Chapter 211

Chapter 211

Central City.

Binunu followed behind Yan Bubu, constantly glancing back in vigilance, but not paying attention to what was in front, he bumped into Yan Bubu's legs.

Yan Bubu stood motionless, and Binunu, standing beside him, looked around but didn't notice anything unusual.

Yan Bubu remained still, and finally, Binunu sensed something was off and looked up at his face.

Two seconds later, it leaped up and slapped Yan Bubu's face with a paw.

Yan Bubu's dazed expression vanished as he started running forward, thinking to himself, "Binunu, keep talking to me, don't stop talking..."

"Ow, ow-ow-ow-ow, ow-ow..."

"Binunu, I see the Sentinel Academy ahead, just a bit more to the research institute, and after passing it, a ten-minute run will get us out of Central City."

"Ow-ow!"

"We often take this route, do you remember?"

"Ow-ow..."

The Sentinel Academy area wasn't heavily damaged; Yan Bubu saw that the dormitory buildings within the academy were still intact. Only many of the large metal plates' connections were broken, and the street's metal plates were upturned, revealing wide gaps.

Binunu, sensing Yan Bubu had stopped again, was about to jump up to slap him. But before it could act, it heard Yan Bubu's anxious voice in its mind: "Hide first, then sneak ahead and wait. I'll find a chance to throw the detonator to you; catch it and keep running."

Yan Bubu stood rigid, staring ahead, where a beam of headlight suddenly lit up the street not far away. Chen Sizhe stood on a raised metal plate, looking at him calmly, with a few zombies swaying beside him.

"Bubu, I thought that silhouette looked familiar, and it really is you," sighed Chen Sizhe, shaking his head. "You’re usually the most obedient. How come you're being naughty now?"

Yan Bubu remained silent, glancing sideways at Binunu, seeing it sneak forward under the roadside wall.

"Hand over the detonator, and Uncle Chen won't make things difficult for you. Give it to me, and I'll let you leave," Chen Sizhe approached Yan Bubu, speaking earnestly, "You can’t just listen to Feng Chen. You need to think for yourself and consider the consequences of your actions."

Knowing that any sound he made would only be a zombie-like howl, Yan Bubu kept his mouth shut and cautiously backed away.

After a few steps back, he suddenly dashed to the left, but a figure swiftly blocked his path, forcing him to a sudden halt.

Chen Sizhe approached Yan Bubu from the left, scrutinizing him, "Let me guess how you became like this. Did you inject the serum? Impossible, your speed hasn’t increased significantly."

As Chen Sizhe drew nearer, his expression grew more puzzled. Seizing the moment he seemed distracted, Yan Bubu abruptly dashed right, but Chen Sizhe, ghost-like in speed, blocked his way again.

"Strange, I've never seen this before. Could the Eastern Union Army be researching the serum without my knowledge? No, impossible..."

Chen Sizhe continued to mutter to himself, lost in his thoughts.

Hearing the sound of helicopters approaching and seeing figures running from a distance, Yan Bubu tried to escape in different directions, but Chen Sizhe always blocked his path.

Having been chased by Chen Sizhe's subordinates, he knew they were fast but not as fast as Chen Sizhe. Clearly, the serum Chen Sizhe injected was different, a unique batch, far more potent than the others.

Realizing he couldn't escape, Yan Bubu glanced at Binunu, who was signaling from a distance, indicating it was safe to throw the detonator. Without making any noticeable movement, he reached into his inner pocket.

Unexpectedly, Chen Sizhe, who had been frowning and looking down, suddenly looked up with unemotional eyes. The next second, Yan Bubu's hand reaching into his pocket was caught.

Yan Bubu struggled to free his wrist, but Chen Sizhe's grip was like a vice, immobilizing him. As the people behind neared, he released a burst of mental energy, ensnaring Chen Sizhe’s limbs. Seizing the moment Chen Sizhe's movement and grip slackened, he broke free and ran off.

"Binunu, catch!" Yan Bubu, while sprinting out, quickly pulled out the detonator and threw it forcefully towards Binunu.

Binunu leaped, catching the detonator mid-air, then landed on the nearby wall and sprinted along its top towards the front.

Yan Bubu followed right behind Binunu, running at his fastest. He watched the helicopter fly overhead, with two figures swiftly passing by his side.

Those people didn’t bother with him, heading straight for Binunu.

But then he heard Chen Sizhe's command: "Don't just chase the quantum beast, bring the person back too."

"Yes!"

A chill ran down Yan Bubu's spine, and seeing an alleyway beside him, he darted into it.

When the pursuers entered the alleyway, Yan Bubu had already hidden behind a broken wall. Using his ability to see in the dark, he quietly circled the wall, slipped into a nearby house, climbed to the second floor, and vaulted from the balcony to another street.

He sprinted down the other street, still able to see Binunu leaping along the wall. The helicopter illuminated Binunu's figure brightly from above. However, as several pursuers also climbed the wall, Binunu jumped back down to the ground.

