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墨書 Inktalez
It was ultimately Cao Mingzhe who dragged me up from the ground. My dazed mind and aching, exhausted body made it impossible for me to move on my own. Cao Mingzhe was surprisingly strong; with one hand, he lifted me and threw me over his shoulder. Like carrying a sack of straw, he walked easily toward my room, the very room where Liu Squad Leader had just been hiding.
At that moment, I truly felt like a sack of straw. In such an obvious situation of advantage, I still let Black Shorty turn the tables. Although Liu Squad Leader was injured worse than I was, the normal course of events should have left only one person lying on the ground while I stood over him, mockingly taunting him.
Fatty didn’t follow us, and of course, Xiao Ting, who was always with him, didn’t come either. The one who entered my room with Cao Mingzhe was A San. Perhaps it was to show loyalty?
I was annoyed that Fatty couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe. Not only did he fail to show me the concern I deserved, but I also heard him asking about another person lying on the ground with genuine worry. “Liu sir, can you hear me? Oh my gosh, your eyes are barely open; Qiangzi hit you too hard. Good thing you’re tough; otherwise, a regular person would be done for.”
“Brother Gang, thank you. I can see that Zhang has a grudge against me; I’ll have to rely on you this time. If he liked me, would I sell him out? Zhang Jianqiang, even if it kills me, I'm going down there; you can't stop me!”
Liu Squad Leader’s last few words were directed at me, muffled and tinged with a sobbing tone, as if he were the one being betrayed and wronged.
My upper body was in front of Cao Mingzhe, so I couldn’t see Liu Squad Leader’s expression or demeanor at that moment, but I had no intention of looking anyway. With all my strength, I raised one arm awkwardly behind me and gave him the middle finger. I maintained that posture until Cao Mingzhe carried me into the room and tossed me onto the bed.
“You’re still as indecisive as before,” Cao Mingzhe said nonchalantly as he settled into a rattan chair.
A San acted like a nurse, skillfully and diligently tending to my wounds. As the alcohol wiped away the blood on my face, it also made it clear to me that there were several cuts; my face was ruined, and I probably wouldn’t be able to go out for quite some time.
“Well then, let me tell you something decisive.” After spitting out a mouthful of blood-tinged mouthwash, I continued. “No matter who is leading this operation or what their purpose is, don’t count me in. I currently hold no public office and have no reason to be forced into your actions.”
The rattan chair was large, and Cao Mingzhe sank deep into it. My impulsive words didn’t elicit any reaction from him at all; it was as if his brain had also sunk into the chair.
The atmosphere was unusually silent. A San finished treating my wounds in silence and stood at the foot of the bed for a moment before saying, “You shouldn’t hurt yourself like this.”
"I was careless," I thought, feeling even more frustrated. "I thought Black Shorty would back down."
"You should," A San seemed to be weighing his words, pausing for a moment. "Make him completely lose the ability to resist. Perhaps I could take action as well."
"You?" My tone was filled with disdain.
Honestly, I didn't believe A San would have the upper hand against Liu Squad Leader; he didn't even have the advantage of height. Liu Squad Leader was particularly tough. With A San's build, a single heavy punch from Black Shorty would take him out.
A San nodded. "Knock him down in ten seconds, finish him off in five."
After hearing this, I silently closed my eyes. The headache was severe, and it was also frightening to hear A San say that. I had forgotten that he used to fight in underground matches. Going all out and seriously injuring someone was his specialty.
What worried me was that he had now figured me out. Previously, he had respected me because of Jack, a powerful fighter who set a standard; he believed my skills were at least on par with Jack's. As for Fatty, who joined later, he had an overwhelming advantage over A San. He probably thought the three of us were all like Wolverines. I imagined he wouldn't be so submissive as my subordinate anymore.
I kept my eyes closed and calculated. If he was confident he could kill Liu Squad Leader in five seconds, then taking me out would only take an extra three to five seconds. I was more determined than ever not to get involved in this operation.
Suddenly, Cao Mingzhe's voice broke the silence. "Alright, I'll give you the details of this operation. For now, it's just about the personnel composition."
"Stop." I quickly opened my eyes and made a gesture like calling a timeout in basketball. "Old Cao, don't drag me into this. I'm tired; I want to live quietly for a few years. What kind of life have these years been? Not quite human, not quite ghost."
Of course, this wasn't my true sentiment; even as a ghost, some things still needed to be done. But I didn't want to join this Task Force. I had a feeling that as soon as I joined this Task Force, regardless of whether this operation succeeded or failed, I would be doomed. There were people in this Task Force who wanted me dead! They all seemed eager for my demise.
Cao Mingzhe stood up and nodded. "I understand. No one will force you; even if you don't participate, our chances of failure will be greater."
Cao Mingzhe glanced at A San, and the two of them walked out together. When they reached the door, Cao Mingzhe let A San go first and turned back to me. "You are an Awakener. The top-tier Awakener. If you don't enter the Eternal Gate and Dequantize, your fate will be worse than ours. Moreover, there may not be anywhere left to hide in the future, unless you are willing to hide in that hellish hideout built by the Europeans. Of course, they would welcome you; after all, having a top-tier Awakener for live experiments is a rare opportunity."
The words "live experiments" made my heart tremble violently, and images of the terrifying Unit 71 flashed through my mind. No wonder Cao Mingzhe compared that place to hell; for an Awakener, it truly was hell.
However, there was another piece of information in Cao Mingzhe's words. He used the term "we," saying, "your fate will be worse than ours." Could it be?
I stared at Cao Mingzhe and asked, "We? Are you also..."
"You should have guessed it. Yes, I am also an Awakener. Didn't you notice? My body is as strong as an ox, full of vitality—completely inconsistent with my age." Cao Mingzhe's eyes sparkled, and a look of ecstasy spread across his face. "I want to maintain this state for a longer time, but I can't; my body and mind have already begun to degrade. The retribution has come. I entered the Hakka People's cave and went into that Eternal Gate to try Dequantizing. But no, that counterfeit is too weak; it can only barely sustain my abilities for a while. To gain this ability long-term, I must go to Lop Nur. So must you."
I examined Cao Mingzhe closely. Yes, seeing him again after all these years, I felt he had hardly changed at all—he didn't look old in the slightest. But upon closer inspection, it was quite the opposite. The weariness of life was evident in his full beard; there were no wrinkles at the corners of his eyes or on his forehead, and his eyes shone like stars.
I couldn't help but spit silently in disdain. Some people just make others feel inferior; it seems that the journey to Lop Nur is not a disaster for everyone.
(To Be Continued)
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