Chapter 18
Father Attacked
"...Hey...Oh, it's Dad...You asked where I am? I guess I can't say that..."
Just then, Uncle Long's pocket kept vibrating, which gradually awakened Uncle Long, who was originally somewhat confused.
Reaching into his pocket, Uncle Long fumbled for his phone. He pressed the answer button and instinctively spoke, while simultaneously tapping his back with his other hand. He swayed as he sat up, his eyes glazed as he surveyed his surroundings, trying to understand the situation.
"Xiaoyu? Ah, she's fine, she's with Riley right here in front of me... Wait, Xiaoyu! How did you get in here?!"
"That's the same question I wanted to ask, Jackie Chan. Since the establishment of District 13, no one has ever been able to break in without permission... In my opinion, these two kids are very talented. Perhaps you could consider letting them join District 13 and fully utilize their potential?"
Meanwhile, overhearing Uncle Long's phone call and indirectly confirming that his father was safe and sound allowed Sheriff Blake to breathe a sigh of relief for the time being.
But just to be on the safe side, after arranging for some people to rush to Old Man's antique shop, he put the walkie-talkie back into his pocket. So that amidst the teasing and joking conversation, he could free his hands to help Uncle Long slowly stand up.
"What? Oh no! That won't do! They're just children! Their primary task is to study hard! They shouldn't be involved in such dangerous work!"
It was precisely because of Sheriff Black's words that Uncle Long, who was still somewhat dazed, instantly became much more lucid due to the sense of responsibility of his guardian.
Under Jade's surprised and expectant gaze, Uncle Long rejected Sheriff Black's suggestion without even thinking.
Without giving Xiaoyu a chance to fight back, he turned his back and continued talking to his father.
"Huh? What did you say? The shield isn't important... Of course the shield is important, Dad! You have no idea, since I came back, almost everyone wants it! I even got knocked out and forcibly kidnapped by my old friend because of this shield... Anyway, never mind that, the shield is very important! Did you hear me, Dad? Dad? Dad?!"
"Your father is safe and sound, Mr. Jackie Chan. I'll take good care of him for you. Of course, if I still don't have that shield in another hour..."
"...Okay, I understand. I'll be right there."
During their previous conversation, Sheriff Black had explained to Uncle Long the existence of the Mafia and their recent, sudden obsession with stealing various artifacts.
So when he heard that threatening, unfamiliar tone, Uncle Long's heart skipped a beat. He immediately understood the situation and made a quick decision.
"What happened, Jackie Chan? Do you need my men to help?"
"It's nothing, just some personal matters I need to take care of... Could you look after my niece for me while I'm gone?"
"Niece? You mean this child? I didn't know you had a niece."
"I only found out today... Jade, stay here quietly, don't cause trouble, and listen to Sheriff Black!"
After a hurried conversation, Sheriff Black watched as the anxious-looking Uncle Dragon took the elevator and left Section 13.
Of course, with Sheriff Black's experience, he had already figured out that Uncle Long's so-called private matter was definitely related to the Mafia.
But Sheriff Black knew his old friend's temperament well enough to know that intervening at this point would only make the already tense relationship worse.
Therefore, after a brief moment of thought, Sheriff Black decided to respect Uncle Dragon's choice.
"Alright, kids, let me show you around District 13... huh?"
However, when Sheriff Blake thought that taking care of children was a trivial matter and tried to force a smile, attempting to use the two children as a bridge to ease the awkward atmosphere between himself and Uncle Long, he was shocked to discover...
In the brief moment of his daze, Riley and Jade, who had been standing there just fine, both disappeared.
Even the detectives standing next to them, when faced with questioning looks from their boss, shrugged and said they had no idea where the two kids had gone, just like him.
This left Sheriff Black with a host of questions.
"The operation was so secretive, and she's Jackie Chan's niece..."
"Could this be... the mysterious Chinese Kung Fu...?"
……
The scene shifts to Old Man's Antique Shop.
Although I already guessed what was going on when I received that threatening phone call.
But when he opened the door to the antique shop and found that his father's room had been ransacked, with books, scrolls and other miscellaneous items piled up everywhere, but his father was nowhere to be seen, Uncle Long's heart skipped a beat.
The only thing that puzzled Uncle Long was...
Before leaving the antique shop, I clearly saw my father take the shield into the room.
Logically speaking, such a large shield should have been quite conspicuous in this room, which is neither too big nor too small, and should have been found by the Black Hand Gang long ago.
But why did the other party still insist on him bringing the shield to redeem his father over the phone?
Isn't this unnecessary?
"No need to look, Uncle Long. We've already checked carefully; Dad isn't here."
"Jade? How come you got back even faster than me?! And didn't I tell you to stay with Sheriff Black?!"
Before Uncle Long could figure out the problem, a voice suddenly sounded behind him, startling him so much that his heart stopped.
When Uncle Long turned around, he found that Jade and Riley, who should have stayed in District 13, were both peeking their heads out from under the table.
With more and more questions swirling in his mind, Uncle Long finally couldn't suppress his urge to make sarcastic remarks and asked in a daze.
"Of course I'll take the stairs. Like Dad said, you're my guardian for the next year, so you have to take good care of me. Of course I'll go with you, right?"
But when faced with Uncle Long's question, Xiao Yu put her hands on her hips and struck a pose that was both unreasonable and arrogant.
Then, as Uncle Long strode forward, seemingly intending to pick up Jade and forcibly send her into the room, he nudged Riley with his elbow. As if by magic, Riley pulled out a shield from behind Uncle Long, a shield that, despite its age, still gleamed with gold.
"Also, you're looking for this, right?"