Chapter Nine: Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Just Here to Take Advantage of the Chaos

Even though Lin Yang was kicked to the ground, he still held his head high and said, “You know I’m not lying! You don’t realize it yet, but the parasitic tool can not only open spaces and backpacks at will, the images I see can also be synced directly to Brother Long!”

His expression was filled with schadenfreude and satisfaction. “If I were you, I’d be on my knees confessing my mistake instead of trying to threaten me into keeping this from Brother Long. I spit on that!”

“Brother Long doesn’t know this, but he told me that once the parasitic time runs out, you’ll kill me. If I help him deceive you, he might spare me. I was afraid he’d harm me, so I pretended to agree.”

“But Brother Long, I trust you. I have the space ability; I can handle logistics for the gang. I’ve thought it through. With Brother Long’s skills and intelligence, you’re destined to dominate this territory. Following you as your vanguard is far better than fighting alone!”

Lin Yang finished in one breath. The short man’s face turned deathly pale. His legs gave way, and he knelt down, about to speak, but Brother Long raised a hand to stop him.

Brother Long then turned to the silent bald man. “Old Luo, you speak.”

Lowering his head, Old Luo whispered, “Brother Long, the short man was momentarily lost to temptation… He didn’t take the box with the weapons; he handed it straight to you. What he took was another box containing cooling medicine.”

“It’s been unbearably hot, and his mother couldn’t endure it. He secretly gave her medicine, so please forgive him this once.”

The short man looked gratefully at Old Luo, then slowly climbed back beside Brother Long. “Brother Long, I know I was wrong! I never meant to betray you! The weapons are here—I didn’t dare touch them.”

“My mother raised me with great hardship, but she’s so far away. I had no choice but to send her some medicine. I won’t dare do it again, Brother Long. Please forgive me this once!”

Brother Long sighed and patted the short man on the shoulder. “Why keep something like this from me? You think I’d forbid you from sending medicine to your own mother? We’ve been brothers for so many years, and you don’t trust me? That hurts.”

The short man’s complexion brightened somewhat. Grateful, he said, “Brother Long, I really know I was wrong. You’ve always been my big brother!”

Lin Yang watched as they reconciled with just a few words and immediately panicked. “Brother Long, you can’t believe him! Even if he didn’t take the weapons this time, today he and Old Luo dared to deceive you and hide the medicine. Tomorrow, who knows what else they’ll hide!”

“I’ve been lucky so far. I’m bound to open up other weapons in the future. Who can guarantee he won’t actually stash weapons later?”

Originally smiling, Brother Long suddenly hardened his face with anger and slapped Lin Yang across the cheek. “Shut up! Do you think you have any say in my brotherhood?!”

Lin Yang shrank back at Brother Long’s fierce glare, no longer daring to utter a word.

The short man looked as if he had just escaped death, slowly rising from the ground and bowing deeply to Brother Long. “Brother Long, from now on, my life belongs to you!”

Brother Long waved his hand dismissively. “Brothers don’t need to say such things. Let’s prepare ourselves. The other fat sheep should be arriving soon. Once we take care of her, good days await us.”

The short man nodded repeatedly and pulled Old Luo toward the exit.

But just as they turned, Brother Long suddenly had a crude hunting shotgun in his hand.

His face darkened as he aimed the gun at the short man’s back and fired!

Unexpectedly, the short man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head—he dove to the side and snarled at Old Luo, “I told you he looked down on us once he got a gun, but you didn’t believe me!”

Then, suddenly, he produced a small revolver and fired two rapid shots toward Brother Long before he could react!

Unfortunately, his aim was off—one shot missed, but the other hit Brother Long’s leg.

Brother Long screamed in pain and retaliated.

Though the shotgun’s range was short, the spread of the pellets at this distance was devastating.

The short man took a shot in the arm but gritted his teeth and shouted at Old Luo, “You think he’ll spare you? He never intended to share Lin Yang’s supplies with us!”

Lin Yang, only aware that the short man had hidden weapons but not that it was a handgun, trembled in fear. He dared not run for fear of stray bullets and shrank in a corner, silently praying the short man wouldn’t remember him.

Hearing the short man’s words, Brother Long roared, “I’ve always said we share blessings together. How dare you betray me?! Old Luo, we’ve been brothers for so many years. Just now, I only wanted to kill the short man because he was treacherous.”

“You know how I’ve treated you all these years, and you still want to betray me?!”

Brother Long and the short man pointed guns at each other but ceased firing.

They both realized that if they ended up hurting each other, the only one to benefit would be the silent Old Luo.

Old Luo’s face was still etched with bitterness. “Brother Long, do you really want to share the supplies with us?”

Brother Long’s gaze hardened. “What do you mean? You doubt me?”

Old Luo shook his head. “Lin Yang said there’s nothing else in his space but mostly food and knives. But the only thing you’ve given us is the bread in the wooden box. You haven’t even given us a single weapon. The brothers are all upset.”

Brother Long’s expression soured deeply. “You believe everything Lin Yang says? He’s eager for us to turn on each other! Yes, we have supplies, but we still have to stay in this hellhole for seven days! Do you think I’d reveal everything on day one?!”

Old Luo shook his head. “Brother Long, the short man is right. You never intended to share supplies with us. You keep us around to do your dirty work. Once new dogs join, you won’t need us anymore.”

Slowly, he stepped closer to Brother Long.

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