Courage

At the Cloud Inn, Nan Gengchen was dragged into a room on the second floor, crying and screaming.

The light of the campfire flickered outside the window, but he felt as if he had fallen into hell.

Nan Gengchen cried out, "Big brother, please don't touch me! Really, I think Hu Xiaoniu and Zhang Tianzhen are better looking than me. Go find them!"

He cried out while secretly straining his lower abdomen.

He had read online that in such a critical moment, if you could manage to pee your pants in time, you might spoil the other person's appetite and save your life.

He never imagined he would have to use this trick one day.

However, the sound of the other person unbuckling their belt, which I had imagined, did not occur.

The assailant was wearing a black leather jacket and had a clean-shaved buzz cut.

A black dragon tattoo runs from his neck down to his chin, making him look extremely fierce.

The thug slowly removed his gloves, revealing rough mechanical limbs underneath. He moved his fingers, which made a creaking sound when he clenched and unclenched them, seemingly due to aging.

It makes your teeth ache.

The thug stood opposite Nan Gengchen, coldly observing him until his sobs subsided. Then, he calmly asked, "Kid, I'm not interested in men. Now I'm going to ask you questions, and you answer them. Cooperate well and you might save your life, understand?"

"I understand, I understand!" Nan Gengchen nodded hurriedly.

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

Nan Gengchen was stunned. He had thought he would be taken to this room and ravaged, but he did not expect that the other party would suddenly ask him about his identity in the Inner World.

This was completely different from what he had expected; it seemed that the other party's actions were just for show.

But he couldn't quite figure out why there was this turn of events, or how the other party knew he was Time Walker.

You've hidden it so well, nobody knows!

But then he saw the assailant pointing a gun at his forehead. "I'm asking you a question!"

With tears welling up in his eyes, Nan Gengchen said, "I'm a hacker..."

"A hacker?" the thug thought to himself, feeling incredibly unlucky.

It's important to understand that knowledge isn't inherited when traveling to Inner World, so technical Time Walker are the least valuable in their eyes; they're just people with identities but no real abilities.

Moreover, this identity might actually become a burden.

The assailant continued, "Which city do you live in?"

"City No. 18," Nan Gengchen replied.

Which district?

"District 1," Nan Gengchen quickly added, "I just moved there too."

The thug whistled, "So you're a rich person living in District 1. Why did you just move there?"

Nan Gengchen said with a wronged expression, "I was only recently taken care of."

The thug was stunned. What was all this about? He continued, "What kind of holographic projection has been playing at Chishui Square in District 1 recently?"

Nan Gengchen said, "It's the projection of three killer whales leaping out of the water."

The thug thought for a moment and pressed the walkie-talkie on his chest, "Boss, confirmed it's Time Walker from District 1 City No. 18. Let's clean up the scene."

After saying that, he released the walkie-talkie and was about to take Nan Gengchen out.

Right in Nan Gengchen's field of vision, the instant the thug bent down to grab him, a masked boy appeared behind the thug who had been blocking his way.

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

He didn't know when the boy appeared; neither he nor the thug noticed the other's approach.

There were no footsteps, no breaths.

There was nothing there.

The assailant seemed to sense something was wrong from Nan Gengchen's expression, but he was already unable to move.

The spleen is the body's blood reservoir. If it is ruptured by external force, the victim will bleed to death quickly.

The speed is second only to having one's carotid artery severed.

The assailant felt his body getting cold rapidly, and he could even hear his blood dripping onto the ground.

Blood and foam slowly gushed from his mouth as the assailant reached for the walkie-talkie.

But someone had already quietly reached out from behind and taken the walkie-talkie from his chest.

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

Qing Chen looked at him calmly. "No need to pretend you don't know me. Come with me. I don't have time to chat with you right now."

"Okay, Brother Chen..." Nan Gengchen said excitedly.

Qing Chen was not surprised that Nan Gengchen could recognize him.

The two have been classmates since their first year of high school. After the division into arts and sciences classes, they were not only classmates but also deskmates.

The two miserable boys have always been best friends. Although Qing Chen can cover his face and even deliberately mess up his hairstyle,

But Nan Gengchen only needed to glance at his eyes and facial features to confirm Qing Chen's identity.

Nan Gengchen followed Qing Chen, preparing to leave. He muttered excitedly, "I never expected you to come and save me. If you hadn't shown up, I might have been captured by them..."

Just as Qing Chen was about to leave with Nan Gengchen through the back door, a series of mechanical noises suddenly sounded outside the window.

Someone shouted, "Run! They're going to kill us!"

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

That's the unique sound of a gun with a silencer.

The bonfire outside was like a sea of fire reflecting the sky, and the students' screams were like boiling water.

He drew his pistol from his waist and walked to the window. The owner and waiters of the Cloud Inn were already lying in pools of blood, and the students scattered in fear.

Two Kunlun members were shot and fell to the ground, Cloud Inn was opened, allowing students to escape in the chaos.

A Kunlun member lay face up on the cold cement ground, his chest a bloody mess, his eyes closed.

Another Kunlun member knelt crookedly beside the gate and closed his eyes.

He was holding a gun, and next to him was a dead thug, with another thug's body in the distance.

The two assailants were shot a total of four times. The Kunlun members were covered in blood, and it was impossible to tell how many shots they had taken.

It seemed as if he had desperately opened the door, creating a way out for the students.

At that moment, the students were struggling to their feet and fleeing outside without a care in the world.

Qing Chen had no idea what had happened in that instant; even with his powerful mind, he seemed unable to process it all.

By the time he reached the window, everything that was going to happen had already happened.

So many people died in just a few breaths.

Qing Chen silently looked at the two blood-covered corpses. Because he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, his emotions were somewhat slow to surface.

There was no sadness, nor any emotion.

Something suddenly caught in his throat, but he didn't know what it was.

In the chaos, the remaining thugs did not chase after the students. Instead, they coldly bound Liu Dezhu, Hu Xiaoniu, and Zhang Tianzhen's hands, intending to blend in with the students and leave with the Time Walker.

Yes, the villains' target was the Time Walker, but now the plan has taken an unexpected turn, making it unlikely that they can kill all the students.

Therefore, their best option is to cut their losses in time.

A voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Old Five is missing, he might have had an accident. Old Three, you and Old Four bring those two downstairs, we'll meet in the parking lot."

The Old Four and Old Five are already dead.

Qing Chen silently observed everything. He suddenly remembered what Ye Wan had said, "If you can control your courage, then it's not courage. Sometimes, you only understand your choices when you really face something."

"Wait here. Remember, I didn't show up tonight. If I don't go back... don't tell my parents," Qing Chen said 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 now was the perfect opportunity for him to leave.

Ke Qing Chen wondered if he had really done his best.

If you turn away now, will you remember that you retreated today whenever you fight with someone again in this life?

At one point, he realized that what Mother Ye was right: once a brave soldier has crossed the river and stained it with blood, there is no turning back.

Regardless of rules, military orders, or advantages and disadvantages.

That is courage.