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“I’ll take you home, I’ll take you home…”
Liang Qiuchi tried to lift Xiang Bei, but Xiang Bei’s gradually cooling limbs could no longer cooperate with him.
Liang Qiuchi collapsed to his knees, burying his head in Xiang Bei’s blood-stained neck, crying.
This was his friend whom he had grown up with since childhood, akin to family.
One moment he was joking around with him, laughing so brightly, and the next moment he fell lifelessly into a pool of blood.
Liang Qiuchi couldn’t accept it at all.
He suddenly went crazy, grabbed his rifle, and rushed up the slope, firing wildly at the spot where the cold shot had come from.
When his bullets ran out, he threw away the rifle, pulled out his pistol, and charged into the bushes.
Tears blurred his vision, and it wasn’t until he emptied a magazine that he saw the body lying in the grass.
His eyes were bloodshot, filled with terrifying hatred.
He loaded another full magazine, walked up, and frantically pulled the trigger at the now cold corpse.
“Bang bang bang—”
Fifteen bullets were fired in a row, and the body was already unrecognizable, but Liang Qiuchi still couldn’t relieve his hatred.
As he loaded the magazine again, he was suddenly tackled from behind.
Liang Qiuchi instinctively raised his gun, but his wrist was pressed down before he could do anything.
“Qiuchi-ge! Qiuchi-ge, it’s me!”
In front of him was a cold, clean face, devoid of blood or wounds, only urgent concern and love.
Liang Qiuchi was stunned for a few seconds before reacting.
“Mo Xin…”
“Where are you hurt?” Seeing him covered in blood, shaking all over, Mo Xin’s heart was in his throat.
Liang Qiuchi shook his head.
He hugged Mo Xin tightly, burying his head in his neck, the warm touch of his skin and the strong pulse finally giving him a little comfort.
“Qiuchi-ge?” Mo Xin hugged him back in surprise, “Why are you crying?”
As soon as Mo Xin said that, Liang Qiuchi’s tears burst out even more.
Mo Xin silently hugged him tighter until Liang Qiuchi’s emotions calmed down. He then took him to see Xiang Bei’s body under the slope, understanding why Liang Qiuchi had shot at the corpse in a fit of anger.
In the past six months, although he hadn’t talked to Xiang Bei face-to-face much, they had exchanged quite a few text messages. In his heart, Xiang Bei was already one of his few friends.
Xiang Bei’s death shocked and saddened Mo Xin, leaving him feeling powerless.
Because he didn’t know how to comfort Liang Qiuchi.
“Qiuchi-ge…”
“I’ll carry him home,” Liang Qiuchi choked.
Mo Xin wanted to carry him, but Liang Qiuchi refused, “I’ll do it myself.”
Liang Qiuchi crouched down, and Mo Xin helped him hoist Xiang Bei onto his back. Xiang Bei’s arms hung on Liang Qiuchi’s chest, swaying with his steps, stinging Liang Qiuchi’s eyes.
He couldn’t bear this silence.
Liang Qiuchi forced himself to divert his attention and asked Mo Xin, “How did you come here?”
“I heard there was trouble on Lugo’s side, so the Special Forces have all been mobilized, and I was worried about you,” Mo Xin said.
Mo Xin’s family was in Danga Province, adjacent to Lugo, and the first forces the Federation mobilized after the incident were the security forces of Danga.
Through his father’s connections, Mo Xin quickly grasped the situation on the front lines.
When he heard that even the young trainees were mobilized this time, he had a bad feeling.
And since Liang Qiuchi’s phone had been unreachable, Mo Xin rushed to the front line overnight.
As soon as he entered the mountains, he heard gunfire nearby and hurried over to see what was happening.
Fortunately, he was lucky enough not to miss Liang Qiuchi.
“You shouldn’t have come,” Liang Qiuchi said. “This is a battlefield, not like training in peacetime.”
“I brought a gun, I can defend myself.”
“But there are too many sudden situations on the battlefield. Just because you’re good with a gun and agile doesn’t guarantee you’ll be safe.” Xiang Bei and the team leader were the best examples.
“But I was worried about you!” Mo Xin had been anxious since receiving the news last night, and even though he had seen Liang Qiuchi now, his heart still couldn’t settle. “I have something else to tell you.”
“Mo Xin, now is not the time for these things,” Liang Qiuchi said, looking at him with low spirits.
Mo Xin nodded quietly.
Liang Qiuchi fell silent for a moment, then apologized, “I’m sorry, you rushed over risking your life probably not to hear me say these things, but I…”
“I understand,” Mo Xin interrupted him. “I’ll be with you.”
