Chapter 166

Extra: Ayer x Tang Part 9

The two of them couldn’t stay on the surface for too long. They were like a pair of lovers hiding in a small grove, lying together, gazing at the moon, and talking. In reality, there wasn’t much to see in the moon itself; the key was having that person beside them. For Ayer, let alone breathing the fresh air on the ground, even taking a breath of the car exhaust on the ground could make a person who had been trapped underground for four months feel excited.

They were brought back to the base just as the sky was beginning to brighten. When they returned, everyone in the base was already busying themselves.

After Tang Tingzhi returned to the laboratory, Xiao Yuan hurriedly approached him and said, “Colonel, Commander Li is requesting an immediate phone conference with you.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, right now.”

Tang Tingzhi had initially wanted to take a shower to freshen up, but now he had no time for that. He proceeded to attend the conference. Meanwhile, Ayer, bored to death, woke up Shan Ming from his slumber and dragged him along for morning exercises.

It wasn’t until noon when Tang Tingzhi returned with a solemn expression. Ayer approached him and asked what had happened. Tang Tingzhi glanced around, lowered his voice, and said, “We have obtained the whereabouts of a key individual.”

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“Fbld Zys?”

“Ls,” Mydt Mkdtgbk pyke, “Rv’p Fbld Zys’p okql, Fbld Ubydtgl’p xsvbla.”

Gula lmnzykxle kd pwarakpl, “Fbl’p pvkzz yzkhl.”

“Mbyv’p aktbv. R clzklhl ol nyd wpl bla vs zwal swv Fbld Zys. Fbl kp y bktbzu pjkzzle prlnkyz qsanlp pszekla, yde pbl xwpv byhl y oyu.”

“Eblal kp pbl?”

“Rd Dkdfkydt, vbl pswvblad altksd, y alxsvl yde plnzwele yaly. R rzyd vs vyjl usw twup vblal.”

“Rp Fbyd Ykdt yzps tskdt?”

“Zlp, vbkp kp nzyppkqkle kdqsaxyvksd vbyv Usxxydela Nk bypd’v ekpnzsple vs ydusdl lzpl, ps ol xwpvd’v zlv ydu zlyjp snnwa. R okzz wpl vbl ralvlmv sq lmlnwvkdt y prlnkyz xkppksd vs vyjl usw twup swv. Zsw esd’v dlle vs kdqsax Fbyd Ykdt ycswv vbkp; R’zz vyjl nyal sq vlzzkdt bkx. Kwpv cl ralryale,” Mydt Mkdtgbk lmrzykdle.

Ayer hadn’t expected that he would be able to set foot on the ground so soon, and to top it off, he would be going on a long journey. With his limited knowledge of Chinese geography, he knew that Xinjiang was located in a border area, close to Turkey and far from Beijing. The thought of being able to leave this darn base so far away all at once, especially to search for the key figure who could help rescue Shen Changze and capture Shen Yao, filled him with excitement, especially for Shan Ming’s sake.

Ayer nodded heavily and asked, “When do we depart?”

“Within three days.”

“So, does that mean I don’t have to undergo that training for now?” Ayer blinked his eyes ambiguously.

Tang Tingzhi nodded awkwardly, “Put it on hold for now. We’ll discuss that when we return. For now, your ability to transform and execute missions is sufficient.”

Ayer smiled and said, “Shan will be thrilled.”

Tang Tingzhi looked into his eyes and said, “You care a lot about each other.”

Ayer replied, “Of course, he’s my little brother.” Then he asked, “You guys looked into me, right?”

“Yes.”

Ayer smiled embarrassingly, “Is it interesting?”

“Not exactly. You were born into a noble family of the British royal household, the 78th heir to the throne. You have limitless prospects, however, you ended up becoming a stateless mercenary. This doesn’t really qualify as an ‘interesting’ experience.”

Ayer chuckled, “But I enjoy the life of a mercenary. I have no blood-related family left, so I have no attachment to my previous life.”

