The Vanishing Scars

Let me see.

Wood Plark picked up his phone, went to social networks, and found a very useful suggestion. "A friend said we can combine the two, which would make executions more efficient."

Glory moved closer to Mr. Wood and looked at the execution plan sent by the genius netizen.

"Send them up into the sky with kites?"

Wood nodded. "Yes, thanks for the suggestion, Mr. Gududupulu. We can use a few kites or hang gliders to send these criminals up. The chapter's arsenal has plenty of drones."

Glory called Chen ShouGong over, "I'm leaving this matter to you."

For a moment, Shougong couldn't tell if these two VIPs were joking or serious. Were they really going to kill everyone in the defense center's lobby?

The adjutant stammered, not daring to speak.

By this point, the official business had actually been concluded.

Glory also wanted to discuss some personal matters, particularly how Jiang Xueming should return to his family; she was genuinely curious about that.

But these prisoners will not surrender, nor will they sit and wait to die.

"You're insane! Wood Plark! You're fucking insane!"

An official from the capital of District 54 used powerful psychic energy to untangle the gag from his Barry, trying to say something and find a way to survive.

This is a woman, a member of the Juseberg faction, a member of the capital's political bureau, and also a Prosecutor's Office.

"I am perfectly sober, madam." Mr. Wood spread his arms wide, head held high, displaying the butterfly tattoo on his neck to the hostages. "Do you have anything to say? I don't know your name yet. Let's get acquainted?"

The woman did not intend to give her name. She was overweight, with wheat-colored skin, and her facial features were typical of a European, with long chestnut hair.

"This is a humanitarian crisis! You and this crazy woman are massacring the righteous people of District 54! How are you any different from terrorists?!"

Plark replied, "Excuse me, are you speaking English? Why can I understand each word individually, but not when they're put together?"

"My name is Millie Bohana! Remember that! I'm an official from the capital's prosecutor's Prosecutor's Office!" The woman was agitated and stern. "Do you know what you're doing, Wood Plark? Are you going to skip the trial and kill us? Like barbarians, chop off our fingers? Cut off our scalps as a badge of honor?"

"Is she introducing herself?" Wood Plark turned to the War King with a grin and asked, "Is that what you mean? She seems to be stating her crimes?"

"You are destroying innocent families!" Millie screamed, her chubby face jiggling. "You're making our children homeless! You're killing people! You're defying the law and justice!"

Glory understood. "Indeed, she's introducing herself."

"You two demons! Executioners who slaughtered children! Two wolves in Ming De's clothing!" Ms. Millie screamed hoarsely, "We were just doing our job, fulfilling our mission. We did nothing wrong! Can't you see or hear anything when you come to Lieyang Fort? Who is upholding justice in this area?"

"Everyone should be able to see this: who brought civilization to this chaotic and filthy region?"

"Who provides these wronged victims with legal weapons? It's us!"

"The moral values of District 54 have never been the problem; the problem lies with you!"

"You bunch of nameless cowards! Especially you, you coward hiding in the cabinet! You're always sneaking around plotting shady schemes behind the scenes, constantly testing our bottom line."

"Ms. Millie Bohana," Wood Plark interrupted the sow's long, incoherent rant, "Who will judge you? Who do you think should judge you?"

Millie froze for a moment; she had never considered this question before.

--She had never thought about this matter, because she was originally a member of the Prosecutor's Office, the embodiment of the Code of District 54, and a member of the Lieyang Fort Autonomous Prefecture. She never felt that anyone had the right to judge her.

"Taking the first district of the Nine Realms as a starting point," Wood Plark continued on the issue of procedural justice, "Every inch of our territory still belongs to human civilization represented by the United Nations. To put it more broadly, I'm informing you on behalf of the Philosopher Foundation that you are still standing on HK soil."

"Unlike what your father, your boss, your teachers, and you said—or perhaps they said—it seems you can act with impunity and abuse your power here, including those present here. None of you seem to realize this."

