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Chapter 63
“A hit earns a kiss. Have you forgotten the rule?”
Jerry Lambert, 45-year-old base guard, an ordinary human.
The work badge hanging on the chest of his corpse was soaked in blood. Shen Zhuo was about to reach for it when Bai Sheng raised his hand to stop him:
“Be cautious of residual abilities.”
Bai Sheng knelt on one knee, removed the badge from the corpse’s chest, carefully placed it in his own pocket, and then gently closed Jerry Lambert’s wide-open eyes. His movements were light and gentle, not minding that the fingertips of his tactical fingerless gloves were stained with blood.
Shen Zhuo silently observed Bai Sheng, withdrawing his gaze just before Bai Sheng turned around, and then stood up.
“This is somewhat strange,” Bai Sheng said, touching his chin and looking back at the tungsten alloy door that had just closed behind them. “With Nielsen absent, how did Rong Qi bypass biometric security?”
“…Can you hear me?” Antonio’s voice crackled through the tactical headset, distorted by severe electromagnetic interference within the base. “I reviewed the surveillance footage. It appears Rong Qi obtained the perimeter guard password from Nielsen, killed the three on-duty guards, and coerced the guard captain to use his biometric information to open the first door for them.”
Bai Sheng and Shen Zhuo exchanged glances.
“The outer guard’s highest authority only grants access to the first door,” Antonio paused and continued, “so if you proceed further, you might encounter…”
“We’ve already encountered it,” Bai Sheng said, his tone somber.
Further down the passageway, Yang Xiaodao turned back, indicating a pool of blood on the ground where the guard captain’s body lay against the wall.
He had used his fingerprint and iris to open the door, exhausted his usefulness, and was casually killed and discarded by the intruders here.
Bai Sheng advanced with his gun. The guard captain did not have a work badge, but there was a metal ring around his neck inscribed with “D53654.”
He was a D-class evolutionist.
“Didn’t Rong Qi claim he wouldn’t kill his kind?” Bai Sheng examined the corpse’s broken throat and sneered, “It appears he is quite adept at it.”
Shen Zhuo softly remarked, “Think of Liu Sanji.”
The first time Rong Qi infiltrated the Shenhai City Supervision Office, he proclaimed his aversion to killing, particularly against his own kind. However, he used Liu Sanji as an experimental subject for secondary evolution, causing his entire DNA chain to fracture and turning him into a living monstrosity. Ultimately, Rong Qi absorbed him entirely, using the energy to rise from his wheelchair.
“He claims to be fighting for survival space for his kind, yet he kills evolutionists without hesitation.”
Bai Sheng’s expression turned icy as he raised his eyebrows, loaded a bullet with a click, and said indifferently, “Let’s go.”
***
This safety passage extends for 1600 meters, with a slight incline indicating a descent underground. Every 400 meters, there is a safety gate. The first two gates showed no signs of damage, but corpses of staff members were found beside the doors, likely coerced into opening them before being discarded, similar to the guard captain.
The latter two safety gates were violently breached, with thick tungsten alloy blasted apart, likely by some high-level violent output type ability.
Bai Sheng carefully collected the badges of the victims along the way, and for those without badges, he meticulously recorded their identity information.
Initially, Antonio on the other end of the tactical headset managed to take a few notes, but as they delved deeper, the signal was completely cut off, leaving the headset silent after a couple of crackling sounds.
Shen Zhuo stopped: “This is the place.”
Ahead, the passageway split into two paths—one leading to the lighting control room on the left, and the other descending further underground on the right. Both entrances bore signs of people fleeing and bullet marks.
Rong Qi’s invaders likely first disabled the base’s power and lighting in the left control room before returning and proceeding to the underground level via the right passage.
“The right passage is exceedingly complex, relying solely on the map would be too time-consuming.”
Shen Zhuo paused, addressing the group in a businesslike and exceptionally calm tone: “Given the urgency of our situation, allow me to lead the way.”
Behind him, Bai Sheng silently smirked before nonchalantly resuming his usual demeanor.
