Deep Space Knight

"I'm here!" A hand was raised high and waved.

A few more names were called out, and someone responded.

"No problem, our men are up here. The bags of food and guns are here too."

Sheng Rui nodded, then looked out of the carriage.

Only the bald man was left running on the platform, and his elderly companion had been left far behind.

The bald man's arms were bound and he couldn't hold onto the railing of the carriage.His face was contorted in horror: "Help me! Save me!!"

Sheng Rui was indifferent.

People who regard other people's lives as worthless will one day be regarded as worthless by others.

"Help me! Help me—"

Both his voice and his figure were swallowed up by the sweeping torrent.

The subway is already galloping at full speed.Behind them, the rails began to vibrate like bowstrings, and the entire tunnel was shaken.

Although it will not be caught up by the current for the time being, if all the water in the artificial lake is poured in, the prospect is still very bad.

At this moment, a barrier suddenly rose from the back of the car and lifted towards the ceiling.The water rushes so violently, as if it has hit a river dam, snow waves splash and roar like thunder.

A part of the water flowed out from the gap between the barrier and the ceiling, but the momentum had already diminished.

The gap became narrower and narrower, and the last column of water finally shrank.With a muffled sound, the top of the barrier was tightly closed with the ceiling, blocking the torrent.

Sheng Rui suddenly felt that this scene seemed familiar.When he met Qi Han for the first time, he also witnessed a wall rising from the ground.

A thought flashed through his mind: Could it be...Qi Han is around here?

The subway roared and the wind swept everything behind them into darkness.

***

At three o'clock in the morning, the sound of the rumbling engine of the transport vehicle came, and the high beams of the front of the vehicle penetrated the dark night.

Xue Yuan leaned against the warehouse door and dozed alone.Hearing the sound of the car, I endured the migraine caused by lack of sleep, and cheered up to meet it.

Carrying containers is a hard job, and two people should have cooperated: one person stood on the unloading platform and pushed the boxes down with a ramp; the other person stacked the boxes below and counted the quantity.

However, the young helpers in the back kitchen deceived their students and deliberately arranged for Xue Yuan to be alone.Xue Yuan has nothing to do about it: in other people's territory, the rules are determined by others, and disobedience will become a target of public criticism.

The transport vehicle stopped, and a man in overalls jumped off the unloading platform, walking towards Xue Yuan: "This is today's shipping list, please take stock—"

The other party's voice suddenly stopped, and then he was extremely surprised: "Xue? Why are you?"

Xue Yuan looked up, and it turned out to be a friend of his father's before.

"Uncle...?" He didn't even remember the other person's last name, so he could only greet him vaguely, with complicated emotions in his heart.

This middle-aged man, whom he called his uncle, was a frequent visitor to his house many years ago.But my father didn't welcome him very much, and often complained in private that this person always wanted to rely on his relationship to change jobs, and he was such a troublesome guy.

At that time Xue Yuan was still very young, after hearing what his father said, he hated this man very much.Whenever the other party comes to the house, he will deliberately play the young master's temper and embarrass the guests.

After several times, this person never visited his house again.

Now, seeing the young master fall into such a desperate situation, the other party may feel that this is the retribution of heaven.

"I..." Xue Yuan bit his lower lip hesitantly, "I help in the cooking camp."

The middle-aged man let out an "oh" and said nothing more.

Two people climbed onto the platform, slid boxes of milk, eggs, meat and vegetables down the slope, and stacked them neatly at the door of the warehouse.

When pushing the box, the metal edges pressed against the abdominal muscles, and Xue Yuan felt the pain from the wound again.

He didn't say a word, and didn't show any pained expression.Even now, he doesn't want to be looked down upon, and he doesn't want to be regarded as a playboy who can only enjoy life but not hardship.

During the work, neither of the two spoke, and the atmosphere was always silent in a strange way.

It wasn't until the unloading of the goods and the confirmation of the quantity against the list that the middle-aged man let out a sigh of relief and patted Xue Yuan on the shoulder: "Son, I don't know how to comfort others, but there are some things that you don't need to take to heart. Who It’s normal to fall down sometimes. As long as you don’t get down, you will definitely stand up.”

For a moment Xue Yuan was suspicious that these words meant something else, implying irony to the Xue family's attitude towards others back then.

