IRCDM Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Fighting? So What?

Underground floor.

Inside a brightly lit room, Lou Chu lay in a treatment pod, listening to the sounds outside. He said impatiently, “Yu Wan Yao, that bastard, is kicking me when I’m down. I took him in when he first came to the Black Market, painstakingly helping him conquer the lower eight levels. But he won’t even give me a share of the upper seven levels. What right does he have?”

“Then you shouldn’t have provoked his people right now,” a deep voice replied. “We haven’t figured out the details about this Liang Huan yet, and Yue Hang has been keeping a low profile. Your actions tonight are just handing Yu Wan Yao a handle.”

“I don’t care anymore! I’ve had enough!” Lou Chu exclaimed. “You keep telling me to endure. I would’ve endured in the past, but now he’s even trying to interfere with the lower eight levels. If we don’t strike first, we’ll be killed by him sooner or later!”

“I’m talking about what happened tonight,” the voice outside said coldly.

Lou Chu was silent for a moment. “Teacher, I thought Liang Huan was just a civil servant, his physical ability is only E-grade… that’s why I dared to take people to block him, wanting to give Yu Wan Yao a warning. Who knew he’d bring that traitor Li Yao, and Liang Huan doesn’t seem like an E-grade at all. He almost crushed my brain with one kick. Did our information go wrong?”

“It’s hard to say, I haven’t been out of the lower eight levels for a long time, and the outside information network hasn’t been updated.” Outside the treatment pod, an elderly woman sat on the sofa, drinking tea. She wore a black shawl, and her face was covered in wrinkles. The burn scars on the back of her hand were particularly noticeable. If Li Yao were here, he would definitely recognize her as the woman who had been huddled in the corner of the shop before. However, her face was no longer filled with panic and helplessness; her eyes were as steady and sharp as a hawk’s, making people afraid to look directly at them.

Lou Chu came out of the treatment pod and looked at her respectfully. “Teacher, what should we do now? We can’t really hand over the lower eight levels, can we?”

Ling Xuan closed her eyes. “Lou Chu, I don’t have much time left. Even if I’m lucky, how many more years can I live? You can’t ask for my opinion on everything.”

Lou Chu panicked. He walked to Ling Xuan, squatted down, and took her hand with red eyes. “Teacher, without you, I might not even be able to stay in the lower eight levels. I will definitely find a good doctor to cure your illness. I haven’t helped you realize your wish yet. This was my fault, I shouldn’t have acted without permission. I will definitely listen to you in the future.”

Ling Xuan looked down at him, slowly shook her head, and pulled her hand away. “You should go back first, I’m tired and need to rest.”

Lou Chu stammered, “Teacher…”

Ling Xuan closed her eyes and didn’t answer.

Lou Chu was too stupid, controlling the lower eight levels was already his limit. It was a pity that she couldn’t leave the lower eight levels. If she could find a smarter manager… the face of the young man beside Li Yao flashed through her mind, but she quickly rejected the idea.

Liang Huan was not someone she could control.

—

The hovercar stopped on the upper level of the Black Market.

Liang Huan handed him the packet of Chinese medicine. “There are three ingredients missing, I had Doctor Su replace them with other herbs. Let’s try it first to see if it works. Have Jinbao brew it for you when you get back.”

“Brew?” Li Yao took it.

“Boil.” Liang Huan corrected himself. “Pay attention to your diet, and don’t use your mental power or stay up late for the time being.”

“Got it.” Li Yao was impatient. He opened the car door to leave, but Liang Huan grabbed his arm. He turned his head and smiled playfully. “What, can’t bear to be apart from me so soon?”

Liang Huan held out a hand to him. “Give it back.”

“What?” Li Yao pretended not to understand and slapped his palm playfully. “I spent three million Dawn Coins. Would I take your things? You’re hurting my feelings.”

“The mental power enhancer.” Liang Huan’s hand didn’t move.

Li Yao spread his arms out with a smile. “I don’t have it. I said I wouldn’t take it, and I won’t. A real man keeps his word. Search me if you don’t believe me. But let me say this first, if you can’t find anything, this matter will become serious. I can sue you for insulting my personality.”

Liang Huan unzipped his jacket and was stunned to see his bare abs. This guy wasn’t wearing anything underneath.

