Chapter 82 White Moonlight

Chapter 82 White Moonlight

The group gathered together to discuss the events that had transpired over the past few days and deliberated on their next course of action. Everyone agreed that the most pressing issue was the public revelation of the Spirit Spring and the ensuing covetousness it would bring.

Jiang Zhendong's threat was not without merit. Once everyone knew that Shenchi was not only a dual-ability user with the unique "High-Dimensional Space" ability but also possessed the "healing water," his situation would become extremely dangerous.

Xia Yi pondered, "Instead of this, I think we should proactively inform the higher-ups about this matter. This way, we can gain their protection and save more people, benefiting both sides."

Cao Kun recalled the scene he witnessed in the Hongshan research lab a few hours ago and expressed concern, "Is it reliable?"

"Isn't Anna and I an example?" Xia Yi further explained, "Moreover, even if the higher-ups have ulterior motives, would the entire country of over ten million people allow it? In my view, they won't act rashly as long as Shenchi is still useful. There's no reason to act once he loses his value."

"Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs would be counterproductive." Gu Yibei agreed with Xia Yi from this perspective.

Ming Jing nodded; his intuition told him this approach was feasible.

Cao Kun naturally understood this logic, but "killing the goose" didn't apply to those who didn't even have a "goose," while those who did would always be wary of losing it.

"I agree."

Cao Kun looked at Shenchi, surprised that he was the first to agree.

Perhaps when he voluntarily handed the Spirit Spring water to Jiang Zhendong in the research lab, he already had this plan in mind.

"I agree too." Cao Kun clenched his fists; he needed to upgrade himself and Shenchi quickly.

The Security Department acted swiftly and soon came calling.

They were there regarding the incident at the research lab. Shenchi and Cao Kun, as participants, needed to provide all the information they knew about the lab and Jiang Zhendong's group, answering any questions they had.

Not just Shenchi and Cao Kun, but also the short-haired woman and her companions were brought in for routine questioning.

The short-haired woman's wound had been treated, but she remained agitated, yelling at the uniformed officer across from her, "How much longer will you keep asking?! I've been here for over an hour, and I've said everything I know. I'm willing to take legal responsibility for what I've said. What more do you want?! Are you treating me like a criminal?! My companions are waiting for me in the hospital. Can't you let me go now?!"

An hour later, the President finally sent someone to fetch Shenchi, along with the Research Institute's director.

The next day, Lu Yi publicly announced Jiang Zhendong's actions at the Hongshan Base and established a special task force to officially issue arrest warrants for Jiang Zhendong and Zhong Botao, among others. However, the Hongshan Base had already been sealed off, making a direct assault impossible.

With nearly a hundred thousand civilians in the Hongshan Base, a direct assault was out of the question. Therefore, the Security Department placed Jiang Zhendong and Zhong Botao, among other main culprits, on the national blacklist.

The blacklist was established as an emergency mechanism to prevent societal collapse and moral decay. During this period, anyone who committed heinous acts or atrocities would be listed.

Once on the blacklist, one becomes a public enemy, and no individual or organization can harbor or assist them in evading legal punishment.

Half an hour after Lu Yi's announcement, Jiang Zhendong uploaded a video.

In the video, Jiang Zhendong was shown cleaning up after a zombie outbreak. A young reporter thrust a microphone in front of him, questioning him about the lab and the blacklist.

Jiang Zhendong, with a cold face, uttered eight words: "If you seek to frame someone, you'll find a way."

Subsequently, the Hongshan Base disclosed the formula for Spring, claiming that the main ingredient was a type of water containing beneficial components that promoted cell division and accelerated self-repair, almost like a miracle elixir.

When discussing the source of this water, the Hongshan Base officials directly stated that it came from a person named Shenchi, who had close ties with the Research Institute's leadership. They also mentioned that Shenchi was a rare dual-ability user with a second ability being the High-Dimensional Space.

The Hongshan Base officials noted that the amount of this water they obtained was limited and had already been used for medical purposes. The reason why Lu Yi City had this water but didn't use it to save lives remained unknown.

This statement caused an uproar, with the public criticizing the inaction of Lu Yi City's leadership and demanding that they hand over the "miracle water" and Shenchi.

Lu Yi's leadership remained calm, neither suppressing public opinion nor providing extensive explanations. Instead, they rushed to produce new medicine and distributed it to patients. Once the patients' conditions improved, they held a press conference.

Attending the conference were not Shenchi but the Research Institute's director, Xia Yi, and another medical doctor from the institute.

