stonecrandall Page 79
Page 79
He answered with a calm expression.
Brad immediately released his grip on Nara Ryosuke's collar, pushed him away, and then affectionately wrapped his arm around Kaneda Kiyoshi's neck.
A smile returned to his face as he said, "Oh? Is that so? Then let's have a good talk about how to catch that cunning fox."
As Brad spoke, he half-pushed and half-embraced Kiyoshi Kaneda, leading him to the other side of the tarmac.
Nara Ryosuke instinctively wanted to follow.
The tall female team member suddenly took a step to the side, raising her muscular arm to block his way like a wall.
Nara Ryosuke immediately stopped in his tracks, only able to watch helplessly as Kaneda Kiyoshi and Brad walked away, his heart filled with jealousy and resentment.
What's so smug about a guy who didn't come from the elite group?!
Once this is over, I'm definitely transferring you to that godforsaken place in Fukuoka to guard the reservoir!
Brad didn't care at all what Nara Ryosuke was thinking.
He is an American who believes in the supremacy of merit and only respects those who are capable.
As long as someone is strong enough, even if they are Black, he is willing to keep them by his side and entrust them with important tasks.
Conversely, if someone lacks ability, he will still look down on them, even if they are white.
“Alright, now that no fools are bothering us,” Brad released Kiyoshi Kaneda and laughed. “Tell me your plan.”
“To investigate the fox, we must first start with the major conglomerates in Japan,” Kiyoshi Kaneda seized the opportunity to express his long-held idea. “We should focus on investigating whether there are any undisclosed illegitimate children in their families, especially male members who are around 1.8 meters tall.”
After learning that the dead included an American brigadier general, he resolved to use the power of the Americans to investigate the deeply entrenched financial cliques in his own country.
"My reasoning is based on the following..."
Kiyoshi Kaneda began to elaborate on his reasons and the indirect evidence he currently possessed.
Brad listened quietly as he finished speaking, a thoughtful look on his face. "Have you ever considered that foxes might actually possess divine powers beyond our comprehension?"
Chapter 91 The Troubles of the Bard
Brad said this simply because he is religious and a devout evangelical.
In his eyes, the United States is the "Promised City" standing atop the mountain.
From the founding of the nation to becoming a world superpower, this journey, when viewed from the perspective of a "latecomer," carries an overly strong sense of "destiny's will."
This shows that all of this is due to the Lord's protection!
Therefore, after hearing about "Fox's" extraordinary behavior, Brad was more inclined to believe that "Fox" was a person blessed by God than to believe that there was some organization behind him.
Kiyoshi Kaneda was speechless.
He had assumed that a U.S. commodore, the intelligence elite of the Seventh Fleet and the world's most powerful nation, would offer some insightful opinions upon arriving here.
Unexpectedly, his views were just as ignorant as those of the uninformed people on the internet, simply attributing the "fox's" actions to the power of gods and ghosts.
Perhaps this is one of the goals that the "fox" wanted to achieve.
After all, there are far too many ignorant and foolish people in this world.
Kiyoshi Kaneda sighed inwardly.
Because of the other party's status, he did not deny the existence of the gods outright.
He needs to rely on this general's power to investigate those tycoons.
Kiyoshi Kaneda said in a deep voice, "General Brad, I do not deny the possibility that gods exist."
“But,” he changed the subject, “I think there are more people in this world who make a living by pretending to be a god than those who actually receive divine favor.”
Let's first rule out all realistic possibilities before considering whether he truly gained divine power.
Brad thought for a moment, then his signature smile returned. "You're right. Let's check if someone's playing tricks."
As he said this, a hint of longing unconsciously appeared in his eyes, and he added, "However, I sincerely hope that the fox is the one who has obtained divine power."
so……"
He stopped abruptly and did not continue speaking.
However, when Kiyoshi Kaneda saw the faint blush on his cheeks from longing and the almost fanatical light in his eyes, he felt a chill for no reason.
Fanatics are dangerous.
A highly intelligent fanatic in a high position is even more dangerous!
And the thoughts churning in Brad's mind at that moment were indeed extremely dangerous.
For these Christian evangelical believers, there is no fear of nuclear war, and some even secretly look forward to the early arrival of the apocalyptic war.
They firmly believe that only through a world-ending apocalyptic war can the devout receive the Lord's ultimate salvation and enter heaven.
Now, the clarion call of the apocalyptic war... seems to have been sounded by this mysterious fox?
Brad was filled with fervent anticipation that the fox was no ordinary person.
……
Qingze leaped frequently in the shadows while maintaining the [Eyes of Birds] spell for an extended period, which eventually caused him to feel noticeably fatigued.
