GBP Chapter 446: A flash of struggle
Chapter 446: A flash of struggle
"What's going on?" Su Ming felt a surge of unease. He slowly approached the group, trying to discern some clue from their expressions. But they seemed oblivious to his approach, continuing their conversation in low voices, occasionally letting out a faint laugh. They seemed in no rush to act, as if unaware of the danger lurking behind them.
As he approached, a familiar face suddenly appeared in his field of vision—Zheng Yaoxian. He stood at the edge of the group, his gaze calm and unwavering. However, Su Ming caught a glimpse of a subtle unease in his eyes. It was an unconcealable alertness, as if he, too, had sensed something was amiss.
Su Ming's heart trembled. He realized that the situation he was in seemed to have been secretly controlled by some force, and that the people he saw were all part of it. This conclusion made him feel even more depressed. He understood one thing from Zheng Yaoxian's expression—this was not just a simple emergency response, but a carefully planned wait.
Zheng Yaoxian's eyes met Su Ming's, and the trace of alertness in his eyes disappeared in an instant, but he immediately said calmly: "You are here."
The turmoil within Su Ming hadn't subsided; instead, it intensified. He glanced at the group of people around him. Their expressions didn't resemble those of ordinary bar patrons, but rather those of trained secret agents. Everyone's positioning and communication were methodical, as if they were waiting for a signal, ready to act.
"What are you waiting for?" Su Ming asked softly. Although his tone remained calm, his heart was like the eve of a storm, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
Zheng Yaoxian sighed softly, his eyes revealing a deep sense of helplessness. "It seems you've noticed it too," he whispered. "This has all been arranged long ago."
Su Ming's brows raised slightly. Although he had already vaguely guessed the truth of some things, hearing Zheng Yaoxian's straightforward answer still made him feel a chill. "You knew it earlier?"
Zheng Yaoxian nodded and was silent for a moment. "It's not just me who knows this; you should have known it long ago," he said in a deep voice. "We've been under surveillance ever since you dropped that hint in the bar."
Su Ming felt a wave of heavy fatigue wash over him. His intuition told him that he had lost some important judgment during this process, and it all seemed to be cleverly circumventing him.
"Why are you waiting outside?" Su Ming asked again, trying not to sound too impatient. At this moment, he was no longer the intelligence officer who handled everything with ease, but rather a bit confused.
Zheng Yaoxian's gaze deepened, and a barely perceptible smile curled up the corners of his mouth. "We're not waiting for you, Su Ming," he said calmly. "We're waiting for a change in the situation. Do you think all this is just to deal with you? No, all our actions tonight were planned in advance."
Su Ming's heart skipped a beat. In that instant, all his thoughts were disrupted by these words, as if nothing had become so simple anymore. He suddenly realized that he had been caught in an elaborate web. Every person around him, even every detail, could be part of the enemy's plan.
"What are you talking about?" Su Ming's voice choked, and he raised his voice almost unconsciously. "Are you using me?"
Zheng Yaoxian didn't answer immediately, but instead glanced down at his watch. This slight movement made Su Ming feel uneasy. He instinctively knew that the situation was about to change, and that he would be unable to avoid the coming storm.
Su Ming's heart raced. He clenched his fists tightly, practically feeling the blood churning through his body. Zheng Yaoxian's words echoed in his mind several times, and the more he thought about them, the more bewildered and confused he became.
"You should have known this long ago." Zheng Yaoxian's calm words pierced Su Ming's heart like a knife.
Yes, he should have known. But it wasn't until this moment that he realized he'd been in a carefully orchestrated game, never truly in control. Zheng Yaoxian's calm demeanor seemed to reveal a truth Su Ming had been ignoring: those seemingly accidental events had, in fact, been a game set up by others.
"What are you waiting for outside?" Su Ming's voice was low, tinged with suppressed anger. No matter what, he still couldn't fully accept that he was just a pawn in someone else's plan.
Zheng Yaoxian didn't rush to answer. Instead, he glanced down at his phone, as if waiting for something. This calm demeanor undoubtedly made Su Ming even more uneasy. The heaviness in his heart grew stronger, as if even the air had become thicker, weighing him down to the point where he could barely breathe.
