Heaven or h.e.l.l, Eighth Level: Sewers, A Stifled Voice—translated by Trespa.s.serby (proofread by elisa; C/E edited by lucathia)

“Solitary b.u.t.terfly, Dark Sun has been in a bad mood recently. Don’t start any fights with him.”

… You’re making it sound like I spend all day trying to pick fights with him. What’s he unhappy about this time?

“Aiya, you have a menstrual cycle, he also has a modification… going haywire cycle! Please don’t fight with him. Arguing with Dark Sun currently is completely pointless!”

I get it… How is there another robbery? What’s been going on lately? There’s been a ton of robberies! Dealing with robbers armed to the teeth is such a pain. Good thing this case is by both our boundaries. Do you want to go or should I?”

“What about Dragon Peace?”

He just went to deal with a robbery in the southern district! Don’t pick on him just because you know him!”

“Rock, paper…”

“Scissors.”

Scissors.

“Hmph… I’ll head over now.”

“Charles! Charles!”

This time¬, as soon as I heard that call, it did not matter how heavy my eyelids were. I immediately opened my eyes. I could not have known that as soon as I opened them I would be greeted by a scene I would never be able to forget.

The young master had been tied to a cross. His entire body had been wrapped in chains so that only his head was exposed.

I felt a burst of light-headedness. I could only weakly cry, “Y-Young Master, you…”

The young master lowered his head to look at me. He asked in confusion, “Charles, what happened?”

“It was Lieder!”

I struggled to stand up. I had just managed to prop myself on all fours, my knees on the floor, when the young master suddenly called out in a low voice, “Don’t move.” After I froze in shock, he asked doubtfully, “You don’t feel any pain?”

Pain? I lowered my head to look. Both of my palms had a chain going through the center and were badly mutilated. The chains were affixed to the floor. If I had not stopped trying to stand up, my palms might have already fallen to the ground in pieces.

“They’re on your feet too,” the young master warned.

I turned to look. My feet were also bound and similarly fixed to the ground. Only, unlike my palms, the chains had not gone through my flesh.

The chains looked like they were made of silver, or at the very least, silver-plated. I raised my head to reply to the young master, “It does not hurt at all. Perhaps it is because I have been injected with painkillers.”

“Oh.” The young master lowered his head to say, “It doesn’t hurt for me either. It’s probably also because of painkillers. How much did they even give me? I feel as light as a feather and very comfortable!”

No wonder the young master was not in a panic. Even his expression seemed a bit dazed.

“This is very bad.” The young master seemed to be trying hard to stay concentrated, but his eyes were hazy and were completely unable to focus. He asked, “The Lieder you were talking about is the university professor?”

“Yes!” I hastily relayed everything about Lieder’s plan from earlier to a.s.sa.s.sinate the Sun Emperor to the young master. However, I did not know how much the young master was able to take in. He seemed completely disoriented.

“Cell phone…” The young master had some difficulty concentrating enough to say, “Charles. Your phone is behind you on your right.”

I hurriedly turned. As expected, I saw the cell phone. But as soon as I picked it up, I said, discouraged, “Young Master, the cell phone’s battery has been removed.”

“Oh. Has it…?”

Seeing the color of the young master’s face, I asked with extreme worry, “Young Master, are you alright?”

“I feel fine. But my body doesn’t seem to be O.K. It’s a little hard to breathe. Also not feeling any discomfort is making it worse. I often forget to breathe… Charles, you should also take a look at yourself. You also don’t look quite right!”

I paused for a moment. Only then did I realize that I really was too calm. Under these circ.u.mstances, I should not be this level-headed.

I surveyed our surroundings. It was a fairly large s.p.a.ce, but the surroundings were exceptionally dark. There were only a few dim light bulbs. I could faintly make out that the walls and floor were old, damp, and covered with moss. It smelled rank.

The sole exit was a steel door with bars. For most people, this place would be difficult to escape from. However, it was nothing to the young master and me.

But would Lieder really allow us to escape so easily? I turned my head to ask, “Young Master. Lieder intends to kill the master. What should we do?”

“Gēge is very far away. There’s no way Lieder could have reached him so fast. Also, he won’t be able to meet with Gēge easily. So we just have to think of a way to hurry and escape so that he won’t have us as hostages. Then, we can call Gēge to warn him.”

