Chapter 431: Grand Finale (Part 1): Internal Flaw

I met up with Panzi at a café by the Xiang River. The moment Panzi saw me, he was stunned. I saw him trembling, looking at me almost unable to speak.

But he almost immediately realized something and slowly calmed down.

"Little Third Master?" He looked at me and called out tentatively.

"As expected, I couldn't hide it from you." I gave a wry smile.

He still stared at me, and only after a long while did he let out a long sigh and sit down: "What are you trying to do? Where did you get that thing?"

I told him about my idea and the mask Xiao Hua gave me. I told him I thought this was the only feasible plan.

He looked at my face, was silent for a long time, as if thinking, or as if studying how realistic the mask was. After a long time, he covered his own face, took a deep breath, then nodded: "Are you really determined to do this?"

I nodded.

"Little Third Master, Third Master's life is no life for a man. That phrase has many meanings. In short, with your character, you absolutely can't pull it off," Panzi said. "You know what kind of people we deal with. What you've seen is only our gentlest side. The true face of this trade is beyond your imagination."

I sighed. I knew Panzi wasn't just scaremongering; he said this for my own good.

"I want to go save them," I said. "I really want to save them. I don't want this to end like this. So even if I can't bear it, I will bear it."

Panzi continued looking at me and asked, "How long can the mask last?"

"Four weeks."

He nodded: "That's a bit tight. We'll have to speed things up."

Seeing that he seemed to agree, I breathed a sigh of relief. This hurdle with Panzi was the easiest. Then I asked, "What do you think we should do? What's our first step? Go settle accounts with Wang Baqiu?"

Panzi shook his head: "Do you know how I recognized you just now?" I shook my head. He continued, "Your hesitation. The moment you saw me, your face was full of hesitation. That's an expression unique to you. On Third Master's face, you never see that expression." He paused. "So our first step should be to make sure you have no flaws at all. Otherwise, you're just an empty shell. Those people are sharp as needles. You won't fool anyone."

I touched my face, thinking, Did I really hesitate? Panzi pointed at me and said, "That's exactly the expression. You have to completely get rid of your hesitation."

I sighed, thinking this was practically my instinct, how could I change it? Panzi looked around, saw no no-smoking sign, lit a cigarette, and said, "When Third Master encounters something, he always forms his own judgment first. He rarely has an expression of seeking others' opinions. When he looks at people, he has a condescending posture. You don't have any of that."

"Then what do I do? This kind of thing is too hard. What if I just show my face a few times and you cover for me?" I asked.

Panzi smiled bitterly and shook his head: "A few months ago, it might have been possible. But now, as you've seen, they won't listen to me. To carry out your plan, you need to stand solidly in front of them and tell everyone that you are Third Master, you've returned, and those who don't obey are ready to die."

I thought about it and shuddered, immediately shaking my head: "I definitely can't do that. It's too hard. Even if I practiced every day, it's unlikely I'd reach that level."

"Didn't you just say you'd bear it, Little Third Master?" Panzi looked at me. "This is only the first obstacle. You say you can't do it before even trying, then forget about everything that comes after. This isn't a movie; it's real life. It's not that simple."

I looked into his eyes and realized he wanted me to back down when faced with difficulty, but I knew I was at my limit, with no retreat. Finally I said, "Alright, I'll do it."

Panzi kept looking at me, into my eyes. I tried to convey a determination that wasn't hesitation. He finally stubbed out his cigarette: "Let's go. Find a secluded place to continue. I'll think of something. And you must remember at all times: you are now Third Master. There are too many of Third Master's old brothers around here, too many eyes. You can't escape."

I nodded. He stood up and suddenly said to me, "Third Master, let's go."

I was startled for a moment, then immediately understood what he meant. A wave of sadness surged up in me. I barely managed to hold it back and stood up. He walked ahead of me and opened the door. I suppressed the urge to thank him and walked straight out.

At that moment, I suddenly felt I had begun to lose something. Something I must not have noticed before. At this instant, I felt immensely dejected.

Just as I was thinking, suddenly some people got out of several cars by the roadside ahead and all walked toward me. I was stunned to see that it was Wang Baqiu.

I turned back to look at Panzi. He was also startled. Wang Baqiu, with four men, looked at me and laughed: "Third Master, when did you get back? Why didn't you let us know? Brothers thought something had happened to you."