Chapter 82
Huy Hung
He sits there. Legs crossed. He holds the tablet with both hands. His lips slightly part in an amused smile, watching the crowd of thousands of extremely excited spectators, cheering, applauding, shouting, encouraging... the cutest couple in the world:
- Kiss!
- Kiss!
- Kiss!
- Be brave, guard!
- Accurately splatter bullets, you are a real man!
- Give the deepest love together!
Hundreds of voices urge the guard to show masculinity, and thousands of shouts tease that the rose should take the initiative. In the civilized era, men and women are equal, not like in the feudal era, so why should they be shy?
Tens of thousands of words of praise, applause, and jealousy. Every past hot trend has been simultaneously turned back on, now there has been no way to cool down yet:
- Brother and sister, do you need bridesmaids? Call me, I love you two!
- I am waiting for brother and sister to get married, and I am giving 999 roses, shipping them to your home for free to bless you two.
- From now on, I am becoming a die‑hard fan of this sweet love that is making me want to faint.
- Oh my God, please, brother and sister, cure my madness! I am going crazy because of you two!
- Pin the most beautiful flower in the world onto your chest, that's awesome bro!
- I am giving you two free makeup. Don't worry, the products are free but of great quality. You are becoming the most beautiful bride and groom in the world!
He chuckles at the guy who is better at cursing life than he is at singing, because that face is more stunned than a goose taking a poop, and he exhales confusion at that lump of a life he so despises.
"Annoyed" but being paired up on such a meaningful day... and... with his mood floating on cloud nine, the tiger and leopard guy doesn't go crazy as usual. Instead, he gently watches the pink on Rose's face, which is already redder than eighteen thousand miles.
The girl is more feminine than ever, biting her lip and trying not to laugh, leaving the "impossible" task to the guard. The guy is no longer an idiot to the girl... so he opens a slight, understanding smile. His mouth immediately breaks into funny mode, teasing the crazy fans and the famous anti-fans—who have now become hardcore fans—making them all laugh.
- I have just eaten dog meat with shrimp paste and have started singing immediately.
The audience falls out of their seats laughing as they watch the mischievous fellow blow air into his hands and then bring them to his nose to smell, frowning more than a monkey eating ginger:
- A smell as strong as this—if the cyclo brakes, someone won't be able to sleep tonight. I don't want someone to be late for school!
Laughter fills the stadium, and the mischievous rascal quickly turns down the volume to avoid piercing his eardrums. The concert returns to the main theme of singing.
He has heard the three singers countless times. But today is the first time that these familiar musical geniuses... share the same rhythm, so he cannot miss even a second. As the unique performance ends, he immediately switches to watching the news that summarizes the events of the week:
"Three princesses visited the sanatorium and orphanage!"
"Hoa Tien Nu went to do good deeds in flooded areas!"
"The 'Affection' Concert donates all ticket revenue to compatriots who have suffered from floods and storms!"
"The most luxurious and huge concert in history."
"The rose and guard are intoxicated by love at the love music night!"
"The Biological Research Institute was attacked by terrorists. Who was the mastermind, and what was the motive?"
He does not watch the news, but turns on the text-to-speech function to listen to the newspaper:
"In the past week, the news of the fashion empire's collapse has not yet cooled down, and the whole country has been shocked by the terrorist organization's attack on the National Institute of Biology. Eight hundred soldiers have died, one thousand soldiers have been injured, the head of the institute has been seriously injured, and more than a dozen staff members have been killed.
Half of the terrorists have been eliminated and countless accomplices have been captured, but they have activated the chip bombs in their heads to commit suicide. One hour after death, all the bodies have decomposed and turned into dust sand.
The terrorists have destroyed the projects and systems, have broken into the safes, and have robbed the specimens. During the battle, the specimens have been destroyed. Currently, the government, police, and army have been actively looking for the names and identities of the terrorists and investigating the reasons for their attack.
The military commander has declared that those who undermine national security will never be tolerated. All enemies of Prehistoric Kingdom must have a tragic end…"
He thinks deeply about the past. Since his brother has protected the queen of the Hexagon Kingdom, a series of shocking things have happened in this world, all unrelated to each other. But they have only happened in the Hexagon Kingdom, the Gentleman Kingdom, the Sun Kingdom, and the Prehistoric Kingdom — his brother's shadow has appeared in these countries.
The strange thing is... only when his brother has arrived there do things begin to write their names into history... as if... some invisible hand has arranged it.
Every detail, every event has turned into tens of thousands of mysterious question marks… they were lost in the endless passage of time… and led the mind back to the dark space…
The fog drifted in the dark night, but it could not hide the moon and stars in the sky. Thanks to the natural light reflecting off the stone lamp in his hand, he carried the wild cat that had been shot by an arrow on his shoulder, walking along the mountainside towards home.
His even steps suddenly stopped as he listened to the rustling sound in the fog. He tied the cat to a tree, pulled a jungle machete from his belt, and waited to see whether the enemy was a man or a beast.