Hearing this, I finally understood why the young master was not panicking. I quickly said, “In all likelihood, the master is already in Sunset City. In addition, he is going to meet Dr. Ni Cai. The doctor is Lieder’s accomplice!”

The young master froze and suddenly seemed more clear-headed as he shouted, “What? How did I not hear that Gēge was coming?”

“The master gave everyone an order to keep it from you. He wanted to give you a nice surprise.” I remorsefully apologized, “I am truly sorry. Because of a reason like ‘wanting to give you a nice surprise,’ I acted in accordance with the order.”

The young master helplessly said, “You really gave me a shock. Gēge really is, really is… Ah. Toss me your cell phone. Throw it somewhere around my head.”

“Understood.” I gave releasing my blood ability a try. Using my blood ability to hand over the cell phone is probably a better idea… No. I should directly use my blood ability to sever the chains! I really was under the influence of painkillers or I should have thought of it sooner.

“…”

“What’s wrong?” the young master asked doubtfully.

“My blood ability cannot cut through the chains.”

“These chains are very strong. Even my plasma hair strands would take some time to cut them. You should just throw the cell phone over. Just take care not to throw it too far to the side.”

I threw the cell phone to the young master. His silver hair suddenly grew explosively. Several strands shot toward the cell phone…

Crack!

I froze for a moment and said, “Young Master, the cell phone has shattered.”

“… I know.” The young master looked like he was about to cry, but no tears came out. He used his hair to hold the cell phone up before him. His hair was not glowing. It seemed it was not in energy weapon mode. But even so, the phone’s casing had already been crushed, and all that was left were the scattered components inside. I did not know if it could still be used.

“I don’t have very good control over my abilities right now. So that’s why I haven’t been using my plasma hair strands to break the chains. I’m worried I’ll cut myself in half too. You also probably shouldn’t use your blood ability carelessly either.”

“Understood.”

The young master’s hair floated. It wasn’t long before there was the sound of ringing. Those broken parts could actually be used to make a call!

“Are you calling the Sun Emperor?”

“I don’t know who I’m calling. It’s too hard for me to do precision work right now. So I randomly did some things. Let’s see if the call makes it through…”

A voice came from the cell phone, “Who is it?”

This seems to be a woman’s voice?

“Solitary b.u.t.terfly?” The young master quickly shouted, “Solitary b.u.t.terfly, is that you? Hurry and warn the Sun Emperor not to meet with anyone. There are people trying to a.s.sa.s.sinate him!”

The sounds that came through in response were very unclear and were filled with static. Only a few words could be made out with difficulty, “… Dark Sun, what are you… Where…”

“Someone wants to kill the Sun Emperor!” The young master kept repeating these few words. Perhaps ten minutes had pa.s.sed, but the static grew louder and louder. Finally, Solitary

b.u.t.terfly’s voice could not be heard at all, and he had no choice but to end the call.

“The connection is bad.” Annoyed, the young master said, “This place might be very deep in the sewers. I don’t know if Solitary b.u.t.terfly could hear what I was saying on her end. We’d still better hurry and escape…”

Speaking up to here, the young master suddenly went silent. Only when the sound of an explosion came from the components of the cell phone did he speak up again. “There was a listening device in there. Charles, did Lieder have your cell phone at some point? While he had it, did the phone ever leave your line of sight?”

I blurted out, “Lieder recently held my phone to put in his number. At that moment, his fountain pen dropped and I bent down to pick it up…”

Could Lieder have put the listening device in my phone then?

The young master sighed and said, “No wonder he knew the best time to make a move, and just so happened to strike after I had a surgery.”

Because of my negligence, I gave Lieder the opportunity to take advantage of me. This huge mistake can never be rectified… Lieder! You dared to use me to harm the young master!

“Charles!” The young master called out in a low shout, “There’s no time to blame yourself! Anyway, as long as Josh exists, this would have happened regardless. At most, the bug just gave Lieder a better understanding of when a good opportunity was. Right now, the most important thing is to escape!”

I nodded. I strove to put aside my feelings of rage. I had just been overly calm, but now I was filled with fury. It really was too easy for the painkillers to influence my state of mind. I truly had no idea how the young master was able to maintain control.

