act12side

You need to use your own reason to break away from their old ways. You need to think about what only you can do.

I don't understand.

It's okay, but you should try to remember this.

Okay, I still have something else to take care of, so it's time for you to be good and go to bed now, little girl.

(Grr, how dare that Lin Yühsia hang up on me. Now I can't reach her. What the hell is she doing?!)

Lin Yühsia, what are you even doing? I heard you rescued the hostages like twenty minutes ago, and now most of their men are coming after you.

I know. I'm not with the hostages right now. My guess is they've gotten out.

What are you...

Trust me. Come to the basement. Together, we'll...

Ch'en puts her phone down and turns around in an instant. Pancho and his men are standing not too far away.

I've heard stories of what an impressive man the Chief of Lungmen Wei Yenwu is.

You may be no less formidable, but neither of you have a clear head, and he sent you two nonetheless.

Looks like Wei Yenwu is no more impressive than Candela.

You...

You people see nothing but money. There is nothing but leisure on your mind. I can't wait to slaughter all of you.

I don't know what Lungmen is like, but ever since I was born, there's been blood gushing out of Bolívar's veins.

Who doesn't want to shake hands and live in happiness? But none of us here can do that.

Let me tell you this. It doesn't matter how much blood we spill. This city sucks far more blood in a single day!

Alright, I've had enough of your games.

Give it up, or this is where you die.

(Why are you doing this? Do you really think this is right, in spite of how much more blood you'll spill?)

(None of those questions matter to him...)

(In his eyes, I'm the one who's disrupting his plans, and besides—)

(I can't argue with him.)

(Not because I regret what I've done.)

(In fact, it's because I do agree with him, now that I understand his motives.)

(Even if I disagree with his methods.)

(But I don't understand Bolívar well enough, and I don't understand war well enough. I can't come up with a better solution.)

(That's why I can't argue with him.)

(That's why I can't draw my blade.)

(Chi Xiao definitely won't accept me as I am now. I can tell.)

(In that case, there's only one thing I can do—)

Ch'en slowly lifts her gun.

So you have chosen death.

Likewise, Pancho slowly lifts the anchor in his hands.

Right at that moment—

Jump, Hui-chieh.

With no time to think, Ch'en leaps off the deck of the ship.

Lin Yühsia is waiting underneath with a boat.

Gah, after them!

Hey, look. That's Ch'en and Lin they're chasing, right?

Impressive. Really impressive.

We should go help—

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoes from the ship, not far from the shore.

What did you do?

A little surprise.

Remember how I asked you what to do after the hostages are rescued?

I did agree with you that I should take everyone with me and leave, but then it came to me I still had that bomb.

So I thought I'd give them a little surprise.

Care for a drink?

Interesting time for such a display of aesthetics.

I didn't notice this until I got the boat out here. Figured I'd try my hand at arranging it.

Sounds lame.

Talking about yourself?

I can't tell for sure whether you did that intentionally or not.

What?

Have you forgotten already? 'When it comes time for you to take over, you can't always do as they did in the past.'

The call was still connected when you said that.

So, be straight with me. You didn't do what I think you did, right?

We're almost to the shore.

You lost, old man.

You have no idea what you've done, helping Candela.

You've done well, Pancho.

Candela!

Stop. We lost.

Good choice.

Come, sit.

What are you trying to do, Candela?

Can't you tell? I'm inviting you to eat with me.

Pancho snorts, but sits down opposite to Candela nonetheless.

Most men would be terrified at this point. That's what I like about you, Pancho.

You flatter me.

I lost, but not only have you not arrested me, you're asking me out to eat. What are you trying to do? Humiliate me?

I want a chat, Pancho.

You used Ernesto to distract me, and you had your underlings plant bombs all over the city during the competition.

Finally, right before the third round was to begin, you took all the elites and dignitaries on the ship hostage to keep me from doing anything.

I've got to hand it to you, Pancho. This is the closest I've come to losing my city.

Concha tu madre, Candela. My men and I spent days on end to put this plan in motion.

Then, it so happens you invited two outsiders who don't know the slightest thing about this city here, and it so happens they took on this case for you.

And they... They happen to thwart my plans!!

Why did you, of all people, win?!

I won?

What are you talking about? Dear Pancho, I think you've spent so much time in my city that you've forgotten who I am.

Or perhaps you never understood me at all.

I was never your opponent, and you didn't lose to me.

You merely failed. It's that simple.

You lived in the city you despise the most for decades, complaining about the three governments, yet you accepted the backing of one of them just to overthrow me.

Let me guess. It's probably someone from the Leithanian side. Oh, I even have a good idea who it might be.

Tell me, Pancho. What was going on in your mind that you turned to those ruthless men for help?

Oh, so you've learned to swallow your pride.

In that case, why not wag your tail at me and beg for my mercy?

How are you so sure I wouldn't help you?

I mean it, Pancho. If you had come begging, perhaps I would've given you the manpower and money to fight the wars you so love.

And if you then managed to win, this city would have to bow down to you.

You couldn't find a more attractive plan if you tried.

I will never bow down to you.

Oh, look at you. You're always so stubborn.

Men like you always have unrealistic expectations of the words 'complete' and 'independence'.

You dream of an ideology that will bring all of you together. You seek a symbol that will unite all of you under its banner.

But the truth is Bolívar has never been independent. It has no history, so where will you find your ideology and symbol?