Chapter Six: The Illiterate

Although the process of joining this mission was somewhat inexplicable, and now he knew it was thanks to the strong recommendation of that woman Su Xiaoxiao, Chen Hongxu considered it extremely significant, as it was his first official Black List assignment. He had no intention of letting his debut end in failure because of internal strife.

As for Su Xiaoxiao herself, Chen Hongxu could never quite figure her out. Although she never mentioned the old feud with Japan and clung closely to him now, he knew that the heart of a woman was fathomless. He never overestimated his ability to decipher a woman’s mind—otherwise, he wouldn’t always end up at a loss with Xue Xi. So, having Zhang Shufang as a counterbalance to Su Xiaoxiao was actually quite useful.

“Where?” As the team leader, Zhang Shufang took her responsibilities seriously. Along the way, she always took the lead, scouting ahead, unlike Su Xiaoxiao, who seemed to enjoy watching others make mistakes.

She halted, raised her hand, and pointed toward a distant cluster of buildings that looked utterly out of place in such a desolate area. Turning to Su Xiaoxiao, she asked, “Is that the temporary camp?”

Su Xiaoxiao was still clearly annoyed that Chen Hongxu had rejected her earlier invitation to ambush Zhang Shufang. She grumbled all the way, venting her irritation on the luckless Fan Caobao. At Zhang Shufang’s question, she impatiently curled her lip. “You’re the leader. If you say it is, then it is.”

Zhang Shufang narrowed her eyes, ignoring Su Xiaoxiao’s usual cold sarcasm, and fixed her gaze again on the distant camp. “I’ll go have a look. I assume none of you wish to come with me, so wait here for my news.”

“Wait!” Watching Zhang Shufang’s retreating figure, Chen Hongxu shot Su Xiaoxiao a look and called out, “I’ll go with you!”

Zhang Shufang paused mid-step. She didn’t turn, and her expression remained unreadable, but by stopping to wait, she tacitly accepted Chen Hongxu’s goodwill.

Ignoring Fan Caobao’s pained expression, Chen Hongxu jogged to catch up.

“Is the scenery here that beautiful?” After the two left, Su Xiaoxiao’s expression flickered uncertainly, and she asked a question out of nowhere.

Fan Caobao’s face twisted with fear, but he dared not remain silent. Unsure what Su Xiaoxiao wanted, he decided to answer honestly after a flurry of anxious thoughts. “This godforsaken place? There’s no scenery to speak of!”

“Oh~” Su Xiaoxiao drew out the syllable, released her grip from Fan Caobao’s waist, and swiftly raised her knee to deliver a heavy blow to his backside.

Fan Caobao, completely unprepared, lost his balance and tumbled to the ground on all fours. Su Xiaoxiao smiled with satisfaction. “Since the scenery isn’t good, why stay? Go catch up!”

Fan Caobao dared not protest. Hearing this was like receiving a royal pardon. He was truly terrified of Su Xiaoxiao, and began to wonder if volunteering for this mission with Chen Hongxu had been a mistake.

Wearing a face of utter woe, he shouted a few words to the still-grinning Bear, then bolted away at such speed that even Su Xiaoxiao was secretly impressed.

Chen Hongxu and Zhang Shufang weren’t moving quickly, so the others soon caught up.

...

“The temporary camp is a rest area jointly organized by various countries outside the barrier. Other than prohibiting senseless fighting, there aren’t really any rules. But as you know, rules are made to be broken, as long as you’re strong enough.” Su Xiaoxiao lowered her head and whispered to Chen Hongxu about the camp. However, since everyone in the group was extraordinary, her whisper was more a gesture of intimacy than an effective precaution.

The five of them arrived before the cluster of buildings that clashed so starkly with the surrounding landscape. Apart from Su Xiaoxiao, who seemed to have been here before and showed no reaction, the other four stood in stunned silence, unable to speak for a long while.

