“In any case, this is for you. Do you know how to operate it?”
Leng Yu extended the MP9 towards him.
Though he had never handled a live MP9, Jing Lan, a self-proclaimed firearms enthusiast, possessed a fundamental understanding of submachine gun mechanics.
Jing Lan would have hesitated if accepting the weapon signified a deeper trust in Leng Yu.
Those in business excelled at such tactics, incrementally offering benefits, subtly drawing one into their orbit.
A pang of regret struck Jing Lan for not having concocted a plausible story to mask his true objective of rescuing his cousin; at the very least, it would have prevented others from wielding it as a means of control.
“I can assist you with this matter.”
As Jing Lan accepted the weapon, Leng Yu further provided him with a magazine and a box containing thirty Parabellum rounds. Jing Lan, after folding the submachine gun, tucked it into the buttoned pocket of his Nylaus windbreaker. “Here’s a bullet belt too,” Leng Yu added, “you can slot your knife into it as well.”
“Once this is concluded, I’ll immediately go rescue my cousin.”
Jing Lan secured the bullet belt provided by Leng Yu, affixing his Night Goddess blade firmly to it.
The Parabellum ammunition box was then opened, and the rounds were meticulously loaded into the belt.
“Later, should circumstances permit, we can assemble another team to take any discovered drones into Mengshan County,” Leng Yu responded.
‘He’s merely placating me. When the moment arrives, those “conditions” will undoubtedly prove unfavorable.’
Jing Lan mused inwardly.
It was inconceivable that he would so readily commit his resources to my personal endeavors.
‘Is he attempting to gain control over me? Very well, I’ll humor him for now. If all else fails, I can always slip away midway, then return covertly to search for the aircraft.’
‘Why do I suddenly feel like I’m embarking on an Indiana Jones adventure?’
Further contemplation would be futile.
With the team now fully assembled, only a brief period of preparation remained before their deployment.
It was at this juncture that Ling Yechen placed a call to Jing Lan.
Naturally, to Jing Lan, Ling Yechen remained nothing more than an unknown female admirer at this point.
“Just wait there for now; I’ll find a way into the city soon. By the way, sis, what’s your name?”
Jing Lan felt compelled to inquire about her name.
“Ye Xuening,” Ling Yechen readily replied.
The name struck Jing Lan as vaguely familiar, yet he struggled to pinpoint where he might have encountered it before.
‘If I were to become entangled with this young woman once more, would it inevitably lead to another sorrowful conclusion?’
Jing Lan understood implicitly that while his own capabilities might render him more adept at surviving the apocalypse than most, the unfolding situation was rapidly deteriorating beyond all prior imaginings: the military and police remained conspicuously absent, creatures other than zombies had begun to emerge, and even after locating a survivor team, its leader struck Jing Lan as fundamentally incompatible with his own disposition.
Having concluded his conversation with Ling Yechen, and with some time allocated for individual preparations before the team’s departure, Jing Lan observed the stout Wen Hao and Teacher Ye Yin engaged in conversation, prompting him to draw nearer.
The portly man, clutching a drained beer can, futilely tipped it towards his lips a few times before reluctantly lowering the empty vessel.
It was then that he noticed Jing Lan walking towards them.
“Xiao Jing, you certainly seem to be in the boss’s good graces,” the stout man remarked. “He actually handed you heavy weaponry directly. Who knows, you might just become his second-in-command someday.”
“I arrived late, and frankly, I don’t hold Boss Leng in particularly high regard,”
Jing Lan’s gaze met that of Ye Yin, who stood nearby. He instinctively reached into his pocket, retrieved the box Ye Yin had given him, and presented it.
“You should take this back. I haven’t even glanced at it, and my Japanese reading comprehension isn’t particularly strong.”
“Keep it,” Ye Yin insisted. “I have already committed all its contents to memory. It’s entirely written in Chinese, and my family boasts a profound heritage in Sinology. I have a premonition that this item will prove beneficial in your possession.”
Wen Hao let out a wry chuckle. “Xiao Jing, you seem to possess a peculiar charm that inspires trust in others.”
