NFBE Chapter 409 The One Who Makes the Choice
Chapter 409 The One Who Makes the Choice
"Mr. Su, you are finally here." The other party whispered, with an imperceptible nervousness in his voice.
Su Ming nodded and walked over to sit down. "How's the situation?"
"Proceeding as planned," the other party replied, "but our whereabouts have attracted attention. The enemy's hands and eyes have begun searching for us."
"I understand." Su Ming frowned slightly. "When will they start to act?"
"Soon." The other party's eyes became more serious. "If we can't hand it over in time, we might be exposed."
"The handover cannot be delayed." Su Ming said in a deep voice, "Did you bring the information?"
The man pulled a carefully wrapped document from his pocket and carefully handed it to him. Su Ming took it and quickly opened it. It contained a detailed report on the enemy's movements. Every piece of information could potentially affect the layout of the next battle and even the entire course of the war.
He flipped through a few pages, quickly jotting down the key information, and carefully resealed the document. Just as he was about to get up, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. Su Ming's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He quickly stood up, drew aside the curtains, and peered through the window. The street outside was deserted, but the footsteps were getting closer.
"What happened?" the other party asked in a low voice, his face pale.
Su Ming did not respond, but whispered, "You go first." He pushed open the door and walked straight to the alley in the backyard.
The backyard of the teahouse was adjacent to a small alley, rarely visited, and concealed a path leading outside. Su Ming did not dare to let his guard down; he knew he could never let his guard down. Based on experience, he knew the enemy was unlikely to set an ambush here, but he still had to be careful.
However, just as he was about to leave the backyard, a slight noise shattered the stillness of the night. Su Ming spun around, vaguely catching sight of two dark figures rapidly approaching. He quickly dove for the nearby wall, hiding in the shadows.
A low voice rang out, and then two figures appeared at the entrance of the alley. Su Ming held his breath, watching their movements intently. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, not daring to let his guard down for even a moment.
"He's nearby." A voice whispered, "Search separately."
"Don't waste time, just search."
"How could he possibly escape alone?"
"Find the person first, then talk about other things."
Su Ming's heart sank, knowing his situation had become even more dangerous. He sighed inwardly. He had made all these arrangements with extreme caution, yet he hadn't expected to be discovered. The enemy seemed to have noticed his movements and was gradually approaching.
He took a deep breath and decided to act immediately. He turned and ran to the corner of the wall, quickly jumping over a dilapidated door and entering an abandoned courtyard. The courtyard had been uninhabited for years, overgrown with weeds, and vines covered the abandoned walls. Su Ming knew that although this place was inconspicuous, it was a good place to temporarily hide from the enemy.
He quickly hid in a corner of the courtyard, trying to keep his breathing low to avoid being spotted. Several enemies passed by the door, their footsteps gradually fading away. Su Ming held his breath, nervously watching the movements outside. He could feel his heart pounding, and sweat began to form on his forehead.
Just when he thought everything was over, a figure suddenly appeared at the door. He immediately jumped up, ready to deal with the sudden attack. However, the figure did not come in. Instead, he whispered outside the door, "You still can't get away."
Su Ming's heart tightened, and he instantly realized that he had been surrounded by the enemy.
Su Ming's heartbeat quickened, his blood surging through his body. He knew he was once again on the brink of life and death. The words whispered by the man at the door had instantly plunged him into extreme alertness and contemplation.
"You still can't get away."
The voice sent a chill through his bones. The tone was calm, but the implicit threat was intense, as if it had seen through all of his plans, knowing his every move. The man didn't rush to act, simply standing at the doorway, as if waiting for something. Su Ming held his breath slightly, his mind racing.
If it had been just any other person, he would have taken action and responded directly. However, the situation was different now. The person clearly knew him well enough to even foresee his every reaction. This meant that his opponent was likely lurking in every corner of the city, closely watching his every move.
