Chapter 5 Chapter 4 Wild Iron Cannon

Life, it has value only when you realize its irredeemability. fifteen years ago. Holding the M40 sniper rifle tightly in his hand, Mitsuma Kanzaki followed his teammates and jumped into the police car on standby.After checking the scope for the last time in the car, the fingers holding the gun body trembled slightly.As a newcomer to the special police sniper squadron, it is inevitable to be nervous on the first mission.Repeatedly recalling the various essentials on the training ground in his mind, as the No. 1 target score among the newly recruited police officers, Kanzaki has reason to believe in his own strength.He recalled the scene when he went hunting foxes with his grandfather who lived in Hokkaido when he was young. In addition to nervousness, there was also an indescribable excitement.

In the crowded carriage, the team leader briefly stated the mission situation: an investment bank in the jurisdiction was attacked by a thug. After frantically stabbing six employees and a customer, the assailant is currently holding a female cashier hostage Recalcitrant.The police have cordoned off the scene and psychological negotiators are also in place.Kanzaki's team is responsible for finding sniper points near the bank to prevent the gangsters from harming the hostages if the negotiations break down. The police car roared through the urban area, and stopped abruptly when it reached the blockade at the street intersection.The car door opened, and all the special police came out in a single file. After the formation, they quickly disbanded, looking for a suitable sniper position - the bank that was attacked was located in the center of a residential community, with an apartment building on the back, a convenience store to the west, and south and east. It is the road, and there is still a distance of about 100 meters from the isolation zone.The wounded inside could be seen through broken glass windows and doors, but the exact location of the attackers and hostages could not be confirmed.

Kanzaki took a teammate and ran eastward along the base of the wall. There were several two-story independent houses there, which were very suitable as sniper points no matter from the angle of sight or height.The surrounding residents had already been evacuated by the police. Kanzaki climbed over the low wall, climbed up to the terrace on the second floor, lay down and set up the sniper rifle, aiming the scope at the window of the bank.Teammates took out their binoculars to keep a lookout, and several nearby teams have also found suitable sniper positions one after another, relying on gestures to convey the message of readiness.

The distance of more than a hundred meters is not a problem for snipers at all. Through the scope, Kanzaki stared intently at the silent bank - through the window, he saw a big man lying on the floor. He and his shoulder were stabbed several times, his blue shirt was completely soaked in blood, his chest heaved violently like a blower, and he seemed to be on the brink of danger... Kanzaki knew that every second that passed now would most likely take away the remnants of a wounded person vitality.In order to reduce the final number of casualties, it is the best policy to kill the bandits as soon as possible.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the man in Kanzaki's field of vision stopped breathing.An official order came from the earphones: each team is allowed to shoot independently! The negotiating experts contacted by the police arrived at the scene, and the police got in touch with the gangsters through loudspeaker shouting.After a long wait of forty minutes, the culprit finally made his appeal - he demanded to meet with the investment bank's chief executive and the chancellor of the exchequer. Unreasonable demands.Kanzaki sneered in his heart, but his body remained in a prostrate posture.He felt a beast stirring inside him, grinding its claws on his heart, but he had to wait.At this moment, a gray-white head appeared by the window. Kanzaki panicked and almost pulled the trigger. The head only flashed through the window, and then disappeared again.

Kanzaki cursed secretly in his heart, the beast in his heart seemed to become even more manic. Nearly sixty minutes later, probably impatient to wait, the gangster suddenly appeared from the front of the bank gate with a petite female teller in one hand and a dagger in the other.After waiting for two hours, finally got a glimpse of the target's true face, Kanzaki trembled slightly with excitement—it was a thick and short man in his fifties, with gray hair, scruffy sideburns and beard, wearing a blood-stained suit Wearing a white T-shirt that looked like a rag, his arms were tightly wrapped around the female teller's neck, blocking her in front of him.

The snipers in the south hesitated and did not dare to act rashly.But for Kanzaki who was on the east terrace, this angle was a godsend. Kanzaki moved his stiff fingers a little, and stared at the arms of the female cashier and the gangster who had been exposed outside the door frame - as long as he took another step forward, he would be able to enter the sniper range.Kanzaki felt that he had merged with the beast in his heart, and his sharpened claws had turned into bullets that had been stored for a long time in the gun chamber, waiting for the final blow... But at this moment, the teammate in charge of the lookout signaled him to look south—a sniper was desperately gesticulating in a green belt to the south, asking his teammates not to shoot.

What happened?Kanzaki turned his head away, but he was reluctant to put down his gun and take over the binoculars from his teammates.Judging from his figure and position, that should be the sniper Ishida who joined the team at the same time. What did he find?Actually intending to stop the sniper operation that has been approved? It was too late to think, at this moment, the gangster took a step ahead, and Kanzaki pulled the trigger almost like a nervous reflex—— "boom!" The beast accurately crushed the target's head, and at the same time as the blood splattered, the man fell to the side, and his heavy body instantly lay across the marble steps.Only then did the female cashier in his arms struggle out, almost screaming hysterically, and crawled out of the pool of blood with her hands and feet.

"Bastard!" There was a roar from the green belt in the south. Kanzaki turned his head, and suddenly saw Ishida drop his helmet and turn the gun towards him...but he was immediately suppressed by his teammates, and the gun was unloaded. Ishida jumped violently and kept yelling at Kanzaki. What happened?What did I do to make him so furious? Kanzaki's brain was a little blank, the beast had just finished the bloody hunt, and he hadn't recovered from the confusion of shooting someone for the first time. However, one thing is certain.I rescued the dying wounded and punished the sinners. In tomorrow's newspaper and the squadron's bulletin, I should have my name. The newcomer who was originally unknown should become a national hero in the future!

Looking at the medical staff and reporters who were quickly approaching the bank, Kanzaki let go of his grip on the gun and let out a long breath. "Afeng!" Summer is a season that makes people easily irritated, not to mention that there is such an energetic civet cat at home.Just a few days after returning from Aomori, Kangoro has a new trick, "Feng, I got a ticket for a three-day luxury cruise from Yokohama to Fukuoka in a convenience store! How about going to sea to escape the summer heat together?" "You got it in a lottery?" I took a bite of the orange popsicle and reluctantly climbed up from the tatami mat. "Where did you get such good luck? You can't cheat for a cruise ship, right?"

