Act10 Madness

Foreword:

The most important thing is not whether others love us, but whether we deserve to be loved.

Dale Carnegie | How to Win Friends and Influence People

[Part①·Same fate]

"Hey, Daniel, what are you looking at?"

A Hao asked Daniel this question. They were in the gym on the 24th floor, training with firearms during their preparation for the competition.

At that moment, Daniel was pressed against the window, staring at the mobile stalls on the first floor, his eyes fixed on the ice cream truck.

"Sharks Chili doesn't seem to have gone to pick up the food delivery. Our instructor is parked next to the ice cream truck. What's he planning to do?"

A Hao looked over and, just as Daniel had said, the little shark seemed captivated by the roadside stall, and immediately exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh no! It's so hot outside! My soup and other liquids are going to spoil!"

Daniel shook his head, much more mature than A Hao: "No, no, A Hao, Coach it."

Shao Jinghao also came to his senses and seemed to realize that something was wrong.

Could it be...?

Daniel: "An ice cream that can make even a hybrid of monsters linger."

A Hao: "It must taste amazing!"

Daniel: "Let's give it a call and ask it to bring one for me too."

A Hao: "I want vanilla flavor!"

Meanwhile, Mr. Griffin Barton had stopped the little shark and was enthusiastically hawking snacks.

Hey! Young man!

Mr. Griffin was unusually enthusiastic and tried to lure the little Shasha to a secluded corner. There were many patrols near the Roman Holiday Hotel, all of whom were soldiers from the Guangling Zhixi, not some amateur militia.

"You look pretty hot, how about a cold ice cream to cool you down?"

"Oh!" The little shark immediately perked up. It walked forward in a daze, having used up all the cooling cream and menthol in its pocket. The refrigerated display case of the ice cream truck was emitting gusts of cold air, which immediately attracted it.

It looked up at the young man, who was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He had handsome red hair and a mouthful of sharp teeth, and seemed to be a hybrid of a monster and a calamity beast. It immediately felt a sense of kinship with him.

"Hey bro! Can I have one? How much?"

Mr. Green said with a smile, "It's free!"

The little shark immediately became alert. "Free things are always the most expensive!"

"Oh no, no, no!" Griffin immediately changed his tune. "I recognized you at a glance, you're the head coach of the Fairy Tale Kingdom, right? How adorable! I'm a fan of your team! This bet is free! Free!"

The little shark's eyes sharpened, and its mind became more agile.

"Really? Is that really true?"

Griffin looked embarrassed but nodded vigorously; "Really! It's true!"

The little shark sniffed the air. "Really?"

Griffin immediately explained, pulling Fairy Tale Kingdom T-shirt from his red and white employee jacket. "Really! Look at this!"

"Well, I have another question." The little shark beckoned to Griffin, signaling the handsome, tall older brother to bend down.

To be honest, Griffin was extremely nervous. Neither he nor Claire were particularly professional criminals; they weren't even good at their job as hunters.

--Pellegrini's reason for choosing this couple is both absurd and natural.

The ridiculous part is that they really look like an ordinary, honest couple, not that bad. In terms of temperament and appearance, they are a handsome man and a beautiful woman. Homo sapiens are naturally inclined to pity good-looking targets, even death row inmates who have committed countless murders. In the Internet age, as long as someone is good-looking enough, they can immediately gain a large number of fans.

Naturally, if we flip back to the earlier text and look at the meeting minutes of the Calabash Immortals Alliance, there is a sentence that reads, "[These days, what kind of skills do the warriors have? They're lucky if they can even be undercover agents without a criminal record]" -- this sentence was said by Pellegrini and his colleagues.

He is an excellent decision-maker who doesn't nitpick. Given the opportunity to lead people astray, he won't be picky or complain about his subordinates' lack of ability.

At this point, Griffin asked nervously, "Do you have any further questions?"

Has this little shark already figured out my true identity? Has it become suspicious?

Sharks Chili's expression immediately changed, and she said with a grin, "My question is! Can I have five? I want five! Five!"

