News of Ren Yao’s accident spread by word of mouth. Within minutes, Brother Mammoth’s other underlings had rushed to the mine and surrounded the scene of the incident.
“What happened?”
“Who did this to Brother Yao?”
“Is Brother Yao all right?”
“He has several broken bones. He won’t be able to walk for a while but he won’t die.”
“Who the hell was bold enough to do something like this?”
“Those two on top of the mountain. Yuan Que and that pretty little white haired guy.”
One of the underlings who had taken Ren Yao to the medical room returned to the scene. Combining what he had witnessed with his own assumptions, he explained the situation to the others.
“Brother Yao was teaching that pretty boy a lesson but the pretty boy ended up pushing Brother Yao down the mountain instead. Yuan Que is his lover and the two of them actually had the nerve to kiss each other at a time like this!”
“Holy shit! They’re that brazen?”
“Yuan Que is into that sort of thing? No wonder he never comes with us to the Red Light Street.”
“What does that pretty boy look like?”
“Pretty seductive. A lot more beautiful than that old flame of yours from the Red Light Street.”
“Fuck off!”
“Does Brother Mammoth know about this yet?”
“Someone’s been sent to notify him at the office. The boss is there today, too…”
The hushed discussions below were neither particularly loud nor particularly quiet. Their voices carried just far enough for Yuan Que to hear everything.
The moment Zuo Feng shouted the word “adulterers,” Yuan Que knew he wouldn’t be able to leave immediately.
So this was the purpose behind the surface dweller stealing his dagger. Lu Pei had deliberately created a false romantic relationship between them, dragging Yuan Que into the mess so that he would have to share the blame for injuring Ren Yao.
However, this clumsy and ridiculous smokescreen was destined to fail. Aside from some inconsequential gossip, Yuan Que wouldn’t suffer any actual losses.
“You’re ridiculous,” Yuan Que said.
Lu Pei smiled brightly. “You’ve finally figured that out? Everyone says I’m funny.”
Yuan Que sneered. “Is this your usual trick?”
Even though he already had a husband listed in the spouse column of his official records, Lu Pei was still dancing back and forth between different men.
Aside from finding the behavior ridiculous, Yuan Que also felt a subtle wave of nausea.
Lu Pei turned sideways and looked at the crowd gathered below the mountain, his expression amused.
“They seem to think we’re a pair of tragic lovers who are doomed to suffer together.”
Yuan Que silently put away his dagger without responding.
The crowd below was growing denser by the minute. From their elevated position, they could see the area beside the entrance to the mining district. Someone came running over and said something to a companion standing guard by the metal gate. The companion then raised his head and looked toward the mountaintop where they were standing.
People gathered one after another, talking among themselves as they advanced toward the mountain like a line of falling dominoes.
“Take both of them away!”
Even the order could now be heard from their position.
Brother Mammoth had received the news and intended to take them away for interrogation. It was obvious what would happen next. Lu Pei was about to witness the very scene he had seen in the spoilers: Brother Mammoth ordering Yuan Que to kill him.
Lu Pei rested his chin on his hand and asked, “Yuan Que, have you ever thought about leaving this place and living somewhere else?”
He paused, then added the most important condition.
“With me.”
Yuan Que let out a cold laugh. “You won’t get another chance to leave here.”
…..
The two men were escorted by the underlings to Brother Mammoth’s office.
The mine as a whole had a crude, primitive atmosphere but the interior decoration of this office reminded Lu Pei of the sunlit layer. It looked like the reception room in the home of some Upper House politician.
Even the scent of the black tea was remarkably similar…
Lu Pei’s nose twitched slightly. There was no mistaking that rich, fragrant aroma. The tea came from Shideying, a brand whose products were supplied through a special channel in limited quantities. Simply having money wasn’t necessarily enough to buy it.
His family had the same tea at home but it was reserved exclusively for entertaining distinguished guests.
Brother Mammoth evidently had similar tastes.
The middle aged man seated in the main chair wore a suit with peak lapels. He appeared to be around fifty years old. His clothing was made from exceptionally fine fabric, his slicked back hair was meticulously groomed and a pale purple pocket square peeked out from his breast pocket.
Lu Pei openly sized him up.
Old thing. You’re already at that age and you’re still wearing purple. Not dignified at all.
The man folded his hands over his knees and returned Lu Pei’s scrutiny with a gentle smile.