But then he saw the other person's eyes through the light.There is no ridicule, no malice, only an elder's care for the younger generation.

Xue Yuan's heart skipped a beat, his throat choked slightly.

When the man stepped onto the transport vehicle, Xue Yuan suddenly called out to him: "Uncle!"

"Huh?" The middle-aged man turned around.

"After I've cleaned up the house, can I invite you over for dinner? Our house hasn't had a visitor for a long time, and it's very deserted."

"Okay!" The other party smiled heartily, "Then it's settled, I'll be waiting for you, and I'll be there whenever you are called."

The transport truck rumbled away.

The morning light is faint, and another day is about to begin.

There was a fading light on the dawn horizon like a burning candle.

Xue Yuan couldn't help reaching out his hand towards the faint light.It was beating in his palm, waiting for a moment when it would shine brightly and light up the world.

He suddenly recalled that he once acted in a play written by himself at the school's drama festival.

At that time, he was also like now, standing alone in the dark, facing countless unknown audiences under the stage, holding a faint candlelight in his hand.

A Latin line in the play has never been so clearly imprinted in his mind like this moment——

"Surgametibo (I will stand up and I will return.)"

☆、Chapter 33

——Why am I always rejected by others wherever I go?

——Is it really just because I am down?Or is it because I have failed too much in life?

For a long time, this question haunted Xue Yuan repeatedly.

I always thought that I could respond to everything, but now I realized that apart from Qi Han, I don't have a real friend at all.

After thinking about it for a long time, he thought he had found the answer to his problem: he was ostracized because he didn't belong.

Everyone will unconsciously divide everything around them into two camps, "us" and "them".What belongs to "us" is accepted, what belongs to "them" is rejected.

The reason why the helpers in the kitchen made things difficult for Xue Yuan was not because they hated him so much, but because he was "them" rather than "us" to them.

Then create an event and quickly become one of "us".

In the afternoon of the next day, a small fire broke out in the food warehouse in the kitchen.

The fire was discovered by the alarm system, and the fire extinguisher on the ceiling sprayed water mist to extinguish the flames in time.

Although the fire was contained, a large number of food boxes stocked in the warehouse were therefore soaked in water.The entire kitchen was mobilized and fought for several hours to clean up the warehouse.

The cause of the fire was never investigated.After all, in a place like the kitchen, there are too many potential fire hazards.

This incident was just a small episode, leaving only an inconspicuous record in the kitchen work log.

Many years later, with Sheng Rui's help, Xue Yuan finally reached the pinnacle of power, replacing Xia Changying as the youngest governor.

Some people traced back his history, noticed this small kitchen fire incident, and came to a conclusion: Xue Yuan probably lit the fire—it was this small incident as a turning point, and his The trajectory of life begins to climb from the trough, and after several ups and downs, it finally soars to the sky.

But at that time, no one suspected Xue Yuan, because he really had no motive for doing such a thing.What people saw was that he and everyone rescued the supplies and equipment in the warehouse, his face turned pale with exhaustion.

Seeing this, the group of young helpers felt a little sorry.The reason they excluded Xue Yuan before was just bullying, not any deep hatred.However, Xue Yuan never cared about their making things difficult, and he put in so much effort at the critical moment, which was very different from the domineering and defiant Little Rose in the rumors.

When everything was settled and everyone was sitting together to rest, Xue Yuan keenly noticed that other people's attitude towards him was different.This shift is very subtle.Not through specific words, but through a certain atmosphere.

The "whelk" who had made fun of Xue Yuan once gave up cigarettes in the crowd, and also handed one to Xue Yuan.Xue Yuan took it naturally, and lit the fire in the opponent's hand—it was like a ceremony for joining a brotherhood.Instead of resisting his presence, they included him and became part of "us".

Xue Yuan knew that from now on, at least in the small circle of the kitchen, his life would not be too difficult.

Smoking cigarettes, a group of people chattered and talked about the funding of the kitchen.In order to save expenses and expand armaments, the management cut the budget of the cooking department, which made the cooking officers very dissatisfied.

"Xue, you have dealt with the higher-ups, can you go and talk to them?" The head chef frowned, "During this war, the price of vegetables has risen so ridiculously, so many people want to eat and drink, that's all. There is nothing we can do about the budget. You have to fight a war, how can you win if you are hungry, don’t you think?”