"I really didn't have it this time. To be honest, I would rather want the second prize 'political sushi' voucher." Kangoro carried the shopping bag into the kitchen and continued to fool, "The market price of these two tickets is One hundred thousand yuan! Isn’t it a pity not to go?” "But you have to bear the expenses on the boat yourself? Wouldn't it be a pity to go there?" I turned my head to look at the TV again with a popsicle in my mouth. Since the last action was not entrusted by the employer, naturally there was no reward.I don't want to be forced to go back to the mountains to be self-sufficient because I can't afford the rent. "You really need to take care of the expenses on the ship and attractions, but there is also a lottery on the ship, and the first prize is one million yuan in cash!" Kan Goro saw that he couldn't do it, and then threw out his trump card, "Are you going? No If you go, I will sell it to the neighbors at a discount!" "...When?" I glanced at the civet cat who had no intention of going out, and calculated in my heart how long a million dollars would be enough for me to feed him. "Board the ship next Friday night, three days and three nights, return to Yokohama port on Monday morning, and there will be a special car to pick you up on the way." Kangoro sat down happily, and put the ticket in front of him, "It is necessary to relax occasionally It’s not difficult for us to win this bonus by playing a little trick, right?” "It's rare for you to be so interested in luxury cruise ships." I picked up the ticket and glanced at it, and saw it read: "Sapphire luxury cruise ship romantic experience three-day tour, lottery on board: the first prize is one million in cash, plus Premium red wine worth 100,000 yuan..." No wonder! "Next Friday?" I handed back the boat ticket to Kangoro, and said noncommittally, "It's just that next Saturday is the night of the new moon, so it's really okay for you to go out at this time?" The night of the new moon is the most taboo moment for all monsters and elves.As long as the creatures related to the negative power, their action power is closely related to the movement of the moon.Generally speaking, when the moon is full, it is full, and when it is waning, it is weak, and the night of the new moon is the time when the power of the demon spirit is the weakest.Most goblins try to avoid moving away from their territory on this day. Sure enough, Kangoro was stunned when he heard this, but soon regained his excitement: "What are you afraid of, the three-hundred-year-old Kangoro raccoon can't be compared with those miscellaneous fish monsters! It's just Shuoyue , the big deal is that I will lock up in the cabin for one night, what's the big deal!" "...Okay, go pack your luggage." It seems that I still underestimated the attraction of super red wine to him. Watching Kangoro rushing out of the room happily, I didn't realize at the time that I had made an almost fatal mistake. On August 31st, at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, we arrived at the cruise ship terminal in Yokohama Port. The "Sapphire" lives up to its reputation, and it is indeed a delicate and shining luxury cruise ship.I was wearing a summer kimono embroidered with irises and narcissus, standing out among a group of ladies and ladies.Kangoro, on the other hand, was wearing a well-tailored casual suit, and that dude's demeanor was lifelike. Fifteen minutes later, the electronic broadcast announced that it was possible to board the ship. "Sapphire" has a total length of more than 100 meters and is the smallest 50,000-ton luxury cruise ship. It has seven cabin decks and can accommodate up to 1,000 passengers at the same time.When we put down our luggage and gathered on the deck through the covered bridge, an open-air banquet was ready.The captain announced to everyone through the radio that this is a welcome dinner specially organized by the organizer for the tourists, and the regular items consumed at the banquet tonight will not be included in the itinerary consumption of the passengers.Before he finished speaking, Kangoro immediately rolled up his sleeves and went straight to the cold dining table. Shuttle among the colorful crowd, the boat has moved away from the coast unknowingly.I stood in the distance with a small plate of sushi, watching Kangoro munching on snow crab legs with champagne.The sea breeze is cool and pleasant, the lights of Yokohama Port are bright, plus the cheerful atmosphere and delicious food on board, it seems that it is indeed a good decision to go out for a walk once in a while.I was about to go to the dessert counter to add some snacks. Suddenly, a vague smell wafted into my nostrils with the wind-yes, it was the smell of gunpowder! I turned my head away and walked quietly through the crowd.Ever since cold weapons withdrew from the stage of history, it is probably not a good thing to find this smell in a crowded place.Soon, I found the source of the smell at a round table—it was a tall and capable man, not very burly, but the tight shoulders of the suit still exposed his muscular proportions.The man was about thirty years old, with a sharp shaved head and sharp