Li Yao teased, “If you’re greedy for my beauty, you can just say so. With our relationship, you can look whenever you want.”

Liang Huan frowned. “Why aren’t you wearing an undershirt?”

“You have to ask your moronic robot about that. It suddenly malfunctioned and washed all my clothes, but the power went out halfway through and it didn’t finish a single item. These two pieces are the only ones I dried myself.” Li Yao’s jacket was wide open, and he leaned back against the car door with a brazen look. “Do you want me to take off the bottom too? I only have one pair of pants.”

“…” Liang Huan frowned even deeper.

“I knew you weren’t that kind of person.” Li Yao was particularly gleeful to see him at a loss. He turned to open the car door. “I’ll go first—”

Before he could finish speaking, Liang Huan directly grabbed his shoulder and pinned him against the car door. He reached out and unbuckled his belt, feigning to pull them down. Li Yao was shocked and reached out to stop him, but Liang Huan’s hand changed direction and felt along his waist, pulling out exactly three bottles of the enhancer from the gap between his tactical pants and belt.

Liang Huan smiled. “You said you wouldn’t take them?”

Li Yao: “…Most of the time I don’t beat you up because I have a good temper, you understand?”

He turned around, his disheveled jacket and unbuckled pants hanging loosely on his body, and even the shoelace of one of his boots had been stepped on by Liang Huan, perfectly demonstrating what it meant to be disheveled.

Liang Huan looked down at the medicine bottles in his hand and said seriously, “This kind of medicine is bad for your body, don’t take it anymore in the future.”

Li Yao looked very unhappy, and there was a hint of doubt in his eyes. “What does it matter to you whether my body is good or bad? You just need to enhance my mental power. Lou Chu can’t understand human language, can’t you either?”

Liang Huan met his gaze. Just when Li Yao thought he was angry and about to make a move, he suddenly softened his tone. “I wasn’t considerate enough. How about this, you reduce the dosage first, half a bottle at most a week, okay?”

Li Yao needed to go on missions and had daily training. It was unrealistic to suddenly stop using mental power. Moreover, the Mercenary Base was not a good place. Li Yao had too many enemies and was well-known. If he showed any weakness, those people would probably cause trouble… He was used to giving orders and always forgot that Li Yao was not a subject under his command, but a highly guarded “enemy.” Moreover, he probably wouldn’t be able to say these weakening words even if he was beaten to death.

“…” Li Yao’s arrogant aura was like being splashed with a bucket of water. His attitude was still tough, but his mouth was silent, and he couldn’t squeeze out a word for a long time.

Liang Huan opened a bottle of medicine, left him only a week’s worth, put it in his hand, and said softly, “I apologize for my attitude just now, don’t mind it.”

Li Yao snorted coldly. “This isn’t even enough for me to swallow in one gulp.”

Liang Huan looked up at him, his expression cold and his tone deep. “Li Yao.”

Even if he was patient with Li Yao, there was a limit. He had already shown goodwill, and if Li Yao insisted on not listening to his arrangements, he would inevitably feel unhappy.

“What are you yelling for? Do you think I’m afraid of you like this?” Li Yao raised his eyebrows arrogantly. “If we really fight, it’s not certain who will win. I’m just letting you win usually.”

“You don’t have to let me.” Liang Huan said coldly.

“Come on, try it.” Li Yao laughed.

It was unclear who made the first move. By the time the hovercar reacted, the car door had already been smashed in. The hovercar wasn’t as spacious as an SUV, and it was difficult to fully stretch out legs and feet in the cramped space. Li Yao just dodged Liang Huan’s punch, and then he was restrained and forced against the back of the seat. Liang Huan grabbed his jacket and twisted it hard, his elbow resting on his throat. However, in the next second, Li Yao suddenly grabbed his belt. There was a click, and Li Yao pulled it out. He flung it mercilessly on his back, wrapped it around his arm, and twisted it hard. Liang Huan punched him in the stomach, and while he was bending over, he pressed down on the back of his neck and smashed his head against the car window.

Li Yao cursed, reached out and hooked his leg, and in the chaos, someone accidentally touched the hovercar’s switch. The car suddenly rushed out, and the huge inertia caused both of them to fall under the seat.

Li Yao lay on top of Liang Huan, looking up with a sinister expression. “I should have just taken you back directly, to save you from causing all these troubles.”

