Chapter 26: The Second Meeting
Pennsylvania Station.
The sound of voices was like a pot of boiling water.
The sounds of announcements, footsteps, luggage wheels, and the screeching brakes of arriving trains were all crammed into the underground hall.
Frenchie moved through the crowd, his eyes scanning every face.
He gripped the scrap of paper in his hand.
The paper was already softened by sweat.
Butcher walked behind, a cigarette held between his teeth, unlit.
MM looked at the surveillance cameras around them, his expression grim.
"There are too many cameras here."
Butcher said.
"That's why Vought doesn't dare to go too crazy."
MM glanced at him.
"You really believe that?"
Butcher laughed.
"I don't, which is why I brought a gun."
Frenchie, who was walking alone, suddenly stopped.
Not far away was a tech store.
The glass display case was filled with phone cases, headphones, tablets, and second-hand cameras.
A row of television screens at the very back was playing Vought News.
On the screen, Homelander stood before a podium, smiling.
Beside him were Li Xing and that dog wearing a bowtie.
Frenchie stared at the cabinet next to the television.
Behind the cabinet, there was a pair of eyes.
Black.
Vigilant.
Like a beast that had just crawled out of a trap.
Frenchie's breath hitched.
He quickly took out his phone and sent a message to Butcher.
[Tech store. Don't get too close.]
After sending it, he put his phone away and walked over slowly.
Kimiko was huddled beside the TV cabinet, gripping a detached screwdriver in her hand.
Her shoulders were hunched, her feet planted on the ground.
Ready to pounce at any moment.
Frenchie raised his hands.
"Hey."
He said softly.
"Bonjour, ma chérie."
Kimiko didn't understand.
But she could tell there was no murderous intent in his voice.
Frenchie stopped three meters away.
"I won't get closer."
"I won't touch you."
He slowly crouched down, pulled the gun from behind his waist, and placed it on the ground.
Then he kicked it aside.
Kimiko's gaze followed the gun.
Frenchie took that bottle of nail polish out of his pocket again.
There was still dried blood on the cap.
Kimiko's pupils constricted.
Frenchie placed the nail polish on the ground.
"I know you went to find her."
"That nail salon owner."
"She lied to you, didn't she?"
Kimiko's fingers tightened.
The tip of the screwdriver scraped against the cabinet, making a harsh sound.
Frenchie didn't stop.
"They brought you here."
"Locked you up."
"Injected things into your body."
"You want to go home."
His voice was a bit hoarse.
"I wanted to go back too."
"A long time ago."
"But I can't go back anymore."
On the TV, Homelander's voice came through.
"Heroes arrive before the crisis reaches lives."
Frenchie looked up at the TV and smiled.
"Hear that?"
Kimiko stared at him.
Her gaze softened for a moment.
Frenchie saw it.
He moved a little closer.
"I won't hand you over to them."
"Won't hand you to Vought."
"Won't hand you to that bastard who runs like a squirrel on drugs."
Kimiko suddenly looked up.
She heard something.
Frenchie heard it too.
The sound of wind.
Very faint.
Sweeping past outside the store.
The next second, Kimiko turned around abruptly, knocked over a shelf, and rushed toward the back door.
"Non!"
Frenchie got up and chased after her.
Butcher and MM rushed over from the other side of the crowd.
"She ran!"
Frenchie roared.
Kimiko went through the staff passage, kicked open the fire door, and jumped straight down the maintenance stairs.
Below was the track area.
The red "No Entry" warning sign was knocked over by her.
The vibration of an arriving train came from beneath their feet.
Frenchie followed and jumped down.
MM cursed.
"Slow the hell down! The train is coming, do you want to die?"
Butcher spat out his cigarette.
"Frenchie is going to die because of a woman sooner or later."
They chased into the depths of the tracks.
The lights dimmed.
The walls were covered in grease and old advertisements.
There was standing water on both sides of the tracks.
Kimiko's footsteps echoed ahead.
Frenchie saw her.
"Wait!"
He had just shouted.
A blue shadow rushed out from the side.
Bang!
Kimiko was sent flying.