They confirmed the claims about the "miracle water" and explained that it was developed by several doctors at the institute. Due to its high cost, it couldn't be widely distributed yet.

The reason for the delayed disclosure and usage was that the water was still in the experimental stage.

Facing the cameras, Lu Yi's leadership sternly stated, "Any new drug must undergo clinical trials before entering the market. Without proper clinical trials and informed consent, it is irresponsible and illegal behavior!"

As for Shenchi, he was also a victim of the Hongshan Base lab. Because of his unique abilities, a small amount of the "miracle water" was kept under his care. On the day of the collective zombification, Jiang Zhendong and his group took advantage of the chaos to seize Shenchi and obtain the "miracle water," leading to the current situation.

At the end of the press conference, the official sarcastically remarked, "Jiang Zhendong should restrain his malicious intentions."

After the press conference, regardless of lingering doubts, the situation appeared to be resolved on the surface.

In the afternoon, Shenchi was assisting the Research Institute in studying the water from the Spirit Spring. Now known as the "miracle water" by the public, the Research Institute had adopted this name. Only a handful of people knew that the "miracle water" originated from Shenchi's space.

Publicly, Shenchi was recognized as a special "High-Dimensional Space" ability user and a valuable dual-ability user. Therefore, the Research Institute needed to conduct comprehensive examinations and long-term observations to record and predict future developments.

Due to previous examinations, many tests were unnecessary this time, so Shenchi finished quickly.

In the rest area, Cao Kun was playing with Ping'an and Zhuangzhuang. Ping'an loved playing with Zhuangzhuang, repeatedly extending and retracting his little fist, delighting in teasing his older brother.

Anna rolled her eyes, unable to persuade her son to stop, as he gleefully fell for the trick, laughing aloud.

Seeing Shenchi approach, Cao Kun gave him a thorough look, ensuring everything was normal before asking, "All done?"

"Yes." Shenchi nodded and then thanked Anna, "Thank you again for last time."

Anna, wearing a light, strapless dress, had left her hair loose in large waves down her back. She casually tucked a strand behind her ear, revealing her fair, beautiful back. Her emerald green eyes gazed at Shenchi, dressed in a white T-shirt and slim pants, and smiled, "No problem, I'll remember your favor."

Shenchi replied, "It's always valid."

Shenchi didn't leave immediately but inquired about Zhuangzhuang's dual-ability situation.

So far, Zhuangzhuang hadn't activated any abilities. Xia Yi had observed energy reactions within Zhuangzhuang during emotional fluctuations, but since Zhuangzhuang didn't know how to control it, the energy circulated within him, occasionally leaking out but dissipating quickly. It was otherwise undetectable.

Three months of observation revealed that Zhuangzhuang's body showed no negative effects. Instead, his cognitive, physical, and learning abilities were significantly stronger than those of his peers.

Shenchi looked down at Ping'an, who turned to look at him. Over the past few days, Ping'an often turned to check on Shenchi, offering her fist happily if he was there, and crying hysterically if he wasn't, refusing anyone else's comfort. At night, she insisted on sleeping only if Shenchi was nearby.

Shenchi was heartbroken and filled with regret, staying up late into the night talking to Pingan.

Shenchi pretended to bite Pingan's little fist and then patted her, encouraging her to play with her brother while he fell into deep thought.

Pingan, like him, was a dual-ability user, something Zhong Botao had told him in his past life. In this life, Pingan hadn't been tested and likely hadn't activated her abilities, so Xia Yi had never discovered it.

But one day, Pingan would activate her abilities, and Xia Yi would find out. It would be better for Shenchi to tell Xia Yi about Pingan being a dual-ability user before that happens.

The door to the rest room suddenly knocked twice. Shenchi turned around to see a guard standing at the door, who saluted and said, "There's someone outside claiming to be Ke Luo who says they need to speak with Mr. Shen."

Anna: "How many of them are there?"

Guard: "Four."

Anna nodded and looked at Shenchi and the others. "The room next door is the reception room. If you want to meet them, you can do so there."

Anna's words carried a deeper meaning. Everyone now knew about Shenchi's special status, and given his past possession of the 'miracle water,' regardless of how much of the official story they believed, Shenchi needed to be cautious, especially against potential coercion or temptation.

Shenchi understood this implication well. Besides, he and Ke Luo were not friends, so trust was not an option.

They met in the reception room. The visitors were Ke Luo, the speed ability user, the short-haired woman, and the man they had rescued from the laboratory.

