Chapter 19 The Death of a Hero

"Drip…"

"…"

The curve on the instrument gradually returned to zero.

Returning to zero meant death.

This curve represented Hong Zhong's hope of recovery… Everyone saw this scene.

The curve returned to zero, and hope was extinguished.

The mental appraiser in the ward stared blankly at the scene before him. He never imagined that this man, who had escaped from the [Old World] after countless hardships, would fall here… Just a few minutes ago, this man's vital signs had been stable.

The appraiser looked at the face that had turned pale due to death.

He licked his dry, peeling lips.

The ward was so quiet that a pin could drop, and his extremely difficult voice made this silence even more oppressive.

"Hong Zhong…"

"Confirmed dead."

…

…

Observation room. ノ亅丶說壹2З

Lin Lin silently stared at this scene. Of course, he knew what Hong Zhong's death meant… He was the only survivor of the maze mission, and the "returning hero" watched by tens of millions of eyes in North Continent.

His death was an extremely bad piece of news for Gu Fort.

And the "mental appraisal" that Lin Lin insisted on carrying out did not yield much useful information… The only useful piece of information was that Hong Zhong had indeed seen the "Oasis."

This further confirmed the title of "hero."

Yuan Yuan silently watched his old friend of many years lie in that ward, covered with a white cloth, and then close his eyes forever.

At this moment.

His original anger… seemed to dissipate with the wind.

The deputy captain slowly got up, looked at Lin Lin, and said with a soft sneer, "Brigadier General, you are indeed an iron-blooded garrison commander… After a while, the legion commander will personally call you."

His soft voice was filled with deep sorrow.

North Continent was strictly ordered.

He did not use honorifics.

And the final "call" made no attempt to hide his sarcasm.

Lin Lin did not care about these.

He stood with his hands behind his back, continuing to stare at the corpse in the observation room. No one knew what he was thinking… Just before Yuan Yuan left the room, Lin Lin spoke again.

"His body will remain in Gu Fort."

At this moment.

Yuan Yuan's anger had overflowed to his chest.

He squeezed the door frame, making a cracking sound, and wood chips fell rustling down.

Yuan Yuan took a deep breath, controlling his emotions.

"Why?"

"There is no why. This is an order. Is this your first day in North Continent?"

Lin Lin looked coldly at this outsider and replied emotionlessly, "In Gu Fort, all actions need my permission… Even if you move the legion commander, it will be useless. You can try to request Her Majesty the Queen, I only accept her guidance."

Yuan Yuan smiled.

He found this reply absurd.

He looked sadly at this stubborn young brigadier general, no longer hiding the contempt in his eyes.

Yuan Yuan said softly, "Lord Lin Lin, I simply cannot believe that you are such a person… and I cannot believe that Gu Fort would treat a returning hero so harshly… I have nothing more to say. I wish you good martial fortune."

"…"

Lin Lin moved his gaze away from the other person.

He said nothing.

Yuan Yuan, and the transcendents from the Investigation Corps who had rushed to Gu Fort, suppressed the anger in their hearts and left the meeting.

Zou Hai also sighed softly.

He gently left the observation room, alone, to handle the trivial matters after Hong Zhong's death for the brigadier general.

In the entire observation room, only two people were left.

Gu Shen, and Lin Lin.

Both of their gazes were consistent, falling on Hong Zhong's face…

"Why did you insist on carrying out the 'mental appraisal'?"

The silence in the observation room was broken by Gu Shen.

He said quietly, "Hong Zhong's file is perfect. He is a loyalist who has dedicated everything to North Continent. Is it necessary to carry out 'mental appraisal' on such a person?"

Lin Lin glanced at this East Continent guest.

"Sorry…"

He did not have the habit of explaining to outsiders, and said softly, "Mr. Gu, this trip to North Continent has disappointed you. The 'mental appraisal' did not yield any useful clues. We will conduct further analysis on the staff shavings. If there is a conclusion, we will notify you as soon as possible."

"Is this an eviction notice?" Gu Shen smiled.

"I guess so." Lin Lin said, "Gu Fort never entertains guests. You are already an exception."

Gu Shen shrugged.

"The massage service last night was very good. This is the first time I've enjoyed a Labrador's massage and shoulder pounding."

Lin Lin frowned.

"Besides… the breakfast this morning was also good, but the rye bread was a little hard."

"What do you want to say?" The brigadier general lost his patience.

