Gordon was stunned after hearing this: “Why go back to the Inner City?”

“To retire in the Inner City!” Dongdong stood up, spun around in front of Gordon, and said with a smile, “Guess what I’m doing now~”

Gordon looked her up and down: “You put on a cat tail… joined a circus?”

“Pfft! Do I look like someone who’d do that for a living?” Dongdong laughed angrily, put her hands on her hips, and proudly said, “I’m now an official mercenary in New Moon City!”

Gordon was extremely surprised: “How did you suddenly get into this line of work?”

Dongdong said lazily, “It’s hard to explain. You know the Edge Mercenary Corps, right?”

Gordon nodded: “Yes, I saw it on TV a while ago, the guy Su something who subdued Muto Dongying, he’s the Captain Edge.”

Dongdong patted her chest, her mouth curving into a huge smile: “Su Mo, that’s my boss. I’m now an Edge Mercenary under his command!”

Gordon was shocked: “Wow, that’s amazing! You’ve made a name for yourself!”

Dongdong laughed, “So, come back to the Inner City with me. We have a big building, and you can live there.”

Gordon smiled helplessly and said earnestly, “Dong, since you’ve joined them, you have to work hard and not try to take advantage.”

“None of that ‘one person attains the Dao, his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven’ stuff, stuffing familiar faces into the team because of your connection to the captain, that’s not okay.”

Dongdong poked his forehead: “Why are you comparing yourself to chickens and dogs? Though I’ve always called you an old fossil, in my heart, I’ve always considered you my lifesaver.”

“When I had nothing, you saved my life without asking for anything in return. Now that I’m successful, it’s only right that I come back to repay you.”

“Don’t worry, bringing you back this time, the food, the supplies, and the living expenses, I’ll have them all deducted from my salary by the boss, without costing any of the team’s resources. I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life!”

Gordon fondly stroked Dongdong’s small head, his gaze incredibly gentle: “After all these decades, I’ve treated thousands of people, and those who occasionally bring back some fruit to see me are very few.”

“Now that you’ve found a new life and still think of me, I’m truly happier than anything, I’m already content.”

Dongdong wanted to say something else, but Gordon shook his head and said, “Dong, my roots are in the Borderlands, in this life I’ll never go anywhere else. I just want to live out my days here.”

“You don’t need to repay me for anything, really. As long as you’re safe and happy, living well in the Inner City, that’s all that matters to me.”

Dongdong said with a heavy heart, “You’re always getting beaten up, how can I be at ease in the Inner City…”

Gordon laughed heartily: “I’m a doctor, the Borderlands sorely needs doctors. At most, I’ll get a bit of money taken by punks, but no one will want to harm me. I’ve been living like this for decades, it’s fine.”

“But you, you must be careful lately, don’t come back to the Borderlands unless necessary, there are many groups eyeing your Edge Mercenaries.”

Dongdong waved her hand: “Don’t worry, I’ve changed clothes several times on the way, no one will recognize me. By the way, how are things in the Borderlands these days?”

Gordon couldn’t help but sigh: “Chaotic, even more chaotic than before. Wolf Assault and Crow’s Nest people are fighting all over, and the Ashen Gang wants a piece of the action too. Sigh, people die every day…”

Dongdong huffed: “If you ask me, those Crow’s Nest people are nothing.”

Gordon: “Oh? Why do you say that?”

Dongdong said heavily: “What kind of ability is it to bully the weak? Catching a few kids, and they call themselves the King of the Borderlands? Only useless people do such things.”

“What’s that saying… when the bold get mad, they challenge the big shot. When the cowardly get mad, they only go after weaklings.”

Gordon laughed so hard his mouth couldn’t close: “That saying goes—when the brave get angry, they draw their knives toward stronger foes. When the cowardly get angry, they draw their knives toward the weaker.”

Dongdong stuck out her tongue: “Oh, it’s all the same! You know I haven’t been schooled much.”

“Anyway, if you ask me, Wolf Assault has guts. They find the real enemies who owe them, and they engage directly! That’s so cool!”

Gordon patted her head with a hint of meaning: “The reasoning is fine, but have you thought about this—the Crow’s Nest kidnapping action resulted in the death of just one child.”

“But when the Wolf King broke through the Rust Wall, how many innocent children were indirectly killed by letting so many rioters into the city?”

“It’s just that there was no media coverage, nobody saw it, so their deaths were silently buried.”

These words made Dongdong fall silent, bowing her head in thought.

Gordon smiled slightly and said, “Of course, I’m not blaming anyone.”

“The Wolf King is someone who does big things, she must have her reasons, which we can’t guess.”

“Struggle is not like having a meal, but rather bloody violence. Under violence, sacrifice is inevitable.”

Saying this, Gordon’s gaze deepened: “But, Dong, remember this… you can fight, but don’t hate.”

“Don’t hate the Inner City people just because you’re from the Borderlands, they aren’t your enemies, or at least they shouldn’t be. Everyone is a victim of this world order.”

Dongdong’s eyes lit up: “I’ve heard something similar. The general idea is that the hatred between the Borderlands and the Inner City is actually artificially created.”

“The Hegemony Company, the Iron Blood Alliance, the Black Domain Group, these three behemoths stir up hatred among the masses, making sure the people never unite, so they can maintain their lofty positions.”

“So whether it’s the Inner City or the Borderlands, there’s actually a common enemy, which is those three massive entities pressing down from above.”

Gordon’s eyes went vacant for a long time before regaining focus, tears glistening, as he smiled and choked up: “You’ve grown up… child, you’ve really grown up…”

“Hey! Why are you suddenly crying? You’re over eighty, and you’re still shedding tears?” Dongdong hurried to wipe Gordon’s tears with her sleeve.

Gordon rubbed his red eyes, his voice hoarse: “When I was young, I just didn’t understand this truth.”

“By the time I understood, I had nothing left…”

…

After catching up with Gordon, Dongdong’s invitation was unsuccessful, so she had to return to Edge Mansion alone.

The next day, Su Mo convened a short meeting with all members in the meeting room.

“Everyone should know that I’ve offended Crow’s Nest heavily not long ago. I can say with certainty that they will take revenge on me and on Edge.”

“To prepare for any possible emergency, I’m making the following demands.”

“Administrative staff should, in principle, work from home or stay in the building, minimizing outings. If an outing is necessary, they must be accompanied by combat personnel.”

“Combat personnel on external missions must form teams no smaller than a pair, looking out for each other, and must not wear any identification related to Edge. Keep actions as low-key as possible.”

“If you encounter any danger outside, call the Edge Mansion security center immediately, someone is on duty 24/7 to handle emergencies.”

“During this special period, everyone must heighten awareness and pay attention to their safety. That’s it, meeting adjourned.”

After the meeting, Su Mo found Dongdong and said, “I’ve ordered a batch of materials from the High-Tech Park, ready for pickup today.”

“I also have to lead by example regarding the two-person team rule. Let’s go together.”

Dongdong went out with him: “Alright, let’s go.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep