482: Chapter 14: Days Gone By (Part 2) 482: Chapter 14: Days Gone By (Part 2) Meanwhile, in the central district.
Behind the buildings of Central United University, deep into the forbidden back mountains, stood a flashy mountain villa that could be mistaken for a secret base from a special effects film, coaxing one into questioning its true purpose.
The three-story building was adorned with antennas and searchlights, had a suspiciously large garage on the side, and a factory-like structure behind.
The whole area resembled a setting from a special effects film.
At the villa’s entrance stood the leader, Wing of Death, followed by two squads of elite troops and his loyal deputy, Budman.
He gestured for everyone to stand back and walked up to the front door of the villa.
The iron door opened, and Wing of Death entered alone, passed through the vestibule into the spacious living room.
“Good morning, John,” Mo Yuankai called out as he sat on the sofa, greeting with a wave.
Clad in a T-shirt and long pants, he looked as cheerful as ever, aside from his hair being a different color.
Wing of Death slightly nodded in acknowledgment, a form of response.
He sat down across from his old foe, face to face, without uttering a word.
“Wow, this is tense,” laughed Mo Yuankai, “What’s the matter?”
Suddenly, Wing of Death raised his right hand, his mechanical arm revealing a hidden barrel!
Six bullets were fired in half a second; five buried into the wall, while one grazed the young man’s cheek, leaving a line of blood.
Mo Yuankai touched his cheek, nonchalantly remarking, “That violent, huh?”
Wing of Death retracted the barrel, seized Mo Yuankai by the collar, and slammed him against the wall, staring coldly into the eyes of his old rival.
Mo Yuankai remained silent, casually smiling.
Wing of Death let go, allowing him to fall back onto the sofa.
“At first, I thought it was just another rumor,” the gang leader spoke for the first time, “but now, seeing with my own eyes, you really have lost your power.”
Mo Yuankai straightened his collar: “Everyone gets tired.
I’ve fought too much, lost strength, ready to retire.”
Wing of Death laughed, as though he had heard a very amusing joke.
“You?
Retire?”
“If I don’t retire, what should I do?
It takes strength to act the hero.
Going against gang leaders with just a little stick would be a death wish,” Mo Yuankai self-mockingly said, “The city is much safer than before, and my historic mission is thus accomplished.
If you’d be so kind, try to keep the fights to a minimum from now on.”
“Kindness?” Wing of Death snorted derisively, “I can show kindness to a Sky Hero, everyone should.
He is the world’s foremost Superpower User.
No one could refuse his words!”
“But you?
Mo Yuankai, who are you?
Who is the person sitting before me?
A powerless young man possessing nothing but a pile of scrap and a loyal fool.
What honor has he to speak of?!”
“Ah Ce isn’t a fool; he’s my brother,” Mo Yuankai’s gaze sharpened, “You and I can joke as old friends, but insult my brother and I truly get angry.”
Wing of Death stood up, roaring.
“What can you do now?!
Your anger, like your honor, is worthless!”
Mo Yuankai fell silent.
He had no more to say; what could he say?
“I came here to destroy an enemy, but I see no threat here.
Only an impotent weakling, lying in his grave.”
Mo Yuankai gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“Indeed.
No strength left.
Dreams shattered.
All that remains is a nerd.”
Wing of Death looked at him for a moment, no longer taunting or yelling.
He turned around and walked out of Mo Yuankai’s home, not looking back.
Budman, with his blue hair, was the first to approach him as his black-clad subordinates waited in the mountains.
“What’s the word, boss?” Budman’s face showed anticipation and tension, the members of Death’s Wing eager to make their move, “We’ve scoped out all the hiding spots nearby, wouldn’t take half a minute to clear them.”
Wing of Death remained silent.
Budman’s excitement turned to surprise.
“Boss John, are you serious?
Such an opportunity won’t come again!”
