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墨書 Inktalez
On the coast of Washing City, there is an old saying. At dawn, the sun rises from the sea, casting a gentle golden light upon the azure waves. Despite it being winter, the warmth it brings is undeniable.
"How nice, it's finally bright," Jufeng sighed.
"Yes, what's even better is that we all survived," Civilization replied.
At the seaside, in a typical residence of Senior Management, Jufeng and Civilization stood by the window in various postures, gazing at the bright scene of the sun rising over the distant sea. Not far behind them, on the sofa, Tong Bailong was happily devouring something; the table in front of him was already cluttered with numerous takeout boxes. In a bedroom further inside, He Jie was guarding a Young Maiden who was tightly bound to the bed. The girl looked quite terrified but remained mentally alert.
Having run all this way, Jufeng and his companions were exhausted. They happened to find this building in the area just outside the forest. Without much thought, they took advantage of the morning security guard's drowsiness to slip into the area. By chance, they encountered Zhang Li returning from her night shift. With no one else around in the vast area, Jufeng had no choice but to temporarily kidnap the lonely beauty and take her home for a visit.
As the sun rose gradually, it soon broke above the horizon. Jufeng withdrew his gaze from afar, his eyes reflecting a weariness that was hard to conceal.
Zhang Li's home was stocked with common medical supplies, so Jufeng forcibly removed the bullet from Civilization's shoulder and tended to the other wounds on his companions. For these young people who lived on the edge every day, as long as there were no broken bones or serious injuries, they considered themselves unscathed.
Jufeng walked past Tong Bailong and casually picked up two unopened takeout boxes before entering the bedroom.
He Jie saw Jufeng arrive and bowed slightly before stepping outside to prepare for a meal, not forgetting to close the door behind him.
Thus, only two people remained in the room: one slightly weary yet still strong man and one terrified and delicate girl.
Jufeng sat at the edge of the bed while Zhang Li instinctively shrank away towards the inner side. Her large eyes were filled with tears, and her delicate features resembled a pear blossom after rain, seemingly expressing endless grievances.
Jufeng let out a self-deprecating laugh that was more filled with helplessness and a hint of anger. Before Zhang Li could fully grasp the meaning behind that laugh, she suddenly saw a hand appear before her eyes, reaching towards her chest.
Zhang Li had already become like a startled bird; there was no time to evade. She instinctively closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably.
Zhang Li regretted it deeply—why had she refused her boyfriend's request to share a room last month? Now her innocence was about to be destroyed by an unrelated man. How would she ever face the man who loved her dearly after this?
In that moment, time seemed to stand still. It felt like an eternity had passed; she imagined hearing the sound of fabric tearing but instead felt her hands loosen as the ropes quietly slipped away.
Zhang Li opened her eyes and saw two food boxes placed in front of her, her nostrils flaring slightly.
Jufeng had already turned and walked out of the room without saying a word. The sight of his figure left Zhang Li feeling unexpectedly desolate. She paused, thinking to herself that perhaps this man had his own unavoidable troubles.
It was strange; a girl who had been kidnapped felt sympathy for her kidnapper, believing he had his reasons.
Outside the room, Song Peng had just returned from outside. He had been sent by Jufeng to contact Xue, and from his expression, it was clear that the situation was not optimistic.
At Jufeng's gesture, Song Peng slowly began to speak.
"The good news is that my brother and the others are safe and have returned to Azure Waterside. With Sister Lu and their backing, everything is calm for now. However, brother, all our bases in Washing City, including the Rising Dragon Club, have been completely lost."
As Song Peng's voice trailed off, it became softer, but Jufeng understood clearly who harbored such deep hatred against him that they could unleash a storm like this.
Jufeng had anticipated this outcome since last night. Yet no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't figure out who was behind it. Cheng Zihu? Or the And Group? He mentally eliminated one possibility after another but couldn't shake off the feeling until he recalled the assassination attempt in the capital. Those rumors seemed to provide a clue but also left him more confused.
"Do we know who they are?"
"They're all the prominent figures in Washing City's Underworld working together."
Jufeng gasped at this answer. The entire Underworld joining forces—where did they find such coordination?
"When I took down Xinglong, Hua Gang helped me; anyone with a bit of sense wouldn't go against me. Could it be that they've grown tired of living?"
Jufeng laughed in anger, unable to contain himself for a moment, but then he realized something was amiss.
