Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 498 Washing the Cups

Mr. Lu's police gun was never in the equipment room, nor in its holster, nor even in his bedside table, but in the hands of a seven-year-old elementary school student.

At the time of the kidnapping, Hira Sakura was playing video games at home.

She's already a pro gamer, very skilled at all kinds of video games, including arcade fighting games. If competitive games were popular now, she might even become a professional player someday.

For Hirako, the day before yesterday should have been a wonderful day. Mako bought her "Castlevania 3: Curse of Dracula" and she had already played up to the last level, "Dracula's Final Clock Tower".

Uesugi Shion held her arms, but she was still focused on controlling the character, climbing to the top floor, opening the door to enter the final battle area, intending to have a final showdown with Dracula... It wasn't until Uesugi Shion dragged her away that she realized what had happened.

Hirako twisted and turned, struggling desperately, trying to save her game, but to no avail. Uesugi Shion forcibly stuffed her into a suitcase and threatened to kill her if she dared to make a sound.

In the past, such a threat would have been 100% effective. Ping Yingzi would have been so frightened that she would have cowered in the box, afraid to move. She might even have had a combination of autism and claustrophobia, causing her brain to shut down completely.

But the current Hira Sakura is different from before. Minamoto Tamako gave her a good mindset, and Fushimi Shika taught her some tricks and even 'given' her a gun for self-defense—actually, she stole it, but that doesn't matter, since the first lesson Fushimi Shika taught her was to steal.

Even at home, Hira Sakurako always carries a gun with her 24/7, so much so that when Gen Tamako holds her to sleep in the middle of the night, she can always feel something hard poking between her legs.

She crouched inside the suitcase and, using the dim light from the cracks, carefully inspected the pistol. After confirming that it was in good condition, she waited for the kidnappers to open the suitcase.

The box was jostled along the way, and the air inside became increasingly stuffy.

Hira Sakura curled up, slowing her breathing, feeling like an assassin lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to deliver a fatal blow to her enemy... If only there were stealth assassination games, she would definitely buy one and play it.

After about four or five hours, the bumpy ride stopped for a while. It seemed like someone was moving things, like at customs. She heard the sound of waves.

After waiting patiently for a long time, the agonizing journey was finally over.

The kidnapper opened the suitcase, and she peered out like a cat, only to find herself on the deck.

A sea breeze blows as the ship sails on the sea. There are no islands or signal lights around, only the boundless sea and sky.

The ship was small, just a small ferry. Three or four crew members were standing on the deck, gathered around a suitcase, whispering to each other in front of Hira Sakurako:
"Hey, why is this shipment a girl?"

"how could I know!"

Didn't you notice it the whole way?

"I felt something moving, and I thought it was some kind of endangered animal..."

"Baka! You only opened it to take a look because you noticed something!"

……

Ping Yingzi was just a seven-year-old girl, and no one took her seriously, let alone imagined that she had a pistol in her pocket.

She hugged her knees, feigning pitifulness, winked at the adults, and quickly observed the situation outside.

The bearded man at the head of the group was probably the captain. He was always giving orders and could swear at people, calling them "baka." Opening the suitcases was probably his idea.

Next is the man with tattoos all over his arms, who looks like the first mate. He's the only one who dares to answer when the captain is yelling, and he's the one who thinks the box contains endangered animals.

Finally, there were two younger-looking crew members who seemed rather naive and inexperienced, probably less intelligent than her. They didn't dare to utter a sound when the captain started yelling.

The four discussed it for a while, then the first mate suddenly asked, "What do we do now?"

The captain glared at him: "Is this your first day on a ship? Do I have to teach you this?" With that, he kicked the suitcase and ordered the crew to pull it up.

Although the crew members were reluctant, they dared not disobey orders. The hierarchy on the ship was very strict, and besides, it wasn't the first time they had done this kind of work; they had become somewhat immune to it.

As she watched them bend down to zip up their jackets, Hirayuko realized that she had to do something and change her situation.

"Um... I... I need to pee..."

Hira Sakurako lowered her head, revealing three parts shyness, three parts obedience, and four parts fear, imitating the expression of Minamoto no Tamako when she asked Fushimi Shika to massage her feet.

The crew members froze instantly.

