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墨書 Inktalez
“Your Highness… the plane, the plane…” The White-Bearded Man appeared anxious, his gaze constantly shifting towards Zhang Qiu, his words stumbling.
“What are you panicking about? Speak clearly!” Prince Banan was displeased with his subordinate's fluster.
“The plane that took off from the airport exploded!”
It felt as if Zhang Qiu had been struck by lightning. He shouted, “Is it the one belonging to K?”
“Is it?” Prince Banan asked urgently.
“Yes,” the White-Bearded Man replied heavily.
Prince Banan slammed his hand on the table and roared, “What on earth is going on!”
“Preliminary suspicions suggest someone planted a bomb on the plane. It turned into a fireball in the air, and the flaming wreckage fell from the sky, leaving no survivors…”
Zhang Qiu could no longer hear the rest of the words. All he knew was that another friend was lost to him forever. Despite K often opposing Zhang Qiu on various issues and even being tasked with monitoring him, Zhang Qiu still regarded K as a friend. Not for any other reason, but for the shared experiences they had endured together amidst gunfire and chaos. Zhang Qiu gasped, clenched his fists against his chest, and felt his eyes redden.
Lucia embraced Zhang Qiu from beside him, continuously stroking his back. In the face of such a great disaster, words felt powerless; Lucia could think of nothing else to comfort Zhang Qiu.
Prince Banan was issuing orders for a thorough investigation to the Chief Administrator while looking at Zhang Qiu with a sigh, “Thank goodness you chose to stay.”
“Perhaps this is fate’s arrangement.”
The meeting did not delay due to this interruption. Prince Banan first called for a meeting with the Military Official while Zhang Qiu expressed his desire to withdraw from this meeting. Despite Prince Banan’s repeated persuasion, Zhang Qiu simply shook his head. “All I can think of is separating the two factions; as for specific actions, let’s leave that to the more specialized generals to decide.”
Seeing that Zhang Qiu was adamant, Prince Banan did not insist further. As the door to the conference room closed, Zhang Qiu walked down the empty corridor of the palace, with Lucia silently following beside him, worried about what might happen to him.
The bright sunlight was still dazzling, the sky a deep blue, and the tall dark green shrubs were bursting with vitality even in winter. Who would have thought that such a beautiful day would become a disaster for countless people?
Zhang Qiu used the Satellite Phone in the palace to contact Bai Jingwei. When Bai Jingwei answered, a chilling voice mixed with caution came through the receiver: "Who is this?"
"This is Zhang Qiu," Zhang Qiu introduced himself.
"Zhang Qiu, aren't you in Africa?" Bai Jingwei's voice revealed surprise, clearly not expecting Zhang Qiu to call.
"That's right, I am in the palace in Tanzania, using Your Highness's Satellite Phone to reach you."
"Congratulations, Zhang Qiu, you have achieved your goal for your trip to Africa. I have already received reports about you from K, and I think you should return home with K!"
Zhang Qiu sneered; he had indeed guessed correctly.
"Hello!" There was a knocking sound coming from the receiver. "Zhang Qiu, are you still listening?"
"I've been listening."
"What I mean is, you should return home with K. I will send someone to pick you up at the airport."
"K is dead."
"What?" Bai Jingwei couldn't believe he heard Zhang Qiu correctly.
"K is dead," Zhang Qiu repeated.
"How is that possible!" Bai Jingwei refused to accept the news of K's death. "We just contacted each other; he was supposed to return this afternoon."
"Indeed, he returned to the country in the afternoon, and K died on the way back."
"Impossible," Bai Jingwei still didn't believe it. "With K's skills, who could kill him?"
"The plane was rigged; it exploded in mid-air, and no one survived."
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Zhang Qiu paused as well, and after a while said, "Do you remember our agreement?"
"Of course I remember. Which one are you referring to?"
"The one where you provide assistance for my operations in Africa."
"What kind of assistance do you need?" Bai Jingwei's voice lacked confidence; he vaguely felt that the help Zhang Qiu wanted was beyond his capabilities.
"I need a special forces team. A combat unit will suffice."
"Zhang Qiu, do you know what you're asking for?" Bai Jingwei raised his voice, his words becoming unclear.
"I know."
"I can't fulfill your request; active-duty soldiers cannot fight abroad."
"Then send me a combat unit made up of retired soldiers!"
"Zhang Qiu, you'd better understand what you're asking for."
"I know perfectly well. And I believe that with Professor Bai's abilities, if you want to make it happen, it can be done, right?"
“Zhang Qiu, what exactly do you want to do?”
“I'm sorry, but I can't disclose that; it's not in the agreement.”
“Zhang Qiu, I cannot agree to this!”
Bai Jingwei spoke firmly, nearly shouting by the end. Zhang Qiu held the phone a bit farther from his ear, contemplating how to persuade Bai Jingwei to agree to his unreasonable demands. Yes, Zhang Qiu admitted that his request was indeed unreasonable, but he needed it.
