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墨書 Inktalez
Zhang Qiu had not yet managed to stand up when the cold muzzle of a gun was pressed against his head. This was the second time Zhang Qiu had been threatened with a gun; the first was during the rescue of Jiang Xue when Wang Hailong had pointed a gun at Zhang Qiu's head, but that had been a misunderstanding, and Zhang Qiu knew Wang Hailong would not pull the trigger. At this moment, however, these sudden armed men did not seem to harbor any goodwill.
"Drop your weapons!"
A Black soldier dressed in a jungle camouflage uniform shouted at K while holding an AK-47. K remained unmoved, firmly gripping his own weapon as he faced off against the three men in front of him. He was confident he could take down the three in front of him, roll away to hide behind some bushes, and then deal with the other three soldiers. But what about Zhang Qiu and Lucia? He could not abandon them.
"We are the Santania New Army! I repeat, drop your weapons!"
One soldier slowly moved forward, warning K with a fierce expression, "Take another step forward, and I will shoot!"
"Drop your weapons, or I cannot guarantee the safety of your companion."
One soldier lifted Lucia with one hand, her legs swinging in the air. As Zhang Qiu made a slight movement, he was warned by the soldier pointing a gun at him to stay still. Zhang Qiu looked up at the soldier aiming at him, who barked, "Bow your head!"
Zhang Qiu remained unfazed. At that moment, Lucia let out a startled scream, causing Zhang Qiu to quickly look at her. The soldier holding Lucia had a knife poised against her neck and said in a strange tone, "If you don't drop your gun, I cannot guarantee this lovely girl will see tomorrow."
"We are Chinese citizens!" Zhang Qiu emphasized.
"Armed citizens?" The soldier scoffed at Zhang Qiu's statement. "According to the Geneva Convention, individuals carrying weapons in another country's territory who are not in uniform can be considered guerrillas and spies and are not protected." The soldier raised his voice, "I don't care if you are Chinese or American; my superior has ordered me to take you in today. Don't make me take action!"
"K, drop your weapon!"
"Zhang Qiu, you should understand what dropping your weapon means!" K shouted without looking back.
"I certainly understand; drop your weapon."
In the darkness, Zhang Qiu could not see Lucia's situation clearly; he only knew there was a knife against her neck. He could not allow his teammate to be harmed. The mention of a superior wanting to see them indicated that they would not be in danger before meeting this person. The urgent task was to save Lucia; everything else could wait.
"Drop your weapons!" The tall and muscular Black soldier shouted again!
K turned back to glance at Zhang Qiu and slowly lowered his weapon. He felt reluctant; since entering the military camp, he had never imagined he would have to surrender his gun. In every previous exercise, if he failed his mission, there was only one outcome: death. But today, he surrendered his weapon. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he tightly closed his eyes to hold back more.
In the darkness, Zhang Qiu did not see this scene; his gaze remained fixed on Lucia. The moment K dropped his gun, Zhang Qiu shouted at the soldier behind Lucia, "Let her go!"
The soldier behind Lucia released her, and having narrowly escaped death, Lucia was no longer as lively as before. Zhang Qiu held Lucia tightly in his arms to comfort her.
"Alright, alright, everything is fine."
K had just put down his gun when he was suddenly pushed aside, followed by two soldiers pinning him to the ground. One soldier approached and began to search him, taking the pistol from Zhang Qiu's waist and flipping it in his hand. The other soldier went to search Lucia, and whether intentional or not, his large hands seemed to take advantage of the situation. Lucia struggled fiercely, and Zhang Qiu held her protectively, shouting, "She has no weapons, really no weapons!"
Zhang Qiu was prepared; no matter how much they pulled at him, he was determined to protect Lucia from harm. What Zhang Qiu did not expect was that the soldier did not check Lucia again but instead raised his gun and shouted at them urgently, "Get up, get up, hurry up!"
Six soldiers escorted Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and K to the roadside, where one soldier took out a radio to communicate. K observed this group of six closely; they were completely different from the soldiers he had encountered at the hotel. The soldiers at the hotel could only be described as ragtag militia, while these six were properly trained military personnel. However, compared to the soldiers K had seen before, these individuals could only be considered as having just passed their basic training. Yet it was these six soldiers who had captured the three of them. K understood Zhang Qiu; he didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Zhang Qiu always thought like a student, but this was war.
In the distance, two beams of white light shone toward them, followed by two blasts of a whistle. A soldier stepped into the road and signaled with a flashlight as a truck passed by and came to a stop beside them.
A soldier leaned out of the window, sizing up Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and K with a smile and asked, "Caught them?"
"Caught them."
