章節 523: He's Not That Person
編輯: Dragon Boat Translation
Snort, snort, snort.
Fatty devoured a bowl of noodles with gusto, his enormous head almost burying itself into the bowl, while a pot beside him was nearly empty, with only some broth left.
A burly man with thick eyebrows sat on a long stool, silently watching Fatty eat noodles. He held a cigarette between his fingertips, occasionally taking a drag.
After Fatty finally finished his third bowl, the burly man spoke up, "Had your fill?"
"Stuffed," Fatty said, letting out a loud belch, then sheepishly wiped his mouth.
The burly man fixed his gaze on Fatty. After a moment, he spoke slowly, "Do you... really know Bluesea? Is he really your uncle?"
"I swear I'm not lying to you!" Fatty slammed down his bowl emphatically. "I would never lie to you, it's true!"
"So how did you find your way here, then?"
"Well..." Fatty glanced around casually before answering, "My uncle gave me this address, said you must be back in our hometown."
"Bluesea..." The burly man couldn't help but sigh, his eyes filled with emotion. He unconsciously touched his temples... Although still robust in stature, his temples were now flecked with gray. "It's been thirty years since I last saw him, hasn't it? Hmm... We lost touch after leaving the army, never thought he'd remember me, his brother."
"I remember, of course I remember!" Fatty exclaimed immediately. "How could I forget! They often mention you."
"They?" The burly man's eyes narrowed.
"Uh... and Uncle Qiao Yifeng too," Fatty hastily added.
"Little Qiao, is he doing alright?"
"He... he should be fine," Fatty's tone was somewhat odd.
"But since it's a visit to me, why didn't Bluesea and Little Qiao come themselves, and sent you instead?"
The burly man's face suddenly changed, rising to his feet in an instant. Despite being in his fifties, his demeanor became formidable, the aura of battle honed on the battlefield suddenly emanating from him. "Speak! Did something happen to them!"
Fatty was intimidated by this aura, startled for a moment before quickly responding, "Ah, no, nothing happened, they're fine, it's just... I happened to come to XXX city and thought to visit you, see if you were around. If I found you, they would definitely come to see you in the future."
As he spoke, Fatty used smooth words, describing many of Bluesea and Qiao Yifeng's characteristics and habits, even picking up on some of their daily activities.
Listening to this, the burly man gradually dispelled his doubts as the young chubby guy's descriptions of Bluesea and Qiao Yifeng's habits and characteristics matched his own memories, easing his suspicions.
"You call them uncles, so you..."
"My father and they were old comrades in arms," Fatty said, lowering his head. "It's just... he's no longer with us."
"Oh?" The burly man's face froze. "Comrade's son? Huh? Which unit was your father in? Since he was comrades with Bluesea and Qiao Yifeng, then I must know him too."
Feeling he had slipped up, Fatty quickly pondered how to mend the lie. Just then, footsteps and commotion sounded from outside the room.
"Da Feng!"
"Uncle Feng!"
"Uncle Feng!"
Several villagers from the same village had already crowded into the hall, led by a short old man with a hunched back and hands behind his back. There was also a middle-aged man wearing glasses, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, his eyes darting around.
"Oh, Director Wu? Elder Village Chief? Why have you all come?"
The burly man immediately stood up, nodding to Director Wu with glasses, then went to assist the hunched old man to sit down. "Elder Village Chief, wasn't the meeting scheduled for this afternoon? Why come to me at noon? Has everyone eaten?"
"No rush to eat," the Elder Village Chief shook his head, looking somewhat troubled. "There are some matters we need to discuss with you first."
Although the burly man appeared hearty, his mind was far from naive. Casting a glance at Director Wu beside him, his expression grew stern, and he said lightly, "Does Director Wu have some new directives?"
"Can't say it's directives," Director Wu, speaking in standard Mandarin, replied slowly. "It's about land acquisition. There's been a message from above that the company is willing to offer an extra thousand yuan per mu. I think it's a good deal, so..."
