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墨書 Inktalez
It was Jack and Xiao Ting. Jack had several scars the size of bowls on his back, and even though they were covered with ointment, they were still shocking to behold. It seemed he didn't hear my voice or notice my arrival; the two of them stood at the foot of the bed, motionless.
I remained silent as well, merely signaling A San to move forward. As we slowly approached Jack and Xiao Ting from behind, Xiao Ting turned her head to glance at me. The expression on her face was one of despair. Then she stepped aside to let me see the situation on the bed.
I couldn't quite describe how I felt at that moment; perhaps it was a reflection of Xiao Ting's hopelessness, but more than that, it was anger.
Fatty lay sprawled on the bed. He could only maintain that position, completely naked. His back, from his shoulders down to his thighs, was covered in scars and severely infected; many areas were already rotting.
"Why did this happen!?"
My voice wasn't loud, but the anger within it was impossible to conceal. If I didn't receive a satisfactory answer, I wouldn't hesitate to ensure that these two individuals—whom I considered the culprits—faced consequences. This included Xiao Ting.
"Because of you."
Jack didn't turn around. His tone remained cold.
I was dissatisfied with this answer; I couldn't accept or understand it.
At that moment, Fatty's head moved slightly as he turned his face toward me. His once round face had thinned considerably, and his beard nearly covered it entirely.
Fatty lifted his deeply sunken eyes to look at me and said, "Don't blame them."
"We're out of medicine," Xiao Ting said in a strange tone.
"Why not find Dr. Tang? Hakka Medicine is still very effective for external injuries."
After finishing that sentence, I suddenly remembered Jack's earlier objection to seeking help from the Hakka People, fearing it would expose our true situation.
I immediately turned my face towards Fatty. "Your idea?"
"You can't control the Hakka People. If they find out about my condition, you'll be in big trouble."
I stared at Fatty for a while, coldly saying, "You two really are obedient. Planning to just stand here and watch him die?"
"The gun is in his hand. If I step out that door, do you think he won't shoot me?"
My eyes never left Fatty's face. Given his state, I felt he was on the verge of death at any moment.
"I'm in charge here; I'm the boss."
I fixed my gaze on Fatty, waiting for him to respond. If he continued to act foolishly, I wouldn't mind disarming him. At least I knew he wouldn't shoot me.
"If you think you can handle the situation, I'm more than willing for you to take over. I'm damn tired and just want to get a good night's sleep."
As soon as Fatty finished speaking, his arms slid off the bed and hung down towards the ground. With a 'thud,' a handgun fell to the floor. It seemed he had been threatening Jack with it all along.
"Get Dr. Tang over here."
As soon as I said this, Xiao Ting turned and ran out of the room, followed by the sound of her rushing down the Bamboo House.
Jack picked up the gun and said to me, "You should step back. Don't let him see that we have nothing but injured and disabled people here. Fatty's concerns are valid; we can't appear too weak."
I nodded. In truth, I couldn't hold out here for too long; staying in bed for an extended period had made me somewhat osteoporotic, and after standing for a little while, my legs began to feel weak.
"Give me the gun. Right now, I can't control this situation."
Jack handed me the gun. I tucked it away and reached out to touch Fatty's face, and to my surprise, I felt his cheekbone—what a miracle. I had never seen Fatty's cheekbone before; in my memory, it seemed he never had one.
Fatty showed no reaction. He must have fallen asleep. Yet he wasn't snoring; his breathing was even and faint, like that of a baby—weak and powerless.
"Don't die; stay alive for me."
I silently whispered this in my heart, holding back the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. Slowly, I turned and walked toward the door.
Before stepping out, I glanced back at Fatty, worried that this might be my last look at him. I had experienced separations before, and from the beginning of this operation, I had prepared myself for such thoughts. But now that it was actually happening—especially to Fatty —it was something I couldn't accept.
I looked at Fatty while Jack was watching me. His recent behavior had become increasingly inscrutable; his attitude towards me could only be described as indifferent. However, I sensed that he was not just indifferent towards me but also towards Fatty and the Vietnamese. It was as if he had become a different person; perhaps it all started when we returned from our serious injuries—his passion seemed to have vanished all at once.
He didn't face me directly but observed me from behind. As I walked toward the door, Jack faced Fatty's bed. When I turned my head, he had already turned away from Fatty, his gaze fixed on me.
Damn it, is my back so captivating to you?
Under Jack's gaze, I returned to another room and immediately lay down on the bed.
The pain and fatigue coursing through my body made me feel like I could pass out at any moment. But I knew there were still things to do; during the process of treating Fatty with the Hakka People, I needed to remain vigilant and suppress any restless thoughts they might have.
Lying on the bed, I propped myself up high with pillows to be ready for any sudden events. Then I called A San and Buasong over to the bedside and briefly outlined the mission: simply put, they were not to let the Hakka People enter this room.
Buasong took position at the door. Since his Lao was incomprehensible to the Hakka People, blocking the door outside would suffice. A San's role was different; he had sharp ears, so I kept him close by to inform me of any movements in the neighboring room or around Bamboo House.
The backpack containing weapons was right by my bedside; if anything happened, A San could grab a weapon immediately. I had never given A San a weapon—firstly due to my distrust of him, and secondly because if the Vietnamese sensed danger while armed, they would likely create a bloodbath.
But for now, those concerns had to be set aside; I couldn't allow any accidents at this moment.
After a while, footsteps echoed from Bamboo House.
"Two Hakka People," A San mouthed to me.
I nodded. I could distinguish such obvious footsteps. That meant three people had returned; besides Xiao Ting and Dr. Tang, there was another person.
The footsteps continued, with Xiao Ting and one Hakka Person entering Fatty's room, while another set of footsteps stopped outside. Once this set of footsteps halted, there was no further movement; it neither entered Fatty's room nor approached us. It seemed to be standing guard at the door of another room, just like Buasong.
The walls of Bamboo House weren't very soundproof, and I could hear Dr. Tang stop at a certain spot. He must have reached Fatty's bedside. Then, a heated argument broke out between him and Jack, suggesting a disagreement had arisen. However, I couldn't make out the specifics of their dispute.
A San's eyes widened in surprise as he listened intently for a moment.
"He has something he must tell you; otherwise, he will refuse to treat Fatty. Jack disagrees, and the negotiation has fallen through. What should we do?"
Upon hearing A San's words, I immediately understood the Hakka People's intentions—they wanted to ascertain our true situation. I quickly made a decision: I would meet him.
(To Be Continued...)
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