No. 71 Contrails Embracing the Setting Sun
I never imagined my first helicopter ride would be like this.
I never imagined facing an enemy so powerful, so organized.
Calling them a mere “gang” felt like an understatement. From the specialized vehicles to the helicopter, from their disciplined coordination to their military-grade training, they were a force to be reckoned with.
“Are you still wondering how your operation was exposed?”
The man who had captured me sat across from me in the helicopter, munching on a ration bar. He had lowered his gun, his demeanor casual.
“…”
I didn’t know how to respond.
Ouyang Dati had claimed there was a mole within the Black Dragon Society, but I couldn’t fathom who it could be. Unless it was someone like Ouyang Dati or Pai Ge themselves, or some obsessive stalker, how could they have known our every move?
We had only shared our plans with Ouyang Dati.
Besides, the identity of the mole was the least of my worries at the moment.
“Someone was following you that day,” the man said, pulling me back to reality.
“Someone you know very well.”
“Who?”
“Haha, you’ll find out soon enough.” He smirked, enjoying my suspense.
I turned away, forcing myself to focus on the scenery outside.
The helicopter had left Upper Capital City behind, flying over a vast expanse of dense forest. I had no idea where we were heading.
I had my phone and wallet with me. My only potential weapons were the two small knives concealed in my pants and the razor-sharp playing card Pai Ge had given me.
The man hadn’t bothered to search me, but pulling out my phone now would be tantamount to announcing my intention to call for help.
Damn it.
The sun had set, but its fading glow still clung to the horizon.
After almost an hour of flying, a city emerged in the distance, its silhouette hazy and indistinct.
It was a city of ruins, a wasteland of crumbling buildings, piles of rubble, and smoke-filled craters.
A scene straight out of a post-apocalyptic movie.
When did this happen…?
“You might not know this, but the Upper Capital City you know was just a small village twenty years ago, exploited by those in power,” the man said, pulling out a cigarette and placing it between his lips. He didn’t light it. “What you see below… that’s the real Upper Capital City.”
The helicopter flew over the desolate cityscape.
“This was once my home. Look at it now. It’s like a lab rat experiment gone wrong. Rampant crime, poverty, despair. There was an uprising, brutally crushed by the authorities. They took everything of value and fled, building a new city for themselves.”
“But we, the Gathering Hall, haven’t forgotten. We have a score to settle.”
The helicopter descended towards a relatively intact building, landing on the rooftop.
The air was thick with the smell of smoke and burning debris.
“Let’s go.”
He tossed the unlit cigarette aside and jumped out.
I followed him, my heart pounding. And then, I saw him.
Hua She.
“Yi Yao.”
His face, usually sharp and venomous, was etched with exhaustion and a strange mix of guilt and defiance. He stood on the cracked concrete, his tall, lanky frame casting a long shadow in the fading light.
It was him. The person I “knew very well.”
I didn’t know his real name.
He had been close friends with Liang Zhenyi and Long Fei when I first joined the Black Dragon Society. I had never questioned his past, trusting Long Fei’s judgment and blinded by Yi Yao’s naive trust.
And now, influenced by my sister’s memories, I had accepted him as a brother, never suspecting that he was the one who had betrayed us, the mole who had shattered the alliance between the Black Dragon Society and the Jiangnan Association.
His greeting left me speechless.
There were five of us on the rooftop: me, the man who had captured me, the helicopter pilot, Hua She, and a one-armed middle-aged man.
“Yi Yao, I know I betrayed you. But please believe me, I did it for your own good,” Hua She said, his voice earnest.
In the name of “love”?
Sometimes, love was more terrifying than hate or jealousy.
“You’re the boss?” I asked, ignoring Hua She and turning to the one-armed man.
“Haha, you’re Yi Yao, right? My nephew has told me so much about you, about your extraordinary abilities. And he was right. You’re the first girl your age who has ever spoken to me with such defiance.”
He took a step closer, his one arm gesturing towards Hua She. “You’re only sixteen, right? Don’t you want to hear my nephew’s explanation?”
