Mei, I Absolutely Won't Let Go (Continued)

"My master—Xia Ya—was a very perceptive man. I think... he probably noticed that I've been investigating him these past few days, even tonight."

"Recently?"

"Yeah." Xu Qi nodded. After all... ever since Xia Ya had visited him, he had not relaxed his investigation of Xia Ya for even a moment.

He simply couldn't take action himself. That would risk alerting the enemy.

But judging from the situation now... things should be more or less settled.

Mei pulled out her phone. Time tonight was incredibly precious. They had already... ahem! wasted quite a lot of it in the car. They couldn't afford to sigh over anything now. They had to move as quickly as possible.

"Let's notify Elysia and the others first. If Xia Ya isn't at the villa, then it's very likely..."

Before Mei could finish, Xu Qi suddenly pulled her into his arms! Before Mei could react, she felt Xu Qi's body tremble, followed by the loud impact of flesh colliding!

Xu Qi blocked the unexpected attacker's palm with one hand, then unleashed more force and easily forced her back.

Only then did Mei react. The instant she slipped free of Xu Qi's arms, she instinctively stepped in front of him, firmly shielding him behind her.

"Who!?"

Without my sword, I can't display much strength at all... Mei thought with some distress.

Xu Qi stared at the girl in front of him and suddenly smiled.

His heart had been thrown into slight confusion by that sudden attack, but at this moment, it settled and calmed completely.

"Looks like you two have a very good relationship..." The woman emerged from the shadows with a catlike gait. Xu Qi couldn't help showing a hint of astonishment in his eyes.

Her purple-red hair was tied behind her head. A black outer garment hung from her shoulders like a cape, while the snow-white inner shirt clung tightly to her graceful figure, accentuating her astonishing bust.

Calling her beautiful would have been an understatement.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kafka. You two... came looking for Xia Ya?"

Is she trying to negotiate? Mei voluntarily moved to Xu Qi's side, though she still stood half a step ahead of him. That way, she could intervene first if anything dangerous happened.

"No."

Xu Qi said it without even blinking.

"Heh... little boy, do you think I'll believe such an obvious lie?"

"You have a companion too, don't you? Bring her out!"

After hearing that, Kafka shrugged and looked toward the tree beside her.

A woman wrapped entirely in a black robe nimbly leaped down from the tree. As for how he could tell she was a woman... the woman's chest, about the same size as Kafka's, was simply far too eye-catching.

"Hiora, didn't you say you were one hundred percent sure you wouldn't be discovered?"

"Please call me Raven. Thank you."

"Sure~~"

Xu Qi smiled. "What if I was only bluffing when I said that just now?"

Kafka still wore a completely relaxed expression. She crooked a finger toward Xu Qi's left hand and said, "You already had your weapon aimed. What's the point of saying that?"

So she noticed...

Xu Qi shamelessly tossed out a powerless card.

That was what finally made Kafka and Raven's expressions turn cold at the same time.

"As you can see, it's just a card. I'm no expert with concealed weapons, so there was no need for me to expose myself."

"Boy." Raven stepped forward. She was nowhere near as easygoing as Kafka. "Toying with us like this will only make you and your girlfriend die faster."

Mei frowned. The intense killing intent made her deeply uncomfortable.

Xu Qi let out a long sigh.

"Give me a reason."

"You had Xin An secretly investigate Xia Ya. He found out long ago. That means he also knew you would come looking for him tonight. The plan has already begun. No one can stop it."

"Anything else?"

"Oh, right~" Kafka smiled. "Don't worry. We won't kill you. After all, Xia Ya instructed us to spare your life."

"But you can cripple me, and whether my girlfriend lives or dies doesn't matter, right?"

Kafka frowned—not because of his fearless attitude, but because she suddenly realized that she seemed to have accidentally revealed a great deal.

"So you aren't with Xia Ya after all. Partners? That must be it... In other words, a terrorist organization."

He really figured it out...

Only then did a trace of killing intent flash through Kafka's eyes.

Xu Qi patted Mei's shoulder and whispered, "Go inside the villa. You'll find what you need there."

Mei glanced at Xu Qi. She said nothing more, instead using her fastest speed to cross over the villa wall and leave the area.

Raven knitted her brows tightly. She keenly sensed that something was wrong and immediately chased after her!

Yet neither Xu Qi nor Kafka made any move to stop them.

It was very much a case of a king facing a king, and a general facing a general.

"Speaking of which, I'm curious. You're only twenty-four, full of youthful vigor. Aren't you attracted to me?"

"An old woman like you should look in a mirror. I could bring a dog over to you and it still wouldn't get aroused."

Kafka didn't get angry. She merely said, "Psychological attacks don't work on me."

Xu Qi assumed a fighting stance. His eyes became exceptionally serious.

