“Find the right angle.”
Xing Bi’s words were still fresh in Qiu Shi’s memory, along with the sensation of skimming across the water like a skipping stone.
He never expected Xing Bi to remember the bat gear or even think of using it for combat.
“Will this work?” Qiu Shi looked at him. “Flying around in the sky like that? Just to be target practice?”
“Of course not just flying over like that. We’d need bulletproof gear and covering fire,” Xing Bi said. “The biggest advantage of this method is speed and surprise. It would allow us to reach the enemy camp in the shortest time possible.”
“The casualties would be heavy,” Qiu Shi said.
“Yeah,” Xing Bi replied.
“Level-two bioroids can handle it,” Grandpa said. “This kind of attack doesn’t require complex commands. They’re capable of executing it.”
Qiu Shi frowned but said nothing.
Xiao Zuo and Xiao You were both Level-two bioroids—devoid of independent thought, emotions, or consciousness. They couldn’t feel pain or comprehend death.
They were closer to “robots” than anything else, yet they could execute commands flawlessly and coordinate perfectly with their human or Level-one bioroid counterparts—far surpassing what mere machines could achieve.
If this combat method were adopted, Level-two bioroids would indeed be the most suitable “weapons.”
“This kid has a soft heart for humans,” Grandpa remarked, looking at Qiu Shi with a smile.
“Don’t worry,” the old man said, understanding Qiu Shi well. “If we pick the right weather and timing, they’ll only risk damage, not death.”
“Yun City doesn’t have many Level-two bioroids in reserve,” Xing Bi said. “We really do need to minimize fatalities.”
“Some of our kind are already active near their camp,” Deng Yeye stepped forward and spoke up. “We can gather them within two days. While the first wave of Level-twos draws their fire from the air, our people can launch a simultaneous ground assault. They can’t be controlled, and they have experience in jungle combat.”
“If we’re going with this plan,” Qiu Shi said, “we need to notify Yun City immediately. Heavy and long-range weapons will have to be sent over, along with those flight suits. I’m not sure how long it’ll take to prepare.”
“Donglin definitely has them,” Deng Yeye said. “They’ve seen refugees using that method to cross the river before.”
“Yeah,” Qiu Shi agreed, silently planning in his head. “Lao Deng, you’ve had more contact with these symbiotes. Can you estimate how many of them there are?”
“Thank you,” Deng Yeye said, touched. “You finally called me Lao Deng.”
“Mostly because I didn’t know what else to call you,” Qiu Shi said.
“I like being called Lao Deng,” Deng Yeye said. “Their numbers aren’t huge—I’d estimate fewer than two hundred. But their strength lies in their coordinated combat ability. You know how symbiotes are—like a hive mind. Touch one end of the spiderweb, and the other end knows immediately.”
“Bees living on a spiderweb,” Qiu Shi said. “You must’ve gone to a refugee school for that education.”
Deng Yeye laughed. “Never went to school at all.”
“So the key to fighting them is speed,” Qiu Shi said. “Silent and fast.”
—
Silent and fast.
Li Feng sat in his office at the Support Department, quickly scanning through the list and battle plan Qiu Shi had sent him.
It had been a long time since he’d spent any real time in his office. Since the crisis began, he’d practically become an unofficial member of the museum team.
Now that he was back, there wasn’t much work left to do. His deputy, who usually handled field operations, had already taken over nearly all the internal and external tasks.
“Working this hard doesn’t pay extra,” Li Feng said. “Take it easy. If your health fails, you’ve got nothing left.”
“You haven’t collapsed yet,” his deputy replied.
“What kind of logic is that?” Li Feng pulled out a few small transparent vials and handed them over. “Here. Lao Wu’s secret energy booster.”
“Addictive?” The deputy didn’t take them.
“Do I look like an addict to you?” Li Feng asked.
“…Kind of,” the deputy said. “You don’t even sleep anymore. That stuff’s scary.”
“I don’t sleep because I’m strong-willed,” Li Feng said, placing the vials on the desk and putting on his coat. “I’m heading out. Did the snow a few days ago damage the windbreaks over the livestock pens?”
“Already sent people to fix them this morning,” the deputy said.
“No more mistakes,” Li Feng said. “Starvation is the worst way to go.”
