Ke Xue: I picked up a bottle of sherry at the beginning.

The young guard who seemed to be leading the group stood still. The man with a fierce look and a rough expression was so frightened that he showed his yellow teeth.

Big brother, let us live happily together!

A surge of ecstasy coursed through the man. He froze, his mouth opening and closing several times, his eyes narrowed for a moment, then suddenly opened:

Oh oh oh! I will never allow anyone to interfere with the happiness of me and my little sister!

The young man, who was instantly immersed in a world of delusion, shouted loudly, turned around suddenly, and rushed towards his accomplices while waving his baton.

What are you doing? Go to the island! Stop dreaming!

Hey, stop it, are you sick?

His stunned colleagues said nothing, but it was useless. Infused with the energy of delusion, his fighting power skyrocketed several times, and he swung his baton without complaint, knocking down five of his colleagues.

Okay, the troublemaker has been dealt with. Let’s go with the big brother, A-Meow.

Who is Ah Miao?

Lucien looked at the strange creature on the island in confusion, and raised his hand slightly, and the egg-shaped metal object hit him between the eyebrows.

If Shangdao lies on the ground with a happy smile on his face for two or three hours, he should be able to wake up from his delusional world.

It was nice to have made it through the entrance hall effortlessly, but I couldn't help but worry seriously about the future of my country. Are all the young men in Japan truly doomed?

There was a fierce barking of dogs in a corner of the garden, but the sound didn't come closer. I wondered how they were guarded at night, but it seemed the guard dogs were kept on leashes during the day.

We entered a spacious lobby, like a hotel lobby. There was no need to hesitate whether to continue upstairs or head deeper into the ground floor. Standing at the entrance to the spiral staircase with its iron handrails was a man wearing what looked like a high-end three-piece suit. He clutched a shotgun in his right hand and, with his left, a woman by the hair, dragging her down.

The man was none other than Keigo Kasai. He had often appeared on television and in magazines, his face thin and gentlemanly. His hair was jet black, a bit unnatural, probably dyed. He squeezed a distorted voice from his thin lips:

Why did the police come?

No time for this nonsense.

Ryoko answered briefly and took a step forward.

Kasai Keigo followed Ryoko's figure. His eyes widened, his mouth open, and he looked as if he was unconsciously appreciating a work of art.

Ryoko did not shy away from the other's gaze, and took two or three steps closer, reaching out her hand as if naturally.

He took out his shotgun and threw it towards me.

Here you go, Izumi-kun.

I quickly reached out and grabbed the shotgun from mid-air. Judging by its heft, it was loaded with shotgun shells. Getting hit by a shot at such close range would be fatal.

Keep an eye on me, Yuki.

Ryoko gave the instruction as if it was a matter of course, and then said to the trembling woman in the suit in English:

Okay, we're safe now. If this guy dares to do anything, I'll definitely kill him!

The woman finally stood up.

I remember what she looked like.

The night before, she was the one who interpreted for Mela Routledge at the party held at the Mikasa-no-Mori Hotel.

Kishimoto eagerly approached, offering her his hand for her to hold. He hadn't received any orders yet, but he was quite good at seizing opportunities.

The woman's hair was disheveled, there were bruises around her eyes, blood was flowing from the corners of her mouth, and the buttons of her suit had been torn off. Muromachi Yukiko sympathetically put her arm around her shoulders, handed her a handkerchief, and stared at Kasai Keigo with hatred.

Kasai was already being strangled by Ryoko's tie. While strangling Kasai's neck, she turned back to look at the woman:

I rescued you, so please help me. We are not doing charity.

Isn't this the police's duty? !

Yukiko raised her eyebrows. These words were all spoken in Japanese, but since she was doing simultaneous interpretation, there was no way she didn't understand Japanese.

There was a bench against the wall of the hall, and Yukiko helped her sit on it. At this time, Lucien and Marianne followed Ryoko's orders and disappeared deeper into the room.

The woman gave her name in Japanese:

My name is Heather Willingham. I'm Aubrey Wilcox's sister.

This is shocking news. Isn't Aubrey Wilcox Artemisia's former lover, the man who died under suspicious circumstances? Ryoko asked:

You have different last names. Are you married?

