Chapter 112: The Steamed Bun Reappears

"So we should strike first and take out that old woman!" Dong Huawen declared decisively.

Zhou Banxian almost spat out his drink, hastily wiping his beard in embarrassment. "Wait, wait! Banxian here is a bit confused by your logic. If the killer's target is that old woman, why don’t we help her take down the killer? That would complete the mission directly, wouldn’t it?"

Killing the old woman serves no purpose and would only expose our position," Liang Bing and Daozai exchanged thoughtful looks.

Dong Huawen keenly noticed their reactions and nodded with satisfaction. "It seems that besides Zhou Banxian, you two have grasped my meaning!"

Zhou Banxian grumbled, "What do you mean 'grasped'? Could you be clearer?"

"I'm already clear enough," Dong Huawen replied, shrugging helplessly.

Liang Bing explained calmly, "The narrator’s intent is to disrupt this situation. Max, the killer, hasn't unleashed his full power because most of his focus is tied to that old woman. So far, the people he’s killed were just random bystanders on the road—almost as if he’s killing for sport while idling."

Daozai nodded. "So Dong Huawen suggests eliminating that target directly, breaking Max’s constraints and forcing him to unleash all his power…"

"Wait a minute! Max is toying with us like a cat with mice, chasing us around like dogs. If he releases all his power, wouldn’t that be a death sentence for us?" Zhou Banxian asked anxiously.

"But the other team is in the same predicament. While they’re chasing us, Max is also hunting them. Plus, we have advantages others can’t easily match."

At this, Daozai glanced at Liang Bing, who smirked slightly and produced a fan-shaped array of small mirror-like cards from her hand.

"The space inside these is small, but they store over a month’s worth of supplies for the four of us. If we find the right place, we could stash even more," Liang Bing said.

Dong Huawen’s eyes gleamed. "Exactly. That’s my proposal. Since we’re in this Battle Royale arena, survival depends on who can endure the longest. If we can hold out until the end, victory will surely be ours."

Daozai’s lip twitched but he said nothing. Though not fond of Dong Huawen’s methods, he had to admit they were advantageous.

Zhou Banxian scratched his head, "Well, that actually sounds interesting."

Daozai stood up. "Alright, then we should prepare to move."

Dong Huawen said, "I vaguely remember the movie plot. Although I’ve forgotten most of the protagonists’ names, I know that because of his fear of Max, the main character has been training his shooting skills for forty years and transformed his home into a fortress. That’s why he lives alone in the suburbs, away from the town."

"The town is sealed off, so the outermost anchor point can’t be far from the old woman’s house. We just need to pick a direction, reach the destination, and then search clockwise to find the target."

Dong Huawen looked toward Liang Bing. The others exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

They fell into step quickly. Daozai led with his blade, Zhou Banxian guarded the rear with two revolvers, and Liang Bing and Dong Huawen each carried two machine guns, flanking Daozai cautiously.

The four formed a defensive formation as they moved cautiously through the town.

---

Though Max the killer is immortal, he still has a human body. If they could find a vehicle and drive faster than sixty miles per hour, they could temporarily shake off his pursuit.

Ordinary time travelers wouldn’t hesitate to use this tactic, but Liang Bing and the others did not dare.

Their enemy team lurked hidden in the shadows. If their position was revealed, the opposition would strike without hesitation.

Only one of their four had auxiliary abilities—the rest relied solely on firearms. If the enemy possessed countermeasures, exposing themselves in the vehicle could lead to total annihilation.

For safety, after some discussion, they decided to proceed on foot.

The town was small anyway.

At the town square, Max the killer brutally slaughtered a dog.

Nearby on a platform, two men struggled desperately against a spotted dog.

The dog bared its teeth and growled lowly, glaring in Max’s direction with murderous hatred, muttering curses under its breath.

"Wang An, if you want to kill, kill people—not dogs! Being a dog isn’t easy. Their lifespans are short, yet humans play with them carelessly. Besides, this town is strange. Aren’t dogs supposed to be humans’ friends? How come a few hundred households only own about thirty dogs? Are you kidding? Have you lost all sense of American values?"

"Baozi, Baozi, don’t get worked up. You’re not like before; Ninth Sister is in a deep sleep. If you rush out now, all you’ll do is send your head over to them. See that hammer in Max’s hand? It’s designed to crush skulls. It can’t kill dogs outright but can paralyze their hindquarters, causing convulsions and incontinence. It’s worse than death!"

