Chapter 29
The rising sun leaped completely above the sea, dyeing the vast expanse of blue water into a fickle golden hue. The cruise ship cut through the waves, steaming at full speed away from the "sea graveyard," leaving that steel jungle of rust, blood, and unsolved mysteries far behind.
On the deck, traces of the battle had been quickly cleared, leaving only the lingering smell of gunpowder in the air and the heavy lingering fear in everyone's heart.
Inside the control room, the atmosphere did not become much more relaxed with Viper's capture and evacuation.
"The fortress has been confirmed sunk." Hai Dongqing stared at the radar screen, which had just regained some functionality, and the intermittent encrypted information, his face solemn. "The decoy team... no one responded. The main force of the 'Shadow' has withdrawn from the area after completing the destruction. Their whereabouts are currently unknown."
The price was heavy. To divert the main force, a meticulously crafted, priceless camouflage ship and its loyal crew sank forever to the icy bottom of the ocean.
Gu Jing stood in front of the screen, silently gazing at the empty expanse of sea that marked the sinking location, his fingertips tightening slightly. This was the rule of the dark world, where every step was punctuated by blood and sacrifice.
"Any news about Nightingale?" he asked, his voice a little hoarse.
"The signal is unstable. We're still trying to establish a secure connection," 739 replied. His arm was wrapped in a fresh bandage, a souvenir from the brief firefight with Viper's men. "But the fragments of information intercepted earlier indicate that Qin Zhengfeng isn't entirely satisfied with the destruction of the 'Fortress.' He suspects Yu-ge and the core data aren't aboard. The priority of the 'Nirvana' project has been raised again."
"Nirvana..." Gu Jing repeated this ominous codename. What exactly was Qin Zhengfeng planning? A mutual destruction? Or some even more terrifying, subversive plan?
"Where are we going next?" Hai Dongqing looked at Gu Jing. The original safe island had been exposed, and the route had to be changed again.
Gu Jing cast his gaze towards the vast ocean and pondered for a moment: "Let's go to Pelican Harbor."
"Pelican Harbor?" Haidongqing and 739 were both stunned. It was an extremely inconspicuous small supply point on Qin Yu's list of secret assets, located on a remote international shipping branch line. It only had the most basic fuel and fresh water supply functions and almost no defense capabilities.
"It's too simple there, and not absolutely safe..." Haidongqing couldn't help but remind.
"The more inconspicuous, the safer." Gu Jing interrupted him, his eyes calm. "Qin Zhengfeng is now like a wounded and mad beast. He will only bite those places that look most like hiding places. We need time. He needs surgery and an absolutely quiet environment to recover."
He glanced in the direction of the monitoring cabin.
"Pelican Harbor is remote enough and has basic medical support. Most importantly, we need a place to stop, sort out our thoughts, figure out what 'Nirvana' is, and..." He paused, "what to do next."
Haidongqing and 739 exchanged a glance, their objections fading. The young man before them possessed a compelling decisiveness, an innate leadership quality forced forth by a moment of crisis.
"Understood. Adjust course and head for Pelican Harbor."
The cruise ship changed course again and headed towards a more remote and peaceful sea area.
A few days later, the cruise ship quietly arrived at Pelican Harbor.
It was just a small dock built on a desolate coastline, with a few simple warehouses and offices, a gas station, and a simple clinic. The person in charge was a taciturn, dark-skinned veteran codenamed "Lighthouse." When he saw the cruise ship and the unconscious Qin Yu on the stretcher, he didn't show much surprise. He just silently and efficiently arranged the berth, supplies, and clinic.
Qin Yu was carefully transferred to the clinic's only relatively well-equipped observation room. After a careful examination, the local doctor—a middle-aged man who also looked experienced—gave him a similar conclusion as the cruise ship doctor: his vital signs were stable, but he was in a deep coma. Recovery would require time and a miracle, and the most important thing was to avoid any stimulation.
Gu Jing stood outside the observation room, looking through the glass at the man who was still sleeping inside.
A few days passed, and Qin Yu's complexion seemed to have regained a bit of color, but he was still extremely thin, with a lingering look of fatigue and illness between his brows. The sense of vulnerability after all the sharpness and paranoia faded away made Gu Jing's heart tighten.
He was used to the strong, crazy, and controlling Qin Yu, and faced with such a quiet and fragile Qin Yu, he felt a little helpless.
Hatred seemed to have long since become blurred in the repeated life and death battles and fighting side by side. What remained was an extremely complex bond that was a mixture of responsibility, dependence, and even a hint of... something that even he himself did not dare to delve into.
"He'll wake up." Lighthouse walked over to him at some point and handed him a cup of strong coffee. His voice was as hoarse as sandpaper. "This kid is very tough, just like his mother."
Gu Jing took the coffee and took a sip. The bitter taste cheered him up a little: "Do you know his mother?"
A trace of distant memories and sadness flashed through Lighthouse's cloudy eyes: "I met her a few times. She was... a very good and brave woman. What a pity."
He didn't say much, patted Gu Jing on the shoulder, turned and left.
Gu Jing leaned against the wall, drinking his coffee slowly. The mystery about the Qin family in his heart seemed to grow even thicker.
The days at Pelican Harbor seemed to be slowed down.
There was no more pursuit that could come at any time, no more thrilling explosions and gunfights, only the sound of waves, the chirping of seabirds and the occasional whistle from the harbor.
Gu Jing spent most of his time outside the observation room, processing the intermittent information sent by Nightingale, trying to piece together the truth about the Nirvana Project, but progress was slow. Qin Zhengfeng seemed to have protected the project very well.