"My land is not for sale," the burly man said coldly.
"Ah, Da Feng!" Director Wu frowned. "You need to understand the situation! This matter concerns the town's economic development. It's not easy to attract this company, and besides, if this land is acquired, everyone can take some money and do something else, like getting a job in the company or starting a small business. It's better than scraping a living from the land. Plus, the price offered by the company is not low!"
The burly man snorted. "Let's not talk about whether the price is low or not for now! What kind of company is this being attracted? A paper mill! Although I may not have had much education, having served in the army, I understand at least one thing: paper mills cause significant pollution! If this paper mill settles here, what about the fish ponds nearby and the fruit orchards on the mountain? Will other villagers have good days ahead?"
Director Wu furrowed his brow, his tone growing heavier. "Da Feng! You need to recognize the situation! The company being attracted..."
"I don't care about the big picture! I'm asking, what's your intention, Director Wu, in attracting such a heavily polluting company to our village! Has the county and city's environmental protection departments approved it? How do they plan to address the pollution issue? We don't have any pollution control facilities here! They need to build one before anything else!"
Fatty sat silently, listening to the argument between the two sides. After a few minutes, Director Wu stormed off, leaving the rest of them exchanging glances. The old village chief sat there, puffing on his cigarette without saying a word.
"What exactly are you implying?" the burly man sighed.
The old village chief remained silent, and the others present avoided eye contact.
The burly man looked at them, feeling a sense of frustration building up.
These people were relatively well-off in the village. Their young and able-bodied family members had already left to work elsewhere, some settling in the county or city. In the past couple of years, they had also leased out their land... It could be said that if the land was acquired, they could sell it off, take the money, and settle in the city, regardless of pollution concerns.
But the problem was, not every household in the village had such conditions.
Seeing everyone remaining silent, the burly man sneered, "I see now. Today, you've all come together to convince me to sell the land."
"Uncle Feng..." a young man was about to speak.
The burly man glared at him and barked, "Xiao Li, don't forget your roots! You may be working in the city and have settled down, but this land is where you grew up. Are you just thinking about selling your land and running off, regardless of your fellow villagers?"
The others reddened with embarrassment. If it weren't for the burly man's influence in the village, they might have started arguing.
Finally, the old village chief stood up, extinguished his cigarette, and muttered, "Let's go."
With that, he walked out with his hands behind his back. The young man called out, "Elder Village Chief..."
"Let's go! This is embarrassing enough!" The old village chief sighed, glanced at the burly man, and shook his head. "Da Feng, I... ah, forget it, forget it."
"I understand, you're in a difficult position," the burly man forced a bitter smile. "Your son is in charge of investment attraction in the village, so you're under even more pressure than me."
The old village chief waved his hand and left quietly, followed by the others dispersing like birds.
Alone now, the burly man's mood visibly sank as he returned to his stool, no longer in the mood for conversation. He even forgot to ask Fatty any more questions.
After a moment, the burly man got up, went to the kitchen, and fetched a bottle of bulk white liquor. He bit off the cap and took a big gulp.
With no snacks to accompany the drink, he simply poured out a dish of sauce.
Fatty watched him drink in silence, then glanced around the room.
The house was clean and simple, but it was evident that there were no women or children living there.
It lacked a certain liveliness.
The burly man's mood was low, and his alcohol tolerance was not the best. After downing a bottle, his eyes started to glaze over with drunkenness. He glanced at Fatty and said, "Alright, we're all family here. You can stay here tonight. There's a spare room in the back, you can sleep there."
With that, he stood up unsteadily and walked into a bedroom on the left side of the hall, leaving the door open. In just a few minutes, snoring could be heard from inside.
Fatty sat there for a moment, then sighed and muttered to himself, "Dad, it seems like you've had a tough time."
