Chapter 363 Negotiation
“Exchange hostages?”
“Are you treating me like an idiot!!!”
Sato Shinichi’s sudden proposal surprised Sawai Yoshio, but he quickly recovered his chaotic anger, his blood-red eyes staring intently at the young boy before him.
Although the potential potion had caused some confusion in his mind, he hadn’t lost his ability to think. A moment’s thought was enough to realize how much trouble exchanging hostages in front of the police and heroes would bring him.
A fierce look flashed in his eyes, and a metal blade materialized out of thin air, lunging fiercely towards Sato Shinichi’s chest.
“Swish—”
A bone-chilling cold current swept through, and the rapidly approaching blade was frozen in place by ice crystals. Kitahara Itoru, with the cold still lingering in his hand, looked at the disobedient young man behind him with killing intent. The aura unique to a strong practitioner pressed down without reservation, and he shouted:
“What are you still dallying here for! Hurry and go!”
However, Sato Shinichi showed no reaction to this terrifying pressure. He nodded slightly apologetically at Kitahara Itoru, then turned to look at Sawai Yoshio, who seemed intent on attacking again, and said calmly:
“Mr. Sawai, you don’t really think that holding an ordinary girl hostage will allow you to escape safely from the police and hero encirclement, do you!”
“What do you mean?”
Sato Shinichi’s words made Sawai Yoshio stop what he was doing. The murderous intent in his eyes paused for a moment. He raised his head and asked the other person with some confusion.
After all, it was related to his escape plan, coupled with the throbbing pain in his head, Sawai Yoshio didn’t have the time to think for himself and chose to ask.
“Being pursued and surrounded by high-level police departments like this, you should be aware of how much the police and the association value you.”
“And police officers are not as easy to talk to as association heroes. The losses you’ll incur by escaping now will definitely be greater than the value of that ordinary girl in your hands. You should understand this, right?”
“Moreover…”
Seeing that the other party had stopped attacking and chose to listen to his follow-up words, the stone that was hanging in Sato Shinichi’s heart finally settled.
His face maintained the same confident and composed expression. He stared at Sawai Yoshio in the distance and said loudly:
“Hoo— Stop wasting my time, kid! What exactly do you want to say!!”
Sawai Yoshio interrupted Sato Shinichi’s long speech with an impatient breath.
This annoying brat in front of him was full of convoluted words, but the content seemed to have some connection to his safety, making Sawai Yoshio unable to help but ask directly.
“What I mean is, exchanging me for the hostage you’re holding now is definitely beneficial for your escape.”
Seeing that the other party had lost patience with talking, Sato Shinichi gave up his plan to delay time by talking and directly stated his previous proposal to Sawai Yoshio.
“That’s bullshit! It must be your plan with that dog. Don’t come near me, or I’ll make my move right now!”
Such a proposal naturally couldn’t gain Sawai Yoshio’s approval. The blade in his hand was once again pressed against Kazumi’s neck. He completely ignored Sato Shinichi’s words, tightly holding onto the only lifeline in his hand.
“My grandfather is a frontline professional hero. They might act recklessly to capture criminals without regard for the hostage’s safety, but they absolutely won’t dare to harm me because they value the relationship with the association and heroes!”
The other party’s reaction was within Sato Shinichi’s expectations. He decisively threw out his trump card at the last moment before Sawai Yoshio’s patience ran out.
In fact, Sato Shinichi was gambling. He was gambling that Sawai Yoshio, due to the fatigue from his long escape and the effects of the drug on his mind, wouldn’t have much energy to discern the word traps in his language.
Cases of acting against hostages to capture criminals did exist, but they rarely happened in reality. And it was definitely after meticulous planning and simulation, carried out to rescue without endangering the hostage’s life, not acting without any regard for safety.
And police officers, compared to association heroes, were just a bit more orderly and command-driven, but their fundamental purpose of protecting the people remained the same. They were in no way like the desperado Sato Shinichi described, acting without regard for losses to achieve their goals.
“…How can you prove what you’re saying is true?”
After a moment of silence, Sawai Yoshio raised his head. The brutality in his eyes dissipated a little, and he asked coldly.
“This wristband is specially made by the association. The fact that it’s on my wrist is enough to show my relationship with the association, isn’t it?”
Sato Shinichi had prepared for this question in advance. He directly raised his hand and pressed the virtual wristband he was holding. A projection of the association headquarters building appeared before everyone.
“…Alright.”
Staring quietly at the virtual image for a few moments, Sawai Yoshio finally lowered his head and squeezed out a “good” from his throat.
“But…”
“You have to put this on me!”
Just as the young man was about to celebrate his success in his heart, an abrupt turn of words shattered Sato Shinichi’s illusion.
The brutality in Sawai Yoshio’s eyes completely disappeared, replaced by a cold and cunning expression. Silvery-white energy condensed in his hand, eventually forming a pair of metal handcuffs full of spikes. He threw them forward, dropping them onto the beach not far from Sato Shinichi.
“No!” “You can’t!”
“Slap—” “Shut up, all of you!”
Two voices of protest came from different directions, but they were immediately followed by a crisp slap and Sawai Yoshio’s curses filled with profanity, silencing Kitahara Itoru and Kazumi.
For Kazumi, even though she was being held hostage, she didn’t feel much panic in her heart. With Little Black inside her and her recovery ability, even if she were taken out to sea, the young girl was confident she could escape from this obviously cornered kidnapper.
She and Kitahara Itoru had also seen through Sato Shinichi’s purpose in proposing the hostage exchange. Whether it was to deliberately prolong the conversation time or to create an opportunity for the police by exchanging hostages, it was so clever that it didn’t seem like the foolish dog they knew.
But all of this was enough. The prolonged delay was enough for the police’s reinforcements to arrive.
Proposing a hostage exchange was also to create a rescue opportunity. Voluntarily putting on handcuffs forged by a metal ability user was absurd. Even someone like Kitahara Itoru might not have been able to escape its control completely. Therefore, the best method now was to retreat strategically. If it could buy more time by haggling with the other party, that would be even better.
Seemingly ignoring the stinging pain on her cheek, the young girl closed her mouth. Her jet-black eyes, however, looked at Sato Shinichi not far away with deep concern.
Although Sato Shinichi’s on-the-spot performance fully lived up to the reputation of being raised in a hero family, and his current demeanor was almost unnervingly calm, based on her understanding of him, he might impulsively agree.
[Don’t do anything irrational at this time, you fool!]
On the other side, Sato Shinichi silently raised his head. He looked at the silver-shining metal handcuffs on the sand not far away, and then at the girl cruelly slapped by the other party.
His clenched teeth had already begun to bleed, but he still used his utmost reason to restrain his body from rushing out.
He lowered his head, took two steps forward, bent down to pick up the handcuffs that looked like torture instruments, put his hands through them, and shouted up:
“Okay, I’ll wear it!”
(Ps: Writing up to this point, I feel a sense of surprise, wow, the dog is actually this smart. It’s probably because his previous foolish persona has deeply ingrained in everyone’s mind, hahaha)
