Chapter 17 Solitude

Inside a hospital in Dragon City.

Gu Baisun walked stiffly out of the emergency room, his eyes vacant.

The action team members waiting outside silently stood up and looked at Gu Baisun. Qiu-ge also approached and asked with some hesitation, "Lao Guo, he..."

Gu Baisun was silent for a long time, then his pupils moved and landed on Qiu-ge. He gently waved his hand.

Qiu-ge looked at him, his lips moving, but he said nothing more.

Gu Baisun's eyes were dull, his expression barely changed. He scanned the crowd, his voice a little hoarse as he instructed, "Notify the hospital to do everything they can to save our wounded, as well as those who were captured. At the same time, take Shang Shixun to the All-Unification Bureau and prepare for interrogation. Xiao Qiu, have the guard regiment go to the prison and keep an eye on Shang Yao, to prevent him from desperately doing something rash."

After giving these instructions in an orderly manner, Gu Baisun turned to look at Xiao Zhang, the chief of the intelligence section, "You will personally be responsible for the interrogation. No matter what method you use, get all the confessions out of Shang Shixun's mouth before tomorrow morning!"

After saying all this, Gu Baisun started walking towards the outside of the hospital.

Everyone was silent. Xiao Zhang looked at Gu Baisun's back and wanted to offer some words of comfort, calling out softly, "Director Gu..."

Gu Baisun didn't turn his head, but waved his hand, "Let me have some peace and quiet."

"..." Xiao Zhang closed his mouth and said nothing more, watching Gu Baisun head towards the elevator with his guards.

"Clang!"

Just then, the light in the operating room behind them went out, and medical staff pushed Guo Zhengdao's body out. A white sheet covered his body. It seemed that at this moment, this fierce general of humble origins could finally rest.

The action team members silently followed beside, escorting Guo Zhengdao all the way.

Qiu-ge stared blankly as Guo Zhengdao was pushed away, until he entered the elevator. Suddenly, all the strength left his body, and he slumped onto a bench in the hallway with a thud.

At this moment, Qiu-ge felt extremely uncomfortable and sad. He sat there like a statue, completely silent.

Although he and Guo Zhengdao were not from the same faction and had not had much contact before, he and Guo Zhengdao had been in frequent contact recently due to the mole incident. They had practically lived and eaten together, and had gone through life and death situations together many times, which had changed the relationship between the two.

Perhaps, it wasn't just the two of them whose relationship had changed, but the life-and-death situations they had shared during this period had fostered a special kind of feeling among these brothers.

So, when he learned that Guo Zhengdao was gone, Qiu-ge felt even more saddened than he had imagined. He knew very well that someone was bound to die in such a dangerous mission, but when death truly fell upon these comrades, he could not suppress the sorrow in his heart.

Qiu-ge sat alone on the bench, unable to calm down for a long time.

...

Half an hour later, in the All-Unification Bureau compound.

Gu Baisun returned to his office alone, not allowing anyone to disturb him. His secretary and guards stayed outside, not entering.

The room was dark, without any lights on. Gu Baisun sat motionless in his chair. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock on the wall.

At this moment, Gu Baisun was still a little disoriented. Guo Zhengdao's last words to him kept echoing in his mind.

"People have feelings. Rationally, you think they are enemies, but subconsciously, they have become your comrades. This is something that cannot be abandoned... Xiao Gu, I hope you and those old folks will be alright..."

For some reason, these words seemed to have some kind of magic to them, constantly lingering in Gu Baisun's mind, as if someone had pressed the repeat button, repeating them over and over again.

He didn't know how long this went on for, but Gu Baisun shook his dizzy head, slowly lit a cigarette, and smoked in silence.

In recent years, the only people he could trust were the few that his father had left him. Lao Guo and Niu-ge.

Neither of these two were from military backgrounds. In fact, they were both former bandits who roamed the martial world. The reason they were willing to help him was because of gratitude and loyalty to his father.

They had served time in prison, had no families, and no roots. They simply followed him, never complaining about anything. Every time he needed support and help, they were the ones who silently stepped forward.

Gu Baisun felt that Niu-ge and Lao Guo's initial goal was simple: to avenge his father. But today, as Lao Guo was dying, he had said these words to him.

Can some things really be let go?

"Creak—"

The chair was pushed back as Gu Baisun stood up and walked to the window, reaching out and opening it.

"Whoosh..."

A gust of cold wind rushed into the room, blowing on his head, seemingly making him a little clearer.

Outside the window, the Dragon City was burning with war in the distance. The sounds of gunfire and artillery could still be heard clearly in the city.

Tonight, too many people had died in this city.

Gu Baisun looked at the distant flames, repeatedly trying to ignite the hatred that had been buried deep within him for so long. But no matter how hard he tried, what welled up in his heart at this moment was a sense of helplessness and sorrow.

"Buzz..."

The cigarette burned his fingers, and Gu Baisun, as if stung, hurriedly dropped it, staring blankly at the cigarette butt on the ground.

He lowered his head, recalling the various past events from when he first met Guo Zhengdao to when they supported each other. Scene after scene flashed through his mind like a movie, freezing, and then dissipating.

After a long time, Gu Baisun's eyes filled with tears, and his body trembled involuntarily.

Outside the window, moonlight shone on him, casting a lonely shadow in the room.

Gu Baisun wiped away his tears, took out his cell phone, flipped through his phone book, and after hesitating again and again, dialed a number. Reason told him that he shouldn't make this call at this time, but he couldn't help it.

"Beep beep..."

The phone rang twice and was quickly answered. A man's steady voice came from the receiver, "What's wrong? Is there an emergency?"

When Gu Baisun heard this voice, his emotions instantly collapsed, and tears flowed uncontrollably. He calmed his emotions, his voice trembling slightly as he said, "Guo-ge is gone..."

"..."

The other party was silent for a long time, then sighed, "Ah... This is fate..."

The two fell silent again, no longer speaking into the phone.

The dark office fell silent once more.

...

At the same time, in the Hua District, in a military hospital in Yanbei.

Wang Dingyuan pushed open the door to the ward and saw Su Tianyu sitting inside. His first words upon seeing him were, "I'm leaving!"