Chapter 76 Captured (Part 3 of 2)

Chapter 76 Captured (Part 3 of 2)

Under the dim wall light, in the enclosed space, the room was sweltering with the sound of splashing water echoing. The bedsheet hanging over the edge of the bed was repeatedly pulled up and then fell back down, while the kitten on the TV screen meowed excitedly.

The water sounds gradually stopped, only to resume urgently moments later, accompanied by a man's hoarse voice coaxing, "Honey, it'll be over soon..."

Shenchi abruptly sat up, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. After several seconds, he awkwardly drew his left leg up.

Ping'an, lying beside him, seemed to be dreaming too, as she stuffed her tiny fist into her nose without opening her eyes.

Shenchi chuckled and patted her gently. After a while, he couldn't resist poking Ping'an's cheek, watching the little dimple form. Memories of shamelessly clinging to that man for a kiss flooded his mind, making his face burn. He quickly ran to the bathroom to splash some water on his face.

On the night of April 9th, heavy rain continued to pour. Shenchi, who had been sleeping fitfully, was awakened by Ping'an's crying. Thunder rumbled continuously, frightening Ping'an into continuous sobs.

Next door, Cao Kun and Mingjing were also awakened by the thunder. Mingjing looked pale as they both came to Shenchi's room. They saw him standing by the window, holding Ping'an. Upon seeing them, he said solemnly, "Something's wrong."

The sky over Luyi City was covered by thick black clouds, hiding the moon. Lightning flashed incessantly, and the surging tide rose higher and higher, carrying partially melted ice and debris, invading every corner of Luoyang except for the tall walls of the safe zone.

Despite this, screams echoed throughout the safe zone, and lights flickered on one after another. Countless people turned into zombies overnight, baring their fangs at their remaining loved ones. Some grabbed axes from beside their beds...

The patrol team mobilized to clear out the suddenly zombified humans. On the city walls, before the floodwaters arrived, dozens of bodies lay on the ground. The soldiers had no time to mourn as they began shooting the zombies washed in by the flood.

Since discovering that C1S9 has an unpredictable incubation period and that patients in the incubation phase cannot be detected, our country mandated that key positions must have at least three people working together. They were also required to learn basic combat skills and keep weapons handy or nearby.

During recruitment, they also screened the relationships among staff in key positions and prohibited office romances.

But despite all precautions, the massive gate of the safe zone was unexpectedly opened during an incident.

As the gate opened, floodwaters surged in, and zombies, like fish, were swept into the safe zone one after another, emerging from the dark waters to approach humans.

Earth and metal elementals stood on the city walls and acted simultaneously. Earth elementals created obstacles outside the gate to divert the floodwaters and zombies, while also erecting walls to reseal the gate.

Metal elementals moved their fingers swiftly, sending metal rods like the most aggressive black vipers, striking the water with speed, precision, and force, each time lifting a zombie and tossing it aside.

Inside the safe zone, heavy rain pounded down, quickly reaching knee-high. Shenchi handed Ping'an to Mingjing and Xia Yi and went out with Cao Kun to fight the zombies.

The high-level zombies, which usually hid somewhere, were now flushed out by the floodwaters and attracted by the humans, rushing into the safe zone.

Missiles launched from the safe zone, and sparks occasionally lit up the sky.

When Shenchi arrived, the floodwaters surged in like a deluge, engulfing people and zombies on the streets. Using his elemental powers, he raised his right hand, freezing the incoming floodwaters layer by layer. With his other hand, he formed dozens of ice arrows that flew towards the approaching Level 3 zombies, temporarily trapping them.

Just then, earth elementals sealed the gate, and others hurriedly ran back into the city. Police officers, regaining mobility, led them to higher ground while shooting at the pursuing zombies.

Level 3 zombies summoned lower-level zombies to shield them. Shenchi rapidly froze the floodwaters and fought the zombies. Amidst the chaos, he heard someone calling his name. Soon, the voice grew closer until a drenched woman with disheveled hair ran towards a zombie attacking Shenchi, beating it fiercely like a mother hen protecting her chicks, gaining the upper hand momentarily.

