398: 7.88 An Eye For An Eye?

7.88 An Eye For An Eye?

Sometimes, instinct was really a scary thing.  2

Lu Yizhou had had the feeling that something like this would happen. If he were to put himself in Zion's position, against an enemy that was stronger, had better resources and sharper wits, what would he do? He would search for a weak link first.

Lu Yizhou's first thought was that Zion would try to target him because it was apparent that Moshe treated him differently from others. But then, if Zion really attained the original plot, he would notice that 'Aiden' was not supposed to exist anywhere near Moshe. Adding on to the incident at the charity auction, if Zion still had a few good brain cells, he would realize that targeting Lu Yizhou was not the best option.

But then if not Lu Yizhou… then who?

[666: Sheesh, Host. 666 doesn't know whether to call you brilliant or terrifying.]

The corner of Lu Yizhou's lips twitched as he looked at the moving coordination on the phone screen. It was not Aiden's phone, of course. Let alone using GPS, that phone couldn't even sustain any messaging application. The phone Lu Yizhou was holding onto was Ezra's — one of his spare, to be exact.

For the daring act he had attempted toward Moshe last night, Lu Yizhou couldn't not teach him a lesson or else his heart wouldn't be at ease. He had planned to kill Ezra by shooting him the same way as how he tried to shoot Moshe but in the end, Lu Yizhou thought of better use of him. 

Ezra wouldn't be able to exact his revenge if not for Moshe's help, so it would be reasonable for him to pledge his life and loyalty to Moshe, right? Well, if the process to rope him into the act involved sneaking into his house at wee hours in the morning after making sure that Moshe was sound asleep, a few good punches here and there, as well as alternating between soft and harsh threatening remarks, then nobody ought to know that except Lu Yizhou, 666 and Ezra himself.

"I don't need you to do anything difficult." Lu Yizhou had said to him last night after he had beaten Ezra black and blue. "From now on, you will follow Kaede. I don't care what kind of method you use. As soon as you realize something is off, immediately send me a signal of your last location. Understand?"

Ezra nodded and wiped the blood off his lips. "Y–Yes…" 

So here he was, having his gut feeling proven right as soon as the news of Kaede's disappearance reached Moshe's ears. Lu Yizhou let out a sigh. The coordinate was still moving, meaning that Ezra had either hid himself very well of the enemy was too stupid not to notice his presence.

"Brother…" A voice drifted from the side and Lu Yizhou lifted his head to see Cheryl looking at him worriedly. She reached out to smooth Lu Yizhou's forehead with her little fingers. "Is everything okay? You have these thick lines here."

Lu Yizhou subconsciously opened his mouth to assure her that everything was okay. But then, he recalled that Cheryl was not really a nine years old child. She had been a future Emperor, an ancient mirror, and a sentient sword. Even now Lu Yizhou himself was still not certain of her true capability. "Cheryl…" For fear that someone would be close enough to listen in on them, Lu Yizhou had no choice but to twist his words. "It seems like… something big will happen soon."

Cheryl scooted forward and snuggled closer to him. To others, she might have looked like a child seeking comfort but in fact, she was whispering into Lu Yizhou's ear. "Do you think that we will be able to leave this world soon?"

Lu Yizhou was taken aback. He looked around to see a few guards standing along the main hallway they were in now. He beckoned Cheryl to follow him and led her back to her room. At least the possibility of being eavesdropped was infinitesimal here. 

They sat side by side on the couch as Lu Yizhou followed up with the topic, "What makes you think that we will leave soon?"

"It's just that…" Cheryl hummed and hawed, twiddling with the hem of her dress. "It seems like we are reaching the end of the plot. I can sense it. The simulator is preparing itself for the final stage and after that, the exit portal will open."

"You can sense something like that?" Lu Yizhou blinked in surprise. "Then can you go in and out of the simulator as you please?"

"En!" Cheryl nodded firmly. "As long as I don't cause a huge disturbance to the main code and your mission, I will be able to do whatever I want. This world is a bit unusual because it's the first time the protagonist has attained true enlightenment. That's why the simulator will be working to get rid of him as soon as the mission is completed in case he will breach into the main system like he did before."

That's one good news, a small portion of tension promptly loosened from Lu Yizhou's body. After getting rid of Regius and Cruz these two bugs, Lu Yizhou had been concerned that Zion would eventually become a newly evolved bug. It was good that the simulator was actively trying to repair the anomaly. He asked to confirm, "So… as long as the mission is completed then I don't have to worry about the protagonist, is what you're trying to say?"

"Uh-uh," she confirmed and gave him a thumbs up.

Unable to resist her adorable solemn face, Lu Yizhou reached out to squish her chubby cheeks. Cheryl sputtered and swatted his hand away, pink dusting across her cheekbones. "Daddy! I am not a child anymore!"