I let out a bitter laugh. “You want the truth?”
He shrugged.
“The truth is,” I said, taking a deep breath, “I don’t want to hear any explanations. I want to go home. My mother is dying. If you really care about me, let me go.”
I turned and walked towards the stairwell.
“Yi Yao, you can’t go back now,” Hua She said, his face creased with worry, as he blocked my path. “Shadow is searching for you. They’re everywhere.”
“Oh? And who do you think is responsible for that?”
“I… I’m a member of the Gathering Hall. I couldn’t lie to my brothers…”
“Loyalty. Such a noble sentiment. But if Shadow is already on the move, I need to go back even more. Xiaodie is alone at home.”
“Wait!” He grabbed my arm. “I only told them about you. They don’t know about Huang Yingdie.”
I stared at him, my mind racing. “Give me a reason.”
Weren’t Shadow and Fierce part of the same organization? Why would they stage such a dramatic abduction without informing each other? Were they trying to create internal conflict?
And why was he here?
“A reason… a reason…”
He looked away, his face flushing red.
“The reason is… Yi Yao, I love you.”
“What?”
I had received my fair share of confessions since becoming a girl, but this one was different. It was so unexpected, so bizarre, that it shattered my perception of reality.
“I love you,” he repeated, his voice barely a whisper. “Yi Yao, you can hate me if you want. I’ve loved you for a long time, ever since I first met you. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you.”
“You bribed those thugs to attack my father’s shop? That’s your idea of love?”
“I just wanted you to leave the Black Dragon Society, to leave that life behind, to be a normal girl.”
“And what about Huang Qinghao?”
“He stabbed you! Isn’t that reason enough to kill him?”
“You’re insane.”
“I’m not insane!” His voice rose, his desperation palpable. “Even if it had been Shadow, I wouldn’t have let them touch you. Yi Yao, come with me. This country is rotten to its core. Let’s go abroad, somewhere no one can find us. We can start a new life together. Wouldn’t that be better?”
“Rotten? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Can’t you see?”
He walked towards the edge of the rooftop, his gaze sweeping over the ruined cityscape. “Look at this city. Look at these people. This was once Upper Capital City. Thousands of families lived here. And what did the authorities do? They abandoned them, silenced them, and built a new city for themselves, where they could continue their decadent lives. Why do you think we targeted the mayor’s daughter?”
“You…”
I clenched my fists. “Are you saying you were behind what happened to Xiaodie?”
“Yi Yao, I admit that the Gathering Hall was wrong to target her. Maybe she truly was innocent. But her father… do you know what he did to us?”
That explained his calm demeanor during the incident at Xiaodie’s apartment complex.
“All I know is that you weren’t even born twenty years ago.”
“But my father, my mother, my brother… they were.”
I sighed. “You have no faith in this country?”
“We only believe in facts.”
“Maybe… just maybe… in ten years, Upper Capital City will be a truly happy and free city,” I said, clinging to a sliver of hope.
“Yi Yao, this isn’t a fairy tale.”
“I know life isn’t a fairy tale. But no one can predict the future.”
“Unless someone has traveled to the future and returned to tell us that it’s a happy place. But no one can do that, right? We have to live in the present, Yi Yao.”
Silence descended upon us as his words hung in the air.
The last traces of sunlight vanished, swallowed by the encroaching darkness.
“You youngsters are so easily swayed by emotions.”
The one-armed man chuckled, breaking the silence. He walked towards me, his arm resting on my shoulder. “Come on, let’s talk inside. It’s getting cold out here.”
He exuded warmth and concern, like a true family member.
“Uncle…”
“Don’t worry, I’m here for you. I’ve waited a long time for this day.”
“Uncle, don’t say that. You’re still strong…”
“Haha…”
As they chatted, my phone rang.
I looked at the one-armed man, and he nodded, gesturing for me to answer it.
The caller ID showed a picture of Xiaodie in her cosplay outfit.
I pressed the answer button, and before I could speak, her voice, clear and determined, filled my ear.
“Yi Yao, wait for me.”
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