“Zhang Qiu, you have already achieved your purpose of meeting the prince; come back and don't stay in a war-torn area. Think about your life after returning home; owning an apartment in the capital won't be a problem for you.”
“And what about k? Does he deserve to die here?”
“K has successfully completed the sacred mission assigned to him!”
“Damn the sacred mission; that's a human life!” Zhang Qiu couldn't help but curse. Did human life mean so little to them?
“I can understand that young people are impulsive,” Bai Jingwei replied calmly, even chuckling. “Listen to my advice: once things spiral out of control, no one will be able to save you. As long as you come back, everything will be fine. Why not take that route?”
“You have your ideas, and I have my pursuits. Listen!” Zhang Qiu raised his voice, threateningly addressing Bai Jingwei. “If you still want to use the jade pendant for research, then send a combat team over here.”
“Zhang Qiu, do you really want to violate our agreement?” When it came to the jade pendant research, Bai Jingwei immediately became furious, his attitude flipping completely.
“Professor Bai, don’t forget that my request is included in our agreement.”
“But what you’re asking for is something I cannot fulfill!”
“No, no, no, I believe Professor Bai has that capability; otherwise, why would k work for you? He’s not an active-duty soldier, right?” Zhang Qiu paused and added, “Oh, by the way, my trip to Santanian gave me a deeper understanding of the jade pendant. I found that it can offer you much more than you imagine. So, Professor Bai, think it over; however, time is short. You need to give me a response before night falls in Tanzania.”
“Zhang Qiu, you are raising the price!”
Although Bai Jingwei was deliberately suppressing his temper, Zhang Qiu could still sense the anger mixed in his words. Zhang Qiu smiled and said, “I have this capital; can you really get the jade pendant from anyone else?”
“You…”
Bai Jingwei was left speechless. He admitted that Zhang Qiu was right. Moreover, Bai Jingwei was very interested in Zhang Qiu's mention of having a ‘deeper understanding of the jade pendant.’ Time waits for no one, especially for the elderly; it was no exaggeration to say that it had reached a critical point. Every moment he could speed up his research equated to gaining another second. Bai Jingwei hesitated and struggled, trembling as he felt sweat soaking through his shirt. How should he decide?
“Professor Bai, think it over and contact me later. This is not my phone; I can't keep talking to you.”
“Wait!” Bai Jingwei hurriedly said, “Zhang Qiu, I can't make such a big decision on my own; I need to file a report for approval. You have to promise me that this is your last request. Once this matter is settled, you must come back immediately without any further complications.”
“I have one more request.”
“Zhang Qiu!” Bai Jingwei said sternly, “Don't push your luck!”
“This request is very easy for you; it's simple enough that you can fulfill it with just one sentence.”
“You!”
“You need to take good care of K's parents and family.”
Bai Jingwei was taken aback; his anger dissipated as he slowly replied, “Alright, I promise you.”
“Thank you.”
“K is my subordinate; even if you don't, I will take care of his family. By the way, K is not married yet.”
"Um..."
"Are there no other requests?"
"No, there aren't. Oh, right," Zhang Qiu suddenly remembered, "I have something to tell you that might be useful for your application."
"What is it?"
"The War Maniacs are in Tanzania."
"What!" Bai Jingwei was taken aback, "Are you sure it's them?"
"Absolutely sure."
"Good, good, this information is very timely."
"Then, I hope you will bring me good news during our next call."
After hanging up the phone, Lucia asked, "Are you okay? Who were you just talking to?" Lucia was puzzled but could tell from Zhang Qiu's expression that the conversation with both parties wasn't pleasant.
"Bai Jingwei."
"Is it because of K?"
"Yes." Zhang Qiu nodded, "Before we left, Bai Jingwei promised me he would help us with our operations in Africa, and now it's time for him to fulfill that promise."
"What did you ask him for?"
"I had him take care of K's family, and in addition, I am sending a task force to Tanzania."
"Task force!" Lucia exclaimed in shock. "Are you planning to take revenge for K?"
"Of course, K cannot die without reason." Zhang Qiu stared out the window, the intense sunlight forcing him to squint. "Moreover, the plane explosion has sounded an alarm for me, making me realize that even if we stay in the palace, we are not safe."
"You are right!" Lucia had not seriously considered this issue until Zhang Qiu brought it up. She began to feel that it was indeed as Zhang Qiu said. If planes departing from Bam could be blown up, then the palace was really not that safe. "Did he agree to your request?" Lucia asked.
Zhang Qiu nodded with a smile, and Lucia showed disbelief; logically, Professor Bai should have advised Zhang Qiu to return home.
"It’s really hard to believe that he actually agreed to you."
Zhang Qiu pulled out a White Tiger from his clothing and said, "With this, he has no choice but to agree."
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