Lin Mo didn't make them wait long.
Barely ten minutes after they arrived at the parking lot, David heard the roar of a sports car's engine.
The tone was sharp and bright, smooth yet deep. Before long, that sky-blue Sword in the Stone sports car appeared, its white headlights piercing forward like twin blades.
The Sword in the Stone came to a steady stop beside the Mizutani Shion. Lin Mo stepped out, a katana hanging at his waist. Seeing David and Kitagawa Hiro safe and sound, the calm expression on his face gave way to a faint smile.
"Looks like you two had quite a night," he said with a teasing tone as he walked toward them. "Even managed to put on such a thrilling street-racing show."
David's face was drawn and weary. At Lin Mo's words, he could only sigh, looking at him with a trace of bitterness in his eyes.
"Don't remind me. Back when I was in Braindance, I thought stuff like that was exciting and fun… but now? That was a bit too much excitement."
Lin Mo chuckled, stepping up to clap David on the shoulder with satisfaction.
"I heard from Kitagawa Hiro—sounds like you did pretty well tonight. So? Feeling like you're starting to get used to it?"
I did well?
David blinked, looking a little lost. His gaze drifted toward Kitagawa Hiro, still leaning silently against the sports car.
Kitagawa noticed the glance, but said nothing. He only let the corner of his mouth curl slightly, took a drag of his cigarette, and gazed up at the endless night sky. Ash fell from his fingers in a casual flick—his whole posture radiating none of this concerns me.
"I guess… it was alright," David admitted with a small smile, turning back to Lin Mo.
"So… would you be interested in doing more in the future? Compared to tonight's little incident, our crew might take on much bigger jobs later. If you're willing, you could have a part in them."
Lin Mo's lips curved into a faint grin.
"Of course, if you're fine sticking to your current duties, I won't push. As a new-generation boss, respecting my people's choices is part of my principles. There's nothing wrong with taking on more low-risk work like tonight."
David lowered his head, fingers raking through his hair in frustration before letting out a sigh.
"I'm ready… but my mom… I don't even know how I'd explain it to her. You told me to think about my future… but no matter what, I can't just turn my back on my mom."
Kitagawa, who'd been quietly watching, suddenly snorted in disapproval.
"Listen to you—do you even sound like a man? All this hemming and hawing. One of these days, I'll take you to a high-end club and turn you from a boy into a man. Then we'll see if you're still this hesitant."
To him, Lin Mo offering David this kind of opportunity was already an incredible honor—if it were him, he'd have agreed in a heartbeat.
Family concerns? Who didn't have someone they cared about? David cared about his mother, and Kitagawa cared about his sister.
But there's no such thing as having it both ways. If you can't be decisive, you'll end up with nothing. Lin Mo's offer was already extremely generous.
Lin Mo simply smiled, waving a hand to stop Kitagawa from saying more, as if he'd already expected David's hesitation.
"I'm not against your way of thinking. After all—who could fault a son for being filial to his mother?"
"Let's put this aside for now. Are you free tomorrow night? I could have an older brother of mine come by and help ease some of your worries."
David froze, looking uneasy.
"You're not… trying to find me another instructor, are you?"
Just Kitagawa's training alone had been brutal enough—if there was another on top of that, he might not survive.
Since Kitagawa was right there, David didn't voice his true feelings, but the pitiful, pleading look he gave Lin Mo said it all: Please, have mercy.
"No. He's a friendly, approachable big brother—you can relax." Lin Mo smiled faintly, sealing the matter without acknowledging David's desperate eyes.
Then he turned to Kitagawa, his expression shifting to something more serious.
"Now… tell me exactly what happened tonight."
Kitagawa nodded, clearing his throat with a few coughs before tossing his cigarette and grinding it underfoot. Then, without embellishment, he recounted every detail of the evening.
As he listened, Lin Mo nodded in understanding, moving to the rear trunk to look at the unconscious blonde woman lying inside.
When Kitagawa finished, Lin Mo sighed and gave his assessment.
"You handled things well tonight—perfect, even. With Sasha covering your backs, I doubt you left any traceable evidence. I have no reason to criticize."
"It's just… not quite perfect. If I had to put it in one of my homeland's sayings—it's a case of a tiger's head, but a snake's tail."
He smiled lightly, patting Kitagawa on the shoulder before giving David a friendly punch to the chest.
"So, your work's done for tonight. Head home early. I'll take care of clearing away that last bit of imperfection."
Night – near the city center, at an apartment building.
The earlier commotion from the burglars had already died down. Around the building, NCPD officers and the building's private security moved about.
The property management acted quickly. For Goodwin—a VIP tenant living in the penthouse—they were doing everything they could to make up for his losses.
In barely fifteen minutes, a brand-new security door was installed, the scorch marks from the earlier explosion scrubbed away. They even assured him it would never happen again, promising tighter security.
Goodwin didn't take it too much to heart. Compared to the damage, what bothered him was why someone had broken into his home at all.
The whole thing had been so sudden that he still couldn't figure out why a burglar would pick this exact moment.
He didn't even know who the intruder was.
So, no matter how honey-tongued the property managers were, he'd already decided he would be moving out—at least to a different address to lie low.
Still, the dolls in his room required his personal handling. That wasn't something he could leave to anyone else.
Because of that, he couldn't move out tonight—he'd spend one last night here.
To make sure the company took the incident seriously, he'd ordered the security department to dispatch two full teams. Surely, that was more than enough to deal with two petty thieves.
After all, there was no way lightning would strike twice… or so Goodwin thought.
Finally calmed after the chaos, he washed up in the bathroom and was just about to turn in.
Click.
The bedroom light flicked on. Exhaustion on his face, Goodwin glanced toward his bed.
And in that instant, every hair on his body stood on end. A chill surged from his spine to his brain. Usually, he could face anything with composure, but now his body shook uncontrollably.
"It's you!" he shouted in shock.
A boy sat calmly on a chair in his bedroom, a mask covering his face. The window beside him was open, the night breeze drifting in. He gazed out at the sky like a lone samurai drinking to the moon.
But tonight, the moon was hidden, and there was no sake—only the cold companionship of the katana at his side.
"Hello, sir," the boy said without turning, his voice calm. The long, sharp blade slowly slid from its sheath at his waist.
But after a moment, as if deciding the sword was unnecessary, he slid it back and drew a handgun instead.
Before Goodwin could speak—whether to explain or to beg—the boy spoke again.
"Farewell, sir."
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