Zhongshan Junmei and Habamoto Youko rushed to the hospital, where Zhongshan Taka was still in the operating room. Watching the tightly closed door of the operating room, the exhausted Zhongshan Junmei could no longer stand and leaned into Habamoto Youko's arms, crying.

"Wuu wuu wuu, Youko, how could they be so treacherous to hurt Taka, those bastards. I hope nothing happens to him; otherwise, how can I go on living!"

Habamoto Youko looked at the door of the operating room with a complex expression, mechanically patted Zhongshan Junmei's back, comforting her, "Auntie, it's okay. Medicine is so advanced now, Taka's legs will be fine."

Zhongshan Junmei sobbed, shaking her head incessantly.

After what felt like an eternity, the doors of the operating room finally opened, and the chief surgeon emerged, wearing a mask.

"Doctor, how is my son!" Zhongshan Junmei left Habamoto Youko and hurried forward to ask.

Anxiety and worry were evident on her face.

"Are you the patient's mother?" The doctor, not waiting for her reply, sighed and said, "He's out of mortal danger. Once the anesthetic wears off, he'll wake up, but his legs are so severely damaged that he'll have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair."

"Wuu wuu wuu!" Zhongshan Junmei's hanging heart finally broke, and she burst into uncontrollable tears, unconcerned about her appearance.

The doctor, having seen this scenario many times, wasn't much affected emotionally and sighed as he walked away.

Habamoto Youko stepped forward to support Zhongshan Junmei, speaking softly, "Auntie, think of the bright side, at least Taka's life is saved, and he can still be by your side. Don't be too heartbroken."

Meanwhile, Zhongshan Taka was wheeled out.

Habamoto Youko went to pay, and Zhongshan Junmei followed the medical staff to push Zhongshan Taka into a single room.

Taking advantage of the gap in paying, Habamoto Youko called Aoyama Xiu Xin, questioning angrily, "Didn't you say you'd only cripple one of Zhongshan Taka's legs? Why are both legs broken? He can't stand for the rest of his life!"

Furious, her voice trembled.

"Because I thought about it, even with one crippled leg, he might still stab me with a knife! It's safer to break both legs," said Aoyama Xiu Xin nonchalantly, without any guilt for deceiving her.

Habamoto Youko was infuriated, her frail body trembled, and she clenched her fists, gritting her teeth, "Bastard, it would have been better if you had killed him instead of condemning him to live in a wheelchair for the rest of his life!"

She hated Zhongshan Taka, but seeing him turned into a cripple, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity.

After all, they had loved each other.

"How could I be so cruel and bloodthirsty?" retorted Aoyama Xiu Xin, then chuckled lightly, "Besides, if he died, Zhongshan Junmei, with no more concerns, would become a madwoman, ready to destroy both of us. But now that he is crippled and needs care, even if Zhongshan Junmei hates me or is reluctant, she has to swallow her anger for her son's sake."

That was exactly why he had crippled Zhongshan Taka.

"You're a devil!" Habamoto Youko felt a chill down her spine, squeezing out the words between her teeth and tears began to flow, suddenly regretting her collaboration with Aoyama Xiu Xin.

"If I am a devil, what does that make you, who complicitly enable tyranny?" scoffed Aoyama Xiu Xin nonchalantly, "Alright, Habamoto Youko, drop your pretense of righteousness. There's no turning back in the actions we take; I will be at the hospital soon."

With that, he hung up the phone.

"Beep~ Beep~ Beep~" Habamoto Youko stood stunned in place, took a deep breath to compose herself, and returned to Zhongshan Taka's room, telling Zhongshan Junmei, "Auntie, the payment has been made."

"Thank you, Youko. I'm lucky to have you by my side," said Zhongshan Junmei with a grateful expression.

Habamoto Youko opened her mouth to speak but said nothing.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, the door to the room was violently pushed open.

Zhongshan Junmei looked toward the sound and saw Aoyama Xiu Xin swaggering in, carrying a fruit basket.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Zhongshan Junmei.

