[COD] Newbie's Rise to Power

His reaction made you realize that what he just said seemed a bit ambiguous.

So you quickly explained, "Of course, it's also to keep Blizzard company."

Koenig's eyes, which had been almost shining, dimmed instantly. He lowered his gaze and replied to you in a somewhat stiff tone.

"Great, I can spend Christmas with you."

Noticing Koenig's sudden change in demeanor, your heart feels as if it's been locked in a box, swollen and suffocating.

Your hands, resting on your lap, clenched quietly, the feeling of your nails digging into your palms helping you control your emotions.

yn, you're right to do this. You can't expose yourself first; you have to take the initiative.

Otherwise, without leverage in negotiations, you'll either be led by the nose or suffer repeated defeats.

You say this to yourself.

A moment of weakness can be the trigger for countless problems.

After restraining yourself, you smiled and were about to speak when a bell suddenly rang in the quiet room.

You pick up your phone, which is making a sound, and after seeing the name on it, you immediately tell Koenig that you have something to do and have to leave.

Koenig nodded, without saying a word to stop you, and just sat on the bed watching your departing figure.

He only let out a low curse the moment you closed the door.

Koenig lay on the bed, holding the octopus pendant above his eyes, muttering to himself in a low, hoarse voice.

"Hmph, we can't wait any longer..."

You only called back the number after you left the house.

"Little squirrel."

A familiar voice sounded, tinged with weariness.

You frowned and asked, "Kruger, are you tired?"

The voice on the other end gave a muffled "hmm" and then offered an explanation.

"I just finished a battle. The terrain here is too complicated and it takes a lot of physical strength."

"Is it convenient for you to rest now?"

You asked nervously.

Kruger: "It's safe right now, so I wanted to hear your voice before I went to sleep."

He spoke very softly; even the noise of a moving vehicle was louder than his voice, and you could even hear other people snoring on his end.

He seemed really tired...

For someone as physically fit as Kruger to be so exhausted, he must have just gone through a very dangerous battle.

This makes it impossible for you to refuse his request.

So you lowered your voice and asked him, "How long will it take you to be back?"

Kruger: "Uncertain."

"But Christmas is coming soon, aren't you coming home for the holiday?"

Although you don't really care about this kind of holiday, it seems to be quite important to them, especially to the Catholic Krugers.

Christmas is a day to commemorate the birth of Jesus, and the Catholic Church has preserved the tradition of "God's Truce," which aims to suspend war and emphasizes the ideas of peace and redemption.

It would be rather pitiful if Kruger were still fighting on missions during Christmas.

Kruger suddenly chuckled softly, his voice slow and alluring.

"What, you want to spend the holiday with me?"

You feel a tingling sensation in your back.

His sudden tenderness startled you, so you tentatively asked:

"Inviting me to Christmas, is there some special meaning behind it?"

"No, it's just that your initiative made me very happy."

You breathed a sigh of relief, and then exclaimed:

"I really hope you can come back before Christmas Eve so that everyone can get together."

Kruger's tone suddenly became serious: "Since it's your wish, then I will try my best."

It wasn't the usual playful smile, nor was it a perfunctory, casual promise.

His earnest words made your heart feel as if it were being enveloped by a pair of large hands, both reassuring and uneasy.

It's like reading a silent contract, as if he'd do anything for the promise he's made. This heavy feeling makes you worry that he might act impulsively.

"No need to rush, safety is the most important thing."

Your urgent instructions.

After all, Kruger is different; he disappeared after COD16, and he doesn't appear or have any storyline in COD19.

In other words, he is no longer a main character in the story, and like you, he could encounter accidents and dangers at any time, and then 'disappear'.

ch.216: The Distance of Indifference

Therefore, you will be more worried and concerned about Kruger than others.

Because he no longer possesses the immortal 'halo' that characterizes him.

"Of course, how can I celebrate the holiday with you if I'm not alive?"

Kruger's voice grew softer and slower...

Finally, there was the sound of his deep breathing.

"Kruger?"

You tentatively call out softly, and after a long silence, you realize he's asleep.

Listening to Kruger's breathing, the snoring of others, and the shaking of the vehicle on the other end of the line, you reluctantly hung up the phone.

After you hung up the phone, as you were going down the stairs, you happened to see Wang Zhiqiang going upstairs.

"elder brother!"

You stand on the descending stairs and call out to Wang Zhiqiang, who has just reached his floor.

Wang Zhiqiang paused, his back to you, then turned to face you.

That familiar face held indifference and detachment.

He looked at you, nodded, and then turned and left.

You hurried after him, but all you could see was his back as he closed the door without a second glance.

With a soft thud, it seemed to separate not only the inside and outside of the room, but also the boundary between you and him.

When someone you were once very close to suddenly becomes a stranger, it can leave you feeling lost and wronged.

Why, why did it still come to this?

For the next two days, you could feel that Wang Zhiqiang was deliberately avoiding you.

He always leaves quickly when you're around, and immediately looks away when your eyes meet.

It's as if you are a monstrous flood.

You don't understand, just because you didn't respond to his confession, why does he reject you like this?

You didn't refuse! You just wanted to sort out your thoughts before replying to him.

So, after making eye contact again, you strode straight toward him.

Standing before Wang Zhiqiang, you forcefully demand:

"Brother, we have to talk!"

Under the curious gaze of others, Wang Zhiqiang uttered the first words he had spoken to you since you returned.

"What else is there to talk about?"

You loudly retort, "Of course! This afternoon, we'll talk alone, and you have to show up."

You spoke in a harsh tone and left right after you finished speaking, giving Wang Zhiqiang no chance to refuse!

Otherwise, he doesn't know how long he'll have to keep avoiding you.

Because it was cold outside, and you and Wang Zhiqiang both had roommates and it was inconvenient, you were looking for a space to be alone, so you found Vita.

I remember when I first came to the base, because of the blizzard and the fact that I didn't go home at night, she told you that the base had rooms specifically for one-on-one companionship.

At first, you thought it was for that kind of thing, but later you realized that those were actually guest rooms.

Because the facilities are complete, it is intended to accommodate family members or visiting guests.

The intention was good, but due to the emotional needs within the base, it was misrepresented.

"You mean...you're going to open a guesthouse?!"

Vita was first surprised, then gave a knowing smile.

"Which gentleman is it that made our reserved YN so proactive?"

What Vita meant by "making rooms" was: Room for making love.

But saying it like that would be too obvious, so they came up with a subtle yet easy-to-understand name: removing "love" means "creation space".

Equivalent to the Chinese term: 炮房 (pàofáng).

You immediately put your finger in front of her mouth to signal her to be quiet.

"For simple communication, we can say its most original name: guest room."

You speak up to correct them, thus clarifying your simple intentions.

Vita glanced at you suspiciously and said calmly:

"Does simple communication require a private space?"