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墨書 Inktalez
It was rare to hear such a serious sentence from Second Uncle, and I couldn't help but curiously ask, "What serious matter?"
Second Uncle asked me if I remembered Ajan Dong. I said of course I remembered; I had even gone to see him the last time I returned to Thailand. Didn't he say he was going to Cambodia? Second Uncle acknowledged this and informed me that Ajan Dong had encountered trouble in Cambodia. He was currently leading a group there and was almost at the Thai border. I was somewhat surprised; as a Black-Clad Achan, what kind of trouble could he get into? Second Uncle was reluctant to share too many details, only saying that the situation was complicated and might take some time to resolve. During this period, he wouldn't have much time to take care of me, so I had to be extra cautious. He also left me the phone number of Azan Kunsha, saying that if I encountered any insurmountable issues, I should reach out to this Black Robed Mage.
I wanted to ask Second Uncle for a few more numbers, both for reassurance and to expand my channels for future Amulet business. However, Second Uncle said that even if he left numbers, there weren't many familiar Ajan Masters left; they had all been taken to Cambodia by him. I was taken aback; Second Uncle knew quite a few Black-Clad Achans—what were they all doing there?
Perhaps worried that I would overthink it, Second Uncle revealed a bit more detail, saying that Ajan Dong had gone to Cambodia to help someone but had offended a very powerful Drug Dealer in the area. That person had hired some mages to cause trouble, and Ajan Dong found himself trapped in a mountainous forest near Gold Trim. Second Uncle's trip was specifically to rescue Ajan Dong. The other party had demanded either compensation or a life in return.
Grandfather was also aware of this situation and decided after discussions with some reputable Black Robed Mages that they would take action!
Forget about money; don’t negotiate with me! You have your people, and we have ours; it’s just a matter of who is stronger. This incident caused a stir in Thailand's Dealer market; they temporarily set aside their territorial disputes with Grandfather and united against a common enemy, planning to confront the forces that controlled arms and drugs. In the past, Dealers entering Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, etc., often faced harassment from these forces and had long wanted to teach them a lesson. Just because you have guns doesn’t mean you can act recklessly; we are not afraid!
Thus, while it seemed like Second Uncle was going to rescue Ajan Dong, it was actually a covert struggle between merchants and Drug Dealers.
I listened with growing concern; those people in movies were armed with machine guns and cannons. Although Black-Clad Achans were formidable, they were still flesh-and-blood beings—could they really stand up against them? Second Uncle didn’t seem worried at all; he believed that any power thoroughly understood by others was not something to fear. Only things that transcended common sense were truly terrifying.
Bullets may be powerful, but we can dodge them. But can you dodge curses?
From his tone, it was clear that Second Uncle was resolute. I knew I couldn't be of any help; I could only hold onto the White Olive Amulet around my neck and hope it would protect Second Uncle on his return journey. When I asked if Second Uncle would go himself, he said that since this matter involved the Indochina conflict and he was responsible for the Malay Peninsula side of things, he wouldn’t participate. I fell silent immediately; Second Uncle had raised me since childhood—how could he not understand my feelings? He smiled and said, "Don't overthink it; Third Brother's side is quite important and can't afford to lose anyone. I'm bringing many people this time; there won't be any danger."
I gloomily replied, "Brothers fight together against tigers; fathers and sons go into battle together."
Second Uncle laughed heartily and said, "Alright, look at you being so stingy. Isn't Third Brother also your uncle? It doesn't matter who goes."
I thought to myself, Second Uncle is Second Uncle, and you are you; in my heart, they hold different weights. Grandpa is quite biased, letting Second Uncle enjoy life in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, while making him deal with all these messy things every day. It's really too unfair.
To comfort me, Second Uncle asked what gift I wanted him to bring back after he finished his business. I said I didn't want anything; I just wanted him to hurry back and drink with me. Second Uncle smiled and said, "No problem, once I get back, we’ll drink until we drop."
In this situation, I had no desire to ask Second Uncle about anything else. After hanging up the phone, during lunch, Grandma noticed I was distracted and asked what was wrong. I didn't dare tell her that Second Uncle might be in danger because although Grandma was unwilling to reconcile with Grandpa, she cared deeply for Second Uncle. During holidays, she would urge me to send them some local specialties. So, I just made up an excuse to brush it off.
