The Emperor’s Angel of Death

#2217 - Take Me Home (Part 2)

After Rongge's parents had calmed down a bit, Hayes chatted with them about their recent situation. Learning that they weren't facing any major difficulties, he prepared to leave. However, Rongge's father insisted on them staying for a meal and went to a nearby restaurant to buy some meat and vegetables. When Hayes asked about Rongge's siblings, Rongge's mother said that ever since Rongge left, both of them had been in poor health, so they had mostly handed over the business matters to their children.

When Rongge's father returned, Rongge's mother also placed the extra food from the kitchen on the table. Although it was the middle level, their diet couldn't be called luxurious, consisting only of coarse black bread with low starch content, vegetable soup, and some synthetic sausages.

After lunch, Hayes went to Rongge's old room.

The room wasn't big, but it was very clean, indicating that someone cleaned it every day. The bedding was neatly folded. There was a small wardrobe, a wooden table and chair, and many hand-drawn paintings on the walls, all of Rongge's 'works' from childhood. One of the paintings caught Hayes's attention: it depicted a group of children holding hands in a circle, with a 'egg' with arms and legs squatting inside the circle. It looked scared, crouching on the ground.

Hayes walked to the table and saw a piece of stationery with a line of crooked writing on it. He recognized Rongge's handwriting at a glance—

"Don't worry, Mom, I will definitely come home safely. Don't forget to check the stove at home, it always breaks when I'm home. Please thank Uncle Fim for me, I'm glad he taught me how to play with tops before I left. Tell my older siblings that I love them, and also Dad, he shouldn't work so long, or his back pain will act up again.

I am a stupid child

Thank you, Mom, you have always loved me

I will always love you too"

It could be seen that there were many tear stains on the stationery. Perhaps Rongge's family had sat here waiting for news of him more than once, but in the end—

Hayes looked at a small box in the corner of the table. After hesitating for a moment, he reached out and pressed a button on it, and then cheerful music began to play.

"Mr. Egghead, big egghead~"

"Mr. Egghead sits on the wall~"

"Suddenly someone gets a scare~"

"Mr. Egghead takes a tumble~"

"The king's horses, the king's men~"

"Couldn't put egghead together again~"

Hayes couldn't help but burst into tears.

In the end, before leaving, he took out the prepared precious metal currency deposit slip, but didn't say that it was from him, but rather that Rongge had deposited it with him. Rongge's parents accepted it and hoped that Hayes could come often when he had time.

After leaving Rongge's house, Hayes and his two wives headed to the lower level. That area wasn't so peaceful, but Hayes wasn't the naive young man he used to be.

As soon as the three of them got out of the car, they were targeted by a group of thieves. As a result, Hayes quickly took them down. When they still wanted to pester him, they were deterred by the laser gun in Hayes's hand.

Then they came to a shantytown, where mostly manual laborers lived, such as porters. After asking a few people, Hayes came to a two-story, externally rusty-looking shack.

As soon as he knocked on the door a few times, a woman's impatient roar came from inside:

"Who is it!"

Hayes was startled, and then replied:

"Is this the Bell family?"

"He's dead! Don't come looking for him!"

Clearly, the person inside was very angry, even hateful, about this name. Hayes knew Bell's experience and could only sigh, saying:

"I am Bell's comrade-in-arms, bringing back some of his things."

"Don't want it! Throw it away!"

At this moment, a bruised and swollen boy walked over. Only then did Hayes notice that he was actually one of the thieves he had beaten up, looking about eleven or twelve years old. He was also stunned when he saw Hayes.

"You are—"

"You!"

At this moment, the door opened, and a very thin but imposing woman, wearing dirty brown clothes and pants, and an apron that had almost turned black, walked out. Seeing the boy, she frowned and reached out to grab his ear.

"You're hanging out with those dog thief gang bastards again!?"

The boy, wearing a patched black leather jacket and wearing an earring and nose ring, shook her off impatiently, and then said impatiently:

"What will my sisters eat if I don't work?"

At this moment, Hayes noticed that there were two girls who looked about eight or nine years old in the shack, looking out timidly.

So he stepped forward to interrupt the two.

"My name is Hayes, Bell's comrade-in-arms. Are you Bell's wife?"

The woman turned around, carefully looked Hayes up and down, and then frowned and said rudely:

"What's the matter? Does that dog owe you money? Don't look for me."

Hayes shook his head helplessly.

"Bell has sacrificed himself."

"I know! Damn it, there's no enlistment notice and they only give half of the pension! And it's still almost worthless military scrip, he's a useless thing even in death!"

Even though he knew she was a gambler, Hayes still felt uncomfortable with her insulting Bell so much.

"That's not Bell's fault, he was thinking of you until his death."

As he spoke, he took out Bell's dog tag and the blood-stained photo and handed them to the woman.

When she saw these two things, although there was still disdain on the woman's face, her eyes were wet, and finally she silently took the two things.

Hayes looked at the boy again.

"Are you Bell's child?"

"Yes."

The boy didn't care, but kept glancing at the photo, while his mother had already turned her head away, covering her mouth with her hand, sobbing softly.

"You shouldn't be like this, don't be self-deprecating, your father is a hero, he fought to the death with the most terrible enemy, don't let him down."

Hearing this, the boy was slightly stunned and subconsciously looked away.

"He he used to only gamble and never cared about us"

"Yes, Bell made mistakes in the past, he made up for his mistakes with blood, and this is what he left you with his life."

Hayes took out the expedition manual, which also contained a deposit slip. The boy took it and stared blankly at the military department logo on it, while his mother finally burst into tears.

No matter what, they are family.

The two girls ran out, tugging at the woman's skirt, and also crying softly.

"Father how did he die?"

"Bell fought enemies you can't imagine, they are the great enemies of mankind, heretics, demons, they are four or five meters tall, covered in steel, and can crush a tank with a pinch. Bell is a hero, he used his life to eliminate such enemies."

The boy was stunned, he never thought his father would be such a hero.

"Remember, child, your father is a hero, for sure, he is the pride of our company."

The boy lowered his head and stared at the expedition manual, gently stroking the cover, and suddenly reached out and tore off the earring from his ear.

"Thank you, uncle, thank you for letting me know about my father's heroic deeds, I will be proud of him, I will try to become a hero like him."

At this moment, Hayes noticed that there were five children in Bell's photo, but there were only three here. When he asked, the boy answered him sadly.

"One older brother had an accident when he was working as a porter a year ago, and only had one breath left when he was carried home. As a result, the other party only compensated us with one month's rations. Another older brother took the risk to transport goods for drug dealers in order to make money, and was involved in a gang fight, only his limbs were sent home"

After the boy finished speaking, Bell's wife burst into tears.

"Bell, I'm sorry, I didn't take good care of the children"

Although he felt very sad, Hayes felt that any words were pale at this moment.

Afterwards, Bell's wife wanted to return the deposit slip to Hayes, because she knew that Bell would not save any money, this must be given by Hayes, but Hayes resolutely handed it over to the other party, and left without bothering the other party to make dinner again.

After a day of running around, Hayes and his two wives stayed in a relatively comfortable hotel in the lower level for one night, and then went non-stop to the bottom level, which was also a place he rarely set foot in.