Xing Bi carried Qiu Shi and dragged him onto the bed.
Qiu Shi’s bleeding still hadn’t stopped; it was flowing heavily. Xing Bi rummaged through his bag for a medical kit, found a hemostatic injection, and pulled Qiu Shi’s arm over to administer it.
It was unclear if the injection had expired or if Qiu Shi’s bleeding was simply too severe, but it took several minutes before the bleeding finally stopped.
Qiu Shi’s clothes were soaked in blood, his pants were dripping, and even his shoes and the floor were covered in blood. After stepping around a few times, the scene looked particularly grim.
Xing Bi had no choice but to remove Qiu Shi’s blood-soaked clothes and pants before covering him with a blanket.
Qiu Shi’s body temperature was a bit low. Xing Bi felt his chest, then turned to grab the heater ball from the corner of the room, intending to place it by the bed.
However, the heater was electric, and the cord wasn’t long enough, so he had to place it in the middle of the room instead.
While searching for another outlet, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
Judging by the sound, it was Zhao Yi.
Blood was everywhere, and the captain lay unconscious on the bed.
He couldn’t let Zhao Yi enter the room. Xing Bi moved behind the door, and just as Zhao Yi knocked, he realized that his own clothes were also stained with Qiu Shi’s blood.
He quickly pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the side.
When he opened the door, Zhao Yi froze for a moment upon seeing him. “Where’s Qiu Shi? I wanted to ask him…”
“He’s sleeping,” Xing Bi said. “He’ll come down to find you when he wakes up.”
“He’s… okay, right?” Zhao Yi asked.
“He’s just tired,” Xing Bi replied.
Zhao Yi’s gaze swept over him a few times. He opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately just said, “Alright.”
Xing Bi shut the door.
There was an outlet by the wall near the bed. Xing Bi moved the heater ball over and placed it by the bed.
After letting it warm for a while, he reached out to touch Qiu Shi’s hand, but it was still cold.
He frowned.
Wu Kangwen was indeed reckless. Normally, this level of enhancement requires at least ten days of adaptation. Qiu Shi, however, had set off almost immediately after his wounds had barely healed.
Wu Kangwen clearly didn’t care whether Qiu Shi would encounter any accidents. All he seemed to want was the enhancement itself.
Xing Bi propped himself up on the bed with one hand while keeping the other on Qiu Shi’s chest. He stared at Qiu Shi’s face. The heater ball, at this distance, was already operating at its maximum effect. Any closer, and the blanket would likely get scorched.
He sighed softly. Just as he was about to climb into the bed, he paused, removed his pants, and then slipped under the blanket.
He couldn’t be as rough as Qiu Shi, who could collapse onto the bed still wearing his coat.
Spring seemed to have arrived.
Compared to the biting cold of the snowy outdoors, Qiu Shi finally felt warmth—a golden, radiant sunlight and a gentle breeze brushing across his face…
But something heavy was pressing on him. He couldn’t move his legs or lift his arms.
Maybe his winter coat was too heavy.
Struggling to take it off, he suddenly remembered that he had already removed it. He had taken it off when he entered the room, before contacting Li Feng, and then he’d had a nosebleed. After that…
Damn, he fainted.
Qiu Shi opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the ceiling above the bed, followed by the heater ball’s bright golden glow. Turning his head, he saw Xing Bi’s face.
“You’re awake?” Xing Bi asked.
“Yeah,” Qiu Shi replied.
It wasn’t until Xing Bi moved his arm off him that Qiu Shi suddenly realized. “You’ve been holding me this whole time?”
“Yeah,” Xing Bi nodded. “Your body temperature wouldn’t go up.”
Qiu Shi touched Xing Bi’s hand, noticing it was warmer than usual.
“You can regulate your body temperature? That advanced?” he asked in surprise.
“No,” Xing Bi said, looking at him. “I’m warm because of the heater.”
Qiu Shi glanced behind him and saw the heater ball placed by the bed.
“Did you knock me out earlier?” Qiu Shi touched his nose, then checked his hand, finding that the blood had already been cleaned off.
“No,” Xing Bi said. “I just pinched you a bit.”
“…Am I that fragile?” Qiu Shi touched his neck.
“Or maybe a Level-One Hidden Guard is just that strong,” Xing Bi said.
“You bastard,” Qiu Shi laughed as he sat up. “Honestly, from the moment I started bleeding until now, I haven’t felt uncomfortable anywhere…”
He suddenly pulled the blanket back over himself, turning to glare at Xing Bi. “Did you take off my pants?”