Before she even landed, A-Train had already grabbed her waist and dragged her into a deeper tunnel.
The speed was too fast.
The air was torn with a sharp shriek.
Frenchie's eyes turned red instantly.
"Fuck!"
A-Train slammed Kimiko against the wall.
The first time.
The wall plaster exploded.
The second time.
The steel pipe bent.
The third time.
The back of Kimiko's head hit, drawing blood.
She raised her hand to grab A-Train's face.
A-Train dodged by turning his head and kneed her in the abdomen.
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?"
Kimiko let out a muffled groan, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
A-Train lowered his voice, his eyes fierce.
"You shouldn't have run."
Kimiko bit his wrist.
A-Train felt the pain, his expression changing.
He grabbed her hair and slammed her hard against the wall.
Bang!
Kimiko's body went limp for a moment.
Immediately after, A-Train suddenly accelerated, grabbed Kimiko's head, and smashed it against the wall.
"Bang bang bang bang bang..."
The sound of her head hitting the wall echoed in the tunnel.
Frenchie rushed to the corner, saw this scene, and felt like he was set on fire.
He raised his gun.
A-Train heard the noise and turned back.
Their eyes met.
A flash of murderous intent crossed A-Train's eyes.
He was about to move.
Frenchie suddenly raised his voice and shouted toward the crowd outside.
"Holy shit!"
"Isn't that A-Train!"
The voice traveled along the tunnel.
At this shout, nearby passengers all looked over.
"A-Train?"
"Where?"
"It really is him!"
"Quick, take a picture!"
Several people held up their phones and ran toward the tunnel entrance.
The murderous intent on A-Train's face froze.
He looked down at the blood-covered Kimiko, then at the passengers rushing over.
He quickly let go.
Kimiko fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
A-Train stood up straight immediately and smoothed his clothes.
A forced business smile appeared on his face.
"Hey, everyone."
"There's a little accident here."
"Please don't come near the track area, it's dangerous."
A girl screamed.
"A-Train! Can I take a photo with you?"
A-Train's mouth twitched.
"Of course."
He put his sunglasses back on and walked toward the crowd.
"Safety first, then selfies."
Kimiko realized what was happening, quickly turned around, and rushed into another maintenance tunnel.
Butcher arrived and glanced at A-Train, who was taking photos with fans.
"That shout of yours was not bad."
Frenchie ignored him and continued the chase.
MM followed up.
"A-Train will come back."
Butcher pulled a small tranquilizer grenade from his pocket.
"Then we'd better hurry."
They chased into the depths.
There were no passengers here.
Only pipes, steel doors, and emergency lights.
Kimiko stopped at the end.
Ahead was a sealed maintenance door.
She looked back.
Frenchie also stopped.
He was panting and threw the gun to the ground.
"Don't be afraid."
Kimiko arched her back.
Blood flowed from her forehead to her chin.
Frenchie approached step by step.
"I know you don't trust me."
"It's okay."
"I don't trust myself either."
Frenchie pointed to his chest.
"It's rotten in here."
"I've killed many people."
"I've done many bad things."
"I'm not a good person."
His voice got lower and lower.
"When I saw you in the cage, I knew one thing."
"I couldn't walk away again."
Kimiko's gaze wavered.
Frenchie reached out his hand.
"Come with me."
"I'll take you away."
"Mon coeur, please."
Kimiko stared at his hand.
For a long time.
She slowly took a step forward.
Frenchie didn't move.
MM held his gun, the barrel lowered.
Butcher watched this scene, no smile on his face.
Kimiko walked up to Frenchie.
She looked down at his hand.
Then, she moved.
She tackled Frenchie.
The speed was so fast that no one reacted in time.
Frenchie's back slammed into the ground.
Kimiko's knees pressed against his chest.
One hand gripped his throat.
The other hand raised, fingers curled into claws, aimed at his face.
Butcher cursed.
"Idiot."
He raised his hand.
The tranquilizer grenade flew out.
Bang.
White smoke exploded.
Frenchie inhaled some, his eyes rolling back.
"Your mo..."
