Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 108 - 107 Interrupting

Chapter 108: Chapter 107 Interrupting

Back in the cell, Yang Yi was still very excited. As soon as the cell door closed, he couldn’t wait to say to Zhang Yong, "I got myself a few lackeys today, found a treasure! A real treasure!"

Zhang Yong laughed, "Just a few lackeys, is it worth being so excited about? You’re not going to be in prison for life."

"It’s not just about lackeys! Do you know, there are two professors, man! Professors! They have dual doctoral degrees in chemistry and a master’s degree in toxicology! Whizzes!"

Zhang Yong was taken aback and said, "Toxicology? There’s such a subject? Specifically for studying how to poison?"

"What do you mean ’specifically for studying how to poison’? Toxicology, it’s one of the fundamental disciplines of medical science. Brother Yong, I find you’re really good at changing the subject."

Zhang Yong said sheepishly, "I’m not well-read, didn’t know about it. Even if they are PhDs, what’s the use here? Are you going to have them make poison for you?"

Yang Yi replied anxiously, "How can you be so dense? What do you think I’m going to do? Be a spy! A spy, Brother Yong. Do you know how that doctor ended up here? Murder. Poisoned six people. How about I have him teach me how to use poison? I don’t need to learn anything too complicated, just the basics and specialized knowledge. All I need him to do is tell me how to concoct the poison I need. Don’t you think this is a rare opportunity?"

Zhang Yong frowned and said, "Well, it does sound a bit useful to learn that, but can you manage it? You’re practicing boxing now, and I’m about to teach you how to kill. Can you handle all that?"

"Kill?"

"Yeah, isn’t that what you want to learn? Professional techniques. Boxing is for fighting, but killing—that requires an assassin’s skill set. It’s like leveling up, you get it, right? When it comes to boxing, it’s easy to beat someone to death, but a lot of times, you can’t just hit people. Like, suppose you need to assassinate a heavily guarded target. He’s got lots of bodyguards, are you going to fight them one by one? Obviously not. So that’s when you need the skills of a professional assassin."

Yang Yi furrowed his brows and said, "I was actually thinking of getting that professor transferred to this cell so I could ask him every day. But if you put it that way, um, Brother Yong, you’re going off-topic again..."

Zhang Yong scratched his head sheepishly and said, "You keep going, I’ll say my piece after you’ve finished."

Yang Yi excitedly said, "I got another lackey, and he’s a professor too!"

"How come there are so many professors in this prison? What does he do?"

"He teaches acting!"

"Acting? What kind of acting?"

"A professor from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. He’s brilliant, I tell you."

"University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, I know, I know. That school is pretty awesome. What’s up with that professor, why is he in here?"

"He murdered, killed his own girlfriend—who was also his student."

"Yikes, what happened? Does this professor know a lot of movie stars?"

"He probably does."

"Wow, now this is interesting. Tell me more—has he ever taught any stars?"

Just as Yang Yi was about to speak, he said with a helpless expression, "Brother Yong, I find talking to you is really exhausting. You lead me off on tangents with every sentence. Can we stick to the main point? After we’re done, you can delve into the gossip. I’ve noticed you’re quite into gossip for a guy."

Zhang Yong laughed sheepishly and said, "My thoughts jump around a bit. Uh, learning acting seems useful too. Life’s like a play, and as a spy, acting is even more important, right."

"That’s right!"

"Let me tell you, I’ve actually met a spy before, I swear he impressed me like no other. I really admired that old Soviet guy. He wasn’t very old, probably in his forties, and he defected not long after the Soviet Union fell apart. Then he started working for the Cicero family, I mean, whatever task you gave him, he’d handle it perfectly. If you could have such a mentor, geez, that would really save you a lot of trouble, a hell of a lot!"

"He’s that impressive? Can you still get in touch with him? I could give it a try, maybe he’d be willing to teach me."

"No need to try, he’s been dead for years."

"Damn, he’s been dead for years and you bring him up now? How did he die?"

"Committed suicide. He drank poison in his alcohol, and by the time he was found, his body was already decaying."

"Why another suicide? How come you know so many people who’ve killed themselves?"

"Sigh, these people, they seem normal enough, but who knows what’s wrong with them inside. Let me tell you this, a person may be alive but their heart’s dead. Do you know how much money he left behind when he died? Eight million! Eight million US dollars!"

"Did you get any?"

"Pah, not a dime. All went straight to the Cicero family, damn it. I mean, I’d love to be his apprentice too, you know. Actually, I did learn quite a bit from him. There’s nobody I’ve ever respected more. I was willing to be his lackey."

Yang Yi sighed, lost in thought for a moment before suddenly saying, "Brother Yong, can you not talk when I’m trying to discuss something? I’ve realized you’re really good at going off-topic! You could distract someone without them even noticing."

Zhang Yong agreed eagerly, "You talk, you talk, I’ll stay quiet, okay?"

"It’s like this, Brother Yong, I’m thinking of moving in with those two professors for a while, then coming back to live with you. How does that sound?"

Zhang Yong considered, then replied, "Forget it, you might as well think about living with me. Once I’ve taught you everything I can, then I’ll live by myself. You think I enjoy sharing a room with you? Living alone is so much more comfortable. But your basics aren’t solid yet, I need to keep an eye on you to make sure your skills are up to par. Once they are, I won’t need to care for you, and even if you beg me, I won’t share a room with you. With all the sweat and odor, damn, can’t you smell it?"

"Really? I bathe every day, you know, I never skip even when there’s no hot water."

He sniffed his own clothes, then said innocently, "There’s no bad smell."

Zhang Yong stretched out a hand and said, "Enough, hand me a cigarette to puff on."

Yang Yi took out the respectful gift he had received that day, curiously asking, "I thought you didn’t smoke?"

"I don’t smoke, but that doesn’t mean I can’t. How can you be in our line of work and not smoke? You smoke when you need to and not when you don’t need to. Oh, by the way, do you actually know what it is that I do?"

"Damn, now that you ask, I realize I really don’t. What business are you in?"

"Actually, I don’t know either, haha."

Zhang Yong laughed uncontrollably, bending forward and back as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

After a long while, Zhang Yong took out a lighter, lit his cigarette, and then flicked the lighter towards Yang Yi, saying, "Light up, light one up for yourself. How can you not know how to smoke? Can you blow smoke rings? No? Watch this, big brother will teach you."