Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Lu Fei Fan could be considered someone who has lived two lives. He felt that the past belonged to the Grim Reaper, while the present and future belonged to him.
Having witnessed the myriad of human nature's beauty and ugliness, he recalled a line from a great work he had written in his previous life.
The true distinction among humans is this: those who live in the light and those who dwell in darkness.
Those who genuinely live in the light appear polished and well-dressed, yet their hearts are shrouded in darkness.
Conversely, there are those who exist in darkness, their appearances unremarkable, yet their hearts shine with light.
Of course, there are also individuals born with both an ugly appearance and a dark heart. This is why eras have given rise to many legendary strong figures, such as Pioneer Master Heisen Paynat and the Beast King Zhao Baige, who once stood at the pinnacle of humanity as Empowered Individuals.
The law of survival of the fittest governs this world, and there is no denying it. Looking at Brother Jiu lying on the hospital bed, others had already left. The horse team had finished their business with Da Fu and departed as well.
Da Biao and Jia Jia had also endured until midnight before being chased away by Fu Qinqin. Cai Bi had even fallen asleep in the hallway, only to be rudely kicked awake by her and thrown out of the hospital.
"You must be curious about Jiu Ye's relationship with that woman, right?" Fu Qinqin sat quietly in the hallway. In the stillness of the corridor, apart from the occasional movement of medical staff, most had succumbed to deep sleep.
"That noodle shop owner?" Lu Fei Fan raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.
"Yes." Fu Qinqin lifted her gaze toward the starry sky outside the corridor. "In our team, each person does not live for themselves."
She spoke meaningfully, then glanced at Brother Jiu, who was already fast asleep on the bed. "Brother Jiu once belonged to a Special Operations Team called 'Liuyue Xue,' where he met a girl named Luo Yuan..."
The night did not diminish the city's clamor; distant barking dogs and strange cawing of crows echoed from the alley where the noodle shop was located. A burning oil drum continued to blaze within the alley.
Su Niang was cleaning up after the vandalism at her shop, sweeping up shards of glass scattered across the floor and rearranging chairs that had been knocked over. The police had come earlier, asked a few questions, and then left.
The world was like this, and Su Niang did not complain too much. The neighbors who had previously avoided her came back one after another, pretending to be kind and inquiring about her well-being. Su Niang responded politely to each of them.
By the time she finished tidying up and closed the gate, it was already late at night. She couldn't help but worry about the man who had stood up for her. Was he badly injured? Would those people come knocking again?
With so many worries and concerns unanswered in the night, she could only go upstairs and pretend that nothing was wrong.
The light was on in the bedroom on the second floor. Su Niang's daughter was already asleep, and her paralyzed husband gently pulled a blanket over their daughter. When he saw Su Niang come up, he climbed up to his wheelchair and gestured for her to take a rest. He then wheeled himself into the living room, where they both sat in silence, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a large firework shot up into the night sky outside, bursting with a loud bang into a shower of colorful lights, followed by a second and third explosion.
The brilliant colors of the fireworks illuminated their silent faces, which appeared somewhat lost and uneasy.
“Excuse me, is Su Niang there?” someone called from downstairs.
Su Niang snapped back to reality and stood up to head downstairs when her husband suddenly grabbed her arm. “Be careful,” he whispered.
Su Niang nodded and made her way down.
After a while, she returned upstairs carrying a large box.
“Two people came; they are friends of Jiu Ye and brought us some food and supplies.” She set the box down and opened it to reveal various items, including clothes.
Among them were clothes for her daughter as well as for men and women. Su Niang held up a piece of clothing to measure it against herself, then picked up a man's shirt to compare it with her husband's chest. It had indeed been a long time since they bought new clothes. As she pulled out one shirt, she found several stacks of cash underneath.
“How could there be money?” Su Niang exclaimed as she picked up the bills. The sight of several hundred-dollar bills made her feel anxious. She took the money downstairs again, but by then, the visitors had already vanished without a trace.
With no choice left, Su Niang closed the door and returned upstairs, clutching the money tightly in her arms.
