Chapter 156: Silhouette in the Rain 18
Just as Zhuang Ningyu speculated, the necklace Liam extremely valued was indeed a portable storage device, and the mainframe at the other end was located below the display screen. Zhuang Ningyu rushed forward with large strides, seemingly wanting to snatch it, but a bullet flew at him head-on. He rapidly dodged sideways. The scorching metal barely grazed his right ear, leaving a charred deep pit in the opposite wall.
In these brief seconds, Liam had already successfully inserted the necklace into the port. After a “click” sound, weak current rapidly flowed through the metal equipment. The computer cluster hidden in the wall began operating at high speed. Missing code was methodically completed. The hundreds of rules shrouding all of Lullaby Island were fully activated within just two seconds. Green lights flashed—the problem-solving process.
[5% completed]
[8% completed]
…
The numbers on the display screen continuously jumped. Liam returned his gaze to Zhuang Ningyu, but the latter hadn’t focused attention on the screen but was looking at Cui Jin, which surprised him somewhat. Seeming to sense the gaze cast from the side, Zhuang Ningyu only then turned his head. The completion progress on screen had just jumped to 9%.
“My colleagues just found some things about Cui Jin.” He raised his phone, shaking it at Liam. “Whether family or friends, all insist that although she had emotional problems, she absolutely wouldn’t commit suicide. From the incident until now, no one knows why she walked into that dark alley alone, but you definitely know.”
The flickering screen plated Liam’s face with a layer of ambiguously meaningful green light: “I said before, she was suicidal.”
“There was an automatic ticket machine in the alley that could purchase various performance tickets.” Zhuang Ningyu said. “Cui Jin disappeared on August 13th, and on August 15th—two days later—the singer she liked would hold his first official concert of his life.”
The venue wasn’t large—a Live House, tickets didn’t sell too well. Zhuang Ningyu continued: “Not long after Cui Jin entered the alley, that automatic ticket machine sold a concert ticket by cash, but in the subsequent concert’s ticket inspection records, this ticket number didn’t appear.”
Liam listened to his narration, the corner of his mouth twitching. His right hand slowly raised, between his fingers was clearly a ticket: “Are you talking about it?”
Cui Jin on the display stand saw the ticket. She, who had shown no reaction, actually reached out her hand. Liam casually pressed a button. The restraints on the stand tightened in response, re-fixing Cui Jin. Only after the other stopped struggling did Liam continue: “You can take advantage of this time to tell her family that before she died, she didn’t feel any pain, didn’t even understand what happened.” Still that lenient, bestowing tone.
That night, Cui Jin, who had just gotten the ticket and just turned around, was robbed of consciousness by an anesthetic needle. Liam had coveted her for a long time. Roman brought her onto a smuggling ship. In a rule zone somewhere in Southeast Asia, Liam personally made the still-unconscious Cui Jin into a collection and sent her to this island.
“She perfectly meets all my fantasies about Eastern beauty, except for this.” Liam glanced at the ticket in his hand, regretfully shook his head, then put it away again. “She shouldn’t have listened to this kind of music.”
Zhuang Ningyu said: “At the time, Cui Jin’s manager and fans thought the same, and precisely because of this, she would go alone late at night to quietly purchase tickets by cash.”
Five years ago, Dong Feifan was far more chuunibyou than now—an underground music player with exaggerated styling and rebellious character. In ten lines of lyrics, you could at least find five F**ks, roaring about stories of Evolvers saving the world. Pick any lyric and it was like specifically targeting Liam—targeting this hypocritical, inferior non-Evolver trying to use pure-blood fanaticism to cover his convert fanaticism. And this was perhaps also why Liam specifically selected Dong Feifan fans to create the “million dollar murder case” at the Pearl Music Festival—those were his own kind, but also the group he most detested.
The progress bar had reached 30%.
“Did Cui Jin really not feel any pain?” Zhuang Ningyu asked again.
“Yes, she fell unconscious in front of the ticket machine and never woke up again.” Liam wasn’t stingy about retelling his mercy.
