Chapter 1961: Chapter 1110: Malicious Intent
"Whether it’s real or fake, we’ll know once we try. As long as he kills Yandeta Chiyoda or Watanabe Gou, even if it’s fake, it’ll become real." Takagi Reina was very satisfied with Yang Xiao’s suggestion; she didn’t like Kato Shinjiro.
Although his appearance and demeanor were a tad better than Chu Xi’s, perhaps due to familiarity or something else, she found Chu Xi increasingly pleasing to the eye recently.
Oh, if you ask when this sense of goodwill began, it should be after Chu Xi promised to give her ten million once they got out.
"In any case, keep a close eye tonight. It’s your turn to be the ’ghost.’ No matter how much this guy promises, don’t go looking for him; just keep an eye on Sakai Misaki."
Yang Xiao gave Takagi Reina some advice for tonight’s plan. "Since he wants to protect Sakai Misaki, let the Sakai Misaki possessed by the ghost go find him. After all, he voluntarily suggested getting off the train; we’re not involved."
This plan carried almost no risk for Yang Xiao and Takagi Reina. Given Takagi Reina’s skills, as long as Sakai Misaki remained on the train, she would surely find her.
Even if she was hiding in a suitcase, it wouldn’t matter.
As for what happens afterward, it’s not their concern; it’s Kato Shinjiro’s own business, and they haven’t built enough trust yet.
Meanwhile, Yang Xiao and Takagi Reina also discussed recent changes on the Ghost Train.
Regarding this, Yang Xiao’s perception wasn’t as sharp as Takagi Reina’s or Kato Shinjiro’s. After all, last night his role was the "ghost."
He was busy searching for people all night and didn’t have enough understanding of the extreme perception of the "passengers" from the perspective of a hider.
Now, Yang Xiao finally understood why, even at the brink of life and death, Yamamoto Chunai wouldn’t give him more hints.
It wasn’t a lack of courage but an inability to do so. After all, she was in one of the most perilous situations on the train, caught between two ghosts.
According to Kato Shinjiro’s description, if she had moved even slightly, the ghost passengers beside her would have killed her immediately.
Linking this to Yamamoto Chunai’s character, Yang Xiao deduced that the kind-hearted girl didn’t dare to move mostly for fear of it implicating her.
"If Kato Shinjiro behaves tonight, fine. But if he dares play tricks on me, even if he manages to obtain the Resentful Eye and leave safely, I’ll make sure he has it but can’t use it." Yang Xiao had dozens of torturous methods, each more perverse than the last, ensuring Kato Shinjiro would realize he had offended the wrong person.
An entire day passed quickly. Yang Xiao and Takagi Reina, who stayed at the Detective Agency, took turns resting, and during this time, Xiao Lin Zhengyan also took a rare day off, exhausted.
They were all preparing for the fierce battle ahead, as no one knew what might happen tonight.
Although Yang Xiao was curious about this mission’s Resentful Eye, he didn’t feel it was absolutely necessary to have it; he just wanted to leave alive.
As long as Kato Shinjiro kept his promise, it didn’t matter if he took the Resentful Eye; Yang Xiao’s bottom line was that the benefits should definitely not go to Yandeta Chiyoda and Watanabe Gou.
Of course, if they could find an opportunity to leave both of them behind, that would be the best arrangement.
At this moment, a man and a woman were having breakfast in a convenience store a few hundred meters away from the Detective Agency’s office building.
"If you have any questions, just ask." Kato Shinjiro stuffed the last piece of salmon rice ball into his mouth and took a sip of coffee.
Sakai Misaki breathed a sigh of relief, as if granted a pardon, lowered her voice, and quickly asked, "Mr. Katou, I don’t understand why Chu Xi and the others would choose to cooperate with us, knowing it was you who saved me last night."
"Because I’m useful, it’s that simple." Kato Shinjiro turned to look at her and replied.
Sakai Misaki believed this answer, as she knew better than anyone else the abilities of the person beside her.
What seemed like a certain-death situation last night had been resolved by Mr. Katou, for which she was endlessly grateful.
Originally, upon arriving in this world, Sakai Misaki had been in despair, having long since lost hope of survival. But now, it was different; Kato Shinjiro gave her hope. He was her pillar of support.
"Miss Zuo Bo, how many times have I saved you?" Kato Shinjiro suddenly asked.
"At least... at least twice, Mr. Katou. Thank you." Sakai Misaki didn’t know how to express her gratitude; the debt was too significant.
"Miss Zuo Bo, if... and I stress if, I find myself in danger in the future, would you be willing to help me?" Kato Shinjiro asked.
"Of course! Of course, Mr. Katou, you’re my lifesaver; I’m willing to do whatever you ask of me!" After saying this, Sakai Misaki’s cheeks turned red when she noticed the subtle, indescribable look in Kato Shinjiro’s eyes as he looked at her.
But she swore she wasn’t lying; she was really grateful to Kato Shinjiro, and now she was willing to do whatever he asked of her.
Sakai Misaki was somewhat of a shut-in, with a daily fondness for anime and romance novels, and she was also someone who enjoyed daydreaming.
Like countless girls her age, her childish fantasies often outweighed reality; she had fantasized about her ordinary life being completely changed by the arrival of some man.
This man would be elegant, handsome, possess a noble-like lazy aura in his every move, and be someone she could rely on at critical moments.
And all of these qualities were embodied in Kato Shinjiro, the almost flawless noble young man.
To say she wasn’t moved would be false, but Sakai Misaki dared not reveal even a hint of it.
One should have self-awareness, and she knew there was an invisible but profound boundary between them.
"Do you have any family at home?" Kato Shinjiro asked gently.
