You're Strong But Now You're Mine-Chapter 63: Useful or Not, It Shines

Chen Fu sat in the captain’s exclusive cushioned chair, and it really felt different—in contrast, everyone else sat on hard wooden chairs, their hemorrhoids nearly flaring up from sitting so long.

Of course, that was still better; if he had to do a shift as a covert sentry, there wouldn’t even be anywhere to sit, not even room to stand, just crouching with a bent back while enduring mosquito bites—that could only be summed up with the word "miserable."

Obviously, work like covert sentry duty would never fall to Chen Fu; the old agents wouldn’t take it either. It always went to the few new recruits. Fresh meat for the grinder, that was just how things worked.

As a bottom-tier agent, you couldn’t escape the fate of being ordered around.

"After all this time, doing all this dirty work, I finally... am no longer at the bottom." freёweɓnovel.com

Chen Fu pulled out a bronze liquor flask and took a swig. The bronze flask was squared and elegant, but didn’t hold much. In truth, Chen Fu didn’t even like drinking; he only picked up the habit because the upper-class folks in Mirror Lake all drank from these flasks, so he got a taste for the leisure of it.

The slightly bitter liquid slid down his throat, burning his stomach, as if it could temporarily free him from the burdens of reality.

But the others refused to let Chen Fu enjoy such leisure: "Vice Captain, what exactly... what happened out there?"

Zhou Guangshi nervously gripped his light gun, scanning both ends of the street. The other agents hurriedly loaded their weapons, ready for a fight.

Even though the Statistical Department had given them gun racks, who really needed guns just to guard the slaughterhouse? This was the first time they had drawn them these past days; even on the outskirts of the county, they still sensed something was wrong.

Chen Fu let out a sigh, glanced at the blaze rising into the sky, took in the distant chaos of lights by the hillside in the Mirror Lake District, and said, "No matter what happens, we just follow our orders. The captain told us to hold here—so we hold here."

Zhou Guangshi pressed, "But the whole county’s falling apart! What if—I mean, what if—the governor gets hurt, then what do we—"

"So what could we even do?"

Chen Fu pointed upward. "What do you see up there?"

Zhou Guangshi looked up and saw a crescent moon hanging high in the night sky. "The moon?"

Chen Fu replied, "For Star Engraving County, we are that moon."

Zhou Guangshi’s eyes lit up: "You mean, we’re the light that can drive away the night tonight?"

"No, what I mean is, we’re just like the moon—bright, but useless, useless but still shining."

Chen Fu’s words left the agents dejected. Elily, bored to death, stared at the brightly lit slaughterhouse behind them and complained, "So why are we still guarding this place? Isn’t this some kind of punishment post? Why are we even here now?"

Chen Fu glanced at the slaughterhouse behind him; lights spilled from the windows, and the distant bleating of pigs, sheep, and chickens could be faintly heard. They had been on guard here for several days, discovering something odd about the slaughterhouse: it operated around the clock, never stopping.

Still, despite the frequency, the workload wasn’t heavy. Only a few animals were slaughtered each hour, so the daily output remained steady.

At that moment, Chen Fu recalled the scene he’d witnessed earlier:

Qian Yuliu had dismissed the covert sentries, letting two black-clad night-walkers slip into the slaughterhouse.

These past days, Chen Fu had sensed something was off. At first, he too thought guarding the slaughterhouse was just a punishment. But the nearby garrison of the county guard, and the elite security inside the plant—all told him the slaughterhouse was important. Or rather, there was something important inside.

After seeing Qian Yuliu cover for those who slipped in, Chen Fu no longer had any doubts. He remembered the ice coffin with the golden apparatus inside that he’d seen by the city gate days ago, and he was finally getting the picture.

The chaos tonight, Qian Yuliu’s strange behavior, the secrets of the slaughterhouse—all these threads connected in his mind.

"But what does any of that have to do with me?"

"I’m just a regular guy, a guy who only ever wanted a happy life—easy, secure, a bunch of wives and concubines."

"Just follow orders. Just stay a tool and no one will blame you. Besides, what else could I even do, except be a good tool?"