In his eyes, Xue Yuan is a phoenix with shedding hair. Although it has fallen down now, it is still flying in the sky anyway, and he still knows a few other phoenixes.

Xue Yuan felt a little bitter in his heart.The higher the altitude, the colder the human feelings.Those people who were close to Xue's family in the past, now avoid him, for fear that he will come to make connections.

Others don't say, he has been back for so long, and the governor who took good care of him in the past has never even shown his face.Even though he knew that the governor himself was in a difficult situation, he still felt a little disappointed.

It's ironic that the only senior Xue Yuan still has access to is Ye Baizang, and it's thanks to Qi Lian.

After thinking about it, Xue Yuan nodded: "I'll try it, but it might not work."

That night, Xue Yuan didn't work in the back kitchen, but appeared in the long-lost officer's restaurant.

The place is as bustling as ever.The battle situation and current situation do not seem to be valued by most people.

In addition to tactical troops, these ordinary space officers are nothing more than pampered office workers.Compared with the looming war, they are more concerned about the immediate welfare.

"How come the bowl of ramen has become so small? Isn't this a disguised price increase?"

"No way, I heard that the subsidy allocated to the cooking department has been cut in half."

"That's right. Besides, the Phoenix [-] is gone, and there is less food, and the food and beverage standards will definitely drop in the future."

"I heard that rationing is going to be implemented."

"Damn it, is such an unpalatable meal still rationed? Will it let people live?"

Topics like this are passed from table to table.

When Ye Baizang appeared, the atmosphere in the restaurant turned slightly cold, and even the light seemed to dim a bit, as if a cumulonimbus cloud cast its huge shadow.

Ye Bai walked through rows of tables and chairs without squinting, followed by a person.

Everyone in the restaurant was secretly surprised.

—— Xue Yuan?

How could he hide with Ye Bai? ?

People were surprised to find that Little Rose, who hadn't seen her for a long time, changed her outfit.

It is no longer the snow-like white military uniform of the technical officer, but the cold black exclusive to special tactical forces.The long blond hair that always hangs elegantly has been cut short, and tied into a neat ponytail at the back of the head.

It's not just the appearance that has changed.Xue Yuan changed from his usual arrogance, and followed Ye Baizang with a humble expression, as if he was reporting something to Ye Baizang.

Ye Baizang didn't look back, nor did he express anything.Until the table where the food was taken, the two people dispersed and took the food separately.

After carrying the dinner plate, Ye Baizang still took his usual seat.

The people in the restaurant seemed to be loose, but in fact they didn't just sit casually, they had already formed a fixed small circle.

When he was in the technical department before, Xue Yuan was the leader, the moon held by the stars.

But now...

With the mood of watching a play, the people in the restaurant secretly waited with bated breath to see where Xue Yuan would sit.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xue Yuan calmly sat down in front of an empty table.

The surrounding air subtly froze for a few seconds, and then began to continue to flow, washing away this little episode.

However, the tree wants to be quiet and the wind doesn't stop.Xue Yuan was silent, but someone wanted him to be the focus.

"Hey, why did you place an order today?"

A finger reached under the tip of Xue Yuan's nose, and knocked on the table.

Xue Yuan raised his eyes calmly, it was a technical officer nicknamed "Old Ghost", who had been married to Xue Yuan.

Xue Yuan lowered his eyelashes and said nothing.No matter what you say at this time, the other party will hear the smell of fire | medicine.

The old ghost didn't intend to let go of this good opportunity to taunt Xue Yuan.

"Don't keep talking." Your fingers continued to tap on the table, "Tell me about your heroic deeds."

There are multiple screens hanging in the middle of the restaurant, broadcasting the battle situation of Phoenix [-] that is about to end.

Of course, the blitzkrieg of Dianzhi failed, failing to capture Phoenix [-] in one fell swoop, and gave the other party a chance to retreat.

But the Phoenix also failed to win the victory—the only one warship in the fleet was to show off its might among the Phoenix fleet.The tug-of-war has been fought for dozens of days, and the phoenix, which has the right time and place, is unable to shake the lone soldier who is rushing for a long distance.

The comparison of the strengths of the two combatants is already self-evident.

"Hehe!" The old ghost looked at the screen and twisted the corners of his mouth, "Isn't it a special tactical unit? Isn't it an elite with a 5% annual pass rate? You are so stupid, why didn't you defend Phoenix [-]? Why did you just start fighting? Just come back and die like shit?"