I changed my last name to my mother's grandmother's, to protect myself.

Safe? So, you believe your father and brother were murdered by the Routledges?

Ryoko stabbed the core in one breath. Heather Willingham sighed softly:

I believe it. I can't help but believe it. They say my father had the accident while drunk, but he hasn't been drinking since my brother died.

This is understandable. I recall the suspicious death of President Harding. One of the people involved in the case died suddenly of alcohol poisoning, but in the 1920s, the United States still implemented prohibition laws.

My mother, too, was said to have committed suicide in a nursing home, but when I rushed to see her, she had already been cremated and of course no autopsy had been performed.

So you infiltrated the Routledge household as a Japanese translator in order to uncover the truth behind your family's deaths.

About a year ago, UFA was actively developing its import and export business with Asia and needed to hire experts in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.

Heather Willingham produced a detailed report on Japan's agricultural and food problems, including the actual state of the food delivery industry, and submitted it to higher-ups for review. She also maintained close ties with GAT members, bringing her close to Mela. Mela also conducted an identity check on her, but found nothing. Perhaps the Routledge family didn't care much for a small family like the Aubrey Wilcoxes.

Did you become a Japanese translator and approach the Routledge family to avenge your family?

True revenge is too difficult, but at least it can bring me closer to the truth about my father and brother's death. Besides, if I don't do something, more people will be persecuted by the Routledge family in the future.

The truth

Ryoko nodded slightly and said seriously:

Let me be clear, the truth isn't sweet. Like toothpaste with Houttuynia cordata, it's bitter and pungent at first. Be prepared.

This analogy is good, but does Ryoko have the right to say anything about toothpaste containing Houttuynia cordata?

In short, that bastard Kasai has done a lot of bad things, and it's finally time for him to get his comeuppance. You have to pay your debt back!

Ryoko took the shotgun from Shiraizumi Masaru and pressed the muzzle against Kasai's shriveled face.

special hobbies

Kasai Keigo, I arrest you for kidnapping and imprisonment. Just submit to your captivity!

How could I be kidnapped?

Stop talking nonsense. By the way, don’t you know there is a beautiful word in Japanese called “arrest in a separate case”?

What's good or bad? I want to exercise my right to remain silent. I won't say a word until the lawyer arrives.

Oh, really? It's up to you. I've heard everything I need to know from that woman.

As Ryoko was speaking, Lucien and Marianne came running back and reported a few words to the hostess. Ryoko nodded with satisfaction:

The house's security system was completely disabled. The VTR recordings from the surveillance cameras had also been resolved. No matter how advanced the equipment was, in their hands, it was no more than kindergarten-level.

Marian and Lucien smiled at Ryoko's praise, then flanked Kasai Keigo. Their hands gripped Kasai's neck mercilessly, ready to strike at his carotid artery if he moved.

By the way, Miss Willingham, do you know anything about Artemisia, Mela's daughter?

Artemisia hates her mother Mela and her attending physician Mosha and keeps cursing them.

Heather Willingham replied.

Heather explained that Artemisia had been indoctrinated by her mother and attending physicians since childhood about her true identity, leaving her deeply traumatized. When Artemisia was still alive, Heather secretly collected her personal belongings and discovered numerous notes filled with curses against her mother and physicians. Each note, though fragmentary, spoke volumes about the emotional abuse Artemisia had endured. Heather sympathized with Artemisia, but her actions were discovered by Mela's bodyguards. She was beaten and temporarily imprisoned.

It seems that Mella Rottridge is no longer in this villa?

After hearing the two maids' report, Ryoko asked for confirmation. Heather nodded palely.

I was waiting for them to do something to me last night, but they didn't. They left early this morning, including Dr. Mosha and everyone who came with them from the United States. I don't know where they went.

Last night, Ryoko made Mela wait all night, but today Ryoko came back empty-handed, so it was one win and one loss.

Just ask the owner of the villa where they are going. What exactly did Mela say to Artemisia?

According to Heather's brief account, Meira told her daughter every day, "Artemisia, you are worthless. You are my possession, and you were born to serve me. I gave you life, and repaying that debt is the meaning of your life. If I don't exist, everything you have is nothing." Heather seemed not to grasp the full meaning of these words.