The four burly men stared at the innocent little girl, their guilt overwhelming them. The first mate scratched his nose and said, "We can't just hand over the cargo to the employer all dirty. Going to the toilet isn't a big deal..." He then turned to the captain and asked, "What do you think?"

The crew member stopped zipping up the zipper and stared longingly at the captain.

The captain's gaze swept across the area, finally settling on Hira Sakura, who looked at him with pitiful eyes. Even as a bloodthirsty demon, he found it hard to bring himself to harm her.

"Hurry up," the captain waved his hand impatiently.

He was just a boatman who occasionally carried some smuggled goods; he wasn't a human trafficker, and he wasn't cruel enough to bully children.

The two crew members quickly helped Ping Yingzi out and took her to the toilet.

Due to the rules of boat travel, they couldn't say much to Ping Yingzi. They simply took her to the restroom, gave her a pack of tissues, and told her not to wander off.

The ferry doesn't have separate men's and women's restrooms; there's only a small cubicle covered by wire mesh. You can see the seawater through a small hole in the middle, so it's basically hollow, and excrement just falls right down.

Ping Yingzi glanced at the toilet opening and gave up on the idea of ​​crawling out of the toilet.

She looked around but didn't see any amazing gadgets. The ferry toilet was terribly rudimentary, with no wastebaskets or toilet paper, and you had to bring your own tissues.

Having no other choice, Ping Yingzi could only try to gain sympathy from the two crew members through the door.

She claimed that her parents were dead, and that she was collecting scrap metal to support her six-year-old brother. She also said that she was worried that her brother would go hungry if she was not at home, and begged the crew members to let her go back so that they could cook a meal for her brother, tell him where she hid her money and where she collected scrap metal. She said that she would come back on her own after doing these things.

This tactic was also learned from Fushimi Shika. By attacking the other person's conscience on a moral level, one can manipulate them to gain benefits... Fushimi Shika often did this to Minamoto no Tamako.

Ping Yingzi had never used this method before and was unsure of its effectiveness. She was also a little apprehensive, worried that the other party might see through her disguise.

She squatted in the toilet stall pleading for a long time, while the two crew members outside remained silent, making her feel very guilty. She then put on an even more enthusiastic performance, remarking that it would be good to die like this, so she could go to heaven to see her parents...

Ping Yingzi talked until her throat was dry, but there was no sound from outside the door.

She thought the crew members weren't there, so she secretly opened the door, only to find one of them biting his lower lip and crying, and the other pulling at his hair, looking extremely distressed.

Wow, it's so easy to use?

No wonder Fushimi Shika always uses this trick...

Hira Sakurako finally understood what "winning hearts and minds" meant. She pretended not to know anything and asked in a teasing tone, "What's wrong, Onii-chan?", "I'm so sorry," "Did I do something wrong?", "Don't cry anymore, I won't say those things again..."

The two crew members felt like slapping themselves in the face.

They were too young to know that children can lie, and even less that children are better at feigning helplessness than adults. After being persuaded by Ping Yingzi, the two successfully changed their stance and mustered the courage to plead with the captain.

They'd rather lose money on this order than lose all their wages for the year!
The captain flew into a rage upon hearing this, saying he would throw them both into the sea to drown. The first mate calmed the captain down and suggested bringing the girl over to talk to her first.

Upon hearing that there was a chance to talk, the crew members quickly brought over the hostage.

Ping Yingzi stood in the middle of the four people and recounted the story of raising her younger brother once again. To make the story sound more believable, she kept her head down the whole time so that others wouldn't see her expressionless face.

After listening, the captain and first mate exchanged a glance and asked a crucial question: "Then why were you kidnapped?"

Why would a poor girl with no money, no power, and who hadn't offended anyone be kidnapped and transported to an outlying island by a conglomerate at great expense?

If they can't provide a reasonable explanation, the captain and first mate will probably put her back in her suitcase and pretend they didn't see anything—they know in their hearts that the girl might not be as pitiful as she seems on the surface.

In a split second, Hirayuko considered countless possible answers. Without any hesitation, she offered the most plausible and believable guess:

"I-I don't know..."

"But the people who kidnapped me said... I'm a good piece of goods..."

