Chapter 00151: Nightmare (Thanks to the Alliance Leader of the Blade of Destruction)
# Nightmare (Thanks to the Alliance Leader of the Blade of Destruction)
Chapter 151
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 151: Nightmare (Thanks to the Alliance Leader of the Blade of Destruction)
The journey home took only half an hour, simple and quick.
In fact, it could have been done in just five minutes, but there was a delay of over twenty minutes in the middle—Ji Jue decided to give Er Niu a demonstration to reassure her about the agility and safety of the little ox-horse.
"Look, there's a traffic cop ahead... let's overtake his car!"
...
"Look, I'll honk the horn."
...
"Look, he's getting mad, he's getting mad!"
...
Amidst the rain and traffic, the little ox-horse nimbly navigated through the congested lanes during rush hour, occasionally showing off some drifting and sharp turns it had learned from Brother Kunpeng a few days ago.
Effortlessly, it left all the chasing vehicles behind, disappearing into the intricate alleys of the northern mountain district, becoming a terrifying legend akin to the little lamb that once sped down the highway at two hundred kilometers per hour in the dead of night.
When the car finally stopped, Lao Yao was the first to jump out.
He didn't steady himself and immediately vomited on the ground.
Lu Ling, clutching the seatbelt, was already in tears.
Pulling at Ji Jue, she pleaded pitifully, "Second Brother, if you ever go out to commit crimes, please remember to remove the advertisement for the Continental Auto Repair Shop from the car. Please, I beg you."
Ji Jue patted her shoulder, comforting her earnestly, "Don't worry, as long as I drive fast enough, no one will be able to see it clearly."
In such heavy rain, people would be lucky to even make out the car model.
As for surveillance cameras?
All the cameras in the city are under my control! What can you possibly do against me?
"Our whole family are law-abiding citizens!" Lu Ling wiped her tears, sighing weakly.
"Right, right, that's correct. If anyone asks you, just say that!" Ji Jue nodded approvingly.
"Big Brother loves peace, Second Brother loves studying, we all have a bright future!"
Lu Ling was speechless.
Just then, a small van pulled up beside them, and Lu Feng stuck his head out, examining Ji Jue's new ride.
"Oh? Changed cars? Why even put an advertisement on it?"
Hearing this, the little ox-horse spun its tires, splashing water all over Lu Feng, who dodged just in time.
Lu Feng was used to the strange things around Ji Jue.
He patted the car's body and clicked his tongue.
"Why only put the ad on one side? Put it on the other side too!"
"Big Brother!" Lu Ling's fists clenched.
"You could put our security company's ad on it too, make it big, save on advertising!"
Lu Feng skillfully dodged Er Niu's punches, laughing as he unloaded the groceries.
He brought out two more bags from his car, both filled with cauliflower, which made Lao Yao burst into tears.
"Why is it cauliflower again?!" Lu Ling couldn't take it either.
"Ah, the planting base gave it to us when we installed their cameras. It's free, and it tastes good too! Pure and natural, they say they don't even use pesticides."
"You eat it yourself! And Second Brother can eat it too!"
"What does this have to do with me!" Ji Jue was shocked.
"Tough luck!"
Angrily, Lu Ling carried the groceries upstairs.
Under the warm kitchen lights, familiar sounds soon filled the air, and the small house became lively again.
Seeing so much cauliflower brought back, Lu's mother was furious and scolded Lu Feng.
The two of them retreated to the balcony to escape the chaos.
After changing out of his work clothes, Lu Feng, wearing shorts and a tank top, lounged in a chair, smoking and casually scratching his foot.
"Ah, nothing beats the comfort of home. That stingy Laila, making so much money, can't even buy a couple of proper chairs. Everyone's still sitting on plastic stools."
"Looks like things have been busy since the company opened."
Ji Jue leaned against the railing, smiling.
"You've been so busy lately, Er Niu even said you're not as annoying as before."
"Busy my ass!"
Lu Feng rolled his eyes.
"Running around all day, fetching tea and water for Laila like a waiter."
After much consideration following the last incident, Lu Feng couldn't resist Laila's enthusiastic invitation and joined the security company run by retired veterans.
With his past experience and Ji Jue's support, he directly took a 20% stake, making him a shareholder.
All Ji Jue had to do was occasionally help with equipment maintenance and act as a feng shui master, blessing the items in line.
For that, one-tenth of the 20% stake could be considered his.
The reputation of a craftsman is that solid, even an apprentice carries weight.
Fairly speaking, Ji Jue's willingness to associate with such a newly established small company was already a favor based on past relationships.
Moreover, this arrangement was mutually beneficial.
Although Lu Feng had cut off all ties after retiring, disappearing from his old acquaintances, Laila had managed to pull together a group of old comrades and establish the company, securing channels and connections—she had her own skills.
The security company's shares included investment from the Yacheng Veterans Club.
Even if it was just a symbolic 1%, it was the Veterans Club's endorsement of the company's origins.
—【This is one of us】.
That alone was enough to secure the newly opened company a seat at various related meetings in Yacheng and even Haizhou every year.
