Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 44

After shaking off the pursuit of the Huguer military, the team continued forward for a while before finding a hidden cave to spend the night.

There was no shortage of firewood in the forest. Xiao Wu wandered casually outside the cave entrance for a bit and returned with a huge bundle. He dug a pit in the ground, laid down a handful of dry leaves, then piled the firewood on top. With a flick of the lighter, the fire caught. Bright flames rose up, driving away the darkness in the cave and spreading a gentle warmth throughout.

The three drug traffickers woke up from all the commotion. After a few seconds of dazedness, they fully came to their senses and realized their situation. Seeing the unfamiliar faces around them, they started cursing in a torrent of unintelligible words.

No one could understand them, so they left it to Qi Wan to communicate.

Sure enough, just as Fei Hu had said before, those who dared to get into the drug business and make a name for themselves were all tough nuts to crack. Qi Wan asked questions for a long time without getting a single useful piece of information. Instead, he received an onslaught of unabashed insults.

“Damn, these three bastards! They saw my Eastern face and heard our language, figured out our nationality, and instantly became brazen!”

People from the Republic had a reputation for being mild and reasonable—unlike some countries on the neighboring continent, where beating someone half to death over a disagreement was no big deal.

“Captain, what should we do?” Qi Wan asked, making a gesture to indicate taking action.

Fei Hu shook his head immediately. “No. If they won’t talk, then forget it. We’ll find a way to send them back tomorrow—how to handle them will be decided by higher-ups.”

“Damn it!” Qi Wan cursed angrily.

Jing Ling had been watching the entire exchange. He reached out and poked Fei Hu. “Captain, can I have a word?”

Fei Hu glanced at him, stood up silently, and followed him outside the cave.

It was late at night. The occasional chirping of unknown insects echoed intermittently. A gust of wind rustled the leaves and swayed the branches.

“What is it?” Fei Hu asked directly.

“That guy called Connie seems to understand our language. When Er Tiao mentioned the Huguer military, his breathing suddenly quickened. You noticed it too, right? The military’s behavior was suspicious. They said they received an anonymous tip about drugs on the cargo ship, but right after Qi Wan spoke, they opened fire—it felt more like a cleanup than a drug bust. What struck me was the word ‘large quantity,’ yet we only found one kilogram. Don’t you think something’s off?”

“I’m thinking—what if Connie and his group had prepared a large shipment in advance, hijacked the cargo ship to load it, and then contacted the Huguer military for a drug bust? The two sides colluding for mutual benefit—and framing us in the process?”

Fei Hu fell silent for a moment after Jing Ling’s analysis, then asked, “Are you saying that batch of goods might be nearby?”

Jing Ling nodded. “Judging by the movements of both parties, it’s highly likely.”

“But the area is too large. With just a few of us, there’s no way to search it all, and the others won’t talk.”

“Don’t worry. Leave it to me. I’m different from you guys—I’m just a civilian. Breaking the rules once in a while is expected.”

“…Be careful. Don’t go too far.”

“Alright.”

After speaking, the two returned to the cave. Without another word, Jing Ling grabbed Connie by the collar and dragged him out. Sensing something was wrong, Connie tried to shout, but Jing Ling tore off a strip of his sleeve, rolled it up, and stuffed it in his mouth. Er Tiao and the others looked instinctively at Fei Hu, who remained silent—clearly giving tacit approval. So they didn’t interfere. The remaining two drug traffickers also started shouting, and they were silenced in the same way.

Jing Ling took the man out and returned in less than half an hour. Connie didn’t seem to have any visible injuries, just an odd expression.

Fei Hu was about to ask what happened when Jing Ling tossed the man onto the ground and looked at him.

“There’s over a million pills hidden somewhere along the riverbank nearby. They were stolen by Marcus from Saint Zachary. Our suspicions were correct—they used the goods to strike a deal with the Huguer military, and the meeting was set for tonight. Just before I climbed aboard the ship, Connie had reported everything to Rhodes, who then contacted the Huguer military, who had already been prepared.”

“Now that I’ve captured these three, the deal can’t go through. Both sides are probably in a panic and will likely send someone soon to patch things up. So if we don’t want to be surrounded, we have to move immediately—and contact HQ for reinforcements.”

The news was explosive. It took Fei Hu and the others several seconds to process it. Then came a chorus of curses, followed by immediate action. They put out the fire, packed up, grabbed the traffickers, and fled.

Jing Ling was preparing to split from the group again—but not alone. This time, he took Xiao Wu and Liu Bing with him. He had a rough idea of where the goods were and wanted to try intercepting them. Even if they couldn’t take them away, hiding or destroying them would be fine—letting those people get them back would be a disaster. Of course, if they could bring them back, all the better—ironclad evidence.

So the team split up. Fei Hu took the others, including the three traffickers, Xiao Xiao, and Da Bao, and left. Jing Ling took the two others to intercept the goods.

It was deep into the night—perfect for sleep. But Old Master Jiang had been woken up, because something had gone wrong with the special task force he had sent out. He had expected bad news—but surprisingly, it wasn’t.

