Chapter 123: The Void of Life

Chapter 123: The Void of Life

This time, Guan Yuanfeng only brought Jiang Rongqian and Tang Anchen from the special operations team. The four of them, along with Comet, flew to Sanchu Base in a helicopter, while Luo Shouchang took his own entourage in another helicopter.

Upon arriving at Sanchu Base and disembarking from the plane, Luo Shouchang was shocked to find that the Lord of Dongjun had also come. He was scared half to death and quietly pulled Guan Yuanfeng aside: "Are you out of your mind! Do you know how many people have put up huge bounties on the black market? You actually dared to bring him out!"

Guan Yuanfeng: "..."

He involuntarily touched a burr stuck to his collar, coughed lightly, and said, "He can protect himself, don't worry."

Luo Shouchang looked at Zhou Yun, who was chatting with Tang Anchen, his expression gentle and harmless, with a mix of doubt and belief: "We need to find a cover identity for him."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Call him Dr. Zhou, say he's our team doctor."

Luo Shouchang: "..."

How could the mighty Lord of Dongjun, who built cities with his bare hands, be linked to something as mundane as "team doctor"?

But seeing him in a dark green combat uniform, walking among the special ops team—tall, calm, and gentle, like a sheep among wolves.

Luo Shouchang sighed inwardly, though he couldn’t help feeling a bit pleased. After all, the Lord of Dongjun's willingness to come showed that he was giving face to Sanchu Base. Of course, he wouldn’t think it was due to any personal sway he had over Guan Yuanfeng.

Honestly, with his own fumbling attempts to curry favor with superiors, always showing up with a troubled face to beg for help, if he were Guan Yuanfeng, he wouldn’t think much of himself either.

Yet, without a single word or condition, they came.

This made him wonder what Sanchu Base could offer Guixu City, and for a moment, he felt truly ashamed.

Sanchu Base, with its long history and vast area, is a massive base housing over a million people, with convenient land, water, and air transport. As their plane touched down, the sky remained overcast, and a thin layer of snow blanketed the ground.

Near the tarmac, rows of base guard soldiers stood at attention, their boots gleaming, bayonets fixed, unmoving in the biting wind. As Luo Shouchang led them down, everyone snapped to attention, saluting in unison.

Zhou Yun was taken aback by the display.

But seeing Guan Yuanfeng, Luo Shouchang, and even Tang Anchen return the salute, Zhou Yun followed suit, mimicking the gesture.

They were housed in the general command headquarters. The courtyard was perfumed with the faint scent of wintersweet, and from upstairs, they gazed out at the meandering river and the ancient city tower.

Upstairs, Luo Shouchang hosted a welcome dinner featuring dishes like steamed river fish, braised turtle, pork rib and lotus root soup, sautéed crayfish, chopped pepper fish head, and garlic sprout with cured pork. It was clear no expense had been spared to make the meal lavish.

Managing a base of over a million people in the apocalypse is a terrifying task.

The servers brought small bowls of staple food and set them before the guests. Zhou Yun held up a hand: "I’ll pass on this. Just a bowl of plain porridge or rice, please."

Luo Shouchang smiled at Zhou Yun: "This is our specialty sesame paste noodles. Won’t you give them a try?"

Zhou Yun smiled: "It’s a bit dry for me. I prefer something soupy. Food’s precious these days—let’s not waste it."

The noodles were alkaline, high in calories, and smelled fragrant, but for him, they were too salty and dry, not to his taste.

Of course, in the apocalypse, one shouldn’t be picky, but in his previous life, he had lived in Sanchu Base for a long time, and the research institute's cafeteria always had them, and they were the cheapest.

In his previous life, Zhou Yun lived frugally, staying in a dormitory with no conditions to cook for himself, and most of the time, he had these noodles with the cafeteria's free clear soup for a meal.

Having eaten it too often, the smell alone was enough to make him decline politely.

