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Li Nan held the shovel horizontally in front of him and then pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. After shaking it upside down for a while, only one cigarette popped out. When Li Nan looked down, he remembered that this pack of cigarettes was a gift from Brother Three!
Things have changed, and so have people. Li Nan stuffed the cigarette butt into his mouth and searched his body for a lighter, but it seemed he was out of luck; he had no fire on him at all.
Li Nan glanced sideways and noticed two rough stones at his feet. Without thinking much, he picked up the two fist-sized stones and struck them together near the cigarette tip. Sparks flew, and using those sparks, Li Nan finally managed to light the cigarette in his mouth!
With a sizzling sound, the tobacco inside the cigarette was instantly ignited by the high temperature, releasing a stream of smoke. As Li Nan inhaled deeply, the entire cigarette began to burn!
After taking a strong drag, the smoke billowed out of Li Nan's nostrils, and a hint of satisfaction appeared on his face. In this apocalyptic world, human desires have gradually diminished; sometimes, just a cigarette or a meal can make a burly man feel content. Life is so simple; all one needs is to seek a cigarette or a meal.
But is it really that simple?
After a moment of exhaling smoke, Li Nan's expression tightened again.
At his feet lay freshly turned yellow earth, with a small sapling standing above it. He wondered if the woman beneath the soil could ever find peace!
Back in the room on the third floor, Li Nan was shouting at Xin Qiqi, trying to stop her from her self-destructive actions. Unexpectedly, Xin Qiqi suddenly opened her mouth and said, "Just let me have a quick end, Brother Nan!"
At that moment, Li Nan had one hand gripping Xin Qiqi while holding the Vigo Knife in his other hand.
In this situation, if Xin Qiqi didn’t resolve things herself, would Li Nan really let her go?
Just as Li Nan was feeling conflicted inside, Xin Qiqi suddenly broke free from his grasp and stood upright before forcefully slamming herself against the wall. The loud crash that Mo Xiaohui and others heard outside was indeed the sound of Xin Qiqi hitting the wall.
Li Nan put away the Vigo Knife; perhaps this was the best outcome. He wouldn’t have to bear any psychological burden!
Xin Qiqi's forehead was covered in blood, and Li Nan could tell with just one glance that she had only a few seconds of brain reaction time left.
Xin Qiqi lay on the ground, blinking her eyes, as if she still had something to say. At that moment, Li Nan did not hesitate; he leaned in closer to listen to Xin Qiqi's final words.
"Li Dapeng... is a good kid, but he is still... young. A child's thoughts... cannot be measured by an adult's standards... I want to ask you, Brother Nan... not to tell Li Dapeng about my situation... just let me remain a good... good image in his heart!"
After saying this, Xin Qiqi's head drooped to the ground, her body stiffening.
In truth, Li Nan did not fully understand Xin Qiqi's earlier words, but the last sentence was easy to grasp. Xin Qiqi wanted him to keep her situation from Li Dapeng, which seemed manageable. So Li Nan nodded and said, "I promise!"
A young life fell before him. Despite being a robust man, Li Nan couldn't help but feel sorrowful at such a scene. However, he had no choice; if Xin Qiqi did not die, it would be even harder for him.
Life is so helpless; whether strong or weak, everyone is played by life. You think it ends happily, but in reality, it is filled with tragedies. Even someone like Li Nan cannot have everything go his way. He wanted to forgive Xin Qiqi, but he couldn't. The circumstances dictated his thoughts, and his mind could only yield to reality...
As Li Nan descended the stairs with a sorrowful expression, he unexpectedly ran into Li Dapeng. Upon turning around and hearing the anger in Li Dapeng's voice, Li Nan finally understood the meaning behind Xin Qiqi's earlier words!
When Li Nan sat on the sofa downstairs, he realized how foolish his actions had been. Was he really going to ruin Li Dapeng's life with his own hands?
Recalling his promise to Xin Qiqi, Li Nan suddenly stood up from the sofa and walked upstairs. He then spoke the earlier words directly to Li Dapeng. The reason for this was to thoroughly temper him; flowers cannot only be nurtured in a greenhouse. In such circumstances, Li Nan could only grit his teeth and face Li Dapeng's malice!
There was no other choice; a man's word is his bond. Li Nan would not go back on his promise to Xin Qiqi. Given the unfortunate turn of events, he could only admit that he had killed Xin Qiqi. Although this would cause Li Dapeng to harbor deep resentment towards him, was there any better way at that moment?
In light of this situation, Li Nan resolved that surviving in this apocalyptic world would not be easy. Therefore, he needed to deliberately temper Li Dapeng; human nature must never be relaxed. Thus, Li Nan wanted to convey to Li Dapeng that in this apocalypse, one should not trust anyone easily because beneath a smiling face may hide a sharp knife!
With this thought in mind, Li Nan smiled at the small sapling on Xin Qiqi's grave. "Being a man is not easy. If you can get through this challenge and grow up, you will surely become someone significant—perhaps even a great figure! Just don't forget my heartfelt intentions back then!"
Li Nan took a deep breath, the cigarette butt in his mouth already burned down to the soft tip. He flicked the cigarette away and lifted the back of his shovel, striding off.
