Qiu Shi parked the vehicle next to the rocks below the tunnel. If Li Feng really delivered the goods according to his list, this vehicle would be needed. Although the vehicle made rattling noises and wobbled with every step, its power was still very strong—it was the high-powered truck they used to transport corpses.
However, while this vehicle could run on flat ground, it was absolutely impossible to drive it to the tunnel entrance. Only the inner city transport vehicles could do that, such as the one delivering goods to him shortly, but those drivers wouldn’t come down.
He would have to go up and down to carry the goods himself.
Usually, he could call someone else to handle this kind of thing, but his dealings with Li Feng were not entirely for “work”; there were also many private transactions, and nobody knew which ones might be traps.
The sound of an engine came from the tunnel—the delivery truck had arrived.
Qiu Shi started walking up. Refugees had come today, and traces of sliding up and down the gravel path were still visible. He found it easy to walk this path, with slightly larger rocks every few steps. Zhao Lü and his team had specifically cleared it. If the first step was taken correctly, one could step all the way up.
Under normal driving conditions, he would see the vehicle exiting the tunnel by the time he was halfway up. But this time, he was almost at the top, and the vehicle hadn’t come out yet.
As he quickened his pace to see what was going on, the engine noise in the tunnel suddenly stopped.
It seemed like the vehicle wasn’t planning to exit the tunnel at all.
Qiu Shi immediately felt a surge of anger. The people from the Security Bureau were acting so pretentious just to deliver a package.
Hesitating for two seconds, he accelerated his pace and rushed up. Sure enough, he saw the delivery vehicle parked near the tunnel’s exit, with the engine already turned off.
The Security Bureau’s vehicle was heavily armored all around, and from the outside, one could barely make out a human figure inside.
After a brief standoff with the car, he asked, “Who the hell is it?”
The vehicle door opened, but no one got out.
Qiu Shi didn’t say another word and quickly walked over, kicking the door shut with one foot.
There was a loud bang.
He was about to go to the back of the vehicle to get the package, but he stopped after taking just one step.
Turning around, he already had the dagger that was strapped to his leg in his hand; the vehicle window was open.
Through the rearview mirror, he saw that there was no one in the driver’s seat; what he had seen earlier was just a coat draped over the seatback.
Without hesitation, Qiu Shi quickly crouched to check under the vehicle, then jumped up onto the roof.
The roof appeared normal; no one was there, not even any dust; it was well-maintained.
He kneeled on the roof, listening. Hearing nothing unusual, he slowly stood up and circled the roof, but saw no one.
The driver had disappeared.
He looked towards the other end of the tunnel but saw no one.
In the short time since the vehicle had stopped, even if someone had a gun pointed at the driver, it was impossible for a regular Security Bureau driver to run out of the tunnel.
It was unbelievable that he had personally encountered a disappearance.
The walkie-talkie on his waist crackled twice, and Zhao Lü’s voice came through: “Brother Shi, there’s trouble at Dayan.”
Dayan was the name of the tavern they often visited. The owner treated morticians well, not only offering cremation services after death but also providing help when they encountered trouble with refugees.
But now the driver had disappeared, and the tavern was less than a ten-minute walk away…
“I’m at the tunnel. You and Xiaoling go over.” Qiu Shi jumped from the roof to the back of the car, smashing the lock on the cargo hold with his elbow and producing a crisp metallic sound as the lock fell to the ground.
“What’s your status?” Zhao Lü asked.
“Getting the goods,” Qiu Shi said as he opened the cargo hold door and quickly jumped back, ensuring there were no abnormalities before climbing into the hold. “Everyone else stays in pairs, armed, checking for any anomalies within a 500-meter range outside the city, and two more people come to take the goods from the tunnel.”
“Got it,” Zhao Lü responded.
Qiu Shi quickly rummaged through the cargo, pulling out a box of weapons and taking out a stun gun.