Guan Yuanfeng looked at him with some surprise. He knew that Zhou Yun was always enthusiastic about many foods and loved trying various strange and unique dishes.

Tang Anchen beside him took a deep breath: "This sesame paste smells so good." His face was full of craving.

Guan Yuanfeng picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, frowning slightly. As a fellow townsman and neighbor of Zhou Yun, the alkaline wheat noodles didn't quite suit his taste either. However, being a man of discipline and seriousness, he still finished his portion.

During the meal, Luo Shouchang was witty and humorous, livening up the atmosphere and clearly explaining the situation at Sanchu Base.

As dinner was coming to an end, his aide brought over a box. Luo Shouchang personally presented it to Zhou Yun: "This item was obtained by chance. I heard it's beneficial for wood psychic abilities. Given the rare sincerity of the Lord of Dongjun in coming to our aid, please accept this small token of appreciation."

Zhou Yun opened the box to find a green stone inside. Its texture was deep and intricate, resembling wood grain, yet it had the luster of jade, bright and warm, with a radiant glow. Picking it up and holding it in his palm, Zhou Yun felt the abundant wood psychic energy within, a bit surprised: "Is this... fossilized wood?"

Luo Shouchang smiled: "Yes."

Zhou Yun knew this was likely a spiritual artifact, similar to his pearl, capable of enhancing wood psychic abilities. Luo Shouchang was returning the favor. Zhou Yun smiled: "Thank you, General Luo."

Seeing Zhou Yun accept the gift, Luo Shouchang felt relieved, knowing that the Lord of Dongjun also had intentions of forming a connection. As Guan Yuanfeng was his superior, giving gifts to him would be inappropriate, but presenting a gift to another city lord like the Lord of Dongjun to build goodwill was perfectly fine. Pleasing the Lord of Dongjun also meant pleasing his stern superior.

After dinner, Zhou Yun returned to his room. Seeing Tang Anchen bring up his and Guan Yuanfeng's luggage, he thanked him with a smile. Jiang Rongqian arrived with a suitcase, first checking for any listening devices, then activating a signal jammer.

Zhou Yun sighed: "Do you always go through this routine every time you go on a mission?"

Jiang Rongqian smiled slightly: "It's standard security procedure. But for Dr. Zhou's trip this time, the captain specifically emphasized safety first, so we brought out some larger, more precise equipment."

After the inspection, Jiang Rongqian packed the equipment away while reminding Zhou Yun: "Always keep your phone with you, and don't let your drinks out of your sight. Don't wear the hotel's clothes or shoes."

Zhou Yun: "..."

After tidying up, Guan Yuanfeng walked in and saw Zhou Yun had changed out of his battle gear into a long black coat: "Where are you going?"

Zhou Yun replied: "Just had a full meal, thought I'd take a walk. Want to join?"

Guan Yuanfeng watched as Zhou Yun turned up the collar of his coat, covering his slender neck. He picked out a woolen scarf from the suitcase and wrapped it around Zhou Yun: "Sure."

Downstairs, an SUV was prepared, but Guan Yuanfeng and Zhou Yun's departure still took the guards by surprise. They were flustered, not daring to stop them, but quickly called for instructions, eventually letting them pass nervously.

Zhou Yun drove, with Guan Yuanfeng in the passenger seat. He glanced outside and saw Tang Anchen holding Comet, who was eagerly watching them. Seeing Zhou Yun silent, he also remained quiet.

Winter nights came early, and with the energy crisis in the post-apocalyptic world, most streetlights were off. Relying solely on the car's headlights to navigate, Zhou Yun initially struggled but eventually recognized the way, driving to an old campus by the lake. This was the lakeside campus of Sanchu University, primarily the medical school, where he had lived for a long time in his previous life.

The car's license plate was clearly a special pass, allowing them to enter the campus without hindrance. Zhou Yun parked the car, and they got out, walking through the campus.

The cold was biting, with dense clouds shifting overhead and the wind howling through the sky. They walked side by side up the steps.

