Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The moment the Black Knight charged out, Wu Yin and Xie Linyuan instantly found cover, vigilantly observing the approaching vehicle. Qin Yue and Old Hu, unaware of what had happened, followed suit, hiding and cautiously peeking around.

The Black Knight stood majestically in the middle of the national highway, its neck proudly raised, emitting a wolf-like howl that echoed far and wide.

"Is it excited to see someone familiar?" wondered Old Hu, puzzled.

Wu Yin didn't respond, but amidst the high and low howls of the two-headed dog, suddenly, several more juvenile barks were heard. The next second, two dogs of normal adult medium size excitedly jumped down from the truck.

Since the truck had not completely slowed down, one dog, with black and white fur that resembled burnt long hair, landed face-first on the road, rolling miserably before struggling to get up. Its sibling, another unevenly colored black and white dog, landed more gracefully and immediately started sprinting and barking.

The Black Knight excitedly ran towards the two smaller dogs. In the middle of the road, the three dogs performed a passionate reunion. The puppies raised their front limbs, continuously pawing at the Black Knight's chest, while it gently licked their heads and faces with affection.

"...So it turns out to be familiar dogs," remarked Old Hu, thinking he made a funny joke, but none of the other three responded to his attempt at humor. Qin Yue was nervously looking around, while Xie Linyuan tilted his head, whispering with Wu Yin.

"Are those two dogs the Black Knight’s sons? Didn’t you say the Black Knight was captured before its children were born? How did it recognize its offspring in the truck?"

"You underestimate the sense of smell of a mutant dog."

After saying this, Wu Yin paused for a few seconds, then suddenly broached an unrelated topic, "Xie Linyuan, do you know why I couldn’t agree on the terms of payment with the southern camp?"

"Hmm?" Xie Linyuan turned to look at him, "Go on, tell me."

"After the Black Knight was captured, the princess, shocked and worried, went into premature labor and gave birth to three puppies, of which only one was a two-headed dog," Wu Yin said without looking away.

Jie Lin Yuan faintly sensed something and asked, "...You couldn’t possibly...?"

"I asked for the two-headed puppy, but they refused to give it to me."

Jie Lin Yuan thought to himself, 'Ah, typical of this greedy and tactless fellow.'

His voice cold, he said, "I wouldn't give it to you either."

Wu Yin, visibly annoyed, furrowed his brows and retorted bitterly, "But I want it!"

"Want, want, want, you always want everything," Jie Lin Yuan said disdainfully, though he too secretly longed for the two-headed puppy.

Who could resist the opportunity to raise a rare, loyal, intelligent, and powerful two-headed dog?

He asked, "You must have specifically requested the two-headed dog. What about their initial compensation offer for rescuing the Black Knight? They must have offered something."

"They did, but it wasn't satisfactory to me."

Jie Lin Yuan doubted that the camp would be stingy with the compensation for such a rare two-headed mutant dog like the Black Knight, surely a considerable sum, but unfortunately, they were dealing with Wu Yin, a man who dared to ask for anything.

After pondering for a moment, he suggested an alternative solution to avoid conflict with the camp, "Can't you wait for the princess to have a second litter? Dogs have two estrus periods a year," he quickly clarified, fearing Wu Yin might not understand the technical term, "meaning they can have two litters of puppies a year, with only a two-month gestation period. Once the Black Knight returns, it won't be long before another two-headed puppy is born."

Wu Yin shook his head, "It's not possible. The princess's gestation period is different from ordinary dogs, plus she's been spayed. After the Black Knight was captured, there was talk of breeding her with another male dog. The princess was furious and chose to be sterilized.

But mainly, she believes that constant pregnancy and birthing would harm her body too much, significantly hindering the progress of experiments conducted by her scientific research team. She doesn't want her family to overly burden her career."

"Scientific experiments? Career?" Jie Lin Yuan squinted his eyes in confusion, "Is the princess a dog or a human, after all?"

"I distinctly recall telling you that the princess is a dog, a meteor border collie," Wu Yin looked at him, "She has a pair of beautiful blue eyes."

"Then she...?"

Wu Yin chuckled, "She's a mutant dog with doctorates in both biology and chemistry, boasting an IQ of 145. Are you sure you don't want her and the Black Knight's unique two-headed dog son?"

