Chapter 130 The Last Chance

In the office, Kong Zhengui was stunned when he heard Kang Dinghuang's instructions.

Kang Dinghuang observed his expression and continued, "We just received news that Zhou Tonghui's family has been taken away from South America, probably by Gu Baishun. They're either going to Bana City or the Hua District, and we have almost no chance to intercept them."

Kong Zhengui felt a thump in his heart when he heard this, but he tried to control his expression and didn't respond.

Kang Dinghuang continued, "The situation is that he must play a role. I don't think it's appropriate for anyone else to talk to him. You're the only one who can."

Kong Zhengui was somewhat resistant to this, but Kang Dinghuang had made it clear that he had no way to refuse.

After thinking for a long time, he stood up and said, "I'll give it a try."

Kang Dinghuang also stood up, reached out, and gently patted Kong Zhengui's arm. "Go and persuade him. This is his last chance."

...

After leaving the base, Kong Zhengui returned to his office and thought for a long time before finally making up his mind. After dinner that evening, led by an intelligence officer from the Qingyi Bureau (Blue Uniform Bureau), he arrived at a hospital.

After Kong Zhengui's identity was verified, the guard opened the door to the ward and let him in.

"Beep, beep—"

As soon as he entered the room, the medical equipment's alarm sounded.

Kong Zhengui looked over and saw Zhou Tonghui wearing a hospital gown and handcuffs, lying weakly on the hospital bed.

He was covered in burns, patches of white and red, a shocking sight. In addition, he had several pain pumps attached to him to help relieve the pain.

There were also many tubes connected to the medical equipment, monitoring his body's data.

Seeming to hear someone enter, Zhou Tonghui slightly opened one eye, glanced at Kong Zhengui, and his expression changed.

A simple look, but it felt like a knife stabbing him. Kong Zhengui's face was pale, and he subconsciously avoided the other's gaze.

The entire ward fell into an eerie silence, with only the sound of the equipment.

After a while, Zhou Tonghui took the initiative to speak, his voice extremely hoarse, "I was wondering when you would come... sooner than I thought..."

Kong Zhengui lowered his head and said nothing.

Zhou Tonghui looked at him, his eyes somewhat complicated, and continued, "Sometimes, life is really ironic... When I first came to Dragon City, I was closest to Da Bai... but because of different ideas and positions, we gradually drifted apart, but I always remembered his kindness, and I believe he did too. Later, the person I was closest to was you... All these years, we've been through a lot, and I always thought that the feelings between me, Mingyuan, and you were different from others. On the run, you were the one I worried about the most, afraid that you wouldn't get out, and I kept calling you... Ha... but what I didn't expect was that you were using me."

"I really didn't think you would be caught. The condition I proposed to the higher-ups was to let you and Wen Xiaorou leave. It was the field operatives who acted on their own..." Kong Zhengui stood in front of the hospital bed, and after a long silence, slowly said, "Yes, I had decided to leave, so I needed to give District One a pledge of loyalty. It could have been anyone, but I didn't want it to be you or Xiaorou... I just made the most ideal choice I could at the most critical moment..."

"Yes, you've always been so rational." Zhou Tonghui gave a bitter smile, "Although I studied law, I've never been as rational as you."

Kong Zhengui took a deep breath, looked at Zhou Tonghui on the bed, and made up his mind again. He pulled up a chair, sat in front of the bed, and stared into the other's eyes. "Tonghui, I'm not going to talk about the conflict between me and Lao Li's team, nor am I going to talk about the past. Just from the perspective of this war, the chance of Dragon City winning is almost negligible. Have you ever thought about it? For Su Tianyu, Li Mingsheng, and the others, even if Dragon City is defeated, they can just pack their bags and go to Bana City. If Bana City doesn't work out, they can go to the Hua District and live a high-class life. But for others, it's not that easy. In your opinion, the decision I made may be a bit selfish, but I never intended to harm you. Even if you never speak to me again, I still hope you're okay. Tonghui, you should know the purpose of my visit today..."

Zhou Tonghui tilted his head and looked at him, gently clenching his fist, his throat feeling like it was being scraped by a knife, squeezing out his voice in pain, "Then what? Do you want me to be like you and betray Mingyuan, betray Xiaoyu, betray the goal we've been fighting for for ten years?"

Kong Zhengui frowned and immediately reminded him, "That's Su Tianyu's goal, not yours, let alone mine! You know that!"

Zhou Tonghui stared at him and asked, word by word, "Maybe it's not yours, but how do you know it's not my goal?! Zhengui, we've come to this point! So many people have died! Do you still think that the independence of the Chinese is just to satisfy the personal ambitions of Li Mingsheng, An Zecheng, Su Tianyu, and the others?! No... if that's the case, what about the soldiers and officers who are struggling in Dragon City?! Others don't say it, but take my family for example... We've lived in District One for over a hundred years, for generations, have we assimilated? As soon as the war started, we were all suspected rebels."

Hearing this, Kong Zhengui was stunned.

Zhou Tonghui took two deep breaths and continued, "Today, I realized that your ideas and mine are different, and the difference is huge. But you never told me your thoughts, and I naively thought we were friends."

Kong Zhengui also fell silent, feeling a bit suffocated, not knowing how to respond.

Zhou Tonghui looked at the ceiling and said again, "We don't talk about ideals, we don't talk about goals, do you think I can cooperate with them? My family should have been taken away, whether they go to Bana City or the Hua District, they're already far away from me. You want me to betray Lao Li's team, what about them? If it were you, could you do it? Maybe you really can, but I can't."

After a long silence, Kong Zhengui looked straight at him and said, "Tonghui... do you know, if you're useless..."

"I know." Zhou Tonghui interrupted him, "I know everything, and I can figure it out. But I have no choice, and I don't want to choose anymore. But luckily, you have a choice... friend."

Kong Zhengui trembled upon hearing the word "friend." He clenched his fist and stared back at the other person, "I don't know how to explain it to you, but please believe me, you, Mingyuan, also have extraordinary significance to me. We're not just ordinary work colleagues, nor are we just ordinary friends, I don't want..."

"No need to say anymore." Zhou Tonghui gently raised his hand, interrupted Kong Zhengui, and whispered, "We used to walk together, and I cherish that time very much. But everyone's choices are different at each point in time. At this moment, your choice and mine are confrontational. Zhengui, I don't want to cry in this physical state, and I don't have the strength to shout... You go..."

The two stared at each other for a long time. Kong Zhengui saw Zhou Tonghui's eyes full of despair, but that despair also revealed a determination!

"Sigh..."

Kong Zhengui's lips moved a few times, but in the end, he didn't say anything, he could only sigh, slowly get up, and slowly walk towards the door.

Zhou Tonghui closed his eyes, but suddenly said, "Zhengui... you made the wrong choice this time."

Kong Zhengui paused, his shoulders seemed to move, but in the end, he reached out, resolutely opened the door, and quickly left.

...

Old Mexico region, People's Army front line position.

Gu Baishun received an order to come over. He stepped into the camp tent and saw Su Tianyu, who was busy, and immediately greeted him, "Director Su!"

"You're here!" Su Tianyu waved to him, "Come, sit, sit, sit! Sit down and chat!"

Gu Baishun sat down and immediately said to him, "Zhou Tonghui's family has been taken care of, they're not going to Bana City, they're flying directly to the Hua District. They've been picked up by our people at the overseas base, and they're very safe!"

Su Tianyu slowly nodded, looked at Gu Baishun, and suddenly asked, "Where did you send Yu Mingyuan?"