148 Mystery of the End Times
After a moment of silence, Deng Xiao erupted in anger, “Damn it, why don’t we just kill that bastard! Since they dare to take people, let’s directly go and snatch them back.”
Zhuang Yao said, “No, Zhou Fenglan has the backing of Zhuang Yu and Major Xu. If we engage in a fight with them, it will give Zhuang Yu and Xu Ying an excuse. It could escalate to a high-level conflict between the 27th and 14th Army Groups, and the stability in Beijing could be at risk.”
“But isn’t kidnapping Fengyao’s parents also a provocation against District 3 and the 27th Army Group?”
“They are indeed provoking us,” Zhuang Yao said in a solemn tone, “They are pushing our limits of endurance. In fact, on the surface, it seems like Zhou Fenglan’s retaliation against us. But in reality, it’s a conflict intensified by the power struggle between Cao Commander and Xu Ying. Otherwise, solely relying on Zhou Fenglan, where would he find the confidence to openly confront District 3 and the 27th Army Group? When we robbed Zhou Fenglan of the Puppet Jade in Luoyang, we were in the wrong. After arriving in Beijing, we sought refuge with Professor Cong and Commander Cao, essentially slapping Xu Ying in the face.
Now, Zhou Fenglan abducted Fengyao’s parents to try and redeem himself. At this point, Professor Cong and Commander Cao are exerting pressure on them, and they have a reason to argue back because we’ve killed their people and snatched their Puppet Jade. They refuse to release the captives, and for now, Professor Cong and Commander Cao can’t do much about it. To resolve this matter, we’ll have to resort to force, but the relationship between Commander Cao and Xu Ying has been growing increasingly tense. In such a delicate situation, neither side will take the first move, especially since Commander Cao cannot directly engage in conflict with Xu Ying over Fengyao’s parents, as the timing is not right.”
Cong Xia sighed, “We have unwittingly become entangled in the power struggles of the army.”
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“Rv’p dsv vbyv ol olal nyalzlpp; tkhld swa alzyvksdpbkr okvb Pkpvaknv 3 yde vbl 27vb Gaxu Qaswr, kv oyp cswde vs byrrld.”
“Fs obyv pbswze ol es dso? Mkydck kp tskdt vs pll Usxxydela Uys pssd. Uyd ol xldvksd vbkp xyvvla vs bkx?” Usdt Dky zssjle yv Ubldt Mkydck.
Ubldt Mkydck alrzkle, “R okzz elqkdkvlzu cakdt kv wr, cwv bl rascyczu yzalyeu jdsop.”
Hbwydt Zys pyke, “Tl xwpv byhl jdsod qsa y obkzl, cwv kq ol esd’v lmlav ralppwal, bl rascyczu osd’v oydv vs tlv kdhszhle. Lso, zlv Ubldt Mkydck vyzj vs Usxxydela Uys obkzl ol alvwad vs vbl Gnyelxu, kdqsax Vasqlppsa Usdt sq vbl pkvwyvksd, yde vbld ekpnwpp vbl dlmv nswapl sq ynvksd.”
Ubldt Mkydck dseele yde ypjle Dkys Eydt vs pvsr vbl nya. Dkys Eydt kdpvawnvle bkp nszzlytwl vs vyjl Ubldt Mkydck vs vbl 27vb Gaxu Qaswr Usxxydela’p sqqknl.
Mbl alpv sq vbl taswr alvwadle vs vbl Gnyelxu.
Brsd yaakhkdt yv vbl Usxxydela’p sqqknl, Ubldt Mkydck oyp ekalnvzu zle kdvs Uys Hbkmkyd’p sqqknl. Uys Hbkmkyd rlapsdyzzu srldle vbl essa yde olznsxle bkx kd. “Mkydck, usw’al blal.”
Ubldt Mkydck ldvlale vbl sqqknl yde pyzwvle bkx.
Cao Zhixian’s expression was somewhat stiff; he did not return the salute but patted Cheng Tianbi’s shoulder instead. “I’ve been wanting to see you all since you returned from Xi’an, but I couldn’t find the time. Fortunately, you all returned safely; otherwise, I’d have been worried sick. Come, have a seat.”
Cheng Tianbi sat on the sofa.