eyes.Surrounded by several stylishly dressed women, they seemed to be talking about something. "What are you looking at? The seafood here is great!" Kangoro also came over at this time, put a plate of oysters and sashimi in front of me, and said vaguely while still chewing something in his mouth. "The smell of gunpowder, the smell that lingers for a long time." I stared at the man not far away and said, Kangoro followed my gaze and snorted casually: "Oh, 'National Idol—Kamizaki Mitsuma'!" "You know him?" I was a little surprised. "Please, the guy who doesn't know him will look strange, otherwise how can he be called 'National Idol'?" Kangoro looked at me with disdain, and threw a piece of sashimi into his mouth, "He is A sniper hero in the Kansai area. He has been in the police force for 15 years. He has participated in many hostage rescue missions, killed armed criminals 12 times, and won the Medal of Honor personally issued by the Minister of Internal Defense. He is known as the "national of the new era" Hero', 'Police Idol'...It seems that news about him was reported on TV last month, don't you care about current affairs?" "Really? It's pretty pleasing to the eye, but it's an exaggeration to be called a 'national idol'." It's not uncommon for a police sniper to have a smell of gunpowder that can't be washed off.I went to the dessert counter and brought back a big cup of nut ice cream, and said nonchalantly, "Let's go, sit closer." "What are you doing?" Kangoro looked at me puzzled. Although he knew the other party's identity, it didn't mean that creatures like civet cats would like to be close to the dangerous smell of gunpowder. "It's nothing, go and listen to the story, maybe we can develop an informant for the police, which will help us in our future work." I walked towards Kanzaki with the ice cream in my hand. The wine glass followed. "...The most dangerous thing was the cruise to Somalia with the Maritime Self-Defense Force. You know, those pirates used weapons smuggled from smuggling ships, and some equipment was no worse than ours." When approaching Kanzaki After sitting down in the empty seat next to him, I heard him describing his past experiences eloquently, "That time, a few teammates and I took a helicopter and forcibly boarded the ship to rescue the crew trapped in the cabin... the bullets grazed There was a burn mark on my helmet, and if I didn't use the infrared night vision device, I could only see the flash of the muzzle in the dark night... What a thrilling scene I will never forget!" A few gorgeously dressed women around showed expressions of surprise, and a girl handed over a pink notepad, begging Kanzaki to sign his name... The "national idol" in front of him seemed to be quite used to this kind of treatment, and he signed with ease. Afterwards, he shook the girl's hand again, and the girl in the embroidered dress immediately backed away with blushing cheeks. "It seems...not a very good communicative person..." As I thought about it, I turned my head and concentrated on dealing with the ice cream that was about to melt in the cup.At this moment, a small figure suddenly rushed into my arms. Due to the impact, the ice cream in the cup was snapped off and completely poured onto my kimono. Looking down, I saw a cute lady with a round head and a round brain lying on my lap, staring at me blankly with a pair of big eyes.There was also some ice cream on his hair and cheeks. Although it was troublesome if the kimono got dirty, no one would have the heart to scold him loudly in front of such a delicate and lovely child. "Oh, Goro! Didn't I tell you not to run around?" A young and beautiful lady followed closely, picked up the boy who was still lying on top of me, and apologized to me, "Very I'm sorry, I didn't take care of the child! Do you need to change clothes? You can go to our cabin first..." "Limei, what's the matter?" Before I could speak, Mitsuma Kanzaki stood up, walked over quickly, and took the boy from the lady's hand.The woman called "Li Mei" bowed slightly to me and said, "Goro ran around just now and accidentally soiled this young lady's kimono." By accident, I ran into Mrs. Kanzaki and their son.Facing Kanzaki's instantly relaxed expression, I responded with a smile: "It's okay, I have a change of clothes, as long as the young master is fine." "Is that so, I'm really sorry, anyway, please let me accompany you to the cabin to change the soiled clothes." Mrs. Kanzaki said while bowing. She is a gentle woman with soft facial features, not delicate and beautiful , but with her delicate snow skin and petite physique, she looks extraordinarily feminine.She accompanied me back to the cabin, changed the soiled clothes and handed them over to the laundry attendant.When we returned to the deck talking about the local customs and customs of Fukuoka, Mr. Kanzaki and Kangoro were already talking about wine. "...Really, you also boarded the ship for the bottle of 1882 Grand Cru Bordeaux?" Kanzaki hugged his son Goro in one hand, and gesticulated exaggeratedly on the table with the other, "What a vision! The vintage wine of that era has already It’s rare, not to mention the place of origin is