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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 108: The Conversation Between Su Lan and An Zheng
An Zheng sat across from Su Lan at an old-fashioned square table, a style common in the 1980s, with two drawers on one side, complete with locks.
The torch in the arched room was missing, perhaps taken by someone fleeing during the chaos. On the table lay a candlestick with hardened wax, and a white candle, costing one yuan each, had burned down more than halfway. The flickering flame occasionally swayed, producing faint popping sounds.
Both women paused their conversation, expressions of indescribable emotions etched on their faces.
"So, you never received the message I sent?" Su Lan broke the silence, lifting the Tea Jar from the table to moisten her throat. The dampness of the ground made the air thick with a barely perceptible metallic scent, quite uncomfortable.
An Zheng gently shook her head, her pale fingers tapping on the tabletop as she sighed deeply. "I only discovered there was a communication signal when I returned to the camp. At that time, the camp was flooded, and I couldn't check anything. So you’re saying that as soon as I sent the information back to the hospital, you received it?"
"Exactly. At that time, Director Hu and Professor Niu had already been captured. I was responsible for tracking your mission," Su Lan said, tucking her loose hair behind her ear, her smile tinged with bitterness. "You must hate me."
"Hate you?" An Zheng relaxed her brow and sighed lightly. "What is there to hate? Hate you for being an insider in RCA? Hate you for monitoring the hospital's experimental progress? Or hate you for bringing back my child?"
Su Lan smiled knowingly and replied, "The child is innocent; it was just luck that he encountered me."
"When I heard from Junwei that they had run into you, I suspected something had gone wrong at the hospital. I just didn’t expect it to be this serious. I thought the Research Center hadn’t gotten involved in the conflict between Establishment and RCA." An Zheng felt a swirl of emotions; Su Lan confirmed her suspicions that Central Hospital had become a wasteland. After her departure, Su Lan had brought in RCA personnel who took control of the researchers and removed all remaining research materials, leaving behind an empty laboratory.
Director Hu and Professor Niu, along with several young research assistants, were sent to a research facility managed by Kenny to assist RCA's experiments. Director Hu was a regional head within the Establishment system, while Professor Niu was purely a researcher without any factional ties. When Professor Niu learned about RCA's research direction and experimental goals, he firmly refused Kenny's orders. This bald old man had principles; he refused to provide any information related to the experiments and would not disclose An Zheng's whereabouts. Director Hu primarily handled administrative logistics and wasn't very familiar with core experimental content; lacking Professor Niu's resolve, he succumbed after two days of interrogation when Kenny threatened to inject him with an unfinished reagent.
Director Hu informed Kenny that core data was in An Zheng's possession and that she had already headed north with the materials.
The content he provided matched what Su Lan had overheard outside the door. Su Lan relayed this information to Kenny, indicating that the data disk had a tracking device and hoping that Kenny would let the two old fellows go. Kenny agreed and sent Caroline to secretly transport Old Hu and Old Professor to a safe location. Before they left, Su Lan noticed some forms regarding the experimental project while with Kenny, which struck her as odd, prompting her to meet with Director Hu that night.
At that time, Old Hu was unaware that Su Lan was the mole within RCA. He and Old Professor were leading figures in the experimental team, while the other young researchers were completely oblivious to the so-called confidential information and had been dispersed to continue working at Kenny's Research Center. Therefore, when Old Hu saw Su Lan, he did not suspect anything and even remarked on how this young and beautiful assistant had a good heart for coming to visit him.
From Old Hu, Su Lan learned many things, including key information that Kenny had deliberately concealed from her. This made her realize the gravity of the situation and understand that she was being used by Kenny. Su Lan did not reveal her true identity to Old Hu but instead inquired about the so-called "backup plan" she had heard about. Having been tormented by Kenny's subordinates for two days, Old Hu was momentarily caught off guard and assumed that Su Lan wanted to escape from there. Thus, he did not hold back and shared everything about the Jiuquan Launch Base with her, even giving her his access code in hopes that she could inform others about what was happening at the Research Center once she arrived. If those people were from the Establishment, perhaps he still had a glimmer of hope.
Su Lan was skeptical at that time, just as Ming Junwei had been when he first heard An Zheng mention it; she didn't even know who they were or how to trust them. How could she determine what was true? So Su Lan took it lightly. Just as she was about to leave, Old Hu mysteriously called her back and said, "The data device An Zheng carries can not only track locations but also receive messages. Find an opportunity to tell her what is happening here and urge her to run; if necessary, destroy the data." He also provided her with a means of communication.
Afterward, under the pretense of checking for missing documents, Su Lan made a solo trip to Central Hospital and discovered the information An Zheng had sent back in Old Hu's office. In his message, An Zheng stated that he had reached a military observation post with assistance from the Garrison and expressed his intention to observe for a period of time. If everything went well, he hoped Old Hu would bring people from the hospital there to avoid the zombies in the city. At that moment, Su Lan felt conflicted; she still struggled to accept Kenny's deception. She simply replied with "Dangerous, leave," hoping it would give her some time to prepare and react. Later on, using information provided by Director Hu, Kenny organized a team to pursue An Zheng, leading to multiple arguments between him and Su Lan, including a heated dispute on the highway that ultimately resulted in their complete fallout.
"The Depth Exceeds Your Imagination." After saying many things, Su Lan felt somewhat exhausted; she pressed her temples and asked, "What are your plans? Are you still going to Beijing to find the Establishment?"
An Zheng smiled, shrugged his shoulders, and replied, "The data devices have all been taken; what use is it for me to go?"
"Oh?" Su Lan widened her eyes in disbelief and exclaimed, "They were taken by RCA in the mountains?"
"We started escaping from the Power Station at the mountain top; many people died," An Zheng reflected while folding his legs and resting his chin on one hand. "Not far from the Power Station, that person... I can't even say which side he's on. The first time he robbed us of our supplies; the second time he killed one of our companions; and the third time he took our data." He paused for a moment before bitterly smiling and adding, "It feels like he's specifically targeting us."
Su Lan listened in shock, her rosy lips forming an 'O' shape as she struggled to find words.
"Hmm?" An Zheng noticed her unusual expression and asked curiously, "Is it one of your people?"
"Is it someone named Zhou Huai?" Su Lan murmured.
An Zheng's eyes flashed with shock as he stared at her and said, "A tall, thin man with long eyes..."
"Oh my God." Su Lan swallowed hard, feeling a wave of dizziness. "We ran into him on our way to your parking spot. He had been shot at that time, and his car flipped over, blocking our path. Kenny sent someone to clear the road, and he crawled out to ask for help..."
"You saved him?" An Zheng's brows twitched as he involuntarily glanced outside the hole, fearing that Chao Yifan might suddenly burst in and stab Su Lan.
"Sort of," Su Lan gasped, suddenly puzzled. "Wait a minute, he stole... Was he the only one?"
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