TDU Chapter 42: Strive for Profit, Avoid Peril

Chapter 42 Strive for Profit, Avoid Peril

"Cough... cough..." Qiao Jiajin wheezed, feeling as though his insides had been pulverized.

Specs reacted swiftly, immediately springing to his feet and struggling to right the iron plate.

"Quick! Come and help!" he shouted to the women behind him. "If these two fall, we're all done for!"

Although the girls were terrified, they understood the urgency of the situation. Together, they bent down and exerted all their strength to move the iron plate.

Qi Xia lay on the ground, feeling utterly dazed. The bear's assault had left him feeling as if his very soul had been rattled. He couldn't fathom how Qiao Jiajin had managed to withstand two such attacks on his own.

"I hope that fat lou who ran away suffers a miserable death," Qiao Jiajin cursed through gritted teeth.

"Strive for profit while avoiding peril... Such is human nature..." Qi Xia lay on the ground, muttering, "<Memorial of Great General Liang Shang> states, {As for pursuing profit and avoiding peril, fearing death and cherishing life, these are but analogous inclinations}..."

"Did you hit your head and lose your mind?" Qiao Jiajin opened his eyes with difficulty and looked at Qi Xia, "What does this have to do with some great fucking general? If that lan-joeng hadn't suddenly abandoned us, the iron plate wouldn't have fallen like this..."

By now, the iron plate had been lifted back into position by the women. Specs leaned over to pull Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin to their feet. "Are you guys alright?"

The two stood up, weakly supporting the iron plate.

"I wouldn’t say we’re {alright}, just {not dead} yet," Qiao Jiajin replied, casting a wary glance at the Asiatic black bear.

After the collision, the bear appeared to be in a similar state of disarray. Its massive frame swayed unsteadily, and it shook its head repeatedly in an attempt to regain its bearings.

"Let me take over this time!" Specs declared, urging Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin to step back. "You two rest at the back."

He then assumed the position Qiao Jiajin had previously held—lowering his body and bracing the iron plate with his shoulders.

Specs, looking visibly strained, struggled to maintain the iron plate’s upright position. His slender frame trembled under the weight, veins throbbing on his forehead as he adjusted his stance in a vain attempt to ease the burden.

"Damn... Why is this iron plate so heavy?" he muttered, adjusting his stance in a vain attempt to make it easier, yet the plate remained unyielding.

"My guy, it's not that I don’t trust you," Qiao Jiajin said, shaking his head with a hint of helplessness, "but if we're relying on you to hold this plate, standing in the back won’t make a difference. We’re all going to end up dead either way."

"H—How about you guys take over..." Specs suggested with an awkward smile, stepping aside.

With the team now reorganized, Qiao Jiajin took his place once more behind the iron plate. The Asiatic black bear, having just regained its senses, was preparing to charge again when it noticed the middle-aged man standing isolated.

"Oh no! Ole Lu!" Specs cried out in alarm, "Come here quickly!"

"Humph." Qiao Jiajin sneered, "Since that fat lou wants to go and court death, let him have his wish."

"No..." Specs' face hardened, "Ole Lu saved my life before. I can't just abandon him!"

"Foolish," Qiao Jiajin retorted.

But before Specs could devise a plan to save Ole Lu, the bear had already positioned itself to block their path.

It seemed to have grasped that if Ole Lu managed to hide behind the iron plate, reaching him would become impossible.

Specs' anxiety grew palpable. After a moment of hesitation, he turned to Qi Xia, his voice filled with desperation. "Can we save Ole Lu?"

Qi Xia’s gaze chilled as he replied, "Certainly, go ahead and save him. I won’t stand in your way.”

Specs, visibly shaken, stammered, "I—I don’t know how to... I was hoping you could assist... You seem like someone capable, can you—"

"No," Qi Xia cut him off sharply. "If you wish to save him, you must do it on your own."

Specs opened his mouth to protest but faltered. After a moment’s reflection, he realized he had no valid justification to ask a stranger to risk their life for his teammate.

He deliberated for a long moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Fine... I'll go save him."

Releasing his grip on Qi Xia's clothes, Specs fixed his gaze on the Asiatic black bear.

He took three exaggerated, deep breaths, shouted loudly to summon his courage, stomped his right foot on the ground, and prepared to charge towards the bear.

At this critical moment, Qi Xia reached out to stop him.

"Aiyo! What the hell..." Specs was startled, nearly twisting his waist from the sudden halt. "What are you doing?!"

"You'll die if you go, aren't you afraid?" Qi Xia asked with deliberate slowness.

"How can I not fucking be afraid?!" Specs was on the verge of tears. "But I can't just watch Ole Lu die!"

"In that case, I'll make you a proposition," Qi Xia said, his gaze fixed on the Asiatic black bear. "If I can ensure both of you survive this ordeal, then both of your winning {Dào} will be mine. "

"Huh?" Specs was taken aback by Qi Xia's sudden and audacious proposition, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Of course, if you're not willing, you can attempt to save him on your own."

Qi Xia’s tone was unyielding, leaving Specs in a momentary dilemma.

He and Ole Lu had risked their lives to join this game, yet they faced the possibility of leaving with nothing. The stakes were high, and the idea of gaining nothing from their efforts weighed heavily on him.

"I can only promise to give you my {Dào}, but as for Ole Lu's..." Specs hesitated, "I can’t guarantee his willingness."

"Then vouch for him," Qi Xia replied, "Aren’t you two together?"

"I...I..." Specs wrestled with the decision, but ultimately concluded that their {survival} took precedence over the pursuit of {Dào}, "Alright, I'll vouch for him. If we both make it out alive, our {Dào} will be yours."

"Excellent," Qi Xia said with a nod. "Now, remove your shoes and hand them to me."

"What?" 

"Your shoes," Qi Xia reiterated.

Specs was bewildered by Qi Xia’s request but complied, swiftly removing his soiled sneakers and handing them over.

‘Law of the Jungle: instinctive creatures possess heightened sensitivity,’ Qi Xia inwardly intoned. ‘The first taboo is to strike from behind.’

He took one of the sneakers, weighing it thoughtfully in his hand. Without warning, he stepped forward and hurled the shoe with force, striking the bear squarely on its back.

The Asiatic black bear, startled by the sudden assault, shuddered violently and whirled around in confusion.

‘The second taboo is to inflict severe harm to the nose.’

He seized the remaining sneaker and hurled it with force towards the bear's face. The shoe struck the black bear’s nose, causing it to stagger, despite the relatively minor impact.

Enraged once more, the Asiatic black bear forsook Ole Lu and charged directly at Qi Xia with single-minded fury.

Qi Xia, swift in his response, yanked on Qiao Jiajin's garments to redirect the iron plate.

The bear's onslaught was uncoordinated and haphazard, as it indiscriminately swiped at the iron plate with its massive forepaws. Strike after strike, it relentlessly hammered the plate. 

Once, twice, thrice.

Despite its frenzied roars, the Asiatic black bear’s attacks had clearly lacked the same intensity as before. Each blow was effectively absorbed by the iron plate and Qiao Jiajin’s steadfast defense.

In a desperate bid for safety, Ole Lu dashed back to the group, rejoining the defensive line amidst the chaos.