"You've stayed so relaxed this entire time. You must have absolute confidence in your strength, right?"

"That's right. If this country's gun control weren't so absurdly strict, you'd already be lying on the ground."

Xu Qi shook his head, though it was unclear what exactly he was denying.

"Aren't you going to check on your girlfriend?"

From the villa behind them came the unmistakable sound of shattering glass. Xu Qi knew that Mei had already entered.

Naturally, that meant Raven must have gone in as well.

"Don't worry."

At this point, Xu Qi's voice and tone instead became much gentler and calmer.

"It'll be over soon..."

······

Meanwhile, outside Jiuting Base, Elysia anxiously waited for the call. When she picked up her phone and saw the caller—Mobius—she answered.

"Hello? Professor?"

"Xu Qi and the others are in trouble. Tonight probably won't go smoothly. Xia Ya must have found other partners! Move! Quickly! Protect Klein!"

Elysia immediately opened the car door and jumped out.

Yae, Pardofelis, and Fu Hua followed close behind.

Each of them carried a cylindrical robot in their arms. This... was the key to whether tonight's operation would succeed.

Kafka

Under the cover of night, two figures crossed paths repeatedly. The sound of fists colliding rang out again and again. Just hearing those muffled impacts, filled with explosive force, was enough to sense the terrifying strength possessed by both sides.

They had exchanged only a dozen or so blows, yet Kafka's face had already lost its former composure.

What terrifying strength!

Xu Qi's expression remained unchanged. Even this fierce battle could not disturb the tranquility of his mind, which was like still water.

He had said it before...

Why do you think Fu Hua called Xu Qi "Brother Xu Qi"?

Sticky hands restrained both of Kafka's arms. Then, beneath her widened eyes, Xu Qi drove his knee into her abdomen with no mercy whatsoever!

To Kafka, that seemingly simple strike felt as though Xu Qi had nearly kicked her intestines apart!

Without giving her any chance to retaliate, Xu Qi swiftly shifted his raised leg into a sweeping kick. The kick struck Kafka's lower body, but she did not dare take it head-on.

Kafka was afraid he would sweep her leg right out of its socket!

As she fell with the momentum, Kafka endured the pain in her abdomen and reached for her waist with both hands.

But Xu Qi was faster!

The instant he saw Kafka fall, he decisively pressed down on her! His legs locked her knee joints in place, while his hands clamped tightly around her wrists.

Complete suppression!

I lost...

Kafka panted heavily. Her chest rose and fell continuously, making one worry whether the flimsy buttons of her white shirt might snap. All of it was reflected in Xu Qi's eyes.

There was nothing he could do. At this moment, he was practically half-braced on top of her.

If anyone unaware of the situation saw them, they might think Xu Qi was about to... uh... force himself on her!

"You're really impressive..." Kafka no longer felt like teasing him. Losing this badly made it difficult to maintain her usual grace.

"That body of yours isn't human, is it?"

"Likewise. Didn't you bring along two completely unfair assets yourself?"

Kafka raised an eyebrow. This guy is ridiculously perceptive.

Xu Qi suddenly released Kafka's wrists! Just as she prepared to make a move, she discovered that Xu Qi had already reached her waist.

By the time she reacted, two pistols were aimed at the center of her brow.

Xu Qi slowly stood up.

"Without these, I wouldn't have known how to end tonight. Thanks."

"You're really only twenty-four? Fresh out of college?" Kafka stood with both hands raised, not daring to show the slightest intention of resisting.

"Thanks. That's right. My past experiences were simply a little different."

Can having different experiences really give someone skills and reflexes like this? You've got to be kidding. This is way too ridiculous... You're holding guns and threatening a terrorist right now...

I hope you understand exactly how impressive the thing you're doing is.

"Although you subdued me, what about your girlfriend?"

"She should be done too."

Kafka: ???

The two of them entered the villa. The security door had already been opened, and the scene inside was an utter mess.

Broken objects were scattered everywhere. It was obvious at a glance that there had been a fierce fight inside the house.

Even now, Kafka still held on to a sliver of hope that her companion had subdued the girl called Mei. If so, there would still be room for negotiation.

And then...

"Hm? Ah... what a coincidence. You got taken out too."

Kafka clicked her tongue. So there's more than one weirdo like this?

In the living room, Mei held an unsharpened long saber against Raven's neck.

Although it had no edge, Raven was certain that with this young woman's swordsmanship, giving her a clean death would be no difficult task.

Raven saw the two pistols in Xu Qi's hands and understood that tonight's operation had failed completely.

"Mei, go find a rope."

"Mm!"

Seeing that Xu Qi was unharmed, Mei breathed a sigh of relief.

She put away the long saber she had found in Xia Ya's living room. Before long, she found two thick hemp ropes and tied Kafka and Raven together.