Era of Mist

‘Crazy? Have they lost their minds?’ Shi Tiexin frowned, an uncomfortable feeling creeping over him as he watched the Ouyang brothers’ spectacle.

“What are you laughing at!” CLICK. Officer Gao exploded with rage, whipping out his handgun and slamming it hard against Ouyang Hong’s forehead.

Ouyang Hong immediately stopped laughing.

Officer Gao’s breath came in ragged gasps. His eyes were bloodshot, and veins pulsed on his forehead. His finger trembled uncontrollably as he ground the muzzle into Ouyang Hong’s skin, leaving a deep red mark. He was incandescent with a rage he could barely contain, on the verge of losing control completely.

A look of fear and terror finally appeared on Ouyang Hong’s face, his legs trembling. This was the reaction he was supposed to have.

But amid his ragged breaths, a struggle played out across Officer Gao’s face. Finally, with a roar of frustration, he lowered the gun.

“Pfft-hehehehe…”

It was as if Ouyang Hong had changed masks in an instant. A moment ago, he’d been terrified, but now he was suddenly laughing again, a strange, triumphant expression on his face.

“ARGH—!!” Officer Gao lashed out with two swift kicks that sent Ouyang Hong howling in pain, but he still didn’t use his gun. It seemed he was truly determined to see the two men face trial back in their home country, to truly fulfill his daughter’s wish.

Shi Tiexin watched him suppress such a mortal, irreconcilable hatred. He didn’t know if it was the right thing to do, but he knew most people couldn’t have managed it.

“Hold on.” Shi Tiexin stopped Officer Gao. “Let me ask you something. They just need to be ‘alive,’ right?”

Officer Gao, still panting heavily, stopped. “Right.” ⅇ

“And even without confessions, you have enough evidence for a conviction?”

“No problem. I have you to thank for that, for helping gather evidence at their factory. The proof of their crimes is ironclad. It makes no difference whether we get a confession or not.”

“That makes things simple.” Shi Tiexin reached out, grabbed Ouyang Hong by the collar, and hauled him up from the ground.

“Hehehehe…” Ouyang Hong’s face and hair were matted with blood, and half his teeth were gone, but he was still chuckling softly.

Shi Tiexin’s face was impassive. “What exactly are you laughing at?”

Ouyang Hong didn’t answer, just kept on with his strange laughter.

“Alright. Looks like you’ve snapped. One last thing: I really don’t like being a petty thief. Stealing your car always left a bad taste in my mouth.” The man who was once a powerful boss was now held like a dog. Shi Tiexin stared deeply at Ouyang Hong, then raised his fist. “If I get the chance, I’ll pay you back—or I’ll send it to your grave.”

Fear flickered across Ouyang Hong’s face again, as if he’d had a moment of clarity. But just as quickly, he started laughing again, as if wearing a grotesque, smiling mask.

His expression flickered between terror and that bizarre laughter, as if his face was split in two. The sight was both chilling and inscrutable.

But the heavy fist fell without a trace of hesitation.

THUD. The fear, the laughter—it all vanished, leaving only a dull, empty expression.

THUMP. Ouyang Hong was tossed to the ground. He didn’t even scream. Only the rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.

Officer Gao said in shock, “Did you just… beat him into an imbecile?”

“Brain damage. He won’t die, but he’ll never recover. This’ll stop him from spewing any more shit.” Shi Tiexin reached over and grabbed Ouyang Shun, then looked back at Officer Gao. “By the way, you don’t mind me robbing you of your personal revenge, do you?”

“Not at all.” Officer Gao’s expression was complex, a mixture of relief and vindicated satisfaction. “I could never do what you just did. It’s a good solution, actually.”

“This is intentional aggravated assault, causing permanent brain damage. That’s a crime, isn’t it? I’m committing it right in front of you. Aren’t you going to do anything, Officer?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m just here on a tax audit; I have no authority to enforce laws across borders. Besides, you’re right: in a place without laws, there can be no lawbreakers, theoretically.” Officer Gao gestured with his hand. “Please, continue.”

Shi Tiexin smiled and threw another punch. It wasn’t too light, nor too heavy—not so weak as to only cause a momentary blackout, but not so strong as to be lethal. Only someone who had been through numerous life-or-death struggles in a Secret Realm could master such precise control. Otherwise, that kind of terrifying precision could only be gained by ending a great many lives.

THUD. Ouyang Shun’s eyes rolled back in his head as he collapsed. From his first appearance to his last, the man had never spoken a word, only laughed that bizarre laugh. Even after the punch, muscle memory seemed to take over, pulling his lips into a final, inexplicable smile.

Only Ouyang Yuan seemed relatively normal. Seeing the fate of his two uncles, he yelped and trembled in terror, not daring to utter a single word—now *that* was a normal reaction.

After the three men were loaded onto the plane, Officer Gao came back down the boarding stairs to say farewell to Shi Tiexin. A shuttle bus arrived, and regular passengers began to board. A baggage cart also pulled up, and large suitcases were loaded into the cargo hold.

“If you ever come back to the country, I’ll buy you a drink. And hey, once you’re back, make sure you follow the law. Otherwise, I’ll have to arrest you myself.”

“Will do.”

The two men shook hands.

“Work hard, live a good life. Find a decent profession. Staying out of trouble is more important than anything else. I’m off. See you!”

Officer Gao waved and boarded the plane. Shi Tiexin watched him go, then saw a flight attendant come over to close the cabin door.

He turned and walked toward the airport exit.

‘Beating the Ouyang brothers into vegetables has eliminated any future trouble from that quarter. I’ve completed the task Wang Dafu gave me, and I’ve ensured my own safety. Meanwhile, Officer Gao got what he wanted. All in all, this whole affair wrapped up perfectly. Yes, very good.’

With these thoughts, his mood brightened considerably.

‘As his mood lifted, his anxieties about his own situation began to fade. His mind settled, and he was no longer paranoid, seeing enemies in every shadow. Whether he was an undercover cop or not, there was no way Wang Dafu and his crew could ever find out—hell, even *he* didn’t know if he was one, so it was impossible for them to know.’

‘Besides, it was still up in the air whether he was actually a police informant or not.’

With that, Shi Tiexin decided against driving and began walking out of the airport on foot. Behind him, on the plane, the flight attendant who had closed the door didn’t assist passengers with their luggage. Instead, she walked straight to her seat, fastened her seatbelt, and sat down.

Her face was beautiful and exquisitely made-up, but strangely, it was completely devoid of expression, appearing unnaturally stiff.

“Prepare for departure. The flight is about to take off.”

The captain’s order came over the internal comms, and an announcement was immediately broadcast throughout the cabin in both Japanese and Chinese. Officer Gao looked at the prisoners next to him with a feeling of deep satisfaction. The plane moved onto the runway, paused for a moment, and then began to accelerate. With a powerful force pressing them into their seats, the nose lifted, and the aircraft left the ground, soaring into the blue sky.

CLICK. The flight attendant unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up abruptly.

“Mr. Tanamura, what’s wrong?” another flight attendant asked, looking over with a puzzled expression. “The plane isn’t stable yet; it’s dangerous to stand up now. And you look terrible. Are you sick? I told you to stop participating in those strange cult activities. You’ll ruin your health, and your parents will be heartbroken.”

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