Xie Linyuan: "..."

After a long silence, this master of disguise, a half-mechanical being, couldn't help but reveal a face as greedy as Wu Yin's. He licked his dry lips, smiled slightly, tidied his cuffs and hem simply, then stepped out from behind the cover, showing a friendly and humble smile to the several members of the southern camp coming with the Black Knight.

"No hurry, let me think of a way," he said.

……

Thanks to their connection with the Black Knight, Wu Yin and his group entered the southern survivor camp with minimal security checks.

The massive city, built against a mountain, had a cliff on its northern side acting as a natural barrier, safe from pollutants and mutants. The camp's defense force was mainly concentrated in the south, with tall, thick walls built layer upon layer, constantly maintained and improved every day.

Sitting in a vehicle, Wu Yin and the others passed checkpoint after checkpoint, and after half an hour of processing paperwork, they were led into a 60-story building, following a receptionist into a meeting room.

The Black Knight had already been separated from them midway through the journey, taken to a hospital for a comprehensive medical checkup. After serving tea, the receptionist left the room, leaving the four of them alone.

Qin Yue and Lao Hu finally caught their breath. Qin Yue frantically drank water to calm her nerves, while Lao Hu stood at the window of the thirty-sixth floor, looking out in amazement, "The interior of this base is as prosperous as cities before the apocalypse, even boasting commercial shopping streets and elementary schools!"

"This is the central area of the southern camp. It's not surprising to see these things here. The outskirts are the dilapidated relief zones," Xie Linyuan explained, "This is the standard model for major human bases in the country: the richer inside, the more chaotic outside, living within their own circles."

Wu Yin sat in the boss chair, legs crossed, sipping tea, his expression showing a bit of impatience. Everyone else, not daring to provoke him, sat quietly in their seats, drinking tea in a daze.

The eerie silence continued until the entire pot of tea was empty. Just as Lao Hu was about to ask for more hot water, a series of rapid footsteps suddenly approached from the corridor, heading straight for their meeting room.

Qin Yue immediately tensed up again, while Lao Hu quickly returned to his corner, pretending to be non-existent.

Xie Linyuan glanced at Wu Yin, who put down his teacup, his gaze fixated on the meeting room's front door.

"Wang Sui!"

A young, black-haired man burst in excitedly, calling out an unfamiliar name without even knocking, "Wang Sui, did you really rescue the Black Knight, safe and sound?"

"..." He looked around and then asked belatedly, "Where's Wang Sui?"

If this rash young man hadn't entered the wrong room, then 'Wang Sui' must be an identity Wu Yin once used. Xie Linyuan looked again at Wu Yin, who did not disappoint, standing up expressionlessly and saying, "Mr. Xue, unfortunately, Wang Sui has passed away. Before his death, he entrusted me to fulfill his last wish."

The young man was momentarily stunned, his mood rapidly sinking. After a while, he stepped forward and extended his right hand to Wu Yin, "Hello, I am Xue Hongyi. May I ask your name?"

"Yang Mo."

Xue Hongyi asked Wu Yin many questions about Wang Sui, his cause of death, the location, where his body was now. Wu Yin answered straightforwardly, omitting almost all details: He died from mutant bites while rescuing him, and his body is currently unknown, possibly roaming and devouring people.

Wu Yin's vague responses only gave Xue Hongyi more room for imagination. He sighed deeply, lost in memories, "Wang Sui was that kind of person, always selflessly courageous, never caring about his own safety.

When I first met him, he was walking barefoot on a sharp, stony mountain path, carrying his severely injured friend on his back, his feet blistered and wounded. I gave him food and water, but he didn't eat any of it, breaking it all to feed his friend.

Later, to get medical resources from our camp for his friend, he took up the rescue mission for the Black Knight from the notice board and then disappeared. Many people told me he was a fraud, that he wouldn't come back, and I should give up on his friend. But I didn't believe them, neither did the princess. Wang Sui's selflessness not only moved me but also the princess. During these days, his friend's medical resources were all undertaken by the princess's perseverance.

Thankfully, we weren't wrong about him! Wang Sui was a hero who kept his word!"

The more he spoke, the more passionate he became, his eyes reddening, as if he wished he could immediately go downstairs and erect a monument for Wang Sui. Qin Yue, moved by his words, whispered, "This Mr. Wang Sui was indeed a good man."

