Eternal Night

d disrupted all of his prior plans.
He was clearly aware that today’s situation wouldn’t end well.

“Get on the trucks,” he said, “all of you.”

Whether or not the newly arrived train carried more Koroshan prisoners, his first priority was to get this group of prisoners out.

Someone asked, “Where are we going?”

“It’s going to turn dark soon.” Yu Feichen glanced at the sky.
Nightfall came early in the winter.
“Drive deeper in and dump the truck in the mountains.
You guys head to the oak mountains.”

With that, he looked at the truck dragging logs.
“Leave that truck to me.”

“What are you going to do?” Bai Song asked.

“I’m returning to the concentration camp.”

He got behind the truck and peeled the bulletproof vest off the stocky soldier, putting it under his own clothes.
It was fortunate that this model of manufactured goods had adjustable sizing; it wasn’t too noticeable when worn on him.

“They’re still in there,” he heard someone say, “my younger sister is still in there.”

Exactly.
The women, children, and elderly, as well as the pregnant women and disabled people, were still in the concentration camp.
Moreover, a new batch of prisoners might have arrived on this train.
He hadn’t received any mission objective or hints when leaving the Gate of the Eternal Night to this godforsaken place, so he’d just have to attempt to rescue everyone.

He fastened the topmost buckle and said, “I don’t mind if anyone wants to help.”

There was a short silence.

Then, something surprising happened.

A man walked out first.

Following this, three more came out from the crowd, gathering next to him.

After which, practically half of them had come forth, whereas the other half were still deliberating.

Yu Feichen broke into laughter.

Sometimes, these Koroshans were so soft it gave him the impression of a flock of lambs being brought to slaughter.
Sometimes, some of them were adorably kind.
Perhaps, softness and kindness were one and the same.

“All with whips go over that side.” He started by stuffing all the inspectors into the leaving group, including the big-nosed man.
This eliminated all possibility of the big-nosed man ratting them out, sparing him from the condemning weight of his conscience bearing down on him for the rest of his life.

Yu Feichen felt that he had done a good deed.

Soon, he chose ten strong and fit men from those willing to assist him.
The brawny blonde was among them.
Bai Song wanted to come too, but Yu Feichen mercilessly excluded him.
“You know the route; lead them away.”

“Can you handle guns?” he asked, noticing the calluses on a man’s hands.

“I can,” that man replied, “I often go hunting.”

“Not bad,” Yu Feichen patted his shoulder, giving the rifle that originally belonged to no.
2 to him.

Someone else voluntarily offered up—I can handle guns, too.

Yu Feichen gave no.
3’s gun to him.
That both of the guns were put to use, neither wasted, put him in a good mood.

Immediately after, it was time to assign the drivers.

There were only three in the crowd who were proficient in driving trucks in mountainous terrain, including Bai Song.
The remaining could only drive cars.

However, they had four trucks.
Three of the trucks would be filled with Koroshans, driving into the night canopy.
This left one to bring Yu Feichen’s group to the south gate, carrying wood for cover and a few immobilised foremen.
There weren’t enough hands.

“What should we do?” Bai Song fretted.

Without turning a hair, Yu Feichen got the brawny blonde to change into a foreman’s uniform, sitting in the front passenger seat of the fourth truck.

Then, he sat in the driver’s seat, expertly checking the coolant and firing up the engine.

“Oh I see, you know how to drive too.” Bai Song, who was forced to drive the truck on a tour around the camp last night, inclined his head, looking up at him gloomily.

Yu Feichen was convinced that Bai Song’s attention always strayed far off the mark, relaxing at intense moments and tensing at lax moments, focusing on insignificant trivialities.

He watched Bai Song, saying sincerely, “I can drive anything.”

Bai Song nitpicked with him.
“Can you drive a plane, then?”

Yu Feichen changed the gear, starting the truck.

“Yes.” His tone was matter-of-fact, as though he was saying: I know how to drink water.

Bai Song still wanted to carry on, but Yu Feichen brought the conversation back to business.

“Take the binoculars,” he said, “when you see that the sentry is gone, lead them away.”

Bai Song nodded at him.

Yu Feichen silently recited to himself the sentence Mogrosh told him about ‘trusting your teammates’, and drove the truck towards the north gate.

Midway there, the watch platform discovered that there was only one truck driving over, and began whistling manically.

However, no matter what they blew, Yu Feichen only responded with one type of whistle.

Copy.

Copy.

Copy.

Finally, the sentry lost the patience to keep whistling.

The moment the truck was driven through the north gate, the sentry came running down the watch platform.

Yu Feichen stopped the truck, speaking in a low voice to the brawny blonde next to him, dressed as a foreman.
“Keep calm.”

The brawny blonde took in a deep breath, and he nodded.

Soon after, Yu Feichen snapped the buckle of a soldiers’ cap on his head, put on a military jacket, and opened the door on his side of the truck.

Soldiers were familiar with each other, but soldiers and sentries might not necessarily be.
So, he got the brawny blonde to roll down the window on the other side of the truck first to talk to the sentry.

“Where are the others?” the sentry asked.
“Everyone is to assemble at the south gate.”

“The trucks broke down.” The brawny blonde poked his body out, his bulk blocking the entire window such that the sentry was unable to make out Yu Feichen’s silhouette.
He asked, “Why are so many people needed at the south gate?”

“It appears that new prisoners have arrived.
I’m not sure, either.” The sentry’s tone was frenzied.
“Three trucks down? Are you kidding me?”

“They’ll be over right after fixing them up.”

“What are you guys up to?”

Yu Feichen got off the truck, circling around towards the sentry.
At this time, the sentry’s gaze was wholly fixed to the brawny blonde.
Yu Feichen was only wearing the Black Badge Army’s military uniform that was familiar to sentries, so it wouldn’t attract attention.

The next moment, an icy cold gun muzzle was pressed to the sentry’s temple.

In another moment, the sentry became the first to surrender and was knocked unconscious, tossed to the back with the foremen.

Yu Feichen turned his head over, gazing at the trucks driving from the lumber camp in the distance, hiding into the dense forest trails.

The dusty grey horizon at dusk was tinged blood red.

He inhaled deeply and returned to the truck.

—The night had only just begun.