This argument again.

I don't know how many times I have heard similar words from all kinds of people since Xue Yuan came back.

But this time, he was no longer silent.

It was too late to speak, before the old ghost finished speaking, Xue Yuan's figure rose violently, like a hunting arctic fox, and with a single grabbing movement, the old ghost was twisted firmly on the table in a blink of an eye.

——Little Rose is fighting again!

The restaurant suddenly boiled.What is right and what is wrong is not what people care about, everyone just wants to watch the scene.Someone yelled loudly, and someone imitated the referee on the boxing ring and counted the seconds for the old ghost.

"Ouch!" The old ghost grinned in pain, unable to move.

In fact, Xue Yuan only used three points of his strength, but the old ghost was born as a purely technical person, unlike Xue Yuan who also studied technique and tactics, so how can he bear it.

In the past, once Xue Yuan made a move, he would only stop after making the other party suffer enough.But this time it stopped short, and the force on the old ghost's back quickly disappeared.

However, Xue Yuan's sense of oppression did not diminish at all, he looked down at the old ghost's face from above, and said in a volume that everyone around could hear, "Apologize."

The old ghost's face was flushed red, like a vicious fighting cock that was defeated but still unwilling: "Ha, apology? With you? Why do you ask me to apologize to you?"

As soon as Xue Yuan raised his hand, he unbuttoned his uniform neatly, ripped off the front of his shirt, and exposed his chest.

There was a gloating whistle in the restaurant.We all know that Little Rose would tie up her hair before fighting, but now she has changed to take off her clothes. The fight scene must be even more exciting.

Ye Baizang was sitting not far away, and he could clearly see what was going on here.

The personnel officers couldn't sit still and wanted to come forward to maintain discipline.However, with a sneak peek, Ye Baizang was twisting the steak knife and staring coldly at the farce.

It looks like...

Also waiting to watch the show? ?

The personnel officers really couldn't figure out what he was thinking, so they had to wait and see for the time being.

In fact, Ye Baizang was not sure whether Xue Yuan planned to fight in public or make trouble.

But he made a bet with himself in his heart that Xue Yuan would not be so stupid.

Because, just before coming to the restaurant, there was just such a conversation between him and Xue Yuan——

"The cooking department has big opinions on cutting the budget." Xue Yuan relayed what the head chef said, "If this continues, it will be very difficult for them..."

"I'm not interested in the kitchen's opinion at all." Ye Baizang interrupted him, "But you, you actually think that you are qualified to report these matters to me directly?"

Ye Baizang had a sneer in his eyes, "You'd better make it clear that your current job is just to help me 'train dogs'. If you think that this will give you the right to report to the next level, then you'd better think about it first." Weigh yourself. The most important thing to be a human being is to remember your own identity."

This is quite a harsh sarcasm, enough to make ordinary people blush with embarrassment, and their self-esteem is crushed into the dust.

However, Xue Yuan was able to respond calmly to such humiliation.

"I didn't think about it that much. I just felt that the voice I heard should be conveyed as it is, and it doesn't matter what the channel is."

On the surface, these words are saying that Xue Yuan is doing business for the kitchen, but in fact it is saying that he regards himself as Ye Baizang's eyes and ears.

Ye Baizang would not fail to hear this kind of overtones.But he didn't pick up on this, and was doing other things slowly, before answering after a while: "How many truths do you think you can hear with your popularity?"

"It's true that my popularity has always been bad. This is my shortcoming, but it's also my strong point. I don't pretend, I always speak the truth, that's why I offend so many people. I don't know what I heard How many sentences in it are true, I can only convey those different opinions truthfully."

Ye Baizang didn't say a word.After a while, he said, "I'm going to the restaurant. If you have anything else to say, finish it on the way."

--Yes.Everyone will unconsciously divide everything around them into two camps, "us" and "them".What belongs to "us" is accepted, what belongs to "them" is rejected.

The party is the same, but the difference is different.This principle has never changed.

Whether it is the young kitchen helper "Acne", or the seasoned governor candidate Ye Baizang, there is no exception.

The quickest way to become one with "us" is to have a common enemy.

It doesn't matter whether this enemy is an invader from the phoenix, or a dissident from within the Phoenix, or even an invisible event.All that really matters is that they are "they."