Naturally, Fatty didn't leave. He rummaged through the room for a while, getting a basic understanding of the burly man's situation: a single, elderly bachelor with no significant wealth. However, the house was clean and tidy. In the backyard, there was even a wooden training dummy, indicating that the burly man hadn't abandoned his martial arts practice.
In the evening, Fatty returned to the main hall, closed the door, and instead of going to the bedroom, he spotted an old bamboo recliner nearby. He lay down on it and soon fell asleep.
He didn't know how long he had been asleep when he suddenly woke up from a dream, faintly hearing footsteps outside the door. Judging from the sounds, there seemed to be quite a few people.
Fatty immediately woke up, about to stand up when suddenly a hand reached out and covered his mouth.
"Don't make a sound, they're here for me."
In the darkness, it was the voice of the burly man. He had somehow silently moved beside Fatty.
There were shadowy figures outside the door, and flashlight beams were flickering around. These people didn't seem to be trying to conceal themselves; instead, they were making quite a commotion.
Some began banging on the door with force, while others started shouting and making noise.
After a moment of silence, the burly man said to Fatty, "The backyard wall isn't high. Climb over it and get out from there."
"What?"
"They're here for me. This is the third time this month. The first two times were just throwing garbage and dog feces. Looks like they're serious today."
With that, the burly man picked up a pole from behind the door and held it in his hand.
"Are you going to fight them?" Fatty's eyes gleamed.
The burly man snorted. "Enough, go now. Remember to tell my two brothers when you get back... say we'll meet again when the chance arises. Hurry! If things get messy later, with their numbers, I might not be able to protect you."
At that moment, the door of the main hall was being pounded so loudly that it seemed to shake the heavens. Soon, the door was smashed open, the panels crookedly swinging open.
"Go now!" the burly man shouted, charging forward with his pole. With a swift kick, he sent the half-broken door flying open and dashed out!
Outside, on the open ground, stood over twenty young men, dressed differently, some wielding wooden or iron rods, others holding flashlights that swayed back and forth.
Several of the men holding iron rods were at the doorway. As the burly man burst out, they shouted curses and rushed forward aggressively.
The burly man moved with agility, sidestepping a rod, then ramming into one guy with his shoulder. In one swift motion, he swung his pole, knocking another thug to the ground, then kicked another one aside.
His movements were fluid and precise. Charging out like a tiger among sheep, he swiftly incapacitated three men with just a few moves.
Fatty had no intention of leaving. He stood at the doorway, eyes sparkling with excitement!
In his memory, he had never seen his father engage in physical combat since his disappearance. Now, seeing his father unleash his might, Fatty couldn't help but stand by, applauding silently in his heart.
But in less than ten seconds, the expression on Fatty's face darkened.
Something wasn't right!
Although the burly man swung his pole with great force, knocking down two more men, soon he received blows to his shoulders and back. His figure staggered a bit.
Watching as seven or eight thugs wielding sticks surrounded him, launching a relentless onslaught, the burly man began to falter, struggling to defend himself.
It was only at this moment that Fatty's heart suddenly shook!
All the illusions and emotions he had experienced throughout the day were brutally shattered by the harsh reality before him!
The burly man in front of him, although his father...
He was no longer the Skyblade he remembered!
He wasn't the top expert who once led a team to become a permanent team in the Zero City, nor was he the one who, with just his blade, made even the elders and other big shots of the Guild afraid to look him in the eye in the face of Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild!
The burly man before his eyes... was just an ordinary person, after Skyblade's death and resurrection...
An ordinary man.
Yes, just an ordinary person. Although he still appeared to have good skills, the foundation from his time in the military and years of martial arts training were still there. But ultimately, he was just an ordinary person. Moreover, at over fifty years old, he couldn't resist the rules of time. His physical fitness and other aspects had declined significantly.
As one thug was knocked down to the ground, he seized the opportunity to grab onto the burly man's thigh. Meanwhile, the other thugs took advantage and struck the burly man with two more blows, causing him to stagger and nearly fall.
