奇书网

01 For the Benefit of Mankind002（第2页）

‘Whydoyouwanttokillthesethreepeople?’askedSmoothbore。

‘Youhaveviolatedtheethicsofyourprofession。’Zhuobserveddrily，sligthecapoffacigarwithacigarcutter。

&wille。ButIoknowthereason，orIotdothisjob。’

Zhulitthecigarwithalongmatoddedslobutthinkthatyouohattargetsthewealthy。Ifthisistheyouarenotatrueprofessionalhitman，justathugentforpettygeance，apsychopathwhohaskilledforty-ohreeyears，whoisbeielypursuedbythepoliceatthisverymoment。Yourreputationwillegdownaroundyou。’

‘Youcouldcallthephtnow，’Smoothborerepliedcalmly。

‘Hasthistasktouabitofpersonalhistory?’askedXuXueping。

Smoothboreothelpbutadmireherkeeninsight。Hissilensweredforhim。

‘Wasitthe>

Smoothboredidheversatiooofaroffcourse。

‘Verywell。’Zhuexhaledalungfulofwhitesmoke。‘Thistaskisimportafindaoitonsuotice。Wehaveoasahereason，butknowthatitwillexceedyourwildestdreams。We，thewealthiestfewinthissociety，desiretokillitspoorestamembers，andthishasmadeusderauresinyoureyes。Beforeweexplainourmotivatiofirstcorrectthisimpression。’

‘I’medinissuesoflightanddark。’

‘Butthefactssayotherwise。ewithus，please。’Tossingawayhisbarelysmokedcigar，Zhustoodaoftheroom。

SmoothboreexitedthehotelinthepaandingitteeofthecilforLiquidationofSocialWealth。Somethingstrangewasoverhead，ariansanxiouslyedtheirheadstowardsthesky。TheElderBrothers’spaceshipingpastinloworbit。Isun，itseemedespeciallyvisibleagainsttheearlymskies。Theshipscatteredatrailofshiarsievenintervals，whichstretdittothehorizon。Theship’slengthhadshnifidasitreleasedstarafterstaritsbulkgrewjagged，likeabrokenstick。SmoothborehadlearheheElderBrothers’enormousspaceshipwasactuallyassembledfromthousandsofsmallervessels。thepositelittingapartintoanarmada。

&ion，everyone!’Zhubeittee。‘Youseethesituationhasdeveloped，abemuchtime。Wemustaccelerateourefforts。Eachteamshouldreportimmediatelytnedliquidationareaandueyesterday’swork。’

Ashefinished，heandXuXuepioatrudoothboretojointhem。

OnlythendidSmoothborehevehicleswaitielwerenotthebillionaires’usuallimousialineofIsuzutrucks。

‘Soo。’explaiheoothbore’sface。Smoothborelookedihetrudsawthatitackedwithsmall，identicalblacksuitcases。Thecaseslookedelegantandexpensive，aedtherewereoverahuhem。

Therewasnodriver，andZhuhimselfpulledthevehiainroad。Thetruturoatree-linedavesspeed。SmoothborerealizedthatZhuwasdrivingslowlyalorian–avagrant。Althoughinthisdayahehomelessdidnotnecessarilydressinrags，therewasalwayssomethingthatgavethemaway。Thismaicbagaroundhiswaist，anditstsrattledwitheverystep。

SmoothborekhemysterybehindthevanishinghomelessandjunkmenwasabouttouhedidnotbelieveZhuandXuwoulddaretokillthemanrighthere。Iheywouldfirstluretheirtargetiruddisposeofhimataioheirstatus，itwaswhollyunnetodirtytheirhandswiththissortofwork。Perhapstheyweresettinganexampleforhim?Smoothborehadnointoihem，buthelywouldhemeither。Thiswasnotinhistract。

&rampwasquiteunsciousofthefactthatthetruckhadslowedforhimuntilXuXuepiohim。

‘Hello!’saidXu，rollingdo。Themaurolookather。Hisfacehadtheaizedlookontothatclass。‘Doyouhaveaplacetolive?’Xuasked，smiling。

‘Inthesummer，Iliveaheman。

‘Aer?’

‘Hotairveroomsareheated，too。’

‘Howlonghaveyoulivedlikethis?’

‘Don’treallyremember。Cametothecityaftermylaiosranout，livedlikethiseversince。’

‘Wouldyoulikeathreebedroomhouseiy?Ahome?’

&aredblanklyatthebillioherewasnotaninklingofprehensiononhisface。

‘youread?’askedXu。Afterthemannodded，shepoiebillboardinfroruck。‘Lookoverthere–’Thebillboarddisplayedagrassykhcream-coloredbuildings，likeanidyllicparadise。‘That’saforercialhousiurhebillboard，andtheXu。Hedidhefaishemeant。‘Okay，nowtakeathetruck。’

&lywalkedtotherearofthetruck，pickedoutadwalkedbacktothepassengerdoor。Pointingatthecase，Xutoldhim，‘Insideisonemillionyuan。Usefivehuhousandtobuyyourselfahouseliketheohebillboard，aoliveinfort。Ofcourse，ifyoudallthatmoneyyourself，youdowhatwe’redoingasomeonepoorer。’

&ramp’seyesmovedbadforthrapidly，butheremainedexpressionless，anddidhebox。Hekobeacatch。

&andseeforyourself。’

Hefumbledatthelidwithonegrimyhahecasejustadtheagain，thelayerofapathyfrozentohisfaallyshattered。Helookedlikehehadseenaghost。

‘DoyouhaveanIDcard?’ZhuHanyangasked。

Themannoddedmeically，holdingthecaseasfarawayfromhimselfaspossible，asifit>

‘Thenmakeadepositatthebank。It’llbemoret。’

‘What…doyouwaodo?’askedthetramp。

&odousohealiensareing。Iftheyaskyou，tellthemyouhavethismuey。That’sall。isetodothis?’

Themannodded。

Xusteppeddowrudboweddeeplytothetramp。‘Thankyou。’