At that moment, the young master’s hair began to glow. The tendrils of hair were directly aiming at himself… I quickly shouted, “Wait a moment. Young Master, did you not say that you were worried about cutting yourself?”

“I don’t have time for that!”

I raised my hands and said, “Young Master, please cut my chains! If you cut yourself in half, then even if you escape, you will be unable to save the Sun Emperor. Therefore, please cut my chains!”

The young master went silent, then said, “O.K. Consider this your punishment for being careless. Afterward, you’re not allowed to blame yourself, and you’re definitely not allowed to say you’re resigning!”

“Yes!” I did not intend to resign. I only want to tear Lieder into a thousand pieces!

“Stick your arms out. Then don’t move. You absolutely cannot move!”

I followed his words. Once I moved, I did not move again.

Two streaks of white light flashed in front of and behind me respectively. Following that was a series of sounds as the chains fell to the ground.

“Charles?” The young master shouted in a panic, “Blood is coming from your chest!”

I lowered my head and touched it. I replied, “Just a flesh wound.” Although it had narrowly missed slashing my heart, even if it had, vampires were not so easy to kill.

“And your legs?”

I turned my head to look. The chains had been severed, but my calves had several deep gashes where bone could be seen. Quite a lot of blood had been vaporized by the plasma hair strands. Fortunately, the effect of the painkillers allowed me to feel nothing at all. I replied “They are fine,” and then stood up and walked to the young master’s side.

At this moment, the young master’s hair had stopped glowing and the young master said to me, “I can’t see where the end of the chain is. Take a look and wrap my hair around the weakest part of the end of the chain. Then let go.”

I looked around. Once I did as requested, there was a flash of white light and the chains around the young master fell away. He also dropped from the cross. I quickly dashed to catch him. The young master let out a soft gasp, and I hastily looked down. The young master’s face could not have possibly been paler… The casts on his legs are missing!

The young master could not utter a single word. Even if the anesthetics were still in effect, he seemed to still be in pain… Although the young master had not shown any sort of expression, his face was completely white, and his lips were purple. He had not shown any expression or cry of pain despite already being in this state. Why must he go so far to endure it?!

“Young Master, please do not force yourself to hold it in…”

Bang!

There suddenly came the sound of gunfire. Following that, a trickle of blood flowed down the young master’s forehead… Why must he always be hurt? What has he ever done wrong?

“Grab your weapons already! They’ve undone the chains!” A person shouted outside the gated door, “You f***ers aren’t getting away!”

I did not pay them any mind. I only looked down at the young master. The blood had flowed into his eyes. He shook his head and used his hand to wipe away the blood. He looked exhausted, but collected himself with great effort. He said, “Charles. Put me down. Then go to the farthest corner of the room. I’m going to use my hair to deal with them.”

I blurted out, “Young Master, how can I walk away and disregard you?!”

“Huh?” The young master was puzzled for a moment and explained, “You’re not disregarding me. It’s just that my control isn’t very good right now, and I could accidentally hurt you. So I want you to stand a bit farther away so I won’t hurt you by accident.”

You are in this much pain, but are still concerned about others?

“Hurry and move already. I still have to save Gēge… Ugh!” The young master suddenly frowned. He was unable to suppress his groan of pain. He extended a hand toward his knee, but did not dare to touch that area at all.

“Young Master!”

“I’m… Fine.” The young master growled angrily, “Move already!”

I gently placed the young master on the ground and said, “Young Master, please wait a moment.”

“Wait? Wait for what?” The young master froze.

I straightened up, materialized two rapiers, then charged at the steel door.

Behind the steel door was at least twenty fully armed people. As expected, Lieder would not allow us to walk out so easily. If my guess was correct, the bars on the door should have a high voltage current running through them; otherwise, the criminals would not have just given a verbal warning. At the very least, they would have first shot our legs.

“Charles!” Behind me, the young master cried out, “You don’t have to fight! I promised you! No matter the situation, you don’t have to…”

I looked back and smiled as I said, “Young Master, I do not have to fight. However, at this moment, I very much want to battle. You will not prevent me from doing what I wish, correct?”

“You want to fight?” The young master’s expression looked very strange, but it was still much better than his expression of suffering just earlier.

“Back off!” The criminals shouted a warning.