After a while, the sound grew smaller, but still nothing could be seen. He leaned against the side of the mountain, picked up pebbles, and threw them forward continuously, each throw followed the same pattern. If it was a snake, centipede, or beast, it would immediately crawl or jump out. If it was a person, the reaction would be different. A voice for help answered him:
"Who is there? Please save me, I fell and broke my leg!"
He heard a tired voice and immediately ran to rescue the person. He waved the light in his hand and saw that the wound was quite serious. Without a second's delay, he took out the first aid tools from the bag, put on the splint, tore off the bandage, and bandaged the left leg. The situation was temporarily stable, and he raised the light to look at the victim's face. Surprise pulled at his stiff and indifferent face:
"You are... Hoang Kim!?"
The man named Hoang Kim was still forcing a smile despite the pain:
"Thank you!"
He said, ""I am younger than you," and gave Hoang Kim a pill and a bottle of water:
"It helps you fight infection, swelling, inflammation, and recover quickly."
Hoang Kim drank it immediately without hesitation. The victim was thirsty and his neck was burning, so he drank the whole bottle of water. After about half an hour, the medicine took effect and all the pain and fatigue disappeared.
The stabbing pain in the left leg also eased, and the right leg no longer felt dull pain and numbness. He helped Hoang Kim stand on one leg with his back to the victim:
"My home is at the foot of the mountain, go there to recover!"
His words were brief and not lengthy. Hoang Kim did not hesitate, and the victim let his benefactor carry him down the mountain. The two returned to the thatched cottage. He gently placed Hoang Kim on the bed, carefully checked the wound several times, and then went to the kitchen to cook.
Hoang Kim heard the sizzling sound and looked around. In the center of the room was a pure black Eight Immortals table and chair set, and on the table were typical patterns of Gentleman Kingdom culture. Above it was an exquisitely carved sandalwood tea set. The walls were covered with traps, weapons, and hunting tools.
Instead of the painting of the mountain god, the benefactor had hung a leopard skin and a saber-toothed tiger head on the wall opposite the main entrance. Below was a homemade shelf made of beast bones, which was used to hold a laptop.
Hoang Kim squinted at each unusually large piece, confirming that they were all bones of the most ferocious beasts. The owner of the house was a true hunter.
But when Hoang Kim had visited the forest from morning until afternoon, he had found that the animals there were only herbivores such as deer and hares, with no beasts in sight.
Hoang Kim guessed that perhaps the benefactor had hunted somewhere else and moved them all here. The victim nodded in understanding. The benefactor brought Hoang Kim a bowl of fried rice:
"This bowl of rice is mixed with a sedative. Although you are no longer sore and tired, injured people need to minimize movement. It is best to get some sleep!"
Hoang Kim thanked him and started eating immediately. The benefactor was a little surprised because the victim did not doubt it but ate it like a hungry tiger:
"If you trust people easily, one day you will be eaten and lose all your bones!"
Hoang Kim smiled calmly at his benefactor's half-joking, half-truthful words:
"You and I have no hostility, no hatred, and we don't even know each other. You have no reason to harm me?"
He emphasized that the victim was a famous star:
"Because you are Hoang Kim! This reason alone is more than enough!"
Unlike usual, he felt tired of those who were suspicious, overly cautious, and saw enemies everywhere. This time, Hoang Kim smiled slightly, half-closed his eyes, blinked, and showed a "so miserable" face, as if to say "doubters are the most tired people in the world," and continued shoveling fried rice leisurely:
"Ah, you mentioning that reminds me that I am a public figure. What a pain."
Hoang Kim paused for a few seconds, waiting for the other party to react, but the benefactor remained silent and did not reveal anything.
Hoang Kim smiled at the benefactor's "stubbornness"... for what purpose... only God knew, the earth knew, the benefactor himself knew, and the person being "interrogated" knew. But the victim still spoke in a gentle and leisurely tone, not in a hurry to go anywhere... and... there was nothing to be twisted:
"I'm a thorn in the eyes of countless people, and by getting rid of me, they'll have a party and celebrate being the happiest people in the world."
Hoang Kim stopped shoveling the fried rice. He looked up, three parts trusting, and seven parts—just like the first three—refusing to believe he had trusted the wrong person:
"If you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't bring me here to leave traces, waste time erasing and hiding the crime. Using anesthesia for organ harvesting, or doing shady things like putting a girl on the bed to hug me while I'm asleep, then taking pictures or recording clips? Alerting the other party in advance so that they would not suspect, which sounds reasonable. But man, you just need to wait until I fall asleep, spray me with anesthetic so that I can't wake up, and that's the end game. There is no need to complicate matters and waste effort like this."
The benefactor understood the victim's meaning well enough, but suddenly he became excited and teased, clearing his throat, saying:
"What if it's a drug... an aphrodisiac?"
Hoang Kim was chewing and suddenly laughed so hard he spit rice out:
"Divine, why do I always encounter the kind that likes to fiddle with it repeatedly?"
The benefactor smiled slightly at the victim who was lamenting about his broken leg:
"Even if a celestial maiden descended and stood naked before me, I would still be helpless!"