At the bottom of the box was the gun he needed, but he wasn’t sure about the situation at the tavern, so he couldn’t take the unauthorized weapon given by Li Feng to the scene.
Locking the box and throwing it out of the vehicle, Qiu Shi jumped into the driver’s seat, turned the vehicle around, and drove towards the tavern.
The tavern’s lights were on, but from a distance, he could see someone lying at the entrance.
Jumping out of the vehicle, Qiu Shi saw that it was the tavern’s young handyman, and from his experience, he could tell at a glance that the young man was already dead.
Looking through the window, he saw seven people lying inside, including the owner, sprawled outside the bar.
Qiu Shi took a deep breath, listened for a moment to ensure there was no sound inside, and rushed in.
There was no one alive.
They were all dead.
Qiu Shi reached out and felt the owner’s body, which was still warm.
He didn’t have time to investigate the cause of death; whatever had killed these people might still be there, and it was likely upstairs.
His heart tightened at the thought of the old man upstairs.
“Zhao Lü and Xiaoling, don’t come to Dayan. Let Xiao Lei find Li Feng,” Qiu Shi said into his radio, pulling out his drone and giving it instructions, “Open the communication channel; record remotely.”
Then he tossed the drone out the window and quickly headed upstairs with the stun gun.
The second floor was also silent, but his years of experience as a mortician outside the city told him there was danger. If it were anyone else, they might not have gone further.
But the old man was not just anyone.
He turned into the room on the second floor.
The old man was still there, alive.
But he was being held by his ankles, suspended in the air, unable to make a sound.
The person holding him was dressed in black, their face was hidden in the shadows, but it was clear they weren’t the usual infected they occasionally encountered.
Infected people didn’t have that kind of strength.
When the old man saw Qiu Shi come in, his eyes widened, filled with a look that screamed, “Get the hell out!”
“Let him go.” Qiu Shi pointed his gun at the person but didn’t give them time to react, firing as he spoke.
The blue current hit the person’s neck.
It seemed to have no effect at all.
There were two possibilities: either Li Feng had given him a fake weapon, or the person in front of him wasn’t human.
The old man’s eyes widened again.
Qiu Shi quickly dove, dodging an arm swinging at him from behind, and stabbed his dagger into the thigh of the person behind him.
But the owner of the thigh didn’t react at all.
It definitely wasn’t human.
Qiu Shi felt a sharp pain in his back, and the next thing he knew, he was yanked into the air and thrown out through the skylight on the second floor.
.
Li Feng leaned against a chair, his legs propped up on a device of some sort, looking at Director Zhang: “There’s no time to waste. Even ten minutes would make a difference. Any more delay, and we won’t be able to catch up.”
“Don’t get carried away,” Director Zhang said coldly. “Allowing you to take two Level 3 hidden guards to find him is already an exception! The Security Bureau should stick to internal affairs. You’d better stay out of external defense matters.”
Li Feng appeared much calmer than Director Zhang, with only the light tapping of his fingers on his arm betraying any inner tension. He persisted in expressing his opinion unhurriedly, “There’s no need, and it’s a waste to use two Level 3 hidden guards. Qiu Shi provided an accurate location; all we need to do is send…”
He glanced at the glass enclosure and said, “Send Xing Bi to the location, release him, find the person, and bring him back. It’s as simple as putting an elephant into a refrigerator.”
Director Zhang turned to look at Curtor Wu, “Lao Wu?”
“I have nothing to say,” Curator Wu replied, “I’m only responsible for the technical aspects.”
“Alright, you two are on the same side.” Director Zhang walked over to the table and shoved Li Feng’s legs aside, “This is impossible.”
“Qiu Shi is not an idiot. He has a video backup that no one knows where it’s kept.” Li Feng stood up, facing Director Zhang nose to nose, and said word for word, “He came to me first, then something happened. The person holding the backup will blame us for this incident.”
Director Zhang remained silent.