Liang Huan said in a deep voice, “I’ve indulged you too much lately, which is why you’re so ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the hovercar suddenly shook violently. The distance between the two people suddenly shortened. Li Yao quickly grabbed the nearby air lever to avoid kissing him directly. However, the car made a sharp turn, and he lost his balance and leaned to the side. Liang Huan reached out in time to protect the back of his neck, but he also pulled him over, and a sharp pain instantly came from his lips. The sound of teeth clashing was clearly audible.

At that moment, time seemed to be infinitely stretched. Liang Huan could even smell the bloody scent between Li Yao’s lips, and see the surprise in his eyes and the momentary pause in his breathing.

The hovercar crashed directly into the railing next to it before it barely stopped.

Li Yao slowly propped himself up, the expression on his face constantly changing.

Liang Huan raised his hand, wiped the blood from his lips, and said calmly, “So your tantrum is because you want to take me back.”

Li Yao sneered. “What’s wrong with taking you back? Don’t you know what kind of people are in the Black Market? Have you ever seen anyone get married and live apart? Where am I supposed to put my face?”

“We’re just in a fake marriage.” Liang Huan said.

“Fake marriage and you still kissed me just now?” Li Yao said plausibly.

“When did I kiss—” Liang Huan glanced at the wound on his lips and choked.

He had indeed pulled him over just now, but it was to prevent Li Yao’s head from hitting the car door, it wasn’t his intention.

“Don’t quibble.” Liang Huan wanted to sit up, but Li Yao stepped on his shoulder.

“Fine, don’t go back, you just stay in the Black Market. You’ll regret it someday, I won’t care about you anymore, and I’ll change my last name to yours.” Li Yao said harshly, kicked open the car door, and strode away.

Only then did Liang Huan get up. He patted the dust off his jacket, grabbed a belt from the crack, and realized it was Li Yao’s. He was so angry that he laughed.

This fight was simply inexplicable. He was clearly doing it for Li Yao’s own good, but Li Yao not only didn’t appreciate it but also tried to frame him. If it were anyone else, he would have already… Liang Huan frowned, the stinging sensation from his lips making him slightly annoyed.

He looked up in the direction Li Yao had left. The medicine in the box hadn’t been touched. Li Yao only took away the half bottle of mental power enhancer he had poured out and the packet of medicine he had grabbed.

The expression on Liang Huan’s face was difficult to discern. He dialed the communicator. “Deng Meng, bring two people to the first floor.”

—

You Zhao Chen squatted beside the hovercar. When he saw Li Yao coming over, he suddenly stood up. “Did the people from the Black Market cause you trouble? Could Lou Chu beat you up like this?”

Li Yao reached out and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “It wasn’t Lou Chu.”

You Zhao Chen was surprised. “Liang Huan?”

He looked behind Li Yao twice. “Didn’t you say you would bring him back no matter what tonight? Where is he? Did the strong anesthetic I got for you not work? What about the mental power jammer?”

“You’re too noisy, shut up.” Li Yao sat directly on the side of the road.

You Zhao Chen sat down next to him, chattering endlessly. “I brought more than a dozen people to pick you up later, and I even prepared the freezer. You’re just teasing us on this night?”

“The freezer will cause his limbs to die, and prolonged use may lead to brain death.” Li Yao lit a cigarette, smoking intermittently. “I just tried it, his moves don’t look like they came from the military… let’s find someone else.”

“Li Yao, your mental power situation is already terrible. You said before that you would definitely find a matching partner, but in the end, you finally found Liang Huan, but he turned out to be a spy sent by Yu Wan Yao, and he’s also involved with the military.” You Zhao Chen looked at him disappointedly. “You don’t tell me what you’re going to do, fine, I won’t ask. You said you have to increase your mental power to pilot the mecha, fine, I’ll help you. But now you’ve finally caught a Liang Huan, but you can’t bring yourself to do it—he’s a spy, he’s here to take your life. Can you stop with your goddamn Dawn Star morality? Do you think you’re a saint who has to protect all of humanity? Useless, they call you a traitor and wish they could drown you in spit. Wake up, you’re living worse than a dog now!”

Li Yao smiled. “Fuck.”

You Zhao Chen kicked the hovercar in anger, took a few steps forward, and then came back. “Are you really not planning to turn Liang Huan into a mental power source?”

