Evening.
Denji's home was filled with laughter.
For the first time, Denji and Pochita ate bread spread with jam.
Slices of bread smeared with jam.
The flavor was sweet with a hint of tartness.
Happiness was the best word to describe it.
Because this was no longer just food to fill their stomachs.
It was a delicacy.
"Pochita, how does it taste?"
Denji took a bite, brimming with excitement.
At that moment, he wanted to share the joy of eating something delicious with Pochita.
"Woof, woof!"
Pochita bounced around.
His pull-cord tail swung back and forth in the air.
Clearly, the jam-covered bread had won him over too.
"It's so good. This is the best bread I've ever eaten."
Denji was so moved that tears glistened in his eyes.
But just then, someone knocked on the wooden cabin's door.
Knock, knock!
Denji's heart gave a violent thump along with the knocking.
The sound shattered the wonderful mood he had just found.
Worry crept onto his face.
Could Ino have come to settle the score with me?
Knock, knock!!
"Pochita, don't make a sound. No matter what, we're going to have a nice evening tonight."
Denji spoke in a whisper.
He didn't want the troubles outside to spoil his mood.
He had even decided he would fall asleep to sweet dreams tonight.
"Denji, are you home?"
Meng Fan stood outside the door and called out.
His voice was rather raspy.
Despite his twenty-something face, his voice carried the world-weariness of a man in his thirties.
The moment he spoke, Denji's heart pounded again.
Why is he back again?!
Although Meng Fan had helped him today.
Deep down, Denji wanted nothing to do with him.
After all, Meng Fan had stolen his bread the very first time they met.
He had also threatened to take his dog.
And spun wild promises about making him a hero.
"Is that guy not home?"
"I'll go in and steal the five hundred thousand he earned today."
"Hopefully, he left the briefcase inside."
Meng Fan spoke loudly at the door.
Inside, Denji's heart clenched.
This guy really is a bad person.
Denji clenched his fists.
The good impression they had built that afternoon vanished in an instant.
"Pochita, hurry and hide the bread."
Denji whispered.
But barely had the words left his mouth.
Bang!!
Meng Fan kicked the cabin door open.
"Denji, sneaking bread while I'm away again?"
"What are you doing here again?!" Denji rose and shouted.
"Coming to taste some bread spread with fresh jam, of course."
"Not a chance!"
Denji stood in front of Pochita and shouted.
Pochita held the shopping bag containing the bread and jam in his mouth.
He was ready to flee at any moment.
"I suggest you hand over the bread quietly. Don't make me beat you up."
Meng Fan slowly approached Denji.
Instead of retreating, Denji charged forward and grabbed both of Meng Fan's arms, shouting, "Pochita, run!"
At his command, Pochita darted past them with the shopping bag in his mouth.
"Cheap little tricks."
Meng Fan laughed.
Thud!!
Pochita, who had just run outside, suddenly collapsed, unconscious.
His momentum carried him several meters before he crashed into a tree.
"Pochita!"
Denji let go and ran outside.
Meng Fan followed close behind.
"What did you do to Pochita?"
"I just gave him a nightmare about losing his jam-covered bread."
Meng Fan kicked Denji aside.
Then he tried to pull the shopping bag from Pochita's mouth.
He found that Pochita had bitten down hard.
The bag's handles were almost halfway down his throat.
"You two really would risk your lives for bread."
Meng Fan tore open the shopping bag and took out the jam and sliced bread.
In no time, he devoured every last slice.
"Come wipe my mouth," Meng Fan taunted.
Denji clenched his teeth and forced out a single word: "Devil!!"
"You're a devil!"
Suddenly, he sprang up in a rage and pointed at Meng Fan.
"That's right. I'm a devil. I'm the Bread Devil, and I eat other people's bread."
Meng Fan picked up Pochita and wiped his mouth with him.
"You're a devil, but you're definitely not the Bread Devil. What devil did you actually make a contract with?"
"And what was with the devil's body suddenly disappearing?"
"I don't need to answer your questions. All you need to do is have bread ready for me every day."
"Judging by your weapon, it should be the Claw Devil."
"Right, I'm the Claw Devil," Meng Fan replied dismissively.
He took his car keys from his pocket.
Holding Pochita by one leg.
He got into a Toyota Crown Eighth Generation 130.
"Get in. I'll take you to eat something even better."
"Take me out to eat?" Denji hesitated for a second, then immediately protested, "I'm not going with you."
"If you're not coming, I'll take Pochita. Once you part this time, you might never see each other again."
At the words "never see each other again."
Denji rushed into the car, his face tense.
"Give Pochita back."
"Here. The Chainsaw Devil isn't much use to me right now."
Meng Fan casually tossed Pochita onto the back seat.
He started the car.
They drove from the countryside toward the city.
"Where did you get another car?"
"This was mine to begin with. I already sold that brat Ino's car."
"You really sold it?!"
"For 2.49 million yen."
"If... if you gave that to me, I could pay off my debt."
"Didn't I tell you? You don't need to pay back the gang. There's no point giving money to dead people. If you really feel bad, spend a few hundred on a few hundred million in spirit money and burn it for them."
Denji's face fell, and he said nothing.
But when the car reached the city streets.
Rows of bright, neatly spaced streetlights caught his eye.
He immediately rolled down the window and looked outside.
The refreshing summer air streamed into the car through the window.
It ruffled his bird's nest of hair, which he hadn't groomed in days.
"Pochita, look at the lights outside."
But the friend Denji most wanted to share this moment with was still asleep.
Pochita's brow was tightly furrowed, and his body trembled slightly.
He seemed to be having a nightmare.
In his dream, he couldn't move a muscle.
Behind him stood a toy poodle with innocent eyes but a very clear goal.
"What's wrong with Pochita?"
"Nothing. He's just having a friendly exchange with a toy poodle. His fear might even summon the Teddy Bear Devil."
Meng Fan snapped his fingers.
Immediately, Pochita's tense face relaxed.
He slowly opened his eyes.
And saw Denji.
Only then did he realize he had escaped the dream ruled by the poodle.
"Pochita, look out the window."
The bustling streets outside instantly brought Pochita fully awake.
He forgot his nightmare in an instant.
All kinds of people in different clothes passed along the streets.
They chatted and laughed.
Every face wore a joyful expression.
Multicolored lights shone on both sides of the road.
All sorts of shops he had never seen before caught his eye.
"Where are we going?"
"To the most expensive restaurant for the best dinner, then to enjoy the most attentive bath and massage service, and sleep in the most comfortable hotel."
"Our goal tonight is to spend all 2.49 million."
"Spend all 2.49 million?!" Denji couldn't even imagine it. "Stop joking with me."
"All right, no more jokes. I'm taking you to the black market now to cut off one of your balls and sell one of your kidneys for a Huawei Mate 50."
"Woof!!"
The scenery outside caught Pochita's interest.
He bounced on Denji's legs, eager to see outside.
"Pochita, do you want to look outside?"
"Woof, woof!!" Pochita stuck out his tongue and barked twice in excitement.
"The city really is beautiful at night."
Denji picked up Pochita and held him out the car window.
They gazed at the bustling sights flashing past before them.
Pochita was captivated for a moment, too.
But just then, the car hit a rock and jolted up and down.
Denji was also mesmerized by the scenery outside the window.
Distracted for a moment, he failed to hold on to Pochita.
The next second, Pochita slipped from his grasp and fell out of the car.
Pochita hit the ground and rolled several times.
The cars behind them had no time to swerve.
They drove straight over Pochita.
Aah!!
One car, two cars, three cars...
Car after car ran over Pochita.
Before you continue