Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
In a dark, quiet room, the outline of the Other Side was blurred.
Song Jiu stood silently, his thoughts in chaos, as the air seemed to thicken, making it hard to breathe.
The graduate student was just a step away from him, their silent gaze locked. Their eyes were as dark as the night, flickering like fireflies at dawn before they extinguished.
As I calmly accepted death, I suddenly realized how deeply I clung to this world. I thought that being indifferent to parting was strength; I thought that discussing life and death lightly was carefree. In truth, it was all an illusion. When farewell approached, no matter how much one had tempered oneself, they would still be caught off guard. Song Jiu suddenly recalled these words as he looked at the solitary Skull suspended in the darkness before him. His eyes grew moist, like fireworks blooming in a cave, piercing his soul with pain.
"Let's go; the road is still long. I can't accompany you any longer," the graduate student said hoarsely, as still as stagnant water.
Song Jiu felt a dryness in his throat; his legs felt as if they were filled with lead, making it difficult to lift his feet. The chaotic emotions swirling in his mind shattered and faded with the graduate student's words. He murmured, "He... he said he could save you."
"I want to leave while I'm still awake." The corners of the graduate student's mouth lifted into an almost imperceptible curve, bittersweet and sorrowful, dismissing it with a smile.
"But..." Song Jiu felt as if he couldn't catch his breath, like seeking life in a narrow crevice. A heavy sadness enveloped him, causing tears to flow unexpectedly: "I can't leave you here."
"Mm." The graduate student wanted to nod but couldn't. His body felt as light as a feather yet bore the weight of a thousand pounds under Song Jiu's gaze. He spoke softly, "Then take me with you."
Beyond the curtain, Jiao Ziqian suddenly felt a wave of panic. Dressed in a white coat and sitting at his feet, he wore a manic smile on his face, his eyes filled with infinite expectation.
" Brother Jiu," Jiao Ziqian took a deep breath, struggling to overcome the inexplicable turmoil within him. He called out softly, "Is Little Bear inside?"
Song Jiu's reaction was somewhat sluggish; he licked his dry lips and was about to respond when he caught the graduate student giving him a look of refusal.
"No." Song Jiu didn't know how he managed to speak; there was no emotional color in his voice, surprising even himself.
Upon hearing the answer, an odd feeling surged within Jiao Ziqian. He wanted to lift the curtain and take a look inside but then heard Song Jiu's voice again.
“Ziqian, wait for me downstairs.”
Jiao Ziqian hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, “Okay.” With that, he picked up the white coat and half-dragged, half-pulled it out of the quiet room.
The white coat paused for a moment, then began to struggle violently, shouting urgently, “What are you going to do?”
Seeing the outline of a figure behind the curtain, Jiao Ziqian pondered for a moment, covered the white coat's mouth, and forcibly pulled it out.
“Do you have a cigarette?” The graduate student turned his eyes, looking earnest.
Song Jiu fished out a flat cigarette case from his pocket. His hands trembled as he struck the lighter several times before a faint flame flickered to life. The hot flame ignited the cigarette, and sparks danced in the darkness, the smell of tobacco silently spreading. Song Jiu realized he felt somewhat timid; at the moment the flame lit up, he didn’t even dare to look clearly at what was in front of him.
Taking a puff, Song Jiu walked heavily over and offered the cigarette to the graduate student's lips. The graduate student bit down on it, his lips murmuring as the sparks glowed brightly, wisps of smoke curling around his neck.
It felt like a ridiculous prank; Skull seemed ready to take off.
“It’s almost dawn,” the graduate student said with the cigarette tilted in his mouth, his eyes squinting against the smoke.
“Yeah.” Song Jiu glanced at his watch and replied, “Soon.”
“How is Yuan An?”
“She’s doing well.”
“Please say goodbye to everyone for me.”
"I will."
"Yinuo, please."
"Don't worry."
The air was thick with sorrow, mingled with acrid smoke. Outside the window, the night was clear, but the moon was obscured and the stars dimmed.
Mars flickered, its light alternating like life itself. The grayish ash from the last puff broke apart quietly, swirling like snow.