Su Ming could sense the atmosphere around him shifting subtly. Zheng Yaoxian wasn't one to easily expose his emotions; every shift in his expression hinted at a deeper meaning. The Zheng Yaoxian of today was clearly no longer the calm Zheng Yaoxian who had initially stood by Su Ming in the bar, facing danger alongside him. Instead, he was carrying a greater secret—perhaps, from the very beginning, he hadn't intended to side with Su Ming.
"Zheng Yaoxian..." Su Ming pursed his lips, a trace of struggle and doubt flashed through his heart, "Why didn't you say it earlier?"
Zheng Yaoxian finally looked up. His gaze remained calm, yet it held a tinge of inexplicable complexity. "How could I have told you if you hadn't asked?" he replied softly, a faint apology in his eyes, though he offered no further explanation.
"Now, tell me, what's going on?" Su Ming suppressed his inner anger and tried to keep his tone calm. However, he was already losing control of his emotions. Standing at the edge of the street, facing Zheng Yaoxian's calmness, he suddenly felt an unbearable loneliness.
Zheng Yaoxian paused for a moment, his gaze passing over Su Ming, seemingly observing the movements of the waiting group. After a moment, he whispered, "Everything was doomed from the moment you received that note."
Su Ming was stunned. He couldn't believe what he heard. His expression changed, and his eyes quickly became sharp. "What did you say?"
Zheng Yaoxian's lips curled up in a faint smile, a hint of fatigue visible. "If I should have made you understand earlier, that note wasn't just a clue from the start; it was a trap." He paused, as if pondering how to explain, "When you got it, all the actions had already been triggered."
Su Ming's heart trembled violently, as if he had fallen into a bottomless black hole. That note, that seemingly insignificant clue, was actually the beginning of all this? At this moment, Su Ming suddenly felt like he was being pulled into a huge vortex. No matter how hard he struggled, he would eventually be sucked in.
"You... knew it earlier?" Su Ming's voice was filled with shock and anger that was difficult to conceal. He simply couldn't believe that the trust he had always had collapsed at this moment.
Zheng Yaoxian's expression remained calm, unwavering. "I knew this a long time ago, but I didn't tell you directly. It wasn't because I didn't trust you." His eyes darkened, as if he were lost in thought. "It's because you need to experience this to truly understand your position."
"I need experience?" Su Ming sneered, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Experience what? Do you want me to jump into a trap and uncover the truth with my own hands?"
Zheng Yaoxian didn't respond. His gaze shifted again to the group standing at the other end of the street. They seemed to be waiting for a signal, their eyes methodical, as if anticipating the inevitable. Su Ming stared at them intently, a surge of nervousness building within him. He finally understood that he wasn't the only player in this scheme. Those people were also part of the plan.
"Su Ming," Zheng Yaoxian said softly, "You are not the only one being targeted. You are just part of our plan, a mere pawn."
These words, like a sharp needle, pierced Su Ming's chest. His breathing suddenly quickened, his heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably. Zheng Yaoxian's words not only betrayed him but also completely overturned his entire worldview. He had never imagined that all his efforts and struggles had been a carefully choreographed game. He was merely an unwitting player.
"You..." Su Ming bit his lower lip, trying to suppress the turmoil in his heart. "I have always trusted you, Zheng Yaoxian. You have always been my ally."
Zheng Yaoxian's eyes were filled with complex emotions. He was silent for a moment before he spoke softly, "Trust is no longer the relationship between you and me." He paused, his tone becoming even colder. "From the very beginning, there was no real trust between you and me, only purpose."
Su Ming suddenly felt a pang of abandonment, as if all his efforts seemed insignificant. "Purpose?" He smiled bitterly. "Then what is your purpose? Why did you make me keep trusting you?"
Zheng Yaoxian didn't answer, still looking at the gradually approaching figures. "The purpose is simple, Su Ming. We have been waiting for the right opportunity."
"Timing?" Su Ming's mind suddenly stirred. He whipped his head around, his eyes fixed on the people waiting on the street. He had a vague feeling that among them, there might be familiar faces, perhaps former intelligence agents, or key figures who had long since disappeared. But he couldn't be sure if their purpose was related to his own.
"What are they waiting for?" Su Ming asked in a low voice, trying to keep his tone steady.
Zheng Yaoxian didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned his head and slowly looked at Su Ming. The complex emotions in his eyes made Su Ming feel uneasy. After a long while, Zheng Yaoxian finally spoke: "You always thought that every step in the game was under your control, right?"