Epiphanies of Rebirth Chapter 97 (Part 2) End
Translated by Pure
Chapter 97.2 Final Extra [Qi Kai]
Qi Kai leaned against the large tree, quietly sipping the alcohol in his glass while attentively listening to his friends' conversations. He couldn't shake the feeling that most people in life carry irreparable regrets. The scars buried deep within are often invisible beneath seemingly ordinary faces, hidden from the casual observer.
Take the dim-witted tattooed man, for instance. Hailing from a picturesque province in the northwest, his family had lived in harmony and honesty for all their lives. However, during his rebellious youth, he fell prey to the influence of a malicious ‘friend’ who introduced him to drugs. From that point on, his life had fallen apart.
Having taken a wrong turn in life and arriving at this stage, he found himself in and out of jail multiple times. Despite his struggles, he still grappled with psychological dependence from time to time. Fortunately, the haunting image of his tragically deceased parents remained etched in his mind. Whenever he felt unable to restrain himself, the alarm bell would ring, serving as a reminder of the consequences.
Take, as another example, the diminutive man seated across from him, always sporting a wide smile but rarely uttering many words. He originally hailed from an affluent family, but after marriage, he veered off course and started using marijuana. Eventually, it spiraled out of control, leading to the breakdown of his family and a divorce from his wife. Now he found himself alone and homeless. The missing little finger on his left hand, severed in regret many years ago, and the wedding ring around his neck, though never removed, had lost its once-significant meaning, serving as poignant reminders of the happy life he once enjoyed.
As Qi Kai caressed the small cloth bag around his neck; only one remained now. The little poppy and her ashes, which had accompanied him in prison for over a decade, now found their resting place beside the stream in this forest.
He often reflected on that concealed cave, the excessively long belt, the crushed flower, and that unforgettable early morning.
Yet, actions once taken in error could not be undone, and the living must bear the weight of their sins and forge ahead.
As if purging their confessions of the past, the atmosphere grew as heavy as on many previous occasions. Eventually, everyone diverted the conversation to lighter topics.
Everyone grumbled about the challenging living conditions in this place. The tattooed man, wiping away his tears, exclaimed with the loudest voice, "Since coming here, I've started missing the meals in Dongping Prison! It's either sour or spicy all day long; I can't even get a taste of red-braised pork here! Yesterday, when someone from the army approached us and asked if we needed assistance, my first f*cking instinct was to request cans of beef for the next meeting. Damn it! Just recalling his reaction makes me embarrassed all over again!"
The audience burst into laughter, and the woman with wheat-colored skin teased him, "If you crave braised pork so much, why not apply to return to the mainland? What's the difficulty? Qi Kai has many connections in China; he can find someone to treat us!"
Qi Kai poured a glass of alcohol and gently poured it on the ground. Considering the opulent wedding photos he had recently seen on the cellphone, he agreed with a good-natured smile, "I have no objection. Let's wait until we've settled things here. We can apply together to return to China and stay for a few days."
The warmth from the charcoal fire carried the enticing aroma of cooked ingredients, spreading far and wide. A swarm of children from the village, their noses keen as dogs, rushed out in excitement. In no time, the young adults found themselves surrounded by children clamoring for a share of the food. Miaoge, adorned in her new dress, behaved unusually lady-like, standing to the side patiently awaiting the kind souls to offer her a bite. Using a dagger, Qi Kai skewered a roasted chicken leg for her. Just as he was about to hand it to her, he suddenly saw a superimposed image on her face, a chick-like, youthful gaze peering at him inquisitively.
He remained frozen in place for several minutes, until the impatient Miaoge couldn't resist any longer and leaped up to snatch the chicken leg from his dagger.
The young silhouette in the floral dress dashed away like a wild creature. Qi Kai stood there, his gaze fixed on her retreating figure. After a moment, he displayed a wistful and somewhat self-deprecating smile.
The other children continued their mischief, causing the previously solemn adults to waver between laughter and tears. The adults warmly invited them to join for the meal. In the now lively gathering, the recently discussed topic resurfaced.