"How should I..."
"Grant me release."
Outside the main building, Jiao Ziqian wore a solemn expression as he looked up at the quiet room's window, slightly bowing his head in a distant farewell to his friend.
A figure in a white coat knelt on the steps, surrounded by numerous documents he had just found in the Laboratory Hall. He held up an unopened leather folder, his eyes bright with excitement.
After a long while, a beam of light illuminated the Tree-Lined Path outside the Gate, and a black Nissan sped in, slowly coming to a stop in front of Jiao Ziqian.
Wu Wentao opened the car door and stepped out. He glanced at the two people and asked with curiosity, "Song Jiu, where is he?"
"Upstairs," Jiao Ziqian replied, pointing to the main building. "He'll be here soon."
"What about that kid?" Wu Wentao didn't know the graduate student's name; he only remembered that many of the logistical matters were handled by him, coordinating with Luci for internal and external affairs.
Jiao Ziqian blinked, recalling what Song Jiu had just said, and gently shook his head.
Wu Wentao did not ask further, letting out a soft sigh as he pointed to the white lab coat on the ground and said, "This..."
"The researchers here will be handled by Brother Jiu later." Before Jiao Ziqian could finish speaking, footsteps echoed from the hall behind them. Turning around, he saw Song Jiu striding in, carrying a mix of smoke and blood.
Song Jiu glanced at Wu Wentao and raised a hand to interrupt his question. "Have you caught up with Yuan An?"
"They all went after him; it shouldn't be a problem." Wu Wentao's gaze drifted to the Steel Saw Blade in Song Jiu's hand, its gleaming edge dotted with flecks of red.
"Let's go chase him." Song Jiu opened the car door, but Jiao Ziqian called out to him from behind, his eyes fixed on the lab coat clutching a document bag.
The lab coat stood up, panting heavily but still maintaining an air of unwarranted arrogance as he directly opened the car door and sat inside.
" Brother Jiu," Jiao Ziqian frowned, noticing that Song Jiu's grip on the knife had tightened.
"Just go." Song Jiu gritted his teeth, suppressing the rage that threatened to explode within him. His face was pale, and his gaze was terrifying.
As the Nissan left the compound, Song Jiu rolled down the window and squinted through the rearview mirror at the window where the rising sun would no longer shine. He silently whispered goodbye in his heart.
Meanwhile, two Jinbei vehicles that had escaped from the Pharmaceutical Factory converged at one spot. The passenger leaned out to ask the driver of the other vehicle, "Where's Brother Can?"
The driver shook his head anxiously. "He's blocked in the Industrial Zone. Should we go back to support him?"
The passenger turned to glance at Yuan An struggling desperately in the backseat and decisively replied, "We have other things to do."
The co-driver was the second-in-command of Security. With Commander absent, Field Duty was under his authority, and that was beyond doubt.
"Damn it, they're chasing us again." The driver cursed as he spotted the round little car reappearing in the rearview mirror. "Let's take them out."
The co-driver hesitated for a moment. There were still two cars following behind, and they had not been intercepted by the Zombies released earlier. A few hundred meters was not far for a four-wheeled vehicle, and the road outside the park offered no cover. If they didn't deal with this now, the pursuers would likely follow them relentlessly. The co-driver felt frustrated; after toiling for half the night, there were no new faces among the intruders. The Commander had been misled; their attacking force was not as strong as imagined. Given their firepower, they could have held their ground, but now the roles had reversed, which was quite displeasing.
"Kill them." The co-driver nodded in agreement. The vehicle was severely overloaded; Field Duty personnel were crammed together inside, making it difficult to even draw their weapons.
Two Jinbei vehicles drove out of the Pharmaceutical Factory's perimeter and came to a halt. A dozen remaining Field Duty members unloaded ammunition boxes from the rooftops and swiftly began loading their weapons. Their training allowed them to make good use of the time before the pursuers closed in. When SRT came into shooting range, they were met with a barrage of bullets.
