Chainsaw Man, starting contract to cut down the Demon Line

"Captain, Captain... why are you looking at me like that? I didn't desert my post."

"The situation required someone to call for backup, so I ran away, and then..."

"..."

Yan Liang ignored Pawa and focused all his attention on Anbian. He knew Anbian best among those present and was familiar with his behavior. He wasn't the kind of person who would have the leisure to visit the wounded in the hospital.

Since they're there, they must have other purposes.

Chapter 135 Forgotten Details

Although he looks only in his thirties or forties, he is actually over fifty years old.

He is the captain of the Special Exorcism Division 1, and is also the strongest demon hunter recognized by Machima himself in the Public Security Bureau's Anti-Demon Special Exorcism Division.

As for his trump card, Yan Liang knew it perfectly well.

On shore, he signed contracts with the Needle Demon, the Nail Demon, and the Knife Demon.

However, due to years of fighting, he had very few organs and lifespan left that could be used to conclude contracts and pay the price.

But for him, this wasn't a fatal weakness, because in most battles, this guy didn't need to rely on the power of demons at all. His honed, almost inhuman, physical skills, along with his ever-present knife, were enough to solve most problems.

Meanwhile, as Yan Liang was observing An Bian, An Bian had already stubbed out the cigarette between his fingers on the metal tray beside him. Then, he skillfully pulled a metal bottle from the pocket of his wrinkled trench coat.

With a "pop," he bit open the cork of the bottle, tilted his head back, and gulped down a large mouthful.

He casually wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, lowered his eyes, pointed at Pawa who was still lying on the ground, and said slowly:

"The Public Security Bureau was attacked. After I dealt with my enemies, I heard that your Fourth Division also encountered enemies."

"I originally intended to go and help, but on the way, I happened to bump into this demon who was trying to escape."

At this point, Anbian glanced at Pawa, who immediately lowered his head even further, muttering under his breath things like, "I didn't run away."

"I just grabbed her and brought her back. When I got to the scene, I found out that you guys had already finished fighting, so I just came over here."

After the explanation, the gaze from the shore swept over Hayakawa Aki, Himeno, Denji, and the others lying on the hospital beds.

He shook his head slightly, letting out a sigh that was hard to decipher—whether it was a sigh of regret or sarcasm:

"The injuries were really tough... The entire Fourth Division was almost wiped out."

After speaking, the person on the shore stopped looking at the wounded on the hospital bed and slowly turned to look at Yan Liang sitting beside the bed.

The gaze lingered on Yan Liang. His previously droopy, dead fish eyes opened slightly, bursting with a sharp glint, like a bone-scraping dagger, ready to dissect Yan Liang from head to toe.

Dongshan Xiaohong, who was standing next to him, noticed the gaze, trembled, and hid behind Yan Liang.

But as the object of scrutiny, Yan Liang remained silent, his fingers interlaced.

Because he could tell that although there was scrutiny in the eyes of the person on the shore, there was no hostility.

The long, slanting rays of the afternoon sun cast long shadows of the two people on the wall.

Silence fell over the ward. In this silent standoff, everyone felt an unusual atmosphere, and for some reason, even their perception of time seemed to be stretched out.

Hayakawa Aki, Himeno, Pawa, and Higashiyama Koko unconsciously held their breath, fearing that the two would start fighting right there at any moment.

This silent standoff lasted for a good ten seconds.

In the end, Yan Liang couldn't resist.

He didn't know why the people on the shore were looking for him, but he didn't have time to stare at these grown men like a fool. His personality was always straightforward; he didn't intend to hide anything, so he spoke first:

Is there anything else?

"If you've come to visit the wounded and incidentally bring Pawa back, then you've already achieved your goal."

"As the team leader of the fourth section, I personally thank you for your help..."

"But if there's nothing else, please leave. My team members need a quiet environment to rest."

Yan Liang's tone was unfriendly, subtly implying that he wanted to get rid of him.

However, the man on the shore didn't seem angry. The stitched scar across his mouth twitched, revealing a half-smile.

"You must be the new captain of Special Section 4."

He calmly screwed the cap back on the bottle, tucked it back into his trench coat pocket, and said in a low voice:

"Your official authority is quite impressive."

"I've heard a lot of rumors about you while I was in the department. Not only do you never show up for duty, but you also dare to go against Machima..."

"I've always wanted to find a chance to see you, but unfortunately, we haven't had the chance."

"Let's skip those pointless pleasantries." Yan Liang waved his hand. "I have something to say..."

He was about to say something, but at the last moment, he stopped, and his gaze toward the shore became somewhat solemn.

Because he suddenly remembered some details from the original work.

Yan Liang didn't remember these details very clearly originally...

He had seen the Chainsaw Massacre, but he hadn't read it thoroughly, and he hadn't memorized all the characters and plot details perfectly. Inevitably, he had forgotten some things. It wasn't until now, when the other party came to his door, that Yan Liang remembered an important thing he had overlooked—

That is, in the original work, Kishibe and Machima have an antagonistic relationship.

Unlike Machima, who is a demon ruler and naturally belongs to the demon faction, Kishibe, although having a somewhat eccentric personality, does many things for the sake of humanity.

In the original work, Kishibe had a confrontation with Machima, and his original words at the time were:

“Machima, if you still stand on the side of humanity, then I will turn a blind eye to you.”