Before he could finish, he passed out.
The white smoke settled.
Kimiko's body collapsed next to Frenchie.
The tunnel fell silent.
MM crouched down to check Frenchie.
"He's alive."
Then checked Kimiko.
"She's alive too."
Butcher walked over and looked at the unconscious Kimiko.
"Load her up."
In the shadows.
A droplet of water slid down the pipe.
Li Xing stood in the darkness above the maintenance tunnel, a cigarette in his hand.
Bibi Labu lay at his feet, lowering his voice.
"Brilliant."
"The Frenchman almost got physically transcended by love."
Li Xing smiled.
"Just lucky."
Bibi Labu looked down.
"Aren't you going to snatch her?"
Li Xing held the cigarette, not rushing to answer.
In the tunnel below.
Butcher bent down and grabbed Kimiko's arm.
MM helped Frenchie up.
Just then.
A voice came from above the tunnel.
"Not bad."
All three looked up simultaneously.
Li Xing stood on the pipe rack, the hem of his trench coat hanging down, a cigarette in his hand.
Bibi Labu lay at his feet, one paw still pressing on a bag of potato chips.
Butcher's gun was raised immediately.
MM was half a beat slow, but also aimed at Li Xing.
Li Xing jumped down from the pipe rack.
His body dispersed into a mist of water in mid-air, reforming into a human shape upon landing.
The gun barrels followed him in unison.
MM's expression darkened.
Butcher's eyes were even colder.
"You've been here the whole time...?"
Li Xing brushed his sleeves.
"Bingo, you guessed it."
Butcher twitched his mouth.
"What do you want?"
Li Xing looked at Kimiko.
"Just watching the show, nothing else."
MM's gun didn't lower, but his finger wasn't pressing the trigger.
Butcher stood beside him, staring at Li Xing.
On the ground, Frenchie hadn't woken up yet.
Kimiko was also unconscious, her breathing shallow.
Li Xing looked at MM.
"You're smarter than him."
MM said in a deep voice.
"A smart person should be shooting right now."
A mocking expression hung on Li Xing's face.
"You should know that all physical attacks are ineffective against me."
"If you want to, you can shoot right now."
The tunnel was quiet for a moment.
Butcher wasn't panicked; this was their second meeting, and Butcher had a very strong interest in Li Xing.
"If you wanted to kill us, you wouldn't be saying so much."
"Speak up, what do you want with us?"
Li Xing walked slowly toward Butcher.
As expected of the protagonist of the show, chatting with someone who has their wits about them is easy.
"I think your progress is too slow."
"At this rate, if you want to take down Vought, I'm afraid my next superpower will be out before you do."
"So, I've decided to give you a hand."
Chapter 27: You've Been Hiding Deep!
The Boys disappeared into the depths of the tunnel.
Footsteps, dragging sounds, and Frenchie's garbled French sleep-talking were all swallowed up by the vibrations of the rails.
Li Xing did not pursue.
He stood in the maintenance tunnel, stubbed out his cigarette, and stepped into the stagnant water.
Bibi Labu leaned in and sniffed the bloodstains on the ground.
"The Frenchman's? Or the girl's?"
"Both."
Bibi Labu shrank his neck.
"Fine, this place stinks too much. Are we leaving?"
Li Xing was about to answer.
From the direction of the main tunnel, a sudden, explosive sound of high-speed movement erupted.
Wind rushed into the maintenance tunnel, blowing the old posters on the walls until they rattled noisily.
A-Train stood at the entrance of the tunnel.
He had just finished taking photos with fans.
His sunglasses were still hanging on the bridge of his nose, and a practiced, professional smile remained at the corners of his mouth.
He scanned the tunnel.
It was empty.
No Kimiko.
No The Boys.
No Butcher.
Only Li Xing.
And a beagle with a bag of chips in its mouth.
A-Train's smile froze for half a second.
The next second, he put that professional smile back on.
"Li."
"Where are they?"
Li Xing leaned against the wall and pulled out his cigarette case.
"Who?"
A-Train took two steps forward.
Not fast.
But every step was heavy.
