Chapter 45: Don’t Be Afraid
The situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The system in Tang Yu’an’s mind sprang to life—
[Beep—Detected life-threatening danger to host. Please take defensive measures immediately.]
This guy was actually going to kill him!
He was no match for so many people. He could only look pleadingly at the blond man, not expecting help, but at least he hadn’t killed him outright earlier.
Seeing his look, the blond man felt a sudden surge of protectiveness.
This kid had practically pledged his loyalty to him. He was almost like his new subordinate.
He couldn’t just let him die.
Completely forgetting his usual disdain for subordinates, he thought of a plan.
He put on an ingratiating smile, suggesting to the middle-aged man: “Boss, look at their advanced equipment, they’re clearly higher-ranking than the previous one. What if they have some kind of implanted device that will detonate upon death, taking us with them?”
Tang Yu’an: “?”
He hadn’t anticipated this, but the bluff seemed to be working.
No objections meant there was a chance. The blond man continued: “I’ve heard Bureau officers are cunning. He might be acting cooperative, but he’s probably plotting our deaths! There’s a saying, the more beautiful someone is, the more scheming they are.”
Tang Yu’an felt like he was being portrayed as a poisonous mushroom, one bite and you’d drop dead.
He wished he actually had a bomb inside him, to blow this place to smithereens, a clean ending, no loose ends for the protagonist to worry about.
But reality was less dramatic. He knew he had no such weapon.
But a chance at survival was a chance at survival. He hardened his gaze, as if his plot had been exposed.
Hopefully, that would be enough to fool them.
The blond man, catching his gaze, faltered.
Those reproachful eyes, was he blaming him for calling him scheming?
You ungrateful brat, I’m trying to save you!
He forced himself to look away, meeting the middle-aged man’s chilling gaze, a shiver running down his spine, snapping him back to reality.
Years of observation had made him attuned to every nuance of his boss’s expressions. He knew it was impossible to get him to release Tang Yu’an unconditionally, so he changed his approach.
“I think… we should just throw him down there and let him fend for himself. One less problem for us.”
That was a viable option. The middle-aged man looked at Tang Yu’an one last time, then said, “Do as you suggest,” and left with the jammer, as if unwilling to waste any more time on him.
The blond man, suppressing his joy, nodded curtly, dragging Tang Yu’an outside and pushing him into a vehicle.
Tang Yu’an’s mouth was gagged, but his mind raced.
These people seemed… not very bright. They didn’t even question the authenticity of the jammer, and they were easily swayed from killing him.
They didn’t seem intelligent enough to intercept messages and impersonate government officials, but Wang Wen had fallen victim to them.
And their name, “Chaos Legion,” sounded more like a restaurant than a dangerous organization.
Perhaps they had allies.
If he could stall them with more talk, could he convince them to release him unharmed?
Unfortunately, the gag prevented him from speaking. He felt the vehicle moving further and further away, his thoughts drifting.
The blond man and two imposing subordinates drove him away from the city center, likely planning to dump him somewhere outside the sky city.
He hoped they wouldn’t just throw him out. He didn’t want to experience freefall.
The vehicle stopped. The blond man pulled him out, not roughly, but Tang Yu’an knew he couldn’t escape, so he followed obediently.
They were on the outskirts of the city, a vast, empty space, the wind howling, stinging his eyes.
He looked down, the height making him dizzy despite his lack of fear of heights.
It was a drop of several thousand meters. They weren’t even giving him a parachute?
Not that it would be useful; he had no training. He was more likely to sprout wings than successfully land a parachute.
He imagined himself splattered on the ground below, unrecognizable.
The strong wind made him sway. Fortunately, the blond man held him firmly, like an iron pole, making him feel strangely safe.
The blond man looked at his red eyes, his heart softening slightly, removing the gag. The fabric wasn’t rough, yet his lips were red and slightly swollen, as if bruised.
The moment he was released, Tang Yu’an felt like he would be blown away, clutching the blond man’s arm for support.
The blond man said smugly: “Can’t bear to leave me?”
Tang Yu’an didn’t know what he was thinking, but to avoid being thrown off, he nodded vigorously.