Cao Zhixian also returned to his chair and picked up a document from the desk. “You’re here for this, right? The nine incense sticks. The document has been with me for two days now, and I’ve been hesitating. You don’t know, that old fox Xu Ying keeps pushing the boundaries. That guy Zhuang Yu from District 2 constantly makes trouble for District 3, and there’s no peaceful day.”
Cheng Tianbi said, “We brought back the incense sticks, and now we need these things.”
“I know, Professor Cong told me about your purpose. I heard that the young man in your group is skilled in archery. With such a capable companion by your side, I feel a bit more relieved. I am planning to approve the document, but it will take a few more days. Professor Cong is currently trying to handle those researchers who are looking to stir up trouble. Anyway, with the items in our possession, there’s no way they can take them away,” Cao Zhixian said with a cold snort.
Cheng Tianbi continued, “I came here today for another matter.”
Cao Zhixian took a sip of tea and asked, “Oh?”
“The parents of one of my companions were kidnapped by the members of the Fenglan Society. Now Zhou Fenglan is demanding a large ransom from us, which we can’t afford. I wonder if Commander Cao knows about this?”
Cao Zhixian’s expression remained unchanged. “Maybe someone reported it to me, but I have so much on my plate that I can’t remember everything. Does Professor Cong know about this?”
“The people Professor Cong sent to deal with it were driven back,” Cheng Tianbi replied.
Cao Zhixian tapped his fingers on the desk, seemingly deep in thought.
Cheng Tianbi asked, “Commander Cao, you won’t just sit idly by, right?”
Cao Zhixian glanced at Cheng Tianbi and sighed. “Tianbi, you don’t sit in this position, so you don’t understand my predicament. Because of your actions in Luoyang, killing their people and seizing their puppet jade, Xu Ying has talked to me twice. Each time, he infuriated me to the point where I wanted to execute him. Now he has found an opportunity for retaliation. It’s only with Xu Ying backing Zhou Fenglan that he dares to challenge us openly.
Just like Xu Ying can’t do anything to you, I can’t do anything to Zhou Fenglan. If we only wanted to eliminate Zhou Fenglan, his few hundred-member organization, no matter how formidable, wouldn’t stand a chance against our armed forces. But if we were to take action, it would escalate into a conflict between two army groups. With the current delicate situation in Beijing and countless enemies outside waiting for us, who can bear the responsibility of starting an internal conflict?”
Cheng Tianbi’s face darkened, and he remained silent.
Cao Zhixian continued, “Moreover, the ones he kidnapped are your companion’s parents. Can we disregard the safety of over two million people in Beijing for the sake of one mutant’s parents?”
Cheng Tianbi coldly replied, “Zhou Fenglan isn’t targeting those two elderly individuals; they are just casualties in your power struggle. If that’s the case, shouldn’t you take responsibility and find a way to redeem them? If we don’t take action this time, will Zhou Fenglan just continue to capture whoever he wants, and we have to endure it?”
Cao Zhixian raised his voice, “Of course not! Don’t simplify the situation like that. You won’t understand the depths of this situation until you step into it yourself. You only consider your companions; have you ever thought about how much pressure your father has to endure every day, how many traps and conspiracies he has to navigate just to maintain the current stability?”
Cheng Tianbi stood up. “Commander Cao’s meaning is that you are helpless?”
Cao Zhixian breathed heavily. “Let me put it this way. If you understand, you understand; if not, forget it. As long as you don’t directly confront Xu Ying, whatever you do, I can still cover for you.”
Cheng Tianbi said, “I understand. Thank you, Commander,” then turned and walked toward the door.
Cao Zhixian said wearily, “Tianbi, when will you consider me as your father?”
Cheng Tianbi didn’t reply and left, pulling open the door.
Meanwhile, Cong Xia and the others were discussing strategies with Cong Zhenzhong.
Cong Zhenzhong frowned. “Zhou Fenglan dares to make such audacious demands; it seems Xu Ying and Zhuang Yu are behind this.”
Zhuang Yao nodded, “At first, we thought he wanted to reclaim the reward for retrieving the puppet jade that he believed he deserved and wanted to save face by threatening us. But asking for 100 grams of energy liquid all at once is clearly not just his personal act.”
Cong Zhenzhong said, “We can’t give him the items; the risks are too great.”
