Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 116 Cooperation
"of course can."

Zhuang Fan also wanted to talk to Chu Ningyan. After washing his hands, he went into the safe house.

"Let's go inside and talk."

"Ah."

The two arrived at a relatively quiet corner. Chu Ningyan did not sit down, but leaned against the wall and spoke slowly.

"Thank you for saving us."

"You're welcome. We're on the same page now. If you were in my shoes, you would have done the same."

Chu Ningyan nodded, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment.

"Grey Goose is my code name, you know that."

She met Zhuang Fan's gaze. "My real name is Chu Ningyan. I've only ever told this name to one child in the orphanage."

Zhuang Fan paused for a moment, then replied frankly, "Zhang Dafan is just a code name. My real name is Zhuang Fan, and I've never told anyone that."

Chu Ningyan silently recited the name in her heart, a faint smile appearing on her face.

"Okay, I'll remember that and keep it a secret."

"Me too."

The two looked at each other, and the noise outside the safe house seemed to fade away at that moment.

Zhuang Fan asked the question that had been bothering him: "Then what was the reason you were frozen?"

"I have brain cancer and will be cryopreserved in 2028."

Chu Ningyan gave a self-deprecating smile: "At the time, I had just finished participating in an international competition and won the world number one ranking in women's compound bow. I was about to celebrate with my parents when I fainted..."

Zhuang Fan was taken aback: "You're such a good archer?"

Chu Ningyan's voice was soft and slow, as if recalling the past:

“I’ve been a wild child since I was little. I like to climb trees and mountains, make my own bamboo arrows to hunt, and I’ve traveled all over many valleys. My parents can’t control me.”

"After I got into archery, my temperament gradually calmed down and my concentration improved. As for the results, they were an unexpected surprise."

Zhuang Fan couldn't help but glance at her again.

Her neatly tied high ponytail, with a few stray hairs falling across her forehead, smooth shoulders and neck, well-proportioned muscles, and pale skin standing out in the dim light... she had a very sporty look.

Zhuang Fan really wanted to ask if the dark green spots on her face were tattooed on by herself.

He had seen with his own eyes the arachnoid patterns on Gage's back; they were grotesque and even wriggling.

However, although the freckles on Chu Ningyan's face were still frightening, they were noticeably lighter, and the edges of the freckles were slightly different every time he met her.

Zhuang Fan possessed a photographic memory and was able to detect the changes in the patterns, but fearing he might make things worse, he decided to remain silent.

Chu Ningyan noticed his gaze and awkwardly looked away, asking in return:

"And what about you? What was the reason for your freezing?"

Zhuang Fan didn't look at it closely anymore and said slowly, "I also had brain cancer, which later developed into pancreatic cancer and liver cancer."

After listening, Chu Ningyan stopped asking questions and got to the point: "Why have you been staying in Linhai City? It's not safe here."

"I know."

Zhuang Fan looked out the window at the night sky, "But the nuclear forces in Linhai City are relatively weak. If we go to other cities, not only will the journey be long, but the unknown risks will also be greater."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, there are Old Cat's trade routes here, and our cooperation has been quite pleasant, which has solved many supply problems."

"If you really want to escape being hunted down, the safest place is the South City."

Chu Ningyan offered her advice: "The city lord there is Karl, and he basically calls the shots. The ten major financial groups have a very low penetration rate."

“South City, hmm… is not bad, but I’m staying in Linhai City for another reason.”

Zhuang Fan's voice turned somber, "I need to confirm whether my sister... is still alive."

A hint of surprise flashed in Chu Ningyan's eyes: "Your sister is also a cryogenically frozen person?"

"uncertain."

A hint of worry flashed across Zhuang Fan's eyes. "I'm not sure if she's cryogenically frozen, or even if she's still herself. Her condition is very strange."

Chu Ningyan sensed something but didn't press for details. She simply said softly, "If it's an important secret, you don't need to tell me."

"It's alright, your judgment is accurate. I'd like to hear your analysis."

His voice softened, and after careful consideration, he asked, "Do you know who Tirose is?"

"know."

