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墨書 Inktalez
"I need your testimony." Su Lan restarted the car, her expression as cold as water, and said seriously, "Repeat everything you just said to the teachers."
In the back seat, Ming Junwei chuckled, interrupting Su Lan's words with a teasing tone. "Aso, why should I do that?"
"Because it might save that girl," Su Lan replied without turning her head, her voice calm. "I know what you're worried about. I assure you, as long as you cooperate, I will not let Kenny carry out the destruction."
"I want to believe you, but if that's the case, you could just tell them directly. Why do I have to go through this trouble?" Ming Junwei was confused. "You are their lover and student; your words should carry more weight."
"I need to find E first. If she finds him before I do, Yuan An will undoubtedly die." Su Lan sighed, reflecting on the situation. "I never expected Dr. An would leave such a contingency."
Ming Junwei smiled bitterly, recalling something. He asked, "Speaking of Dr. An, does the child know that his mother is gone?"
"He should know," Su Lan said, her gaze dimming slightly. "He’s grown up; he will learn many things."
"Is that old man taking care of him?" Ming Junwei asked with curiosity.
"Yes, I intended to look after him, but..." Su Lan's voice trailed off as she remembered the boy's indifferent eyes, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.
Ming Junwei nodded, sensing some underlying issues. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Aso, I can help you with this by telling them what I know, but you need to find Yuan An and locate E first. I want to know about the others' situations."
"What do you mean?" Su Lan frowned.
"If the others are still alive, then telling you this would only lead them to their doom," Ming Junwei said with a grim smile and shook his head. "I've seen too much of your man's methods; if he can capture Yuan An, how far can Huihui really run?"
"That's why I need your help. A few words won't suffice; the teacher also opposes the destruction of Antibody. There is still room for discussion on this matter." Su Lan turned into a high-walled checkpoint and slowly drove through the security passage at Field Duty before turning the car around and driving inside.
Ming Junwei felt a flicker of surprise. He recognized this place; unlike the new city ahead, the Launch Site retained its original appearance. The slightly worn building before him was the surface structure of the Underground Testing Facility, where he had lived for a while with Jin Bo and Xiao Wei.
Su Lan offered no further explanation as she led him through the old entrance. The hall was still empty; there used to be patrols from Field Duty here, and low walls outside had been lined with Field Duty posts, but now they were all gone. The checkpoints had moved to the outer corridor, leaving the entire building looking particularly desolate. Arriving here, both of them were familiar with the surroundings. Without needing much guidance from Su Lan, Ming Junwei instinctively followed her to the elevator. The metal doors were tarnished, and the mirror-like surface was dull and lifeless, suggesting it hadn't been used in a long time.
Ming Junwei thought they were going back to revisit the testing grounds, but Su Lan pressed the up button instead. With a hum, the elevator stopped at the third floor, and the doors opened.
The corridor outside looked unchanged; there were no lights, only natural light filtering in through the windows, casting a dim glow.
At the end of the hallway, a conference room door stood open. Inside, a group of people sat or stood—some from Field Duty and some research team members—Kenny and Old Yang were among them.
Ming Junwei noticed a familiar face and was somewhat surprised. He had been curious earlier; Kenny's three main subordinates had shifted allegiances—Old Wu had defected, E was still active, but he hadn’t seen Black Strongman, who always stayed close to Kenny. Ming Junwei thought that perhaps Black Strongman had met his end, but here he was. Compared to his two colleagues, Black Strongman seemed to have endured some hardships; Ming Junwei saw him sitting in a wheelchair, his pant leg empty below.
Su Lan cleared her throat lightly and walked to whisper a few words to Old Yang. His expression froze as he turned to look at Ming Junwei by the door, then immediately strode over. The others noticed and turned their attention toward Ming Junwei, who felt somewhat uncomfortable and took two steps back to exit the conference room.
After a moment, the manager from Gobi Desert came out one after another and led Ming Junwei down the corridor into a somewhat cramped office.
Su Lan helped Ming Junwei sit down and leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "Go ahead."
Ming Junwei was taken aback and frowned. "That's not what we agreed on."
Su Lan shot him an annoyed glance and replied, "I’m giving you my full trust; can’t you trust me just this once? I'm going to find E; you handle things here."
Ming Junwei hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth in resignation, and nodded. As Su Lan turned to leave, he quickly called out to her, pointing at Kenny's sullen face. "If you leave, he won't make things difficult for me, will he?"
“Your words are nothing but nonsense,” Kenny said from behind the table, fiddling with the silver ring on his finger, his tone unfriendly.
