Chapter 815: 490, you can hit me now.

City No. 10.

Underneath Caramel Bar lies the place where the Spy Bureau uses the most primitive methods to store data.

There’s always a man named Qing Shen sitting there. He used to be Xiao Shen, but now he’s old, and people call him Lao Shen.

He is always prepared to blow up everything here if anyone invades, burying himself along with the invaders in a sea of fire.

Inside, a Door of Shadow opens.

A Shadow walks out, takes off his baseball cap and mask, and relaxes on the sofa opposite Lao Shen, closing his eyes.

In the next instant, his heartbeat stops, and his breathing ceases. Time bypasses him, flowing fiercely around him.

Lao Shen grumbled to himself: “You used to use the Door of Shadow to come in without me saying anything, but can you open the door in front of me next time? I’m old, and my heart isn’t too good. If you keep appearing out of nowhere, you’ll scare me to death sooner or later.”

“By the way, the young guys at the Spy Bureau have been asking me daily if there’s a mission to rescue Qing Chen. What’s your stance on this? Give me a word so I can respond to them. You keep silent all the time. What’s the point of making me bear this?”

“Also, my memory is getting worse lately. I might be getting senile dementia. Hey, no one has ever said that the aging of the Qing’s Bloodline would regress. It’s not recorded in the data. Is it because of the injuries I sustained when I was young? Why are all of you fine and only I’m having issues…”

In the small room, only Lao Shen mumbled to himself. He didn’t seem to care whether the Shadow could hear him or not.

Opposite, the Shadow, after taking off his baseball cap, revealed his face to Lao Shen.

It seems that the underground of the Caramel Bar is one of the few places where he can remove his disguise.

Thump.

The clear sound of a heartbeat resumed.

The Shadow said calmly: “Sitting here is your own choice. When you truly start to lose your memory, then consider retiring.”

Lao Shen sighed: “Even capitalists would weep if they heard it.”

The Shadow replied: “I’m one of the biggest capitalists in the Federation. Isn’t it normal to exploit you?”

“Whatever,” Lao Shen tossed a phone to the Shadow, “Someone from Jindai is looking for you, an old guy who hasn’t shown up for a long time. Do you want to call him back?”

The Shadow thought for a moment: “This is quite interesting.”

He dialed the number back. Lao Shen glanced at him: “It’s impolite to call him so late.”

The Shadow cast Lao Shen a glance: “I wouldn’t mind if that old guy died of shock receiving the call at midnight.”

Lao Shen opened his mouth: “The call has connected.”

A hoarse voice on the other end said calmly: “No matter how much you wish me dead, you shouldn’t say it over the phone.”

“Hahahaha,” The Shadow laughed: “It’s been a long time since I heard your voice, old man. It feels like calling an antique through time. It’s giving me a hint of decay myself… Speak, what is it.”

The voice from the other end said: “I want to cooperate with you.”

“What kind of cooperation?”

“I can’t say now. I’m inviting you to the north for a face-to-face talk.”

The Shadow sneered: “Pretending to be mysterious, don’t bother. I don’t cooperate with Jindai.”

“You and I have common interests.”

“I have no common interests with Jindai.”

With that, the Shadow abruptly hung up the phone.

Lao Shen felt a headache: “At least gather some information.”

The Shadow shook his head: “He wouldn’t speak over the phone, but I can roughly guess what’s going on.”

Lao Shen stood up, took out a wine glass from a small hidden compartment behind him, and poured half a cup of white wine: “You’re going on a journey.”

“Yes,” The Shadow lifted the glass and drank it in one gulp: “Not just me, many people will be accompanying me.”

On the northern wilderness mountain road, several figures in black cloaks journeyed in the cold wind.

Initially, many thought they would stay in the small town outside Taboo Land No. 065, but unexpectedly, they bypassed the town and continued northward.

However, once they passed the civilized demonstration town, everyone lost track of them, not knowing their destination.

Moreover, strange people mixed among the cloaked figures. They weren’t from the Contraindicated courts yet wore identical cloaks.

At that moment, April was walking through the mountains, looking helplessly at Li Ke, Li Yunjing, and others behind her: “Can you… not follow us?”

Li Ke thought for a moment and said: “You used to hitch rides from us.”

April felt guilty: “Then… but you can’t wear cloaks like ours. People will think you’re crows too. Uncle Yunjing, aren’t you one of the top experts in the Federation? How can you use us as cover?”