I turned my head to look at them, but I had no intention of negotiating. I used x-speed and rushed at the steel door from the side. At the same time, I increased the strength of the rapiers in my hands to the point where they could destroy steel. I used the force from x-speed and cut a Z-shape with the rapiers.

Because of x-speed, almost as soon as I finished cutting, I b.u.mped into the steel bars, and the door broke into four pieces. There was a current going through its surface as I had expected, but with enough speed, that brief contact with electricity was nothing to a vampire!

I burst into the middle of those people, bowling down several of them. But they did not lose their heads and immediately began shooting. Bullets flew at me from all directions. Are they not concerned at all about hitting their own people?

I slid slightly out of the way. A bullet brushed past my right shoulder. Immediately afterward, I flipped my body and leapt onto the ceiling. All the gun points followed me up, and many bullets

bullets screamed by.

With a step, I used x-speed to propel myself down like a projectile, brushing past numerous bullets. As I shot downward, I stepped on a person and swept out with a rapier in each hand. I did not know how many calves I cut into. I did not have the time to count.

As anguished howls arose, I retreated and used my back to ram into another person. Then I stepped on another person’s thigh and leapt back up to the ceiling. If I had heard correctly, that person’s femur should now be broken.

With my speed, I darted amongst them. Although it was difficult to avoid being hit by the occasional bullet, they were insignificant injuries.

Their numbers dwindled more and more.

“F***!”

“He’s really d.a.m.n fast!”

“Grab the other one… Hurry!”

Grab the other one…?

Young Master!

“Fire already. The other one isn’t weak either,” a person snarled at the same time as he opened fire at the young master.

I roared, “You will not harm the young master!”

I created a shield out of blood ability to stop the bullets. But I had no way of blocking the bullets that had already been fired. I dashed behind that person. One rapier stabbed him in the back of his neck beneath his helmet, and the other rapier went into his spine at his waist.

Through the blood ability shield, I could see the young master using both his hands to cover his face. In addition, there were two bullets caught between his arms!

He shouted out a warning, “Charles, dodge!”

I slide stepped, but I had already taken too long. My back was riddled with quite a few bullets. Although I had spread a shield of blood ability behind me, the vast majority of my blood ability had already gone in front of the young master to protect him. The rest had been transformed into the rapiers. The thin blood ability shield could not block many bullets.

But I was not worried. Even if they were silver bullets, taking a few bullets would not hinder me too much. Under the influence of the painkillers, I did not even feel the pain.

I turned around. I will not let these people escape. Any of them! They dared to fire on the young master… All of them must die!

The blood-colored rapiers swept out, and what sprayed everywhere was a curtain of blood. I stepped in the pool of blood. Then, I made more pools of blood. The color red stained everything in view… Before I realized it, there was no one left standing beside me anymore.

Raising my rapiers, I looked all around me to confirm there truly was no one else around before putting away my rapiers. Then, I returned to the young master’s side.

The young master’s eyes were wide. He exclaimed, “Charles. You’re really fast! Even with my ligaments changed, I can’t reach that speed!”

As I knelt down, I said, “The young master certainly can.”

“No way. The numbers were calculated by a computer. After switching out my ligaments, I’m probably only…” While the young master was speaking, I lifted him up in one go. He frowned. Even with his attention elsewhere, he apparently was still in pain.

“Let’s go! Carry me on your back. We have to hurry and warn Gēge.”

“Yes.” I carried the young master on my back and rushed out the gated door, but I did not know where to go. I hurriedly asked, “Young Master, which direction should I take?”

The young master said, “Break through the ceiling and go straight up!”

This is indeed the fastest way. I nodded and said, “Then, I will first find a place to set you down.”

“You don’t need to put me down. Just punch straight through! Hurry!”

Hearing this, I created rapiers that were much larger than usual. I had the blood shield block my front again so that the young master would not be accidentally injured by the debris. Following that, I jumped up and attacked. When I pierced the ceiling, I heard a faint bursting sound. This sound is clearly growing more p.r.o.nounced…

“d.a.m.n it! There’s a bomb!”

As soon as the young master finished speaking, the bomb’s flame and heat came directly at us. I could only instantaneously change the rapiers I had just been using to attack into a second blood shield. But the two blood shields were unable to block the explosive force and shattered one after the other.