“Brother Zu, Brother Mammoth, I’ve brought them here,” Zuo Feng announced.
After delivering the two men, the underling closed the door and left. Only four people remained inside the room.
“Yuan Que, are you involved with him?”
Brother Mammoth glanced at Lu Pei. Some of the anger he had been feeling faded considerably when he saw that beautiful face. In fact, his thoughts began wandering in several directions and he found himself entertaining all sorts of improper ideas.
However, his superior was present, so he obviously couldn’t allow himself to lose control. He needed to adopt the appropriate attitude toward punishing the offender.
“You even threw Ren Yao down the mountain for him?”
Yuan Que replied, “No.”
Zhou Zu took out a cigar. Brother Mammoth noticed immediately and turned around, picking up a metal cigar cutter to trim the cap before handing Zhou Zu a metal lighter.
In the quiet office, the only sound was the scraping of the lighter’s flint wheel.
Nobody spoke.
Zhou Zu exhaled a mouthful of smoke before asking unhurriedly, “What’s the situation?”
The person he was looking at, however, was Lu Pei.
Ever since the two men had entered the room, Zhou Zu had been observing Lu Pei. All four people present were well aware of this.
Yuan Que lowered his eyelids, the corners of his lips curling into a mocking smile.
Gradually, he began to understand the other man’s intentions.
Lu Pei wanted to use him as a scapegoat.
By deliberately staging an ambiguous, romantic scene and allowing rumors to tie them together, Lu Pei could make everyone believe that the two of them were accomplices in Ren Yao’s attempted murder. Then, by deliberately using his appearance to tempt Zhou Zu or Brother Mammoth, he could ensure that neither man would be willing to kill him.
After that, everything would fall neatly into place. Brother Mammoth would only need to declare that “Yuan Que was the mastermind behind Ren Yao’s attempted murder” and publicly punish Yuan Que alone. That would give the other underlings and Ren Yao an explanation.
As for the surface dweller, he would remain by Zhou Zu’s or Brother Mammoth’s side as a lover, enjoying all the advantages that came with it.
First, he would use Yuan Que to deal with Ren Yao, his rival. Then, once the situation became inconvenient, he would discard Yuan Que as a scapegoat.
It was indeed a clever scheme.
Who knew how many men Lu Pei had maneuvered between to become so practiced at playing this game?
“Hmm…?” Lu Pei noticed that Yuan Que’s expression had grown gloomy and that he had remained silent for quite some time. He looked up and asked, “Are you asking me?”
Zhou Zu nodded.
His gaze moved between the two men before he asked, “Are you Yuan Que’s lover?”
“No. I like women,” Lu Pei replied.
“That’s what everyone is saying.”
“It’s a misunderstanding.” Lu Pei admitted it plainly, explaining the situation in a straightforward, matter of fact manner. “Ren Yao thought I was interested in Brother Mammoth and wanted to kill me. I happened to steal Yuan Que’s knife, thinking I might be able to use it to kill Ren Yao in self defense if necessary but I never ended up using it. Yuan Que discovered what I’d done and came to get his knife back. As a result, they assumed the two of us were involved with each other.”
Everything he said was true. He was simply stating the facts objectively, without adding any emotion or embellishment.
And if someone from the surface treated him as a scapegoat, then the sensible thing to do at this point would be to cry pitifully, recount his tragic circumstances in a way that tugged at people’s heartstrings, offer a few ambiguous hints and win their sympathy.
The gloom on Yuan Que’s face eased somewhat, replaced by a slowly emerging confusion.
…Why hadn’t he done that?
“That’s clear enough.” Zhou Zu nodded. “Then do you understand what will happen to you because of what you’ve done?”
Lu Pei replied, “I’m all ears.”
Brother Mammoth snarled viciously, “You’ve offended someone from the Night Hawk! And Night Hawk will pursue its enemies forever, until not even their bones remain!”
“Yuan Que, kill him,” Zhou Zu ordered.
Yuan Que raised the dagger.
The scene Lu Pei had once seen in a spoiler was now unfolding in reality, playing out exactly as he had seen it.
The black haired youth, slender yet strong, walked toward him one step at a time.
He moved very slowly, casually playing with the knife in his hand as he went. Lu Pei kept his eyes fixed on him, observing him carefully. From where he was kneeling, he had an unobstructed view of Yuan Que’s every movement. That was how he noticed that, on approximately two occasions, Yuan Que had used the blade’s reflection to look at the people behind him while turning the knife over in his hand. From that angle, the person he was watching was Brother Mammoth.