"Indeed, indeed," nodded Lao Hu.

Knowing that Wang Sui was a persona adopted by Wu Yin, Xie Linyuan smirked, his smile not reaching his eyes, and said meaningfully, "Do you know? The chief marshal of the southern camp's military district also has the surname Xue."

Qin Yue, Lao Hu: "..."

Both looked shocked, one with wide eyes and the other covering their mouth, incredulously looking at the young man who was happily talking to Wu Yin about Wang Sui's past, "He's so young and already... a marshal???"

Xie Linyuan was speechless at the thought processes of these two: "He must be the grandson of the marshal."

Qin Yue and Lao Hu: "..." That's still quite impressive!

Xie Linyuan wasn't sure if they grasped his hint; the so-called rescue and friend were probably just ruses by Wu Yin, aiming to exploit Xue Hongyi's character and preferences to gain favor.

Wu Yin had played his role perfectly. Xue Hongyi held great respect and affection for the fictitious identity 'Wang Sui', even extending his fondness to Wang Sui's friend, Yang Mo.

Wu Yin chatted briefly with Xue Hongyi, then directly asked, "My friend... Wang Sui saved my life, his friend is my friend. How is he doing now?"

This question caught Xie Linyuan off guard; he had assumed that this so-called friend was merely a tool to build Wang Sui's noble image, to be discarded after use. Unexpectedly, Wu Yin seemed genuinely concerned.

So, was this truly Wu Yin's friend? Could someone like Wu Yin actually have friends?

"His friend's vital signs are very stable," sighed Xue Hongyi, "but he has been in a coma, never waking up. The doctors can't find anything wrong... we are helpless."

"Hmm," Wu Yin nodded, "Can I see him?"

"Of course," Xue Hongyi readily agreed, "Follow me."

Wu Yin looked back at Qin Yue and Lao Hu, "You stay here." His gaze then shifted to Xie Linyuan, "You come with me."

Xie Linyuan immediately got up and followed. On the way from the office building to the hospital, Wu Yin did not show any intention of talking to him, while Xue Hongyi, quite talkative, kept praising his brother Wang Sui for his kindness, wisdom, and charismatic personality.

"The princess rarely gets close to humans, preferring to stay in her lab, but she especially liked Wang Sui," Xue Hongyi said nostalgically, "Ah, life is like a dream, the years are ruthless. Good people don’t live long... Hey, why are you two walking so fast!"

Wu Yin, clearly unwilling to listen to Xue Hongyi’s incessant talk, quickened his pace silently after asking for the department floor, moving as if flying. Xie Linyuan silently followed, growing increasingly curious about who this so-called friend really was.

Finally, they arrived at the general ward of the Neurology Department in the hospital. Xue Hongyi greeted the nurse at the station with a face scan, and a nurse led them to the corresponding ward door, which she opened for them to enter.

The scorching sunlight illuminated the entire ward. There were three beds in the room, two of which were empty. Only the bed nearest the window was occupied.

Wu Yin approached the bed, silently looking down, his fingertips gently tracing the cheek of the person lying there. Xue Hongyi hurriedly consoled, "Don’t worry, he will definitely wake up, he just needs some time. Wang Sui’s spirit in heaven will bless him!"

Xie Linyuan stood at a distance behind Wu Yin, playing the role of a reticent and steady bodyguard. From his angle, he couldn't see the face of the person lying on the bed, only discerning that it was an adult male.

It was mainly the caress on the cheek, completely out of character for Wu Yin, overly intimate and soft, that wildly piqued his curiosity.

After waiting half a minute, Jie Linyuan took the opportunity of the nurse turning away to silently step forward, standing at the foot of the bed. He lifted his gaze from the thin white blanket upwards, to the open collar of the hospital gown, then to the flat collarbone and slender neck...

Jie Linyuan's gaze paused, and his heart skipped a beat.

It was an exceedingly perfect face; simple words like handsome and beautiful were insufficient to describe his appearance. Just lying there with eyes closed, he attracted everyone's gaze like a luminary, and Jie Linyuan couldn't imagine how dazzling he'd be with his eyes open.

Wu Yin again adjusted the scattered black hair of the person on the bed, looking up to ask, "Mr. Xue, could you give us some time alone with him?"