Later on, when Machima truly stood on the opposite side of humanity, and the shore was powerless to help, they still chose to close their eyes and ignore her situation.

That's a story for another time, so let's leave it at that.

And why would someone like that suddenly see me and specifically mention Machima?

Could it be...?

Want to get me involved in dealing with Machima?

The idea quickly popped into Yan Liang's mind, and with that thought, his gaze toward the shore became less distant.

If that's the case, given that he's likely to fall out with Machima right now, this indispensable help from the shore has become a force that must be won over.

Sensing the change in Yan Liang's aura, An Bian also abandoned his dejected demeanor and straightened his back ramrod straight. He continued, picking up where Yan Liang left off:

"Of course something is wrong."

“I wouldn’t call you over to joke around with someone like you for no reason.”

As he spoke, Anbian turned around, put one hand into his trench coat pocket, pushed open the door to the ward with the other hand, and retreated half of his body into the shadows of the corridor.

He looked at Yan Liang sitting in the sunlight and said softly:

"Miss Machima asked me to come and find you because of the attack on the police. She specifically asked me to come and invite you to a meeting."

He gestured with his chin toward the corridor outside the door.

"The air here is too stuffy. If you'd like, let's go outside and talk."

Chapter 136 The Riddler Arrives

After instructing Xiao Hong that she could go home if there was nothing else to do, Yan Liang left the rest of the people in the ward and came outside the ward with An Bian.

Walking side by side down the quiet hospital corridor, neither of them spoke first. The only sound was the clatter of their leather shoes on the floor.

After walking a distance, he stopped in front of a bench near a window on the shore and plopped down on it.

Yan Liang also took a seat about half a body length away from him.

After settling down, Anbian slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette pack. With a soft "click," he flicked the pack open, took out a cigarette, and handed it to Yan Liang.

"Want one?" asked the person on the shore, their half-drooping, dead fish eyes revealing no emotion.

Faced with his invitation, Yan Liang didn't even glance at the cigarette and decisively shook his head.

"No need, I don't smoke."

Yan Liang's tone was calm:

"Also, I want to make it clear beforehand. I particularly hate it when people smoke next to me."

"If you're going to talk to me about serious business, you'd better put your cigarette away."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across the face of the person on the shore, and he let out a low chuckle.

"Wow, it's rare to see a young person with such a unique personality like you these days."

Without insisting, Anbian put the cigarette back in the cigarette pack and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Enough with the nonsense," Yan Liang said, crossing his arms. "Since it was Machima who asked you to invite me to the meeting, why don't we just leave? What's the point of sitting here like this?"

"It's 'Miss Machima,' not Machima."

Unexpectedly, Anbian suddenly spoke up and corrected Yan Liang's address.

He stared at Yan Liang with his sharp, piercing eyes, deliberately emphasizing his tone:

"You still need to maintain a basic sense of respect for the leaders of the public security system..."

Upon hearing this, Yan Liang frowned slightly, but soon a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

Given the character of a seasoned veteran like Anbian, if he were truly being sent by Machima to run errands, he wouldn't need to go through all this trouble and solemnly correct his title.

Moreover, in the original plot, when the shore secretly whispers that the islander is using honorifics when calling out "Machima," it is clearly a test.

Kishibe doesn't understand himself well enough yet. He took this opportunity to be alone with me today, probably to test my feelings and see if he could win me over.

After all, even if Anbian really had murderous intent towards Machima, it was impossible to say such a thing openly.

Because Machima has the ability to listen through small animals, she can easily detect things if you're not careful.

Having figured these things out, Yan Liang quickly came up with a plan.

If they really intend to deal with Machima, they both know it in their hearts, there's no need to make it so obvious.

Turning his head, Yan Liang met the gaze of the person on the shore, and asked with a smile:

"Don't you also call her by her full name?"

He spoke in a tone that seemed to carry a deeper meaning:

"Besides... how is Machima considered a leader in the public security system?"

"As far as I know, she's only officially the head of our Special Section 4; there are higher-ups above her. You'd better not say such misleading things."

"If Machima finds out and thinks I'm talking about her behind her back, causing a misunderstanding between us, that would be very troublesome."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this response, Anbian's eyes lit up. His gaze towards Yan Liang held something entirely different.

That was the look in the hunter's eyes when he spotted one of his own kind.

As Yan Liang had expected, the main reason Anbian came to meet him this time was because he had heard some rumors about the new captain.

He is incredibly powerful and uncontrollable. He is very disobedient to Machima.

The fact that such rumors could circulate, and that Yan Liang himself didn't come forward to clarify, showing an indifferent attitude, was actually a display of his attitude. So, with the attitude of whether or not he could be persuaded, Kishibe approached him.

And, at this moment, Yan Liang's tone suggested that he understood the implied meaning in his words...

This made it hard for Anbian, a seasoned veteran, not to overthink things.

Realizing this, Anbian turned his gaze to the blinding sunlight outside the window, lowered his voice, and continued Yan Liang's words:

"About that, maybe..."

"You must have heard about the devastating blow the police suffered in the hospital room."

"Based on the internal information I currently have, the higher-ups are already preparing to reorganize the Anti-Magic Specializations Division."

"If nothing unexpected happens, all the remaining personnel from Section 1, Section 2, and Section 3 will be merged into your Special Section 4."

"Furthermore, all command authority will be handed over to Machima alone."

"She will soon be the de facto controller of the public security system."

"So what? What does it have to do with me?"