Ten off-road vehicles set off from Stronghold 111. Qing Zhen had asked Qing Yi to pick ten people so they could take ten different routes to ensure the news from the Southwest could be accurately delivered to the Northwest.
At this moment, the more scattered they were, the higher the success rate of delivering the news would be.
These soldiers did not know much about the situation.
They did not know it was actually not Qing Zhen himself who was heading to the Central Plains.
They did not know the purpose of delivering the news to the Northwest.
Nor did they know they might die on this trip to the Northwest.
All they knew was that even if they died, they had to pass on the news of the peace talks at Stronghold 61 to the Northwest Army.
Perhaps it was a little unfair to keep it from them, but Qing Zhen had to be wary of Zero.
If these soldiers were intercepted and killed on the way, Zero's nanomachines would steal their memories. If that happened, this plan would no longer be a secret.
Therefore, Qing Zhen had to keep it from them and watch calmly as they sent themselves to their deaths.
After Luo Lan and Xu Man left Ginkgo Manor, no one was allowed to approach it anymore. Not even the Kyung Clan soldiers were allowed to enter.
In this huge manor, only Qing Zhen and Qing Yi were left.
It was not that the Kyung Clan no longer had anyone they could trust, but that Qing Zhen wanted to avoid any accidents.
Qing Zhen sat on the black lake and stared blankly at the mountains in the distance. Qing Yi had been in the kitchen for a long time before finally making two bowls of fried rice.
Qing Yi held a bowl of fried rice and sat down next to Qing Zhen. "Second Brother, my cooking is too lousy. Just make do with it."
The fried rice was a little charred. It looked like Qing Yi had never cooked for himself before. Qing Zhen took the bowl of fried rice and smiled. "I'm sorry to trouble you."
Qing Yi ate two mouthfuls of fried rice and went to fetch some wine. It was not that he wanted to drink, but the fried rice tasted too awful and was a little choking.
Qing Yi drank two mouthfuls of wine and sighed, "If those old men knew that I used their secret wine with fried rice, I'm afraid they would crawl out of the ground in anger."
"They couldn't climb out." Qing Zhen shook his head. "My brother heard that they made me walk more than twenty kilometers barefoot in the snow. Before they were buried, he secretly scattered their ashes. So at that funeral, all the urns were actually empty. "
Qing Yi: "…"
Although they were killed by Qing Zhen, those old men were still the face of the Kyung Clan, so Qing Zhen still held a funeral for them.
However, Luo Lan had never been a person who followed the rules. How could he let those old men enter the Kyung Clan's ancestral grave?
In Luo Lan's words, how terrible would it be for their old man to be buried with these people after he died?
Qing Zhen smiled. "He's always been such a fierce person, right? He's been like this since he was a child. My brother's fierceness has never changed. It's just that he's restrained it, ever since I started working as a shadow for the Kyung Clan. "
"Why did he restrain it?" Qing Yi asked curiously.
"I asked him why. At that time, he said that if I wanted to take over the Kyung Clan, I had to unite all the forces that could be united first. I couldn't let everyone be afraid of me and be hostile to me," Qing Zhen explained with a smile. "So, he and I are often regarded as one, so naturally, he couldn't do anything to discredit me."
Qing Zhen continued, "But I've always wanted to tell him that I'm not afraid of him discrediting me. I told him before that I'm using him as a role model, but he didn't believe me. But that's what I really think in my heart. "
When they were young, Luo Lan took him to Ginkgo Mountain to steal ginkgo to sell. After they sold the ginkgo, the two of them were reluctant to buy meat to eat, because they still had to exchange the money for the old man's medical expenses.
So, most of the time, Luo Lan would choose relatively cheap eggs to nourish Qing Zhen's body.
After the old man fell ill, Luo Lan had to cook for Qing Zhen and wash clothes for Qing Zhen. All the heavy, dirty, and tiring work in the house was done by Luo Lan alone.
That fat man, who was always careless, shouldered the responsibility of the whole family on his shoulders from the beginning.
Perhaps to others, Luo Lan was now the second most powerful person in the Kyung Clan, but to Qing Zhen, he was just his brother.
The bowl of Egg-Fried Rice that Qing Yi made brought back many memories for Qing Zhen, because Qing Zhen remembered that the first time Luo Lan made him Egg-Fried Rice, it was also overcooked.
But at that time, no one was sad at all. Even the old man, who had always been in low spirits and had no appetite, ate an entire bowl.
At this moment, Qing Yi's question pulled Qing Zhen back from his thoughts. "Second Brother, do the ten soldiers who went to the Northwest have a chance of coming back alive?"
Qing Zhen thought for a long time, then sighed and shook his head.
Qing Yi's expression was a little gloomy. "Among them, there were some who followed you to Ginkgo Mountain. In the end, even though they knew it was dangerous, they still went without hesitation."
"Ah Yi," Qing Zhen said, "write down their names. If you and I are still alive after this disaster, we need someone to commemorate them."
"Okay." Qing Yi nodded.
"Get some rest. You haven't slept in a long time," Qing Zhen said.
