Chapter１３

Itmaybetimeforhimtorefuse.Untilthen,hejustwantedto,butwasafraidtotakeaction.Allthereasonsarebecausetheyareworriedabouttheirmother'ssafety.Ifaskedifhewasafraidthathewouldbehurt,Chaninmightbefulloffear.Butnowhehasnothingtolose.

Runningaway,dead,dead,hechosetofightratherthandoanything,evenifhestruggledlikeadog.

WhileAlanisplayinggameswithhim,heisalsoplayinggameswitheachother.Chaninputhislifeonhismother,andifhewantstoloseallhismoneyinthissecond,hehasunconditionallypromised.

Forthepastfewdays,Chaninhasbeenasstoicasatamepet,obeyingallRan'sorders,andhisdignityhasnotfoughtback,andthereisnoroomforbargaining,regardlessofthebulliesandinsultshehasbeensubjectedto.Evenifhedoesn'tunderstandthathedoesn'twanttoobeyorders,justtomakeLambnervous,thenhewillfindanidealopportunitytoescapefromthehouse.

Becausehegaveupeverything,hewasnotsummonedtodoanythingdisgracefulduringthistime,justliketryingtogivehimarealprizeeverynight.Thehalf-brotherwasjustbusyreorganizingtheinternalmanagementsystemofthecompanyanduprootingit,sohecouldhardlystayathomeandcamebacklate.Hewasnotinthemoodtoplaysuchathingatall,andhedidn'tcomebackforsomedays.Inasense,hefulfilledhispromisetohisbrotherwithoutanydisappointment.

Lanekepthispromisetostopfoolingaroundwithhimforawhile,whichwasgoodforhim,butitwasforeseeablethathislifewouldbecomebetterafterLanehaddealtwithallhiserrands.Thenhewillcomebackandclaimitisanexchange.Ofcourse,Chaninwon'twaituntilthatday.

Hewon'twaituntiltherighttimeonthedayRundoesn'tgohome,thatis,today.MamorutoldmelastnightthatheandRanmightsleepatthecompanybecausehehadtomeetwiththemanagementteamtheyrecruitedtomanagethecompanyasRanasked.Eversincetheotherpartylefthomeinthecoldmorning,hismindhadbeenthinkingabouthowtoescapefromthishell,sohedecidedtoriskhislife,forifhecamebackfirst.Hewilllosethisopportunitywithoutknowingwhennewopportunitieswillappear.

Chaninwasn'tsureifhisplanwouldsucceed,buthereachedouttoopenthebedroomdoor.Atthethoughtofleavinghisterritory,heriskedLan'smen,whoguardedhiminhisroomlikejailers.However,whenShaninfoundoutthatamaninblackwasgonenow.

Aninexplicablefeelingcametohismind,andLongLegshurrieddownstairswithhimselfinalowvoice,onlytofindthattherewasnooneintheroomexcepthim.

Strangelyenough,hedidn'torderanyone.Orwanttoplayanygames,

Theyoungmanstoodmotionlessinthemiddleofthehallofthehouse,hesitatingwhetherheshouldcontinuehisplan.Lane'sbehaviorisstrange.Evenifthecompany'sworkrequiresalotofpeople,itshouldnotberecklesstoleavehimaloneathomewithnoonetolookafterhim.

Butintheblinkofaneye,Channinggaveuphisnonsense.Lane'scarelessnessgavehimachancetoescape.

Hehurriedoutofthehousewithnoshoeson,ranstraighttothelockedfence,butitwasnoobstacle,clutchedthefencetightlywithbothhands,andclimbedtotheotherside.Whenhisfoottouchedtheconcretefloor,helookedleftandright,andthenrantothevillage.Hisnexttargetisthehospital,wherehermotherisbeingtreatedandshedoesnotyetknowhowtohelpher.ButIwanttogotherefirstandthentalkaboutit.

Escapefromthevillage,however,isnoteasy,withadistanceofseveralkilometersfromthehousetothefrontofthevillage,andthesurroundingareaalsoneedstowonderwhenRan'speoplewillshowup.Hethoughtitwaseasytoescape,butnotaseasyashethought.And,lessthanahundredmilesfromhome,hehadtostopsuddenlyinhislapwhenhiseyessuddenlyturnedtoablackvaninfrontofhim.Therearetwocarsofthesamecolorbehind.

That'syourcar!

Heaccidentallycalledhisheartwithafamiliarpronoun,buthethoughtnothingmore.Therewasasuddenchangeofdirection,andheturnedhastily,andofcoursehedidnotrunbacktothehouse,buthewouldfindanotherwaytoescape.

