Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Huo Changfeng schooled his features at the door before entering the ward.

Bai Tu was indeed awake, but he wasn’t actually feverish. Ji Songyue had just used her superpower on him, healing some of his wounds and allowing him to regain consciousness.

The room's ceiling and walls were clean. The ceiling was a snowy white, with two fluorescent lights embedded in it. Only one was on, its wattage artificially lowered to conserve electricity, casting a dim, yellowish glow.

Bai Tu stared at the ceiling, soon feeling dizzy. He figured he had a mild concussion—everything seemed to spin, and he felt nauseous. He closed his eyes to rest, but not long after, he felt a sudden warmth on his forehead. Opening his eyes, he met Huo Changfeng’s worried gaze.

He offered a faint, tight-lipped smile and said, “Huo Changfeng.”

Huo Changfeng withdrew his hand a beat too late.

His hand was too hot—everything else felt cold. So, he took a thermometer from the desk drawer, wiped it off, and placed it in Bai Tu’s mouth.

“Does anything hurt?”

Given Bai Tu’s state, he must have been in pain all over. Huo Changfeng didn’t know why he was asking this—it felt like he was just filling the silence. But Bai Tu simply shook his head, the thermometer wobbling slightly in his mouth.

“No,” he mumbled. “I want to sit up.”

Huo Changfeng hesitated.

Bai Tu said, “It’s uncomfortable lying down.”

“You’re still injured. It’s best not to move.” Huo Changfeng removed the thermometer and held it up to the fluorescent light. It read just over 36 degrees—no fever. He was silent for a moment, then stood up, poured water from the thermos into a cup, used a flat iron spoon to scoop some up, blew on it to cool it, and fed it to Bai Tu.

It was difficult to drink while lying down. Even though Huo Changfeng carefully controlled the angle and speed of the spoon, water inevitably trickled from the corner of Bai Tu’s lips. Huo Changfeng took a tissue to wipe it away and continued feeding him slowly.

After a few sips, Bai Tu didn’t want any more. He turned his head slightly away from the spoon and asked softly, looking at Huo Changfeng, “What’s wrong?”

Huo Changfeng paused and withdrew the spoon. He remained silent for a long time before saying, “I’m sorry.”

Bai Tu didn’t speak, just watched him quietly.

His gaze was clear and accepting. Under such a gaze, Huo Changfeng felt ashamed and flustered, averting his eyes. “I didn’t kill Song Lan.”

He couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Song Lan had schemed against them, nearly getting them killed. In this brutal, lawless society, seeking revenge or even killing him would have been justified. Huo Changfeng admitted that when he heard Song Lan’s name from Bai Tu’s lips, an unprecedented surge of violent rage rose within him, screaming for him to destroy everything, nearly driving him out of his mind.

But when he actually gripped Song Lan’s neck, holding his life in his hands, he suddenly felt a wave of fear. He was unfamiliar with that version of himself, repulsed by the idea of taking a life, even if the person deserved it.

Ji Songyue had given him an out, an excuse.

He had let Song Lan off so lightly, but who would pay the price for Bai Tu and Guan Jianrui’s suffering, the heavy blow to their team, and the fear everyone else had felt?

For the first time, Huo Changfeng felt at a loss.

But…

But it was still a life.

The headache that came with his rage grew increasingly severe, now unbearable. Every nerve in his brain seemed to swell madly, threatening to pierce through his skull and scalp. Huo Changfeng pressed a hand to his forehead, bowing his head deeply, his always tense spine bending forward.

His thoughts scattered in an instant, and a few blurry fragments flashed through his mind.

A cold room, a hard bed, silver machinery, floating white coats…

Where was that place? Why were there so many doctors? Who was the person tied to the bed? Why did it feel so familiar…

Huo Changfeng trembled all over. The water had long since spilled from the cup onto the floor, but he didn’t notice. Suddenly, he heard someone calling his name anxiously. The voice seemed to drift from afar, veiled in thick fog, ethereal and distant, as if it would drift away with the wind at any moment.

He wanted to grasp this voice, and as he raised his hand, he actually caught hold of something cold and soft. He clenched it tightly, as if the force in his hand could alleviate the pain in his head.

Bai Tu’s left hand was gripped so tightly he couldn't move it. Anxiously, he looked at Huo Changfeng, trying to prop himself up, but his right hand was completely useless. He could only lie on the bed, calling Huo Changfeng’s name in vain.

Huo Changfeng's back was tightly arched, his body curled in on itself, showing no reaction to Bai Tu’s calls. Bai Tu kept calling his name until his voice grew hoarse. After what felt like an eternity, Huo Changfeng suddenly lifted his head.

Bai Tu was caught off guard by a pair of crimson eyes.

Huo Changfeng’s pupils had completely transformed into vertical slits. Above his brow bone, two horizontal lines appeared, parallel to his eyes. Upon closer inspection, these lines were slightly opening and closing, the surrounding skin bulging. Beneath the thin skin were densely packed black circular holes, clearly a pair of compound eyes.

