trap?
My mother's hands were warm, dry, and always clean, with a faint smell of ink. There were always some oily ink marks, but she still preferred traditional printing work.
"Mom, can't I go on this mission either?"
The short-haired woman in front of her was too reluctant to even look up at her, focusing intently on the report in front of her.
"No, darling, I've said it many times. If you were perfect enough, I wouldn't need to say it a second time—because you should have remembered it the first time I said it."
“I’ll remember not to ask that question again. I shouldn’t question my mother at times like this.”
Mom liked to hear her answer after she had thought about it, and sure enough, she looked up at her.
She thought she should smile at this moment.
"Practice more. I'm still a little awkward in private."
Her mother took her hand and gave her a perfect smile.
"See, it's very simple, isn't it? Ella, don't slack off in your practice."
She felt a lump in her throat, and her mother patted her gently, saying, "I'm not blaming you. We all learn little by little. Ella will learn little by little too, and she'll get better and better in the future."
My mother's embrace is so warm.
"Mom is unhappy."
"Did you notice? Ella is so smart."
"Why is Mom unhappy?" she pressed for an answer.
Mother sighed deeply, her voice filled with sorrow: "Someone wants to separate us, Ella. I'm sorry, you can't take the mission. Your sisters will go in your place. You have to hide."
"Who is doing this?"
"Forgive me, I can't say it. But Ella, we'll get through this together, you're my most beloved daughter."
Her mother's voice was like a gentle spring breeze, which made her feel at ease. Her mother said that she felt this way because she was loved.
"I love you too, Mom." That's how she should respond when her mother says those words. She has always remembered it perfectly and has never made a mistake.
“Well done, Ella. Let’s learn something new today.”
Her gaze towards her mother was clear and pure, filled with a hint of expectation. She would do well; her mother never needed to teach her a second time.
"When I say, 'Stay in a safe place, for my sake,' what should you do? Think about it first?"
A series of footsteps woke Ella Zero's ears. Someone was talking, so she hid herself even more.
"Third squad, no abnormalities found. Now prepare to depart for the 18th floor archive storage room."
After repeating it three times, Ella Zero closed her eyes and silently repeated it a fourth time in her mind.
"Isn't there a team in the control room investigating? Why haven't we heard anything?"
"The first squad has gone, but there has been no report yet."
Ella Zero felt a bit of numbness in her right shin, so she shifted to a more comfortable position.
What was that sound?
"where?"
Ella Zero closed her eyes. She was patient enough, there was no rush, and she could afford to wait.
——————
"There's no time to waste, there must be a problem!" Yang Guang was furious.
Gu Yan stopped him: "There's no use in rushing, calm down. Let's get back to the outpost first."
There was no ambush; Ella Zero was acting alone. Not only Yang Guang couldn't understand it, but Gu Yan was also puzzled as to why Ella Zero would suddenly go back on her word.
“A rat is a rat, it can’t even act. If she had let us in, I would have asked her why she didn’t tell us the system had been upgraded and that the backup power now only takes five minutes to start, and then she would have said… said…”
Yang Guang couldn't continue making things up, cursed angrily, and charged forward headlong.
If Ella Zero had a backup plan, the consequences would be unimaginable.
We were getting close to the entrance; the ceiling was wide open, and no light was streaming in.
The lights are not on yet.
"Now's the time. I'll tell Uncle Qiao that we're heading back to camp."
Yang Guang responded and dashed to the front like an arrow released from a bow.
"Hurry up."
As soon as he emerged from underground, a strange feeling rose from the bottom of his heart. Yang Guang felt as if the world had suddenly turned upside down. When he came to his senses, he realized that he had been tripped by a tattered hemp rope and fallen among the dead branches. Sharp branches scratched the skin on his arms and cheeks. At first, there was no pain, but as his brain regained control of his five senses, pain came from all over his body.
"Holy crap."
Gu Yan's condition wasn't much better. The rope was caught on his ankle, almost breaking it.
A leisurely voice rang out casually: "Why are there only the two of you? Where's the other one?"
Old Joe sat on the tree trunk, holding the other end of the rope, smoking a cigar. He politely brought an ashtray so that he wouldn't burn down the tree along with it.
"Uncle Qiao? What are you doing?"
Joe jumped down from the tree trunk, slowly walked over, untied the rope for them, and then helped them up.
"Capture alive, I like this trick, I used it often before. Simple and effective."
"Simply and effectively capture us?" Yang Guang looked at him incredulously.
Joe took one last puff from the cigar filter and then shoved the remaining half into the ashtray.
"Usually in this situation, there's always an unexpected twist—the person I'm trying to catch just happens to be absent."
Yang Guang was confused by him, but Gu Yan was not.
"Is it a personal grudge, or did Shura reveal something?"
"Shura? Does he even have the brains for that?" Qiao panted heavily, mentioning the name with disdain. "Of course, it was Jiang Ping who ordered it."
Gu Yan closed his eyes helplessly, his head throbbing slightly: "When? She... she saw right through you?"
"Absolutely impossible!" Qiao squinted, glancing back and forth between Yang Guang and Gu Yan twice, before nodding arrogantly.
Yes, they're not standing in the wrong place; these two children are still on the side of the rebels.
"When exactly did you discuss this?"
Joe shrugged. "What are you worried about? It's about what happened before you came to the outpost, of course."
Gu Yan continued to stare.
"—Okay, let's use the radio."
Gu Yan checked the abrasions on his ankle; the problem wasn't too serious.
"It's no use covering for you, Ai'er must know about your connection with the camp."
Jiang Ping thought he could kill two birds with one stone, but ended up pleasing neither side.
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