"Welcome!"
The automatic door of the convenience store opened, and the arriving customer triggered the gentle tinkle of the wind chimes above. The young female clerk, busy arranging oden behind the counter, quickly straightened up, bowed slightly, and mustered her spirits to greet the newcomer.
The young female clerk—well, "young" might have been an understatement. She perhaps looked naturally younger than her age, giving her an almost Lolita-like appearance.
She was petite, probably not even 1.6 meters tall. She wore a light blue convenience store uniform and a cap, her straight, medium-length hair neat.
Her features were delicate, with big eyes, giving off the complete vibe of a Japanese beauty.
Like many Japanese girls, she had round ears that stuck out a little. However, given her adorable features, these ears didn't detract from her appearance at all; instead, they added an extra touch of cuteness.
"Xun-chan!" The customer was a middle-aged man with a somewhat weathered and slightly fierce appearance.
Wearing a jacket with his hands in his pockets, he walked to the counter, casually grabbed a pack of gum from the shelf, and tossed it down. His eyes, however, were fixed on the young clerk's. "Still working this late? Haven't finished your shift yet?"
"That's right." The girl picked up the gum, scanned it quickly, then smiled. "100 yen. Thank you for your patronage!"
The middle-aged customer paid, then glanced around the small convenience store. After a brief survey, as if it were nothing, he asked casually, "Has your mother contacted you recently?"
The girl's face stiffened slightly. She slowly shook her head. "No, Officer Longben."
Officer Longben sighed. His usually stern features softened somewhat as he looked at her. "It's a pity. After she left, how much longer can you manage without any source of income?"
"It's okay." The girl forced a confident smile. "I don't spend much living alone. And... the manager gave me an extra shift, so I can earn a bit more."
"You should still focus on your studies!" Longben shook his head, his tone almost complaining. "In this day and age, sigh! Young people should be in school; that's where they belong!"
"I'll do my best. I definitely will!" The girl bowed deeply.
"Hmm, well, work hard then. If you run into any trouble, give me a call." Officer Longben turned to leave, then, as if suddenly remembering something, added casually, "And if you hear anything about your mother, make sure to tell us! Understand? This isn't to harm her, but to protect her!"
"Yes, I understand. Thank you for your concern," the girl bowed again.
Outside the convenience store, Officer Longben walked to a car parked by the roadside, opened the door, and sat in the driver's seat.
His colleague in the driver's seat stretched lazily. "How did it go?"
"How else could it go? No news." Officer Longben shook his head, tore open the gum wrapper with his teeth, popped a piece into his mouth, and said while chewing, "This kid doesn't know anything."
"That's why I think you coming here every day to ask is a waste of time," his colleague complained. "It's a long detour. With this time, we could have gone for a bowl of ramen for dinner."
"Alright, stop complaining. After work tonight, I'll treat you to an izakaya."
"Really? When did you become so generous, Longben-senpai?" The colleague laughed heartily, then glanced at the convenience store's illuminated sign. He pondered for a moment. "Do you think... this girl actually knows where her mother is but is hiding it from us?"
"Definitely not." Longben shook his head. "I've watched this child grow up; she's not one to lie. She's a very innocent, good kid. And I've been observing her secretly lately; her life is very hard. I've even checked the garbage she's thrown out—household and kitchen waste. It all indicates she's been living alone recently, with no sign of anyone hiding in her house."
Longben glanced at the convenience store door again, then shook his head, looked away, and sighed. It truly is a tragedy... Such a good person, why join that damned 'Truth Society'? Are people who believe in that kind of thing all fools? Being foolish yourself is one thing, but to drag such a good child into so much suffering...
His colleague chuckled. "Longben-senpai, you take such good care of her. Could it be because Soichiro goes to the same school, and you hope she'll date him?"
"Forget it. I'm not that lucky! My son is just a little rascal; it's better not to ruin such a good girl."
Longben gave a wry smile. "Let's go, let's go. We need to get back; there are reports to write."
After the car slowly drove away, the girl behind the convenience store's glass window seemed to glance outside briefly, then lowered her eyes and continued arranging the oden.
A few minutes later, the door to the convenience store's back room and warehouse opened.
The manager came out, smiling. "Sorry, Xun-chan, I overslept and delayed you from getting off work."
The girl's face was full of a naive, sweet smile. She bowed, also smiling. "It's no problem, Manager. Thank you for giving me the chance to work overtime."
"Alright, you should head home. Don't you have supplementary classes at school tonight?"
"Yes." The girl stepped out from behind the counter. "I've already tidied up the oden, cleaned the trash cans, and restocked the shelves! You'll have a busy night!"
"Yes, you worked hard too. Go on now."
With a sweet smile, the girl bowed again and then walked into the back area.