“We all understand the consequences of this video being exposed,” Li Feng continued, “Not to mention what might happen to your son or your position as director, but the Yun City, which prides itself on being free of biotic entities, not only fails to ensure human safety but also possesses hidden guards. Do you think the radicals wouldn’t seize such an opportunity?”
“The existence of hidden guards is also for the city’s safety,” Director Zhang replied.
“Does that matter anymore?” Li Feng said, “People used to think that way, but now? People come here seeking a world free of biotic entities—a world solely for humans. Regardless of your reasoning, it no longer matters. What matters is that people are easily incited. Once they discover this isn’t the utopia they envisioned, once someone stirs the pot, once the situation spirals out of control…”
“What are you trying to say?” Director Zhang stared at him.
“The first person the general will kill is you,” Li Feng said, “You’ll be the scapegoat.”
“You’re good at placing blame, Li Feng,” Director Zhang sighed after a long silence, “No wonder you’re the youngest director in Yun City’s history.”
“It’s nothing,” Li Feng leaned back in his chair, “All forced out of me.”
“If we send Xing Bi out now to find the person, how is that different from what you’re suggesting?” Director Zhang’s body leaned slightly towards the door, where a secure phone line was located, but his words remained firm.
“Xing Bi won’t be seen, nor will he be recorded,” Li Feng replied succinctly, “The difference lies in speed and accuracy.”
Director Zhang said nothing and walked out the door.
“If anything goes wrong, we’re all finished,” Curator Wu said.
“So the pressure is on you now,” Li Feng said, “No mistakes. Ensure he’s just a mindless tool for an hour, bringing back Qiu Shi.”
“Both Lao Zhang and I are under significant pressure.” Curator Wu stood up, “What about you? Do you feel any pressure?”
“I don’t,” Li Feng said, “Even if I die, I’ll have you two with me. What’s there to be pressured about?”
Curator Wu smiled and shook his head, picking up the phone, “Team 1, come over. Confidentiality level red.”
“Aren’t you going to wait for the general’s approval?” Li Feng asked.
“Lao Zhang has no retreat left, thanks to you,” Curator Wu said, “He has to get the general’s approval.”
Li Feng smiled and said nothing. As Curator Wu prepared, he looked down at his trembling hand.
He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling with his eyes closed, and walked slowly to the glass enclosure.
Xing Bi was still sitting in the chair with his head lowered. He had been here for several hours, and ever since he greeted them, he had remained in this state.
Li Feng thought that if he were in this situation, controlled and confined here for so many years, the first thing he would do upon release would be to kill everyone. He would never allow anyone with complete control to appear.
But that was his thinking as a human. Xing Bi was not human.
Then why was he so uncontrollable?
Xing Bi slowly raised his head, his gaze still directed at Li Feng.
“Lao Wu,” Li Feng looked into Xing Bi’s eyes; honestly, the intense pressure he felt was completely different. Xing Bi’s gaze and tone lacked any murderous intent, “Can he hear us?”
“No,” Curator Wu said, “He can’t hear anything, nor can he see outside.”
“Really?” Li Feng asked.
“Hidden guards are biotic entities, not aliens. They have no superpowers,” Curator Wu said, “Don’t forget, they were originally created by humans.”
“Then how does he know it’s nighttime now,” Li Feng asked, “and how does he know you’re not the only one outside?”
“They have a precise sense of time. Even if he’s confined for another hundred years, he can distinguish between day and night, and he can even know the exact time,” said Curator Wu. “As for knowing that we’re not alone, it just shows you’ve underestimated his intelligence.”
A hidden guard who can clearly tell how long he’s been confined here, down to the exact minute… Only a hidden guard could endure such pain.
“I’ll go handle the situation at the tavern,” Li Feng said, turning around. “The corpse collector is still waiting for my news, and if I don’t appease him, things might go wrong.”
“Okay.” Curator Wu nodded. “That… Qiu Shi.”
“Yes?” Li Feng looked at him.
