Chapter 1218: Success doesn't depend on me alone

Ten off-road vehicles set out from Stronghold 111. Qing Zhen had asked Qing Yi to choose ten soldiers so they could go by ten different routes to ensure that the news from the Southwest could accurately reach the Northwest.

Right now, the more spread out the messengers were, the likelier this news could get delivered successfully.

These soldiers did not know too much about the news they were to deliver. They did not know it was actually not Qing Zhen himself who had set off for the Central Plains. They did not know why they had to send the news to the Northwest. They also did not know they might die on this journey to the Northwest.

They only knew that even if they would die, they had to relay the news of the peace talks at Stronghold 61 to the Northwest Army.

Perhaps it was a little unfair to keep it from them, but Qing Zhen had to be wary of Zero.

If these soldiers were intercepted midway and their memories got "stolen" by Zero using the nanomachines, there would be no more secrets to this plan.

Therefore, Qing Zhen had to hide it from them and calmly send them to their deaths.

Ever since Luo Lan and Xu Man left Ginkgo Manor, no one, not even the Qing Consortium's soldiers, was allowed to approach it.

Only Qing Zhen and Qing Yi lived in this huge manor.

It was not that the Qing Consortium no longer had anyone they could trust, but that Qing Zhen wanted to avoid any unexpected situations.

Qing Zhen was sitting in the "black lake" and looking out to the distant mountains in a daze. Qing Yi fumbled around busily in the kitchen for a long while before he managed to prepare two bowls of fried rice.

Qing Yi sat down on the floor next to Qing Zhen with the fried rice in hand. "Second Bro, I'm a poor cook, so please make do with this."

The fried rice was a little burnt. It looked like Qing Yi had never personally prepared any meals before. Qing Zhen took the bowl of fried rice from him and said with a smile, "It's been hard on you."

Qing Yi gulped down two bites of fried rice and then went to get some red wine. It was not that he felt like drinking, but that the fried rice was so bad he gagged a little.

Qing Yi took two sips of the wine and sighed. "If those old fogeys knew I paired the wine in their collection with fried rice, they'd probably crawl out of their graves in anger."

"They can't crawl out from there." Qing Zhen shook his head. "After my brother heard they made me walk barefoot for more than 20 kilometers in the snow, he secretly scattered their ashes away just before they were buried. All the urns at the funeral were actually empty."

Qing Yi was speechless.

Although Qing Zhen's group was the one who killed them, the old fogeys were still the face of the Qing Consortium, after all was said and done. Therefore, Qing Zhen still had to hold a funeral for them.

However, Luo Lan had never been one to go by the rules. How could he possibly allow those old fogeys to get buried in the Qing Consortium's ancestral grave?

In Luo Lan's words, how terrible would it be if their old man had to be buried with those people in his death?

Qing Zhen laughed. "He's always so ruthless, isn't he? He's always been like this since childhood. My brother's ferocity has never changed. It's just that he restrained himself after I became the Qing Consortium's Shadow."

"Why did he restrain himself?" Qing Yi asked curiously.

"I've asked him that too. At that time, he casually answered that if I wanted to seize control of the Qing Consortium, I would first have to unite all the forces that could be united. I can't make everyone afraid of me and view me with hostility." Qing Zhen explained with a smile, "So, as he and I are often seen as a single entity, he naturally can't do anything that would discredit me either."

Qing Zhen continued, "But actually, I've always wanted to tell him that I'm not afraid he would stain my reputation. I've told him in the past that I see him as my role model, but he didn't believe me. However, I really think that way from the bottom of my heart."

When he was young, Luo Lan had taken him to Mt. Ginkgo to steal ginkgo nuts to sell. After selling them for money, the two of them could not bear to buy meat to eat. That was because they still had to use the money to treat their old man's illness.

Therefore, Luo Lan would choose to buy relatively cheaper eggs to keep Qing Zhen nourished most of the time.

