Chapter 90

Chapter 90

Run. Find Huo Changfeng, tell him, then leave this place.

That was the only thought in Bai Tu's mind, driving him to keep running forward.

The alarm in the core area blared incessantly, bullets chased after him from behind. Bai Tu felt as if he had returned to that day—this sealed, gray, dark base was just like that jungle, with predatory beasts lurking in the shadows, ready to strip a person to the bone and devour them completely.

Bai Tu jumped into the sewer, and unexpectedly, the files he had just seen flashed through his mind. The photos on them matched one by one with the greedy faces he had seen at the base entrance on the day he first arrived.

He remembered the fleeting pride on Guan Jianrui's face when he mentioned that the base regularly issued missions to rescue survivors. Did those superhumans, who had worked so hard to bring the rescued people back to the base, know that the base's massive intake of powerless wanderers was actually just to select experimental subjects?

The sound of heavy objects hitting the water echoed one after another in the empty underground sewer. Bai Tu heard a few spat-out curses and knew that this hidden path was now exposed. He gave a bitter smile.

He was still so useless, always messing things up.

But at this moment, there was one thing he could definitely do—

The underground sewer was a labyrinth of interconnected passages. Bai Tu shook off the pursuers on his tail and returned to the surface. The entire core area was flashing red lights above, sirens blared across the sky, and the searchlights from all the watchtowers were turned to their highest brightness, lighting up the entire base as if it were daytime.

Some wound on his body was bleeding. The shivering caused by excessive blood loss overshadowed the cold from his soaked clothes. Staggering, Bai Tu ran toward the villa, only to see a team lingering nearby. The leader was none other than Song Lan.

In this situation, Song Lan would definitely kill him. Besides, he was no match for Song Lan.

...

Tonight, it seemed no one would be able to sleep. Rong Wazi listened to the sirens piercing the sky outside, put on his clothes, and went out to check.

Most residents on this floor had come out, leaning over the corridor railing to look down.

Lu Touzi came over. "Brother, did you see the troops downstairs? They're checking house by house. What's going on? It's never been this lively before."

Rong Wazi looked toward the brightly lit core area. "Probably something happened over there."

"What kind of thing requires such a massive mobilization?"

Rong Wazi didn't answer. After a while, a small troop came up to their floor, barging into rooms one by one to check. Although the residents were displeased, they all stayed quiet like quails, not daring to make a sound.

"Have you seen anyone with a gunshot wound?" the leader asked.

"No, we were all sleeping," Lu Touzi said.

"You haven't seen anything either?"

"No. What kind of person are you looking for, brothers?" Rong Wazi grinned. "Any other distinctive features? If there's something easy to recognize, we can help look."

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't!" the leader glared at him. Finally, he went into Rong Wazi's room, looked around, then led his men hurriedly upstairs. After a while, they came down from upstairs and ran toward another building.

The other residents, seeing they couldn't figure out what was going on, gradually returned to their rooms.

"Holy cow, who are they looking for?"

"Don't know. You should go back to sleep too. This isn't something we can handle."

After saying this, Rong Wazi prepared to go back inside. He had just taken a step when he suddenly heard a crisp sound. Subconsciously turning toward the noise, he saw a hand clinging to the cement railing near the base wall—a hand that hadn't been there just moments before.

Lu Touzi noticed it too. To his credit, he didn't scream. Exchanging a glance with Rong Wazi, he walked toward the edge. He reached the railing, peeked over, then turned back with a horrified expression, whispering, "It's Bai Tu!"

Rong Wazi hurried over. He saw Bai Tu gripping the railing with one hand, the other hand desperately clinging to a protruding part of a water pipe. His entire body was hanging solely by his arms, his head drooping as if he had passed out.

Lu Touzi grabbed his hand, trying to pull him up, but touched something wet, slippery, and sticky. Pulling his hand back and looking under the overhead light, his hand was covered in blood.

He swallowed hard. "The person they're looking for... it wouldn't be him, would it?"

Rong Wazi stared at Bai Tu's head, lost in thought.

"Brother, do we save him? Or call those guys from just now? We might even earn a reward. But then your deal would fall through."

Rong Wazi remained silent. The head in his vision suddenly swayed, then lifted with great effort.

"I have... what you want."

Rong Wazi immediately stepped forward, but before he could, Lu Touzi had already taken the lead, hooking his hands under Bai Tu's armpits and pulling him up.

