The bullet extraction went fast. Jing Shu worked quickly under the flickering light of the ship's cabin, her focus narrow and sharp. She didn't dare move slowly, fearing that if she did, Zhen Nantian might not make it through the night. There was no anesthesia, of course. She wiped the scalpel with a cloth soaked in strong alcohol to disinfect the blade, then cut a cross-shaped slit into his flesh. The metal glinted before sinking into the wound, and she pinched out the first bullet with the tweezers.
"Nine-millimeter standard bullet," Zhen Nantian said between shallow breaths, his chest rising and falling in uneven heaves.
"So it's a triple-headed round, no wonder you couldn't dodge it." He broke into a cold sweat as the second bullet came out, the beads of moisture rolling down his pale forehead, and his voice was trembling.
The third one was trickier. The bullet lodged deep in his shoulder had already turned the surrounding flesh crimson, the blood soaking into the bandages beneath him. Its tip was jagged with tiny gears that had twisted themselves into his muscle like iron thorns. The surrounding tissue was shredded like ground meat. Every scrape of the scalpel took out a small chunk of mangled flesh.
Even though Jing Shu was used to bloody scenes, the sight of the mangled muscle made her stomach tighten. She carved a deeper slit, hooked the metal edge of the bullet, and yanked it free in one motion, pulling out a hunk of mangled tissue with it.
Zhen Nantian sucked in a sharp breath and his body went rigid, his eyes shut tight. He held the tension for several seconds before he finally exhaled and relaxed a little against the table.
Jing Shu rinsed the bullet clean in a basin of water and handed the lead slug to him. Zhen Nantian squinted at it, still panting. "Hollow-point. No wonder it hurt like hell."
Ling Ling took it from his hand, turning the distorted metal over in her fingers. "This kind of bullet doesn't break apart inside the body. Instead, the head flattens out like a meat grinder blade, spinning fast and tearing everything in its path. If it hit an organ, it would shred it to pieces."
It was a good thing it hadn't hit any vital organs. Just hearing the description was enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.
The cargo ship sailed smoothly through the dark waters of the Grand Canal, the engine hum a steady vibration through the floorboards. Jing Shu didn't know how the slave owners were reacting or what would happen to the people living under Austin City's radiation-shielded walls. All she knew was that she had made a fortune this time—and that was enough. Every time a mission ended, tallying up her haul was her favorite part.
As the target of Qian Duoduo's commission mission, everything was now perfectly complete. The equipment she brought back could be used for dehydrating the vegetables grown in Qian Duoduo's Shiyuan. With two years left before the harshest winter hit, they could stockpile plenty of food. Maybe that meant she was helping accelerate Shiyuan's downfall?
Ahem, whatever.
Her biggest gain this time came from the hundreds of thousands of seed types and the rare minerals she had gotten. The random junk she had swept into the Cube Space could wait until she got home to sort out; she would sift through the crates when she had more time.
She divided the seeds into three portions. One was handed over to the state. Because of how special the seeds were, the higher-ups decided to give her a huge contribution reward, which conveniently offset the contribution points she owed for bringing all those materials back. If there wasn't something shady going on with the accounting, Jing Shu wouldn't believe it.
Still, it worked out fine. After everything was balanced, she had around ten thousand contribution points left, plus the hundred tons of minerals and her share of seeds that had been shipped back to Wu City. The others, after deductions for transport and fees, probably only got about half their share. As for Xiao Hei, being a foreigner, he would only get around a quarter of that. But he seemed satisfied enough, leaning against the railing with a cigar.
The second portion, Jing Shu planned to "sell" to the Wu City government. The price could be negotiated once she was back in her home territory. The last portion, of course, she kept for herself. Whatever strange plants she cultivated later, she would have a perfect excuse.
Their second mission in the United States had finally come to a perfect close.
Yang Yang spread out a large map on the central table, the paper crinkling as he smoothed the edges. He pointed to their current position and drew a long, sweeping line with a marker. "After this point, the ship will start heading back. But we're going to this place for our final mission."
Jing Shu narrowed her eyes and looked at where the tip of his marker rested—New York.
Was he out of his damn mind? Just a few of them, going to one of the most dangerous, most chaotic places in the country?
"Why the hell are we going there? It's too dangerous!" Monkey was the first to jump up in protest, his hands hitting the table.
Since arriving in the U.S., no one had really argued about their routes. Their first stop had been near the Mexican border, one of America's most remote, lawless zones. It was basically self-governed, like a private kingdom, where local powers ruled themselves without interference from a central government. But New York was a completely different story.
Monk rubbed his bald head and stood up, looking embarrassed. "Sorry for the trouble, everyone. This is actually the main reason I came to the U.S. The largest temple in North America, Zhuangyan Temple, is in New York. I have to go."
Jing Shu turned to look at him. This guy had always been the quiet one in the group. When they had first met, he had nearly clashed with the Imperial Capital team, but he was the only one who silently carried luggage instead of picking a fight. Since then, he had taken on the role of the team's tireless workhorse, doing all the dirty, thankless jobs without complaint. Honestly, the only reason this team hadn't fallen apart yet was probably because Monk kept smoothing things over with his patience.
His catchphrases were always, "Let me do it," or "I will handle it." And he always did, without a word of complaint.
After hearing his explanation, even Monkey couldn't find it in himself to keep arguing. Monk's quiet good reputation paid off big time at that moment.
Yang Yang clapped Monk on the shoulder. "Then tell everyone about our last stop. We have been here for months, so let's finish this quick. If we can pull one last job before heading home, we will all be set."
Yeah, they had been in America for a while now. Everyone had gotten used to the constant quakes, though no one knew what was going on back in China. Jing Shu did the math in her head. There was still time before Su Yiyang's whole family would die in her past life. If she hurried, she could still save them.
Monk bowed slightly before speaking. "Five years ago, I gambled away a sacred treasure from the temple. My master exiled me to save my life. Now, even if it kills me, I will take that treasure back." His eyes were steady, full of determination.
"A sacred treasure?" Jing Shu's eyes lit up. "What kind of treasure could it be?"
Monkey coughed and grinned slyly. "What kind of treasure are we talking about? Sounds like a personal thing, doesn't it? What has it got to do with our mission? Unless you're planning to pay us in contribution points?"
Monk scratched his head. "A treasure is a treasure. Someone up top needs it to stay alive."
Monkey's eyes gleamed. "Wait, like a legendary herb or something? Maybe a Tianshan snow lotus?"
Yang Yang cleared his throat, regaining everyone's attention. "Let me put it this way. Monk's task is to retrieve the treasure. Ours is to steal the formula related to it. The treasure is a cauldron."
"A cauldron? Seriously? It's the apocalypse, what is that even worth now?" Monkey asked, leaning back. "Sounds more like a relic than a treasure. Can a relic even save someone?"
Yang Yang chuckled. "Five years ago, no. But once it fell into American hands, now it can. So Monk will handle stealing the cauldron, and we will take the formula. Complete both, and we will earn massive contribution points—and maybe even a rich man's private garden as a bonus."