“Just make sure he stays alive, right?” Curator Wu asked. “If you need to act quickly, it might not guarantee he won’t get hurt.”
Qiu Shi was very smart. Xiao Chong opened the information source, and from the footage obtained, it could be seen that a level three biotic entity couldn’t instantly kill Qiu Shi, and Qiu Shi could even fight back.
“As long as he stays alive,” Li Feng said, “he can endure a lot.”
.
“Just tell me.” Zhao Lü, with seven or eight guns hanging from his waist and legs like an arms dealer, blocked the way. “Is Qiu Shi still alive, at this very second, as I’m speaking to you?”
“Alive,” Li Feng said, looking around. Meeting here at the abandoned corpse cave was the right decision. Given Zhao Lü’s reckless manner, he added, “His pet is always with him and can monitor his vital signs.”
“We…” Zhao Lü touched his gun.
“No need,” Li Feng immediately pointed at his hand, “Don’t make any moves; don’t go anywhere; just stay here. I said I would bring him back, and I will. Don’t complicate things for me.”
“Alright,” Zhao Lü responded through gritted teeth, “just because such a high-ranking officer came personally.”
“Tell Xiao Lei it’s the issue at the Dayan Tavern,” Li Feng said, “Qiu Shi has been taken for investigation.”
“Got it.”
.
Once threatened, people become highly efficient. It’s unknown what method Director Zhang used, but he got the general to approve Xing Bi’s temporary deployment within fifteen minutes.
Curator Wu used the most direct method, sealing all of Xing Bi’s memories from an hour ago and enforcing a single command: track and bring back the target Qiu Shi within forty minutes, ensuring the target’s vital signs are intact. Even if the mission fails, he must return within forty minutes.
This crude method was likely to cause damage to hidden guards below level 2, and the biotic entities’ self-awareness could break through the seal. The control plan for Xing Bi wasn’t fully completed, so regardless of success, if he didn’t return within the stipulated time for any reason…
The time was precise to the minute.
When Li Feng arrived at the departure point, the city defense personnel had already set up a blockade, making it look like a regular high-priority security check.
Normally, no one would come here. Refugees couldn’t reach this place, and the residents of the outer city wouldn’t come here.
Qiu Shi’s signal was in the dense forest east of the tunnel. Because the biotic entities that took him weren’t high-level, Yun City’s defense system in the forest significantly slowed down its pace.
However, to avoid having his pet detected, Qiu Shi set it to follow from a distance, and in the dense forest, the pet couldn’t capture footage of him and the biotic entities anymore.
A large, unmarked black truck was surrounded by three city defense vehicles. When the door opened, Li Feng saw various glowing pieces of equipment inside and Xing Bi in a city defense uniform.
Leaving the isolating dome, Xing Bi, even after changing clothes, still seemed unaware of his surroundings.
“Confirm the mission objective.” A laboratory staff member stood in front of him.
“Bring back the target within forty minutes, ensuring vital signs,” Xing Bi said. “If the mission fails, return within forty minutes.”
“Verify the target location.” Curator Wu said this from the side.
The staff checked the coordinates on Xing Bi’s wrist: “Verified.”
Curator Wu glanced at Director Zhang, who was sitting in the nearby vehicle.
“Proceed,” Director Zhang said grimly.
“Proceed.”
Xing Bi got off the truck, and as everyone waited for him to depart, he suddenly looked up at the sky.
Li Feng quickly looked at Curator Wu, who also couldn’t confirm if this was a normal reaction, and just exchanged a glance with him, conveying no information.
But before they could think further, Xing Bi had leapt off the cliff, tracing an arc in the air, disappearing into the dense forest without making a sound.
.
When Qiu Shi woke up, he found himself stuffed into a box. The word ‘stuffed’ was no exaggeration. If he were two centimeters taller, he wouldn’t fit.
Curled up into a ball, he couldn’t move anything but his facial features.