Her current husband held a piece of letter paper in his hand, his eyes slightly red as he handed it to his wife. "It's from Yuan Yuan..."
Su Niang set down the money she was holding and picked up the note. It read: "Brother, please don't worry about me. I am doing well out here. Take care of your health, and don't let Sister-in-law work too hard. This money isn't much, but I hope it can help the family. Let's encourage each other. Your sister, Yuan."
Her husband turned away to secretly wipe his tears. After reading the brief letter, Su Niang realized this was not the first time; the last one had come a year ago. Each time, it was a short note accompanied by a large box of clothes or medicines.
"What a silly girl," Su Niang murmured as she set down the note and quietly organized the clothes in the box.
In these difficult times, there are always those who silently stand by to hold the family together.
Outside the alley, Da Biao, Cai Bi, and Jia Jia squatted at the entrance, watching the shuttlecrafts pass by on the road, smoking like guard dogs.
"If Brother Jiu finds out about this, will he come after us?" Cai Bi suddenly asked.
"Blame whoever came up with this idea," Jia Jia replied, throwing his cigarette to the ground in frustration. "Not worth it."
"Brother, when will you teach me how to forge handwriting? That way I can write love letters like a star and charm some girls," Cai Bi eagerly sought advice from Da Biao.
"You just need to find a girlfriend like mine," Da Biao said smugly.
"Pfft." Cai Bi scoffed. "I used to have a girlfriend."
"Where is she now?" Jia Jia interjected with a teasing tone.
Cai Bi kicked a stone away in frustration and replied, "She ran off with some rich guy."
"Then you shouldn't have become a Mercenary; you should have found a good hospital in any city or island of the Free Federation and worked hard as a doctor for ten or eight years. You'd have money by now," Jia Jia remarked with a hint of mockery in his voice.
"Yes, those aimless days... If she hadn't left, perhaps life would have been like that. There's nothing wrong with such a life," Cai Bi said, crossing his arms behind his head and gazing at the distant city lights and neon glow.
Da Biao suddenly looked dejected, tossing the cigarette butt from his mouth onto the ground and extinguishing it with his foot. He spoke with a hint of seriousness, "Love is just a kind of madness. If you can control it, you win; if you can't, you lose."
"And if you win, what does it matter? If you lose, what then?" Cai Bi asked, cradling his head as he stared at the city, feeling out of place.
"If you win, you've gained a partner in life; if you lose, you become unafraid of death," Da Biao replied with a touch of self-mockery.
"So, have you won or lost?" Cai Bi turned to look at Da Biao earnestly.
Da Biao lowered his head and remained silent.
Jia Jia had been quiet throughout the conversation, seemingly lost in thought about something else.
"Let's go," Jia Jia suddenly stood up and said. "I need to go back and see my mom."
Da Biao and Cai Bi nodded in agreement. The three of them walked to a bus station. The intercity shuttle in Island City took them to different corners, returning each to their own nest. Even if it was shabby and stable, whether it could shield them from the wind and rain, it was still a sanctuary deep within each person's heart.
Da Biao's residence was in an apartment building. He stepped out from the shuttle station and walked through the quiet neighborhood to his apartment. After greeting the security guard, he took the familiar elevator up to his floor.
He took out his keys and opened the door. The simple studio apartment was sparsely furnished, arranged as plainly as a budget hotel. The only distinctive feature was a stand in the corner covered with a cloth, next to which were four or five stacked picture frames leaning against the wall.
He lay down on the bed in a starfish position, staring blankly at the ceiling before turning over to open a drawer. He pulled out a picture frame containing a photo of a delicate girl with a radiant smile—her beautiful face seemed to be around twenty years old.
"Ying Ying, how are you?" he whispered.
On the table, an electronic clock ticked away the seconds, while the darkness loomed like a beast, swallowing the entire room.
Ding—
The time calculator flipped to a brand new one, shattering the darkness of the night.
In the quiet room, a barely audible mutter floated through the air.
"One hundred eighty-five..."
The room fell silent once more.
Some people enjoy immersing themselves in darkness, while others prefer to bask in the brilliance of light and dream.