Liang Qiuchi looked into his eyes and nodded.
The two walked in silence for a while, and they didn’t encounter any scattered armed men again, and the gunfire from the bottom of the mountain gradually ceased.
Mo Xin speculated, “It’s probably like usual, ending with ceasefire negotiations.”
Liang Qiuchi wasn’t surprised at all, and he didn’t care about these things now. He just wanted to safely send Xiang Bei back home.
Xiang Bei was the youngest in the family, greatly loved by the elders. His father, fearing he would be spoiled, specially sent Xiang Bei to the army along with Liang Qiuchi, who was planning to enter the Military Academy.
If they were to hear the news of Xiang Bei’s death, it would be devastating.
Liang Qiuchi didn’t know how to face his parents.
He hadn’t taken care of Xiang Bei well and had let Xiang Bei take that fatal shot for him.
The damned one should have been him.
“Was it the Third Squad on duty last night?” a deep middle-aged voice pulled Liang Qiuchi back from self-reproach and guilt.
Mo Xin raised his gun alertly.
The newcomer immediately raised his hands to indicate his identity: “I am Deputy Commander Eugene Reines of this operation.”
As soon as Liang Qiuchi heard his surname, he felt nauseous.
Mo Xin, seeing him dressed in Federation combat fatigues with several honor medals on his chest, didn’t seem fake, so he put down his gun.
“Your team members were ambushed last night, with varying degrees of injuries. They just returned to report on the situation in the mountains,” Eugene Reines walked towards them, “I was just planning to lead a team to find them. Luckily, you guys are okay.”
Liang Qiuchi said coldly, “What do you mean okay? My comrade sacrificed himself.”
“This is the battlefield, young man,” Eugene shrugged, “Death is normal, surviving is fortunate.”
Mo Xin frowned at Liang Qiuchi, who was looking down with his lips tightly pressed, obviously forcibly suppressing his emotions.
Mo Xin grabbed his clothes.
Liang Qiuchi shook his head at him, indicating not to worry.
Eugene glanced at Xiang Bei lying on Liang Qiuchi’s back, then at Mo Xin, and asked, “Did you three find the location where they were holding the hostages last night? Are there any others? I’ll send someone into the mountains to search and rescue.”
Liang Qiuchi didn’t answer, preparing to continue down the mountain with Xiang Bei on his back.
They could already see the temporary camp set up for the command center.
At that moment, another officer in military uniform hurriedly ran over, reporting to Eugene Reines, “Sir, enemies have been spotted nearby. You need to quickly withdraw to the headquarters!”
“You take them down the mountain, I’ll cover the rear, hurry!” Eugene said solemnly.
The officer took the lead, Mo Xin protected Liang Qiuchi behind him, and Eugene slowly fell to the back of the team.
Perhaps because of the high tension, or perhaps after last night, Liang Qiuchi had a deep-rooted wariness towards Reines. Despite the sounds of footsteps, breathing, and surrounding environmental noise, he still distinctly heard the sound of the pistol being cocked.
But it was too late.
The officer leading the way suddenly turned around and aimed the gun at Liang Qiuchi.
Liang Qiuchi, carrying Xiang Bei on his back, was unable to move freely and couldn’t avoid the shot.
Fortunately, Mo Xin was quick to act and kicked the gun out of the man’s hand before he could pull the trigger.
But at the same time, Eugene Reines behind them had also aimed at him.
“Mo Xin!”
Liang Qiuchi’s shout was heart-wrenching. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose Mo Xin too.
He lunged towards Mo Xin, along with Xiang Bei’s body, rolling forward two times along the slope.
The bullet flew past his ear, leaving a streak of blood on his outer ear.
Mo Xin was alarmed: “Qiuchi ge, are you okay?!”
“I’m fine, you be careful!” Liang Qiuchi fought hand-to-hand with the officer. He hadn’t slept all night and hadn’t eaten or drunk anything, both physically and mentally exhausted, making it difficult for him to gain the upper hand in this struggle.
Mo Xin shot Eugene Reines in the right arm and, fearing he might injure Liang Qiuchi, rushed to help.
The officer was fierce and tough to subdue. Mo Xin finally managed to break his neck after a struggle, but before he could catch his breath, he felt a piercing pain in the lower right side of his back.
It wasn’t until warm blood slowly flowed down his waist that he dimly realized he had been shot.
The surrounding sounds instantly became chaotic and unclear.
He vaguely heard Liang Qiuchi calling his name, but he couldn’t respond.
Before he fell, the last thing he saw was Liang Qiuchi’s face filled with despair and pain.
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