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Chapter 7

The Third Rebirth (REBIRTH)



"I understand, but I just want to follow you," Ye Xiao said while holding a sweet milk carton and his clear eyes unwavering as he looked at Ling Chen. He then counted on his fingers, "I'm good at fighting, I eat very little, I don't take up much space when I sleep, and I listen to you."

Holding up four straight fingers, Ye Xiao looked somewhat pitiful, "I'm very useful, can you not send me away?"


Ling Chen: Damn, how the hell am I supposed to continue this conversation?


Avoiding Ye Xiao's gaze, Ling Chen stood up and threw out a sentence, "Think it over again." before getting off the vehicle.


Ye Xiao watched as Ling Chen agilely jumped off the vehicle, presumably to discuss matters with Jiang Cancan and Jiang Mu but he didn't follow. Instead, he sat on the chair with his long sword before leaning his head against the steel wall of the vehicle while lost in thought.


Ling Chen had mentioned that their mission in D Zone was to install data probes at nine designated coordinates. Ye Xiao knew this was only part of the task; the rest Ling Chen hadn't told him.


However, Ye Xiao wasn't disappointed. The fact that Ling Chen had revealed his true identity to him already made him very happy—it meant that Ling Chen at least trusted him a little.


At noon, the four of them each held a military helmet as they ate lunch. Ling Chen placed a piece of beef from his bowl into Ye Xiao's, "Have you thought about it? When are you leaving?"


Ye Xiao shook his head, "I'm not leaving."


Ling Chen frowned, "Listen to me!"


When he usually smiled lazily, ignoring his fierce demeanor, and dressed in a shirt and trousers, he could barely mimic a nobleman, at least his looks and figure could carry it. But once Ling Chen frowned, every pore exuded a dangerous aura that made people want to run away at the sight.


Jiang Cancan, who was trying hard to pick up a piece of beef with his chopsticks, trembled, and the beef fell back into the military helmet. He was very angry inside but didn't dare to speak up, fearing he would get beaten.


But Ye Xiao, while holding his chopsticks, answered without hesitation, "No!"


Jiang Cancan's hand trembled again.


He looked at Ye Xiao with immense admiration with a feeling of witnessing a brave warrior up close—Can Ye hadn't seen someone dare to speak to Chen Ge like this in many years!


Ling Chen narrowed his eyes and his expression was very unfriendly. Just as Jiang Cancan thought their Chen Ge couldn't hold back and was about to hit someone, he saw Ling Chen move his chopsticks to pick up the largest piece of beef and throw it into Ye Xiao's military helmet before fiercely saying, "Shut up! You're pissing me off! Eat!"


Jiang Cancan: ??


After lunch, the four of them got into the armored vehicle and headed to the second coordinate point.


Ling Chen had a sour face, as if someone owed him a billion and wasn't planning to pay it back in the next life. Jiang Mu was driving while Jiang Cancan sat in the corner with his K57, wiping it once then again, but still, no one spoke in the vehicle. Jiang Cancan couldn't hold it in anymore. He look at Ling Chen then at Ye Xiao, "That—"


"Can Can."


Jiang Cancan turned his head and tirelessly corrected him, "Xiao Mu, you should call me brother." then asked, "What's up, brother?"


Jiang Mu: "Come to the passenger seat."


Finally needed by his brother, Jiang Cancan didn't bother with the two who were still sulking and slip away as fast as a rabbit to quickly sit in the driver's seat, and away from the freezing air in the back compartment.



..............



In the back compartment.



Ye Xiao glanced several times at Ling Chen, who was resting with his eyes closed and squeezed the black scabbard in his hand to bolster his courage.


He carefully moved closer but hesitated for a couple of seconds before he reached out to tug on Ling Chen's jacket.


Ling Chen opened his eyes to look at him briefly before closing them again.


Ye Xiao was a bit troubled.


After some thought, he rummaged through his bag and pulled out a piece of milk candy. "I'll share my last piece of milk candy with you. Don't be mad, okay?"


Ling Chen opened his eyes again to look at the candy in Ye Xiao's palm. He then took it, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth, and after that, he closed his eyes once more while still wearing a "I'm not happy" expression.


