Do You Think the Mafia Are All Dead?

Daznuo recounted what he could remember.

"Several years ago, Gelman did some dirty work for an underling of one of the Ten Dons. But later, apparently over a dispute about money, he killed the man."

"The underling's subordinates kept hunting him and even put out a bounty, but no one ever managed to claim it. The Ten Dons didn't care whether some minor nobody lived or died."

"But a little over two months ago, word got out that Gelman might be a member of the Phantom Troupe. The bounty suddenly shot up, and that was when more people started keeping an eye on him."

Light understood. After thinking for a while, he asked the crucial question: "Did any of our people take part in hunting Gelman?"

Daznuo bent forward slightly, making him appear shorter than his boss.

"One of ours joined up with members of other families to form a four-man team and give it a try. They were all killed."

"I see." Light pondered for a moment, then said, "Daznuo, quietly pass down the order. No one from our family is to take part in hunting Gelman anymore."

"Yes." Daznuo agreed at once.

"Also, we don't know he's Gelman." Light's expression turned serious. "Tonight, I had an argument with Shanzhi and was in a bad mood, so I left Yorknew City in the middle of the night."

Daznuo looked at Light in surprise, then immediately understood what his boss was getting at. "Yes. Shanzhi cursed you out and threatened you. You flew into a rage and decided to leave Yorknew City."

"Mm." Light nodded. "Whatever happens in Yorknew City from here on out has nothing to do with us, and it certainly won't involve Neon."

"I understand." Like Light, Daznuo now thought of the prophetic poem. A chill crept down his back.

Just then, Neon leaned halfway out from the back seat of the car, rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Dad, can't we leave yet? I want to go home and sleep."

Light immediately put on a kind smile, turned, and climbed into the back seat to sit with his daughter.

"Sorry, Neon. We have to change our plans. We're taking a private airship out of Yorknew City."

"Huh? Dad, you're going back on your promise!" Neon protested.

"I can't help it. Something important came up."

Daznuo shut the back door and took the passenger seat.

The other bodyguards climbed into the cars ahead and behind with practiced ease. They formed a long line and sped onto the road.

Elsewhere, Gelman didn't hurry back to the Bichitata Restaurant he'd booked in advance. Instead, he strolled along the long riverbank.

The river looked like a strip of black silk, with moonlight glimmering across its surface.

Gelman was enjoying some time to himself when he noticed a few "rats" following him, drawing closer and closer.

He soon realized what they were after. For more than half of the past two months, he'd had to deal with people tailing him like this.

Gelman simply slowed his pace until the "rats" came up and spoke to him.

"Hey, hey, hey." With one hand in his pocket and the other rubbing his bald head, Shanzhi cut around to Gelman's side and stepped in front of him. "You're Gelman, aren't you?"

"That's me." Gelman was used to this routine. To save time, he admitted it outright. "There are only six of you. You planning to attack me?"

"What?" Shanzhi raised his voice. "You think that just because you killed some underling and joined that so-called Phantom Troupe, I'm going to be afraid of you?"

Shanzhi's five subordinates drew their pistols and fanned out, aiming at Gelman.

"Kid, do you even know what the mafia is?" With both hands in his pockets, Shanzhi clicked his tongue, full of confidence. "I'm a direct underling of the Ten Dons, the highest-ranking figures in the mafia!"

"The Phantom Troupe is just a bunch of nobodies who haven't crossed paths with us yet. And you dare call yourselves 'the most evil band of thieves in history'? Don't get too full of yourselves!"

Gelman didn't answer Shanzhi. For now, it was best to keep quiet.

He knew this routine well. The bald guy would probably tell him which family he belonged to, then demand that Gelman surrender—or just open fire.

If there were a "Skip" button nearby, Gelman would already be hammering it.

Let's get this over with.

A Meat Saw appeared in his palm, conjured out of thin air as if by magic. Shanzhi and the others stared, momentarily stunned.

Gelman was just about to act when he suddenly heard a phone ringing from inside his coat.

He reached into his Hunter Cloak with his left hand and pulled out his phone. The caller ID read "Glasses Girl."

"Hello." Gelman answered.

Shizuku's voice came from the other end. "Hello, is that Gelman? It's Shizuku."

"Yeah."

"Oh, okay."

When Gelman had suddenly pulled out the bizarre-looking Meat Saw, he'd taken everyone by surprise.

But now he was casually answering a call right in front of Shanzhi and the others. They were instantly overcome by an indescribable sense of humiliation.

Did he think they were all dead?

"Damn you! How dare you look down on us!" Veins bulged across Shanzhi's face as he pulled the trigger. The gun went off with a bang. "Die!"

His subordinates opened fire right after him. At such close range, with bullets pouring in so densely, they could already imagine Gelman's miserable end.

But Gelman vanished.

The bullets struck the ground, and some ricocheted off toward other places.

"What..." Shanzhi stared in shock. "Where is he?"

Then came a wet, squelching sound from the side. Something rolled across the ground, and something else splattered onto Shanzhi.

He glanced over and saw Gelman standing beside one of his subordinates.

The man had been decapitated, and blood spurted from his neck in hissing jets.

"Have you made up your mind?" Gelman continued speaking into the phone as he shook the blood from his Meat Saw and let the corpse fall. "Mm... mm... mm... I understand."

Shanzhi and the others felt their hair stand on end. Forgetting their formation and any risk of hitting each other, they fired repeatedly at Gelman.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang..."

Gelman used his Meat Saw to deflect several bullets, then vanished like a ghost once again. When he reappeared, one subordinate had an arm chopped off, and another had been sliced in half at the waist.

Amid the shrill screams, only two of Shanzhi's men remained beside him.

Gelman was still on the phone. "You can't hear me? Some people were shooting over here just now... Then let's meet at the place we agreed on. I'm heading over now."

At that moment, Shanzhi couldn't describe the feeling of his heart sinking into an abyss.

He'd emptied his gun, but hadn't hit Gelman even once. He could only watch as Gelman casually cut down another of his subordinates.

The last man wailed and begged for mercy, looking to Shanzhi for help. Gelman split his abdomen open, and his guts spilled out like a full load of cargo pouring from a truck.

He tried to stuff them back in with both hands, but no matter what he did, he couldn't push them back inside. With a look of utter despair, he collapsed to the ground.