Chu Ningyan said with a solemn expression, "A notorious female demon, a demon envoy, ruthless and vicious, she is the common enemy of all mankind."

After she finished speaking, she realized what was happening and looked at Zhuang Fan in astonishment.

"Well, it's what you think."

Zhuang Fan forced a calm tone: "My sister's name is Zhuang Li, and she looks exactly like Tiros."

Chu Ningyan frowned slightly.

She didn't show much surprise, but spoke in a more cautious manner.

"Zhuang Fan, this is a wasteland seven hundred years in the future, not the 21st century."

She was like a reminder to a fellow countryman who had just arrived, dismantling his last shred of illusion.

"Disguise, face swapping, body swapping, cloning... these are already very common in the wasteland."

"I know."

Chu Ningyan continued, "Tiros is a demon envoy. Her methods are far more terrifying than those of demons and demon generals. She can also seize and control human bodies at will. You... don't have too much hope."

"Yes, I have dealt with several demon generals before. Their ability to possess bodies is very strong, so I have no doubt that the methods of demon envoys will only be more powerful."

"You've dealt with the Demon General before?"

In all the years that Chu Ningyan has been on missions, she has only seen a few demons and never encountered a demon general.

"Not just the Demon General."

Zhuang Fan's answer overturned her understanding: "I was also entangled with a demon envoy's clone in the dream for many years before you finally woke me up."

Chu Ningyan looked surprised and suspicious; she hadn't expected Zhuang Fan's experience to be so bizarre.

Zhuang Fan stretched out his hand, and a small wisp of black mist appeared in his palm. "This is pure black mist, mine."

"...You can control the mysterious fog?"

"Yes, I can also extract the decaying mist from objects."

Zhuang Fan pointed to the power armor outside the house, "This is why I make money so quickly, turning waste into treasure."

Chu Ningyan instantly understood; all her past doubts now connected into a coherent narrative.

"So, at the Strange Rock Hill, it was you who turned Durian into a lizardman?"

"I did it."

"The corroded steel bars and the holes in the walls of the criminal camp, were also created by you using the eerie mist?"

"of course."

"The nuclear forces want to capture you because they want to... replicate your ability to manipulate the mysterious mist?"

"Not really."

Zhuang Fan did not hide anything: "They found out that I am a demonic detective, an excellent vessel. Xu Renyi wanted to use my body to be reborn, but he failed."

"Failed?"

"His consciousness couldn't come over; instead, he stuffed all four hundred years of memories into me, like a pile of garbage that needed to be unraveled."

Zhuang Fan provided a lot of information, and Chu Ningyan took a moment to process it before nodding.

"It's not surprising that the Nuclear Corporation is hunting you down. You have too many company secrets. You could even use the old man's name to establish a new Nuclear Corporation."

“That path is no longer viable. Xu Renyi’s memory is fading, and the parts that can be activated are becoming fewer and fewer, so it can only help me to a limited extent.”

Chu Ningyan returned to the main topic.

"Since you have come into contact with the Demon General, you should know that those humans who were possessed were completely destroyed, leaving only puppet corpses."

Her words were tactful, but the meaning was clear.

Zhuang Fan's sister couldn't possibly still be alive; she's essentially an infected zombie.

"Ah."

Zhuang Fan nodded, without denying it.

"I have no illusions about whether my sister is still alive. I just want to find out why Tirose possessed her and what she went through before?"

He continued his analysis, as if solving a complex puzzle.

"Tiros, as a demon, has only become active in the last few hundred years. This means that Zhuang Li must have been frozen in the future. Why would they have any connection?"
"I have some strange abilities, but I am neither a demon general nor a demon envoy. Could it be that my sister also has some special abilities?"

He sighed softly, "If she hadn't possessed my sister, I wouldn't care about Tiros at all. I'd rather spend more time figuring out how to get Old Cat to give me a 20% discount."

After listening, Chu Ningyan spoke softly, raising a practical issue.

"If... you finally confirm that it is your biological sister Zhuang Li, but she is being controlled by Tiros, and the two souls coexist;
"Or perhaps Zhuang Li is already dead, and Tiros is merely using her body... How will you face that then?"

