chsdbacks Chapter 311 Target: Northeast
Chapter 311 Target: Northeast
The next afternoon, Master Wang arrived at the North China branch, looking travel-worn. He was still dressed in his signature attire: a slightly wrinkled Taoist robe, his hair casually tied up, and faint dark circles under his eyes, looking like he hadn't slept well. He yawned widely as soon as he entered the room.
"Oh dear, everyone, what's the matter that you rushed me all the way from Wudang Mountain? I just finished tending to the herbs on the back mountain..." Wang Ye rubbed his eyes, and when he saw Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu on the sickbed, he was stunned for a moment. "Wow, what's going on with these two...? The Black and White Duo bravely fought the Black Bear Spirit, and then got killed in return?"
"Master Wang Ye, please don't belittle us." Zhang Chulan said with a bitter face, "It was Brother Nie who gave us a 'stress test,' and he was really ruthless."
"A stress test?" Wang Ye raised an eyebrow, walked to Zhang Chulan's bedside, and placed his finger on his pulse. After a moment, a hint of surprise appeared on his face. "Not bad, Chulan. Your internal injuries are quite severe, but your foundation is still relatively stable. In the flow of your Qi, there seems to be something different... a hint of harmony within the fierceness? You fought someone? And you were serious?"
Zhang Chulan chuckled and briefly recounted his "sparring" (getting beaten up) with Nie Lingfeng and his final attempt at teamwork with Zhang Lingyu.
After listening, Wang Ye stroked his chin, looked at Zhang Chulan with interest, and then at Zhang Lingyu beside him who was resting with his eyes closed but whose ears were clearly perked up: "Yin-Yang Thunder Technique... a brief resonance caused by a brutal clash? Interesting, very interesting. Although this approach is unorthodox, it's not without its merits. No wonder Chairman Zhao wanted to bring me along too. It seems that this matter is far more complex than it appears; even your barely scratched surface of 'Yin-Yang Combined Attack' might come in handy."
"Daoist Master, please stop beating around the bush. Do you know what it is?" Zhang Chulan pressed.
Wang Ye shrugged: "I probably don't know more than you do. Chairman Zhao personally called my master and said the matter was urgent, involving the upheaval of supernatural beings at the national level, and that I needed to come out of seclusion to assist. I don't know any specifics. But even my master told me with a solemn expression to 'act carefully and within my capabilities,' so you should think about it."
"On the level of national destiny..." Zhang Chulan gasped, feeling the wound on his shoulder ache even more. He just wanted to find out Bao'er's background and live a peaceful life (and maybe make a little money on the side), why did he always get involved in these terrifying-sounding events?! (；´д｀)ゞ
"Daoist Wang Ye." Zhang Lingyu opened her eyes and bowed to Wang Ye. "This operation is fraught with danger and unpredictability. I hope you will give me some guidance."
"No, please, Master Lingyu, I can't accept such a courtesy." Wang Ye quickly stepped aside and said with a wry smile, "We're colleagues now, uh, sort of. I wouldn't call it giving pointers, but we'll look out for each other. I hate trouble, but I'm even more afraid of dying, so when it's time to run, I'll definitely be the fastest. Don't blame me then."
Zhang Chulan: "..." You are indeed honest.
Zhang Lingyu: "..." This Daoist Wang Ye is indeed as rumored...free-spirited.
As evening fell, Nie Lingfeng ended his long-distance communication with headquarters and came to the ward. His expression was calm, but there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes.
"You know everything?" He glanced at the three of them.
Zhang Chulan and Wang Ye nodded, and Zhang Lingyu nodded slightly.
"The situation is more complicated than expected," Nie Lingfeng said succinctly. "Near the Changbai Mountain range on the northeastern border, there have been unusual surges of 'Qi' and spatial instability. Our local branch and relevant departments' early investigation personnel have all gone and never returned; even their distress signals only got halfway back. Our initial assessment is that it may involve the opening of an ancient secret realm, or... something even more troublesome. Moreover, there are indications that we're not the only ones eyeing that area."
"A secret realm? Something even more troublesome?" Wang Ye frowned. "Could you be more specific?"
"Headquarters doesn't have much information either. There seems to be strong interference over there, rendering conventional detection methods almost ineffective. The only certainty is that at the center of the anomaly area, the concentration and activity of Qi are ridiculously high, and its nature is extremely violent and chaotic, filled with... primal malice," Nie Lingfeng said slowly. "More specific details will need to be explained to us by the head of the Northeast region and the temporary workers once we arrive on-site. Our mission is to act as an assault and reconnaissance team, working with other temporary workers, and with the support and cooperation of our colleagues in the Northeast region, to enter the core of the anomaly area, ascertain the situation, and, depending on the circumstances, deal with or seal the source."
"Primitive malice..." Zhang Lingyu repeated in a low voice, the word making him feel uneasy.
"So, we really have to use all the temporary workers together?" Zhang Chulan swallowed.
"Not all of them, but at least the temporary workers from the North China, Northeast, Northwest, East China, and Central China regions will participate. The temporary workers from the Southwest and South China regions are temporarily unable to leave due to other important tasks," Nie Lingfeng said. "This operation is directly coordinated by the head office. Liao Zhong, the head of the Northeast region, will be responsible for ground support and logistics. We will meet up with him after we arrive."
