Xing Bi took control of all the infected present on-site.
He seized control from the original hosts.
Compared to symbionts, infected individuals were weaker and easier to control. Previously, when they crossed the river, there had been at least twenty infected under simultaneous control on the boat.
But the current number of infected far exceeded that.
This situation clearly hadn’t been anticipated by the host. After a brief moment of silence, he relaxed his stance and slowly stood up straight.
“It’s been a long time,” he looked at Xing Bi. “I still underestimated you.”
A new set of four symbiont signals appeared on the blurred map in Qiu Shi’s view.
These were likely the hosts jointly controlling these infected.
Xing Bi remained silent, and the black mark on his neck suddenly started spreading, extending from his jawline across the left half of his face. When lightning struck, his left side appeared to be concealed behind a black mesh.
Then he tilted his head slightly.
Suddenly, a portion of the infected around him dropped to the ground in unison, like puppets with their strings cut.
Xing Bi slowly rose.
Among the infected still standing, someone raised a knife, plunging it into the comrade beside them.
Another group of infected fell to the ground.
At that moment, the black-blooded cultists, who had finally snapped out of their stupor, began to celebrate wildly, hacking at the motionless infected with their knives.
The swirling cold wind seemed to take on a voice of its own, mixing with excited shouts to emit a shrill sound.
A flash of lightning struck behind Xing Bi, casting his silhouette in sharp relief, his figure hidden in darkness.
The infected signals on the map rapidly decreased, leaving only a surrounding circle. The hosts also began to retreat, appearing ready to leave.
Qiu Shi felt he was about to collapse, the urge to sleep overwhelmingly strong, and fatigue intense.
But he didn’t dare close his eyes. He struggled to stay awake, knowing that if he closed his eyes now, he likely wouldn’t open them again. He was also afraid… no, worried about Xing Bi.
He suddenly wanted to laugh.
Xing Bi had said that this was called “worry.”
For the first time, he realized how fast a person’s mind could race in this state.
The infected were no longer a problem, and the hosts were retreating. All they had to do now was clean up the site, rendezvous with Team Three, and then whether he lived or died would be up to fate.
But all of this depended on Xing Bi making it through safely.
He couldn’t assess Xing Bi’s condition but knew only that Xing Bi’s eyes were now filled with killing intent.
This Xing Bi, cloaked in darkness amid the storm and lightning, was no longer the same person who’d dragged him along the street on a makeshift sled earlier.
The only way to ensure Xing Bi’s safety now was to take control of him.
In the next second, Xing Bi leapt down from the vehicle.
His punch toward the host left a trail of black afterimage through the air.
The host raised an arm to block, but was still knocked back two meters.
He didn’t choose to continue fighting. Instead, using the momentum, he stepped back and climbed up to the second floor of a nearby shop, then vaulted onto the roof.
“Xing Bi.” Qiu Shi called out to him.
He could tell his voice was weak, almost inaudible amidst the howling wind and ecstatic shouts, but his comms with Xing Bi were open, so he knew Xing Bi could hear him.
“Xing Bi,” he called again, “don’t chase.”
Xing Bi turned to glance at him.
His gaze was so cold it was as if they’d never known each other.
Qiu Shi knew he didn’t have time to hesitate; in the next second, it would be either Xing Bi leaving or him dropping dead.
He clenched his left hand.
But he didn’t get the chance to complete the motion.
Despite his icy demeanor, Xing Bi still knew him all too well.
Just as he tightened his fist, Xing Bi stomped on his wrist.
The pain of that stomp surpassed all the knife wounds on his body, a sharp agony that pierced straight to his heart.
Qiu Shi gasped, his vision swiftly consumed by darkness, and he closed his eyes.
“Don’t rush to move him yet,” Li Feng’s voice was already hoarse, struggling to speak. “Let Sang Fan treat his wounds. She has the relevant skills. Try to stop the bleeding first, then see if that old man has any way…”
“That old man’s a con artist,” Zhao Yi’s voice quivered slightly.
“He used to be a doctor, a very professional one,” Li Feng replied. “Tell him, whatever it takes, Qiu Shi has to stay alive, even if it’s just one last breath. Team Three is on their way; you’ll meet them, and the medical vehicle is with the reinforcements. You should be able to cross paths on the road.”
“…Understood,” Zhao Yi responded. “I got it.”
After ending the call, Li Feng looked at the data flickering across the screen in front of him, feeling like his head was about to explode, pain throbbing in his eyeballs.