The stagnant water in the maintenance tunnel was kicked up by his steps, splashing against the base of the wall.
"That woman."
"She was here just a moment ago."
Li Xing put the cigarette in his mouth and patted his pockets.
"Where's the lighter?"
Bibi Labu raised his head from the chip bag.
"Left inner pocket."
Li Xing pulled out the lighter, lit the cigarette, and took a drag.
"Didn't see any woman."
A-Train stared at him.
The smile was completely gone.
"Don't do this."
"I've already had enough trouble today."
Li Xing exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"You're annoyed, what does that have to do with me?"
A-Train's temple throbbed.
He tilted his head and swallowed his words.
"I was chasing her here three minutes ago."
"Three minutes?"
Li Xing smiled.
"Aren't you the fastest man in the world? Three seconds is enough for you to run to New Jersey."
A-Train stared at him.
The phrase "the fastest man in the world" dug into the muscles of his face.
His expression twitched.
"Are you helping her?"
Li Xing didn't answer.
A-Train took another step forward.
This step carried a blur of super speed.
When he appeared in front of Li Xing, the two were only half an arm's length apart.
A-Train reached out and grabbed Li Xing's collar.
Exactly the same as that time in the elevator.
"I'm asking you a question."
Bibi Labu took two steps back.
"I'm warning you!"
"You can hit my master, but you can't hit me."
A-Train tightened his fingers and pushed Li Xing against the wall.
"Madelyn Stillwell letting you into The Seven doesn't mean you can play games in front of me."
"Who do you think you are?"
"Your superpower is talking to dogs and making women feel good."
"What gives you the right to act tough with me?"
He spoke very fast.
So fast, as if he wanted to suppress all the panic in his heart.
"If I want to, I can make you shut up for the rest of your life."
"By then, even if you want to report me and post it online, Madelyn Stillwell can use PR to suppress it."
Li Xing, with the cigarette in his mouth, looked at A-Train.
No struggle.
No anger.
Not even his expression changed.
A-Train felt something was wrong.
Last time in the elevator, Li Xing at least used information to counter.
Now he had no reaction at all.
He was just waiting.
A-Train's fingers loosened a little.
The next second, he clenched them again.
He couldn't retreat.
Especially not in front of Li Xing.
"Speak."
A-Train lowered his voice.
"Where did she run?"
"Reggie."
Li Xing spoke.
His voice was very flat.
"Hold tighter."
A-Train froze for a moment.
The next second.
Li Xing's collar disappeared from his palm.
Not torn away.
Not broken free.
That piece of fabric turned directly into water.
Water flowed down between his fingers.
Then the neck, shoulders, arms, clothes, and skin all melted together.
Li Xing's entire body, from top to bottom, turned into a mass of transparent liquid.
A-Train's hand passed through Li Xing's body.
His fingertips only touched cold water.
He couldn't grab anything.
A-Train's pupils shrank violently.
He immediately retreated.
Super speed activated.
Three meters.
Five meters.
Ten meters.
He retreated to the other end of the tunnel, back against the wall.
The mass of water did not pursue.
It re-condensed on the spot.
From feet to head, bones, muscles, skin, clothes.
Li Xing stood there again.
His collar was smooth, the cigarette was still in his mouth, and the ember hadn't gone out.
He exhaled a puff of smoke.
"What are you running for?"
A-Train didn't answer immediately.
His breathing was ragged.
He looked at Li Xing, his gaze shifting from shock to suspicion, then forcibly pressed back into a sneer.
"Hallucination?"
Li Xing looked at him.
A-Train raised his hand and wiped the water from between his fingers.
He put the water to his nose and sniffed it.
No smell of blood.
Just ordinary water.
His expression became even uglier.
"Your ability is dog language."
These words weren't meant for Li Xing to hear.
They were meant for himself.
Li Xing agreed.
"Yes."
"But not just that."
He raised his right hand.
The water vapor in the air condensed at his fingertips, turning into a transparent ice spike.
The ice spike wasn't large, only the length of an index finger.
But the tip was painfully sharp.
Li Xing flicked it casually.