“Not only did he learn the Li family’s skills, but he’s even surpassed them. He’s never received special training, yet his performance is on par with Fei Hu’s team. Just how much more is that kid hiding?” Old Master Jiang sat on the sofa in his robe, fingers lightly tapping the side table, the soft sound exceptionally loud in the quiet room.

Standing beside him was the old butler who had served the Jiang family for many years—once a comrade who had fought by his side. He took a bullet for him, lost the use of his right leg, and had to retire.

“By all accounts, someone his age shouldn’t have such extensive skills. We even investigated his background. On the surface, everything looked complete and normal—but the most crucial part was missing. But you know how those families are—none of them are as simple as they appear.”

Old Master Jiang chuckled, though his smile was tinged with sorrow. “Yes, not simple. Otherwise, what happened twenty years ago wouldn’t have occurred. He was sent out this time to capture one of the fish that slipped through the net back then, but something unexpected happened on the way. Gallop and the others resurfaced after all these years to strike a deal with Marcus—but Marcus made such a huge blunder, they’ll have to clean it up first. Whether or not Fei Hu’s team has been exposed, Gallop will reassess whether Marcus is still a reliable partner.”

“Once we intervene, it’ll spook the snake. Gallop’s level of caution—we’ve chased him for ten years and still haven’t caught him. Getting another shot? Who knows when.”

Sigh…

“Forget it. Once this matter is settled, have him return. Tell the eldest to change his identity. Ensure everything’s airtight,” Old Master Jiang ordered.

“Yes, Chief,” the butler responded.

April 2nd — Clear weather.

Tan Yunshu woke up early as usual, jogged a few laps around the dormitory area, and returned for a quick shower. After changing, she headed to class.

For most people, this course was just a way to earn credits. But because it was scheduled early in the morning, the classroom was littered with students asleep at their desks. The lecturer, an old professor, entered and walked straight to the podium, ignoring the slumped crowd and starting his lecture as usual.

Only a few students were listening attentively—Tan Yunshu was one of them. She always paid close attention, jotting down confusing points to ask about after class. But today’s lecture was straightforward, and the hour passed quickly. When the bell rang, the sleeping students woke en masse and surged out the door like a tide.

Tan Yunshu took her time organizing her books. Just then, her phone rang—it was an unknown number, but marked by many as a courier. She rarely shopped online, and lately hadn’t at all, so she was puzzled but still answered.

“Hello?”

“Is this Tan Yunshu? You have a package. I’m downstairs at your dorm—please come pick it up.”

The caller knew her name, meaning it wasn’t a wrong number. She hesitated. “I haven’t bought anything recently—can you tell me who the sender is?”

The girl on the other end readily replied, “Sender is Jing Ling. ‘Jing’ as in scenery, ‘Ling’ as in feather. Ordered from our shop online a week ago, requested delivery today.”

“…Alright, I’ll be right there.”

To be honest, lots of people sent her things. If she accepted everything, her dorm would be overflowing. So she never accepted gifts—except this one wasn’t from just anyone.

It was from Jing Ling.

The walk from the classroom to the dorm took about eight minutes. She walked a bit faster and got there in six. From a distance, she saw a massive stuffed bear—estimated to be 2.5 meters tall—pure white without a single blemish. Most girls liked plush toys, and since this was in front of the girls’ dorm, a crowd had naturally gathered to gawk.

Tan Yunshu’s eyes narrowed, and her steps paused. A few seconds later, she continued walking. When she reached the bear, her phone rang again. At the same time, a head poked out from behind the bear and tentatively asked, “Tan Yunshu?” She nodded.

“This is the card from the sender.” The courier girl freed a hand to pass her the card. “May I have your dorm number? The sender asked for door-to-door delivery.”

“502, thank you.” Tan Yunshu took the card. When she opened it, there was only one line—Do you like it?

It was handwritten. The writing didn’t match his appearance at all—powerful, vigorous strokes that pierced the paper.

Seeing those three words, Tan Yunshu felt a sudden flutter in her chest. She wanted to ask—what did he mean by this? Sending such a thing today—was it a coincidence, or…

Even as her mind raced, her hands moved decisively. She found the number and called. After two rings, it was answered.

“Jing Ling, what do you mean by this?” she asked.

“Yunshu, happy birthday!” came the boy’s warm voice.

In that moment, she felt her heart completely surrender.

“How did you know?” Her ID said April 5th, but her real birthday was April 2nd—something an aunt who’d cared for her for years had told her. The woman had treated her well until a few years ago when her son made something of himself and took her home to enjoy life.

“I…”

Tat-tat-tat—BOOM—

“Jiang Yang, what the hell are you doing?! Do you know the situation right now and you’re still on the phone? You got a death wish?!”

Suddenly, the background turned chaotic.

“What’s going on?” Tan Yunshu asked urgently.

In a foreign land she couldn’t see, someone was walking through a hail of bullets. Gun in hand, firing continuously—each pull of the trigger took down an enemy. Amid the thunder of gunfire, the voice remained calm and gentle: “Nothing. My roommate’s got the speakers on watching a movie.”