307 If You’re Not Present, Don’t Speak
With so many people around, it was inconvenient for Lin Ran to praise Sun Ge. After all, he didn’t know how loyal the men in black were to Sun Ge. He was still a suspect. It wouldn’t be good if he got too close to him.
Sun Ge, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped.
Lin Ran stood still and was about to ask what was going on when he looked up and saw more than ten figures standing in the shadows not far ahead.
Sun Ge instructed his subordinates to stay put and walked forward without saying a word. After taking a few steps, he entered the shadows and started talking to those people in a low voice.
“Are those your people?”
Lin Ran tilted his head and asked the man in black. In order to show his cooperation just now, he even stopped circulating his most basic internal energy. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have only realized that there were some people in the shadows now.
“It’s too far away for me to see clearly, but it seems to be Chen Tianqi and the others…”
The man in black replied in a low voice. Halfway through, he suddenly realized something and glared at Lin Ran. “Behave yourself! You’re a suspect. Why are you asking?”
Lin Ran didn’t mind. He stood still and leaned towards the person, asking again, “Among these people, you seem to be the easiest to talk to. Who is this Chen Tianqi? Even if you want me to die, you have to let me know who wants me to die, right?”
“Shut up! If you keep asking, I’ll teach you a lesson!”
The man in black cursed in a low voice, but Lin Ran pretended not to hear him and continued to pester him.
After a while, the man in black couldn’t take it anymore. He widened his eyes and raised his hand to hit Lin Ran, but when he thought of Lin Ran’s strength, he put his hand back resentfully. “Behave yourself and I’ll tell you.”
“Understood!”
Lin Ran snapped to attention, looking as cooperative as possible.
cThe man in black sighed and said in a low voice, “Chen Tianqi is also from the Iron City. He was talented and started cultivating in his teens. Later, the governor took a fancy to him and recommended him to join the Heavenly Secrets Battalion…”
When Lin Ran heard this, he frowned. “What’s the Heavenly Secrets Battalion?”
“The Heaven’s Fortune Battalion is…”
The man in black was about to answer when he was suddenly patted by his companion. He immediately reacted and looked at Lin Ran warily. “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask! Do you want to hear it or not?”
“I want to, I want to! Please continue!”
Lin Ran nodded with a smile, but from the corner of his eye, he glanced at the person who reminded the man in black to shut up just now. He thought to himself, “Don’t be a busybody. When I figure out what’s going on here, I’ll deal with you first.”
The man in black didn’t know what Lin Ran was thinking. Seeing that his attitude was not bad, he didn’t take it to heart. He paused for a moment and continued, “After Chen Tianqi came out of the Heavenly Secrets Battalion, he first served as a guard in the palace for a few years. Later, because he saved the emperor, he was transferred to the army to be a centurion.”
“However, although this guy is very talented, he’s not lucky. Perhaps it’s because his life has been smooth-sailing since he was young. On the second day he arrived at the army, he contradicted the general and ruined his career.”
“It seems that this Heavenly Secrets Battalion is a sect-like training institution,” Lin Ran thought to himself.
He pretended to be confused and asked, “What happened to him after that?”
“What else can happen? He can’t climb up the ranks anymore and can only go back to being a centurion.”
Hearing, the surrounding men in black chuckled. Although they did not speak just now, they had clearly been listening to the conversation.
Lin Ran looked at the surrounding people and probed, “From your reactions… it seems that you don’t like Chen Tianqi very much?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding people fell silent.
After two to three seconds, the easy-going man in black said in a low voice, “It’s really not that we have a problem with him, but that guy is too good at pretending! He’s just a small centurion, but he’s bossing people around.”
“That’s right! Everyone knows that he used to be from Iron City.”
“He can’t keep the Black Shadow Saber safe and can’t catch the killer either. What a useless centurion.”
…
The people around Lin Ran started to make fun of Chen TIanqi. Although their voices were not loud, even the deaf could hear the resentment in their voices.
Lin Ran didn’t expect his casual words to resonate so much. However, just as he was about to ask to get more information, he saw everyone’s expressions suddenly change. When he turned around, he realized that Sun Ge had indeed returned.
“What are you talking about?”
Sun Ge approached and asked in a low voice. He glanced at everyone in confusion and clearly saw them chatting with Lin Ran just now.
The men in black who were chatting and laughing just now lowered their heads like quails and remained silent.
Lin Ran sighed helplessly and looked at Sun Ge. “Nothing much. I just want to ask who those people are.”
Sun Ge glanced at the men in black. “Did they tell you?”
Lin Ran shook his head and said, “No, they told me not to ask what I shouldn’t ask.”
“So who are those people?”
“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask!” Sun Ge rolled his eyes. There was displeasure written all across his face and his attitude was completely different from before.
Lin Ran was stunned for a moment, but he quickly realized that it had nothing to do with him. Sun Ge only became like this after chatting with Chen Tianqi. It was obvious that the conversation between them was not pleasant.
After figuring this out, Lin Ran couldn’t be bothered to anger Sun Ge.
Lin Ran shrugged, indicating that he didn’t mind. Sun Ge suddenly said, “Do you remember what I told you before?”
“If you’re not present, don’t speak,” Lin Ran said without thinking.
“That’s right.”
Sun Ge nodded, and a solemn expression suddenly appeared on his face. “You must remember this. Otherwise, no one can help you!”