"Oh! Of course! Of course!" Griffin replied happily, "Please wait a moment!"

"Hehehehe." The little shark rubbed its palms together, stood on tiptoe, and leaned against the freezer, waiting.

A little while later, Daniel and Hao Bro received phone calls.

When the bell rang, Mr. Griffin tensed up.

Should we let it answer the phone?

As he thought this, the sudden turn of events made him anxious and his brain almost stopped functioning in the sweltering heat. If he missed this opportunity, the members of the Fairy Tale Kingdom would not be able to come downstairs until dinner time.

By then it will be too late. As Lord Pellegrini said, the gunsmith will most likely return here, back to the students.

If he couldn't even handle this small matter, and Mali Pero had to use the power of the [Storm Eye] to subdue these cubs, the thought of it filled Griffin with an indescribable anxiety.

The worst thing about working at a company is having a task assigned to you, only to have to ask someone else to do it.

--In that case, does it make no difference whether this company has me or not?

No! We absolutely cannot let it answer the phone; we have to leave it here!

We have to make it eat the ice cream! We absolutely must make it eat the ice cream!

"Sharks Chili."

He was about to speak—

The little shark had already taken out its mobile phone and was about to answer the call.

At the critical moment, Klee, who was watching from the shadows, was unable to help and could only worry helplessly.

But three patrolling sentries helped Griffin out. These three soldiers from Guangling Zhixi came to the ice cream stand again, shoving aside the little sharks, their movements rough and savage, like kicking a stray dog on the side of the road.

The lead sentry smiled and said, "Hey, boss, could you get us some more snacks to cool us down?"

The second sentry, elbows propped on the freezer as if exhausted, occupied half the counter. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Okay, okay, I want chocolate and dried fruit pieces, pecans and peanuts, and corn syrup."

The last sentry stood on the ice cream truck's wheel, seemingly casually resting his leg, but actually not wanting Griffin to leave.

"It's so hot today, business must be good! How much have you made?"

The little shark was pushed aside, and its phone fell to the ground, leaving several scratches on the aluminum alloy back frame. It immediately flew into a rage and wanted to go up and reason with the other shark.

"Hey! Don't you guys have any manners?! I was here first! And my phone..."

Before he could finish speaking, the lead sentry turned around and glanced at the little shark.

"You beast, what nonsense are you spouting? Were you in line? I didn't see you in line! Oh! Is it because you're too short?"

"Hybrid monsters should give way to humans, little brat." The soldier following behind the leader said with a grin, "You bunch of potential criminals, parasites sucking blood from the streets and alleys of the capital, we are Guangling Zhixi, warriors protecting the city—but you're not included in our protection, you're not human."

The little shark was so angry it was practically spitting fire.

"Fart!"

Griffin quickly exclaimed, "Sirs, this shark-man is the head coach of the Fairy Tale Kingdom! He's a celebrity!"

"I don't care who it is, as long as it's not human, it's inferior." The lead sentry turned around and cursed, "Have you gotten bolder? Just because this internet celebrity little shark came to buy your ice cream, you're getting cocky? Open the storage cabinet and let me take a look?"

The little shark wanted to say something more, until the soldier keeping watch next to it pulled out a shotgun from behind, and blast-proof ammunition was chambered along with the barrel.

It finally understood that this place was not District One, nor a civilized metropolis. Even if it was the capital of Forty-One District, a modern human city, it was not necessarily the case for the hybrid of the monster and the calamity beast.

People love and respect each other, but these qualities do not conflict with not treating wild animals as human beings. Just as a kind and gentle person who is well-educated and kind would not treat the parrot that talks to him as a human being, but as an animal.

Griffin's eyes were gloomy as he opened the storage cabinet and took out a coin box.

The sentry glanced at it, took out a few banknotes, and left the coins for the shopkeeper to use as change.

"Not bad, come back for it tomorrow."

[Part ② - Bitterly Cold]

As he said this, the soldier gently patted Griffin's face and prepared to leave.