“Can he survive?” Director Liu, sitting nearby, asked.
“Lao Wu.” Li Feng looked up at Curator Wu.
“If he can make it to the medical vehicle, he can live,” Curator Wu said. “But I’m not sure if he’ll hold out long enough to rendezvous with it.”
“Colonel Xu is on her way,” Director Liu added. “Summarize the situation.”
“She’s been at the command center this whole time,” Li Feng replied. “Is there anything still unclear?”
“She’s still in charge of a team, after all,” Minister Liu said. “It’s only natural there’d be things she couldn’t know so thoroughly…”
“Was it my decision for her to personally lead the team?” Li Feng replied.
“Deputy Leader Li?” Minister Liu’s tone turned noticeably colder.
“Li Feng?” Zhang Qifeng stepped in front of him. “How about going for a drink of water?”
Li Feng looked at him, somewhat shocked—who had swapped out Zhang Qifeng’s brain?
Nevertheless, he took Zhang Qifeng’s suggestion, got up, and poured himself a glass of water.
“You usually have a sharp mind, always up to something,” Zhang Qifeng said in a low voice, following him. “What happened now—brain expired?”
Li Feng took a sip. “Or maybe Director Zhang secretly swapped it out?”
Zhang Qifeng glanced at him, sneered and walked away.
Li Feng knew why Zhang Qifeng was suddenly helping him. With Xing Bi missing and Qiu Shi’s fate uncertain, this strongest partnership was now at risk of becoming a cautionary example. For someone like Colonel Xu, who distrusted bioroids and firmly believed humans could overcome anything, this would only reinforce her concerns.
If bioroids were once again restricted, only the army and the City Defense Bureau would be left to confront powerful enemies. Zhang Qifeng might not fully trust or understand bioroids, but he cared about his own guards.
No one wanted to see the people who had followed them for years go off to die.
Nor did they want to die themselves.
If someone had to die, it might as well be the pawns.
Li Feng took another two sips of water.
He wondered if lack of sleep was making him nauseous as he drank.
Just as he felt the urge to retch, Colonel Xu entered the conference room.
“Are you feeling unwell, Deputy Director Li?” Colonel Xu asked.
“No, perfectly fine.” Li Feng returned to his seat at the table.
“Should we consider the Qiu Shi and Xing Bi partnership a mission failure?” Colonel Xu asked bluntly as she sat down.
“I don’t think that’s fair to say,” Minister Liu replied.
“Their task was to investigate Xima Town—assessing facilities, identifying personnel, and defining precise safe zones—while avoiding direct contact or conflict,” Colonel Xu said, glancing at Minister Liu. “But they achieved none of that.”
“The original objectives weren’t met, true,” Minister Liu said, “but that’s due to unforeseen circumstances.”
“Handling unforeseen circumstances is another matter,” Colonel Xu replied. “Let’s go step by step and clarify accountability.”
“There’s no need to go step by step,” Li Feng interjected. “Encountering and handling unforeseen circumstances is all part of the same mission; there’s no dividing it into two separate issues.”
“So what is your take on it, Director Li?” Colonel Xu asked, smiling at him.
“Deputy.” Li Feng corrected her.
“What is your take on it, Deputy Director Li?” Colonel Xu repeated.
“Qiu Shi and Xing Bi are heroes,” Li Feng said. “The second team is a team of heroes.”
Everyone around the table paused, looking at him.
“Heroes?” Colonel Xu’s face couldn’t hide her shock. “Do you understand the weight of that word, Deputy Director Li?”
“Of course I do,” Li Feng replied. “But they’re worthy of it.”
Colonel Xu didn’t respond.
“From what we’ve gathered so far,” Li Feng said, standing up and moving to the screen to review the data, “it’s clear that Xima Town wasn’t empty when they arrived. It was already occupied by immune black-blooded humans hostile to Yun City. The second team stabilized the situation—no conflicts, no unnecessary contact. Then, a mass of infected people arrived…”
He turned around. “This was no ordinary number; it wasn’t the hundreds we usually encounter. This was hundreds, maybe even thousands, guided by a central mind with a clear target—choosing the shortest path to Yun City. This was an attack on Yun City.”
“How did they know the ‘Jungle’ would be coming and use this as an opportunity to attack?” Minister Liu asked.
“Maybe those black-blooded humans sensed it somehow. Or it might just be a coincidence. I believe they would have attacked regardless of the ‘Jungle’s’ arrival,” Li Feng replied.