“Then what’s your reason for capturing me?” Zhuang Ningyu sat back in the chair.
A small cluster of light burst forth from Liam’s eyes, as if he’d waited for this question for a long time.
“Put away your descriptions about ‘Eastern artworks.’ Too many people praise me like this.” Zhuang Ningyu leaned against the chair back. “Say something different.”
Liam opened the screen on the right wall. The image showed a new island with architectural style similar to Lullaby Island—should be what Nathaniel just mentioned, Liam’s other rule zone specifically for researching Evolvers.
“Your pretty face is worth one hundred million dollars, and your evolution direction is priceless.” Liam walked forward, slightly bending down. “You know, after physical recovery, I’ll still need to undergo new evolution, so I hope your addition can solve some genetic troubles for me, baby—”
Before he finished speaking, he took a heavy punch to the eye. Liam screamed and retreated, covering his face and angrily looking at him. Zhuang Ningyu pressed his earpiece, timely cutting off communication with the outside, his gaze fierce: “Shut up!”
Liam had no preparation at all and was actually shouted at until he shuddered alive.
Yi Ke in the earpiece: “Hello, hello hello?”
Zhuang Ningyu released his fingers, lightening his tone, briefly replying with “Mm, bad signal.”
Yi Ke asked: “How is it?”
Zhuang Ningyu looked at the 80% progress bar on screen: “Still need a bit more time.”
The other party was really too calm. Liam’s heart finally vaguely developed an ominous premonition: “You—”
“First answer me one question.” Zhuang Ningyu cut off his words. “Where did you kidnap Ford?”
“White Bird Cliff.” The one answering this question was Nathaniel beside them. “I’m certain.”
“Good.” Zhuang Ningyu said. “I’ll arrange for colleagues to pick him up there.”
Progress bar 95%. At this time, Liam originally could have mocked these two people’s conversation, but his brows were tightly furrowed, fingertips even beginning to go numb—not from excitement, but because that trace of ominous premonition earlier was rapidly expanding.
[99% completed]
The current sound was faint, the air also had a moment of stagnation. And with the next jump of the number, Liam’s heart suddenly jumped, but what appeared on the screen wasn’t the 100% he expected, but 99.6%.
Time was frozen together, frozen at 99.6%. Liam stared at the screen in disbelief. He himself used 237 rules to jointly construct this rule zone, but now, the number appearing in the lower left corner became 238! That extra rule…
Zhuang Ningyu nodded: “I added it.”
Unlocking two hundred-plus rules one by one was impossible, but adding one more rule to these rules was still very easy to accomplish. Coincidentally, Liam’s program had large amounts of abandoned databases, so the original question-setter became the answerer, and the original answerer became the chief examiner.
Zhuang Ningyu shook the USB drive in his hand: “Now, whether to unlock the first layer rule zone, I have the final say.”
Liam’s already extremely gloomy expression became even more unpleasant because of the three words “first layer.” He actually directly pulled out a gun and pulled the trigger at Zhuang Ningyu—anesthetic gun. Seems he was also clear in his heart that before determining the answer to the final 0.4%, this person in front of him must stay alive.
The anesthetic bullet “bang” hit the freezer storing Ford. Cracks immediately crawled all over the transparent cabinet body. The alarm sound for sudden temperature change rang. Liam was disturbed and distracted for a moment. The next moment, a silver bullet tore through his shoulder.
Liam retreated two steps amid gushing blood, his eyes showing the ferocity of a desperado. He no longer hesitated, heavily slapping the button on the wall. A huge crash came. Appearing together with the collapsing wall was a large group of new brutal monsters!
“Don’t worry about me!” Nathaniel said.
Zhuang Ningyu kicked the wheelchair, making it rush toward the purification room at the other end of the corridor like an arrow leaving the string. Then he turned around at extreme speed and pulled the trigger at the office exit! The Nightfall Arbiter again fired a glaring beam. Blood plasma gushed, dyeing the carpet brown! After clearing the obstacles before his eyes, he rushed into the room like a feline, grabbing Liam’s head and heavily crashing it against the wall!
