"He can't have run far, he must be nearby!"
"That bag of seeds is crucial to the organization. We have to get it, no matter the cost!"
Two low voices came from across the river, accompanied by the rustling of reeds.
Seeing this scene, Okabe couldn't help but feel a surge of tension. His body tensed instinctively as he quickly minimized his presence.
Empowered by his newly acquired Elementary Sense of Hearing, he could clearly hear every word they said. Aided by his Elementary Vision, he had already spotted them.
But he wasn't going to act rashly. At the very least, he needed to gauge their strength first. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Any unexpected mishaps would be laughable.
"Seeds? Could they mean the contents of the bag that man was clutching? If it's some kind of undiscovered new plant species with great significance for human history, it would indeed be something worth risking one's life to protect."
Listening to the conversation from across the river, Okabe's mind raced.
Meanwhile, the man lying prone in the reeds saw Okabe standing frozen and thought he was scared stiff. He tried to whisper something more, but a sharp pain from his chest wound made him gasp.
"Don't move. I'll call someone to come rescue you. Hang in there, don't you die on me."
A living person was definitely more valuable than a dead one.
Although he had no idea who this man was, Okabe still took out his phone.
He had intended to call Kensei Ma directly, but as he held the phone, he realized that apart from Ryōzanpaku's landline and Miu Fūrinji's number, he didn't know how to contact anyone else.
Resigned, he could only dial Miu Fūrinji's number.
"Hello? Okabe-kun, what's wrong?"
The call was answered the instant it connected, and the girl's puzzled voice came through.
"Miu, I've found a seriously injured man here, on the verge of death. It looks like his chest has been pierced. Have Master Kensei come down and see if he can perform some emergency treatment to save his life. Then call 119. I'm near Xiating Park."
He remembered that Kensei Ma was skilled in using medicinal herbs to treat chronic injuries.
But this guy's injury was to the chest, a traumatic wound. Master Kensei's skills might not be effective.
So he had Miu Fūrinji notify Kensei Ma and call for an ambulance at the same time.
"I understand. You hang on over there. I'll tell Master Kensei right now."
Ryōzanpaku.
In her room, preparing for bed, Miu Fūrinji hung up the phone. Understanding that a human life was paramount, she didn't even bother putting on her slippers and ran to Kensei Ma's room.
"Master Kensei, help!"
Meanwhile.
Okabe watched the man, whose breaths were growing shallower, and the two figures who had finished searching the opposite bank and were now getting closer and closer. He was incredibly tense.
On one hand, he didn't know the strength of either side.
On the other, it was his first time directly confronting an evil force, and deep down, he couldn't help but feel a little thrilled.
"Be careful. Even a dying beast will try to fight back. This is when they resist the most fiercely."
"He's just an ordinary person. No matter how much he fights back, it won't amount to much. It's just a death throe."
"Even so, it's better to be careful."
"I think I sense another presence."
"To be honest, me too..."
At this point, the two men tacitly lowered their voices. After exchanging a glance, they raised their guard.
They moved with light steps, holding their breath, following the scent of blood.
"Hah..."
The distance between both sides was now no more than twenty meters.
Since they were in a suburban area, few people came here besides them.
And while the pursuers had slowed down out of caution, it wouldn't take them long to arrive.
And judging from their advancing steps, these two were likely trained fighters.
The problem was, his eyes weren't sharp enough to discern their true strength. Plus, the two were wearing masks, making it impossible to infer their age.
But Ikaros hadn't made a move yet, and those two were advancing so cautiously, which probably meant they weren't that strong.
Stall and wait for rescue from Ryōzanpaku?
Fight and wait for reinforcements from Ryōzanpaku?
If he had to choose, Okabe decided to fight.
On one hand, the blood was boiling in his veins. On the other, stalling would be difficult to pull off effectively.
Rather than being forced into a defensive fight and letting the battle endanger the wounded man, it was better to strike first!