"The most important thing in life is knowing what you’re capable of. Don’t let pointless ideals or passions corrupt your survival instincts. Like Teacher Lin, like Feng Chuanliu—their pursuit of dreams bigger than their own abilities is what landed them where they are now. One under a gravestone, one in a cell."

"All I want is a peaceful happiness. That’s not so much to ask, right?"

Rrrrumble—

Suddenly, motor noises sounded from up the street. An armed light truck appeared at the far end, speeding up to the slaughterhouse gate. The agents tensed, gripping their guns and leveling them at the unexpected visitors.

"Where’s Qian Yuliu?"

Chen Fu immediately stood up and saluted. "Vice Director, reporting! Captain Qian has taken a team to reinforce Director Lan at the southern garrison, and I am temporarily in charge of holding here!"

Kui Zhao stepped off the truck, hands clasped behind him, his long braid swaying gently as he surveyed the scene. He nodded ever so slightly, "All right. There’s been a rebellion stirred up in the county by the Backlight traitors, and the slaughterhouse is of utmost importance. I am now taking over here, you all understand!?"

The agents looked to Chen Fu, and without hesitation he nodded, "Understood! We await the Vice Director’s orders."

"Good." A shadowy smile crossed Kui Zhao’s face, "Team One stays here on watch, everyone else, come with me."

No one was surprised by the change. Kui Zhao, as Deputy Director of the Statistical Department, wielded inherent authority over them. Even if Qian Yuliu were here, he’d have to hand over command to Kui Zhao, no questions asked.

Let alone Chen Fu... famous for being so soft...

Just as Kui Zhao started toward the slaughterhouse, Chen Fu suddenly darted in front, respectfully bowing and asking, "Deputy Director, are you going in?"

Kui Zhao frowned at Chen Fu’s submissive demeanor, but seeing his obedience, offered him a brief answer, "Yes."

"But isn’t our duty to guard the slaughterhouse? No need to go inside, it’s filthy. Even one trip in means bathing three times after. Deputy Director, why not have a seat over here—"

"Move aside, Chen Fu," Kui Zhao said evenly, "I won’t say it again."

Looking at Kui Zhao’s face, Chen Fu’s body started to tremble, a wave of fear making his knees shake; the words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat and just wouldn’t come out!

Just then, an explosion shook the first floor of the slaughterhouse. The lights went out, and cries erupted from within—human or pig, it was impossible to tell!

Kui Zhao’s gaze sharpened, and he strode past Chen Fu toward the door.

Suddenly, a gust of wind shot from behind. Kui Zhao swung his right hand to block, just about to return the attack—only to sense lethal killing intent trained on all parts of his body. Instinct kicked in; as a Martial Artist, he dodged, barely avoiding the close-range gunfire!

"Chen Fu, so this is your answer?"

Kui Zhao retreated several steps, falling into the Wolf Eagle Fist stance, his eyes cold as he sized up Chen Fu, now blocking their path.

Chen Fu took a deep breath, reloaded his pistol, his face twisted between regret and fear, nerves making his facial muscles clench until at last he let out a meaningless roar, declaring with grim finality, "Captain Qian’s orders: no one gets in the slaughterhouse! Team One, stop the intruders with me!"

"Yes!"

The agents raised their guns at Kui Zhao’s team, who in turn aimed back at the agents, a standoff in the making.

"Chen Fu, turns out I misjudged you all this time." Kui Zhao’s words were meant as praise, but his voice dropped lower and lower, "I thought you were just a dog. Who knew you had a backbone."

"But it won’t help you."

Chen Fu pointed his gun at Kui Zhao, his voice trembling. "I know. ’I’m useless even if I shine, but still, still...’"

In his mind, countless faces flashed by: proud and hopeful parents, the gentle Lin Jinyao, classmates full of smiles, the composed Qian Yuliu; dead-eyed Lin Jinyao, furious and hateful classmates, fearful and disdainful townspeople, the same calm Qian Yuliu...

"’...Even if it’s useless, I still have to shine.’"