I said you are all war criminals

Chapter 91 Night.

That night.

Ijichi Hongka's room was more like a database than a bedroom. The walls were densely covered with newspaper clippings, the yellowed pages looking particularly eerie in the dim light. These were the missing persons cases she had collected today, meticulously organized by time, location, and victim's characteristics.

Hong Xia rubbed her sore eyes and stared at a photo on the wall. The photo was of a young girl with a sweet smile, but she disappeared three months ago.

"Another half-demon..."

Hong Xia picked up a thin red thread and connected this photo with several other photos. The victims in these photos were all young female half-demons, and their disappearances were concentrated in the past six months and the locations of their disappearances were also in the same area.

This time, she remembered that she would return to the past when she was in the future, so she memorized all the half-demon victims of the wildfire. Now, she was matching those victims with the missing persons one by one.

She wanted to save all these people.

This isn't to say Hongxia is a saint or anything. If these people hadn't been the half-demons Wildfire had saved, Hongxia wouldn't have saved them. It was precisely because they had survived in her memory that Hongxia saved them. To be frank, Hongxia only saved those who could have survived anyway. It wasn't a difficult task, nor was it a great feat.

Moreover, Hong Xia is not completely selfless.

She planned to establish a mutual aid organization for half-demons in advance, namely Wildfire.

...Hong Xia knew very well that the conflict between half-demons and humans would erupt sooner or later. Even if it didn't erupt today or tomorrow, it would erupt a thousand years from now, two thousand years from now, with the development of genetic technology.

Therefore, it would be better to let Hongxia manipulate this conflict herself.

"...Oh, and her too."

Hongxia pulled out a photo of a black-haired girl and stuck it on the wall.

That was a current photo of Yukinoshita Yukino, but it wasn't really a photo, it was more like a candid photo. The shot was from the side and above, and it was clear that Yukino didn't notice she was being photographed.

In fact, the person who took the photo of her was not a human.

Hongxia remembered talking to Yukino and asking her about her background. Although Yukino was reluctant to talk about the past, she couldn't resist Hongxia's soft and hard persuasion and finally revealed that she was once a student at Sobu High School. So Hongxia hacked into Sobu High's surveillance system today and printed out the footage of Yukino.

Looking at Yukino on the surveillance camera, Hongxia was a little dazed.

In her memory, Yukino's appearance was definitely not "beautiful." Her face was always covered with a white mask, half of it obscured, leaving no trace of skin. Even the part of her face not covered by the mask had no feminine fair complexion, but rather resembled the dry bark of a tree.

But now, Yukino is a beauty.

Hongxia enlarged the photo of Yukinoshita Yukino, showing her slightly pointed chin and her cold, aloof beauty.

"It's really fate that makes people happy."

Hong Xia muttered to herself, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

Yukinoshita comes from a wealthy family. Her father is the president of a construction company and a county council member, and her mother is a member of the local guardians' association. Compared to Nijigasaki, Yukino is considered a prominent family... However, her fate will abruptly change in a month.

The Yukinoshita family would travel abroad during the holidays, and then they would be kidnapped collectively as victims of the "half-demon awakening experiment."

This is the future that must change.

With that in mind, Hongxia turned on her phone and began hacking into the Yukinoshita family's network. Honestly, this level of defense was only slightly more difficult than the Super Mario Odyssey she and Hakuno had been playing.

In just a few minutes, the Yukinoshita family's itinerary was laid out before her eyes. As expected, the European trip at the end of the month was prominently listed. Then, Hongxia forged a "travel safety warning," using exaggerated language like a third-rate tabloid, boasting about terrorist attacks, flight crashes, hotel explosions, and anything else that could be considered scary. She then sent it to everyone in the Yukinoshita household, including Yukinoshita Haruno, whom Yukino often mentioned.

After settling the matter with the Yukinoshita household, Hongxia began investigating the "Half-Demon Awakening Experiment." She hacked into the databases of several relevant biotech companies and research institutions, searching for clues within the vast sea of data. The security systems of these companies were far more robust than the Yukinoshita household's network, forcing Hongxia to put down her phone and turn on her computer.

After switching computers, Hong Xia's power increased severalfold. Databases seemed as fragile as paper before her. Biotech companies, underground research institutes, private hospitals... Hong Xia searched through nearly every possible source related to the "Half-Demon Awakening Experiment," only to discover that these institutions were merely puppets of the Ouroboros, its true core hidden deeper within the network.

Ouroboros, an organization as mysterious and eerie as its name. Fragments of data recovered by Hongxia reveal their goal to awaken the half-demon gene in humans and create a powerful half-demon army. They select families, it seems, by examining the number of cells in their blood. Their experimental methods are brutally cruel, with families like Yukinoshita kidnapped and injected with various drugs and genetic modification reagents. Experimental records are filled with painful wails, twisted limbs, and desperate deaths. Few half-demon successfully awaken, and many more die outright.

