Chapter 160 The Treasure Boy (First Update)
Watching the two argue, Wu Youren felt somewhat emotional, thinking that men were indeed indifferent to loyalty and women to virtuousness.
Given enough profit, very few people can resist the temptation.
After some haggling, Jeff finally agreed: two pale blue strange objects, no more!
Instructor Hong glanced at the boy, stood up, and walked outside. "Come with me."
Seeing the two leave, the Knight who had spoken earlier couldn't help but say again, "My lord, empty talk about military strategy is all just empty talk!"
"Shut up," Jeff said coldly, then lowered his voice and added, "Whether it works or not is up to us."
"So this means you're prepared to get something for nothing," the female Knight muttered upon hearing this. " Hong Yan is not someone to mess with."
"Tch, she's not someone to mess with..." Jeff's words trailed off, then he exclaimed in surprise, "So fast?"
Instructor Hong walked in from outside, his expression somewhat strange. "Two words are enough: pilot program!"
"Try... something?" Jeff was taken aback, then instinctively shook his head. "It's too difficult."
He understood the idea immediately, but he wondered where to conduct the pilot program, whether it would target certain individuals, and how difficult it would be to implement...
Strictly speaking, this line of thinking is just a thin layer of paper.
He never imagined that his thinking was being imprisoned by a complex web of relationships and related interests!
A strange look appeared in Hong Yan's eyes as well. "It's a pretty simple method, isn't it? He doesn't need to know the specific details of the fight."
She heard the Knight's questioning, but she didn't think much of it; the young man would surely come up with a suitable suggestion.
But looking at it now, it really is... very simple.
She was wondering to herself: How come I didn't think of that?
However, Jeff hesitated for a moment, then slowly shook his head, "The difficulty of the specific operation... is too great!"
He had already begun to plan a solution in his mind, but there were still many tricky aspects.
"Anyway, I was just chatting with you," Instructor Hong, not arguing with him, and even starting to clearly distance himself from him.
But at the same time, she firmly believed it would definitely work. "Two strange objects, within half a month, or I'll charge interest!"
At that moment, Jeff was clearly distracted and didn't care about arguing with her at all.
He instinctively waved his hand, "Stop arguing, stop arguing, let's sort this out properly."
"Go back and get ready," Hong Yan said decisively, waving her hand.
Watching the other person leave, she turned back to Wu Youren, saying, "It seems quite difficult to implement the pilot program."
The boy's eyes were clear. "How does it compare to the difficulty of widespread implementation?"
To break the deadlock on paper, it's best to step outside the game and focus on "ignoring the facts."
He's talking about the strategic framework, which is a methodology; discussing specific details... isn't that just asking for trouble?
Instructor Hong was speechless. "You're something else, no wonder Jeff won't let you off the hook."
"It's just wishful thinking," Wu Youren said vaguely, which was not modesty.
Even if the other party shows some favoritism towards you, no one wants to see outstanding talents emerge from an enemy country.
He must remain constantly aware of this.
The next moment, he showed concern for Hong Da, "What if that guy tries to renege on his debt?"
"High probability event," Instructor Hong replied calmly, as if he were talking about someone else's business.
uuɡu. First update, no typos. You won't see the pinyin suffix in the address input. You can then access the first update site.
" The New Army's reputation isn't much better than the military's."
She knew in her heart that while the suggestion was helpful, the answer was far too simplistic.
Compared to the conditions she proposed, it even felt a bit like extortion; who would willingly agree to such a thing?
However, she didn't seem to care much. "If they don't acknowledge it... let's see if New Army still has the nerve to look for Red Pine again?"
If it wasn't just her personal benefit, then it meant that Red Pine was kept away from the whirlpool, which was a worthwhile deal no matter how you looked at it.
"It's good that you think that way!" Wu Youren secretly breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and sincerely said, " Hong Da, you have a broad perspective!"