"--Wait a minute," Griffin said immediately, "Sir, don't we want the ice cream anymore?"

The three soldiers turned around at the same time, exchanged glances, and looked a little guilty.

During their duty shifts, the Guangling Zhixi battle group's rule was that eating outside food was strictly prohibited.

They had previously violated the regulations and were considered among the worst corrupt elements in the group. This time, it wasn't even dinner time yet, and if they were reported by other patrol posts, they would not only be fined but could also lose their jobs and be unable to continue as soldiers.

"Since you're willing to treat us," the lead sentry returned to the ice cream truck, used the money he had just "robbed" to ask Griffin for three ice creams, "Do as my brother says—pecans and peanuts, chocolate and corn syrup."

Griffin silently fiddled with the waffle cone, only to hear the little shark shout loudly.

"The gunsmith won't let you get away with this! You filthy scoundrels! I saw it all! I'll expose what you've done!"

The lead sentry replied softly, "Little shark! What did we do?"

Little Shasha didn't know how to answer. It felt a little breathless when it faced the gun barrel, because the soldier operating the weapon was indeed preparing to fire, and it didn't seem like he was joking at all.

"What did we do?" the lead sentry pressed. "What did you see? Street vendors have to pay sanitation fees and city management fees. The three of us were planning to buy some ice cream to take back to the camp for our nephews and nieces, right? And what did you see? Reports require evidence—even gunsmiths need to be reasonable. Does he really have a license to kill? I'm so scared!"

The little shark, seething with anger, raised its phone again. "You owe me back my cover plate and frame! They're all scratched! You're the ones who hit me!"

"Then let's check the surveillance footage." The sentry took the small dessert Griffin handed him, took a big lick, and said with a grin, "Feel free to check my service certificate and cadet number at the complaint window, Sharks Chili."

The little shark watched blankly as the three soldiers walked further and further away. They swayed their hips, running rampant during the joyous Moon God Cup festival, and finally uttered a harsh remark.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you!" the sentry shouted happily, "I'm a hater of the Fairy Tale Kingdom! My favorite Purple Crystal got beaten down to the loser's bracket by you guys and eliminated, and I even lost over six thousand yuan! It's all your fault! I'm already being lenient by not bothering you! Be careful walking alone at night next time! You beast!"

The little shark was so angry it almost cried.

Mr. Griffin squatted next to the little shark, his lips pursed as he was about to cry.

The situation has become delicate.

"--This is so unfair!" Griffin covered his face, feeling extremely wronged.

The little shark muttered, "We're not human, boss, wake up!"

"Oh," Griffin immediately changed his tune. "That's fucking bullying of animals."

The little shark pursed its lips and clenched its fist. "Indeed."

"But I have to find a way to compensate you for your phone," Mr. Griffin said apologetically. "You were queuing in front of my stall and suffered this misfortune because of it; it's my responsibility."

"No, it's my fault," the little shark explained. "I didn't check the almanac before I left home and bumped into a few little devils. I guess I'll just have to accept my bad luck."

Griffin: "It's my fault."

Little Shark: "No, it's my fault. I even caused you to get bitten by that bastard from the Fairy Tale Kingdom. That's so unlucky."

Griffin: "It's my fault! No way! It has to be my fault!"

Little Shark: "What are you arguing with me about?!"

Griffin blushed with embarrassment. "Because the money in the storage cabinet isn't enough to compensate you, you have to come with me to the alley entrance to get some money from my wife! Would you come with me if I didn't say that?"

Suddenly, both the adults and the children fell silent.

Shasha thought for a long time, then asked in confusion.

Is this matter that important?

"Uh... uh..." Griffin thought for a moment and finally managed to smooth things over, "Because my wife is also a fan of the Fairy Tale Kingdom, I wanted to bring her to see you—Coach, could you give me a chance?"

"Really?" The little shark scratched its head in confusion.

Before Griffin could speak, a pretty young woman appeared from the convenience store next to the Roman Holiday Hotel, about twenty meters away. She was Mrs. Clare Barton.

