game
Steve was sedated on the way, and when he woke up, he was lying in a bright white room.
"Ugh..." His wounds were aching all over, and in his hazy state of consciousness, he couldn't help but let out a low cry of pain.
The overly bright lights quickly brought Steve's confused mind to a clear head, and his instincts, honed by years of training, made him subconsciously begin to assess his surroundings.
He lay on a small bed, similar to a hospital bed. His wrists and ankles were secured to the bed with metal rings, rendering him unable to move.
He tried to twist his neck and found that it was a room of about 20 square meters, with nothing in the room except for a bed and a chair next to the bed.
He couldn't see a window, but he heard the low hum of the ventilation system, guessing that he was probably underground.
The sticky feeling on his body was gone, as if someone had cleaned him. In Song Zifeng's dungeon, countless drops of blood, sweat, and dust had clung to his body, making him extremely uncomfortable. Now, all of that had been washed away, and his skin could finally breathe again.
His wounds seemed to have been treated, although he was still in a lot of pain.
He was quite certain that the person who treated his wound had not used anesthesia, or had used only a very small amount; he had not developed any resistance to the anesthesia. Fortunately, this level of pain was tolerable for a Z-class agent who had undergone pain tolerance training.
What exactly is Karim planning to do with him, using a bath to heal his injuries?
Not being locked in a dark cell, Steve couldn't help but wonder about his situation.
His doubts didn't last long; soon he heard footsteps, and there was more than one person approaching.
"I heard from Song Zifeng that your name is Steve?" Karim spoke to him in West African language.
Steve sighed inwardly; he did indeed understand West African.
He turned his head to look at Karim and saw that Karim was wearing a white robe with gold trim, typical West African royal attire, and was accompanied by two attendants.
Karim actually looks about 70% like Rahman, but his face is more sinister.
“You can call me that. You’re Raman’s brother?” Steve replied in West African.
Karim is a prominent figure in the West African royal family, so it would be too deliberate for Steve to pretend not to know him; after all, he is an agent.
“Raman? Is that what you call your father?” Karim sat down on the chair by the bed, seemingly surprised by Steve’s way of addressing him.
“I don’t really feel like he’s my father.” Steve was starting to find the conversation a bit boring; he hated talking about Raman with other people.
Karim looked at Steve, his eyes filled with even more amusement.
“Alright, smart agent, I’d like to hear your analysis of your current situation.” Karim noticed Steve’s evasiveness and considerately stopped discussing Raman with him.
“I know you’ve had a bounty on me on the black market for a while now, but it seems my luck isn’t so good this time.” Steve made a helpless expression.
Karim gave a noncommittal smile: "You Nutag bet on Raman because of you, yet you still send you on such a high-risk mission. It was the same with Baya, and it's the same with Migal this time. Should I say you don't value Raman? Or do you not value Sifia?"
Steve sighed heavily. "I donated bone marrow to save Raman's two sons, and the deal is done. Why can't I go on a mission? Song Zifeng should have told you I'm a special agent. This is my job."
“You are very loyal to Nutag,” Karim concluded.
“That’s my homeland,” Steve said without denying it.
“So you don’t acknowledge Sifests.” Karim’s eyes turned dangerous.
"Will Raman publicly acknowledge me?" Steve asked rhetorically.
“He won’t; he can’t afford to offend his wife’s family,” Karim laughed.
“Look,” Steve said, without a hint of regret in his voice.
“Then you shouldn’t have gotten involved in Siefies.” Karim’s eyes and tone turned icy instantly as he spoke, raising his hand to stroke Steve’s abdomen from his chest.
Steve felt a powerful electric current surge through his body with Karim's touch, accompanied by Karim's touch. He tried to curl up in agony, but his limbs were firmly bound, and he couldn't move an inch.
"Did you know? Because of your appearance, his chances of winning have greatly increased. He has two healthy sons, solved the succession problem, and public opinion in the country has begun to turn in his favor."
Karim's voice regained its composure and elegance as he raised his arm, while Steve was already drenched in cold sweat.
It hurts so much; electric shocks hurt far more than being whipped.
"Tell me, how can I get back what I've lost from you?"
Karim began to stroke Steve again.
Steve trembled with pain, unable to utter a sound. He looked at Karim, his eyes already welling up with tears.