Using the time the blood shields bought, I turned my body around to protect the young master, hoping I could use my back to block the brunt of the explosion.

The rumbling kept going. Smoke and dust filled the air. My surroundings were very hot. I breathed in so much searing air, my lungs seemed like they were going to burst. As soon as I opened my mouth to speak, the thick smoke choked me to the point where I could not fully speak, “Cough… Cough cough! Y-Young Master!”

There was no response. I hurriedly checked the young master’s condition. The young master’s eyes were closed but thankfully he was still breathing… Why do I always have to be thankful for things as basic as this?

Still alive! The young master is still alive, just in so much pain that he fainted. Is this still something to be grateful for?

Cradling the young master, I was deeply afraid there were more bombs. I could only make my blood ability shield as strong as possible, and then rush upward, carving holes in the ceilings the whole way, until the ceiling was really too thick and could not be broken through. I could only look around me for another way out.

Suddenly, I stopped where I was. Sounds were coming from far away… An enemy? I hid in the shadows. Carrying the young master made it inconvenient to take action, and I did not want the young master to suffer any more injuries.

“Dark Sun! Dark Sun, are you there?”

This voice… The light of a flashlight grew closer and closer, along with over ten fully armed people. It seemed like too many to handle, but the voice was so familiar… If I did not respond, then I would have to spend a long time before I could manage to leave.

“Dark Sun…”

“Yue Gang, is that you?” I specifically used a vampire ability to call out. The source of the echoing roar would be very hard to locate.

The ten or so people stopped. The person at the very front took off his helmet and mask. It really was Yue Gang, who I could not be any more familiar with.

“Charles?” He peered left and right.

A person beside him said to him, “Don’t take off your helmet! It’s dangerous!”

“Shut it!” Yue Gang shot back and then shouted loudly again, “Charles—”

I stepped out of the shadows, saying, “Here.”

They all froze. Yue Gang rushed forward. As soon as he saw me, he froze. An angry expression soon came across his face. He roared, “What the h.e.l.l were you doing? How’d you end up looking like a roast turkey?! T-The person you’re carrying is…”

“I-Is the young master. Please save him!” I said stammering. Breathing was difficult. Did I inhale too much of the smoke earlier? Or is it an effect of the painkillers… Perhaps it is both!

“Give him to me! I’ll carry him!” Yue Gang put his hands out. “You really look a whole d.a.m.n lot like a vampire right now. Your face is as white as paper!”

I turned and shook my head at him. He did not understand the young master’s situation. It would be bad if he put the young master in pain by jostling the young master’s knees.

“D-Does your phone work?” I said, “Someone intends to a.s.sa.s.sinate the Sun Emperor. It’s Doctor Ni Cai. Inform them…”

Yue Gang was stunned. He turned his head to shout, “Hurry and call the higher ups to notify them!”

Following them, it was not long before we finally returned to the surface. Yue Gang and the others had two armed vehicles. Inside were all sorts of emergency equipment. It was comparable to an ambulance.

I sat beside the car. Because breathing was difficult, they brought a ventilator for me to put on. The young master was lying on a stretcher. Of course, he had already been put on a ventilator along with all sorts of diagnostic equipment. Aside from an elevated heart rate and burns to his extremities, there seemed to be no major

no major issues. It really was a relief.

Yue Gang frowned as he looked at the young master, saying, “Both you and your little brother have to get to the hospital immediately. Your back is all scorched… Ah, he’s not your little brother! Tch! Whatever! Take it!” As he finished speaking, he handed over several bags of blood plasma.

Indeed, they were what I needed the most at the moment. I took off the ventilator and began to suck. After I finished a bag, I shook my head and explained, “He has only fainted. He does not need to be sent to the hospital.” And cannot be sent to the hospital. It will be bad if they discover the state of the young master’s body.

“That said, didn’t your brother just fall off a building?”

I froze. I had almost forgotten about that. I hastily said, “Please do not say that aloud!”

“’Please’ what? The whole world knows!” Yue Gang irritably said, “I just told my bros they’re not allowed to mention it and to treat it like nothing happened. Don’t worry.”

“Thank you,” I thanked him sincerely.

“Your whole family’s full of secrets!” He scolded.

I looked at him. I just quietly said, “Sorry.”

