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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 56: We Are Ultimately Different from You
Zhang Qiu and the others followed Prince Banan out of the room, and the heavy iron door slammed shut behind them. A soldier pulled down the power switch in the corridor, plunging the interior back into darkness.
The War Maniacs had brought this upon themselves, and there was no sympathy for them; instead, Zhang Qiu felt relieved. With the disbandment of the War Maniacs' team, there would be one less arms smuggling operation in the world, leading to more people distancing themselves from war. However, Zhao Yuanjia being alive and returning home posed a significant threat to him.
Zhao Yuanjia's words before leaving, "Hall Society, let's take our time," echoed in Zhang Qiu's mind, making him realize he had to take it seriously. With Zhao Yuanjia back in his country, Zhang Qiu could no longer stay in Santania. Fortunately, he now knew who his opponent was.
Zhang Qiu pondered throughout the journey while others remained silent. Upon reaching the first-floor lobby, Prince Banan said, "It's getting late; everyone should head back to your rooms and rest. Tomorrow morning, I'll arrange for the kitchen to serve breakfast a bit later so you can sleep in."
Zhang Qiu and Lucia were already exhausted and immediately bid farewell to Prince Banan. Lucia yawned and said to Zhang Qiu, "Finally, I can sleep in a bed; it's such a blessing."
"Prince Banan!"
Just as Prince Banan turned to leave, Azure Hawk suddenly called out his name. Zhang Qiu and Lucia stopped and turned to look at Azure Hawk. Prince Banan asked, "Is there anything else?"
Azure Hawk hesitated for a moment before speaking. Prince Banan urged him, "This isn't like you; if you have something to say, just say it."
"You can't kill the other five," Azure Hawk said firmly, reverting to his usual demeanor as if issuing a command.
Prince Banan suddenly laughed and asked, "Who told you I was going to kill them?"
"Weren't you just..." Azure Hawk recalled what Prince Banan had said earlier.
Prince Banan interjected, "I just won't let them leave; I never said anything about taking their lives."
"Really?" Azure Hawk was skeptical of Prince Banan's words.
"I am a prince, killing them is as easy for me as squashing a few ants. Do you think I need to lie to you?"
Azure Hawk nodded; Prince Banan indeed had no reason to deceive him. However, although those people had survived, they were imprisoned in a foreign dungeon, losing their freedom. It was uncertain whether Professor Bai Jingwei would be satisfied with such an outcome. Professor Bai's order was to ensure the safety of these individuals, and given the current situation, their safety could be considered guaranteed.
"Now," Prince Banan looked at Azure Hawk, "are there any questions?"
"None."
"I have a question," Lucia shouted.
Prince Banan smiled, "What do you want to ask me?"
"Why didn't you confront them directly when you were down there? You and Azure Hawk facing off made my heart race."
Lucia's question made Azure Hawk feel embarrassed, and he turned his head to avoid making eye contact with her. Prince Banan explained, "Letting them know would be too easy for them. I want them to live in fear of death; that is far more terrifying than simply killing them."
Lucia was momentarily stunned and sighed, "You are truly ruthless!"
Zhang Qiu shared the same thought but kept it to himself; perhaps this was one of the cultural differences between East and West. Prince Banan's approach indeed inflicted more torment on the War Maniacs than simply killing them, which was what Zhang Qiu wanted to see. These people had caused enough trouble for themselves and their Brothers; they needed to suffer a bit to understand that they should not bully others.
"Of course, I have other considerations," Prince Banan suddenly paused here and turned to look at Azure Hawk. Azure Hawk took the hint and said, "I will go rest."
After walking a distance away, Prince Banan said, "My considerations can only be shared with you two. Although Azure Hawk saved me, his performance today has greatly disappointed me."
"I can understand," Zhang Qiu nodded. Azure Hawk's performance today not only disappointed Prince Banan but also Zhang Qiu. Zhang Qiu had regarded Azure Hawk as one of his own countless times, but unfortunately, Azure Hawk always reminded him with facts at critical moments that they were not on the same path.
"Letting them live is more valuable than letting them die. Azure Hawk is right; these people's fathers hold immense power. Therefore, I cannot offend them—not out of fear, but because I cannot. At this stage, Tanzania is in a recovery period, and the people need to recuperate. We cannot afford another war, even a localized one. Keeping these individuals as hostages can actually provide us with greater leverage in business. The abundant minerals in Tanzania are a trump card in my hand; I can use them to play this card even better."
"This is very dangerous, like walking on a cliff without any protection," Lucia said, her mouth agape in surprise. To her, such a plan seemed utterly insane for a country.
"It is indeed dangerous, but I have no other choice," Prince Banan replied with a calm smile.