“Hmm.” Minister Liu nodded. “Continue.”
“We still haven’t fully repaired the damage caused by infected infiltrating the Inner City previously,” Li Feng said. “Imagine the devastation from a large-scale infected assault under coordinated control; Yun City would be in ruins within three days.”
Colonel Xu seemed ready to say something but held back, gesturing for Li Feng to continue.
“When the infected first appeared,” Li Feng said, “Qiu Shi could have led the team out immediately. He wouldn’t have been injured and could have regrouped with the reinforcements we sent. The alternative would have been risking our soldiers’ infection, potentially turning them into controlled infected against us.”
“Hmm.” Minister Liu nodded.
“Qiu Shi and Xing Bi, with the second team, held them back at Xima Town,” Li Feng continued. “Qiu Shi risked his life to shield Yun City from a surprise attack.”
Colonel Xu watched him.
“If they aren’t heroes, then who is?” Li Feng asked.
“But now Xing Bi is missing,” Colonel Xu said, frowning. “He’s out of control and now a risk…”
“Missing doesn’t mean out of control,” Li Feng replied. “Reports indicate he was pursuing several central figures, and he left behind three symbionts under his command.”
Colonel Xu looked at him. “You’re sparing no effort, aren’t you, Deputy Director Li?”
“If it had been Team One at Xima Town,” Li Feng replied, “we might not have received any updates—they’d all be dead by now.”
“Isn’t that an overly absolute statement?” Colonel Xu said, visibly displeased.
“It’s not my statement that’s absolute; it’s the absolute power bioroids hold over humans,” Li Feng replied. “Their only weakness is their limited numbers.”
“The bioroids the company currently has can match them,” Minister Liu said, aligning with Mr. Long’s preference for using bioroids more extensively, though he spoke cautiously. “Of course, we still need to ensure safety and public approval…”
“Right now, people in Yun City are in a state of panic. Both the Inner and Outer Cities are bracing for destruction; in this state, Yun City might collapse before the enemy even arrives,” Li Feng said. “They need hope. They need a hero, someone who can show that bioroids and humans can save Yun City together.”
Minister Liu agreed, nodding. “Spiritual strength is powerful at any time, for anyone.”
Colonel Xu left the room for the command center, leaving the rest in silence.
“As for the next steps…” Zhang Qifeng spoke up. “Rescue Qiu Shi, clear out Xima Town, station guards, and search for Xing Bi. How should we proceed?”
“The reinforcements stationed at Xima Town can stay there. The City Defense Bureau can assign some personnel for internal defense, as we did before,” Li Feng replied. “As for searching for Xing Bi… I’ll need to meet with Lin Sheng and Sang Fan first.”
“You’re sending them?” Curator Wu asked.
“Hmm.” Li Feng nodded. “I’ll confirm the details with you in a bit.”
“Then I’ll head back to the lab. Testing the next round of bioroids still needs to be completed.” Curator Wu stood up, eager to leave—every time this conspiracy group got into disputes, he wanted to escape as quickly as possible.
“Hmm.” Li Feng responded, then looked at Minister Liu. “I might need your help with the publicity. Just let me know how you’d like me to cooperate.”
“Understood.” Minister Liu nodded. As he got up to leave, he looked at Li Feng and said, “Young man, don’t push yourself too hard. Remember to rest.”
“Thank you for your concern, Minister Liu,” Li Feng replied.
As the room emptied, only Zhang Qifeng remained, standing there.
Li Feng looked at him. “Director Zhang, is there something else?”
“Do you really believe they’re heroes?” Zhang Qifeng asked. “The situation is still unclear. What if it’s not what we think? What if something went wrong with Xing Bi? You’ll be shouldering all the responsibility.”
“No matter the outcome or any mistakes made, they will still be heroes,” Li Feng said.
The old man pulled out a box, took out a small bottle, and shook out two pills, preparing to put them in Qiu Shi’s mouth.
Sang Fan grabbed his hand. “What is this?”
“Hemostatic medicine,” the old man replied. “It’s to stop his internal bleeding.”
Sang Fan didn’t respond, seeming to think.
“What orders did Xing Bi give you?” the old man asked.
“To ensure Qiu Shi stays alive, and to trust you if necessary,” Sang Fan said.
“It’s necessary now—very necessary,” the old man insisted. “If you don’t trust me, Qiu Shi will die.”
