing his usual elegance and composure, like a madman.
That's when I got the intelligence that should have come out long ago.
[Lantang, whose real name is Rimbaud, is the French transcendent. His partner is the famous assassin king, Verlaine, who is still alive today]
[Nakahara Chuuya, the Japanese military's experimental subject, the container of the Arabato, the direct cause of Rimbaud's breakup with his partner]
...Rantang is not a "gentle" person. Mr. Mori made a wrong judgment. He is a beast with absolute power!
…………
…
"That's all I've got, Mr. Mori."
I sorted out all the information I had recently obtained from Lan Tang and gave it to Mr. Mori.
"This is really incredible." Mr. Mori rubbed his forehead and said, "It seems that we have accidentally offended someone incredible, Alice-chan~"
"It's all Rintaro's fault. He is greedy and wants more."
"What should I do, Alice-chan~ If I don't handle this properly, the entire Port Mafia will be destroyed because of me, right?"
"I'm done for, Rintaro... Oh, stay away from me. Rintaro must have a backup plan, right?"
"I guessed wrong, Alice-chan~ This time I really have no backup plan. I can only pray that Mr. Lantang will show mercy because we used to work together... At this moment, only Alice-chan can comfort my injured heart!"
"Get out of my way, you middle-aged pervert!" Alice dodged Mr. Mori who was rushing towards her.
…
I found a garbage pile in the corner, picked and chose, found a place that was just a little cleaner, squatted down, and hid myself inside.
I observed this tiny corner through the garbage bag. The narrow perspective made me feel like I was peeking into the world unnoticed.
This gave me a secret sense of nervousness and excitement. I wondered: If someone suddenly found a girl hiding here, would he/she be scared? Would he/she leave quickly after being surprised, or would he/she curse at me? It is not ruled out that he/she would kindly let me leave?
If my clothes were a little dirtier, would he/she beat me like a beggar? Or would he/she give me something as alms?
All these speculations made me interested and I looked forward to the first person to arrive.
…
Unfortunately, the first person to show up was Chuuya, and he was fighting against an organization alone.
Really, why choose any other place but the garbage dump that I have been looking for for a long time? The lighting and smell here are what I have carefully selected for a long time!
Is it just my bad luck or is Chuuya destined to be disliked by me and my brother?
Never mind. If Chuuya doesn't notice me, I'll just forgive him for disturbing my experiment.
While waiting and dealing with that organization, I yawned out of boredom.
Although Chuuya was usually quick in fighting and always resolved the fights cleanly, today's fight seemed a little difficult to resolve, mainly because he had difficulty maneuvering in the alley.
If he had used it, this alley would have been gone, right? Great, luckily Chuuya couldn't use it, no, it's all because of this organization, if it weren't for them, I would have had a smooth day today, and of course Chuuya also had a role to play.
…
Well, I've seen this person's sense of morality in this regard before. It's really interesting... It's really interesting. Is this the difference between a container and a real human being?
I gradually found it interesting. What is the difference between abnormal people and normal people? What is abnormal about abnormal people compared to normal people?
Is it his special ability? That is the root of everything, but that is not the "proposition" I am studying. Yes, what I want to study should be Chuuya himself, the way he treats people and things, his attitude towards himself, and all his emotions.
…
After dealing with these people, Chuuya shuddered. This feeling was very similar to when Dazai Osamu was plotting against him, so he looked around suspiciously.
...Oh, look what I found?
Nakahara Chuuya picked the person out of the garbage dump like a chicken. "What are you doing?"
The person slowly turned in Zhongyuan Chuya's hand like a doll, revealing the same dead fish eyes as her brother.
"What are you doing?"
“Just doing research.”
After putting her down, Nakahara Chuuya skillfully raised his hand and tapped her head, "Speak in a way I can understand."
Rong held his head in pain and looked at Nakahara Chuuya pitifully. "At first I just wanted to squat in the garbage dump."
"Why are you squatting in the garbage dump?" After all, Nakahara Chuuya watched her grow up, so naturally he thought of Rong as his little sister.
“…I’m homesick.”
"?" What makes you associate the garbage dump with home? Is it the sheep? Not really?
"Forget it. I never understand you two anyway. Go back and take a shower. You don't like to smell, right?"
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