“Yeah,” the deputy sighed.
On his way out, Li Feng added to his secretary, “Any calls from Qiu Shi today—put them straight through. No questions.”
“Understood,” the secretary said.
The command center was bustling, everyone busy. Data poured in from all directions—infected sightings and densities, suspected symbiote activity, even weather changes.
No one noticed Li Feng’s arrival until he stopped in front of the weather data summary screen. Only then did Zhang Qifeng approach.
“How’s it going?” Li Feng asked.
“What’s going how?” Zhang Qifeng looked sleep-deprived.
“How’s the situation with your precious son wanting to join the fight?” Li Feng asked with a smile.
“Change the nickname,” Zhang Qifeng frowned. “It sounds weird.”
“If Sihai wants to go, let him,” Li Feng said. “You can’t stop him. He’s always been passionate.”
“Passionate, so I should just let him?” Zhang Qifeng said. “What combat skills does he have? He’d get cut down the moment he steps outside. It’s easy for you to talk—if you had a son, would you let him go?”
“Which is why I don’t have one,” Li Feng said. “This afternoon, take a team to reinforce the Donglin camp. Xima’s defenses are tight now—hard to breach. They might come from the north.”
“Got it,” Zhang Qifeng nodded. “Was my equipment request approved?”
“It was,” Li Feng said. “They’ll go with you this afternoon.”
“Good,” Zhang Qifeng turned to leave but then stepped back. He glared at Li Feng. “Don’t you dare sneak Zhang Sihai out behind my back. I know what you’re thinking!”
“Oh?” Li Feng raised an eyebrow.
Zhang Qifeng glared at him before quickly leaving the command center.
“Team Leader Li,” Colonel Yu approached. “There are a few details I still need to finalize with Xima.”
“Yeah.” Li Feng followed him to the massive sand table at the center of the command center.
“Donglin has twenty-three wing suits in total. The fronts are all reinforced for protection and can carry weight. Should they carry equipment or people?” Colonel Yu asked.
“Qiu Shi’s idea is to carry people and lightweight gear. The first wave needs to deploy zip lines and shielding devices—they’ll be decisive for the later stages of the fight,” Li Feng said.
“By ‘people,’ do you mean human soldiers?” Colonel Yu asked.
“Yeah.” Li Feng nodded. “This isn’t a battle of bioroids against bioroids. It’s a fight for balance between humans and bioroids… and humans are lighter.”
Those were Qiu Shi’s exact words. When Li Feng heard them, he felt that pushing Qiu Shi into the role of “hero” had been the right decision.
“Agreed,” Colonel Yu said. “I’ve already ordered modifications to the ejection devices. Now we need the exact numbers and weights of the bioroids to adjust the parachute resistance accordingly. Xing Bi needs both cushioning and rapid descent.”
“I’ll get that confirmed right away,” Li Feng said.
“One last thing,” Colonel Yu said. “Some of the newly activated bioroids are to remain in Yun City. Who will control—or rather, command them?”
“Me,” Li Feng said.
Colonel Yu looked at him. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Li Feng said.
“Alright.” Colonel Yu nodded. “Once things start in Xima Town, the expansion into Zhuyuan and Shidi will happen simultaneously. The teams are already on standby, and we’ve established communication with the Blackbloods. We’re maintaining contact for now.”
“Yeah.” Li Feng nodded.
“The only weak spot right now is the north. That Qiu Yu from Donglin doesn’t seem like a steady person,” Colonel Yu said quietly. “Completely different from Qiu Shi.”
“For now, he’s still usable,” Li Feng said. “If things go south, we’ll deal with him.”
—
“It’s going to snow,” Qiu Shi said, standing at the top of Xima Town’s artillery tower, looking southwest.
The wind was fierce, and the clouds churned in the distance. Maybe it was the lack of the sense of security that Black Mountain in Yun City had once provided, but standing at such a height now filled him with a faint unease.
“It’ll take a while yet. Works in our favor,” Xing Bi said, leaning against the lookout opening.
“Are you scared?” Qiu Shi glanced at him.
“This time?” Xing Bi asked.
“Yeah.” Qiu Shi hummed in response, sticking his hand outside the tower to gauge the wind speed.
“No,” Xing Bi said. “We’ll win.”
