PDLP Chapter 123 Hunter? prey?
Chapter 123 Hunter? prey?
After school, the setting sun shone on the entrance of Dorobiga Land, revealing two figures walking side by side. Unlike their usual after-school routine, Maoli Ran and Suzuki Sonoko didn't go home or help out at the cafe. Instead, they came to the land together, a rare occasion.
The two bought tickets and walked into the park. Instead of rushing to their favorite rides like ordinary tourists, they walked leisurely in the park hand in hand.
Mao Lilan lowered her head slightly and said apologetically: "I'm sorry, Sonoko, for making you accompany me to do such a boring thing."
When Suzuki Sonoko heard this, she immediately waved her hands with a smile and said disapprovingly: "What are you talking about? It's been a long time since we went out to the park alone like this! In the past, that bastard Kudo always stuck to you, and now you always stick to Brother Shuo, causing me, your good friend, to be almost forgotten, sob." As soon as the voice fell, Sonoko deliberately wiped the corners of her eyes with her hands, pretending to cry, her expression was exaggerated and funny.
Seeing her like this, Mao Lilan couldn't help but chuckle. The laughter of the two good friends echoed in the paradise, like innocent and carefree children, unconstrained by time and worries.
After a while of laughter, a serious look appeared on Sonoko's face. She quietly leaned over to Mao Lilan's ear and asked in a low voice, "Can we really catch fish like this? Will the murderer be scared? After all, this incident is too big, and the entire Tokyo police force has been dispatched."
Mao Lilan's expression froze slightly after hearing this, but she quickly regained her composure, shook her head gently, and whispered back, "To be honest, I'm not sure either. This is just a test. After all, although I haven't seen the murderer's appearance and can't confirm his identity, I have a feeling that the murderer will not give up easily. He will most likely want to come to me in person, whether I see him or not, he will not let me go."
After hearing what Mao Lilan said, Yuan Zi nodded in understanding, put away her serious expression, and put on her usual relaxed smile again. She patted Mao Lilan's shoulder as if nothing had happened, and said casually: "Let's go, Xiaolan, let's enjoy this afternoon!"
The two walked side by side again, leisurely wandering the park like two ordinary high school students relaxing after school. They blended into the crowd, watching the surging waves of people around them. The sound of laughter echoed, mingling with the mechanical hum of the rides, filling the park with a vibrant atmosphere. Mouri Ran and Sonoko smiled at each other, temporarily letting go of their guard and immersing themselves in this sea of joy.
Sometimes they paused to watch, sometimes they chatted and laughed quietly, like two carefree girls. However, beneath this superficial ease, they still maintained a sense of vigilance, though this vigilance was cleverly concealed by their cheerful smiles. At this moment, they were like two leaves floating on the surface of a lake, drifting with the current, waiting for the danger lurking beneath the water to surface without warning.
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The sun slowly set, its afterglow illuminating every corner of Dorobiga Land, bathing it in a warm orange-yellow hue. The crowds thinned as the visitors gradually departed. The laughter and noise faded, and the park seemed even more tranquil. Maori Ran and Sonoko continued their leisurely stroll through the amusement park, seemingly savoring this moment of peace.
Just then, Sonoko's eyes were suddenly drawn to a doll in the distance. It was the mascot of Dorobiga Land, clutching a string of colorful balloons, which glowed softly in the setting sun. Sonoko's eyes lit up, and she excitedly pointed over there and shouted, "Look, Ran, there's one last string of balloons! We're so lucky!"
Before Mao Lilan could react, Sonoko had already run towards the doll excitedly, her steps as light as a fluttering deer. Mao Lilan couldn't help laughing and shaking her head, shouting: "Slow down! Sonoko, wait for me!"
In the afterglow of the setting sun, the figures of the two good friends gradually blended into the last bit of warmth of this paradise, and their laughter was gently carried away by the evening breeze.
The moment she got the balloons, the feeling of them in her hands made her smile even brighter. She excitedly turned around, hugged the doll, and proudly made a scissors sign to Mao Lilan: "Haha, Xiaolan, the last bunch of balloons is mine!" She looked like a little swan showing off in front of her friends, full of pride and playfulness.
However, no one except Mao Lilan and the doll noticed that the moment Sonoko hugged the doll, her hand quietly reached for the air vent on its back and silently slipped a gold coin in. The action was light and secretive, as if it was just an unintentional little action.
After she let go of the doll, she smiled slightly, nodded at it, and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Doll, you can go home now!"
The doll made no sound, but bent slightly in a naive manner and bowed to Sonoko and Mao Lilan. Then, it took clumsy steps and slowly walked towards the depths of the park. Its figure gradually became blurred in the sunset and finally disappeared around the corner of the park.
Ran Mouri watched the doll go away, then turned back to look at Sonoko. The two exchanged a knowing look and both showed a meaningful smile.