“Very well, Yang Xiaodao, proceed to the control room and search for any injured survivors.” Bai Sheng pointed his gun towards the left, then signaled Shen Zhuo to follow him: “Supervisor Shen, lead the way to the underground level. I’ll mark the route, and Yang Xiaodao can follow our marks to catch up with us later.”
“?”
Yang Xiaodao had an instinctive feeling that something was amiss with this seemingly logical plan, but he was accustomed to following Bai Sheng’s commands. Without expression, he said “okay,” and turned towards the left fork, carrying his HKG28.
“Please, Supervisor Shen,” Bai Sheng said politely, tilting his head slightly, and then suddenly remembered something:
“Ah, by the way, this base might be a bit cold for ordinary people. Are you alright?”
“…”
Shen Zhuo seldom experienced the sensation of “cold.” As the supervisor of Shenhai City, he was always surrounded by bodyguards and transported in a dedicated vehicle. No one would allow him to be even slightly inconvenienced. Even when Rong Qi invaded Shenhai and the situation became turbulent, with storms raging several times, he never felt cold, as there was always someone with a naturally high body temperature holding him.
That person was strong, unreasonable, and impossible to avoid. Whether walking on the street or sitting in the car, he would always restlessly hold Shen Zhuo’s shoulder, which sometimes irritated him.
Now that person stood before him, smiling and looking at him without any intention of reaching out, his eyes reflecting genuine concern.
“Not cold, thank you.”
Shen Zhuo replied coldly, adjusted his clothes, and strode towards the right fork.
Bai Sheng almost couldn’t help but laugh, coughed to restrain himself, and quickly followed.
***
The right corridor led to the research center. This route was indeed more complex than it appeared on the map, especially with the lighting destroyed, leaving only the faint glow of emergency lights on the walls.
Fortunately, Shen Zhuo possessed an extraordinary memory, able to remember every detail after a single walkthrough. He moved swiftly and decisively through the labyrinthine corridors. Bai Sheng, carrying a submachine gun, walked beside him, marking intersections with a pen and occasionally glancing thoughtfully at his fingers.
His fingertips still bore traces of blood from when he had closed the eyes of the human guard earlier.
In such dim visibility, Bai Sheng’s subtle actions were barely noticeable, but on the third time he lowered his eyes to examine his fingertips, Shen Zhuo’s voice suddenly broke the silence:
“What is it?”
Bai Sheng, distracted, replied, “What do you mean?”
Shen Zhuo, who had not spoken the entire way, paused before asking, “What are you thinking about?”
“…”
Bai Sheng laughed ambiguously without answering.
Shen Zhuo finally turned to stare at him and asked, “What is so amusing?”
“I’m laughing at you,” Bai Sheng lazily replied, placing one hand behind his neck and casually moving his shoulder. “This is the first time Supervisor Shen has ever asked about my thoughts. I’m flattered, so of course, I laughed.”
Shen Zhuo opened his mouth, likely intending to mock, but then realized that Bai Sheng wasn’t lying.
This was indeed the first time he had ever proactively inquired about someone’s thoughts.
“…You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” Shen Zhuo turned his gaze away and calmly said, “Mr. Bai.”
“Don’t give up so easily,” Bai Sheng responded, shaking a finger. He then glanced at the now-dried dark red bloodstain on his fingertip and said casually, “I was thinking about the time I went rock climbing the year I graduated from college. I accidentally slipped and had my fingernail pried off by a nail. My hand was covered in blood…”
“It looked much the same as this,” he said blandly, “no difference.”
Shen Zhuo retorted, “It’s all plasma and blood cells, with 90% water content. What difference do you expect?”
“Exactly,” Bai Sheng said.
His long, well-defined fingers clenched, as if feeling the pulse of blood surging through his veins. After a moment, he murmured to himself, “The same blood components, the same familial bonds, even the same dietary customs and culture… In just five years, everyone thinks they are a different species.”
He smiled silently, leaving it unclear whether it was sarcasm or self-mockery.
In the darkness, Shen Zhuo turned his head, gave him a deep glance, and then quickly looked away.
“By the way, about the neurotransmitter you mentioned last time,” Bai Sheng looked at Shen Zhuo and asked, seemingly casually, “the one secreted in the brains of evolutionists. Can it be inhibited or removed?”