Shenchi was stunned, instantly recognizing the woman.

Fortunately, Cao Kun arrived and quickly dispatched the Level 3 zombie, easing Shenchi's burden. He no longer resisted but instead froze the outer layers of the floodwaters, creating a temporary reservoir.

After defeating the zombie, the woman named Xiao Yu rushed to Shenchi, looking at him anxiously and calling out softly, "Baby..."

Shenchi felt a pang in his heart.

Cao Kun clearly remembered her too, surprised, "How did she get here?"

Back in Jiu Zhou City, they had entrusted her to Chen Jinglin and hadn't asked about her since. It was unexpected to see her in Luoyang, thousands of miles away, wondering what she had experienced in the past few months.

Shenchi told Cao Kun, "It's too dangerous here; take her back first."

Cao Kun was hesitant to leave Shenchi alone, especially since he absorbed the Level 4 crystal core to prevent Shenchi from taking risks. However, bringing the woman along would be inconvenient.

Seeing police officers evacuating the crowd, Cao Kun nodded to Shenchi and led the woman towards them. Just as he handed her to the police, two Level 3 zombies suddenly attacked from either side.

After Cao Kun left, a shadow jumped down from the second floor. Shenchi sensed danger and immediately retaliated, but the person used a diversionary tactic, spraying something at Shenchi's face in the darkness. Shenchi held his breath, but his limbs weakened, and he fainted in the person's arms.

Taking advantage of the lightning, Jiang Zhendong looked down at Shenchi's tightly furrowed brows, then lifted him and disappeared into the darkness.

In less than three minutes, when Cao Kun killed the zombie and turned around, Shenchi was gone.

Shen Tian knew Jiang Zhendong had gone out and had been waiting downstairs. Hearing footsteps, he didn't have time to be happy before noticing Shenchi lying in Jiang Zhendong's arms.

Shen Tian's face darkened, "What's going on?"

"I happened to catch him alone and brought him back amidst the chaos."

Jiang Zhendong carried Shenchi past Shen Tian and placed him on the sofa, where the wet clothes dripped onto the leather surface. "Where's the doctor? Please ask him to come down and give him a shot. I'm afraid the drug's effect is too short."

Jiang Zhendong placed the bottle he had used on the table.

Shen Tian's expression softened slightly, turning to call Zhong Botao, who slowly descended with a thermos.

"Doctor wasn't asleep?" Jiang Zhendong asked.

"Couldn't sleep," Zhong Botao replied. They had planned to lure Shenchi out of the city using Shen Tian as bait and built a temporary shielded room outside the city.

However, fate intervened. The flood reached Luyi City tonight, despite the meteorologists confidently predicting it would arrive in three days!

Now, the instruments in the shielded room were likely submerged, and gathering materials was not as easy as it was before the apocalypse.

Zhong Botao carefully examined Shenchi on the sofa, "Is this the dual-elemental with ice and high-dimensional spatial abilities? Did you see him use the high-dimensional spatial ability?"

Jiang Zhendong took the towel from Shen Tian, "I acted suddenly; he didn't even notice me."

Zhong Botao injected Shenchi, saying, "This dose should keep him asleep for at least eight hours, even if he's a natural elemental."

Shortly after, Zhao Xiong returned from retrieving equipment, also noticing Shenchi on the sofa.

Soaked to the bone, Zhao Xiong placed two oversized suitcases on the ground, and Zhong Botao immediately checked them.

Jiang Zhendong had already changed into clean clothes, and he didn't mind Zhao Xiong's soaking wet attire as he patted his shoulder. "You'll have to endure a bit more hardship and take them back to the base. Make sure A'Jie looks after them well."

Zhong Botao watched Zhao Xiong take them away and said, "Now that we've caught them, let's head back early."

Jiang Zhendong understood Zhong Botao's urgency and replied, "Of course."

