Chapter 144: It Will Be Dangerous
Chapter 144: It Will Be Dangerous
The road leading to Happy Town was unexpectedly smooth.
Generally speaking, only places with significant interaction and communication with the outside world tend to have well-maintained roads suitable for vehicles. Although an abundance of people and traffic puts strain on the road, there are also more resources for repairs, making the road packed and solid. Conversely, isolated places suffer from constant environmental erosion; roads become cracked and upturned over time, turning into places extremely difficult to traverse.
In just over a day, Lu Xin and Gecko had already reached a point only ten kilometers from Happy Town.
Seeing that the night was late and they had traveled the entire day, they decided not to proceed further and opted to rest instead.
Sitting by the campfire, Gecko immediately started making preparations. He didn’t even glance at the magazines he had brought. Instead, he continuously checked his guns and bullets, repeatedly disassembling and reassembling their various components. Sensing his significant stress, Lu Xin smiled and said, “Don’t be scared. I’ll go in alone when the time comes.”
“Alone?”
Gecko froze for a moment, glancing in the direction of Happy Town.
Lu Xin nodded. “Yes. You only need to wait for me outside. I’ll send you a signal when I’ve finished.”
“Well…”
Gecko’s expression was visibly hesitant. But after a moment, it gradually grew serious. He chuckled softly, “Brother, you could tell I’m scared, huh? Honestly, I really am scared. Before my abilities manifested, I was just a street punk, and the kind that got beaten up every day. Don’t be fooled by how handsome and cool I look now; that’s all just an act…”
Lu Xin nodded. “I noticed.”
Gecko shot him a resentful look. “Your frank reply totally ruined my emotional buildup…”
Lu Xin quickly apologized with a smile. “My bad. Please continue.”
Gecko cleared his throat with a dry cough. “But hey, since we’re Ability Users now, the courage’s gotta step up too. We’ve already come out together on this job; how can I not shoulder any responsibility? Rest assured, no matter what Devils or monsters are in there, I’ll charge in with you! I brought plenty of Special Bullets anyway. Why should I be afraid?”
Lu Xin listened, feeling a touch of warmth inside.
Then he looked at Gecko. “You’re really not afraid?”
Gecko froze again, saying quietly, “You ruined my emotional buildup again…”
“Sorry.”
Lu Xin shook his head with a smile. “Honestly, it’s unnecessary. Stand guard outside. If I encounter any problems inside, I’ll signal you with a flare. As for that Small Town… it’s better if you don’t enter. It’s too dangerous…”
“Haha…” Gecko laughed heartily. “I was the one warning you about danger this whole trip, yet here I am!”
Lu Xin slowly shook his head, turning to look southwest.
That was the direction of Qinggang City.
Lu Xin seemed able to see: in a dilapidated apartment building in Satellite City No. 2, his Father sat beside a table drinking. He was pouring down harsh Old Bai liquor one gulp after another; how much he had already drunk was unknown. He seemed unusually silent right now, a silence he’d never shown before. Yet this silence symbolized the accumulation of some immense power. His bloodshot eyes were full of anticipation.
Lu Xin had already promised him he would get a chance to come out.
“The danger I speak of,” Lu Xin spoke slowly, “doesn’t refer to Happy Town.”
He paused. “It refers to me.”
“What…”
Gecko gasped in shock, looking up sharply at Lu Xin.
The campfire burned quietly. Occasionally, a trapped insect within the wood would explode with a crisp crackle or pop.
“If Happy Town is very dangerous, then I might also become very dangerous.”
Seeing Gecko’s astonished expression, Lu Xin offered an explanation with a smile. “Everyone has their odd side, right? I do too. I tried to understand myself before, but I realized later it’s actually quite difficult…”
While saying this, he glanced towards the vehicle.
Mother was sitting on the back seat. Little Sister was crouched on the roof, staring up at the crimson moon overhead.
Lu Xin sighed. “So I figured, instead of trying to figure myself out, it’s better to focus on understanding what I should do.”
“Those people committed crimes in Qinggang City. I feel they should be dragged back.”
“But this is my conviction. I shouldn’t involve you.”
“Otherwise, if something really happened to you… I’d feel quite guilty…”
“……”
Gecko was momentarily speechless, then managed a strained smile. “Haha, what are you saying? Why else bother bringing me out if you didn’t want my help?”
Lu Xin replied frankly, “To drive…”
“……”
Gecko suddenly didn’t know how to respond.
His expression turned slightly strange—whether it was surprise or a flicker of something else.
Seriously pondering for a while, he finally nodded. “Alright, I’ll listen to you then. But before you go in, you need to listen to me.”
“I don’t know what secrets you hold, but Sources of Contamination and various abilities—they’re pretty much just variations on the same themes.”
“Right now, you have to eat well, drink your fill, and get plenty of rest.”
“Once inside, it’s best not to eat anything, and definitely not drink anything. If our gear wasn’t so limited, I’d even suggest you put on a full Protective Suit! Because anything you ingest or drink could expose you to Spiritual Contamination. So once you’re in, be wary of everything… It’s best to eliminate all bodily waste before you enter!”
“……”
Lu Xin listened carefully to Gecko’s instructions and nodded gently.
He did exactly as Gecko advised: ate a full meal and slept a deep, restorative sleep.
Originally, they had agreed to split the night watch—Gecko the first half, Lu Xin the second. But Gecko insisted on taking the entire watch duty to ensure Lu Xin got proper rest. When Lu Xin woke the next morning, he could still see Gecko perched attentively atop the vehicle, maintaining vigilance.
…Though Gecko held an ‘educational’ magazine the whole time, his alertness remained serious.
……
……
After getting up, they lit another fire on the spot and cooked a large pot mixture of Canned Food and Instant Noodles.
As before, they ate their fill, relieved themselves, extinguished the fire, packed their gear, and got back into the vehicle.
“I’ve prepared all the necessary supplies: guns, Special Bullets, acute antidote serum, Signal Flares, and so on,” Gecko said as he drove.
“I’ll be standing watch outside. If anything happens, fire the Signal Flare immediately.”
Lu Xin agreed. He picked up his own backpack and personally inspected its contents as well.
Soon, the vehicle reached the roadside near an abandoned highway. The road ahead became increasingly difficult to navigate. However, a small path branched off beside the highway, winding its way distantly into the unknown.
The sky was overcast, visibility low. Rolling hills stretched out in the distance. The small path was only visible vanishing into the depths of the hazy mist, its endpoint obscured.
“Alright, I’ll head over now. You stay careful outside too.”
Lu Xin slung his backpack on, bid farewell to Gecko, and started walking down the small path.
“Sigh, such boldness…”
Watching Lu Xin casually stride off as if for a pleasant outing, Gecko couldn’t help but sigh with admiration.
An involuntary glance away made him suddenly “Eh?” in surprise.
He rubbed his eyes reflexively, then looked again at Lu Xin, now nearly a hundred meters away.
Faintly, as if through blurred vision, he saw two figures—one tall, one short—following Lu Xin’s shadow.
“No way?”
The thought deepened Gecko’s unease. Unconsciously, he turned to look into the empty back seat of the vehicle.
After a long pause, he cautiously whispered, “Uncle… they’ve already gone over. Aren’t you going?”