Chapter 69 A Promise
"We are still under the fog, we are still in the end times. To restore hope and eternal freedom, I will dedicate everything I have until the end of my life. My name is engraved on the crown of hope, and I will lift it up to grant the glory of freedom to the bound souls."
Lin Guantang knelt in the darkness, looking up at the figure shrouded in light. He was in a trance for a moment, feeling as if he was bewitched.
He just couldn't tell whether it was the high-sounding words, the deep and melodious voice, or the person who was speaking that made him unable to look away.
In the space that was so quiet that it seemed to be still, Lin Guantang suddenly reached out and pressed towards the glass table next to him. A slight sound of cups colliding was heard, mixed with the sound of his breathing.
The deep and quiet atmosphere was broken in an instant. It was not that Lin Guantang wanted to ruin the atmosphere, but mainly because he had curled up on the carpet for too long and his legs were numb, and he really couldn't bear it anymore.
After stumbling several times, he finally crawled onto the sofa next to him, stretched his legs, and gradually recovered.
While massaging the numb area, he was thinking about the meaning of what Huo Shizhen said.
On the surface, it seemed like a propaganda slogan for an organization with lofty ideals - but when you think about the fact that someone like Zhong Weizhao was actually a high-ranking member of the organization, there was no way Lin Guantang would have any good impression of him.
In fact, it is normal. Being able to gather different people together, whether it is actually doing good or bad things, there must always be a lofty goal, otherwise it will not attract people to join.
However, it is a bit confusing to say that we are "still in the end times".
If I understood correctly, the so-called end of the world should be referring to the crisis that separated the old and new eras a hundred years ago, but that was the doomsday that was announced to end a hundred years ago. Even for those who were born at the end of the doomsday, only a few can survive to the present day. Nowadays, more people don’t even remember the doomsday a hundred years ago. For example, Lin Guantang himself, his impression of the doomsday is already a historical event.
Or maybe the members of the organization are all the same age as Zhong Weizhao, and they still have a vivid impression of the end of the world. They are still under the shadow of the end of the world and have a low acceptance of the new era, so they still fantasize that they are still in the end of the world.
This organization is aging seriously.
Lin Guantang said thoughtfully:
"Could this be an organization that has lasted for hundreds of years?"
Huo Shizhen answered casually:
“Perhaps, until they are uprooted, no one will know what the full picture is.”
Lin Guantang: ...
You just said that it’s impossible to uproot it completely. Are you sure you weren’t just trying to fool me?
Lin Guantang looked at him suspiciously and decided to ask directly:
"So what do you know?"
It's really the tone of asking for information with confidence.
Could it be that the side effects of the temporary mark made Lin Guantang think that their relationship had become so close that he would tell everything he knew no matter what he was asked?
Huo Shizhen looked at him with some amusement and waved at him. Lin Guantang hesitated for a moment——
Why couldn't he just say it directly, instead of getting closer? Was it something confidential that couldn't be spoken out loud for others to know? But there was no one else in the room.
There can't be any equipment like eavesdropping devices... right?
Lin Guantang suddenly became uncertain. After thinking for a few seconds, he decided to cooperate with Huo Shizhen's actions for the time being. He slowly moved towards him, ready to listen.
Then I heard Huo Shizhen say:
"The relevant information is vast and overwhelming. If I were to tell you everything, I wouldn't be able to finish even if I spent three days and three nights. Compared to this, are you sure you want to open the box that seals the disaster just to satisfy your curiosity and risk implicating yourself and those around you?"
He stretched out his hand towards Lin Guantang, and in his palm was a vertical box that he had taken out from somewhere.
It seemed as if this was the so-called box that sealed the disaster.
Lin Guantang looked down for a moment and made a decision.
"If the disaster has spread everywhere and is endangering others, I can't just sit back and do nothing. Even if I can only help a little, I don't want to see anyone else get hurt."
As he spoke his answer, he opened the box.
He was even prepared to be frightened by something terrible, but the thing lying quietly on the snow-white lining in the box was the necklace that he had given away as a tool to scam people in Xiangwu Villa.
Lin Guantang thought he had seen it wrong, but when he saw Huo Shizhen take out the entire necklace and motion for him to come closer so that he could help him put it on - it seemed that this was the one that belonged to him. He actually remembered to return it, and so quickly, which was beyond his expectation.
However, he didn't remember Huo Shizhen handing over anything to others when he left Xiangwu Villa yesterday.
Could it be that someone had come while he was sleeping? Or did Huo Shizhen go to the Central Military Academy?
Lin Guantang thought about it and leaned his upper body forward to facilitate Huo Shizhen's next move, but he was thinking too deeply and did not realize that almost half of his body was hanging in the air above Huo Shizhen's chest.
