Sunset Boulevard Chapter 1.2: Sentenced to Death (Part Two)

Translated by zellyfish of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: dragonmoons 

 

Prison Five, where Chen Boqiao was temporarily detained, was located in the deep forest on the mountainside of Mi Mountain. It took about four hours to drive from the Alliance Military Court to the prison and cross the Mi Mountain Canyon. 

The escort team was unimpeded until they were halfway through the journey, but when everyone started to relax, a deafening noise came from above their heads, the fast-moving armored vehicle came to a sudden stop at the sound, and the brake pads screeched, resounding through the valley. 

The four passengers swayed forward due to inertia, and as Chen Boqiao was still handcuffed, his shoulder hit the steel wall of the car, making a muffled noise. 　

The officers responded promptly and quickly stabilized their postures. The older officer raised his gun and pressed it against Chen Boqiao’s waist, “Don’t try anything funny!” 　

The other two held their guns and stood back to back in a defensive stance. As the four of them listened nervously, suddenly, the soft, strange sounds of leaves rustling could be heard coming from outside the car. After a few more seconds, the escort team’s helicopter’s propellers hit the bushes and rocks, making a shrill noise. It penetrated the trembling steel plate of the armored vehicle and went into the ears of the officers and the prisoner in the vehicle. 

The sound of the impact continued rapidly, slowing down at certain intervals, like a pair of rough hands clasping a prisoner’s throat, not fatal for now, but terrifying to experience. The officers turned pale and exchanged glances.

Chen Boqiao wasn’t afraid, but he had a bad feeling.

The simple and unsophisticated mode of action and the strange timing of the rescue were very different compared to their original plan, and hence unusual. As soon as the helicopter crashed, the surrounding was quiet again. The four people in the car were holding their breaths. The middle-aged officer was about to speak when the left side of the car door was nudged for some unknown reason. The armored vehicle peeled away from the concrete, tearing apart the guardrail of the mountain road, rolled over in the direction of the canyon and fell straight down. The officer next to Chen Boqiao only had time to swear before his head hit the roof of the car, and the submachine gun in his hands almost went off.

Fortunately, after dropping for an instant, something suddenly pulled the front of the car up, and the four leaned back at the same time, slamming heavily onto the steel door at the rear of the car. 

Due to the initial seating, Chen Boqiao was on the top so he didn’t suffer any injuries, but his back was bruised from the handle of the officer’s gun. In addition, he felt that the four Alphas were crowded too close to each other, and the smell wasn’t pleasant. The armored vehicle was hoisted up by a helicopter and swayed like a pendulum in motion.

The middle-aged officer was the first to recover, his head injured with blood dripping down his hairline. He wordlessly grabbed the metal wiring in the vehicle with his hands, struggled to get up, and pointed the gun at Chen Boqiao, “Don’t move.”

Chen Boqiao raised both his hands to show his innocence.

The helicopter flew for a long time. The middle-aged officer’s hand holding the submachine gun gradually became unstable. The muzzle was already swaying from side to side, unable to point accurately, so he subtly signaled at one of the younger officers for a replacement. When he was about to let go of his gun, the body of the armored vehicle shook, and the rear wheels landed first, followed by the front wheels.

They’d landed.

The three officers surrounding Chen Boqiao didn’t speak, and, as if they’d had some kind of discussion, all aimed their guns at Chen Boqiao. After a suffocating silence, the door at the rear of the car was opened, revealing a very thin slit.

The middle-aged officer made a gesture. The three officers crouched down together, held their guns against Chen Boqiao’s back, and made Chen Boqiao open the door.

Chen Boqiao was pushed forward by the muzzle of a gun and began walking. He reluctantly pushed open the bulletproof door, and the cold air of Mi Mountain hit him.

He saw dark green trees, a dusty and windy flat ground, a group of heavily armed mercenaries, nearly thirty muzzles, and a person he didn’t expect.

“Come down.” Zhang Jue looked at Chen Boqiao blankly as he said to him.

Chen Boqiao raised his hands in surrender and stepped out of the car. The officers also followed him down. Before he could react, three silencer guns from different directions fired at the same time, and the three fell. When Chen Boqiao squatted down in disapproval and tried to get the pulse of the middle-aged officer, Zhang Jue said, “It’s just a tranquilizer.”

Chen Boqiao took that as a sign and withdrew his hand, looking at Zhang Jue quietly.

He might be even thinner than when we were in school, he mused quietly. They weren’t close while attending middle school, and it had been so many years since they graduated. No matter how hard Chen Boqiao tried to recall, he could only remember the rough silhouette of the boy of from before.

The two of them were speechless for a few seconds. Zhang Jue broke eye contact first, then raised his hand to grab the coat from one of his subordinates and approached Chen Boqiao. He used a laser cutter to cut Chen Boqiao’s handcuffs and forcefully shoved the coat into Chen Boqiao’s arms while he whispered, “Put it on.”

“Thank you.” Chen Boqiao was a little cold, so he didn’t care about courtesy with Zhang Jue. He unfolded the coat and put it on. When he raised his head to thank Zhang Jue, Zhang Jue had already walked away and was talking softly with his subordinates.

In all fairness, Zhang Jue wasn’t the kind of Alpha with an outstanding appearance. He was average-looking, thinner than the ordinary Alphas, and could easily be mistaken for a Beta.

He was fairly tall, only a little shorter than Chen Boqiao, and his skin was pale along with his eyes and lips. His face was gloomy, and his slightly curly black hair settled a little below his shoulders where he casually tied it behind his neck, and he never looked well. In the words of Chen Boqiao’s friend Pei Shu, Zhang Jue looked lifeless.

Not long ago, Pei Shu also commented that if Zhang Jue could join them in some of the League parties, then Pei Shu, who was well-known to be a playboy, would never have been voted as the “Least Favourable Marriage Candidate for Omegas” champion.

Perhaps noticing the look in Chen Boqiao’s eyes, Zhang Jue raised his head slightly, glanced at Chen Boqiao, and asked him, “Are you done?”

When Chen Boqiao nodded, Zhang Jue briefly told him “Follow me.”, and then walked towards a helicopter without looking back.

Chen Boqiao paused in place, looking at Zhang Jue’s back, remembering the reason Pei Shu mentioned Zhang Jue in that conversation, “I heard that Zhang Jue’s engagement with his childhood sweetheart Omega was called off.” At that time Pei Shu had asked Chen Boqiao, “Didn’t he confess to you before?”

And Chen Boqiao had to think for a long time before he could dig Zhang Jue out from the memories of his school days. He had told Pei Shu, “A lot of people have confessed to me. I can’t remember all of them clearly.”

Zhang Jue walked to the helicopter, turned around, and found that Chen Boqiao was still rooted, as he frowned and straightened his back.

“Is there a problem?”

Chen Boqiao paused his thoughts, smiled at Zhang Jue, and walked over.

~~~

“Hello, the owner cannot answer your call right now. Please leave your voicemail after this voice message is over.”

“Jue, I saw the news, I know it’s you… have you lost your mind? Did you think that person might still remember what your name is?”

“…I will arrive in Bangkok at 3 p.m. tomorrow. I’m guessing you don’t plan to meet me?”

“……”

“Zhang Jue, you’re the worst! I’m never gonna care about you anymore!”