Chapter 70 New Team Member
If their roles had been reversed, Zhang Chenze knew with certainty that she would never have sacrificed her hand for the sake of another's life.
His initial plan was simple: dislocate his hand, slip free from the cuffs, and save her. A painful, yet straightforward solution.
However, he faltered when it came time to act.
Qi Xia recalled how, during the tense moment when Officer Li had saved Han Yimo from the harpoon, he had been calm, precise—no errors.
This time, however, panic must have set in.
When Officer Li struck his palm, he mistakenly hit the handcuffs with the club instead.
The mechanism of handcuffs was unforgiving—any force applied from the outside would only tighten them further. Officer Li understood that even if he shattered every bone in his palm, escape would be impossible.
This time, the force he exerted was far greater, so intense that he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness multiple times.
Meanwhile, Lawyer Zhang, her face half-submerged, could only tilt her head back, desperately snatching what little air she could at the water’s surface.
Just as her consciousness began to wane, he arrived.
Officer Li swiftly turned off the water valve and then smashed the fish tank with the club, shattering the glass with a determined strike. With urgency, he employed his remaining intact left hand to untie the wires binding Lawyer Zhang.
In mere minutes, the severed stump where Officer Li's right hand once resided bled copiously.
Without hesitation, Zhang Chenze tore a strip of wire and bound it tightly around his arm, staunching the flow of blood.
At last, they escaped the clutches of that merciless game.
As she gazed at Officer Li's lifeless form, a profound sadness washed over Lawyer Zhang. "As he said... He was a policeman. He couldn't simply turn his back on someone in peril."
"No..." Qi Xia shook his head slowly. "Perhaps he was merely trying to atone for a previous transgression."
"A previous transgression?" Everyone turned to Qi Xia, confusion etched on their faces. "What do you mean?"
He opened his mouth to explain but hesitated. Officer Li likely wouldn't have wanted too many people to know the story he'd shared. With him gone, it felt more respectful to let that secret remain buried with him.
Lin Qin, sensing the somber atmosphere, removed her jacket and draped it over Lawyer Zhang.
"Lawyer Zhang, you're soaked. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Standing off to the side, Ole Lu felt a pang of guilt for his lack of tact to the gravity of the situation. After lingering in uncertainty for a moment, he approached with an aluminum pot in hand, addressing Lawyer Zhang. "Hey, little girl, my condolences. Try to hold it together, alright? You want something to eat?"
Lawyer Zhang blinked in surprise and asked, "May I know who you are?"
"My name is Lu... You can just call me Ole Lu." He flashed a goofy grin. "People are iron, with rice, become steel; you'll feel like crap without a meal[1]."
"He's someone we met in one of the games we partook in," Lin Qin added. "Lawyer Zhang, you must be hungry, right? Qi Xia brought this pot of meat especially for you both."
Lawyer Zhang realized she was indeed quite hungry. Having gone two full days without food since her arrival here, she quickly took the pot, grasping the gamey, cooled meat with her bare hands and began devouring it in large mouthfuls.
In that moment, her disheveled appearance and frantic eating belied her former image as a proud and polished lawyer.
After wolfing down several pieces, she turned to Qi Xia, her words slurred with gratitude. "Thank you, Qi Xia..."
Qi Xia remained silent.
This pot of meat had originally been intended for Officer Li, and with his passing, there was no harm in offering it to Lawyer Zhang instead. At least she seemed more dependable than Xiao Ran and Doctor Zhao.
"Qi Xia, I had my reservations about you," Lawyer Zhang continued, "but you've proven to be quite thoughtful. Not only did you bring us food, but you also provided cigarettes for Officer Li. That was really considerate."
She gestured toward the cigarette still resting in Officer Li's mouth. "It took him quite a while to find those two moldy cigarettes..."
Qi Xia contemplated for a moment before stepping forward to retrieve the cigarette from Officer Li's mouth.
He had never encountered this brand before. The cigarette butt bore the characters {冬虫夏草}, and when he brought it close to his nose, an intense aroma of milk and Chinese herbal medicine filled the air.
"Indeed, this is the cigarette I brought," Qi Xia said, his expression tinged with complexity. "It’s unfortunate that Officer Li never had the opportunity to enjoy it."
Lin Qin regarded Qi Xia with confusion. She had rarely left his side yet couldn’t recall when he had acquired these cigarettes.
Qi Xia retrieved the metal lighter from Officer Li, stating, "I initially intended to gift this lighter to Officer Li, but it seems I must now keep it for myself."
No one protested this decision, though Lin Qin appeared slightly perplexed.
He stepped aside, examining the lighter and cigarettes with keen scrutiny. A nagging sense of the inexplicable lingered in his mind. Could everything be connected to the bell’s toll?
With this thought in mind, he bent down to pick up the worn cigarette pack from the ground, inspecting it meticulously but finding no hidden mechanisms.
"What's troubling you?" Lin Qin approached, her voice soft with concern. "Is something amiss?"
Qi Xia furrowed his brows, grappling with how to articulate his thoughts.
What was he to tell Lin Qin? That Officer Li had extracted the cigarette from the pack? Or that he had retrieved the lighter from his pocket?
These seemingly mundane actions wouldn’t raise any eyebrows, yet Qi Xia found himself unable to reconcile the strangeness of it all.
Perhaps he had simply imagined it. He placed the cigarettes and lighter back into the pack, turning to ask, "How is Lawyer Zhang doing?"
"Her emotions have stabilized. What should we do next?"
Qi Xia nodded and replied, "We've always had just one objective, haven't we?"
With that, he made his way toward Lawyer Zhang, his demeanor serious. "Lawyer Zhang, I won’t beat around the bush... May I borrow a {Dào} from you?"
"Borrow... a {Dào}?" Lawyer Zhang inquired, raising an eyebrow in slight bewilderment.
"Yes," Qi Xia affirmed. "To be frank, all of our {Dào} was forcibly taken from us and burned to ashes, and now we are left with none."
Upon hearing this, Lawyer Zhang slowly lowered her gaze, as if lost in contemplation.
"Qi Xia... I can offer you all of my {Dào}." Lawyer Zhang lifted her gaze, speaking with unwavering seriousness. "Let us form an alliance."
Qi Xia pressed his lips together, responding, "It’s not that I refuse to team up with you... It’s simply that remaining in my company may prove perilous."
He then recounted the grim fates of Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian, adding, "I am currently being targeted, and those around me are in grave danger."
"Are you affected by the deaths of Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian?" Lawyer Zhang queried.
"You’re not affected at all," she concluded. "This means that threatening your companions will bear no fruit."
"Then I’ll be fine," Lawyer Zhang asserted, rising gradually. "Let us strike a bargain. I shall provide you with all my {Dào} and assist you in the time to come, but in return, you must help me escape from this place."