Wing of Death raised his right hand, quieting everyone as they waited for his command.
“He was our greatest enemy.
During the years when the heroes were active, he repeatedly thwarted our plans and disrupted our operations.”
“But he also had countless chances to kill me, to kill Budman, to kill each of you.
He didn’t,” Wing of Death closed his eyes, recalling the brief yet long period of imprisonment, “and in our most dire moment, he helped Budman and me.”
“Tell everyone in the organization, every store we run, every armed person on our turf…
not to lay a hand on the Sky Hero.”
The gang leader speaks emphatically: “Otherwise, he will be personally dealt with by my own hands.”
“Understood!”
The men replied in unison, their expression severe.
No more words were spoken; they dispersed.
Wing of Death and Budman walked shoulder to shoulder up the mountain path, a black SUV waiting at the end of the road.
Budman sighed deeply, continually patting the shoulder of his taller old friend.
“Boss, look at you,” Budman worriedly said, “All sentimental, how are we supposed to stay in the underworld?”
“To survive long in this life, you need to honor your commitments.”
“Damn it, honor even to an enemy?” Budman spat, “Boss, I’m warning you, all this crap about honor and relationships, it’s all bulls**t!
The more you talk about honor in this world, the sooner you die, the more shameless you get, the better you do!”
Wing of Death just smiled and caught his deputy’s arm.
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
“That really is disappointing, especially since I wanted his powers,” Budman grinned, “but you’re the boss!
You make the calls.”
Wing of Death released his arm, asking, “How did things go yesterday?”
Budman, now serious, took off his sunglasses.
“It’s tricky, boss.
Ista, Zong Qi, Hatem—they’ve been with us from the start, skilled and reliable, can hold their own against me, but they all vanished yesterday,” the burly man pondered for a moment before adding, “And a beginner with the Earth Tunneling Skill also disappeared.”
Wing of Death hoarsely stated the newcomer’s name: “Kova.”
“Sharp memory, boss,” Budman remarked, “I can’t say if there’s a connection between those two events.
I asked Shengzi’s group, they said last night they ran into a tough one, freaked Kova out, fits his character.”
“He hasn’t returned yet, he’s either been caught or he’s dead.”
“I’m guessing he’s dead, but I can’t figure out who did it.” Budman said without emotion, “Three skilled guys, one with the Earth Tunneling Skill, it wouldn’t be hard to take care of them without making noise is the tough part.
There are only a few masters in the city, it couldn’t possibly be an official act for such a trivial matter.”
“There was some noise yesterday,” Skull said, “in the Thorn District, a newbie, fighting from afternoon till night.”
“Boss, no motive…” Budman had just finished speaking, then shook his head with a bitter smile, “Mine, since when is a motive needed to kill someone?”
“Even if the newbie has no motive, someone who does could use her clout to make moves.” Skull walked to the front of the car, “There was an event in the central district in the afternoon, it was even louder.”
Budman opened the car door for the boss, then sat in the driver’s seat.
“Understood, boss.
I’ll pull our brothers off the streets first, let Ah Huang and the others act as bait alone, I’ll personally keep an eye on the field, see if we can catch something.”
“Okay.”
The black SUV roared to life, the leaders of the Wing of Death departed from the mountain villa.
·
While the two from Wing of Death were talking, Mo Yuankai wasn’t idle either.
He was wiping a wound on his face, mumbling something to himself incessantly.
“You’re very sad…
yeah, I’m upset too…
but no matter how much you talk, I won’t do anything…
Big sister, I understand how you feel, but your approach just doesn’t work…
Seeds?
What seeds?
Big sister, can you take a break?
… I’m so tired…”
He spoke in a language understood by no one, as though conversing with an imaginary air friend, eerily as if he were out of his mind.
Just then, Mo Yuankai’s phone rang, he glanced at it, a message from his junior had arrived.
To: Mo Yuankai
[Big brother, I went out for a half-day walk yesterday and felt much better.