"Don't give me that!" Instructor Hong shook his head, then added after a moment's thought, "If anyone makes things difficult for you again, tell them to come find me!"
This time, regardless of how New Army reacts, she still gained some advantage over the young man.
Therefore, it is only natural to take on some responsibility.
Wu Youren asked with a smile, "Anything is fine?"
Hong Yan rolled her eyes at him, turned and left. "What do you think?"
That's really something... give me a pole and I'll climb it!
However, she believed that with the boy's intelligence, he would definitely know what he could say and what he couldn't!
Wu Youren secretly breathed a sigh of relief: He had finally heard Hong Da say that. Sure enough, it's important to have as many friends as possible!
With that in mind, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone at the Red Pine Martial Academy anymore!
Thinking about all this makes me a little excited!
He walked to the door of Instructor Hong's room and asked, " Hong Da, when are we going back?"
"Go back for what?" a hoarse, smoky voice rang out. "I'm waiting here to collect my debts!"
This is... Wu Youren was speechless: So they've got themselves caught in their own trap?
But it doesn't matter anyway. Since the others aren't back yet, I'll go for a walk.
At this moment, Instructor Hong was lazily leaning against the headboard, glancing subconsciously out the window. "It's not raining, why are we going?"
At that moment, she somewhat understood why the other instructors were keeping such close eye on the boy.
He truly is... a real gem who can surprise you every now and then!
"Yes, it's open," Wu Youren replied softly. "I'll just take a walk around the neighborhood."
"Then go ahead," the smoky voice said lazily. "I'll keep an eye on you, don't go too far."
I don't really want to go out! Wu Youren touched his forehead: Am I being watched by a Great Knight all the time?
However, having already spoken, he couldn't go back on his word; doing so would only cause more trouble.
He quickly tidied himself up and went out, but before he had taken more than a few steps, someone suddenly appeared beside him—it was the female Knight from the New Army.
It's obvious that the other party was waiting for him here; otherwise, it would be an absolute coincidence.
The woman smiled slightly and handed over a thin plaque with a faint metallic sheen.
"A pass for the New Army, allowing free entry and exit within the Tianjing area... including Jin Garden. The commander deems it necessary."
Wu Youren paused for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively, "Thank you, but I'm not worthy."
"The next time someone wants to kill me, this will be yet another excuse."
It wasn't that he was deliberately causing trouble; just six months ago, this plaque was something he wouldn't have dared to dream of, something he longed for.
But now, there's no need for it anymore. The point of being a good person is to offer help in times of need.
This act of offering an umbrella after the rain...
He wasn't that good to Tianjing; the real issue was that he got the plaque, and if Hong Da knew about it, he might feel uncomfortable.
Upon hearing this, the female Knight's smile froze instantly, "A mere hostage from an enemy nation, and you dare to put on airs?"
This is the kind of expression Wu Youren likes to see the most.
You can't stand me, right? But sorry... you can't do anything about it!
"Don't bother me," he said, his gaze clear. "I'm already a member of Hong Da."
"Hmm?" A soft hum seemed to ring in my ears, feeling both distant and yet so close.
The female Knight paused for a moment before replying, "I also have female warriors under my command, younger and prettier Ailin!"
"It has nothing to do with gender," Wu Youren shook his head, lifted his leg and walked forward, "Besides, Hong Da never ages!"
I wonder if praising a woman's youth is common in Liang; mature martial artists are often stronger.
But without a doubt, Hong Da wouldn't want others to say she's old.
"You..." The female Knight watched his departing figure, stamping her foot in frustration. How was she going to explain this to the commander?
The five of them had just left the courtyard when Commander Jeff slapped his thigh and said sullenly, "We got impatient!"
Of the four Knight, only one nodded slightly, "It seems... there is a little, but I can't quite put my finger on why."
The commander remained silent for a long time before sighing, "The hostage from Jin is an outsider!"
