Hearing Suwen's words, Rulu was overcome with rage. His eyes burned with hatred as he fixed his gaze on Suwen and said: "Since I dared to come here alone, I've long since prepared for the worst. No matter what, I will kill you today."

  As he said this, Rulu leveled the handgun at Suwen. Sensing things were about to go very wrong, Suwen hurriedly said: "Wait—don't be rash, we can talk about this…"

  "Go to hell—" Rulu wasn't about to listen. He raised the gun in his left hand and fired at Suwen's head. But being unaccustomed to shooting with his left hand, the shot went wide with a crack, the bullet striking the floor near Suwen's head rather than hitting him.

  The color drained instantly from Suwen's face. He cried out in a panic: "No, don't shoot! If you let me go, I'll cooperate with you fully and make sure you get out safely."

  "Is that your st will and testament?" Rulu stepped up to Suwen and pressed the barrel of the handgun against his head.

  "No, please—spare me!" Feeling death close in on him, Suwen was seized with terror. He babbled frantically: "Even if you don't care about yourself, think of your family and friends. Please, let me go."

  At those words, Rulu paused. He thought of Nana, still waiting for him to come back. If something happened to him, Nana would be left utterly alone in this world, with little hope of surviving on her own.

  At that thought, the hatred and fury in his heart eased slightly. He said: "Fine. I'll give you one chance. Order everyone in this area to withdraw. If I see a single person still here, I'll blow your head off."

  "Yes… I understand." Suwen's body trembled as he spoke. No longer daring to py any tricks, he carried out Rulu's instruction to the letter, issuing the order for all soldiers outside to clear the area. After a short while, Rulu went to the window and looked out—sure enough, the soldiers had all withdrawn.

  Rulu then ordered the soldier under his control to take Suwen hostage, and together they left the room and exited the building. True to Suwen's command, the soldiers had pulled back completely, leaving the area clear. Rulu and his companions encountered no resistance and made their way out of the building without difficulty. Finding a car nearby, they drove out of the area. Along the way, Rulu had Suwen issue further orders forbidding anyone from following them.

  A little over half an hour ter, the car came to a stop in a deserted back alley. Rulu got out, had the soldier drag Suwen from the vehicle, and left him on the ground.

  "I'm safe now… you can… let me go, can't you." Suwen said weakly. He had taken two bullets—nothing vital, but he had lost a great deal of blood. Without treatment before long, it would kill him.

  "Now that I'm safe, do you really think I still have any reason to let you go?!" Rulu gave a cold ugh, watching Suwen with a look of cold calcution. He had never intended to spare him from the very beginning.

  Suwen gasped and struggled to speak: "Even… even if you kill me, you gain nothing. But if you let me go this time, I swear I'll never oppose you again. I'll do everything in my power to stop the Sanctuary from hunting you."

  "Do you honestly think I'd believe a word you say." Rulu remained unmoved. He drew the handgun and aimed it at Suwen.

  Mustering his st reserves of strength, Suwen said: "Wait—think about it. If I die, the Sanctuary will send someone far more capable to take my pce as Governor, and they'll hunt you with everything they have. You'll never know a moment's peace, and your friends will be dragged into it too. I'm nothing—a worthless failure, already beaten by you. I'm worth more to you alive than dead."

  Those words gave Rulu pause. He thought: loathsome as this Suwen was, what he said wasn't without logic. As for himself alone, it wouldn't matter much—but the thought of Nana living in constant fear, forever hunted by the Sanctuary, was another matter entirely.

  After a moment's thought, Rulu made his decision and said to Suwen: "Very well. I'll spare your life. A useless wreck like you wouldn't dare cross me again anyway."

  Suwen said at once: "Thank… thank you."

  "Death sentence lifted," Rulu continued, "but there's still a living price to pay."

  As he said this, he turned the muzzle of the handgun toward Suwen's lower body.

  "What… what are you going to do…" Suwen stared up at him with wide, terrified eyes.

  "You can be a crippled Governor from now on. Your two legs for your one life—and that's letting you off easy." With that, Rulu fired repeatedly into Suwen's legs, shattering them completely into a bloody ruin. Suwen let out screams of agony and lost consciousness from the pain.

  Rulu then left the soldier and the unconscious Suwen where they were and departed alone. An hour ter, he returned to the area near their former school and arrived at the meeting point he had arranged with C.C. in advance.

  "My, Rulu, you actually made it back in one piece. I was starting to think you weren't coming back this time." C.C. slipped out from concealment, stepped in front of Rulu, and looked at him with an exaggerated expression of surprise.

  "Hmph. As if something this trivial could stop me." Rulu lifted his chin and put on a nonchant expression.

  C.C. fixed her gaze on Rulu's injured right arm and said: "Is that so? Then how did you end up wounded."

  Rulu touched his injured arm and said: "Getting away with only this much is already lucky. What's the situation on your end?"

  C.C. said: "Nothing to report. A-Niu and Sphinx have both returned to the school. But did everything on your end get sorted out?"