Huo Shizhen noticed it, but he didn't intend to remind him. He helped him put on the necklace smoothly, and said meaningfully:
"I hope you don't regret it."
Why does this sentence sound so familiar? I feel like I've heard it somewhere before...
Lin Guantang's whole body stiffened and he felt extremely embarrassed because he remembered when he had heard it.
Then a feeling similar to anger and shame arose——
You must have done it on purpose!
He had almost forgotten that he had asked someone to tag him, but now he had to be reminded of it. Did they really want to see him make a fool of himself?
Lin Guantang looked up and glared at him, trying to question Huo Shizhen's intentions, but when he looked up, he was frightened by his face so close to him.
How come it’s so close?!
Only then did Lin Guantang realize that his current situation was a little strange, and it seemed to far exceed the normal social distance.
But when he wanted to retreat, his hands went limp, and he fell uncontrollably, his chin hitting his shoulder, and this time the distance between them was even closer.
Whether it was the icy temperature or the feeling of the massive muscles, they were all so vivid. For a moment, I didn't know whether to marvel at how Huo Shizhen could be so cold, with cold air seeping out through two layers of cloth, or whether to marvel at his seemingly good figure, the feeling of tight muscles instead of aching bones or limp skin/flesh...
Now doesn't seem to be the time to think about this.
Lin Guantang put his hand on the armrest of the sofa next to him and was about to get up and apologize when he heard Huo Shizhen's voice coming from above his head.
"If you don't regret it—"
Huo Shizhen had no resistance to his embrace.
He lowered his eyes to take a look, and after a little thought, he naturally reached out and placed his hand on Lin Guantang's back, stroking along the raised spine. Through the soft fabric, he felt the flexible spine moving, like a cat unwilling to be controlled.
"I can't tell you everything, so let's try another approach—whatever you discover, whatever you need, whatever you ask, I will satisfy your expectations and give you the answers you want."
Then Lin Guantang stopped moving like a comforted cat, and fell down completely as if he had no strength to support himself. Only warm breath blew along his hair to his neck, conveying a slight itch.
After lying quietly for a while, Lin Guantang tilted his head, looked up at him, and said tentatively:
"Is this a promise? What if I ask questions I shouldn't ask?"
Huo Shizhen lowered his head and met his eager eyes - he said he was worried about asking questions he shouldn't ask, but his eyes frankly revealed that he had no concerns about taking any risks. Instead, he was happy to receive this unexpected promise, and he had even thought about how to use this fresh promise.
The eyes are the windows to the soul—it seems this saying is more than just a metaphor.
Huo Shizhen reached out and gently pressed the corner of his eyebrow, and moved it slightly downward. His bright blue eyes blinked rapidly, and then simply closed, leaving only the other eye open to look at him.
Huo Shizhen then went even further, placing his fingertips directly on the closed eyelids, feeling the subtle trembling of the eyeballs beneath his fingers. He felt a strange and satisfying feeling, his eyes slightly curved, the corners of his mouth curled up, revealing a happy expression:
"You should know what to ask and what not to ask. If you feel you need to know, you can speak freely, no matter what aspect."
Such trust and honesty are truly touching.
Lin Guantang was moved and reached out to hold the back of his hand, then ruthlessly took his hand away from his eyelids - thinking this might be a bit of a betrayal of Huo Shizhen's trust in him, but Huo Shizhen's expression was a bit weird, which made him feel like he was going to gouge out his eyes.
Lin Guantang stretched out his other hand and pressed it against the back of the sofa, using it to prop himself up. This time, he stood up in one go, away from the source of danger, and said seriously:
"Let's start by explaining the true identities of Apashou and these two people in the organization, and the relationship between them."
His tone was a little vague, but his expression was quite calm.
Although his red ears had revealed his restless heart - it seemed that short hair was not conducive to concealing it, at least from Huo Shizhen's angle, he could see it clearly. However, he only stared at his red ears for a few seconds and then looked away as if nothing had happened, not intending to expose his fragile disguise.
"There's no direct connection between them. As for their roles within the gang, they can be fully viewed within the system."
Lin Guantang: ...
I checked the follow-up of the tasks related to Apashou before, but I didn't have the authority, so I'm asking again now.
You agreed to answer whatever was asked, but you're going back on your word before even three minutes have passed?
Lin Guantang gave Huo Shizhen a condemning look.
The latter glanced at the terminal and awakened Lin Guantang's memory - it seemed that a message had just passed by his eyes, saying that Lingchen's system authority had been upgraded to level two?
That means he can now view more content, including some task follow-up?
Lin Guantang took out his terminal and was greeted by a congratulatory message from the system.
Congratulations to [Lingchen] for successfully unlocking the secondary system permissions. Click Details to view the specific newly added permissions.
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