"Ikaros, you protect this man. I'll be right back."
"Master..."
Hearing that Okabe was going to advance alone, Ikaros called out nervously.
"Don't worry. If I run into danger, I'll call for you. I value my life more than anyone, and I won't let it be threatened."
Hearing Ikaros's worried cry, Okabe gave a confident smile and charged forward. The sudden movement immediately caught the two men's attention.
Although he really wanted to lie in ambush and find the right moment to launch a surprise attack, Okabe only knew some simple self-defense moves, and even those he'd secretly learned from Miu.
To ensure he could focus on building a solid foundation, none of the masters at Ryōzanpaku had taught him any specific techniques.
"There really is someone here, but why is it a kid?"
"Who cares? A kid is even better, no threat at all! The plan cannot fail. Let's kill him first!"
Seeing Okabe suddenly charge out, the two were first startled, but after seeing his youthful face, their tension vanished completely.
"Die!"
"Blame yourself for showing up here!"
They had been tense over a child for so long.
At this thought, the faces under their masks flushed with shame. They then drew daggers from their waists, preparing to end his life as quickly as possible.
Anyway, this was Japan. After the mission, they would head straight back to China. They wouldn't even need to dispose of the body. With that, there was nothing to worry about!
In the reeds behind Okabe, seeing both sides rush at each other, Ikaros's wings instinctively unfurled. Her emerald eyes turned crimson, a clear sign that she would charge in the moment they dared to attack.
At this moment, she had completely forgotten Okabe's earlier instructions, her mind filled with only one thought: protect him, protect him!
"You dare get distracted while fighting me?"
The sudden change made the two charging men freeze.
Seeing an angel with sprouted wings, their shock was beyond words.
And naturally, Okabe wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass. He clenched his fist tightly and threw a punch straight at them.
"BOOM!"
Immense power erupted from his small body.
A Martial Power of 50 wasn't as simple as multiplying an adult's strength by five.
What's more, Okabe possessed the Body Control ability, allowing him to channel the strength of his entire body into his fist and unleash it in an instant.
The result was also very clear.
Although the stunned man noticed Okabe's incoming fist, it was too late to dodge.
Feeling the force of the punch, his expression changed. In his haste, he only managed to raise his arms to block, but they were instantly twisted and broken. He was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the muddy ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Zhang Li!"
Seeing his companion sent flying by Okabe, the other man's face under the mask showed extreme shock.
He immediately abandoned Okabe and rushed to the side of the downed man, finding his right arm twisted and his ribs caved in. He was clearly severely injured.
Retreat.
This was the thought in the man's mind.
The opponent looked like an ordinary child, but was actually a human-shaped tyrannosaurus. How could they fight someone like that? It was better to retreat quickly and call for support!
Without hesitation, he picked up his downed companion and sprinted towards the other side of the river.
Okabe saw this but didn't give chase. He stared at his own hand in a daze.
Evidently, he hadn't expected that by using Body Control to channel his power into his arm, he could deliver such a punch, one that could severely injure a suspected martial artist to the point of incapacitation, perhaps even crippling him.
"Not bad. An ordinary person needs to master specific power-generation techniques to unleash their full strength, but you can do it anytime you wish. I have to say, that is a truly terrifying talent."
Akisame Koetsuji's voice suddenly sounded in Okabe's ear, his words filled with amazement for him.
The reason was simple: it is extremely difficult for a typical martial artist to exert their full power; it requires specialized training.
Furthermore, generating power has requirements for posture.
A normal stance makes it impossible to exert one's full strength. To do so inevitably requires a significant wind-up.
Okabe's ability to unleash his full strength regardless of his posture was simply monstrous. He truly had no idea how he did it.
"Master Akisame."
Seeing Akisame Koetsuji appear beside him, Okabe was startled for a moment before recovering and greeting him.
"Akisame, help me carry him back to Ryōzanpaku."