Moments later, when she emerged, she had changed out of her work uniform and was now wearing a high school girl's uniform—a complete JK style.
Of course, in that era, the term "JK style" didn't exist yet.
A sailor uniform, black pleated skirt, black over-the-knee socks, long, straight black hair, and a charmingly sweet smile.
The girl also had a single-strap school bag on her shoulder. Before leaving, she bowed to the manager once more and then left the convenience store.
On the narrow road, the girl wheeled out a bicycle. After mounting it, she rode down the street. About ten minutes later, she arrived at a row of old buildings.
After parking her bike, the girl hurried with her bag into a martial arts hall named "Jiangchuan Dojo."
The dojo's facade wasn't large. Inside, though neatly arranged, the slightly old and mottled walls displayed several large photographs. These mostly showcased past achievements of the dojo's athletes: award certificates, competition photos, posters, and the like.
Passing through the main hall and entering the corridor, the girl reached the dojo's training room, where a few students in martial arts attire were practicing with energetic grunts.
From the kendo training room nearby, shouts and the clash of wooden swords could be heard intermittently.
The girl entered the main training room first. Soon, a middle-aged man came out to greet her, smiling. "Xun-chan, you're here."
"Yes, sorry for the trouble!" The girl bowed politely.
"No problem, you're not late. Okay, get to work."
"Yes!" The girl bowed again, then scurried with quick, small steps into the changing room at the back.
A moment later, the girl returned to the main training room, having changed her clothes.
However, she wasn't wearing a training uniform but a gray work shirt.
A few students were still training, while the girl had already started working in a corner.
She diligently moved some leather training dummies to the corner, arranging them neatly, then took out a cloth and began wiping them down one by one.
Next, she cleaned the training protective gear.
Finally, she swept and mopped the floor.
Time passed, and the number of students in the training hall gradually dwindled.
Many students would greet the girl before leaving. Some younger male students occasionally came over, feigning casualness while deliberately trying to chat her up.
The girl always responded by standing up seriously and bowing, her face invariably wearing that pure, lovely smile.
Occasionally, she encountered flirtatious lines like, "Xun-chan, want to go out with your big brother after work?"
The girl would blush, seemingly shy, and quickly shake her head. "I'm sorry, I still have work to do."
But it seemed she was well-liked; the half-joking advances never went too far, and people would leave after a bit of banter.
During work breaks, the girl would sometimes sit in the corner, hugging her knees, looking adorable with a flushed face and beads of sweat on her forehead. She seemed quite interested in watching an instructor in the training room working with students who had upcoming competitions, practicing sparring.
No matter how fierce the sparring became—even when one student, perhaps overly competitive, threw his opponent off the mat with a shoulder throw, possibly injuring him, and the instructor shouted harshly—the girl's expression remained calm as she quietly watched it all.
Finally, as it neared ten o'clock at night, the last few students—core members preparing for competitions, some quite skilled—were also about to leave.
One of them, looking very young, even came over to chat with the girl for a few moments, clearly intending to flirt.
"Xun-chan, I'm going to participate in the national tournament! You'll cheer for me, right? Will you come to watch the matches?"
"Ah! The national tournament? That must be amazing, Inamoto-kun!" The girl's face showed the appropriate amount of surprise and admiration for a young girl.
"Of course! The national tournament! I'm very confident!" Inamoto-kun declared proudly—though it was actually just the regional qualifiers, still a long way from the real national tournament.
However, when boasting to the girl, such details were naturally omitted. Inamoto-kun smiled. "Will you come to the venue to cheer for me? If Xun-chan comes, I'll definitely be inspired to defeat all my opponents!"
"Ah! This... I'm very sorry." The girl's expression was one of regret and apology. "I have school exams coming up. Besides my part-time job, I also have to study hard for them."
"Is that so..." Inamoto-kun didn't seem very perceptive. Though he looked a bit disappointed and regretful at her excuse, he didn't press further. He made a little more small talk and told a joke that wasn't particularly funny, but Xun-chan still laughed, a sound like tinkling bells. After Inamoto-kun left, she seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
At ten o'clock, the girl had changed out of her work clothes and back into her school uniform in the changing room. When she came out, she saw the middle-aged man standing at the entrance of the training hall.
"Director," the girl bowed.
"Mm, good work, Xun-chan," the Director said with a smile, then handed her an envelope. "This is last month's salary."
The girl smiled sweetly, accepting it with both hands. "Thank you, Director! I appreciate your kindness and consideration!"
A strange smile flickered across the Director's face. He glanced around; the large training hall was empty, and so was the corridor.
His gaze returned to the girl, scanning her from top to bottom, lingering on her slender legs encased in black over-the-knee socks...
The middle-aged man seemed to casually take half a step closer. Then, feigning a concerned, elderly tone, his hand snaked out towards the girl's shoulder. "Xun-chan, you've been having a tough time lately, haven't you?"