“My fear isn’t just about winning or losing,” Qiu Shi said, frowning as he kept his gaze on the distance.
“Afraid others will belly-flop when they fly out?” Xing Bi said.
Qiu Shi paused, then laughed. “F*ck.”
“What, then?” Xing Bi also looked outside. “What are you afraid of?”
“I never used to think about anything beyond tomorrow,” Qiu Shi said. “I thought I’d just die peacefully outside Yun City in the end, and that’d be enough. But now? We’re facing life and death for so many people. If the way we decide to attack is wrong, a lot of people will die because of us.”
“Qiu Shi,” Xing Bi looked at him. “They won’t live because of one decision we make, and they won’t die because of one either. Life or death—everyone’s facing the same predicament. There’s no room for choice.”
“What time’s the meeting?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Half an hour,” Xing Bi said. “The Level-two bioroids should be arriving soon.”
“Anyone going to meet them?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Fan took two people to receive them,” Xing Bi said. “The Blackbloods assisting with Xima Town’s perimeter defense are also in position. The bioroids have been deployed too. Anything abnormal entering will be dealt with within thirty seconds.”
“Yeah.” Qiu Shi nodded.
This operation demanded speed, yet they couldn’t travel light—they needed heavy weaponry following them. The scale wasn’t small, so to avoid alerting the symbionts, they had to establish a strong perimeter defense. Any humans or bioroids entering the defensive radius, would be eliminated immediately.
As they descended the artillery tower and headed toward the war room, Qiu Shi could see teams darting through the town. The usual calm of a border town had been shattered.
Every face was tense, but beneath those expressions, hidden in their eyes, was excitement, anger, panic, confusion, numbness—and worry.
When Zhao Lü and Hu Xiaoling drove past them in a weapons-laden trailer headed for the town entrance, there was no time to speak. They only managed to exchange a glance.
Qiu Shi smiled at them.
Passing by Team Two’s barracks, Zhao Yi was inspecting his squad’s gear. Team Two had been designated as the primary group to fly in with the Level-two bioroids—the ones most likely to die.
“Is it time for the meeting?” Zhao Yi asked when he saw them.
“Not yet,” Qiu Shi said.
He wanted to say more, but Zhao Yi cut him off: “This is Team Two’s honor. The ‘Heroic Team Two’—we’ve got to live up to the name.”
“Yeah.” Qiu Shi nodded.
“If we don’t die,” Zhao Yi said quietly, “I’m demanding two extra words for Team Two.”
“Sure,” Qiu Shi said. “What two words?”
“Immortal Heroic Team Two,” Zhao Yi said. “We all agreed on it.”
“I thought you’d at least add ‘super.'” Qiu Shi chuckled, but after laughing for a while, he felt a pang of sadness. “‘Immortal Heroic Team Two’—sounds good.”
The meeting room was nearly full. Several bioroid squad leaders, human military officers, and Deng Yeye—representing the Blackbloods—were all present.
Qiu Shi sat next to Captain Yang. The overall commander staying behind in town for this operation was Major Liang, sent from Yun City. According to Li Feng, he was someone Colonel Yu highly valued—a capable man.
“Everyone here?” Major Liang asked.
“Yes,” Captain Yang replied.
“Before midnight, our final batch of weapons and personnel will arrive,” Major Liang stood up, looking at the sand table. “We’ll depart from the south of Xima Town and advance toward the symbiont camp in the southwest…”
Major Liang glanced at Qiu Shi.
Qiu Shi stood up. For over twenty years, the only schedules he’d ever made were for corpse collection. Now, he had to explain the entire battle plan to this room full of people.
“Time’s tight, so I’ll keep it quick. If anything’s unclear, interrupt me anytime,” Qiu Shi took the metal pointer handed to him by Major Liang and tapped the edge of the symbiote camp on the sand table. “This is Black Pine Forest—the camp’s perimeter. Our first objective is breaching the traps here. The armored vehicles will charge through…”
“What kind of traps?” someone asked.
“Unknown. To avoid alerting them, we couldn’t scout ahead,” Qiu Shi said. “We don’t know if there are additional layers of defenses beyond the initial ones. We’ll have to adapt. They might also have mutated, giant infected animals.”
