Bring Interstellar to the end of the world

Chapter 145 Doomsday Cockroach
Bang!
A gunshot interrupted Tan Zhen's thinking.

A person fell down on the edge of the corridor leading to the ship's boss's room, blood gushing from his chest.

Zang Feng said let's go, and rushed into the corridor with two guns in hand.

To the surprise of the three of them, Fang Zhengrong didn't have many people left in the Shell Building, and the soldiers who were about to attack the three of them in the corridor fell silent after being killed.

The door to the living room was open, leaving a small crack.

Zang Feng made sure there was no trap behind the door and gently pushed the door open.

The curtains were drawn, the room was dark, and there was a faint smell of blood floating in the air.

A person sat in the corner between the single bed and the wall, huddled in the darkness, not knowing what to do.

Zang Feng stepped into the room, glanced warily at the person in the corner, raised his gun and pointed at the target, looked around, and finally fixed his gaze on the wheelchair a foot away from the end of the bed.

The Xiaoradiin injection bag was still hanging on the iron rack, but it was already empty.

There was a blanket on the ground next to the wheelchair. Under the blanket was a book with a badly faded title page. The title of the book was "Crime and Punishment". There was a lot of blood on the blanket.

The wheelchair had its back facing the door, and Zang Feng didn't realize that he was late because the boat boss was dead until he entered the room.

The old man's face was drooping, and there was a blood hole in his chest. A very precise shot went straight through the heart, and it was obvious that he didn't suffer too much.

The moment Tang Yan walked into the room, he saw Zang Feng take off the visor that covered his head and face.

Knowing what the result was without looking at him, he sighed softly.

Tan Zhen quickly passed by Tang Yan and walked to the wheelchair, looking at the dead ship boss in silence.

He stood there for a long time.

The person who had been huddled in the corner between the single bed and the wall for a long time lowered his hands covering his face, and stared blankly at the person standing in front of him with a pair of red eyes.

It was so long that the burning rubber tires that beeped outside the window became silent.

It took so long for the sunlight to slowly aim at the gap in the curtains, piercing into the room bit by bit.

It had been so long that the cup of new spring tea he made for the boat boss completely lost its temperature.

Tan Zhen raised his gun and pointed it at the person in the corner.

If it wasn't for that person, he wouldn't have to leave the boss of the boat.

If it weren't for that person, things might not have developed to such a field.

If it wasn't for that person, the boss of the boat might still be alive.

The person huddled in the corner, wearing a shadow, is Lao Xing, the niece and son-in-law of the boss of the boat.

"Wait a minute." Tang Yan pressed Tan Zhen's gun-raising hand: "I have a few questions that I can't figure out."

He didn't know why Lao Xing didn't escape from the shell building after beating the ship's boss to death. Instead, he huddled in the corner between the single bed and the wall like a walking dead who had lost his soul.

Regarding the conflict between Fang Zhengrong and the ship's boss, he had many things he couldn't figure out and needed an insider to answer it, and a two-faced figure like Lao Xing was undoubtedly the best choice.

"I remember that bald man came to kill us when we first went ashore... Was it because he was dissatisfied with my occupation of the Maxim Cannery?"

He walked to the end of the bed and sat down, looked at the ink painting on the opposite wall, and found that the eyes of the bird standing on the branch were very lively. It was clearly a dead thing outlined by ink, but it seemed to have a soul.

And the man squatting next to him seemed to have lost his soul.

Lao Xing didn't speak, and stared blankly at the slowly moving orange-yellow brilliance on the ground.

Tan Zhen sighed, turned around and walked to the filing cabinet near the door, opened the middle drawer, took out a piece of paper and handed it to Tang Yan.

"Hmm... It seems that these people have a lot of tricks behind their backs. Am I so hated?"

Zang Feng lit a cigarette, pulled over the chair by the table on the right and sat down, squinting his eyes and looking at his face, thinking that the rise of any person or power would disrupt the balance of the original system, and would affect the old People and organizations are affected to varying degrees.

If someone wins, someone will lose.

Some people are happy and some people are suffering.

Not everyone can let go as calmly as the boss of the boat.

Of course, it might just be a realistic portrayal of "a dying man speaks kindly". If he and Tang Yan had come to Toshima earlier, perhaps the boat boss would have invited them to a Hongmen banquet rather than a concierge banquet.