Separated by a wall, although Yan Bubu couldn’t see Binunu, he saw the helicopter hovering motionless in the air. Binunu's silhouette kept popping up above the wall and then dropping down, clearly dodging and weaving.

When Binunu appeared above the wall again, Yan Bubu noticed black smoke rising from it. He ran desperately, shoving aside zombies blocking his path, and after passing Binunu's position, shouted in his mind: "Throw it to me now!"

The detonator sliced through the night sky, spinning towards him. Yan Bubu dashed forward a few steps, caught it in his hand, and continued to sprint ahead.

The zombies he knocked aside while running angrily howled at his retreating figure, and a few zombies, for some unknown reason, also started running along.

He could see the edge of Central City and the cold metallic shine reflecting off the teetering giant metal net. Just one more leap over that net and a final burst of effort, and he could dash into the mountain crevice.

Once inside the crevice, he could pull Binunu into his mental realm and release it again, drawing the horde of zombies away, blocking the path of the pursuers, and then make his escape.

"Ow!" Suddenly, Binunu transmitted a signal of danger, making Yan Bubu turn his head, nearly stumbling in fright.

Chen Sizhe, unbeknownst to him, had caught up. His speed was astonishingly fast, closing the distance to about fifty meters in a blink.

Yan Bubu hastily unleashed his mental power to bind Chen Sizhe, who then stopped in his tracks.

But at that moment, Yan Bubu suddenly felt his mind grow heavy, as if filled with cement slurry that quickly solidified. His consciousness blurred, uncertain of what he was doing or where he was headed.

"Hurry, keep going..." he muttered, mechanically running forward, but his speed slowed until he finally stopped.

Several subordinates caught up and grabbed Yan Bubu's shoulders, pushing him down onto the cold metal ground, his cheek against the iron surface. The helicopter in the sky also landed, and the subordinates, including the pilot, rushed over.

"Like a damn rabbit, he sure can run," one of the subordinates cursed bitterly, raising a fist to strike.

"Stop!" Chen Sizhe's voice came from behind, and the subordinate sullenly retracted the fist.

Chen Sizhe walked up to Yan Bubu, looking down at him. Although pressed to the ground, Yan Bubu's gaze was fixed straight ahead, his mouth moving as if reciting something.

Chen Sizhe listened carefully but could only make out a low moan.

Chen Sizhe grabbed Yan Bubu's chin, turning his head to examine him closely: "He can’t speak normally like us, clearly hasn't injected the serum, and zombies don't bite him... Now why has he lost consciousness, like he truly became a zombie? Strange... Take out the detonator and bring him to the plane. We'll have the institute check what's inside his body."

"Yes."

As a subordinate was about to take the detonator Yan Bubu held in his hand, a dark shadow suddenly swooped down from the sky. Chen Sizhe quickly raised his hand to shield his face, his sleeve torn with a hiss, and shallow scratches appeared on his arm.

Binunu continued to scratch and bite at Chen Sizhe but was caught by the neck. It turned to bite Chen Sizhe's hand, only to have its head gripped firmly.

Struggling desperately, Binunu scratched at Chen Sizhe's hand, managing only to leave white marks. Chen Sizhe illuminated it with his headlamp, and it bared its teeth ferociously at him.

Looking at Binunu, Chen Sizhe asked his subordinates with interest, "What do you think this quantum beast is?"

"Not sure, never seen anything like it."

"I haven't seen it either."

……

Chen Sizhe said, "Once, after Yan Bubu left my office, a sentinel mentioned his quantum beast looked like a little zombie. But look at it, other than being fierce, how is it like a zombie?"

"It doesn't look like it. What kind of zombie looks so pale and white?"

Chen Sizhe, deep in thought, tilted his head as Bi Nunu suddenly broke free from his grasp, clawing towards his eyes. Caught off guard, Chen Sizhe was scratched, leaving a dark gray mark across his dull left eyeball.

"Bishop!"

Just as his subordinates cried out, Chen Sizhe grabbed Bi Nunu, who was still lunging at him, and threw it hard to the ground.

With a loud thud, Bi Nunu collided heavily with the metallic ground, black smoke billowing from its body. It struggled to rise but was thrown back down, still clawing at the air and baring its teeth at Chen Sizhe with a fierce growl.

"Such an ungrateful beast," Chen Sizhe remarked, pressing on his eyeball. Seeing Bi Nunu trying to get up again, he kicked it harshly.

Bi Nunu was kicked into the air, crashing again against the street's perimeter wall.

As the wall collapsed with a thunderous noise, its body vanished into thin air.

Chen Sizhe breathed a sigh of relief and turned his gaze toward the nearby helicopter.

The helicopter, unoccupied but running, attracted numerous zombies with its roaring sound. They swarmed into the cabin, some even climbing atop the aircraft.

"Get the detonator out for me, and let's leave," he commanded, wiping his fingers with a handkerchief.

"Yes."