Bai Tu was clearly in a semi-conscious state. The moment his feet touched the ground, his legs gave way and he slumped down. Rong Wazi bent down to lift his legs, and the two of them worked together to carry Bai Tu to the bed in Rong Wazi's room. Rong Wazi whispered, "Clean up the blood outside, then bring a set of clothes over."

"Where would I have clothes for him to wear?" Lu Touzi replied in an equally hushed tone.

"Didn't you just buy a set the day before yesterday?"

"That was for my sweetheart!"

"Stop with the nonsense! I'll get you a new set another day. Hurry up, don't let anyone else notice!... Close the door quietly!"

After Lu Touzi left, Rong Wazi took a deep breath and began to assess Bai Tu's condition.

It was very bad.

He was still bleeding, his body temperature was very low, and he was sweating profusely.

Rong Wazi rummaged through drawers and cabinets, took one pill from each of the medicine bags Bai Tu had given him, and shoved them all into Bai Tu's mouth.

"You'd better pray the medicine you sold me isn't fake."

He cut open Bai Tu's clothes, now in tatters, soaked a towel in alcohol, and wiped the visible wounds. Bai Tu flinched, and the wounds started bleeding again from the spasm. Rong Wazi cursed under his breath, sped up cleaning the wounds, applied hemostatic powder, cut gauze to cover them, then turned Bai Tu over to treat the injuries on his back.

When Lu Touzi came in with the new clothes, Rong Wazi was unwrapping the thick layer of torn cloth wrapped around Bai Tu's left upper arm. Judging by the material, it seemed to be torn from his shirt, now completely soaked in blood.

After unwrapping this bundle of cloth, a bullet hole was revealed.

Lu Touzi gasped softly. "It really is him!"

"Don't just stand there, come help."

The bullet had gone through Bai Tu's arm, and the bleeding wouldn't stop. At this rate of blood loss, Bai Tu would go into shock soon.

Lu Touzi quickly put the clothes aside. "What do you need me to do?"

"The bottom drawer of the cabinet next to you has a box of needle and thread. Thread the needle, then sterilize it." Rong Wazi pressed gauze against the bleeding bullet hole. "The top drawer has rock sugar. Boil some water, make a cup, and force it down his throat."

Lu Touzi did as instructed. While boiling the water, he glanced at the half-empty bag of rock sugar nearby. "Brother, isn't this the bag Xiao Ying was eating from? And this needle and thread... it's sister-in-law's, right?"

Rong Wazi didn't answer. He took the needle and thread and began stitching around the bullet hole.

Perhaps the pain of having a wound sewn up without anesthesia was too hard to ignore, Bai Tu coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood mixed with medicine residue and slowly regained consciousness.

Rong Wazi finished one stitch and looked up at him. "The commotion you caused is huge. Our deal didn't include me cleaning up your mess."

Bai Tu, too weak or otherwise, opened his eyes and remained silent. Then, propping himself up, he slowly sat up.

Rong Wazi ordered Lu Touzi to bring all the bags of medicine over and place them beside Bai Tu. Bai Tu picked out several pieces from them, chewed them up together, and swallowed. The bleeding quickly subsided, and his complexion showed a slight, visible improvement, though he still looked quite pale.

Seeing sweat continuously beading on Bai Tu's forehead, Lu Touzi kindly offered him a cloth.

Bai Tu didn't take it. Instead, he pulled a stack of papers from his trouser pocket and handed them to Rong Wazi. Rong Wazi was tying off the suture thread, so Lu Touzi helped out by taking them. He unthinkingly opened them and glanced inside, then froze on the spot. He flipped through the pages one by one. Although the contents were stained with blood, they were still perfectly legible.

Lu Touzi stared at Bai Tu, his mouth agape. "...What is this?"

"What's what?" Rong Wazi looked over.

Lu Touzi instinctively hid the papers behind his back and avoided Rong Wazi's eyes.

Rong Wazi's heart gave a violent lurch. "What is that?"

"What you've been looking for..." Bai Tu said weakly, "...in the Core Zone."

Lu Touzi tightened his grip on the papers, unable to stop himself from stepping back. "Brother, I think it's better not to look..."

Rong Wazi sprang to his feet and closed the distance in a few quick strides, grabbed Lu Touzi's shoulder, forced him to turn around, and snatched the papers from his hand. Immediately, he saw a familiar face. He stood rooted to the spot, his hands beginning to tremble uncontrollably. He stared wide-eyed, pored over each page, unwilling to miss a single word.

The room fell silent, filled only with the rustle of paper and his increasingly ragged, heavy breathing.

After what felt like an age, he lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot. "Tell me this isn't true... This isn't true, right?!"