“What else was I supposed to do?” Xing Bi said. “Were you going to wear those filthy pants under the blanket?”
“But you didn’t have to strip me completely, did you?” Qiu Shi pulled the blanket aside again to confirm. “You bastard! What if something happened and I had to get out of bed naked?”
“When I pulled off your outer pants, your underwear came off too. What was I supposed to do?” Xing Bi got out of bed. “Put them back on you? That would’ve been even weirder.”
Qiu Shi stared at him. Xing Bi was now only wearing a pair of boxers.
…This scene.
“I just told Li Feng I’d report to Zhao Yi and the others after the call,” Qiu Shi muttered as he got out of bed and started putting on his pants. “Good thing they didn’t come upstairs. If they’d seen this…”
“He already came,” Xing Bi said.
Qiu Shi’s head shot up. “You didn’t open the door like this, did you?”
“Yes,” Xing Bi said.
“Bare-legged?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Bare-chested,” Xing Bi replied.
“Why don’t you just strip completely before answering the door?” Qiu Shi said.
“It’s not civilized,” Xing Bi said. “Besides, he probably wouldn’t think that far.”
As it turned out, although Xing Bi was an ancestor-level figure, he didn’t understand humans very well—especially not the less sophisticated ones.
When Qiu Shi went downstairs, Zhao Yi’s gaze clearly spelled out: The captain slept with his partner; what kind of expression should I use to appear natural?
“Has the detection equipment arrived?” Qiu Shi glanced outside. It was already dark. He had slept for quite a while.
“It just arrived,” Zhao Yi said. “It’s being installed now. I sent Sang Fan with a few people to help, just in case any symbionts show up.”
“There shouldn’t be any trouble for now,” Qiu Shi said. “One Xing Bi is already hard to deal with, and now there’s Lin Sheng too. They’re probably still planning to use the nest in the northwest.”
“Any response from Yun City?” Zhao Yi asked.
“There is, but the plan isn’t confirmed yet,” Qiu Shi replied. “We’ll wait for Li Feng’s response. For now, we’ll maintain the status quo and hold off on any actions.”
“Got it,” Zhao Yi nodded.
“I’m heading out,” Qiu Shi said. “If anything comes up, just call me on the team channel.”
“Alright.” Zhao Yi glanced behind him. Not seeing Xing Bi, he asked, “You’re going alone?”
“Who else?” Qiu Shi turned and walked out. “Do you think I’m going on a date with Xing Bi?”
Of course, it wasn’t a date. No one goes on a date with an old man.
But he was indeed going with Xing Bi.
Since returning to Xima Town, he hadn’t had the chance to visit the old man.
The old man was actually quite impressive. Qiu Shi felt he had a knack for survival. Amid the chaos that day, he wasn’t hurt and even managed to find a place to stay afterward.
“I’ve been here so many times before,” Qiu Shi said, “and I never knew there was a place like this to hide people.”
“He’s survived this long for a reason,” Xing Bi said.
When they pushed open the hidden door, Qiu Shi didn’t see anyone at first glance. He leaned in and finally spotted the old man sitting in a wheelchair in the corner.
“You’re alright now?” The old man was stunned at first when he saw him, then frowned, showing no sign of happiness.
“Do I look like someone who gets into trouble easily?” Qiu Shi walked over, bent down, and looked at him. “What’s this? Shouldn’t you be overjoyed?”
“Did you agree to the enhancement yourself?” the old man asked.
Qiu Shi smiled. “Yes.”
The old man sighed and said nothing.
“It’s not that bad,” Qiu Shi said. “Didn’t you enhance yourself too?”
“I had no choice,” the old man replied.
“Neither did I,” Qiu Shi said. “In a situation like this, who has a choice?”
The old man said nothing, just stared at him.
“I feel fine,” Qiu Shi said. “Don’t look at me like that, as if you’re cursing me.”
The old man chuckled.
“I never got the chance to ask you,” Qiu Shi sat down. “Why did you…”
“I just wanted to live a little longer,” the old man said. “I want to see what this world will ultimately become.”
“How long can you live?” Qiu Shi asked.
“If you want to live as long as your partner,” the old man chuckled, “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
“Who the hell asked you that?” Qiu Shi said.
“Quite a while,” the old man said. “Maybe you’ll see the final outcome.”
Whether he could live that long, Qiu Shi didn’t know. But he knew at least he wouldn’t feel as exhausted.
By the time the detection equipment sent from Yun City was installed, it was already past midnight. After debugging, the second team, responsible for safety assistance, finally returned to their temporary dormitory to rest.