Yuan Que held a certain degree of respect for Zhou Zu but he had none for Brother Mammoth.
Just as Lu Pei had expected.
There were only seven or eight steps between them. Before long, Yuan Que had stopped directly in front of him.
The shadow cast by his tall figure fell over Lu Pei, enveloping his entire body.
Even then, Yuan Que did not immediately strike. Instead, he lowered his eyes and scrutinized the surface dweller kneeling before him.
Yuan Que was dragging his feet today. His movements were so hesitant and unhurried that they bore no resemblance to his usual decisiveness. Brother Mammoth was already itching to tell him to hurry up but since his senior, Zhou Zu, had not said anything, he naturally had no grounds to interfere.
During those few seconds when Yuan Que paused to wipe the blade, Lu Pei took in every subtle change in his expression.
Confusion. Hesitation and… a hint of pure, unadulterated curiosity.
Yuan Que asked, “Any last words?”
Brother Mammoth grew even more bewildered. Had Yuan Que always talked this much before killing someone? He couldn’t help wondering whether there really was something going on between the two of them.
Yuan Que waited. Once the man on the ground had finished delivering his last words, he would strike.
The blade was in his hand. He held the power to decide whether someone lived or died, while the other person was entirely at his mercy. It was an unmistakable relationship of dominance, with no room for doubt.
And yet, the man kneeling on the ground suddenly smiled, his eyes curving upward.
It was a smile full of confidence, utterly devoid of fear. It was the smile of someone who was certain of victory, as though he were the hunter holding all the cards and everything unfolding before him had proceeded exactly as he had anticipated.
Yuan Que froze.
The confusion in his eyes deepened. Even the fingers gripping the dagger’s handle loosened unconsciously. His thumb rubbed against the binding wrapped around the hilt and he hesitated, as though he were pacing in place without actually moving.
“I do,” Lu Pei said. “But they’re not last words.”
Brother Mammoth scoffed. “You’re about to die and you’re still putting on a brave front.”
“Objection!” Lu Pei suddenly slapped a metal badge onto the table. “Why don’t you take a look at this first?”
The metal badge was made of titanium silver, engraved with crossed blades and guns alongside a sheaf of wheat. Its surface shimmered like flowing mercury and even after it was placed on the floor, its brilliance remained undiminished.
Yuan Que had never seen such an object before but the other two men had.
“A military insignia?” Brother Mammoth exclaimed. “A silver one… an officer’s insignia, at the general rank? Where the hell did you get that?”
“From my superior,” Lu Pei replied. “He was just sent to Shen’gang Prison today. Perhaps you’ve heard of him.”
Yuan Que picked up the military insignia and handed it to Zhou Zu.
Turning the badge over in his hands, Zhou Zu uttered a name. “Lu Xun.”
“That’s right.” Lu Pei’s expression remained unchanged. “I’m his communications adjutant.”
The military insignia had originally belonged to Duoban Francis himself, Lu Xun’s communications adjutant. Lu Pei had specifically asked for it at the communications office.
“I’m sorry. My excessive reaction injured Ren Yao and this entire incident was the result of a misunderstanding. I think perhaps we could give one another a chance to get acquainted.”
He spoke just enough to make his meaning clear, conveying everything that needed to be said without spelling it out.
Lu Xun had been imprisoned, while his communications adjutant had been sent down to the labor reform center under the pretext of labor reform. Clearly, he had some plans in motion in the underground district. He was the youngest general in the Alliance, a man of boundless prestige and an equally formidable reputation. He was also only twenty eight years old. No one would dare claim that he would remain trapped in Shen’gang Prison for the rest of his life.
So, at a time like this, should they kill Lu Xun’s adjutant to vent their anger, or should they exchange his life for a favor from a major general?
It was such a simple choice that anyone could make it.
“A single badge isn’t enough to prove anything.” Brother Mammoth narrowed his eyes. “Who knows where you stole it from? Why should we believe you?”
“You’ll believe me.” Lu Pei smiled pleasantly and asked, “Brother Zu, do you like my hair?”
Yuan Que had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.
What did his hair have to do with anything?
