84: Chapter 84 The Price of Zero

A heavy thud.

Chen Xi and Xie Jinyuan slammed onto the solid ground almost simultaneously.

At the other end of the Zipline, the towering flames dyed half the night sky orange-red.

A second later, the violent sound of the explosion swept over, carrying a scalding wave of air.

The blast nearly knocked the two of them off their feet.

In the darkness, several silent figures quickly surrounded them.

They wore short shirts and held short axes and machetes; their eyes were sharp, and their movements were agile.

The leader of the group cupped his fists toward Xie Jinyuan.

"Commander Xie, we are under Mr. Du's command, ordered to receive you."

His voice was low and concise.

Xie Jinyuan nodded and returned a military salute.

"Much obliged."

Chen Xi's body swayed.

The sharp pain in his back came in waves, one after another like a tide.

He could barely remain standing.

A hand reached out just in time to steady him.

It was Xie Jinyuan.

On the other side, a man from the Green Gang immediately stepped forward and supported his other arm.

"Mr. Chen!"

Xie Jinyuan's tone was filled with concern.

Chen Xi waved his hand, signaling that he was fine.

"Let's go."

The group quickly disappeared into the maze-like, dark alleys of the Concession.

This place and the other side of the creek were two completely different worlds.

There was no sound of gunfire.

No wails of death.

Only the faint, decadent singing from afar and the crisp bells of rickshaw pullers.

Extravagance, luxury, and the sounds of singing and dancing.

It was as if Suzhou Creek, which separated the two worlds, was not a river.

It was the River Lethe, separating the mortal world from hell.

They finally stopped in front of an inconspicuous, massive freight warehouse.

The heavy iron door was slowly pulled open from the inside.

A warm breath mixed with sweat, blood, and the aroma of food wafted toward them.

The warehouse was brightly lit.

It was packed densely with people.

Over four hundred young, exhausted faces, covered in gunpowder smoke and bloodstains.

When they saw the figures appearing at the door, the entire warehouse instantly fell silent.

Everyone's gaze focused on them.

The next second.

No one knew who shouted first.

"It's the Commander!"

"The Commander is back!"

"And Mr. Chen! They're back!"

The silence was instantly ignited.

"Oh—!"

The deafening cheers were like a volcanic eruption, nearly lifting the roof off the warehouse.

The Soldiers jumped up from the ground like madmen and surged toward the door.

They were laughing, crying, and shouting.

Waving their arms and the guns in their hands.

Venting the ecstasy of surviving a disaster.

The officers desperately maintained order so the excited Soldiers wouldn't bump into the heavily injured Chen Xi.

Shangguan Zhibiao was the first to rush over.

Looking at the blood-covered Chen Xi and the equally disheveled Xie Jinyuan, his eyes instantly turned red.

"Commander! Mr. Chen!"

He wanted to say something but was too emotional to utter a single word.

He could only give a heavy military salute.

Xie Jinyuan patted his shoulder and then slowly raised his hand.

The roof-raising cheers in the warehouse gradually subsided.

But on those flushed faces marked with tear stains, the irrepressible excitement remained.

Xie Jinyuan stood up straight.

Though he was just as exhausted and covered in wounds,

at this moment, he returned to being the iron-blooded, calm Commander of the 524th Regiment of the 88th Division.

His voice was raspy but exceptionally clear.

"Company commanders! Platoon leaders!"

"Assemble your units immediately!"

"Take a headcount!"

An order.

Devoid of emotion.

Yet it carried a power that steadied people's hearts.

The Soldiers, who had been immersed in ecstasy just a moment ago, immediately took action.

They quickly wiped the tears from their faces and searched for their units.

In the warehouse, the hoarse voices of officers calling roll rang out again,

along with the loud responses of the Soldiers.

Chen Xi was settled onto a temporary bed made of stacked sacks.

He leaned against the wall, watching this scene of chaotic yet orderly activity.

The wound on his back stung like fire.

But he couldn't feel it.

All his attention was focused on the officers running back and forth with pens and paper.

His heart was in his throat.

(Please...)

(Please don't let there be any mistakes...)

Time became incredibly prolonged at this moment.

Every name called, every verification,

was like a hammer striking everyone's heart.

Finally.

All the statistics were gathered into Shangguan Zhibiao's hands.

He held those few pieces of paper, soaked with sweat and filled with names and numbers, his hands trembling slightly.

The entire warehouse fell silent once more.

Everyone's gaze was focused on him.

Shangguan Zhibiao took heavy steps, as if his legs were made of lead, and walked up to Xie Jinyuan.

He opened his mouth.

But no sound came out.

He lowered his head and looked at the paper in his hand, as if trying to engrave every word into his eyes.

"Report!"

Xie Jinyuan's shout was like a clap of thunder.

Shangguan Zhibiao snapped his head up.

Tears were already streaming down his face.

His voice carried a sob, yet it was incredibly loud.

"Reporting to the Commander!"

"Excluding... excluding the seventy-six brothers who died in battle at the warehouse..."

He paused and took a deep breath, as if using all his strength.

"The four hundred and twenty-three officers and Soldiers who participated in the retreat!"

"At this moment!"

"All members have returned to the unit!"

"Not a single..."

"Not a single damn one is missing!"

He almost roared out those last few words.

After roaring, he could no longer support himself. His legs gave way, and he knelt on the ground, burying his face deep into those thin pieces of paper in his hands, letting out a suppressed sob like a wild beast.

Silence.

A deathly silence that lasted for ten seconds.

Then.

A Soldier threw down his gun, knelt on the ground, and wailed loudly.

Like a falling domino.

A second one.

A third one.

In the entire warehouse, over four hundred iron-blooded men who would bleed but not cry on the battlefield,

at this moment, cried like children.

They embraced each other, pounding one another's backs.

They sat on the floor, slapping the cold ground.

They used all their strength to vent that massive ecstasy and sorrow of returning from hell to the world of the living.

Xie Jinyuan stood where he was.

He didn't move.

He only slowly raised his head, looking toward the darkness of the warehouse ceiling.

Two lines of clear tears silently slid down from his resolute, sharp eyes.

Chen Xi leaned in the corner.

He watched this chaotic scene where crying and laughter intertwined.

He felt that the wound on his back didn't seem to hurt so much anymore.

He reached out and gently touched the pocket on his chest.

That cold, copper button belonging to Little Chen was lying there quietly.

It seemed to still carry the young man's body heat.

(Little Chen.)

(Did you see?)

(Your brothers.)

(We...)

(We've all come home.)

He grinned,

revealing a heartfelt, incredibly brilliant smile.