Although the dormitory was temporary, it wasn’t bad. You could take a shower. While not as comfortable as soaking in the hot springs behind the mountain, the water temperature was sufficient.
Qiu Shi took a shower and sprawled comfortably on the bed. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel very sleepy.
When Xing Bi came into the room after his shower, Qiu Shi was still staring at the ceiling.
“Not sleeping?” Xing Bi asked.
“Sleeping,” Qiu Shi said. “I was waiting for you. Otherwise, if I fell asleep and you came in, I’d wake up again.”
“I’m not getting on the bed.” Xing Bi sat down on a chair nearby.
Qiu Shi turned to look at him. “Why? Isn’t lying down more comfortable?”
“If you mind, I’m comfortable sitting too,” Xing Bi said.
“What would I mind…” Qiu Shi paused, then laughed. “I don’t mind. You old-timers sure are shy.”
Xing Bi lay down on the bed.
“Hey,” Qiu Shi turned on his side to look at him, lowering his voice. “Do you think Lin Sheng and Liu Wu’s room also has only one bed? How do they rest?”
“Their room has two beds,” Xing Bi said. “Liu Wu’s partner hasn’t gone missing.”
“Oh, right,” Qiu Shi said. “You went missing.”
“Yeah, Captain,” Xing Bi said. “It took two or three days to find me.”
“Do you want to go back?” Qiu Shi asked.
“What about you? Would you go back?” Xing Bi turned his face toward him.
Qiu Shi frowned. After a while, he sighed. “I don’t even know where I want to go. Mainly… if that counts as home, my home is outside Yun City. My brothers there…”
“You’ll go back,” Xing Bi said.
“Mm,” Qiu Shi nodded. “But you’re different.”
“Yeah, I have no home and no brothers,” Xing Bi said.
“…Damn,” Qiu Shi sat up, turning to look at him. “Is that what I meant?”
Xing Bi laughed.
“I mean, you don’t have any ties in Yun City,” Qiu Shi said. “Those people just see you as a tool, a weapon. It’s normal if you don’t want to go back.”
“I do have ties,” Xing Bi said.
Qiu Shi stared at him for a long time, clicking his tongue.
Just as he was about to speak, the small light on the back of his hand started flashing.
“Li Feng? In the middle of the night?” He picked up the earpiece and put it on.
“The vehicles that came with the detection equipment—there are two of them,” Li Feng’s voice came through. “They’re fast, the latest models. You two will drive one back.”
“What?” Qiu Shi was stunned.
“I’ve already informed Captain Yang of the squad. Those vehicles are fast. You can reach Yun City by noon tomorrow,” Li Feng said. “I’ll meet you at the fertilizer pit.”
“Is it to pick up Xing Bi’s team members?” Qiu Shi followed Li Feng’s train of thought.
“Yes,” Li Feng said. “I’ll explain the details when you arrive.”
“Got it.” Qiu Shi glanced at Xing Bi.
After the call ended, Xing Bi got out of bed. “Let’s go.”
“Why is he in such a hurry?” Qiu Shi got up as well, dressing while speaking softly.
If someone else had said this to him, he wouldn’t have gone—it sounded too much like a trap. But under these circumstances, Li Feng’s words were trustworthy.
“They’re probably going to use extreme measures,” Xing Bi said.
“What extreme measures…” Qiu Shi looked at him. “Damn, are we talking about a heist?”
“Possibly,” Xing Bi said, looking at him. “Are you going?”
“Of course,” Qiu Shi put on his coat and headed for the door. “Sounds exciting.”
Xing Bi chuckled and followed him out of the room.
The town was very quiet. When the detection equipment was being installed, the presence of the garrison was noticeable. But now that everyone was resting, the town felt deserted.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, a soldier ran down the street toward them.
“Captain Qiu,” the soldier said quietly, stopping in front of them. “I’ll take you to get the vehicle.”
“Alright,” Qiu Shi replied.
While following the soldier toward the warehouse, Xing Bi glanced up at the second floor.
Qiu Shi followed his gaze. When they came downstairs, Lin Sheng hadn’t been in the corridor, but now he was standing on the second floor, leaning on the railing and watching them.
After a few seconds, Lin Sheng turned and went back to his room.
“Telepathic communication?” Qiu Shi whispered.
“He heard the noise and came out to check,” Xing Bi whispered back. “I noticed him, so I looked up.”
“…That’s it? Nothing dramatic?” Qiu Shi asked.
“What else? Flash a flashlight at him?” Xing Bi replied.