He paused, scanning the faces in the room before moving the pointer forward. “Beyond Black Pine Forest is a cliff. Below it lies the camp. The first wave of Level-two bioroids will use wing suits to glide down from the cliff into the camp. Each Level-two will carry a human soldier responsible for deploying zip lines and shielding devices. Simultaneously, the Blackblood forces will attack from the west to assist in securing the zip lines. After that, the human teams will descend via the zip lines under covering fire from the cliff.”
“During the descent,” Xing Bi continued, “the bioroids will use ejection devices to enter the camp from the air while providing cover for the teams on the zip lines.”
Next was sealing off the jungle south of the camp to prevent the symbionts from retreating that way.
“The symbionts’ coordination in combat is extremely strong. If the shielding devices are compromised and their main body takes control,” Qiu Shi said, “they’ll act as a single entity. So our response must be equally swift—adjusting tactics based on real-time intel. That’ll be up to all of you.”
“Clearing out the symbionts will primarily fall to the bioroid teams. Human soldiers need to disrupt their communications, equipment, and supplies,” Xing Bi said. “We have to destroy this fungal forest—it’s a base that could become a massive hive at any moment.”
“Any questions?” Major Liang asked.
“Our soldiers lack combat experience. Most have never even encountered bioroids, let alone symbiotes,” someone spoke up. “This mission is urgent, leaving almost no time for detailed briefings. Any miscoordination could lead to failure.”
“That’s true,” Qiu Shi said. “But if we give ourselves more time, we’re also giving the enemy more time. By acting now, we’ve already had a day and a half more preparation than they have.”
“This operation could eliminate the greatest immediate threat to Yun City,” Major Liang said. “No matter the cost, compared to the lives of the city’s residents—and the refugees who might seek shelter there in the future—it’s worth it.”
“For the sake of having a future,” Qiu Shi said.
The room echoed him: “For the future!”
—
As dusk fell, Qiu Shi sat inside the command vehicle. Outside, the waiting troops moved quietly but busily. As an advisor, he wasn’t responsible for direct command or leading soldiers—he just had to sit here and wait for departure.
Li Feng called, his voice tense enough to picture his furrowed brows: “You’re going in personally?”
“What else?” Qiu Shi said. “Team Two’s all on the suicide squad. Should I hide?”
“Why send Team Two first?” Li Feng asked. “Can’t Team Two—”
“No. The vanguard determines the course of the battle. We’re already using Level-two bioroids. If the first human soldiers sent in aren’t experienced, we’d just be throwing blind lambs to slaughter,” Qiu Shi said.
“Qiu Shi,” Li Feng said, “I didn’t go to all this trouble just to watch you die.”
“I won’t die. I’ve got experience, enhancements, and a partner,” Qiu Shi said. “If I still die after all that, then you’re shit out of luck.”
“Shit out of—” Li Feng laughed, then sighed after a moment. “Qiu Shi, stay alive. Yun City—no, humanity—needs people like you.”
“I’ll try,” Qiu Shi said. “I never overthink life and death. You shouldn’t either—it’ll stress you out.”
After hanging up, Qiu Shi glanced at Xing Bi beside him and noticed he was smiling.
“Did I say something wrong?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Not at all,” Xing Bi looked at him. “You’re the most extraordinary human I’ve ever met.”
“Pretty smooth talk for a bioroid,” Qiu Shi said.
“Mm.” Xing Bi leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth.
“F*ck.” Qiu Shi startled, glancing toward the car door—no one was there. He grabbed Xing Bi before he could retreat back into his seat, pulling him in and kissing him properly.
Someone climbed into the driver’s seat.
Qiu Shi shoved Xing Bi away and slumped back into his chair, staring fixedly at the display screen ahead.
“Ready to move out,” the driver—Xu Jie—said. “We’re leading the convoy.”
“Mm.” Qiu Shi grunted in acknowledgment.
At the same time, Major Liang’s voice came through the earpiece: “Captain Qiu, we’re ready to depart.”
Watching the bioroid squads file in, Qiu Shi responded, “Got it. Let’s go.”
As the convoy passed through Xima Town’s southern gate, snow began to fall.
The wind grew frantic, as if rushing toward some unseen destination, whipping the snowflakes into a frenzy so fierce they seemed unable to reach the ground.
