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墨書 Inktalez
I called out to Huang Hai, "What's in here?"
"I don't know. I just know it's your stuff; the delivery slip is on the box."
There was a large envelope on the box. I opened it to find the Sand Table Model I had ordered along with a bill. Before leaving, I had confirmed the final batch of Sand Table Models with the manufacturer and paid a deposit. Now that the goods had arrived, I started to worry about the remaining payment. Glancing at Huang Hai and Ouyang Jian murmuring outside the shop, I realized that deceiving Ouyang Jian into thinking he was my partner was a wise decision. With such a wealthy backer, I could worry less about money matters.
Seeing that Ouyang Jian had calmed down somewhat, I quickly turned and exited the shop. There were still many people outside; Fatty saw Xiao Ting and immediately whisked her away into their own world. I still needed to arrange a place for these people. There was no way I could accommodate all of them here.
Once outside, I headed straight for Cao Mingzhe. Earlier, when the Hakka People and Ouyang Jian were about to clash, he had been sitting next to Tang Yumo, watching coldly without even attempting to mediate. I couldn't tell whether he was aware that a fight wouldn't break out or if he simply wanted to watch the drama unfold.
"Old Cao, what brings you here? Didn't you leave with those Hong Kongers? Why are you mingling with the Hakka People now?"
"What do you mean by mingling?" Cao Mingzhe shot me a glare. "The Hong Kongers don't want me, and the military isn't fully open to me either; I'm caught in between both sides. Why endure that? So I left. Besides, I'm still thinking about Old Xiao's daughter; I'm familiar with Beipan River, so I went over to bring them back."
I looked around curiously. "Why bring so many people? Are they here for a group meal?"
Cao Mingzhe laughed. "You're quite the local tycoon. This is such a big deal; it won't bankrupt you in one go."
I thought to myself that he clearly didn't know how much debt I was in. I glanced at the Vietnamese who had been following me and then gave Cao Mingzhe a puzzled look: why did he bring him along?
Cao Mingzhe understood my gaze. However, the question left him silent, his smile stiffening for a moment before sorrow took its place.
"We all have to go, whether it's at Lop Nur or in the Underground Cavern where the Hakka People have awakened some kind of ability. It's necessary for everyone to participate in this operation." Cao Mingzhe exhaled deeply, his tone subdued and utterly disinterested, as if he were murmuring to himself.
"Why?" I couldn't wait for him to gather his thoughts. I detested this habit of leaving half the conversation unsaid, dangling it like bait. Though I sometimes did it myself.
Cao Mingzhe lifted his eyelids to glance at me before lowering his gaze, focusing intently on a teacup in his hands.
"Awakened individuals can never leave their awakening grounds for long. Of course, it's not like Heimanluo who never leaves at all; rather, they cannot be away for extended periods, or they will lose their awakened abilities and their extraordinary lifespan. Unless they hide themselves away."
"Hide away?" I asked, puzzled. "Where?"
"You wouldn't like it; it's worse than hell. There's a place like that in Europe. But no one can enter, and no one wants to go there. I've never been there myself, but I know about it."
When Cao Mingzhe spoke these words, he carefully lifted his eyelids to look at me, lingering for a moment while his eyes darted around before he continued to stare blankly at the teacup in his hands. It was clear he was indicating that some things couldn't be discussed here.
"Oh, and there's an old acquaintance who has also arrived. He's a liaison between the military and the Task Force." Cao Mingzhe suddenly set down the teacup and waved toward my room.
"Task Force? What Task Force? What does it have to do with me? Why are they coming here?" A sense of foreboding washed over me; it seemed my fate was once again tied to some unwelcome action.
"The full name is Lop Nur Scientific Research Team. It's currently being established. This exploration is not primarily led by the military; however, due to the complex composition of Task Force personnel, the military will be involved during its formation. They will oversee participant evaluations and ensure safety measures in the future. Therefore, sending a liaison over is both important and necessary. Isn't that right, Liu?"
As the last words echoed, I deliberately raised my voice, but it was clearly not directed at me; my surname is not Liu.
I helplessly turned my face toward my room. The moment I heard Huang Hai's mournful wails, I mentally prepared myself for the fact that someone else was sleeping in my bed, even though I would have preferred that it was someone else's wife in my bed, and that someone else was me. I had cursed and fantasized about the person sleeping in my bed.
But when I saw the person standing at my bedroom door, my fantasies turned into a nightmare, and I felt like I had become a devil myself. I wanted to kill!
“Get over here! I swear I'll end you and your entire family!”
Standing at my bedroom door was Liu Squad Leader. At the sound of my furious roar, Liu Squad Leader's face flushed bright red, as if he had been ignited.
What ignited him was not just my shout but also my actions. My Armani suit was thrown into the air in an instant, the tie landing on the Vietnamese man's face, and without unbuttoning my light blue shirt, I tore it open and slammed it to the ground.
“Brother Qiang, you can't blame me entirely; have you ever thought about me? I've been having nightmares all these years too, but who the hell asked me? Each of you has tried every way to return to the source of that nightmare to end it. But what about me? I have no ability or channel to go back. You and Captain Xiao passed by me; I've given all the help I could, yet neither of you is willing to help me. I can only rely on myself!
Is this my fault?!”
Liu Squad Leader shouted hoarsely, his voice tinged with tears as droplets rolled from his reddened eyes.
“Stop pretending! Your life is mine; I didn't allow you to die before, but now I've changed my mind. Today, I'm taking your life.”
Being betrayed by someone you trust, especially someone you've fought alongside, is already a deeply tragic thing. If this person betrays you twice in a row, that tragedy can transform into boundless rage. At this moment, I was ignited by fury; enraged like a beast losing its mind, I lunged at Liu Squad Leader.
A man who had served in the military—though only as an Engineer—still possessed the soldier's spirit that made Liu Squad Leader equally furious. He ripped off his pullover, revealing his muscular bronze torso.
A howl echoed as it charged towards me.
"I'm not afraid of you. If I can take you down once, I can take you down twice! I'll beat you, just watch me!"
In my eyes, there was only Liu Squad Leader, and the chaotic sounds and screams around me faded into nothing. All that remained was rage and even greater rage.
Yet, one voice managed to pierce through the noise.
"Hey, he's coming in hot. Qiangzi, use your left fist, don't let him get close! Kick him, kick him to death!"
"One has height advantage, the other is muscular; this is going to be a fight. Damn it, don’t block my way! Whoever's in front, get down!"
Fatty's loud shout silenced the entire yard.
I was seething with anger. It was truly a case of enjoying the spectacle without fearing the consequences.
(To Be Continued...)
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