“Take one yourself,” Sang Fan said.
“A healthy person can’t take it!” the old man protested. “This is for people on the brink of death! It’ll harm a healthy person.”
“Then find someone who’s about to die,” Sang Fan said, pressing her hand against the side of Qiu Shi’s neck, then glancing at Xiao Zuo. “Now.”
Xiao Zuo turned and left, scouting the street until he soon found a nearly dead Blackblood follower and dragged him back.
Sang Fan glanced at the man, who had been shot. She drew a knife and stabbed him twice in the abdomen, then motioned to the old man. “Give him the medicine.”
Under everyone’s shocked gaze, the old man placed the pill in the man’s mouth.
Long Hao ran in from outside. “The third team’s vehicle has entered from the east entrance.”
“Drive and bring them here,” Zhao Yi said. “Lu Yu, go with him. There are still a few infected left to clear out; be careful.”
“Got it.” Lu Yu followed him out.
“He’s dead,” Sang Fan observed, looking at the Blackblood follower who’d taken the old man’s pill ten minutes earlier.
“Well, he died normally! Qiu Shi won’t die; he won’t!” The old man quickly waved his hands.
“Why did he die?” Sang Fan asked.
“Because you stabbed him to death,” the old man replied.
Sang Fan frowned but said nothing, still watching him.
“Otherwise?” the old man asked. “His gunshot wound was severe, and you stabbed him twice, didn’t treat the wounds, and he only died now because the medicine had some effect.”
Sang Fan felt for Qiu Shi’s pulse at his neck and said nothing more.
Long Hao and Lu Yu soon brought the third team to the supermarket.
The captain was Liu Wu, Lin Sheng’s partner. Zhao Yi had known him before, so they were familiar, and most of the team members knew each other too.
“Leave some people here on guard,” Zhao Yi instructed. “Liu, take some others over to bring back the ten or so Blackblood followers we’ve secured. The vehicle is packed, but the reinforcement vehicles should be coming our way…”
“I’m staying here,” Liu Wu replied simply.
“Hmm?” Zhao Yi was momentarily surprised.
“Let someone else go,” Liu Wu said. “Why hasn’t Qiu Shi been put in the vehicle yet?”
“The onboard equipment and space are still being prepared; it’ll take a few more minutes,” Zhao Yi explained.
“Can you control these symbionts?” Liu Wu turned to Lin Sheng. “Will these three symbionts just sit here without supervision?”
Lin Sheng glanced at him. “No.”
“Why not?” Liu Wu asked.
“They bear Xing Bi’s mark,” Lin Sheng said.
“What do you mean?” Liu Wu frowned. “Isn’t Xing Bi missing? He’s no longer controlling them.”
“But he left a mark,” Lin Sheng said. “They can only be controlled by Xing Bi now.”
“But Xing Bi’s not controlling them anymore,” Liu Wu said.
After a pause, Lin Sheng finally replied, “It’s like a gun, marked with Xing Bi’s name and instructions—others can’t wield it. Only he can erase that mark.”
“Look at that, he can actually speak in full sentences,” one of the third team members joked.
Lin Sheng said nothing.
“And what’s the command?” Liu Wu turned to Sang Fan.
“To ensure Qiu Shi’s safety,” Sang Fan answered.
Liu Wu seemed a bit taken aback and looked at Lin Sheng. “You’d go to such lengths for a partner too?”
“No,” Lin Sheng said.
“Alright, I’ll go then. Liu, stay here to keep watch,” Zhao Yi said with a sigh, feeling a bit helpless. “Long Hao, drive the third team’s vehicle with me to bring back the people. Everyone else stays here, and when the vehicle is ready, load Qiu Shi onto ours.”
“Understood,” the team members replied.
Zhao Yi glanced at Liu Wu before leaving the supermarket.
The black-blooded followers, after their frenzy in the first half of the night, were now mostly dead or captured, leaving only a dozen or so. Qiu Shi had previously mentioned bringing them back for Li Feng, so despite space being tight, Zhao Yi packed them into the vehicle, reasoning that it wasn’t his vehicle anyway.
Initially, Zhao Yi had some grudges toward Qiu Shi, especially since the two had clashed before. Not just him—other team members initially had trouble accepting the idea of taking orders from a corpse collector from outside the city.
But, on their journey, they’d come to respect Qiu Shi’s experience outside the city, his decisiveness tempered with a soft heart, and his remarkable courage. Now, the entire team admired him.