Qiu Shi chuckled. After laughing, he felt a bit melancholy. On this trip back to Yun City, not taking the outer city tunnel meant he wouldn’t even have the chance to flash his lights at Zhao Lü and the others.
Yun City’s new military vehicles were a first for Qiu Shi. Compared to the old black SUVs, these were much smaller, with large wheels and a compact, streamlined body that looked sturdy.
The interior had four seats. After they got in, the back two seats were just right for them.
It felt as if the vehicle had been designed specifically for today’s mission.
“Can you drive this?” Qiu Shi glanced at the dashboard. It was full of gadgets, including a large display screen showing a map.
“I can. These are all similar,” Xing Bi started the car. “These days, vehicles aren’t as advanced as they used to be.”
“The vehicle has pass-through detection,” the soldier who had brought them over explained at the window. “The checkpoints between here and Yun City are fully operational now. With the detection system, you won’t need to stop—just drive straight through.”
“Understood,” Xing Bi replied, stepping on the gas.
The car shot forward with a powerful thrust, but for such horsepower, the engine was remarkably quiet.
“If you’re tired, you can sleep for a while,” Xing Bi said.
Qiu Shi looked out the window. Although the darkness obscured much of the surroundings, the blurred snow on the ground revealed the car’s incredible speed.
“I can’t sleep,” Qiu Shi said. “I wonder how Li Feng plans to do this. All the bioroids are stored in the exhibition hall, which is so heavily guarded…”
“As long as we can get in, once the team is together, we can definitely get out,” Xing Bi said.
“Will there be a confrontation?” Qiu Shi asked, turning to look at him.
“That depends on Li Feng’s plan,” Xing Bi said. “But knowing his style, even if there is, he’ll aim for the smallest scale possible.”
“For example?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Kill Curator Wu,” Xing Bi said.
“…That’s the smallest scale?” Qiu Shi was stunned.
“Or kill Mr. Long,” Xing Bi added.
“Wow,” Qiu Shi said. “Really small scale—just one person, huh?”
“Yes,” Xing Bi chuckled.
“But honestly,” Qiu Shi said, “this is exactly the kind of thing Li Feng would do. When he goes ruthless, he’s truly ruthless.”
“Are you afraid of him?” Xing Bi asked.
“I’m not afraid of him, but I’m afraid he’ll set me up,” Qiu Shi sighed. “People like him—who isn’t afraid? But in this chaos, he’s also the most reliable.”
“And the most reliable isn’t me?” Xing Bi said.
Qiu Shi laughed. “When I evaluate others, I don’t include you in the mix.”
“I’m not ‘others,'” Xing Bi said.
“Right,” Qiu Shi nodded. “You’re one of us.”
The roads between Yun City and Xima Town had been secured by the military in just a few days. Along the way, there wasn’t a hint of abnormality—not even refugees who usually traveled at night.
Since Li Feng became deputy team leader, the military’s expansion had been astonishing. If the symbionts wanted to push infected individuals toward Yun City, they’d have to traverse the eastern and western wilderness or mountains, which was significantly harder.
Qiu Shi held on until nearly dawn. Feeling confident that nothing unexpected would happen, he finally leaned back in his seat. “I’m going to sleep for a bit.”
“I’ll wake you when we’re close,” Xing Bi said.
“Alright,” Qiu Shi replied.
After all, it was a place he had lived for more than twenty years, and it seemed like some kind of instinct kicked in. As they approached Yun City, before Xing Bi could call him, Qiu Shi woke up on his own.
The car was passing between Nest 1 and Nest 2, heading around to the rear of Yun City.
Li Feng’s car was parked on an open area next to the fertilizer pool. He hadn’t brought a driver; he was alone.
“What’s the plan?” Qiu Shi asked as he got out of the car.
“Get in,” Li Feng said, sitting in the driver’s seat. “You brought the missing Xing Bi back, and now I’m taking you both to the lab to check on Xing Bi’s condition.”
“And then?” Qiu Shi got into the car.
“And then you two will steal the two bioroids from Pods Four and Five,” Li Feng said, starting the car and driving down a small road by the fertilizer pool toward the inner city.
“So now the two of us are turning from heroes to robbers, huh?” Qiu Shi said.
“You’re still heroes,” Li Feng replied. “You always will be.”
“How are we supposed to steal two bioroids?” Qiu Shi asked.
“I’ve already had Lao Wu release the four bioroids that completed the symbiosis experiment,” Li Feng said. “Mr. Long will inspect them this afternoon, so we need to prepare in advance.”
Qiu Shi didn’t say anything more.