"It's been alright."
"Actually, you don't always have to work so hard," he said, his words laced with insinuation.
Just as the Director's hand was about to land on her shoulder, the girl suddenly turned, swiftly took half a step back, and bowed. This movement, whether intentional or not, neatly evaded his touch.
"Actually, it's not hard at all! You and the instructors take very good care of me, Director. The students are all very friendly too."
"Er..." The Director awkwardly retracted his hand, rubbed his nose, and chuckled. "That's good. Someone as cute as Xun-chan, no one would give you a hard time. Besides... with you around, those boys train even harder."
The girl quietly took another half step back and continued to bow. "It's all thanks to your consideration."
"...Alright then."
The middle-aged Director seemed about to say or do more when a shout came from outside.
"Anyone here? Your takeout has arrived!"
The girl seized the chance. "Well then, I'll be going!"
She bowed, then quickly turned and ran off.
The Director followed a few steps to the entrance, saw a delivery boy standing there, and couldn't help but let out an annoyed grunt.
The girl ran out of the Jiangchuan Dojo and onto the main street, quickly pushing her bicycle away. Only after covering more than ten meters did she finally let out a long breath.
What an annoying pervert. Her eyes showed her displeasure, and her lips pursed. "That was close... too close."
Around 10:45 PM, the girl had cycled to the vicinity of a bustling commercial street.
The vibrant commercial street, with its dazzling array of fashion boutiques, cosmetics shops, and neon-lit malls, held no attraction for her.
Her bicycle quickly turned into a slightly narrower street behind the commercial area.
After parking her bike in a corner, the girl swiftly walked down that street.
This was clearly a red-light district.
At the entrance of the street stood a hotel with a massive signboard. However, judging by the men and women coming and going, its true nature was obvious. Signs at the entrance advertised special offers and discounts, undoubtedly for hourly room rates and similar packages...
Lining the street were several pubs, then some nightclubs, adult bars... and a few KTV establishments.
The girl hurried to the entrance of the most lavishly decorated KTV, took a deep breath, and strode inside.
When a staff member at the door inquired, the girl simply smiled and replied, "Looking for someone." Then, amidst the staff's knowing smiles, she walked into the KTV's corridors.
She quickly scanned the doors of one private room after another. Occasionally, she encountered a server carrying a tray of drinks or fruit, and each time, the girl would appropriately lower her head and hurry past.
Finally, after a turn in the corridor, she saw a burly man in a black suit, looking like a bodyguard, standing outside one of the private rooms.
The girl looked closely, then slowly walked over. Peeking through the glass window on the door, a faint smile touched her lips.
"Stop. What are you doing?" The man in the black suit blocked her.
The girl took a deep breath, a sweet smile on her face. "It's... Mr. Zaochuan asked me to come."
"..." The bodyguard scrutinized her, taking in her petite figure and school uniform. A knowing smirk played on his lips.
The girl's smile now, besides its previous sweetness, seemed to carry a subtle, alluring charm.
The bodyguard grunted, muttered something under his breath, then stepped aside. He knocked on the door first, then pushed it open from behind, stepping halfway in to hold it.
Inside the opulently decorated private room, a popular music video played on a large screen. Two men sat on the sofa, one of them in the center.
In a corner, two other heavily built men leaned against a sofa, drinking quietly.
The bodyguard bowed. "Mr. Zaochuan, a girl says you called..."
He didn't finish his sentence. Suddenly, an immense force slammed into his neck from behind! The bodyguard stumbled forward, then felt his wrist seized and violently twisted.
THUD! The bodyguard was sent flying into the private room.
Behind him, the girl released her grip, then stepped into the room. Ignoring the stunned occupants, she first turned to close the door and then pulled down the curtain over the glass window.
On the floor, the bodyguard lay sprawled, one arm visibly twisted and deformed. He was already unconscious, not having uttered a sound.
"Bastard!"
The imposing middle-aged man in the center of the sofa roared, "Who are you!"
The two large men in the corner dropped their bottles and quickly stood up, moving to position themselves between the middle-aged man and the girl.
The girl smiled faintly and gave a slight bow. "My apologies for disturbing you."
As she spoke, she opened the single-strap bag she carried, reached inside, and with one hand, drew out a short tachi, no more than two feet long.
Gripping the hilt, the girl looked at the tense, burly men before her.
She bowed deeply. "Please rest assured, I'm very quick. You won't feel any pain! Please cooperate. Arigato!"
"...Bastard! What kind of nonsense are you spouting!"
One of the burly men grabbed a bottle and charged!
The girl straightened up. Watching the approaching man, a sharp glint flashed in her bright eyes...
A few seconds later.