"Actually, it's not that dangerous," Zhang Qiu interjected. "From what I know about these people, they place great importance on their children, especially their sons. The wealth and status they have accumulated throughout their lives must be inherited by their children. When they learn that their sons have become hostages, they will not act harshly; instead, they will compromise at every turn to ensure their children's safety."
"Really? Do those people have such great power?" Lucia looked at Zhang Qiu in disbelief.
Zhang Qiu nodded and said, "We are fundamentally different from you."
Lucia nodded thoughtfully. Prince Banan, who often dealt with these individuals, understood Zhang Qiu's point and smiled, "With what you just said, I feel much more at ease."
Zhang Qiu smiled back and said, "I think it won't be long before you can fully relax."
"I hope so."
"However," Zhang Qiu reminded Prince Banan, "you must carefully consider when to release these people. Once they are out of danger, retaliation will follow swiftly. They may not come personally, but they will use every means available to seek revenge. You need to be prepared for that."
"Your advice is very sound; I've considered this myself. I will provide them with extremely favorable living conditions—delicious food, fine wine, beautiful women—everything they desire, except for freedom. This will likely last for one to two years until Tanzania's national strength significantly improves and democratic elections conclude. Once the situation stabilizes in the country, I will naturally release them."
"Good; that's very clever."
Zhang Qiu and Lucia bid farewell to Prince Banan once again and followed the servant to the arranged room. Zhang Qiu had to admit that Prince Banan possessed the qualities and abilities expected of a politician.
The Royal Palace is no less grand than any other palace, with spacious rooms divided into two parts: an outer reception area and an inner bedroom. Zhang Qiu and Lucia hurried through the reception area straight to the bedroom, feeling exhausted and in urgent need of a soft, comfortable bed.
The glass chandelier on the ceiling cast a warm light over the room, where a large double bed was placed on a brown woolen rug. On one side of the room were vertical floor-to-ceiling windows. Zhang Qiu walked over and pulled up the sheer curtains. The bed was covered with a cream-colored quilt, and both Zhang Qiu and Lucia looked at their dirty selves, hesitating to jump onto the bed directly.
Lucia pointed to the bathroom nearby and said, "You go take a shower first, then I'll go."
"Lady first, you go ahead."
"You’re a guy; you take less time in the shower. You can get into bed right after. I take longer and don’t want to keep you waiting."
"That's true; then I'll go first."
Zhang Qiu stood up and began to walk toward the bathroom, taking off his outer clothing and tossing it onto the rug. As he pushed open the bathroom door, he realized there was a problem: the entire bathroom was separated by transparent glass, allowing anyone outside to see clearly inside where someone was showering.
Seeing Zhang Qiu frozen in place, Lucia asked, "Zhang Qiu, what’s wrong?"
"Uh, nothing, nothing," Zhang Qiu instinctively replied but suddenly realized there was indeed an issue and quickly corrected himself, "Actually, there is something."
"What is it?" Lucia asked, her big blue eyes examining Zhang Qiu.
"Um, this bathroom... it's transparent..." Zhang Qiu felt a bit embarrassed.
"I see that," Lucia said with a smile. "But is there no curtain inside?"
Curtain? Zhang Qiu hadn’t actually paid attention to look for one. He leaned into the bathroom to explore but found no curtain at all, not even a place to hang one.
"Did you find it?" Lucia asked.
Zhang Qiu stood dazed at the bathroom door and replied, "No, it's not in there."
Lucia's face flushed suddenly. "Then... um, you can go in and wash. I'll turn around and face away from you."
Zhang Qiu nodded and walked into the bathroom, closing the door. It didn't really matter whether it was closed or not. Zhang Qiu began to take off her clothes, glancing at Lucia outside. As expected, Lucia had her back turned to the bathroom. When Zhang Qiu stood naked in the bathroom, Lucia suddenly moved.
Water flowed down Zhang Qiu's head, making her vision blurry. She quickly rubbed her eyes, and when she looked again, Lucia was walking toward the living room. Zhang Qiu let out a long sigh and continued to enjoy the warm water. After a while, Zhang Qiu wrapped herself in a bathrobe and stepped out of the bathroom, only to find that Lucia was nowhere to be seen.
Zhang Qiu's first reaction was that something had happened. She hurried to the living room and shouted, "Lucia!"
"What's wrong?"
Lucia's voice came from somewhere. Following the sound, Zhang Qiu saw only a wall. Hesitating, she walked over and rounded the wall to discover a hidden room behind it. When entering earlier, Zhang Qiu had only thought about getting to bed quickly and hadn't taken a close look; it turned out there was another bathroom hidden behind this wall.
Zhang Qiu said, "It's nothing. I finished washing and didn't see you. As long as you're here."
"I found this place while looking around; this is the real bathroom! There's a big bathtub inside; it's so comfortable. Do you want to come in and soak?" Lucia said while gently stroking her smooth skin, those words almost slipping out unconsciously before she realized something was off.
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