Looking at the information that came through, Sakura's eyes suddenly widened. Like a drowning person grasping at driftwood, hope reignited in her heart.
She immediately opened the Poison Cocoon organization's official APP, a task posting software called 'Kill-Em.'
She discovered a new message prominently updated on it.
[Task Type: Investigation] [Task Location: Far East Nagazora City] [Commission: 1 Million]
"A person-finding task with a million in commission?"
Sakura was slightly surprised. This price was even much higher than some assassination tasks.
But she was only surprised. Her hands didn't stop moving as she hurriedly accepted it.
If she could complete this task, she could resolve her current deadlock.
Just as Sakura accepted the task, the assassin software popped up another message. Another task was pushed to her.
[Task Type: Kidnapping] [Task Location: Far East Nagazora City] [Commission: 10 Million]
Sakura stared blankly at the task that popped up on the screen.
She counted the digits one by one, confirming it was ten million, not one million.
Sakura's heart tightened, and even her breathing unconsciously quickened.
She passively triggered the assassin's agility and accepted it at the fastest speed.
As long as she could complete this task, not only could she escape her previous predicament, but she could also solve her sister's treatment cost problem for a long time.
"God... do you really exist?"
Sakura murmured in a low voice. Such dramatic ups and downs made her begin to wonder if there really was a god watching over her.
...
After accepting the task, Sakura arrived at Nagazora City at the fastest speed.
At the same time, she learned why a kidnapping task would have a ten-million commission.
Simply because the person required to be kidnapped in the task was named "Ryoma."
Regarding this name that had frequently appeared in Far East news during this period, even as an assassin, Sakura had heard of it somewhat.
The president of the currently thriving Far East industrial giant MEI Corp, who just a few days ago became known throughout almost all of the Far East for proposing a plan called "New Nagazora II."
Sakura guessed this kidnapping task might involve some political or commercial struggle, but that had nothing to do with her as an assassin.
Her task was only to find Ryoma and then kidnap him.
However, thinking of this, Sakura became somewhat worried.
"As MEI Corp's president, he should have a strong security team around him."
An ordinary security team wouldn't be a problem for her, but she needed time to prepare.
But what Sakura lacked most now was time.
She needed to complete the task and receive the commission before paying for her sister's treatment costs next month.
"God who may or may not exist... if you really exist, can you make Ryoma appear before me?"
Sakura murmured in her heart, but as she spoke, she laughed at herself first.
"How could I have such an unrealistic fantasy? I should think about how to kidnap Ryoma..."
Just as Sakura was thinking this, she heard ghostly wails and wolf howls crying from not far away.
"Gwah! Wah! Yah!!!"
"My money! My money!!!"
Sakura instinctively looked toward where the sound came from and saw a man kneeling on the ground, pulling his hair and howling at the sky.
At his feet was only a thin document envelope, and behind him was a luxuriously decorated pachinko parlor.
"So it's just a gambler who lost everything..." Sakura glanced over and wasn't going to pay attention.
But she quickly noticed something was wrong, suddenly turned her head, and stared intently at the man kneeling on the ground.
"This person's appearance..."
...
Time rewind to not long ago.
After coming out of the African plantation, Ryoma found a stack of bills and a direct flight ticket to Far East Nagazora City in the document envelope.
So naturally, after two months, he returned to Nagazora City again.
Clutching the bulging bills in the document envelope in his arms, Ryoma prepared to go home.
But thinking of home, he thought of his daughter Mei at home, and thinking of his daughter, deep guilt and unease surged in his heart.
He didn't quite know how to face his daughter.
"How about going to the gift shop to buy some gifts for Mei?"
This thought arose, and Ryoma instinctively walked toward the gift shop.
But as he walked, he stopped at the entrance of a pachinko parlor.
Staring blankly at the luxurious decoration at the entrance, Ryoma felt like there was a feather tickling his heart. His gambling addiction that had been dormant for two months was stirring again.
"Slap!"
Ryoma fiercely slapped himself.
Covering one side of his swollen red face, Ryoma said through gritted teeth:
"Ryoma, oh Ryoma, how can you be so base?"
"Don't let gambling addiction control your brain. You promised to become a qualified father, to become Mei's role model!"
Then, Ryoma looked at the pachinko parlor in front of him and spat hard at the entrance.
"Hmph! Despicable!"
After saying this, he puffed out his chest and left without looking back.
From now on, he, Ryoma, and gambling were irreconcilable!
At this time, clanging collision sounds came from inside the shop.
Ryoma stopped in his tracks, then turned around and walked toward the pachinko parlor.
"They say blocking is not as good as guiding. After experiencing such trials in Africa, my will is strong enough and I definitely won't be controlled by gambling addiction anymore."
"I'll just gamble a little bit, definitely won't get carried away."
"Besides, if I can win a large sum of money, I can buy better gifts for Mei and change her opinion of me."
Thinking this, Ryoma walked into the pachinko parlor with his head held high and chest out.
Some time later...
Ryoma stumbled out of the pachinko parlor, fell to the ground, and howled at the sky with all his might.
"Gwah! Wah! Yah!!!"
Tears of regret slid helplessly from the corners of his eyes.
"My money! My money!!!"
And beside him, the empty document envelope lay on the side.
Regret and despair intertwined in his heart. Ryoma felt his self-esteem was being tormented, as if about to shatter.
And at this moment of despair, a gentle voice sounded beside him.
"Excuse me, are you Ryoma?"
Ryoma raised his head and found it was a highly suspicious pink-haired woman wearing a mask, holding a photo and looking him up and down.
An inexplicable sense of familiarity appeared in his mind. Past memories began to surface. He remembered his experience of exchanging money with that Faded Elf using his life.
A bold idea appeared in Ryoma's mind. He suddenly straightened his kneeling posture, his face showing excitement as he said:
"I'm Ryoma, I'm Ryoma!"
"Are you another Faded Elf? Can you give me money? I... I can exchange it with my life."
Ryoma raised his head, looking at Sakura expectantly.
However, what greeted him was a chop from Sakura's hand.
"Thud!" Ryoma fell unconscious.
"I don't even have money myself, and you're asking me for money?"
Sakura packed up the unconscious Ryoma and dragged him away, her eyes showing unconcealed joy.
Because Sakura knew she was about to have money.
---
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