In the restaurant, whistles kept ringing, and Xue Yuan and the old ghost were at war.

Those who are watching don't know that the crowd will start to divide from this moment: one part becomes "us" and the other part becomes "them".

Ye Baizang picked up the coffee cup, took a sip slowly, the corner of his eyes locked on Xue Yuan——

I'll wait and see what exactly you want to play.

☆、Chapter 34

The lights on the front of the subway illuminate the railway ahead of the tunnel.It stretches endlessly, as if it has no end.

Sheng Rui sat in the crowded carriage.I'm cold and hungry, but I don't want to eat.Bitterness in the mouth and coldness in the stomach, just like the wet and sticky discomfort in the body when you wake up early in winter.

A small box with RTE printed on it was suddenly stretched out in front of his eyes, "I heard that you are not in good health, please eat something."

Sheng Rui looked up and saw a blond boy with a few freckles on the side of his nose, and two slightly protruding front teeth that looked like some kind of small herbivorous animal.

He recognized that this boy was Xue Yuan's younger brother.But the appearance of the two brothers could hardly find any resemblance.

"Thank you." Sheng Rui took the small box and opened it.The inside is divided into several small compartments, the largest compartment contains a square thing like a piece of luncheon meat, and the small compartment next to it looks like yellow peaches and chocolate.

Without tableware, Sheng Rui rubbed his fingers on his clothes and dug out a piece of luncheon meat.Once you eat it, you know that it's not just meat, but bread made from grains and meat.The taste is not very good, but it can satisfy your hunger quickly.

Xue Yu also sat down next to him, ate the same food, and took out the communicator that had no signal to check.

"Have you got in touch with your brother? He must be very worried about you." Sheng Rui thought of that young and handsome blond youth.Although they didn't spend much time together, Sheng Rui admired the other party's unrestrained character.

"My brother won't care about me." Xue Yu shook his head numbly, "He has disliked me since he was a child."

"How come. Brothers are always brothers. This kind of feeling cannot be replaced by others."

Saying this casually, Sheng Rui suddenly recalled a face from the distant past—his own half-brother.

In his short "previous life", the relationship with his younger brother was never good.He loathed that brother as much as he loathed his stepmother.

Xue Yu didn't notice that he was distracted for a moment, curled up his knees against his chest, and murmured: "My brother has reason to dislike me. I'm so useless, I don't look like him at all. Do you know that when I was young, other children were with me? When my brother got angry with me, he would come and beat me, because it would make my brother lose face."

Sheng Rui was silent for a while, then gently squeezed the empty box in his hand, "You have to know, if someone can get revenge on your brother by hurting you, it means that he actually loves you very much.

"Let me tell you what 'dislike' is. I also had a younger brother who was the illegitimate child of my father and another woman, and that woman later became my stepmother. I don't mind this so-called younger brother being bullied at all. I'm happier when I'm unlucky. Of course, he treats me the same way. This is disgust, outright disgust. Your brother just verbally said he doesn't like you. "

Xue Yu was startled.Sheng Rui inadvertently revealed an almost secret complex in his heart - he knew very well in his heart that his brother cared about him.Whenever he suffers, the more pitiful he looks on the outside, the more he has a secret and twisted pleasure inside, because he knows that this will make his brother feel uncomfortable.

There was a moment of confusion in his thoughts, Xue Yu blurted out and asked, "Have you... ever used your feelings to hurt someone who loves you?"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he regretted them. These words were somewhat superficial and might offend the other party.

However, Sheng Rui quickly replied with a plausible sentence: "My father loves me very much."

Yes, his father loved him, he always knew it.

He read such a passage in a book: Kafka wrote a plot in his novel, the father and son quarrel, the father said, you go to die.The son said, well, I will die.Then run out and jump off the bridge.

Kafka said that this plot gave him ejaculation-like pleasure.

Sheng Rui understands this feeling.He will always remember the night when he had the last conversation with his father in the study.

When the father realized that he had really made up his mind, his trembling fingers exposed the pain of being forcibly suppressed.

At that moment, his heart was filled with the pleasure of revenge.

For the ejaculation-like pleasure at that moment, he ran away from home for a century, 4.22 light years away.

does it worth?

The carriage suddenly shook violently, Sheng Rui felt his body slide forward, and the train slowed down.