Chaninranasfastashecouldagain,butthehumanfootstepscouldnotkeepupwiththespeedofthecar.Inatwinklingofaneye,acarsuddenlyovertookhim,shavinghisfacetopieces.Chaninbrakesinstinctively,signalinghimtoturnquickly.Butthenanothercarblockedhisway,followedbyavan,andheblockedhisway.NowseeingRan'smengetoutofthecarandsurroundhim,Chaninimmediatelyrealizesthathisescapehasfailed.

"Itoldyoutostayinyourroom,andnottocomeoutifyouwerenotallowedtoeat.ItoldyouIwouldhavethemaidcomeandgetit."

Mamoru,whowasthefirsttogetoffthevan,spokeinareproachfultone,apparentlydissatisfiedwiththeguards'disobedience.Heturnedandopenedthedoor,steppedbackalittle,andlettheguardoutofthecar.

Ran,dressedinafullsuit,steppeddowntostandwithhisyoungerbrotherDuang.Thephotoalsoshowedasmilingfaceandsmiledhappily,whichwasanimpossibleeffortmadebyChaninbeforerevealingit.

"DoyouthinkI'mgoingtopullpeopleoutofthehouseandletyoudowhatyouwantwithoutspyingonyou?YouthinkI'mgoingtobelatebecauseI'mgoingtoletyougoaround.Unfortunately,myworkwasdoneaheadofschedule.AsIwatchedthesurveillancevideo,IsawthebirdIkepttryingtoescapefromitscage,soIhadtocomebackrightaway."

Chaninwasfrozenstiff.Hewasinsuchahurrythathedidn'trealizetherewerealotofsurveillancecamerasaroundthehouse.Ifhehadthoughtofitinthefirstplace,hewouldn'thaveescapedinsuchahurry.

"Youareanidiot.WhenIsignedtheagreement,Ithoughtyouwereanidiot,andIwouldn'tthinkyouwereanidiot."

Runjoked,tookacigaretteoutofhispocket,lititinanunabashedlymanner,thennodded,noddedonthetipofhischin,andspoketohissubordinates.

"Bringhimback.It'stimeforourhunt."

OnlythesestrongmenslowlyapproachedChanin.Hisslendereyeslookedaroundhiminhorror.Therewasnowaytoescape,buteveniftherewasnowaytoescape,Chaninstruggledoutoftheencirclement.ButwhenIsawthosepeoplepullouttheirguns,Ihadtostop.

"No,justputitback."

Assoonasthevoicerang,thesubordinatesputdowntheirweapons,butthesituationisstillgrim.Chaninisinthemiddleofthecordon,likeachildplayingwithmonkeys,andthereisnothingwrongwithit.Nomatterwhereyougo,youcan'tleavethisarea.AlthoughRandforbadeanyonetoshoot,hecouldnotlive.

"Holdon.DoyouthinkIcanescape?"

Runbrokethesilence,toldChanin'seyestolookatthetransparentmanthroughthecircle,threwhiscigaretteholdertotheground,andputhishandintohistrouserpocket,swaggering.Chaninstoodmotionless,histhicklipsclaspedtogether.Unfortunately,hisplanfailedandbecamethestupidestacthehadeverdone.

"It'sbettertobemydocileslave,don'tbesilly,sothatyouwillgetshorter."

Ransaid,buttherewasnoresponsefromtheotherparty.SeeingChanin'scalm,hethinkshisbrotherhassurrendered.Notthathewantstostiruptoomanythings.ItcanbeseenthatChaninwillfindawaytoescapeoneday.Anditisthesame.Hedidn'tletanyoneguardtheyoungman,whichwashisownintention.

Ijustwanttoseesomethinginterestingtorelaxafterworkingforseveraldays.Ididn'texpectChanintobefooledbyhisshallowgamessoeasily.

Thisguyiseasytoread...

"Don'tcometomyroomtonight,Ihaveotherthingstotakecareof.I'llletMamorudowhatheseesfit."

Seeingwhathehadexpected,Lanealsohadenoughfun,andsimplyendedtheaffair,leavingthedutytoMamoru,andhisconfidantdidnotrefuse,forhethoughtitbettertolettheyoungmasterdoithimselfandlethimbepunished.Youmaybegroundedorfasted.

Oh,onemorething...Hewaspreached,andhisearswereinstilled.

Assoonastheorderwasover,Laneturnedbackintothecar,andtheatmospheresuddenlyeased,butChanningsawthebackplateofamuchsmallermanandclenchedhishand,andhisheartcouldnotresistatall.