Just as the others were about to rush forward...
Bang!!
A gunshot rang out!
A thug was in the midst of raising his stick to strike the burly man's head when the gunshot pierced through his shoulder. He fell backward, dropping his stick, and let out a piercing scream of agony.
The other thugs were stunned by the gunshot, freezing in their tracks and halting their actions.
Fatty stood at the doorway, holding a gun, glaring fiercely at everyone. "Anyone feeling lucky enough to die today, step forward!"
The barrel of the gun lowered, sweeping around, and instinctively, everyone took a few steps back.
"You... You dare to wield a gun? Damn it! You dare to wield a gun!" one thug leader couldn't help but scream. "Alright, alright, alright! I was wondering how to deal with you! Now you're all as good as dead!"
"Say another word, and I'll make sure you die right here, right now," Fatty threatened.
The thug leader quickly retreated a step, visibly shaken.
"Now get out of here!" Fatty snarled. "I don't want to kill too many people today. And you, pick up the one on the ground and get out of here! If you're brave enough, come at me!"
These thugs, although brave and fierce, were not stupid. They glanced at their clubs, then at the gun in Fatty's hand, and quickly made the wise choice to retreat.
After all, what's the point of risking their lives when they could just take money and be done with it?
The thug leader wanted to say something tough at first, but eventually, he closed his mouth, wisely chose to keep quiet, and swiftly left with his men.
Meanwhile, the burly man sat on the ground, staring blankly at the gun in Fatty's hand. "How... How did you get this thing? Who gave it to you?"
Fatty's expression was somewhat vacant as he pulled at the corners of his mouth.
Without answering, he simply went over to help the burly man up and guided him into the room, fetching a first aid kit.
"What are you still doing here? You need to leave now! Do you realize the trouble you've caused? You dared to use a gun; they'll definitely come back..."
Fatty bit his lip, then helped the burly man remove his jacket, revealing a vest underneath, with several scratches and bruises on his exposed muscles.
Fatty's eyes reddened slightly, feeling an urge to go after those thugs and take them all down.
The burly man stared at him and suddenly asked, "Who are you really?"
"What?"
"You are no ordinary kid," the burly man said in a deep voice. "To pull out a gun and shoot someone in the midst of chaos, with steady hands and precise aim, it's clear you're accustomed to handling guns regularly. And... judging by your demeanor, the way you handle things silently after a fight, it's evident this isn't your first time using a gun! Kid, who are you really?"
But just then, there were suddenly several shrill screams from outside the door.
As if someone had witnessed something horrifying and terrifying.
The burly man and Fatty were instantly alarmed. They walked to the door side by side and saw the gang of thugs running back as if they were mad, their weapons and flashlights mostly gone.
What's more, it seemed like half of their group was missing.
They looked as if they were being chased by evil spirits, screaming in terror and scrambling desperately.
As they surged forward in a panic, they spotted Fatty and reacted as if they had seen a savior. One of the thugs shouted loudly, "Quick! Hurry! There are ghosts!! There are ghosts!! Get the gun out! There are ghosts!!"
Before Fatty could say anything, he suddenly heard a voice in his ear.
"Hmph!"
The voice was icy, fierce, and hoarse.
As Fatty focused his gaze, he saw a woman not far away, with disheveled hair and wearing a fiery red leather jacket, slowly approaching.
Her face appeared to be in her early twenties, with a beautiful appearance enhanced by heavy makeup. With her disheveled appearance, she looked like a female ghost in the darkness.
As she walked step by step, when she caught up with the last thug, the woman lightly snapped her fingers.
The thug's head exploded with a loud bang, like a smashed watermelon!
Then his body seemed to melt like melting ice cream, gradually dissolving away...
As soon as Fatty saw this woman, he couldn't help but inhale sharply.
"Aunt… Aunt Flame..."
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