This matter took nearly three weeks from start to finish. Over the course of twenty days, I frequently called Second Uncle. At first, he answered, but by the last week, I could hardly reach him. I felt a bit anxious and didn't know what was happening over there, so I contacted Grandpa. He said the situation was a bit tricky; a bunch of people from Cambodia and Myanmar had joined forces, and it might take a few more days to resolve it. Moreover, due to the number of people involved, it had already attracted the attention of both governments.
Originally, the relationship between Cambodia and Thailand wasn't particularly good; now it's even more tense. I've heard that troops are secretly gathering at the border. Hearing this made me panic; it was terrifying that just one Black-Clad Achan could cause such a huge upheaval.
Grandpa remained calm about the whole thing and spoke steadily: "Victory or defeat depends on today. We've drawn our bow and shot our arrow; there's no turning back. Whoever turns back will die. You're still young; don't worry about these matters. Focus on your studies, and when things settle down here, come to Thailand to spend a few days with me."
I wished I could go to Thailand immediately; ideally, I'd be the first to see Second Uncle return. But Grandpa disagreed. Although he didn't state the reason outright, I could guess it. If things went well, Grandpa would become a big winner as the leader of this operation. However, if it failed, he would bear most or even all of the responsibility. In such an uncertain situation, if I rashly went to Thailand and there was no good news from Second Uncle, I might get dragged into it too.
Many big figures often send their families away when they are taking desperate risks; they wait until things are settled before bringing them back—this is the reasoning behind it. I understood Grandpa's feelings and knew that at this moment, adding more chaos would not help; thus, I suppressed my anxiousness and chose to wait for news on the mainland.
At that time, Qin Senior Sister also called me; she was in a bad mood because of Zheng Xuejie.
Last time she mentioned that Zheng Xuejie attempted suicide by jumping off a building and after waking up seemed like a different person altogether. Not only had her temperament turned irritable and cynical towards the world, but she also ignored her close friends completely. Whenever she spoke with her now, it felt like they were strangers. Qin Senior Sister felt somewhat wronged; she believed she had treated Zheng Xuejie well and was always the first to help whenever something happened—why was she now receiving the same treatment?
Qin Senior Sister asked me if it was possible that the Potted Amulet had an effect on her? I asked her if Zheng Xuejie had encountered any misfortunes recently?
"Qin Senior Sister" said, "No, everything has been fine. I even asked her parents, and they said there was nothing wrong."
This is really strange. The absence of any misfortune indicates that the revenge from "Amulet" has truly stopped. So why has she undergone such a significant change? I said, "You should take her to the hospital to check her brain and see if it got damaged from the fall."
"Qin Senior Sister" mentioned that they had already done that. After the examination, the doctor said she was recovering well and there were no signs of previous injuries. Logically speaking, even if she had suffered a head injury, it shouldn't have affected her personality. "Qin Senior Sister" hoped I could help see if there were other issues. I was worried about "Second Uncle" and initially wanted to refuse, but then I thought that waiting like this would eventually lead to depression; it would be better to go out and distract myself.
Hearing my agreement, "Qin Senior Sister" was very happy and asked when I could arrive. She and "Zheng Xuejie" would come to pick me up.
After finalizing this plan, I told my grandmother that I was going to a female classmate's house to hang out and might not return for a few days. My grandmother said seriously, "Going to someone's house is fine, but you must adhere to the rules. Some things can only be done after marriage!"
I felt a bit embarrassed and wanted to explain that she was just an ordinary classmate, but then I thought it was better not to say anything. If one is upright, there’s no need to fear shadows; there’s nothing much to explain.
That night, I bought a train ticket, and by the next afternoon, I arrived in the city where "Qin Senior Sister" and "Zheng Xuejie" lived. They had been classmates since high school, and since they lived nearby, their families also had a good relationship. As I exited the train station, I saw "Qin Senior Sister" waving at me. After walking over, I noticed "Zheng Xuejie" was not there and asked, "Didn't you say you were coming together? Where is she?"
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