Chapter 29: Hu Xiang: I’ve Encountered A Freak
The two walked to the edge of the camp. Hu Xiang took out the iron box, pinched out a thin, long cigarette wrapped in brown-gray paper.
Seeing Su Chen shake his head, he only then put it in his own mouth. His thumb ignited a flame, and he took a deep drag, the ember glowing even brighter.
After exhaling a smoke ring, he said leisurely, “Zhou Zong’s father is Zhou Xian, the Director of Internal Affairs. We’ll be in big trouble.”
“He should go find the Green Scaled Lion.” Su Chen frowned.
Hu Xiang said helplessly, “He can’t find the Green Scaled Lion, so he’ll only come for us.”
“He’ll resent us for not acting sooner, resent us for not protecting his son.”
“At the time, I was fighting the leader, so I had some excuse, but you had a conflict with Zhou Zong. He won’t let you off easily. Even if it wasn’t you who struck in secret, so what? People like them don’t care about evidence.”
Su Chen’s expression flickered, but he didn’t continue on this topic. “Who told you to do it?”
Hu Xiang’s movements stiffened slightly. The cigarette in his mouth smoldered faintly. He apparently hadn’t expected Su Chen to ask so directly.
Su Chen turned his head to look at him. “Silence? Is that your explanation?”
“Qi Chuan…” Hu Xiang’s lips moved, spitting out a name.
“Ah… so it’s the victim.” Su Chen wasn’t too surprised. He thought for a moment, then asked again, “What price for my life?”
“A clue to the Mist Nightmare Pearl…”
“Just a clue?” Su Chen was stunned.
“This clue is very important to me. It might wake my wife.” Hu Xiang extinguished the cigarette in his hand, his eyes showing recollection.
“So devoted?” Su Chen glanced at him in surprise, then asked again, “Why did you take special care of me before?”
Hu Xiang’s expression was a bit unnatural as he said, “Perhaps… guilt.”
“Guilt?” Su Chen grinned. This answer was completely beyond his expectations. “I thought it’d be something like making me let my guard down.”
“Before, I didn’t do this kind of thing…” Hu Xiang defended. Perhaps because he was sure Qi Chuan’s plan had failed, he felt less burdened.
“I don’t care…” Su Chen interrupted. “I don’t want to know your thought process, and you don’t need to tell me.”
Hu Xiang smiled bitterly. “Yeah, no matter what, I was involved. It’s normal for you to hate me.”
“Hate?” Su Chen gave him a strange look. “Who said I hate you?”
“You take people’s money and eliminate disasters for them. I can understand.” Su Chen explained patiently. “If someone gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse, I’d strike at you without hesitation too.”
Hu Xiang was dumbfounded. Were refugees’ minds all this sharp?
“But you failed, so you have to pay up.” Su Chen said with a smile.
Hu Xiang’s thoughts were in disarray. He probed again, “What if I don’t pay up?”
Su Chen smiled at him. “Then for the rest of my life, as long as I’m alive, I’ll be watching your wife.”
Hu Xiang shuddered inside, feeling a chill.
Su Chen smiled. “Of course, you still have a chance. Kill me now.”
Hu Xiang subconsciously glanced at the main group not far behind. People were still looking over from time to time, and Bai Fengxi was staring intently.
Hu Xiang smiled bitterly and shook his head. “Little brother, don’t toy with me.”
Hu Xiang had completely given in. This framing had left him uneasy all along.
“Let’s go. It should be handled by now…”
The City Patrol Guards were very efficient. The corpses were piled to one side, and the messy camp was restored to order.
Seeing the two return, everyone’s gazes were still complex. The corpses piled like a small mountain nearby constantly reminded them that what had just happened wasn’t a dream.
“Su Chen brother, is this your tent…” Shen Yinger came over, holding a khaki tent in her arms, her chest puffed out. She didn’t know where she’d hidden just now.
Her clothes were somewhat torn, her eyes slightly red, looking at Su Chen pitifully.
“If you want it, it’s yours.” Su Chen said casually.
“No, I…” Shen Yinger watched Su Chen walk straight past, regretting not building more rapport with him before.
“What do you plan to do with these corpses?” Hu Xiang asked from the side. “These are your spoils of war. Normally, fifty percent of the sale price goes to you.”
He then explained, “Because handling, packaging, and carrying these things requires the City Patrol Guards, so we take a cut.”
This was an unspoken rule. Su Chen didn’t say anything, nodding. “Handle it however you see fit.”
“How about this…” Hu Xiang thought, then said, “There are a lot of corpses this time, and we don’t have enough manpower. We’ll use these as food supplies for now, and settle the value with you after we get back.”
“Good.” The two finalized it. The students bandaging and resting couldn’t help but cast envious looks.
Hu Xiang usually scolded harshly and spoke unpleasant words. It was the first time they’d seen him use such a negotiating tone.
Hu Xiang said a few more words. This time, instead of rebuking the students’ chaotic performance in combat, he comforted and encouraged them, making many feel better.
“Today, the students don’t need to stand watch. Go rest. The watch area is halved. I’ll patrol.” Hu Xiang issued the final order.
He was very capable. Less than half an hour after the battle ended, the camp was mostly restored. The students went to rest, and low sobs could be heard from many tents.
The battle had left Su Chen somewhat fatigued too. He got a tent from logistics, set it up, but couldn’t fall asleep.
He still couldn’t fully relax his guard against Hu Xiang.
……
In the latter half of the night, the camp was silent. A figure quietly slipped out of a tent and headed to a corner of the camp, where there was a corpse wrapped tightly.
Sizzle…
He carefully undid the chains on the body bag. Zhou Zong, with only half a head left, was glaring with his one eye wide open.
He reached out, fumbling on the corpse for something, his movements anxious. “Where is it? Where exactly…”
“Tang Chen, what are you doing?” A voice suddenly came from behind.
The figure fumbling on the ground stiffened abruptly, then turned around carefully. “C-Captain, aren’t you on patrol outside?”
“I asked, what are you doing?” Hu Xiang’s tone was cold and hard.
“I-I heard movement here, so I came to check…” Tang Chen swallowed, explaining softly.
“What movement could a corpse make?” Hu Xiang’s face was cold. He tossed out a pair of iron cuffs. “Cuff yourself.”
Tang Chen’s face changed. He hurriedly said, “Captain, I really just came to check.”
“Don’t make me do it.” Hu Xiang took a step forward, and the surrounding air began to heat up.
Tang Chen had no choice but to pick up the iron cuffs from the ground and clamp them on his wrists. Electromagnetic light gleamed on the surface of the cuffs, snapping together forcibly with a click.