The ice spike flew out.
A-Train disappeared from where he stood.
The next instant, he appeared two meters away.
The ice spike nailed into the cement wall behind where he had just been.
It embedded three inches deep, and debris exploded.
A-Train glanced at the wall.
Then glanced at Li Xing.
There was no smile on his face anymore.
"You want to kill me?"
"If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn't have been able to dodge just now."
Li Xing said.
Bibi Labu wobbled over with the chip bag in his mouth and looked at the ice spike on the wall.
"So accurate, it missed his temple by two centimeters."
A-Train swept his gaze toward it violently.
"Shut up, dog!"
Bibi Labu was amused.
"Getting anxious."
Li Xing took a step forward.
A-Train did not retreat.
He forced himself to stand in place.
His body was already urging him to leave.
The further away from this person, the better.
But he couldn't leave.
As long as he left, he would admit that he was afraid.
Afraid of a newcomer who had just joined The Seven, a pretty boy who could chat with dogs.
A-Train gritted his teeth.
"You've been hiding deep."
"Does Madelyn Stillwell know?"
"Does Homelander know?"
"Guess."
A-Train's eye twitched.
He hated this answer.
Uncertainty.
And what he feared most right now was uncertainty.
A-Train suddenly let out a laugh.
"Fine."
"You've got some skills."
"But what about that woman?"
"You can turn into water, she can't."
"You can protect her once, can you protect her for a lifetime?"
Li Xing did not answer.
A-Train continued.
"I just need to tell Homelander that someone just hijacked the target here, and you were at the scene."
"Who do you think he will believe?"
"A veteran member of The Seven?"
"Or you?"
Speaking of this, he finally regained a bit of confidence.
"Li, don't complicate things."
"You tell me which way she ran."
"I'll pretend I never saw you tonight."
Li Xing looked at him.
"Do you still think you have the right to negotiate terms now?"
Chapter 28: A Little Rush
A-Train's smile stiffened for a moment.
But he quickly lifted his chin again.
"I have always been qualified."
"I am A-Train."
"I am the fastest man in the world."
As the words fell.
The water accumulated on the ground suddenly moved.
Several water pillars shot up from under A-Train's feet, wrapping around his lower legs, thighs, and waist.
A-Train moved almost the instant the water pillars rose.
Afterimages exploded as his body surged forward.
The water pillars were stretched, twisted, and torn.
But they did not break.
They wrapped around him, following his movements.
Tighter and tighter the more he struggled.
A-Train's expression changed.
He accelerated again.
The air in the corridor was torn with explosive sounds, the old posters on the wall were shattered, and the light tubes flickered on and off.
But he had only rushed out less than two meters before he was dragged back forcefully.
Water has no fixed shape.
He could shake off iron chains, smash through concrete, and outrun a camera.
But he could not shake off this mass of water that had no joints and no pressure points.
The water pillars contracted on his body.
Layers of ice froze from the outside in.
His knees froze first, then his thighs, and then his waist.
A-Train looked down at his lower body.
The blood drained from his face bit by bit.
But he did not kneel.
He braced his hands on the ice, his chest heaving violently.
"Let me go."
He said.
His voice was very low.
Li Xing walked up to him, bent down, and picked up the sunglasses A-Train had dropped on the ground.
He wiped them and handed them back.
"Put them on."
"Don't let anyone see that look on your face."
A-Train didn't take them.
He looked up at Li Xing.
There was fear, resentment, and calculation in those eyes.
Li Xing hung the sunglasses on the zipper of A-Train's suit on his chest.
"I know what you are thinking right now."
A-Train sneered.
"You don't know a damn thing."
"You are thinking that after you go back, you will tell Madelyn Stillwell about tonight."
"Saying I hid my abilities, saying I let the target go, saying I am unstable."
A-Train's smile faded.
Li Xing continued.
"You are also thinking that Homelander doesn't like people hiding things."
"As long as you push me in front of him, he will naturally deal with me."
A-Train didn't speak.
The veins on the back of his hands bulged.
Li Xing looked at him.
"Your line of thinking is correct."