"And they even said that the island is full of girls like me..."

"I'll be dealing with customers in the future... but I don't really know how..."

……

The captain and first mate's expressions changed.

The two men exchanged a glance, signaling Ping Yingzi to stop talking. Then they looked at the two crew members, indicating that there was no room for negotiation, as the employer was inside the cabin with two bodyguards, both armed.

Although the two crew members sympathized with Hirayuki, they weren't about to risk their lives for her. Hearing this, they felt as if they had been doused with cold water, and their heads drooped.

The captain treated Hirayuko to a hearty meal, then locked her back in her suitcase—the only thing they could do for her.

Ping Yingzi was not disappointed. She had never placed her hopes of escape on others. At least she had obtained important information, so her long performance was not in vain.

There were seven people on the ship besides her: four crew members and three employers. The relationship between them was purely one of employment, not one of collusion.

Hirayuko had a plan to escape.

She obediently returned to her suitcase, letting the crew zip it up. After waiting quietly for about half an hour, she deliberately knocked on the suitcase and whispered, "Onii-chan."

Hearing the commotion, the crew opened her suitcase again and asked her what was wrong.

Hirayuko lied and said she felt nauseous, and the crew believed her. After all, it's normal for children to get seasick, especially since Hirayuko had just eaten quite a bit. They planned to take Hirayuko back to the deck so she could get some fresh air and feel the sea breeze. As they walked through the cabin corridor, they deliberately avoided the lounge, worried about being seen by their employer.

Hira Sakura noticed this and figured out the exact location of the three kidnappers.

Once the crew was on deck, she secretly gagged herself and vomited on the floor.

Two crew members left one after the other, one to get water and the other to get a mop, and Ping Yingzi took the opportunity to slip back to the cabin.

She pressed herself against the wall as she returned to the crew's detour lounge. Hearing voices inside, she gently knocked on the door, drew her pistol from her waist, and crouched down by the door, waiting for her prey to come to her.

One of the kidnappers opened the door a crack and peeked out. Ping Yingzi pressed the gun against his chin and fired, his brains splattering all over the ceiling.

The other two kidnappers were startled and hastily drew their guns, firing shots that riddled their companion's body with bullets.

But they aimed wrong and overestimated the enemy's height. The bullet flew over Hira Sakura's head, and she continued firing from under the corpse's armpit until she ran out of bullets.

One person was dead and another was injured in the rest room. Ping Yingzi's marksmanship was not very good; she was not confident of hitting the target 100% at such close range. The rest room on the ferry was only a few square meters and the environment was quite crowded.

Fortunately, the other side also ran out of bullets, and the situation became deadlocked for a time.

Upon hearing the gunshots, the captain, along with the first mate and crew, went into the cabin to assess the situation.

There's not much to say about what happened after that; once things have happened, it's no use for Hira Sakura to play the victim.

The captain and the other crew members didn't have the guts to kill the girl to cover it up, and the surviving kidnappers promised not to pursue the matter and offered the captain and the others a large sum of money. In the end, the four crew members worked together to subdue the eight-year-old girl.

Hira Sakurako was locked in a suitcase, and when she called "Onii-chan" again, no one paid any attention to her.

More than an hour later, the ship docked, and Uesugi Shion sent people to pick them up, taking away Hira Sakurako and the two corpses.

The kidnappers confiscated Hira Sakura's police gun and placed her on Cat Island, where she was well-fed and cared for. She didn't suffer any torture, and not long after, Uesugi Shion released her.

Before leaving, Ping Yingzi demanded the police gun back, but the other party refused to return it.

This made Hirako very guilty. She knew what the consequences of losing a police gun would be, especially since the gun was associated with two deaths. The bodies and the gun were in Uesugi Shion's hands. It was obvious to anyone that Fushimi Shika was going to be in big trouble.

Fushimi Shika had warned her not to steal the police gun again, but she ignored him. Now that she's caused trouble, she doesn't know how to talk to Fushimi Shika about it, so she simply hides in her room to escape reality.

It wasn't until Minamoto no Tamako called her out for dinner that she had to face Fushimi Shika again and finally told her the truth.

Fushimi Shika listened to the whole process while eating oden and daikon radish.

