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墨書 Inktalez
"Let's take a break," I said to Jack. "For our next move to be well-planned, we need Xiao Guolin's support. The few of us are like headless flies, with no idea how to proceed. Even if we retrace our steps, there's no guarantee we'll find Fatty. Plus, there's still the Giant Mosquito outside, and we can't go out."
Jack had been performing surgery on the warriors and European for quite some time, and he was exhausted. After hearing my words, he nodded and sat down beside European, leaning against the wall and wrapping himself tightly in his Coat as he fell asleep.
I also needed rest, but I decided to fast. Even if I couldn't leave this place like Xiao Guolin, I wanted to try changing the way I absorbed energy.
It wasn't out of curiosity or a tendency for self-harm; I knew that Xiao Guolin had gone through a painful process. My goal was simple: to prove whether Xiao Guolin had deceived me.
He had survived underground for nearly a year, which certainly meant there was a reason for his prolonged existence. Without food intake, there must be something else providing him with energy; otherwise, he would have starved long ago.
If he had lied to me about this matter, he could very well be lying about other issues too. If this turned out to be true, I decided I would trust him on other matters as well. It was the only choice I had; I didn't know whom to believe, and Song Guilong was even less trustworthy!
I chose to rest by the door, but of course, I didn't lie down carelessly in front of it. Instead, I settled on one side and dozed off.
I was awakened by an enticing aroma. Opening my eyes, I saw Liu Squad Leader squatting in front of me with a bowl of thick sesame paste.
"This is for you," Liu Squad Leader said as he held out the bowl. "Eat something; Captain Xiao promised to take us to find another group."
I felt a surge of joy and quickly scrambled up. I hadn't expected that after a nap, things would take a turn for the better. I had been planning to confront Xiao Guolin stubbornly. Even in my sleep, I was thinking about how to deal with him.
Xiao Guolin was still sitting next to Xiao Ting, watching her eat. To my surprise, there was a gentle light on his terrifying face.
When Xiao Ting noticed me looking at her, she gave me a slight nod and an encouraging expression. Suddenly, it dawned on me that it was Xiao Ting who had convinced Xiao Guolin. She wasn't planning to give up on Fatty.
I let out a long sigh of relief. With Xiao Guolin's assistance, the chances of finding Fatty increased significantly.
The severely injured warrior still lay on the workbench; Jack had requested that he remain flat for twenty-four hours without moving. As a result, everyone else squatted on the ground like beggars, holding bowls and eating.
Liu Squad Leader stood up again, insisting on handing me the bowl of sesame paste.
I pushed his hand away. "I'm on a diet; you eat it."
"Are you looking down on me?" To my surprise, my action angered Liu Squad Leader. He probably thought my gesture was directed at him.
I didn't mind, even though I didn't want him to misunderstand me. But even if he did, it wasn't something I took to heart. Just like I had told him before, his life belonged to me. He owed me, and I owed him nothing.
In fact, our relationship represented the current dynamics between two factions. Several warriors could not stand on my side, while others, including the Hakka People, would not align themselves with the military.
I faced off against Liu Squad Leader, causing everyone in the room to tense up.
A San stepped in to mediate, rushing over to us and taking the bowl of sesame paste from Liu Squad Leader's hands. With a smile, he said to us both, "It's okay, Brother Qiang doesn't like this. We have other options. I still have some meat jerky in my bag; come on, I'll get it for you."
I patted A San on the shoulder. "No need, I really don't want to eat."
This left A San feeling frustrated.
Just moments ago, we had all exerted ourselves to the limit. Everyone had drained their strength and warmth; thankfully, the temperature here wasn't too low. Otherwise, those with weakened constitutions or serious injuries could have perished from hunger and cold.
My refusal to eat clearly puzzled A San.
However, I didn't explain myself. I was worried that A San and others might take risks if they learned this secret. It was truly too risky; I had no idea what the consequences would be, and I didn't want anyone else to be a guinea pig. One death was enough for me.
I noticed Xiao Guolin glance at me; his expression was neutral but contemplative as he nodded slightly. He understood my intentions.
I continued watching Xiao Guolin as we exchanged silent glances for a moment. He then turned his attention back to Xiao Ting while I moved toward the metal door.
I raised a hand and pressed it against the metal door, feeling the faint tremor of water flowing on the other side. I glanced at my watch; it was six o'clock, and I had no idea when this water flow would stop.
While this would give the injured more time to rest, it would also deprive others of opportunities—both the chance to enter Eternal Gate and the chance for survival.
Fatty wouldn't wait; if he sensed that things were spiraling out of control, he would definitely trigger the Antimatter Bomb at the first opportunity. This was something we had agreed upon; he had that decisiveness.
Thus, time was of essence for both sides—critical for the injured and for us as well.
After standing in front of the metal door for a moment, I turned and walked over to Xiao Guolin, sitting down beside him.
"Outside, there's still water flowing in the Metal Passage. Do you know when it will stop?"
Xiao Guolin handed a bag containing meat jerky to Xiao Ting before turning his head toward me. I truly didn't want to disturb their warm reunion; just being there made me feel guilty. But time waits for no one—I couldn't afford to wait.
Xiao Guolin shook his head at me. "No idea. I've been here for quite a while; the water flow comes and goes without any pattern. The longest it lasted was five minutes, but the breaks weren't that long either. I estimate it's going to be tough to reach the water's inlet during this time."
I felt a chill run down my spine as soon as I heard that. When we returned, we would inevitably face the swarm of Mosquitoes at the water's exit. Perhaps Xiao Guolin could outrun and shake off those Giant Mosquitoes, but the rest of us would undoubtedly be drained dry by them. Moreover, we had to wait for the water flow to stop.
I had set a three-day deadline with Fatty, and he wouldn’t wait even a minute. If we couldn’t contact him within that time, we would meet again—either in court or in hell!
I looked at Xiao Guolin in frustration, feeling dejected and unable to speak for a long while. After taking several deep breaths, I finally relayed my agreement with Fatty to Xiao Guolin.
After hearing this, Xiao Guolin casually nodded. Even Xiao Ting, who was eating, didn’t show much surprise; she merely paused slightly in her action of drinking sesame paste before continuing to eat as if nothing had happened.
It seemed that this father-daughter pair was quite satisfied with their current situation; as long as they could be together, dying together was also acceptable.
Xiao Guolin turned his head and lovingly wiped the sesame paste from the corner of Xiao Ting’s mouth before turning back to me. “Then let’s not wait any longer; let’s set off now.”
I was taken aback.
(To Be Continued)
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