The two playful guys laughed so hard that the house echoed. Hoang Kim saw that his benefactor was still not convinced. The victim smiled, scratched his slightly red cheeks, and spoke hesitantly:
"Well... I say this and no one believes me because it's... a little... how should I put it? I can recognize a place where women have been!"
The benefactor's face was blank and expressionless, but was molded, pressed, adjusted, and reshaped by the "unbelievable power" into an expression that wanted to laugh yet had to suppress the sound to avoid shaming himself.
Hoang Kim was also confused; his explanation accidentally touched the "loneliness" of the lonely man in the desolate mountains and forests.
The victim laughed like crazy at the awkward situation... letting... two real men untangle... being embarrassed... like... a teenage girl. The one who won people's hearts said:
"I'm lucky to have that 'strange' ability. Thanks to it, I confirmed that the person who rescued me was not a smuggler, not a trap. At least you won't do harm to me."
The benefactor rubbed his face and pinched his forehead, smiling in a way that showed complete admiration and speechless surrender to the man who was skillful enough to row the boat and beat the drum at the same time:
"After chatting for a long time, I always feel like something is missing. But the tragic thing is... I am still in shock because of a broken leg, so my brain is temporarily stuck and I can't remember anything..."
The benefactor waved his hands and nodded repeatedly as if to say "yeah, yeah, yeah, I admit defeat." Hoang Kim happily leaned his head on the pillow and let the host make the bed, hang the mosquito net for the guest to rest.
The benefactor said good night, then took the lamp, ran quickly up the hill to bring the wild cat back and put it in the corner of the room. Hoang Kim saw the benefactor wielding the knife, and the victim wanted to speak, but realized that the benefactor had no intention of killing the wild cat, so he watched him apply the medicine, bandage the cat, and cut the rope:
"I have never shown sympathy to any of the prey I have hunted, but today is an exception. I release you to pray for the victim's speedy recovery... and... not to affect his peak sports career!"
The prayer caused the atmosphere to warm in an unusual way. Hoang Kim used humor to make it less awkward:
"Good night to the wild cat, blessing is perfection!"
The benefactor smiled and patted the head of the cat, who looked at him in confusion:
"Okay, good night to you, have a good dream!"
Hoang Kim placed a pillow, unfolded a blanket, and waited for the benefactor to lay the folding bed next to him. He moved other blankets and pillows for the benefactor.
The benefactor wrapped himself in the blanket and lay there for a few minutes, listening to the victim's even breathing. Then he closed his eyes and slept until morning.
The next day, he went to the kitchen, cooked a sumptuous meal, and brought the food and drinks to the table. Hoang Kim smiled and watched, realizing that all the dishes would help his broken leg heal quickly. The two chatted while eating.
"Why did you fall?"
Hoang Kim picked up the food with his chopsticks and said:
"I had been traveling in the Gentleman Kingdom, and unfortunately I slipped and fell. The creepers and trees grew diagonally toward the cliff, supporting my body and reducing the force of the fall. Fortunately, I landed in dense grass full of fallen leaves and branches, so the god of death could not take my life."
Hoang Kim smacked his lips:
- Since I was traveling alone and my smartphone was broken, I had to lie down with this broken leg.
From the previous day until that moment, the victim had been 'firing' off the language of the Gentleman Kingdom like a machine gun, and his accurate pronunciation, like that of a Gentleman native, amazed the benefactor:
"Ah, at first I learned the characters of the Gentleman Kingdom through those ancient movies with subtitles. I was very interested, so I hired a tutor to teach me for an hour every day."
The benefactor enjoyed listening to Hoang Kim talk about learning the language and the cultural history of the Gentleman Kingdom, from traditional to modern times.
There was neither wine nor tea with the dinner. The story lacked the men's usual inspiration... yet... it strangely attracted both the narrator and the listener.
Because he was a life-saving benefactor?
This reason alone was not enough to open up to someone met for the first time.
Perhaps the source of classic inspiration was the simple and straightforward personalities of both parties. Perhaps it came from the liberal style, to the point of being easygoing and simplified, making life easy for a world star. Perhaps it came from the other party, who believed he had not trusted the wrong person... and... perhaps it came from two people who did not need to be overly welcoming, did not need to choose their words carefully, or be reluctantly polite to follow the usual default rules... when they had just met.
Two people who had never met before, but somehow, could be open-minded, as if they had known each other for a long time.
The stranger did not mind and saw it as something minor. The two people who understood each other let the source of interest of 'maybe' lead to an endless story... no ending... until they heard the wild cat groan. They laughed and looked up at the clock striking twelve o'clock in the evening. The two cleaned up the table, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks, and slept until morning.
In the days that followed, he took good care of the victim, using herbs, combining Eastern and Western medical methods, and physical therapy to help the wound heal faster than expected. Hoang Kim's leg was restored. He shook his benefactor's hand and said:
"Goodbye, Huy Hung!"
The two said goodbye with a promise to meet again:
"I hope we will meet again next time, both with healthy, intact bodies!"
The two smiled with joy. Hoang Kim was a famous star, and the benefactor did not want to be disturbed, so he only saw him off near the main road, where the taxi was waiting. The driver happily asked for an autograph, took photos, and then drove Hoang Kim away from the mountains and forests.