in2ebook Chapter 299 The Conscience of a Death Row Inmate
Chapter 299 The Conscience of a Death Row Inmate
Chapter 299 The Conscience of a Death Row Inmate
At the Iron-Blooded Anti-Traitor Training Base, Wang Wenzhou and his children watched the assassins train.
Now, the daily routine is a 10-kilometer weighted run, with each male prisoner carrying a 50-pound pack. Wang Wenzhou does this so that they can wear bomb vests and act as human bombs if necessary.
The bomb vests have been designed. They are very simple. Each vest is filled with 30 kilograms of black powder, plus 20 kilograms of small iron balls and lead balls. Once they explode in a densely populated area, killing a hundred or so people is no problem.
Originally there were more than two thousand male prisoners, but after several days of elimination, only more than eight hundred remained. These eight hundred prisoners now truly resembled death squads, not only unconditionally obeying Wang Wenzhou's orders, but also possessing excellent physical strength.
Because of his good performance in front of Wang Wenzhou that day, Wei Yongfu was promoted by Wang Wenzhou to be the battalion commander of the Iron-Blooded Anti-Traitor Battalion.
Wang Wenzhou glanced at the incense sticks used for timing; they were almost burned out. If anyone failed to finish the race within the allotted time, death would be their only fate.
By this time, most of the prisoners had run away when suddenly someone shouted, "Look!"
"Wow!" The prisoners exclaimed in surprise.
Wang Wenzhou looked over and saw a strong man carrying someone on his back, struggling to run towards the finish line.
Seeing that the incense was about to burn out, someone reminded him, "Ma Xu, put Li Dezheng down quickly. It's almost time. If you keep carrying him, you'll lose your life along with him."
Ma Xu glanced at the incense, then at the finish line. He shook his head and gritted his teeth to persevere. At this moment, he was not only carrying Li Dezheng on his back, but also carrying the backpacks of two people, totaling nearly 300 pounds.
Li Dezheng was Ma Xu's childhood friend. The two got into a fight and killed someone, thus committing a capital offense. Halfway there, Li Dezheng sprained his ankle. Without a word, Ma Xu carried him on his back and ran. Ma Xu knew that if Li Dezheng were left to limp along, he certainly wouldn't live to see tomorrow.
Li Dezheng looked at the incense in the incense burner, which was about to burn out. He patted Ma Xu's shoulder hard and said in a tearful voice, "Brother Xu, put me down!"
"No!" Ma Xu shook his head and said solemnly, "When we swore brotherhood, we vowed not to be born on the same day, month, and year, but to die on the same day, month, and year. Today, no matter what, I will never abandon you!"
Someone on the roadside shouted, "Ma Xu! Put it down quickly, the incense is about to burn out!"
Ma Xu remained unmoved and persevered through gritted teeth.
Li Dezheng tried desperately to pry Ma Xu's hands off, but Ma Xu's hands gripped his thighs tightly. He was already thinner and weaker than Ma Xu and not as strong. No matter how hard he tried, Ma Xu wouldn't let go.
Li Dezheng burst into tears, crying out, "Brother Xu! Please! If you do this, we'll both die!"
Ma Xu yelled, "Li Dezheng, you better behave yourself! Are you trying to kill me by moving around like this?"
Li Dezheng was in a very awkward position; struggling was one thing, not struggling was another. If he struggled, he might be able to get Ma Xu to let go, thus allowing Ma Xu to survive. But if Ma Xu didn't let go, his struggle would slow Ma Xu down, and although both of them could have survived, their struggle would have wasted time, resulting in both of them being eliminated.
"It's over! The incense has burned out!" someone suddenly shouted.
Ma Xu looked at the road ahead. It was only about twenty meters away. He could run there in a few more breaths. Was this fate?
After the two reached the finish line, Jiang Zhenghe said regretfully, "I'm really sorry, but according to the rules, you two have been eliminated. Guards! Drag you away and behead you!"
"Brother Xu, I'm so sorry!" Li Dezheng was in tears, feeling extremely guilty that he had caused his good brother's death.
Ma Xu shook his head with a wry smile, as if resigned to his fate, and did not resist the guards who came to escort him. He knew that resistance was useless; if he dared to resist, he would be riddled with arrows by the archers on guard of the arrow tower.
"Wait!" Wang Wenzhou shouted and walked over.
Wang Wenzhou pointed at Ma Xu and asked, "What's your name?"
“My name is Ma Xu,” Ma Xu replied.
"Is he your biological brother?" Wang Wenzhou asked.
Ma Xu shook his head and replied, "His name is Li Dezheng. We've been good brothers since we were kids."
“Ma Xu, you should know the rules I set. Anyone who doesn’t reach the finish line on time has only one path: death. I’d like to know, do you regret it?” Wang Wenzhou asked.
Ma Xu shook his head and said, "Back then, I got into a fight with more than a dozen people. When Li Dezheng saw that I couldn't beat them all by myself, he rushed at me with a knife. If I hadn't caused trouble, neither of us would have committed murder. Everything that happened today was because of me. I owe him."
Wang Wenzhou thought for a moment and then said to the crowd, “Hundreds of people were beheaded because they did not reach the finish line on time. I did not want to break the rules, because it would be unfair to those who died. But today I do not want to kill these two people! From today onwards, the rules for the weighted run will be changed. Anyone who does not reach the finish line on time will be punished by not eating for a day and will also receive 10 lashes.”
"Huh?" Everyone was puzzled. Wang Wenzhou, the god of death, had killed hundreds of people in the past few days without even blinking, so why did he suddenly stop killing people today?
Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, Wang Wenzhou smiled and explained, "I know you all call me the Living Yama in private. I've also said that I've always been kind to people, really, if you don't believe me, just ask my babies."
Wang Wenzhou pinched Wang Ying and asked with a smile, "Baby, baby, am I very kind?"
"Hmm!" Wang Ying nodded against her will. Wang Wenzhou, you shameless madman, if you are considered kind, then there are no evil people in this world.
Wang Wenzhou continued, "The reason I killed so many people these past few days is because you are not human. Those who commit capital crimes must have done things that are utterly heinous. Therefore, I did not consider you human. But today, Ma Xu showed me that even you death row inmates have a kind and human side."
Wang Wenzhou pointed at Ma Xu and said, "Ma Xu was willing to risk his life for his brothers. Most people couldn't do that, and that moves me deeply. So, not only will I not kill them today, but I will also reward Ma Xu by letting him sleep with two girls tonight."
The top 200 runners in the weighted run receive a reward: they can sleep with two female prisoners at night.
Wang Wenzhou continued, "Soon you will be sent out on missions, missions with a slim chance of survival. But I hope you will treat your fellow mission members as brothers who will share life and death, just like Ma Xu did."
"Bang!" Jiang Zhenghe kicked Ma Xu and reminded him, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and kneel down to thank Lord Wang for his mercy."
Ma Xu and Li Dezheng immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Lord Wang, for sparing our lives."
"Get up!" Wang Wenzhou said righteously, "Even if I don't treat you like human beings, I have never made you kneel before me. A man's knees are worth gold; apart from his parents and a beautiful woman, he should not kneel before anyone!"
Wang Ying quickly tugged at Wang Wenzhou's sleeve and complained, "Wang Wenzhou, how could you say such treasonous things again! Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, parents, and teachers all have to kneel!"
Wang Wenzhou said to the prisoners, "You continue your training. Starting tonight, I will begin teaching you."