Chapter 208: Assassination Plan
Chapter 208: Assassination Plan
Sometimes in the Cthulhu RPG Game, beheading actions could be a favorable choice, just like in this module. The Dark Willow Gang, as the most significant "antagonist," aims to secure the eternal life of their former leader, Hisanobu Ito, who is now possessed by the Eldritch God Taketori.
If Hisanobu Ito were to die, the Dark Willow Gang might fall into chaos, as they would lose their sole objective. They might then abandon their plans to seize Mian Gu Lu, who now houses the Eldritch God Taketori.
Furthermore, Liu Xing has begun to suspect that the ultimate boss of this module, apart from Eldritch God Taketori (which is practically unbeatable), might be a modified version of Hisanobu Ito! So, assassinating Hisanobu Ito in advance seems like a good choice.
"If we were to assassinate Hisanobu Ito, I believe I can do it with my abilities, as long as we don't encounter bugs like Mikageichi and Kojima Kanto. I estimate I have about a seventy percent chance of assassinating Hisanobu Ito, of course, as long as Hisanobu Ito hasn't turned into the monstrous figure we saw in the video," Yin En pondered, rubbing his chin.
Liu Xing nodded and continued to encourage, "Yin En, based on the information revealed in the video, Hisanobu Ito's condition doesn't seem promising. Honda Koichi and Mikageichi both want Hisanobu Ito to retain his self-awareness while gaining eternal life. So, unless a perfect formula is developed, Hisanobu Ito won't undergo any modifications. Therefore, I believe the current Hisanobu Ito is just an elderly man."
"An elderly man can be the most troublesome, as he will have a large number of bodyguards and attendants to ensure his safety and daily activities. Since we could pass the blame to other gangs in Ziwu City, Mikageichi could also anticipate that other gangs might attempt to assassinate Hisanobu Ito. So, I suspect there will be a considerable number of people around him, possibly even high-ranking members of the Dark Willow Gang, protecting Hisanobu Ito," Yin En began analyzing from a professional perspective.
After thinking for a moment, Liu Xing nodded and said, "Indeed, that's true. With the strength of the Dark Willow Gang, they can easily assign a team to protect Hisanobu Ito. However, I think it might be relatively easier to assassinate him at the spa or 404 Hospital. These places have more people, and Dark Willow Gang wouldn't be able to deploy a large force to protect him."
"404 Hospital is a possibility, but the spa may not be ideal. After all, the spa is owned by the Dark Willow Gang and operates on a VIP system. It's challenging for ordinary people to enter, so it's mostly frequented by the wealthy and influential. Dark Willow Gang can easily strengthen the security there. Also, according to the information I obtained from Sawada Yinyin, Hisanobu Ito goes to 404 Hospital for medical check-ups almost every morning, and there's a fifty percent chance that Mikageichi accompanies him. In the afternoon, he spends time at the spa and returns to the villa area at night. So, as it stands, if we want to assassinate Hisanobu Ito, our best chance is at 404 Hospital, but we'll need to avoid Mikageichi. Monsters like Mikageichi are highly sensitive to danger," Yin En shared the recently acquired intelligence with Liu Xing.
Frowning, Liu Xing expressed his concerns, "Assassinating him at 404 Hospital might not be a good idea. It's located in the city center with a high volume of foot traffic, and there's a police station nearby. Escaping after the deed could be very troublesome because there will be numerous witnesses, and the police response time will be swift. We might not be able to stay in Ziwu City if that happens."
Just as Liu Xing was about to give up on the idea of assassinating Hisanobu Ito, Yin En became enthusiastic and suggested, "That's not a problem. If I remember correctly, Watanabe Jiang should be skilled in disguise. We can have him alter my appearance, and I should be able to evade pursuit. So, I'd like to take the risk. If we can successfully assassinate Hisanobu Ito, it would save us a lot of trouble."
Liu Xing agreed with a nod and said, "Alright then. Let's discuss this with Watanabe Jiang after we return tonight. But this guy seems to have disappeared for now. Should we try calling him?"
Yin En nodded and dialed Watanabe Jiang's number from his pocket.
To their surprise, Watanabe Jiang's phone was turned off, and all the phones with numbers known to Yin En were also powered off.
"What's going on? Could something have happened to Yin En?" Liu Xing furrowed his brows, expressing his concern.
Yin En nodded, somewhat puzzled, "There's a possibility. Maybe Watanabe Jiang was captured by the Dark Willow Gang. But considering Watanabe Jiang's cautious nature, it's unlikely that he would be captured without putting up a fight."
After some contemplation, Liu Xing decided to call Yoh Asakura to inquire about the events of the morning.
Even more surprisingly, Yoh Asakura's phone was also turned off. Now, apart from knowing that Chen Wenbin had been taken to the police station, they had lost contact with both Watanabe Jiang and Yoh Asakura.
With no other option, Liu Xing and Yin En decided to visit 404 Hospital to meet with Mian Gu Lu, Yasaka Mashiro, and Otonashi Takuya.
"By the way, Yin En, weren't you and Chen Wenbin supposed to go to the hospital? Why haven't both of you gone?" Liu Xing suddenly recalled this and asked with curiosity.
Yin En sighed helplessly and simply said, "Plans can't keep up with changes."
This morning, Yin En had assumed that Liu Xing's phone had simply run out of battery and had instructed everyone to proceed with their original plans.
However, Shiro Hana had called Chen Wenbin, asking him to visit the Godless Shrine to obtain an amulet on her behalf. Since Shiro Hana was busy with Mian Gu Lu's medical examination, she couldn't go herself. Thus, Chen Wenbin had arranged for Yasaka Mashiro to take Mian Gu Lu to 404 Hospital to meet Shiro Hana. Otonashi Takuya and Yin En had accompanied them covertly. Yoh Asakura had joined Chen Wenbin, as Chen Wenbin needed assistance due to his lack of combat abilities.
Shortly after, Sawada Yinyin had called Yin En, asking him to meet her at the Flowing Water Garden to gather information. As a result, Yin En had to leave the group to meet Sawada Yinyin and gather intelligence. This left Yasaka Mashiro and Otonashi Takuya to take Mian Gu Lu to 404 Hospital.
"I see. But where's Gu Jun off to on his own?" Liu Xing rubbed his chin, suddenly feeling uneasy.
When an Occultist is on their own, their ability to cause trouble tends to increase exponentially.
Yin En noticed Liu Xing's concern and smiled, shaking his head, "You don't need to worry about Gu Jun. He's at home today, researching the notes provided by Kuroba Naoki. Based on Gu Jun's research yesterday, he found some issues with Kuroba Naoki's studies on King Tindalos and Sawada Tomohiko. So, Gu Jun intends to figure out how to resolve these problems."
Resolving problems... Liu Xing couldn't help but feel that Gu Jun was planning something mischievous.
However, Liu Xing had no choice but to nod and drive to 404 Hospital. Although he wanted to check what Gu Jun was up to, there was nothing he could do.
Arriving at 404 Hospital, Liu Xing and Yin En immediately noticed a group of individuals dressed in black, chatting near several black BMWs.
"It must be the Dark Willow Gang," Liu Xing whispered to Yin En.
Yin En nodded and gestured for Liu Xing to keep moving, heading into 404 Hospital first. Given the relaxed demeanor of the Dark Willow Gang members, it didn't seem like they were here to capture Mian Gu Lu. Thus, the only possibility was that Hisanobu Ito was inside 404 Hospital.
As expected, Liu Xing and Yin En had not walked far when they saw a group of black-clad men surrounding a young man pushing a wheelchair-bound elderly individual out of the hospital's outpatient hall. The elderly man looked about sixty years old, with a menacing countenance clearly, this was Hisanobu Ito.
However, what caught Liu Xing's attention even more was the young man pushing Hisanobu Ito's wheelchair. Looking at this young man, he was likely the current leader of the Dark Willow Gang Mikageichi!
As Liu Xing and Yin En passed by Mikageichi, it seemed like Mikageichi sensed something. He gave them a meaningful look, and Liu Xing felt as though he was being stared down by a fierce beast.
Fortunately, Mikageichi did nothing else but gaze at Liu Xing and Yin En before pushing Hisanobu Ito out of 404 Hospital.
Once inside 404 Hospital, Liu Xing wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "That young man was Mikageichi, right? He seems quite formidable."
