How to Stop the Villain from Going Crazy
Translator: Fuyu
Chapter 20 - Who would be stupid enough to choose him? (2)
Time was ticking away, and the circus people might catch up to them at any moment.
Bo Li felt a strong sense of crisis. She grabbed the horn of the saddle. Her limbs were stiff. She didn't dare to move any further.
Fortunately, Erik finally finished looting the corpse and turned around to walk towards her.
However, it was still one step too late.
In the thick fog, the torches were getting closer. They were like a rapidly approaching fire.
The circus people were almost here.
In the darkness, over ten unfamiliar faces suddenly appeared and expressionlessly stared at them like an eerie old black-and-white photo in a museum. The oppressive mood was like a stretched out rubber band about to snap.
The leader of the group was riding a black horse. Compared to her nervous appearance, he smoothly and effortlessly controlled his horse. It was the manager.
This was her first time looking at the manager face-to-face.
He looked about 40 years old. His appearance was ordinary. He had a mustache and was wearing a dark suit. The gold chain of a pocket watch was hanging from his waist. He looked like a well-educated gentleman.
However, he had a cigarette behind his ear and the holster cover on his saddle was open, revealing the ivory handle of his revolver.
In the dead silence, the manager slowly spoke, "To be honest, I'm curious how you convinced Erik to run away with you."
Bo Li looked at his eyes. She didn't speak. Her palms were clammy.
"He's been in the circus for three months. I've only heard him speak three times: 'not a mute', 'okay', and 'got it'. He can sing, but he never sings in front of an audience. No one can figure out where his voice is coming from. Is it from his throat? His stomach? Or, is he hiding a phonograph under the stage?"
He was joking, but Bo Li couldn't smile. It felt like she was attending an execution.
She instinctively looked at Erik.
He was standing between her and the manager. His eyes were unfathomable. She couldn't tell what he was feeling.
"In order to understand his past, I visited many locals. A Persian called Daroga told me he's the devil and will bring misfortune to the people around him. The Daroga also said he's cold-blooded and cruel. He's killed countless people and invented many creep contraptions. And the most unbelievable thing about him is that even if his opponent has a gun, a knife, or a shield, he can use a lasso to strangle that person."
The manager shook his head and lamented, "At the time, I thought that Persian was lying. How could the world have such a terrifying person? It was only when I witnessed it for myself that I knew there was such a terrifying rope skill!"
This was the content from the original work.
Bo Li's voice was tense. "What do you want to say?"
The manager said with a smile. "I want to tell you that he's very strong, almost to the point of omnipotent, but he's also very dangerous. Are you sure you want to travel with such a person?"
"That's none of your business."
"So ignorant." The manager shook his head. "He's a serious criminal in Persia. I used a few tricks to buy him from those nobles. I gave him freedom, a new life, and a chance to be a star. Look, how did he repay me?"
Ah, so that was why Erik never had the intention to kill Mike. Mike was the manager's nephew, and the manager had saved him.
Bo Li asked, "Then why did you turn a blind eye when he was belittled and bullied?"
The manager spread his hands. "For God's sake, who knows why he let himself be tied to a horse and dragged by it! You've seen what he did to the guard. As long as he wants, he can break the neck of anyone at any time. Who knows what he was thinking at the time and why he didn't resist? Can you guess what he was thinking?"
"Perhaps, that was his repayment to you." Bo Li calmly said, "Mike is your nephew, so he resisted the urge to kill your nephew."
The manager was taken aback. Soon, he laughed. "Good, very good. A good explanation! I can see why he'll listen to you."
He was smiling, but his voice was still slick. "But are you really going to travel with him? I've been observing you two the past few days. You've realized how dangerous he is, haven't you? You might not have noticed it yourself, but there's a bruise on your neck, five finger marks. He's almost strangled you, right?"
So the manager was the reason why she felt she was being watched.
That made sense. She had thought it was weird that neither of them got in trouble for the hole in the trainer's hand. It was because there had been a pair of eyes hiding in the shadow and wondering how close she could get to Erik.
Bo Li looked at Erik.
He didn't look at her, and there was no change in his eyes as if he had anticipated this scene.
Bo Li could only ask the manager, "So what are you getting at?"
The manager blithely said, "What I want is simple. Things have gotten to this point. Erik won't do my bidding anymore. I don't want him anymore. I want you. You're more valuable."
He took the cigarette from behind his ear and held it in his mouth. He struck a match and lit it. "You seem to know where that bag came from and what it's used for. That's very important to me."
The manager inhaled the smoke and exhaled it. "If you're willing to stay and answer my questions about the bag, I can give you everything you want. Fame, money, whatever you want, I have it."
Bo Li inwardly scoffed. If she wasn't a modern-day person, if she was the real Poli Clermont, she would probably be tricked by his words.
After all, no matter how one looked at it, it was more worthwhile to switch allegiances to the manager.
The manager had more people and guns on his side. He had more connections too.
Erik only had a rope and an old-fashioned rifle.
Who would be stupid enough to choose him?
However, she could never forget the image of Erik twisting the guard's head off with rope. That couldn't be explained by physics.
This was the world of horror movies. He probably had inhuman strength.
After transmigrating, she weighed the pros and cons and swallowed her anger. Step by step, she finally gained his trust with great difficulty and didn't die under his hands.
She had worked so hard to get here. How could she give that up just because of the manager's promise?
"Erik…" Bo Li suddenly spoke in a trembling voice.
The manager didn't stop her from talking to Erik. His expression was confident as if he was certain that she would choose him over a dangerous freak.
Erik finally raised his eyes to look at her. His gaze was calm and almost on the brink of placidness, as if he wouldn't be surprised no matter how she chose.
"... I choose you," she said.
As soon as her words fell, she saw his astonished expression.