Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gu Nianzhi drove her custom Ferrari luxury sports car and quickly left the Hepingli district to head to B University. She had already familiarized herself with the route this week because it was so short. If there were no traffic jams, it’d only take her ten minutes to drive to school.
It was only just past seven in the morning, so there weren’t many cars or pedestrians on the road. However, Gu Nianzhi didn’t take her usual route today but got on the highway instead. Most of the vehicles on the road at this time of day were 18-wheel trucks with the majority being tankers. There were very few private cars.
Gu Nianzhi looped around the highway once before getting off of it. As expected, the car tailing her was confused and almost lost her a couple times. However, Gu Nianzhi had no intention of getting rid of them, so when her speed slowed down, the bright Ferrari was easily spotted, and the people behind her followed her again.
Gu Nianzhi quickly exited the highway and entered the university campus to begin her day of exams. For the following three days, her route didn’t change as she continuously maintained this frequency.
Friday was her final day of written exams, and she would have her graduation thesis defense on Saturday morning at 8am.
…
On Friday evening, Ishihara Taro sat in the study of his apartment on the Third Ring Road of the Imperial Capital. He was conducting his final calculations. Four large monitors were arranged in a row before him, and all of them were filled with densely packed algorithms and numbers.
Ishihara Wakashi slowly made his way inside and leaned on his cane as he stood in front of the desk. He asked solemnly, “Is everything prepared?”
Ishihara Taro didn’t even look up from his computer screens but merely answered, “Hai. Please sit down, Grandfather. I’ll chat with you once I finish this last round of calculations.”
“Keep working. Don’t mind me.” Ishihara Wakashi lifted a hand but didn’t sit down. He stood dazedly in front of a family portrait hanging in Ishihara Taro’s study. There were five people in it: Ishihara Wakashi, Ishihara Wakashi’s wife, their son Ishihara Baisan, and their daughter-in-law, as well as a tiny baby in her arms—Ishihara Taro. They had originally been a happy family of five, but now grandfather and grandson were all who remained. Ishihara Wakashi looked at the photo and said sternly, “Taro, you must avenge your father. The entire Gu family deserves to die!”
“Hai!” Ishihara Taro recalled his father, who had committed seppuku, and his heart wrenched. The mouse in his hand was nearly dented by his fingers squeezing it.
“Although your father was no match for Gu Xiangwen, that doesn’t matter. Gu Xiangwen only lived ten or so years longer than he did.” Ishihara Wakashi sneered. “His daughter too, we must kill them at the root. After all, not a single Gu can be left alive!”
“Hai!” Ishihara Taro finally completed the final calculations. Looking at the best combination of routes and random events on the screen, Ishihara Taro sighed in relief. A smug smile appeared on his handsome face. “Grandfather, I can guarantee that Gu Nianzhi will certainly die horribly in front of us this time.” Ishihara Taro clicked on the screen to shut down the program and computer. He lifted his head.
Ishihara Wakashi quickly turned around, revealing a crazed expression on his face. “You can guarantee it?!”
“I can absolutely guarantee it.” Ishihara Taro clapped his hands and stood up. “Grandfather, I will not allow Gu Nianzhi to have the opportunity to attend her graduation thesis defense. She will never earn a master’s degree, ever.” He needed to surpass Gu Nianzhi in all aspects, including but not limited to academic qualifications, grades, degrees, and prestigious schools.
Ishihara Wakashi nodded hard. “Good! But you have to remember to keep it clean. Be sure not to attract the attention of the Hua Xia Imperial Special Operations Forces. Although Gu Nianzhi has already broken up with that Huo Shaoheng, they are still certainly protecting her within the Hua Xia Imperial borders. Have you considered this point?”
“Of course.” Ishihara Taro nodded. “The elites from Tokyo Tokubestsu Koto Keisatsu gave us much intelligence. There are indeed personnel from Huo Shaoheng’s side who are secretly protecting Gu Nianzhi, but so what?” He spread his palms. “In the end, won’t he still watch helpless as she dies?”
Ishihara Wakashi could almost see Gu Nianzhi die horrifically in front of him, so he couldn’t help licking his chapped and cracked lips as he said with regret, “Unfortunately, I won’t see it for myself.”
“I’ll record a video, and Grandfather can slowly enjoy it afterwards.” Ishihara Taro laughed, snapping his fingers and appearing confident and proud.
Ishihara Wakashi chuckled. “Then you must remember to quickly end the battle. I’ll be waiting for you at the airport. Once you finish recording the video, come meet me there!”
After they killed off Gu Nianzhi, they had to leave the Hua Xia Empire immediately. There was no telling how the enemy would take revenge against them, so it was best to be careful. Although Ishihara Taro was sure that the enemy couldn’t present legal evidence to press charges against him, what if they didn’t act as predicted by taking non-legal measures?
He was in the enemy’s territory. If he really angered Huo Shaoheng, Huo Shaoheng could kill him as easily as squashing an ant. He wasn’t worried at all about the enemy taking legal measures to avenge the people he killed before, but the situation would be completely different if he killed Gu Nianzhi.
Ishihara Taro instinctively knew that this would be the final hit he’d make in the Hua Xia Empire. Otherwise, his inconsequential life would probably end there.
…
On Saturday morning, the weather wasn’t too good. The cloud layers were dark yellow and heavy, so it appeared as if it was about to snow. However, the snow didn’t come, so the layers of dark clouds seemed to press down on people’s heads.
Gu Nianzhi woke up at 5am in order to prepare for her thesis defense at 8am. She knew that she had a difficult battle coming today.
She washed up as usual, and once she had breakfast, she sat in front of her vanity and carefully arranged her long, silky hair into a bun. Then she put on sunglasses, a scarf, a face mask, and thick safety pads on her knees and wrists. She put on her backpack like that and left her Hepingli apartment in full armor.
Several men looked at her and whistled as she went down from the elevator to the first level of the underground parking lot. Gu Nianzhi pretended not to hear it and nonchalantly arrived at her bright red sports car. She opened the door and got inside. The car lights flickered twice in the dark parking lot, and the two men across from her instinctively raised their arms to shield their eyes.
Gu Nianzhi subtly curled her curvy lips, and her foot fiercely stomped down on the accelerator. The customized Ferrari with superb performance bolted forward like lightning. She twisted along the path of the underground parking lot to drive above ground.
The light hit her face, and Gu Nianzhi squinted. Her eyes behind the sunglasses were full of excitement, and her hands were nearly shaking as she gripped the steering wheel.
She drove the car out of her Hepingli apartment complex to arrive at the entrance of the neighborhood. Ishihara Taro had already been waiting there for a long time. He was sitting in a black Mercedes parked on the side of the road. Through the darkly tinted car windows, Ishihara Taro could feel the red sports car speed past him like a gust of wind.
His eyes were dark as he watched the direction the sports car disappeared in. Ishihara Taro nodded and said quietly, “Follow her!”