“Exactly. This is a trap set by Zhuang Yu,” Zhuang Yao confirmed.
Cong Zhenzhong asked, “What about Xiaocheng? Did he go to Commander Cao?”
“Yes, besides the documents, I asked him to mention this matter as well,” Zhuang Yao replied.
Cong Zhenzhong shook his head solemnly, “It’s no use. Commander Cao won’t intervene. Our relationship with the 14th Army has become increasingly tense, especially with the recent proposal about injecting resources into the genetic modification project for enhanced soldiers. The two sides have been arguing about it for a long time. Although the mutant organizations have various connections with the military, on the surface, they are still considered independent.
The conflicts between the two mutant organizations, as long as they don’t affect missions and city stability, are usually not interfered with by the military. Otherwise, if fights and killings become frequent, which happens almost every day, it could easily become a huge problem. We need to keep this matter within the realm of conflicts between the two mutant organizations, at least on the surface, or else if we escalate the conflict between the two army groups, it’ll be uncontrollable.”
Zhuang Yao said coldly, “Since Commander Cao won’t intervene, we’ll have to handle it our own way.”
Cong Zhenzhong advised, “Don’t target Zhou Fenglan directly; he’s not easy to deal with. Trying to quietly rescue the two elderly people from the Fenglan Society is almost impossible.”
At this moment, Cheng Tianbi returned.
Everyone looked at him, eager to know what he brought back.
Cheng Tianbi said, “Regarding the document about the incense sticks, he said he would approve it, but we have to wait a few more days. As for Zhou Fenglan’s matter, he implied that we should take action ourselves, but not directly confront Xu Ying.”
Cong Xia clenched his fists, unable to restrain his anger. He said, “If we have to take action ourselves, I have a good candidate in mind.”
Zhuang Yao added, “Indeed, it’s a good choice; it’s much easier to handle than Zhou Fenglan.”
Cong Zhenzhong said in a deep voice, “If you do that, it means you’re completely falling out with Xu Ying. If you’re really determined, you need to go all the way and make Xu Ying fear you. But be aware, there’s more than a 50% chance that the consequences of this matter will be unfavorable for you. Xu Ying won’t back down easily.”
Cheng Tianbi said, “Whether we do this or not, there’s no possibility of a peaceful resolution between us and them. There’s no difference.”
Deng Xiao urged, “Stop talking in circles here; what are we going to do?”
Liu Fengyu asked, “Are you talking about Xu Ying’s son?”
Zhuang Yao said coldly, “To strike a snake, one must aim for its weak point. This strike must target Xu Ying’s throat to make him think twice before causing trouble for us in the future.”
Deng Xiao asked, “You mean… killing him?”
Cong Zhenzhong intervened, “Of course not; he’s Xu Ying’s only son. Killing him would back Xu Ying into a corner, and that’s not the outcome we want.”
“Then what should we do? Kidnap him?”
Cheng Tianbi suggested, “I’ll handle this; I understand human anatomy. I can ensure he won’t die within 24 hours.”
Tang Yanqiu said, “I’ll go with you, just in case.”
“What about your bow…”
“I’ll switch to a crossbow.”
Cheng Tianbi nodded.
Cong Zhenzhong said, “Before tonight, I’ll provide you with Xu Hang’s information and whereabouts. You must ensure that nothing goes wrong; otherwise, it’ll be difficult for Commander Cao. Also, it’s better to bring an extra person with you; Xu Hang is always protected by mutants. I’ll prepare the information on his bodyguards for you.”
Zhuang Yao added, “Deng Xiao will go with them and maintain radio communication.” He looked at Cheng Tianbi and Tang Yanqiu coldly, “Apart from Xu Hang, don’t leave any witnesses.”
“Understood.”
“Also, find a safer place for Abu tonight. The courtyard in the Third District seems good, and the guards are better there. From now on, we won’t accept any seafood sent by Jiujiang Prefecture; we don’t know what might happen on the way. Abu’s food is not processed the same way as ours, so everything must be reexamined.”
Cong Zhenzhong nodded, “I’ll have Xiao Wang arrange Abu’s new residence.”
Cong Xia clenched his fists, his anger evident, “I’m looking forward to Xu Ying begging us to heal his son. Let’s see if he’ll release our people!”
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