CH 40

Chapter 40

Gao Siyang: “That’s right, they have already gathered at the camp. They also brought their families along. While they assist in cleaning up the demon-infested urban areas, our army will be responsible for protecting their families.”

Qin Jiulin already knew that Xia Liansheng was here, so it was certain that other members of the Qin family were also present. He hadn’t expected to reunite with them so soon.

At this point, Gao Siyang glanced at Qin Jiulin and said, “Actually, there is one more thing…”

Qin Jiulin smirked, “No need to explain. I already know that if Xia Liansheng is here, then the rest of the Qin family must be here as well.”

After hearing this, Li Zhongyuan suddenly remembered when Qin Jiulin had told him about being emotionally manipulated by a disgusting man who treated him ambiguously but never got together with him. That man secretly flirted with his own brother and made Qin Jiulin wear a green hat!

So that man was Xia Liansheng! No wonder Li Zhongyuan always found that name unpleasant. Now the reason behind it was clear.

Gao Siyang asked, “So, you really are the Qin Jiulin that Xia Liansheng mentioned?”

Qin Jiulin furrowed his brow slightly, “He’s looking for me? Why?”

Gao Siyang replied, “He said he’s very worried about you and wants us to go to that villa area to find you. He mentioned a boy by his side… I forgot his name. He was crying while telling me that he must find his brother.”

Qin Jiulin’s mouth twitched, “Is that so?”

Gao Siyang could tell from his reaction that there was some complicated relationship between Qin Jiulin, the Qin family, and Xia Liansheng. Xia Liansheng seemed genuinely concerned about Qin Jiulin, but the person who claimed to be his brother seemed fake. Everyone was aware of the unspoken understanding between Xia Liansheng and that person. However, they didn’t expect another Qin Jiulin to appear, and a variant beastman at that, with the form of a giant tiger!

Indeed, Xia Liansheng could be an important person to approach, but for Gao Siyang, it was the trio of Li Zhongyuan, Qin Jiulin, and Qi Yu that needed more attention.

That’s why he had just shown them the basic information of three other individuals. Of course, he couldn’t casually disclose the information of the five variant beastmen who belonged to the army.

Although they would eventually find out, it needed to be kept confidential for now. The five of them had a secret mission to carry out and couldn’t afford to expose themselves.

Gao Siyang asked, “So, what do you think? If you want to meet, I can arrange…”

Qin Jiulin shook his head, “For now, I don’t want to meet. Can you arrange for us to stay a bit further away?”

Gao Siyang hesitated, “Everyone who comes to help the army stays in the same place. If you stay in a large tent, the three of you can stay together. If you prefer a smaller tent, each of you can have one.”

“I can arrange for the three of you to stay together, but…”

Qin Jiulin: “The families shouldn’t be staying here, right? Can they come in freely?”

Gao Siyang: “That’s impossible. This area, including where you’re staying, is reserved for military personnel and individuals with special status. I can assure you that as long as you don’t leave this area, the most you’ll encounter is Xia Liansheng.”

Qin Jiulin: “That’s good.”

Gao Siyang: “So… shall we cooperate happily?”

Li Zhongyuan stood up and walked over to Gao Siyang, extending his hand for a shake. Qin Jiulin remained seated, nonchalant. They had just been chatting, and Gao Siyang almost reached out to shake Qin Jiulin’s hand.

Fortunately, Li Zhongyuan took the initiative to shake hands, otherwise it would have been awkward. After all, Li Zhongyuan was the team leader of this trio, not Qin Jiulin.

Although the relationship between these two seemed a bit off, Gao Siyang’s focus was on the variant beastmen responsible for cleaning up the demon-infested urban areas and restoring order. As for their personal relationships, that was none of his concern.

As long as it didn’t affect the progress of the mission, he didn’t care.

“Xiao Wu, come in!”

Wu Feiyang, who had been waiting outside the tent, heard Gao Siyang calling him and immediately walked in. “Commander, are we done with the conversation?”

Gao Siyang: “Yes, we’re done. Take them to the residential area and let them choose where to stay.”

Wu Feiyang: “No problem, then… follow me.”

Li Zhongyuan led Qin Jiulin and Qi Yu out of the small tent. Li Zhongyuan leaned in close to Wu Feiyang and asked about Xia Liansheng’s situation.

Wu Feiyang: “You want to know about Xia Liansheng’s general situation?”

Li Zhongyuan glanced at Qin Jiulin, who showed no reaction, and confidently replied, “I just want to get a simple understanding. After all, the commander mentioned before that this person was inquiring about Jiulin’s affairs. Jiulin is now my team member, so it’s my responsibility.”

Wu Feiyang pondered for a moment. “Xia Liansheng, well, he seems to be a genuinely mild-mannered person, you could say he’s versatile. He’s been here for two or three days and gets along well with many people. Those who have interacted with him have a good impression of him.”

