Chapter 18: I Am Back Again
Uesugi Kiyoshi naturally ignored Watanabe Goro's plea and walked confidently into the old school building.
Under the light of the spotlight, everything is revealed. What came into view were white plaster statues scattered around, some sitting, some standing, all different shapes but none with heads.
Uesugi Kiyoshi looked around and shook his head sadly.
"This Teacher Wangbu is so casual. How can such exquisite sculptures be placed around so casually?"
"Well, artists have their quirks that may be different from others. Haha, hahaha..." chuckled Watanabe Goro in response.
"Indeed quite strange."
Uesugi Kiyoshi pointed at a female statue lying by the window, amazed.
"Take this one for example. Clearly, she's not wearing any clothes, so why is she holding a hatchet?"
"Well, maybe it's to show the inner violent tendency and destructive desire of contemporary Japanese people under social pressure. Artists, haha, hahaha..."
Uesugi Kiyoshi, looking at the puzzled Watanabe Goro, clasped his hands and said. Speaking of which, what about Teacher Wangbu?
"Ah, um, there are too many people here, he doesn't want to come out, artists, ha..."
"Did you guys kill him?!" Uesugi Kiyoshi's smile turned cold. Not only did you kill your creator, but you also tried to lure others over and then kill them to satisfy your craving for skulls, am I right? The plaster sculpture with Watanabe Goro's head hanging on it?
What?
Following behind, Ichiro Shimada was shocked and looked at the speechless Watanabe Goro. By the bright light, he indeed noticed something unusual on the other person's body.
Under the shirt collar covering the neck, a faint crack was visible, the skin above was pale yellow and oily, while the skin below was crystal clear like jade.
That is definitely not human skin!
He took a step back, but remembering Uesugi Kiyoshi's words, anger overcame his fear, he quickly stepped forward, grabbed Watanabe Goro's collar, and shook him desperately.
"Teacher Wangbu is dead?!"
"No, no..."
"You, you actually killed Teacher Wangbu?!"
With violent shaking, Watanabe Goro's head snapped off with a crack, fell to the ground, and rolled to the feet of a strong man. The strong man lowered his head, glanced at it, didn't even hum, and fainted directly on the ground.
"What a coward!"
Facing Uesugi Kiyoshi's surprised look, Matsuda Shomei's cheeks flushed hot, loudly scolding his subordinates.
However, the next second, he involuntarily screamed loudly.
Because the sculptures in the corridor suddenly came to life, waving their arms and legs. Led by a female figure holding a machete, they slowly approached them.
Distant footsteps rumbled, mixed with the sound of classroom doors opening, one after another, as if countless Headless Sculptures were swarming out.
"Your Excellency Uesugi!" Matsuda Shomei grabbed Uesugi Kiyoshi's hand, hysterically shouting, "You didn't mention this before, we need to pay more. Eighty million, no, a hundred million!"
Uesugi Kiyoshi coldly shook off his hand.
"Don't be too greedy, Matsuda. Who are they? Just plaster statues, not even as scary as skeletons that can bite people. They don't even have heads! Sixty million, no more!"
With an extra ten million in, Matsuda Shomei gained more courage.
Yeah, what's there to be afraid of? It's just a stick-for-stick thing, much easier than gang fights, right? These sculptures don't even have fingernails, they won't choke on plaster powder, will they?
He pumped himself up, leading the charge, knocking the machete from the leading woman's hand with a stick, along with half of the plaster arm, instantly boosting morale.
"See, nothing to fear at all. Like a boss, let's go!"
"No fighting, no fighting!"
Just then, Watanabe Goro stood up, though headless, still urgently shouting from his chest.
"Stop! We didn't kill Teacher Wangbu, he's still alive!"
"At this time, still trying to deceive me, huh?"
Uesugi Kiyoshi raised his hand and saw an old man with a cloth stuffed in his mouth, struggling, being escorted out from the end of the corridor by sculptures.
"It's Teacher Wangbu!" Ichiro Shimada knelt down, crying tears of joy.
"Wait, it could also be just Teacher Wangbu's head."
The sculptures removed the cloth, opened Teacher Wangbu's shirt, revealing the loose skin typical of old age.
This really surprised Uesugi Kiyoshi, in the original, neither Teacher Wangbu nor Ichiro Shimada survived.
"Is it because they have already killed Watanabe Goro's head, so they need to keep Teacher Wangbu alive to add more members for you?" he speculated.
"We didn't kill Watanabe Goro either," the female sculpture with a broken arm retorted. he was killed by his own father and then thrown to us. My lover has already read the memories.
"So none of us has killed anyone, can you spare us? We are willing to pay any price!" Watanabe Goro begged, prostrating on the ground.
Uesugi Kiyoshi was moved.
Even though these guys were trying to harm people, they hadn't done anything yet, so they stopped on their own. Even if they were punished by law, it would probably only result in a charge of illegal detention.
It might be better to let them redeem themselves through actions and make a greater contribution to humanity.
"Well, that might work. Do you have any conditions?"
"We don't want food or clothes, just a few heads from people every month!"
...
Uesugi Kiyoshi cleared his throat and said, "Plaster heads? This should be fine, Teacher Wangbu he..."
"We want real human heads freshly taken from living people," Ryō Watanabe corrected. "This is the desire Teacher Wangbu has given us from birth, and it's our greatest pursuit in life."
Teacher Wangbu covered his forehead and tears of pain welled up. "What kind of art am I pursuing..."
There was no room for negotiation.
Uesugi Kiyoshi was about to give an order to attack when his bodyguard suddenly tugged at him from behind.
"Boss, the thing you asked me to remind you about has happened."
What happened?
Just as Uesugi Kiyoshi was about to ask, he saw the bodyguard touching his own cheek and understood.
He also put his hand on his own face.
The skin of young people is naturally youthful and elastic, but even Nakasone Kazuko would not have skin as smooth and delicate as his right now, like nylon.
"Everyone! Quickly close the doors and windows!"
"Oh, why?"
Matsuda Shomei didn't understand, but when he saw the bodyguard hurriedly taking out protective suits and helping Uesugi Kiyoshi and Nakasone Kazuko put them on, he also understood.
"Oh no, they're back?!!"
