Chapter 36: The Second War Council
Otis replied, “I don’t know either. I’m leaving now; I’ll bring you some food later.” With that, he hurried after Hershel.
Watching the group disappear into the distance, Sean couldn’t help but curse, “That old bastard, looking down on people—why is he so friendly to an Asian? Could it be that the Asian guy has something going on with his daughter?”
Glenn sighed, “This is all your fault. Who told you to wave your gun and scare the old man?”
Sean shouted, “How’s that my fault? That old man told us to hand over our weapons—what nonsense!” He turned to Glenn, his eyes suddenly bright. “Glenn, you’re Asian too. Why don’t you try to charm that old bastard?”
Glenn swore, “Fuck you, Sean! What do you take me for?” He muttered under his breath, “It’s not like I haven’t tried. But he kicked me out too…”
Sean glanced down at Glenn in contempt. “Useless, even though you’re Asian too.”
…
After lunch.
Maggie reluctantly gave up her room for Li Changsheng to stay in and moved into her elder sister’s room.
Hershel, that old fox, knew how to sell favors.
Maggie’s face was full of unwillingness, hoping Li Changsheng would refuse.
Li Changsheng didn’t care at all; he moved his luggage in without hesitation, taking over like a cuckoo in a sparrow’s nest.
Lying on the bed still carrying traces of perfume, Li Changsheng closed his eyes.
By his calculations, it was time for his meeting with the avatars again.
…
Inside the mysterious space.
Li Changsheng entered the abandoned building.
Li Xiao G, Li Xiao T, and Li Xiao Xu were all present.
Li Xiao G was slumped over the stone table, looking half-asleep.
Li Xiao Xu was suspended in a shadowy spot overhead.
Li Xiao T still wore sunglasses, a cigar clenched between his teeth. He looked much cleaner than before, though his left arm was missing and the Gatling gun was gone.
Li Changsheng glanced first at Li Xiao T from the Terminator world. “Have you all met?”
Li Xiao T replied, “Yeah, we chatted for a bit. These brothers are pretty good.”
Pretty good?
Electronic eyes can’t be trusted… Li Changsheng thought skeptically, turning his gaze to Li Xiao G.
Seeing him sprawled across the table, nearly asleep, Li Changsheng impatiently tapped the tabletop. “Li Xiao G, wake up! It’s time for the meeting!”
Hearing Li Changsheng’s words, Li Xiao G mumbled, “The main body’s here, meeting… let’s hurry, I need to get back and nap.”
Hah?
Nap?
---
Li Changsheng slammed the table. “Li Xiao G!”
Li Xiao G yawned. Li Xiao T took a drag from his cigar. Li Xiao Xu drifted through the air.
Li Changsheng was furious. Determined to correct his avatars’ attitudes, he started with Li Xiao G.
“Li Xiao G, you’re almost at G2 stage, right? Look at your size—look at your attitude. Anyone else at G2 would be boss-level, tearing through everything! And you? Sleeping? It’s almost time, and you’re still napping? Do you even know what you’re doing, what your future holds?”
Li Xiao G mumbled, “Yeah, I know. Being researched, right?”
Li Changsheng shouted, “What?! Being researched? That’s your ambition? Look at your claws—so sharp! Have you ever used them?”
“I have! I’ve cut through several steel plates, twenty centimeters thick each!”
Li Changsheng snapped, “Why don’t you escape then? Break out of the lab, have some fun outside. With your abilities, what kind of research institute could hold you?”
Li Xiao G replied quietly, “One-meter-thick steel plates, plus lasers—such a lab could hold me…”
Li Changsheng: “…”
After a long pause, Li Changsheng spoke. “Forget it. Pretend I didn’t say anything. Just keep eating and waiting for death in your lab.”
Li Xiao G: “Okay, so I’m done here? I’m going back to nap!”
Li Changsheng’s forehead twitched. “Wait!” He pointed outside the building at a Jockey corpse. “That’s a Jockey. Take it back and study it—see if it can help our evolution.”