"You will always be." Lu Yizhou had thought that he wouldn't be able to see his and Oliver's daughter again after leaving the third world, but here she was. A miracle that wouldn't cease to amaze him every single time. Lu Yizhou patted her head gently."I think I haven't told you this before… but I am so glad to see you again, little bean."

'Little bean' had been the teasing nickname Oliver called her everytime he bemoaned how fast she was growing up. He would say, "Little bean, you're still so tiny a few months ago! How did you get so big all of a sudden?" "Little bean, don't grow up to be so tall like your Daddy, okay?" "Little bean, Mommy loves you the most!" 

Cheryl must be thinking about it too because her eyes got covered by a layer of mist, even though she desperately tried to hide it by puffing her cheeks in anger. "Bad Daddy, I have told you countless times not to call me like that anymore!" When Lu Yizhou let out a quiet chuckle and wiped the dampness away from the corner of her eyes, Cheryl suddenly said in a quiet tone. "Actually, I really miss Mommy. I know Brother Moshe is Mommy too but—" She groaned in frustration. "Is that weird? To miss someone even though he's right in front of you?"

"It is not," Lu Yizhou told her gently. Maybe the only one who could understand Cheryl's feelings the most was Lu Yizhou. Was that not the reason why he had been trying so hard to gather all the broken pieces of his lover? "I miss him too." 

Lu Yizhou gathered her into an embrace and stroked her small back in comfort. "I promise… someday, he will wake up and remember you."

Cheryl giggled. "I can't wait for that to happen!"

The peaceful atmosphere around them was shattered by the arrival of commotion outside. Lu Yizhou's sharp ears caught Moshe's voice amidst the chaos and he sounded… upset. Sigh, which motherfucker was stressing him out again? "It's getting close to bedtime for good children. Lock your door and go to sleep." Cheryl sputtered in protest but Lu Yizhou gave her a serious look and patted her head for the last time before going to the source of the commotion.

A group of people had gathered in the main foyer and Lu Yizhou's eyes immediately zeroed in on Moshe's figure amidst the crowd. In one glance, Lu Yizhou could tell that something was off with Moshe's expression. The closer Lu Yizhou was, the more he could catch snippets of conversation.

"...what if it is Kaede?"

"What do they mean by sending us this? An eye for an eye?!"

"I really don't know, Boss! This… This has been left by the courier in front of our hotel's receptionist!"

"And the courier?"

"We have investigated him. He's only doing his job! He confessed that the package was delivered to him by a middle aged man who paid a hefty sum!"

"Then what are you waiting for? Go and find that man!"

"Excuse me. Please let me through." Lu Yizhou inserted himself into the circle. The people who knew that he was Moshe's pet instantly gave way and those who knew that Lu Yizhou was the one who had single handedly kidnapped Cruz out of Cobalt Fang's basecamp inclined their head in respect. As for the high ranked members in the clan whom Moshe had dubbed as old farts, they immediately eyed Lu Yizhou in disdain. Not that he would care either way.

Lu Yizhou's gaze instantly landed on the small tattered box on the ground. It was wrapped akin to a gift box, complete with the elegant decorative paper. However, the paper had been speckled with blood in a few places and in the middle of it… was a pair of freshly dug eyeballs.

Lu Yizhou furrowed his brow. [Can you match the DNA on the eyeballs to see whom they belong to?]

[666: O–Oh, wait a moment, 666 will try to do that. Host, can you get further away please? 666's screen is mosaicked due to the gore QAQ…]

Lu Yizhou turned away to exit the circle of chaotic discussion and fished out the phone in his pocket. The coordinate had not stopped moving even though it was steadily getting further and further away from the city so how could it be Kaede's eyeballs that got sent here? Moreover the location they were heading to… sounded familiar somehow…

[666: Host, Host, it's that location!]

When realization dawned on Lu Yizhou, he couldn't help cursing. This fucker Zion… he was really befitting of his title as the madman! Lu Yizhou lifted his head and met Moshe's eyes through a throng of people. Oh… not good. Lu Yizhou would kill to erase that haunted look from Moshe's face forever.

Now that he had a hunch on what Zion was planning to do, Lu Yizhou wasted no time to march toward Moshe and grabbed his hand in front of everyone. In an instant, there was a pin drop silence as everyone's eyes landed on them — or to be exact, on their interlaced fingers. 

"Everyone, listen." Lu Yizhou raised his voice so that everyone could hear him, albeit his eyes did not stray from Moshe at all. He squeezed the man's icy cold fingertips. "I know where they have taken Kaede to. There's no time to explain. We have to go."

.

.

.

Mini theater

Cheryl, who had been left alone in her room, rolled around the bed in frustration. "Aaaah, this is all my fault! Why did I think to choose such a small body?! I should have entered the body of one of Mommy's men!" But then when he recalled those smelly, bulky men, Cheryl immediately wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Nope, I took it back. Not a chance."

She wanted to be cute but useful at the same time! Why was it so difficult?!

Hmph, she would definitely do better next time!

pqdm.com