"What are the moral values of District 54? Is this district preparing to establish a nation? Have they finally saved enough money? Gathered enough weapons? Are they thinking about going public? Are they going to create a supreme constitution independent of the Nine Realms?"

"You beasts who eat public grain and still aren't satisfied, wanting to cut flesh from the people to eat, just how shameless must you be to say such righteous words?"

Millie still wanted to argue her case; her tone softened, but her attitude remained stubborn.

"--We have never committed a crime! We haven't!"

Wood: "But you're protecting criminals, exploiting criminals, and nurturing criminals."

Millie: "That's all explainable!"

Wood: "This is all inexplicable. You're treating the sacred mission entrusted to you by the BOSS as a business."

Millie: "There's no conflict! Pursuing personal happiness and benefiting humanity are not mutually exclusive!"

Wood: "You spout such morality and righteousness, but where does this overwhelming evidence point? Ms. Millie, you aimed your gun at ordinary people, yet showed leniency towards Chen Jingwen's son. What about the other cases? What about the other countless blood debts? By the time we found a cockroach in the house, it was too late."

Millie: "No! This isn't right! You're trying to survive in this wasteland! In this barbaric environment, who can you reason with?! People live just to have food to eat! If..."

"I have something to tell you all. Ms. Millie reminded me, otherwise I'm afraid all of you would die with regrets, and that could turn into Spirit Calamity." Mr. Wood Plark's expression was solemn, and his face was full of regret.

He went to the center of the hall and talked to the dozens of people present about the matter, asking the War King to come over.

"This young woman is no longer young. The best years of her life, from twenty-one to thirty, were spent amidst bloodshed, mud, and the sounds of gunfire. You may not realize this, you have no idea what exactly maintains the order of District 54 and even the entire underworld."

"Universal Elixir is a wonderful thing, but it also has a downside: after receiving treatment, we always seem to feel that since no scars have been left, the injury no longer hurts—it's like we don't remember anything at all."

"Look at her, now she doesn't seem to have a single scar on her body, just like a pampered young lady, hahaha, hahahahaha!"

Wood smiled awkwardly.

"But she's already thirty years old, who could tell? She's been fighting for eight years since she came to the Nine Realms. As for me, as the commander, as Galahad's teacher, and as the think tank of Ming De, I don't even remember how long I've worked—these scars have disappeared, but that doesn't mean they never existed."

"Fellow human beings, if you have even a shred of humanity left, think carefully. Don't treat yourselves like animals. Think carefully about why the human race has survived to this day, having the courage to soar to the heavens and dive into the earth, and the ability to move mountains and fill seas."

"We are social animals, creatures that know how to help each other. Fossils from over 10,000 years ago prove this—this behavior is even more important than writing or language."

"I said, how much did the Nameless Family sacrifice to bring prosperity and stability to various regions? They could have indulged in pleasure, received generous treatment, and continued to retire early in the mortal world. At the very least, they could have opened a class to earn tuition fees, or easily found a position in a school of thought or the Senate. They had so many ways out, so many choices. Why did they have to venture into the lion's den? Why did they have to fight the Vita Imprint to the bitter end?"

"We regard those who sacrificed their families for the greater good in history as heroes, and those who sacrificed the greater good for their own families as scoundrels and corrupt officials."

"We are human beings, we are human beings."

Wood Plark took a deep breath and stared at the thirty or forty men, seemingly genuinely enraged.

"Millie, just how shameless can you be to say such things to the War King with such righteous indignation? How selfish and greedy are you to call a sister who has just lost a loved one a demon, an executioner who destroyed your family, and call this a humanitarian disaster?"

What is a humanitarian disaster?

"Six years ago in Lieyang Fort, right here, in the heart of the warband's assembly, the demons and monsters of the Madness Butterfly Sect kicked the heads of law enforcers like balls. The human tragedies that unfolded in this very square—that is the true humanitarian catastrophe!"

"Six years later, you can still comfortably protect criminals, acting like righteous messengers, as if you've become the successors of the Madness Butterfly Sect, doing the same things as them—this is a true humanitarian disaster!"