The evolutionary neurotransmitter is secreted in large quantities in the brains of high-level ability users, sometimes up to a thousand times more than in low-level ability users. This neurotransmitter is crucial in fostering the strong species identity in evolved humans, making them feel distinct from regular humans. However, there is currently no effective medication to inhibit its secretion.
“We don’t have that technology yet, and the surgical risks are too high.” Shen Zhuo’s expression was obscured by the darkness, and after a moment, he replied in a low voice, “It could easily lead to brain dysfunction.”
Bai Sheng drew in a sharp breath: “Then it’s best to avoid it.”
“…”
“One must accept the consequences of their nature.” Bai Sheng looked at Shen Zhuo with a charming smile, a hint of undisguised mockery in his eyes. “Becoming mentally impaired would get me expelled from the Shenhai City Supervision Office. Between two evils, it’s better to choose the lesser, right, Supervisor Shen?”
Shen Zhuo turned back, coldly glaring at the smiling Bai Sheng, and said slowly, “I have never considered you…”
“Ah, watch out.” Bai Sheng raised his hand to interrupt, speaking easily, “Is this a door?”
Shen Zhuo abruptly stopped.
They had already exited the research area, and in the darkness ahead, a massive tungsten alloy door loomed.
Bai Sheng shone his tactical flashlight on it, revealing the inscription “Radiation Testing Ground”.
“This door doesn’t seem to show any signs of being forcibly opened by Rong Qi.” Bai Sheng carefully inspected the area, then turned back with a surprised click of his tongue: “Impressive, Supervisor Shen, did you take us on a shortcut?”
Supervisor Shen had lost all interest in engaging with Mr. Bai. He simply said, “Move aside,” and stepped forward to enter the password, scanning his iris and fingerprint.
Bang—
The door slowly opened, emitting a faint white light.
In an instant, Bai Sheng grabbed Shen Zhuo and swiftly pushed him behind, shielding him with one hand while his sharp eyes scanned the interior.
It was a vast, enormous indoor space, apparently not yet in use, with high, enclosed walls that felt oppressive and empty. A narrow window high on the far wall allowed some light to enter.
It seemed to be night outside, as a crescent moon was visible through the high window, casting a faint, pale light on the concrete walls.
Safe.
The muscles in Bai Sheng’s back relaxed subtly.
“We’ve finally arrived,” he said, his gaze falling on the far side of the space, “The entrance to the underground level must be beyond that door.”
The testing ground itself was already semi-underground, and a small metal door was visible in the distance, seemingly weighing over ten tons.
Shen Zhuo had no intention of acknowledging Bai Sheng. He crossed the testing ground to the metal door, entered another password, and scanned his fingerprint again.
Bai Sheng was unfazed by the cold treatment from the chief supervisor. Leisurely following Shen Zhuo, he shone his flashlight around with the submachine gun in hand. Behind the metal door was an elevator lobby, with a massive elevator shaft leading deep underground. It was so dark below that even the tactical flashlight couldn’t illuminate more than a few meters.
“Rong Qi and his group have the greatest advantage underground, as all the mechanisms and firepower were designed according to Nielsen’s specifications, of which I know almost nothing. So you and Yang Xiaodao must be extremely cautious.”
Shen Zhuo paused, checked the time, then looked up and said calmly, “I must go. I wish you success in the upcoming mission.”
“What? Don’t leave me here alone. Won’t you stay and keep me company?”
Bai Sheng responded naturally, then turned to look at Shen Zhuo, waving his hand with a smile: “—Just kidding. Wait for Yang Xiaodao to return and escort you out. Such a large base is too unsafe for you to be alone.”
“…”
Shen Zhuo stood still, silent.
In the darkness, the two were only a few steps apart, close enough to faintly sense each other’s presence.
Moonlight streamed from above, illuminating Shen Zhuo’s porcelain-like, cold white profile. His breathing was so slight that no one could notice it was slightly more rapid than usual.
Bai Sheng’s keen eyes fixed on him, narrowing slightly as if discovering something new. In a swift motion, he reached out and pressed his fingers against Shen Zhuo’s neck, accurately catching his pulse with his tactical fingerless gloves.