While cutting meat, a friend joked, "Brother Kai, you misspoke earlier. What do you mean by applying to return to China after settling the work here? You can't say that in the future."
Regaining his composure, Qi Kai sat down again and seemed a bit puzzled at this remark, "What do you mean?"
"Aren't you out of the loop?" The person who spoke burst into laughter, "This is what you get for not using your mobile phone. It's a trendy phrase on the Internet recently. What's it called...raising…something?"
The young woman with wheat-colored skin smiled and explained, "Raising a flag."
"Yes, yes! Flag, raising a flag!"
Qi Kai scratched his head, still looking perplexed. "What does that mean?"
A group of uneducated companions provided a string of confusing explanations before the wheat-skinned woman smiled harmlessly, "Haven't you ever watched any Hong Kong TV series? Characters in them often say that if a certain matter is successful, they'll return to their hometown..."
"Then they would die!"
"Then they can't go back to their hometown! Hahahahaha!!"
Qi Kai pondered for a while before he grasped the meaning and joined in the laughter, "What nonsense? How can there be so many things to consider at the thought of returning..."
Before he could finish his words, the next second, a distant gunshot echoed in the dense forest.
Everyone: "………………"
The joyous laughter of the children abruptly ceased, and the carefree smiles on their faces disappeared. Qi Kai motioned for silence, and the forest fell into an uneasy hush as gunshots echoed in the distance.
The expressions of the adults darkened, prompting them to rise from their seats. Qi Kai nodded toward the bamboo house, prompting the tattooed man to swiftly ascend and fetch the weapons. He unslung the gun from his shoulder and loaded it. The children, displaying remarkable composure, refrained from crying or panicking, patiently awaiting his orders.
Miaoge, having fled swiftly after securing a chicken leg, hurriedly approached from a distance. In the local language, Qi Kai instructed her, "Take your friends home, wake up your parents, and find a safe place to hide."
The ten-year-old child nodded solemnly and following his instructions, quietly departed with the other children.
The entire village stirred in the darkness. The villagers efficiently and adeptly packed their essentials, evacuating along a path known exclusively to them. Someone near the campfire inquired, "Perhaps the forest rats want to launch a nighttime sneak attack."
Such occurrences were not uncommon. To achieve their objectives, they would employ any means and sacrifice whatever was necessary. Most of the time, the villainy and ruthlessness of drug lords surpassed the imagination of ordinary individuals.
"Catch!" The muscular tattooed man in the bamboo house tossed the guns to his comrades below. The agile team members had already brought water to douse the bonfire. Following the swift evacuation of the villagers, those in the shadows hastened their activities. Rapidly devising multiple contingency plans, they relayed the situation to the border anti-narcotics brigade via their mobile phones.
Carrying the extra magazines on his backs, Qi Kai overheard a chuckle from nearby.
Turning around, he found the source of the voice to be the young woman with wheat-colored skin. She was tall and slender, with delicate eyebrows and eyes. Her smile mirrored that of any ordinary beautiful girl. As the sole female member of their team, she went by the name ‘Pure’.
Pure chuckled, her eyes forming crescents as she displayed a set of pearly white teeth. "You're quite the jinx; you raised a flag, and look, it actually happened right after."
Qi Kai wasn't sure if it was his fault, feeling a bit complicated about taking the blame. However, seeing Pure's slender legs and arms, and out of concern for her safety as the only woman, he felt a bit uneasy. "Do you want to evacuate with the villagers first? The rest of us can handle this."
Pure, who had been smiling, suddenly changed her expression upon hearing this. Stepping on a tree to tie her shoelaces, she adjusted the angle of the bandage-wrapped-dagger around her leg. Then, she pulled out a bolt, loaded her gun, hung it neatly around her neck, jumped up on the spot, and climbed the tree trunk.
She ascended swiftly, moving silently under the cover of the night. Only her eyes remained surprisingly bright. "Don't forget how I got here."
