Chapter 42: I Will Drop Dead on the Road

“I want to help Zhou Ming, just like this gun. Even if I can’t use it, it still has a deterrent effect.”

Her hand trembling, Jiang Jialie spoke word by word.

“Huh? A mere gun is useless.”

Gadelia barely glanced at her, looking completely unconcerned, then yawned.

“Why do you always come looking for me at this hour? You’re interrupting my sleep.”

Jiang Jialie caught the key point.

“Zhou Ming came to you at this time too?!”

“Yesterday. Didn’t Zhou Ming tell you? Oh, I guess he couldn’t.”

Gadelia’s head was muddled, and she spoke without thinking.

“Tell me! What happened between you two?”

The mention of Zhou Ming by Gadelia made Jiang Jialie unable to suppress the frustration in her heart.

The pistol in her hand trembled as she gritted her teeth and pressed it against Gadelia’s chest.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself long ago, hearing this kind of talk still made it hard for her to accept.

Now, Jiang Jialie had even forgotten the purpose of coming to see Gadelia.

Originally, she had come to threaten Gadelia, to tell her not to flirt with Zhou Ming.

That’s right—even though Zhou Ming had explained everything yesterday by blaming it on bad luck, Jiang Jialie remained convinced that it was all Gadelia’s fault.

But because Gadelia spoke about Zhou Ming in such an indifferent tone, Jiang Jialie’s blood rushed to her head, and she completely forgot her original purpose.

“Did something happen between us?”

Gadelia tried to rummage through her memories, but her mind was a mess.

“I think Zhou Ming cooked a meal at my place, and I insulted it. I think that’s all.”

“So, is there something you need from me?”

Opening the door, Gadelia walked straight to the sofa and sat down, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly.

“What happened to Zhou Ming yesterday has something to do with you, doesn’t it?”

Hearing Gadelia’s question, Jiang Jialie snapped back to reality. She cleared her throat, then took a deep breath to make her voice sound more intimidating.

“So what if it did, and so what if it didn’t?”

Though her consciousness was fuzzy, Gadelia sensed someone questioning her in a harsh tone, and her temper flared up immediately.

Having been a leader for decades, Gadelia was clearly not someone an ordinary girl like Jiang Jialie could handle.

As soon as Gadelia spoke with a pressuring tone, Jiang Jialie froze, trembling and unable to say a word.

After a long while—Gadelia was almost asleep—Jiang Jialie finally recovered and forced herself to speak calmly:

“Either way, you’re definitely involved.”

“Hmm?”

Hearing the voice, Gadelia opened her eyes, which she had just closed.

“Is there anything else? If not, I’m going to sleep.”

“You can’t just say whatever you want. Forget it. No matter what, you won’t believe me anyway.”

“No… Nothing else.”

Jiang Jialie replied weakly.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard Gadelia’s voice.

“Acting like this won’t help Zhou Ming.”

“I know.”

“I can take you under my wing.”

Gadelia had been about to fall asleep, but since Jiang Jialie had come, she couldn’t just let her go now.

She could mentor Jiang Jialie.

The relationship needed to be drawn closer, and Jiang Jialie had to understand her place, or things would be difficult later.

So Gadelia opened her eyes and called out to Jiang Jialie.

“Ordinary people think power is everything.”

“In this world, only ability users can help others rise to the top overnight. But there are other ways to boost people like us—ordinary people.”

Gadelia’s words struck a chord in Jiang Jialie’s heart.

She needed strength to protect herself, to help Zhou Ming, and to protect him for the long haul.

But Jiang Jialie was just an ordinary girl—no ability, no background, and even her athletic ability was average.

During Zhou Ming’s past days, she had lived too comfortably.

Now that Zhou Ming was no longer ordinary, Jiang Jialie wanted to help him but realized she could do nothing.

“And what do I have to pay?”

Using all her strength, Jiang Jialie could only force out this sentence.

After saying it, she nearly collapsed and slumped to the ground.

She understood what this sentence implied.

Her body, mind, even everything—might no longer belong to her.

“For Zhou Ming?”

Gadelia stood up and helped Jiang Jialie to her feet.

“Only someone as good-natured as you would abandon everything for him.”

“And I have to be the bad guy—the one who ruins the relationship between you two.”

Grabbing Jiang Jialie’s orange hair, Gadelia said word by word:

“I told you before, didn’t I?”

“Powerful ability users can have multiple wives and concubines.”

“Zhou Ming isn’t one yet, but what about later?”

“Can you guarantee he’ll stay at the Dust Machine level, or the Flowing Wind level?”

“I’m betting on his future—it’s a gamble on an opportunity.”

“So I’ll help him as much as I can.”

“And you, as Zhou Ming’s childhood friend, are also doing this for Zhou Ming. There’s no way I’ll hurt you.”

“Otherwise, we’ll have to follow him to the ends of the earth from now on.”

Jiang Jialie turned her head away, her ears bright red.

Staring directly into someone’s eyes—that was too embarrassing.

But she still took in what Gadelia said.

Gadelia wouldn’t harm her.

Good thing.

Gadelia wanted her to accept that Zhou Ming would have her by his side.

Bad thing.

Gadelia believed that she held an important place in Zhou Ming’s heart.

Was there any doubt?

Good thing. Great thing. Super great thing!

Jiang Jialie’s impression of Gadelia suddenly became complicated.

“I… Should I trust you?”

“What do we do next?”

“Do you have a driver’s license?”

Gadelia was very sleepy, but to handle the relationship with Jiang Jialie, she had to pull herself together.

Someone had to drive.

And Gadelia was still a law-abiding citizen, so she had to ask Jiang Jialie if she had a license, so she could drive them to the destination.

“I do.”

“Gadelia, why are you suddenly asking about that?”

“Taking you to pick up something.”

“But I’m a little sleepy right now, so I’ll have to trouble you.”

Was Gadelia also up all night like she was?

Jiang Jialie muttered in her heart.

But her body honestly waited for Gadelia to change clothes.

After Gadelia changed, Jiang Jialie followed her downstairs and got into the driver’s seat.

“I… I don’t have much driving experience!”

Nervously, she took the key Gadelia handed her.

She turned it to the ON position for power and self-check, then stepped on the brake, shifted to START to start the engine, and let the key spring back to ON.

She repeated the process to warm up the car, and the most important thing—press the brake before starting.

The sedan hummed, and Jiang Jialie slowly took to the road.

Following the navigation set by Gadelia, Jiang Jialie drove smoothly, arriving at the destination without any mishap.

It wasn’t the underground black market she had imagined, nor some secret hideout.

It was just a warehouse rented for storage.

Such important things, and Gadelia kept them here?

Jiang Jialie found it unbelievable.

She nudged the sleeping Gadelia and said:

“Gadelia, we’ve arrived.”

“Mm…”

Opening her eyes, Gadelia rubbed them first, then stretched.