# 100
**Chapter 100: Brother Shen**
Buzz buzz buzz—!
Several drones burst out from the forest on the right. Shen Qingzhu’s face changed. “Run!”
Without another word, he spun around and sprinted across the exposed stones in the stream. Deng Wei hoisted the weight on his back, clenched his teeth, and followed Shen Qingzhu’s steps one rock at a time.
The drones behind them had already closed the distance. Gun barrels swiveled and spat a volley of mini-missiles.
Deng Wei’s eyes locked onto the incoming projectiles; panic flared. He ducked hurriedly, but the stone under his foot slipped—splash—he plunged into the creek.
Shen Qingzhu whipped around, his expression darkening. After a split-second hesitation he gritted his teeth, grabbed Deng Wei by the shoulder, and hauled him up.
“Damn it, told you not to follow me—now you’re nothing but trouble!”
Cursing, Shen Qingzhu slung Deng Wei’s arm over his own shoulder and ran. Deng Wei’s right ankle was clearly injured; every step was agony.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!
The two drones stuck to their heels like leeches, firing sporadic bursts yet somehow missing every shot.
Shen Qingzhu’s brows knitted. He spotted a thicket ahead and poured on speed, practically carrying Deng Wei.
Under the drones’ comically inaccurate “human-outline” gunfire, the pair dove into the bushes. The aircraft circled twice outside the foliage, then gave up.
Bent almost double, they forced their way through the undergrowth.
At last Shen Qingzhu’s strength gave out; he staggered and collapsed, Deng Wei tumbling beside him. Deng Wei clutched his ankle, face twisted in pain.
“How’s the foot?” Shen Qingzhu panted, sweat streaming, reaching for the joint.
“N-nothing… just twisted.”
Shen Qingzhu felt the swollen mass around the ankle; his face sank. “You can’t run anymore.”
Deng Wei sucked in huge breaths, then gave a silly grin.
“What the hell are you smiling at?!”
“Brother Shen… you came back for me.”
“…Shut up! I just happened to be close enough to grab you!”
“Go on, Brother Shen. Give me your weight. I’m done for anyway—might as well wait here for the instructors to eliminate me.”
“My weight, my problem.”
“Brother Shen, you’re the one who’s gonna do big things! A real powerhouse should survive to the end.” Deng Wei grabbed Shen Qingzhu’s pack. “If I’m out, at least let my last act be lightening your load.”
Shen Qingzhu stared at Deng Wei’s dark, earnest grin and went quiet.
“Hand it over!”
“No.” Shen Qingzhu yanked the pack back. “Fine—twenty-five jin for you, ten for me.”
“Deal. Whatever you say.”
Shen Qingzhu stripped off twenty-five jin, piled it onto Deng Wei, and felt the sudden lightness flood his body.
“Get going, Brother Shen. The drones’ll be back soon.”
“…All right. Take care.”
“Mm.”
Shouldering the remaining ten jin, Shen Qingzhu stood. He cast one last glance at Deng Wei sprawled on the ground, then turned and pushed deeper into the thicket.
He hacked a narrow path with his knife, forcing his way alone through the rustling silence.
After a long stretch he looked up: the sun hadn’t moved. His frown deepened.
“Those bastard instructors… are they screwing with us?
Penned us up like lab rats just for laughs?
Son of a—��
Mid-curse he slowed, then stopped.
He glanced back toward Deng Wei, hesitation flickering across his face, but shook his head hard.
“No… Shen Qingzhu, you’re going to be a powerhouse!
A powerhouse has to be ruthless!
You stay till the end—make every last one of them see how strong you are!”
He clenched his fists, sucked in a breath, and marched on.
Then a familiar voice crackled from the speaker sewn into his pack.
“Your name is Li Liang, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Mm… tell us about someone you like.”
“There’s no one I like.”
“Oho, an ice-cold lone wolf. Anyone you admire, then?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“My Brother Shen.”
“Shen Qingzhu?” The instructor sounded stunned. “Why?”
“Freshman year, my little brother Li Jia got tricked and pissed off some local thugs. Every day after school they’d corner us, extort us…
Then Shen, a year above us, couldn’t stand it. He took on a dozen gangsters by himself, put four in the hospital. Got expelled for it—missed the college entrance exam, had to go home and farm.
From that day Li Jia and I swore we’d follow Brother Shen. Yeah, he’s got a lousy temper and cusses us out, but stick around long enough and you realize…
he’s the gentlest guy in the world.”
“……”
Shen Qingzhu froze mid-step, a statue among the leaves.
After a long moment he muttered,
“Hell… that idiot’s spouting nonsense…
He’s the one being punished—why am I the one dying of embarrassment?”
He turned slowly, tightened his grip on the small knife, and looked back the way he’d come.
…
Back in the bushes.
Deng Wei, eyes closed, wore a tiny smile.
“Li Liang… pretty eloquent. Wonder what Brother Shen’s face looks like right now.”
Buzz buzz buzz—
More drones. Deng Wei opened his eyes and watched them descend, grinning.
“Come on, eliminate me!”
The drones pivoted; gun barrels aimed at the motionless trainee.
Deng Wei sucked in a breath. “Just don’t ask me any weird questions or the guys’ll never let me hear the end of it…”
He shut his eyes.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!
A burst of missiles—yet nothing struck him.
He looked up: Shen Qingzhu stood over him, knife in one hand, pack held crosswise in the other, catching every round.
Deng Wei blinked. “Brother Shen, the rules say you can’t use the pack as a shield…”
Shen Qingzhu cocked an eyebrow, tossed the shredded pack aside, and smirked.
“Rules? Since when does Shen Qingzhu follow rules?!”
He sprang; the knife flashed from his hand and—BOOM—speared a drone mid-air. It burst into flame and spiraled down.
“Rule says don’t attack drones—well I just did!” He landed, snorted at the burning wreck, then turned to the stunned Deng Wei and declared,
“Trash, your Brother Shen’s here to save—urk!”
A single shot rang out; a missile slammed squarely between Shen Qingzhu’s shoulder blades. He grunted, eyes rolling back…
and crumpled, out cold.