He then instructed the female Knight to stay behind and deliver a pass to the other party.
The key point is that the leader emphasized very seriously that the attitude must be kind and that one must absolutely not lose one's temper.
"I can threaten him, but you... you don't know how to handle things properly!"
Watching the boy walk alone ahead, she could only follow silently, while simultaneously using her communication wristwatch to contact the system.
As she raised her hand, she glanced up at the sky: Was it raining?
Wu Youren sensed that the other person was following him; he turned a corner, but the other person was still following!
For a moment, he was speechless: Is it really that difficult to just stroll around by himself?
As he was inwardly grumbling, a short figure suddenly appeared from the side and rushed towards him at great speed.
Wu Youren raised his hand and drew the curved sword from his waist, slashing forward without hesitation.
The other person was also a boy, even younger than him, and his gaze wasn't directed at him, as if he were attracted by something else.
However, the next moment, the boy suddenly stopped, watching helplessly as the gleaming blade flashed past him.
If he had slowed down even by the slightest bit, the result would have been disembowelment.
The two boys stared at each other for three or four seconds, Wu Youren lifted his foot and continued walking without saying a word.
After walking four or five steps, he sheathed his scimitar back at his waist, secretly lamenting Great Liang the social atmosphere was.
The boy stared at his retreating figure, somewhat dazed, yet also gritting his teeth in frustration.
He was still hesitating whether to give chase when a gun barrel was already pressed against his forehead.
Then a cold female voice rang out, "Don't move, or I'll kill you!"
The female Knight was from the New Army, but she wasn't wearing her uniform today because she was there on business.
Two men stepped out from the side, their faces full of mockery. "Then go ahead and shoot, dare you?"
The female Knight turned her gun and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
With a bang, a gunshot rang out, and a man clutched his thigh and collapsed to the ground.
Then, three more shots rang out.
It turned out that the boy felt the gun barrel move away and ran away without hesitation.
He was incredibly agile, as fast as the wind. Now that he had taken this job, he would naturally seize every opportunity.
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Chapter 161 Is it really necessary? (Second update)
The boy believed that if he ran a few more steps, he would disappear into the crowd in the next moment.
Unfortunately, a powerful force suddenly pushed him from behind, like a stone hitting his back.
He staggered seven or eight steps and fell to the ground in the street.
Blood was gushing from his back, and he was still a little confused: Was it really necessary to go to such lengths just to steal a few things?
At the same time, a third shot rang out, but only once.
It turned out that the uninjured man, seeing the situation was bad, had turned and tried to run away.
A bullet grazed his thigh, leaving a trail of blood.
The man stopped abruptly, raising his hands high instead of reaching for his waist.
"Try running one more time," a woman's voice came from behind him.
He turned around and saw that the woman had already put away her gun and drawn a long knife from behind her, the blade gleaming with a sharp light.
" Knight..." The man gave a bitter smile. Encountering Knight wasn't scary; what was scary was Knight who dared to fire a gun in the middle of the city!
He immediately replied, "I'm with Third Master."
"Hmm, he can't escape either," the female Knight snorted and activated her communication wristwatch.
"Calling for backup! Calling for backup! There are suspected insurgents at the Oil Market Street."
"No!" the man cried out, "Sister, we're just trying to make a living on the streets!"
The female Knight gave him a cold look, her scimitar trembling slightly, its blade flashing.
"Say one more word, and I'll assume you're resisting arrest!"
"Tsk," the man gritted his teeth, thinking, "Who the hell is this rich guy?"
On this rainy day, are it easy for our brothers to work hard on the streets, trying to make a little money?
Why are you high and mighty people so serious about this? Offering support and then resisting arrest...
The damn thing is, how the hell did we rebel?
The support arrived faster than he expected; five minutes later, two large off-road vehicles painted with the New Army's insignia arrived.
Just then, the police arrived, and the two sides met face to face.