Li Feng spoke casually, but in reality, this was the most challenging part of the operation. Arranging for Curator Wu to bring the team members out and place them where they could be taken, as well as Mr. Long’s inspection, were all orchestrated by him.
“Did you sleep yesterday?” Qiu Shi asked.
“I did,” Li Feng replied. “I just woke up half an hour ago.”
“Won’t you drop dead from exhaustion?” Qiu Shi said.
“Not yet,” Li Feng replied. “These days, the only ones who can truly die cleanly are the refugees.”
The procedures to enter the lab were the same as before. On the surface, it looked like a routine entry.
It wasn’t until they reached the final door that Li Feng stopped. While reaching out to unlock it, he said softly, “Qiu Shi, take action. Xing Bi needs to be controllable.”
Qiu Shi understood his meaning. As soon as the lock clicked, he didn’t hesitate. He raised his arm and delivered an elbow strike to the back of Li Feng’s neck.
Li Feng slid down against the doorframe to the ground.
Then Qiu Shi kicked open the lab door. Inside were only Curator Wu and two lab assistants.
Qiu Shi didn’t give the three of them any chance to react. He rushed over and pressed a gun to Curator Wu’s head. “Don’t move.”
“Qiu Shi?” Curator Wu’s voice trembled with shock. “Where’s Curator Li? How did you get in here?”
“Xing Bi, get the people out,” Qiu Shi ordered. “At all costs.”
Xing Bi walked into a nearby experimental pod. Through the glass wall, the four transfer pods inside were visible. Xing Bi opened Pods Four and Five.
Two bioroids stepped out of the pods.
“Qiu Shi,” Curator Wu said, “do you know what you’re doing?”
“I know,” Qiu Shi grabbed his collar. “Do you know how to stay alive, Curator Wu?”
“…I do,” Curator Wu said. “Qiu Shi, have you thought about the consequences?”
“I’ve never thought about consequences,” Qiu Shi said. “If I had, I wouldn’t have been screwed over by you all this time.”
Xing Bi brought the individuals out of the lab pods and stood in front of Curator Wu.
With everyone gathered, including Lin Sheng, these four were the members of Xing Bi’s team.
No one spoke, but the oppressive atmosphere in that moment silenced Curator Wu, who had initially wanted to persuade Qiu Shi. He just stared at them in silence.
Qiu Shi raised the butt of his gun and tapped the back of Curator Wu’s head, causing him to collapse to the ground.
Next were the two lab assistants. When they saw Qiu Shi approaching, they dropped to the ground on their own, sparing themselves a blow to the head.
“How do we leave?” Qiu Shi asked Xing Bi.
“I don’t know,” Xing Bi replied, walking toward the door. “He must have left a contingency plan.”
The group left the lab and headed down the corridor. As they walked, a door at the end of a hallway to their left made a sound, as if someone had just escaped through it.
Without hesitation, Qiu Shi headed toward the door. Sure enough, it was open.
Beyond the door was a staircase leading upward.
As they ascended, there were footsteps ahead of them. Qiu Shi’s map couldn’t display anything inside the lab, but this was undoubtedly someone arranged by Li Feng.
Following the sound of footsteps, they passed through two more opened doors and returned to the exhibit hall parking lot. Li Feng’s car was still parked where it had been.
“Qiu Shi, you drive,” Xing Bi said.
“Okay.” Qiu Shi pulled the car door. It wasn’t even locked.
Xing Bi’s two team members, who hadn’t said a word since stepping out of the transfer pods, got into the car and sat in the back seat, one on each side.
There was an unspoken sense of cold detachment yet mutual understanding.
Qiu Shi glanced at Xing Bi.
“Time to escape,” Xing Bi looked back at him. “Partner.”
Qiu Shi smiled and stepped on the gas.
“Director Li? Li Feng?” Curator Wu patted Li Feng’s face. “Li Feng! Wake up! Are you okay?”
Li Feng didn’t respond. Curator Wu ran into the lab, grabbed a case, and took out a syringe.
Just as he rolled up Li Feng’s sleeve to inject him, Li Feng frowned and opened his eyes.
“You’re awake? Are you okay, Director Li?” Curator Wu quickly helped him sit up.
“It hurts.” Li Feng touched his neck and then looked up. “Where’s Qiu Shi?”
“He ran!” Curator Wu’s voice trembled. “Qiu Shi took Xing Bi and stole two bioroids!”
Li Feng stared at him in shock. After a moment, he said, “Lao Wu, it looks like neither of us will be keeping our lives.”
What on earth is Li Feng planning 🤔