Two burly men lay on the ground. One, who had been holding the bottle, was on his back, the shattered remains of the bottle jammed into his mouth. He clutched his mouth, emitting muffled groans, unable to scream loudly.
The other was in worse shape.
He lay on the ground, hands pressed to his chest. His shirt was soaked with blood, which gushed out from between his fingers.
"Your lung has been punctured. It's leaking, so you can't scream. If you don't want to die, don't struggle. Otherwise, the blood will flood your lungs faster, and you'll die very quickly."
The girl smiled, a drop of blood falling from the blade of her short tachi to the floor.
In the room, the two middle-aged men on the sofa were now cursing and screaming.
The girl frowned. "You're too loud."
Saying this, she picked up the remote control from the table and quickly turned the music in the room to maximum volume.
The girl advanced towards the sofa, tachi in hand. One of the men hesitated, then finally grabbed a bottle and waved it a few times. "You, you stay away!"
The girl frowned. Suddenly, the blade of her tachi flashed...
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Blood sprayed from the man's hand!
An entire hand, neatly severed, still clutching a bottle, landed on the coffee table.
The girl lunged forward, taking a swift step, then raised her blade...
The man stumbled back and collapsed onto the sofa.
His throat had been slit. His hands instinctively flew to his neck, trying to staunch the flow of blood mixed with froth that gushed from the wound.
SWISH!
The blade pointed towards the last man, who had shrunk into the corner of the sofa, screaming desperately.
"Mr. Zaochuan." The girl approached slowly, casually picking up a tissue from the table to wipe the blood from her hand and the blade.
"You!! Who the hell are you!!"
The girl didn't answer, walking right up to him.
Zaochuan seemed to try to escape, but the girl kicked his knee, forcing him to kneel. Then she grabbed his arm and, with seemingly little effort, gave it a gentle twist.
The man screamed in agony, his entire arm going limp.
"I just want to ask you one question. Nishikawa Rin... you've heard that name, haven't you?"
"...What Nishikawa Rin! I don't know what you're talking about!"
The girl frowned and shook her head. "No, you're lying. You definitely know. Nishikawa Rin. She looks to be in her thirties, quite pretty. Likes to dye her hair chestnut brown, speaks in a high-pitched voice, enjoys smoking and drinking... Oh, right, she also has a black birthmark on her shoulder."
As she spoke, the girl looked down at the man, her gaze cold and sharp. "Remember now?"
"I..."
"Don't lie," the girl said flatly. "I know. Nishikawa Rin mentioned your name to me, Mr. Zaochuan!"
"You... who are you... What do you want with Nishikawa Rin?"
"Me?... You can think of me as a lost child whose mother ran away. With no other choice, I had to come out and find my delinquent, runaway mother myself."
The girl pressed the blade of her tachi against Zaochuan's face. "The men under you in the Truth Society have some courage... but why are leaders like you so cowardly and timid?"
"I..." Zaochuan suddenly flinched. "You... those incidents in the past month... that was all you?"
"Mm-hmm, you guessed right. But there's no reward," the girl said slowly. "Excluding you, you're the fourth Truth Society member I've interrogated recently. You people are all the same, cowards clinging to life. I really don't understand how scum like you can deceive so many people...
"Perhaps ordinary people truly are foolish!"
Several minutes later.
The young girl emerged from the KTV, supporting a middle-aged man.
They looked like a drunken man being helped along by his female companion.
On the red-light district street, a middle-aged man, leaning heavily on a high school girl in uniform, staggered along.
However, in this place, such a pair was surprisingly normal and attracted little attention.
Moments later, they entered a secluded alley. The girl threw Zaochuan to the ground.
Then, she took out her bag and rummaged through it, pulling out a few items.
One was a small medicine bottle.
Suddenly, the girl's movements froze.
Like a startled, wounded animal, she paused, then whirled around.
The short tachi, already in her hand, slashed through the air.
The sharp blade passed almost close enough to graze the other person's nose.
A figure behind her leaped back several steps, then stood about two meters away.
"I'm very curious, how do you plan to dispose of your captive?
Slit his throat?
Or poison him?
Ah, right, that bottle in your hand... it wouldn't be rat poison, would it?"
Chen Nuo stood with his arms crossed, smiling at the girl before him.
"You... Who are you! Why are you following me?" The girl's attack had missed, but she didn't panic. Instead, she cautiously retreated half a step, her blade pointed at Chen Nuo.
"...Err, well, you really are quite fierce...
Miss Xicheng Xun."
A look of alarm crossed the girl's face. "You know my name!"
"Of course." Chen Nuo spread his hands. "I know a lot more. For example...
Do you still like eating Lan Mei?"
[Ah, I miscalculated my typing speed; the update is a bit late, past twelve, which makes me sullen.
Technically, that means no perfect attendance award... Frustrating!! Not cool!!]