Tang Yan didn't know what Zang Feng was thinking, and his face became increasingly gloomy as he looked at the name on the piece of paper.

No wonder we encountered soldiers from Wang Ming Manor on the way to Shell House.

He originally thought that Fang Zhengrong was worried that he would not be able to successfully defeat those who were loyal to the boss of the ship, and that Gemstone City had been coveting Toyoshima for a long time, and the two hit it off so that they met today.

The facts were quite different from his guess.

The paper Tan Zhen handed him was a telegram from Wang Ming Manor.

The content is that Wang Ming proposed to join hands with the boss of the ship to set up a plan against Tang Yan's intention to restart the production line of Maxim's Cannery. Starting from discussing the purchase price of marine fish, he lured Tang Yan to Fengdao or the surrounding waters to fight a water ambush.

Tang Yan showed shocking military prowess in the two battles of the night attack on Gemstone City and the seizure of control of the Maxim Cannery. Need to take advantage of his illness to kill him.

In order to persuade the ship boss to agree to join forces to set up the trap, Wang Ming promised many benefits, including ownership of Maxim's Cannery.

Judging from the date in the lower left corner of the telegram, it was less than a day before he asked Xia Xin to inquire about the whereabouts of the workers at the Maxim Cannery.

Seeing him look away after reading the contents of the telegram, Tan Zhen said: "After receiving this telegram, the ship's boss called the core management personnel overnight to ask for opinions."

"Fang Zhengrong proposed to accept Wang Ming's conditions. After all, Maxim's Cannery is a piece of fat. If it develops downstream industries on the basis of monopolizing the fishery in the nearby waters, it will bring huge economic benefits to Fengdao and at the same time consolidate Teshima's independent status in the peninsula region."

"Boss Chuan doesn't think so, and he doesn't want to intervene in your confrontation with the powerful figures in Gemstone City before the situation is clear. Although most people are on Fang Zhengrong's side, he still put forward a relatively mild opinion, which is what he said during the meal before." Talk about cooperation."

"This proposal has drawn opposition from many people, and even caused a language conflict between the pros and the opposition."

"For the sake of the overall situation, the ship boss chose to use a delaying tactic to appease Fang Zhengrong and others who were acting more and more aggressively. Well... you must have heard from Xia Xin - as long as you can kill Mei Lin, Fengdao will pay the usual price Selling sea fish. The boss of the ship told Fang Zhengrong that firstly, he can take revenge by your hand, and secondly, he can further observe the military strength of the Pandaren Legion, and then consider whether to accept Wang Ming's proposal."

Tang Yan never imagined that the peaceful days he spent in the Maxim Cannery seemed to be peaceful, and the external forces actually set off a round of interest games against his rise.

"You can't help yourself in the rivers and lakes... Oh, it's really ironic." He thought of the words Luo Zuoming said to himself before he died.

Zang Feng lit a cigarette in the ashtray, and flicked off the ashes piled up in front of him.

"Keeping a tiger is a disaster."

What he was talking about was that the boss of the boat was too soft-hearted towards Fang Zhengrong.

The speaker has no intention but the listener has intention.

Tang Yan frowned and glanced at the dead old man in the wheelchair, feeling very complicated emotions in his heart.

It seems that as the ship's boss grows older and loses his life, he becomes more soft-hearted than before... It can also be said that he is looking forward and backward. He is no longer a resolute and decisive leader, but more and more like an enlightened old man.

No, it's not that simple!
During the meal, the boss of the ship said that he did not want to see the islanders headed by Tan Zhen fighting with the islanders headed by Fang Zhengrong. He was afraid that Toyoshima would lead to civil strife after his death, so he chose to cooperate with Maxim Cannery. Let the Pandaren Legion have sufficient excuses to intervene in Toshima's affairs, form an external deterrent, and suppress the opposition headed by Fang Zhengrong.

Tang Yan couldn't believe that the boss of the ship didn't ask what he did before he was the deputy commander of the Pandaren Legion, and what he did after arriving in Gem City.

With his personality, can he tolerate the existence of people like Fang Zhengrong?

Even if he didn't take the initiative to intervene in Toshima's internal affairs, that kind of person would not succumb to the status quo.

Then the event develops to the end and there will only be one ending.

Fang Zhengrong died!

But Tang Yan killed Fang Zhengrong, not the boss of the boat who killed Fang Zhengrong.

