Firefly in the Darkness, Move Out!

Night.

Wearing a red bathrobe, Sing Sing stood in the middle of the Japanese-style room with his back straight, arms outstretched to the sides, raised to about shoulder height and held still.

Extend all ten fingers to their maximum extent, palms facing forward, fingers spread wide.

Beads of sweat slid down his collarbone, running down the muscle lines of his chest.

Sunglasses perched on his nose, chin slightly raised, and Inner Qi his dantian.

Saeko Busujima knelt a few steps away.

Her original intention was to protect her seriously injured master and, incidentally, to take the night shift.

But the light from that paper lampshade was so thoughtful; the warm yellow halo shone entirely on the open red robe, illuminating Sing Sing's taut chest muscles clearly.

Sweat streamed down his taut chest.

His sunglasses obscured his eyes again, and the lamplight cast shadows on his profile, making him appear even more indifferent to everything.

~~~

"Saeko, don't look at what you shouldn't see. Master is practicing..."

She frantically chanted Heart-Cleansing Mantra to herself in her mind, her fingertips unconsciously gripping the hem of her skirt.

We're doomed!

The captain of the Kendo Club, the most beautiful girl in the whole school, and the young lady of the Busujima Family, only had one sentence running through her mind at this moment.

So handsome! Even the way he sweats is so manly!

Sing Sing didn't finish his performance until the sky began to lighten.

He took off his sunglasses, rubbed his eyes, and stretched his shoulders.

The Inner Qi in my dantian wasn't abundant; it had recovered to about 40%.

There was a noise coming from next door.

Shi Xiaoyan walked out, leaning against the door frame; most of the bandages on her body had already been removed.

She changed from her royal blue outfit into a plain-colored yukata from the Busujima Family, and her black hair was draped over her shoulders.

She leaned against the doorframe and glanced at Sing Sing, her gaze shifting from his open red robe to his unbuttoned trousers, and her eyelids twitched.

"Can't you just put on some clothes?"

Sing Sing looked down and quickly pulled his robe up.

How is the injury?

Shi Xiaoyan didn't answer the question. She steadied herself against the door frame for a moment before walking over and sitting down opposite her.

She took the warm water Saeko Busujima offered and took a sip.

"Not bad. What are your plans next?"

"Deadpool first; we need to get him back."

He counted on his fingers, "Then go find Meimiya Akihiro; Old Goldhead's son can't just be left out there like this."

"You'd better be careful of Omega Red and Shingen Yashida," Shi Xiaoyan warned.

"Relax!" Sing Sing Chow waved his hand dismissively. "Those two old fogies' number one enemy is Wolverine. What does that have to do with me, Stephen Chow? If the sky falls, his Adamantium skull will hold it up!"

As arranged by Saeko Busujima, the three of them sat at a low table and ate breakfast.

Before they had finished eating, the doorbell rang urgently. Saeko Busujima got up to open the door and quickly walked in one after the other with Ichirai Hisako.

Ichirai Hisako, dressed in casual clothes, was covered in sweat and couldn't suppress her excitement even as she gasped for breath.

"Zhou... Hoshino! No, Ling Ling Qi!"

She herself was unsure which name to call, so she simply took a couple of breaths and got straight to the point.

Looking at her, Sing Sing asked with some doubt, "Did you find some money?"

"It's much better than finding money!"

Ichirai Hisako turned around and pulled down her collar to reveal the back of her neck.

The metal piece embedded in the flesh was still there, but the indicator light on it was off.

She raised her hand to touch the metal piece, but pulled it back as soon as her fingertips touched it.

"Tennoji Hiroshi is dead! The main control signal of the suppressor has also been cut off! As long as we find someone who can perform surgery, we can remove it!"

Sing Sing put down his chopsticks. "Are you sure it's not a complete loss of contact?"

"Confirmed." Ichirai Hisako bit her lip. "Cornelius and Shingen Yashida don't have this code; Tennoji never shares control with anyone."

"Are you interested in coming back to China with me? I can have someone fetch it for you once we get back."

Ichirai Hisako nodded vigorously, then lowered her head and wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand.

"There's one more thing."

When she looked up again, her words quickened. "Meimiya Akihiro, I've found it."

Sing Sing sat up straight, propping himself up on his knees. "Where?"

"A small grove of trees on the Western Suburbs of the city." Ichirai Hisako took out her phone and opened a map.

"Right here. Walk two hundred meters in from the riverbank, there's a crooked tree, people can huddle under it."

Sing Sing stared at the map for two seconds, then handed the phone back and nodded. "You know how to pick a place."

"Ah?"

"Backed by trees, facing the riverbank, and with an abandoned factory nearby, it offers a wide view and provides easy escape routes or cover." He clicked his tongue. "This kid has potential."

He took out his phone and dialed the number.

"You're awake?" came Wolverine's deep voice from the other end of the line.

Sing Sing's pronunciation was clear and precise, displaying the professional broadcasting voice of an eight o'clock drama emotional mediation program host:

"Hello Mr. Jin, this is the family reunification program. Did you accidentally leave behind a child in a mountain village in Japan eighteen years ago?"

"Little pork! I've put up with you for far too long!"

"Hey, no, no! Hold on, hold on!" Sing Sing quickly broke down in his act. "I found your son! I'm coming to pick you up now, send me your location, quick!"

After confirming the location, Sing Sing hung up the phone.

Ichirai Hisako listened to the whole thing, her expression complicated. "Your 749 Bureau always handles things this way..."

"Major?"

"Mess."

"Making a fuss is part of the job." Sing Sing put away his phone and turned to give instructions. "Xiao Yan, you only have one task: recover from your injury."

Shi Xiaoyan lifted her eyelids slightly. "Fine, I didn't want to move anyway."

He then gestured with his chin towards Saeko Busujima: "Saeko-chan, Tsubaki is yours now."

"Hi!" Saeko Busujima nodded quietly, got up and went into the inner room. When she came out, she was carrying a neatly folded black suit.

The shirt was ironed, the tie was rolled up, and the black wide-brimmed hat had been brushed with a soft brush, the fluff on the brim neatly trimmed.

"Sense can't go on official business dressed like this." She handed him the suit. "I've cleaned your clothes."

Sing Sing Chow looked down at his red bathrobe, then at the suit in his arms, and slapped his forehead.

"What a terrible memory! I almost dressed up as Santa Claus!"

The paper door was pulled shut, and there were some rustling noises going on inside for about two minutes.

Ichirai Hisako leaned closer to Shi Xiaoyan, lowered her voice, and asked with a face full of questions, "Does he always make such a grand entrance when he goes out?"

"You're lucky." Shi Xiaoyan said expressionlessly, picking up her teacup. "Once, he went out on a mission wearing only a waterproof apron and carrying a martini."

"..."

The paper door swung open with a clatter.

Black suit, black vest, white shirt, red tie.

His shoulders were straight, his leather shoes were shiny, his wide-brimmed hat was tilted at just the right angle, and his sunglasses were perched on his nose.

Sing Sing stood at the doorway, raising his hand to adjust the brim of his hat.

"No need to worship me. A man as dashing as me shines like a firefly in the dark, so bright and outstanding, no matter where I am."

He sighed deeply, "I completely understand the look in your eyes right now."

Shi Xiaoyan looked him up and down. "It's a cloudy day outside."

"You need to wear sunglasses even more on cloudy days to prevent glare and improve visibility." Sing Sing tugged at his tie. "Besides, this is battle attire; it's what you wear to express your beliefs."

"Just going to meet relatives," Shi Xiaoyan concluded, "You look like a thug coming to collect debts."