"Every hardworking person, every person who builds the city, countless people—more than 700,000, nearly 800,000—all of these people live under this terrifying set of rules."

"You say you're not wrong, you call it political wisdom, but that's just vague rhetoric."

Wood shook his finger and shook his head at the same time.

"No, no, no, that's not right."

"Tools and rules are meant to bring happiness, not to enslave people."

"The right to interpret should not be like this; there is a good example."

He took out his notebook and began to tell the anxious people about Nisha's family situation.

"I have Nisha's suicide note. This girl was murdered by Chen Jingwen's son. This suicide note is unrelated to this case. She left it before coming to Lieyang Fort —she firmly believed that Lady Luck favors the brave."

"That's what she said."

"The soldiers and officers of Lieyang Fort are all dead. They will turn into shimmering butterflies. I've agreed with my parents that I'll go to this place to become a militiaman."

"Who says women are inferior to men? Sister Glory is a great role model."

"I've saved over 4,200 yuan. I'll give 1,200 yuan to my mom and 2,000 yuan to my dad. If I can find my clothes in the dorm, I'll take them, along with the remaining 1,000 yuan, to the orphanage. There are so many children there who need help."

"If I die in Lieyang Fort, I can go to Valhalla, be with Mr. Fantastic's comrades, and maybe even find a boy I like."

"Mom and Dad, don't worry about me. There are so many dangerous places in the world, and someone has to go explore them. That's the job of VIPs. It's the same for me. I will become a Morpho butterfly."

Wood Plark closed his notebook, finished reading the suicide note, his face grim and his teeth clenched.

"Our BOSS seems unable to deliver blessings here; its power is limited. In this land far from the Nine Realms, Lady Luck will not favor the warriors—that's the reality."

"Ms. Millie, no matter how eloquent you are, no matter how you try to turn black into white, no matter how much you try to justify yourself, you cannot escape punishment. You are doomed. You demons have betrayed countless Nisha."

"If you absolutely must ask about the cause of death?"

Wood Plark's eyes gleamed with a fiery, soul-stirring light.

"It's just that an anonymous person cut off the head of the Madness Butterfly Sect. Later, you didn't have the chance to do business with cultists. You sat at the dinner table wearing suits and ties and thought you could eat legal human flesh. Take you back ten years, back twenty years, to those turbulent times when cannibalistic demons harmed their compatriots. Animals are animals. Slaughtering animals requires a quarantine certificate and a way to prevent the Vita Imprint from spreading—no trial is needed."

"Isn't it a simple principle you can understand?"

A string of kites soared into the sky; they were made of proteins and fats that had been baked and sterilized at high temperatures, almost melting away.

The fireball that Maddes had transformed into swallowed up the black dots, and the sunlight became even hotter.

Wood Plark sat with his knees drawn up and legs crossed in front of the defense center's entrance, watching everything through sunglasses. He waited until everything settled down.

After finishing the dirty work, Chen ShouGong and his soldiers were at a loss as to what to do next, staring blankly at Mr. Plark.

Wood waved his hand. "Go to the barracks and pack your things. Qingjin will be here to check on you soon. Confess and you'll be treated leniently, rot in jail, resist and you'll be punished severely. Prepare for the worst."

"Understood!" Chen ShouGong very conscientious. He knew that he, as a small fry, did not deserve to die. He took the Jin Ge Yin Ge to the barracks to check their statements. Facing Qingjin's interrogation, they had no chance to give false testimony. If they dared to play tricks, they would probably be sentenced to death.

Once everyone had left, the defense center became empty.

Glory sat down next to Mr. Wood, finally having a chance to talk about her personal matters.

"Why waste words on these scumbags? I rarely reason with cannibals."

Wood: "This isn't for them to hear, War King."

Glory: "Telling this to yourself?"

Wood: "You have to say it to the children, and you have to say it to yourself."

Glory: "This is complicated."