Brother Mammoth thought about it for a moment. He knew that wealthy surface dwellers liked to alter children’s genes, changing their hair and eye colors to bright, vivid shades that would last for their entire lives. Then, poorer surface dwellers began following the trend by dyeing their hair all sorts of colors and before long, it had become a widespread fashion. As a result, the heads of surface dwellers were usually a riot of colors, whereas underground dwellers almost always had naturally black or brown hair.
“Oh…” Brother Mammoth finally caught on. “So you were born with white hair. That means you really are a surface dweller.”
What he did not know was that white hair was one of the most expensive results that could be achieved through artificial genetic modification and the cost of the procedure itself was astronomical. Only Zhou Zu was in a position to understand this information and ever since Lu Pei had entered the office, he had been carefully examining the young man’s white hair.
Zhou Zu laughed, seemingly unconcerned.
“Not bad,” he said.
“I’d like to stay here and work for you as a way of making amends,” Lu Pei offered voluntarily. “I’ll remain until the major general gives me further instructions.”
“That can be arranged,” Zhou Zu replied.
…
This matter had, for the time being, been settled. The remaining discussion was not suitable for outsiders to hear, so Lu Pei was temporarily asked to leave the office.
Four of Zhou Zu’s underlings were standing guard outside the door, two on either side, stationed like sentries.
Lu Pei walked over to them and crouched down against the wall.
He was exhausted today.
He had survived! And he hadn’t suffered so much as a scratch!
Zuo Feng stared at him in utter astonishment.
Lu Pei glanced at him. “What are you looking at? If you’re really that bored, go get me a cup of water.”
Zuo Feng fell silent.
After seriously considering it for half a second, he actually trotted all the way to the water dispenser at the end of the corridor and brought back a cup of warm water for Lu Pei.
“Thank you.” Lu Pei accepted the paper cup.
Talking to Zhou Zu had been surprisingly effortless. Several carefully prepared stories, each blending truth with fabrication, had turned out to be completely unnecessary. Zhou Zu had believed his identity and agreed to spare him without requiring any of them.
Of course, Lu Pei understood perfectly well that this ease came from the authority Zhou Zu wielded in the underground district. If Zhou Zu ever discovered that the man claiming to be Lu Xun’s communications adjutant had deceived him, he had more than enough ways to retaliate.
…At any rate, he had survived. Whatever happened next could wait until later.
Lu Pei cradled the paper cup in both hands, taking small sips of water. Zuo Feng watched him for a long time but didn’t dare say anything.
“What do you want to ask?” Lu Pei finally said.
Zuo Feng hesitated. “You… who exactly are you?”
“From now on, we’ll be colleagues. You can call me Brother Ruby.”
Zuo Feng: “?!”
He was so shocked that his lips opened and closed several times, his pupils trembling. Even without looking into his head, Lu Pei could practically hear the frantic storm of thoughts raging inside it.
How could this guy commit such an appalling crime and still walk away without a single scratch?!
However, Lu Pei intended to do more than simply get out of this situation unscathed. He also planned to claim an additional reward.
He had fled from the surface to the underground and then escaped from the labor reform center to the outside world. This time, he had managed to get away by climbing over a wall but what about next time?
Was he supposed to spend the rest of his life hiding and running away?
He didn’t want that.
For the time being, he needed someone to protect him. After several deliberate tests, he had already chosen the person who suited him best: someone powerful, obedient and easy to control.
And if that person temporarily belonged to someone else…
Then he would simply take him.
Creak,
The office door opened once more.
Yuan Que emerged.
He was facing the staircase on the western side of the building, while Lu Pei was crouching to the east of the doorway. The two of them were positioned in precisely opposite directions, as though their paths were meant to diverge.
All Yuan Que had to do was keep walking, turn his back on Lu Pei and descend the stairs. He would be free to leave.
And that was exactly what he did.
One step. Two steps. Three steps.
Lu Pei held the paper cup in one hand, tapping the outside of it with his index finger to keep time.
Once. Twice. Three times.
Yuan Que stopped walking.
Tap.
Lu Pei’s finger struck the cup for the fourth time.
Yuan Que turned his head.
Lu Pei caught his gaze without the slightest hesitation. Lifting his face, he slowly revealed a smile.
Author’s Note:
A country bumpkin with a pig’s head, Yuan Que, runs into little Ruby, who’s recruiting bodyguards. He gives it everything he’s got but he just can’t win!