Chapter 114 Part 2

After half an hour, Shen Changze returned and took Shan Ming outside with him.

Once they stepped outside, they boarded a nuclear-powered vehicle. Upon arriving at the hall, Shan Ming was accompanied by two armed personnel who placed a specialized helmet on him and dressed him in a jumpsuit. These pieces of equipment instantly deprived him of his vision, hearing, and sense of direction.

It can be quite boring when you can’t see or hear anything, Shan Ming could only lean against Shen Changze. To alleviate his boredom, Shen Changze would rub his fingertips or occasionally write numbers in his palm, indicating how much longer they had until their destination.

Shan Ming simply decided to take a nap instead.

After a little over an hour, the vehicle came to a stop. The restraints on Shan Ming were removed, and as he opened his eyes, he realized they were by the side of the highway into Beijing. The military off-road vehicle left them at a toll station, providing them with an inconspicuous Hongqi sedan before driving away.

Shan Ming took a deep breath of the cool air and gazed at the slightly grayish sky of Beijing. A strange sensation surged within him, filling his heart.

Shen Changze drove the car into a residential area within the 3rd Ring Road and changed to a different vehicle in the underground parking lot.

Shan Ming asked, “Is there surveillance?”

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“Us?”

“That’s correct. Over a decade ago, you guys encountered a newly evolved Dragon Blood Kin in Yunnan, who had just achieved successful evolution but lacked self-control. You ended up killing him. At that time, the government wanted to eliminate you to maintain secrecy, but they didn’t get the opportunity. Tang Tingzhi and I convinced the higher-ups to seek cooperation with you instead of taking you for an enemy.”

Shan Ming nodded and said, “If they really wanted trouble from us, we’ll stand our ground. After all, if it weren’t for their reckless experiments, Lin Qiang wouldn’t have died.”

“That was purely an accident, and no one wanted to see it happen.”

Shan Ming turned his head to look at the bright neon lights outside and remained silent for a moment. Then he asked, “And how do they ensure your safety?”

“There are too many people who want to capture me and extract my blood,” Shen Changze sneered, “House once came to China by invitation and stayed with me in the laboratory for a few months, collaborating on our research. But he always wanted to take me away, saying he would bring me back to the United States and reunite us. I didn’t care whether or not to trust him at that time because I really wanted to go out. So we jointly planned a secret operation, which was eventually exposed by Tang Tingzhi. Originally, we intended to treat House as a spy and execute him, but the political situation is complex, and I have no idea how the United States communicated with China. In the end, House was sent back, and he is now banned from entering China. Besides House, Tang Jingzhi, who escaped from prison, and… my father, each of them poses a threat to my safety. There is now intelligence suggesting that Russia and Germany have obtained samples of Dragon Blood. The secret of Dragon Blood experimentation is becoming increasingly difficult to keep, and it’s only a matter of time before major problems arise. Who can be a better protective umbrella than my own country?”

“That’s right, you should stay in China.”

Shen Changze parked the car by the roadside and looked at Shan Ming earnestly. “Dad, I hope you can stay with me and leave the Peregrine Falcon. You can’t spend your whole life as a mercenary.”

“Actually I have always intended to be a mercenary for life,” Shan Ming said calmly. “Changze, you cannot deny the fact that people like us cannot live a normal life.”

Living on the brutal battlefield where blood and death intertwine year-round, witnessing unimaginable horrors that people can’t even fathom, enduring injuries and constantly facing the brink of death, they are forever unable to return to a normal life. They become cold, bloodthirsty, volatile, devoid of moral compass, and prone to excessive reactions to stress. They habitually resort to violence to solve problems, treating everyone around them as imaginary enemies threatening their lives. Once they return to a normal and orderly society, all these issues will inevitably erupt.

Encountering the brutality of war, even soldiers who return from the battlefield relatively unscathed are far from being unharmed. They often suffer from varying degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder. That’s why the majority of soldiers coming back from the battlefield require psychological treatment in order to readjust to civilian life. The population of mercenaries, who constantly face the most ferocious enemies and the harshest environments, develop a sense of wariness towards everyone and everything around them. They may instinctively resort to aggressive behavior when they perceive a threat against themselves. Such individuals, when navigating through a peaceful society, pose extreme danger, and they themselves may experience fear and a sense of helplessness.

Why is it said that some soldiers only know how to fight? It’s not because they lack the intelligence to do regular jobs; rather, it’s because they can’t adapt to the life of an ordinary person. For Shan Ming and many others like him, they can only find a sense of belonging on the battlefield. They feel safe when they are by their comrades’ side, and they can only fall asleep while holding a gun or a knife.

Therefore, Shan Ming cannot go back to China with Shen Changze. He cannot adapt to the life of an ordinary person, nor can he tolerate the discipline of the military. There is no place for him to fit in here.

Shen Changze’s slender fingers tapped on the steering wheel. He had indeed considered this, but his desire to be with Shan Ming was too strong. He only wanted to keep Shan Ming by his side, even if it meant tying him up or restraining him. However, when it came time to make a decision, he couldn’t help but hesitate.

When he left the Peregrine Falcon, Shen Changze was only fifteen years old. At that time, his “battlefield trauma” was already severe. He habitually viewed everyone around him as enemies and would attack anyone who dared to approach him. He couldn’t sleep, plagued by nightmares throughout the night. He often dreamed of splattered blood and shattered flesh, as if enemies surrounded him. He underwent six months of medication and psychological therapy to gradually adapt to his role in an orderly society. If it were Shan Ming, who knows how many years it would take to heal his psychological wounds. Furthermore, Shan Ming never had any intention of “recovering.” He only wanted to live on the battlefield and ultimately die there.

Shen Changze once believed that Shan Ming not loving him would be the biggest obstacle between them. However, now he is gradually coming to understand that Shan Ming’s true nature will be the greatest point of contention between them.

Shan Ming won’t give up the life that makes him feel safe and familiar just for the sake of Shen Changze. Once Shan Ming is stripped away from the world of a mercenary, he would likely go mad because he would feel misplaced.

The ideal warm and beautiful life that Shen Changze envisions was far away from them, too far away.