Wood: "There will always be people who question you—but you're a violent organization, the BOSS's weapon, isn't that strange?"

Glory: "I'm used to it."

Wood: "There are always people complaining about this and that, and some even defending cannibals. I often work at the grassroots level and have seen many, many people like this—they say that their old customers are gone, and that making money through honest work is too slow. If you don't make things clear, you'll get a lot of trouble."

Glory: "Then all I can say is, thank you for your hard work."

It's important to understand that this part of ideological transformation is the most difficult. For Xue Ming and Glory, killing an old thing is easy, but building a new one is extremely troublesome.

Six years is too short. The Department of Transportation personnel, represented by Wood Plark, have to travel around to complete the post-disaster reconstruction work in various cities. Black Snake and White Snake had previously participated in these tasks. They were criminals and had to constantly visit the families of those involved to comfort their pain.

Wood Plark possesses exceptional domestic management skills. Give him a city without the Madness Butterfly, and he can always devise a relatively complete blueprint, addressing the city's problems by considering its environment and transforming it from top to bottom.

"I planned your career path, are you satisfied?" Wood Plark asked somewhat embarrassedly when he talked about it, and it was clear that the VIP was being very cautious.

"Don't use riddles, I don't understand them," Glory replied.

Wood took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed one to the War King.

"You weren't originally qualified to participate in Jason Megan's VIP trials, but I spoke with the BOSS about it, and I believe you have great potential. The think tank has been keeping an eye on you—but immense power also means immense destructive potential."

"It was a very critical moment. The harvest season ceremony was about to begin, and we needed violence to fight against Zero Platform, which was entrenched in the underworld. So, my team and I from the think tank decided to redo the top-level design for the Senate. In your case, that included the codename 'Gunsmith' and a series of subsequent events."

"In other words, I was manipulating your life. I wanted to be honest with you back then, but I didn't dare. Your destructive power was just too great. If I said it directly, you would definitely hold a grudge against me."

"Including my marriage with Xiao Qi?" Glory asked calmly, taking the cigarette.

Wood: "This was unexpected. I didn't think you two would actually end up together. The most unreliable and uncontrollable thing in the world is love. I was never involved in this. It was the boss who brought you two together. I don't have that ability."

Glory: "That's nothing, you're too kind."

That being said, Jiang Xueming hardly felt Wood Plark's presence in his daily life.

Throughout her combat career, most missions were directly assigned to the War King and Gunsmith by the Boss. She never questioned the Boss's decisions. Wood Plark was more like a suspicious, cautious person to the point of being frightening.

"This time, I'm revoking the name 'Gunsmith,' effectively ending your authority within the Nameless Gang," Wood Plark said. "Will you hold a grudge?"

"You gave me a holiday?" Glory asked.

Wood: "For next year's harvest, to hunt down the Immortals in Shambhala, I have to do this. You're unwilling to become a blood donor, and you'll grow old quickly. Once a person grows old, the decaying essence of the aging body begins to affect the mind."

Besides these reasons, the Gunsmith's death also weakened the close bond between the Chapter and the Nameless. Wood Plark's actions were a way of indirectly increasing the boss's influence, allowing Ming De to return to the absolute core position.

Even the gunsmith's family, and Jiang Xueming's children, wouldn't take advantage of his privileged status or receive special treatment from the battle group—their father was now a tomb. Human nature is inherently profit-driven—there's a saying, "The worst thing is a leader with no hobbies." The gunsmith might resist temptation, but what about Jiang Bai? What about Jiang Zhengyang?

Once the gunsmith falls, those petty scoundrels who needed favors from the nameless man will immediately lose interest and no longer want anything to do with the mortal enemy in the eyes of the remnants of the Madness Butterfly.

To use a strange analogy, it's like receiving debt collection calls from relatives and friends—something you'd avoid at all costs, let alone visit them in person. The Jiang family, having lost power, are now able to enjoy some peace and quiet, no longer embroiled in the complex power struggles within the various senators' councils.