“Bang!” The sound was terrifying. Blood overflowed from Liam’s mouth, but his form suddenly grew taller! Zhuang Ningyu firmly choked his neck, looking at the fresh needle hole still bleeding on the other’s neck: “Forcing yourself to evolve at this time isn’t a good idea.”
Liam’s eyes exploded red. He suddenly exerted force, violently rushing forward at extreme speed while pushing against him. Amid earth-shattering commotion, the two heavily crashed against the wall together. Severe pain came from his back. Zhuang Ningyu gritted his teeth and exerted force, but the other didn’t budge. The instant effect of the evolution agent made all the muscles in Liam’s body bulge hard. His bones also made sounds like dislocation. He looked down condescendingly at the beautiful person firmly suppressed by himself, unable to move, bent down—but didn’t kiss him. Instead, he turned his head, declaring word by word to the microphone pinned to his chest: “Now, he’s mine.”
Zhuang Ningyu took a deep breath: “You’ll regret it.”
“I do regret—should have destroyed all mainframe systems before you landed on the island.” Liam’s mechanical left arm slowly tightened, throat muscles trembling. “Otherwise there wouldn’t be this trouble now, but it’s okay. I’ll always find a way to make you tell me the answer.”
As the other gradually increased force, Zhuang Ningyu’s entire body almost sank into the wall. His chest felt a dull pain. He gritted his teeth and raised his head, gasping heavily, but still couldn’t resist the squeezing and loss of air from his lungs. Blue-purple electric light climbed up Zhuang Ningyu’s body along the mechanical arm. He uncontrollably trembled violently in dizziness. Liam admiringly appreciated him, the corner of his lips squeezing out a mocking smile: “Don’t be nervous. Enjoy it well. This is just a little punishment I’m giving you.”
Electric shock continued unabated. Veins violently bulged on Zhuang Ningyu’s pale neck, Adam’s apple rolling. Physiological tears brought by severe pain washed over his messy cheeks. Liam clicked his tongue and shook his head, raising his right hand like bestowing charity, preparing to wipe away tears for him. But before the back of his hand touched that cold face, a terrifying crash already came to his ear!
“Bang!” The elevator heavily crashed to the ground. The two doors immediately “bang bang” tilted forward, smashing out a cloud of dust. The figure rushing from the dust was like a black beast! Taking advantage of the instant Liam was distracted, Zhuang Ningyu gritted his teeth and clasped that mechanical arm. Liam hadn’t expected his first reaction after breaking free wouldn’t be to quickly leave but to manually remove his arm. He had to suddenly retreat backward. Zhuang Ningyu was pulled to stagger two steps and was just caught in the arms of Yi Ke rushing over.
“Captain Zhuang!” Other teammates also rushed over.
Zhuang Ningyu was still trembling constantly. Yi Ke gently stroked his back twice, then handed the person to Qinggang, stood up himself, turned to look at Liam on the other end.
As if suppressed by some invisible force, Liam unconsciously tightened his left hand—a manifestation only present when nervous. Current made fine crackling sounds in the air. He looked at the other party. The jealousy toward perfect Evolvers deeply hidden in his heart surged up again and was infinitely magnified under drug catalysis. He recalled those Evolvers who died at his own hands, among them no lack of S-class. Only this killing he was already skilled at inexplicably had some hesitation at this moment. The gaze the other cast at him didn’t look like an Evolver, or rather, didn’t look like a human at all but more like some large beast—a beast whose most cruel killing instinct had been awakened.
When those amber pupils hidden in shadow suddenly turned vertical, Liam once again raised his gun without hesitation. However, the next moment, “bang!” The firearm was knocked away at high speed. The flesh at the mechanical arm connection was also torn into severe pain. Yi Ke flew up with a punch heavily smashing his face. Teeth and fresh blood instantly splattered together. The wall was knocked into a deep pit by Liam’s head. He forced himself to stand straight, but before he could turn around, Yi Ke kicked his back again. Immediately after came successive raindrops of fists—the most primitive hand-to-hand combat, also the most violent fury.