After their old man fell ill and couldn't recover, Luo Lan had to cook for Qing Zhen and wash his clothes. All the heavy, dirty, and tiring chores at home were practically performed by Luo Lan alone.

That fatty who was always so carefree had shouldered the responsibility of the entire family from the beginning.

Perhaps to others, Luo Lan was now the second most powerful person in the Qing Consortium. But to Qing Zhen, he was only his elder brother.

Qing Yi's bowl of egg fried rice evoked a lot of Qing Zhen's memories. Because Qing Zhen remembered when the first time Luo Lan cooked egg fried rice for him, it was also made badly.

But back then, they were not upset about it. Even their old man who did not have much energy and appetite left finished an entire bowl.

At this moment, Qing Yi's question pulled Qing Zhen back from his thoughts. "Second Bro, will the ten soldiers who set off for the Northwest this time have any chance of returning alive?"

Qing Zhen thought for a long time before shaking his head with a sigh.

Qing Yi's expression turned a little gloomy. "Among those soldiers, there were also those who fought their way up Mt. Ginkgo with you back then. But even though they know it's dangerous now, they still went without hesitation."

"Qing Yi," Qing Zhen said, "write down their names. If you and I are still alive after this disaster, someone will have to commemorate them."

"I will." Qing Yi nodded.

"Get some rest. You haven't slept in a long time," Qing Zhen said.

"Then I'll rest for a bit. Second Bro, call for me if you need anything." Qing Yi took out the pistol from his holster and checked the brass bullets in the magazine. Only then did he lie down on the marble floor and fall asleep on the cushion.

There were only two people in the huge Ginkgo Manor. This made Qing Yi feel like he had returned to the time when he was fighting on the streets with Luo Lan and Qing Zhen when he was young.

Without any subordinates, soldiers, or troops, the eldest brother stormed the front while the second brother came up with strategies.

Just like now, they were the only ones who could truly be relied on.

Only at this moment did Qing Yi finally understand there were indeed things in the world that were more important than power.

...

After the ten off-road vehicles left Stronghold 111, they immediately split up and drove off on ten different routes, disappearing into the wilderness.

The roads in the Southwest had just been built and were in extremely good condition. Moreover, very few people owned vehicles and traveled between the various strongholds, so these ten vehicles moved at lightning speed.

Luo Lan had even made a deliberate trip to Fortress 178 to establish trade relationships with Zhang Jinglin. Therefore, all of the roads in the Northwest and Southwest were jointly built, fully linking the two territories together.

They had filled their trunks with gas drums so they could self-sufficiently drive to Stronghold 144 by themselves.

Based on the distance, Stronghold 111 was about 800 kilometers from Stronghold 144. If they set off in the evening and drove at full speed, they might just be able to get there by midnight.

Actually, everyone knew that this mission was not simple. But when Qing Yi asked if they were willing to go, everyone said yes.

Zhang Yuge. When Qing Zhen went to Mt. Ginkgo during the mutiny, he actually remembered this name. That former commander of his even remembered that his mother was not in good health.

Zhang Yuge made it out alive during the Qing Consortium's change of hands. He initially thought his life would return to normal, just like the other soldiers.

In the end, it didn't take long for someone from the Qing Consortium to send his mother to the best hospital in Stronghold 111 and put all her medical expenses under the Qing Consortium's accounts.

One day, when Zhang Yuge went to the hospital with a lunch box to visit his mother, he was surprised to see Qing Zhen sitting by his mother's bedside when he pushed open the door.

That unreachable commander was telling Zhang Yuge's mother with a smile, "Zhang Yuge is an outstanding soldier. No one is more exceptional than him. He's the glory of the Qing Consortium's troops."

After that, Zhang Yuge's mother would delightfully mention this matter to her fellow patients every day. He believed that this was probably the happiest his mother had ever been.