Yan Bubu lay pinned to the ground, his face against the dirt, arms wrapped protectively around his chest, clutching the detonator tightly. His expression was vacant, eyes dull, continuously emitting low growls.

"Hurry up... get moving..."

A subordinate tried several times to retrieve the detonator from Yan Bubu's grasp, but failed. He attempted to pry open Yan Bubu's fingers, which were clenched as if embedded in metal, impossible to loosen.

"I told you to get the detonator, what are you doing?" Another subordinate urged, as Chen Sizhe started walking towards the helicopter.

"Why don't you try it yourself? He's holding this remote tightly, and I can't take it away."

The henchman reached out to grab it, and Yan Bubu let out a beastly roar, curling his entire body into a ball, protecting the explosive remote control in his arms.

"Damn it, he still won't let go?"

One of the henchmen standing nearby said, "Haven't you heard? If someone clings to something before turning into a zombie, they won't give it up even after becoming one."

To take the remote control away, they would have to break Yan Bubu's fingers. But Chen Size knew him and had mentioned the importance of bringing him back for research, so some of the henchmen hesitated, exchanging glances with each other.

"What are you still doing?" Chen Size stopped and turned to ask.

"Boss, he won't let go of the remote control," the henchman pointed at Yan Bubu.

Chen Size frowned, "Can't you handle such a small matter? Just cut off his wrist. As long as he's alive, we can take him back for research."

The henchmen shuddered and immediately responded, "Yes!"

One of them immediately took out a dagger and approached Yan Bubu.

Yan Bubu was pressed to the ground, and whenever someone tried to take the explosive remote control, he struggled and screamed, opening his mouth to bite.

"Tie his mouth shut so we don't have to worry about him biting anyone on the plane later."

The back of Yan Bubu's head was firmly held down, and his mouth was bound with a piece of cloth. He stared at the people in front of him with wide eyes, although his mouth was gagged, he continued to make fierce growling sounds.

"Turn him over."

Yan Bubu was forcibly turned over; he still clung tightly to the remote control and tried to curl his body up again but was held down. He screamed and struggled continuously, his body jerking up and down, the impact on his spine making a banging sound.

"Hurry up, this kid looks delicate but he's surprisingly strong," one of the henchmen holding him said.

The henchman raised the dagger in his hand, its blade gleaming with a cold metallic sharpness under the overhead light. He looked at the slender wrist before him and swung the knife downwards.

Mid-swing, he sensed a sudden darkness in front of him, a large black shadow flashed by, and those beside him exclaimed in shock.

Without time to think, he continued his motion, expecting the severed limb to fly off with the blade. But when the cut was complete, he saw that Yan Bubu's hand was still firmly clutching the remote control, while his own wrist, like a chopped wooden stump, was missing along with his hand and the dagger.

The henchman looked around in horror, while the person beside him collapsed to the ground.

The man's face was completely disfigured, his original features unrecognizable. His entire face had caved in like a deflated basketball, merging with the back of his skull. The only discernible part was half of his mouth, slowly oozing black brain matter.

As the henchman was about to call for help, he saw others staring behind him, so he quickly turned around.

Under the light of several overhead lamps, a tall, young sentinel was slowly turning towards them. His face, ashen like theirs, was slightly lowered, revealing a pair of pitch-black eyes, impenetrably dark.

Beside him stood a massive black lion, its body entirely black except for a golden stripe on its forehead.

As the black lion opened its mouth, a severed hand fell to the ground, still clutching a dagger in its palm.

Regaining their senses, the henchmen stood up, except for two who were still holding Yan Bubu. Chen Sizhe, who was walking towards the helicopter, also stopped and turned back.

"Xiao Chen," Chen Sizhe exclaimed in surprise.

Feng Chen slightly turned his head towards him and softly uttered three words: "Chen, Si, Ze."

Chen Sizhe approached Feng Chen, examining him from head to toe: "What happened to you?" He paused slightly, "You found the injection I lost on the hillside."

"Yes, you were too careless," Feng Chen slowly curled one corner of his mouth, but this smile made him look dangerous.

The next second, the henchman standing beside Yan Bubu was grasped by the throat, lifted off the ground, and then punched in the chest.

The henchman, suspended in mid-air, slowly moved his eyes downward to see a bowl-sized hole in his chest, with Feng Chen's fist still embedded in it.

Feng Chen withdrew his hand, and seeing that the henchman was still staring at him, he punched him in the forehead.

With a loud bang, the henchman's skull cracked open like a shattered mask, along with the translucent membrane beneath, breaking into pieces.

As Feng Chen threw the man to the ground, a powerful and forceful psychic energy pierced into the gaps of the membrane, pulverizing the brain tissue within.

The henchmen, stunned by the scene, stood frozen in place with no reaction. It wasn't until they heard Chen Sizhe's loud command, "Kill him!" that they snapped to action, rushing towards Feng Chen.

"Roar!" The black lion let out a fierce roar and leaped towards the henchmen.