“!”
Shen Zhuo instinctively tried to dodge, but Bai Sheng held him firmly: “Supervisor Shen, your pulse is racing.”
Shen Zhuo said nothing.
Bai Sheng studied him with a teasing smile, then slightly leaned closer and softly asked, as if uncovering a secret:
“Could it be that you’re afraid?”
The vast, enclosed space, with high, oppressive concrete walls, and a huge crescent moon slowly crossing the sky.
Shen Zhuo closed his eyes. The void and unease imprinted in his bones from childhood, buried in his subconscious, surged over him like a cold tide, drowning him. Countless fragmented dreams flashed like a kaleidoscope.
The enormous shadow of the moon.
The safety layer.
Desperately wanting to speak but unable to utter a sound.
“I need to go.” Shen Zhuo opened his eyes, his tone calm, suppressed by strong rationality, and easily pushed Bai Sheng away: “Good luck with your mission. I must return to the surface to make contact…”
—Shwoosh!
A tremendous force struck from behind. Bai Sheng grabbed Shen Zhuo and pressed him against the wall. The impact was so strong that Shen Zhuo’s head snapped back, but just before it hit the wall, Bai Sheng’s hand intercepted, cushioning the blow with his warm, strong palm.
“You have a touch of agoraphobia, Supervisor Shen.”
The two were pressed tightly together, Bai Sheng’s arm creating a narrow, confined space. He leaned close to Shen Zhuo’s ear, smiling lightly as he spoke.
“I sensed it the first time I visited your office. No ordinary supervisor would design an office like that. Your bedroom is so small that it can barely fit a bed. You never go to the underground garage at the office. At my place, on nights when there was moonlight, you always avoided the indoor gym. Why? Because it was the only room without curtains?”
Shen Zhuo frowned, “What nonsense are you talking about? I don’t have…”
“You aren’t aware of it,” Bai Sheng stared at him, as if seeing through those beautiful eyes. “You instinctively avoid large, enclosed spaces in the dark and have a mild stress reaction to certain scenes, but you don’t know why.”
“…”
“Have you ever experienced fear in your life, Supervisor Shen?”
Bai Sheng lifted a hand and pressed it against Shen Zhuo’s chest, his palm almost touching his heartbeat in the darkness. He asked softly, “Why do you never talk about it?”
The large crescent moon outside the skylight was completely blocked by Bai Sheng, his arms forming an absolutely safe, confined space. Their body heat mingled, their breaths intermixing in the darkness.
“…Everyone has situations they are uncomfortable with. There’s no need to make it known to the world,” Shen Zhuo said coldly, “Thank you for your analysis and reminder. I’ll be mindful next time.”
He grabbed Bai Sheng’s wrist and forcibly moved the hand away from his chest, walking away without looking back.
Pale moonlight spilled onto the ground, with the vastness and oppression pressing down from all sides. But Shen Zhuo’s steps were extraordinarily steady, and his breathing was well controlled, just like him—never revealing any anomalies to the outside world.
“Do you think walking out on your own will solve everything?” Bai Sheng’s relaxed voice came from behind, “The night is long, Supervisor Shen, and the road ahead of you…”
Swoosh.
Almost with silent movements, Bai Sheng suddenly reacted, turning around abruptly.
At that moment, Shen Zhuo turned back, only to hear Bai Sheng’s stern voice: “Who’s there?!”
In the darkness not far away, by the elevator, a figure, knowing they had been discovered, immediately leaped underground. Bai Sheng, lightning-fast, raised his gun and pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The gunshots instantly shattered the silence, the person hurriedly firing back, bullets splashing sparks on the elevator. Shen Zhuo stepped forward quickly, chambering his gun, but Bai Sheng pushed him back without hesitation, a shot ringing out—bang!
The bullet flew over twenty meters, hitting the person right between the eyebrows, the skull bursting open in an instant!
With a dull thud, the body fell to the side of the elevator.
Bai Sheng stepped forward quickly, shining his tactical flashlight on the bloodied face, revealing it to be an evolutionist under Rong Qi’s command, the level displayed on their hand indicating D.