Jin Bo slammed on the steering wheel upon realizing that their opponents were determined to fight to the death. He quickly maneuvered the vehicle out of shooting range and warned Song Yao and Fang Fei to take cover. They had managed to catch up, but there was still a significant gap in strength. The enemy's reckless escape created an opportunity for pursuit, but facing Great Sword, their disadvantage in firepower became evident.
Song Yao's group was relatively clever; before pursuing, they had confiscated some weapons from Field Duty personnel. Battling amateurs against professionals largely relied on luck. Luci and several Zombies positioned themselves ahead in an attempt to suppress fire, but the effect was minimal. The enemy had no concerns about their rear and quickly disrupted Song Yao's rhythm with their terrain-based shooting. With insufficient ammunition supplies, a war of attrition would not benefit them.
"Spread out." Song Yao decisively ordered. They were accustomed to guerrilla tactics and had no need to engage in a head-on confrontation here. She instructed everyone to form pairs or trios to spread out while providing cover and firing back, effectively breaking apart the enemy's fire network.
The co-driver scoffed at this playhouse-like tactic; it was hardly worth considering for them. Two teams of Field Duty had already stealthily moved along the roadside buildings, taking them down one by one with less effort. Inside the Jinbei Car, Yuan An pressed her face against the rear window, anxiously watching the exchange of gunfire between the two groups but unable to take any action. The lab-coated individuals left in the car firmly restrained her; she was unarmed and powerless to retaliate.
"Why do they have to kidnap Yuan An?" Jin Bo wondered aloud, confused about why they would abandon the Experimental Base yet cling tightly to one person instead. Hadn't Song Yao and her team been captured?
Song Yao shared his confusion; all she could do was speculate that perhaps something had been done to Yuan An that made her so crucial.
The exchange of fire soon reached its conclusion. The disparity in firepower meant that Song Yao's side could not make any substantial progress against Field Duty's sudden counterattack. The dispersed teams failed to execute a surprise attack and were instead completely suppressed by concentrated enemy fire, unable to show their heads from behind cover. The co-driver noticed that the enemy intended to hunker down and stall for time, so he ordered a quick regrouping of their forces while continuing to hold off from behind. He took the lead with the vehicle carrying Yuan An, aiming to escape from tonight's quagmire.
Song Yao watched helplessly as they retreated but could do nothing to stop it; she could only hope that Wu Wentao and his team would arrive soon.
The engine roared as Yuan An struggled helplessly in the backseat, watching the car start and distance itself from his companions.
Jin Bo's anger surged; the suppression was unbearable. He jumped into the SRT, twisted the key, and intended to charge through the firepower net. Fang Fei hurriedly stopped him, desperately trying to calm him down. Jin Bo gasped for breath, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel, cursing loudly.
Chef Jia leaned against the back of the car, bullets whizzing overhead. The car windows had already been shattered, glass shards raining down as the vehicle was reduced to scrap metal by gunfire. The Pockmarked Girl was accidentally hit by a stray bullet but fortunately was not seriously injured. The other young women clutched their firearms but were unable to retaliate; some were handling guns for the first time and could barely provide any cover.
As they watched the car ahead drive further away, about to vanish from sight, even Song Yao and Luci, usually calm, felt a strong urge to chase after it.
Pop! Pop!
Amidst the brief interlude of gunfire, two loud hissing sounds suddenly came from the Jinbei Car. Before anyone could react, the vehicle shook violently, the ground resonating with the sound of metal striking asphalt. A long trail of sparks flew up as the front wheel hub suddenly detached, spinning away before crashing into a nearby shop's entrance with a thunderous boom, leaving behind a dark hole.
In a sudden turn of events during its high-speed drive, the Jinbei Car lost control. Despite the passenger's desperate attempts to steer, it could not escape the fate of rolling over. The screeching sound of metal scraping against the ground continued for several dozen meters before the car flipped over with a loud crash, tumbling away and kicking up a cloud of thick dust.
The buzzing noise gradually faded as the rear wheels stopped spinning in mid-air, revealing a gleaming Carbon Arrow nestled among the tire's rubber tread.
Comment 0 Comment Count