Li Xiao G yawned and glanced where Li Changsheng pointed. “A Jockey, huh? Probably not much use—too low-level. At least a Tank or Witch, boss-level… But I’ll try. If there’s any result, I’ll leave a note in the space! Anything else? If not, I’m heading out…”
Li Changsheng snorted, “Even if there’s nothing, stay here till the meeting’s over and we leave together.”
He ignored Li Xiao G and glanced up at Li Xiao Xu. “Next, Li Xiao Xu—how have you been lately?”
Li Xiao Xu dropped a book from above. The cover was decorated with a clover, inscribed with unreadable text.
Could he even understand this?
Before Li Changsheng could speak, Li Xiao Xu’s ethereal voice drifted down. “This is an introductory guide for sorcerers. I annotated it in Chinese; took quite a bit of work.”
Li Changsheng said, “Thanks.” He turned to Li Xiao G. “Li Xiao G, do you want to learn magic?”
The magic book looked incredibly complex. Who knows how much hair one would lose mastering it—better let Li Xiao G try first.
Li Xiao G seemed not to hear, burying his head lower, almost under the table.
Li Changsheng rolled his eyes at him and looked at Li Xiao T.
“I’m a robot—I can’t learn magic, right?”
“Don’t look at me. I’m made of blue matter—not suitable for human magic,” Li Xiao Xu replied, rolling his eyes and tossing down another item. “This is a bottle of mana potion. It’s yours now; you’ll know how to use it.”
Li Changsheng took the potion and pursed his lips, thinking: Li Xiao Xu, though a bit withdrawn, is much more reliable than Li Xiao G.
He could even predict that I’d use G-type biological evolution to develop powers from another world.
“Kindred spirits,” he said sincerely.
Li Xiao Xu remained silent.
---
“Let’s continue.” Li Changsheng turned to Li Xiao T. “Your turn—how have you been lately?”
Li Xiao T took a drag from his cigar and adjusted his sunglasses. “Pretty good lately—I’m getting promoted!”
Promoted?
Everyone looked confused.
“It’s like this. Over there, Skynet recognized my hard work and transferred me to the logistics department.”
Hard work?
Logistics…
Li Changsheng squinted, suspicious. “Are you sure it’s not because you were slacking off on the battlefield, had no achievements, and Skynet saw right through you, so they sent you to sit on the bench in logistics?”
Li Xiao T seemed to choke on his smoke, coughing. “Impossible! Logistics is a cushy job. With my relationship to Skynet, I wouldn’t be sidelined…”
He laughed, then pulled a pile of weapons from under the stone table. “The Gatling and missile launcher aren’t needed anymore. I salvaged them before they were recycled. Oh, and here’s a nano-mechanical first aid kit—Skynet uses it to rescue captured humans. I’ll leave these in the space; whoever needs them, help yourselves. These are classic end-of-the-20th-century items…”
Li Changsheng examined them closely and praised sincerely, “They really are excellent!”
The Gatling was silver, gleaming with a cold brilliance. Mechanical parts interlocked intricately. Most impressive was the missile launcher attached to the base.
“This is great—I’ll use it tonight!” Li Changsheng claimed it without hesitation, then remembered something and turned to Li Xiao T. “Oh, since logistics is a cushy job, get me some of those batteries you use.”
He suddenly remembered the Terminator world had high-tech batteries that could last a hundred or even several hundred years.
“No problem!” Li Xiao T made an OK gesture with his mechanical hand, cigar clamped in his mouth, then flashed Li Changsheng a big smile, showing off dazzling white teeth.
Damn, so bright…
Whoa, diamond teeth!
You’ve got style…
…
10 p.m.
The night was dark, the wind fierce.
Li Changsheng drove to Sean’s tent and whistled.
Sean came out at the sound, looking at Li Changsheng, full of suspicion.
“You need something this late?”
Li Changsheng said, “Bring the prisoner. Come with me.”
“The prisoner? Where to? What for?” Sean had a vague sense of unease.
Li Changsheng said meaningfully, “Guess—what kind of business happens late at night?”