Aoyama Xiu Xin smiled indifferently, took off his sunglasses, walked over, and set down the fruit basket, "As the son of the Director, it's only natural for me, as a subordinate, to visit him and bring you some gifts."

"How did you know Taka was hospitalized?" Zhongshan Junmei quickly caught on to a significant detail, her mind racing to a frightening conjecture, and she immediately rushed up to Aoyama Xiu Xin, demanding, "How did you know?"

"It's obvious, of course—it's because I had someone break his legs," admitted Aoyama Xiu Xin with an innocuous smile, calmly acknowledging the deed.

Zhongshan Junmei was overcome with rage, screaming as she grabbed Aoyama Xiu Xin's collar, her eyes red with fury, "Why? Why? Why involve him in our conflict? Has Taka ever offended you? Aoyama Xiu Xin, you bastard! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you, you mongrel!"

In her anger, she also felt remorse, for Zhongshan Taka was entirely dragged into this because of her power struggle with Aoyama Xiu Xin.

"He hadn't offended me before, but who let me offend him? To avoid his harboring hatred and seeking revenge, I had to strike first," Aoyama Xiu Xin grabbed her hands, pried them apart, straightened his collar, and spat, "Did you think I didn't know your plan to have Zhongshan Taka return to Tokyo for reinforcements? Should I have waited for the blade to reach my neck before I reacted?"

"You... How did you know?" Zhongshan Junmei stood there, stunned, her face in disbelief.

Aoyama Xiu Xin laughed, casually drawing the silent Habamoto Youko into his arms, "Of course, your dear daughter-in-law Youko told me."

"Youko…" Zhongshan Junmei widened her eyes at Habamoto Youko and staggered a step backward.

Feeling guilty and uneasy, Habamoto Youko could only keep a blank face to hide her emotions, remaining silent.

"Bitch!" Zhongshan Junmei, with red eyes, hysterically screamed, lunged forward, and grabbed Habamoto Youko, shouting, "How could you be so malicious and cold-hearted? Taka is your fiancé!"

"Am I malicious? Am I cold-blooded and ruthless?" Being insulted and accused like this, even the previously guilty Habamoto Youko got angry, and pushing Zhongshan Runmei away, she said coldly, "I sacrificed my own innocence to gain Aoyama Xiu Xin's trust to help you, and how did you and your son treat me? Discarded like an old shoe!"

"Heh, fiancé? Sorry, he ceased to be that the night before last. If it hadn't been for your unkindness first, how could I be unjust now? Think about what you've done before you accuse someone else!"

Zhongshan Runmei's face streamed with tears. Looking at the unfamiliar Habamoto Youko in front of her, she kept shaking her head, her heart filled with regret. If only she hadn't spoken so definitively at that time, Habamoto Youko would not have harbored resentment and been used by Aoyama Xiu Xin against her.

"Director Zhongshan, you haven't seen the gift I brought for you yet." Aoyama Xiu Xin stepped forward to fix Habamoto Youko's disheveled collar, then turned and handed a thick file folder to Zhongshan Runmei.

Zhongshan Runmei breathed rapidly, glancing at him with a look of resentment, then bowed her head to open the folder. Seeing the photos inside, she was instantly horrified and sharply looked up at Habamoto Youko.

The photos showed her trading with two evidence warehouse police officers, all apparently taken sneakily. The only person behind her at the scene was Habamoto Youko.

"There's this too." Aoyama Xiu Xin took out a voice recorder and waved it, then pressed the play button.

"It was just a necessary evil, pay hefty sums to the guards of the evidence warehouse to smuggle out those 220 pounds of meth. I offered them an irresistible price—you know they would be tempted..."

Hearing her own voice and looking at the photos in her hands, Zhongshan Runmei's face darkened as if it were the bottom of a pot.

