Chapter 335: Death and Rebirth
Cen Tianjiao didn’t dare to say that their boss was, in fact, already dead.
It was only thanks to his resurrection ability that, given enough time, he could slowly recover.
Last night’s situation was too dire—thinking back on it still sent shivers down his spine and made his legs tremble.
Dongyang had deployed almost all their forces, yet even with so many people, they couldn’t withstand a single flap of Bone Wing’s wings. It was a total rout—no one except for their boss could get within a hundred meters of it.
Su Tao’s heart tightened. “Are all his injuries external?”
Cen Tianjiao thought to himself, The man is dead—does it even matter if the injuries are external? But he hastily answered, “Yes.”
Hearing that it was just external injuries, Su Tao was relieved.
With Dr. Zhong Gaoyi around, external injuries wouldn’t be a problem. As soon as she returned to Dongyang, she would take Dr. Zhong to see Shi Zijin immediately.
After hanging up the phone, Cen Tianjiao wiped his sweat and looked toward the tank filled with nutrient solution where their boss lay.
Shi Zijin’s face was deathly pale, and half of his body was mangled—his exposed bones were clearly visible, and even his internal organs floated in the nutrient solution.
Cen Tianjiao patted the glass. “Boss, how am I supposed to explain this to Boss Su when she gets back? She’s definitely going to want to see you, but if she sees you like this, she’ll be scared half to death.”
“I don’t dare tell her that you really died—so I’m stalling for now. You need to hurry up and regrow your flesh while she’s on her way. At least look presentable by the time she arrives, okay?”
He rambled on to the lifeless body for a while before pulling out a voice recorder.
“You told me to keep this on me at all times. You said that if you woke up and couldn’t recognize anyone, I should give it to you immediately.
*
After hanging up on Cen Tianjiao, Su Tao’s unease grew stronger.
She couldn’t help but think of Liu Panpan’s death.
In her premonitory dream, she had seen Liu Panpan dying at Bone Wing’s hands—and that prediction had come true.
And she had also foreseen Shi Zijin’s death…
She quickly called Cen Tianjiao again.
The ringing startled him, and he fumbled for the communicator. Seeing her number, he knew trouble was coming.
“Boss Su… is there something else?”
Su Tao got straight to the point. “Is your boss only severely injured? Nothing else?”
Cen Tianjiao forced himself to reply, “What else could it be? Dead? If he were dead, I couldn’t hide it even if I wanted to—you’d find out as soon as you arrived.”
His answer was convincing enough that Su Tao believed him—mostly. She resolved to go straight to Shi Zijin as soon as she reached Dongyang.
By the time she hung up, the sun had risen, casting a crimson glow across the sky. The scorching sun once again dominated the land, signaling another sweltering day ahead.
Minister Xu, who had spent the night on the RV’s couch, stirred awake.
Feeling a bit apologetic, Su Tao said, “Sorry for the late-night pickup yesterday. Should I arrange a room for you now?”
Stretching his stiff shoulders, Minister Xu smiled. “Is there anything on the roof of the RV? I’d like to attach my portable camp there.”
“There’s nothing on the roof—you’re free to attach it.”
With her permission, Minister Xu retrieved a black box the size of a basketball from his backpack.
Climbing onto a stool, he held the box above his head and pressed a switch.
The box adhered to the roof with a magnetic pull and began to expand, seamlessly merging with the RV. Soon, a retractable ladder extended from it, leading to a compact room of about ten square meters.
Inside, there was a simple bed, a table, and a wardrobe—just enough for a comfortable rest.
Su Tao was impressed. “This is amazing. It’s like my RV now has a second floor.”
Minister Xu chuckled. “Yes, it’s a new spatial compression technology developed in Changjing. It allows us to maximize limited space. I basically carry a portable resting room with me—and it’s very sturdy, resistant to most physical attacks.”
“How much does something like this cost?” she asked.
“It’s not for sale,” Minister Xu replied, shaking his head. “It’s exclusively provided for Changjing’s military operations. I only got two because of my seniority and the fact that I’m constantly traveling.”
The other one, naturally, had gone to Lei Xing.
And Lei Xing had given it to her.
Su Tao’s smile faded as she retrieved a gift box from Fang Zhi’s storage space.
Chenyang had insisted on giving it to her last time, and she hadn’t had the chance to return it. Now, Minister Xu could deliver it to Lei Xing for her.
“You’re giving it back?” Minister Xu asked, surprised.
Su Tao nodded. “I didn’t realize how valuable it was before. Now that I do, I definitely need to return it. Please help me pass it along to him.”
Minister Xu studied her for a moment before sighing. “Lei Xing is a good kid—young, capable, loyal, and talented.”
“He is,” Su Tao agreed. “And he deserves someone better.”
Sensing her resolve, Minister Xu accepted the box. Then, with a chuckle, he added, “I’ve known Lei Xing for years—he’s never stumbled. His team, Leopard’s Path, outperformed even the Chu family’s elite mercenaries, and he’s never lost a single teammate. He’s made a name for himself and earned a fortune—he’s the definition of success.”
“I never thought he’d fall so hard when it came to matters of the heart.”
Su Tao felt awkward and didn’t know how to respond.
After his playful jab at Lei Xing, Minister Xu checked the time and stretched. “It’s about time for a rest stop. I’ll go check on Grandma Yu. Funny how fate works—I’m heading to Taoyang, and so is she.”
His mood was buoyant—perhaps because he was getting closer to seeing his daughter. He even joked with Ma Dapao as he got off the RV.
Meanwhile, Lin Fangzhi was distributing breakfast as usual.
When he handed a bag of warm buns, two shumai, and a can of eight-treasure porridge to Grandma Yu, she stared at him in silence.
Grandma Yu glared at the boy, waiting for him to speak. When he didn’t, she turned to Su Tao and asked, “Is this our last meal or something?”
As she spoke, her grandson had already wolfed down his food.
Without hesitation, she smacked him on the head. “You’re going to choke, you little fool.”
Su Tao, bewildered, said, “What? No! Why would you think that?”
Grandma Yu recalled the two packs of supplies Su Tao had given her grandson on her first visit. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “Do you always eat this well?”
