Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 89 - 88 Playing Twice

Chapter 89: Chapter 88 Playing Twice

It seems the captain’s influence isn’t very effective here.

Yang Yi’s heart began to beat faster, but he mustered his courage and said quietly, "Brother Yong, please don’t rush to refuse me, can you listen until I finish speaking?"

Zhang Yong sighed helplessly, then said with a troubled face, "Little brother, you see, it’s not that I’m unfriendly, but the problem is I came to prison to seek peace and quiet, do you understand? I go to sleep on schedule, eat on schedule, no one bothers me, and no one asks me to do troublesome things, how beautiful is this life? Now you suddenly pop up and then tell me you want to learn from me, do you think I can agree?"

Yang Yi whispered, "Don’t you get bored here?"

Zhang Yong immediately shook his head, saying, "Not bored, not bored at all, I’m very content."

Yang Yi swallowed, then whispered, "The captain told me that you might refuse to teach me, so he asked me to tell you something, that as long as you agree to teach me, the favor you owe him will be considered repaid."

Zhang Yong slapped his own thigh hard, then said with great indignation, "I knew it, that bastard just likes to cause trouble for others!"

After speaking, Zhang Yong looked at Yang Yi and said with dissatisfaction, "Then please relay to the captain that the favor I owe him, I will repay him personally. I never said that he could send anyone to claim this favor on his behalf, alright?"

Yang Yi was somewhat stunned, then he couldn’t help saying, "I really went through a lot of hardships to find this place, and I’ve paid a great price to meet you."

Zhang Yong said with an innocent face, "Did I invite you? Did I ask you to come? Did I promise you anything? Do I owe you anything?"

Yang Yi had no response, feeling very disappointed, and now he didn’t know what to say anymore.

Zhang Yong sighed, then said with an apologetic face, "It’s not your fault, who asked the captain to act on his own, right? You see, I even went to prison to find some peace, surely you can’t force someone against their will? I’m living well here, and suddenly someone says they want to learn from me and just shows up like that, and I must teach, does that make any sense?"

Yang Yi couldn’t help saying, "I know it was presumptuous of me to come, but can you tell me why you refuse to teach me?"

Zhang Yong said in utter amazement, "Does that need asking? Do you know how much trouble it is to take on an apprentice? Am I here to seek solitude or to be an instructor? If I wanted to be an instructor, why would I go to prison? Do you think I’m stupid?"

Yang Yi had no response; he truly felt at a loss now. If the other person refused to teach, could he force him? If he had the ability to do so, he wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble to seek out Zhang Yong for mentorship.

Looking at Yang Yi, who stood there like a wooden chicken, Zhang Yong said helplessly, "Actually, I’m really a man of my word, I always do what I promise, and I always return the favors I owe. When you’re out here, you need to be trustworthy and honorable, but the problem is, I don’t owe you anything, nor have I promised you anything. I don’t even know you, isn’t that right?"

Yang Yi clasped his hands over his head, and after standing dazed for a moment, suddenly said in Chinese, "I am a Huaxia person."

Zhang Yong immediately replied in Chinese, "I know, the people the captain introduces are certainly from Huaxia."

Yang Yi spread his hands, then said with a sense of resignation, "Let’s not talk about favors now. What does it take for you to teach me?"

Zhang Yong laughed, "I won’t teach, just won’t teach no matter what."

Yang Yi felt helpless, he didn’t know what to say, and after hesitating for a moment, he finally said, "So, the captain’s face doesn’t work?"

Zhang Yong gave a bitter smile, "Anything else I might agree to, but I really don’t do the disciple thing. I’m serious, I don’t do it. Think about it, taking a disciple is a lot of trouble. I’m a man who values loyalty. Taking you as a disciple isn’t just about teaching you stuff. If you really became my disciple, then what if something happens to you, can I ignore it? That’s why I’m free and easygoing by myself. If I take you as a disciple, I’ll have to teach you, and I’ll have to look out for you. If something happens to you, I can’t just stand by and watch. Since you’ve come all the way here to find me, you must have a problem. I’m not stupid. Is this taking a disciple or recognizing an ancestor? Can I really do this kind of thing?"

Yang Yi, with a serious tone, said, "Then let’s not do the master-apprentice thing. Let’s not use those old-fashioned terms like master and disciple. Let’s keep it simple; you teach me what I need to learn, and you don’t have to worry about anything else. How about it?"

Zhang Yong spread his hands and said, "Why should I? I’m at ease as it is. To teach you, how much energy would I have to waste, and besides, what did you just say? You want to be a spy? I’m not a spy, so how can I teach you anyway?"

Yang Yi immediately said, "But the captain said you’re the best spy!"

Zhang Yong waved his hands repeatedly, laughing, "I’ve been involved in quite a few things. I’ve been a hitman, a mercenary, and even a bodyguard. I did indeed work for those intelligence traffickers, but I’m not a spy, okay? To put it more precisely, I’m an enforcer for intelligence traffickers, you understand? But I’m not a spy, how can I teach you?"

Yang Yi, with a grave voice, said, "Being a spy is just an identity. I don’t need you to teach me how to be a spy, I just need you to teach me the skills a spy needs. I know you’re highly capable, so can you teach me what I want to learn that you also happen to know? Or to put it another way, can you just give me some guidance, train me a bit, how about that?"

Zhang Yong sighed and said, "I don’t get why you just can’t take a hint. It’s not that I like to refuse people, but my patience is limited. Can’t you stop beating a dead horse? You say if you needed someone killed, no matter how tough, I wouldn’t hesitate and would do it for you, but teaching you, that’s just too much trouble. I have to refuse."

After speaking, Zhang Yong gestured with his hand and said, "You should leave, go out the way you came in. If someone bullies you, just mention my name, ’Worm’ is a nickname I stopped using long ago. Around here, they call me ’Landmine,’ don’t get it wrong."

Yang Yi didn’t take Zhang Yong’s hint to leave. He looked at the deck of cards on the bench and said in a serious voice, "You’re playing poker, blackjack?"

Zhang Yong laughed, "Yes, blackjack."

Yang Yi sighed and said, "What’s the point of playing alone? Can I sit down and play a couple of hands with you, what do you say?"

Zhang Yong smiled, then shook his head and said, "I love gambling. Did the captain tell you that? Then did he tell you there are some things I would never bet on?"

Yang Yi took out two packs of cigarettes and placed them on the bench, then shook his head, "The captain didn’t tell me you’re a gambler. And we’ll just bet on cigarettes. I won’t say that if you lose, you have to teach me... just a couple of hands for fun, how about it?"

Zhang Yong hesitated for a moment, then he nodded and smiled, "I never use anything other than money as a bet, but cigarettes... okay, here, cigarettes are money. We’ll play a couple of hands, just blackjack, I’ll deal."