Huo Changfeng seemed completely unaware of his own abnormality. Panting heavily, he continued, “I wasn’t being soft on Song Lan…”

As his lips moved, four sharp fangs were faintly visible.

“…I know,” Bai Tu said softly. “I didn’t want you to kill him. I just wanted you to be careful of him.”

Huo Changfeng was stunned.

Bai Tu tried to pull his hand free, but Huo Changfeng only tightened his grip, as if trying to crush his bones. Bai Tu had no choice but to curl his fingers, mustering the strength to hold Huo Changfeng’s hand in return. “Huo Changfeng, could you come closer? It’s tiring for me to talk like this.”

Huo Changfeng straightened up and leaned in.

Up close, the compound eyes on his forehead were fully open, staring intently at Bai Tu’s face alongside the other pair of vertical pupils.

“Song Lan did wrong and deserves punishment. If his mistake is grave enough to require his life as compensation, it still shouldn’t be us who take it.”

“If not us, then who…”

“Order,” Bai Tu said. “The order of human society, the rules—whether laws, morals, or some other form. That is the fairest judgment the collective will of humanity can render.”

“Will there still be order?” Huo Changfeng murmured, bewildered.

“Yes. When old orders collapse, new ones are established. Isn’t this base an example?”

Bai Tu was actually just placating Huo Changfeng. This base was so small, merely establishing a new rule suitable for survival under the remnants of morality. Human society, however, was vast, and establishing order and laws was far more difficult than setting rules—the gap was immeasurable.

Bai Tu had indeed seen human society under a new order, but that was from the Terrace of Longing long after his death. Before that, human society had experienced a long period of chaos and disorder.

The new order—neither he nor Huo Changfeng would live to see it.

And he did want to kill Song Lan, but it was also true that he didn’t want Huo Changfeng to be the one to do it.

The grip on his hand gradually loosened. Bai Tu easily freed himself, hooked his arm around Huo Changfeng’s neck, pulled him closer, and pressed his forehead against his own neck. Gently, he massaged Huo Changfeng’s temple.

“You’re too tired. Get some sleep.”

Huo Changfeng murmured, “I can’t sleep. I still need to take care of you.”

Bai Tu blinked. “But I can only sleep if I see you asleep. Really, I’m not lying. The past few nights were like this; you just didn’t notice.”

Huo Changfeng’s mind was foggy, unable to make out the words clearly. But Bai Tu’s voice was too gentle, like a lullaby woven from spring water. Under such a sound, he actually fell asleep.

Bai Tu felt a weight on his shoulder. He continued massaging Huo Changfeng’s temple, and after a long while, he looked down. The compound eyes on Huo Changfeng’s forehead had vanished.

He touched the spot where the horizontal lines had disappeared, struggled to pull out a section of the blanket from under Huo Changfeng’s weight to cover him, then tilted his head slightly, resting his cheek against Huo Changfeng’s crown. Closing his eyes, he fell into a deep sleep.

*

Xiang Yubo spent several hours on the round trip, returning to the hospital as day broke. The lost supplies had all been recovered, and even the original supplies belonging to those five people were added. He took stock and prepared a list to hand over to Huo Changfeng.

He went straight to Bai Tu’s door, raised his hand to knock, but got no answer. Just as he was about to knock again, Fan Xinglu walked over from nearby, holding a bag of steamed buns and several bottles of mineral water.

“Guanguan is awake,” Fan Xinglu said, his expression weary yet tinged with a hint of relief. “He wants to see the captain.”

This news also eased Xiang Yubo’s mind a little. “How is he? Is the wound infected?”

“With Yueyue here, he’s recovering quite well.” Fan Xinglu glanced at the list in Xiang Yubo’s hand, barely reading a few words. “Have you been to get the stolen supplies back?”

“Yes,” Xiang Yubo said.

“Did you get everything back? What exactly happened?”

Xiang Yubo knocked on the door again. “It’s complicated.”

The sound of knocking drifted into the quiet room. Huo Changfeng stirred, a dull ache throbbing at his temples. A faint scent of blood and disinfectant filled his nostrils. He slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a patch of pale skin, with faint blue veins visible beneath.

He was stunned for a second, realizing the chair had been pulled extremely close to the hospital bed. He was sitting on it, but his upper body was slumped over Bai Tu, his head resting in the crook of Bai Tu’s shoulder. Bai Tu’s arm was trapped under him, and his wrist was still clutched in Huo Changfeng’s hand.

Startled, he paid no mind to the stiffness in his back and neck from maintaining such an awkward posture for so long. He quickly released his grip and straightened up to check on Bai Tu. First, he checked Bai Tu’s forehead, then pulled back the blanket to examine the wounds.

Fortunately, he hadn't put pressure on the wounds. Bai Tu’s wounds hadn’t reopened, and he wasn’t running a fever. Huo Changfeng let out a sigh of relief and tucked Bai Tu’s arm back under the blanket. Probably numb from being used as a pillow, Bai Tu furrowed his brows slightly in his sleep at the movement.