"Unfortunately, you have a problem."
A-Train's Adam's apple moved.
Li Xing stepped back and lit another cigarette.
"compound v."
The corridor quieted down.
A-Train's expression changed.
That stiffness surfaced from beneath his skin.
"What do you mean?"
"I said before, there was residue of compound v in Pop's apartment."
Li Xing looked at him.
"But that wasn't all Pop's."
A-Train's lips moved.
"You are bluffing me."
Li Xing smiled.
A-Train stared at his expression, trying to find a flaw.
He was too familiar with this routine.
Vought people bluff.
Agents bluff.
Reporters bluff.
Teammates also bluff.
Everyone wants to dig something out of him.
He makes a living by speed, and he lives by lies.
As long as there is no evidence, he can never admit it.
"The batch of the residue matches."
Li Xing said.
"And your abnormal medical examination records."
A-Train's eyes went blank for a moment.
Very short.
Then he laughed immediately.
"Bullshit."
He said.
"My medical reports are Vought's highest security clearance."
"You can't get them."
Li Xing nodded.
"Under normal circumstances, you can't get them."
The smile on A-Train's face couldn't hold.
Li Xing didn't continue to explain.
He just looked at A-Train.
This silence made A-Train even more uncomfortable.
He didn't know how much Li Xing actually knew, nor did he know if there were backups of these things.
"I haven't used it for a long time."
After these words left his mouth, A-Train was stunned for a moment himself.
Li Xing looked at his expression, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
"Haven't used it for a long time?"
Li Xing walked up and reached out to pat A-Train's frozen thigh.
The ice crunched under his palm.
"Reggie, compound v is not protein powder."
"Once you have used it, you will want to use it again."
"You can't stop completely."
A-Train turned his head away.
"I can stop."
"I have already stopped."
These words were said very firmly.
But his fingers were trembling.
He hated that stuff.
And he also craved it.
So he didn't allow others to say it out loud even more.
Li Xing leaned closer, his voice lowering.
"You think only I know?"
"John knows too."
A-Train's eyes snapped back.
His breathing stopped for a beat.
"Impossible."
"He doesn't know."
"If he knew—"
The second half of the sentence was not finished.
If Homelander knew, he might not act immediately.
He would smile.
He would pat his shoulder.
He would say, "It's okay, buddy, everyone has low points."
Then one day, in front of everyone, he would use the gentlest tone to tear his dignity away layer by layer.
Or simpler.
Two beams of red light.
One second.
The fastest man in the world would turn into a pile of smoking meat on the ground.
A-Train's Adam's apple bobbed.
"When did he find out?"
"Earlier than you think."
Li Xing exhaled smoke.
"Guess, if I say a few words in John's ear—Reggie only runs fast because he's on drugs, his speed is fake—how will he deal with you?"
A-Train closed his eyes.
Homelander's smile flashed through his mind.
That gentle, loving, godfather-like smile.
Then two beams of red light lit up within the smile.
A moment later.
A-Train opened his eyes, his voice hoarse.
"You won't say it."
A-Train stared at him.
"If you really wanted to say it, you would have said it long ago."
"You are keeping this leverage because you want to use me."
"So you won't destroy me now."
"You want me to help you do things."
At this point, A-Train's breathing stabilized a little.
Even though half his body was still frozen in ice, he had found room to negotiate.
Li Xing smiled.
"Not bad."
"Your brain hasn't frozen over yet."
A-Train didn't relax.
His eyes became even heavier instead.
"What do you want?"
"Very simple."
"The same as what I said last time."
"After you go back, tell John that you didn't find that woman, you don't know anything, and you didn't see anything."
A-Train stared at him.
"That's it?"
"For now, that's it."
"For now?"
Li Xing didn't answer.
A-Train smiled.
It was an ugly smile.
"You are all the same."
"Once you get a hold of something, you want to lead others around by the nose."
Li Xing looked at him.
"You don't have to accept it."
A-Train was silent.
The ice in the corridor was still climbing up.
It had already reached his ribs.
The cold seeped in against his suit.