Li Zhongyuan’s mind immediately filled with a few words: deceptive appearance, manipulative person, etc…

“I see. Well, it sounds like he’s easy to get along with. But I heard that he seems to have a very close relationship with someone, is it a romantic relationship? Or are they already together? After all, even that person’s family has come here to protect them.”

Wu Feiyang sighed. “It seems that way. The two of them are always sticking together in secluded and less populated areas. But if anyone asks if they have that kind of relationship, both of them will deny it.”

“So, nobody really knows whether they’re genuine or fake until now, but Xia Liansheng did ask the team leader to find someone named Qin Jiulin, who should be your team member, right?”

Qin Jiulin didn’t deny it. “That’s right, it’s me. Do they need something from me? They probably don’t know that I’m a variant beastman, otherwise they wouldn’t be looking for me…”

Wu Feiyang replied, “I know. It seems like that clingy little boy asked him for help and said that this person named Qin Jiulin is his brother.”

Qin Jiulin chuckled. “Is that so?”

Li Zhongyuan looked at him. “Are you going to go find them?”

Qin Jiulin replied, “If Xia Liansheng comes looking for me, then I’ll go see them. After all, they are my family, I can’t just abandon them.”

Li Zhongyuan asked, “What if they become a burden?”

Qin Jiulin thought about what happened in his previous life, when Xia Liansheng ruthlessly tore open his chest and took out his still-beating heart to give to Qin Jiuzhen. Qin Jiuzhen’s eyes were fixed on his heart, showing no emotion, while the so-called parents and family members who stood behind him looked at Qin Jiuzhen with anticipation and concern. He was nothing more than a discarded, worthless piece of trash lying on the ground.

“I won’t become a burden. In this world, where the strong are respected, as long as I keep my strength, what can they do to me?”

Li Zhongyuan nodded. “Alright, I’ll help you then.”

Qi Yu, who was following behind, also spoke up. “I’ll help you too, Qin Ge!”

Qin Jiulin smiled. “Thank you, both of you.”

Wu Feiyang, listening to their conversation, concluded that Xia Liansheng and the person named Qin Jiuzhen were probably not good people. After all, his relationship with Li Zhongyuan was closer, so his instinct leaned towards believing Qin Jiulin’s words.

“By the way, do you want to stay in separate individual tents or in a large tent together?”

Li Zhongyuan replied, “Let’s go take a look first.”

Wu Feiyang led them to the small tents. “These are the individual tents. The space inside is not very small, but it’s only enough for one person. You can only put some everyday items in it, it’s purely for resting.”

Li Zhongyuan said, “Let’s go see the larger one.”

Wu Feiyang took them to the larger tent. Inside, it was like a small room with two sections. The front section had tables and chairs, separated by a curtain, and the back section had three single beds. On both sides were simple wardrobes assembled with iron frames, covered with curtain fabric as a makeshift cover.

The conditions can be said to be not very spacious, but it’s already quite good for the military to have such a large camp at this time. Not to mention, although it looks simple here, many things are of solid quality.

Li Zhongyuan said, “Let’s stay in the larger tent. It’s better here, and there are even tables, chairs, and stools where we can sit and rest, and even entertain others.”

Wu Feiyang smiled and nodded, “Alright, let’s go with this one then?”

Li Zhongyuan muttered, “The bed is a bit small.”

Wu Feiyang replied, “You’re going out to fight as part of the mission, and you’re still complaining about this and that? Alright, the meal times are regulated for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s written over there, take a good look later. If you want to eat, go ahead and eat. If you don’t want to eat, you can cook your own food, but it’s best to borrow kitchen utensils from the military canteen. It’s prohibited to have any fireworks or bonfires around the camp to avoid attracting animals from afar.”

Li Zhongyuan said, “Don’t worry, we won’t be thinking about cooking for ourselves.”

After Wu Feiyang told them some simple things that are not allowed inside the camp, he left, taking the vacant sign hanging outside the tent with him.

Qi Yu put down the tent’s entrance, which was actually the thicker curtains on both sides. If it’s closed, it should give a sense of security.

Qin Jiulin sighed, “I really want to clean up the entire city and move into a normal house. This kind of place is bearable for a short time, but it’s really unbearable for a long time. After all, the soundproofing should be quite poor. I hope we won’t be startled at night.”

Just at that moment, a voice that Qin Jiulin was very familiar with came from outside, “Jiulin? Jiulin?”

Qin Jiulin was taken aback, but Li Zhongyuan’s reaction was faster. He was the first one to walk out of the tent, his face cold and his gaze unfriendly as he looked at the self-righteous hypocrite in front of him.

“Who are you? Why are you calling Jiulin?”

Xia Liansheng knew from the first moment he saw him that this person had a very negative impression of him, to the point of being detestable. Of course, he didn’t know why he was acting like this. 

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