The spotted dog shivered, regaining some lucidity, and stubbornly said, "Fine, Baozi, let him go today! But I’m keeping score. Wang An dared to kill a dog? Next time, Ninth Sister will chop you to pieces!"

Despite the words, the two men noticed the dog’s tail, which had been stiff moments ago, now drooping silently between its legs.

They exchanged glances, a hint of a smile in their eyes.

Baozi turned the dog’s head and jumped back in surprise.

"What’s with you two? One with red hair, the other blue? Playing cosplay?"

The two looked nearly identical, clearly twin brothers, but their hair, eyebrows, and beards were dyed vivid colors—one blue, one red—like characters from Contra.

"You think we want this? It’s a side effect of the Water and Fire Dragon Balls. Before Ninth Sister sold us the props, we didn’t have these colors!" one replied.

Baozi snorted, "Count yourselves lucky. Since I fused with Ninth Sister, the mysterious train’s recruitment rules have changed bizarrely. Before, each mission brought a new recruit, but lately, not a single one arrives. Either they’re useless or dumb enough to get themselves killed by the enemy."

"You remember the last newbie? He foolishly charged into the enemy’s lair and got ganged up on and killed. Words can’t describe how pathetic."

"This time you two came along. If it weren’t for your decent looks, Ninth Sister wouldn’t have sold you the Water and Fire Dragon Balls for just 200 hours."

"See how Max runs rampant? See the bodies everywhere? This is a mission plane—life-threatening at any moment."

"Those Dragon Balls enhance your physique, make you toxin-immune, raising your weak bodies to human limits. Just practice your lousy shooting a bit, and you can easily impersonate Rambo!"

"Isn’t that a steal? What more do you want?"

The twins exchanged looks and quickly nodded. "Yes, Baozi’s right! We’ve been too ambitious."

---

Baozi proudly lifted his head. "Nothing else matters. Just hide yourselves well. Don’t let Max or the enemy see you. I and Ninth Sister will handle the mission."

"I think the time is nearly up. In one or two hours, Ninth Sister will awaken. Once her soul and body are perfected, taking down Max and those idiots from the other team will be a breeze."

"Long live Baozi!"

Their cheers grew a bit loud, causing Max to halt abruptly and scare the twins into crouching low to hide.

Max slowly turned back. Apart from the corpses, there was no movement.

Only then did he resume his steps and leave.

The dog’s head peeked out quietly and sighed in relief. "You can come out now. It’s safe."

"By the way, you two, go get me something to eat—I’m hungry."

The twins’ faces fell. "Come on, you just ate two hours ago. Look at this town—all the stores are closed. Where could we find food?"

Baozi shook his head. "I don’t care—I won’t starve! Didn’t you promise Ninth Sister you’d take care of me?"

"Fine, fine, we’ll find some dog food," they said reluctantly.

Baozi stamped his foot in anger. "Dog food? You’re eating dog food! Your whole family eats dog food! I want baozi—meat-filled buns!"

"Alright, alright, we’ll find some for you!"

The twins scratched their heads and peeked out over the edge of the platform. Seeing no one around, they leapt down from the five- or six-meter height.

Satisfied, Baozi lay on the ground, short legs crossed, tongue lolling out, belly up, basking in the sunlight with eyes half-closed.

"This is the life! Days without Ninth Sister are truly peaceful!"

Dong Huawen’s plan was sound, and the four worked well together.

But he had subjectively treated the setting as a Battle Royale arena and had completely forgotten the town still had police presence.

When they emerged from the basement and had walked two streets, a patrol car rolled up.

Daozai reacted swiftly, sprinting and vaulting onto a rooftop, disappearing from sight.

Zhou Banxian slipped his guns into his coat, ducked low, and crawled into a trash bin.

Liang Bing was no slouch either. She flicked her wrist, and her guns vanished—hidden inside the large mirrors hanging inside her jacket.

Only Dong Huawen was caught out in the open; when he tossed his gun, the police saw him.

Though Liang Bing retrieved the firearms, facing the slowly approaching patrol car, she quickly pretended to be a passerby.

Now, Dong Huawen sat in the back seat of the police car, hands cuffed, trying hard to keep a blank expression. His darkened face, however, drew frequent glances from the young woman beside him.

Damn this unexpected accident!