Yue Gang scratched his head and sat down next to me. He said, “I thought you were pretending to be timid… T-Tell me honestly. Are you really a vampire? This is the first time I’ve ever seen a d.a.m.n vampire putting on a ventilator!”

“I am a vampire. But my occupation is that of a butler. Butlers do not need to be very strong…”

“You’re a d.a.m.n vampire and you don’t need to be strong? This is the first time I’ve heard anything like that!” Yue Gang rubbed his temples and said, “But why do those words sound so convincing coming out of your mouth? I thought you were purposefully faking being weak and laughing behind my back at what a sucker I was. I never thought you were really were that weak!”

“I am not that weak. However, I absolutely was not laughing at you.”

“Who would have thought?” Yue Gang huffed, “Not weak? Then why do you look like a roasted turkey?”

“Just a moment of carelessness.”

“Not paying attention for a moment and you turn into a roast turkey. Just a tiny slip up and you’re ready to be served on a table. You really were too d.a.m.n careless!”

“I agree.” A moment of carelessness had allowed Lieder to install a listening device. A moment of carelessness and we were drugged. It was a moment of carelessness to think the heavily armed people were the final obstacle and to completely fail to notice the bomb…

“Why the long face?” Yue Gang had not changed his demonstrative habits. As he spoke, he slapped my back.

…

“Shoot! I forgot your back has burns all over it. Hey hey! You’re O.K., right?”

I smiled. “I am fine.”

Unexpectedly, Yue Gang stared at me with wide eyes. “You smiling looks uglier than crying, and you’re still saying everything’s fine?”

Hearing those words, I suddenly remembered something that I could do. I quickly asked, “Could I borrow your cell phone?”

Yue Gang shrugged and pulled out a cell phone.

As soon as the call connected, an extremely guarded voice came through the phone, “Who is this?”

“Curtis, it is I.”

“Family Head?” Curtis’s voice held some doubt, “Did you change numbers? Or perhaps it is only an additional number? Regardless, Sunset City has been chaotic recently. Please—”

I cut him off, saying, “I must trouble you to help me find a person… No! Three people.”

“Understood. Please speak and I will report back to you as soon as possible within the next few days.”

“Find them now! I need their whereabouts immediately!”

The other end of the call went silent before speaking. “Understood. If it is your wish, I can directly a.s.sist you in getting rid of them. Please do not involve yourself in anything dangerous.”

Getting rid of them… I was silent for a while and then said, “Find their locations first. If you can apprehend them, then directly getting rid of them is fine as well.”

“Understood!”

I hung up. Yue Gang curiously asked, “Who was that?”

“My cousin’s grandson.”

“… What the heck?!”

“My successor. He is the family head of an influential family of butlers, and is quite influential.”

“So you’re willing to talk now?” Yue Gang had a fierce expression and huffed several times.

I lowered my head and said, “I cannot speak about everything. I can tell you about my matters, but not of the young master’s. Therefore, I must still keep you in the dark about many things. For you to cut ties with me is an entirely appropriate choice.”

“Cut ties?” Yue Gang froze for a moment. Then he growled, “Who’s cutting ties with you? You think you’re a diplomat, do you? Cutting ties!”

I looked at him in astonishment, asking, “But you would not even answer my calls. Is that not the meaning of cutting ties?”

“So it’s not O.K. to be angry for a bit after being tricked for so long? Let me tell you, I’m still angry! Don’t think that there’s nothing wrong!” After Yue Gang shouted that, he shouted some more, “Drink your blood already! Your entire body looks like roast turkey. You think it’s a good look?!”

Hearing that, I lowered my head to drink. As I was doing so, I was not doing anything else, so I just observed Yue Gang. He seemed to be covered in equipment from head to toe. I said in praise, “You look just like RoboCop.”

“What cop?”

My apologies. I should not have a.s.sumed that other people would enjoy watching old hero movies like I do.

“It is nothing.” I shook my head and said, “You spent more money to buy equipment.”

“No I didn’t! This is the standard NC uniform.”

I looked at him with great skepticism. How could such high grade equipment be provided as a police department uniform? Even if it is for a special squad?

“… I just spent some money to upgrade it.”

“Not enough money to eat again?” I asked, not quite smiling.

“It’s just that… It’s none of your business anyway!”