Klee waved and skipped around, exclaiming, "Really! Really! Look, I'm wearing your T-shirt too! My bra even has your candy stickers on it! I love Fairy Tale Kingdom! I love you, Little Shark!"

"Wow!" The little shark, its previous gloom gone, was immediately infected by the enthusiasm. "Boss, your wife is so beautiful! You're so lucky!"

Just as Pellegrini thought, not only humans, but also hybrid monsters are visual creatures.

This couple possessed an approachable demeanor. They weren't particularly intelligent, nor were their personalities particularly strong, but their spiritual power was quite interesting—simple yet deadly.

What determines social relationships is not whether others love us, but whether we are worthy of being loved— Pellegrini believed that the Bartons had a gift for being loved.

Next to the patrol post on Lion King Avenue, in the St. Paul Shopping Center, three sentries finished collecting protection money and prepared to kill time at the arcade to pass the time during their boring shifts.

The sweet cream from the waffle cone slid down my throat, relieving the sweltering heat and bringing a refreshing sweetness. The chocolate and dried fruit were just enough to replenish my energy. If there was any surplus from the protection money I collected, I would exchange it for gleaming coins and stuff them into the gambling machines in the arcade.

The Youngest of the three brothers, the Sentinel, chewed on the last crunchy cone, his eyes glued to the plush toy. The instant the steel claw gripped the toy tightly, his blood pressure spiked, his heart rate rose, his eyes widened, and he licked the waffle crumbs from his fingertips.

He kept chewing and chewing, chewing and chewing, as if the sweetness in his mouth was getting stronger and stronger, and he could never get it all out.

It wasn't until a layer of sticky, bloody scum settled on the joystick panel that the Youngest came to his senses, picking a broken tooth out of the gooey mess. Then, he realized he couldn't speak; even his voice seemed to drift away, as if his throat was blocked—

"--ah!!!"

The shop assistant, who smelled the blood, screamed in terror, as if she had witnessed an unbelievable scene.

The Youngest clutched the tracheostomy tube, unaware of what was happening. He felt his neck stiffen, his breathing becoming increasingly difficult, and a burning "chill" as if hard ice had frozen his throat into a lump of ice.

He glanced at the joystick panel again, his heart pounding with panic. The blood plasma had transformed into a round, pink ice crystal, like a candy. Half a broken tooth remained on it, like a piece of white chocolate used as a garnish.

He felt life slipping away from him.

In his panic, determined to find his boss, he ran about twenty meters to the smoking area of the arcade.

He saw a man coughing incessantly, holding an e-cigarette, puffing out smoke while numbly tapping the buttons on a machine for catching cattle and sheep.

The Youngest recognized the demon face logo on the e-cigarette; it was the eldest brother's favorite item. So he immediately patted the eldest brother on the shoulder.

The sentry leader, who had been so confident and arrogant just moments before, was now deathly pale. He didn't turn around or utter a word. Cold smoke billowed from his mouth and nose—the vapor of nicotine salts mixed with ice cream cream.

The Youngest grabbed the eldest's shoulder and pulled hard—

--The eldest brother's sternum broke, and he rolled over.

In the blink of an eye, shards of ice burst forth from the fragile skeleton, cutting through the nylon straps and the Kevlar material, transforming into dazzling ice flowers.

The Youngest finally broke down, terrified out of his wits. The surrounding guests began to scream and run away, trying to escape from the arcade!

The Youngest wanted to go find the second oldest.

But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find it. He only took a few steps forward before collapsing to his knees from exhaustion. In just forty seconds, his throat was completely blocked. When he gently touched it, he saw delicate pink ice flowers falling down.

As he fell, a shower of petals, resembling cherry blossoms, erupted.

Where is the second child?

He was in the toilet, relieving himself.

--It's just that this frequent and urgent urination is a bit annoying.

No urine came out.

The second child stood there, from day to night, for a full fifty minutes, until he stopped breathing, his abdomen swelled, his intestines and kidneys bulged, and colorful ice fragments burst forth.

He remained standing, motionless.