Yin En nodded and said somewhat disheartened, "Indeed, just from the way he looked at me, I felt that I wouldn't stand a chance against him. It seems the gap between us is substantial."
Liu Xing patted Yin En's shoulder and reassured him, "Well, creatures like him are beyond our league. Nevertheless, we now know what Hisanobu Ito looks like, and it doesn't seem like he has too many bodyguards, maybe around a dozen or so."
"Indeed, I examined the other bodyguards; they seem to be regular gang members with average combat skills and vigilance. If I could get my hands on a sniper rifle, I might be able to easily assassinate Hisanobu Ito from a rooftop across the street," Yin En said with a grin.
However, Liu Xing knew that Yin En's idea, while good, was practically impossible. Even with assistance from the Sawada Family, obtaining a powerful weapon like a sniper rifle was highly unlikely.
After all, game masters wouldn't easily grant players access to such potent weapons.
"Alright, Yasaka Mashiro and the others are coming down," Liu Xing pointed to the staircase nearby. Yasaka Mashiro was leading Mian Gu Lu down, while Otonashi Takuya descended from another staircase.
After exchanging a few glances with Yasaka Mashiro, Liu Xing and Yin En silently left the hospital and waited in the car with the engine running.
After a while, Yasaka Mashiro and the others ensured that no one was spying on them before getting into the car.
"How's the situation?" Yin En asked eagerly.
Yasaka Mashiro sighed and said, "According to the examination results, Mian Gu Lu's other data seems relatively normal, with one exception she's pregnant, and the fetus is fully developed. It's a girl."
Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unique way Eldritch God Taketori had possessed Mian Gu Lu.
"If she's pregnant, then Eldritch God Taketori must be the fetus. Is there any way we can perform a Caesarean section to extract Eldritch God Taketori prematurely?" Yin En inquired.
Yasaka Mashiro shook her head, sighing in resignation. "Eldritch God Taketori is already fully formed, but not completely developed. Regular hospitals wouldn't perform a C-section in this case. Moreover, Shiro Hana mentioned that the connection between Eldritch God Taketori and Mian Gu Lu is extremely close. If we forcibly perform a C-section, there's a ninety percent chance that Mian Gu Lu will experience severe bleeding, risking her life."
Since a C-section would jeopardize Mian Gu Lu's life, Liu Xing and the others had to abandon the idea.
Of course, if they were to turn against their mission, they could find a black-market clinic to perform a C-section regardless of the risk to Mian Gu Lu's life. However, if they were to betray their mission, they might as well just kill Mian Gu Lu.
"In that case, are we just going to watch as Eldritch God Taketori descends and wreaks havoc on the world?" Yin En said with frustration.
Yasaka Mashiro sighed again and curiously asked, "By the way, where are Chen Wenbin and the others? Why haven't they delivered the amulet yet? Shiro Hana is getting anxious."
Liu Xing chuckled and proceeded to narrate the events at Unseen Pond earlier in the day.
"Goodness, what on earth are Chen Wenbin and the others up to? They set fire to Unseen Pond for no reason? I can't believe them," Yasaka Mashiro said, shaking her head in exasperation.
Liu Xing nodded and said, "But the most troublesome thing now is that we've lost contact with Watanabe Jiang and Yoh Asakura. Hopefully, they've gone straight home. As for Chen Wenbin, Yin En has used his charms, and Miss Sawada Yinyin has promised to bail him out. If all goes well, Chen Wenbin should be released from the police station tonight at the earliest or tomorrow at the latest."
Yin En looked at Liu Xing with a wry smile and said, "Hey, hey, Liu Xing, why are you starting to criticize me? But what you said is correct. If everything goes smoothly, Chen Wenbin should be able to leave the police station soon. Initially, I intended for Miss Sawada Yinyin to arrange for someone to convey a message to Chen Wenbin, asking him to try and contact the police chief to seek assistance against the Dark Willow Gang. However, upon reflection, considering Chen Wenbin's stature, if he spends the night in the detention center, there might be 'countless blooming flowers' by the time he's out."
Yin En was getting less and less serious.
"Let's head back now; Mian Gu Lu looks like she needs some rest," Liu Xing said, looking at the drowsy Mian Gu Lu.
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