Volume 2: Crisis Acceptance Chapter 12: Looking Death in the Eye

  "Hey! Dinner's ready, eat up and hit the road."

  "Hey, hey, can you hear me? This is your last meal. Do you want to die of starvation?"

  In a daze, Kawahara felt someone knocking on the iron window and shouting repeatedly, then throwing food in. He wanted to open his eyes and respond, but his eyelids were heavy like an umbrella with broken bones, and he couldn't lift them up no matter what. In desperation, he gave up and fell into a coma along with the person.

  When he woke up, Chuanji smelled the fragrance of rice and his extreme hunger forced him to open his tired eyes with great effort, searching for food, and finally saw two steamed buns.

  He gritted his teeth and moved his body, which was covered in scales, until he could reach the nest. He stopped and stretched out his hand to grab it from the messy grass, eager to put it to his mouth, but just as he was about to take a bite, he caught a whiff of a strong, pungent smell.

  "Damn it! This is also a beheading meal!" Zhang Fei cursed in his heart.

  As a somewhat famous Chinese scholar of the Great Japanese Empire, Kawaki Hiroshi had read many Chinese history books and knew what "executioner's meal" was. In ancient China, an "executioner's meal" consisted of two steamed buns, 200 grams of braised beef, and a pot of hot wine. But at Datongbao An Police Station, the "executioner's meal" was just throwing two smelly and dirty rice balls into the cell of the condemned prisoner?

  However, Kawaji reconsidered and came to his senses. Who made himself a foreigner? Moreover, he was a Japanese who was about to go to war with others, and was also forcibly identified as the culprit who killed the security guard.

  After barely eating a few mouthfuls of "last meal", the prisoner began to prepare for his journey. First, he had to take care of his appearance. In this regard, the Datong Public Security Bureau was quite humane, as each cell had a mirror hanging on the wall.

  A man with a broad forehead, big eyes, thick lips and a small mustache appeared in the mirror, his face covered with bloodstains.

  Just as Kuan Chi had finished admiring himself in the mirror, the sound of footsteps echoed outside his cell. Several guards came to escort him away. He brushed off the dust from his body, plucked out the blades of grass stuck to his clothes, and adjusted his attire, ready to walk out of this prison with his head held high, an unforgettable experience in his lifetime.

  The security guards didn't even give Chuanji the dignity of a prisoner, but instead dragged him out like a dead dog. As he slowly opened his eyes to face the midday sun, he looked around at the courtyard and saw a notice on the wall not far away with a big red "X" marked through it. The notice had his name written in bold letters, followed by his unit number and the "crime" that had been imposed upon him.

  Kawaki never thought that his encounter with Mochizuki would start with sadness, suffer humiliation and torture, and end with his own wrongful death. According to Chinese sayings, this was because he owed Mochizuki in his past life, and now he had to make up for it. But in this life, he owed Sakuragawa more, so how could he make amends in the next life? As soon as he thought of Sakuragawa, Kawaki naturally remembered the child in her womb. If it existed, it should be a 17 or 18-year-old adult by now. If it was a girl, she must be as beautiful as her mother.

  At this time, more than 100 security guards had gathered in the courtyard, waiting for the command of Captain Ma. Captain Ma announced the order to carry out the death penalty and then waved his hand to the dense crowd. The execution team immediately took Kawaguchi onto the vehicle, and the team followed closely behind the hearse, escorting Kawaguchi to the pre-selected execution ground.

  Due to his disgust with this city that had inexplicably taken his life, Kawahara closed his eyes and didn't move until they left Datong. It wasn't until the car was bumping along in the suburbs that he opened his eyes to take a last look at this world he would never see again.

  In the scorching summer, the suburbs of Datong were lush and green, with a gentle breeze blowing across his face, and the air was fresh and clean, making Chuanji feel great to be alive. But he was about to leave this beautiful world in the sound of a gunshot. His heart suddenly turned sour, and tears poured down like rain in an instant.

  The reluctance to leave the beautiful scenery in front of him made Kawahara think of Mochizuki. This thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he felt that things were quite suspicious. The Datong Public Security Bureau was so grandly sending him to the execution ground, but Mochizuki, the high-ranking spy leader of the Japanese military's Crow Corps, didn't make a move? This situation was inexplicable no matter what. Unless she was dead or infatuated with Shinobu Aoyama's body? However, both possibilities were almost impossible.

  Kawaki's worried gaze swept around, thinking of a possibility. Moe had borrowed a knife to kill someone. But why did she want to borrow that person's hand to get rid of herself? Was it because six years ago he had abandoned her, or two years ago when she came "he pretended not to recognize" him? Or was it to kill him in order to cut off new relationships after Shun's death? ...Perhaps the mysterious figure weighed it and thought he wasn't suitable to be a member of the Crow Team, so he ordered Moe to kill him?

  Kawarimi thought that the last possibility was the most likely. It was only this way that Tsuchihashi could make a good report to General Itagaki. But there was one thing that Kawarimi couldn't understand: why did the police take such big actions when they took him to the execution ground, didn't the police chief know that there were so many Japanese troops in the city?

  In the two-day and one-night contact, Kawachi taught the police chief with a hemp face, especially the cleverness of the security guard who made himself learn to bark like a dog. Therefore, it is not necessary to mention that Ming's mine guard team may be secretly doing something shameful for Fuji Corporation, or even the Japanese military crow team - they both have a tacit understanding!

  Chuan Qi felt that these endless questions were really hurting his brain, and since he was about to rush to the Yellow Springs, what's the use of clarifying them again? He might as well treat himself kindly, take a look at this beautiful world, bring goodness with him, and share it with the cherry blossoms of Mount Yama.

  As he gazed at the scenery, Kawaki recalled Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms of his hometown. The vague memory of a woman gradually emerged in his mind. Thinking of his first love, Sakuragi Sakura, he felt that death was not so frightening after all, and even looked forward to meeting her again after death and spending the rest of eternity with her. His only regret was that he didn't bring the book Sakuragi Sakura gave him along.

  The car turned around and entered a byway, the speed gradually slowing down, then let out a strange cry, and stopped in a dense white birch forest.

  Kawaki's thoughts were like a crow, constantly flying back and forth between Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms, the woman of his first love, and that legendary hell, when he was suddenly startled by the screeching sound of brakes. He came to himself, looked at the place where he would soon end his life, and thought it was beautiful.

  "Thank you, Captain, for letting Lieutenant General rest in such a beautiful place." After being taken down by the security guards, Chuan Qi relaxed and said with a smile.

  "Mr. Lieutenant, it's said that in this beautiful white birch forest there is a giant divine crow, with which you can fly to the equally beautiful Mt. Fuji and enjoy family bliss after returning home. I wish Mr. could meet the divine crow, and I wish you good luck." The rough-faced police chief was also polite.

  Kawaji said with a determined tone: "Thanks to your kind words, Captain. Perhaps Lieutenant Noguchi will be able to meet this divine crow."

  The pale-faced police captain said calmly: "You'll get your wish, Lieutenant."

  After finishing, the police chief ordered the execution team to line up, and in an instant, they formed a row, the gun bolts clicked loudly, and they all aimed at Kawaji's chest.

  "Ready, set, go."

  Kanji heard the command of the police chief with a pockmarked face and calmly closed his eyes. However, the gun did not fire, what's going on? He curiously opened his eyes to take a look, only to find that the executioner had fallen to the ground.