The speed ability user sighed, "Finally, we get to see you."

The short-haired woman shook her head and sat down at the table.

Ke Luo held back a laugh, "You should remember us, right? This is our leader, Ji Kaiwen, who has always wanted to thank Mr. Shen for saving his life!"

Cao Kun raised an eyebrow, "Saving his life?"

"Yes," Ji Kaiwen looked at Shenchi and smiled. His smile was warm and infectious, hiding any lingering signs of illness. His eyes gazed at Shenchi as if he were looking at his most cherished lover, full of tenderness.

Ji Kaiwen: "Mr. Shen, I felt an instant connection with you. Would you honor me by joining me for a meal, so I can express my gratitude?"

Cao Kun: ...What?

The others seemed unfazed, except for Ke Luo, whose laughter added a touch of humor to the slightly awkward atmosphere.

Cao Kun stepped between them and replied for Shenchi, "No need for a meal. You're just recovering and should eat something easy to digest. My Shenchi needs hearty food to put on some weight. You two have different dietary needs."

Ji Kaiwen still smiled, "That's fine. I'll just watch Xiao Chi eat."

Ji Kaiwen tilted his head to look at Shenchi, "You seem younger than me. Do you mind if I call you Xiao Chi?"

Seeing Shenchi about to speak, Ji Kaiwen quickly added, "Honestly, you might think I have ulterior motives, but I want to tell you—I fell in love with you at first sight!"

Cao Kun looked at the man in astonishment.

"Really," Ji Kaiwen nodded seriously, "I've known you for a long time. Don't laugh, but you've been in my dreams for the past year... rescuing me from captivity over and over again, becoming my white moonlight."

The short-haired woman and the speed ability user both covered their faces at this terrible line.

Ke Luo: "Hehe~ Hehehehe~"

Cao Kun blocked Ji Kaiwen's attempts to make eye contact with Shenchi. Ji Kaiwen kept smiling, "Sir, could you please step aside so I can talk to my savior?"

"No," Cao Kun said firmly, "You may not know this, but Shenchi is already part of a family. We even have a child this big." Cao Kun gestured, "You have no chance, got it?"

Ji Kaiwen's eyes widened, his almond-shaped eyes looking at Shenchi behind Cao Kun, surprised and excited, "A child this big..."

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!"

Ke Luo finally burst out laughing, as if the child belonged to Shenchi.

Ji Kaiwen's expression twisted, barely controlling his urge to lunge forward.

Cao Kun, feeling like he had swallowed a fly, quickly pulled Shenchi away.

Ke Luo noticed his leader's grimace and tried to stifle his laughter, but couldn't help letting out intermittent giggles, "Hehe~ Hehe~"

Ji Kaiwen kicked him in the butt, "Ke Luo, stop giggling, or I'll sew your tongue into a flower bun!"

Cao Kun and Shenchi returned to the villa, where they saw someone standing at the entrance, eagerly watching for them. Upon seeing Shenchi return, she ran up to them, calling out, "Baby, baby..." Her eyes never leaving Pingan in Shenchi's arms.

Shenchi smiled at her. Xiao Yu was sent home by Cao Kun during the zombie outbreak. Since meeting Pingan, Xiao Yu treated her like her own child, calling her "baby" and following her around.

She didn't hold Pingan but watched her intently, sometimes playing with her.

Pingan liked her too, often reaching out her little fists to Xiao Yu.

Shenchi bent down and brought Pingan closer to Xiao Yu, allowing her to touch Pingan. Xiao Yu was hesitant and scared but eventually touched Pingan, then happily twirled around.

Shenchi thought for a moment and took out a bottle of Spirit Spring water from his space, handing it to Xiao Yu, suggesting she drink it occasionally, hoping it might help restore her sanity.

After dinner, Shenchi found Cao Kun, "I have something to tell you."

Seeing his serious expression, Cao Kun locked the door, "Go ahead."

Shenchi then told him about his rebirth.

He had carefully considered telling Cao Kun. He hadn't recognized Ji Kaiwen at the Research Institute, but during dinner, he suddenly remembered—Ji Kaiwen was the test subject abandoned by Jiang Zhendong on the day he died.

He recalled shooting the rope binding them to divert attention from himself, allowing someone to escape under cover. Now, he realized that person was Ji Kaiwen.

Despite only having met once, Ji Kaiwen remembered him, the Shenchi from his previous life.

This was more than just a butterfly effect; it suggested that Shenchi might not be the only one reborn.