"This kid is lucky. The stab wound was just two centimeters from his heart. I've given him emergency treatment. Barring any accidents, he should wake up tomorrow."
At the same time, Kensei Ma's voice rang out.
Okabe looked back and saw that Kensei had already performed emergency treatment on the man and was calling Akisame Koetsuji over. A stretcher lay beside them.
It seemed that with Master Kensei's medical skills, the man could be healed without a trip to the hospital, which saved a lot of trouble.
"Alright."
Akisame Koetsuji said as he went over. Together with Kensei Ma, they placed the man on the stretcher and then proceeded towards Ryōzanpaku as gently and quickly as possible.
Elsewhere.
"Oh, they killed themselves? What a pain."
"These guys from the Dark Culinary World are all the same. The moment they're caught, they commit suicide by poison. I don't know where they get such conviction."
Watching the two members of the Dark Culinary World who had committed suicide by poison, Shio Sakaki dialed the agency responsible for handling such matters and stood there waiting for them to arrive.
As for why he assumed they were members of the Dark Culinary World, it was mainly because they had the organization's exclusive tattoo on their hands.
Liu Wei regained consciousness amidst a sharp, stabbing pain.
His chest felt as if it had been branded by a hot iron, and every breath brought a tearing agony.
He struggled to open his heavy eyelids. In his blurry vision, a wooden ceiling gradually came into focus.
"I'm... not dead?"
The thought shocked him.
He tried to move his fingers but found he had no strength. Just as he was trying to recall what had happened in his final moments, a gentle voice sounded in his ear:
"You're awake? Don't move, your wound has just been treated."
Liu Wei laboriously turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in a white kimono sitting by his bed.
The man had a kind face and was holding a roll of bandages, as if he had just finished dressing his wound.
The air was filled with the scent of medicine and the faint smell of blood.
"Where... is this? Thank you."
Liu Wei's voice was so hoarse he could barely recognize it as his own.
"This is Ryōzanpaku." The door was pushed open, and Shio Sakaki walked in, saying, "Kid, you're lucky. If our disciple hadn't found you in time, you'd be reporting to the underworld by now."
As he finished speaking, several more people entered the room. Liu Wei stared at them blankly.
There was a short, elderly man in Chinese clothing who had treated him by the river, a young girl with a ponytail, a two-meter-tall, burly blond elder, and finally, a dark-skinned, muscular young man.
Finally, a familiar figure also walked in from outside. It was the young boy who had saved him by the river. He had thought he was an ordinary person, but he turned out to be a master.
"It's you..."
Liu Wei looked at Okabe, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"You know him?"
Seeing Liu Wei speak, Miu Fūrinji asked curiously.
"I found him by the river and exchanged a few words with him. It's normal that he recognizes me."
Okabe shrugged, then squeezed through the crowd to Liu Wei's side.
Looking at the man's vaguely familiar face, a few suspicions grew in his mind.
"We've already identified the people who were chasing you. If I'm not mistaken, they were members of the Dark Culinary World. Can you tell us why those guys wanted to kill you?"
"Chasing me? Right! The seeds, where are my seeds!"
Hearing Okabe's words, Liu Wei seemed to snap back to reality. He reached for the bag of seeds that had been hanging around his neck, only to find it gone. Even his clothes had been changed. He struggled to sit up and shouted at the people before him.
"Calm down, you can't move around right now."
Akisame Koetsuji pressed him back down.
The wound had just been carefully dressed; it couldn't be allowed to tear open because of his careless movements.
"I have them here. This must be very important to you. Yesterday, I heard the men from the Dark Culinary World say they had to bring the seeds back. I imagine that's the reason they sent people to kill you."
Seeing how agitated the man was, Okabe tossed the blood-stained bag to Liu Wei and then stated his speculation.
"I'm sorry, I lost my composure just now. This bag of seeds is indeed very important to me. It's half my life's work."