Zhuang Fan remained silent and did not answer immediately.

Seeing that they were chatting, the team members tacitly avoided disturbing them and walked around them from a distance.

He looked at his teammates busily working in the distance, his tone gentle:

"No matter what the hidden story is, she is a ruthless killer and her sins are heinous. These facts cannot be changed."

He made a promise: "I will kill her with my own hands, and then bury my sister."

Chu Ningyan nodded and continued to ask about the most cruel possibility.

"What if Zhuang Li is Tirose herself?"

Her voice was very soft, "There is no Tiros at all. It was Zhuang Li who did all the evil from beginning to end. She gave herself a new name, Tiros. Hmm... she turned evil."

"I will also take on the responsibility of being an older brother."

Zhuang Fan looked out the window, his voice trembling slightly, "Let's take my sister to see Mom and Dad, and let them discipline her properly."

These words sent a chill down Chu Ningyan's spine.

The topic was too heavy, so she decided not to delve into it further and return to reality.

"Tiros is a demon envoy, and the power she commands is extremely vast, far exceeding that of Linhai City, Nancheng, or any other financial group... It will be very difficult for you to kill her."

Zhuang Fan's face regained some warmth, and he smiled calmly, "That's a matter for the future. If I can't beat them, I'll just run away. I won't be reckless."

Not rigid, not soft-hearted, knows when to advance and retreat, and understands the big picture.

"Zhuang Fan, you are excellent and will become an outstanding leader in the future."

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Fan immediately extended an olive branch: "Ning Yan, I currently lack a strategist."

When Chu Ningyan heard the name "Ningyan," she was slightly dazed, as she hadn't heard that title in a long time.

"Zhuang Fan, this is the third time you've brought it up, isn't it? It's like you've visited Zhuge Liang three times. If I refuse again, I'd be being a bit unreasonable."

"So you mean..." Zhuang Fan stared at her, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

Chu Ningyan paused for a moment, putting away her teasing tone, and her voice became more sincere.

"Actually, during our last discussion, I had already decided that once we returned to Zhongdu and settled the children, Pipi and I would join the Spark team to do our part. But since being arrested by the Sharp Edge, I've thought about it for a long time."

She looked at Zhuang Fan, her amber eyes exceptionally clear.

"If I 'escape' the limelight, I'll really become a suspect, or even a murderer. The mercenary group will report it to the guild, then strip me of my S-rank hunter qualification and issue a bounty."

Chu Ningyan smiled slightly, her bright eyes and white teeth shining through.

"Then my fate will be the same as 'Zhang Dafan', and I'll have to hide all the time."

"No, I killed Harry."

Zhuang Fan's expression was serious. "I will stand up and admit it. Anyway, Zhang Dafan has committed many evils, so I don't care about adding another bad reputation."

"It's not that simple. Even if some people believe it, they will still continue to convict me."

Chu Ningyan's voice carried a hint of weariness, "Because in this internal power struggle, I am the most crucial link. My life or death will determine the future direction of Fengmang."

"Is that so...?"

Chu Ningyan nodded and gave a brief explanation:
"The former leader of the Sharp Edge, who is also the founder, has been seriously ill and in a coma for more than three months. Now the entire mercenary group is leaderless, and the upper echelons have split into three factions."

She picked up a bullet and placed it on the left side of the table.

"Soren were conservatives; they advocated consolidating existing territories and avoiding rash expansion."

She picked up another bullet and placed it on the right side of the table.

“Harpenson is a radical; he believes that the organization must take on more high-risk bounties and even merge some smaller groups in order to move forward.”

Finally, she took out a small gear and placed it in the middle.

"The remaining neutral parties will watch from the sidelines and side with whoever wins."

Zhuang Fan glanced at the simple layout on the table and quickly grasped the core issue: "Board of Directors, how much do each side hold?"

"Soren and Habenson each have three seats, the neutral faction has two seats, and the old commander has one seat, for a total of nine seats."

Zhuang Fan succinctly pointed out: "Then whichever side can win over the neutral faction will secure all five seats."

