Munitions Empire

Chapter 2027 - 1889

The darkness surged in like a tide, engulfing her. Sharp pain pierced her nerves like burning hot needles, yanking her back from the abyss of unconsciousness. The world spun, shattered, and then reassembled before her eyes, but everything became hazy, as if covered by a thick veil.

Waves of nausea accompanied by headaches attacked, almost causing her to faint again. She instinctively wanted to groan but found her tongue had touched an unusual void. She subconsciously licked her gums, where there had originally been two pure gold false teeth, now empty, only two cold cavities remained.

Fragments of memory flickered in her mind like scattered glass shards. She struggled to piece together these fragments, recalling her agony from two decayed teeth, eventually spending a fortune to replace them with shining gold false teeth.

Now, the gold symbolizing wealth and status has vanished, replaced by a hollow weightlessness, as if a part of her body were forcibly stripped away.

She guessed that those who imprisoned her here feared she might hide poison within her false teeth, so they removed them crudely.

As her consciousness gradually returned, a sharp pain came from her wrist, like countless tiny steel needles piercing her nerves, causing her to gasp in shock. She struggled to raise her arm to examine the injury, only to see a bald forearm wrapped tightly in bandages. Numbness and throb emanated from the break, and she stared in disbelief, realizing her hand was gone.

At this moment, an old voice sounded beside the bed: "The bone was shattered by a bullet, and the blood vessels completely severed. The traffic was very congested that day, and when the ambulance reached the hospital, some structures could no longer be repaired..." This voice carried a hint of indifferent coldness, as if discussing a trivial affair unrelated to him.

Sofia struggled to tilt her head, her gaze landing on the speaker. An elderly man with a cane was sitting by the bed, his frame thin but voice steady and strong, without the hoarse tone of frailty. In his deep-set eyes, a kind of unfathomable gleam flickered.

The old man paused and added, "Of course, that’s the nicer explanation. Actually, we thought you wouldn’t need that hand anymore, so we removed it." His tone carried a trace of jest, as if discussing a trivial matter. This casual tone chilled Sofia to the bone.

Sofia’s gaze fell on her other hand. It was securely pinned to the bedboard, with IV tubes connected to a drip above her head, various colored liquids slowly injecting into her body. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her internal rage and fear.

She understood that anger and humiliation would only make her appear more pathetic, and the ones tormenting her more smug; she must stay calm. Rage would only make others mock her, and any fury after falling into enemy hands would only entertain them. So she struggled to restrain her emotions, exuding an air of indifference.

She forced herself to stay composed, opening her parched lips with a voice sounding foreignly hoarse even to herself, asking, "You’re quite interesting. Can you tell me your name?"

The old man chuckled, as if the question were trivial and unworthy of attention.

"Me?" He paused slightly: "Certainly, I’m called Li’ao."

"Li’ao?" Sofia silently repeated the name, searching her mind for related memories yet finding none. This name was entirely foreign to her.

Li’ao slowly tapped his cane against the ground, producing a series of faint knocks, which sounded exceptionally clear in the silent room. He slightly raised an eyebrow; a barely noticeable smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, fleeting yet etching a deep crevice on his face, showcasing his inner satisfaction.

His eyes gleamed with the fulfillment a hunter feels after capturing prey, seemingly proud of successfully concealing his identity for so long. He gently rubbed his hands, long fingers grating against each other, producing a minor rustle—like appreciating a perfect work of art, or calculating his next move.

He slowly spoke, with a slight dominant arrogance: "As an intelligence head, the basic skill is ensuring opponents can’t track your true identity, right?" He paused slightly, turning his gaze to Sofia; a glint of cunning shone within his eyes, like a sharp knife striking Sofia’s heart: "And you, Sofia, clearly failed at that."

After speaking, he paused again, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes, as if ridiculing Sofia’s incompetence. He gently coughed, deliberately teasing as if to whet an appetite, only proceeding when Sofia turned to him: "Now, I can reveal my identity to you because..." He deliberately dragged out the ending, a playful glint in his eye, like a cat toying with a mouse: "I no longer need to keep it a secret."

He leaned forward slightly, his elderly body inclining towards Sofia, whispering almost conspiratorially: "I previously owned a tavern called..." He paused again, this time longer, seemingly purposely creating suspense, then enunciated slowly: "Silver Fox."

He leaned back, sat upright once more, his gaze firmly holding onto Sofia, observing her reaction. He watched as Sofia’s face turned ash pale within an instant, her eyes brimming with shock and disbelief.

