One short story in a series of novels.

GOD ASHES -

Divine Relics

“Pui Sapphire”

Story by: Phongphon

The sun caressed the surface of the beach. Playing with the sparkling sand Coconut trees sway in the wind. Molecules of sea salt hovered over the burly man's dark face. The man was topless and wearing baggy pants. His muscular arms were scaly and the scales of plump fish growing in a wire basket. The afternoon heat makes you sweat. But it didn't make the burly man feel tired at all.

He also shook his head and smiled. When your favorite song blaring from the radio speakers turns into an entertaining rhythm section. If it weren't for the fact that he was preparing a meal to welcome an important guest. Probably got up and swayed his hips to the rhythm of the music.

He has been a Koh Pruang resident for most of his life. Footsteps have stepped on the sea since birth. There was no fish in the area that he didn't know. Even the day the waves will calm or roar loudly can be predicted just by smelling the sea.

Until he chose to seek his fortune in a big city. Examination to become a police officer in Nakhon Khao It was then that I realized how big the outside world was. But it's so lonely that it makes me yearn.

According to historical records, the condition is very poor. It is said that Koh Prueang is a human colony that was not affected by the nuclear war in 2615 B.E. Now it has been more than a hundred years. and it has been twenty years since the opening of the island. During the month when we first received communication from the outside world. Every islander has a different reaction to the strangeness.

Knowing that the place that used to be called Thailand is now just a wasteland. It is difficult to grow crops. The air is toxic and not suitable for breathing.

The remaining humans of the past were afraid to live in the White City—an underground mega-project created by the labor of the pre-war generation. They ate and slept like that until they were comfortable. Until now, I'm starting to hold on to pride. Master system - Artificial Intelligence, which is the supreme power of the White City. Decided to issue a policy to unite the Thai people. established himself as a Shan

Then he swept away ethnic minorities or those called Tai Noi, such as the Rayong people, the Yellow Leaf tribe, and Ban Tak, to join as child cities. And there is a chance that it will spread to this island soon.

His passion for the bright lights of civilization was what led him to the White City.

But the truth is that Shan humans are just small prisoners in cages twenty meters underground. is the reason that drew him back to his hometown Return to freedom amidst emerald and sapphire colored nature.

The burly man grabbed Eito and quickly chopped off the fish's neck. He swayed his head to the rhythm of the music while thinking about adjusting the curry recipe to suit Shan people's palates. If the happy time ended like this When a bright white ferry appeared on the horizon He only forced a smile and reluctantly cut up the fish and put them in the basket.

Soon the white boat docked at the pontoon. The islander slung a basket over his shoulder and walked toward the boat to meet a tall man. The other party wore a white T-shirt with a blood-red neck. Wear black slacks over the hem of the shirt. The revolver holster strap looks intimidating. Shiny sandals reflecting the sun's rays. It is a costume that people in the city - or have been in any city - can recognize as a police officer.

The police he had to work with

“You must be Sergeant Yaem Amphonchai,” the islander started a conversation. Meanwhile, a man named Yaem jumped from the boat while holding a heavy sea bag with one hand. The soles of the shoes sent their weight crashing against the boat's pontoon with a loud thud. The surface of the water splashes and sparkles. Spreading a salty smell to both nostrils. After a while he answered.

“No, I'm already a platoon.” Those cloudy eyes scanned the burly man from the edge of his sandals to the tip of his hair. “Mr. Sija, is that right? Mr. Nui Chamthor.”

The islanders smiled brightly. In fact, he already knew that Yaem had just been promoted to police lieutenant. If you have a habit of looking at people's faces Especially when you hear something strange. I couldn't help but deliberately say something wrong like that.

“I used to be a sergeant. Just retired from government service for two years. Come back home. There is nothing better than being at the sea.”

“But you still work for me,” the lieutenant pointed out, lifting his sunglasses and putting them on. When he took it out of the sea bag, Nui didn't know. “I want to call you Sergeant. It's convenient for me, right?”