This wasn't a decision made solely by Wood Plark. It was a complex policy formulated with the help of the BOSS, the think tank, and numerous members of the Philosopher Foundation, taking into account the gunsmith's personal wishes. The most obvious expression of this policy is [Remix].

With Tang Ning and Hasben managing it, the Anonymous organization was still able to operate normally.

This family was finally able to return to a normal life, something Jiang Xueming had been discussing with the boss. He hoped to live the life of an ordinary person, and that his children should also have their own lives and more choices. Perhaps they could live under the real sun, instead of living in his shadow.

"You don't hold a grudge against me at all?" Wood Plark continued.

Glory: "A little."

Wood Plark: "Which point?"

Glory: "Xiao Qi said that you didn't give enough money in the red envelope at the wedding."

Wood: "Huh?"

Glory: "Uncle Fugui gave eight thousand eight, but you only gave eight thousand."

Wood was furious. "That bastard made a deal with me in private! He offered me eight thousand, and I offered him eight thousand too! How could he change his mind at the last minute!"

Glory said with a grin, "It seems Uncle Rich is quite mischievous."

"Damn it!" Wood didn't know what to say. He knew Glory was joking and trying to brush the topic aside, but he felt a little guilty—not to mention the BOSS, his own Department of Transportation had already owed the Nameless a huge debt. Without these violent agencies, how could they have kicked open the doors of Zero Platform and turned hell back into the human world?

Glory: "Is there anything else?"

"It's all minor matters." Wood Plark showed no sign of leaving. "It's all minor matters. I was giving technical guidance to farmers this morning, and I have a meeting in Westbrook tonight to discuss the floating dock and shipyard. I also need to ask Old Khan to mark the waterways. Tomorrow I should be dealing with the workshops in the old factory area, developing production standards for family-run workshops."

Glory: "Yes, I saw a lot of children helping with chores outside Wulong Fortress, and some little boys around fourteen or fifteen years old were spray painting. This won't do. You have to tell them how to take proper precautions. Their bodies can't handle this."

Wood Plark: "This is something I'm good at, you can rest assured."

Glory asked again, "Are you really alright?"

"My task today is simply to have a chat with you; I'm afraid you have some inner demons," Wood Plark said bluntly.

Glory chuckled, "What inner demons could I possibly have? Hahaha!"

"Shambhala is the last stop, I assure you," Wood Plark said softly. "But it will be difficult, but once you get past it, the world will be your oyster."

"I don't believe a single word of nonsense uttered by any of you working in the Politburo and the Transportation Department. Hahahaha!" Glory laughed heartily. "A few years ago, you told me that once we beat up Johnny, everything would be perfect. Then you told me that taking over the Eurasian Land Bridge would be perfect. Later, after fighting all the way to the Northern Territory, you told me that driving the Madness Butterfly Sect to the Unmanned Zone would be perfect. I'm wondering if this is some kind of rerun of the Underworld Rock Concert? How many times has Beyond held their Underworld concerts, and they always sing the same song? Hahahaha! I'm not a child anymore."

Wood finally couldn't hold back anymore--

"--No, let me explain."

Glory mimicked Plark, sitting casually with her knees drawn up to her chest.

"You can continue to control my life. I think it's fine. You continue farming, and I continue fighting the enemy. There's no need to explain. Leave the enemies you can't handle to me, and the things I can't handle to you. I trust the BOSS's judgment. There's no devil in this world that can't be killed—this isn't a struggle that can be fought in a year or two, nor is it a task that can be accomplished in a decade or two."

"The entire history of humankind revolves around land and the struggle for power; it's a history of cannibalism. We must be vigilant and prepared at all times."

"You said you wanted to chat with me, what are you going to talk about, Mr. Wood?"

Glory waved and stood up to leave.

"You want to talk to me about nine ways to kill the Madness Butterfly? You want to talk to me about nine variables that affect production conditions due to air humidity? Why don't you tell me how to drink chocolate milk? You've already talked about that. In short, I think you have something to do, you should be very busy, you should be busy so that people can live happily—that's why I'm fighting so hard."