A shooting in a busy city center is a major incident, and they will definitely have to get there as soon as possible.
These people, who were struggling to make a living on the streets, recognized the police officers and immediately pleaded for their lives and cried out that they were innocent.
The arriving constables, seeing that they were from the New Army, were somewhat displeased. "They've almost killed him, is it really necessary to be so ruthless?"
A male Knight who arrived coldly spoke, "Suspected of rebellion, you, come with us."
"Don't joke around," the constable exclaimed urgently, "Someone reported a crime, and we're here to handle it!"
The discipline of the New Army was somewhat better, but when it came to killing, no one could stop them.
The male Knight showed no mercy, saying, "If you refuse, we will consider it resisting arrest!"
"Damn it..." the constable cried, on the verge of tears. "Was it really that serious?"
How could a few petty thieves on the street cause such a commotion?
Meanwhile, the female Knight is on the phone with Commander Jeff.
"... He refused to accept the pass, so this was the only way he could offer his assistance. These people might very well be acting under someone else's orders."
Her firm stance wasn't just baseless accusations; the boy's identity was indeed a sensitive issue.
This was the initiative proposed to the imperial court, and the New Army was pushing it forward in secret, but the forces opposing it were also exceptionally strong.
In this situation, if something were to happen to the boy, do you think it would be purely accidental?
The identity of the hostage prince of Jin was kept very secret, but the New Army's opponents also had exceptionally powerful intelligence networks.
This incident also provides an opportunity for her to ease tensions with the boy—wouldn't that be a win-win situation?
As for the perpetrator, they might indeed be just a gangster, well... they'll just have to accept their bad luck.
"He's improved," Jeff praised. "And what's his attitude?"
"He..." The female Knight froze, looking around. "Where is he? He was only a few steps away, it doesn't make sense."
"Sigh, you," even through the communication wristwatch, one could hear the commander's wry smile.
"Forget it, I guess they don't want to get into any more trouble with the New Army. Anyway, you did a decent job today!"
He was absolutely right; Wu Youren truly did not want to have anything to do with the New Army anymore.
Hong Da has already agreed to protect him, so he can just relax and get through this period until he returns to Red Pine, which will make things much easier.
However, the ruthlessness of the other party surprised him, and the same question arose in his mind: Was it really necessary?
Those thugs, killing them all wouldn't be an exaggeration, but the New Army... are they so idle?
Was they trying to intimidate me and demonstrate their brutality? The boy couldn't help but think so.
He hurried out of the street before it dawned on him: perhaps there was another meaning?
However, he was too lazy to think about it anymore. Once a decision was made, there was no need to be indecisive.
To be honest, he was surprised to find that Instructor Hong's attention seemed to have disappeared.
Could it be related to the conflict that just occurred? Wu Youren could roughly guess at a possibility.
But he wasn't sure, so... he'd just have to take it one step at a time.
Anyway, Hong Da has already made his stance clear. No matter what happens next, as long as he doesn't do it on his own initiative, he'll have a chance to explain.
Honestly, it feels really good to be completely unsupervised; it makes me feel lighter.
He was even a little dazed: if he just ran away like this, would he be able to return to the Jin?
Well, I'm getting a bit carried away. If I really wanted to try it, I'd have plenty of opportunities when I'm hunting alone on a mountain ridge...
But in the end, he still couldn't completely control the thought, which was really absurd.
He reached out and touched the Little Ha on his shoulder. "This is the one that attracted the thieves' attention, isn't it?"
Otherwise, given that he carried various types of cold weapons, making him look like a formidable opponent, why would anyone bother with him?
Those who can afford to keep such high-end pets probably have some valuable possessions.
But how wonderful it would be if I had wings like Little Ha...
As he was lost in thought, a soft voice suddenly reached his ears, sounding similar to Hong Da's telepathic communication.
"Is it because you have no one by your side?"
Hmm? Wu Youren subtly heightened his alertness. So they've come after all?