The person who took him was a biotic entity. Whether it was a hidden guard, he couldn’t tell because, honestly, the opponent’s combat strength wasn’t that high. Beyond that, he couldn’t deduce anything.
He didn’t even dare guess if Li Feng would come to rescue him after receiving the message.
The only thing he could do now was listen to the sounds outside and try to estimate the time.
But there was no conversation outside. All he knew was that he was likely in the forest; the person dragging him encountered two defense attacks, and the box was being bumped along rocks and mud. He couldn’t keep track of time, feeling dizzy and short of breath.
However, it shouldn’t have been too long before the person dragging the box suddenly let go.
Then there were two muffled sounds of something hitting trees.
Someone had arrived.
Li Feng still acted like a decent person!
“Open the box!” Qiu Shi shouted.
To ensure his voice could be heard outside the box, he took a deep breath, ready to shout again when the box was suddenly flung open. Qiu Shi even saw the lock outside the box being forcibly snapped off and flying away.
A hand then reached past his eyes and pressed against his neck.
“I’m alive!” Qiu Shi struggled out of the box, pulling out a knife hidden in his boot before glancing back.
A person about his height, wearing a white city defense uniform, stood with their back to him.
Unarmed.
Were they here to die?
Must be Li Feng’s enemy.
Qiu Shi wasn’t sure where he was injured on his back, but it hurt badly. Still, he jumped up, preparing to fight this person.
But upon seeing five more black-clad biotic entities around, he changed his mind.
“Forget it,” he said, turning and starting to run, “Run!”
A black-clad figure rushed over, blocking his path.
Without thinking, Qiu Shi used his momentum to leap up and kick at the person.
At the same time, a white shadow had already moved behind the black-clad person, chopping at the back of their neck.
The black-clad person was swung up like something thrown, crashing into Qiu Shi mid-air.
The impact, far beyond Qiu Shi’s expectations, smashed him to the ground.
As he hit the ground heavily, Qiu Shi felt a sharp pain in his chest and even heard a cracking sound.
It seemed his ribs had broken.
“Damn… what force?”
When he painfully turned his head, he saw two more black-clad figures lying motionless not far away, just like the one on him.
Qiu Shi realized that these were probably the two who had crashed into the trees earlier.
One strike per person.
This person wasn’t from the city defense.
This was a hidden guard.
Yun City really had hidden guards.
Gritting his teeth against the severe pain in his chest and back, he pushed off the black-clad person on top of him to get a better look at the hidden guard.
Just as he managed to prop himself halfway up, another black-clad figure flew over and hit him.
“Damn it…” Qiu Shi’s vision darkened, and he almost couldn’t catch his breath.
“Don’t run,” the person said.
“Your name…” Qiu Shi felt a surge of anger. It was the first time he knew someone would stop others from running like this. “Do you have a name?”
“Xing Bi.” Xing Bi, having finished the fight, walked over and used his toe to lift the person pressing on Qiu Shi.
“Xing Bi,” Qiu Shi repeated, taking a deep breath and cursing through gritted teeth, “Damn you.”
Xing Bi didn’t react to this, showing no change in expression. He simply stepped on the neck of the nearby biotic entity, and Qiu Shi heard a cracking sound.
Then Xing Bi bent down, grabbed his wrist, and pressed his neck again.
“Not dead!” Qiu Shi, impatient and in pain, pressed Xing Bi’s neck in return.
…no pulse.
Of course, a biotic entity wouldn’t have a pulse.
Xing Bi looked at him.
Qiu Shi withdrew his hand and lay flat, finally realizing that the pain in his chest and back was making it almost impossible to breathe: “How are we getting out of here? I could have walked, but you messed me up.”
Xing Bi glanced at the box from earlier.
“No way,” Qiu Shi said.
Before he could say more, Xing Bi grabbed his collar and hauled him up from the ground.
Qiu Shi passed out from the pain before he could utter another word.
For every Ko-fi received for a perticular novel, I will release a new chapter!