special...By the way, have I ever mentioned my experience of cooperating with the French Interpol? Speaking of that case..." "Hehe, Mr. Kanzaki is really well-informed, unlike amateur writers like me, who can only record some strange country tales." Kangoro flattered while changing the subject, "But I think that a sharpshooter like Mr. , it looks like a kind of monster that is widely spread in Hokkaido!" "What, demon?" "Yes, a monster called 'Wild Iron Cannon'. My sister and I heard about it from the local mountain people when we went to Hokkaido to gather wind." Kangoro adjusted a more handsome posture and continued, "The bird Shan Shiyan's "Picture Book Hundred Stories" records this kind of monster unique to the northern country-they look a bit like a large civet cat, but when they meet people, they will spit out foreign objects and hit people's faces to death. And it is said that this The shooting of this monster is extremely precise, almost hits every shot, from this point of view, Mister and 'Wild Iron Cannon' are quite similar!" "Really? A monster with a hundred hits, it sounds really good!" Kanzaki clapped his hands and laughed, and Kangoro also got the favor of many beauties around him.I stepped forward, coughed lightly, and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Kanzaki, my brother didn't say anything rude to you, did he?" "Oh, this must be Ms. Feng, I'm really sorry just now." Kanzaki got up and shook hands with me, and apologized again for his son's rashness, "I heard Brother Ling tell you about your travels in various places. Amazing! Do you plan to become a ghost writer like Brother Ling in the future?" Have you upgraded to a writer without a cup of tea?I glanced back at Kangoro, and saw him poking his head out of the thousands of flowers, and grinning at me: "Feng, Mr. Kanzaki said that in order to make a formal apology, he will invite us to the western-style restaurant upstairs tomorrow." Go to breakfast!" ...I see, I forgive you! September 1, Saturday, the weather was fine. Within the agreed time, Kangoro and I came to the western restaurant on the second floor of the bridge.To our surprise, it was not Mr. Kanzaki who was the host this time - we saw a man and two women sitting beside the Kanzaki family. The slightly fat middle-aged man in a summer suit was chatting with Kanzaki with great interest. wearing something. "Oh, are you two finally here?" Kanzaki greeted Kangoro loudly when he saw Kangoro, and introduced to the middle-aged man beside him, "Mr. Sakurai, this is the Takano Kangoro I mentioned to you just now And little sister Feng. Although he is young, he has quite a good taste in red wine!" "Oh, is that so?" The man called Sakurai turned his head and looked at us. The beautiful woman beside him who should be his wife pursed her lips at Kangoro, and the round-faced girl in a white dress beside the woman hurriedly lowered her eyes. Head away——I recognized her as the girl who asked for Kanzaki's autograph last night. Under the introduction of Kanzaki, we learned the identities of the two men and women - Mr. Sakurai is the boss behind the cruise.He has opened many wineries and restaurants in Japan, and this time he rented the "Sapphire" to promote his newly opened winery in Fukuoka.And Kanzaki is his strong old friend in Osaka - there were thugs in the restaurant opened by Sakurai back then who created a hostage kidnapping and extortion incident, and it was Mitsuma Kanzaki who helped him successfully break down this crisis. The ladies next to Mr. Sakurai are her continuation wife, Ms. Kyoko, who was a drama actress, and Ms. Michiko, the eldest daughter of her ex-wife.Michiko seems to be quite shy and introverted, and she hardly utters a word except to deal with breakfast alone.Her stepmother, Mrs. Xiangzi, was the complete opposite. From time to time, she echoed a few words in the man's conversation, and her words were witty and stylish, but she didn't have the pretentious vulgarity of ordinary noble ladies. After learning of Mr. Sakurai's identity as the owner of the winery, Kangoro went up to show his hospitality as expected, pouring out all kinds of flattery and witty words, and made Mr. Sakurai laugh out loud within a few minutes.I sat between Mrs. Kanzaki and Ms. Michiko, fiddled with the toast and fried eggs on the plate, and glanced at the shy girl beside me. Unlike her stunning stepmother, Ms. Michiko is the kind of quiet girl who is full of protection, just like the camellia brooch on her chest.The small dark brown freckles adorn the pink cheeks and nose tip appropriately, which is very cute.She held the spoon and stirred back and forth in the corn soup, seemingly absent-minded. "What's the matter? I seem to have something on my mind." I leaned forward and asked in a low voice. "Ah, hey... can you see the expression of thinking on your face?" Michiko buried her face again as soon as I said it, "I, I'm really sorry, I didn't expect to cause trouble to everyone..." "Why do you have to apologize?" I put a spoonful of dessert into my mouth, and smiled inexplicably, "I just feel that the expression on the face is a bit dull. The expression on your face when you asked Mr. Kanzaki to