Chapter 006: Meng Bo

After obtaining Takumi Fujiwara's information, Wang Bo went to a Fujiwara handmade tofu shop in Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture, following the address recorded in the materials.

A Toyota AE86 was parked beside the shop door, but the driver's side door had a dent and seemed to have scorch marks.

Wang Bo noted this detail, pushed open the door, and entered. Stepping into the entrance, he saw a disheveled man sitting on the floor, head down, smoking.

Judging by the cigarette butts scattered on the floor, the man had been smoking for quite a while.

Hearing someone enter, the middle-aged man looked up, cigarette in mouth, and mumbled, "Sorry, we're closed for a few days. Please buy tofu elsewhere."

Wang Bo casually tossed his Hunter License over. Sometimes this thing came in handy.

The middle-aged man was taken aback when he saw the license. He quickly stood up, scrutinized Wang Bo with his narrow eyes, and said, "So you're a Hunter."

Wang Bo nodded and got straight to the point: "You're Bunta Fujiwara, right? Tell me, when did your son Takumi Fujiwara go missing?"

"Four days ago." The middle-aged man, Bunta Fujiwara, seeing that a Hunter had arrived, didn't wait for Wang Bo to ask before spilling everything he knew: "My son went missing four days ago at night. He was delivering tofu at the time. The disappearance occurred on Mount Akina, around four to six in the morning."

Wang Bo understood and asked further, "Was there anything unusual when he disappeared?"

"No," Bunta Fujiwara shook his head. "He was normal that day, but after he left, he never came back."

Wang Bo nodded and asked, "When he disappeared, was he driving that 86 outside?"

"Yes," Bunta Fujiwara said. "At six in the morning, I saw he still hadn't returned and got worried, so I went to Mount Akina for a look. I found the 86 there, but my son was no longer in the car. It was as if he vanished into thin air. Please, you must save my son."

Wang Bo looked at Bunta Fujiwara, who was gripping his hand tightly, unwilling to let go. This man, who in the story had played the cool guy so well, was now just a father worried about his son.

If not for this accident, his son might have already become a racer under his training.

Wang Bo didn't shake off the father's hand. He said calmly, "Don't worry, I'll find that monster."

Only then did Bunta Fujiwara release Wang Bo's hand.

Just then, a voice came from outside: "Excuse me, is anyone here?"

Wang Bo turned around. The door of the Fujiwara Tofu Shop was pushed open again, and a young man walked in. He wore a blue formal suit but had a red vest underneath.

But Wang Bo could tell it wasn't an ordinary vest—it was a bulletproof vest.

After entering, the man looked at Wang Bo and Bunta Fujiwara and asked, "Which one of you is Bunta Fujiwara?"

"I am," Bunta Fujiwara replied.

"And who are you?" the man asked Wang Bo.

Wang Bo countered, "Before asking me, you should state your own name first. That's basic courtesy."

The man chuckled. "My apologies. I'm Meng Bo. Pleased to meet you."

"Wang Bo." When Wang Bo heard the name Meng Bo, he was momentarily stunned, because the name was indeed familiar to him. But then he gave his own name.

"Didn't expect to meet a fellow townsman. Pleased to meet you, fellow townsman." Meng Bo seemed a bit surprised but became even more enthusiastic.

Bunta Fujiwara looked at Meng Bo and said, "Mr. Meng Bo, is there something you need from me?"

Meng Bo said, "Actually, I'm here about your son, Takumi Fujiwara."

"My son?" Bunta Fujiwara was startled and couldn't help asking, "Mr. Meng Bo, do you know my son?"

"No," Meng Bo shook his head. "Sorry for the late introduction. I am Meng Bo, a City Hunter, and I've come specifically for your son's disappearance case."

"You're also a Hunter?" Bunta Fujiwara was taken aback and couldn't help looking at Wang Bo.

Meng Bo caught Bunta Fujiwara's glance, his expression changing. He looked at Wang Bo. "You're a Hunter?"

Wang Bo nodded, handed over his Hunter License, and looked at Meng Bo, whose expression was shifting. He said slowly, "If I remember correctly, the Hunter Association has a clear rule: when a Hunter has accepted a mission, other Hunters are not allowed to interfere without reason."

This rule was to prevent malicious competition.

In the early days of the Hunter Association, some Hunters, driven by bounty, maliciously snatched missions from others, leading to some Hunters' deaths.

So the Hunter Association enacted this rule.

Meng Bo laughed heartily and patted Wang Bo on the shoulder. "Don't be so formal. Actually, I've gathered quite a bit of useful information. If you don't mind, why don't we solve this mission together and split the hundred-thousand-dollar bounty fifty-fifty?"

Wang Bo raised an eyebrow. "What clues do you have? Let's hear them."

"So you agree to team up?" Meng Bo was overjoyed.

Wang Bo said, "If your information is valuable, I don't mind."

Wang Bo didn't care much about the bounty; after all, he had plenty of money. A mere hundred thousand dollars wasn't worth his attention. If Meng Bo really had important clues, Wang Bo wouldn't mind sharing part of the bounty with him.

Meng Bo laughed heartily, speaking casually: "From the moment I saw you, I knew you were a straightforward guy. Actually, I have a friend who's a detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Thanks to her, I learned that all the missing persons share one commonality."

"What commonality?" Wang Bo asked.

Meng Bo said, "They all disappeared while using transportation."

"Transportation?"

"Yes, most disappeared while driving cars, and a small number while riding motorcycles. If I'm not mistaken..." Meng Bo looked at Bunta Fujiwara. "Your son disappeared while driving a car, right?"

Bunta Fujiwara was startled.

Because his son had indeed disappeared while delivering tofu. When he found the car, his son was already gone.

Seeing Meng Bo accurately describe the circumstances of his son's disappearance, Bunta Fujiwara no longer underestimated this seemingly carefree young man. "Mr. Meng Bo, you truly have sharp eyes. Yes, my son did disappear while driving. To be precise, he disappeared while delivering tofu."

For Bunta Fujiwara, the more Hunters there were, the greater the hope of finding his son. So he didn't mind Wang Bo and Meng Bo cooperating at all; in fact, he hoped they would work together to save his son.