"It contains five types of fruits and vegetables that I've cultivated through cross-breeding. With them, China's agriculture can surely advance."
"Plants? What are they, to provoke such a conflict?"
Miu Fūrinji asked with a curious expression.
Since they were his saviors, Liu Wei didn't want to hide anything. He began, "Actually, they're not anything too extraordinary.
This seed is called the Golden Tomato. When this tomato is grown, the fruit has a deep golden color. Its core value lies in its extremely high nutritional content, and its flavor is more sweet and sour than an ordinary tomato. Its lycopene content is more than twenty times that of a normal tomato, and it's also rich in other antioxidants and vitamins.
This one is the Jade Cucumber. It's two sizes larger than a gherkin but much smaller than a regular cucumber. Its flesh is crisp and tender, its taste is fresh and delicious, it has a short growth cycle, and it's highly adaptable, with low requirements for soil, water, and light. It can even be grown indoors.
This is the Rainbow-Glory Rice."
Liu Wei took the seeds out of the bag one by one and explained them to everyone present. There were over 30 seeds of each plant type, a precious treasure.
"I see. In that case, it's understandable why the Dark Culinary World would take such a risk to try and seize all your research成果. If I'm not mistaken, they probably invited you to join them, but you refused."
"At first, they did ask if I was willing to join. At the time, I thought they were just some corporation that had somehow learned of my research. I never imagined it was the vicious Dark Culinary World. If I had known, I would have agreed. Then Kobayashi and the others wouldn't have had to die..."
Listening to Liu Wei's story and seeing the light in his eyes as he spoke animatedly, the people present fell silent.
They couldn't imagine the impact on the world of Light Cuisine if these seeds were obtained and cultivated by the Dark Culinary World to be used in future Shokugeki.
Setting aside the others, just the Golden Tomato alone, when used properly in tomato-related dishes, would be an absolute trump card for victory.
But more important was Liu Wei himself, who looked to be only in his early forties.
To be able to develop so many amazing seeds at this age, he was definitely a formidable expert with limitless future potential.
And the Dark Culinary World, for its own selfish desires, had tried to kill him...
"I have a presumptuous question, but I'd still like to ask: what is your relationship to Liu Anqing?"
Okabe stared at Liu Wei, finding him more and more familiar, until his face finally overlapped with the memory of Liu Anqing's. They were practically cast from the same mold!
"You know my uncle?"
Now it was Liu Wei's turn to be surprised. Okabe looked no older than a teenager; how could he know his uncle? Their paths should have been parallel lines.
"He was my childhood teacher. You look so much like him, I thought he was your father. I didn't expect him to be your uncle."
"Speaking of which, wouldn't it be safer back home? Why did you come to Japan to do your research?"
Okabe scratched his head. He was right, but also wrong. This man was indeed related to Liu Anqing, but perhaps not as closely as he had imagined.
"I studied at an agricultural university in Japan, so I just stayed here to continue my research. On one hand, I wanted to hide from the Dark Culinary World, and on the other, I just got used to being here."
Liu Wei said with a bitter smile.
He had come to Japan and lived under an assumed name for many years, leading a Chinese team in researching seeds on a farm. In all those years, they had only developed five types.
And just as he had achieved some success and was preparing to return to serve his country, he was somehow discovered by the Dark Culinary World.
The researchers he had worked with for years died one after another to cover his escape, while he fled through a secret passage.
His original destination was the police station, but because he was so severely injured before leaving, he only made it halfway before collapsing in the reeds, where he was later found by Okabe.
"This Dark Culinary World is truly becoming more and more lawless!"
After hearing Liu Wei's story, everyone present had expressions of anger on their faces.
A researcher capable of cultivating beneficially mutated seeds would be considered a great figure anywhere in the world, yet such an individual was being hunted down.
And all for the purpose of seizing the seeds he had cultivated...
____
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