Then I Might as Well Keep You

"Turns out you're an ambitious little official."

Fang Cheng didn't really believe Kanzaki Rin's answer, but he didn't press her too hard. He didn't want to push her into turning against him, and he genuinely needed her cooperation.

"In principle, I agree to work with you, but I have a few conditions."

"You..."

Kanzaki Rin took a deep breath. "Don't push your luck."

Fang Cheng crossed one leg over the other and chuckled. "How is that pushing my luck? This is a negotiation. There has to be some give and take. You can't expect me to agree to everything without asking for anything in return. I'm not your father—I'm not going to indulge you in everything. Hear me out first, then decide whether you agree."

The ball was back in Kanzaki Rin's court. Now it was her turn to choose.

Kanzaki Rin had a deep appreciation for how difficult Fang Cheng was to deal with. She gave him a long look. "Go on!"

"First, I want detailed information on all monsters, including Vampires. The more detailed, the better. Second, I want your ability to control fire."

Fang Cheng actually had plenty of conditions in mind. For instance, he could make Kanzaki Rin promise not to go after him once all the Vampires were dead.

But that kind of promise was flimsy and unrealistic, so he didn't bother bringing it up.

As long as he was strong enough, Kanzaki Rin wouldn't provoke him, even without a promise.

On the other hand, if he wasn't strong enough, a promise in writing wouldn't help him either.

In the end, he had to rely on himself.

At Fang Cheng's two conditions, Kanzaki Rin only furrowed her brows slightly. After thinking for a while, she replied, "The first condition is fine, but the second is out of the question."

"Why?"

Fang Cheng was genuinely curious where Kanzaki Rin's ability to control fire came from.

He wasn't the only one. Ordinary people were also fascinated by and envious of the fact that members of the Disaster Countermeasure Department had supernatural abilities.

But that was confidential information. There hadn't been any conclusive leaks so far, though speculation was everywhere.

Kanzaki Rin could only explain, "My ability comes from a special talent and years of training. So even if you want it, I can't give it to you. You'd have to join the Disaster Countermeasure Department and prove you have enough talent."

Fang Cheng couldn't tell whether Kanzaki Rin was being honest or just making excuses, so he suggested a different condition. "Then give me detailed information about the abilities, the requirements for acquiring them, and the training program. You'll also be responsible for teaching me various combat techniques and improving my fighting ability."

This time, Kanzaki Rin took even longer to consider it.

Fang Cheng wasn't in a hurry. He let her think it over.

Kanzaki Rin had taken a risk and gone to great lengths to let him escape as bait from the very beginning. That showed how seriously she took eliminating the Vampires—possibly even more seriously than Fang Cheng did.

Cooperation went both ways. Fang Cheng needed Kanzaki Rin's help, and in turn, Kanzaki Rin needed his help to eliminate all the Vampires.

She couldn't find another otherworldly being as easy to work with and as low-risk as Fang Cheng.

After thinking for more than ten minutes, Kanzaki Rin finally made up her mind. "All right. I agree to your conditions."

Fang Cheng held out his hand. "Then here's to a successful partnership."

Kanzaki Rin held out her hand too, and they shook firmly.

Fang Cheng suddenly said, "By the way, you said you'd compensate me for my losses, didn't you?"

Kanzaki Rin wanted to say that had never happened, that she'd only said it to persuade Fang Cheng to cooperate.

But they had just agreed to work together, and she couldn't bring herself to go back on her word. She could only say, "Name a price, but don't ask for something outrageous."

Fang Cheng smiled. "Don't worry. Everything I'm asking for is reasonable."

He glanced around the house. "Pay for a new set of furniture. That's reasonable, right?"

His fight with Yagawa Ryoka had left his home looking as though a typhoon had swept through. A lot of things had been destroyed.

That seemed pretty reasonable. Kanzaki Rin agreed without giving it much thought. "Fine. I'll arrange a new set of furniture for you tomorrow."

Just as she thought that was all Fang Cheng wanted, he gave her a look that said, "You're so naive, girl."