"Alright then." Wood Plark was momentarily bewildered as he watched the War King walk further and further away.

At this moment, Elena stumbled after her.

"Mom! Mom! Where are you going?"

Glory pushed the girl back, but couldn't move her at first, Elena tried to fight her.

Later, the War King put his Elena, grabbed the little girl's arm, and brought her back to Plark's side.

"Come! Let this gentleman take control of your life and change your destiny."

Elena was stunned. "Huh?"

After saying goodbye to the "daughter" she had taken in, Glory returned to her car.

Elena yelled, "Gun! My God! Your gun!"

The FNX-45 is still in Elena's possession; it seems the War King forgot to take it.

"It's yours!" Glory rolled down the car window. "I have better ones!"

Elena cried out, both amused and exasperated, "How am I supposed to find you?! Oh, Mom! I have to fulfill my filial duty!"

Wood Plark told Elena, "You can try looking for her at the nameless woman's place, but she's probably very busy and doesn't usually see anyone."

Elena then turned around and looked directly at the blond uncle.

"Oh dear, I finally found someone to rely on! She's my savior, Uncle!"

Wood Plark looked up at the sign for the Golden Beetle Defense Center.

"--How many other girls are like you?"

"Uh," Elena thoughtfully, "More than three hundred? I'm not so sure."

Wood examined Elena's physical body, observing the structure of her elemental essence. "Stay here. I will find suitable teachers to train you."

Elena: "Train us?"

"You are no longer princesses of the Valhalla Palace," Wood Plark said. "The Mr. Fantastic Chapter is now defunct. District 54 needs a new armed force—if you want to see the War King often, become a little angel of Ming De."

Just as Glory was heading to the location where the second secret letter was stored.

Hasben Madison, far away in the Fang Feng, received the BOSS's orders.

The gunsmith's apprentice was going to District 54 to form a new warband, Hasben wasn't very enthusiastic. He knew that the gunsmith's death and the various changes that had occurred between the Nameless and the warband had made him see the coldness of human nature.

The gunsmith teacher's funeral has not yet been held. How many people are watching coldly, and how many are offering their concern? These specific behaviors reflect the myriad aspects of human nature.

"Boss, I don't think I'm suited to be a teacher. I'm an anonymous field operative, and my connection to the chapter is limited to my time serving in the Rangers."

Hasben seemed a little embarrassed when he talked about these things.

BOSS: "Bring female soldiers."

Hasben: "That won't work either."

BOSS: "They're all female fans of the War King."

Hasben: "This is different, Boss."

BOSS: "I sent you the photos. You've been to Yellow Bull Town, Bailong County, and Clearwater Bay. Your father is a heinous bastard. You can overcome the curse of your bloodline. I believe in your abilities. These girls need a role model, a good role model who has escaped from the mire. You can teach them and give them the power to change their fate."

Hasben: "What photos? Blood ties, wait a minute."

BOSS: "Hmm?"

The sound of a train whistle could be heard on the other end of Hasben's phone.

"I'm already in the car, which leader should I ask for their signature?"

Fuyanni squatted in the dry land, with the river embankment not far away.

Billy, along with his best friend, was monitoring the pollution levels in the water.

"I came here to support my teacher's wife, why?" Fuyanni didn't understand. "Why do I have to stay in this godforsaken place for two more months? To work with these convicts?"

"We've killed most of them, we need to stay and help." Billy put on a pair of glasses, looking quite refined; his eyesight had visibly deteriorated from his clerical work these past few days. "Don't talk, just feel it."

Fuyanni kept scratching his head as he saw the culprit running towards him in prison clothes.

The Horse-Faced Monkey approached Fuyanni, put down the load of materials for modifying the waterway, and greeted him with a smile.

"Hey! Boss! Is your car still here? I want to touch it! Can I just touch it? Just a little bit! It's the most comfortable steering wheel I've ever touched!"

Fuyanni gritted his teeth, but he couldn't hit anyone.

"Hold!"