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墨書 Inktalez
During the time of the Terrorist, Jufeng had already witnessed the devastation of war, with smoke and destruction all around. However, as he piloted his mech this time, his heart felt even heavier than before.
In this war, there was no absolute wrong side; everyone was fighting for their own interests. Who could blame anyone? Just like the ordinary citizens, some might support the Universal Police, while others backed Huankezhao and other Cosmos enterprises that provided them with daily necessities. This was not a one-sided trend like that of the Terrorist; there was no clear distinction between good and evil, making it difficult to choose a side.
However, various investigations indicated that Huankezhao was like an evil entity cloaked in the guise of justice. This was the greatest deception against innocent civilians. Jufeng could not allow the world to fall into ruin because of such deceit. He needed to step forward, peel away this beautiful facade, and expose the ugly truth beneath it to the public.
He would accept the judgment of the world.
Yet before he could fully step out, Jufeng first needed to find evidence. He was no longer the impetuous young man driven by passion; he was approaching his thirties and understood the importance of patience and caution.
Thus, Jufeng increased his speed and flew toward the address given by Wu.
In the vastness of space, countless planets floated like lonely boats on an ocean. Fortunately, human intelligence was boundless; with just three rays and three data points, one could pinpoint a specific location, ensuring it wouldn't be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
As he watched two red dots on the screen slowly converge, Jufeng suddenly recalled his previous deep dive into Azure Dragon Monk's Arms Factory with Chen Tan Hua. Eight years had passed in a flash; he wondered if Chen Tan Hua had changed at all.
Looking at his own holographic image, Jufeng chuckled to himself. People like them were stubborn as rocks, unaccustomed to change. The most significant difference between eight years ago and now was probably just the number of wrinkles at the corners of their eyes.
The mech landed on a planet that appeared similar in size to Earth. The descent was smooth, and occasionally he spotted a few mechs flying together in pairs.
Clearly, this was no longer a main battlefield. Although the mechs flying by did not belong to the same faction—an eclectic mix—it had become a base after desolation. Everyone could pause here for minor adjustments; while there might be skirmishes, more likely it would be a place of relative peace.
How could dozens or even hundreds of mechs influence the larger picture?
Jufeng landed steadily, carrying another identical mech on his back, yet it did not affect his operational skills at all.
The city that came into view was dilapidated, with crumbling walls and ruins scattered everywhere. Yet, there were still some buildings that had been slightly repaired, continuing to serve their purpose.
For instance, the noodle shop that Jufeng arrived at was originally a three-story building, but now only one floor remained. Fortunately, this remaining floor was still sizable enough to faintly reflect its former glory.
As he scanned the crowd, Jufeng quickly spotted a familiar face, still wearing that slight smile at the corners of his mouth, still looking… infuriating.
Though brothers may not share a telepathic bond, they still had an unspoken understanding. From a distance, Jufeng saw Chen Tan Hua, who naturally noticed him as well.
They exchanged smiles—not a reconciliation of past grievances; the eight years between them had not prompted questions about each other's stories. They simply sat down quietly.
It was not either of them who broke the silence first, but rather a waitress who approached them.
"Sir, may I ask what you would like to eat?"
In these chaotic times, having a customer was more heartwarming than seeing one's own father. The staff would do everything in their power to ensure customer satisfaction. They didn’t expect to become repeat customers; as long as this meal could be worth its weight in gold, the owner would consider it a blessing.
Her voice was soft and pleasant, prompting Jufeng to look up. Before him stood a beautiful young woman, vibrant and charming, easily endearing herself to others.
Since it was Jufeng's first time here, he naturally didn’t know what specialties were offered. He glanced at Chen Tan Hua and said, "I'll have what he's having."
The waitress smiled and turned to leave, seemingly pleased with Jufeng's order. Chen Tan Hua never held back when it came to spending; after all, it was public funds he was using. He certainly wouldn’t be stingy and always adhered to the principle of spending lavishly on food.
Watching the waitress leave with a cheerful demeanor made Jufeng think of these things, and he couldn’t help but tease his old friend: "It seems that during these eight years, you've been living quite well!"
Chen Tan Hua shrugged and complained, "If you think it's so easy, why don't you give it a try? Eight years, day in and day out, investigating one thing all alone, without even a beautiful woman by my side. I’m dying of injustice here, and you call this easy? Easy my foot!"
Seeing that Jufeng still had the leisure to chat with him, Chen Tan Hua's worries about Jufeng eased, and the conversation naturally became lighter.
Jufeng snorted dismissively, looking skeptical. "You think you can handle it alone? Who knows how many girls you've been spending my money on!"
Of course, this was just a joke. Jufeng trusted Chen Tan Hua's character; it wasn't that spending money to find amusement meant someone had poor character. Rather, with Chen Tan Hua's integrity, he simply wouldn't engage in such behavior.
The speed at which the noodle shop served food was astonishing, likely due to the abundance of ingredients and the lack of customers. In no time, a bowl of beautifully presented and fragrant braised noodles was placed in front of them.
It was still that graceful waitress who, after serving the dish, didn't forget to throw a flirtatious glance at Jufeng, carrying a hint of flirtation.
Jufeng was momentarily taken aback by this, but Chen Tan Hua teased from the side, "Looks like she’s taken a liking to you! Don’t be surprised if she wants to run away with you later!"
Run away? Jufeng pondered the implications of that phrase and suddenly realized. The reason they were still working amidst the chaos of war was undoubtedly due to their desperate circumstances; they had nowhere else to go. If someone were willing to take them away without being too poor, they would surely be eager to follow.
The brutality of war had reached such depths.
Looking at the noodles in front of him, Jufeng felt a sudden loss of appetite. He picked at his food for a bit before turning to Chen Tan Hua to learn more about the investigation.
"What’s going on? If Wu asked me to come, it must be something significant."
Upon hearing this, Chen Tan Hua revealed a proud expression and said haughtily, "Of course! I found someone who used to be a soldier under Azure Dragon Monk. Later, he got involved with his superior's wife and fled from the Terrorist group when he was discovered. But he didn’t leave it all behind; instead, he started working for Azure Dragon Monk as an informant in the Large Magellanic Cloud."
Jufeng was taken aback by the response, momentarily forgetting about the noodles he was eating. He continued to ask, "So the two previous messages were sent by him?"
Earlier, when they had disrupted the Azure Dragon Monk's Arms Factory, Jufeng had obtained some data from his Central Computer, two pieces of which came from the Large Magellanic Cloud. He remembered this detail, which prompted his question.
Chen Tan Hua shook his head and replied, "These two messages only surfaced last year. For now, I've only found this one; I'm still uncertain about the other. The person in question has a rather special identity—he's an official in the Suihuan Army. I approached him before, and under pressure and persuasion, I managed to get him to talk. I recorded all the scenes as well. Then I let him go, hoping to catch a bigger fish and avoid alarming anyone."
Jufeng nodded and asked, "What did he admit to?"
At this question, Chen Tan Hua's expression darkened slightly, and he looked a bit remorseful. "He only knows that he was commissioned to send messages to the Azure Dragon Monk by someone named Huankezhao. He doesn't have any information about the content of those messages or whether any further messages were sent afterward. Huankezhao's offer was simply to let him join the United Peace Army. He does have the relevant paperwork for that; he just hasn't kept it on him. We're scheduled to meet soon to hand over this information, and since you're here, we can take a look together and discuss our next steps."
Upon hearing this, Jufeng nodded in agreement; for now, that was all they could do. With their plan confirmed, he began to eat his noodles more quickly.
(To be continued)
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