"While we're working together, you'll cover all the expenses. That's reasonable, right? After all, I'm just a high school student with no income."

Kanzaki Rin wanted to say, "Reasonable, my foot. You made a fortune selling your kidney, and you still have the nerve to tell me you're broke?"

"You should also reimburse me for the food I need to recover after battles. Otherwise, I won't have the strength to kill all those Vampires. There's also the cost of equipment damaged during training, travel expenses, three meals a day..."

The more Fang Cheng said, the darker Kanzaki Rin's expression grew. Her grip on his hand tightened. "If I have to pay for all three meals, I might as well just keep you."

"Then I'll have to think about it. Who knows what sort of shady fetishes a rich woman like you might have in private..."

Kanzaki Rin's face had gone as dark as the bottom of a pot, so Fang Cheng finally knew when to stop.

He was afraid she'd back out if he kept going.

Kanzaki Rin suppressed her anger and spoke stiffly. "Is that all?"

"And..."

"What else?!"

She suddenly bristled like a cat, her voice rising sharply.

Fang Cheng pointed at her hand. "Also, how long are you going to keep squeezing my hand? You're taking advantage of me, aren't you? I didn't know you were that kind of person."

Kanzaki Rin flung Fang Cheng's hand away.

She took a deep breath, tamped down her anger, and regained her composure. "I'll arrange everything tomorrow. We'll start then."

Fang Cheng looked surprised. "That soon? What about school?"

Kanzaki Rin wanted to ask why a Vampire was so obsessed with going to school.

"You can take a day off."

"Fine. You can get me excused while you're at it."

At the mention of school, Fang Cheng suddenly remembered something. "Did Morishita Yamato come after me because of you?"

Kanzaki Rin shook her head. "It had nothing to do with me."

"You don't look surprised at all. So you already knew, huh?"

Fang Cheng complained, "Why didn't you stop them? I got beaten up for nothing."

Kanzaki Rin finally found something to tease him about. She folded her arms and gave him a smug smile. "What does that have to do with me? It's not like they could kill you. And from what I've heard, they didn't exactly get off easy either."

"But my young, fragile heart was still traumatized. You wicked woman—doesn't your conscience hurt?"

"Heh!"

Kanzaki Rin cut off Fang Cheng's nonsense. "Morishita Yamato won't bother you again anytime soon, and it won't affect our partnership."

Fang Cheng wondered to himself why Morishita Yamato had been so quiet. He'd thought he was gearing up for something big, but it turned out Kanzaki Rin had spoken to him behind the scenes.

Of course, there was always the possibility that Morishita Yamato was playing along and still preparing something big.

Either way, Fang Cheng was convinced he was preparing something big.

Seeing him lost in thought, Kanzaki Rin suddenly asked, "Can you suppress the urge to drink blood by eating ordinary food?"

Fang Cheng didn't have any urge to drink blood, but he needed the Vampire identity to conceal his immortality.

Vampires were rare, but they weren't exactly unheard of. Someone like Fang Cheng, with an immortal body and no side effects at all, was one of a kind.

If that came to light, Kanzaki Rin might not keep it secret for him.

So he gave a vague answer. "I think so."

Kanzaki Rin probed, "Do you need me to get you some blood?"

If he really needed it, Kanzaki Rin would put him on the danger list. Once their partnership ended, he'd have to be eliminated.

Fang Cheng thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sure."

Kanzaki Rin's heart leaped into her throat.

But Fang Cheng added, "No need for human blood. Just get me some pig's blood."

He hadn't wanted any at first, but accepting it would dispel Kanzaki Rin's suspicions—and make her pay for it.

Two birds with one stone. Perfect.

"Pig's blood?"

Kanzaki Rin was utterly confused.

Did pig's blood work for Vampires too?

She couldn't help picturing a Vampire sneaking out in the middle of the night to attack a pigpen, chasing a sow around and biting her.

Wow. His cool factor just plunged straight through the floor.