Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
I was the one to receive the Hakka Clan Leader along with Jack. Jack was well aware of our difficulties, but he didn’t know about the agreement I had reached with the Hakka People to keep their secrets. I was worried that Jack might accidentally reveal something, so I indicated that I would handle the negotiations with the Hakka People.
Of course, I also needed to lay everything out for Jack soon and convince him to keep the secrets of the Hakka People. This was another matter that troubled me; when Jack was severely injured, I could have used his condition to coerce him into agreeing to this condition. Now that he was mostly healed, threats would no longer be effective, and I had to think carefully about how to persuade him.
Regardless of my concerns, the Hakka People were very firm in their stance. They insisted that we leave immediately and issued an ultimatum, stating that they would cut off our food supply from that moment on.
I found myself at a loss and had no choice but to request their assistance in our departure. Specifically, I asked the Hakka People to help us transport Fatty across the Beipan River to a location with a road. Wu Bo did not make things difficult for us regarding this issue, and eventually, we agreed to set off in three days.
Once the Hakka People left, Jack expressed his dissatisfaction: “What about Fumi? His injuries are more severe. It’s unsafe for us to leave like this; any little mishap could cost someone their life. You’re being too reckless.”
I wasn’t satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations either, but it was already beyond my capabilities. Although I didn’t believe that Jack would have achieved a better result by negotiating himself, I was still the one responsible for this unsatisfactory outcome. After all, I had insisted on being the chief negotiator, so I could only remain silent in response to Jack’s complaints.
However, after the Hakka People departed, it was just Jack and me in the room. I seized this opportunity to lay everything out for him. I explained the agreement I had made with the Hakka People and asked him to adhere to it. Naturally, our conversation took place through lip movements.
"I'm sorry for signing this verbal agreement with the Hakka People without your consent. But you should understand the situation at that time; I was eager to leave here, desperate to find a medical facility to treat you and Fumi. At that moment, I didn't know about the Hakka Doctor, and the Hakka People didn't inform me that the Zip Line had been destroyed by the flood. I admit I was misled by them. However, we still need to adhere to this agreement."
Jack fell silent for a moment before turning to me. "I have something to tell you as well. I originally planned to leave here first, but since we have this opportunity now, I'll just say it. After we get out, I need to return to the United States. I can't guarantee whether I'll come back; someone else might take my place."
"Why?" I blurted out. That was exactly what I was thinking. Jack and I had just started to get familiar with each other, building trust between us. If he left, AE would definitely send someone else to replace him. I didn't know if I could work well with the next American. But our next step involved an adventure in Lop Nur, and collaborating with someone whose trustworthiness was too low was a risk in itself.
I realized that AE was more interested in this matter than I was; they were willing to provide financial support, which was closely tied to my experience in Lop Nur Archaeology. Why were they focused on Lop Nur? I couldn't draw any conclusions quickly about that. But I needed to figure out why Jack wanted to leave. He wasn't a coward; in fact, he was extremely curious. Recently, he seemed quite downcast and had become distant—why?
"Don't you think this situation is getting out of control?"
Jack's expression was cold. His lips moved slowly as he spoke, and there was no emotion in his eyes, as if he were facing a stranger.
I increasingly found it hard to understand Jack. In my impression, Americans weren't good at hiding their feelings; they preferred to express their emotions openly. Since I met him, I'd noticed that he had spent too long in Asia and had begun to adopt some Asian habits, learning to conceal his emotions. Now, I couldn't tell what he was thinking or what his true feelings were.
"To be honest, since the day I left home, the situation has not been completely under my control. Every step we take changes with the development of events; neither of our teams has completed the initial mission."
"Does your loss of control include these things? If so, I can tell you that we have never fully grasped the situation from the beginning to the end."
"If everything goes completely out of control. Of course, that's the worst-case scenario, and it's just a speculation. What choice would you make?"
"You are too pessimistic."
I immediately replied to him. Yes, although this was the first time he expressed his pessimistic feelings, he had shown this emotion countless times before. It had robbed him of his sense of humor, his trust, and his interest in the opposite sex. I hadn't seen him flirt with Xiao Ting in a long time.
While I admitted that people in my line of work often lacked initiative in many situations, it was nearly impossible for us to lose complete control. Despite Fatty's injuries significantly reducing his combat effectiveness, our current non-injured personnel still had considerable fighting power. Even though we were on Hakka People's territory, I didn't believe they had much of an advantage.
"Then let me ask you this: what if my loss of control comes from within us?"
"We are united internally. What do you want to do? Divide us?"
I imagined my eyes must have flashed with fierce intensity. I didn't expect Jack to say such a thing, slandering a teammate in front of me. I could foresee who he would target next, someone who could cause our internal chaos, and that could only be Fatty; no one else had that kind of influence.
Jack stared at me expressionlessly, understanding my fighting spirit and feeling little fear of me. He continued unabashedly.
"What if someone within us loses control, and that person's loss of control could lead to the entire team losing control or even destruction? Who would that person be?"
Suddenly, I stepped forward, my flushed face almost touching Jack's. I spoke to him slowly, spitting words and hot breath directly onto his face.
"Do not slander Fatty, under any circumstances. I trust him more than myself!"
Jack took a step back, and I saw the spit on his face. I had intentionally sprayed it on him; I wanted to express my dissatisfaction and anger in this way. Of course, mainly because if it came to blows, I might get completely beaten down.
Jack didn't wipe away the spit I had sprayed on his face, looking like a disheveled and downcast man. His expressionless eyes stared at me as his head slowly shook.
"What do you mean? What the hell do you mean?"
Jack's head swayed from left to right, then back again, his movements slow. Meanwhile, his eyes moved in the opposite direction, from the right corner to the left, then back again. It was as if while Jack shook his head, his eyes remained fixed on me.
Suddenly, my mind buzzed, and a possibility struck me, causing cold sweat to break out all at once.
(To Be Continued...)
Comment 0 Comment Count