Later, his mother passed on due to a terminal illness. Before she left, she even reminded Zhang Yuge not to let his superior down.

Sometime later, Zhang Yuge was promoted from corporal to sergeant, and then from sergeant to lieutenant. If it weren't for today's mission, he would probably still be climbing the ranks in the military.

However, Zhang Yuge felt that none of that was actually important. What was important was that if the leader had treated him well, he would definitely have to repay him.

While driving on the road, Zhang Yuge somehow felt like he was being spied on.

The off-road vehicle was traveling all the way north. Just as he was about to leave the Qing Consortium's territory, Zhang Yuge suddenly saw more and more sparrows perched on tree branches by the roadside. Furthermore... those sparrows were all watching him quietly.

In the darkness of the night, those sparrows perched on the branches looked like a dark and terrifying mass.

Although sparrows had become very large in size in this era, they would not attack you as long as you did not attack them. So no one would be too worried even if they saw a sparrow on most days. After all, this creature was still mostly a herbivore.

But at this moment, Zhang Yuge suddenly felt a tinge of fear. He had never imagined sparrows could be so terrifying.

Zhang Yuge turned on the headlights. In an instant, he saw the tree branches on both sides of the road ahead filled with sparrows. When the headlights shone into their eyes, a strange silvery glow was reflected back.

"Where did all these sparrows come from?" Zhang Yuge was secretly shocked in the vehicle.

Military Base 12 was attacked by sparrows. This matter had already been reported within the military, so Zhang Yuge's mood was already starting to sink.

But now was not the time to retreat. He knew the goal of his mission very well. If he encountered the enemy, there was no need to flee. That was because he could definitely not escape. At this moment, there was only one thing he needed to do, and that was to help his comrades on the road attract the opponent's firepower.

If even one of them managed to deliver the news to the Northwest, it would be the collective glory of these ten soldiers.

"Success does not depend on me alone."

Zhang Yuge looked at the dense continuous flock of sparrows perched on the branches. Even the branches of the parasol trees bent under their weight. However, he no longer felt any fear in him. Rather, there was even a tinge of courage simmering.

Suddenly, the sparrows flew off from the branches one by one and slowly formed a vortex in the sky. Their wings were as sharp as blades.

On this night of danger, Zhang Yuge stepped on the accelerator, and the black off-road vehicle started breaking through the encirclement of sparrows like a ferocious beast.

It was as though the ferocious-looking metallic machine's "muscles" were fully tensed. Zhang Yuge was not driving a conventional vehicle but the Qing Consortium's most powerful model of military off-road vehicles.

Such vehicles were usually only reserved for usage by people like Qing Yi, Qing Zhen, and Luo Lan.

Although Qing Zhen knew these people who were delivering the message to the Northwest would die, he still wanted to give them the best equipment that could help save their lives. Whether they could survive or not was up to the soldiers themselves, but whether they were given a chance to survive was entirely up to Qing Zhen.

Death was a choice no one could make in this era. But before that, they had to live life to the fullest!

As the engine roared, the eight-cylinder turbocharged engine instantly pushed its potential to the limit. Zhang Yuge, who was in the vehicle, felt a huge knockback force from the vehicle's transmission as his back pressed tightly against his seat.

The four-wheel drive transmission system made the off-road vehicle's tires grip the ground stronger. Its wide wheels were like the strong limbs of a wild beast.

Zhang Yuge started shouting enthusiastically in the vehicle. The black metallic beast broke out of the circling vortex of sparrows like a destroyer rushing out of a whirlpool in the sea!

The sparrows crashed into the windshield one by one and tried to break the windshield with their sharp beaks. However, their fierce pecking only left small white dots on the glass.

If it were an ordinary vehicle, the glass would probably have already shattered. But these ten off-road vehicles were different. Their glass windows and windshield were all bulletproof.

Zhang Yuge was no longer distracted. He only cared about stepping on the gas and speeding northwards. As for how far he could get, that would all depend on fate.