Cai Bi stood under the brightly lit basketball court, where the lights illuminated him as if it were daytime. The surrounding lights chased away his lonely silhouette completely. He gazed at the brightly lit skyscraper beyond the fence, the iconic financial building of the city. It stood in the center like a temple, symbolizing the pinnacle of success for many elite individuals and representing a dream gateway for countless ambitious youths. To work in that towering financial landmark was, in itself, another form of success.
Standing alone on the empty basketball court, the lights eventually clicked off one by one. The young man, still holding his head, remained in the desolate silence of the court, staring at that distant and unreachable building. After a long while, a disdainful voice drifted on the wind.
"Tch. What's so great about it?"
After a moment of silence, he lowered his hands and shouted towards that faraway building with a roar.
"Tong Mengyao, one day I'll make you regret this!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Who's making noise over there? We're closing up!" called out a doorman from outside.
Seeing no response from the dark playground, the old man impatiently added, "Hey! Are you listening or not?"
After a long while, a lonely and dejected response finally came.
"I understand..."
In our youth, we often feel powerless against the torrent of society, which mercilessly separates us from many important people in our lives. By the time you think you have the ability to resist it, you realize that it has not only changed you but also everyone around you.
Jia Jia, whose full name is Meng Jiaxing, has an obscure nickname—Giant. His mother often called him that because he was not very tall; at one hundred and sixty centimeters, he was at a disadvantage in the mercenary industry. Fortunately, he worked hard and practiced diligently, achieving some success with throwing knives.
He had mingled with several Special Operations Teams and had been betrayed and deceived by others. The most painful experience nearly cost him the chance to see his mother again. Luckily, he encountered a cavalry unit that happened to be on a mission nearby, and they rescued him, giving him a new lease on life. Since then, he joined the Fei Hu Battle Team, and to this day, he is grateful for such good comrades who feel like family.
Jiu Ye's injury made him somewhat irritated; however, since the situation was being handled by the cavalry unit, he could only follow their lead. After all, they were like older brothers to him. The late autumn season seemed to be getting colder as he quickened his pace into the old district. When he reached his building, a strong smell of medicine wafted down the hallway. He hurried to his door and pushed it open.
The pungent odor of medicine hit him immediately as he entered the room, where violent coughing echoed inside. He quickly closed the door behind him.
"Mom."
From within the room emerged his pale-faced mother, who leaned on a cane as she weakly walked out.
"You're back? I saved some soup for you; drink it while it's hot... cough cough cough..."
The coughing seemed relentless, clinging to her like a disease and making it hard for her to breathe.
Jia Jia hurriedly stood up to help her sit down and gently patted her back to ease her discomfort.
His mother waved her hand dismissively and said with relief, "Don't worry about me; just drink your soup." She personally lifted the lid of the pot and served him a bowl.
"See how it tastes; your mother... cough cough..." She held the bowl of soup but began coughing again. Jia Jia quickly took the soup from her hands and urged her to sit down.
But his mother hurriedly covered her mouth, and a mouthful of bright red blood splattered out, droplets falling onto the bowl of soup, spreading outwards.
Jia Jia's heart sank.
"Please sit still; I'll go prepare some medicine for you." With that, Jia Jia turned and rushed towards the balcony to brew the medicine.
However, his mother grabbed him tightly.
"My son, don’t bother. Your mother is tired; living is more exhausting than dying. I know you’re working hard to earn money to take me to the Sacred Lighthouse for purification, but I’d rather have you stay by my side and talk with me..."
"Mom, please don’t talk; just lie down." Jia Jia helped her lie back on the recliner and covered her with a blanket.
Then he started a fire and brewed the medicine. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was too close or if his heart ached too much, but when he looked up, he saw the distant Sacred Lighthouse, brilliantly lit. It was his mother’s only hope, yet it felt so far out of reach.
"Offerings..." He seemed to remember something and turned around to rummage through the house. Finally, he picked up a locked, exquisite metal box and hurriedly dashed out the door, heading straight towards the towering Sacred Lighthouse in the distant city.
Comment 0 Comment Count