Translator: CinderTL
"Mr. Gong," Qin Lan asked, "seeing as I'm on the verge of death, would you answer a few questions for me? At least let me die with some understanding."
Gong Zhe looked up, neither answering nor refusing.
"You remember that fat guy named Wang Fugui, right?" Qin Lan frowned slightly. "What exactly was his identity? Why did he trigger Crimson's intervention and cause such a commotion?"
"He's a full member of Crimson," Gong Zhe replied calmly. "Designation: Number 10."
Qin Lan nodded, a look of understanding dawning on his face. "So that's how it is."
"One more question," Qin Lan continued. "Why did the Xia Family choose Xia Meng as their heir? I've been pondering this for a long time, and even the Nightwatcher leadership is puzzled. With all due respect, Miss Xia excels at clandestine schemes and conspiracies, but lacks the straightforwardness and strategic vision necessary for the family's long-term growth. Isn't that detrimental to the entire Xia Family's future?"
"Is that your personal opinion, or the view of those behind you?" Gong Zhe suddenly changed the subject, catching Qin Lan off guard.
"It's what I think, and what they think too," Qin Lan answered honestly.
"The answer is simple," Gong Zhe continued. "We gladly welcome the outcome the Night Watchers dread. Why would we choose someone to manage the Xia Family who meets their expectations?"
"The Night Watchers want a complacent, docile Xia Family, one that endures their provocations without retaliating, a meek Xia Family that serves their interests."
"But Miss Wu is precisely the opposite," Gong Zhe said. "She's someone who repays every wrong tenfold, unlike her elders like Xia Yuan and Xia Tan."
"She loves fiercely, hates with equal fervor, and keeps her word without fail. Anyone who tries to scheme against her will find their own schemes turned back on them a hundredfold." Gong Zhe chuckled, recalling something the young woman had once said. "If anyone dares spit on the Xia Family Gate, we'll wait for a dark, moonless night, a night so black you can't see your hand in front of your face, and burn their house to the ground."
"We don't seek out harm, but those who wrong us will pay the price. That way, the next time someone contemplates hurting us, they'll remember the gruesome fate of those who came before—how miserably they died, where they're buried, and how tall the grass grows on their graves."
Qin Lan blinked, as if understanding but not quite grasping the full picture. "Just... just like that?"
"The Xia Family has become what it is today precisely because it has too many people with principles and not enough like Miss Wu," Gong Zhe replied.
"Though she can be willful, she's never petty or unreasonable. Her methods are ruthless, yet she possesses a keen understanding of the bigger picture. She reveres heroes and holds firm to her beliefs, never betraying her comrades."
"'Those who gather firewood for the masses must not be left to freeze to death in the snow,'" Gong Zhe recalled. "'That's what Miss Wu said. She instructed me to wear the Family Ring and prevent the Night Watchers from passing the proposal to purge all corrupted individuals within the Asylum.'"
"They are the heroes of their respective families. Regardless of their fate, they once risked everything to end the Nightmare. Even though they were exploited, they still deserve our respect."
"Such people shouldn't die in such disgrace."
"Hoo..." Qin Lan nodded. "I understand now. If I were in their shoes, I too would willingly dedicate myself to a family like that."
"At least I won't have to worry that after I die, or once I'm no longer useful, my family will be abandoned or even liquidated."
"Perhaps," Qin Lan mused after a moment's thought, "that's what people mean by 'humanity'."
Gong Zhe glanced at him, as if suddenly reminded of a mission from ten years ago. He remembered a torrential rainstorm in a dimly lit village. Their group of over a dozen had dwindled to just four survivors.
Classified as a C-Class mission, it should have been simple for Gong Zhe. He had quickly uncovered the crucial clues, but instead of completing the task, he waited for everyone else to die so he could claim the final reward: a Lifeline Note.
He wouldn't actively kill anyone, but neither would he save them. Then he noticed the young man who looked like a student, struggling in agony. Something about the youth's desperate efforts unwittingly drew Gong Zhe's attention.
Perhaps it was the young man's defiant eyes, so much like his own from years past.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (NS) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c1014. [+4]
🔑Early Access at $1.
✍Translated (6) Series, (4.1K+) Chapters, (5.8M+) Words.