That night, less than half an hour after Zhao Xiong left, Jiang Zhendong was summoned by one of his subordinates before he could even lie down, saying that someone named Cao Kun had come looking for him.

Jiang Zhendong knew why he had come and got up to go downstairs.

Shen Tian and several subordinates were in the hall. Shen Tian sat on a sofa that had been cleaned, while opposite him sat Xia Yi, Cao Kun, and the young man named Ming Jing.

Shen Tian lazily said something to Cao Kun, which seemed to infuriate him, prompting him to throw a punch. Although Shen Tian had learned some combat skills after the virus outbreak, he only knew the basics and stood no chance against Cao Kun.

Fortunately, Jiang Zhendong leaped down the stairs and lifted Shen Tian off the sofa like a small chicken, blocking and countering Cao Kun's attack.

Clearly, Jiang Zhendong was also skilled in combat. The two exchanged blows rapidly, and the others could only hear the sounds of flesh colliding.

Gradually, without anyone noticing, they began using their abilities in the fight. Xia Yi knew that once abilities were used, both sides would soon join the battle, making it difficult to disengage quickly.

"Enough." Xia Yi stepped between them, looking up at Jiang Zhendong with a sharp gaze. "Mr. Jiang, someone saw your men leaving the city overnight. Do you know anything about this?"

Shen Tian scoffed, "What does it matter to you? Why would we capture Shenchi? Even if I had a grudge against him, I'd just kill him."

Cao Kun's face darkened. "Don't be so sure; watch out, or you might dig your own grave."

Shen Tian frowned slightly.

Jiang Zhendong stepped forward, blocking Cao Kun's view but looked at Xia Yi instead. "So it's about Dr. Xia's friend who went missing. I understand why you suspect me, but isn't it a bit too presumptuous to come here demanding answers?"

Xia Yi responded calmly, "It's not about demanding answers; we're just here to inquire."

Jiang Zhendong nodded slowly. "Tonight, such a significant event occurred. As the leader of Hongshan Base, shouldn't I send people to check the situation?"

Xia Yi countered, "Certainly, but I'm curious why Mr. Jiang was in such a hurry. After all, the danger hasn't been eliminated yet, and some communications are still available. Besides, you were planning to leave today anyway, so there's no need to rush."

"If Dr. Xia is suspicious, couldn't Captain Gu follow and check?" Jiang Zhendong scanned the room, not seeing Gu Yibei, and smiled. "Looks like he's already gone."

Xia Yi's eyes twitched. Gu Yibei indeed chased after Shenchi immediately upon discovering his disappearance. He was a level-four wind ability user and should have been able to catch up to Zhao Xiong, but now he felt a sense of unease.

"You really are lucky, weren't killed by those level-three zombies."

At that moment, several tall, uniformly dressed men entered, led by Jin Shufan, whom they hadn't seen in months.

They all wore the latest model OP-1 combat uniforms from Lu City, looking energetic and well-rested.

Cao Kun sneered, "Wherever you go, you show up. You're like a ghost that won't go away."

Jin Shufan sat down on a single sofa. "Likewise."

Jiang Zhendong shook his head. "I didn't expect you to know each other. This world is indeed small. Mr. Cao, since Mr. Shen has been missing for less than three hours, wouldn't it be better to go look for him rather than waste time here? If you need help, I can lend you some men."

Shen Tian interjected, "Zhendong, why are you being so polite to them? For all we know, he's already turned into a zombie in some corner!"

Jiang Zhendong said, "Alright, it's understandable to be anxious when a friend goes missing. But he's not here. If you don't believe me, feel free to search."

A search wasn't necessary. Cao Kun glanced at Ming Jing, who shook his head after looking at the sofa.

Cao Kun frowned, knowing the person had been taken away.

After the others left, Jin Shufan turned to Jiang Zhendong. "You must have captured him. Cao Kun may be rash and annoying, but he wouldn't accuse you without reason."

