Yama Reborn
Chapter 80 - 78 "Whose Count?" (It’s past midnight, please support with the basic monthly ticket!)

Chapter 80: Chapter 78 "Whose Count?" (It’s past midnight, please support with the basic monthly ticket!)

You guys... are amazing! The results on the first day of launch left me speechless...

Last night, I took a look and couldn’t contain my excitement, so I wrote another Chapter.

Take it!

PS: I made a blunder yesterday by releasing a single Chapter as a paid one. I’m sorry! Since VIP Chapters can’t be set to free directly, I will try to add more content to the following Chapters to compensate everyone!

·

Chapter 78: Who’s to Blame?

It was past ten in the evening when Jiang Yingzi finished her meeting. After all the executives had dispersed, she went to the break room. She had thought her daughter might have fallen asleep while waiting, but upon opening the door, she saw Li Yingwan busily typing on her phone.

"Who are you chatting with?"

"Chen Nuo."

Jiang Yingzi nodded and added, "Have a good chat."

This would normally be taken as a word of encouragement, but Li Yingwan couldn’t help rolling her eyes when she heard it.

If School Belle Sun were standing here, she would probably be close to tears. If Old Sun were this open-minded, School Belle Sun wouldn’t need to sneak around every time she wanted to cuddle with Chen Xiaoguo.

Jiang Yingzi glanced at the time. "Let’s go, it’s time to eat something."

Li Yingwan got up but did not put down her phone; she continued to type as she followed her mother.

The office building had seven floors and was equipped with an elevator. Before the mother and daughter reached the elevator, the secretary had already pressed the button and was waiting respectfully at the lift entrance.

While waiting for the elevator, Jiang Yingzi asked, "How have you and Chen Nuo been getting along recently?"

Li Yingwan refused to answer and merely snorted.

Jiang Yingzi sighed. She wanted to say more, but the elevator arrived.

·

In the electrical room, a figure seemed to stand in the darkness, reaching out to open the distribution box. This person wore a factory worker’s uniform but had messy hair and an industrial dust mask, revealing only a pair of brown eyes.

The distribution box was open. Just as the person was about to pull down a switch...

Suddenly, a gust of wind rushed from behind!

The assassin in a work uniform, as if alerted, quickly bent forward. CLANG!

A pebble struck the metal pipe directly in front of him.

A slender figure lunged from behind!

The assassin, with lightning-fast reflexes, decisively abandoned pulling the switch and, like a wildcat, darted away!

The newcomer’s palm slammed down where the assassin had been standing. Missing the target, their hand struck the metal pipe on the wall instead.

A deep HUM echoed, the sheer force of the blow denting the metal pipe inward!

Then, in the dark electrical room, the two became entangled in close-quarters combat!

The assassin’s movements were elusive, their steps swift. They produced a dagger, thrusting it back and forth a few times in an attempt to drive back their opponent, then darted towards the room’s door.

The person blocking him also wore a work uniform, along with a factory safety helmet, and remained silent in the dark, launching a fierce assault.

This person’s combat style was intricate. One hand formed a palm, the other a claw, each movement imbued with subtle internal energy. After a few exchanges, a RIP sounded as a strip of fabric was torn from the assassin’s uniform.

"Kung fu?" the assassin rasped, then suddenly threw the dagger forward, sending it shooting out.

The pursuer tilted their head, and their left palm swept out, deflecting the dagger in mid-air. The assassin seized the opportunity to reach the door and yank it open.

The pursuer was right behind, a palm strike, imbued with the sound of wind and thunder, aimed at the assassin’s back. The assassin sneered, then suddenly focused, a steel needle in hand stabbing backward.

The pursuer reacted swiftly, instantly changing their palm to a claw, seizing the steel needle while rapidly retreating!

When the needle’s force was spent, they had backed into a corner. They then took a deep breath, lifted their right foot, and stomped against the wall. Using that force, they gritted their teeth, released the needle, flipped their hand in a cloud-like motion, their palm gliding along the steel needle!

