Chapter 729
Chapter 729
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 729
>Chapter Title: Hand-Made Figure
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Facing Li Huowang's actions, Yuan Heping just wanted to pull his hand back. However, Li Huowang's foot was firmly stepping on his wrist, rendering him completely immobile.
“Don't, don't, don't!”
When the sharp knife edge sliced through the skin on his hand, Li Huowang paused. He stared into Yuan Heping's eyes and asked, word by word,
“Tell me. Who exactly are you people!? Your identities! Your purposes!”
“I... I don't know!” Yuan Heping said, his face the picture of innocence.
“We few finally banded together and escaped from the mental hospital. Taking advantage of the night when no one was around, we planned to come out and scavenge for food.”
“Bullshit! You think I'd believe that crap? Then why'd you run!”
Yuan Heping spoke, on the verge of tears.
“You... you're chasing me with a kitchen knife like some lunatic—who wouldn't run!”
At that moment, Qian Fu suddenly rushed over and glared viciously at him.
“You're not fooling anyone! We've seen through you ages ago! You Leo constellation alien! You've come to Earth to claim it for yourselves, haven't you? We've got your number!”
Hearing this, Yuan Heping froze. He glanced first at Qian Fu, then at Li Huowang. He nodded frantically right after.
“Yes, yes, yes! I'm a Leo alien! We've come to Earth this time to occupy it!”
Li Huowang's face twitched at those words. The hand gripping the knife pressed downward, and blood began seeping from Yuan Heping's fingertips.
“Will you talk or not!”
“What exactly do you want me to say!” Yuan Heping looked like he was about to burst into tears.
“Why were you tailing me! Why'd you put needles in my food! Don't you dare say you had nothing to do with it!!! ”
“Okay! Fine, fine!! You're right—it was me. I put the needles in your food. It was all me!”
“Why? What's your goal!! Why are you spying on me!”
“Because... because...” Yuan Heping, drenched in sweat, racked his brains for an excuse.
Just as he drew a total blank after an eternity, Qing Wanglai approached from the side with a kindly smile and helped Yuan Heping to his feet.
“Don't jump to conclusions that it's definitely him. He might just be a pitiful pawn being used.”
Yuan Heping broke free from Li Huowang's grasp and immediately cowered behind Qing Wanglai, trembling nonstop.
“Come on, have some water. Relax.”
Seeing Qing Wanglai's demeanor, Li Huowang opened his mouth to object but caught himself at once. He'd played the bad cop—now it was time for the good cop.
If the tough approach wasn't cutting it, maybe the soft one would.
To give his partner a better shot, Li Huowang channeled a TV drama villain. He raised the kitchen knife with a ferocious grimace and dragged his tongue along the bloodstained blade.
His act clearly hit the mark—Yuan Heping shrank back even farther in terror.
Not just him; everyone except Yang Na edged away a little more. Unease flickered in their eyes as they watched Li Huowang.
“I'm just putting on a show to spook him,” Li Huowang whispered by way of explanation to Yang Na.
Yang Na eyed the bespectacled man chatting with Qing Wanglai, worry creasing her brow.
“Does he really have no idea?”
“No way. Once might be coincidence, twice? World's a big place—and on a night like this, he just happens to run into me?”
“He knows plenty. He's just clamming up!!”
“This guy's tied to those people for sure. Let's see how Qing Wanglai handles him. If he can't crack the bastard, don't blame me for getting rough!”
Li Huowang spat the words through clenched teeth before turning to rummage through Zhao Lei's cluttered house for tools he'd need shortly.
Likely due to his hand-made figures and models, Zhao Lei's place was stocked with knives. The selection wasn't ideal for Li Huowang's tastes, but it'd have to do.
As Li Huowang began honing a blade against the sink's rim, Qing Wanglai's interrogation wrapped up.
He fished a fat stack of red bills from his wallet and slapped them into Yuan Heping's palms. The man's panicked expression eased considerably.
“He's just a low-level errand boy, cluelessly doing odd jobs. He doesn't even realize our world's a projection.”
Li Huowang had heard enough of that spiel. He just wanted answers.
“Did he say who's giving him his orders?”
Qing Wanglai offered no reply. Instead, he turned toward Wang Gang, who lay on the floor looking half-dead.
Clearly, this guy who'd been playing possum the whole time was the real ringleader.
Li Huowang approached Wang Gang, sharp tool glinting coldly in hand. The man slowly cracked his eyes open, a wry smile creeping across his face.
Compared to Yuan Heping, Wang Gang had zero interest in playacting.
“Never figured I'd go down to some little girl. She seemed like a total pushover—turns out she's a tough nut.”
Li Huowang perked up at that. Finally dropping the act?
The others picked up on it too and crowded in close, eager to hear what came next.
“I know what you're after. I'll talk—but once I do, you'll let me go?”
“Sure. Out with it.”
Wang Gang shook his head at Li Huowang's response.
“Your word's worthless. I'm asking him.” His finger jabbed toward Qing Wanglai.
Qing Wanglai nodded in agreement.
“Deal. I promise—after you spill, I'll get you out of the country.”
With that, Wang Gang finally loosened his lips.
“Yeah, we were assigned to keep tabs on Li Huowang. That's the gig.”
“Who gave the orders?” Li Huowang's pulse quickened.
“Our bosses. Never saw their faces—orders came via notes.”
“What do they want? Why me?”
“No clue. Something about you being the trickiest to handle.”
Li Huowang gnashed his teeth.
“I knew it!”
“Peng!” A rustling of fabric sounded from behind. Li Huowang whipped around to see Zhao Lei frantically searching for something, face etched with anxiety.
“What the hell's your problem?” Wu Qi demanded, cigarette dangling from her lips.
“My stuff's gone! It was right here! It's fake—why take it!”
Li Huowang tuned him out and pressed Qing Wanglai, eyes fixed on Wang Gang.
“What else you got?”
Wang Gang shot Zhao Lei a look, pondered briefly, then spoke.
“I know something else... One of you's been turned. Working for them as a traitor.”
“What?! Who's the rat?”
Li Huowang zeroed in on Wang Gang's mouth as it parted. That's when he caught his reflection in the man's eyes.
Li Huowang snapped his head around. Zhao Lei loomed there, hoisting a watermelon-sized bottled ship model high and swinging it viciously at his skull.
“Why steal my stuff!! It's all mine!!”
Zhao Lei's blow was inches from connecting when the ship inside bobbed with the water. An ant-sized wooden figurine aboard—tiny sword in hand—slammed into the glass via momentum.
Crack! The bottle shattered outright, dousing Li Huowang's face in its contents.
White-hot rage surged through him. He released the kitchen knife with one hand and snatched the plummeting model.
“You dare bushwhack me!”
Li Huowang smashed the wooden ship square into Zhao Lei's face. The whole model exploded into shards.
The figurine's minuscule wooden sword plunged straight into Zhao Lei's eye.
(End of chapter)