Pure was the sole member in their team who had never been incarcerated. Of Laotian descent, she received higher education in China. At the age of 20, her parents, engaged in business in Laos, succumbed to a drug overdose. Dissatisfied with the local legal system's response, she took matters into her own hands and single-handedly killed the drug dealer her parents were associated with, using a dagger.
With a cunning escape plan, she managed to evade relentless pursuit, crossed the border, and arrived at their current location. In recent skirmishes, she had personally taken down no fewer than ten drug dealers.
Qi Kai recognized the baselessness of his concern and offered an apologetic smile to the woman, now perched on a substantial branch like a silent cheetah.
The imminent danger drew nearer and nearer. Qi Kai gazed at the dense forest in the distance. The night's horizon resembled a boundless abyss, ready to swallow anyone at any moment.
As the lead commander, Qi Kai needed to assess the enemy's situation. He positioned himself on an elevated stone platform, surveying the surroundings with the concerned eyes of those behind him. For some reason, an impulse surged through his mind, prompting him to turn around and suggest, "If we make it through this, let's all head to Yan City once we're back in China. I want to introduce you to my friends there."
"Shut up!" His comrades, poised for action, shouted in unison to silence his ominous words.
Qi Kai guffawed silently, turned back, squeezed the trigger, gazed into the distance, and gradually steadied himself. He reached for the cloth bag on his chest, brought it close to his mouth, and pressed a kiss onto it.
Then, he leaped—
Endless gunshots echoed in the surroundings.
*
*
*
In the early morning, in the eastern part of Yan City, within the Dongtai Community.
The sun gently streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a soft glow in the room. It was serene and hushed. On the ample bed, the sole sound was the rhythmic breathing.
Abruptly, the mobile phone on the bedside erupted with a loud ring, buzzing and vibrating, rousing the two residents from their peaceful slumber.
Lin Jingzhe hummed a few times, caught between being awake and not quite there. Xiao Chi, half-asleep, extended his arm to shield his lover's ears. Groggily, he fumbled around the bedside until he located his cellphone, displaying an unfamiliar set of numbers.
The caller, making such an early contact, seemed to lack proper judgment.
Despite his slight impatience, Xiao Chi reasoned that it could be an emergency. Once the call connected, he pressed the device to his ear and uttered, "Hello?"
"Yo!" an energetic voice echoed from the other end of the phone. "Mr. Xiao! Still not up?"
Xiao Chi: "..........Who is this?"
"Damn, you're so f*cking heartless!" the voice lamented, then swiftly got to the point, "I'm back in China. Hurry up! Why are you still sleeping? Take your Mr. Lin out and treat your guests to a meal!"
Xiao Chi: "……………………"
He now knew who it was. Fucking hell.
Lin Jingzhe yawned and struggled to open his eyes from the embrace. "Who is it? Why did you hang up after a couple of words?"
"It’s no one important, you can go back to sleep." Xiao Chi patted his back, turned the phone to silent mode while the screen lit up with another incoming call, and replied calmly, "Just a spam call."
.
.
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A/N: The end
Expressing these last two words, I'm filled with a myriad of emotions that are challenging to encapsulate in mere text.
This novel undeniably has its flaws. Yet, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your unwavering companionship and support, which served as the driving force propelling me to write until this very moment.
As we bid farewell today, my sincere wish is that our paths cross again in the future. May everyone's lives be imbued with happiness, completeness, and perfection.
Additionally, I want to extend my thanks to the readers who championed the original version of this novel, providing comments and upvotes. Though I may not be able to reciprocate fully, your support remains etched in my memory, a silent code of appreciation.
Love you forever,
Yuan
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T/N: Ahhhhh~~~ I'm overwhelmed with joy as I sit here, realizing that we've finally reached the end of this incredible journey together! Everyone’s commitment to reading through the entire translated story means the world to me. Honestly, I had my doubts about Qi Kai's fate, but the way everything wrapped up feels like the perfect ending. Thank you so much for being a part of this adventure! See you again in my next project – ❤️ Pure
p.s. If you’ve enjoyed the story, please take the time to give this novel a 5-star review on novelupdates!