“Alright, I understand,” Ming Junwei turned back, his expression returning to normal. Taking a deep breath, he unleashed a torrent of secrets like a machine gun: “Yuan An is not the Antibody you’re looking for. The real Antibody is someone else, and coincidentally, I know who it is. I can tell you, although I’m quite reluctant.”
Su Lan had already laid the groundwork, and Kenny and Old Yang showed no change in expression, still waiting for him to continue.
Ming Junwei hesitated for a moment and said, “Dr. An left you a significant gift, but whether it reaches your hands is another matter.”
“What do you want?” Kenny asked impatiently. “Just say it.”
“I want that girl you’re looking for to appear here unharmed,” Ming Junwei replied, curling his lip. He initially wanted to mention some additional conditions but decided against it due to the nature of the negotiation. “But don’t misunderstand; what I’m saying doesn’t mean I’m trying to blackmail you. The issue lies on your side.”
“Your capable subordinate,” Ming Junwei said sarcastically, deliberately adding, “is the one who killed your teacher’s granddaughter. The real Antibody may have already been dealt with by her.”
Old Yang’s eyes twitched at the corners, clearly struggling to suppress the emotional turmoil brought on by the news of his granddaughter's death. Taking a deep breath, he asked, “What’s the significance of what you’re saying?”
“Of course there’s significance,” Ming Junwei replied nonchalantly. “It’s just a possibility; whether the Antibody is alive or dead will have to be answered by E.”
Kenny remained expressionless. Just as he and Su Lan had speculated, this news felt more like good tidings to him. He had always advocated for the destruction of the Antibody; if his capable subordinate inadvertently resolved this issue, that would be perfect—it would save him from further trouble. Old Yang was different; the significance of the Antibody was not the same for them. Initially, Ming Junwei and his team merely hoped to develop a Vaccine for the Infected Virus through the Antibody, but for Old Yang, the value of the Antibody was undoubtedly much greater.
“How can I trust you?” Old Yang was not adept at this kind of communication. On one hand, he believed Su Lan’s information was credible; on the other hand, Ming Junwei had no proof and thus lacked credibility.
“I can’t prove anything; all I can tell you is this much,” Ming Junwei thought for a moment and added, “The Antibody is someone you once captured for experimentation. On that chaotic night in the Gobi Desert when The Establishment's team destroyed the Underground Testing Facility, it seems you conducted a lockdown. That lucky survivor has been hiding in the sealed testing ground all along. Dr. An came into contact with her and gave her the Antibody Vaccine before she died. During her first year of dormancy, she escaped from underground and by chance encountered us.”
The words seemed to lack substantial meaning, yet they indirectly confirmed the authenticity of Ming Junwei's story. After all, aside from those directly involved, no one else could possibly know about events such as the Underground Testing Facility, the experiments, Dr. An, and so on.
"Moreover, the girl you are looking for has been living with the real Antibody for a long time. If you believe that anyone who has come into contact with the Antibody carries it as well, then why not study me? I have also been in contact with the Antibody."
This last statement was an impromptu addition by Ming Junwei. He was struck by a sudden idea; on one hand, he wanted to verify something, and on the other hand, he attempted to take advantage of the situation. After Roundabout was attacked by Acid Rain and underwent corpse transformation, Huihui and Yuan An joined the team. Logically, everyone from Roundabout should have had contact with the Antibody. However, during the rescue mission for Song Jiu in the desolate mountains, several deceased Militia and Field Duty members still transformed into corpses. Clearly, Huihui's Antibody did not possess any curative properties.
The room fell silent as Kenny squinted at Ming Junwei, saying nothing and lost in thought. Old Yang wore a serious expression but was equally at a loss for words.
After a long while, Kenny straightened up and called in a Field Duty member from outside, pointing at Ming Junwei. "Take him to the laboratory."
Old Yang was taken aback and was about to voice his objections when he paused and asked, "The laboratory?"
"What else?" Kenny replied with a half-smile, exasperated. "Are you thinking of destroying it again, Teacher?"
Ming Junwei rolled his eyes inwardly, cursing silently. It seemed that the bespectacled man had abandoned any thoughts of destroying the Antibody. If that were the case, why should he complicate matters further? He could only hope that Aso would act quickly; if he ended up dead in the laboratory because of this, it would truly be like lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot. While regretting his situation, Ming Junwei also felt curious. It appeared that these two did not care at all about the horde of Zombies currently swarming the city; wasn't it more urgent to eliminate the crisis within the city before pursuing the Antibody?
With nothing to lose, Ming Junwei mustered his courage and asked, "Um, there are Zombies all over the city right now. Shouldn't you deal with that first before focusing on the Antibody?" His words clearly crossed a line; what Su Lan had told him was one thing, but taking charge himself was quite another.