He slowly emerged from the shadow cast by a street lamp. The viscous black shadow covering his body cracked like the receding tide, turned into liquid, sank into the ground, and disappeared.
Qingze raised his hand, and with a slight thought, took out the [Rejuvenation Potion] from storage space number three.
It looks like a thin slice of potato.
Qingze put it in his mouth and chewed it a few times.
The broken potato slices instantly transformed into a cool, refreshing stream in my mouth, as if carrying the crispness of mint, rushing straight to my head.
The feeling was like someone had opened a hole in the top of his head and let in a refreshing, cold breeze.
Under the influence of this strange chill, he felt his depleted mental energy recovering and replenishing at an astonishing speed, until it returned to a state of perfection.
"The effects of the 'rejuvenation potion' are truly miraculous."
He sighed sincerely.
Beneath their feet, a deep purple pentagram magic circle silently reappeared and began to rotate.
A thick, ink-like shadow surged forth, instantly enveloping and pulling at his body, before sinking him back into the shadows of the ground.
He continued leaping through the dimensions of shadow, while sparrows in the air faithfully flew about, providing him with a broad, bird's-eye view.
With his mental strength constantly increasing and the number of times he has used the [Eyes of Birds] spell, the duration of this spell has become so long that even he himself cannot accurately estimate it.
Because his magic can usually be maintained stably after his mental energy is depleted to the point of fatigue.
Even in the details of perception, it has become clearer and more acute.
Now, these sparrows' eyes are like ultra-high-resolution cameras, able to clearly capture every subtle movement on the ground, and even the sounds they hear become purer and clearer, with almost no blurry noise interference.
He manipulated the sparrows to circle and patrol the night sky.
Soon, from the perspective of one of the sparrows, a blue tag was spotted.
[The Bard]
The man bearing this label sat in a wheelchair, alone on the bank of a babbling brook.
The cold glow of the streetlights fell on him, illuminating his slightly messy long hair and unshaven stubble, adding a touch of loneliness to the quiet night.
Qingze leaped repeatedly in the shadows, rapidly approaching.
His figure emerged silently from the shadows of the riverbank wall, then he walked slowly to the man's side and behind. "Why aren't you home to rest so late at night? What's bothering you?"
Upon hearing the sound, the man made no attempt to look up or turn around, his gaze remaining blankly fixed on the flowing stream below, as if his soul had already departed.
However, he did not completely ignore the visitor and said to himself, "My name is Hideo Asai, and I graduated from Waseda University."
"In order to finish university, I applied for scholarships, but as soon as I graduated, I was already burdened with a loan of four million yen, with an annual interest rate of 3%."
“I thought I could find a job quickly after graduation and pay off this debt, but an unexpected car accident left me paralyzed from the waist down and unable to stand up again.”
"The taxi driver who hit me didn't have insurance and was already eighty years old, so he had no ability to pay compensation."
"To pay for my treatment, my mother sold our house, first to pay off my student loans, and then moved with me to Nishi-Arai in Adachi Ward."
She works three jobs a day, desperately trying to earn money...
Finally, she collapsed at her post, and a hospital check-up revealed late-stage bone cancer.
At this point, Hideo Asai's expression remained as still as a stagnant pool, completely devoid of any emotion.
Qingze knew that this was not because he was not sad, but because he was heartbroken and devastated. The pain and despair of reality had already drained his emotions.
Perhaps, in this man's heart, he had already lost the will to continue living.
He remains in this world only because there is still a loved one who cares about him.
Hideo Asai continued in that flat tone, "I have always considered myself the most unfortunate person."
But compared to my mother, my misfortunes are nothing but child's play, utterly insignificant.
"Misfortune is misfortune; there's no need to differentiate between its magnitude."
Qingze interrupted his self-deprecating comparison and said, "Take this and eat it. Maybe it can save your mother."
Aozawa wasn't sure if the food with the blue label would work for others, so he didn't speak definitively.
He tossed the saury labeled "Healing Potion" into Hideo Asai's palm.
This action caused Hideo Asai to instinctively lower his head, his eyes somewhat dazed.
He had anticipated many possible reactions from passersby.
Perhaps it's outward sympathy, but inwardly there's a secret sense of relief, because the existence of such unfortunate people in the world only serves to highlight the happiness of others.
They might not even be willing to offer superficial sympathy, and simply turn away in disgust.
But he never imagined that anyone would offer such "help".
Is this a case of encountering a mentally ill person?
Unable to contain his immense doubts, he turned his head to try and see what this "strange person" looked like.
Then, he saw a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.