sign it last night was great." "Ah, eh? Yes, is it?" Michiko blushed suddenly, it was hard to imagine that a lady like her would have such a shy personality. "Uh, um, may I ask... I heard that your brother...is a writer of ghost novels, right?" After feeling a little closer, Michiko moved the chair towards me and asked in a low voice with a blushing face. "That's right." I lied without changing my face, "It's just a bad writer who is not popular." "Oh, then, during the process of collecting folk songs, do you often hear some strange news?" Michiko said, but her voice became smaller and smaller, "For example, dreaming or something..." Huh?I put down the milk glass in my hand and turned to look at Michiko seriously.Although it is not surprising that a girl of this age would yearn for anything, I was a little surprised that such a statement as Tomeng would come from a lady like Michiko. "Sure enough, it sounds strange..." Sensing my eyes, Michiko lowered her voice, "But, last night I really dreamed...the mother I haven't seen for a long time...that feeling , very realistic..." "Can you talk about it in detail?" I leaned over and continued. "Ah, Ms. Takano... don't you think I'm weird?" Michiko raised her eyes a little, but immediately lowered her head when she met the slightly harsh eyes of her stepmother beside her, "...Sorry." "Hehe, if you don't mind, let's go to the ship's side to get some air after your meal." Sensing the delicate atmosphere between Michiko and Mrs. Kyoko, I took the initiative to invite her to take a walk on the deck. As soon as she left the restaurant, Michiko let out a long breath as if she had been pardoned, and her expression relaxed.I took her hand and ran to the stern, and pointed out to her the seagulls following the waves. After she finally laughed out loud, I suggested, "Hey, let's continue with the topic just now?" "I'm sorry, because Auntie... doesn't like to hear about my mother." Speaking of Xiangzi, Michiko frowned again.Although she is not the kind of surly child, it seems that she can't get along well with her stepmother. "So, even if I dream about my mother occasionally, I only dare to write it in my diary. Because I often move with my father's business. I don’t have any close friends, and the servants and housekeepers at home are often changed... Although my aunt treats me very harshly, she is actually a gentle and good person, and since she married my father, my father often comes home Come live, the house has become much more lively... Ah, sorry, I have been talking about these unnutritious topics..." "Don't you need to apologize? It seems that I have been blaming you." I laughed, for such a girl who has been suppressed for a long time, I can understand her strong desire to talk, "It doesn't matter what you want to say , it was just a small talk." "... Auntie has nothing unacceptable except that she gets angry when she hears about her mother. It's just that all the photos of her mother in the family have been collected, which makes me a little sad... last night I had a dream about my mother, a very real dream! In the dream I saw her sitting on the back of a whale that jumped out of the water and I could see white markings under its eyes... I seemed to be standing on the side of a boat , only ten steps away from my mother, she seemed to be very anxious, shouting something to me, but the sound of waves and turbines was too loud, I couldn’t hear anything... When I woke up in the morning, I found that my mother gave me My cross necklace broke somehow... that's why I feel a little uneasy and want to talk to someone." "Well, do you have that necklace with you?" Taking the platinum cross necklace from Michiko, I checked it carefully with my spiritual power, and returned it to Michiko without finding anything bad. She, "Maybe it's just because of the sailing. It's normal to have all kinds of worries and uneasiness after leaving the land and driving on the boundless sea. But the 'Sapphire' is a ship with advanced facilities. Our route is not far from the coastline. So, instead of worrying about things that may not happen, why not just relax and enjoy the actual travel?" "That's true." Looking at the seagulls chasing the white waves, Michiko showed a relieved smile, "Miss Feng is really gentle...and she has an adult-like temperament, unlike me, who is obviously older, but Always being scolded by my aunt for being like a child." "Where." I quickly perfunctory, it seems that the acting skills still need to be strengthened. Before the lunch clock struck, the "Sapphire" had arrived in Kagoshima and would stop for a few hours according to the schedule.Passengers who wandered on the ship for a day couldn't wait to get off the ship, took a walk around the port to take pictures, and bought food and tourist souvenirs.Kangoro and I lay on the side of the boat with nothing to do, staring at the pier with people coming and going in a daze. "By the way, tonight is the night of the new moon." I whispered to remind a civet cat who was reluctant to leave, "Although the lottery ceremony is arranged tonight, but with your cultivation, you should stay in the cabin obediently." "Nonsense! As a three