As long as Li Xing was willing, this ice could bore into his blood vessels, joints, and heart.
He could gamble.
Gamble that Li Xing wouldn't dare to kill him.
But he couldn't afford to gamble.
A-Train lowered his head.
"I didn't see anything."
"She is not here."
Li Xing looked at him.
"Do you know how to tell John?"
A-Train gritted his teeth.
"The target was lost."
"The people from The Boys evacuated early."
"When I arrived, there was no one in the corridor."
Li Xing smiled.
The ice layer began to melt from the outside in.
Water flowed down along A-Train's suit and into the water on the ground.
A few seconds later, A-Train regained his freedom.
His legs were a bit weak.
But he didn't kneel down.
He held onto the wall and stood steady.
He would hold onto this shred of dignity even if it killed him.
Li Xing turned around.
Bibi Labu followed, still chewing on potato chips.
After walking a few steps, A-Train suddenly spoke.
"Li."
Li Xing stopped.
He didn't turn back.
A-Train stood where he was.
His face hidden in the shadows of the corridor.
"You had better be sure."
"Because as long as you slip up once, I will run faster than anyone else."
"I will take every word you said today and deliver it to Homelander."
Li Xing looked back at him.
"That's more like you."
A-Train's expression stiffened.
Li Xing said lightly.
"Remember tonight."
"Next time before you try to sell me out, think clearly about whether you can get away."
After saying that, he walked out of the maintenance corridor.
Bibi Labu followed beside him and looked back.
"Do you think he will cry secretly when he goes back?"
"No."
Li Xing said.
"He will curse first, then smash things, and then try to find a way to confirm how much I actually know."
"Is that pathetic?"
"Not pathetic."
Li Xing stepped onto the platform.
People were coming and going in the station, and no one knew what had just happened.
He took out his phone.
A message popped up on the screen.
Sender: Homelander.
[Come to the rooftop tonight, I have something to ask you.]
Li Xing glanced at the time.
He put his phone back into his pocket.
Bibi Labu jumped onto a bench and lay down.
"Homelander is looking for you? In the middle of the night?"
"He wouldn't be trying to have a heart-to-heart with you, would he?"
"Once before, you two drank on the rooftop all night."
Li Xing smiled.
"This time, it might not just be a heart-to-heart."
Bibi Labu pricked up his ears.
"What do you mean?"
"He wants to find me and go to the rooftop for a rush."
"?"
Chapter 30: Becca Is Still Alive
The night was deep.
A phone screen lit up.
A text message popped into Butcher's view.
"Want to know where Becca is? The corner coffee shop in Queens. — Li Xing"
Butcher stared fixedly at the words, his breathing heavy, bloodshot veins appearing in his eyes.
That name was a scar in his heart that would never heal.
Go.
Must go.
Even if it were a trap.
...
The coffee shop was deserted.
In a corner seat, Li Xing sat alone with a cup of black coffee in front of him.
Bibi Labu hadn't followed; he was currently sound asleep on the apartment sofa.
The doorbell rang crisply.
Butcher pushed the door open and entered, his burly frame wrapped in a black trench coat.
His footsteps were heavy.
He walked straight to the corner and pulled out a chair to sit down.
"You'd better not try anything funny."
His voice was hoarse, filled with intense killing intent.
Li Xing picked up his cup and took a light sip.
"Your temper is really bad."
"No wonder your wife left."
Bang!
Butcher slammed both palms onto the table.
The coffee cup shook violently, and brown liquid splashed out.
"Mention her one more time, and I'll twist your head off."
Li Xing put down the cup, his expression calm.
"You can't do it."
"Physical attacks are ineffective against me."
Butcher sneered.
"Translucent said the same thing before."
"Don't worry, I'll always find a way to kill you."
Li Xing leaned back against the chair, crossing his hands.
"Maybe. But right now, you need me."
Butcher narrowed his eyes.
"What exactly do you know?"
Li Xing didn't answer immediately.
He pulled a photo from his pocket and pushed it across the table.
The edges of the photo were yellowed. In the picture, a woman stood on a lawn, smiling gently.