Bai Tu looked at him. "If it were fake, why would they go to such great lengths to find me?"

Rong Wazi panted like an ox, his chest heaving violently, his face gradually turning livid. A few minutes later, his legs gave out and he collapsed backward.

Lu Touzi hurriedly caught him, sinking to the floor with him, beside himself and at a loss for words. "Brother! Brother! Breathe slowly, breathe slowly!"

Bai Tu put on his clothes and slowly shuffled over to a table in the corner.

The map he had given Rong Wazi was lying on it. He picked up a pen, drew several circles on it, then flipped the map over and began writing and sketching. Finally, he placed a photograph on top.

Sometimes he was quite grateful for Xue Ji's persistent dedication to learning. Without that drive, the debt-collection terminal wouldn't have had a photo printing function.

He became aware of Lu Touzi helping Rong Wazi walk up behind him. Without turning around, he flipped the map back to the front and pointed at the circles. "Your daughter hasn't been destroyed yet. She might be in these places." Then he flipped it back to the reverse side. "This is the base's underground sewer system and the ventilation system for your daughter's building. You could try this route to find your daughter, but this path was just discovered, so you might also need to find another way."

He finally took out the photograph. "This is your wife."

From behind him came only breathing that sounded as if weighed down by a massive rock and faint, choked sobs hidden within that breath. Bai Tu slowly stood up. "Our transaction is concluded."

He walked towards the door, ignoring Lu Touzi's questioning "Where are you going?" from behind.

Lu Touzi had no time to worry about him now either. He had just helped Rong Wazi sit down when he suddenly heard a dull thud at the door. Looking over, he saw Bai Tu had collapsed unconscious on the floor. He hurriedly moved Bai Tu back onto the bed. The kettle boiled, emitting a sharp whistle. Lu Touzi spun in place a few times, unsure what to do first, and ultimately made a cup of sugar water and placed it on the table.

"Brother, drink some hot water."

Rong Wazi clutched the file and photograph, hanging his head in silence. Just as Lu Touzi's legs were about to go numb from standing, Rong Wazi looked up. "Let it cool for him to drink. You go keep watch outside. Notify me immediately if there's any movement. If it were just my wife and daughter's files being missing, the entire base wouldn't need to be on lockdown. He's in such a frantic hurry to leave; there must be something else."

*

The hour-long wail of sirens failed to wake Huo Changfeng.

He was trapped in a bizarre, chaotic dream. In the dream, he seemed to have become a trapped beast, bound and unable to move. Countless white shadows drifted around him like ghosts, occasionally stopping to fiddle with his fur, injecting icy, garishly colored liquids into his flesh.

Violence, accompanying the pain, followed close behind. He opened his mouth and roared. Thoughts of slaughter flickered incessantly in his mind. He broke free of his restraints. The world before his eyes became a chaotic mess of nothing but mottled color patches and light and shadow. Crimson liquid arced through the air, blooming like dazzling fireworks. Hoarse cries rose and fell, composing a symphony.

Layer upon layer of white shadows pressed closer, surrounding him. A fishing net descended from above, imprisoning him once more. Countless needles shot towards him like bullets. He fell to the ground. In the last second before his eyes helplessly closed, a young child flashed into view, hiding timidly behind the many tall white shadows, watching him.

Who was that...

Huo Changfeng woke up. Within seconds, the dream was completely forgotten. He clutched his head and cried out in agony. It felt as if thousands of needles and hammers were incessantly stabbing and pounding inside his brain, seemingly determined to pound it into mush.

He curled his body to alleviate the pain, but it only intensified.

Bai Tu... He needed Bai Tu...

He wanted Bai Tu...

Huo Changfeng fell off the bed, stumbled to the next room, and directly twisted the doorknob, barging in. A cold breeze hit his face. Although the lights were off, Huo Changfeng could clearly see every detail of the room: the neatly made, wrinkle-free bed, the wide-open window, the footprints by the window, and the clothes drying by the window that he had never seen Bai Tu wear.

Bai Tu was not in the room.

Huo Changfeng collapsed onto the floor. The cold floor once again reminded him of this fact.

Bai Tu had secrets. His secrets had made him leave without a word, just like last time, without even giving him half an explanation.

Huo Changfeng curled up, his thoughts sinking into chaos. It seemed like a long time had passed when a startled exclamation abruptly reached him. He turned his head and saw Fan Xinglu and the other two standing at the room's doorway, looking at him with either shock or fear.

He stopped and looked around, only then realizing he had turned Bai Tu's room into a complete mess, as if a hurricane had swept through.