What shocked them was not anything elaborate, but a simple plaque hanging at the entrance of the temporary camp. It was unremarkable, small and painted vermilion, just an ordinary piece of wood, but the writing upon it was enough to astonish anyone.

“What is this...?” Chen Hongxu raised his hand and pointed at the plaque, struggling to put his thoughts into words.

For the first time, the other three secretly hoped that Su Xiaoxiao’s reputed cleverness would allow her to grasp Chen Hongxu’s intended question. They pricked up their ears, but tried to maintain an air of indifference, gazing up at the sky as if above worldly concerns.

Su Xiaoxiao, of course, understood. For people of their caliber, only something that could overturn their worldview would leave them so at a loss, not even life-and-death matters could faze them otherwise. She smiled and explained, “It’s just what you see: the temporary camp welcomes you!”

“I know, but why is it written in Chinese? And why is it here?”

“Because the inheritors from China are the strongest and the most numerous. In this region, we call the shots on minor matters. Don’t underestimate this humble plaque. As far as I know, it was originally white when it was brought here. Back then, countless predecessors fought for the sake of this symbolic honor, staining it red with their blood. That battle for the plaque established China’s formidable reputation here.”

For the first time, the usually wild Su Xiaoxiao showed a solemn expression in front of the others. Not only had Chen Hongxu never seen this side of her, even her archrival Zhang Shufang was taken aback.

Fan Caobao sighed and, forgetting himself, placed a hand on Su Xiaoxiao’s shoulder, giving it a pat. “We can’t disgrace our predecessors’ achievements.”

With his cool demeanor and handsome face—if not for his ragged clothes—he would surely captivate countless young women. Unfortunately, his hand was on Su Xiaoxiao’s shoulder, and no matter how many girls he might charm, Su Xiaoxiao was not one of them. As a result, Fan Caobao was sent flying.

This interruption broke the group’s mood, and besides, there was no time left for reflection.

Perhaps their commotion outside had drawn attention, for two burly, shirtless foreign men with chests covered in thick hair strode out, sneering and muttering in a guttural language before casting a provocative look at the five of them.

Chen Hongxu was baffled, lines of exasperation forming on his forehead. The old adage “how you regret not studying when you need it most” ran through his mind a hundred times, only to be washed away by Su Xiaoxiao’s translation.

“They said, ‘You Chinese pigs do nothing but live in the past and reminisce about your ancestors. What else are you good for? Useless trash, you’re not allowed in the camp to waste food!’” Su Xiaoxiao’s face was expressionless as she coldly eyed the two foreigners. “That’s just a literal translation.”

Fan Caobao and Zhang Shufang nodded in sudden understanding, and Chen Hongxu glanced meaningfully at the two illiterates. He was speechless—after all, even Bear seemed to understand the foreigners, while he himself was only a high schooler!

But this was not the time to dwell on such things. Chen Hongxu turned to Su Xiaoxiao and asked, “How did you handle this sort of thing in the past?”

“We fought our way in and proved our strength!” Su Xiaoxiao grinned at the two foreigners. “Go call some more people. The two of you aren’t enough!”

“I don’t get it!” The two foreigners laughed, spreading their hands as if they really didn’t understand. Their expressions, however, betrayed comprehension.

Su Xiaoxiao was just about to speak; Chen Hongxu and Bear were ready to attack; even Zhang Shufang, usually so proud, clenched her fists. But someone beat them to it.

Fan Caobao, for some reason, charged forward, launching a wild, frenzied assault while cursing, “Damn you, I hate it when people talk gibberish to me...”

Apparently, he’d been wounded by Chen Hongxu’s earlier look. Being illiterate isn’t scary, but an illiterate with a sense of shame who knows martial arts is truly fearsome!

——

Author’s Note:
Lately, updates have been a bit irregular, and only one chapter went up on the 20th. Although hardly anyone reads this, I still want to explain. There’s no real reason—just that something came up and I felt exhausted. For a writer as insignificant as I am, it’s laughable to make excuses, but I will make up the missed chapter. Also, let’s send our blessings to Ya’an!