Jiang Zhendong, despite only having a business relationship with Jin Shufan, admitted to taking Shenchi due to their mutual interests and Zhong Botao's involvement.

Jin Shufan narrowed his long, slanted eyes. "Just because he's an ice ability user? Ice users are rare, but not unheard of. Why snatch him under the Emperor's nose?"

Seeing Jiang Zhendong open his mouth, Jin Shufan coolly added, "You're not hiding something from me, are you?"

Jiang Zhendong laughed, sitting across from him and pouring them both a glass of red wine. "Between friends, what matters most is honesty and trust. Bookfan, you worry too much. But you're right; I captured Shenchi not just because he's an ice ability user, but because he's a rare dual ability user."

Jin Shufan was stunned. "Dual ability? When did dual ability users become so common?"

Despite his words, Jin Shufan was curious. "What's the other ability?"

Jiang Zhendong sipped his wine slowly. "The doctor suspects it's high-dimensional spatial ability."

Jin Shufan was surprised. "Didn't the doctor say the research on spatial abilities failed? How did you discover Shenchi had this ability?"

Jiang Zhendong replied, "It did fail, but discovering Shenchi's dual abilities was purely coincidental."

Saying it was coincidental was just an excuse to avoid telling Jin Shufan the truth. Jin Shufan understood and didn't care; he focused on the results.

Jin Shufan stood up. "It seems you'll proceed as planned. Let me know if there's any progress in the experiments."

Jiang Zhendong also stood. "Xiao Tian, please see Mr. Jin out."

Jin Shufan frowned in disgust. "No need."

Shen Tian snorted; he wasn't eager to do it either.

In the pristine room of Hongshan Base, Shenchi sat on a hospital bed, wearing a clean patient gown. His head was dizzy, and the constant turning made him feel nauseous and irritable.

Shenchi kept lifting his shirt, eventually reaching out to touch his smooth, pale belly. There were no post-surgical scars.

He sighed in relief but then tensed up again. He tried to form an icicle, but nothing happened. He attempted to retrieve something from his space, but still, there was no response.

Shenchi clenched his fists, trying to enter his space, but unsurprisingly, he couldn't.

He took a deep breath, grateful that he had left Ping An at home. With Cao Kun and the others around, Ping An would be safe.

Shenchi forced himself to calm down and observe his surroundings—the cold operating table and the walls painted snow white.

Shenchi tapped on one of the walls, realizing it was actually a one-way bulletproof glass through which people outside could directly see what was happening inside.

Shenchi then knocked on another wall, which instantly changed color, revealing a hidden glass display case behind it.

The entire wall contained only a dozen or so glass vessels, each marked with special symbols. Shenchi recognized a familiar name—K001 Pan Xiaoming.

After thoroughly examining the room, Shenchi was almost certain this was the same room where he had been held captive in his previous life. He finally understood why Jiang Zhendong had captured him and placed him here—they knew about his spatial ability.

The reason was likely due to Pan Xiaoming. After killing Jiang Bin and the others, he hadn't noticed any trace of the spatial ability user.

Sitting at the bed's edge, Shenchi's mind involuntarily replayed memories from his past life. His slender fingers touched the bed frame, feeling an urge to scratch it but getting pricked by splinters several times.

Looking down, he saw the bed frame pitted with splinters and dried black bloodstains.

Taking a deep breath, Shenchi realized that someone else must have lived here before him.

No one appeared for the entire day. Only a small window at the bottom of the door was opened, and a mechanical arm pushed in two foam bowls containing steamed buns and water.

Shenchi didn't dare eat, knowing these foods were laced with a small dose of drugs to keep them drowsy and unable to think clearly.

Lying on the bed, Shenchi heard what seemed like Pingan's cries.

He opened his eyes and instinctively turned his head to the right, momentarily feeling as if he had returned to the days when he was tormented by cries in his previous life.

Forcing himself to turn back, Shenchi began recalling every detail of Pingan's life from birth to now, and the events that had transpired between him and Cao Kun.