Judging from the fact that Deputy Commander Tang single-handedly dealt with the zombie wave and preserved the foundation of the Pandaren Legion, anyone who is not an idiot can come up with the answer that Deputy Commander Tang is a responsible person.

In other words, the boss of the ship deliberately left such a person to kill him, and through this incident, he made him shoulder the responsibility of stabilizing and protecting Toyoshima.Just like an old saying - save people to the end, send Buddha to the west.

In the end, the boss of the ship gained a good reputation and found an excellent foreign aid for Tan Zhen.

The old man's abacus dial is louder than anyone else, and smarter than anyone else.

It's a pity that he calculated the beginning accurately but not the ending.

The boat boss didn't kill Fang Zhengrong, Fang Zhengrong killed the boat boss.

Tan Zhen did not comment on Zang Feng's lament and continued the previous topic: "No one expected that you would suddenly land on the island today. Fang Zhengrong believed that the opportunity was too late to miss, so he ordered Cao Zhensheng (bald man) to lead people to intercept and kill you. .”

"The boss of the boat didn't want to be your enemy at first, and you came to the island without saying hello, it seems that you have no intention of negotiating, and you look like you are going to force it."

"Considering that since you entered the Pandaren Legion on your first mission, you have never fought an uncertain battle."

"The boss of the boat realized the seriousness of the matter, and ordered me to rush to the fishing market immediately, and stop Fang Zhengrong's people from attacking you at all costs."

Speaking of this, Tan Zhen paused slightly: "You know what's going to happen next."

After listening to his narration, Tang Yan nodded, thinking that Tan Zhen worked hard enough, in order to frighten Housing Zhengrong, he would kill the bald man in a place like the fishing market.

This did win some goodwill from him, but from another perspective, it also made the relationship between the pro-opposition faction and the opposition even worse. Perhaps Tan Zhen's actions played a big role in promoting the situation to the current situation.

Of course, the key factor that caused the civil strife was the fact that the boss of the ship entertained him and Zang Feng to establish cooperation intentions.

Zang Feng sighed heavily and did not speak.

Tang Yan was silent for a moment and asked a question: "I still can't understand why Maxim Cannery established a business partnership with Toyoshima to force Fang Zhengrong to take such extreme actions."

If he guessed correctly, the boss of the boat gave him the chance to kill Fang Zhengrong and gain power, but not now, but in the future.

The development of the matter to the present point shows that the boss of the boat overestimated Fang Zhengrong's patience. In this matter, that person was more impatient and aggressive than expected.

Tan Zhen didn't speak. He couldn't answer this question. After all, he was the one who firmly stood behind the ship boss.

The person who spoke was Lao Xing. This man who was trusted by the ship boss and was the ship boss's niece and son-in-law, but who fell to the opposition at the critical moment, finally no longer remained silent.

The voice was hoarse, like two dry corn cobs rubbing together.

"The boss of the ship led the Wilderness Reavers to the Type 56 light frigate and came to Toshima. He won that battle. Everyone was very grateful to him for not killing and were willing to sacrifice their lives for him."

"In the days that followed, Ship Boss made us rich, strong, united, and free from hunger."

"He did a good job, and he treated us very well. As we got along better, he gradually let go of the hatred of the past and treated the people who lived in Toshima—whether it was the predators who killed the islanders or the predators who came with him. They are all taken care of as family members.”

"He's so good... well, let us, the predators who killed his relatives and friends back then, feel inferior."

"Humph!" A cold snort came from Tan Zhen.

Lao Xing turned a deaf ear and continued his narration.

"He regards taking care of the islanders as his responsibility, mission, and ideal... He is a qualified leader."

"As time goes on and he grows older, his character becomes more gentle and soft-hearted. When he knew that he was going to die, on the one hand he was worried about the future of Toyoshima and the safety of the islanders, and he was afraid of what happened back then. On the one hand, I want to do something meaningful to the world, so that this dark age can shine some light on humanity."

"He said that he had a dream of his family members who had long since died. They entrusted him with one thing - to spread the fire of hope, as atonement for their indifference back then."

"The fire of hope..." Tang Yan thought of the artificially cultivated luminous fungi in underground facilities.

A place full of death is pregnant with the dawn of life, and only the brightest stars can be found in a world infested by darkness.

Lao Xing continued to speak in a hoarse voice.