The bloodstains in the third-floor room had long been cleaned up by Mo Xiaohui, as if no lives had been lost in this Small Building, and both deaths had occurred in the same room.
By the time Li Nan returned, the sun had already set, estimating it to be around six in the evening. Mo Xiaohui had prepared some meals, waiting for Li Nan to eat.
Li Nan waved his hand at Mo Xiaohui, indicating that he wasn't very hungry and didn't want to eat, then went straight back to his room.
Mo Xiaohui knew that Li Nan was quite exhausted, so she didn’t disturb him. She only had a meal with Lingdang'er before slipping into Li Dapeng's room. Mo Xiaohui found that Li Dapeng had not woken up and worriedly murmured, "Brothers turn against each other, father and son become enemies. How can such scenes from a TV drama happen right beside me?"
Unable to hold back her tears, Mo Xiaohui placed a bowl of rice on Li Dapeng's bedside. "Brothers have no hatred, fathers and sons have no enmity. You should know what kind of person Li Nan is; he would never do such a thing. You must believe him..."
As she spoke, Mo Xiaohui couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks. After a long while, she wiped her eyes and left, knowing that as a woman, she could not clarify such matters.
Just after Mo Xiaohui left, Li Dapeng suddenly opened his eyes wide. His eyes were also filled with tears, but he did not know for whom they were shed—was it for the deceased Xin Qiqi, for the righteous man Li Nan, or for the heartfelt Mo Xiaohui? Perhaps even Li Dapeng himself was unclear.
Li Dapeng had long realized that his hands and feet were tied to the bed, so he did not move but waited until the tears in his eyes dried before closing them again.
************************************************
After sunset, at the residence of his elder brother Liu Long, a maid-like figure approached Liu Long and quietly said, "Brother Long, Tiger Brother has arrived!"
Liu Long pushed away a Big Wave Girl beside him and said to the maid, "Quickly invite the second one in! Do you understand the rules?"
The maid nodded and immediately went out.
Liu Long had already set up a banquet in his home, and a bottle of Moutai had been opened, waiting for Gao Hu to arrive.
Gao Hu entered Liu Long's residence, leading a Bald Man, and immediately saw the table filled with food and drinks.
Gao Hu laughed and said, "Big Brother is in such a good mood today, inviting me for drinks!"
Liu Long waved his hand, signaling Gao Hu to sit down. Gao Hu did not hesitate and immediately took off his coat, tossing it into the hands of the Bald Man behind him.
The Bald Man caught Gao Hu's coat and draped it over his left arm, while his right hand was hidden beneath the clothing, seemingly revealing a hint of coldness.
Liu Long laughed heartily and then said, "What’s this? We’re just having a meal together, and you’re already on guard against me? Hurry up and put away your things!"
Gao Hu smiled and replied, "It's quite rare for Big Brother to invite me for a meal; I came here unarmed, so how can I not be cautious?"
Liu Long waved his hand dismissively and said, "If you’re on guard against me, then you really think too highly of me, Liu Long. You should consider who has the most power in this camp right now, who is the strongest, and who poses the greatest threat."
Gao Hu was taken aback and asked, "Big Brother means…"
Liu Long pointed with his hand and continued, "I didn’t expect that both of us would overlook this. The so-called golden phoenix is not just a creature of the pond; once it encounters wind and clouds, it transforms into a dragon. It seems that Li Nan's wolfish ambitions might just swallow both of us."
Gao Hu frowned tightly and immediately told the Bald Man behind him, "Put everything away; I want to have a serious talk with Big Brother. Don’t be out of place!"
Without saying a word, the Bald Man had already pulled out his right hand from beneath Gao Hu's clothing, revealing a silenced pistol which he discreetly tucked behind him.
Gao Hu continued, "That Li Nan is no good; I've seen through him long ago. But there’s nothing we can do about it. He managed to get in with Third Brother’s dock and even inherited Third Brother's position. It’s really frustrating; after all our hard work, that Li Nan ends up benefiting!"
Liu Long smiled wryly and said, "What should we do now? They have already made their move, and it's not easy to suppress them now!"
At that moment, Gao Hu had a sudden inspiration. "That Li Nan kid is too reckless. Keeping him around will only bring trouble sooner or later. We might as well take action and eliminate him early; then we can secure our peace!"
"How do we do that?" Liu Long countered, while Gao Hu seemed unfazed. "Isn't it simple? Just find a few people, and when he's alone, we can stab him to death with a flurry of blades!"
Liu Long waved his hand. "I'm afraid those few people of yours won't even get a chance to act before he turns the tables on them!"
Gao Hu clicked his tongue. "Is he really that formidable?"
"He's stronger than that, not weaker. However, I do have an idea. The third day of next month is my birthday, and I'm planning to make a big deal out of it. We can set a trap for him; there's no way he can escape!"
After Liu Long's suggestion, Gao Hu understood immediately and exclaimed, "You're still the best, big brother! Truly brilliant!"
Next to the half-open bottle of Maotai liquor, Liu Long and Gao Hu raised their glasses and clinked them together before downing their drinks.
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