"Yes, but the neutrals don't easily take sides. They need to be sure which side has a good chance of winning before they place a bet."

How do you determine if you have a sufficient chance of winning?

"Look at the number of combat commanders."

Chu Ningyan patiently explained: "The internal promotion system is team leader, captain, and combat supervisor. One combat supervisor is responsible for five captains and has a lot of power."

“We need to select three combat officers. Currently, Habenson and Soren each have one, and we are short one spot. We will choose between Qiu Shan and me.”

Zhuang Fan then asked, "Qiu Shan is a veteran mercenary, and you are an S-rank hunter. The two are indeed evenly matched."

Chu Ningyan nodded and said softly:
"Whichever side has more combat commanders means they control the majority of the troops, and the balance will tip. The neutral faction will support the side with the greater chance of winning. At that point, the winner takes all, and the board of directors will elect a new regimental commander."

Zhuang Fan's gaze swept over the simple "chess pieces," and he vaguely guessed what was going on.

"So, you want to defeat Qiu Shan and get the combat supervisor position?"

"more than."

A fighting spirit ignited in Chu Ningyan's eyes.

"I not only want to get the position of combat commander and rescue my old subordinates from the cage, but I also want to make Soren and Qiushan pay the price they deserve."

She put the two bullets together, saying, "The best-case scenario is for Habenson and Soren to fight like dogs."

"and then?"

Chu Ningyan raised her head and met his gaze.

"Then, I will take control of the edge."

So she was aiming for the position of regimental commander... Zhuang Fan's evaluation of Chu Ningyan rose another point.

"So what are your specific plans?"

Chu Ningyan began with a brief explanation:
"I am an S-rank hunter, my abilities are widely recognized, and I have a thorough understanding of the inner workings of the 'Sharp Edge' organization. I can win over a group of veteran members and subordinates. Most importantly..."

She pointed to the bullet that represented Harbenson, "At least in the early stages, he will fully support me."

"Harry's father."

"Correct."

Chu Ningyan's thoughts became clear.

"That night, after I finished my mission, I didn't return to headquarters immediately. Qiu Shan was probably afraid that I would run away, so he sent me two departmental messages: one was 'promotion to deputy team leader' and the other was 'withdrawal of charges'."

“At first I thought it was fake news, a trap that Qiu Shan made up to deceive me, but later I realized that this kind of promotion approval requires the cooperation of multiple departments, which is difficult for the Soren faction alone to do.”

Chu Ningyan's words were full of certainty: "So, Habenson was also secretly cooperating."

Zhuang Fan understood.

He meticulously analyzed the intricacies of the game, step by step.

"In other words, Harpenson went with the flow, he allowed the two 'fake news' to be filed smoothly, and then at the critical moment when you were convicted, he played the hero and stood up for you as Harry's father."

His gaze fell on Chu Ningyan's face as he continued his deduction.

"Harbenson would say that although he wants to catch the murderer, he cannot tolerate an innocent S-class hunter being framed. Moreover, the charges have already been dropped internally, and Grey Goose has been promoted to vice-captain. He cannot be hastily convicted."

"In this way, you will be grateful and loyal to him, and then work together to deal with Sauron and Gould."

"Right, that is it."

Chu Ningyan nodded. "Harbenson will use his power to drop all charges against me."

Zhuang Fan placed himself in Qiu Shan's shoes.

"If I were Qiu Shan, knowing that Habenson would overturn the verdict, I would definitely try to convict you and produce evidence that Habenson could not refute."

"For example, turning Pipi to defect."

The two looked into the distance in perfect unison; Pipi was bandaging the leg of the last injured person.

Chu Ningyan said with a smile, "But Qiu Shan didn't expect that Pipi would actually reveal the location of the assassination team, which made him overjoyed and he hurriedly led his troops to arrest them."

"Pipi is indeed a smart girl."

Zhuang Fan glanced at the bullets on the table and began further analysis.

"You've gained Harpenson's support, but it's essentially like asking a tiger for its skin. Once the Soren faction is overthrown and Harpenson smoothly takes power, what will you do then?"