Ye Xiao stared at his empty palm for a moment then handed over Water Cutter. "You can touch Water Cutter too. Don't be mad, okay?"


Ling Chen didn't hesitate at all.


He took the sword and hugged it to his chest before closing his eyes again.


Ye Xiao was dumbfounded—the candy was gone and the sword was gone, but Ling Chen still wasn't paying attention to him.


What should he do?


At that moment, Jiang Mu's voice came from the driver's seat. "Chen Ge, the application has been approved. If we encounter hostile forces in D Zone, we can eliminate them on the spot without having to file another report."


Ling Chen nodded. "Got it." After responding, he turned his head to look at Ye Xiao. "Not going to keep trying to cheer me up? Hmm?"


This feeling was quite novel for Ling Chen because in his over twenty years of life, no one had ever tried so carefully to cheer him up.


Ling Chen felt quite pleased and comfortable being coaxed, but he kept his grumpy expression firmly in place.


Ye Xiao was honest. "I want to cheer you up, but I don't have anything left."


He was truly poor, with only a piece of candy and a sword to his name, along with some nutrient solution that Ling Chen didn't care for.


Ling Chen was silent—the candy and the sword were probably Ye Xiao's most important possessions, right?


He returned the sword and fished out a piece of candy from his pocket to give to Ye Xiao.


Still feeling a bit unsettled, he sternly lectured Ye Xiao, "You can't eat too much candy. It'll rot your teeth and make you fat. If your teeth rot, you'll have gaps when you smile. If you get fat, you won't be able to jump around with your sword. You're already pale; if you get fat, you'll look like a rice dumpling."


Ye Xiao looked at him with wide eyes then placed the candy back into Ling Chen's palm.


Ling Chen stared at the candy in his hand with his face stern. "You think I'm so helpful that I'll unwrap the candy for you?"


As he spoke, he unwrapped the candy and popped the square piece of milk candy into Ye Xiao's mouth while emphasizing, "Last one!"


Ye Xiao held the candy in his mouth. "Can I stay with you then?"


Ling Chen: "Aren't you going to do your own tasks?"


Ye Xiao, with the candy in his mouth, mumbled, "I will, but—"


Ling Chen: "But I'm more important, right?"


Ye Xiao's eyes curved into a smile as he nodded. "Yes!"


Ling Chen: Damn, I've never had such a difficult conversation!


But in the end, it was Ling Chen who compromised.


He rummaged through a pile of miscellaneous items and pulled out a box before instructing Ye Xiao, "Stretch out your hand."


Ye Xiao obediently extended his left hand.


Ling Chen didn't say anything more. He fastened a communicator to Ye Xiao's wrist before pressing a few buttons to set it up. "You're connected to the team channel now, but you're just a temporary member, got it?"


"Got it." Ye Xiao touched the metal casing of the communicator while smiling that was sweeter than the candy.


Causing Ling Chen to finally couldn't keep his grumpy face any longer. "With a bandage on your right hand and a metal watch on your left, you look even cooler, little brother."


Ye Xiao nodded. "Yeah!"


Ling Chen was about to praise him a few more words when Jiang Mu's voice cut in, "Chen Ge, the monitor shows a significant fluctuation in the nearby Data Stream."


Ling Chen's eyes sharpened, "Huh, is it time for our daily practice again?"


Jiang Mu nodded, "Yes."


The ground began to tremble and grow louder as it approached.


Jiang Cancan, while carrying a gun bag, stood on top of the armored vehicle and held a military telescope.


He looked through it and reported, "Holy shit, this thing is fucking huge!" He put down the telescope and shouted below, "It's an elephant!"


Elephants are herd animals, thick-skinned and massive in weight.


Ling Chen's eyes narrowed, "How many?"


"Just one!"


Just as the tension in Ling Chen's eyes began to ease, Jiang Cancan added while shouting at the top of his lungs, "Estimated height of eight meters! Tusks are six meters long! Red skin!"


"..."


Ling Chen quickly instructed Jiang Mu, "Drive the car further away in a bit and be ready to provide backup." He then turned to Ye Xiao, "You stay with Xiao Mu and don't run around, got it?"


Ye Xiao wanted to say something but was interrupted by Ling Chen, "Not listening?"


