Chapter 89: Courage

Inside Yunshang Inn, Nan Gengchen was a crying mess as he was dragged to a room on the second floor.

The bonfire light swayed outside the window, but he felt like he was falling into hell.

Nan Gengchen wailed, "Brother, I beg you please don't touch me, really, I think Hu Xiaoniu and Zhang Tianzhen look much better, you should go for them!"

He sobbed while secretly putting all his might to exert his bowel.

He had read it on the net before - at this kind of critical moment, if you managed to crap your pants in time, you might be able to ruin the assaulter's appetite and keep your safety intact.

He just never thought he would end up using this trick for himself one day.

However, contrary to his imagination, the sound of unfastening belt didn't come.

The thug was wearing a black leather jacket, his hair neatly shaved in a buzz cut.

On his neck, a black dragon tattoo spread all the way to his chin, making him look fierce and freaky.

The thug slowly took off his gloves, revealing the rugged mechanical limbs underneath. He moved his fingers around, letting out creaking noises that seemed to come from age as they clenched and unclenched.

It made his teeth sore.

The thug stood opposite Nan Gengchen with a frigid stare. Only when the sobbing gradually subsided did he calmly ask at last, "Boy, I'm not interested in men. Now I'm going to ask you a question, and you're gonna answer it. I'll let you live if you cooperate, understand?"

"Understand, I understand!" Nan Gengchen frantically nodded.

"What's your identity in the Inner World?" asked the thug.

Nan Gengchen was stunned. He thought he was taken to this room to be defiled; he didn't expect the thug to ask about his identity in the Inner World.

This was completely different from his assumption. It seemed that the thug's earlier actions were merely a pretense to fool the others.

But he couldn't figure out why was there such a sudden turning point and how the thug knew he was a time traveler.

He had obviously concealed the fact very well, no one knew about it!

The thug poked his forehead with the muzzle of his gun. "I asked you a question."

Nan Gengchen tearfully spoke, "I'm a hacker..."

"Hacker?" muttered the thug with some annoyance.

It had to be said that knowledge would not be inherited upon transmigrating to the Inner World, so in their eyes, time travelers in the technical category were the most worthless because they only had the status without the abilities.

Moreover, if the person wasn't skilled, this kind of identity might become a drag.

The thug continued with his questions, "Which city do you live in?"

"City 18," replied Nan Gengchen.

"Which district?"

"The first district," Nan Gengchen hurriedly added, "I just moved there."

The thug whistled, "Turns out you're a rich man living in the first district, Why did you just move there?"

To his own chagrin, Nan Gengchen said, "I've just become a kept man."

The thug was dumbfounded, what the heck was this all about? But he kept on asking, "What's the current holographic projection displayed in the first district's Chishui Square?"

Nan Gengchen answered, "It's three killer whales jumping out of the water."

The thug took some time to think before pressing the walkie-talkie on his chest. "Boss, I've confirmed that he's a time traveler living in the first district of City 18, let's clean up the scene now."

After speaking, he let go of the walkie-talkie and moved to haul Nan Gengchen out of the room.

When the thug leaned over to grab him, a masked boy who was previously obscured behind his body appeared in Nan Gengchen's field of vision.

The boy covered his face with a scarf, but Nan Gengchen could still see the fiery red lines spreading from under the scarf to the corners of his eyes.

He didn't know when this boy appeared. Both him and the thug never noticed him approaching.

No footsteps, no breathing.

Nothing at all.

The thug also seemed to perceive something strange from Nan Gengchen's expression, but his body had already been unable to move.

The spleen was the blood bank of the human body. Once it was broken by an external force, the victim would immediately lose blood and die.

The speed was second only to a slash on the carotid artery.

The thug could feel his body rapidly cooling down; he could even hear the sound of his blood dripping to the ground.

Blood slowly foamed out of his mouth. He wanted to press for his walkie-talkie.