"I will kill him."

Chu Ningyan was decisive: "This father and son are worse than animals, they deserve to die."

Zhuang Fan shook his head slightly: "But if you kill the leader, you will be the one who benefits. Others will only think that you did it."

"what do you mean?"

"This isn't urgent, let's wait a bit."

Zhuang Fan asked her, "Do you know who Scarface is?"

“I know. One of the captains of the Swift Dragons is about to become the combat supervisor. His younger brother, ‘Scarface,’ is in competition with Old Cat.”

Instead of answering directly, Zhuang Fan revealed a secret.

"When we were at Strange Rock Hill, you guys evacuated first, but that bastard Harry tipped me off and wanted Scarface to lead a team to capture me. I was taken away as cannon fodder."

"Later, on the boat, I overheard them cursing Harry for his unreliable intelligence. Scarface's second-in-command said that Harry's entire family got to their positions because of the boss's behind-the-scenes machinations, and now they're turning their backs on them..."

After hearing this, Chu Ningyan frowned slightly: "You mean, Harbenson is the enemy's... mole?"

"Yes, very likely."

In an instant, Chu Ningyan thought of many things.

Habenson joined the group less than a year ago and quickly became a director, responsible for the mercenary group's performance and internal reforms.

However, his reforms were particularly radical, requiring him to align with conglomerates, introduce strategic capital, and even push for a reconciliation between Fengmang and Xunlong, forming an alliance between the two companies.

All the illogical actions found a reasonable explanation at this moment.

"Anyway, this matter is worth investigating. If it is confirmed, it will be Harbenson's Achilles' heel."

"I understand."

Zhuang Fan helped her figure out the general route:
Ally with Habenson, defeat Sorencho Mountain, establish your own faction, defeat Habenson, and become the new leader.

Chu Ningyan looked at him, her eyes filled with a sense of solemnity and hope.

"Zhuang Fan, let's work together. I need your help; I can't do it alone."

Zhuang Fan's thoughts raced. From the current perspective, this cooperation was a win-win situation.

Chu Ningyan needs a reliable armed force to back her up in order to establish her authority, and the Xinghuo team can barely meet that task.

Once she gains control of the situation, the Flame will have a powerful external force to protect it.

Both personnel intelligence and resource channels will see a qualitative improvement.

He didn't hesitate for long: "Of course, what do you need me to do?"

Chu Ningyan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he agreed so readily.

"Qiu Shan is definitely looking for me all over the city, and his troops will be scattered. So the enemy is in the open, while we are in the dark."

She pointed to the layout map on the table, "In the next few days, we can take the opportunity to eliminate some of his strongholds and forces, and continue to weaken him."

"To establish your authority in your name?" Zhuang Fan asked.

“Yes, that way I can negotiate more leverage with Harpenson.”

“Ning Yan, my team can cooperate to sabotage, but I feel... this kind of leverage is not enough.”

"Not enough?" Chu Ningyan didn't react.

"Yes, even if Qiu Shan's power is weakened, it's not enough to deter Feng Yang. They still see you as a pawn that can be manipulated, and they lack real respect for you."

Chu Ningyan stared at him; this was indeed the weakest link in her plan.

"You're right. I'm outnumbered and outmatched right now, but I don't have a better option."

"it's actually really easy……"

Zhuang Fan suddenly said mysteriously, "Isn't there some kind of trial in four days? You personally send a large army to oversee it. You must subdue them and see who dares to object."

"Where did these soldiers come from?"

Chu Ningyan paused for a second: "Your people?"

Zhuang Fan shook his head: "We'll go too, but it'll just be to make an appearance; we won't be able to hold the fort."

Chu Ningyan pretended to raise her hand, "If you keep keeping me in suspense, I'm going to beat you up."

She caught a glimpse of Pipi covering her mouth and chuckling in the distance, and then quietly lowered her hand.

"You can go to Nuclear Power and raise your banner; they should give you face."

"nuclear?"

"Correct."

Zhuang Fan looked at her and slowly uttered two names.

“Edward, and black chicken.”

(End of this chapter)