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The last rays of the setting sun had long since vanished below the horizon, and the sky had fallen completely dark. Yet, the park remained brightly lit, its neon lights illuminating the surroundings like daylight. Ran Mouri and Sonoko walked slowly along the path, their steps neither hurried nor slow. Before they knew it, they had reached an area of the park closed off for the night. It was deserted, and the surroundings were utterly silent, as if they were the only two left in the entire park, wandering alone in this dimly lit area.
Tired from walking, the two found a bench and sat down side by side, looking up slightly at the twinkling stars in the night sky. The stars twinkled, their soft glow casting a particularly warm light on their faces. Mao Lilan looked down at Sonoko beside her, a hint of apology on her face, and said softly, "Sonoko... I'm so sorry for asking you to accompany me on such a dangerous journey. How about you..."
Before she could finish her words, Sonoko decisively covered Xiaolan's mouth with her hand, her eyes serious as she interrupted, "Xiaolan! Please don't say such things! We are lifelong friends! I will be angry if you don't ask me to come this time!"
Mao Lilan was stunned. She looked at Sonoko in front of her. Her face, which was always full of laughter and playfulness, was now full of determination and sincerity. She made no secret of her care. Such a Sonoko made Mao Lilan's heart surge with warmth, and all her anxiety and guilt melted away. She smiled gently, hugged Sonoko gently, and whispered, "It's great to have you!"
Sonoko returned to her usual carefree demeanor and patted Ran Mouri's back with a smile, as if the warm atmosphere just now was just a brief interlude.
She pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from her pocket, shook it in disdain, and grumbled, "What era is this? Why are those black market intelligence dealers still using such an old-fashioned method as passing notes to pass information?"
Mao Lilan couldn't help but chuckle when she saw this. She sat up straight and explained, "Shuo-ge also complained about this problem, but if you think about it carefully, maybe it's really not easy for someone with ulterior motives to steal it this way? If it's through email or text messages, it's easier for people to monitor it. If it's a note, after receiving the information, just destroy it directly, and there will be no trace."
Sonoko sighed helplessly, fiddling with the piece of paper and muttering with disdain, "What a hassle... No wonder those old guys have always refused to use modern technology." She glanced at the contents of the note again and curled her lips. "What a hassle."
Mao Lilan took the note from Sonoko's hand and quickly scanned the contents. As the words gradually came into view, her smiling face gradually darkened. Her slightly trembling fingers clenched the note, and her eyes were filled with a hint of coldness and anger. She uttered in a low voice: "Damn it!"
Sonoko wore an elegant smile, seemingly unfazed by the sudden tension. She calmly pulled a black Glock 19 pistol from her bag and deftly began installing the silencer.
Despite her extremely light movements, the subtle metallic sound was remarkably clear in this quiet corner of the paradise. She smiled softly and said coldly, "I don't know why you killed the police officer, but you made a mistake on one point..."
Sonoko tightened the silencer steadily, gently pulled the bolt, and applied a little force with her fingertips. "When you assassinate Officer Sato, you shouldn't have done it with Xiaolan present."
Mao Lilan also took a deep breath, suppressing her anger. She calmly pulled out the two sharp eagle claw knives she always carried from her waist and quickly donned them. With a flick of her wrist, the blades cut a beautiful pattern in her hand, a flash of cold light, and a murderous aura emanated. She took over Sonoko's words, her voice cold and firm: "You shouldn't have used me to get that flashlight! Fudo Kyosuke!"
In the stillness of the night, the two of them seemed like hunters, unabashedly displaying their sharp edge, like two beasts poised for a pounce. The entire corner of the paradise was enveloped in an invisible murderous intent, as if the very air had frozen.
As Ran and Sonoko finished their words, a figure slowly emerged from a dark corner. Dressed in a hunter's outfit, with a cold look in his eyes and a Browning M1910 pistol in hand, he emerged from behind a thick tree trunk.
His eyes fell on the two high school girls in front of him. He originally thought that these ordinary girls were harmless, but now they were each holding a deadly weapon, their eyes as cold as knives, staring at him with murderous intent.
Fenghu Kyosuke was slightly stunned, and the hand holding the gun trembled involuntarily. At this moment, he felt a little uneasy. He had come here as a hunter to "hunt", but suddenly realized that he seemed to have become the "prey" in this game.
However, this uneasiness was fleeting. He then forced a twisted smile, his eyes filled with madness and disdain, and sneered, "How wonderful, ladies. I thought I was the hunter, but I didn't expect that in your eyes, I am also the prey."
His words were full of provocation, trying to hide his inner panic. Fudo Kyosuke's eyes swept over the weapons in the hands of Maoli Ran and Sonoko. The sharp edge of the eagle claw knife and the cold black of the silenced pistol were particularly dazzling in the dim light.
Yuanzi smiled coldly, gripping the Glock 19 tightly in his hand, and replied without giving in: "What? Are you scared? Since you dare to treat us as prey, you must be prepared to be killed in return."
At this time, Kyosuke Fudo, facing these two girls full of murderous intent, finally realized that he might have really walked into a trap from which he could not escape.