The Mastermind

Tianyang was woken by a clamor of voices and realized he had slept in his mother's bedroom the night before.

He climbed up from the floor. His head felt heavy, his temples throbbed, and he was in poor shape.

"Tianyang! Tianyang!"

Kaidi's voice came from outside in the living room. Tianyang went out, and sure enough, there he was.

The owner of the Volcano Bar had a coat draped over his shoulders, his chest still wrapped in bandages and gauze. A boy about Tianyang's age supported him as he came in.

At the sight of Tianyang, Kaidi said happily, "Xiao Si told me your door was open and there was a unicycle parked outside. I knew you were back, kid. So, did you find Nanfei at the Black Mine last night?"

Tianyang's expression darkened, and he nodded faintly.

Kaidi looked around. "Where is she, then? You've joined the Nightwalkers, so getting someone out of the Black Mine shouldn't be hard, right? Oh..."

Kaidi slapped his forehead. "Look at me. What an idiot. Nanfei couldn't possibly have coped at the mine. Even if she wasn't injured, she'd have fallen sick. You took her to the hospital, didn't you? The one in the Upper City? I'll go see her."

"Kaidi."

Tianyang looked at the man. The bar owner had already turned to head out the door. "Don't go."

Kaidi glanced back. "What, is Nanfei in really bad shape? She needs quiet and rest, right? Of course. With her frail constitution, it's no surprise she'd fall ill. All right, I'll go open the bar and visit her in a few days."

"No. You don't need to go."

Tianyang lowered his head, his gaze resting on the floor. "She... she's gone."

Kaidi's body trembled slightly. He slowly turned his head away, his back to Tianyang. "Where did she go? Did she not like working at the bar? That's fine. Tell her she can do whatever she likes. I'll change businesses if I have to."

"Kaidi..."

"If she thinks I'm too clumsy, that's fine too. I've saved some money over the years. I can give her the capital to start a business. She's so frail. Where else could she go? Don't you agree, Tianyang?"

The boy shook his head hard. "Kaidi, my mother has already..."

"Don't say it!" Kaidi roared, then his shoulders sagged. "Don't say it. No... she wouldn't..."

Tianyang closed his eyes and said heavily, "She's gone. By the time I got there, she was badly injured. She drew her last breath in my arms. It's hard to accept. It's even harder for me than it is for you. But Kaidi, she's gone... gone!"

"I told you not to say it!"

Kaidi suddenly lunged forward and punched the boy in the face. Tianyang staggered back several steps and struck the shack's sheet-metal wall, making the roof rattle.

One side of the boy's face slowly reddened and swelled. Tianyang hung his head, his silver-white hair falling across his eyes and hiding their lifeless gaze.

Kaidi seized his shoulders. "Who was it? Which bastard did this? Tell me! I'll..."

"What are you going to do?"

"Avenge her, of course!" Kaidi roared like an enraged beast, flecks of spit spraying onto Tianyang's face.

Tianyang looked at him. "You can't do that."

Kaidi's eyes were bloodshot. "Why the hell not? In my whole damn life, she's the only woman I've ever fallen for. She never said she felt the same, but in my heart, she was my woman. Anyone who hurts my woman is going to die!"

He shoved Tianyang away. "If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself. There's no way I can't dig up a single piece of information!"

A hand caught Kaidi's shoulder.

"What are you doing? Let go!"

Tianyang shook his head. "I can't let you throw your life away."

Kaidi whirled around. "So you want me to do nothing, just like you?"

The boy suddenly erupted. "How do you know I've done nothing?"

"If I could, I'd tear that bastard to pieces right now! You only loved her, but she was my mother!"

Kaidi froze, suddenly at a loss for words.

Breathing hard, Tianyang leaned against the wall. "Someone's already investigating. We'll hear something within a day or two at most. But Kaidi, anyone who could throw her into the Black Mine is someone you can't afford to cross. She's already gone. I don't want anything to happen to you too."

"So I'll handle this. I'm her son. I should be the one to avenge her!"

The boy raised his head, and deep in his eyes, flames seemed to burn.

After promising not to do anything, Kaidi left. Tianyang stayed in the shack. For the next two days, he did nothing but stare at his communicator.

No message came.

Then, on the evening of the third day, the communicator rang, and Ling Feng's voice came through. "Tianyang, are you there?"

Tianyang immediately snatched up the communicator. "I'm here!"

"We have news."

Ling Feng paused before continuing, "Do you remember Qin Wu?"

A thunderclap seemed to explode in Tianyang's mind. His breathing quickened, and he struggled to keep his voice calm. "Was it Qin Wu's family?"

"Yes. His father, Qin Jie, is the chief of the Third Security Office in the Upper City. Lin Yang discovered that while you were away on your mission, he planted items restricted by the Fortress in your home and falsely accused your mother of breaking the law. He also bribed an Examiner to bypass the review procedures entirely and had your mother sent to the Black Mine within half a day..."

Tianyang breathed heavily. Veins bulged on the hand gripping the communicator, and he nearly crushed the device.

"Listen to me, Tianyang. Leave this to us. Qin Jie isn't just an Upper Citizen; he's also a government official. You can't act rashly. I can promise you he'll receive the punishment he deserves. Do you hear me, Tianyang?"

Tianyang exhaled a scorching breath and quietly switched off the communicator. He stood, found the eyepatch he had used before, and put it back on, covering his Tactical Eye.

He went into the kitchen, gathered every ingredient he could find, and cooked them all. Without caring how anything tasted, the boy ate in silence.

It was his first meal in three days.

He did not eat quickly. In fact, he chewed slowly and carefully, making sure every bit of food could be converted into strength.

After eating, Tianyang put on his defensive armor and took his rifle. Leaving the Nightwalkers uniform hanging on the wall, he went out as he was and drove to the Volcano Bar.

The Volcano Bar was closed, but lights were on inside. Tianyang knocked on the door.

The door opened, and Kaidi looked at him.

Tianyang said flatly, "I need a blade. The sharper, the better."

"Come in."

Kaidi pulled him inside, then disappeared into the storeroom at the back. The sound of heavy objects toppling came from within. It took a while before the bar owner returned.

He was carrying a blade.

He set it on the table. "Good stuff I got from East Street. I've kept it maintained. Give it a try."

Tianyang gave it a few swings. It did not handle as well as his old Particle Warblade, let alone compare in quality.

But it was good enough for cutting people down.

He slung the blade across his back, turned, and left.

Watching Tianyang leave, Kaidi took a bottle of hard liquor from the cabinet and gulped down a mouthful.

Then he grinned.

He knew what Tianyang was going to do. Kaidi gave a dry chuckle. "That's the woman I fell for, all right. Even her son has balls!"