Tang Tingzhi’s gaze dimmed with a hint of sadness. He could never forget the time when he carefully read through the intelligence file about Ayer. The photograph depicted a seven-year-old boy, who had lost his parents and older brother in an accident. The boy’s expression at the funeral was void of emotions. That aged photo was clearly colored, yet it seemed as if his golden hair had lost its radiance. The intelligence report extensively described the ugly disputes among relatives triggered by the substantial inheritance left behind by Ayer’s deceased parents. And so, he ran away. He made the only response a child of his age could make—he chose to escape. He wandered through the narrow streets and alleys of London, stealing, robbing, and selling marijuana. After a year of such chaotic life, he encountered Lin Qiang, a Chinese mercenary who was traveling in London. From that moment on, he was introduced to the world of mercenaries.

Ayer touched his face and said, “What kind of expression is that? I’m really grateful that Lin Qiang took me away because I didn’t have the ability to leave on my own back then. In fact, I wanted to be as far away from that place as possible. But later on, I regretted it. Damn it, all that inheritance was supposed to be mine. I could work as a mercenary for a lifetime and still not earn as much money. It breaks my heart.” Ayer placed his hand over his chest, showing genuine distress.

Tang Tingzhi comforted him, saying, “You already have a lot of wealth. In reality, a person doesn’t need that much money. Don’t be too obsessed with it.”

Ayer resentfully replied, “I earn money just to raise that pack of wolves. You have no idea how much they can spend. After Lin Qiang died, to keep the basic operations of the Peregrine Falcon running, Tiger Shark and I tried every possible means to raise money. Shan was only fourteen back then, and he was so useless. He’s the least qualified to accuse me of being money greedy. Only Tiger Shark can understand me.” Ayer frowned and sighed. “I miss Tiger Shark. The first thing I’ll do when I can move freely is to go see him.”

Tang Tingzhi gently patted his head and asked, “Do you need me to hire a financial advisor for you?”

“No, I’m the best at that myself,” Ayer proudly lifted his chin.

Tang Tingzhi couldn’t help but smile at Ayer’s beaming expression whenever money was mentioned.

After finishing their meal, Ayer called Shan Ming over. Tang Tingzhi led him into a conference room to explain the next course of action.

Three days later, they set off according to the plan and, after a few days of travel, arrived in Xinjiang. Through their efforts, they finally met the legendary female Dragon Blood Kin—Shen Changze’s mother—Captain Zhao Qingling.

Meeting her shed light on many things, and they devised some preliminary plans.

Then they returned to Beijing, where Zhao Qingling arranged a meeting with them. Thanks to her, this time Ayer wasn’t sent back to the base. Instead, he stayed in an apartment in Beijing, and although he wasn’t allowed to go out without Tang Tingzhi’s permission, he found great enjoyment in watching the spectacular traffic jam on the Third Ring Road every day.

After that, Zhao Qingling and Shan Ming acted separately while Ayer and Tang Tingzhi prepared in Beijing for the impending battle. The details of what followed need not be mentioned. After enduring inevitable hardships and sacrifices, they established contact with Shen Changze and managed to capture Shen Yao. The formidable Dragon Blood Kin who dismantled the entire Peregrine Falcon, the one who killed and severely injured several mercenaries from the Peregrine Falcon, Shen Yao, was finally defeated by them.

Ayer also suffered severe injuries during that battle. His left lung was pierced, one wing was broken, and his leg bones were fractured into three segments. These were injuries that could not be repaired in a human body. However, because he was a Dragon Blood Kin, they began to heal at a terrifying speed. With the aid of medication and advanced medical equipment, the healing process was accelerated even further, leaving no scars in the end. This was Ayer’s first experience of participating in combat and getting injured after becoming a Dragon Blood Kin. He truly felt the immense power of the Dragon Blood Kin, not just in terms of physical strength but also the superhuman abilities that manifested in his body. This quickly elevated and strengthened his inner self. The sensation of being filled with boundless power was incredible. Ayer felt almost invincible, knowing that as long as his brain and heart remained intact, no matter how severe the injuries, they would ultimately recover.

After returning to the base, Ayer rested for a week, and his injuries were mostly healed. Within ten days, he was back to his energetic self.

Once everything had settled down, Tang Tingzhi began reminding Ayer about the experiments on controlling sexual impulses. Surprisingly, Ayer was no longer in a rush. He insisted that Tang Tingzhi acts as his “spouse” to assist him, or else he wouldn’t participate in the training.

After several failed attempts to persuade him, Tang Tingzhi finally gritted his teeth and agreed.

Seeing his plan succeed, Ayer smiled so wide that his eyes curved with joy.