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墨書 Inktalez
"Not for now."
Zhang Qiu looked outside the door, where the summer sun scorched the earth. The tall and sturdy sycamore trees by the roadside stood like giant umbrellas, providing shade for passersby. Across the street, under the sycamore tree at the entrance of KF, a black sedan was quietly parked.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia pulled their suitcases across the road. As they got closer, Zhang Qiu recognized the license plate of the black Buick business car: it was Bei·bs486.
"This is the car," Zhang Qiu said.
As they approached the sedan, the door opened from one side. K got out and picked up Zhang Qiu's and Lucia's suitcases, placing them in the trunk.
"Good to see you again," Zhang Qiu remarked, looking at K, as this was their second encounter.
K's expression remained cold as he simply said, "Get in quickly. Dr. Bai is waiting for you; we need to leave as soon as possible."
Zhang Qiu and Lucia closed the car door, and before they could settle in, the car sped off like an arrow released from a bow, merging into the dense traffic of the main road.
On the way, Lucia curiously asked, "What do they do? They seem very cold, like sculptures that have fallen into an ice cave."
Zhang Qiu chuckled at Lucia's metaphor and replied, "Your analogy is quite apt; these people are like statues in an ice cave."
As Zhang Qiu and Lucia were talking, K suddenly turned his head, his sharp gaze fixed on them. He spoke in English as well: "I can understand English."
Zhang Qiu and Lucia exchanged glances and chose to change the subject.
The car brought them to the place where Zhang Qiu first met Bai Jingwei. However, this time Zhang Qiu noticed an increase in the number of guards at the entrance, and everyone inside wore serious expressions; the atmosphere felt tenser than during their last visit.
Lucia followed behind Zhang Qiu, curiously observing everything about the Research Center. She whispered, "I've only seen scenes like this in movies."
Zhang Qiu empathized with Lucia; he had thought the same way when he first arrived here.
K led Zhang Qiu and Lucia to a door, entered a password on the electronic lock, and placed his hand on it. The two doors, which were about ten centimeters apart, opened to the sides. It was a long corridor, brightly lit to the point of being blinding, with Western art paintings from an unknown era hanging on the walls. At the end of the corridor was a room, with four cameras positioned above the door aimed at the passageway.
As Zhang Qiu approached, the door opened automatically, and Bai Jingwei, wearing a white lab coat, walked out. He adjusted his glasses perched on his nose, stared at Zhang Qiu, and smiled, "Zhang Qiu, we meet again."
"Yes, we meet again." Zhang Qiu suppressed the discomfort caused by Bai Jingwei's voice. "Can you tell me now who those mysterious people are?"
"Of course, come in and have a seat."
Bai Jingwei gestured for them to enter. Zhang Qiu glanced back at the narrow corridor and the now-closed door, a saying popped into his mind—catching turtles in a jar.
Zhang Qiu stepped into the room, which was quite spacious; rather than a room, it resembled a closed living warehouse. Everything necessary for living was present here. Following Bai Jingwei into the living room, Zhang Qiu sat down on the sofa. Bai Jingwei smiled and asked, "What would you like to drink?"
"No need for that; let's get straight to the point."
"Isn't that a bit hasty?"
"I'm sorry; we're pressed for time. If Professor Bai is sincere, we can start now; otherwise..."
Zhang Qiu stood up, but Bai Jingwei waved his hand indicating for him to sit down. "Then let's begin."
"What kind of people are they?" Zhang Qiu asked.
"They are a group of War Maniacs."
“War Maniacs?”
“Yes, exactly, they are maniacs! Some people have an insatiable desire for war. They exploit various loopholes to smuggle obsolete weapons and equipment from our country to war-torn regions overseas.”
Bai Jingwei spoke with an extremely serious expression, as if recalling something. Lucia looked on curiously, unaware of what these two were discussing, but Zhang Qiu was shocked to the core. Living in a time of peace, Zhang Qiu found it hard to imagine the existence of such a group. No wonder they were called maniacs.
Zhang Qiu recalled a famous saying he had seen: you feel light because someone shields you from the darkness. Now, it was time for Zhang Qiu, who bore the family mission, to shield against the darkness. However, Zhang Qiu did not understand what use these people had for the White Tiger.
Zhang Qiu asked, “The jade pendant is not a weapon; why do they want to take it from me?”
“Because your jade pendant is unusual.” Bai Jingwei smiled, his eyes glinting with a strange light. “According to the intelligence we have gathered, your jade pendant seems to be made of material not from Earth. I want it to save lives, while they want it to kill. They aim to use the pendant to develop more powerful killing tools and thus earn greater wealth. If they succeed, it could even change the nature of future warfare!”
Once again, Zhang Qiu was shocked; aliens and gods—humans themselves were the most terrifying existence.