The bare trees were weighed down by snow, and the yellowed grass was muddy.

In Zhou Yun's eyes, the past came vividly to mind. Students and researchers hurried through the gloomy, cold buildings, people quietly flipping through and copying materials in the library, the aroma of sesame paste in the cafeteria, the distant and near water firs by the lake standing silent as ever, the steady hum of centrifuges in the lab, test tubes, beakers, and pipettes waiting quietly. It was at Sanchu Base that he had parted ways with Guan Yuanfeng in haste, without even a proper farewell.

Spring flowers always bloomed briefly, with peach, yellow, and pink blossoms falling after a rain.

He remembered a cluster of winter jasmine vines by his dormitory door. Every day, he would pass by and nourish it with a bit of growth spells, watching the yellow flowers briefly appear among the long, hanging vines, like stars in a green waterfall.

Zhou Yun accurately found the flower bed. The dormitory here was now uninhabited, and of course, there were no flowers in the bed, only withered branches and leaves.

Standing under the old dormitory building, Zhou Yun looked up at the overcast sky, where distant starlight was faint as dust. The wind howled through the sky, just as it shook the mental seals in his mind.

The memories of the days repeated here had been dormant in the darkness, now surging through his mind. He had thought he had long forgotten, but standing here now, he could barely tell the past from the present.

Today seemed like the result of yesterday, but today was not the tomorrow of yesterday.

Reality couldn't cover what had already happened, the days of longing and loneliness deeply etched into his memory and soul. He hadn't erased or covered the past. He had simply walked a different, parallel path.

He stared at the withered winter jasmine vines. For years, he had maintained his own will and solitary order, but the world noisily disrupted him, the emptiness of life never leaving him, impossible to fill or comment on.

He had barely left, yet he had already returned. Countless versions of his present self bid farewell to countless versions of his past.

He glanced over at Guan Yuanfeng, standing silently, and motioned for him to come closer.

Guan Yuanfeng, who had been warily eyeing the shadowy surroundings, thought Zhou Yun had something to say when he saw the gesture and moved closer.

But Zhou Yun reached out, encircled Guan Yuanfeng's neck, and pressed his lips to Guan Yuanfeng's, which were cool and dry.

Guan Yuanfeng froze for a moment, then pulled Zhou Yun closer and kissed him back, though Zhou Yun's fervor left him little choice but to follow his lead.

Zhou Yun shut his eyes, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his arms locking around Guan Yuanfeng with even greater force. Guan Yuanfeng seemed to feel his desperation and need, answering with an embrace that was even more intense.

The two shared a fervent kiss beneath the quiet, deserted school building.

Guan Yuanfeng noticed tears streaming down Zhou Yun's face and was taken aback. Zhou Yun burned like fire yet was as cold as ice. Guan Yuanfeng gently brushed away Zhou Yun's tears with his fingers, intensifying the kiss, yearning to fuse Zhou Yun into himself, desperate to share his warmth.

At their feet, the dried-up ivy suddenly burst into life, fresh shoots breaking through the pristine snow, countless green tendrils cascading like waterfalls, speckled with yellow blossoms that shone like stars.

Zhou Yun couldn't quite recall when they made it back to the car that night, only that his emotions had been unusually turbulent.

The past and present were tangled together, and his desires were more urgent than usual. He longed to escape the feeling of falling into an endless void of life, to fill the emptiness with the differences of this lifetime.

Guan Yuanfeng decisively and firmly responded to his demands, even if what he sought was pain.

Pain brought solace, his blood boiling like water, scalding oil, stimulating him to the point of tingling scalp, yet he still remembered the suffocating near-death experience. He seemed to cry, tears or something else splashing out from his body, the emptiness in his heart filled, and he felt a sense of relief.

He remembered Guan Yuanfeng cupping his face and kissing him fiercely, his hands gripping his wrists tightly, making him feel secure.