"I want to say… Gu Fort is a nice place, and I don't want to leave in a hurry." Gu Shen stood up and said with a smile, "Of course, you are the biggest here… If you still insist on driving me away in three minutes, I can only pack my bags and leave."

Gu Shen came to Lin Lin's side, no longer beating around the bush.

He directly pointed out the brigadier general's thoughts.

"You insist on doing the mental appraisal, and insist on not returning the body… because you don't think Hong Zhong is the 'hero' that the public opinion says he is."

"He returned to Gu Fort, but did not reveal the specific exploration details of the [Old World]… A returnee skipped the process and gave a shocking exploration result. Moreover, this exploration result influenced and determined the next step of the maze mission. If the thirty-eighth route is successful and reliable, then the next investigation team can expand its scale to find the 'Oasis clue' given by Hong Zhong."

"But if it's fake…"

Gu Shen said, "Perhaps, the investigation corps team that went out of Gu Fort this time will be completely annihilated."

Lin Lin gave Gu Shen respect.

He listened quietly and then said, "You have one minute left."

"One minute is enough."

Gu Shen smiled and said, "Total annihilation is not the worst result… The worst result is that everyone survives and confirms that the 'Oasis' news brought back by Hong Zhong is correct. Then this time, the North Continent military will invest an unprecedented amount of power, starting from the giant wall of Gu Fort, to find mankind's 'dreamland'. This is what you are most afraid of."

"…"

The three-minute countdown ended.

Lin Lin did not drive him away.

He just silently looked at the young man standing in front of him. Time really flies. When he stood in front of the previous Gu Fort garrison commander, did the other person also have this feeling…

How did a new genius emerge without anyone noticing?

In the North Continent military system, Lin Lin, who had achieved amazing success, was already young enough.

And Gu Shen was even younger.

After a moment, Lin Lin asked softly, "How did you see this… Is there a problem with Hong Zhong's body?"

Gu Shen shook his head.

He pointed to his forehead, smiled lightly, and said, "Like you, Brigadier General, I rely on intuition."

"Ding ling ling—"

At this moment, the sound of the communicator rang.

Lin Lin answered the call.

He glanced at Gu Shen, did not leave the observation room, and still stood in place.

This was somewhat beyond Gu Shen's expectations.

This call should be the call from the "Legion Commander" that Yuan Yuan mentioned… Lin Lin did not even avoid suspicion?

And what surprised Gu Shen even more was that Lin Lin actually turned on the speakerphone.

A gentle and powerful female voice came from the communicator.

"Brigadier General Lin Lin, I already know what happened in Gu Fort."

"Legion Commander."

Lin Lin took a light breath. Although he had said to Yuan Yuan… Even if the legion commander was invited, he would not waver!

But when a big figure at the legion commander level really called, Gu Fort still felt quite a bit of pressure.

Before the communicator could speak,

Lin Lin replied preemptively, "I will properly handle the 'Hong Zhong' incident and give an explanation to everyone in North Continent who is concerned about this incident. Please believe me, and believe in Gu Fort."

The communicator was silent for a moment.

Unexpectedly, the legion commander said, "The Central City has affirmed your persistence in this incident. What you did was not wrong."

"But…"

The conversation turned, and she said slowly, "You should have read Hong Zhong's file. He is a warrior who has worked for the Investigation Corps for twenty years. Many people fought alongside him, and their comradeship is deep. This returning hero cannot die like this. Zhong Yuan asked me to take his body out of Gu Fort."

Lin Lin was silent.

The pressure faced by Gu Fort was not just the legion commander.

There was also public opinion from the outside world…

"I have also suppressed this request." She said calmly, "Gu Fort has independent handling rights. Based on years of understanding and trust, I support all the decisions you make… You don't need to pay attention to the public opinion within the Investigation Corps."

Lin Lin's expression lifted.

This call… was a great encouragement to him.

"But!"

"Next, I will send the second team of the Investigation Corps to set off from Gu Fort again to carry out the maze thirty-eight mission…"

The woman's voice was very firm, "The Investigation Corps will retrace Hong Zhong's original route to explore the truth about the 'Oasis' clues. This order has been approved by Her Majesty the Queen!"

This sentence was more like a notice.

"Received—"

Lin Lin said in a deep voice, "Gu Fort will fully cooperate with the Investigation Corps's combat operations!"

"Very good…"

There was a soft laughter from the communicator.

This laughter…

Gu Shen was stunned. Judging from the conversation just now, the legion commander should have a cold and ruthless image, right?

Did these two know each other long ago?

After the laughter, there was a question with a definite tone, "Gu Shen is by your side, right?"

