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墨書 Inktalez
In the darkness, time seemed to stretch endlessly, yet the feeling of it was not long before a faint rustling sound reached their ears.
Before long, the mechanical noises grew louder, and suddenly a crisp sound of rocks falling echoed through the cavern, followed by a powerful beam of light flooding into the mine.
Everyone suppressed their excitement at being reborn and, after adjusting to the brightness, began to file out as the entrance widened.
Yang Fang and Jufeng were among the last to emerge from the mine. As soon as Yang Fang stepped out, his two followers and some other Terrorists who had rushed over quickly approached him with concern. At that moment, everyone was eager to be noticed by their leader; if they failed to catch his eye, their future prospects would be bleak.
Yang Fang was in poor health and even worse spirits. Anyone who faced such misfortune would find it hard to greet others with a smile. He responded curtly to their inquiries but managed a few kind words with Jufeng before leaving.
"Brother Ju Feng, you can skip mining for now and focus on recuperating," Yang Fang said, glancing at Jufeng's caring wife, then added with a smile, "It's perfect timing for your wife to take good care of you. Your salary will remain unchanged."
Jufeng and Vera quickly expressed their gratitude and watched as Yang Fang left the mining area surrounded by his followers.
It was still not dusk, so the workers had to continue mining. Cave-ins were common occurrences, and soon everything was tidied up so they could get back to work.
Ning Pangzi watched Jufeng and Vera leisurely return to nurturing and felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. He wondered why he couldn't have such good fortune and had to keep working.
...
Once Jufeng and Vera returned to their residence, Romain no longer pretended to be in pain. Instead, he stretched comfortably and lamented, "This act is exhausting; I didn't expect I'd end up serving tea for the Terrorists."
Vera naturally didn’t need to keep up the pretense either. However, her earlier concern wasn’t entirely feigned; being trapped in the mine had its dangers. If they stayed too long without oxygen, the consequences could be dire.
Hearing Romain's complaints, Vera smiled slightly and said, "Aren't you the one who brought this on yourself? I've heard tales of people getting burned by their own traps; it fits you perfectly."
Perhaps due to last night's tender moments, Vera's mood had subtly shifted.
Romain sensed Vera's teasing tone and felt a surge of pride within him.
He replied, "What I'm doing benefits all humanity. Don't you think I'm exceptionally great—and a bit heroic?"
Vera turned around lightly, rubbing her shoulders and shaking her head. "Not at all."
Jufeng immediately felt a surge of anger and threatened, "It seems last night's massage didn't have much effect! Someone seems to look down on me."
Seeing Jufeng's flippant tone referencing last night, Vera suddenly stood up, glaring at him, her body tensing up.
The feeling of being unable to control her own body was unpleasant, and Vera certainly did not want to experience that again.
Jufeng was quite pleased with the effect of his threat. He casually flopped onto the bed, ignoring Vera's fierce gaze and said contentedly, "I'm an injured man; I should take care of my wounds. Ugly wife, go pour me a glass of water."
Moments later, what was delivered to Jufeng was not a glass of water but Vera's discarded outer garment.
Jufeng caught it mid-air and then held it up to his nose, pretending to enjoy it as he took a deep sniff. "What a familiar scent!"
The response to Jufeng was the loud bang of a door slamming shut.
...
Later, Jufeng's physical condition should have improved somewhat, so he "dragged" his relatively okay body to visit Yang Fang.
Relationships need nurturing; otherwise, the foundation painstakingly built can easily fade away under the relentless passage of time.
Jufeng had to seize the opportunity.
Under the pretext of a visit, Jufeng easily entered Yang Fang's nurturing space, which was naturally incomparable to the employee dormitory. After resting for a day, Yang Fang was in good spirits. Especially upon seeing Jufeng's arrival, his smile grew even brighter.
It was as if Jufeng were his confidant.
"I just mentioned you to Brothers; I wanted to introduce them to a new friend. And here you are."
Yang Fang kindly invited Jufeng to sit down, and the other Terrorists in the room greeted him with smiles. After all, he was the boss's savior, a person with a bright future ahead—who would dare offend him?
Even in the lowest circles, where power dynamics existed, there were always some dark and unspoken thoughts.
"Thank you for your kindness, Supervisor. It is truly a stroke of luck for Ju Feng to meet all of you and make friends," Romain said.
Yang Fang smiled and replied, "You’re being too formal. Don’t call me Supervisor; just call me Yang Ge like everyone else."
Then, under Yang Fang's introduction, Jufeng greeted each Terrorist in turn and soon began to refer to them as brothers. Sometimes, the shift in roles can happen so suddenly that a single event can change a person's fate forever.
Of course, without Jufeng's intervention, the fate of this group of Terrorists wouldn’t have been much better.
Evil doers are indeed evil.
Now that they had become friends, Romain started chatting with everyone, naturally engaging in "open conversation." Yang Fang mentioned how Romain had saved him and couldn’t help but admire Romain's skills. With everyone encouraging him, Romain engaged in a sparring match with one of the more skilled Terrorists.
The time had come to test social intelligence. Having just entered a new circle, it might not be bad to show off right away, but it wasn’t suitable for this moment. Romain had not yet fully earned Yang Fang's trust, so he needed to rely on his close friends to deepen their connection. Therefore, in this nominal sparring match, he had to lose.
However, losing also required finesse; if he lost too thoroughly, he would risk being overlooked. A person deemed useless could easily be discarded in any circle. Thus, he needed to lose spectacularly.
The so-called slight misstep not only gave face to his opponent but also allowed his own abilities to shine through—this was the perfect moment for such a strategy.
Amidst the cheers from the crowd, Jufeng narrowly lost to his opponent. The man he faced secretly wiped sweat from his brow; if he lost here, he wouldn’t be able to hold his head up among his friends.
He patted Romain on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Not bad at all! Just keep working hard; surpassing me will be no problem. You're still young and have a bright future ahead."
Romain received recognition from a "master," feeling immensely grateful. The way everyone looked at him changed; it was no longer just empty friendliness but now included a hint of respect.
Yang Fang was even more pleased, his smile growing wider.
In the following days, Yang Fang granted Romain an extended break under the pretext that he needed time to recuperate. He spent all his time with Yang Fang and the group, their bond deepening and nearing boiling point.
Jufeng quietly estimated the date of the Mining event, knowing that Yang Fang's opportunity to emerge with an olive branch was drawing near.
A week had passed since the mine collapse incident. As usual, Jufeng made his way to Yang Fang's residence. It was dusk, and the setting sun cast its shadow across the land, making the world blush with its glow.
When Jufeng arrived, Yang Fang and a few close friends had already set the table with food and drinks, waiting for him to take his seat.
Yang Fang warmly ushered Jufeng to his place, and with a wave of his hand, they began to eat.
This was certainly not a Hongmen Banquet; however, since it was a feast, it carried more significance beyond just food and drink, and it would not be so easily navigated.
After some toasting and drinking, the "main course" would finally be served.
(To be continued)
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