She almost laughed. All these years, no one had ever called her senior brother “Mr. Zheng.” He’d always been so laid-back—everyone just called him “Old Zheng.”
“Following the trail, we found Leopard’s current hideout. Those we could catch were arrested. Others are reportedly in other regions and are now wanted… and we found Tasha as well.”
Oh. Tasha. She remembered—Luo Ren’s young daughter.
“The others were straightforward. Tasha is more complicated. She’s still a child and a foreign national. The relevant agencies are trying to contact her relatives in Australia to send her home.”
“That’s good.”
“But she lived with Leopard for so long. No one dares release her back into a normal environment. We’ve done personality and psychological assessments over the past two days—the results are very poor.”
Mu Dai listened quietly.
“Especially the hatred-based brainwashing Leopard imposed on her, specifically against Luo. I’ve consulted specialists. This kind of conditioning is extremely difficult to cure. The brain is the most complex organ. Even if she appears normal on the surface, she could still be like a ticking time bomb, detonating at some unpredictable moment.”
There was an implication there. Mu Dai turned to him. “So?”
“Before returning to Japan, I’ll go to Australia and place Tasha in a treatment facility. Until the threat she poses is resolved, I need to ensure she’s monitored and confined.”
That was reasonable. Mu Dai nodded, thought for a moment, then said, “Before Tasha is sent away, let me see her. I still need to confirm some things.”
She turned back toward the observation window.
But Aoki didn’t leave. He stayed there, staring at her.
Mu Dai sensed it and turned back, puzzled.
“I’ve heard about what happened at the factory, and we found Sasuke’s tools at Leopard’s hideout. You were also brainwashed. Your situation was even more difficult than Tasha’s.”
“So?” Mu Dai asked.
“How can I be sure you’re safe? How do I know you aren’t an even greater threat to Luo?”
Mu Dai laughed lightly and shrugged. “If you have the ability, then send me to a treatment facility too.”
“You won’t explain?”
“I don’t owe anyone an explanation.”
She stopped looking at Aoki. She gently breathed onto the glass again and carefully wrote two characters:
Peace.
Aoki fell silent.
Over the past two days, he had seen Zheng Mingshan’s connections and influence. Here, Zheng was far more powerful than he was. This Mr. Zheng would never allow him to do anything harmful to Mu Dai.
And if Luo woke up, he wouldn’t allow it either. Luo had even taken a bullet for her.
Footsteps sounded behind them—Zheng Mingshan had returned.
Sensing he wanted to speak privately with Mu Dai, Aoki politely bowed halfway in Japanese fashion and turned to leave.
Zheng Mingshan stepped up to the observation window.
Mu Dai said, “Senior brother.”
She had already seen his reflection in the glass.
Zheng Mingshan said, “Leopard was taken away by Interpol. To be precise—carried away.”
“Dead?” Mu Dai asked.
“The official assessment is: no longer capable of action, and poses no threat to others or society.”
He smiled slightly and handed her a tiny switch-like object.
Mu Dai took it, confused.
“It was found at the scene. Cut off Leopard by Cao Xiaopang. My friend and I examined it—it’s the detonator for a micro-explosive, usually used inside the human body. Since it belonged to Leopard, it was probably meant for either you or Luo Ren.”
Mu Dai raised an eyebrow, surprised.
“Luo Ren had a full body scan after being admitted. Nothing was found on him.”
So… it had been in her? She instinctively felt over herself.
“The components and wiring were removed. Just an empty shell left—keep it as a souvenir. As for the bomb itself, well—eat, drink, poop. Nature takes care of it.”
Mu Dai laughed softly. But as she laughed, her vision suddenly blurred.
“Senior brother… does our Luo Xiaodao still have hope of waking up?”
She paused for a second or two, steadying the overwhelming surge in her chest, then met Zheng Mingshan’s eyes directly.
“Senior brother, don’t comfort me. Tell me the truth. I can handle it.”
Zheng Mingshan made a sound of acknowledgment and pulled a crushed cigarette pack from his back pocket. He seemed about to light one, then remembered where they were and shoved it back.
“The truth? You can handle it?”
Mu Dai turned to him and nodded firmly. “I can.”
Zheng Mingshan looked at her.
In the past, Plum Blossom Ninth Lady had always spoken of this junior sister with a smile and indulgence. “Mu Dai, that little girl…”
Now, he could no longer call her a little girl.
She stood before him, shaped and tempered by countless hardships, worn smooth of childishness and naïveté, standing upright in her own hard-earned strength.
Like Plum Blossom Ninth Lady, she was tough to the core.
Zheng Mingshan said, “Then I’ll be honest. When I saw Luo Ren, given the amount of blood loss and the severity of his injuries, based on my experience, he shouldn’t have made it. He should have died.”
Mu Dai bit down hard on her lip.
Zheng Mingshan shrugged and tapped the glass with his knuckle.
“But look—he’s still lying there. You ask if there’s hope. From that moment on, heaven already gave you hope. It’s just that this hope is like a small wild animal—you don’t know if it’ll die halfway or grow up strong.”
At the end, he placed a hand on Mu Dai’s shoulder.
“Do your best, and leave the rest to fate. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. There are far more people in this world who lose lovers and family than you imagine. You’re not the unluckiest, and you won’t be the luckiest either. If Luo Ren comes back, then live your lives together. If he doesn’t… then live your life well.”
With that, he turned and left without looking back. He wasn’t good at these moments, or at comforting people.
He didn’t want Luo Ren to go—but what could be done? The world is vast, and individuals are small. People are born every day, and every day, some don’t see the next sunrise. Why should you be guaranteed luck? Why shouldn’t you face misfortune?
Heaven has no script for anyone. When you enter, when you exit—it’s all messy scribbles without order.
He walked all the way to the end of the corridor before stopping. He lit a cigarette, took a drag, and slowly exhaled.
At a time like this, a little liquor, some pig head meat, or peanuts would’ve been nice.
Footsteps approached behind him—it was Aoki.
Zheng Mingshan sighed. “I won’t say goodbye to my junior sister. Tell her I need to go back and handle our master’s funeral arrangements. Tell her not to rush back—take care of Luo Ren first. The living… are always more important than those who are already gone.”
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152