But someone had already reached out a hand from behind to take the walkie-talkie off his chest.

"Who... are you?" asked Nan Gengchen in a daze.

Qing Chen calmly looked at him. "You don't have to pretend to not recognize me. Come with me, I don't have time to talk to you now."

"Got it, Brother Chen," Nan Gengchen replied in excitement.

Qing Chen was not at all surprised that Nan Gengchen could recognize himself.

They had been classmates since the first year of high school, and after the division of liberal arts and science classes, they had also become desk-mates.

The two teenagers who persevered through misery had always been best friends. Although Qing Chen could cover his face and mess up his hair on purpose, Nan Gengchen only needed a glance at his eyes and profile to determine Qing Chen's identity.

As Nan Gengchen followed behind Qing Chen, he animatedly mumbled, "I didn't expect that you'd come to save me. If you didn't show up, I might be captured by them..."

But when Qing Chen planned to leave with Nan Gengchen through the back door, the sound of machines suddenly reverberated from outside.

Someone shouted, "Run! They're gonna silence us all!"

Qing Chen abruptly turned his head to look out the window.

That was the sound of guns with silencers installed.

The bonfire was like a sea of flames reflecting the sky, and the screams of the students were like the water at boiling point.

He took out the gun from his waist and walked to the window. The owner and staff of Yunshang Inn were lying in a pool of blood, and the students were haphazardly fleeing in fright.

It was unknown when the two Kun Lun members fell from the bullets, or when the gate of Yunshang Inn was opened, allowing the students to escape in the chaos.

A Kun Lun member lay on his back on the cold concrete floor, his torso a mess of blood and flesh. His eyes were opened.

The other Kun Lun member knelt crookedly beside the gate. His eyes were closed.

He was holding a gun in his hand, and next to him was a thug who had long been dead, with the corpse of another thug at a distance further away.

The two thugs were shot four times in total. The Kun Lun member was covered in blood, and it was impossible to tell how many times he had been shot. It looked like he had sacrificed himself to open the gate and throw a lifeline for the students.

At this moment in time, the students were struggling to rise up and run outside.

Qing Chen didn't know what transpired in that short instance. Even with increased brainpower, he was still somehow unable to react.

By the time he came to the window, what had to happen had already happened.

So many people died within just a few breaths.

Qing Chen quietly looked at the two corpses drenched in blood. Because he didn't witness it with his own eyes, his emotions were a little slow to come.

There was no grief, nor was he touched.

It was just that there was something suddenly blocking his chest, and he himself didn't know what it was.

The remaining thugs unexpectedly did not chase after the students, opting to tie up Liu Dezhu, Hu Xiaoniu, and Zhang Tianzhen with grim expressions, intending to mix in behind the students and leave with the time travelers.

Yes, their targets were the time travelers. Since their plan had been disrupted, it was impossible to silence all the other students. The best option for them was to promptly stop their losses.

A voice came from the walkie-talkie. "I don't know where Five is, he might've met an accident. Three, you and Four bring down those two from upstairs, we'll meet in the parking lot."

Three and Four were already dead.

Qing Chen silently observed everything, and he recalled what Ye Wan told him.

"If hot-bloodedness is something you can control, it will no longer be called as such. Sometimes, only after directly facing the matter will you finally understand your own choice."

"Wait here, and remember, I never showed up here tonight. If I don't come back... you don't need to tell my parents," spoke Qing Chen in a low voice before walking outside.

In fact, he didn't want to take any more risks. After all, Nan Gengchen had been rescued, and this was a good opportunity for him to leave.

But Qing Chen was thinking, had he really tried his best?

If he left now, for his whole life, wouldn't he recall the day he cowered each time he fought against someone else?

For a moment, he felt that what Mom Ye said was truly right. The brave pawn who crossed the river and was stained with blood could no longer turn back.

Regardless of the rules, the mandates, the gains, and losses.

That, was courage.