He knew what those two words meant to Sofia. He knew he could finally unmask himself, standing before Sofia in his true identity. He knew the age-long cat-and-mouse game was finally ending, and he was the ultimate victor.

"Silver Fox..." These two words squeezed out of Sofia’s dry lips, raspy like sandpaper scraping, accompanied by a tremor she couldn’t suppress. Her throat felt clutching like an invisible hand, making breathing difficult.

Sofia’s gaze fixed on Leo’s face like nails, her eyes wide open, trying to imprint every detail, every wrinkle of this face deep in her mind. This wasn’t just a face; it was a symbol, a representation of a nightmare that had haunted her for years.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment, the room was silent, except for the sound of Leo tapping his cane, Sofia’s heavy breathing, and the pounding of her heart. She felt her mind go blank, countless fragments of memory flashing through like a carousel, those thrilling chases, fierce confrontations, and repeated failures all turned into a sense of helplessness and bitterness at this moment.

It took a long time for Sofia to find her voice, hoarse and weak, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

"You’re very impressive." She struggled to utter these words, with a subtle hint of admiration in her tone, acknowledging a formidable opponent and negating her years of effort.

"I’ve never gained an advantage over you." Sofia shifted her gaze from Leo’s face to the ceiling above. The pure white color made her dizzy, as though she were in a void. She slowly blinked, trying to dispel the dizziness.

"Whether it was in the Eastern Continent, or in the Western Continent..." Sofia’s voice grew fainter, almost like a murmur. She recalled her days on the Eastern Continent, those days full of danger and challenges. She also remembered her experience on the Western Continent, those seemingly fleeting yet secretly turbulent days. No matter where she was, she couldn’t escape the shadow of the Silver Fox.

Of course, she might not know that her enemies included not only the Imperial Security Bureau but also the special operations department of the Imperial Internal Affairs Department, as well as the military intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire... and the Emperor’s own security troops of the Great Tang Empire. Her opponents were many, very many, and... very strong, very strong.

Soft light poured from the ceiling, illuminating the entire room and Sofia’s pale face. Everything in the room seemed so impeccably clean, like an unreal dreamscape. Sofia felt like she was floating in the air, losing control of her body.

"This makes me happier than receiving a medal." Leo’s hearty laughter broke the room’s silence, with a touch of pride in his tone. To Sofia, this laughter was so grating, like a victor’s bragging.

"Compliments from an enemy are always especially precious." His voice was filled with confidence and pride.

"I didn’t expect someone as important as you to come see me." Sofia struggled to lift her head, wanting to check her own body, but she was simply too weak, failing with every attempt. Her body felt as heavy as lead, every movement exhausted her completely.

"Oh, sorry." Leo noticed Sofia’s movement and very gentlemanly waved his hand, signaling the nurse on the other side of the bed to help adjust the bed. The nurse immediately understood, walking to the bedhead and pressing the electric switch. The motor hummed softly, slowly raising the upper part of the bed, supporting Sofia’s body.

Only then did Sofia clearly see her physical condition: one leg’s knee wrapped in thick bandages, while the other leg remained intact. She wore loose hospital clothes, no covers on her.

"I thought you had cut off my leg too." Sofia looked at her intact leg, with a hint of self-deprecation in her voice. At the same time, she glanced without a trace at the nurse standing beside her.

Years of experience told her that even without injuries or being restrained, this woman standing by her bed could easily take her down several times.

"Hahaha! I’m no big shot." Leo laughed aloud, glancing at his pocket watch, stating something that left Sofia stunned: "In a moment... the real important person will come. His Majesty The Emperor is coming to visit you."

After speaking, he tucked the pocket watch back into his pocket. For so many years, he was still accustomed to using that pocket watch that wasn’t very punctual, frequently needing adjustment to work properly. Because this pocket watch was a gift from His Majesty The Emperor back in the day.

"R-really?" When Sofia asked this, she could hear the tremor in her voice.

"It’s true." Leo knew that by this time, His Majesty The Emperor’s car should already be at the hospital entrance: "As your dying wish, he agreed to it. His Majesty The Emperor is very compassionate, isn’t he?"

"Yes, indeed." Sofia closed her eyes, the first time she would meet that man, and it turned out to be in her most wretched state.

If it were ten years ago, at the Flame Castle, if the corners of her eyes had no wrinkles, if she didn’t have to be paralyzed in a hospital bed... perhaps this meeting might have...

Forget it.