The pain was like bursts of white fireworks exploding in his mind, leaving his thoughts blank and unable to think at all.
After about twenty seconds, Karim finally stopped stroking. He sat on the edge of the bed and quietly watched Steve, seemingly admiring Steve's soaking wet appearance.
He had to admit that his nephew was very attractive, both in appearance and physique.
Steve's chest heaved as he gasped for breath. His eyes, as he looked at Karim, held an unyielding stubbornness, yet the mist in them added a touch of vulnerability to that stubbornness.
Karim's gaze deepened as he looked at Steve.
"What do you want?" It took Steve a long time to catch his breath, and his voice was hoarse when he spoke again.
Karim laughed, as if he had remembered something amusing.
"Things are already like this, killing you won't help. But I can still use you to have some fun. I heard from Song Zifeng that you seem to be very loyal to Chen Chao, the deputy minister of your Special Security Bureau. Let me see just how loyal you are to him."
Karim used his other hand to grab Steve's hair, forcing Steve to expose his vulnerable neck and look at him.
Looking at Karim's expression, Steve's heart sank. He knew the worst had happened.
Karim gestured to the servants behind him, and immediately someone stepped forward to untie Steve's limbs, dragged him off the bed, and locked him back to the wall next to the bed.
The chains on the wall were long, allowing Steve some freedom of movement within a certain range. However, he also had to rely on his own strength to stand.
The electric shock left him completely powerless, and he could only lean against the wall to maintain his standing posture.
Steve leaned against the wall, trying to stand as straight as possible. He didn't want to show any weakness in front of Karim. He didn't like Raman, but he didn't like Karim either.
He knew Karim was a psychopath, and he didn't want to give in to a psychopath.
Karim stood up, walked to Steve, looked him over, and gave him a satisfied look.
He enjoys challenging games.
A stubborn agent should be a lot of fun to play.
"Let me explain the rules of the game. Twice a day, I will ask you a question and give you an instruction each time. You must either answer the question or follow the instruction, otherwise the punishment will not stop. But as long as you answer the question honestly or follow the instruction, you will receive food, water, rest, and care. Understand?"
Karim's eyes revealed a bloodthirsty cruelty, yet his posture and tone were extremely elegant, as if he were merely discussing a beautiful symphony.
Steve stared at Karim without answering.
He knew that he had no right to say no at that moment.
He is a lamb to the slaughter.
But he simply couldn't bring himself to obey; he found people like Karim disgusting.
All he can do now is hold on as long as possible, hoping that Chen Jiu can be quick enough.
He had promised Chen Chao that he would go back.
He wants to go back.
“So, what are the questions and instructions this time?” Karim began the game after confirming that Steve understood the rules. “What are all the contact points and methods of communication for Tean in Migal? Or kneel down and lick my shoes.”
Karim's words caused Steve's pupils to contract sharply. He had no way of answering this question, nor could he possibly carry out this command.
He has his pride; he only kneels before the Emperor.
Karim never intended to give him a choice.
"Not cooperating? Then you'll be punished."
Karim looked at Steve, who remained indifferent and motionless, his tone revealing a cruel excitement.
He waited two seconds, then gracefully reached out and stroked Steve's Adam's apple. The moment he touched Steve, Steve felt as if he had been suddenly punched in the face, and he slammed against the wall in pain, then slowly slid down the wall.
The pain from the electric shock left him with no strength left to stand.
He collapsed to the ground in agony, curling up into a ball, but Karim did not stop.
Karim stepped on his chest, forcing him to open his body.
Karim also had a stun gun on his shoe, and the current relentlessly pierced him. Steve felt endless pain burning his nerves, making him involuntarily want to escape.
"Ah!" He finally lost control and screamed. He convulsed and tried to back away, but Karim was right behind him.
Steve's eyes went unfocused, and his fingernails dug blood into the ground, but no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't get a moment's respite.
The pain was excruciating. He had never experienced such pain before; every muscle in his body was spasming uncontrollably, and he couldn't think of anything. Neither training nor torture had he ever felt such intense pain.
"Ahhh!" He abandoned all restraint and cried out in uncontrollable pain, a sound so agonizing it was inhuman.