The knocking stopped briefly before starting again. Huo Changfeng rubbed his temples, got up to open the door. After opening it, he didn’t bother looking closely at who it was, simply returned to the bedside to massage Bai Tu’s arm.

His memory from last night cut off abruptly after he returned to the room. Could it be that using his ability while his emotions were in turmoil caused such a severe headache that he couldn’t remember anything clearly?

“Captain, have something to eat first.”

Fan Xinglu’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Huo Changfeng worked his fingers over Bai Tu’s arm and shoulder muscles, making sure all the stiffness was worked out before covering him back up. He took a steamed bun and a bottle of mineral water. “Let’s talk outside.”

Xiang Yubo and Fan Xinglu each took a portion of breakfast as well. The three of them went out into the corridor, washing down the buns with water.

Fan Xinglu said, “Three things. First, Guanguan is awake and has something to tell you. Second, how to handle Song Lan’s situation. Third, our next steps.”

Xiang Yubo said, “The supplies have been recovered. Here’s the list. On my way back, I ran into Ren Yan. He said he has something to discuss with you.” He paused. “What happened with Song Lan?”

Fan Xinglu glanced at Huo Changfeng, seeing he had no intention of speaking, so he briefly recounted what happened last night and what Song Lan had done.

Xiang Yubo’s expression changed halfway through the story, and by the end, his face was utterly grim.

A bad feeling rose in Fan Xinglu’s heart. “What’s wrong?”

“I just ran into Song Lan downstairs. He seemed completely normal,” Xiang Yubo said. “I was in a hurry to get back and didn’t have time to sort the supplies. I was just inventorying the whole truck with him. He said this is the center of the base, and a truck full of supplies parked downstairs is too conspicuous, easily attracting covetous eyes. He offered to help store them.”

Now Fan Xinglu’s expression also turned ugly. “Did you give him the car keys?”

Xiang Yubo didn’t even have time to nod before he turned and sprinted downstairs. He returned a few minutes later, face ashen. “Gone.”

Fan Xinglu couldn’t hold back a curse. “Fuck! What kind of person is he?!”

Huo Changfeng scanned the list. The truck Xiang Yubo drove back contained guns, medicine, food, water, two large bags of crystal cores, and terminals with stored information—every item was crucial.

He immediately said, “He hasn’t been gone long. We can still catch up now. Four-Eyes, try to locate him immediately. Xiang Yubo, you stay here with Song Yue and look after Bai Tu and Guanguan.”

Xiang Yubo acknowledged the order. Song Lan had left by car; they couldn’t afford to waste a single second. Huo Changfeng and Fan Xinglu put down their half-eaten steamed buns and water and hurried downstairs. Just as they reached the second-floor stairwell, they ran straight into Ren Yan.

Ren Yan’s expression was serious. He glanced at the two of them and slowly spoke, “Captain Huo, your friend surnamed Song drove out of the north gate ten minutes ago and shortly after blew up the road outside it. That’s one of the few safe routes from the base to the outside world. I consider you honored guests and have treated you well. Don’t you think you owe me an explanation for this?”

Fan Xinglu’s heart sank. They couldn’t chase Song Lan anymore. Before dealing with the mess Song Lan left behind, Ren Yan wouldn’t let them leave. If they ignored it and chased anyway, not to mention whether they could catch up with the road destroyed, the people remaining in the base would no longer receive Ren Yan’s preferential treatment and might even be targeted. This was a terrible situation they currently couldn’t handle.

Anger boiled inside him. He just wanted to hunt Song Lan down and teach him a proper lesson. But in front of Ren Yan, he couldn’t lose his temper. Afraid his tone would be too aggressive if he spoke and worsen relations, he could only look at Huo Changfeng, waiting for him to handle it.

Huo Changfeng’s entire body was tense. After a long moment, he said, “I apologize. There was internal conflict within the team. I failed to handle it properly, and it has affected you. I will take full responsibility for this matter and compensate you for all losses incurred. Was anyone injured in the explosion?”

Ren Yan’s expression softened slightly, reluctantly accepting this explanation. “It was far away. No casualties.” Otherwise, he wouldn’t be standing here so calmly asking for an explanation.

“But the northern route is blocked, Captain Huo. You should know the significance of this road.”

With limited manpower, the base had only cleared four main roads leading to the outside world in the four cardinal directions. Among these four, the northern route was the most time-efficient for reaching the national hub city. Time was now the most precious resource. The less time spent on the road, the fewer dangers encountered. And the sooner they could establish contact with the national hub, the more they could accomplish.

Countless effort had been invested in clearing this road, and some had even lost their lives for it. Now, suddenly destroyed, Ren Yan maintaining a civil tone with Huo Changfeng was already the height of restraint.

Huo Changfeng had originally planned to take that route north as well. Hearing this news naturally didn’t put him in a good mood.

“Give me three days. I will clear that road. Before that, I have an unreasonable request,” Huo Changfeng said. “My team member is seriously injured. It’s truly difficult for me to divide my attention.”

Ren Yan asked, “What do you need?”

“A map of the entire city and layout diagrams of the city’s major buildings.”