Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020 | Page 64

Fiction – Group 4
agents were assigned to follow you. It was only seconds after you entered the enemy’s
headquarters that we found out about your defection. We didn’t know why you chose to
do what you did, but we decided that it was best to terminate you, for better or worse.
Although, as you know, the men sent to your house were unsuccessful, they spotted you just
as you got in that civilian transport, which we knew was bound for the headquarters of our
enemy. Obviously, that would mean that you would come back.To kill me. So, I prepared for
that, only I wasn’t expecting for it to be so soon. Alas, here we are. So take your final breaths
Zhong, and watch as I continue to take many more.”
During the Chancellor’s speech, Zhong had been itching his hand closer and closer to
his bag. He felt the coarse fabric of his rucksack, and quickly grabbed his rifle out of it. A
special forces personnel immediately saw this, and kicked the rifle out of Zhong’s hand.
What he hadn’t anticipated, was that Zhong had wanted them to do that. He grabbed the
man’s leg, and twisted it. There was a sharp crack, followed by a loud scream. Seeing this,
the other special forces fired at Zhong, but he was too quick, and he grabbed their fallen
comrade and used his body to block their shots. Simultaneously, Zhong charged at them,
and as they were all lined up, the first one he ran into fell down, followed by the second
and the third. They all scrambled to get back up, however their heavy armor made this task
cumbersome. Seeing their vulnerability, Zhong grabbed his own rifle, and not wanting to
take any risks, shot them all. He then looked back to where the Chancellor was standing, but
all he saw was an open door in his place.
Zhong ran through the open door, and it led him to the building’s storage room, which
was empty due to the lack of supplies that the revolution had caused. Then, the blaring
noise of the evacuation alarm followed by flashing red lights took over the building. Not
allowing himself to be bested by anyone, he wandered through the large room cautiously,
stubbornly trying to find the Chancellor and complete his mission. As he turned a corner,
he saw a movement, a sharp flash of light, and his chest filled with pain. He put his hand to
his chest, and he felt warm, sticky blood. He heard slow, rhythmic footsteps approach him.
A deep voice he instantly recognised boomed, “Did you really think I’d be that easy to kill?
I know your skills Zhong, but I also know your arrogance, your ego, that won’t let you
stop until you reach your goal. Now say goodbye Zhong, and accept that you failed your
mission.” His vision starting fading to black. Besides the Chancellor’s footsteps, he heard
another noise. A chant, growing louder by the second. Then a loud crashing noise, followed
by sunlight beaming into the room. Zhong put two and two together, and realised that
with the building evacuated, the revolutionaries had taken their opportunity and broken
into the building. Using what remaining strength he had, he sat upright, and watched
as a horde of charged into the building. The Chancellor tried to flee, and found himself
surrounded on all sides. Zhong smiled, and knew that although he had not completed his
immediate mission, what he had done would be extremely valuable to the movement.
He saw Chen running towards him, a pair of medics by his side. Chen tried to put Zhong
at ease, “You’ll be okay Zhong, we’ll get you through this” but then a medic whispered in
Chen’s ear, and his facial expression dropped. Zhong, with a raspy voice, told Chen, “No,
I won’t. Both of us know it.” Chen replied with sadness in his voice, “You’re right. All I
can tell you is that what you did will not be forgotten, and neither will you.” Zhong heard
this, smiled, and drew his final breath.
With the governing offices ransacked, and the Chancellor captured, the rest of the
region’s governing body and law enforcement collapsed within weeks. Chen became the
new Chancellor of the region, and set up a system of government with its basis of laws
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