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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Fifteen
He pleaded for mercy from the afternoon until the next morning, only to hear his parents finally relent, agreeing to let him continue living outside, but with the condition of accepting surprise inspections three times a week, at any time of day. His brother, Song Buxian, looked quite pleased with himself and offered to conduct the inspections whenever their parents were unavailable, promising to report any issues immediately.
This proposal was unanimously accepted, leaving Song Bunan no chance to refuse.
Carrying his parents' instructions into the elevator, Song Bunan sulked and spat at Song Buxian, calling him a malicious little dwarf and predicting that he would be captured by monsters tomorrow and used as bricks for a city wall. The ten-year-older brother didn’t mind at all; in fact, he wore a threatening smile and replied cheerfully, “Make sure to check thoroughly. I want all the details. I don’t expect too many people will be asking you to burn paper lately; just come by my shop when you have something. Remember to report back to me anytime, preferably with pictures.”
Faced with such unreasonable demands, Song Bunan kicked the already-started car in frustration and shouted at the person getting in, “Why don’t you let me do a PowerPoint presentation instead? Bad brother! I’ll throw paint at your door tomorrow.” Before he could close his mouth after shouting, he inhaled a mouthful of exhaust fumes as he watched his brother drive away. Angrily stomping his feet, he lamented that they had agreed to send him back together.
In the car, Song Buxian caught sight of his sulking younger brother in the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but smile. While waiting for a red light, he transferred some funds to support his brother’s little tantrum. Despite receiving a barrage of complaints from the other side, it didn’t affect the speed of the transaction at all.
“Where did you find out that my team’s mission was related to the laboratory?” He was pleased that his little brother finally asked something serious and replied: Lin Mo Hui.
Song Bunan graduated from Rongcheng Military Academy as an outstanding student with nearly perfect scores across all subjects. The records only mentioned that he participated in a year-long Multi-City Joint Training program and returned to school with top honors. However, after graduation, he rejected all offers and chose to work for a private family before becoming self-employed and opening his own shop.
This vague introduction led everyone to believe he preferred freedom over a conventional life. But Song Buxian knew exactly what his brother had gone through.
The so-called Multi-City Joint Training was a lie. Back when Bunan was just a junior, he was recruited by high-ranking officials from Mighty Falcon headquarters along with others from different cities to form a special team. This team was not managed by Mighty Falcon; instead, they secretly underwent training there. After three months of intensive training, they successfully bonded and received their first mission.
They were tasked with capturing an important figure from an outer city. The records described this person as a scientist involved in cutting-edge experiments but who had produced some bizarre things outside of regulations that threatened the safety of several cities. Mighty Falcon initially intended to recruit him into their ranks but was rejected by other authorities who deemed him unsuitable.
The impact of that capture was least felt in Rongcheng; everyone only learned through television about a significant brawl occurring in the outer cities with heavy casualties. As Song Bunan's emergency contact, Song Buxian only received notice three days later when someone knocked on his door saying they needed to take him to the outer city.
Throughout the journey, his limbs felt numb and anxiety gripped his heart as he replayed every possible scenario that could happen to Song Bunan in his mind—even how he would explain his brother's sudden death to their parents. He had never been so nervous before; standing in front of the hospital room door, he hesitated for half an hour without daring to raise his hand to open it.
The smell of the hospital made his stomach churn, and the acid nearly surged into his mouth, leaving a bitter taste that made it hard for him to breathe. His head felt heavy, as if it had been struck. The person waiting for him did not rush him; they stood silently behind him like two large stones, pressing down on his heart.
“Mr. Song.” An elderly voice broke the tension from behind him. He turned to see an old man with completely white hair, leaning on a cane. Though slightly hunched, his sharp eyes suggested he was not someone to be trifled with. The old man met his gaze and gestured for him to sit down.
“I apologize for Bunan's injury. He is a talented individual, and he played a significant role in this operation. After two days of emergency treatment, he is out of danger. I asked you to come because it would be better for him to be cared for by family.” The elder signaled for his subordinate to hand over a brown paper bag with Song Bunan's name on it and a seal on the back. “This file is for you to keep. As for Bunan’s future living arrangements, we have optimized the documents to be sent back to his school. I believe when he chose you as his emergency contact, he mentioned the confidentiality agreement. I must add one more requirement: you need to sign this agreement.”
This was not a negotiation. The elder spoke slowly but with an undeniable authority that made refusal impossible; as someone in power, he exuded a strong sense of pressure. Song Buxian had encountered many influential figures and navigated between officials and businessmen with ease, but this man instilled a fear in him that he had never experienced before. He took the agreement and read through it, understanding why Song Bunan had warned him that the future would be troublesome.