“And Boss Leng, does he not?” Jing Lan countered, his tone even.
“His approach tends to attract those with a certain… simplicity of mind,” Wen Hao explained. “The more discerning a person is, the less likely they are to see eye-to-eye with him, unless their ideas happen to perfectly converge with his own.”
“Do you consider yourself discerning, then?” Jing Lan pressed.
The stout man shrugged. “I’m in no position to be. My body is laden with nothing but excess fat; I wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight, nor could I outrun a zombie. Without Boss Leng, I’d simply have nowhere else to turn.”
Having spoken, the stout man cast another glance at Ye Yin.
“As for this lady,” he continued, gesturing towards Ye Yin, “she was raised immersed in a highly orthodox form of Confucianism, and she majored in Chinese during university. Her affinity for Confucian culture is profound, which is why, despite also possessing ‘ideas’ of her own, she seems to align rather well with someone like Leng Yu—they’re practically ‘cut from the same cloth’. This includes her unwavering determination to fulfill her great-grandfather’s dying wish, a filial devotion to elders that many of our compatriots, we feel, wouldn’t pursue with such tenacity.”
Jing Lan nodded thoughtfully. “It’s quite unexpected that a ninja clan would possess such a deep scholarly heritage. If, when Leng Yu acts rashly, Teacher Ye Yin can offer counsel and devise more sensible strategies for him, she would effectively become a gender-bent Guan Longpang or a gender-bent Dong Zhongshu.”
“What utter nonsense is that!” Ye Yin exclaimed, her voice sharp. “Have you been reading too many Pineapple Bun novels? And didn’t Guan Longpang meet his end by the blade? Are you trying to curse me?!”
Ye Yin, visibly displeased, balled her fist and lightly tapped Jing Lan’s forehead. “Do your utmost to assist me with my objectives. I will be joining the patrol team shortly, and if we genuinely discover a drone, Wen Hao and I will endeavor to persuade Leng Yu to allow you its use.”
Through their brief exchanges, Jing Lan largely concluded that these two possessed a more rational mindset than Leng Yu.
Or, perhaps more accurately, their temperaments resonated more closely with his own.
He considered the possibility of directly confiding his true intentions to them.
While this carried a degree of risk, particularly concerning Ye Yin—should her Confucian values truly compel her loyalty to her superior, she might well disclose Jing Lan’s secret to Leng Yu.
Conversely, if the patrol team were to genuinely discover a seaplane, and Jing Lan only then proposed using it to rescue his cousin, it would appear far less credible, and Leng Yu would likely issue an outright refusal.
After careful deliberation, Jing Lan ultimately decided to divulge his true objective.
The stout man nearly choked on his own saliva. “Good heavens, a plane landing on top of a school building? Are you trying to shoot a Jackie Chan movie?”
“It’s a desperate measure, born of necessity.”
Ye Yin mused for a moment. “Leng Yu will certainly not consent to such an undertaking.”
“He isn’t one to take unnecessary risks, is he?”
Ye Yin shook her head. “It’s not that. While he may not be extensively educated, many of his thought processes are profoundly Confucian. He invariably prioritizes those with whom he shares the most beneficial connections, followed by those with tangential ties, and only then considers ordinary individuals.”
“A graded affection, then?” Jing Lan observed. “Indeed, your Japanese yakuza frequently invoke concepts like ‘benevolence and righteousness’. Perhaps the yakuza are inherently more Confucian than ordinary citizens. I’m beginning to grasp why Leng Yu and I are so fundamentally at odds.”
Ye Yin continued, “Based on my understanding of Leng Yu, he would never countenance sacrificing an aircraft to rescue your cousin. If, however, there were a more viable plan—say, if your cousin were at another airfield where the plane could make a smooth landing and its continued usability could be assured—he might conceivably agree.
“You might struggle to comprehend this, as human lives are at stake. Even if your cousin holds no particular affection for him, she is still a living being. How can he be so coldly calculating?