"Liao Zhong?" Zhang Chulan was taken aback; the name sounded familiar.
"Chen Duo's former supervisor," Nie Lingfeng added.
Zhang Chulan suddenly realized and looked at Chen Duo, who was sitting quietly beside him playing with her fingers. Chen Duo didn't seem to react much to the name, but when she heard "Northeast," she looked up and whispered, "It's cold, wear warm clothes."
"Yes, it's very cold in Northeast China right now, everyone should prepare warm clothing." Nie Lingfeng nodded. "The company will provide equipment and necessary supplies. We'll take a chartered plane early tomorrow morning, flying directly to Heilongjiang. Now, any other questions?"
Wang Ye raised his hand: "Yes. Brother Nie, can we use divination to predict the outcome of this operation? I have a bit of a bad feeling about it."
Nie Lingfeng glanced at him: "You can calculate, but don't go too deep, and don't spread the results around. In that kind of place, the secrets of heaven are probably already in chaos. Forcibly trying to pry will only cause harm."
Wang sighed, "Alright, I get it. That's a terrible omen, I understand." He slumped back in his chair, looking utterly hopeless. (￣～￣;)
Zhang Chulan: "..." Daoist Master, could you please not be so blunt in your criticism of morale?!
Zhang Lingyu silently began to check the talismans and pills he carried with him. This journey was dangerous, and he needed to be fully prepared.
The next morning, before dawn, a group of people had already assembled on the helicopter landing pad on the roof of the North China branch building.
Nie Lingfeng changed into a neat dark combat uniform, with a windproof jacket over it, and slung a small but sturdy tactical backpack over his shoulder. Xiao Yun was secured to his chest with a special strap, wrapped up like a little dumpling, with only half of her rosy face showing, curiously looking around. Chen Duo, also dressed in winter clothes that allowed for easy movement, stood quietly to the side, carrying a small box containing some of her "little darlings".
Zhang Chulan wore the same combat uniform, wrapped in a thick military overcoat, and a bright red scarf around his neck, looking somewhat comical, but as he put it, "Survival comes first, style takes a backseat." Zhang Lingyu was still in his moon-white Taoist robe, but with a thick gray cotton cloak over it, making his handsome face and otherworldly air stand out slightly from the surroundings. Wang Ye, the Taoist priest… was still in his wrinkled Taoist robe, but with an old military overcoat he'd somehow found, its cuffs frayed, and a thermos hanging around his neck, yawning incessantly, as if he weren't going on a dangerous mission but rather to sunbathe at the village entrance.
Xu San and Xu Si came to see him off. Xu Si handed Nie Lingfeng a sealed file bag: "This is the latest intelligence summary and contact information. Liao Zhong will contact you when you get there. Be careful. That old Liao has a bit of a temper, but he's reliable and a real man. Also, the temporary workers in the other districts..." He lowered his voice, "They're all lawless bastards, each with their own quirks. It's best if you can cooperate, but if you can't, try to avoid conflict. But if someone is too clever for their own good..." He made a throat-slitting gesture, but a smile remained on his face.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Nie Lingfeng took the file bag and nodded.
"Chu Lan, Master Lingyu, Daoist Wang Ye, and Bao Bao and Duo Duo," Xu San pushed up his glasses and said seriously, "Safety first. No matter how important the mission is, it can't compare to human lives. If things are hopeless, protecting yourselves is the priority."
"Understood, Third Brother/Mr. Xu San," the others replied. Feng Baobao nodded, her innocent face expressionless. She carefully wrapped up the half-eaten compressed biscuit in her hand and put it in her pocket.
The helicopter rotors began to spin slowly, and a huge roar erupted.
"Let's go." Nie Lingfeng glanced at Xu San and Xu Si one last time before turning and boarding the plane. The others followed closely behind.
The helicopter took off, heading north, breaking through the morning mist, and quickly disappeared into the gray horizon.
Xu Si stared at the direction the helicopter had disappeared in, his smile gradually fading. He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and muttered, "Damn, why do I feel so uneasy? All those temporary workers… I haven't seen anything like this in decades, have I?"
Xu San was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "These are turbulent times. I hope they can all return safely."
……
The helicopter was very noisy. Zhang Chulan leaned close to Nie Lingfeng and asked loudly, "Brother Nie, where are we going first? Straight to the border?"
"No," Nie Lingfeng raised his voice, "we'll go to Harbin first, meet up with the support personnel from the Northeast region, and then take their transportation to the border outpost. Liao Zhong will be waiting for us there."
"Harbin!" Zhang Chulan's eyes lit up. "Does that mean we can eat authentic Guo Bao Rou (sweet and sour pork), Sha Zhu Cai (pig stew), and Madier ice cream?"
Wang Ye chimed in leisurely, "Hey Chu Lan, we're going on a potentially life-threatening mission, not a vacation. Sweet and sour pork... you'll be lucky to come back alive to eat chicken stew with mushrooms."
"Daoist Master, how can you have no sense of fun at all!" Zhang Chulan rolled his eyes. "This is called finding joy in hardship, don't you understand? Besides, you need to be well-fed to have the energy to fight!"