"Brother and I share the same thought; we both feel that with Hua Gang backing them, they don't dare to act. So, I called both the Hua Gang branch in Washing City and the Yang City branch. The result was that no one answered at the Yang City branch, and the Washing City branch... was wiped out last night."
"What!"
Jufeng could no longer maintain his composure. To provoke Hua Gang, these people must either be insane or seeking death.
However, Jufeng knew that even if one person had lost their mind, it wouldn't mean that all of Washing City had gone mad. There must be issues with Hua Gang, problems in Washing City, and likely troubles in Beijing as well. There were too many complications for Jufeng to process at once, and he couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"Damn it!"
This was an ancient language, no longer in use on Earth, and few knew its meaning. But Civilization understood, so he recognized that Jufeng was in a particularly bad state.
No one dared to disturb Jufeng, but Civilization did. Although he didn't understand the intricate relationship between the hurricane and these gangs, he knew that shouting in this room was futile.
"In the Bible, what enters cannot defile a person; what exits can defile a person. So where do we go next?"
Jufeng looked at Civilization and understood his implication. Regardless of who the opponent was, since they had taken the initiative to strike first, they could not just sit back and wait for their demise.
Jufeng calmed himself and weighed his options in his mind before telling He Jie and Song Peng, "You two find a way to return to Azure Waterside. During my absence, listen carefully but do not act rashly; preserving our strength is crucial."
"Understood!" He Jie and Song Peng responded promptly. At Jufeng's signal, they left first.
"I suspect Hua Gang is in trouble. Since news hasn't circulated yet, it indicates that the opponent is very powerful. However, there’s no wall that doesn’t let the wind through; sooner or later, the truth will come out. But we don’t have that much time left. Pack up; we’re heading to Yang City!"
Civilization and Tong Bailong took their orders and began to tidy up their traces in the room while Jufeng re-entered to give Zhang Li a phone number and some instructions before taking his leave.
A few minutes later, Zhang Li heard silence outside and stepped out of the bedroom. Indeed, everything in the room remained unchanged; only the kidnappers were gone. If it weren't for the food box still in her hands, Zhang Li might have thought this was all a dream.
The dream faded, people departed, the sun rose, and only a trace of warmth lingered in hand.
...
On the intercity express train heading to Yang City, Jufeng and Civilization engaged in the following conversation.
"Why are you so good with a gun?"
Civilization gazed out the window, seemingly lost in memories.
"I grew up as an orphan in the forests of North, where gun control was relatively lax and firearms were quite cheap. I hunted beasts with a gun and traded them for bullets and supplies, so I developed some survival skills. Later, I stumbled upon a book that opened my eyes to the vast knowledge and beautiful landscapes outside, which prompted me to venture out. I just didn't expect that years of living in the woods without a proper routine would lead to me catching that illness."
"By the way, the knife you used at the villa seemed to be from Huankezhao. What grade was it?"
Jufeng recalled the expensive knife he had purchased to "win over" Jiang Xue. At that time, Lezheng had bought an extra one just to curry favor, using company funds, so he kept it for himself.
"Second-Grade. Why, do you like it?"
Civilization smiled cryptically. "No need; I'm more accustomed to using a gun."
Jufeng couldn't help but widen his eyes. "As if I were going to give it to you."
Tong Bailong sat behind them, listening to their nonsensical banter and thinking how old they were yet still acted like children.
...
The events of one night in Washing City seemed to pass by so simply. However, in reality, the true perilous battlefield was not Washing City but the even broader territory of Huaguo.
Time rewound to last night in the capital, in a bustling yet somewhat desolate area, within a villa. Flower Snow Moon leaned over the desk, studying some documents from the gang. Despite being part of the Underworld, Hua Gang, as one of the three major powers of Huaguo, and with Flower Snow Moon being a prominent leader among them, the daily affairs were no less demanding than those of some government officials.
Tonight, it was snowing in the capital, with snowfall much heavier than that in Washing City, all due to the same cold air mass. As the night deepened, Flower Snow Moon paused her work, her delicate fingers lightly massaging her temples.
The falling snow was silent but could cover many sounds; however, if someone wished for others to hear even a slight noise, this group of winter messengers would be of no help.
Suddenly, Flower Snow Moon stopped her motion, her gaze sharpening. "Since you are here, why hide?"
As soon as she spoke, the wind stirred, and a figure swiftly appeared by the window, snow swirling around and curtains fluttering.
The figure approached Flower Snow Moon's side and sat down at the desk, revealing a handsome face.
"Politeness? It really is you!"
(To be continued)
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