Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Song Jiu felt disoriented, glancing around in confusion, unable to grasp Natalia's intentions. The grip of the gun in his palm was hard and cold, and he could feel the fullness of Natalia against his chest. He knew he shouldn't be distracted at this moment, but his chaotic thoughts spiraled out of control, leaving him unresponsive for a long time.
Natalia's inexplicable actions seemed to carry deeper meaning, especially the soft whisper that brushed against his ear.
Blinking, Song Jiu hesitantly murmured to himself, "Are you asking me to take you hostage?"
The translator stood some distance away, unable to hear Song Jiu's words. From his expression, it appeared he was still trapped in the bizarre scene of their embrace.
Without speaking, Natalia nuzzled her cheek against Song Jiu's, loosening her arms around him. She squinted playfully and turned as if she intended to leave.
The group hidden near the Sovereignty Monument was also engulfed in deep confusion. The two had exchanged a few words, followed by an embrace, and then it seemed to end just like that.
"Let's retreat. The island is so vast; we can run and fight our way to another Coast," Cao Zheng said, unable to contain himself. It seemed that Song Jiu's conversation with the Blonde Woman had yielded no results. Rather than surrendering passively, they might as well take a chance.
"But we have no boat. Can you swim back to Land?" Yang Xiaomeng countered Cao's suggestion with words, though her body betrayed her eagerness as Carbon Arrows were loaded into the crossbow.
Song Yao and Luo Yu were focused on Song Jiu, ignoring the discussion among the others. Just as Natalia was about to walk away, Song Jiu, who had been standing in a daze, suddenly moved.
" Jiu Jiu!" Luo Yu exclaimed in shock, springing up as if to rush out.
Song Yao and Dai Wei simultaneously reached out to stop her, reassuringly saying, "Wait."
In the center of the tense street, the mental patient suddenly made a move. He stepped forward and grabbed Natalia before the nearby translator could approach, raising his hand and firing a shot.
Bang!
The gunshot shattered the silence, causing chaos among the crowd at the dock and near the Sovereignty Monument. The atmosphere instantly became charged with tension.
"What are you doing?"
Not far away, Chang Xiangrong was drenched in cold sweat. Song Jiu had suddenly turned hostile, which truly caught him off guard. Moreover, the gunshot from Song Jiu was clearly aimed at him, yet for some unknown reason, the bullet had missed its target and he had no idea where it had gone.
Natalia's lips curled into a barely noticeable smile as she rolled her eyes, instantly switching to a panicked expression and shouting towards the dock.
Song Jiu was taken aback, his finger flicking off the safety on his gun as he pressed the barrel to Natalia's ear. He turned to the stunned translator and asked, "What did she say?"
The translator stood there for a moment, swallowing hard before stammering, "She... she said not to act impulsively."
Song Jiu felt a wave of relief wash over him. Squinting towards the dock, he saw that indeed, those foreigners behind the machine gun bunker had rushed out and seemed to be engaged in a heated argument with members of The Establishment. The blockade was silent, showing no signs of gunfire; the situation remained tense.
"Ah," Song Jiu sighed quietly and said softly, "Thank you, Natalia." He shot a glare at the translator.
The translator jolted awake, his expression shifting as if he finally understood something. He quickly got back to his translation work.
Natalia gently shook her head and whispered, "I will miss you."
Song Jiu fell silent, frowning as he thought for a moment. He then called over the team from Sovereignty Monument, instructing them to use Natalia and the translator as human shields while retreating into the palm trees by the roadside. The trees would provide some cover; even if negotiations broke down and fighting ensued, they wouldn't be completely exposed.
"Damn it! That was an impressive turn and shot! Song Jiu, I’m impressed!" Pockmarked Girl exclaimed excitedly. She had been hoping for this moment and couldn't believe it had actually happened.
"Shut up," Song Jiu shot her a look and said, "Whether this is reliable or not is still up for debate. Everyone stay alert."
There was no need for Song Jiu to say much more. Aside from Zeng Yadong being injured and lacking strength, everyone else was tense, fingers resting on triggers as their breaths quickened.
A few minutes later, several people emerged from the dock again; they seemed to be there for negotiations. Chang Xiangrong raised a megaphone and shouted, "Song Jiu! Don't act impulsively; we can talk!"
"Talk? Ha! There's nothing to discuss. Clear the dock or we all go down together!" Song Jiu retorted sharply. He managed to hold back his curse words just in time. Natalia had only hinted at taking hostages without specifying any concrete plans. This was his first time doing something like this; the power dynamics were already skewed against them. Whether they could exchange hostages for an escape route remained uncertain. With no better options available, they could only bluff their way through.
The people around felt their faces flush at the words of Song Jiu. Those lines sounded too amateurish; it seemed like the kind of rhetoric used by criminals who end up getting shot while taking hostages, which was a bit ominous.
" Jiu Jiu, we need to talk," Luo Yu said, his expression awkward. He kindly reminded them, "We can only drag Nata down with us, or we could turn against each other. It doesn't really lead to mutual destruction."