Ye Xiao puffed his cheeks but still nodded while holding onto his long sword, "I'll listen and I won't run around."


Ling Chen ruffled his fluffy head, "Good boy."


After Ling Chen got off the vehicle with the heavy sniper rifle, tripod, and a box of armor-piercing bullets, Jiang Mu started the armored vehicle and drove in the opposite direction.


Seeing Ye Xiao restless, Jiang Mu comforted him, "Chen Ge's injuries have healed and together with Jiang Cancan, they can handle a mutated elephant."


Ye Xiao nodded as he barely calmed down, "Thank you."


The ground trembled even more violently that indicated that the giant elephant was getting closer.


At that moment, a loud "boom" echoed, and flames, thick smoke, and dust rose in the distance.


Jiang Mu explained, "Cancan went to plant a pack of N2 explosives, it should have hit the giant elephant." Just then, the communicator on Ye Xiao's wrist buzzed with Jiang Cancan's voice, "Shit, shit, Can Ye almost got blown up with it! My old heart almost stopped! Strongly demand extra chicken legs!"


Ling Chen's voice was cold, "Request denied."


Jiang Cancan started yelling.


One moment complaining about the elephant's glaring red skin and how thick it was, making the explosives ineffective. The next moment, he was grumbling about Ling Chen's stinginess.


He never stopped his chatter but Ye Xiao listened intently.


He was ordered by Ling Chen to stay in the vehicle and couldn't see the situation clearly, so he had to rely on this method to understand the battle.


Ling Chen was probably adjusting the heavy sniper rifle and multitasking, "Ye Xiao."


"Hmm?" Ye Xiao clumsily pressed the talk button, indicating he was listening.


Ling Chen, "Have Xiao Mu give you the telescope. Later, focus on watching how I blow up this giant elephant."


Before Ye Xiao could respond, the entire team channel was filled with Jiang Cancan's exaggerated laughter, "Hahahaha, holy shit, Can Ye is dying of laughter! Hahaha, Chen Ge, I didn't expect you to be such a secretly showy Chen Ge! Cough, alright, our Chen Ge, you may begin your performance!"


Ye Xiao also laughed, "Alright."


Ling Chen, while lying on the ground, waited for Ye Xiao's response before focusing back on the scope.


The heavy sniper rifle he was using had a barrel alone of 1.3 meters that was entirely covered in camouflage, like a beast lurking in the grass waiting to strike.


With his right hand on the trigger, Ling Chen opened the team channel again and called, "Ye Xiao."


The signal carried a faint "zzz" sound as Ye Xiao's voice came through, "I'm here, didn't run off."


Ling Chen's voice held a hint of laughter, "Help me count down from ten."


Soon, Ling Chen's ears were filled with Ye Xiao's precise countdown, "10—9…3—2—1!"


"Bang!"


As soon as Ye Xiao's "1" fell, a deafening gunshot and the enraged trumpet of an elephant echoed from the distance.


Ye Xiao glanced over but didn't stop counting as he started again from five.


When he reached one, a second gunshot rang out.


He continued, and upon reaching one again, a third gunshot followed.


Ling Chen's deep voice came through the communicator, "Wrap it up."


Ye Xiao's grip on the scabbard suddenly relaxed, and he realized his palms were drenched in cold sweat.


Returning with the heavy sniper rifle and magazine, Ling Chen set them down and, feeling hot, stripped off his combat uniform.


Upon turning around, he saw Ye Xiao's bright eyes fixed on him. Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, "Handsome?"


Ye Xiao nodded, "Handsome!"


Ling Chen chuckled and sat down beside him, "Give me your left hand."


Grabbing Ye Xiao's extended wrist, Ling Chen retrieved a multi-functional military knife from his back.


Opening it, he used the blade to etch a long sword onto the metal cover of Ye Xiao's communicator.


Ye Xiao recognized it immediately, "Water Cutter!"


Ling Chen nodded, "It's Water Cutter."


With a flick of his nimble fingers, the blade carved a bold "Ling" in the bottom right corner with the strokes flamboyant.


Jiang Cancan, who had been watching nearby, exclaimed, "Chen Ge, I want a personal mark too! I want an exclusive signature!"


Ling Chen didn't even look up, "Get lost, I'm busy!"


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