“Um, yes, as you please. Everyone stinks at me because I used to run away to work in the White City.” Sergeant Nui half-answered, half-talked to himself. “You can't use the word "still working". I'm just taking on the responsibility of helping you with this matter. fleeting Not until the matter is over.”

“Then Sergeant Nui, don't say things like that. You resign and come back to live far away like this. So why did you think of coming back to take your job again?”

Hearing this, the islanders scratched their heads. Before turning around and looking behind him, he saw in the distance a sun-dried trawler boat, parked dead next to a house on the boat beam. The deck is so crisp that the paint is peeling. Rust eats away at the control room and spreads to the interior. Shellfish and seaweed dry up and die beneath the boat. The picture that the tall figure saw contradicted the saying that there is nothing better than being at the sea and feeling good.

“The fish have all fled the bay. There's only sea bass left. I want to expand the raising cages but I don't have the capital. Accepting one more job for your boss wouldn't be too much of a burden.” Sergeant Nui twitched his shoulder. Shake the wire basket back and forth to let the interlocutor know its weight. “If you look, you will see dozens of boats parked on that beach over there, even though the sky is fine these days.

Sail quickly, don't worry about the storm, but oh Tang, what is our karma?”

“I understand, Sergeant.” But the lieutenant's eyes didn't show the slightest hint of understanding. “After this work is over, I'll find someone to take care of the water. The city has many talented people. There must be someone who studies this matter.”

“Thank you.” The former sergeant bowed his head.

“Um, no, no,” the dark-faced lieutenant raised his hand in protest. “I am not a proud person. Talk like a villager, that's good."

“I'm starting to like you. Come on, Lieutenant! Let's get to the important stuff. Then I will cook hot food to eat in the middle of the sea.”

Sergeant Nui smiled widely. Then he led the group up to a pickup truck parked not far away. His darkened fingers wiggled the car key a few times before plugging in the ignition. The metal on the wheels roared to life – if it was life that was in short supply. A loud moaning sound ripples out as soon as you shift into gear. Lieutenant Yaem secretly gave him a look of disbelief, but the island man didn't care.

In an instant, the rusted, broken pickup truck moved. Take the two policemen along the mountain path leading to the western side of the island.

“I think of a house raised above the sea. That's where you moored your boat. It's going to be your house.” Lieutenant Yam asked slowly.

“In the back, I use it to pickle fish and hang tools. But lately there have been a lot of thieves. So it had to be locked. See what you can take,” the burly man replied, turning the lever to lower the window. Bringing in a humid breeze “They call it Baan Khan Ruea. But the locals call it a warehouse. If you look closely, you'll see that the piers are concrete, not wood.

The reason is to support the weight of the fish. Or auto parts, if anyone has enough money to scrape some.”

“Or to collect the sapphire fluff,” the dark-faced Lieutenant blurted out. “You really have a sensitive nerve.” Sergeant Nui just laughed. “Yes, that's one clue I was about to give the Lieutenant. Western Beach – Singha Beach There are two warehouses that have stood abandoned since last year. In it there is marijuana, sapphire puffs covered in moisture-proof plastic bags, and that's important.

That is, there are symbols left all over the wall. It is a brand in the shape of a net crate that villagers use to catch crabs. Therefore, this bundle of marijuana belongs to none other than Keng Tha Singh.”

Lieutenant Yam remained silent when he heard the clues. Thinking back to the reasons that drove him to this provincial land.

Keng Thasingh is a drug lord who owns only one product – Pui Pailin – blue glowing marijuana flowers. Flowers blossom into sparkling scales like gems. It's more powerful than any addictive drug. To the point where there are people who are willing to overdose to death just to try it. The person who eats the sapphire puff will develop special characteristics in the body.

It's lungs that glow blue through the skin. The harder you use it, the more times you use it, the brighter it gets in the dark. It is unique and cannot be found in other cannabis varieties.

It has been nearly two years since this deadly poison spread throughout the dark corners of White City. The artificial intelligence known as the Nai system is seen as an obstacle to the unification of the Thai people. Unable to extend power to the outside - if the inside was still weak and untreated, Lieutenant Yaem Ampornchai was sent to be the front line. Gather the knots until you are sure. and destroy this drug movement once and for all.

