r18novel Chapter 88 Sun Donglai's Sacrifice!
Chapter 88 Sun Donglai's Sacrifice!
Icy.
This was the moment Wang Xing's fingertips touched the metal object, and he immediately stopped.
For a fleeting moment, the chaotic sirens in the underground food court of the mall, the incoherent explanations of the owner of Lao Zhang's rice noodle shop to the police, and even the lingering smell of hot and sour soup in the air all receded from his perception like a tide.
His eyes inexplicably felt hot.
He made the right bet.
Sun Donglai, in the end, never really pointed his gun at him.
In this cruel world shrouded in the shadow of the abyss, where everyone would sell everything for power and survival, and despite being brainwashed by the Black Armor Alliance's fanaticism, Sun Donglai... has not yet been completely swallowed up by the abyss.
"Donglai...you bastard."
Wang Xing cursed silently in his heart, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.
That was the most relaxed laugh he had had in days.
But he knew now was not the time for sentimentality.
Wang Xing calmly withdrew his hand back into his pocket. With a slight twitch of his fingertips, he gently ripped the small USB drive out of the tape binding it with his Myriad Manifestations of Wisdom, and it landed steadily in his palm.
Then he turned around, pulled up the strap of his shoulder bag, lowered his head, and calmly walked against the dispersing crowd, disappearing into the exit of the underground food court.
…………
"drop--"
"Double encryption channel established, firewall level: Tian Shu military level three. Call connected."
Wang Xing walked out of the Xinmate Shopping Mall and stood in a secluded alley, dialing Wang Yangming's private terminal.
The holographic projection swayed slightly, revealing Wang Yangming's somewhat tired but still sharp face.
Judging from the background, he appears to be in a polymer preparation room, with several heavy mecha parts emitting a cold light hanging behind him.
"Wang Xing? What's the situation on your end? I just received an internal alert from the Yuanfang Bureau. There's been a shooting at the Xinmate Shopping Mall, and the target is you?"
Wang Yangming's tone was urgent and serious.
"Senior, nothing's wrong."
Wang Xing lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping warily across the alleyway. "The person who tried to assassinate me... was Sun Donglai."
"What did you say?"
"Sun Donglai? Is that your childhood friend?!"
A look of shock flashed across Wang Yangming's eyes: "This is impossible. Although he underwent a basic aberration modification, given his mental will and strength, for him to openly attack you in the city at this time is simply courting death. How stupid would he have to be to choose to attack you in the city? Those lunatics from the Black Armor Alliance wouldn't engage in such a pointless waste."
"He did it on purpose," Wang Xing said in a deep voice. "He left something for me."
Then, Wang Xing used the most concise language to tell Wang Yangming everything about the chase on the rooftop, the Extreme hoodie that was deliberately stuck in the ventilation vent, and how he found the USB drive in the underground rice noodle shop.
After listening to Wang Xing's account, Wang Yangming remained silent for a long time.
In the holographic projection, this veteran member of the Tian Shu Mech Hunter slowly leaned back in his chair, a complex light flashing in his eyes.
"This kid... he's got guts."
Wang Yangming let out a soft breath, then his expression turned serious. "Where are you now? Go to the backup safe house I gave you immediately. Don't do anything rash before you figure out the contents of the USB drive."
"Understood, I'll be there in twenty minutes."
After hanging up the communication, Wang Xing did not immediately go to the safe house.
He stood in the dark alley, looking at the small, silvery-gray metallic USB flash drive in his hand, and hesitated for a moment.
In this era of highly advanced mecha and genetic technology, which is also rife with all sorts of bizarre methods, a USB drive of unknown origin can sometimes be the most deadly weapon.
It might contain some kind of neurotoxin algorithm that could burn his brain in an instant, or it could be a miniature nano-high-explosive fragment that, once inserted into the terminal, could blow him to pieces.
Indeed, it's not impossible that Sun Donglai might use this chip as a final weapon, a last resort.
Is Sun Donglai really worthy of his complete trust?
"call……"
Wang Xing chuckled self-deprecatingly, the slight hesitation in his eyes vanishing instantly.
"If you have to be wary of even your brothers who have fought alongside you, then practicing the way of mecha is too frustrating."
He pulled a spare, physically isolated portable micro-terminal out of his bag.
This type of terminal is not connected to the internet. Even if it contains viruses or malicious programs, it will only physically damage this cheap gadget worth a few hundred dollars, without affecting his personal main system or brain.
Wang Xing took a deep breath and gently inserted the USB drive into the port.
"Click".
The terminal's miniature screen lights up.
Wang Xing's muscles tensed instantly, his body ready to step back at any moment.
But the expected explosion or bright light did not occur. The screen flickered a few times and then a completely black video playback interface appeared.
There is no video.
There was only deep, dark blackness.
Two seconds later, a slight, hoarse electrical hum came from the speakers, accompanied by a heavy breathing sound, and in the background, the annoying low-frequency hum of some kind of large hydraulic machinery operating in the modification room.
Then, Sun Donglai's familiar voice rang out.
Compared to his clear and crisp voice at school, his voice now sounded dry and hoarse, as if there was sand stuck in his throat.
But his stubbornness, which he couldn't hide, remained unchanged.
"Hehe... Wang Xing. When you touched this USB drive, it means you've already found it, right?"
In the recording, Sun Donglai chuckled softly, a laugh that was both self-deprecating and relaxed:
"As expected, you're still the clever one I predicted. You actually found it. Of course, the fact that you could find this place means that you... still acknowledge me to some extent, acknowledge our past friendship, and don't see me as a complete monster. Nor do you see this USB drive as an explosive weapon... This feeling is actually quite nice."
