Chapter 48: Betrayal
The black cat scratched at the door again, the scratching sound irritating Tang Yu’an.
He turned to Jinshan: “It seems to like you. Why don’t you just keep it? You can send it to electrocute anyone who annoys you.”
Jinshan lit another cigarette: “It doesn’t like me. Who knows why it’s so obsessed with coming here.”
Seeing his reluctance, Tang Yu’an dropped the subject, placing a hand on his chest: “My heart is racing.”
“No shit, after two injections of that good stuff, if anything else happens, your heart might explode.”
Tang Yu’an didn’t mind; as long as he was alive for now.
He changed the subject, asking when they were leaving.
He had rested enough; time was of the essence.
Jinshan replied: “Leaving? The person who can get you into Future City isn’t here yet.”
“Aren’t you taking me there?” Tang Yu’an frowned. “You promised, you can’t go back on your word.”
Jinshan chuckled, placing his hands behind his head, his feet propped up on the table.
“You think Future City is that easy to enter? No ID card, no entry!”
“You don’t have one?”
“If I did, would I be living in this dump?”
That made sense.
Wait, if he couldn’t even enter himself, how could he get him in?
Tang Yu’an was anxious: “Are you lying to me? You don’t even have an ID card, how can you help me?”
Jinshan told him to calm down: “I might not have an ID card, but I have connections! Don’t worry, I’ve contacted a big shot, getting someone in and out is no problem for him!”
Tang Yu’an caught the key words: “Will… that cost extra?”
Knowing Jinshan’s nature, he was afraid of being scammed.
Jinshan wagged his finger: “Money is useless for getting his help… But don’t worry, we’re good friends, he owes me a favor.”
Tang Yu’an wanted to ask why he was still living in a dump if he had connections with big shots, but seeing his relaxed demeanor, he didn’t say anything.
“What’s this person’s name? What does he do?”
“Him? Corporate or private contracts, as long as the price is right, he does anything.” Jinshan was almost finished with his pack of cigarettes. Tang Yu’an opened a window for some fresh air.
“You can call him Iron Hand. That’s what everyone calls him, not sure if it’s his real name or a nickname… Hey, I haven’t asked your name yet.”
Tang Yu’an was about to give his name, then decided it was best to be cautious with strangers, using an alias.
He couldn’t think of one, then felt the switchblade in his pocket, so he said casually: “Call me Little Knife.”
Jinshan frowned: “What a terrible name, sounds like you’ll lose all your money.”
Tang Yu’an: “…”
He was about to ask more about Iron Hand when he suddenly felt the ground tremble.
He was instantly alert. What was that? An earthquake?
He was about to run outside when he saw Jinshan sitting calmly, unfazed.
Seeing his questioning look, Jinshan stretched and stood up: “Iron Hand is here. Let’s go greet him.”
Perhaps startled by the tremors, the black cat suddenly jumped through the window, running towards Tang Yu’an.
Not wanting to be electrocuted again, he quickly hid behind Jinshan.
Jinshan, too lazy to put on the insulated gloves, took out a small metal rod, flipped a switch, and absorbed the electricity from the cat.
Drained of electricity, the cat collapsed on the floor like a furry pancake.
“No more electricity,” Jinshan said. “You can touch it now.”
He had noticed Tang Yu’an’s earlier desire to pet the cat.
Tang Yu’an picked up the cat, its small, warm body snuggling against him, surprisingly docile.
His heart softened. He stroked its chin, and the cat purred contentedly.
Jinshan made a face: “That damn cat, where’s its usual raspy meow? Why is it purring like a lovesick fool? Disgusting!”
Tang Yu’an covered the cat’s ears: “Don’t listen to him, he’s talking nonsense. You’re the cutest kitty in the world.”
He held the cat close, following Jinshan outside to meet Iron Hand.
He had expected a car, but he was greeted by a gigantic, metal behemoth.
The steel fortress approached, its rhino-horn-like weapon at the front causing the tremors.
Tang Yu’an swallowed, turning to Jinshan: “Your friend’s car… is quite unique.”
Jinshan replied that it was his home.
Quite convenient, Tang Yu’an thought. A mobile fortress.
The fortress stopped before them, its massive size making him feel like a tiny ant.
A door opened on its side, a mechanical staircase extending downwards. A group of strangely dressed individuals, carrying guns, descended.
The last one was clearly the leader – a tall, muscular man with a thick beard and two mechanical arms.
Tang Yu’an now understood why he was called Iron Hand.