News has also spread that Keng Thasing was born and raised here. He was the first person on the island to travel to exchange mutant plants from the far west. Pui Sapphire is one of them. Keng is smart as hell. You can almost be considered a genius when it comes to the science of soil reconciliation.

There was a time when Keng and his smugglers grew marijuana on a plot of land in White City. Detectives held the evidence tightly in their hands, including photos and audio clips. But on the day of the raid That plot of land was replaced with a field of corn! There were no traces of marijuana–or even marijuana residue. The corn plants were in perfect condition. The fibrous roots intersect with the soil.

It was as if it had always been there, unchanged. Retrospective soil chemistry test results – in the soil layer that was deposited during the three harvest years. Nothing unusual was found, not even a single milligram.

Catching the wind causes the broker to lose. Therefore, the latest clue on this island It is the only way to be good at the lion pose and extinguish the source of cancer that is harmful to small and large Tais.

“Sergeant Nui, what else do you know about this smart guy?”

The Koh man was startled because Lieutenant Yaem suddenly spoke up after a moment of silence, “Keng Tha Sing or Sing Keng. It's not a single person. But it's a group of people on this island. I don't know where they keep the money. How did you get the mother plant? But surely the seven cannabis plots on the island are discreetly hidden on this mountainside. I have photos kept. Attached to the island map

I've also marked it if the section wants to see it.”

Sergeant Nui took one hand off the steering wheel and pointed at the back seat. Lieutenant Yaem picked up a scroll of maps spread out on his lap. Gaze at the winding path that connects from plot to plot.

The islander continued. “This latter information is relatively brand new. I discovered that it only moves things on full moon nights, not being sneaky. It's time to start a big fishing boat out in the middle of the night. The villagers were ignorant and just thought that it was a boat that had gone a bit far. Because during this time both fish and squid are scurrying out of the bay. Sigh.

I didn't know that it was a Singha Keng boat.”

“And the night of the full moon is tonight…” Lieutenant Yam looked at Nui. After looking down at the map for a long time

“Bing, ping, ping, that's right, Lieutenant.” Sergeant Nui smiled cruelly as the car passed through the shadow of a large tree. At that moment, the tall policeman saw that the islander's chest was scattered with light from the sky. Brighter than any sapphire eater had ever encountered. “The night of the full moon...perfect for taking a boat ride and enjoying the breeze.”

Lieutenant Yaim's eyes twitched! He quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie and held it to his mouth. Before he could even utter a word...cold metal skin was already pressed against his temple. An island man turns the steering wheel with one hand. Swerve into another lane to enjoy the sunshine. Revealing an arrogant face, completely different from the one when they first met.

“Would you like to call the gang a gang?” Sergeant Betrayal asked slowly. “That's perfect! The platoon of friends are all waiting at the destination. There's just the two of us left. Now there will be a quorum.”

“You...you smart bastard.” The lieutenant was astonished when he realized that even his own party had already been bought. He suddenly froze. A police revolver was within reach. But there was no way he could catch the gun that was pointing at his head. “Where are you taking me?”

“This category of questions makes me faint. How could you forget?” Keng Tha Singh pretended to be embarrassed. "I'm going to make you a hot meal to eat in the middle of the sea."

Suddenly, the handle of Singha Keng's gun hit the back of his neck. Followed by hitting his head on the car console. His whole body's nerves pounded with pain. All of his strength felt like it had been snatched away from him. His mind was too blurred to respond...

His pupils slowly widened. The first light that penetrated his nerves was blue. Followed by the sweet and sour touch of the curry scent. The sound of steel moving quietly mixed with the sound of waves. He was on a boat–in the middle of the sea–on a full moon night. A curtain of moonlight looms among the countless stars. Shining brightly until you can see him and Keng

Tha Sing sat across from each other on a wooden table above the deck. Surrounded by mesh crates filled with glowing cannabis flowers. The quantity is enough to intoxicate Shan people for years.