"If you have any ideas, then use them!" Song Jiu snapped, frustrated. "What should I say to get the plane ready?"
"Forget it, I can't fly a plane," Cao Zheng and Dai Wei quickly shook their heads, advising, "Don't escalate the conflict."
The translator was diligent, relaying their discussions to Nata. Upon hearing this, Natalia chuckled and muttered a few words to herself.
Fang Fei was taken aback and exclaimed, "You two discussed this well!"
Song Jiu nodded and said helplessly, "Otherwise, how would I have gotten a gun? She told me to do this; I don't even know if it will work."
"She said it's fine," Fang Fei shrugged, feeling increasingly grateful towards the Blonde Woman. A former bedmate now risking her life to save them—this bond was undeniable.
Zeng Yadong leaned against a tree, panting heavily. He sighed, "It should be okay. Your friend’s identity is special; we aren’t that significant in the Minister's eyes."
"Is that so? Then what's with all this commotion?" Luci wondered aloud. To put it bluntly, the show of force at the port seemed excessive for dealing with them; it was like using an anti-aircraft gun to shoot a mosquito.
"Is it for the Antibody?" Huihui asked, her face pale as she spoke. "If—"
"Don't think too much," Song Yao held Huihui's icy hand reassuringly. "Only a limited number of people know about the Antibody."
Zeng Yadong nodded in agreement. "It's not your concern; it's just a cleanup operation. Even if there's only one person involved, they still have to seal off the port to prevent leaks."
"I still don't understand. Can we really overturn their position?" Yang Xiaomeng tied her hair up and squinted at the situation by the dock in confusion. "On one hand, they say we're small fry; on the other hand, they're casting such a wide net. It's quite contradictory."
"Don't forget, Yao Jinsong is dead, and the armed forces on Taiping Island are still around," Zeng Yadong said with a hint of helplessness. "Given the current situation, the armed forces on Taiping Island pose the real threat to Yongshu Reef."
"Speaking of which, how many armed personnel do you have on Taiping Island?" Song Jiu asked curiously, wondering if there were more than here.
"Over four hundred," Zeng Yadong adjusted his glasses. "There are other stationed reefs in the Spratly area. Old Yao's direct forces are limited to that number, but they should not be underestimated. They are all professional soldiers, unlike us who are a mixed bunch."
"How do they compare to those foreigners?" Cao Zheng recalled the field duty personnel he had seen on the islands and muttered, "Can they handle them?"
"I don't know; anyway, they're all stronger than us," Zeng Yadong replied.
After a while, a consensus was finally reached at the dock. The spokesperson, Chang Xiangrong, stepped forward again to convey the message from the dockside. Just as Natalia had said, the other side compromised, promising to abandon force and allowing them to leave the island safely.
At first, Song Jiu was worried it was a trap and hesitated. Moments later, Luo Yu noticed that the blockade at the dock had been lifted. To reassure them, the guards at the machine gun bunkers also left, retreating beyond firing range. Only a few internal staff remained at the dock to assist, and the boat prepared by Zeng Yadong was also allowed to approach.
"It really worked out," Pockmarked Girl said in disbelief; a seemingly doomed situation had suddenly turned around, feeling almost surreal.
"Let's go," Song Jiu nodded, looking toward the courtyard where they had stayed for several days, filled with mixed emotions. All their efforts seemed to have turned into bubbles; the end point once again shrouded in thick fog.
The team approached the dock cautiously. The translator was sent away, and the internal staff stood at a distance for safety. Zeng Yadong, along with Cao Zheng and Dai Wei, boarded the boat first to check and ensure that The Establishment hadn't tampered with anything while the others still needed to hold their ground for a while longer.
Natalia quietly nudged Fang Fei and whispered a question.
Fang Fei paused for a moment, looking at Song Jiu before saying softly, "Nata wants to know what we meant by 'antibody.'"
Song Jiu was taken aback for a moment as he recalled their earlier conversation in the woods and sighed, "I guess we were overheard."
"Should we tell her?" Fang Fei asked.
"Don't." Song Jiu shook her head decisively, then her expression changed slightly as she interrupted, "Wait, tell her."
Fang Fei, confused, hesitated for a moment but still conveyed the message as Song Jiu instructed.
Song Jiu could sense Natalia's body stiffen for a moment. She turned her face, blinking her deep-set eyes, and asked, "The Antibody of the Infected Virus?"
"That's right," Song Jiu admitted calmly.
Natalia's expression changed dramatically. "Are you sure? If this is true, we can sit down and talk again; there's no need for things to escalate like this. Do you know what the Antibody means? We could develop a Vaccine and put an end to this disaster."
Song Jiu and Fang Fei exchanged strange looks and smiled wryly. "We traveled through mountains and rivers just for this reason, but unfortunately, your boss doesn't seem to share that idea."
"No, there’s a misunderstanding here; it’s more complicated than that." Natalia looked serious and urgent. "But this has nothing to do with the Antibody. My God, why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"
Fang Fei struggled to translate; Natalia spoke so quickly in her native language that it was hard to grasp everything, leaving her guessing.
