Chapter 409: Let Me Bleed You a Little

"Fuck, when we get back, I'm gonna have a real good time..."

Liu Ge tugged at his crotch and grinned wickedly.

The man who had been peering out the window sat back down on the floor, lit a cigarette, and sighed listlessly: "Let's just try to finish the mission tomorrow. It's just a tiny Tianma Island—why send so many people?"

"Don't underestimate the world. Anyone who can carve out a big territory up north must have some real ability."

"Even if they have ability, it won't help them. When they run into our Beicheng Four Tigers, Tianma Island is dead meat."

"Haha, that's a funny way to put it. Old Liu would definitely praise you for that."

The three men bickered back and forth, unaware that a shadow, ghostlike and elusive, was quietly approaching Beidong Town.

The Civilization Protectors randomly picked a three-story shop, moved to the top floor, and settled in. Once everyone was settled, one man took out a pair of binoculars and walked to the window, scanning the surroundings.

"Why do we get first watch? Seriously..."

As he grumbled and scanned the area with the binoculars, the man muttered complaints.

Wu Daqiang sat on the floor hugging his knees. Hearing his companion's grumbling, he said: "Whether you go first or last, you still have to do it. If you're tired, Xiao Tiao, I'll take over—go get some rest."

"No, I'm not tired. I'm just pissed off. Wu Ge, you rest. All of you rest... Huh?"

As he spoke, the man Wu Daqiang called Xiao Tiao frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Wu Daqiang shot to his feet instantly. The other three followed suit, standing tense and staring at Xiao Tiao.

"Shit... weird."

Xiao Tiao didn't answer right away. Instead, he held the thermal imaging binoculars up to his eyes, studied them, then said: "I just saw something—no, not just saw, I definitely saw something flash past that field over there. Fast as hell, like a rabbit spooked by a gunshot!"

"Shit, could Tianma Island's people have spotted us and come charging over?" asked a man wearing his down jacket backwards.

"Don't scare yourselves!"

Wu Daqiang took the thermal imaging binoculars from Xiao Tiao and looked out the window. First he scanned the temporary quarters of the Little Eagle Society—faint shapes moved near the windows, and the thermal image showed something amusing: he judged they were probably urinating. He sneered inwardly, then turned his gaze farther out toward the wasteland and the north.

"No movement. Even if Tianma Island's people came, they wouldn't send just one—and certainly not something that flashed past like that. How big was the object you saw?"

After about one or two minutes, Wu Daqiang lowered the binoculars and asked Xiao Tiao.

"It moved fast—I didn't get a clear look. Probably..." Xiao Tiao scratched his cheek, frowned, and gestured: "About the size of a soccer ball?"

"Jump Ge, you wanna play soccer, huh? Haha."

Someone nearby joked. Everyone knew Xiao Tiao loved playing soccer most in camp.

"Get lost, I'm not joking!" Xiao Tiao waved them off, dead serious.

Wu Daqiang thought for a moment, then handed the binoculars back to Xiao Tiao. "Maybe it was just a small animal. Out here in the wilderness, animals aren't unusual. Keep watch tight. Let's grab some rest. If anything happens, shout. And remember to wake up the Tianqi Team at midnight for shift change!"

Next door, the Tianqi Team was complaining that the Little Eagle Society had been sneaky—slipping off alone to the other side to avoid night watch. They had no idea the Little Eagle Society had indeed dodged night watch—but would pay an unbearable price.

"Hey, you two, who the hell brought alcohol? Can't light a fire—it's freezing! My hot water bag was filled when we left camp, now it's barely warmer than piss..."

Liu Ge clutched his hot water bag and was urinating in the corner by the window. The sound of his urination echoed through the messy room—his manners were abysmal. He didn't even consider that others were sleeping right beside him. The stench of urine was thick—even if he'd just gone downstairs to pee, it'd be better than this.

After speaking, he got no reply. Frowning, he added: "Xiao Bin, I saw you stick several heat patches on your clothes when we left. Give me two. I'll pay you back three when we get back. How's that? Oh... yeah, feels good."

As he spoke, Liu Ge shivered from the cold wind, his bladder releasing with a shudder that raised goosebumps all over him. He pulled up his pants and turned his head—but still heard no reply from his companions.

"Fuck, are you two dead? Not saying a word. Just a minute ago you were complaining about the cold, now you're sleeping like corpses. Shit."

In the dim night, Liu Ge saw his two companions lying motionless against the wall. He staggered toward Xiao Bin, planning to just grab two heat patches off him without asking—when suddenly...

The moment Liu Ge's foot touched Xiao Bin's toes, about to crouch down, he felt a sudden heart-stopping jolt—then a crushing pressure on his neck, and a chilling voice spoke from behind him.

"Move, and you die."

As if stared at by Yama from the void, Liu Ge felt his emptied bladder inexplicably tighten again. Luckily, he'd finished urinating—otherwise, he'd have soaked his pants right then.

"Y-yes, yes, yes, big brother, I'm just passing through, I mean no harm, please, please don't—uh..."

Liu Ge considered himself the top enforcer of the Little Eagle Society. How could some random guy threaten him? After begging, he suddenly lunged to resist—and tried to scream to wake his companions.

But before he could raise his voice, his throat was clamped shut, leaving only a faint hiss of air. Then his body was slammed to the floor—sudden suffocation made him feel as if he'd glimpsed the gates of hell.

"Try anything else, and I'll let you bleed out with this!"

"Ugh... I won't. I won't."

Liu Ge's eyes rolled back as he babbled pleas. His body, which had been cold moments ago, now burned with heat—his survival instinct made him feel feverish. The cold object at his neck felt like a red-hot iron, searing his skin. Even though his senses were distorted, he dared not move a muscle—not even speak louder than a whisper.

Because now, lying on the floor, he smelled the thick stench of blood beside him. Even without seeing anything, he knew: his two silent companions had already reported to Yama. The thought made his heart pound wildly. In the time it took him to urinate, two companions had died without a sound. The distance from their sleeping spot to the window was only seven or eight meters—and in the quiet night, not a single strange noise had been heard?

Could it be... because he'd made too much noise unbuttoning his pants while peeing, and muttering to himself, he'd missed the sounds...

Liu Ge didn't understand what was happening. His mind was overloaded, frantically scrambling for a way out.

"Sit up. Tie your hands and feet yourself. Stay quiet, and you won't die. Otherwise, you'll find your two good companions waiting for you on the path to the underworld!"

Zhang Su tossed down several plastic zip ties, stiffened by the cold.

(End of Chapter)