hundred and seventy-three-year-old raccoon general, Kangoro, how could he give up the chance to win a bottle of century-old wine just because of Shuoyue!" Kangoro clenched his fists and said with sparkling eyes, "It's just one night. , don’t believe I won’t be able to survive!” "Oh? The tail is exposed." I squinted and teased, the civet cat believed it, turned around and covered his butt with his hands, and after touching it for a long time, he didn't find any furry touch. Then he was surprised and glared at me. "Acknowledge your fate, it's normal for monsters under the age of five hundred to weaken on the night of the new moon." I patted him on the shoulder, half as a comfort and half as a promise, "In short, you will stay in the cabin tonight , I will be responsible for bringing the wine back for you." "Really?" The depressed civet cat immediately changed his expression when he heard the words, and looked at me pitifully with wide-eyed eyes, "It must be! It must be brought back!" "Nonsense, there is still a bonus of one million yuan!" I vowed silently in my heart that I would never let this windfall fall into his hands! "Hey, what do you think that is?" Kangoro yelled, pointing at the bottom of the boat, as he was thinking about how to cheat.I turned my head and saw six workers under the command of a man, working together to carry something onto the ship. Although it was tightly wrapped in oilcloth, judging from the size and the tense arm muscles of the workers, the inside Something should not be light. "It's so strange. Logically speaking, this ship should be a pure sightseeing cruise. Why did it stop halfway to load?" Kangoro set up a pergola to look around for a while, and suddenly thought, "It can't be the ingredients and ingredients needed for tonight's banquet. bar?" As soon as these words came out, the civet cat couldn't wait any longer and wanted to go forward to find out.I followed behind and wanted to stop him, but was stopped by Mrs. Xiangzi who suddenly appeared.The young lady held a bottle of red wine in one hand and two wine glasses in the other, and stood in front of Kangoro gracefully: "Mr. Takano, can I have a drink with you? Quite interested." "Ah, of course it's okay, thanks for your appreciation!" The civet cat seemed to lose its soul when it saw the wine, and immediately followed Xiangzi to sit down on the deck resting area and had a drink.I thoughtfully wanted to leave, but Xiangzi asked the waiter to bring me some fruit juice.I had no choice but to sit down with the juice in my hand, absent-mindedly watching Mrs. Xiangzi laugh exaggeratedly at the civet cat's joke. "Mrs. Sakurai, may I ask if this cruise ship can still be loaded?" After chatting for a while, Kangoro asked casually, remembering what he had just seen. "That's right, there are seven floors in the cabin. Except for the three floors on the deck that are used for events and banquets, one of the four floors in the cabin is the exclusive cargo warehouse." Xiangzi refilled his glass, seemingly not Mind talking about this, "Are you referring to the things that the workers put on the boat just now? A friend of mine asked me to help consign them. He is the captain of an ocean-going fishing vessel, and this time he is going to Okinawa to participate in summer crabbing. It's a pity that the newly purchased crab pots were late and missed the sailing date. He asked me to help bring these crab pots from Kagoshima to Fukuoka to save some shipping costs." "Oh, that's how it is. Madam is really a warm-hearted and kind person." When he heard that it had nothing to do with food and wine, the civet cat immediately lost interest, and when there was not much wine left in the bottle, Xiangzi and we said our goodbyes. After You Hour passed, the sky completely darkened. Compared with the peaceful deep blue sea outside the cabin, the inside of the cabin is full of lights and festoons, and it is very lively.The long-awaited lottery dinner is about to begin. According to the lottery instructions attached to the ticket, each passenger has a special set of digital barcodes on the ticket stub; at the end of today's dinner, the owner Mr. Sakurai will draw five A set of numbers, and the five matching number holders are the winners. The prize money ranges from 100,000 yen to 1 million. Of course, it also includes many small gifts, as well as the bottle of super red wine that Tanuki never forgets. After night fell completely, Kangoro began to feel unwell as expected.Although it can barely maintain its human form, the civet cat's iconic round tail can no longer be hidden.As a last resort, he had no choice but to hand over the boat ticket to me, watching me pitifully, and complaining why he didn’t choose to become a woman when he boarded the boat—because the dresses and long skirts worn by girls are acceptable. Used to cover the tail. I put the ticket in my close-fitting pocket, and shuttled between the self-service bars with a plate in my hand.Most of the guests were talking about the upcoming lucky draw, from the auspiciousness of their numbers to the value of the prizes and the possible uses of the prize money... I found a place where no one was paying attention, and