Seeing Qiu Shi, practically turned into a sieve from all the wounds, they felt downhearted. They all knew that even if he survived now, with injuries this severe, he might not wake up when he returned to Yun City.
So, whatever he asked them to bring back, even if the third team members had to carry it, they would bring it back.
When Zhao Yi returned to the supermarket entrance with the car fully loaded, the second team’s vehicle was ready. Xiao Zuo and Xiao You were carrying a stretcher out to load it onto the vehicle.
Zhao Yi got out and watched them place the stretcher on the vehicle.
The bioroids had steady hands, with barely any jolting, but as they put down the stretcher, the legs didn’t lock properly and slipped slightly. Xiao Zuo and Xiao You immediately steadied it.
But that minor jolt caused Qiu Shi to make a sound.
“Awake?” Zhao Yi leaned in eagerly, immediately getting in the vehicle and bending close to Qiu Shi. “Qiu Shi? What are you saying?”
“…Xing Bi.” Qiu Shi’s voice was barely audible, but Zhao Yi heard the name clearly.
“Xing Bi’s fine. You’re seriously injured, but you’re not in danger,” Zhao Yi whispered into his ear. “We’re taking you back to Yun City now.”
Qiu Shi didn’t respond, slipping back into unconsciousness.
Zhao Yi got out of the vehicle. Nobody knew where Xing Bi had gone, and Sang Fan couldn’t sense him. The rest had never told anyone what happened with the infected, how Qiu Shi was injured, or how Xing Bi had crushed Qiu Shi’s wrist bone.
They were all too stunned by what they’d witnessed to speak of it yet, so they remained silent.
Zhao Yi knew these matters were sensitive, so he could only speak to Li Feng about them.
“I’ll stay,” the old man said, looking at him.
“The reinforcements from Yun City will arrive soon to secure the area,” Zhao Yi replied. “If you stay here, you’ll be discovered.”
“I have a place to hide,” the old man smiled. “Just leave me some supplies on that trailer; nothing else needs to be taken care of.”
“All of it is for you. Once we meet up with the reinforcements, we won’t need it anymore,” Zhao Yi called to the team members. “Bring down the supplies from the third team as well.”
“We need food,” Liu Wu said.
“We’ll meet up with the reinforcements in half a day at most; you won’t starve in half a day,” Zhao Yi said. “Without this old man, we’d have to fight our way into town first. This is a gift for him.”
“Alright,” Liu Wu nodded. “Next time you take anything from the third team, let me know.”
“Aren’t you busy watching over a few bioroids?” Zhao Yi remarked.
Liu Wu shot him a glance but didn’t reply, turning to walk away.
Both teams boarded their vehicles, and just as the doors were closing, Liu Wu got off the third team’s vehicle and stormed over to the second team’s vehicle, slapping it angrily.
“Drive,” Zhao Yi ordered.
“Now? Aren’t we going to hear what he has to say?” Long Hao started the engine.
“He wants to scold us,” Zhao Yi said. “All those black-blooded creatures are in their vehicle.”
“Oh.” Long Hao pressed the accelerator, and the vehicle passed by Liu Wu.
“Return the same way,” Zhao Yi glanced back at the stretcher. “Speed it up; they’re supporting the stretcher, so it won’t matter if it shakes.”
“Understood.” Long Hao nodded.
The world they passed through felt unusually quiet after the “jungle.” Under the moonlight, the black pits in the snow created by lightning marked each step the lightning had taken.
By the time they returned to Yun City, the “jungle” should have already crossed Yun City and continued north.
The area was relatively safe now; all they needed to do was focus on the road and get Qiu Shi to the medical vehicle as quickly as possible.
The vehicle was silent; no one spoke.
The experiences from that night were likely beyond what they could have ever imagined—going from fear to shock… Once everything settled, those images replayed repeatedly in their minds.
The weary team members in the swaying vehicle didn’t even doze off, all staring blankly ahead.
Time lost meaning; they only knew the sky was starting to brighten, and the sun was rising.
A few team members took turns driving without stopping, finally spotting the large black vehicles of the Yun City military ahead.
A voice came through the earpiece: “Second team, second team.”
“Second team, Zhao Yi,” Zhao Yi replied.
“How’s the situation?” the voice asked.
“Everything’s normal,” Zhao Yi said. “Captain Qiu Shi needs urgent medical attention.”
“Stop right there; we’ll take it from here,” the voice responded. “Welcome back, heroes.”