A slap to his cheek woke him up. The lieutenant discovered that four police officers belonging to him were also on the boat. Each person was tall, short, thin, and chubby. But what was certain was that none of them had even thought about taking off their official uniforms.

“You sly dog...” Lieutenant Yam spat out an insult. "I'm not as good at raising you guys as you are, right?"

The traitorous policemen did not answer.

“Um, Um, Um, Um. Don't say that. Don't blame him. Everyone has to struggle." Singha Keng kissed his mouth. “Salary plus pension from Mr. There's no way to get enough medicine, and the lieutenant knows that.”

“Stop rocking and kill me.”

“Don't cut it short. I didn't invite you to dinner. Wait - it's late at night. Let's just say I didn't invite you to dinner this far out of good intentions.”

Lieutenant Yam sent revenge through his eyes, not saying anything. In front of him was steamed rice along with Sea bass curry simmered in a ceramic bowl... but this meal didn't whet his appetite one bit.

“Come on.”

“The matter is still like this…” Keng Tha Singh got up and turned around on his wooden chair. before sitting comfortably. “He gave you and me this order. Destroy Keng's drug movement. The lion's pose gives you a hint. Hmm. Sounds like a good master. But do you know what you're missing out on? Something that everyone knows if they've ever been in this industry.”

“How much did you spend under the table?” The lieutenant didn't explain.

“Seventy million a month,” the traitor replied. “Your system is an ancient and ancient artificial intelligence. The brain is fixated on simple goals like unity. I want to see the underground city clean and white. There are no teenagers gathering around to smoke smoke. No villager has died in their own home with a marijuana cigarette in their hands. So I made an offer.

Please stop sending the police to harass you. Leave me to trade easily. In the future, I will cut off Pui Sapphire. Do not allow it to be imported into the White City. ...but in exchange for pretending not to see marijuana in the Tai Noi black market The long contract is 30 years long. Oh, that black market area. Including the little Dan Tai that your system collects during the contract period. Hey, reciprocating! Transparent on both sides.”

“And when you ordered it to be destroyed-” Before he could finish speaking, the story in his head suddenly unraveled. The lieutenant pursed his lips tightly. “Your system wants me to be good, Tha Sing.”

“Poof! Catch the story quickly That's why I like you. Yes, yes, yes. You're going to be Keng, Tha Sing.” Sing Keng cracked a smile. “The first step in the contract is that Keng Tha Sing must die – die in the eyes of all the people of the city. This name will leave this world forever. And the business of Pui Sapphire... will proceed in complete darkness."

The lieutenant's throat dropped. He knew exactly where this ship was headed.

“Just one day, reaching the shore - transferring - into the city. The platoon's heads will hang from the gallows in the middle of the main square.” The islanders threw their chairs back. Raising his shoulders rhythmically, he acted in horror at the image of the execution he had just described. “In the meantime, we recommend you to enjoy the sour curry made by Luk Talay. I brought a lot of curry paste. If you're not full, tell me. I can make more for a pot.

Don't think about doing anything that doesn't make sense. The platoon won't be there in time to see our ship enter the harbor."

Sing Keng laughed loudly. But the tall figure was not shaken by the truth in front of him. Hands do not touch the food plate.

“Let me ask you something.”

“Come on, Lieutenant.”

“You're not good at it. Is it the real Tha Singha?”

“Ha…” The island man's mouth dropped open. A sneer appeared on his face. “You have stunned me again. May I ask, why do you think that?”

"Even if you're dealing drugs But what used to be a police officer is the truth. The history talks about ten years of work. Don't go off track. Never even left Shan. Until the same week that you resigned. Return to the island A fluffy sapphire has appeared in the White City.” Lieutenant Yaem slowly extended his face towards the traitorous man. Creaking sound from the legs of the chair “One week

It's not enough time to prepare. No matter what you think, it's impossible. Other than you gobbling up other people's things yourself.”

For a moment, every joyful emotion disappeared from Singha Keng's face. Only his steel-colored eyes were left staring at the tall figure. He slowly lifted himself up.