began to focus on the lucky draw at the front of the restaurant, in the middle of the stage box. There are two boat tickets in the pocket, one with the number 07146 and the other with the number 07147.There are only five chances to draw the lottery, and the prizes are sorted from low to high. I will change all the numbers in the lottery box into one of my own within a short time after Mr. Sakurai draws the second prize!So before the lottery draw starts, I need to infuse a lot of thought power into the lottery box. The clock struck nine o'clock, and Mr. Sakurai walked onto the stage amidst applause and noise.The host of the dinner was making the final incitement, and the atmosphere at the scene had already reached a fever pitch.When the lights dimmed and only the spotlight illuminated the lottery box, the scene fell silent instantly. Everyone stared at Mr. Sakurai's right hand with bated breath. The scene was so quiet that even the sound of pouring wine could be clearly heard. The central air conditioner in the cabin was spreading a chill, and no one noticed that wisps of smoke were spreading from it, gradually spreading to the entire venue. The fifth prize was announced, and there was a cheer of joy from the crowd in the back row.A petite woman was holding her boyfriend's face, jumped up and offered a congratulatory kiss. For the fourth prize, there was another round of cheers, and disappointment began to be heard from the crowd, but there was still more eager anticipation. For the third prize, the young winner was splashed with champagne by his companions, and there seemed to be some commotion in the crowd.I collected myself and didn't have time to take into account the sudden dizziness. Second prize... Wait, what's going on?If it is said that they fainted because of the excitement of winning the lottery, then the number of people is a bit too much... Without time to think deeply, the guests in the venue began to fall down one by one.Mr. Sakurai supported the lottery box with his left shoulder, and reached into it with his right hand to take out the last number, but he was exhausted and fell on the lottery box and passed out.I leaned on the back of the chair and tried to stand up to check the situation, but I was also powerless and my mind was in a mess... At this moment, I felt a pair of invisible hands covering my mouth and nose in the darkness, and then ，便什么都感觉不到了…… 再度醒来的时候，我已被凛冽的海风迎面包围。 眼前是一望无际的辽阔海面，没有船舷的遮挡，甚至连脚下那踏实的甲板都没有——我被结结实实地绑在了一把实木椅子上，关进了一个巨大的铁笼内，整个人悬挂在船舷之外。我四下张望，发现左右还有五个相似的笼子，里面都有被捆住的人。右侧的依稀是个年轻女子，我认出她是之前见过的神崎先生的仰慕者之一；左侧笼子里则是神崎先生的小儿子吾郎。眼下，笼里的人们已经陆陆续续清醒过来，有人一睁眼便发出惊叫，而更多的则是“怎么回事”“发生了什么”之类的叫喊。我身旁的小吾郎抬眼遍寻不着父母的身影，咧开嘴哭了起来。 “好久不见了。”一个低沉沙哑的声音，借由船上的扩音器飘散在海面上，打断了人们的哭叫声。我一惊，举目四顾，自然是不见人影。但我很快便意识到，这个声音不是在向我，或是笼子里的任何一个人打招呼——在距离“蓝宝石号”数百米开外的地方，此刻正停泊着一艘小船，小船上的照明灯动了动，显然上面有人。 “久违了，神崎君。”沙哑的声音再度响起，一束灯光划过漆黑的海面，投射到远处那艘孤零零的小船上。船上的人影呼喊着什么站了起来，虽然看不清楚面容，但从身形和声音上来判断，应该是神崎光马先生无疑。 “十五年未见，今日能够在如此美丽的大海上重逢，不知你是否和我一样，兴奋得几乎站不稳脚跟呢？”扩音器中传来一阵压抑的笑声——与其说是笑，不如说是鬣狗的哭嚎更加贴切，这压抑而不自然的笑声让所有人心中都禁不住生出不祥之意，“先别激动，此次不过是老朋友久未谋面，相邀来一起玩一场游戏而已。一个与你'国民偶像'、'狙击英雄'称号非常相称的游戏……你脚下的帆布里面有一把狙击步枪和十发子弹，请你把枪拿到船头架设好……不，我建议你不要试图把枪当船桨使，我现在控制着整个'蓝宝石号'的运行，你应该知道凭这种小救生艇，在正常行船速度下是不可能靠近邮轮的。” 小艇上的人影直愣愣站了一会儿，很快便依言架设好步枪，并趴在船头摆出了射击姿势。对于神崎的配合态度，声音的主人似乎相当满意，扩音器里又是一阵阴森的笑声，命令道：“很好，接下来，请听我讲解一下游戏规则……务必要听清并严格遵守哟！” “蓝宝石号”上的甲板灯光霎时全亮了，虽然看不到船上此刻的情形，但从悄无声息的舱内和静寂的轮机舱来判断，“蓝宝石号”的确是已被完全控制。我听见甲板上传来一声惊呼，似乎是响子夫人的声音。 “看清楚了吗？在你正前方八百米左右的甲板上，此刻正有六位无辜国民等待着你的拯救——当然，船舷下蟹笼内的六位也是如此。此外整艘邮轮所有近千名乘客的性命，也都掌握在你的手中……怎样，非常有成就感的挑战吧？你刚入警队那会儿，不是最期待在这种大场面中有所表现么？现在，我来陈述一下游戏规则：甲板上的六位人质脚下，是一条机械传送带，等下我开启启动按钮后，他们会以匀速向右滑行，在他们头顶上方、椅背的顶端，我粘了一枚小玻璃瓶，瓶身上贴有条形码，一旦人质滑行到传输带的终点——就是那台红外线扫描仪的位置，瓶身上的条形码被扫描，船舷外的蟹笼就会打开，被绑在椅子上的人质就会坠入大海……所以说，你所要做的，就是在条形码被扫描前打碎他们头顶上的瓶子。虽说今天海上似乎有些微风，不过，这种程度的'游戏'应该完全难不倒'狙击英雄'的你吧……” 听完扩音器内陌生男子的讲解，船舷内外的人质哭成一片。叫得最响的当数响子夫人，话剧舞台上优美动人的嗓音此刻化为尖锐的破锣，正歇斯底里地尖叫着：“混蛋！混蛋！快放开我，是我啊！响子啊！你们一定弄错了，快点放开我！” 看来，中午时候的偶遇不是巧合，那些工人搬上“蓝宝石号”的，绝不仅仅是现在困住我的蟹笼那么简单……正思索着响子所担任的角色和脱困的方法，身边的一扇舷窗忽然被推开，探出一张尖尖的狸猫脸，小心地跳到蟹笼顶部，压低声音问道：“没事吧？” “……不过，为了增加游戏的趣味性，我还增加了一条补充规则：一旦此次游戏中生还的人质少于六人，即被误中和坠入海中的人质大于六人时，我将引爆'蓝宝石号'上的炸药，杀了所有乘客！”未及回答，话语已被扩音器中亢奋的叫嚣打断，随着他的话音，船舱内外发出更为惊恐的尖叫，“当然，你也可以选择不射击，这样至少可以保证至少传输带上的六人都能生还……如何，我是个很为玩家着想的规则制定者吧？不用紧张，就当做是普通的移动靶射击游戏嘛，只不过靶子都是真人，不是更刺激吗？啊哈哈……” “混蛋！混蛋混蛋！”响子夫人似乎彻底崩溃了，此刻身处传输带之上的她，似乎已全然没有了优雅迷人的气息，只顾涕泪横流地尖声嘶叫道，“你说会解决那小婊子和老头我才答应帮你上船的！财产……财产我会分你一半！放、放了我……不，财产全给你也无所谓！快点把我放开……” “响子，你竟然……”头顶上方的甲板上传来樱井先生的声音，看来，他也是十二名人质中的一员。 “傻瓜，被利用了。设计到这种程度的装置和计谋，用脚趾头想也知道绝不会是为了樱井先生的财产。”我试着挣了挣绳子，发现捆绑得异常结实。狸猫探头下来想帮忙咬断，无奈肚子被卡在了栅栏之间。 “算了，你就待在那里。”唯恐它进来后就再也出不去，我连忙制止它，小声道，“现在舱内情况怎样？除了你之外还有其他可以自由行动的人员吗？” “恐怕没有了，大多数人都被关押在了抽奖仪式的大厅里，那里有持枪的看守；除此以外轮机舱和船长室里也有劫匪，大致在六七人左右，船长室里操控扩音器的只有一个。我因为现了原形，不得已躲在床底下打瞌睡，这才逃过搜查。”勘五郎从栅栏之间抽回脖子，讲述道。 “明白了，不管对方是出于什么目的，他们肯定是冲着神崎先生来的，而且……这应该不是我们之前遇到过的那种简单仇杀，他们真有可能杀掉整船的人！”我望了眼左右，姑且不论传输带上的，蟹笼内几乎都是与神崎光马有关的人。虽然没见到丽美夫人，不过我猜测，她应该就在传输带上……耗费如此周章去对付一个特警狙击手，对方有何来历？for what?这种明显带有“电车难题”色彩的“游戏规则”设计，很难想象只是普通意义上的寻仇……况且，即便不论歹徒的手段，在这种有风无月的动荡海面上，六发子弹能够全部命中的可能性几乎为零。无论开枪与否神崎都已经被推上了“刽子手”的位置，所不同的是，这次他所瞄准的，全部都是无辜者！ “大意了，要是在宴会厅里没有光顾着抽奖箱就好了……”我有些懊恼，然而随着回忆，丝丝缕缕的异象也在脑海中一一闪现：那时的空气中，似乎有着异样的气味，以及最后捂上口鼻的，那双看不见的手…… “枫，你在想什么？”狸猫在笼子上面催促，“快点，我们接下去要怎么办？” “你现在还能使用什么程度的力量？”我回过神来，抬头问道。 “呃……可以分身、变大、制造一些短时幻象……我想催眠应该也没什么问题。”情况紧迫，狸猫也不敢夸大，试了试体内的灵力，它一五一十回答道。 “可以了，你先分身去货舱，尽快找出他们安放的炸弹，解除引爆装置，如果办不到，就想办法把整个炸药包丢进海里。”没有办法了，只能在尽可能减少人员伤亡的前提下作出有限的安排，“我猜他们应该是借着搬运蟹笼上船后的间隙安装的炸药，所以最有可能是就近安装在货舱……解除炸弹后就去船长室，解决掉那个'规则制定者'，他应该会通过扩音器向同伙求救，你就留在那里，在天明前尽可能减少他们的人手，同时向海岸警卫队发送求救信号。”我一气说完所有的布置，尽量以平静的语气掩盖心中的忐忑——眼下，船舷外和传输带上包括我自己在内的十二名人质，只能听天由命了。 “明白了！”狸猫闻言转身，正作势要跳回船舱，忽而又转回头，“枫，你可不许死啊！” “放心，我自有能够保命的办法。”虽然是一场未知生死的豪赌，但在结果未分晓前就先行泄气可不是我的风格，“你也自己小心！” “知道了！”狸猫的圆尾一甩跳入舷窗中，转眼就消失在黑暗的船舱内。 在异常凛冽的冷风中醒来，睁开双眼，看到的却是毫无遮蔽的满天星斗。 what happened?where is this place?我应该是在“蓝宝石号”上的宴会厅内期待大奖的揭晓啊，发生了什么事？船在那里？ 我一骨碌跳起来，发现自己被独自留在了一艘小救生艇上，四周一片寂静，唯有深蓝色不断涌动的海水伴我左右。“蓝宝石号”停泊在数百米开外的海面上，灯火阑珊。我连忙跳起来，挥舞着双手大叫大嚷以求船上人的注意——虽然不知道是出了什么事，但就目前来看，赶紧回到船上才是上策。 船上的灯打开了，一束强光直直地投射到我身上，刺得我几乎睁不开眼。船上的人显然发现了我的存在，然而奇怪的是，船并没有靠过来的意思，只是通过扩音器传来了一个陌生的问候： “久违了，神崎君。” who?what's the situation? “十五年未见，今日能够在如此美丽的大海上重逢，不知你是否和我一样，兴奋得几乎站不稳脚跟呢？”沙哑的声音，似乎刻意压低的诡异笑声，然而，当记忆锁定在十五年前，我还是快速搜索到了这个声音的主人——石田？ 那个与我同期的狙击手，在我们第一次出任务中就因为违规而受到处分，之后便辞去警职销声匿迹的石田？他现在来找我做什么？ 出于特警的反射神经，我立即趴下缩入船舱内。等待许久，耳边并没有传来子弹的呼啸，相反，从船舱的帆布底下传来熟悉的触感。 “……你脚下的帆布里有一把狙击步枪和十发子弹……”虽然不知道石田打算做些什么，但就目前而言，我除了架枪并没有什么更好的选择。我从帆布中掏出子弹和枪，这是一把苏式德拉贡诺夫SVD狙击步枪，相当老旧的制式，如今只能在黑市上找到。我将枪支架设在船头，此刻船上的灯也全部打开了，我瞄了一眼甲板上的情况，眼前的一幕让我浑身僵硬了。 六个人，被悬吊在铁笼之中，垂挂在船舷外；还有六人，似乎被捆绑在椅子上，在甲板上一字排开。这仿佛记忆中海盗劫持情景重现一般的景象让我遍体生寒，一股警察特有的愤怒油然而生。 石田，你究竟打算做什么！ 没等我仔细思考，他便已开始陈述所谓的“游戏规则”：“……瓶身上的条形码被扫描，船舷外的蟹笼就会打开，被绑在椅子上的人质就会坠入大海……这种程度的'游戏'应该完全难不倒'狙击英雄'的你吧……” 此时此刻，我只想跳起来大吼——为什么要做出这种事？为什么要胁迫我来参与这种可恶至极毫无人性的“游戏”？是因为嫉妒吗？嫉妒与他同期的我功成名就，所以要用这种方式来挑战我，毁了我的声名？可是，当初让他离开警队的又不是我，不至于…… 等一下，难道……是因为那个罪犯？ 记忆飞速地向前倒回，我清晰地回忆起当年第一次击毙犯人时的场景——没错，在我开枪之后，石田的确有调转枪口向我瞄准，这也是他受到处分的主要原因……难道，那个罪犯…… 已经来不及去揣测缘由了，这一定是个天大的误会！我放下枪跳起来，双手挥舞着大喊大叫，试图向石田解释当时的情况……然而徒劳无功，“蓝宝石号”距离我至少八百米远，不借助工具根本无法听到我的声音。而另一方面，石田则在扩音器中有条不紊地讲述着他的布置，似乎从一开始他便没有听我辩白的意思。 “……当然，你也可以选择不射击……我是个很为玩家着想的规则制定者……”石田单方面的讲话还在继续，而我只是他手中的一枚棋子，除了听从摆布，别无他法。 在明白了这一点后，我再度趴下身子，调整好枪的高度和准心——身为狙击手的骄傲和自信占了上风，既然你选择用狙击来一决胜负，那么，我就用我手中的子弹，来粉碎你的阴谋！ 我将眼睛贴到瞄准镜前，仔细观察数百米外，静静停泊着的“蓝宝石号”。甲板上除了人质，什么活物都没有；船舱内也是一片漆黑，根本无法瞄准。可恶的石田，他早就料到了我的一切行动，并且排除了所有我可能打破他“游戏规则”的机会！ 然而很快，我就连拖延时间的机会也被一并剥夺了——甲板上的传输带启动了，从瞄准镜里，我看见被绑在椅子上的人质们开始缓缓移动。从速度上来判断，每个人质从起点抵达扫描仪大约需要三分钟，我只有这点短暂的时间用来瞄准、移位和射击……我将子弹上膛，先瞄准了船上的一盏航灯——子弹擦过航灯打在了一边的墙壁上，引来一阵尖叫。通过弹坑我计算出了风速和风向，调转枪口，瞄向移动中的第一名人质。 九发子弹，六个瓶子，十二个人……以及船上的千余名乘客，就在此一举！ 位于首位的是一名年轻女优，我记得她在首航之日上与我攀谈时的娇俏模样，此刻，被五花大绑于传输带上的她，却显得苍白而单薄。刚才的枪声令她缩紧了脖子，瓶子和头顶之间出现了十公分左右的距离。我深吸一口气，稳住心神，扣动扳机——“砰！”枪响了，我从瞄准镜中随即看见她的头顶莹光四溅，那是被打碎的玻璃。来不及关心那名失声痛哭的女子，我将视线转到下一名人质身上。 第二人，是我的好友樱井。 虽然做出了全员解救的决定，可当面对老友那张充满恐惧与哀求的表情时，我还是犹豫了——没错，按照石田的规则，我只要保证六名人质获救就可以赢得绝大多数乘客的安全，没有必要拿自己的狙击技术冒险。 可当我瞄了一眼樱井脚下所对应的蟹笼时，适才的犹豫便被全然打消了：樱井脚下的蟹笼内坐着他的女儿美智子。我知道响子夫人一直未能生育，美智子是他唯一的骨肉，石田早就想好了一切逼我就范的手段！ 我退出弹壳，重新上膛瞄准。樱井是个高大魁梧的男人，虽然也在尽可能地蜷缩起身体，可玻璃瓶距离他的头顶也最多不超过两英寸。我在心中默数了五下，坚定决心，将十字线对准了樱井的头顶上方。 “砰！”瞄准镜中的玻璃瓶应声而碎，我吁了口气，将视线投向下一个。 位于第三位的，是樱井的续弦夫人，响子。 当目光锁定在她身上时，我的心下不禁一沉——与之前两人乖顺的表现不同，响子不知受了什么刺激，正全力挣扎着试图摆脱椅子和绳索的束缚。虽然看起来有固定措施，但整个椅子仍在她的挣扎作用下来回晃动，根本无法瞄准！ “啐，笨蛋！”我看了眼她脚下对应的蟹笼，里面果不其然是一位重量级的人质——某位市议员的女儿。 I can only bite the bullet.我用左手抹了把额头上沁出的汗珠，退出弹壳，眼神紧追着在椅背上晃动的目标——不得不承认我已经老了，虽然敏捷依旧，面对即将响起的枪声我已经没了期待，仿佛胸中的野兽已经厌倦了猎杀，渴望蛰伏休憩，此刻却不得不挺起老迈的身躯，再一次磨砺爪牙为名誉而战！ 枪响了，可并没有莹光亮起，我射失了！ 来不及多加考虑，响子已经在传输带上滑过三分之二的距离！而因为受到枪声的惊吓，此刻她嘶吼挣扎得更加激烈了。我推上子弹，几乎是咬紧牙关横下心来击出了第二枪——万幸，这次中了！子弹贴着响子的发际线在椅背上咬了个凹槽，连带着玻璃瓶一同粉碎。 还剩下五发子弹，三个目标，有胜算！ 我抽出有些僵硬的食指，在衣襟上拭了拭掌心的汗珠。前三名人质的成功解救令我信心大增，可当我看清第四名人质的容貌时，却仿佛被一盆冷水从头淋到脚底——该死的石田！第四把椅子上坐着的是我的妻子丽美，而她脚下笼子里的是我们的独子吾郎！ “混蛋！怎么可以……”我感觉到自己的声音在微微颤抖，手指伸了好几次才固定到原来位置。从瞄准镜里我看得异常真切，丽美没有挣扎哭喊，只是脸色惨白地望着我，嘴唇微微启合似乎想说些什么。风比刚才更大了，儿子的哭声隐约传来，几乎将我的心脏捏成一团碎片！ “可恶，可恶可恶！该死，石田你这混蛋！”我徒劳地诅咒着，发誓回到船上后第一件事便是将石田生生撕碎！可眼下我仍然要服从于他的安排，回到位置上，努力控制住身体不由自主产生的颤动。平日里我并不是个虔诚的信徒，除了家中年关日常的神道仪式外，几乎从不敬神。然而此刻，我却忍不住向上帝、向神佛、向天照大神和月读命尊，向一切我可以想起名字的神明祈求，这一枪一定要击中目标！反复深呼吸了五六次，我勉强端起枪来，尽可能不去看丽美的双眼，咬紧双唇，扣下扳机…… "boom!" 没有飞溅的碎片，没有闪烁的莹光，可手指却传来异样的触感——那是狙击手的第六感，击中什么的感觉——我看到丽美慢慢向后仰起头，一道红线从她的额角流出，划过面颊，沿着她白皙的颈项，一路滑向地面…… 我的大脑霎时一片空白。 why?为什么……偏偏是这一枪…… 吾郎的哭声还在耳边回荡着，我已经无法思考，只得机械一般抓起枪重新退弹、上膛，将眼神投向那个灯光下比雪花还要苍白的人影，以及她脸上那一道刺目的红线……我要救她！我要救我儿子！我要救他们！在这种压抑到几乎狂乱的情绪作用下，我几乎是咆哮着扣紧扳机，朝着妻子的头顶连击两枪…… “砰、砰！” 还是没有莹光出现，两颗子弹不知道飞到哪里去了。 丽美距离红外线扫描仪射出的红线越来越近，那道红线就像是划分了两个世界的生死界限，左右了我人生的存续更迭……我绝望地看着丽美渐渐滑向那条红线，从无意识下移的瞄准镜中，我看到吾郎哭成一团的小脸……动起来！Body!我的手指和心中的野兽！Get moving!我要救我的儿子！再一次就好，再让我射击一次！赌上我“国民英雄”的名誉也好，今后再也不能从警……不，哪怕是要我的性命也无所谓！谁来帮助我？让我再射击一次…… 手指依然僵硬得无法动弹，我颤抖着望着即将发生的一切，巨大的绝望感如同秃鹫翅膀的阴影，层层叠叠笼罩在我的头顶上，笼罩在陪伴我十几年、驱使我射击的那头野兽头上……瞄准镜在我颤抖的手臂中不断偏移，这时我看见了吾郎之后的那个蟹笼，里面坐着那位奇异的风舞作家的妹妹，枫小姐。 仿佛受到什么力量感召一般，当我的视线一接触到她的双眼，似乎便有一种安定心神的力量灌入——不同于所有人质的紧张慌乱，她看起来神态自若，正口型清晰地向我传达着她的指令： “不、要、开、枪！” What? 仅仅是犹豫了一瞬间，只听到“哗啦”一声，吾郎的蟹笼打开了。 “哈哈哈，神崎，没想到吧？你也有今天，你也有眼睁睁看着至爱之人在眼前死去的今天！亲手射杀妻子的感觉如何？亲手射失害死儿子的感觉如何？混账东西，你不是最喜欢在劫持现场出风头的吗？我的叔叔，从小抚养我长大的唯一亲人……因为被那家投资银行所骗失去了所有养老金，只是这样被逼无奈地反击，你却非要当场置他于死地！我要让你也尝到同样的滋味，我要让你也感受到同样的悲伤绝望！诅咒吧，诅咒你杀人的手！诅咒你自己亲手犯下的罪行！你的后半生就在不断的自我诅咒中悲惨地度过吧……” 石田通过扩音器声嘶力竭地叫嚣着，可我已经什么都听不到了。如今占据我整个脑海的，只是一片茫然，以及隐隐约约、细若蚊吟的歌声……没错，是歌声？在这空旷冰冷又绝望的大海里，怎么会有歌声呢？ 那名少女，安稳地坐在蟹笼里的少女，她在唱歌？ 海面上忽然涌起了巨大的浪涛，无数和声从海底涌上来，巨大的扇形尾翼拍打着海面，激起绚烂的银色浪花，汇聚到“蓝宝石号”的周围——是鲸群！那些美丽的白色条纹……是逆戟鲸！无数鲸鱼用背脊、嘴、尾鳍不断交替起伏，将吾郎顶出了水面！ 我激动得尖叫失声，完全忘了手中的狙击枪。蟹笼又一次打开，枫小姐也随之落下，鲸群稳稳地接住了她，这一魔法般的场面此刻真真切切地发生了！ “怎么回事？引来鲸鱼抢食了吗？很好，你就看着你儿子变成鱼饵吧……什么，不可能！海上自卫队不可能这么快上船！你们……退后，我手上有炸药！别过来……唔……咿呀啊啊啊……” 扩音器中传来的杂音让所有人精神为之一振：什么？海上自卫队已经登船了？ “看来，总算是赶上了呢。”躺在柔软的鲸鱼背上虽然没有危险，但一直处于波峰浪底的颠簸中也并不好过。我吐了口腥涩的海水，努力抬起头望向东方的一抹鱼肚白，“朔月总算过去了。” 待到真正的海上自卫队赶到时，已经是早上九点。调查和追捕随即展开，大多数乘客都还显得有些搞不清楚状况。我和吾郎早已回到船上，此刻只能用毛毯代替湿透的衣物，等待调查结束。 待自卫队进入船舱搜查后，我找了个清静的角落，与恢复人形深藏功与名的勘五郎会合——黎明前船长室内的骚动便是他搞的把戏，一切如我所料，炸药就