His hands hung casually at his waist, his fingers twitching slightly, ready to draw his weapon at any moment.
But looking around, there was no one there.
The rain didn't last long, but the streets were already wet, and the few people who passed by were all in a hurry.
"Look down, below the red house," the soft voice came again.
Wu Youren lowered his gaze and glanced at the red house, then froze: there was a mouse peeking out of a hole in the wall.
So, a mouse can transmit sound in secret? The boy felt his worldview shaking violently.
"Surprised?" The mouse's whiskers twitched. "Cats can talk, so can mice."
"Hmm," Wu Youren looked up at the sky, let out a long breath, and said, "It's okay, I'm super thick-skinned!"
He lifted his leg and continued walking, still at a leisurely pace, enjoying the pleasure of strolling in the rain.
"Careful enough," a soft voice came, "There's a reason why the Jin hostage has grown to this level."
Wu Youren's senses were heightened, and he could feel a small animal darting along the wall behind him.
"I don't care who you are," he muttered under his breath, as if talking to himself, "You'd better cherish your companion beast!"
"You even know about companion beasts?" A soft voice came, sounding somewhat surprised. "Too bad, you guessed wrong!"
"Leave," the boy continued to mutter under his breath, glancing casually to the left and right. "I refuse to get involved in anything!"
"I am Chen Quanxu," the soft voice continued, while the rats scurried behind him. "Have you heard of me?"
Wu Youren stopped and looked at the spotlights sweeping in the rain in the distance; the raindrops in the light were particularly conspicuous.
White Horse Club... that must be an entertainment venue?
"Never heard of you? Are you famous?"
"I escaped from Jin Garden," the rats behind me stopped scurrying, "Didn't they mention it to you?"
A thought flashed through Wu Youren's mind as he remembered what Shi Linyuan had once said: someone had successfully escaped before.
He simply found a step to sit down and stared blankly at the rain. Not far away, there were other people taking shelter from the rain under the eaves.
Further away, there were tents set up by homeless people. "Homeless people, do you eat rats?"
The rat in the corner casually twitched its whiskers, "They eat rats, not me."
Such an outrageous scene... Wu Youren sighed inwardly, "A hostage?"
"Guard," a soft voice replied, "I am too old to be a hostage."
The boy was speechless. Whether the other person was genuine or not, chatting wasn't illegal, was it? " Ability User?"
"I have the cover of being Knight," the other party replied.
Well, Wu Youren was completely speechless. "Such a talented person, why didn't he go back after escaping?"
The mouse replied casually, "Besides the country."
"The country... was eliminated?" Wu Youren almost broke down. A dual talent of Knight and Ability User, your family was eliminated by the country?
He genuinely couldn't understand it!
The other party's family was also of noble birth, which is why they were stripped of their titles by the state.
The rat... Chen Quanxu he could not be a hostage because of his old age, which also shows that he was indeed born into a noble family.
But regardless of whether he's well-received at home or not, he's a double talent!
He couldn't help but curl his lip, " The Great Jin lost that war... no wonder."
"It has nothing to do with that," the rat said calmly. "It's a conflict of interest; I can't win against the other side."
"I wonder what your family's title is," Wu Youren wanted to ask, but ultimately didn't.
This guy rattled off a whole bunch of stuff, who knows if it's true or not.
Even if they are truly on our side, there's no need to be overly kind in some matters.
He took an outsider's perspective, thought about it carefully, and then asked a question.
"What do you need my help with? Let me make it clear beforehand... you should know, I've always been poor."
We're both from the Jin, and we share a similar plight, so offering some help is only natural, isn't it?
"I'm richer than you think," the mouse replied leisurely. "My only regret is that I can't go back to the Jin."
Upon hearing this, Wu Youren couldn't help but ask, "Is the border checkpoint really that strict?"
Even those with Ability User can't return to the Jin; how despairing is that?