Liam lay prostrate on the ground in embarrassment. His left arm was firmly stepped on by the other’s heavy military boot sole, unable to move at all. During struggle, countless wires were torn off. Blood soaked his entire back. He looked like a monster, a man-made monster.
He struggled to turn his head, looking at Yi Ke amid iron-rust scarlet. Then the mechanical arm suddenly completely detached, rotating at high speed in the air, cutting out a string of sharp blades! But Yi Ke didn’t dodge. Instead, he grabbed Liam, seized his intact right arm and suddenly pulled it straight! Liam’s eyes instantly filled with terror. He wanted to pull his hand back. The forearm had already felt a scorching hot sensation.
“Ah!” He screamed and fell to the ground.
Yi Ke threw the half-remaining arm back at his face, raised his foot and heavily kicked that filthy chest until he heard the sound of bones shattering. After confirming the other had no strength to climb up again, his pupils recovered their previous shape. When turning around, he casually raised his gun and shot down that string of mechanical arms annoying like flies, striding back to Zhuang Ningyu’s side.
“You’ll never be able to leave here!” Liam’s insane voice came from behind.
Zhuang Ningyu supported Yi Ke’s arm, bracing himself to stagger up.
Liam, covered in entangled wires, leaned against the wall corner. He was beaten bloody all over by Yi Ke. When speaking, both rows of teeth were terrifying bright red. His chest was like pulling bellows, but his face still wore a smile: “Do you think that ticket is real?”
Zhuang Ningyu spread his palm. The crumpled ticket was covered with blood, but the words on it could still be seen clearly—
“August 15th, Dong Feifan ‘Evolution Party,’ ability awakening, world reshaping!”
This was what he’d just taken from Liam’s body during the fight after clearing the monsters in the corridor and returning to the office. But now, from the mechanical arm Yi Ke shot down, a flame suddenly ignited. Qinggang’s eyes were quick and movements fast. One foot stamped it out. As expected, he pulled out another “Evolution Party” ticket from within, only it had already been burned full of holes.
Blood overflowed from Liam’s mouth. His eyes still stared deadly at Zhuang Ningyu: “Everyone will stay here. Even if you discovered the rule zone’s secret, it still won’t help.”
The secret of the Lullaby Island rule zone was that its rule composition was extremely complex.
This underground floor was Rule Zone A. Liam constructed it using Cui Jin. Because when Cui Jin was killed, her heart was full of expectations for Dong Feifan’s concert, as long as she got the ticket, the rule zone would be lifted.
The rest of the island was Rule Zone B—solution unknown, or rather, there was no solution at all. Zhuang Ningyu discovered Liam only set three seconds of problem-solving time for this rule. Basically, as long as someone entered this rule zone, in just three seconds they’d be judged as mission failure. Space would tear and distort.
Finally, Liam used Rule Zone C composed of hundreds of rules to shroud and suppress A and B.
In his plan, when Rule Zone C was lifted, except for himself, Zhuang Ningyu, and the researchers staying in Rule Zone A, all others would be squeezed out at high speed by Rule Zone B—the plan was indeed perfect, provided the system hadn’t been invaded by Zhuang Ningyu. That additionally attached rule made Rule Zone C become a stable nail household. If C remained, then Rule Zones A and B of course wouldn’t be triggered. Everyone would be safe—except Liam.
“You have no more tickets.” Liam repeated again, as if this could restore part of his “creator god” pleasure, continuing to dominate others’ fates.
Zhuang Ningyu looked at him with eyes viewing an idiot, then said to the walkie-talkie: “Have everyone come to underground level one, bring those experimental subjects who still have vital signs.”
Liam again jumped up like a dried fish. Perhaps because he again felt uneasy in his heart, he roared: “That’s the only ticket!”
“I found large amounts of materials related to Adam and the Invisible Giants from your mainframe.” Zhuang Ningyu said. “Logically it should be enough, but you can still recall again to see if there are omissions. Otherwise it’s very likely that when you’re tried by the international court, he’ll still be vacationing on a private jet.”