“Their mission failed; apart from Bunan, everyone else in the team has perished. Cultivating such a team requires substantial talent, time, and funding, and after discussions among several cities, there will be no more such missions in the future. Therefore, we are granting him the status of participating in the Multi-City Joint Training outside the city while continuing his senior year at university. Only ten people know about this matter, including you; I do not wish for there to be an eleventh.”
One clause in the agreement detailed information about their entire family—it was a threat. After signing the document, he acknowledged his understanding and stepped into the hospital room under the elder's approving gaze. There lay Song Bunan on the hospital bed, connected to a respirator, looking pale almost to the point of transparency.
“He is fortunate; when we found him, he was merely in shock. The bullet passed through his right chest without damaging his heart. However, some of the wounds on his back were not caused by this incident—can you tell me why?” The elder followed him inside and gently closed the door behind them as they conversed.
Song Buxian’s racing heart began to calm as he slumped onto an empty bed, taking deep breaths to steady himself. The old man lightly patted his back to help him relax and quietly accompanied them while handing him a piece of fruit.
“That was from an accident when he was just over three years old; an explosion knocked him over, affecting his entire back. Although it healed, the scars remain.” Song Buxian could hear his own voice trembling as he spoke; his hands and feet felt numb and immobile as he mechanically answered.
He heard the elder chuckle softly upon hearing that this child had indeed survived two life-threatening injuries—he would surely have good fortune ahead. “Don’t worry; the medical care here is the best among all cities; there won’t be any problems. For now, just take care of him; your parents will be informed by the school, and it won’t be discovered. If you need anything, just ask—don’t hold back. Make sure you rest well.”
Once the elder left completely, only the two of them remained in the room with only the sound of monitoring equipment beeping in the background. Song Buxian looked at his brother’s face and couldn’t help but cry. He never thought of Song Bunan as particularly lucky; his foolish brother always seemed to attract misfortune—never benefiting from good things while bearing all the bad.
“When we get home, I’ll tell our parents that after you graduate, you shouldn’t go anywhere else but stay with me—it’s at least safer.” The unconscious boy couldn’t hear his words, but as Song Buxian held his hand, tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.
During that time, Song Bunan was very well-behaved. Unlike before, he didn't argue back or throw tantrums; instead, he would smile at him like a little kitten during his brief moments of consciousness. His fragile appearance was reminiscent of the aftermath of the childhood accident, but this time it was he who took care of the injured. Watching his brother's weak body grow thinner, it was a relief when he could finally get out of bed, though he was little more than skin and bones.
They no longer discussed anything related to their team or missions, pretending that those matters had been erased from their minds. This unspoken understanding lasted for nearly a decade.
However, the emergence of that batch of equipment brought more than just laboratory-related news; he was informed that the old man from back then had passed away, and many details had been leaked by insiders. The scientist in question was the one responsible for the prohibited experiments, and the failure of the mission was attributed to the fact that the bodyguards surrounding him were not normal—they had been successfully transformed into non-human entities. This information had been known to the higher-ups at the time but was never shared with Task Force; even the rescue operation was delayed for hours until the opposing party had withdrawn. A few individuals died due to untimely medical assistance.
“How many people know about this now?” he asked the messenger. The other party did not provide a clear answer but reminded him that it would not be widely disseminated for now.
“But you need to be aware of one thing: the laboratory is likely to expose itself this time, which should serve as a signal to certain individuals or organizations. Your brother, as a survivor who participated in the operation back then, might become a target.”
Song Buxian understood this well. After compensating the informant, he turned to contact Song Bunan.
He hadn’t managed to keep his brother under his control; Song Bunan had always been wild and preferred not to work in an office after graduation. Instead, he chose to open a small shop and made a living by handling paper offerings for others' memorial services. Occasionally, he would continue to roam around with a few friends under the guise of helping out.
So when Xiao Mei mentioned that Song Bunan had been taken by Shui Su to work in the outer city, he immediately guessed that something must have happened to his brother. When the young lad entered the house with an unusual expression on his face, it confirmed his suspicions. Unable to reveal anything in front of their parents, he could only wait patiently until after dinner to investigate further.
He hadn’t intended to share what he knew with Song Bunan, but upon hearing that his brother was collaborating with Mighty Falcon, he felt he could leverage Mighty Falcon’s influence to create an additional layer of protection for Song Bunan. Mighty Falcon had once been the first team to confront the laboratory, and their disdain for it was no secret; they would undoubtedly investigate this exposure. At least it would draw some attention away.
Song Bunan would surely heed his advice and seek out clues, which would provide a significant opportunity for communication with Mighty Falcon. He could also arrange for Mighty Falcon’s members to protect Song Bunan through collaboration.
He prepared a contract and placed it nearby, waiting for his dear brother to return with some useful information.
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