Qiu Shi looked up at the sky. The clouds were thick, blotting out the moon and stars. Beyond the vehicle, the world was pitch black.
None of the convoy’s vehicles had their headlights on. Silently, swiftly, they raced forward through the darkness.
Strictly speaking, Qiu Shi’s vehicle wasn’t the first to depart. An hour ahead of them, the Blackbloods had already swept through their planned route, checking for any anomalies.
The Blackbloods were long-time residents of this area—their presence anywhere wouldn’t raise suspicion.
The journey wasn’t particularly short, but perhaps because the battle loomed so near, time seemed to fly for Qiu Shi. His mind was both crammed full and eerily empty. He hadn’t even finished mentally rehearsing the operation’s steps when the map showed they’d already reached the stretch of Black Pine Forest.
“We’re here,” Qiu Shi said.
Their vehicle slowed. The armored trucks behind them shifted from a single-file formation into a horizontal line, charging side by side into the forest.
Captain Yang gave the order: “Fire!”
A burst of light illuminated the darkness as several golden streaks arced overhead and landed deep within the pines.
The explosions that followed sent tremors through the ground. The convoy surged forward into the forest.
“Flight team, prepare,” Xing Bi said, watching the display. “Thirty seconds to cliff’s edge.”
Qiu Shi leaped out of the vehicle.
A few lightweight vehicles from the flight team accelerated to the front. As they halted, squads of Level-two bioroids jumped out, followed by Team Two members retrieving zip lines from the armored trucks and securing themselves to the bioroids’ backs.
“Covering fire,” Xing Bi ordered again.
Cannons extended from the row of vehicles at the cliff’s edge, angling downward toward the camp below and opening fire.
Under the protective hail of bullets, the flight teams sprinted to the cliff’s edge and leaped off, hugging the rock face in a steep dive before pulling up and gliding toward the southern end of the camp.
“Bears!” Sang Fan’s voice crackled through the earpieces.
The steel nets on the ground were connected to five massive iron cages hidden in pits. Triggered by the armored trucks, the cages released their prisoners—five towering, mutated bears.
The forest erupted with the beasts’ guttural roars and the screams of soldiers.
“Aim for the heads!” Qiu Shi barked, drawing his gun and vaulting onto the roof of a truck. He fired several rounds at the nearest bear, striking its skull. The creature staggered.
Xing Bi charged forward. As the bear swung a massive paw at him, he planted a foot on its forearm and launched himself upward, driving his fist deep into its left eye socket.
The moment he landed, a grenade detonated inside the bear’s skull.
The beast collapsed.
Nearby, Sang Fan and Xu Jie took down another bear in tandem.
The remaining three were lured into a cluster by Lin Sheng and Ji Sui. Two soldiers wielding heavy artillery unleashed a barrage of shells. The bears roared wildly, their flailing limbs smashing trees to splinters around them.
“We’re under attack!” Zhao Yi’s voice shouted through the comms. “Infected—they’re controlled!”
“Intensify covering fire!” Captain Yang yelled.
“Move out,” Xing Bi ordered, sprinting toward the engineering vehicles at the rear. The surrounding bioroids followed. The trucks’ ejection devices would launch them directly above the camp.
“Now?” Qiu Shi whipped his head toward the engineering vehicles.
This step was supposed to happen after Zhao Yi’s team secured the zip lines, synchronized with the human soldiers descending via the lines.
“We can’t wait,” Xing Bi said. “Send ten down first.”
“Got it,” Qiu Shi replied.
In the howling wind and snow, the night felt like it was slashing at their faces with every flake. Muzzle flashes strobed across the darkness. Gunfire and shouts filled the air. The plan was unraveling, then forcibly stitching itself back together—
“Lao Deng!” Qiu Shi shouted. “Push your people into the camp! Cover the flight team securing the zip lines—no matter the cost!”
This step had to succeed. Otherwise, the entire operation would collapse. These people wouldn’t just die—they’d die for nothing.
“Copy that!” Deng Yeye’s voice was sharp. “Already breaching the camp perimeter!”
“Your escort’s waiting below,” Xing Bi’s voice murmured in his earpiece. “Partner.”
“On my way,” Qiu Shi said. “Partner.”