The blond man offered comfort, his words less than reassuring: “Don’t be afraid, it’s not that high. Just close your eyes, and it’ll be over quickly.”
Tang Yu’an: “!”
Did “over quickly” mean his life would be over quickly?
He had heard that during freefall, your senses heightened, time slowing down. He would rather be shot than experience the prolonged terror of falling to his death.
Fortunately, he wasn’t thrown off. The blond man led him to a worn-out aircraft, practically stuffing him inside.
Sometimes, people in the sky city who committed minor offenses were disposed of this way, a form of exile.
The aircraft was practically junk, only the autopilot functional, its landing location unpredictable.
Those accustomed to the sky city’s comfortable life rarely survived on the surface, let alone returned.
Some even chose suicide before being exiled, fearing the harsh conditions below.
The blond man looked at Tang Yu’an huddled inside, thinking he probably wouldn’t last a day in that environment, so he tossed a small switchblade at his feet.
Tang Yu’an, not seeing clearly what it was, flinched, thinking he was being attacked.
The blond man thought, He’s even afraid of a knife? How did he even get into the Bureau? Probably a clerk.
He couldn’t do anything more, saying in parting: “Remember, the surface is different from here. You won’t be treated kindly.”
Tang Yu’an: “…”
I haven’t been treated kindly here either.
The blond man held the hatch, the wind ruffling his hair, feeling like a dramatic movie protagonist, delivering a memorable farewell.
Tang Yu’an simply thought his voice had become quieter, wondering if he had something stuck in his throat.
A mop was waving in front of his face; he doubted the man could even see him clearly.
From the blond man’s perspective, the tragic music swelled, the moment of parting at hand.
Such a scene required a dramatic line. He thought for a moment, then said: “Don’t worry about repaying me. Just surviving is enough. Farewell.”
He closed the hatch with a bang.
Through the transparent canopy, he saw Tang Yu’an pick up the switchblade, frantically banging on the hatch, muttering something.
So attached to me?
But he couldn’t disobey his boss’s orders. He activated the aircraft, watching as it descended, smaller and smaller, until it was just a black dot.
Resigned to his fate, Tang Yu’an stopped struggling.
He had wanted to tell the blond man that the switchblade was rusty and wouldn’t open, but he hadn’t seemed to hear him, even shaking his head sadly, lost in his own thoughts.
The aircraft accelerated, vibrating violently, making Tang Yu’an feel like the aging machine would fall apart at any moment.
He didn’t want to become a firework. He gripped the armrests, hoping to keep his only protection intact.
The blond man hadn’t lied; there was an autopilot system, but it only seemed to care about landing, not the passenger’s survival.
The violent impact made him feel like he had shattered into pieces, a sense of relief washing over him as he lost consciousness.
The landing had been too fast; he hadn’t even seen his surroundings clearly.
This place resembled a giant junkyard, littered with broken parts, severed wires like colorful flowers sprouting from the ground, a strangely beautiful sight.
An electronic wasteland.
Remnants of past battles scattered everywhere, mostly useless, but there were always scavengers seeking treasure in these remote places.
A young man in a brown leather jacket, an e-cigarette dangling from his lips, hands in his pockets, wandered around like he owned the place.
His eyes scanned the area like an automatic sensor, occasionally kicking a discarded metal casing.
Trash, all of it.
Then he heard a loud crash in the distance, instinctively ducking, thinking it was a laser blast.
He quickly hid behind the wreckage of a hovercar, looking towards the source of the sound.
Something had fallen from the sky.
He took out the laser pistol strapped to his waist, cautiously approaching.
He saw the scorch marks on the ground, his eyes lighting up.
A relatively new receiver! Whatever fell must be valuable!
He continued walking, finding more valuable scraps, like picking up money off the ground.
He saw it then, a mangled aircraft.
It must have fallen from the sky city. He had hit the jackpot!
He picked up a metal rod, prying open the dented hatch, thinking about where to sell these parts.
He had made the right decision coming here today. He was a master scavenger.
But as the hatch opened, a dusty figure tumbled out, landing at his feet.
He stumbled back, cursing: “Holy shit, is that a dead body?!”
