Washing basin, small dining table, urinal, air vent.

  That made up the cell of a typical Ri Nation prison. If not passing through the enormous steel gate, one would not have realized that it was a prison cell. The cell had wood flooring covered in mats. Although the area was less than 10 square meters, it looked more like a room in a rented house.

  Sitting in a corner was a man garbed in prison uniform who was roughly forty to fifty years old. He was unshaven and had grown a beard. His hair had been shaven off and his bald pate looked shiny. He wore a pair of round glasses and was reading a book.

  It was Kuroda Kiyotaka.

  Suddenly, the prison cell door opened and Anbei walked into the cell. He was wearing a suit, accompanied by Oshima Jun. Anbei seemed displeased and wore a grim face.

  Kuroda Kiyotaka glanced at them and then continued to read his book as if he had seen nothing.

  “You look pretty carefree. You’re reading Franz Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis.’ Are you trying to escape by turning into a beetle? Wasn’t that what the principal character did? Are you trying to figure out how to turn into a beetle?” Anbei said sarcastically as he seated himself opposite the prisoner.

  Kuroda Kiyotaka did not respond. Instead, he read out the synopsis of the book loudly: “Gregor realized that he had turned into a gigantic beetle. He panicked, and he also felt miserable. His father was exceedingly angry when he had found out and locked him in his bedroom. Gregor had changed. He was living the life of a beetle but still had the consciousness of a human being.”

  He had lost his job and was still worried about how he should pay off his father’s debt. He had wanted to send his younger sister to a music academy. But a month later, he became his family’s burden. His father, mother, and younger sister changed their attitude toward him. To survive, his family had to work hard to earn money. They could barely tolerate Gregor, who was now a burden to them.”

  Eventually, his younger sister suggested that they chase her brother out. Gregor was sick and hungry. He fell into despair and often thought about his family with love and affection. His head then landed on the floor, and he took his last breath before dying just like that. His father, mother, and younger sister then lived a life where they had to rely on themselves.”

  “Are you trying to say that you are just like Gregor?” Anbei laughed coldly.

  Kuroda Kiyotaka put the book down and lifted his head to look at Anbei. “My heart is with this country. I will do everything I can and I’m even willing to die for it. I knew that I would not be laid to rest in a burial ground if the genetic engineering experimentations were ever exposed. But someone like me had to step out and be the harbinger to bring this country into the future, to become stronger and better,” he said.

  “Harbinger?” Anbei scoffed.

  He found what he had just heard funny and laughed aloud. Anbei then grabbed the book from Kuroda Kiyotaka’s hands and threw it on the floor. Then he stood up and stepped on the book until it tore apart.

  \r \r \r

  He pointed at Kuroda Kiyotaka and shouted, “Why don’t you look at yourself? Do you deserve to call yourself a harbinger?”

  “It is pointless to continue this conversation. We oppose each other on our political views. But I want to ask you one last thing. If the Mei national had looked for you instead, would you not have agreed to build the research base?” Kuroda Kiyotaka asked.

  Anbei squinted his eyes and glared at him with a somber-looking face, saying nothing.

  “You would have agreed. Otherwise, I would not be the only one receiving the punishment, while the others are safe and well,” Kuroda Kiyotaka answered his own question.

  Anbei eyes were filled with hostility.”You seem to know me so well. It looks like you have been thinking a lot about me while you were idle in here,” he said.

  Kuroda Kiyotaka laughed and replied, “The one who knows you best will always be your opponent.”

  “But you have lost the right to be my opponent.”

  Like a victor, Anbei stood up and glared at Kuroda Kiyotaka. “By the way, I need to correct one of your statements. You are not the only one who has received punishment. Everyone else involved with the research base is already dead.”

  What? Already dead?

  The color on Kuroda Kiyotaka’s tranquil-looking face suddenly changed. He could no longer maintain his composure and asked, “You…… You were the one who did it?”

  “If you use that pig-brain of yours to think, you can tell that I am not the one who did that,” Anbei sneered.

  “Then, who was it?” Kuroda Kiyotaka asked.

  “The Thousand-Faced Killer, Xiao Han,” Anbei informed him.

  That name confused Kuroda Kiyotaka. He did not know who that was, but he could only guess that it was the person responsible for the destruction of the genetic engineering research base.

  “He is a super fighter that the Hua Nation had sent. He has the ability to disguise himself and can change his appearance at will. We had originally thought that we could identify him with his fingerprints. But he can peel off a person’s skin and use it as if it belonged to him. The only foolproof identification method is to conduct DNA testing. Otherwise, no one would be able to tell the difference.”

  “He killed everyone else?” Kuroda Kiyotaka asked. At that point, he was fearful, and it showed in his eyes.

  Anbei said, “Other than Takahara Kei, everyone else had been killed by him. Takahara Kei gave up on himself and committed suicide. He took sleeping pills after spending three days with his daughter.”

  “Then, why are you here?”

  Kuroda Kiyotaka no longer had the calm expression that he had earlier on.”I don’t think you would be kind enough to send soldiers to protect me,” he said.

  “As you are the last one alive, you will be our bait. I believe that Xiao Han will be here, and he will stand right in front of you. When that happens, he must pay his debt, and it must be paid in blood. You and everyone else in this prison will become sacrificial lambs. This is your sacrifice to redeem yourselves,” Anbei stated with a somber-looking face.

  Sacrificial lambs?

  Kuroda Kiyotaka started to shiver. He stood up and opened his eyes wide, as he lost control of his emotions. “Shinzo Anbei, what are you trying to do? Just what in the world are you trying to do? The court will decide my punishment. You do not have the authority to sentence me. I am the Deputy Prime Minister of the Ri Nation. You do not have the power to pass me a death sentence!” he screamed.

  “Kuroda-san, don’t be silly. Just continue reading your book. I came here today to bid my farewell to you.”

  Anbei laughed as he spoke. Then he waved his hand at Oshima Jun, who was beside him. “Oshima-san, it’s time for us to go,” he said.

  “Yes!”

  Oshima Jun nodded his head and followed behind him respectfully.

  Kuroda Kiyotaka lost control at the thought of being a sacrificial lamb. He had not foreseen that his fate was to die together with the Thousand-Faced Killer in that prison. He expected to receive life imprisonment and had mentally prepared to live an idle life in prison. He could quietly read his books, newspapers, and life would still be acceptable. It would not go to the extent where he could not handle it. But now, that prospect of living a quiet life was no longer possible. Anbei was trying to get him killed.

  “Shinzo Anbei, this old man here won’t let you off!”

  He shouted and charged toward Anbei.

  Oshima Jun’s eyes spotted the attack in a flash. He took a step back and slammed his right foot into Kuroda Kiyotaka’s chest.

  “Arghh!”

  Kuroda Kiyotaka screamed in pain as he flew backward. He slammed into the urinal, sending his head into it and his face pressed against the bowl. His pair of round glasses broke and he looked a pathetic sight.

  “Kuroda-san, just stay here and be a good bait. Wait for Xiao Han to appear right in front of you.”

  Anbei waved his hand at him and guffawed for a bit. Then he left without turning back. “Get him a new pair of glasses,” he said to Oshima Jun on his way out.

  “Yes,” Oshima Jun replied and nodded his head.