"Just my father..." Sakai Misaki’s voice became much softer at this point, her gaze involuntarily dimmed and lowered, "My mother passed away long ago; it was my father who always took care of me. My father’s health isn’t very good, and we... we live in the countryside..."
"Once we leave here, I’d like to visit your home. I know a very good hospital that might be able to help your father."
Upon hearing this, Sakai Misaki raised her head in disbelief, meeting Kato Shinjiro’s eyes. The warmth in those eyes almost instantly made Sakai Misaki captivated.
A scene straight out of a novel or drama was unfolding before her eyes.
In that moment, some of the fear Sakai Misaki felt towards the Nightmare World dissipated. She felt her trip here wasn’t in vain.
Seeing Sakai Misaki’s expression, Kato Shinjiro simply smiled, the warmth in his eyes still present, "Miss Zuo Bo, for now, please fill your stomach. Tonight... I’ll send you home."
...
A short while ago, not far from the Detective Agency’s office building, Watanabe Gou stepped down from a delivery truck marked with a yellow base and a black cat logo, hurrying towards a corner.
Yandeta Chiyoda was sitting there waiting, with a magazine under her seat.
"Confirmed, it’s Kato Shinjiro and Sakai Misaki. They arrived this morning before 7 o’clock. Those guys have teamed up." Watanabe Gou’s face showed a hint of gloom as he rushed over.
They had arranged it last night. Watanabe Gou hired a delivery driver, paid him a sum of money to act as a lookout, and had him park the truck not far from the office building at an angle that allowed a clear view of the entrance.
All the driver needed to do was keep an eye on the entrance and see if Kato Shinjiro and Sakai Misaki appeared, recording the time.
Delivery trucks like this are quite common in Japan, so it’s not easily suspected and is very safe.
Although the situation was anticipated, the final confirmation still dealt a blow to Watanabe Gou.
Dealing with Chu Xi and Takagi Reina was troublesome enough; adding Kato Shinjiro to the mix just gave him a headache.
In contrast, Yandeta Chiyoda, who was used to major storms, responded with much more composure and said calmly, "Mr. Watanabe, don’t fear. As the Huazhu people say, ’Prepare to meet any challenge, adapt to the situation.’ If we truly make a stand, they should fear us, not the other way around!"
Hearing Yandeta Chiyoda’s words, light returned to Watanabe Gou’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but look up and ask, "Senior Sister Yuanda, do you have a plan?"
Yandeta Chiyoda smiled slightly, "Hehe, Mr. Watanabe, hold your horses. We must analyze the entire situation. The cooperation between you and me is almost flawless, but the others are different."
"Chu Xi, Takagi Reina, and Kato Shinjiro are quite capable, but tackling them directly is risky. Xiao Lin Zhengyan and Sakai Misaki, on the other hand, are much weaker. As long as they are in the car, we have no reason to fear them."
"These two are their weak links, inescapable shortfalls. With them around, we are almost invincible."
"Hehe, if we plan well, we can manipulate these two to stir internal conflict among them." Yandeta Chiyoda guided Watanabe Gou gradually, stabilizing their morale.
Yandeta Chiyoda understood in her heart that the alliance between these two groups wasn’t rock solid. People like Chu Xi and Kato Shinjiro surely had their own schemes.
Such alliances are highly unstable; any unexpected mishap could turn their so-called cooperation into a joke — seemingly united, yet essentially fragmented.
But it was a different story for her and Watanabe Gou. The two had been isolated, leaving them with no choice but to fight together.
Both sides were almost playing with open cards, the vendetta settled. Even if she or Watanabe Gou wanted to switch sides to Chu Xi’s group, they wouldn’t be accepted. They had to fight to the end.
This wasn’t entirely due to their choice but was forced by the rules of the task. After all, without fully uncovering the key clues, the ghost train was a Shura Field.
Whoever gets removed from the train faces death, a deadly game of musical chairs. Everyone was a competitor to each other, wary of being plotted against by the rest.
This made the situation grim from the start, with no absolute trust among any of them.
Nonetheless, Yandeta Chiyoda accepted Watanabe Gou’s suggestion that they wouldn’t make a move unless certain of eliminating key figures like Chu Xi and Kato Shinjiro.
They would focus their main efforts on finding breakthrough clues, although they knew the chances were slim.
"Senior Sister Yuanda, today during the day we won’t look for clues. Let’s find a place to properly rest; tonight is the main event," Watanabe Gou said in a low voice.
"Okay, as you said, tonight before getting on the train, a crucial clue will certainly fall into our hands. They’re more anxious than us."
Yandeta Chiyoda recalled the message Watanabe Gou received on his mobile this morning. Those mysterious people said they’d come before nightfall today with important things to say.
At this critical juncture, they must be coming to convey key information, as solving this city’s ghost train paranormal event through them would be a sure-win deal for that mysterious department.
Moreover, the feedback they received suggested that those mysterious people were beginning to believe they had the potential to resolve the paranormal incident.
Finding allies in a secret department was certainly a boon to breaking the task, but Yandeta Chiyoda remained uneasy, knowing that once their utility was exhausted, the other side could turn against them.
Then, they’d face a situation more dangerous than directly facing Fierce Ghosts.
Before the Angel Envoy, ordinary people like them were merely lambs to the slaughter.
Ghosts, Chu Xi’s group, the world’s secret department, and this unstable temporary ally beside her... Yandeta Chiyoda couldn’t help but have a headache. None of these people were trustworthy, any of them could end her.
Meanwhile, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of place this so-called Youjian Mountain Station was, and why it hosted so many powerful and terrifying Fierce Ghosts.
Furthermore... the station even showed the marks of the Black Buddha Mother Sect.
That mark instilled in Yandeta Chiyoda a fear carved into her very being.
