Chapter 443 - 288: Ding Yang, You Scum
Beside Jin Wei, Jin Xiangyi suggested, "Torture them. Someone is bound to talk."
Jin Wei shot him a look like he was an idiot. "You don’t know shit," he said. "You don’t understand anything, especially not the people of Dragon Country, and particularly not these rescue team members. Why do you think I tied them up so tight? The stuff in their heads would set off a metal detector."
’Torture? Has this Korean never seen a Dragon Country TV drama or something?’
Jin Wei quickly thought of a plan.
The members of the rescue team might have iron wills, but that didn’t mean all the survivors in the camp were so unyielding.
Especially since that group was just a bunch of riffraff. Some had even clapped and cheered when they saw his group of Moon Worshipers invade the camp.
’What a bunch of fucking morons!’
’Even I, a traitor to humanity, look down on people like that!’
’But I have to admit, this is exactly when you need people like that to make a contribution.’
Jin Wei waved his hand and said to a Blood Moon Envoy, "Go outside and recruit some new Moon Worshipers. The rescue team members aren’t the only ones who’d recognize Ding Yang’s face."
Given the work style of Dragon Country’s grassroots personnel, the camp’s senior leaders would never be the type to just sit in an office playing armchair general.
They were bound to get their hands dirty and mingle with the crowd.
Among that riffraff in the camp, there were bound to be those willing to fall, and they would help him identify Ding Yang.
Ding Yang’s eyes widened at the sight.
’Dammit!’
’Goddammit!’
’The ones who know you best are always your own people.’
’This damned Moon Worshiper!’
’He doesn’t deserve to call himself one of the Dragon Country People.’
Ding Yang took a deep breath. He knew he couldn’t just sit here and wait to die.
"I am Ding Yang."
A weak voice spoke up, breaking the silence.
Ding Yang’s breath hitched for a moment as he looked toward Li Sinan.
He was the political instructor of the Hongshan Rescue Team, their third-in-command.
That wasn’t a position just anyone could hold; Li Sinan was without a doubt the one with the firmest political convictions.
All eyes in the room turned to Li Sinan. No one thought he was acting out of cowardice; everyone understood his plan.
Impersonate Ding Yang!
As long as these Moon Worshipers took him to the Mo University Camp, the people there would surely see through the deception.
The Blood Moon Envoy who was just about to leave paused. He was from Myanmar and understood the language of Dragon Country.
’Did Ding Yang just reveal himself?’
’Does that mean I don’t have to go recruit new Moon Worshipers?’
The Blood Moon Envoy from Myanmar looked to Jin Wei.
Jin Wei’s brow furrowed slightly. He walked over to Li Sinan, who struggled to his feet only to collapse wretchedly to his knees before him.
"I... I don’t want to die... I’ll lead the way for you. Just don’t kill me, please, don’t kill me..."
Li Sinan’s voice trembled violently.
No one else in the temporary command post dared to make a sound.
But as "Ding Yang’s" begging filled the air, someone finally broke.
"Ding Yang, you son of a bitch! You spineless piece of shit! This is betrayal! This is treason!"
"Ding Yang, how could our Dragon Country Rescue Team have a coward like you? Can’t you have a little more backbone?"
"Ding Yang, you bastard! If you’d died without saying a word, at least you could’ve faced your ancestors in the afterlife! Even if you survive this, how are you going to face them a hundred years from now?!"
The curses rose and fell, one after another, as everyone seemed to be enraged by "Ding Yang’s" cowardice.
Hearing these curses, "Ding Yang’s" tone changed, becoming defiant. "So what if I’m a traitor? I don’t want to die! I just want to live! What’s wrong with that? You’re all just jealous! You know you’re going to die, so you’re jealous that I get to live!"
"Ding Yang" was portraying the ugliest side of human nature to a tee.
He shuffled forward until he was in front of Jin Wei. "I don’t want to die," he said. "I’ll lead you. I guarantee I’ll get you safely into the Mo University Camp!"
In response to this performance, the curses grew even more furious. Everyone was utterly heartbroken.
The real Ding Yang watched "Ding Yang," tears welling in his eyes.
He tilted his head back, fighting to keep the tears from falling and giving away the ruse. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Ding Yang, go to hell!"
The Moon Worshipers watched the reactions of the Hongshan Camp leadership. Only two of them understood the language.