He saw Xiang Yubo's mouth opening and closing, but no sound reached him.

"You said he was in his room!" he roared at Fan Xinglu.

Fan Xinglu's mouth opened and closed, also like a silent movie. Huo Changfeng walked over, pinned him against the wall, and asked word by word, "Where is he?"

Fan Xinglu grabbed his wrist, trying to pull it away from his neck. Xiang Yubo and Ji Songyue rushed up, pulling him back from left and right. Their strength felt like a mere tickle to Huo Changfeng. "Did you lie to me with him?" he demanded.

Fan Xinglu made a few gasping sounds. Huo Changfeng was unaware his hand was unconsciously tightening. He just pressed on, "Answer me!"

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced his neck. Icy liquid flowed in. Huo Changfeng's expression instantly twisted into something monstrous, like a demon. But before the frenzy and bloodlust could fully rise, he fell backward. His boiling consciousness sank into an abyss, swallowed by darkness.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he woke up, finding himself in bed.

Fan Xinglu and Ji Songyue were anxiously keeping watch by the bedside but took several cautious steps back the moment his eyes opened.

Huo Changfeng didn't move, easily recalling his earlier seizure-like behavior.

"...Captain, Bai Tu might have just gone out to check the situation. It was quite chaotic outside earlier; he'll probably be back soon," Ji Songyue said, softening her voice as much as possible. "You just now... we had no choice but to give you a sedative."

Huo Changfeng sat up, looked at his own hands, and after a moment of silence, said, "I'm sorry."

Fan Xinglu touched his own throat and hoarsely said it was okay.

"Captain, are you sick?" Ji Songyue chose her words carefully. "Do you want me to take a look?"

Huo Changfeng shook his head. "...Thank you. I'd like to be alone for a while."

Ji Songyue and Fan Xinglu had no choice but to leave. On their way downstairs, they ran into Xiang Yubo who was coming up.

"He doesn't want anyone going in right now," Ji Songyue shook her head at him.

"Is he feeling better?" Xiang Yubo asked quietly.

"He's awake," Ji Songyue paused. "He seems lucid now. You didn't find Bai Tu?"

Seeing Xiang Yubo shake his head, she frowned and looked at Fan Xinglu. "You really don't know where Bai Tu went?"

"How would I know?"

Xiang Yubo sighed, "I'm afraid now is not the time to discuss Bai Tu's whereabouts."

"Why?"

"Commander Liu sent someone. He says he needs Brother Huo for something urgent."

Xiang Yubo stepped aside as he finished, so Ji Songyue could finally see the soldier waiting in the living room.

...

"That's the situation. If it weren't for intruders destroying a large number of storage containers, these serums could have been preserved longer. But now, without the specialized solvent, they'll soon lose their biological activity."

Commander Liu let out a long sigh. "We've researched for over half a year to produce just this small amount of serum that might neutralize the zombie virus. The only chance to salvage it is to prepare the specialized solvent immediately. The problem is, the base is completely out of the raw materials. Currently, the only known sources are two locations: the Army Strategic Command and the Life Sciences Research Center."

"You want me to get the materials?" Huo Changfeng asked.

He sat in a chair, his lips pale, but his expression remained calm. Yet his usually sharp, bright eyes were now clouded with a faint gloom. His light brown pupils only shifted occasionally, radiating a formidable, distant air.

"Yes. You're the only one familiar with Army Headquarters. As for the research center, I recall you've been there once."

"Correct."

"These two places are at opposite ends of the city, each among the most zombie-infested areas. I need someone strong, who can act fast and knows both places, to get the materials. I didn't tell you earlier for two reasons: first, we had enough solvent, and second—" Commander Liu placed a palm-sized device on the table. "The zombie detector is still in development, but we'll have to make do."

"What do the materials look like?"

"I'll send someone who knows the materials with you. Zihao and Song Lan will also lead teams. They'll all answer to you. Agreed?"

"Alright."

Commander Liu's tense brow softened a little. "The serum can only last 24 more hours. It's urgent. Move out at dawn."

Huo Changfeng remained seated.

"Was there something else?"

"Aside from this, is there anything else you need me to do?" Huo Changfeng asked.

Commander Liu was taken aback for a moment, then stood and walked over, patting his shoulder. "No. This is the first thing I'm asking of you, and it will be the last." He smiled at Huo Changfeng. "Changfeng, I've always believed in you. Don't let me down. Lives are on the line."

Huo Changfeng stood up. "If you see Bai Tu, please tell him I'll return as soon as possible and keep my promise. And ask him... to wait for me."