"Then I'll sleep for a while. Wake me up if you need anything, Second Brother." Qing Yi drew a pistol from the holster under his ribs. He checked the yellowish bullets in the magazine before lying down on the marble floor with a little peace of mind. He rested his head on a pillow and fell asleep.
There were only the two of them in the large Ginkgo Mountain Manor. This made Qing Yi feel like he had returned to his youth when he was fighting on the streets with Luo Lan, Qing Zhen, and the others.
There were no subordinates, soldiers, or troops. His eldest brother would charge ahead while his second brother would come up with ideas.
Back then, just like now, they could only rely on the few of them.
It wasn't until this moment that Qing Yi finally understood there were indeed things in this world that were more important than power.
…
After the ten off-road vehicles left Stronghold 111, they immediately split up into ten different routes and disappeared into the wilderness.
The roads in the Southwest had just been built, so the condition was excellent. Furthermore, there were very few people who could own vehicles and travel between the various strongholds. Therefore, the ten vehicles sped along the way.
Earlier on, Luo Lan had specially gone to Fortress 178 to establish a trade relationship with Zhang Jinglin. As such, the roads in the entire Northwest and Southwest were jointly built, so the journey was smooth.
Their trunks were filled with oil drums. This way, they could drive to Stronghold 144 self-sufficient.
Based on the distance, Stronghold 111 was about 800 kilometers away from Stronghold 144. If they drove at full speed, they might even arrive in the middle of the night if they set off in the evening.
Actually, everyone knew this mission was not that simple. But when Qing Yi asked if they were willing to go, everyone answered yes.
Zhang Yuge was someone who remembered Qing Zhen's name when he went up Mt. Ginkgo to carry out the mutiny. That former commanding officer even remembered that his mother was in poor health.
After the Kyung Clan changed hands, Zhang Yuge survived. He thought his life would return to normal, just like the other ordinary soldiers.
But not long after, someone from the Kyung Clan brought his mother to the best hospital in Stronghold 111. The Kyung Clan Consortium would also bear all the medical expenses.
One day, when Zhang Yuge went to the hospital with a lunch box to take care of his mother, he was surprised to see Qing Zhen sitting by his mother's bedside when he pushed open the ward door.
That unreachable commanding officer was smiling and saying to his mother, "Zhang Yuge is an excellent soldier, and no one is better than him. He's the glory of the Kyung Clan troops."
After that, Zhang Yuge's mother would happily mention this matter to her fellow patients every day. He believed that this was probably the happiest time of his mother's life.
Later on, his mother still passed away due to a terminal illness. Before she left, his mother even reminded Zhang Yuge not to let his commanding officer down.
Later on, Zhang Yuge was promoted from corporal to staff sergeant, and then from staff sergeant to first lieutenant. If not for today's incident, he would probably have continued to rise through the ranks.
But Zhang Yuge felt that none of this was important. What was important was that if the ruler treated him like a statesman, he would definitely repay the favor.
Along the way, Zhang Yuge kept feeling like he was being spied on as he drove.
The off-road vehicle drove all the way north. Just as he was about to leave the Kyung Clan's territory, Zhang Yuge suddenly saw more and more sparrows perched on the branches by the roadside. And … those sparrows were all quietly watching him.
In the darkness of the night, these sparrows standing on the branches looked like a dark mass that was extremely frightening.
Although the sparrows in this era were huge, as long as you didn't attack them, they wouldn't attack you. Therefore, even if people saw sparrows, they wouldn't be too worried. After all, these creatures were still vegetarians.
However, at this moment, a trace of fear suddenly rose in Zhang Yuge's heart. He had never imagined that sparrows could be so terrifying.
Zhang Yuge turned on the high beam headlights. In an instant, he saw that the branches on both sides of the road were filled with sparrows. When the headlights shone on their eyes, they actually reflected a strange silver light.
"Where did so many sparrows come from?" Zhang Yuge was secretly shocked in the car.
Previously, Base 012 was attacked by sparrows. This matter had already been reported within the military, so Zhang Yuge's mood slowly began to sink.
However, now was not the time to retreat. He was very clear about the mission of this trip. If he encountered the enemy, there was no need to escape because he would definitely not be able to escape. At this time, there was only one thing he needed to do, and that was to help the other comrades on the road attract the enemy's firepower.
Among the ten of them, as long as one person could send the news to the Northwest, it would be the collective glory of the ten of them.
The success does not belong to me.
Zhang Yuge looked at the dense group of sparrows standing on the branches one after another. Even the branches of the Chinese parasol tree were bent from the pressure. However, there was no longer any fear in his heart. Instead, a trace of courage rose in his heart.
Suddenly, the sparrows flew off the branches one by one. They slowly gathered in the sky to form a vortex, and their wings were as sharp as the edge of a blade.
In this dark night where danger lurked everywhere, Zhang Yuge stepped on the accelerator. The black off-road vehicle was like a ferocious beast that began to break out of the encirclement.