Liam’s voice was dry and cracked: “You can’t leave here!”
Zhuang Ningyu didn’t pay attention to him anymore, letting Yi Ke support him to the purification room. Seeing the two, Nathaniel actively wheeled over. More and more team members and experimental subjects had already surged in. Surroundings were noisy. Zhuang Ningyu pushed the person to the most corner: “Regarding POV3, I have a friend who was forcibly injected with evolution agent by Liam—”
“There are no more raw materials.” Nathaniel shook his head, interrupting him. “Liam only provided us a total of less than 3ml serum, value already exceeding one hundred million dollars. This kind of devolution experiment is meaningless, or rather, the meaning compared to the investment is too small to be worth mentioning, so no subsequent institutions will support it either.”
Zhuang Ningyu wasn’t very familiar with Fu Han’s financial situation. Things had come to this—he could only help connect him with the old researcher. But before he could open his mouth, someone stuffed a bottle into his palm.
“…”
Nathaniel’s voice was so soft it was almost like a mosquito buzz. A pair of withered hands tightly gripped him: “Safety over ninety-nine percent. I researched it long ago, just didn’t want to give it to that madman. The last bottle, also the only bottle. It can’t make natural-born Evolvers devolve, nor can it make natural-born devolvers stop devolving, but it might provide help to your friend.”
Zhuang Ningyu looked at the medicine bottle in his hand. The label hastily wrote—POV4.
…
The whistle sounded. Everyone retreated to the basement. Space instantly became crowded and narrow. Liam still huddled in his old position. He no longer screamed, yet seemed somewhat mad, only staring at Zhuang Ningyu and the hundreds of strong, natural-born, high-level Evolvers surrounding him.
Evolvers about to be buried with him.
Thinking of this, a trace of crazy smile finally appeared on his face. However, very quickly, the smile froze on his face because he actually saw Dong Feifan in the crowd?
He Mo again successfully opened the passage from Little Pegasus Amusement Park to the Lullaby Island rule zone. Dong Feifan, who had sung about saving the world for over ten years, this time finally had a chance to personally save the world. He almost agreed without thinking. The rest of the band likewise. Only the drummer didn’t want to take risks, so newly hired Tian Luxin actively applied: “Report to leadership, I can!”
Dong Feifan entering a rule zone for the first time had indeed extraordinary psychological quality. Facing walls full of blood and floors full of remains, he could still remain expressionless. Only after hearing Cui Jin’s story did the muscles on his face jump for an instant. He stared blankly at the girl hung on the display stand. After a moment, he raised his hand to wipe his face, then silently lowered his head to adjust his bass. Only the slightly trembling fingers exposed his current mood.
Zhuang Ningyu unlocked the last rule.
Rule Zone C was smoothly eliminated.
As expected, Rule Zone B collapsed three seconds later. The world twisted at high speed with sharp whistling! The rest of the island immediately became white fog. The tower collapsed, flames dissipated. And in this chaos, waves of high-decibel music came from deep underground!
Cui Jin was placed on a chair, watching this concert fully five years late, a concert that came specifically for her. Tears flowed from those pitch-black, lifeless eye sockets. On stage, Dong Feifan roared loudly, sweat and tears splashing together. Dust on the floor was kicked up. Sound waves shook the walls together.
Sound pierced through layers of white fog, connecting with brilliant sunshine. The last rule zone of Lullaby Island finally dissipated at the edge of the sky with wild wind when this concert ended!
“Land on the island!” After the white fog dissipated, the surrounding military immediately launched rescue operations. Large numbers of experimental subjects who entered the rule zone here received rescue and were immediately sent to treatment centers.
Liam was captured by the Zhan City Order Maintenance Department, while Yi Ke and Zhuang Ningyu returned to Fortune Star Garden.
A roomful of medical staff.
Zhuang Ningyu slapped away Yi Ke’s hand resting at his waist, then with peace of mind fainted.