Barbie Doll chimed in, leaving Song Jiu speechless. Well, in the end, it's all our fault for not saying anything. The Establishment even disbanded the laboratory and planned to relocate overseas for survival. The only one with any guts, Yao Jinsong, learned about this matter and within days, the entire faction was brutally wiped out. Now you're blaming us for not speaking up sooner?
" Jiu Jiu, we can leave now." Cao Zheng stepped onto the deck and called out loudly, "Let's set off."
"No, wait! You can't leave!" Natalia panicked, tightly gripping Fang Fei's and Song Jiu's sleeves, her eyes filled with urgency and pleading. "We can work together to end all of this."
"Sorry, Nata. We've tried, but it didn't work." Song Jiu shook her head regretfully. Zeng Yadong and Dai Wei also came out to help pull Song Yao and the others up. Seeing Natalia getting agitated made them all a bit nervous.
Natalia appeared somewhat at a loss; hearing about the Antibody surprised her greatly. Ultimately, she had missed the right timing. The current situation was indeed not optimistic, and their overseas Establishment couldn't take charge either.
Zeng Yadong and Luo Yu rushed over upon hearing the news. Realizing something was wrong as they retreated from their position, they began to approach this side as well.
Natalia turned and waved her hand toward the blockade, shouting a few words loudly.
Song Jiu's expression changed, but Fang Fei stopped him, shaking his head and saying, "She told them not to move, so don't worry."
"What's going on?" Luo Yu stepped forward to block the few internal staff members who were assisting them and asked, "Aren't we leaving yet?"
"It seems like the situation has changed a bit." Song Jiu hesitated. He had to admit that Natalia's words were still tempting. Huihui following them was of no use, and judging by the team's momentum, it was highly likely they would end up regretting it if they weren't careful. They all didn't want Antibody to be wasted in vain, but they were struggling with their inability to develop it, caught in a dilemma.
"Song, trust me. With Antibody, we can achieve everything." Natalia was still making her last effort. In fact, she could have called for the blockade to capture Song Jiu and the others all at once, but she didn't do that. After pleading for a long time and seeing that Song Jiu still showed no signs of changing his mind, the hope in her eyes dimmed, and she finally let go.
"Well, I don't know what your relationship with her is. I can't give you good advice, but I can tell you one thing." Zeng Yadong listened to the conversation among them and pondered for a moment before saying, "The first batch of departing ships carries a large amount of resources, half of which are materials for building laboratories."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Song Jiu asked in confusion.
"It means that if the fleet safely reaches Jin Bo's island, they will first set up a laboratory. This is an agreement reached by Old Yao and Wu Wentao." Zeng Yadong smiled slightly and said vaguely, "We all don't want to give up hope; we still expect a glimmer of possibility. I can only say this much; the specifics are up to you to decide."
Luo Yu and Fang Fei suddenly realized and looked at Song Jiu in unison.
Song Jiu opened his mouth and looked at the three women's eyes. Suddenly understanding Zeng Yadong's meaning, he exclaimed in surprise, "Is it really possible?"
"Old Yao is dead; the armed forces left with Wu Wentao. I'm also among your team now, and you are the leader. Your brother-in-law used to be our leader; although he was often unreliable, these matters were always decided by him." Zeng Yadong smiled faintly and spread his hands. "So it's your call as long as you think it's the right thing to do."
Song Yao and the others were already prepared. Cao Zhengming sounded the horn, urging everyone to board the ship quickly.
Song Jiu frowned and thought for a long time. Taking a deep breath, he placed both hands on Natalia's shoulders and said seriously, "Nata, do you remember that island?"
Natalia was still immersed in disappointment and loneliness. To her, the departure of Antibody meant that this disaster would never end. Hearing Song Jiu's question, Barbie Doll lifted her face with a dazed expression and confused eyes.
"Gritting her teeth, Song Jiu said seriously, 'Natalia, I want to believe you. If you're willing to try and truly want to end everything, then go to that island and find me.'"
Natalia listened, feeling a bit confused. She turned to Fang Fei and then back to Song Jiu, shaking her head in bewilderment.
Song Jiu chuckled lightly, suddenly leaning in to place a kiss on her forehead. She spoke softly, 'The Antibody and the laboratory will be there. We need your help, do you understand?'
'So,' Natalia's eyes gradually cleared as she murmured, 'you mean...'
'That's right. Remember my words about that island. We need you. Like you said, let's try to end this together.'
'I understand now.' Hope reignited in Natalia's eyes as she held back her emotions and embraced each of them in turn, watching them board the ship.
'Wait for me,' Natalia stood at the ship's railing, her gaze lingering.
Song Jiu sighed deeply and nodded silently.
'By the way,' Zeng Yadong recalled something and said to Fang Fei, 'ask her to find a way to bring Tan along too.'
End of Volume Five: The Fury of the Sea
Comment 0 Comment Count