Although the other four couldn’t understand, they could roughly guess what was going on.
’The Dragon Country People have backbone?’
’Where’s the backbone?’
’This one seems spineless enough.’
The only other Blood Moon Envoy who understood the language besides Jin Wei stopped in his tracks. He turned and walked back to Jin Wei’s side. "I don’t think there’s any need to recruit anyone now," he said. "Jin Wei, you’re overthinking things. Everyone’s afraid of death. I think you’ve been watching too many of those over-the-top Dragon Country dramas."
The Blood Moon Envoy from Myanmar had a smile on his face. He had watched a lot of television back when he was learning the language of Dragon Country, so he had, of course, seen the iron-willed characters in those ridiculous dramas.
He had a vivid memory of one show where a Dragon Country special forces soldier was injected with a drug and was in absolute agony, yet still refused to break.
Reality, it seems, often falls short of fiction.
Humans are made of flesh and blood; they can’t be harder than steel.
Jin Wei took a step back, bent down to look at "Ding Yang," and asked, "So, you’re willing to lead the way?"
"Ding Yang" nodded frantically, tears streaming down his face. "Yes! I’m willing! As long as you don’t kill me, I’ll do anything!"
Jin Wei’s eyes narrowed. "Alright," he replied. "I can let you live. But I have one condition."
As if he’d been granted a pardon, "Ding Yang’s" voice trembled with what sounded like hope. "I agree! I’ll agree to anything!"
Jin Wei paused for a few seconds for dramatic effect before continuing, "It’s simple. Become a Moon Worshiper—a true and glorious Moon Worshiper."
Upon hearing this condition, "Ding Yang’s" body trembled violently.
Then, steeling himself, he said, "I’m... willing! I’m willing!"
Seeing this performance, Jin Wei shot "Ding Yang" a look of utter disgust.
He lifted his foot, planted it on the kneeling "Ding Yang," and with a sudden burst of force, kicked him into a corner.
"Pah! You’re Ding Yang? My ass! You really think I’ve never dealt with the Dragon Country Rescue Team before?"
"I know exactly what’s going on in that little head of yours!"
"You want to impersonate Ding Yang, lure me into a trap at the Mo University Camp, and then yell ’Fire at me!’? Planning to take me down with you?"
"Screw you!"
"Good thing I’m not one of these foreign idiots, or I might have actually fallen for your little trick!"
After kicking "Ding Yang" aside, Jin Wei scanned the room. "That was a great performance," he said. "Don’t do it again."
Jin Wei’s words reached the ears of the other Blood Moon Envoys, and they understood the implication.
’What did he mean?’
’An act?’
’Are these Dragon Country People really that tough?’
’And it’s not just one of them?’
’But every single one of them is tough?’
’We were almost tricked!’
Jin Wei turned his head to the Blood Moon Envoy from Myanmar. "Hurry up and go!" he urged. "Recruit several more, then bring them in one by one to make the identification. I won’t believe it’s the real Ding Yang until at least three people point to the same face!"
Jin Wei was taking every precaution.
As a man from Dragon Country himself, he knew very well that it wasn’t just the rescue teams who had backbone.
Those riffraff might be willing to become Moon Worshipers, but the people of Dragon Country were a strange bunch. Plenty of common thugs and gangsters, when faced with a true matter of principle, would inexplicably find their backbone.
That was why he had to be fully prepared; there was no room for error.
Otherwise, one moment of carelessness could lead to a disastrous trap.
The temporary command post once again fell into silence.
Political Instructor Li Sinan’s shoulder was obviously deformed, the bone clearly broken from the kick.
His face was flushed red, but his eyes were filled with guilt.
He wasn’t crying from the pain in his shoulder, but from the guilt of failing to deceive the Moon Worshipers. It was a guilt so profound it brought tears to his eyes.
Finally, Ding Yang couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He struggled to his feet and said, "Stop looking. I am Ding Yang."
The Blood Moon Envoys looked at Ding Yang, then shifted their gazes to Jin Wei.
Jin Wei’s brow furrowed, and he cursed, "Like hell you’re Ding Yang."
"Dammit, you worthless things, is this act ever going to end?!"
Jin Wei walked up to Ding Yang and gave him a swift kick, sending him sprawling next to Li Sinan.