Li Ke said: “The cloak is nothing special. Anyone can wear it. Besides, I’ve seen students cosplay you at cosplay exhibitions! Why don’t you mention them!”

April was speechless. How could it be the same?

They’re cosplaying; you are trying to disguise as crows to avoid attention and attacks!

She found Li Ke, a sharp-witted youngster, tricked the Fire Pit from the southwest. Now, he even came up with a terrible idea to disguise as crows to evade surveillance.

Daily hitching rides, now identities are being hitched. Where can she complain?

April said: “Our boss is coming to join us soon!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll leave when your boss arrives,” Li Ke reassured.

At this moment, a girl wearing a cloak hurried forward, smiling: “Stop arguing, everyone have some apples! It’s lively in the wilderness with more people!”

At the rear, an old man watching this muttered quietly: “Bad luck!”

…

Countdown 112:00:00.

Base A02.

The prisoners walked out of the prison area, seeing the stone walls rebuilt… feeling an inexplicable sense of relief.

For the past few days, Qing Chen’s wall-building speed grew slower.

Not because he was slacking, compromising, or feeling disheartened.

But the hunger and cold were weakening him, slowing him down.

Jindai soldiers told Qing Chen that if he dared slay pigs to eat, for every pig killed, ten Qing intelligence personnel would be killed.

Prisoners saw all this and began to worry, fearing the boy might collapse one day.

Luckily, he hadn’t fallen yet. New stone walls were being built, although the Jindai soldiers would soon push them down.

Some prisoners whispered: “Why bother, knowing this is pointless, why not conserve energy.”

“Maybe we should advise him when passing the pigsty, tell him to stop this foolishness.”

Then, an elderly Qing intelligence personnel suddenly said: “He’s not building a wall but a belief; perhaps he fears once he stops, his will might be toppled like the wall. Stop mocking. You can stay in darkness fearing to resist, human nature, but you shouldn’t praise the darkness.”

A prisoner muttered: “What nonsense, say something we can understand.”

A young prisoner said: “I was sent here because I dated a girl of higher caste. Her father sent me here. I don’t understand your logic; I have no beliefs. I’ve been drifting with you for three years, living monotonously. Now comes someone interesting. I fear he’ll stop building the wall and be lost like us…”

That fear.

Lingered in every prisoner, an inexplicable emotion.

They thought Qing Chen was foolish but hoped he’d remain foolish.

They lacked courage to challenge Jindai but wished someone would.

It felt like they were part of the resistance against the oppression in A02 base.

Should the young man fall, give up, or dishearten, they’d share the loss and despair.

The small sparks in their hearts would extinguish.

A Li Family prisoner suddenly said: “Actually, he’s building it for us.”

Prisoners puzzled: “What do you mean?”

Before explaining, Jindai soldiers whipped the talking prisoners, whipping them till they bled.

Driven toward the quarry, the prisoners were huddled.

Passing the pigsty, a Qing intelligence personnel threw a protein bar to Qing Chen.

That was their reward for spitting and hitting stones. Some ate immediately; one saved it and threw it to Qing Chen.

Jindai soldiers saw it, rushing over, someone tried to snatch the protein bar from Qing Chen, yet hesitated, fearing to enter the pigsty.

Afraid of not coming out.

Soldiers turned angered, whipped all prisoners: “Who threw it! Who threw the protein bar to him! First to report can avoid labor for a week!”

A prisoner suddenly raised his hand: “I report!”

Soldiers smiled; they’ve used this trick for decades, never failing.

These cowardly prisoners could never unite; they worried for nothing.

“Who threw it? Report them and you can avoid labor for a week,” said a soldier.

Qing Family personnel laughed: “Reporting, sir. I report myself; I threw it!”

Bowing, he said: “You can hit me now.”

Qing Chen froze; prisoners froze; soldiers froze.

No one expected the reporter to reply like this.

The decades-old method failed.

Soldiers rushed, whipping furiously, each lash left deep wounds on the thin winter clothes.

Until his synthetic winter coat was shredded.

Qing Chen watched silently, neither angry nor guilty.

Understanding reasons behind it, knowing his actions were vain now.

He bent down, chewing the protein bar, continued building the replaced stone wall.

In City No. 18, previously tasted protein bars, bland as wax.

This low-quality bar tasted flavorful.

Soldiers pointed at Qing Chen, sneering at prisoners: “Look! You’re being whipped, he’s eating! Look up, does he pity you? Does he feel guilty!?”

As words fell, someone again threw a protein bar, landing in the pigsty.

“Reporting, sir. You can hit me now.”

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