However, Hongxia didn't have much impression of this organization. It would probably be wiped out by some chef organization in the next few years... Although these chef organizations were powerless in the face of the previous world-destroying disasters, they still dealt a heavy blow to criminal organizations.

So... should we inform the European chefs' organization?

Hong Xia roughly calculated how long it would take her to deal with the Ouroboros by herself.

This organization is deeply rooted and involves multiple countries and regions. To completely eradicate them requires careful planning and a lot of preparation.

Calculating it, it would probably be...

"Twelve days..."

Hongxia was a little worried.

Xingge's condition made it difficult for Hongxia to leave home. Under these circumstances, it was difficult for her to find twelve days to kill all the Ouroboros. So, should she report this to the European chefs' organization? No, no, Hongxia was worried.

She knew that these chefs organized to fight criminals only out of obligation. Chefs were not half-demons. Even if there were chefs who were half-demons, like Xiangzi, they were only a minority... Most chefs just regarded half-demons as ordinary people to be protected, and regarded themselves as the protectors of the superiors.

If this happens, there will definitely be problems.

"I still have to do it myself...but how am I going to be gone for two weeks?"

Hongxia made a bitter face.

Running away from home is more difficult than destroying the Ouroboros.

92

Chapter 92: Morning at the Hakuno family (excluding Hakuno).

morning.

Shoko Toyokawa climbed out of bed with numb hands and weak feet.

Last night, she worked until four in the morning before going to bed... The work was very hard, even exhausting. Xiangzi had never been so tired during the One Year War.

...Maybe it's because I haven't awakened yet.

Xiangzi had a headache.

Before awakening, half-demons were not much different from ordinary people, with only slight differences in blood tests. To put it bluntly, Toyokawa Shoko is no longer a demon that can catch missiles with her hands, but just an ordinary high school girl.

So, of course, after playing bass all night, she'd be dead tired.

...Otherwise, what do you think three women and one man could do last night?

Do you play Monster Hunter?

Xiangzi rubbed his aching shoulders and walked out of the guest room of the Hakuno family. The Hakuno family's house was unreasonably large and cold. Even if Sushi and Xiangzi each took up a room, there was still enough space, so naturally there was no drama of a group of people sleeping in one room... However, Xiangzi was different from Sushi, who lived upstairs, and Liang, who simply left her clothes in the guest room. She had no change of clothes here, and she hadn't showered last night.

...a little bit unrefreshing.

Xiangzi pushed open the door to the guest room, and the cheap aroma of instant coffee wafted out, mixed with the smell of fried dough sticks and soy milk, making her stomach churn. The living room was empty, with only a few plastic bags filled with takeout breakfast placed on the dining table. A crumpled piece of paper was pressed against a bag of fried dough sticks, with a few words scrawled in flourishes: "I'm going out for a while. Leave a message if you need anything."

You don't have to guess to know that this is the handwriting of Bai Ye.

He likes Chinese breakfast and also likes takeout.

"Another takeaway..."

Xiangzi sighed and ruffled her messy hair. Although she had long been accustomed to Hakuno's perfunctory breakfasts, the smell of cheap, greasy food so early in the morning still made her feel a little nauseous. She walked to the table, picked up a fried dough stick, and took a bite without appetite.

As expected, it wasn’t a “dish” prepared by a “chef”, but just a casual meal.

"This guy, can't he just make breakfast properly? It's a shame he can't even cook at the age of forty..."

She grumbled as she chewed the dough sticks. Despite her complaints, Xiangzi still stuffed her breakfast into her stomach. After all, the habits she developed during the One Year War prevented her from wasting food.

After breakfast, Xiangzi wandered around the living room bored. Someone had tossed the TV remote between the sofa and she was too lazy to look for it, so she simply opened her phone and scrolled through social media. Various messages flashed before her eyes, but none of them piqued her interest.

The earth is very peaceful now.

Even if there are some wars, they are just minor ones.

The daily routine now is just day after day.

There will be peace forever.

Xiangzi scrolled through her phone idly, her thumb mechanically swiping across the screen. Various internet celebrity photos, pet videos, and funny jokes flashed before her eyes, but they failed to stir her in the slightest. The current peace left her feeling languid, like a sharp samurai sword thrown into a pile of cotton, its strength useless.

That's fine.

...For Xiangzi, this was a long-awaited day of peace and stability. If possible, Xiangzi really hoped that this peace could last forever.

Just as Xiangzi was sitting lazily on the sofa, Su Shi finally quietly walked out of her guest room.

Yesterday, Xiangzi had also trained Su Shi until four in the evening. To be honest, it was not easy at all. Su Shi had not been busy so late in a long time. She walked into the living room with sleepy eyes, but saw a scene that instantly sobered her up: Toyokawa Xiangzi was slumped on the sofa of the Shirano family, like a lazy cat.