But his screams only made Karim's smile grow wider.
Soon he didn't even have the strength to scream anymore. He curled up on the ground, gritting his teeth, and convulsing uncontrollably.
He wanted to escape, but no matter what he did, he couldn't get away.
Despair crept into his eyes without him realizing it, causing the resolve in them to crumble.
"By the way, don't expect to pass out from the pain and get some rest. I've given you a drug that won't make you unconscious, and the intensity of the current was precisely calculated by the doctor; it has no side effects other than excruciating pain."
Karim reveled in Steve's pain, and his words grew increasingly cruel.
The pain never stopped; he writhed in hell, only to be scorched by the flames of karma.
His strength was gradually exhausted, and Steve eventually had no strength left to even struggle. His vision began to blur, his thoughts became muddled, and the immense pain robbed him of his reason, leaving him with only animal instincts.
Suddenly, the excruciating pain that pushed him to his limit caused his whole body to tremble violently, and a pale yellow liquid flowed out from beneath him.
He lost control of his bladder.
Realizing what had happened, Steve froze for a moment, then closed his eyes in despair.
Karim watched Steve with amusement, and in a good mood had a servant bring a chair to sit in front of Steve, looking down at him and constantly playing with his toes.
"No..." The overwhelming blow caused a crack in Steve's mental defenses, and he subconsciously began to beg for mercy.
Without physical strength to support him, and with his willpower also losing its foundation, he no longer had the strength to maintain his composure.
His biological instincts led him to unconsciously cry for help.
"No...don't..."
Karim looked at him and chuckled with satisfaction: "Although I anticipated some difficulty the first time, I'm still surprised you've lasted this long. I've played this game with many people, and the longest anyone has ever lasted is less than half of what you've done."
Karim seemed to approve, but then stomped hard on Steve's stomach, causing Steve to whimper in pain.
"In fact, we'll have to compromise sooner or later, so why make ourselves suffer for nothing? Everyone has their limits. Betray Chenchao and reveal Te'an's contact points, and everything will become easier."
The devil's whispers swirled in his ears like heavenly music. Steve looked up at Karim, his eyes bloodshot.
Ease? To become ease... The chaotic mind subconsciously tries to grasp at that only salvation.
He opened his mouth slightly, but no sound came out of his throat no matter what he did.
Betrayal? Does betrayal make things easier?
No! You can't!
Steve couldn't help but cry; he finally understood the essence of the game Karim.
Under extreme physical torment, would you choose an easy betrayal or sell yourself out?
He seemed to be given a choice, but in reality, he never was.
Humans have limits. Without physical strength, willpower is like a castle in the air, which cannot last.
Before his body was pushed to its limit, he had to compromise on something in order to hold onto his last line of defense.
He finally truly understood Chen Jiu's words.
"Believe me, if there had been any other way, I would not have pushed myself to this point. But it was too painful, and I had no extra strength to protect anything above the bottom line. I could only kill everything I had, including my dignity."
He couldn't betray, he absolutely couldn't betray! But the ocean of pain overwhelmed him, and his depleted strength left him weak.
He closed his eyes in despair, unable to stop the cowardly and sorrowful tears. Because he knew that, for the sake of the bottom line he absolutely had to uphold, he would have to kill himself.
Finally, he used the last bit of strength to push himself up to his knees, his whole body trembling like a leaf.
Karim stopped his torturous actions, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Steve knelt there, tears streaming down his face. He trembled, seemingly unable to convince himself to take the next step.
He was the kind of person who wouldn't back down even if his bones were broken; he was the kind of person who would die for his beliefs without hesitation. He had his principles, and he didn't want to compromise with someone like Karim.
He really didn't want to.
Karim looked at him and spoke coldly, offering a final act of salvation: "Tell me Migal's contact point, and you won't have to suffer like this."
These words made Steve tremble even more violently.
Half a minute later, Steve finally clenched his fist at his side, slowly bent down, and opened his mouth in front of Karim's shoes.
Karim watched silently as Steve finished licking, then sighed in disappointment, "You really are loyal to him."
He then got up and left the room.
The electric shocks stopped, but Steve remained lying on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. He curled up in a ball, crying incessantly, unable to catch his breath.
Boss, I miss you so much.
I really, really miss you.
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