Yuan Yuzi interrupted him several times, loudly asking where the cups in his room were. He told Yuan Yuzi to look again, but in reality, there were no cups in the room. He drank water from disposable paper cups or bottled water and drinks, mainly because he was too lazy to wash cups.

"So, according to you, the kidnappers drove for four hours and took a boat for two hours, right?" Fushimi Shika asked vaguely.

“Yes, you can check the specific coverage area yourself.” Ping Yingzi could follow his train of thought and knew what he was thinking.

“Hmm,” Fushimi Shika said noncommittally, scrutinizing Hira Sakurako, trying to glean emotion from her expressionless face: “What does it feel like to kill someone?”

“That was self-defense,” Hira Sakurako corrected.

"Okay, so what does it feel like to cause someone's death in self-defense?" Fushimi Shika pressed.

"Don't you know perfectly well?" Ping Yingzi didn't answer directly. She picked up her chopsticks and prepared to start eating.

"I'm asking you, how do you feel?" Fushimi Shika asked. "Do you need me to take you to see a psychologist? There's nothing to be ashamed of about this. Just say whatever's wrong to avoid more trouble later."

Hira Sakura tilted her head and thought carefully for a moment: "I didn't have any particular feelings."

"Eh...don't you feel anything at all?"

Fushimi Shika was somewhat surprised. When he shot Instructor Sakurai in the forehead, he was quite emotional and very nervous. He only gradually got used to it after killing many people.

"The blood was sticky and disgusting." Ping Yingzi added, "I really liked those overalls. Tamako bought them for me. It's a shame that they can't be worn now that they're stained with blood."

"Anything else?" Fushimi Shika asked.

"The gun is so heavy, and the recoil is so strong. I hope the gun company can design a children's version." Hira Sakura was seriously considering this question: "Why isn't there a children's version of the handgun? Theoretically, children need this kind of powerful self-defense tool even more, right?"

"...You've discovered a business opportunity. When you grow up, you can fill this market gap. When you become a billionaire, remember to be filial to me and support me."

Fushimi Shika was just spouting nonsense. He guessed that Hira Sakurako might have suddenly become more daring, and her courage had increased considerably. Back then, when Hira Sakurako encountered situations where people were hurt, she was so afraid that she would have a reclusive episode. Now, she could even cosplay as Chow Yun-fat.

I don't know what Ping Yingzi is thinking, let's just assume it's a good thing!
Fushimi Shika, realizing that she was in good spirits and even had the appetite to sneak a bite of the eel that Minamoto Tamako loved, gradually relaxed. He turned to the door and called out, "Stop looking! I just remembered, I think I've lost the cup."

"lost?"

Minamoto no Tamako searched for ages, and now Fushimi Shika says the cup is lost? Hasn't all her work been for nothing? And with all this time wasted, the tempura will get cold and won't taste good!

Minamoto no Tamako was a little upset, but she had just kissed him and was still in the throes of new love, so she was too embarrassed to argue with Fushimi-kun. She pouted and sat back down at the table, muttering under her breath, "Why throw it away? What a waste."

"I'm afraid you'll work too hard washing the cups," Fushimi Shika said, spouting nonsense again.

In the past, Minamoto no Tamako would have definitely called him a lunatic.

How much effort does it take to wash a cup? Besides, don't we need to wash the dishes and utensils at home? Why don't you see him throw them away? It's probably because the cup has been sitting for too long and has accumulated dust, or maybe there's a layer of limescale from drinking water or beverages. Fushimi just threw the cup away because he was too lazy!

But now, Minamoto Tamako actually believed it, and felt a sense of happiness that "Shika-kun really cares about me." Her little mouth inexplicably turned up, but she was too embarrassed to show her happiness, so she deliberately pressed down the corners of her mouth, revealing the smug expression of the Japanese "pressed-mouth smile."

Hira Sakurako was shocked to see this scene. She wondered how Tamako had become like this after only being away from home for a day. Fushimi Shika's casual remark made her so happy that her ahoge (cowlick) was shaking. Was she possessed by some evil spirit?

She looked at Fushimi Shika, her eyes questioning, "What did you drug me?"

Ignoring Sakurako's murderous glare, Fushimi Shika took the initiative to serve food to Minamoto Tamako, saying softly, "The tempura at the bottom is still warm, I've saved it for you."

