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Due to the strange circumstances and the inability to report to the police, I had no choice but to agree with Xie Yang to stay in touch and closely monitor the situation. After leaving Xie Yang's contact information, I went to Xu Zengjing's room to grab her bag and returned to my own hospital room.
To my surprise, within just a few hours, Maliao and Xu Zengjing had already fallen asleep. The two of them were really something; even though I hadn't returned, they could still sleep! Xu Zengjing was, of course, sleeping on my bed, which made me feel quite awkward. I couldn't just stay there; it felt a bit strange to leave the two of them alone in one room, especially after what had just happened. My mind was restless and unable to settle down, so I paced around a couple of times before deciding to leave the ward and find an internet café.
I intended to search for information because I was very curious about that Corpse-Restraining Pill that Xie Yang mentioned. Honestly, I had encountered quite a few strange things myself, but Xie Yang had once again shattered my understanding and curiosity.
After searching online for a while, I found many rumors and stories about this item. Of course, it had various names: some called it the Corpse-Restraining Pill, others referred to it as the Corpse-Stabilizing Pearl, and there were different variations. They all seemed to suggest that it could prevent corpses from decaying or something similar, but there was no way to verify any of it.
There was one post on an obscure forum that provided an explanation about this item. The poster believed that the so-called Corpse-Restraining Pill was actually made from special materials containing radioactive elements. It could alter the properties of a corpse through radioactive substances while also affecting magnetic field changes, preventing the body from undergoing decay or other abnormal conditions. The poster even speculated seriously that this radioactive material must have come from outer space, having fallen to Earth as a meteorite. Initially, ancient people must have accidentally buried a body in soil containing this substance, and after several years discovered that the buried corpse remained intact. Thus, they found this special material and eventually created such pearls that circulated widely.
I somewhat agreed with this viewpoint; after all, if it wasn't something extraterrestrial, why would there be so few of them? Whether in Chinese records or historical texts, these pearls were indeed rare and unlikely to be native to Earth. It seemed that Xie Yang's claims held some truth. But what did someone intend to do with this item after stealing it? After all, it was still an unverified rumor—who knew if it actually worked?
I pondered for a while but came up empty-handed. It seemed this matter would have to be set aside for now. Feeling somewhat dejected, I closed the webpage. After aimlessly playing games for a while, I became extremely tired in the early hours of the morning and returned to the hospital ward. Seeing both of them still sound asleep, I pushed two chairs together and curled up on them for the night.
When I woke up the next morning, I shook Maliao awake and then roused Xu Zengjing. Given everything that had happened, we couldn't stay any longer. Of course, I didn't tell Maliao and Xu Zengjing about the specifics of what had occurred; however, I decided we should all check out today. Naturally, Maliao and Xu Zengjing agreed with me on this decision. My wound wasn't too serious; it felt a bit itchy—probably a sign it was healing—and I just needed to take care when returning home.
At first, both of them looked puzzled by my sudden decision. I feigned mystery and whispered, "I saw some movement at the morgue last night in Xu's room."
Their faces changed instantly with fear; Maliao was mostly there as a patient himself while Xu Zengjing was in a similar situation. So they hurriedly joined me in completing the discharge procedures.
I went over to greet Xie Yang before leaving the hospital with Maliao when Xu Zengjing drove up in her car that had been parked at the hospital all along to give us a ride. It seemed she had been waiting by the entrance for us.
I didn't insist on refusing; deep down I knew this girl wasn't bad-hearted—she just grew up in an out-of-touch family and didn't know much about many things—or perhaps she only saw a small part of the world.
While we were on the vehicle, Maliao received a phone call. From his tone during the conversation, it seemed related to work matters. After hanging up, he pondered something for a moment.
Then he suddenly turned around with a grin and asked me cheerfully, "I heard from Xu that you're quite skilled at fighting—did you really chase off a criminal barehanded?"
"Not really; it's nothing impressive—just a hobby combined with fitness."
"No way! That officer who brought me here said you were amazing! You single-handedly took down a formidable criminal! You even knocked one out!"
"Don't listen to him!" I shot a sideways glance at Xu Zengjing who was driving; why did she always have to complicate things for me?
"Hey, are you being so humble?! By the way, I just happen to have some good news. Are you interested?" Maliao suddenly became excited.
"The military district has organized a Fighting Competition. Has your unit heard about this?"
"Fighting Competition? No!" I replied, feeling confused.