Their body crashed into the assassin!

They formed a fist, the knuckle of the middle finger slightly protruding. THUMP! The blow landed.

This penetrating strike hit the assassin’s chest!

The assassin’s body suddenly shot backward. Blood spurted from their mouth; the mask caught most of it, but some trickled down their chin.

Upon landing, the assassin rolled away and suddenly unleashed a flash of silver light!

The pursuer’s eyes widened. With their momentum still forward, they miraculously performed an incredible backbend, their body arching so far it seemed it would snap in half!

The silver light grazed their scalp. CLINK, CLANK, CLATTER! Several boomerangs embedded themselves in the wall behind them.

Unfortunately, the cramped space of the electrical room hindered the boomerangs. They couldn’t execute their return flight and thus failed to achieve their intended effect.

By the time the pursuer straightened up, the assassin had already bolted out of the electrical room!

"Huff, huff, huff..."

In the darkness, the pursuer gasped a few breaths, then pounded his lower back vigorously, muttering what seemed like a curse.

This five hundred thousand is really hard to earn.

·

DING!

The elevator came to a steady stop on the first floor.

As Jiang Yingzi and Li Yingwan stepped out of the elevator, Chen Nuo quickly jumped down from the factory building opposite and swiftly darted behind the factory’s green belt.

After the mother and daughter got into the car, it slowly drove out of the factory grounds.

On the roadside outside the factory, a figure flipped over the fence, landing on the ground. He looked around, then quickly stripped off his work clothes, revealing a jacket underneath.

He exhaled, then pushed the bicycle parked by the road, mounted it, and followed Jiang Yingzi’s car at a leisurely pace.

All the while, he rode with one hand, using the other to rub his back vigorously.

Chen Nuo stood under a tree by the roadside, squinting at the cycling figure, then opened his eyes again.

The cyclist had the plain, unremarkable face of a middle-aged man.

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome, huh? Looks... pretty gullible.

·

That night, Life Need Not Be So Troublesome sat in front of the computer, clumsily typing, his fingers moving as if performing the One-Finger Zen.

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome: Today, the protection target was attacked. Someone tried to sabotage the elevator to create an accident. I confronted them but couldn’t detain him.

Client: The opponent’s characteristics?

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome: Male, speaks Mandarin, slim build. Wore a mask, so I couldn’t see his face. Very skilled, adept with nimble techniques. Used a dagger and boomerangs.

Client: Continue protection.

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome pondered for a moment, then continued his clumsy, two-fingered typing: "I think since he made a move today and I stopped him, he should realize the target is protected. His next attempt will likely be more cautious."

Seconds later.

Client: I will create an opportunity for him to make a move. You stay alert and find a way to detain him.

???? What the hell, Boss? I’m a bodyguard, not a bounty hunter! Isn’t it enough for the target to stay alive? You’re going to create an opportunity for the assassin? So, it’s like feeding meat buns to a dog... and I’m the meat bun? Is it easy for me to earn this damn money? My back almost broke today! If this affects my... performance at home, who’s to blame?!

While he was hesitating, the Client sent another message.

Client: Find a way to help me capture him. Or, if you encounter him, just stall him for a moment. That will also count as a merit. I’ll add another hundred thousand to your reward.

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome fell silent for a while...

Alright, that’s tempting! The rich are always right! Whatever you say, Boss!

·

In room 1108, Chen Nuo closed his laptop, then took out his phone.

"Li Yingwan, tomorrow morning, take your mom to the barbecue restaurant we visited yesterday."

"Ah? Oppa, didn’t you say that the location for meals should change every time? That we can’t eat at the same place twice, so the other side can’t figure out our routine, minimizing the chance of them poisoning our food?"

Chen Nuo didn’t explain. "Just do as I say. After lunch there tomorrow, we’ll have dinner there too. No changes."

"...Okay."