The people who were leaning on each other and dozed off on the floor were awakened, and nervously turned over and sat up: "What's the matter?"

There was a whirring noise from the PA system overhead, and a human voice came: "I am the reconnaissance lookout on duty. There is a blockade ahead!"

Sheng Rui opened the map to check.That's right, ahead is the marked occupied area, guarded by a small number of troops.

"Take your guns, follow the previous tactical deployment, and start acting."

Shengrui's original plan is that this section of the area passes through the ground.But now with the subway as a favorable tool, the plan has been adjusted accordingly.

According to the combat plan formulated by Sheng Rui, all the soldiers are divided into several groups:

The first group, the frontal assault team, used the subway as a cover to break through the breach;

The second group, the diversionary team, conduct diversionary attacks from the enemy's flank;

The third group, the mobile team, is composed of fifty light infantry, quickly circled to the enemy's rear via the ground, and attacked with two lines by surprise.

This is an abbreviated version of the "great depth" theory during World War II.

Although Sheng Rui was sick, he had a great interest in military affairs since he was a child, and he liked to study combat theory.This may be a kind of spiritual self-balance, just like weak scholars prefer to read martial arts novels for the same reason.

Sheng Rui picked up a submachine gun, pushed it into the clip, stood at the front of the carriage, and made the last general mobilization before speaking to the crowd:

"As you know, I have no actual combat experience, I can only talk on paper. But now the situation is like this, I have to give it a go. Allow me to quote a famous quote from Yang Weili:

"The war is about to begin. Although it is not a pleasant battle, it is meaningless to not win. The country rises and falls, and this is the battle. But compared to personal rights and freedom, these are nothing. Please do your best. "

The second and third groups left.

Sheng Rui led the first group, put the gun on his back, and climbed up to the top of the train along an escalator.

In order to maintain morale, leading by example is necessary, and no one wants to listen to a commander huddled in a safe corner giving orders.

Sheng Rui lowered his center of gravity and slid while walking on the roof of the car.

The roof has an arc that must be carefully balanced.

But this can't help Sheng Rui, his body is soft and light, agile and nimble like a cat, and he is always good at climbing up and down.

Sheng Rui found a shooting position at the front of the car.Behind him, the odd-numbered players are on the left, and the even-numbered players are on the right, setting up their submachine guns.

The subway began to move forward at a slow speed, and the walls of the tunnels on both sides swept back with the sound of the wind.

"I'm about to enter the attack radius." Rhode's voice came from the intercom headset, "Everyone on the roof, are you all standing still? I'm going to start accelerating!"

***

The act of Xue Yuan unbuttoning his shirt caused the crowd in the restaurant to applaud and whistle.

However, when Xue Yuan turned to face them, the booing suddenly became quieter.

People have seen that scar.Slanting downwards from the chest, although it has healed, the ferocity of the time can still be seen.

"This scar is the only thing I brought back besides my life. How does it feel to see it with my own eyes? It's much more terrifying than you imagined, isn't it?" Xue Yuan looked around, with no joy or anger in his eyes, just with a certain a deep pain.

He turned around and pointed to the screen in the middle of the restaurant:

"You're here looking at Phoenix IV, and you're seeing someone else's hell, someone else's death. You think that as long as you negotiate, there will be a truce, and you're lucky and safe.

"But let me tell you, what I saw there. What I saw was the future of each of us. Death is never far away, just like this scar, it will really appear one day In front of you!"

The restaurant was quiet.

From the corner of Xue Yuan's vision, Ye Baizang's figure moved.But Xue Yuan expected that he would not intervene to stop it.

Xue Yuan has already been recognized as Ye Baizang's person. If Xue Yuan is labeled as "justice", it will certainly be beneficial to Ye Baizang.Especially in the current situation, this is a major bargaining chip in winning the next governor.

Sure enough, after hearing Xue Yuan's words, Ye Baizang frowned slightly, but did not speak.

Xue Yuan continued:

"I used to wish I would die on Phoenix [-], because many people here really disgusted me. But I don't have to be sick for too long. The truce you imagined will never come. You will only be left with this one in front of you." In a little time, you can imagine your future life, cherish it."

He took a glass of red wine from the table next to him and held it up high, as if to raise a glass to toast.But the fingers were released in mid-air and flicked lightly.The red wine glass poured out a falling arc, which seemed to be slowed down and fell slowly in everyone's sight.