He would also visit Uncle Lin regularly. The old man had been secretly transferred here in advance by 739 and others. His injuries had recovered well, but his spirit seemed to have been greatly traumatized. When he saw Gu Jing, he always hesitated to speak, tears streaming down his face, and he kept repeating "I'm sorry, Master" and "I didn't take good care of the young master."
Gu Jing comforted him, but he knew in his heart that some wounds needed time to heal.
Haidongqing and 739 led their men, using Pelican Harbor as their base, and carefully extended outward, rebuilding the damaged intelligence network and contact points, while being vigilant against any disturbance.
Time goes by day by day.
Qin Yu was still sleeping.
The scars on Gu Jing's face gradually scabbed over and fell off, leaving behind a faint pink mark. He would sometimes sit by Qin Yu's bed, watching the steadily beating curve on the monitor, saying nothing, just sitting quietly.
Occasionally, he would recall Qin Xiao's cynical yet piercing eyes, and the words he'd said when he'd taken Viper away, "I'll take some interest." That man, like an unpredictable gust of wind, his every appearance and departure shrouded in mystery. Was he friend or foe? What were his motives? These questions remained unanswered.
That evening, Gu Jing sat beside Qin Yu's bed as usual, watching the afterglow of the setting sun shine through the window, casting a warm golden hue on the pale ward.
He was looking down at some analytical reports sent by "Nightingale" about the abnormal financial fluctuations of several shell companies under Qin Zhengfeng, with a frown on his face.
Suddenly, he felt an extremely faint sight.
He raised his head sharply.
On the hospital bed, Qin Yu opened his eyes at some point.
Those bottomless eyes, which seemed somewhat distracted and confused due to the long period of coma, were looking at him quietly and without blinking.
Their eyes met.
The air seemed to freeze at this moment.
Gu Jing's heart seemed to be suddenly gripped by something, his breathing suddenly stopped, and the tablet in his hand almost slipped to the ground.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Qin Yu's sight slowly focused, and the distraction gradually faded away. The familiar, deep, slightly weak but still sharp gaze fell clearly on Gu Jing's face.
He moved his fingers extremely slowly and with difficulty.
The dry and pale lips moved slightly, making an almost inaudible, weak sound.
"……water……"
Gu Jing suddenly came back to his senses and stood up almost in a panic. He poured a cup of warm water, carefully wet a cotton swab, and gently moistened Qin Yu's chapped lips.
His fingers trembled slightly, but his movements were extremely gentle.
Qin Yu cooperated by opening his mouth slightly, his eyes never leaving Gu Jing's face. The expression in his eyes was so complicated that it was hard to describe. There was the confusion of surviving a disaster, deep fatigue, and a trace of... extremely faint, elusive... softness?
After drinking a few sips of water, he seemed to have regained some strength. His eyes slowly swept across the simple ward and finally returned to Gu Jing.
"...Where...is this?" His voice was still hoarse and weak, but it was much clearer.
"Pelican Harbor. A safe place." Gu Jing put down the water cup, his voice unconsciously lowered, "You have been in a coma for many days."
Qin Yu was silent for a moment, as if digesting this information. Then, he very slowly raised the hand that was not receiving the IV and reached for Gu Jing's cheek.
Gu Jing's body stiffened slightly, but he did not dodge.
Slightly cool fingers gently brushed across the already faded bullet scratch on his forehead.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice almost whispering.
Gu Jing's nose felt sore, and he turned his face away suddenly, and replied stiffly: "It's all right now."
Qin Yu's hand paused in mid-air, then slowly dropped down. The slight softness in his eyes seemed to disappear quietly, and he returned to his usual deep and unfathomable look.
He closed his eyes, as if speaking so much had taken up a lot of energy, and his breathing became a little rapid again.
Gu Jing's heart tightened and he quickly pressed the call bell.
The doctor and 739 arrived quickly. After a round of examination, they confirmed that Qin Yu was just too weak and needed to continue resting, but waking up itself was the best signal.
The ward became quiet again.
Qin Yu seemed to have fallen asleep again, but his brows were no longer furrowed and his breathing became steady.
Gu Jing stood beside the bed, looking at his face which was still pale but finally had a hint of life. His heartstrings, which had been tense all the time, finally relaxed slowly until this moment.
A huge, indescribable feeling of exhaustion and relief swept over him.
He slowly sat down on the chair beside the bed, leaned over the edge and closed his eyes.
The last rays of sunset gently enveloped the two of them.
One was sleeping soundly on the hospital bed, and the other was resting tiredly beside the bed.
Outside the window, the sound of waves gently lapping against the shore is like a gentle whisper.
The storm seemed to have passed for the time being.
But they all knew that this was only a brief period of calm.
Qin Zhengfeng has not been eliminated, the shadow of the "Nirvana" plan still looms, the whereabouts of Qin Xiao and Viper remain a mystery, and the vast, dark "Second Empire" still needs someone to control...
And what about the complicated relationship between them, which is a mixture of hatred, fear, exploitation, redemption and some kind of deformed dependence? What will happen to it?
The road ahead is still full of thorns and fog.
But at least at this moment, in the afterglow of the sunset in this remote harbor, they had a chance to breathe for a moment.
And some answers require time, require waiting, and also require... two people to face them together.
Gu Jing lay on the edge of the bed, his consciousness gradually becoming blurred.
Before falling into sleep, he seemed to feel a slightly cool hand, very gently and with a hint of uncertainty, covering his hair scattered on the sheets.
The movements are very light and slow.
Like a clumsy, cautious touch.
He didn't open his eyes or move.
It seemed like just an illusion after being extremely tired.
Only the gentle sound of waves outside the window witnessed this moment of brief but real tranquility.
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