"Stop looking! Get in the truck!" The soldier brandished his gun as he pushed Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and K into the cargo area of the truck. Four soldiers climbed in to guard them while the other two headed toward the passenger seat.
The four soldiers separated Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and K; Zhang Qiu and Lucia were placed together with a soldier on each side guarding them. K was isolated in another group across from them under the watch of two other soldiers.
"K, do you blame me?" Zhang Qiu felt guilty toward K. Although he understood this was the only course of action, he still felt a sense of remorse when facing K.
"Don't talk!" one soldier warned Zhang Qiu.
"I don't blame you!" K replied to Zhang Qiu despite the warning when suddenly a blow struck his abdomen, causing him to bend forward.
"You guys..."
As soon as Zhang Qiu spoke, he received a blow to his abdomen as well; excruciating pain made him curl up like a shrimp. Lucia hurriedly helped him up but was silenced by Zhang Qiu covering her mouth with his hand. He shook his head and held the trembling Lucia close.
The truck drove along a bumpy road; moisture filled the cabin with a musty smell. Looking outside from within the truck, tall trees on both sides of the road resembled witches stretching their skinny limbs as they bid farewell to Zhang Qiu and the others.
The current situation was very clear; Zhang Qiu speculated that they would meet their superior soon—perhaps it was that injured soldier's commanding officer. What would happen after they met? Would he be shot on sight or would they treat him like K treated that soldier? Shooting would be easier to accept; in an instant of gunfire, one would know nothing. Blinding someone alive was truly cruel; what was even more terrifying was whether they would be thrown into prison afterward or left on the street. Here he was in distant Africa where his brothers back home couldn't even find him.
It seemed many people stood by the roadside—fathers, mothers, elderly grandparents, grandfathers and grandmothers smiling at him in neat uniforms—there were Yang Yu, Gao Zhi, even Zhao Guohong and Xu Qing Chu; so many relatives and friends. Among countless familiar faces was Jiang Xue; she was running after the truck. Losing one shoe didn't matter; she tossed away her other shoe and continued running while shouting loudly. Zhang Qiu strained to hear her clearly but unfortunately could not catch anything. Suddenly Jiang Xue stumbled and fell to the ground.
Zhang Qiu felt a sharp pain in his heart. He wanted to move but was firmly pressed down by Lucia's body. Zhang Qiu's vision blurred, and he felt disoriented. He rubbed his eyes vigorously; his family was gone, his friends were gone, and Jiang Xue, who had fallen to the ground, was also missing. Where were they?
No! He could not so easily surrender his life here. Zhang Qiu's gaze shifted from outside the carriage to K, locking eyes with him. From K's look, Zhang Qiu understood the meaning of escape, but how could he escape in this situation?
While Zhang Qiu appeared to be quietly sitting in the carriage, he was actually searching for opportunities without pause, examining every part of the carriage at least five times. He believed that K was also waiting for the right moment; as soon as it arrived, they could successfully flee. But when would that moment come?
Sitting in the carriage, Zhang Qiu heard the distant sound of a broadcast and occasionally the hurried wail of police sirens. The car drove from the outskirts into the city; streetlights lit up, shop signs glowed, and pedestrians began to appear on the roadside, yet he had already lost his freedom.
The broadcast with a local accent grew clearer, but Zhang Qiu could not understand it and had no idea where this vehicle was taking him. A villa adorned with decorative lights on a high ground caught Zhang Qiu's attention. Upon closer inspection, he recognized it— it was Ematienni!
Zhang Qiu was thrilled by his discovery and carefully recalled the direction of Ematienni, concluding that the car was heading toward the palace. Was the situation serious enough to warrant imprisonment in the royal prison, or was it merely coincidental that the prison lay in the direction of the palace?
Soon, Zhang Qiu's questions were answered. The drive from near Ematienni to the palace was not long; Truck had already covered most of it during their conversation. When the car stopped, Zhang Qiu thought they had arrived, but unexpectedly, it continued moving forward. After traveling a short distance, Zhang Qiu recognized that they were on the street in front of the palace.
The blockade on the street still existed, with fully armed soldiers and police holding riot shields standing behind the cordon. Large armored vehicles and tanks were scattered around, and soldiers were manning machine guns, appearing ready for battle. The broadcast Zhang Qiu heard came from here; at that moment, loudspeakers were blaring.
To approach the palace, one would have to pass through a double layer of soldiers and police guarding the blockade. Truck had just stopped to handle customs procedures. After passing through the blockade, Truck continued toward the palace. Unfortunately, Zhang Qiu could only observe what was happening behind them; he had no idea what lay ahead or where they were going.
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