The sound paused, and a crisp metallic clang came from the background, as if Sun Donglai had changed his sitting posture.
"Alright, enough nonsense. I don't have time for your sentimentality. Listen carefully, and memorize every single word I'm about to say."
Sun Donglai's tone suddenly became extremely serious:
"Don't go to the old power plant! Don't go to the old power plant! Don't go to the old power plant! I'll only say it three times because it's important!"
"That's a deadly trap set for you. Tomorrow night, the higher-ups of the Black Armor Alliance, perhaps even an old monster more terrifying than Meng Rui, will be secretly orchestrating this. They've mobilized the Alliance's core 'artificial human assassins'—those guys aren't human at all; they're killing machines devoid of pain, only knowing how to tear their targets apart. The moment you step through the gates of that power plant warehouse, a deadly net awaits you, with no chance of survival!"
"Don't even think about bringing Tian Shu or the Abyss Defense Bureau's help. I've seen firsthand how terrifying those old monsters are. If there's the slightest disturbance, they'll detonate the underground energy pipes throughout the entire old city without hesitation, taking half the city's population with them! And if they find out you brought people from the Abyss Defense Bureau, they might do something horrific. So, listen to me, don't go. Stay at school and the authorities will keep you safe until the provincial exam."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xing stared intently at the black screen, his brows furrowed into a tight knot.
No wonder Meng Rui was so generous in letting Chen Mo give him the address.
This is not a negotiation or a deal at all; it is a naked, targeted elimination plan against him!
In the recording, Sun Donglai took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm the mutated genes in his body that had become somewhat out of control due to emotional fluctuations.
Faintly, Wang Xing could even hear the grating sound of his teeth clenching and his bones making a slight grinding noise.
Let me tell you about my situation.
Sun Donglai's voice lowered again, carrying a resigned calm: "I can no longer have any interaction with you openly, so I used this almost self-destructive method to lure you out. As for me... you don't need to worry about me, and you don't need to feel sorry."
"Yes, I have indeed embarked on a path that you orthodox geniuses look down upon—mutant modification. I have officially joined that alliance. But don't look at me with pity or sympathy; this is my own choice. Even if I had to do it ten thousand times, I would still make the same choice. In this world, how can an ordinary person without talent possibly live like a human being, or catch up with you geniuses, without paying a price?"
At this point, Sun Donglai suddenly chuckled a few times, his tone carrying a hint of his usual arrogance:
"Last time on the stage of the school competition, you told me that the next time we met, we might be enemies. Heh, to be honest, Ah Xing, I'm actually looking forward to the day when we really fight. But I guess there won't be that opportunity anytime soon. Those old guys in the league aren't stupid. My unusual behavior today has probably already caught their attention. If I leave this shirt on the rooftop, that old dog Meng Rui will go back and investigate, and he'll figure out that I went easy on him."
"Tsk, are you a little touched after hearing this? Hahaha, are your eyes red? I bet you're incredibly moved, and you're probably even swearing in your heart to come and save your 'repentant' brother."
"Don't flatter yourself, Wang Xing!"
Sun Donglai's voice suddenly rose: "I helped you this time purely because you saved my life from that dog's claws on the roadside last time. Although I, Sun Donglai, am a scoundrel who takes shortcuts, I still know what 'repaying kindness' means. I don't want to owe you a favor I can never repay!"
"Now, here's the USB drive, and you know the secret. I've repaid the favor you did by saving my life, and we're even! We're completely even now, so don't feel any guilt, understand?!"
"So, don't come looking for me, whatever you do, don't come looking for me! We're on different paths now, and next time we meet, I might actually chop your head off for the sake of the alliance's honor."
"But by then, I'll definitely be incredibly, incredibly powerful. Maybe you, this super genius, won't even be able to withstand a single move from me, hahaha..."
Laughter was unrestrained and loud, echoing in the dimly lit alleyway.
But deep within that youthful, even somewhat childish laughter, Wang Xing clearly heard a desperate sob, as if about to be completely swallowed by the abyss.
The video abruptly cuts off at this point.
The screen returned to silence.
Wang Xing stood in the shadows of the alley, gripping the terminal tightly in his hand.
A strong wind swept through the hall, making the hem of his clothes flutter loudly.
In my mind, Sun Donglai's somewhat pale face, which revealed a tiger tooth when he smiled, kept overlapping with the hoarse, tired but feignedly relaxed voice in the recording.
"We're even..."
Wang Xing muttered to himself, a warm yet somewhat bitter smile appearing on his lips.
"Sun Donglai, you're still the same as you were in the first year of high school, as stubborn as titanium alloy."
With his right index and middle fingers joined together, the hidden power of the myriad phenomena within his body surged forth like a raging torrent!
"Snap!"
The miniature USB drive, along with the portable terminal, was instantly shattered into the finest metallic dust by the violent internal force.
With a gentle wave of his hand, Wang Xing sent the dust flying in the wind, disappearing completely into the soil of the old city.
"You think we're even just like that?"
"You saved my life, and I'm supposed to just watch you jump into a fire pit? There's no such thing as a clean break in this world."
"Black Armor Alliance... Meng Rui..."
Wang Xing clenched his fists, feeling the almost endless explosive power brought by the two divine tiger particles in his body.
The fighting spirit in his eyes burned to its peak in an instant.