"Dear me, the venerable Director of Hokkaido Police Headquarters trading evidence with criminals to save her son, disregarding laws and regulations—what would happen if this gets out?" Aoyama Xiu Xin said, smiling threateningly.

"Bastard! Whore! Scum!" Zhongshan Runmei's back teeth almost crushed, as she furiously clutched the document bag and demanded, "What do you want?"

"Very simple, from now on, be a faithful puppet in Hokkaido. Don't harbor any improper ambitions, or else I will ruin your reputation and land you in jail!" Aoyama Xiu Xin laid out his demands, not waiting for a rejection before adding, "Director Zhongshan, your son is already crippled, if you go to jail too, who will look after him? A disabled person's life is hard, wouldn't you think?"

"On the other hand, if you comply faithfully, you'll remain the esteemed Director high above, the renowned Iron Maiden, and no one will dare look down on your son even if he is disabled—sitting in a wheelchair, he can still lead a dignified life."

With the right connections, one could even do business from a wheelchair.

"You really know how to calculate." Zhongshan Runmei said fiercely, glaring at Aoyama Xiu Xin.

She wished she could rush up and tear him apart.

Of course, she didn't want to bow down to her enemy.

But her reason told her that Aoyama Xiu Xin was right—for her son's sake, she had to endure this humiliation.

"Fine, I agree. From now on, I will not attempt to reach for power again." After croakily uttering this sentence, Zhongshan Runmei seemed drained of all spirit, aging by a decade.

In the past, she lived for her career and personal achievements, but from now on, it was only for her son.

She already regretted coming to Hokkaido, thinking it would be her final shot at becoming Police Director General, but instead, it was her personal Waterloo.

The sky might be high, but the devil is taller.

She was determined to kill the thief but powerless to return to heaven.

"What touching maternal love indeed," sighed Aoyama Xiu Xin, feigning wiping away non-existent tears, then added, "Oh right, better not let Zhongshan Taka know the truth, because it's useless for him to know. It would just cause him more pain, and I'm considering this for you and him, don't you think?"

Sometimes, he could be so kind.

"Get out!" Zhongshan Runmei, far from moved by his kindness, roared furiously.

"Keep the photos as a souvenir," shrugged Aoyama Xiu Xin, glanced at Habamoto Youko, "Let's go."

Habamoto Youko took one last look at the bedridden Zhongshan Taka, then quietly followed Aoyama Xiu Xin out.

"Don't you have nightmares after causing so much suffering?" Out in the quiet hallway, after they left the hospital room, Habamoto Youko asked gravely.

Aoyama Xiu Xin paused, looked back at her, and answered seriously, "Yes, I dream of them killing me for revenge. That's why I usually kill them first, then I don't have nightmares anymore—only the living keep me awake, not the dead."

Habamoto Youko turned pale at this, staring at him in horror and instinctively stepping back.

"Hahaha, just kidding! Did you really think I'm some sort of killing demon? Fool!"

Aoyama Xiu Xin laughed loudly, waved his hand, and left humming a cheerful tune.

Habamoto Youko exhaled and followed.

She did not think Aoyama Xiu Xin was joking.

..................

Thereafter, the completely disheartened Zhongshan Runmei gave up her ambitions of grappling with Aoyama Xiu Xin for power.

Resigned to her fate, she spent her days taking care of her disabled son, rarely visiting the police headquarters again.

Habamoto Youko, on the other hand, was transferred to the Criminal Department. By mid-September, with Aoyama Xiu Xin's assistance in claiming credit and maneuvering, she was promoted exceptionally to Police Inspector and appointed head of the Second Investigation Section due to her remarkable performance.

The Hokkaido Police system completely fell under the dominance of Aoyama Xiu Xin. Over that month, issues of rampant firearms worsened, causing repeated inquiries from the Police Department and Public Security Committee to the Hokkaido Police Headquarters.

Aoyama Xiu Xin stepped forward, holding a press conference to declare that he would dedicate his full efforts to solving the problem of rampant firearms, vowing to annihilate all gun-trafficking gangs.

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