Next to her was a blonde boy.
Butcher's pupils constricted suddenly, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged. He grabbed the photo and stared at it intensely.
"Becca..."
His voice trembled.
"This is impossible."
"She's dead! Homelander killed her!"
Li Xing shook his head, a smile still on his face.
"Vought International is best at covering up the truth."
"She isn't dead. Not only is she alive, but she also gave birth to a child."
Butcher looked up abruptly, his eyes splitting with rage.
"That bastard's?"
Li Xing nodded.
"Yes."
"Homelander's bloodline."
Butcher's chest heaved violently. Anger, shock, and pain intertwined.
He suddenly pulled out the pistol at his waist and aimed it at the space between Li Xing's eyebrows.
"The address!"
"Tell me where she is!"
Li Xing looked at the pitch-black muzzle, a mocking smile curling on his lips, and his fingers gently pressed down on the gun barrel.
"I already told you, this thing is useless against me."
"Put it down."
"Otherwise, you will never see her again."
Butcher gritted his teeth, holding the standoff for a few seconds.
He slowly put away his weapon.
"The conditions."
Li Xing smiled.
"Smart."
"I like dealing with smart people."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"I want you to do something for me."
Butcher looked at him coldly.
"Speak."
"Help me find someone."
"Who?"
"Soldier Boy."
Butcher frowned.
"He's dead, died in a nuclear explosion."
Li Xing picked up his coffee and drank it all in one gulp.
"I already said, what Vought International is best at is covering up the truth."
"Find him, and I'll give you Becca's specific location."
Butcher was silent, his brain racing.
This deal sounded ridiculous, after all, it was common knowledge that Soldier Boy had long since died.
But he had no other choice.
"Deal."
Li Xing stood up and adjusted his collar.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
He turned and walked toward the door.
"By the way."
"Don't try to follow me."
"You can't afford the consequences."
The doorbell rang again, and Li Xing's figure disappeared at the end of the street.
Butcher sat in his original seat, clutching the photo tightly.
His expression was complex and unreadable.
Li Xing strolled along the sidewalk, a faint smile hanging on his lips.
Butcher was a good knife; as long as one held the handle, they could split open Vought International's hard shell.
The information about Becca was merely a piece of bait thrown out.
What Li Xing really cared about was only Soldier Boy.
Appearing in Russia rashly by himself would definitely attract Homelander's attention, so he had to rely on The Boys.
On the other side.
Butcher returned to the basement.
Frenchie was tinkering with equipment, MM was wiping down firearms, and Hughie was sitting in the corner, dazed.
Seeing Butcher's gloomy expression, everyone stopped what they were doing.
"What's wrong?"
Butcher slapped the photo onto the table.
"Look at this."
Frenchie leaned in and gasped.
"This is..."
Butcher's voice was cold.
"Becca."
Hughie's eyes widened.
"She's still alive?"
"Li Xing gave it to me."
MM frowned.
"From covering our escape to providing us with information."
"What exactly does he want to do?"
Butcher lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
"He told me Soldier Boy isn't dead."
Frenchie rubbed his chin.
"True or false, everyone is saying he's dead."
Butcher exhaled the smoke.
"Regardless, we must investigate. For Becca."
...
In the suburban cemetery, the iron gate was tightly shut.
Butcher kicked the chain open; the sound of metal snapping was harsh.
He picked up a hammer and strode in.
He stopped at the third row on the left; the marble surface was engraved with that familiar name.
[Becca Butcher]
[Beloved Wife]
Butcher's chest heaved violently.
"Liars."
"Those Vought International scumbags!"
He raised both arms, and the hammer whistled through the air as it crashed down.
Bang!
Stone chips flew everywhere, the corner of the tombstone cracked, and the monument was smashed to pieces.
"F*** you, Homelander!"
The second hammer blow hit the name directly.
Cracks spread like a spider web.
"Son of a b****, Li Xing!"
With the third hammer blow, the marble completely collapsed, and the fragments rolled into the mud.
His wife is alive.
And she gave birth to a son for his enemy.
Absurd, ridiculous.