“Police Lieutenant Yaem Ampornchai, you will say all of this. These marijuana flowers have been pleasing Shan people for two years. Didn't it come from my hard work?" The island man moved to stand next to the platoon, smiling. “How high up in heaven do you think you are to judge me like this! Just a cop, a stupid dog that licks your steel boots all day.

What right do you have to say that people make a living like me? Where did you know that you dared to lie so brazenly?”

Immediately, the islander's strong fist slammed into his cheek. Lieutenant Yam fell off his chair. But not without being hit by boots like rain. One stomped heavily on the face. He felt his bridge collapse even more heavily. Until blood gushed out of his nose. With that, the emotional extravaganza ended.

"I...know," the lieutenant said in a sullen voice. The island man panted and did not respond. He also let the other person stagger and stand up to face him – those cloudy eyes completely changed. It was as if he was no longer a platoon-not a police officer. "It's me, the original owner of Pui Sapphire."

“What did you say–”

The islanders suddenly stopped. Before he could finish his sentence, the four police officers defected and threw them on the deck of the ship with a loud bang. His limbs were suddenly strangled with cable ties. As soon as he spoke, he was punched. As soon as he moved, he was kicked. He struggled like that for a while until the lieutenant waved his hand in a signal. The government officials easily distanced themselves.

“You-you've always been good at it!” The islanders were struggling to free themselves from their restraints.

"Oh, you said it yourself, I'm good at Tha Sing," the platoon, who claimed his name, replied. “Do you think your system sent you to take the police back to hang yourself?”

“Do-why? The real one is the fake one, so what the heck! I'm offering you fifty million. Then I will find a good goat to replace it.” Confusion spread over the island man's face.

“Um...no. I can only make money when I breathe.” It's not just a name and an identity. Former Lieutenant Yaem's personality has changed.

“I…”

“Salary plus pension from Mr. It's not enough to satisfy your stomach, right?

“Go die, you ray-”

Before long, the islander had cannabis flowers stuffed into his mouth. It's a sheaf of fluffy sapphires packed together for a whole month's consumption. Its bright celestial sparks played with the moonlight. He had no way of resisting. The sheaf of medicine was so deep in his throat that breathing was difficult. If you grit your teeth, it's like swallowing - that means Overdose kills you.

The real Keng Tha Singh snaps his fingers. Soon the police officer defected and handed him a Zippo. He lit a fire and pointed the tip of the flame at the edge of the sheaf. Be careful not to burn it.

“Police Sergeant Nui Chamthor worked for the Nakhon Khao Police Department for ten years. Destroying gambling dens, eliminating amphetamines, and exposing a lot of drug trafficking until suddenly he decided to return to the island for official business. And just one week later, Pui Pailin, marijuana famous for its super-strength mercury, appeared in the underground world. ...Good policeman who plunged himself into the dark side.

Whatever, it's really suitable to be a goat, don't you think? You think you're talented. Tha Singh who will soon go to hell.”

The islanders made muffled noises through the medicine sheaf. Tears streamed down even though there was still a glint of vengeance in those eyes.

“Thank you very much for taking good care of my marijuana even though your management skills are very poor. Don't hold it against each other. Everyone has to struggle, right?” Singha Keng lightly touched the islander's head three or four times. “The information you know. Most of it is random stuff that you picked up on the line–from you, but let me praise you, you got one thing right...good.

Tha Sing is not the only person...”

The island man's eyes widened. He knew the answer all along..

“...Because there was your system in there from the beginning.”

All of a sudden

At the end of his sentence, Zippo's flames burned the sheaf of sapphire until it flashed brightly. The smoldering fire slowly ate the flesh of the cannabis flower. Driving the smoke up high against the curtain of full moonlight. Singha Keng immediately held the islander's body face down. The police defected and placed him in a chokehold, allowing the drug smoke to reach his throat in only one way.

Concentrated toxins, capable of killing hundreds of people, were pumping into the lungs. The entire body slowly dispersed the sky until it glowed brightly. His eyes rolled wildly as his saliva continued to gush out. And soon...every tissue in the body became dry and crisp. It suddenly shattered into small fragments.

It's light and fluffy.

It's fluffy...sapphire color.

[ finish ]