"Oh? I see. Maybe it's because your unit is different in nature. Here's the thing: every year, all Military Regions hold a Reconnaissance Soldier Competition, which is open to all Military Regions. It follows the subjects and rules of the International Scout Competition, with events including Application Shooting, Search Shooting, Behind Enemy Lines, Field Camping, Car Drivers, Battlefield First Aid, navigating through Minefields, Armed Assault, and eight other subjects."
Before he could finish, I interrupted, "I've heard of that. I participated in a training session organized by the Special Operations Brigade before; it was just to recruit more personnel for the Special Operations Brigade."
"This time is different, Brother. This time there's an additional individual competition."
"What individual competition?"
"A fighting competition, listed separately from the eight subjects. You can sign up for it individually, with both weapon-based and unarmed categories. Are you interested? The runner-up can earn merit points for an early promotion."
Earning merit points didn't attract me much, but the idea of an early promotion piqued my interest. I was already a regular company officer; if I could get promoted early, that would mean becoming a Deputy Battalion Commander! A five-year-old Deputy Battalion Commander sounds pretty fast; surely I'd be able to join a group afterward? However, considering all Military Regions, I felt my chances were slim because our military district is vast and there must be many skilled individuals. It probably wouldn't be my turn.
Moreover, our unit hadn't notified us about this matter. I figured there must be a limited number of spots available; the higher-ups likely allocated them to Special Forces units. It made sense—what Special Forces unit doesn't have its own scouts? Everyone wants to make a name for themselves; it's like buying a lottery ticket—you might win if you buy one, but if you don't buy one, you're just dreaming!
While I was hesitating, Maliao said, "We have one spot in our Provincial Military District. You know how it is here; how could we possibly have someone talented in this area? I'm in charge of this matter and can give you this spot so you can participate."
Maliao's words were tempting, and I couldn't help but look at him warily. "Old Ma, it can't be that simple, right? If you give the spot to our unit, how will you explain it to your superiors? That can't work!"
Maliao grinned slyly. "Hehehe, Brother, we can't afford to lose face here; after all, we're a big unit. If nothing happens with this competition at all, it would be embarrassing. We can't do anything about the scout competition anymore, but we can certainly try for this fighting competition. Besides, you're stationed in our provincial capital unit too; there's no rule against joint participation in the documents. We can participate together; I'll lead you there as the team leader. According to the notification regulations, if you place well, we can earn a recommendation for an award! Plus, your unit will also get some recognition!"
Hearing Maliao say this made me feel more energized. At that moment, Xu Zengjing chimed in, "Brother Ding, I think you can do it!"
I was taken aback—when did I become your Brother Ding? Annoyed, I replied, "You used to think soldiers were nothing special!"
Xu Zengjing stuck out his tongue and made a face at the rearview mirror without saying anything further.
Turning his face, I awkwardly said to Maliao, "This might be a bit difficult. I'm still a Unit Commander, and I'm afraid I can't leave; the unit won't let me go."
Maliao seized the opportunity and said, "Brother, this is a win-win situation. Why wouldn't you go? It's just a few hours, and it won't interfere with your work. Besides, do you know where the competition is? Right here! What are you worried about? To put it bluntly, even if you're at the unit, you can take half a day off to come over. Now you see how awkward we are, right? Although we're not the main organizers, this place is indeed awkward. Does the higher-ups know we have no participants? So they chose a place where no one would show up for the competition? Also, I'll send a fax to your unit; they should let you go. Don't worry! This isn't just your issue; I'm here to provide a platform for you to showcase yourself!"
Listening to Maliao speak so confidently, I was still deep in thought when he leaned in closer and said, "Don't you like this? Have you never thought about meeting other experts?"
Surprisingly, that statement struck a chord within me. In my younger days, I was very competitive and often felt like I had to be first in many aspects of life.
I immediately wanted to agree wholeheartedly, but as the words reached my lips, I paused and said cautiously, "Well, why don't you draft a letter first? The first hurdle is negotiating between our two units; anything beyond that is unnecessary."
Maliao patted my shoulder and cheerfully replied, "That's enough! I have your number; we can contact each other anytime. Just be prepared for this!"
"Hey, beautiful! Beautiful! Just stop over there! I won't interrupt your time together; I'll head out now!" Maliao surprisingly decided to leave without hesitation, and Xu Zengjing didn't even try to keep him around as he smoothly pulled over.
"Brother, are we going to eat?" This time he didn't even call me by my name but went straight for 'brother'!
(To be continued; more exciting content tomorrow!)
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