Yukiko Muromachi sighed: This is too much

Yuki, you are too naive. I don’t sympathize with that dinosaur girl.

Ryoko asserted, even continuing in an angry tone:

She's already in college, so she's got plenty of opportunities to escape the Routledge household. Even if she can't escape, if she needs help, she can just explain the situation. There are plenty of people investigating UFA corporate crimes. With so many opportunities, why not take action, that dinosaur girl!

Ryoko's cheeks flushed, and her eyes sparkled like shooting stars. Even Muromachi Yukiko and Kasai Keigo couldn't help but stare at her. The two maids looked at their hostess with admiration.

Izumi-kun is a good-natured person. He's clearly the victim, yet he sympathizes with her, the perpetrator. If Artemisia had clearly asked for help from the beginning, Izumi-kun would have risked his life to save her, right? But she didn't ask for help, which shows that she has neither the ability to judge a man nor the ability to drive him into danger for her. Although I'm sorry to say this, Miss Willingham, your brother isn't a trustworthy person either.

Heather Willingham lowered her eyes. Ryoko's harsh accusations seemed to be true.

Therefore, Artemisia deserves no sympathy at all! The goal is victory, and to fight for victory, one must bide one's time, establish strategy, and hone tactics to strengthen combat strength. Instead of crying, one should be thinking of strategies; instead of feeling sorry for oneself, one should be searching for the enemy's weaknesses. Since she possesses the astonishing secrets of her mother and the doctor, wouldn't she use them to blackmail them and protect her freedom and dignity?!

Ryoko pressed the muzzle of the shotgun against Kasai's face, pressing it hard enough to leave a mark. Kasai groaned, and I was about to stop him when I noticed something was wrong with his expression.

Why does this guy look so excited?

Heather seemed to be asking the question with trepidation:

Um, can I say something?

Forget it now. There's no time to listen carefully. You yourself are the disc recording your testimony. For your safety, I'll send someone to protect you.

Ryoko pointed out condescendingly:

Yuki, I leave this to you.

Me? Why?

Oh, such an important witness, aren’t you willing to protect her?

That's not the case

Melanorthidge would do anything to silence her. Their evil deeds were so audacious that they didn't want anyone to interfere.

This is just your imposition. What crime did Mella Routledge commit? What she did to her daughter was a moral sin, which is different from a crime.

It was natural for Yukiko to ask this.

Whether she's a clone or her biological daughter, Artemisia is Mera's incarnation, that much is undeniable. She can belittle and insult her own incarnation without a care in the world, let alone respect the dignity of others. I bet Mera, the old witch, would do anything to achieve immortality, even risking the extinction of humanity.

Clone? What's going on?

Yukiko still had no idea about Artemisia's handkerchief.

Hearing what Ryoko said, this woman, Melara Rothridge, is simply like a devil.

Hey, Yuki, demons don't necessarily have to destroy humanity. Demons need to live among humans, coexisting with them. If humans perish, demons will perish too. The genius Melara Rotherhithe isn't a demon; she thinks she's God.

Ryoko commented cheerfully:

You know the story of Noah's Ark and the flood, right? Destroying humanity is God's will. After all, it's God's creation, so what's wrong with destroying it all? As long as I can live on unscathed, that's all.

Ryoko snorted through her perfectly shaped nose:

When I first heard the story of Noah's flood, I thought, what a fool God is.

Her eyes moved from my face to Heather's.

That dinosaur girl judged herself too soon. If she had died two or three days later and I were batting, I would have definitely hit a comeback home run!

Will you help her?

Yukiko asked.

Of course, I will make Artemisia the ruler of the Routledge family.

If it were you, it would be possible.

I said, and I didn't mean to compliment her. Ryoko said complacently:

Of course, it's definitely no problem for me to do it. And I only want half of the Routledge family's assets, or the management rights of UFA, either one as a thank you gift. What a bargain!

I could hardly stand. Yukiko looked up at the ceiling of the hall, and Kishimoto turned his head to look around.

Do you want to take her property?