"He decided to expand the cultivation scale of luminescent fungi, and at the right time, put them on the mainland at the right entry point, so that more wasteland residents can benefit."

"Many people disagree with him doing this, because it is likely to attract people from the Shinrikyo religion. Toyoshima's military strength is not enough to fight against such forces. Once the other party knows that Toyoshima people have luminous fungus cultivation technology, those The lunatic will not hesitate to go to heaven or earth to drive us all out."

"The boss of the ship said he would find a safe way..."

"Even though many people objected, he still did not give up the meaning of life that he found only in his later years."

"Then." Lao Xing's stagnant eyes fluctuated a little, and he glanced at Tang Yan: "You have appeared."

"He seems to have found the balance point on the seesaw and becomes excited, like an old kid. He frantically collects information about you, analyzes your personality, and estimates your potential."

"At this time, Wang Ming sent the telegram."

"Fang Zhengrong and the others know what the boss of the ship is thinking. They proposed to cooperate with Wang Ming. In fact, they don't really want to go to war with you. They just want to express their dissatisfaction and make the boss of the ship die."

"Unfortunately, God is not on their side."

"Today you boarded the passenger ship, came here, had a meal with the boss of the ship, and drank a lot of wine."

"The situation is irreversible. Fang Zhengrong chose to use practical actions to end the ship boss's dream in his later years and protect Fengdao's future."

"We are all fishermen living on this island. We only want to cross ourselves, not others. We don't want to tie the future of Toyoshima to the whim of the boat boss, and we don't want to jump on the train driven by you, and we don't know where to go. , we want to redeem ourselves in a more conservative way."

"Is this wrong?"

Tang Yan remembered the story about the boy named Mei Lin that the boss of the boat told during lunch.

Back then, the people of Toshima refused to save Meilin's parents because they wanted to have enough food and survive in the bad times.This indifference broke Merlin's heart and directly led to his future betrayal.

Now that Fang Zhengrong and others choose to eat alone behind closed doors, is it also a kind of indifference to people living in mainland China?
The indifference 30 years ago made Toshima blood flow into rivers, and the indifference 30 years later has caused the people living on this land to fight each other.

Is it wrong?
Is the boat boss wrong?
Or was Fang Zhengrong wrong?
Lao Xing was silent for a long time, resting his head on the back wall and closing his eyes, his dry lips trembling slightly.

"Even if it's just a cockroach struggling in a cesspit, a wild dog wagging its tail begging for food in the wilderness, or a villain who will never make it to the stage, we still want to control our own destiny, even if what we grab in the end is just a piece of clothing."

Tang Yan looked at the book under the blanket stained with blood from the boss of the boat, and didn't know what to say.

Those words of Lao Xing... are the little people accusing the superiors?
Maybe like he said, it's just a struggle.

He looked at the body of the ship's boss that had lost its temperature.

The growth that comes with time changes a lot of things.

The brave man finally becomes a dragon.

The holy monk finally became a demon monk.

A benevolent hero who started out as a reckless man finally became a dictatorial tyrant
Stories like this happen every day.

But... who will define "evil", who will define "demon", and who will define "cruelty"?
Tan Zhen tried hard to suppress the anger in his heart, but in the end he couldn't hold it back. He looked at Lao Xing and shouted loudly: "Then you will kill him? Kill the person who has shown you forgiveness, kindness, and love?"

Lao Xing opened his mouth, looked at the Type 54 pistol on the ground next to the wheelchair and muttered to himself, "Fang Zhengrong promised me...promised that I would take care of the boat boss so that he could go through the last journey peacefully."

"Fang Zhengrong promised me."

"Fang Zhengrong promised me..."

Tang Yan looked at the 54 pistol that took the life of the boss of the ship.

People were not killed by Lao Xing, but what is the difference between them and those killed by Lao Xing?
He was a plunderer who captured Toshima 30 years ago. He was young and strong at that time and should have killed many people. Thirty years later, war broke out again in Toshima, but he turned into a pedantic fisherman and chose to believe in the promises of others. .

"Is this how you put your fault on others?" Tan Zhen walked over and grabbed Lao Xing's collar and lifted him up from the ground.

The light spread from the slightly swaying curtains to their faces.

Tan Zhen's eyes were full of anger, while Lao Xing's expression showed no change and seemed frozen.

　I personally like the ~5000-word chapter of this chapter, I didn't split it for the sake of coherence.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)