·

「Silla Barbecue Restaurant.」

Jiang Yingzi was somewhat curious why her daughter had suddenly taken such a liking to this barbecue restaurant.

They had eaten here yesterday, and again at noon today.

And now, in the evening, her daughter had dragged her here once more.

Actually, the barbecue at this restaurant was decent. The owner was South Korean and primarily catered to international students, so the taste was quite authentic.

But having the same meal three times in a row could become tiresome.

However, unable to resist her daughter’s cajoling, Jiang Yingzi still came along.

The long-legged girl sat down and casually ordered some barbecue, seafood soup, grilled beef tongue, and the like, then looked around the restaurant with a distracted air.

Business wasn’t very good tonight; it was rather quiet. In the small dining hall, only three or four tables were occupied—and this small restaurant didn’t have private rooms.

The owner, perhaps recognizing a fellow countryman, came over as usual to greet them and make small talk. It was clear, however, that the middle-aged male owner was quite interested in the still-attractive Jiang Yingzi. He was very solicitous, chatted her up, and even voluntarily offered a discount.

Jiang Yingzi was cool and indifferent, not engaging much, so the owner eventually left, looking a bit embarrassed.

·

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome spent some time catching a breeze in the small alley behind the kitchen, waiting for half an hour without spotting anything unusual.

Jiang Yingzi visiting this small restaurant for the third consecutive time today had already given him a vague idea of the Client’s intention.

Lure the snake out of its hole? So naive! Even I can see through such a simple trick. How could the assassin not understand? True, visiting the same restaurant three times in a row would give an assassin a chance to learn the target’s dining routine and potentially poison the food... But I already fought the assassin last night! They know there’s an expert protecting the target now! (Ahem, "expert" was the title Life Need Not Be So Troublesome had modestly bestowed upon himself.) Under these circumstances, if the assassin still tried to poison the food, they’d have to be an idiot, right?

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome felt he’d boarded a pirate ship. This Client was too unreliable! Oh well, take the money, do the job. If the Client wanted to mess around, let them. As long as the target survived for thirty days, he could collect his pay and leave. Catching the assassin? What did that have to do with him!

Throughout the meal, Life Need Not Be So Troublesome kept his eyes on the kitchen, ensuring nothing was out of the ordinary.

The aroma of grilling meat wafted out...

Fu Sheng couldn’t help but gulp. Damn, he hadn’t eaten dinner yet. He’d grab a sesame flatbread on the way back. Hotel food was too expensive; it pained him to buy it.

Inside the restaurant, Jiang Yingzi wasn’t really hungry. She ate a few bites before putting down her chopsticks. Li Yingwan did the same, eating a little before picking up her phone to continue messaging Chen Nuo.

But this time, Chen Nuo did not reply.

"Full?" Jiang Yingzi glanced at her daughter, instinctively sensing something was off about her.

She was the one who had insisted on coming here, yet once they arrived, she ate very little and looked absent-minded.

"I’m full."

"Let’s go, then. We’re heading back." Jiang Yingzi frowned and stood up.

The secretary went to pay the bill and was waiting at the entrance.

As the mother and daughter pair walked out of the restaurant and stood by the roadside waiting for their car...

Suddenly, from the opposite side of the street, a battered old van seemed to lose control. Its engine roared, and it charged directly towards them!

The angle was incredibly tricky, and the timing ruthlessly precise!

Jiang Yingzi stood by the roadside, a utility pole on her left offering no escape, and her daughter on her right!

In a desperate surge, Jiang Yingzi’s eyes widened, and she instinctively shoved her daughter hard! Li Yingwan tumbled away. Jiang Yingzi only had time to look up and watch the van bear down on her...

Just at that moment, a figure suddenly crashed hard into the side of the van!

CRASH!

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome, using every ounce of his strength, slammed his palm into the side of the speeding van. With a deafening BANG, the vehicle skidded, its trajectory instantly deflecting! It barely grazed Jiang Yingzi’s arm before crashing head-on into the utility pole!

