Chapter 301: The Women's Group
Before Song Qi could finish his next sentence, a dagger folded from newspaper was thrust in front of his eyes.
He turned his head and found a strange young man staring at him, muttering to himself: "Civilians are forbidden from killing each other."
"What?" Song Qi frowned in confusion. "Civilians?"
Qi Xia slowly stood up. "Song Qi, you said you want to take me away?"
"That's right." Song Qi, his face bloodless, came back to his senses. "The mission 'Cat' received must be completed."
"You're all a bunch of broken soldiers now. How do you plan to complete it?"
"It doesn't matter if we die." Song Qi shook his head. "Either we all die here, or we complete the mission. There is absolutely no third option."
"That's interesting." Qi Xia gave a cold laugh. "Yesterday I still considered you a brother, but I never thought we'd be crossing swords today."
"Brothers are brothers, business is business." Song Qi said. "Taking you away this time doesn't mean we can't be brothers in the future."
"I suppose." Qi Xia nodded, then asked, "Where are you taking me?"
"Our boss, Qian Wu, wants to see you." Song Qi said. "I can't guarantee anything else, but I can ensure your personal safety."
Qi Xia found it somewhat amusing. "More than a dozen of you with your hands cut off, yet you claim you can guarantee my safety?"
After hearing this, Song Qi slowly walked up to Qi Xia and said in a low voice, "To be honest… this time, there's a 'big shot' who wants to see you, but Fifth Brother stopped them. He wants to meet you first and then decide whether to hand you over to the 'big shot'."
"Big shot…?" Qi Xia frowned. The old woman and the little boy suddenly appeared in his mind. Could those two really be 'Heavenly-level'?
"So we were willing to cut off a hand just to get information about you, all for the sake of letting Fifth Brother's plan go smoothly." Song Qi looked increasingly weak. "You should be able to see that we don't have much time. If you don't come with us…"
"Don't say anymore." Qi Xia shook his head. "Let's go."
"You agreed?" Song Qi said with some surprise.
"Yeah." Qi Xia stood up. "I've suddenly become interested in this boss of yours. I want to meet him too."
Qiao Jiajin and Officer Li exchanged glances, feeling that something wasn't right about this.
"Liar boy, are you serious?" Qiao Jiajin asked. "If they're willing to cut off their own hands to find you, can they possibly be good people?"
"Well…" Qi Xia thought for a moment and replied, "Fist, they cut off their own right hands, not mine. That's why I'm so interested."
"Then I'll go with you." Qiao Jiajin grabbed his shirt from the table and draped it over his shoulder, smiling. "They sent over a dozen people to invite you—how can you go alone?"
Officer Li laughed and stood up. "He's right, Qi Xia. I'll go with you too."
Qi Xia nodded. Just as he was about to head out, he suddenly remembered something. He turned back, walked over to Han Yimo, and said in a low voice, "Han Yimo, I'm heading into danger this time. For the days ahead, you should stick with Su Shan."
"What…?" Han Yimo was taken aback and directly grabbed Qi Xia's wrist. "Wait a minute…? What do you mean you're heading into danger? You're clearly my sav—"
"You understand, so why ask me what I mean?" Qi Xia pulled Han Yimo's hand away and turned to Su Shan.
He thought for a moment, then pulled Su Shan aside into a corner.
"What is it?" Su Shan asked.
"Su Shan, you're a smart person." Qi Xia said. "But right now, you know too little about the 'Land of the End'. I can't trust you one hundred percent. In the coming days, try to participate in as many games as possible. I take back what I said before—from now on, you can join any game, no matter its level."
"Any level…?"
"Exactly." Qi Xia nodded. "Let yourself fall into despair, just like when we first met."
"Fall into despair?" Su Shan seemed to recall something and nodded cautiously.
"Don't suppress your own thoughts." Qi Xia said. "Being timid might keep you safe for now, but it will make you forever vulnerable."
"I see…" Su Shan's eyes seemed to change slightly. "You're saying that at critical moments, I should be like you—decisively gambling with both my own and my teammates' lives?"
"That's it, Su Shan." Qi Xia nodded. "To escape this place, normal people won't cut it. Only 'madmen' can. You have a sharp mind, but in the end, you're still too rational."
"You've awakened me, Qi Xia." Su Shan smiled.
"How long will it take you to go mad?"
"Very soon," Su Shan replied. "After all, your teammates aren't my teammates."
"Excellent." Qi Xia nodded. "Remember, as long as you obtain the 'Echo', no one's death is worth regretting."
"Qi Xia, I really wish I could have met you sooner." Su Shan smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, I've wasted far too much time."
"The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago. The second best time is today." Qi Xia nodded at Su Shan, then turned and walked over to Song Qi.
"Let's go."
Qiao Jiajin put on his shirt, exchanged a nod with Officer Li, and the two followed Qi Xia out of the house.
The members of the 'Cat' team all raised their right hands over their chests and followed behind the three.
In the corner, the 'Hero' thought for a moment, grabbed his short sword, and trailed far behind them.
Su Shan looked around at the few people still in the room and said, "Dr. Zhao, Writer Han, do you two have time?"
"What…?" The two looked up at her simultaneously.
"I'm planning to join a game and I'd like to take you two with me. Would that be convenient?" Su Shan asked.
Dr. Zhao and Han Yimo thought for a few seconds, then said at the same time, "Not convenient."
Su Shan had never expected such a blunt refusal—they didn't even give her a chance to get them killed.
"What about you two…?" She turned to the three women in the room.
Lin Qin, Qin Dingdong, and Zhang Chenze.
"I don't mind," Lin Qin said.
"I'll go wherever Little Shan goes," Qin Dingdong said.
Attorney Zhang looked around at the people in the room and nodded. "I'll go along with the majority. If you three go, I'll go too."
"At critical moments, it's the girls who are reliable." Su Shan smiled as she looked at Dr. Zhao and Han Yimo. "Doctor, great writer, you two stay home and do the laundry and sweeping. We'll bring back some 'Dao' to buy you food."
"Pfft…" Qin Dingdong covered her mouth with a laugh. "Little Shan, you're still the same as ever."
Lin Qin and Zhang Chenze silently watched Su Shan. They felt that this girl's aura had changed somehow. She seemed to be gravitating toward Qi Xia's way of thinking—a hint of inscrutability beneath extreme rationality.
"Let's go." Su Shan adjusted her neat, short hair and looked at the three with her bright eyes. "From now on, let's help each other out."
The three women stood up with her and filed out the door one after another.
Han Yimo was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and asked, "Was she just insulting us?"
"I… I don't think so?" Dr. Zhao replied.