The ferocious metal machine was covered in tight muscles. Zhang Yuge was not driving a common vehicle. Instead, he was driving the most powerful military off-road vehicle within the Kyung Clan.
Normally, only people like Qing Yi, Qing Zhen, and Luo Lan could sit in this vehicle.
Although Qing Zhen knew that these people who were supposed to send the message would die, he still wanted to leave the best life-saving tool for them. Whether they could survive or not was the soldiers' business. Whether they wanted these soldiers to survive or not was Qing Zhen's business.
Death was everyone's only choice in this era. But before that, they had to enjoy life to the fullest!
The engine roared, and the eight-cylinder turbocharged engine squeezed its potential to the extreme in an instant. Zhang Yuge, who was in the car, only felt a huge force coming from the car's rollers, and his back was tightly pressed against the car seat.
The full-time four-wheel drive system made the off-road vehicle's tires more powerful. The wide wheel hubs were like the strong and powerful limbs of a wild beast.
Zhang Yuge began to shout excitedly in the car. The black metal beast actually broke out from the middle of the circling sparrows. It was like a destroyer rushing out of a whirlpool in the ocean!
The sparrows crashed into the windshield one by one, using their sharp beaks to try to break the window. However, the fierce pecking only left a small white mark on the glass.
If it were an ordinary car, the glass would have been broken long ago. But these ten off-road vehicles were different. Their windows were all bulletproof.
At this time, Zhang Yuge had no distractions in his heart. He just stepped on the accelerator and rushed north. As for where he could go, it was all up to fate.
The dark cloud formed by the sparrows followed closely. They no longer attacked, as if they were waiting for something.
This was not in line with biological instinct. Zhang Yuge felt that there seemed to be something behind the sparrows directing them, making their actions more calculated.
There was no blind attack. The sparrows seemed to have suddenly turned into cheetahs. They crouched down, waiting to give their prey a fatal blow.
Although the metal beast was fierce, there was a time when it was exhausted.
Zhang Yuge glanced at the right side of the dashboard, which represented the fuel tank. He could only drive for another 200 kilometers at most. At that time, the metal beast would gradually stop.
He couldn't get out of the car to refuel. He could only sit in the car like an island.
More than an hour later, the dashboard's scale gradually turned red. The black off-road vehicle gradually slowed down and stopped on the side of the road.
There would be no reinforcements. Zhang Yuge knew that this time, there would be no comrades behind him.
Only then did he have the mood to sit in the car and light up a cigarette. Gray smoke instantly filled the car.
Zhang Yuge rolled down the window a little, and the sparrow was desperately trying to get in through the gap, but it was stuck.
As if he didn't see the sparrows, he continued to smoke.
Facing the enemy with a fearless look was the psychological quality that a qualified Kyung Clan soldier should have. But if someone really asked Zhang Yuge if he was afraid at this time, he would reply with a smile, "If I say I'm not afraid, it must be a lie. If you're not afraid, why don't you try?"
At this time, the sparrows suddenly stopped blindly trying to squeeze in through the gap. Instead, they lined up in the sky and then hit the front windshield.
Zhang Yuge suddenly found that these sparrows' beaks landed on the same spot every time, as if they had accurately calculated it.
"Holy sh * t, did he become a spirit?" Zhang Yuge said in a daze.
But he didn't look at it anymore. He lit another cigarette and then turned on the music player in the car. The LCD screen showed the music list in the car.
"One Step Away"
"Pathetique"
"Ah, Goodbye, Friend"
Zhang Yuge muttered, "What kind of songs are these? I don't know who this car used to be. The song titles are so f * cking appropriate. They must be doing this on purpose …"
He clicked on "Goodbye, Friend", and a drawn-out concertina and piano prelude suddenly drifted out.
Ah, if I were to die in battle.
Ah, Goodbye, Friend, Goodbye, Goodbye.
Ah, Whenever people pass by here.
Ah, Goodbye, Friend, Goodbye, Goodbye.
The cracks on the front windshield were getting bigger and bigger. Zhang Yuge's thoughts seemed to have returned to that snowy night. Qing Zhen, who was dressed in a white suit, walked up to him and said softly, "I remember you. Your name is Zhang Yuge. You used to be one of my soldiers. You performed meritorious service when we killed the Pyro Company."
Then Zhang Yuge watched as that figure climbed up the mountain with his back straight.
That night, Qing Zhen had taught him these words: "Pride follows the bones, neutrality, and never bend one's knees". This was the new soul of the Kyung Clan after their rebirth.
Zhang Yuge looked at the dense mass of sparrows outside the window and then at the cracks on the windshield that were about to burst.
"It's not the style of the Kyung Clan to sit back and wait for death. My name is Zhang Yuge, and I've performed meritorious service for the Kyung Clan."
He smiled and picked up his automatic rifle from the passenger seat. He skillfully pulled the bolt and turned up the music in the car to the loudest. Then he pushed open the door and got out of the car to fire into the sky.
Then he was drowned by countless sparrows.
The music in the car was still playing, and the singing was getting more and more passionate.
Ah, if I were to die in battle.
Ah, Friend, Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye.
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