I met a hilarious newbie, lives next to me, if I’m free these next few days, I might show her around.
I saw a doctor today, got some meds, she said I’m doing quite well.
How about you?]
To: Gongsun Ce
[I’m pretty good, just a bit tired, nothing serious.
It’s rare for you to have the patience for newbies, she must be a pretty girl, right?]
To: Mo Yuankai
[When did you learn the Mind Reading Technique?
Yes, a very pretty girl, she had my heart racing at first sight.]
Mo Yuankai pictured his junior saying this with a silly expression and laughed twice, then texted back: [Still in the mood for jokes, see your condition has improved a lot.
I’m ordering some takeout, you adjust yourself slowly, try to be a good student when school starts next week.]
He had just sent the message when his phone rang again, the caller was listed as a collaborator.
Mo Yuankai answered the call, disheartened, “Hello, Dean?
It’s me…
Ah, Aorus came to see you?…
I’m really not up for this, you know the situation.”
“Gongsun Ce?
Forget it, let him rest.
He doesn’t want to be involved in these things anymore, I beg you not to trouble him anymore…
If you really have to, go find Zijing…
Think positively.
We’ve done all we can, the city is much better now, it’s time to step back…”
Onowell’s voice came through the phone, vibrating his eardrum.
“…Aorus Otimis is an even bigger ambitious person than his father, supported by the Radical Faction of the Three Great Countries, he wants to turn this city into a ruthless barracks!
Mo, Superpower Users have already lost the freedoms they ought to have, if we also deprive our successors of their right to education, their enjoyment of life, what’s left in this city?
A cold, lifeless base, what kind of feelings will kids raised here have?!”
Mo Yuankai opened his mouth, emotions surged within him like a tide.
He was just about to agree, then his gaze dimmed, and he spoke bitterly.
“Dean, you’re right…
but I’m only a freshman this year.”
Onowell fell silent suddenly.
Mo Yuankai imagined the situation on the other end of the phone, the kind-hearted educator must have shown a shamed expression in his office.
“…I’m very sorry.”
“It’s okay.
I’ll mention it to Zijing when I have a chance, but I can’t help any more.”
Mo Yuankai hung up the phone and lay down on the couch.
[I really want to help you all.]
The voice in his mind appeared again, causing him anxiety and distress.
But what else could he do?
Unable to use his powers, unable to step forward, what more could he do with just a famous title?
The past was gone.
·
Gongsun Ce smiled as he looked at the newly received text message.
He walked into the restroom, facing the mirror, he contorted his eyebrows and changed his expressions.
Sadness, guilt, excitement, joy, panic…
he exhibited every expression perfectly, changing his face faster than an actor on stage, rendering the emotions so real that one couldn’t tell real from fake.
“My basics haven’t slipped.”
He returned to his original appearance, the listless grey-haired young man.
Time to stay away from trouble.
Don’t give Big Brother any more trouble, nor invite any for yourself.
Let the Superpower Organizations do what they want, just like Big Brother said, be a good student and wait for school to start.
Looking forward to a wonderful high school life.
Wouldn’t that be interesting?
Kardesia and Qin Qianbai were both in the same school, maybe he could even make new friends, how nice.
Gongsun Ce smiled as he pushed open the door, the expressionless girl was waiting for him in the hallway.
“Kept you waiting.”
“What’s wrong?” Qin Qianbai asked.
What’s this?
Such a cryptic statement that no one could catch.
Don’t think everyone is a new human capable of understanding each other’s intentions through disconnected dialogues.
“You look very sad.”
Gongsun Ce raised his hand and knocked on the neighbor’s head.
“Think about it, what would Mr.
Gongsun have to be sad about?
It’s acting, got that?”
“Oh…” Qin Qianbai covered her head quietly.
Gongsun Ce started to laugh.
“Come on, let’s go eat some Yang Mei.”