All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

”Tens of thousands of years?! Are you sure this isn’t some mythological tale?”

Keryo Ikari could not conceal her astonishment.

”Hahaha, now this is a rare sight. To think Prosecutor Ikari of the Special Investigation Department would show such surprise. Still, I can understand. When I first heard that description, I was just as shocked. I even wondered whether I had misheard.”

Kageryu Nagakura laughed as he spoke, then took out a file and handed it to Keryo.

”According to the terms of the trade we just made, there is no way I should give you this file. You get what you pay for, after all. But you once saved my daughter’s life, so consider this my gift of thanks. I hope it proves useful to you. Of course, remember not to let anyone else know that I gave it to you. The National Police Agency has been in turmoil from top to bottom recently because of Black Xu Fu. At a time like this, we should avoid creating any unnecessary complications.”

”You really don’t need to keep dwelling on that. The first thing my father taught me was to extend a helping hand whenever I saw someone in need. No matter who had been in danger at the time, I would have rushed forward without regard for my own safety.

”Of course, don’t follow my example. My parents passed away one after the other long ago, and I have neither married nor dated anyone. I am completely alone, with nothing tying me down. Even if I died, there probably wouldn’t be many people attending my funeral.

”You are different. You have already built a career and started a family. Aside from being a public security officer, you are also the husband of a virtuous woman, the father of an adorable little girl, and the pillar supporting a happy family. When carrying out missions and investigations, you must never be as reckless as you were when you were young. When you encounter danger, think about how to avoid it first instead of charging straight toward it.”

Keryo accepted the file and spoke calmly. Then, as though she would feel uncomfortable if she did not mock him at least once, she chuckled.

”After all, you are already an uncle pushing forty. No matter how anyone looks at you, the word young no longer applies.”

”Good grief. The older people become, the more sensitive they get about their age. Thinking about it that way, I’m almost envious of Black Xu Fu and her immortal life... But then I remember that I would be the only one who lived forever, while my lover and family would still age, fall ill, and die like ordinary people, passing away one after another before my eyes. Once I imagine that, I no longer feel envious.”

Kageryu Nagakura lit a cigarette and spoke with a trace of emotion. Then he held out the pack toward Keryo Ikari.

With practiced ease, Keryo took one from the pack and lit it using the car’s cigarette lighter. She then began flipping through the documents Kageryu Nagakura had compiled, page by page.

Keryo exhaled a plume of smoke and remarked:

”Captain cigarettes? That’s unusual. You used to love smoking Peace. Why did you suddenly switch?”

”At first, I just wanted to try a different brand. After smoking an apple-flavored Captain cigarette, I became rather fond of it. Before I knew it, every time I went to buy cigarettes, I found myself buying Captain instead of Peace.”

”I still prefer Peace. It looks like I won’t be able to mooch cigarettes off you anymore, all because your tastes changed.” Keryo sighed in disappointment.

”Hey, hey, hey. I seem to recall prosecutors earning fairly high annual salaries. Don’t talk as though you’re some impoverished university student who can’t even afford cigarettes... Though now that I think about it, back at the police academy, every time I secretly bought a pack, you would always mooch a few from me.”

”At least after taking a few from you, I treasured every single one. When the instructors discovered and confiscated the cigarettes you had secretly bought, you could still smoke a few of mine instead of suffering until you had enough money to buy another pack,” Keryo said with a smile.

”Now that you mention it, I suppose that’s true... Still, I’m planning to quit smoking.”

”For your family?”

”Yeah... I had already quit for a while, but after Public Security became busy some time ago, I somehow started smoking again without realizing it. It can’t be helped. Life is fucking brutal. Without a few drags now and then, I’m not sure I could keep going.”

Kageryu Nagakura inhaled deeply from his cigarette, then slowly exhaled.