A cold sweat quietly spread down his spine, threatening to consume him. But he knew fear wouldn't help. He quickly suppressed the panic in his heart and tried to clear his mind. He knew the only thing he could do now was to delay as much as possible and bide his time.
"Who are you?" He lowered his voice, his tone calm, but with a hint of provocation, as if he wanted to test the other party's bottom line.
The man outside the door didn't answer immediately. After a moment's silence, he slowly spoke: "You should know who I am. You didn't intend to escape from the beginning, did you?"
Su Ming's heart trembled slightly. Indeed, he had known from the beginning that he could not hide from his enemies forever. This secret world was constantly fraught with uncertainty and danger. He had tried countless times to escape it, but each time he failed, as if he had been deeply entangled in this web, unable to extricate himself.
The man slowly walked towards the door, his steps gentle yet radiating immense confidence. Su Ming instinctively grasped a battered wooden stick nearby, his only weapon. At that moment, he could almost feel the invisible pressure. Every step the man took felt like a tread on his heart, suffocating him.
"Why..." Su Ming's voice was dry, his lips slightly parched. "Why are you chasing me? We've simply been dragged into this endless war."
"Do you think we're chasing you?" The man sneered, his tone filled with mixed emotions. "You're wrong. You're just a pawn. You think your every move is your own choice, but in reality, you've been placed in this game and become a part of it. You're just playing your role."
Su Ming frowned, a sudden, indescribable heaviness welling up within him. Everything he had done resurfaced in his mind, from his initial choice to every secret handover until now. Every step he took was tugged at by some force, as if he had never truly felt free. He was no longer the innocent young man he had once been, the ordinary man with dreams and the fear of life and death. He had been completely trapped in this turbulent war, a mere pawn. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not escape the decree of fate.
"What do you want?" he asked again in a low voice, his heart filled with unknown and fear about the future.
"I don't want you. I want everything you know." The man's voice remained cold, yet it held a threat that couldn't be ignored. "You've never considered the consequences of knowing those people or that information, have you?"
These words struck Su Ming like a hammer, hammering down on his heart. All the intelligence, all the secrets, had once seemed so easily within his grasp. But now, he realized he had been forced into a corner by an invisible force. Whether he chose to hand over the information or remain silent, he would face unbearable consequences. This world was not as simple and clear as he had imagined.
He couldn't help but think back to the time he first received a mission. Back then, he naively believed it was a simple task, and that if he could successfully complete it, he would be free from this complex struggle. However, the reality was far from simple. Behind every mission lay countless dangers and calculations, and these dangers often exceeded his own imagination.
"I don't have time to bother with you," the man finally said, a hint of impatience in his voice. "Tell me what you know."
Su Ming remained silent, his heart hollow and anxious, his mind a turmoil. The document remained tightly pressed in his hand, as if it were his only hope of survival. Yet, facing the man's pressure, a sudden sense of powerlessness welled up within him. He knew his options were dwindling. All those past hesitations and retreats were now irreversible facts.
"I don't have what you want." He finally spoke, his voice low and firm, "You know I'm not what you think I am."
"Oh?" The man smiled slightly, a hint of contempt in his tone. "Do you think you can escape this way? You have no choice. Everything you know is in our control. You are just delaying your own end."
Su Ming felt a surge of weakness. His heartbeat was still pounding, yet he felt completely crushed by these words. He knew he was trapped in a situation with no escape. In this bottomless darkness, he might no longer be the lucid man capable of making choices.
Su Ming's heart was empty. He felt an unprecedented heaviness, as if suffocated by an invisible force. The man stood there, his eyes gleaming with cold power, as if he had everything under control. Su Ming knew that no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't change the fate that had already arrived. Yet, he refused to give up, still hoping for a glimmer of hope, even a glimmer of hope.
"Do you really think I'll give up everything so easily?" Su Ming's voice was low, tinged with undisguised anger. "I know what you have, but you can't get anything from me."