Hirayuko was even more shocked. Her eyes widened, thinking, "What's wrong with you now? Why are you talking in such a disgusting tone? Shouldn't you be putting the hot tempura into your own bowl?"
Minamoto Tamako was so happy she was practically melting. Her little face turned into a chibi version as she puffed out her cheeks and chewed away, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Fushimi Shika.

She also placed a piece of eel on Fushimi Shika's plate, saying, "Eat it while it's hot, eel is delicious, try it."

...What exactly happened in this family?
Hira Sakurako even began to doubt the authenticity of these two people. Were Fushimi Shika and Minamoto Tamako really the real people in front of her? Could they be actors hired by Uesugi Shion? Otherwise, how could their strange behavior be explained?
Dinner turned into a massive display of affection, with the two of them practically drooling over each other as they ate.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Fushimi Shika, as usual, did not want to clear the dishes or wash them, and for the first time ever, he did not want Minamoto Tamako to do so either, so he turned his attention to Hira Sakurako.

This guy has been eating and drinking for free for so long, doing nothing productive, and still getting paid like a cleaner every day. It's time for him to put his skills to use.

Fushimi Shika pressed down on Minamoto no Tamako's hand and said, "Don't accept it. You worked hard all night last night. Go to sleep early tonight."

"Uh, but..."

"Let Sakurako take it." Fushimi Shika turned his gaze to Hira Sakurako.

He had just confirmed that the little guy was doing very well, and even seemed to have gained two pounds. His little face was still a bit chubby, and his energy was better than his own. He didn't look like he had just gone through a life-or-death ordeal at all, so he had no psychological burden in ordering him around.

Yuan Yuzi didn't want to clear the table either, because for some reasons she couldn't say, she was in a hurry to take a shower and change her clothes... She had felt uncomfortable sitting in the chair while eating earlier.

But she was worried that Sakura might be upset, and felt it was inappropriate to let Sakura clear the dishes after Sakura had finally returned safely: "I'll do it, let Sakura rest for a bit..."

Fushimi Shika gave Hira Sakura a look, conveying to her 'Go and collect the dishes'.

As the saying goes, "He who takes a man's money is bound to him, and he who eats his food is bound to him." Hira Sakurako received her salary and also ate dinner prepared by Fushimi Shika, which was both short-lived and unreliable.

Moreover, Hira Sakura felt a little guilty, since she had just lost her gun and Fushimi Shika hadn't held her responsible. So now she was very obedient. With just a glance, she understood and got up to grab the bowl and chopsticks, saying, "Let me do it. I've rested enough."

Yuan Yuzi refused and argued with Ping Yingzi for a while. Finally, under Ping Yingzi's insistence, she let go with a worried expression.

"Is Sakura acting a little strange?"

Watching the busy little figure in the kitchen, Minamoto no Tamako couldn't help but ask Fushimi Shika, "Is she alright?"

Fushimi Shika gave a thumbs-up and said "Daijoubu" (a term of endearment for a man) three times, claiming that cleaning would help relieve stress. Minamoto Tamako trusted his judgment more and felt slightly relieved before going back to her room to take a shower.

After a busy night, watching TV all day, and kissing for a long time, Yuan Yuzi was exhausted, both physically and mentally. She was even a little sore when she was lathering up in the shower.

She likes to turn the shower temperature up a bit, and after rinsing off the foam, she wants to rinse again, feeling like all the pores on her body are opening up.

kimoji.

Genjiro took a nice hot shower and was drying her hair wrapped in a towel when she pushed open the glass door and bumped into Fushimi Shika taking off his shirt.

She instinctively pulled the towel tighter: "Uh?! What, what are you doing..."

"Taking a bath, huh?" Fushimi Shika asked, looking completely bewildered. "Have you forgotten that I also sleep in this room?"

Gen Tamako remembered this. Ever since Uesugi Shion moved in, they had been sleeping in the same room, but they often had their days and nights reversed and had never actually slept together.

"Ah, oh yes..."

Yuan Yuzi blushed, her eyes darting around awkwardly: "Then you go wash first, I... I'll go blow-dry my hair."

(End of this chapter)