Lin Lin's expression did not change. He glanced at Gu Shen next to him and nodded lightly.

The legion commander said, "Let him answer the call."

Lin Lin gestured with his eyes that Gu Shen could speak.

Good fellow… So turning on the "speakerphone" in advance was to anticipate this scene?

Gu Shen had never met the legion commander. He subconsciously raised his head and looked at the observation room. The North Continent military should also be using [Sky Eye] to locate his position.

"Don't be nervous."

The legion commander said softly, "Gu Shen, I send greetings to you on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen."

"…"

As soon as the words Her Majesty the Queen came out, he had to be nervous even if he wasn't.

Gu Shen said respectfully, "Greetings, Legion Commander."

"Are you interested in this exploration mission out of Gu Fort?"

The legion commander said slowly, "After your teachers left Pi Yue City, they disappeared without a trace. The military has been looking for news about them, but unfortunately, the clues have been cut off… After Hong Zhong's death, the clues of 'staff shavings' may be buried behind that maze."

Gu Shen rubbed his eyebrows.

Yes… This was a big trouble.

In fact, from the beginning, Gu Shen felt that the military's invitation was not that simple.

But he never expected that after arriving at Gu Fort, he would encounter a failed mental appraisal… The witness who provided the "staff shavings" died on the spot, and the true meaning of this clue was directly lost.

"Of course I'm interested. But…"

Gu Shen said slowly, "I heard that the selection criteria for the North Continent Investigation Corps are very strict. This is my first time in North Continent…"

He originally wanted to negotiate with the legion commander,

To exchange information,

Or talk about conditions.

"I set the selection criteria for the Investigation Corps… I don't think you have any problems."

The voice from the communicator did not hesitate, "Since that's the case, then it's settled. We'll add you to this maze mission."

"…"

Gu Shen was a little dumbfounded.

The old ginger was still spicy. She didn't give him a chance to negotiate. The legion commander directly made the decision and set the mission.

"May I ask, is it Her Majesty the Queen's intention to let me join the mission…?"

Gu Shen had a headache.

"Mr. Gu, Her Majesty the Queen is very busy."

The legion commander did not directly answer this question, but smiled meaningfully, and then said gently, "If you have any questions about the mission, you can go to the captain of this mission, or go to A'Liu Er."

The communicator hung up.

Gu Shen was a little helpless. He chuckled softly.

"Perhaps you should have issued an eviction order earlier…"

"You should be happy to be able to stay in this 'nice place' for a few more days." Lin Lin said lightly.

"Indeed, I'm quite happy."

There wasn't much happiness on Gu Shen's face. He suddenly asked, "Can you bake my bread softer tomorrow?"

A stubborn guy… Lin Lin raised his eyebrows and said, "The exploration missions departing from Gu Fort have extremely high risk factors and an alarming mortality rate. Including the one just now… Well, the guys who come back alive can be counted on both hands. Sending a guy who has never left the giant wall to the fortress, it seems that the legion commander favors you."

Gu Shen's expression was a little complicated.

A hand reached out to him.

"I wish you can often come to Gu Fort in the years to come, I will welcome you." Lin Lin congratulated solemnly, saying, "Provided you can come back alive."

"Speaking from the bottom of my heart. Mr. Brigadier General, hearing your blessing…"

Gu Shen held Lin Lin's hand and said with a serious face, "It's really an unlucky thing."

Lin Lin's face changed slightly.

This was the first time… someone had spoken to him like this.

Gu Shen ran away at the speed of light.

After a long while, he came back to his senses.

Lin Lin's expression was a little subtle. He remembered the conversation with Deputy Zou last night… Why didn't he feel the "unfathomable" feeling when he met this guy?

What eyes hide the deep sea, half light, half darkness…

He didn't see any of these.

Lin Lin muttered in a low voice, "Saying I'm unlucky… He's the one who's unlucky."

"Ding ling ling—"

The communicator rang again.

Lin Lin answered the call.

It was still the legion commander's voice.

"By the way… your sister often mentions you to me, she must miss you."

The voice was no longer cold.

Instead, it was as gentle as a spring breeze.

"If you have time, come back and see."

Lin Lin's face was hidden in the darkness of the observation room.

"I know."

He said in a low voice, "Thank you… Aunt Wen…"

…

…

(ps: 1. There will be another chapter tomorrow during the day, um… everyone should understand what "day" means, right? 2. The Investigation Corps is missing extras, everyone can post the ones you want in the comments~~)