“How do you know all this?” Zhang Qiu, still in shock, began to doubt Bai Jingwei. Why did he know so much about the mysterious individuals? Could they be working together? But that didn’t make sense; if they were allies, there would be no need for this conversation. In this room, even with great abilities, escape would be impossible. Zhang Qiu was puzzled until Bai Jingwei spoke a word that enlightened him.
“This Research Center directly serves those above. The Old Leaders are not only interested in their own bodies; they are also concerned about the current situation.”
Immediately, Zhang Qiu understood why Bai Jingwei had such detailed knowledge about the mysterious individuals. But since the Old Leaders were aware of the existence of War Maniacs, why didn’t they intervene? Was it beyond their capability? Zhang Qiu voiced his doubts.
Bai Jingwei squinted and smiled, “Young one, do you think things are that simple? Those who can do such things all have backgrounds; they cannot just be moved at will. Balance—the way of balance is the most precious part of Chinese Culture. This is something I shouldn’t share with you, but I don’t want to hide it. I believe that although we have differences, it doesn’t prevent us from being friends.”
Zhang Qiu nodded and said, “Thank you for your honesty; you’ve shown me sincerity.”
“Then may I take a look at your jade pendant?”
Zhang Qiu asked, "Are you just going to take a look, or are you going to do research?"
"Do research."
"Okay."
Bai Jingwei had prepared for Zhang Qiu's refusal and was about to persistently persuade him when he suddenly realized that Zhang Qiu's response seemed to be affirmative. Bai Jingwei couldn't believe his ears and asked again, "You mean, it's possible?"
"That's right, it's possible."
Bai Jingwei exclaimed, "That's simply too..."
"Professor Bai, don't get too excited just yet. I can let you study the jade pendant, but there are conditions," Zhang Qiu interrupted Bai Jingwei.
"You... you." Bai Jingwei was visibly excited, a flush appearing on his pale face, and his eyes seemed brighter than usual.
"The jade pendant can be handed over to you for research, on the condition that I will return from Africa first."
Bai Jingwei immediately replied, "I promise!"
"Professor Bai, don't be so hasty. My words always count. As long as you agree to my conditions, the jade pendant will definitely be placed on your experimental table. However, my conditions are not as simple as just returning from Africa."
"You can propose any conditions you have; I will fulfill them as long as I can!" Bai Jingwei was already impatient for the jade pendant. The health of an old superior was very poor, and comrades at the research institute had explored some vague records about the jade pendant from ancient texts. Relying on an outsider sounded absurd, but isn't that what the Research Center is for?
"After I return from Africa, I can bring the jade pendant to you. During your research process, you must ensure that the jade pendant remains intact and undamaged; not even a scratch is allowed. Secondly, regarding the direction of research, it can only be in the field of medicine, and any results must be shared with all of humanity; you cannot monopolize them. Lastly, I hope to receive assistance during my activities in Africa when necessary. I want all these terms in writing with signatures and stamps."
"No problem, I promise you!" Bai Jingwei immediately agreed to Zhang Qiu and quickly called someone to draft the contract. The first point was the easiest to guarantee; the Research Center used high-tech precision instruments, so there was no risk of damaging research samples. As for the research direction, Bai Jingwei was a medical professor himself, and he certainly wouldn't use the White Tiger for warfare like those lunatics. Regarding avoiding monopolization, that was even less of an issue; as long as he took good care of his superiors who entrusted him with important tasks, he would successfully complete his mission.
The last condition proposed by Zhang Qiu was what made Bai Jingwei hesitate, but he wasn't foolish enough to refuse. He decided to agree first and ask questions later. Bai Jingwei still didn't know what Zhang Qiu was going to Africa for or what kind of help would be needed. If it wasn't too difficult, Bai Jingwei could assist. But if it turned out to be particularly tricky, those leaders would decide; Bai Jingwei only needed to execute.
Bai Jingwei's subordinates were very efficient, and soon two copies of the contract were placed on Bai Jingwei's desk. He smiled and said, "Take a look and see if there are any areas that need modification."
Zhang Qiu picked up the contract and examined it carefully; there were no modifications needed, so he signed his name on it. Bai Jingwei also signed and took out the official seal from his desk drawer, hovering it above the contract as he said, "The research institute is a confidential unit, and this contract is as well. You cannot show it to anyone else; otherwise, you will face legal consequences."
"No problem."
After receiving Zhang Qiu's assurance, Bai Jingwei firmly pressed down the official seal.
"All done." Bai Jingwei handed the contract to Zhang Qiu while keeping his own copy safe.
Holding the contract in his hand, Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "Here's to a pleasant cooperation."
"Pleasant cooperation." Bai Jingwei smiled as he shook hands with Zhang Qiu and then asked, "Can you now tell me your purpose for going to Africa?"
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