However, neither of the two deities from Gobi Desert seemed to mind. Instead, they exchanged knowing smiles and waved their hands to instruct Field Duty to take Ming Junwei away.
Before leaving, Ming Junwei vaguely sensed that something was off but couldn't pinpoint what exactly.
Where was Yuan An?
E was searching for her; Su Lan was also looking for her. The Field Duty members were exhausted from their frantic efforts as they turned every corner of the city upside down. Aside from finding some Zombies that had slipped in, they had not discovered any trace of that girl. The Field Duty members were frustrated; with Zombies closing in on the city center and to avoid triggering a more intense Zombie frenzy, they had no choice but to abandon their firepower and resort to Cold Weapons for extermination.
The noise had diminished significantly, but so had their efficiency. The main gate was completely paralyzed, and the Field Duty stationed on the city walls couldn't find any opportunity to close it. This was not the Ruined City, where explosive weapons could be used recklessly; if the gate collapsed, it would spell disaster. The teams responsible for containment, including the Field Duty and the Zombie Militia, were showing signs of defeat. Roadblocks and barricades were retreating steadily, and the more gaps they left, the more Zombies filled in. The once prosperous and peaceful Peach Blossom World was ultimately swept away by the historical Wheel. In this situation, the Armed Thugs were more eager to join the frontline in exterminating Zombies than to search for a girl in the streets.
The emergency squad hurried through the alleys, with the leading Field Duty panting heavily. Their search area was shrinking as more places were occupied by Zombies. At this rate, they wouldn't just fail to find anyone; their escape route would also be at risk. E had disappeared without a trace, and despite several calls over the radio, there was no response.
"Move faster!" The Squad Leader barked angrily. Seeing his team members silent only fueled his frustration. He rushed past each member, slapping their shoulders heavily to encourage them. "There are three more search points left. Get moving! After checking here, we’ll join the fight."
The team members shouted in response; as seasoned fighters, they all had a deep-rooted instinct for war and destruction. Slaughtering Zombies was one of their few remaining pleasures, especially since this mission concerned the survival of Lonely City. With their leader's words igniting their fighting spirit once more, they resolved to find whoever they could.
The squad arrived at a low building. The Store below had already closed, and non-combatants had returned to their residences. These areas were key search zones.
"You three come with me upstairs. You go to the back; you stay here and guard. If you see any suspicious individuals, shoot immediately." The leader hurriedly issued orders without regard for the current silence directive within the city and quickly led his team into the stairwell.
The somewhat frail remaining team member watched both sides of the street. As the sounds of running in the stairwell faded, he straightened his back but soon slumped down again, pulling his hat brim lower before turning away from the corner.
Looking at the gruesome scene before him, E's expression grew increasingly grim.
The bodies were unrecognizable; dense dark red tire tracks at the scene told everything. Flesh and entrails were splattered everywhere, creating a horrific sight of bloodshed. Fortunately, Gaoyang still had a prosthetic hand; its iron hook was not flesh and blood, so it couldn't be crushed by the Wheel. While it served little purpose in daily life, it could conveniently act as identification now that someone had died.
E's gaze darkened. This alley was quite a distance from her lodging building and happened to be on the city's edge—a true blind spot for searches. However, this wasn't on the way to the laboratory; why had Gaoyang met such a tragic end here?
One of the Field Duty members discovered something small amid the coagulated Blood Plasma. He picked it up with a knife and looked puzzled. "E."
E approached him and squatted down curiously. "What is this?"
"Field Duty" shook his wrist, dislodging the things stuck together by dried blood.
E's expression stiffened, blood rushing to her head. She swatted the debris off her dagger and stood up, cursing loudly. Spitting on the bloody remains of Gaoyang, her insults were as harsh as they could be. Even "Field Duty" found it hard to listen. It was no wonder E was so upset; the small item found by "Field Duty" was nothing unusual, easily recognizable—a pair of women's underwear.
Among the remains of Gaoyang, there was only a shirt. Anyone with a bit of sense would understand why Gaoyang had died here.
Because this place was remote and uninhabited, allowing certain activities to take place.
"You stupid, filthy trash!" E was furious, nearly jumping in anger. She could understand occasional mission failures; the enemy might be cunning or strong. It was acceptable for her side to be outmatched or to fail, but she could not accept that her subordinates could be so hopelessly foolish.
"E, should we continue searching?" "Field Operative" quietly reminded her, even though he felt satisfied with the way the captain vented her anger. There were still more important matters to attend to.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, E squinted at the desolate buildings around them. Suddenly, her gaze fixed on a distant gray structure—the Field Accommodation Building.
"She killed Gaoyang here," E murmured to herself, her brow furrowing. Then, in an instant, her eyes brightened.
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