The dark cloud of sparrows followed close behind. They stopped attacking as though they were waiting for something.

This was not in line with their biological instincts. Zhang Yuge could sense there seemed to be something commanding those sparrows from elsewhere that made them more adept at calculating their moves.

Without charging blindly, the sparrows seemed to have suddenly turned into a crouching cheetah, waiting to deal a fatal blow to its prey.

Although the metallic "beast" was ferocious, there were also times when it became vulnerable.

Zhang Yuge took a look at the fuel tank gauge on the right side of the dashboard. He could only travel another 200 kilometers at most. At that time, the metallic "beast" would gradually come to a stop.

He could not get out of the vehicle to top up on gas, so he could only sit in it like a lame duck.

More than an hour later, the needle on the dashboard gauge gradually pointed at the red zone. The black off-road vehicle came to a gradual stop on the side of the road.

Zhang Yuge knew there would be no reinforcements to support him this time.

Only at this moment was he finally in the mood to sit in the vehicle and light up a cigarette. Gray smoke instantly filled the car.

Zhang Yuge lowered the window a little. Some of the sparrows tried their best to squeeze in through the gap next to him, but they were firmly stuck.

It was as though he could not see the sparrows as he continued to smoke his cigarette.

Facing the enemy with a fearless expression was a psychological quality that a qualified Qing Consortium soldier should have. But if someone were to really ask Zhang Yuge at this moment if he was afraid, he would laugh and answer, "If I fucking say I'm not afraid, it's definitely a lie. Why don't you take my place instead if you're so brave?"

The sparrows suddenly stopped trying to stubbornly squeeze through the gap. Instead, they lined up in the air and rammed into the windshield one by one.

Zhang Yuge suddenly realized the sparrows' beaks were aiming at the same exact spot each time. It was as though they had precisely calculated where to hit.

"Fuck, have they fucking gained intelligence?" Zhang Yuge said in a daze.

However, he did not continue to watch any further. Instead, he lit up another cigarette and switched on the in-vehicle stereo. The LCD screen displayed the playlist of songs.

"One Step Away"

"Sorrowful"

"Adieu, My Friend"

Zhang Yuge muttered, "What kind of songs are these? I wonder who used to drive this car. The playlist is really quite fitting for this occasion. They must have done this on purpose...."

When he clicked on "Adieu, My Friend," a lengthy prelude of an accordion and piano suddenly drifted out.

"Ah, if I... sacrifice myself in battle,

"Adieu, my friend! Adieu, adieu!

"Ah, whenever people walk past here,

"Adieu, my friend! Adieu, adieu!"

The cracks on the windshield got wider and wider. Zhang Yuge's thoughts seemed to have returned to that snowy night. Qing Zhen, dressed in a white suit, walked up to him and said softly, "I remember you. You're Zhang Yuge. You used to serve under me. You performed meritorious service when we warred against the Pyro Company."

Then Zhang Yuge watched as that figure trekked up the mountain with an upright posture.

That night, Qing Zhen taught him the meaning of a phrase: "Standing tall and proud deep inside, never bowing down to anyone." This was the new soul of the Qing Consortium after their rebirth.

Zhang Yuge looked at the dense crowd of sparrows outside the glass windows, then at the cracks on the windshield that was about to break.

"It's not the Qing Consortium's style to sit back and wait for death. My name is Zhang Yuge, and I've done great deeds for the Qing Consortium."

He smiled and picked up his automatic rifle from the front passenger seat. He skillfully cocked it and turned up the volume of the music in the vehicle to the maximum. Then he pushed open the door and got out of the vehicle, firing a shot into the sky.

After which he got overwhelmed by countless sparrows.

The music in the vehicle was still playing, and the singing was getting more and more intense.

"Ah, if I... sacrifice myself in battle.

"Adieu, my friend! Adieu, adieu!"