035 The Hidden Weapon Arrives

By the time everything was taken care of, evening had already fallen. Du Ruo grabbed a bite at a nearby restaurant—lately, he couldn’t explain why, but he seemed to get hungry more and more often. No matter how many bowls of rice he devoured at mealtime, it always felt like something was missing.

When he returned to the courtyard of the guesthouse, he found two packages waiting for him. These were from the order he’d placed yesterday, containing sewing machine needles. He’d used the guesthouse as the delivery address, and Yang Ling had kindly placed them in the yard for him upon arrival.

Du Ruo could barely wait to tear the packages open. Inside, a hundred sewing machine needles were simply wrapped in a few layers of plastic. He picked one up, noticing traces of oil lingering on its surface.

The point was extremely sharp, and just above it ran a shallow groove about two centimeters long, with an oval eye midway up. The eye of a sewing machine needle was different from that of a regular embroidery needle; it was positioned at the front and was larger. The needle’s rear half was thickened—originally to be better gripped by the sewing machine, but it also made it easier for Du Ruo to handle.

What delighted him most was that the thickened back was wrapped in a fine thread. Testing it, he found the thread had been glued on just as he’d requested—there was no sign of it unraveling. The entire needle was made of steel; even with the thickened section, it would have been difficult to grip securely. Using his right hand was manageable, but with his left, the combination of slick steel and equally smooth fingernails would easily cause slips when force was applied. With the thread wrapping, there was extra friction, effectively eliminating the risk of slipping.

Du Ruo turned the needle over in his hand, growing more pleased the longer he examined it. The extra money he’d paid had been worth it; if he’d tried wrapping the thread himself, he’d never have managed such firmness and precision.

He hurried to open the other package—a medical acupuncture chart rendered to scale. The secret techniques he’d acquired included a smattering of knowledge about pressure points. After all, most throwing weapons were quite small and lacked raw power; only by striking precise points could their lethality be fully realized.

Du Ruo’s intention for the chart was to use it as a target. If he could, within three meters, hit pressure points with his left hand every time, or, within ten meters, strike vital points with his right hand without fail, then he would have truly mastered the basics of throwing weapons.

He eagerly fastened the chart to a wooden board in the courtyard, grabbed a throwing weapon from the table, and flicked it with his fingers. The weapon flew silently through the air, embedding itself in the board with a dull thud, buried deep into the wood.

His accuracy still left something to be desired; he couldn’t yet hit the red dots marking the pressure points. There’s no exact measurement for the size of human pressure points—their dimensions vary with body shape and location—but one thing is certain: miss by more than a centimeter, and you’ve failed to hit your mark.

Undeterred, Du Ruo picked up another weapon and continued to flick them at the chart. This was a long-term endeavor, after all. Besides, he only practiced this as a hobby; in a law-abiding society, one could hardly engage in illegal activities.

“Ding-dong~”

Just as he was practicing, Du Ruo heard his phone chime with a message. He glanced at the screen: it was from Li Qiyao.

“Boss Du, I’ve redrawn the plans as you requested yesterday. Are you free now? If you are, come over to the tavern and have a look.”

“I’ll be right there!”

He quickly replied, washed his hands, and set out for the tavern.

When he arrived, Li Qiyao seemed to have just gotten there herself. She was sitting with Xiang Yuanyuan at their usual spot, while Xiao Juan had just poured her a glass of water.

“Xiao Juan, bring me a glass of water too,” Du Ruo called out as Xiao Juan was about to leave, then sat down unceremoniously opposite the two women.

“Coming to a tavern just to drink water—if all my customers were like you, I’d have to close down in no time,” Xiang Yuanyuan grumbled, glancing at the empty dishes on the table. She’d clearly been drinking for a while, and seeing both of them with plain water seemed rather dull.

“Heh, we’ve got business to discuss with Ah Qi. Once that’s done, we can drink,” Du Ruo replied, then took the blueprint Li Qiyao handed him and examined it intently.

The more he looked, the more delighted he became. Overall, the blueprint matched the coiled-dragon wire weapon design in his mind, with only a few minor discrepancies that could easily be amended.

“This is my first time drawing such a technical design. I had to learn a lot on the fly, but it was a worthwhile experience,” Li Qiyao said, her tone slightly languid. Seeing the smile on Du Ruo’s face, she knew she’d done a good job.

“Some things really ought to be left to professionals, Ah Qi. If you could just tweak these areas a little… here, and here…” Du Ruo praised her and then pointed out a few necessary corrections. It wasn’t that he was being overly picky—the coiled-dragon wire was an exceptionally intricate weapon, a lethal tool where the slightest flaw could be fatal. If the wire ever jammed during use, its wielder’s life could be at risk; there was no room for error.

“Sure, the adjustments you mentioned are simple and quick. In fact, after working on your design, I already have a clear impression of the coiled-dragon wire in my mind. Tomorrow, I can draw you a finished version as well. Do you have any particular color requirements? If so, I can help with the design,” Li Qiyao replied, unfazed by the extra work. Du Ruo was much easier to deal with than some parents she’d encountered, and she could appreciate the need for precision given the complexity of the device.

“Oh? Actually, never mind. Please try to keep the appearance as low-key as possible—it’s not jewelry, just a cutting tool. It doesn’t need to stand out.” Du Ruo was intrigued for a moment, but on second thought, decided against any flashy designs. This was, after all, a weapon—a blend of tool and throwing implement. Making it pretty or brightly colored would be pointless.

“Alright, I’ll give you both the technical and final drawings together,” Li Qiyao nodded calmly, thus settling the matter.

“Xiao Juan, as usual, bring out some wine. Ah Qi, would you like a drink?” With the business concluded, Du Ruo was in high spirits and waved for Xiao Juan to bring him some alcohol. As for snacks, there were still plenty on Xiang Yuanyuan’s side, so he’d just share.

“I’ll pass… eh?” Li Qiyao shook her head, but as she did so, she caught sight of a man entering the tavern. At the sight of him, she instinctively frowned and shrank back, as if trying to make herself invisible.