“This particular aspect might prove difficult to fully elucidate in a brief explanation. What I can tell you now is that Leng Yu was not groomed as a corporate heir from infancy. Rather, from a tender age, he was steeped in this chilling ‘calculating’ mindset. While he possesses a Confucian foundation, the humanitarian spirit exemplified by Confucius, who ‘inquires about the person, not the horse,’ is not as pronounced within him. This is, in fact, a common trait among the scions of mercantile families.
“Alternatively, there remains one other possibility: if, during this mission, you genuinely succeed in convincing Leng Yu that you are worthy of becoming a trusted confidant, then he might just perceive your cousin as more valuable than the aircraft itself.”
The stout man interjected, “What if you were to simply state, Xiao Jing, that you would refuse to join Leng Yu’s team unless your cousin is rescued?”
Jing Lan and Ye Yin shook their heads in unison.
“I believe this individual would never yield to coercion from anyone,” Jing Lan stated coldly.
“Naturally,” Ye Yin affirmed, her expression gradually growing more serious. “Even if he were to appoint you directly as his assistant for this mission, your actual standing would not surpass that of his three other subordinates within the team.
“Ah, yes, yesterday I discussed your combat prowess with Master Li. According to him, your skills are indeed exceptional among Leng Yu’s subordinates, yet each of his men possesses seventy to eighty percent of your capability. Should three of them engage you simultaneously, you would have no chance of victory. As for Leng Yu himself, subduing two individuals of your caliber would pose no challenge.
“In essence, this operation serves two purposes: firstly, it requires your guidance, and secondly, it aims to ascertain your potential for future development.
“Nevertheless, for you to distinguish yourself sufficiently to be considered a direct confidant by Leng Yu, I deem it exceedingly difficult. Furthermore, to immediately demand the rescue of your relative would lead Leng Yu to believe you are exploiting him; he might instantly reconsider, potentially even dismissing you outright rather than allowing you access to his resources.”
The stout man interjected once more, “Of course, if we fail to locate a seaplane later, then all these worries are moot. We won’t have to ponder such matters at all, haha.”
“You two could still do one thing,” Jing Lan began. “If you discover the aircraft, do not inform Leng Yu immediately. I want to see if I can…”
“I will not partake in that,” Ye Yin immediately interjected. “My allegiance lies with Leng Yu. I merely feel your circumstances are understandable, and I’m attempting to offer you a middle path.
“Moreover, this also represents a divergence between Leng Yu and me. If we both possess a somewhat Confucian mindset, his thinking contains a greater emphasis on ‘propriety,’ while mine leans more towards ‘benevolence.’ Hence, I am willing to invest more thought into assisting you with saving your relative.
“However, as I am currently a member of Leng Yu’s team, I will not engage in deception against him. If an aircraft is discovered, I am obligated to inform him.”
After Ye Yin finished speaking, the stout man leaned in conspiratorially, adopting a hushed tone as he whispered into Jing Lan’s ear.
“It’s not that complicated, really. Fengqizi-chan just has a crush on Boss Leng.”
Jing Lan: ‘…’
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Ye Yin Fengqizi retorted, her face flushing.
The stout man continued to Jing Lan, “They were both members of an offline traditional Chinese studies club in the past. They shared common interests, and if not for this disaster, Leng Yu would simply appear to be a wealthy second-generation heir with a passion for traditional culture.”
“Didn’t you say he wasn’t very educated?” Jing Lan asked.
Ye Yin Fengqizi let out a haughty “Hmph.” “That’s compared to me. Though I don’t possess Chinese blood, how could my family’s scholarly heritage compare to that of his nouveau riche clan? Take my great-grandfather’s diary, for instance—you absolutely must read it when you have time! It’s all written in the Zhao style of regular script.”
Jing Lan sighed softly, realizing that convincing the patrol team to secretly conceal the aircraft for him seemed impossible. Very well, he would accompany Leng Yu’s team to the granary for now. If he could earn maximum trust and be permitted to use the seaplane, and furthermore gain connections within Leng Yu’s team, that would undoubtedly be the optimal outcome.
If not, then leaving and devising another plan would be his only recourse.
Keke had been stranded on the teaching building for a week now, so whatever needed to be done next, it had to be done swiftly.