Li Yao stood up and patted him on the shoulder. “Little You, don’t be so irritable. We must believe that dawn will eventually come.”

You Zhao Chen was shocked. “Are you sick?”

Li Yao laughed, put his arm around his shoulder. “Let’s go, I’ll treat the brothers to roast chicken tonight.”

“Do you have money, you poor bastard?”

“No, why am I being scolded all night tonight?”

“Who else scolded you?”

“It doesn’t seem like anyone scolded me. Always looks smiley, but his face is really scary when it turns cold, tsk.”

“Who? Lou Chu?”

“A robot.”

“Wait, why is your mouth so swollen?”

“…Ah, the robot bumped it.”

—

“Brother Liang, are you okay?” Deng Meng looked at the wreckage of the hovercar, and looked at Liang Huan with fear.

“I’m fine, there was a bit of an accident.” Liang Huan said. “Have someone take it to the repair shop, and take out the medicine inside.”

Deng Meng personally took out the medicine box, holding a chest badge in his hand. “Brother Liang, this seems to be something from a mercenary.”

Liang Huan glanced at it and said, “Maybe someone accidentally stuck it on, give it to me.”

Deng Meng honestly handed it over, although the code 969 couldn’t possibly be anyone other than Li Yao. Jing Yi next to him worriedly said, “Brother Liang, is your mouth okay? It’s so swollen.”

Deng Meng gave him a wink, and Jing Yi instantly understood, immediately shut his mouth and ran away. “Brother Liang, I’ll go watch them fix the car.”

Liang Huan looked at Deng Meng, Deng Meng looked at his nose and his heart, pretending to be dead.

Liang Huan got into the hovercar next to him, and Deng Meng immediately followed to drive. “Brother Liang, are we going back to the seventh floor?”

“Let’s stroll outside the Black Market.” Liang Huan said. “I’ve been here for so long, I haven’t looked carefully at the base inside.”

“Alright.” Deng Meng started the car.

“Deng Meng, if I asked you to do something you didn’t want to do, but the starting point was for your own good, would you be willing?” Liang Huan asked.

Deng Meng laughed and said, “Brother Liang, you saved my life, I’m willing to do anything you ask me to do, let alone it’s for my own good.”

Liang Huan smiled.

Deng Meng cautiously said, “But there are exceptions, such as these mercenaries, who have been walking on the edge of life and death for many years, living day by day, they sometimes don’t consider things too far, even if they know that some things are beneficial to them, they are still unwilling to do it. And the competition in the mercenary base is very cruel, I heard that some people may be attacked in the training ground just because they are injured, before someone’s mental power was unstable, and they were discovered by the team members during the mission, and they were killed directly to avoid dragging them down… So many mercenaries don’t dare to let others know they are injured, and many people die in their own dormitories after missions, until the next mission they are discovered, so many desperadoes would rather come to the Black Market to enter the lower eight levels than be mercenaries.”

Liang Huan lowered his eyes and stared at the chest badge in his hand, the numbers on it were a very deep brown, like the color dyed by blood after repeated solidification.

‘… Every mission in the first year was bloody and panting when I came back… thrown in the room to wait for death…’

‘… He sometimes rests for seven or eight days without going out, sometimes I’m afraid he’ll die in the room by himself…’

He remembered Uncle Yang’s words, his finger slowly caressing the somewhat rough numbers.

‘Ah Huan, some people are born difficult, destined to bear the fate of others, you are destined not to live for yourself in this life.’

‘Your Majesty, not everyone in the world is willing to be used by you, they are not puppet objects under your command, but living people.’

‘Liang Huan, you have done all kinds of evil deeds, killing officials whenever you want, countless innocent people have been slaughtered by you, and now wars are raging all over the world, and the people are in fear all day long, how many people have been displaced because of you, you ask yourself, can you be worthy of your ancestors of Northern Liang!’

‘You are a wise ruler, but not the wise ruler I am willing to follow.’

‘You Liangs are all cold-blooded and ruthless lunatics, no matter how well you pretend, someone will see through it… there will always be someone who is unwilling to be manipulated by you to become your chess piece!’

Was Li Yao testing him like this because he sensed something?

Liang Huan slowly opened his eyes, a bit of indifferent and disdainful smile on the corner of his mouth.

So what?

As long as it’s the person he wants… there’s nothing he can’t get.