Chapter 124: Retribution
Crimson blood flowed incessantly, the warm liquid soaking Proton's palm and the pale dagger, finally dripping onto the ground. Butch, in addition to the pain, felt as if his body had been hollowed out. His legs gave way, and he knelt on the ground.
The other boys hadn't expected Proton to actually dare to act. When they truly witnessed such a scene, they couldn't help but scream in terror and rush out the door. "Murder!"
Proton had just now realized what he had done in his extreme anger and impulse. He frantically pulled out the small knife, feeling at a loss. "It wasn't me! No, I didn't mean to!"
Thud. Butch completely collapsed onto the ground, struggling in vain as his life rapidly ebbed away.
"Catch them," Giovanni said, waving his hand at Archer. "Bring them back. Don't kill them yet. I have a use for them."
"Yes, Boss." Archer immediately jumped down from the roof, disappearing into the night. Giovanni also lightly jumped down.
With a creak, a middle-aged man walked out of the house next door, yawning. When he saw Giovanni, he immediately cursed, "Where did this bastard come from? How dare you just enter someone else's house!"
Giovanni glanced at him indifferently, then turned and continued walking. But the man chased after him, grabbing his clothes. Upon seeing his attire, greed surged into his heart. "If you don't explain yourself today, don't even think about leaving! You'd better pay some money!"
Giovanni raised his hand and gripped the man's palm. With just a little force, the man cried out in pain, releasing his hand. Giovanni then kicked him away. At that moment, another person came out of the house. "Old man! How dare you bully my old man? I'll cave your face off!"
Giovanni frowned slightly and casually released his Persian while he himself walked towards Proton's house. "Kill them," he said. "And the one inside too." The Persian turned without the slightest hesitation and pounced on the two terrified people. A few crisp cracking sounds echoed from inside.
Giovanni walked with steady steps, quickly arriving at the dilapidated courtyard. The gate was still wide open. Proton was still sitting paralyzed in place, and Butch lay in a pool of blood, convulsing.
"The position was a bit off," Giovanni said, looking down at the wound. "Otherwise, it would have been a fatal blow. It seems it was still a random stab."
Upon hearing his voice, Proton suddenly looked up. He was very intelligent. Seeing Giovanni, he thought of various things and then shouted in disbelief, "It's you! You did this on purpose!"
"Save me..." Butch pleaded with Giovanni, using all his strength to raise his hand. Giovanni glanced at him and, like kicking trash, kicked him two meters away. Butch wailed and completely lost consciousness. He certainly wouldn't survive.
"That's not how you say it," Giovanni said to Proton, his voice meaningful. "Even if I did it on purpose, you were the one who acted. You killed him with your own hands, didn't you?"
"No, no!" Proton shook his head frantically. "If you hadn't given me the knife, I wouldn't have acted! You already guessed they would come! And you deliberately gave me that bread!"
"Yes," Giovanni chuckled, looking down at him. "That's right. I did it on purpose. However, even if I hadn't come, you would have eventually been unable to resist killing him, wouldn't you? You already had this thought in your heart; otherwise, you wouldn't have taken my knife. You are just that kind of person."
His words seemed to shatter the boy's inner world. "No, that's not right!" he shook his head quickly.
"Is it, or is it not, does it matter?" Giovanni continued to attack his psyche. "You've already acted and killed him. Or rather, can you endure their endless bullying? You're just seeking psychological comfort. If you don't believe me, feel your heart and ask yourself. You resented them. That's why you acted."
The boy's pupils continuously contracted and expanded. He unconsciously rested his hand on his chest. Like a nightmare, he kept mumbling, "It was me who wanted to kill them... it was me... that's right."
"Yes, that's right," Giovanni clapped his hands lightly. "Since they bullied you and insulted your mother, then they should pay the price."
"Yes," Proton nodded forcefully. "They must pay the price. No one can insult my mother."
At this moment, Archer returned with all the boys who had escaped, tying them up and throwing them on the ground. "Boss, everyone's been caught and brought back."
The boys looked at Butch, who was lying motionless, and the deranged Proton, and whimpered in fear, tears streaming down their faces.
"Bullies always have to face punishment," Giovanni said, pointing a finger at them. "Go. Kill them. And let them reflect properly."
Proton suddenly stood up. The blood splattered on his face and his blood-red pupils made him look like a vengeful ghost. He held the small knife and constantly approached the boys, drops of blood dripping from the pale blade.
The boys shook their heads frantically in fear, their pants becoming wet, emitting a pungent, foul odor. The smell seemed to startle Proton awake. He frantically threw the knife on the ground and shouted in horror, "No, I can't! I can't do it!"
Giovanni slowly walked behind him, picked up the knife, and placed it back in his hand. "Since they bullied you," he whispered in his ear, "they should pay the price. Think. If you hadn't met me today, and your bread was stolen, wouldn't you and your mother have starved to death?"
"Yes," Proton nodded blankly. "That's right. They wanted to harm me."
"Then," Giovanni whispered, a potent suggestion in his voice, "killing naturally requires paying with one's life."
Proton's eyes turned red again. He clutched the knife and approached the boys. Under their terrified gazes, he raised the small knife and cut their throats.
Under the cold moonlight, blood stained the area crimson