He had expected a casual greeting between friends, but Jinshan, upon seeing him, rushed over with a fawning smile, bowing and scraping, offering him a cigarette and lighting it.
“Brother Iron Hand, you’re finally here! I felt your powerful aura from two kilometers away! And now, seeing you in person, I’m truly awestruck by your magnificent presence…”
His sudden subservience stunned Tang Yu’an.
Hadn’t he said Iron Hand owed him a favor? It seemed the opposite was true…
“Enough with the flattery,” Iron Hand said impatiently. “Where is it?”
Jinshan turned, pointing at Tang Yu’an: “Right before you.”
Tang Yu’an, the center of attention, felt a chill.
Something was wrong. Jinshan had lied to him.
He turned and ran towards Jinshan’s motorcycle, but he cried out after a few steps, collapsing to the ground, his body trembling.
He had been shot in the leg.
The black cat circled him anxiously, meowing, as if urging him to get up.
Tang Yu’an desperately wanted to escape. He crawled forward, leaving a trail of blood.
A shadow fell over him. He looked up and saw Iron Hand standing before him.
Iron Hand stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly grabbed Jinshan by the neck with his mechanical hand, lifting him into the air like a chick, his voice filled with rage: “You dare trick me?!”
Jinshan gasped for air, struggling to speak: “No… absolutely… not… I swear… he really… is… from the Bureau!”
Iron Hand tightened his grip until Jinshan’s face turned purple, then threw him to the ground.
Jinshan scrambled to his feet, his voice hoarse: “He’s wearing a Bureau uniform, his wristband is custom-made, he might be skinny, but he’s definitely from the Bureau!”
Tang Yu’an now understood what was happening. He glared at Jinshan, who avoided his gaze, as if he was just an object to be traded.
Iron Hand gestured for two of his men to search him, but they found nothing.
Everything important is in my storage space, Tang Yu’an thought. Your search is pointless.
But even without finding anything, Iron Hand wasn’t angry. He crouched down, gripping Tang Yu’an’s chin, asking if he was from the Engineering Department.
They needed to upgrade their fortress, and Bureau engineers were valuable assets.
Tang Yu’an had no such skills. He shook his head.
Iron Hand’s eyes turned icy: “Is that so? Then you’re useless.”
The system warning blared. Feeling his jaw about to be crushed, he shouted: “But I have special abilities!”
Iron Hand released him, raising an eyebrow: “Explain.”
This was his chance. He had to seize it.
He wasn’t good at close combat, he didn’t know anything about engineering, his mental energy was useless here, his only option… was the system’s cheat.
He lied: “The Bureau modified my body, allowing me to manipulate space, storing and retrieving objects undetected.”
Iron Hand scoffed: “Do you think I’m stupid?”
Even the Bureau didn’t possess such technology.
“I’m not lying. I’ll show you.”
He raised his right hand, and a bag of gummy bears appeared out of thin air.
It seemed like an odd thing to demonstrate, but it was the only thing in his storage space besides the jammer’s core component.
Iron Hand’s eyes widened, his subordinates murmuring behind him.
“Am I seeing things?”
“Me too, how did that suddenly appear?”
“Is it some kind of magic trick…?”
“What is he holding? I can’t see clearly…”
“It looks like… a bag of gummy bears?”
“Gummy bears?! Who carries those around…”
Even Jinshan regretted his betrayal now. If he had known he was this valuable, he wouldn’t have handed him over!
To test his abilities, Iron Hand gave him an unloaded gun, asking him to store it.
The gun vanished instantly, the scanners detecting nothing.
This ability was incredible. Iron Hand’s face lit up with excitement.
Realizing he wasn’t going to die, at least not immediately, Tang Yu’an started negotiating for better treatment.
“Brother Iron Hand, to be honest, I did a lot for the Bureau after they modified me, but they discarded me when I was no longer useful, assigning me menial tasks, even guarding material transports.”
“And then there was that accident in the sky city. My captain abandoned me, and I was thrown down here… The Bureau has betrayed me too many times. I don’t want to work for them anymore. Can you give me a chance, let me join you? I swear I won’t disappoint you!”
Seeing his earnest expression, Iron Hand asked: “What’s your name?”
“Little Knife.”
“Good.” Iron Hand snapped his fingers, the metal joints sparking. “If you can complete the initiation ritual, you’ll be one of us, not a captive.”
Then his tone changed: “But if you fail, or try to trick me…”
He leaned closer: “I’ll peel that pretty face of yours right off.”