Su Shi's body stiffened suddenly, as if under a spell. Xiangzi was here? And so casually—Xiangzi was barefoot, his toes scratching restlessly on the carpet. This image spun wildly in Su Shi's mind, countless terrible possibilities flashing through it like a revolving lantern.

Could it be that... Xiangzi and Hakuno...

Su Shi took a breath, and this thought exploded in her mind like a bomb. Xiangzi, you are still a high school student!

"Are you awake?"

Tired of scrolling through his phone, Xiangzi raised his eyes and saw Su Shi standing still.

She had almost forgotten what relationship Sushi had with her, but judging by her conversation with Lixi yesterday, the little girl was likely going to cause trouble for her. Unlike Lixi, who would rarely see Bai Ye again, Xiangzi was not in a position to speak nonsense to this girl.

...Tsk, this is going to be quite troublesome to deal with.

"Hakuno's out, breakfast is on the table... do you want some?"

Su Shi stood there stiffly, her expression changing like a palette. Xiangzi's lazy and casual posture was just like... just like being at home! This deepened her suspicion: Between Xiangzi and Bai Ye... how else could this be explained?

Su Shi felt his blood pressure soar, and an inexplicable anger was churning in his chest.

Xiangzi, you're still a high school student! How could you...how could you be so disrespectful!

Xiangzi looked at Su Shi, who was standing there, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn't, and sighed inwardly. This girl, is she probably still upset about what happened yesterday? What a hassle.

"Don't misunderstand me,"

Xiangzi put down his phone and rubbed his temple. "I wasn't targeting you during yesterday's training. My standards are always very high, no matter who we are."

Su Shi forced out a smile that was uglier than crying: "No... no misunderstanding, I know Xiangzi is very capable..."

Xiangzi saw the suspicion in Sushi's eyes, but she was too lazy to explain and walked straight to the dining table. Sushi followed her closely, her heart in turmoil.

Xiangzi picked up the sandwich on the table and stuffed it into Sushi's mouth without thinking: "Eat it."

Su Shi took it absentmindedly, chewing it in small bites, finding it tasteless. She stole glances at Xiangzi, trying to find clues from her casual actions. Xiangzi simply cleaned up the stain on the table and walked towards the training room he had cleaned up last night.

Su Shi quickly ate the sandwich in a few bites and followed.

As a result, Xiangzi started training as soon as he entered the door.

After the training began, Xiangzi was as strict as last night. She pointed out Su Shi's shortcomings without mercy: "The movements are too stiff! The reaction is too slow! The rhythm is wrong! Pick the strings faster!"

Although Su Shi was filled with doubts, she dared not slack off during the training. She gritted her teeth and worked hard to complete the tasks assigned by Xiangzi. The high-intensity training made her temporarily forget her doubts and devote herself to the practice. Sweat soaked her clothes and her breathing became rapid, but she did not dare to stop. Xiangzi's close eyes on her made her dare not relax even a little.

After several hours of high-intensity training, Su Shi almost collapsed on the ground due to exhaustion. Seeing her like this, Xiangzi threw her a bottle of water and said lightly: "That's all for today's training. We'll continue tomorrow."

Su Shi nodded subconsciously, then suddenly realized what was happening and exclaimed, "Tomorrow?"

"...Let me give it a try first."

Xiangzi said in a cold tone, as if talking to himself, "But if you can't meet my requirements, I won't agree to let you join."

How disgusting, Shoko Toyokawa.

You clearly didn't intend for Nagasaki Suyo to actually join, yet you still gave her this hope... It's really, disgusting.

Xiangzi turned his head to avoid Su Shi's gaze.

“…I won’t be soft-hearted.”

Xiangzi whispered, "You have to train well, understand?"

93

Chapter 93: Hakuno's daily life.

Bai Ye has some plans today.

He really wants to find a place to have some fun today.

All kidding aside, he's in desperate need of a "man cave."

The so-called man cave was first proposed by John Gray in his 1992 abbreviation "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus". It is "a place where men are happy to go to relieve stress, and men all over the world need it. It is part of their emotional cycle." Simply put, men need to separate themselves from people they are familiar with regularly and enjoy some time alone.

The arcade in the city center was bustling with people. The flashing neon lights and noisy electronic sounds were like a powerful anesthetic, temporarily paralyzing Bai Ye's nerves. He picked out a racing game machine, stuffed a few game coins into it, stepped on the accelerator, and raced furiously on the virtual track.

After a few hours, all the game coins were used up and his hands were sore, so Bai Ye reluctantly left the game machine.

He was also a little hungry.

Leaving the bustling arcade, Hakuno walked down the street at noon. His stomach began to protest, its rumbling sound like a rhythmic rock song. Amidst the music, the aroma of a roadside ramen shop wafted into his nostrils, like a hook, tugging at his stomach.

"That's it."