“Hiding here as a guard?” Bai Sheng picked up the walkie-talkie near the body and said, “These people are trying to communicate…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he caught sight of a blind spot in his peripheral vision, pulling Shen Zhuo aside abruptly. “Watch out!”
Everything happened faster than lightning.
Shen Zhuo was pulled forward, a bullet grazing past his waist, while in the same moment, a bullet from Bai Sheng’s gun had left the barrel, piercing through the invisible figure’s chest in the darkness. Amidst the splattering blood, the assailant’s form finally became visible—it was a rare stealth evolutionist!
The stealth ability was broken, the assailant falling against the wall, using their last strength to open the walkie-talkie: “They… have… arrived…”
Swoosh.
The silencer sounded, and the attacker’s head exploded with a bang, the walkie-talkie falling to the ground with a clatter.
Not far away, Yang Xiaodao lowered the sniper rifle expressionlessly, swiftly sweeping the area with a flashlight. “Clear.”
Blood quickly soaked through his clothes, Bai Sheng, with one hand still maintaining the motion of pulling Shen Zhuo aside, tightly pressed the wound where the bullet had entered his abdomen. However, the warm, moist liquid still overflowed from between his fingers.
“…Bai Sheng?”
Shen Zhuo’s voice trailed off, faintly unsteady, not even realizing he was already kneeling on the ground. “What’s wrong with you? Bai Sheng?”
“Huff… huff…” Bai Sheng kept breathing hoarsely. Most people would have died by now, but he could still open his eyes and look at Shen Zhuo, gritting his teeth to force a smile:
“Don’t…don’t just stand there; quickly collect my blood, so you can at least…use it…”
“What nonsense are you talking about?!” Shen Zhuo’s voice cracked unusually, his whole body trembling with adrenaline, his vision whitening. In his panic, his hands shook as he rapidly took off his coat and pressed it against Bai Sheng’s abdominal wound. “Go! Return to the surface immediately!”
“Huh?” Yang Xiaodao was shocked, “What about the mission?”
Shen Zhuo shouted sternly: “Return to the surface!”
“You…listen to me…” Bai Sheng’s fingers trembled as they brushed against Shen Zhuo’s cheek. With all his strength, he managed to say a few words: “Don’t waste it…”
Shen Zhuo staggered but managed to lift Bai Sheng: “Shut up!”
“Don’t waste it, or I… will…” Bai Sheng finally couldn’t help but burst into laughter: “I really can’t hold it anymore…”
He relaxed the hand pressing on his abdomen, and the bullet, which had been held in place by pressure, finally fell to the ground with a clink.
The S-class body’s powerful regenerative abilities against any non-supernatural attack were almost godlike. The muscles quickly healed, the skin closed up, and in no time, there was not a trace of the wound left.
Shen Zhuo maintained his position, staring at him.
“Alright, alright.” Bai Sheng forcibly suppressed his laughter, sitting up and reaching out to hug him: “Come on, be good. I told you to collect the blood quickly and not waste it, but you insisted on abandoning the mission to return to the surface…”
Bang!
Shen Zhuo suddenly drove his knee into Bai Sheng’s abdomen, pinning him to the ground. He grabbed Bai Sheng’s collar with one hand and punched him hard in the face with the other. The force of the punch was enough to shatter teeth, but Bai Sheng caught his wrist just in time.
With a swift movement, Bai Sheng used his weight advantage to flip Shen Zhuo underneath him, quickly restraining Shen Zhuo’s wrist. His eyes gleamed in the darkness, filled with a teasing smile:
“You’re really trying to hit me, huh? What happened after you slapped me last time?”
Their eyes locked, hearts pounding against each other. Shen Zhuo gritted his teeth, his thin lips pressed tightly together in silence.
Memories of that stormy night, the heated struggle against the door of the hospital room, and the intimate breaths and touches resurfaced from the void, the familiar, gentle sensations lingering between his lips and teeth.
Bai Sheng leaned down, whispering in Shen Zhuo’s ear with a smile: “A hit earns a kiss. Have you forgotten the rule?”
“…”
“Do you still want to hit me, hmm?”
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