In Yacheng, there are thousands of club-like groups, including the sports car club of Young Master Chen.
But if you compare them, their little sports car club wouldn't even hold a candle to the Veterans Club.
In Yacheng alone, there are over sixty thousand registered members, all federal military veterans, covering every branch from army transport to airship maintenance, with ranks ranging from grunts to colonels at the Haizhou military base, and even a retired general on the roster...
The long-term financial backers are none other than the military-industrial enterprises under Universal Heavy Industries.
Nominally, the Veterans Club is just a mutual aid society for retired veterans, offering employment assistance, psychological therapy, and disability care.
But in reality, who doesn't know it's the military's civilian front?
Though usually low-key and inconspicuous, if you ever cross them, even the governor would tremble, fearing someone might climb onto his roof in the dead of night...
Why would you even provoke them?
With this "one of us" certification, the company now had the qualifications to take on military outsourcing, securing a place at the table.
It might just be a small table next to the main one, eating leftovers, but outside, many are still waiting in the corridor for a chance to eat.
Everyone's just trying to make money, no shame in that.
Unfortunately, the company's experience and scale are still too small, with only about forty people and seventy to eighty guns.
They can't compete with the big players for major jobs, so they have to wait for opportunities like armed escorts and low-risk security tasks.
On regular days, they rely on the company's routine business to make ends meet.
"Running around all day, just installing cameras."
Lu Feng complained.
"Today alone, I ran all over Yacheng, installed over forty cameras, and all I got was a few bags of cauliflower, not even a sip of water. I'd rather be fixing cars at home."
"At least you're not mooching off your parents anymore!"
Ji Jue laughed.
"Mom can brag to others now, her son's running a company, might even get a title at home if the business grows."
"Cut the crap!" Lu Feng rolled his eyes, glancing over.
"The other day at the opening, Chen Xingzhou's younger brother sent a flower basket. Only then did I find out that little fatty has such a brother. You, quietly pulling off such big moves."
He suddenly asked, "Heard the leadership changed recently, you got involved?"
"A little."
"Oh, so it's quite a bit then."
Lu Feng instantly understood.
He knew Ji Jue too well, always low-key, rarely in the spotlight—if he said ten percent, it was seventy; seventy meant thirty, and thirty meant it had nothing to do with him.
"How's your health been lately?" Ji Jue suddenly changed the subject, asking out of the blue.
Lu Feng's expression slightly stiffened, flexing his biceps.
"Eat well, sleep well, what's there to worry about?"
"That's good."
Ji Jue reached over, lifting the hair at the back of Lu Feng's neck to check the metal structure hidden beneath—thumb-sized, seemingly fused with the flesh, inconspicuous.
It was the spinal interface for powered armor.
No issues.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
According to Lu Feng, during his rise from a grunt to the airborne battalion, he underwent a modification surgery to accommodate special powered armor.
Even after retiring and removing many components, his spine and brain still retained the interfaces...
In a way, Lu Feng was now half state property, required to live within military-designated areas and report monthly.
Thanks to that surgery, his memory was also fragmented, with many key actions locked away, impossible to recall.
In four years, he only remembered two and a half.
However, Ji Jue had secretly checked, the lock on the core memories wasn't too tight, like a lead weight on a scale, just a warning.
But that warning was enough.
It's harmless when it's there, but removing it would be deadly.
Now that Lu Feng had retired, leaving the past behind, why dwell on it?
Let bygones be bygones.
Amidst the increasingly heavy rain, Ji Jue curiously asked, "Brother Feng, do you still feel regret when you think about the past?"
"Don't know."
Lu Feng thought for a moment, shrugging.
"Hard to say all of a sudden... but there's no point dwelling on it, right? If you really care about your brother, don't just talk, introduce more jobs to me, Ji the Philanthropist!"
Ji Jue laughed, "Sure thing, Boss Lu!"
"Cut it out!"
Lu Feng also laughed, kicking out but missing.
"Big Dog, Little Ji, where are you!"
From inside, Lu's mother's voice called, banging on the pot, "Dinner's ready!"
"Coming, coming!!!"
Ji Jue's eyes lit up, rubbing his hands as he headed back.
Only Lu Feng remained on the balcony, smoking in the rain.
The flame flickered.
Silently, he sighed...
Regret?
Thinking about the past now, of course, it's all fucking regret!
Hating to be a tool, hating to kill innocents, hating those wars with no future or justice.
He truly wanted to vomit—that's how it should be, no other possibility.
Those were nightmares.
He told himself this, more than once.
But he couldn't answer...
Why did he wake up from those nightmares, smiling?
"Damn it."
He sighed, cursing.
But he didn't know who to curse.
"Big Brother, hurry up!"
From inside, Lu Ling's voice urged, "Serve the dishes!"
"Alright, coming, don't rush!"
Lu Feng flicked away the spark of resentment into the rain, turning to leave.
The wind howled.
A flash of lightning.
The thunder rolled from the clouds, carried by the wind, spreading beyond Yacheng.
In the roaring tide, on the crude road, dazzling lights lit up.
Through the storm and mud, an armored convoy advanced majestically.
(End of Chapter)