"I'm sorry," Shang Jun said softly.
"What?" Susan looked up slowly from the sofa as Shang Jun spoke.
"I know what you want to say, and I know what happened on Death Island," Shang Jun said slowly. He paused, sighed, glanced at the cigarettes on the table, took one out, lit it, and exhaled a puff of smoke. He tilted his head back, watching the smoke dissipate, his eyes filling with mist.
"How could I not see?"
Shang Jun's voice was choked, but also filled with helplessness.
"Our team is too weak. We lost more than half last time, and five more died this time. Compared to the conservative faction whose strength is intact, our war faction is crippled."
"Gods are invincible. Even facing their divine envoys, even if four or five of us surround and attack one, it would take a long time to defeat or kill one."
"But the God-Slaying Nuclear Bomb can slay gods. That is our last hope. It's laughable, really. We, who firmly believe in strength, ultimately rely on those destructive weapons. We are truly laughable."
Susan didn't understand what Shang Jun meant. She continued to look at Shang Jun.
Shang Jun looked at Susan, his gaze intense. His voice was low, with a hint of ferocity. He said, "Susan, compared to us who have suffered heavy casualties, Zhao Tongzhi's faction is intact. As long as they believe that gods can be killed and give them hope, they, who crave glory, will rush like madmen at every god."
As he spoke, Shang Jun took out a positioning launch button for the [God-Slaying Nuclear Bomb] from his pocket.
"No matter who the God-Slaying hero is, as long as they can hold back a certain god, we just need to press this button..."
Susan's eyes widened as she looked at Shang Jun. She felt that Shang Jun had gone mad, willing to sacrifice his comrades' lives for the sake of slaying gods, continuing to advance in He Li's scheme to achieve his own plan.
He Li was the fisherman, waiting for the hunter team and the gods to slaughter each other.
Then, what was Shang Jun? A fierce tiger hidden behind the "fisherman"?
As Susan was about to speak, the office door opened, and Minister Yu walked in. He first looked at Shang Jun and nodded at him.
Shang Jun understood. Before leaving, he looked at Susan, his eyes filled with expectation and pleading, begging Susan not to tell Minister Yu what they had just discussed.
Susan lowered her head. Shang Jun left.
Minister Yu looked at Susan with confusion and asked softly, "Shanshan, what's wrong? You were crying during the meeting, and your emotions were very bad."
Susan looked up at Minister Yu, remained silent for a long time, then shook her head and fell silent again.
Minister Yu sighed deeply. It seemed that the two God-Slaying battles, the deaths of comrades, and the horrors of combat had left a deep shadow on Susan.
She was no longer suitable for the hunter team, no longer suitable for participating in the God-Slaying battles.
Minister Yu said, "How about this, Headquarters needs to accumulate strength and manufacture more powerful God-Slaying weapons. A batch of retired weapons needs to be dismantled at the port of Japan. You will be responsible for this matter. You don't need to participate in frontal combat anymore."
Susan opened her mouth, but in the end, she said nothing and got up to leave.
...
"So there really are gods in the world!"
"No, no, those gods are just self-proclaimed. The Spirit Management Association has already issued an announcement. So-called gods are just more powerful special-grade demons."
"Ah? Is that so? No wonder, no wonder the Spirit Management Association is willing to pay any price to slay gods."
"By the way, my cousin's classmate's husband works in the logistics department of the Victoria Spirit Management Association. He said that the Spirit Management Association is going to manufacture more powerful weapons to slay gods."
"Ah? Nuclear weapons aren't enough?"
"I don't know. It's said to be more powerful than nuclear weapons. They are currently dismantling old retired weapons all over the world."
"Alas... anyway, it has nothing to do with us. Let the big figures handle those things. We just need to live our lives well." Kuaishuge
On the balcony,
He Li sat there, gently wiping his long saber with a cleaning cloth. The blade was shining and straight, with a slightly upturned tip, making it not only good for slashing but also highly penetrative.
He listened to the idle chatter of passersby below and smiled slightly. This was the effect he wanted. The Spirit Management Association was a global organization, and people all over the world were watching their every move.
As long as a hint of news leaked out, it would spread from ten to a hundred and reach He Li's ears.
He Li extended his hand, and a golden ball of light appeared in his palm. He looked at Horus's divinity and pursed his lips, smiling.
"Don't worry, you'll be useful soon."
"Ah Zhen fell in love with Ah Qiang, on a starry night, a plane flew overhead, a shooting star..."
He Li froze for a moment. Who was calling him? He picked up the phone and answered.
"Hello, Ai Ai M... Min... Liang."
There was silence on the other end of the phone, then a man's voice, filled with a melancholic and resentful tone.
"Stop talking nonsense. I am Min Liang. He Li, how much trouble have you caused using my name?"
"Oh... Brother A Liang, what is this? Haha... haha..." He Li gave an awkward laugh, but his awkwardness lasted only a moment. He had thick skin, after all.
Min Liang was silent for a moment and said, "I called you from a phone booth. As for your phone number, I got it from Fei Ge's phone by contacting Kuer."
He Li grunted and remained silent, waiting for Min Liang to continue.
"The captain doesn't allow us to contact you, to have any dealings with you. But I think we used to eat from the same pot. There's something I need to tell you. When I was examining Fei Ge's belongings, I saw some things. I won't say what they are, but you know. I'm keeping this from Xiao Xue and Sister Jiang, and the captain isn't back either."
Min Liang became somewhat incoherent at this point, his voice choked.
He Li listened quietly, without interrupting.
Min Liang paused, then chuckled, exhaled, and said, "The captain has gone to Japan, saying he's dismantling a batch of weapons. You should know what that's for.
I'm betraying the Spirit Management Association and the captain by saying this, but I'm just a demon hunter from a small city. No matter how much I boast, I can only deal with level four or five demons. I don't even have the right to watch the real battlefield. Their affairs have nothing to do with me. I'm saying this so you can be prepared.
It's also an exchange. Don't hurt the captain, and don't get hurt yourself.
Your house, Xiao Xue, Sister Jiang, and I bought it together. Xiao Xue even hired a part-time cleaner to clean it once a week. If you come back, you'll still have a place to live, right?
If... it's okay if you don't come back either.
Alright, that's all. The three of us are insignificant people, and we can't influence the thoughts of important figures like you.
Don't get hurt. Even if you get hurt, don't die."
"Beep beep beep... beep beep beep..."
He Li looked at the busy signal from his phone, his eyes complex.
Gods should be lonely and cold-blooded. He was gradually accepting this.
But... there were always some people's warmth, like a lamp, warming a corner of his icy heart.
...