CHAPTER 211: BUILDING SHADOW AT 201 FLOOR (2249)

The night sky was shrouded in dark clouds, hiding the moon.

Lu Chi stood in front of the small building for a while, nervously gripping his fists, before pushing the door open, crossing the courtyard, and entering the hall.

The hall was unlit, pitch-black, with a dark figure in the center.

As he entered, a teacup was hurled at him. Lu Chi flinched, and the teacup flew past him. With a "bang," tea splashed onto the floor, and shards scattered in all directions.

"Dad." Lu Chi looked at the silhouette and called hesitantly.

"You fool." The voice from the shadow was filled with rage. "I sent you to Zhendian for disaster relief, and you couldn’t even ensure your wife wouldn’t lose her child! Explain to me—what the hell happened!"

"It was an accident...." In the darkness, Lu Chi could only make out his outline. "If Qiong’er hadn’t been so unruly and insisted on coming to Zhendian, she wouldn’t have been hit. And if she hadn’t been hit, the child wouldn’t..."

"You useless trash, always shirking responsibility!" The silhouette sank into the chair, voice dripping with bitter disappointment. "Qiong’er is a sensible girl—why would she go all the way to Zhendian for no reason?"

"This..."

"If it weren’t for you being an unreliable husband, making her feel uneasy, why would she travel so far?"

"Women are complicated, always suspicious." Lu Chi lowered his gaze.

"Lu Chi, don’t think I don’t know you brought back that female soldier named Guan Kunling. She was present when something happened to Qiong’er, wasn’t she? It was because of an argument with her that Qiong’er miscarried."

"Kunling does hold some responsibility for the incident, but we can’t wholly blame her..."

"Oh, you’re speaking up for someone entirely unrelated now." The shadow sneered. "You’re impressive, huh? I helped you become a Major, yet so many people are discontent. If only you had half of Jiang Jinghuai’s capabilities, no one would have objections. But no—rather than honing your skills, you’re busy abusing privileges, casually bringing in female soldiers. Do you even know who she is? Do you know what her purpose is? Whether Guan Kunling caused Qiong’er’s misfortune or not doesn’t matter. She’s the one responsible, and she cannot stay in the unit anymore!"

"Reflect on your actions. A mysterious woman appearing out of nowhere, someone without official identity records, trained in martial arts—a dangerous individual—and you keep her by your side? From the way things are going, I’ll wager you won’t even know how you’ll end up dead someday. Do you realize how risky the secret operations we’ve been conducting are? Can you guarantee this woman isn’t an agent sent from Beijing?"

Lu Chi shuddered. "Are there suspicions in Beijing? But for over a decade..."

"There are no walls without leaks. Once exposed, our careers in the military will all go up in smoke. Why does a woman who looks so much like Jiang Jiaqi suddenly appear out of nowhere? I refuse to believe it’s coincidence. Use your brain for once. Stop being so sentimental. That woman must go!"

In the darkness, Lu Chi’s expression was unreadable. "Kunling has nowhere else to go. If she leaves the unit... Besides, she’s a genius. She’s exactly the kind of talent our military needs. I believe that with proper guidance, she can become a sharp weapon in our hands..."

"What does it matter to you where she goes?" The shadow stood, advancing toward him. "What’s this—you’re planning to marry her as a concubine?"

"A sharp weapon? Do you have the ability to wield her securely? Or will you end up with the weapon’s blade pressed against your throat instead?"

"Dad." Lu Chi shook his head in panic. "That’s not what I meant."

"You know exactly what you mean. If you don’t want to act, I’ll handle it myself."

"I—I understand. No need for you to do it personally. I’ll strip her of her military status. She hasn’t been here long anyway," Lu Chi stammered.

"By the way, Jiang Jinghuai brought back a woman from the countryside. What’s your impression of her?"

"Just an ugly, overweight country woman..." Lu Chi thought for a moment. "Nothing worth fearing."

"And yet such a woman is close to Guan Kunling. Do you still think she’s merely an ugly, overweight woman? Let me tell you—if she truly were, is Jiang Jinghuai a fool? Would he bring her back?"

"But..." Lu Chi hesitated. "Maybe it’s because his son needs a mother?"

"Regardless, keep an eye on her. Also, about the supplies that mysteriously appeared in the disaster zone—if you think no one is tampering with them, you’re delusional. Investigate, and identify the one responsible."

"Understood, Dad."

"And one more thing." The shadow paused. "Be better to Qiong’er. You and her know all too well whether Jiang Jiaqi is truly gone. Don’t pretend to be deeply in love now. Cut ties when necessary. This behavior of yours—what kind of man does it reflect? The world is full of women. Is Jiang Jiaqi the only one for you?"

"...I understand."

After stepping out of the building only a few steps, Lu Chi’s trembling legs finally gave way, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud. He covered his face, sobbing.

The night wind lashed against him, shadows danced across the ground. He wiped his tears hurriedly and stood up as if nothing had happened.

"Guan Kunling." Suspicion flickered in Lu Chi’s eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Guan Kunling regarded him coolly. "Just strolling leisurely."

Leisurely strolling? Conveniently? Lu Chi lowered his head and let out a soft laugh. After a while with no reply, he glanced at her.

She was looking at him, her eyes like a clear moonlit spring—but unmistakable contempt simmered in her gaze.

Lu Chi’s expression darkened instantly, his voice lowering to a mutter. "Do you look down on me?"

No response. He asked again, "Even you look down on me?"

"I knew it. You’ve always looked down on me."

Guan Kunling’s lips curved slightly—was it mockery, or disdain? She turned to leave.

"Guan Kunling!" Lu Chi’s face twisted in anger as he stepped forward to grab her shoulder.

Guan Kunling sidestepped gracefully, not only evading his grip but delivering a heavy kick to his foot. Lu Chi immediately bent his knee in pain.

She looked at him calmly, standing above him. "Don’t touch me. Otherwise, I’ll kill you. Besides, I don’t stoop to squabble with weaklings like you."

Lu Chi’s expression became grim. "Do you realize you no longer have the qualifications to stay in the unit? Who gave you the audacity to be so arrogant?"

"I did."

"Fine. Starting tomorrow, you’re done here."

"Thanks." Guan Kunling clasped her hands in mock gratitude. "I’ve been meaning to leave—this place is boring."

"Although watching you cry is pretty entertaining." She added.

"But before leaving, I’m taking this." She smiled, waving her hand. In it was a sleek black pistol.

"You... when did you?" Lu Chi reached instinctively for his waist, where he found nothing but emptiness.

When he looked up again, moonlight bathed the branches scattered in shadows—but Guan Kunling was nowhere to be seen.

Lu Chi seemed to realize something, tears welling up in his eyes once more. He walked to the base of a tree, crouched down, and curled into himself.

"You look down on me. You all look down on me." His voice grew angrier and hoarser. "Someday, you’ll regret this. Someday, Guan Kunling, I’ll make you bow before me." He began to laugh quietly, and in the night, his laughter echoed through the air with an eerie undertone.

The small two-story building remained as dark as ever. The upstairs window was open, its curtain swaying like a girl’s hair in the wind. Behind the window, a shadowy figure stood silently, blending into the night so completely that no one noticed his presence.