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome felt a numbing, searing pain shoot through his arm. He collapsed to the ground, a sweetness in his chest as a mouthful of blood surged up, but he forcefully swallowed it back down.

He turned his head and saw Jiang Yingzi, scared out of her wits. Then his expression changed again!

A passerby, who had seemingly fallen to the ground in fright, suddenly reached out towards Jiang Yingzi, a metallic glint at his fingertips.

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome lay on the ground, panting heavily. His inner strength was in turmoil, already at its limit. Witnessing this, he could only take a sharp, forceful breath.

He roared at the assassin on the ground!

"HEYAAAH!"

A shockwave pulsed from the shout!

The shout was like a sudden thunderclap on a summer day, momentarily stunning anyone who heard it for a critical half-second!

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome needed just that split second. Ignoring the blood trickling from his mouth, he grabbed Jiang Yingzi’s ankle and yanked hard, pulling her to the ground. The woman screamed as Life Need Not Be So Troublesome dragged her beneath the wrecked van.

The assassin on the ground sprang up. After a quick, resentful glance at Life Need Not Be So Troublesome, they retreated and disappeared into the converging crowd.

Life Need Not Be So Troublesome struggled and barely managed to get up. He first checked Jiang Yingzi, who lay limp beneath the van. Thankfully, she was just stunned and still breathing.

He quickly glanced at the van’s driver’s seat... Empty! No one inside!

One hand clutching his chest, the other supporting his waist, Life Need Not Be So Troublesome limped into the crowd and quickly departed.

·

The assassin ran for a whole street before quickly jumping onto a truck parked at the roadside. The truck immediately started and sped away.

After driving for about ten minutes, it entered a repair shop, and the gate slowly closed behind it.

Two assassins jumped down from the truck. They waited by the vehicle for a moment until a third person climbed over the gate.

"How did it go? You weren’t followed, right?"

"Relax. I was very careful." The third assassin who entered shook his head. "Another failure. They have a master protecting them; Number Four got hurt yesterday. We need to ask for more money for this job!"

"Hmm, contact the Client. Brute force won’t work. We can risk our lives, but the price has to be right!"

"Let’s go in and see Number Four first and change his bandages."

The three walked into the office of the repair shop. Inside one room was a small bed. On it lay Number Four, the assassin who had skirmished with Life Need Not Be So Troublesome yesterday. He lay on the bed, facing inward, covered by a blanket.

"Number Four, we failed again today! Damn it, we should’ve listened to you. The target’s protectors are tough."

One of them walked over, extending a hand to pat the man lying there...

Suddenly, before his hand could touch Number Four, he felt a jolt, as if electrocuted. He shuddered violently and collapsed, trembling, to the floor.

Chen Nuo vaulted off the bed, smiling at the two remaining men.

"You! Who are you?!"

"You! What did you do to Number Three? Number Three! Get up!"

Chen Nuo smiled, revealing what was in his hand... a stun gun. He activated it lightly, and it crackled with electric sparks.

The two men exchanged uncertain looks. The man on the left demanded sternly, "Where’s Number Four? What have you done to him?"

Chen Nuo sighed, stood up, and spread his hands. "He’s under the bed."

The moment he finished speaking—SLAM! SLAM! SLAM! The room’s door and windows slammed shut automatically...

"I only have one question for you all!" Chen Nuo said, smiling as he approached.

"You... don’t expect us to reveal the Client! That’s against the rules!"

"Who’s asking about the Client?" Chen Nuo frowned. "What I want to know is, what level is your Octopus Monster website account? And, of course, what I’m most interested in is... how much money is in it?"

The two looked at each other and simultaneously drew their weapons—one brandishing a length of steel wire, the other drawing a dagger from his waist.

They roared, "Kill him!!"

Chen Nuo nodded with a smile. "Come on then, kill me."

·

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