Ask and I'll Answer

"Leader..." Zhang Huiling spoke. Her voice was a bit horse. She didn't know why she was tied and was probably drugged. Her limbs didn't have strength.

More importantly, she wanted to say that she wasn't planning to escape because she still needed some answers. 

"Eat something first. You exhausted your strength." The woman gently said and adjusted the bed and pulled the overbed table before lifting and transferring the tray on it.

The woman fed Zhang Huiling little at a time while the latter obediently accepted the food. 

The woman seated on the side of her bed has still that gentle smile on her face as if looking at her favorite daughter. "You're not worried that I might have poisoned the food?" 

Zhang Huiling shook her head. "If you wanted to kill me, you have done it the moment I stepped inside. Besides, poisoning isn't your thing if you really want to kill someone." 

"It seemed I was really right choosing you." The old woman who wasn't wearing any disguise slowly lowered the bowl. 

Her face contained traces of years and her hair was neatly tied up with some gray strands. Today was actually the first time Zhang Huiling looked at the former leader's face this close. She could only count on her one hand the times she saw her real face. 

"Why did you capture me?" 

"You delivered yourself to me at the wrong time."

With full of confusion, Zhang Huiling spoke again. "I was investigating something. I didn't know I will find you here. And.. what do you mean with the wrong time? Are you planning to contact me in the future?"

"No. You will come here in the future. But I guess, there are really some changes destined to happen along the way." The old woman answered and continued to feed Zhang Huiling.

"What's in this place? Why should I come here in the future? And, can you untie me? I don't really plan to escape. I have so many things I want to ask you. Also, I wanted to navigate the place that's why I left earlier."

The old woman simply deepened her smile after sighing. It was unknown if she believed her or not but she slowly put down the bowl and stood up to untie Zhang Huiling.

Zhang Huiling massaged her wrists after the rope loosened and picked up the bowl to eat. 

The old woman didn't sat back but moved a bit slower than usual behind her as if she was tidying up the rope used. 

"Child, the time you should come here would be the time of my death. The time that you have to kill me. It's supposed to be in the near future...but it's like this.. I'm not yet willing to die..."

Zhang Huiling stopped eating as she saw the muzzle of the gun was pointed at her forehead. She could even feel the coldness of it as it gently kissed her skin. 

"You've got to be kidding me." Zhang Huiling stared back at the old woman. Her eyes weren't wavering. She was clearly not afraid of this kind of threat. There was even a melancholic layer in her face.

The old woman lowered the gun and smile, erasing the seriousness she was showing a few seconds ago. "You're still the same as before. You trust me that much." 

"You don't have any other new tricks? Threatening me with a gun in point black was so old school." Zhang Huiling said and continued to eat. She remembered the first time the leader did it to her. Although she was shaking she was still unwavering and directly glared at the woman. 

"You're really not cute anymore. You can't even entertain this old woman." She sighed. "Why are you here?"

Hearing the question, Zhang HUiling knew that the old woman didn't want to elaborate on what she said earlier. She could only follow the topic the old woman wanted to discuss. 

"Do you know that the medical facility was owned by Chen Dewei? Are you familiar with him?"

"The medical facility is indeed his. But the part isn't. If I'm familiar with him? I know him but we never met. Is that the question you want to ask me?"

Zhang Huiling shook her head. "What's so special about this place? My parents were killed because of a certain map they possessed. It was showing this place." Actually it was only her initial conclusion. But she could probably squeeze some answers if she stated it as a fact.

"So you're hear because of your parents death?"

"I just want to know who was responsible. I want to give them justice."

"Revenge? It's a tedious process my dear. Unless you're willing to do unnecessary sacrifice, you can execute your complete revenge."

Zhang Huiling towed away the bed table before taking a few steps towards the old woman who was now sitting on the wooden chair with a simple thin cushion. 

"Leader..."

"I'm no longer that person. Call me Old Huang or Aunt Huang..."

Zhang Huiling's lips formed a straight line and had a short internal debate before opening her mouth again. "Aunt Huang..."

"What's so important in this place that my parents had die because..."

"Do you have the map?" Old Huang asked, cutting Zhang Huiling's question.

"You removed my things before, don't tell me you didn't see it?"

"I don't have a habit of prying personal things of the people I trust. Show it to me."

Zhang Huiling lowered her head. The term 'people I trust' gave her a warm feeling. Although it was delivered casually, her heart actually felt happy. She took it out and handed it to the old woman.

"This is incomplete. It contains only one part, only this area."

"There's another?"

Instead of answering, Old Huang asked Zhang Huiling if she could now move properly without feeling weak. 

"Didn't you drug me because you thought I escaped?" 

The old woman sighed. "That punishment was only applicable when you were so unrestricted before. You felt weak because you wondered too long outside this room. The hallway is infused with a gas that would rob your strength. The effect is subtle but it would make you dizzy and eventually collapse. Only the rooms have purifier and could make you return to normal. The food was only supplement to make your recovery faster."

"Why did you tie me up?"

Old Huang looked at Zhang Huiling as if looking for a kid that still didn't know what mistake she did. "If I didn't do you think you would really stay obediently on bed after you wake up and not seeing anyone?"

"Well.. I would probably go out...."

"Enough. Accompany me to the market. You'll stay with me for a time, correct? Whatever you're investigating, if I'm in a good mood, I might help you."

Knowing that what the old woman said was indeed correct, Zhang Huiling followed her out. 

By the time the two were exposed outside, they already looked like a mother and daughter pair. When it comes to adopting a certain persona, none could actually outshine the other. Both were just too comfortable being another person. 

As the two walked and finally found a road that was part of a highway, Zhang Huiling couldn't help but ask after seeing that there was actually no car ahead.

"Where is the market? Are we going to walk until there?"

"There's a market near the city. If we can't see any passing car as this place seemed to be isolated, then we can only walk." The old woman nonchalantly answered.

"Did it ever happen? You walked until the city?"

"No. It's my first time doing it. It's too boring to walk alone.."

Zhang Huiling was speechless. If she didn't see the real face of this old fox earlier, she would have thought she was a fake. 

Where did the imposing and fearsome 'leader' she used to admire in the past go? 

It was a blessing in disguise that it was morning. The sun wasn't too hot and it was okay to walk for a few kilometers. 

"Don't you feel the fresh air in the morning can make you relax and improve your mood?"

Zhang Huiling didn't answer. She just looked at the long road ahead. She could actually call a transportation service but spending time with the leader like this wasn't a bad idea. 

After walking for more than half an hour, the two saw an incoming car. 

The old woman lighted up and waved her hand. 

"That's in the opposite direction!" Zhang Huiling whispered. The car was coming from the city. 

"It's okay. Let us try our luck if the person will pity these two old women."

The car actually slowed down after seeing the two of them. There was only one person inside.

"Young man, ahead is a dead end. There was a landslide before covering almost the entire road. But until now, the road wasn't restored. I suggest you check another way."

"Thank you grandma. Where are you going? Maybe I can send you there. Since the road is blocked, taking another route would mean I have to go back."

"What a lovely child. We are going to the market near the city. My daughter visited me today and I plan to cook something for her, but I ran out of few ingredients."

"Mom, I told you I don't mind. Whatever you cook will always be the best..."

"That won't do. I want to cook something good since you seldom visit me. I can also pack something for you to take home. You always starve yourself..."

"But we're troubling this young man here.."

The young man smiled after hearing the conversation between the two. "Don't worry Auntie. Rerouting won't take much of my time. I'll send you there."

Both of the women expressed their thanks and got in the car.