"Snapped!"

The crackling sound was astonishingly loud, and the splashed wine was like dazzling blood drops.

But Xue Yuan had already turned around and left.

This impromptu one-act play was brief.Xue Yuan didn't arrange anything in advance, he just deliberately sat opposite the old ghost.

Based on his understanding of the old ghost, the other party's subsequent actions were almost inevitable as expected.

He and Ye Baizang moved and remained silent, but they both secretly did the same thing—observation.

The expressions of everyone in the restaurant are fully visible.Some people were infected by his words, while others remained indifferent.

Xue Yuan felt like he had an Excel spreadsheet in his mind, where everyone was categorized and entered, and arranged according to the degree of "whether they can be won".

From the beginning to the end, Ye Baizang did not make any comments on Xue Yuan's speech.

But later that day, Qi Lian was sent over by San Baiyan's adjutant, with Ye Baizang's words: It has been confirmed that Qi Lian has no dangerous tendencies, and Xue Yuan can continue to be in charge.

This is a reward in disguise, for Xue Yuan, it is also for Qi Lian.

Sanbaiyan left after delivering the message, not being a light bulb.

Qi Lian waited for him to leave, and rushed over.He didn't see Xue Yuan all day today, so he lost his mind.

"Are you obedient today? What did you do?" Xue Yuan rubbed his hair.Qi Lian's hair was a little longer, hanging down in pieces on the side of his face, making his face more fair and beautiful, like a girl.

"Be obedient. They told me to squat in the pool with a lot of things and fight together in the water."

Xue Yuan nodded, feeling a little distressed.The recovery of underwater equipment is one of the devil's training for special tactical forces.The trainees must hold their breath and dive to the bottom of the water all the time, disassemble and reassemble the complicated equipment, and can't make any mistakes until they suffocate.

"Is it uncomfortable? Did you choke on the water?"

"It's not uncomfortable, I don't feel anything. Why do you ask that?" Qi Lian was puzzled, "I checked it again after I spelled it all out, and then the instructor jumped down and pulled me to the shore, as if very nervous. I Don't you do it right?"

"...Because you held your breath for too long, he thought you were drowning." Xue Yuan silently sympathized with the instructor, not everyone can get used to Superman.

"Shall we go back to that white room tonight?" Qi Lian's eyes sparkled with joy.

"That's the ward of the hospital." Xue Yuan scraped the bridge of his delicate nose, "Let's go home tonight."

Xue Yuan invited someone to clean up Xue's house briefly.

The smashed furniture was cleared away, and the room looked empty.Street lights pass through the torn curtains and cast on the floor covered with a thin layer of dust, like spotlights on a stage.

"What's that?" Qi Lian stared curiously at a huge white object in the middle of the room.

"This is a grand piano, GrandPiano." Xue Yuan dragged out the piano stool, pulled Qi Lian to sit down in front of that Steinway, and held Qi Lian between his arms.

Qi Lian's awe-inspiring gaze wandered around the 88 black and white keys, "There are a lot of buttons."

"It's not a button, it's a piano key, each of which can produce different sounds." Xue Yuan played a few notes casually, "Do you have any favorite tunes? I'll play them for you."

Qi Lian became even more curious: "There are so many keys, how do you remember which one makes which sound?"

Xue Yuan pressed a white key, "This key is called middle C, it's like a coordinate, if you find it, you can find other sounds. You'll remember it after you're proficient."

Qi Lian thought for a while, "I understand. You are Central C. As long as I find you, I can find other things."

He was extremely satisfied with this metaphor, but Xue Yuan's fingers on the keys froze.

"I really can't stand you. If you don't agree with me, just confess." Xue Yuan put his chin on Qi Lian's shoulder and smiled, "Let me stay like this for a while, okay?"

"Okay." Qi Lian hurriedly straightened up without moving.

Xue Yuan drew his hands from the piano, hugging Qi Lian's warm body.

He wanted to tell the other party: I may never be a truly kind person, but I hope I will always have a kind side.

And this side, I will always leave you.

☆、Chapter 35

I don't know how long it has passed, and it is getting late.There was no light in the room, and it became increasingly dark and quiet.

Xue Yuan thought, it's about time to make dinner, or just do something else.

But obviously there are so many things that should be done, but he just wants to sit quietly like this, reluctant to let go