“That is true.” I lowered my head to drink and said in a low voice, “The lady proprietor of the noodle stall said that she thinks of you. You should go there occasionally to eat noodles and chat.”

“I don’t have money to eat noodles!”

“The owner said she would let you open a tab. When you have money, just go back and pay off the tab.”

“The owner said that?”

“Yes, the owner said that.” But I would be paying the tab.

Yue Gang huffed a few times, and I did not know what he was thinking. However, at this moment, a sound came from behind me. I hurriedly turned my head to look. The young master had awoken. He was currently moving in a panic, seemingly wanting to sit up. I hastily climbed up into the vehicle and shouted, “Young Master!”

The young master removed the ventilator, softly calling out, “What about Gēge?”

I lightly said, “Young Master, please relax. We have already notified the master.”

Only then did the young master calm down.

I asked uneasily, “Young Master, how do you feel?”

“Very tired,” the young master calmly stated.

“Sleep if you’re tired!” Yue Gang also climbed into the vehicle.

The young master smiled as he said, “Yue Gang, you haven’t come over to our place to play for a while now.”

Yue Gang scratched his face. “I’ll go when I’m done dealing with stuff for now. Xiǎodì, your complexion is really terrible. Your brother’s a vampire, so he’s supposed to have a pale face. But you’re a human! With a face that pale, have you even been eating properly?”

“Yes…”

“Yue Gang! It’s terrible!” A shout came from outside the car, immediately followed by a head sticking in.

“What’s terrible this time?!” Yue Gang muttered, “All day long, things are terrible. I really don’t know when things will ever be fine.”

The other person was fl.u.s.tered. “When we notified them, we found out the Sun Emperor had already been…”

Yue Gang shot a look at the other person and said, “I’ll come down and we can continue talking.”

After Yue Gang and the other person had left, the young master’s expression darkened instantly. He said to me, “Give me a phone.”

I hastily exited the vehicle and borrowed a cell phone from Yue Gang. The young master dialed and said, “Kyle-gē, give me a report on my brother’s status.”

The young master listened tomaster listened to the phone for some time and then said to me, “We were a step too late. Although Gēge is hiding in the special safe room, the criminals also made it in. Charles, pick me up so we can leave here while Yue Gang and the others haven’t come back.”

I froze for a moment, and extremely carefully lifted up the young master. He did not utter a sound, but I did not believe that he was not in pain. Perhaps he is simply enduring it again?

After I left the vehicle while carrying the young master, I suddenly came to a realization. I quickly asked, “Young Master. You are not thinking of going to where the master is, are you?”

The young master said without the slightest hesitation, “Of course! Kyle-gē and I are the only ones who don’t need to destroy the special safe room to get in. Gēge gave me the highest authority. Charles, this is good enough. You can put me down. I have to stand up on my own.”

I froze, and reflexively looked at the young master’s knees. But instead I saw that the pants around his calves had been burned to tatters and his legs were black in some places and red in others. Many places had burns. In addition, he was covered in dust from head to toe. His clothes were also extremely ripped up…

I held Yue Gang’s cell phone in my hand, dialed, and after the call connected, pressed the b.u.t.ton for speaker. Because I was holding the young master in my hands, I did not have a way to hold the cell phone up to my ear.

“Secretary Kyle, this is Charles.”

“I’m very busy. Talk fast.”

“The young master has just undergone a modification operation and is unable to stand up. However, he insists on going to save the master. I would like to ask, is it necessary?”

“Whether it’s necessary or not, the young master will not agree to stay back. That is a pointless question… You said he is unable to stand?”

“Indeed.”

“Then don’t let him go and cause trouble!” Secretary Kyle irritably said.

“Charles!” The young master seemed to have reacted. He shouted, “What are you saying? I have to go to where Gēge is!”

I shook my head and said, “Young Master, you cannot even stand. Where you should be going is the hospital.”

“I have to go to Gēge! Kyle-gē!”

Secretary Kyle’s helpless voice came over the phone, “Young Master, if you were hearty and hale, I would have no way to stop you. However, if you are unable to stand, your going would be a liability.”

“I can stand!” the young master yelled furiously.

“Charles, take the young master to the general hospital. Mr. An Te Qi is there.”

“Yes.”

I carried the young master and turned around to head for the general hospital. Mr. An Te Qi should be able to treat the young master’s injuries.

