r18novel Chapter 933 Xu Damao wants to show a movie
Chapter 933 Xu Damao wants to show a movie
Yan Bugui has always believed in the saying, "If you don't take advantage of an opportunity, you're a jerk." He immediately patted his chest and promised, "This is a great thing. I will definitely support you! Don't worry, I will go door to door to promote you. I will make sure everyone in the hospital knows that there will be a movie tomorrow, and no one will be left out!"
Xu Damao nodded with satisfaction, turned around and went home humming a little tune. In fact, he had his own calculations in mind: now the three masters have the final say in the courtyard. Jia Zhangshi, that troublemaker, can't handle things, and Liu Haizhong is obsessed with getting promoted and making money, and has no real prestige. If he can gain popularity in the courtyard by showing movies, and let everyone think that Xu Damao is capable and loyal, then in the future, he might have a share of the position of the master. By then, his words will carry weight in the courtyard, and who will dare to look down on him? Sha Zhu would have to be three inches shorter when he sees him! When he thought of this, the smile on his lips became even more intense, and his steps became as light as if he was stepping on cotton.
After Xu Damao left, Yan Bugui sat down under the old locust tree in the courtyard, carrying a small stool, and began to tell the neighbors about the movie screening tomorrow. His voice was so loud that it could be heard halfway through the alley, for fear of missing anyone. After all, this would give him a good reputation, and maybe he could even get some benefits from Xu Damao. Xu Damao yawned all the way home, thinking about going to the venue early tomorrow to set up and greet the projectionist. He was tired all day and needed to rest and recuperate.
On the other side, Xiao Bao was not idle either. He was carrying a bulging cloth bag and hurried to the outskirts of the city - there were some key people he had to meet in person, and this matter could not be sloppy at all.
The place he was heading to was an abandoned warehouse, hidden in an overgrown old factory area. Xiao Bao had secretly purchased this warehouse through someone else. It looked dilapidated from the outside, its rusted iron roof and mostly broken window glass, rattling in the wind. Anyone who saw it would simply mistake it for a neglected wasteland. Unbeknownst to anyone, the warehouse had long been renovated by Xiao Bao, creating a brand new look: the floor was spotlessly swept, neatly stacked wooden boxes in the corners, and a wooden table in the corner, upon which lay an oil lamp and a few blueprints, exuding a secret, sinister atmosphere.
Xiao Bao had just walked to the door of the warehouse and was still a few steps away when he suddenly felt a chill on his forehead - he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye and saw a bright red light aiming at his temple with cold murderous intent.
Xiao Bao, however, was not in a hurry. He even curled his lips and said loudly, "Alright, we are all old brothers who have rolled on the edge of a knife. Are you trying to trick me like this? Put away your weapons quickly."
The red dot vanished as expected. The warehouse's iron door creaked open, and a foreigner with a high nose and deep eye sockets stepped out. He smiled and spoke fairly fluent Chinese. "Brother Bao, you're finally here! We brothers have been here a long time, just waiting for your orders."
Xiao Bao looked at him, his brows furrowed slightly. This foreigner had given himself a Chinese name, "Cunning Rabbit," saying it was derived from the saying "a cunning rabbit has three burrows," for good luck, hoping to always have a way out before taking action. Xiao Bao had never liked the name, always feeling it suggested a certain unreliable cleverness.
He knew these foreigners were prone to using catchphrases when speaking, so he didn't bother to dwell on it. He simply asked, "Cunning Rabbit, have you brought all the people this time? How many skilled fighters are there?"
Cunning Rabbit patted his chest, his smile growing even wider. "Don't worry, Brother Leopard. This time I'm bringing some tough bastards with me. There are fifteen of them in total, all chosen from a list of tough guys. They're good with their guns and quick to act. I guarantee they'll get you a good job!"
Xiao Bao was about to say a few more words when he suddenly heard a whoosh as a dark shadow flew straight towards him! He reacted quickly, tilting his head as the object brushed past his ear and stabbed into the door frame behind him with a sharp thud—it was a gleaming dart.
Xiao Bao suddenly became furious and was about to explode when he saw a figure slowly walking out of the warehouse. When he saw who it was, the angry words that were about to come out of his mouth were suddenly stuck.
The girl, wearing a short coat, had bright eyes and radiant features. She was playing with another dart in her hand. She looked at him angrily and asked, "What's wrong? I haven't seen you for a few years, and you don't even recognize me? Why did you leave without a word back then? What have you been doing all these years?"
Xiao Bao is usually eloquent, but at this moment he seemed to be blocked. He opened his mouth and could only squeeze out two words: "I... I..." His cheeks felt inexplicably hot, and the anger he had just felt disappeared in an instant.
The girl's name was Zhang Du, and she and Xiao Bao had once been members of the same mercenary team. She possessed an unusual sensitivity to poisons, making her a master of her craft. A touch of the powder from her fingertips would instantly paralyze any ordinary person, leaving them vulnerable to manipulation. But no one could have predicted that someone so renowned for her toxicity would fall victim to poison—during a mission, she was ambushed by a teammate and contracted a rare, chronic poison. The toxin spread throughout her body, leaving her unable to even hold a syringe.
In the mercenary world, there's no such thing as "feelings"—only cold profits and survival. Seeing her becoming a burden, the squad leader, without a word, abandoned her, leaving her to fend for herself in the desolate jungle. It was Xiao Bao, who, during the evacuation, glanced back and saw her curled up in the mud, her face bruised and black, yet still gritting her teeth and refusing to close her eyes. She looked so much like his deceased sister, his heart trembled. Ultimately, he disobeyed orders and dragged her aboard the evacuation helicopter.
After returning to base, Xiao Bao searched for every possible antidote, even risking his life by sneaking into a local tribe to steal a secret elixir. He stayed by Zhang Du's side day and night. After two weeks, the toxins in her body were finally suppressed, and her complexion gradually returned to normal. Upon waking, Zhang Du said nothing, but there was something inexplicable in her eyes as she looked at Xiao Bao.
From then on, the two became partners, navigating battles together, from the deserts of Africa to the rainforests of Southeast Asia, saving each other from near death countless times. Their tacit understanding grew through mission after mission, and their feelings grew quietly like vines, though neither of them spoke of it. Until six months ago, when Xiao Bao suddenly received a mission back home, a mission of grave importance. He left in a hurry, leaving only a note on Zhang Du's bedside saying, "Urgent, leaving now," and vanished from her world.
Zhang Du waited for six months, but there was no news. Her inherently stubborn nature convinced her that Xiao Bao had deliberately abandoned her. The fear of being abandoned and the anger of being "betrayed" combined to leave her fuming with nowhere to vent. This time, after much searching, she finally found Xiao Bao, but she had no intention of listening to his explanation; all she saw was a stubborn insistence on getting an explanation.