“Charles! Put me down! I have to go save Gēge!”

“Forgive me, but I cannot follow that order.”

The young master was stunned for a moment. He roared, “Charles! I am your master. I order you—”

“Forgive me, but I cannot follow that order!” I cut off the young master’s words.

The young master was silent for a while. Then he said, “Charles, if you don’t put me down, I will have to attack you.”

I was stunned. My footsteps did not stop. I only advised, “I cannot follow that order! Young Master, you cannot even stand up. So you will be of no use if you go.”

“I can’t not go!” The young master roared, “That’s my only Gēge! Furthermore, it is engraved into the microchip in my head that the only reason I exist is to protect Gēge, no matter the cost. Even if it’s my own life!”

After he finished shouting, the young master pushed me and leapt. Perhaps he had been planning on standing up, but his knees were completely unable to support him. He fell to the floor and yelled in pain.

“Young Master!”

I hastily went to support him. However, the young master forcefully brushed aside my hand. He slowly bent his knees, as if trying to stand. But he could only kneel on the floor. Even after a long time, he was unable to stand. He could only lower his head, silver hair covering his face. I could not see his expression. But I could see that his entire body was shaking slightly.

Going this far to appear strong…

“Young Master, you cannot walk.”

The young master did not raise his head. He only growled, “I have to walk! I have to save Gēge! You and Kyle-gē don’t understand… I absolutely cannot not go!”

Saying that, he raised his right leg with a sudden force and finally slowly stood up. However, as his other leg tried to support him, he slipped. I hurriedly went to support him so he would not fall down once more.

The young master waved me away. However, I was gripping him firmly. I would not let him fall again.

Following that, the young master’s hair began floating. The strands wound around my neck. He turned his head away, not looking at me, and just yelled, “Let go! Or else, or else…”

I did not know how to respond. Only, I felt my heart ache from the young master’s actions. I smiled bitterly as I said, “Or else you truly will kill me?”

The young master turned his head. He did not directly reply to my question. Instead, he repeated himself once more, “I have to go save Gēge, no matter the cost. Even if it’s my own life… Yes! I won’t hesitate to kill you. Let go of me now!”

The silver hair wrapped tighter as a warning. However, as the hair wrapped tighter and his fierce words were said, his expression was wrong.

Young Master, crying while threatening someone really is, really is… Really is too effective.

My heartache from just earlier vanished, only leaving behind the att.i.tude that a butler should not let his employer be in a difficult situation. I proposed, “Young Master, if you would allow me to replace you in battle, then I will bring you there. In your current state, I am afraid you are not as strong as I am.”

The young master stopped. He asked, confused, “Y-You want to battle? Charles, have the painkillers not worn off yet? You’re really being very strange!”

I also did not know if the painkillers’ effects had worn off yet. Perhaps they had not, since the wounds on my body still did not hurt that much. However, I clearly understood that my decision was not because of the painkillers.

The young master shook his head and said, “No matter what, I promised you that you are a butler and not a hitman. Butlers do not need to fight!”

I calmly requested, “Then, please permit me to have a side job.”

“A side job?” the young master asked, stunned.

“Yes, may I ask if you are willing to spend an additional fifty thousand yuan to hire me as a hitman?”

“… Why fifty thousand yuan?”

“Because I broke the TV wall, I was arrested by the police and the bail was fifty thousand yuan. I escaped before the fifty thousand yuan was paid.”

The young master laughed until tears came out of his eyes. He finally nodded and said, “Mm. Fifty thousand yuan it is!”

I supported the young master so that he could sit on the ground. Then I crouched down so my back faced him, saying, “In that case, Young Master, please let me carry you on my back.”

In the end, I was still persuaded by the young master. I did not know if this decision was right or not. If bringing the young master there led to him being injured or… I was afraid that this mistaken decision would result in a lifetime of regret.

But if I did not bring the young master there, my regrets would begin now.

Once there was a weight on my back, I carried the young master in the opposite direction, that is, toward the business district.

On the way, the young master’s voice, choked with emotion, came from my back, “I’m sorry. I broke my promise and made you go fight. It won’t happen again.”

I had never thought before that “being treated like a hitman by my employer” could actually be something that brought me happiness.

“I am glad that you have entrusted the reason you exist to me.”