58
"Let nature take its course! Die when you have to die! We don't want to live for the sake of living in a deformed way! The world is going to be destroyed, we can't change anything, and we don't need to change anything. There is no way out, so don't live in vain..."
For the first time in two days, Chen Fei left his underground office and came to the top floor of the City Affairs Hall. He stood by the window and looked at the main city filled with smoke and dust.
In the distance, shouts from members of the "Let It Be" group could be heard, almost continuously from morning to night. More and more desperate residents joined in, and branches began to develop. Some people believed that death was the exit, and when the main city was destroyed, it would be the time for all the dead to be reborn.
The daylight was still as bright as usual, but now it was afternoon, approaching dusk, and the daylight was beginning to dim.
There were no passers-by in the core area of the main city, only red and orange lights flashing from time to time. All the entrances downstairs of the City Affairs Office were guarded and no one could enter without permission.
But all this could not make Chen Fei, who was standing here, feel a bit safe. People standing on the edge of a cliff, no matter how solid the ground under their feet was, would still be frightened by the abyss in front of them.
He was waiting for the stairs to go down the cliff, waiting for the exit to survive.
All anomalies within the main city have been repeatedly tested, and there is no feature that can be regarded as an "exit". The main city is the safest and most solid place in the world. Perhaps because of this, the exit is not in the main city.
Lian Chuan has already been to the ghost town, but he still wants to risk his life to return to the main city, even if it means letting the traveler die to help him get back... It seems that the exit will not be in the ghost town.
Black Iron Wasteland? Except for the part of the main city that had collapsed, there was dead silence in the distance. The main city had released detectors in several directions. After three celebration days, the detectors were still moving forward and had not detected anything. Before the power was exhausted, no useful information was obtained. Even if the exit was somewhere, they could not reach it.
Lost Valley
The Lost Valley is the only thing that can be clearly left from the previous main city, but except for bats, no one can freely pass through it. Jiuyi cut off the molten fire pipeline and still fought against the armed forces of the main city, which means that he has no other way to retreat. He must defend the Lost Valley...
Fade Chen closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
There were footsteps coming from the corridor, and Chen Fei opened his eyes alertly.
"It's Xiao Lin." A voice floated over from the corner behind him.
"That's great," Chen Fei said, "I want to see him too."
Xiao Lin opened the door and walked straight to him: "Release Chun San."
"That is our only means to restrain Betelgeuse and the cleanup team." Chen Fei looked at him.
"That was the biggest reason that angered Betelgeuse and the cleanup team," Xiao Lin said, "Controlling Chun San means completely pushing them away, and there will be no chance for negotiation in the end."
"Are you willing to negotiate with Lian Chuan?" Chen Fei laughed, "You just gave the order to destroy him if you have the chance."
"At least we can try to get a cleanup team," Xiao Lin said.
"No more," Chen Fei sighed, "No more. When Lei Yu led his men to leave the main city, he had no plan to take Chun San with him. This must be a joint decision between the two of them. Taking Chun San away would alert us. They might have been preparing after Lian Chuan was expelled. The cleanup team's independent communication is not interfered with by the main city system. This can only be done by Chun San."
"What if they come back to rescue Chun San?" Xiao Lin stared at him.
"No," Chen Fei said, "Giving up Chun San is to ensure that the losses are minimized."
Xiao Lin was silent for a long time: "Are you going to kill Chun San?"
Fade Chen looked out the window and laughed: "Do you think I can?"
"Not before," Xiao Lin said, "Now I'm not sure. I've worked with you for so many years, and I've never found you to be this kind of person. You're even more ruthless than Liu Dong."
"Am I ruthless?" Chen Fei turned his head. "Maybe. A weak top leader, illegal research in private, and colleagues who want to take over the mountain as soon as the exit appears..."
He stared at Xiao Lin: "And you who only wanted to act according to your personal likes and dislikes when disaster strikes!"
"What did you say!" Xiao Lin roared.
"How can I not be ruthless?" Fade Chen approached him, "If I'm not ruthless, you will drag me down and drag me into hell!"
Xiao Lin stared at him without saying anything.
"Kill Chun San?" Chen Fei said, "I won't. Lei Yu also knows that I am the only one who can guarantee that Chun San will stay alive."
"More than half of the main city's technology is in Chun San's hands," Lei Yu squatted behind a huge piece of black iron that the bat had piled up from somewhere, looking at Lian Chuan, "If we find an exit, Chen Fei will need her."
"Are you sure?" Lian Chuan asked.
"Your Aunt Chun is sure," Lei Yu said, "I trust her judgment."
"The main city has retreated now," Lian Chuan glanced over there through the gap in the black iron, "What is the plan of the cleanup team?"
"Set up camp first," Lei Yu said, "Let's talk to Jiu Yi. Lost Valley has enough supplies. As long as they are willing, the cleanup team can set up a temporary base here."
"Let Ning Gu talk to Jiuyi." Lian Chuan said.
"Ning Gu?" Lei Yu paused. "It's not that I don't trust him, but can he be clear in the discussion?"
"I can't get along with Jiu Yi," Lian Chuan said, "but he can."
"... I understand." Lei Yu nodded. "If you can enter the Lost Valley, don't stay outside. Go and rest first and let your wounds heal."
"Well, the poet might wake up," Lian Chuan whispered, "Ning Gu felt it just now. If the poet wakes up..."
"Are you going to find the poet?" Lei Yu interrupted him.
"Is there any other way?" Lian Chuan said.
The molten fire pipe that passed through the hard ground of the Black Iron Wasteland has slowly cooled down, which is better than Jiuyi expected. The pipe did not melt in the molten fire because the protective layer was destroyed.
The pipeline is now the highest point in the Black Iron Wasteland.
Jiuyi squatted on the top and looked towards the main city, but was a little disappointed.
He always thought that if he stood at a higher place, he would be able to see the main city more clearly, but it turned out that what he saw when he squatted here was not much different from what he saw when he squatted on the big black iron pier at the exit.
Maybe it's because the distance is too far.
Several black rings were climbing up below. Jiuyi squatted without moving, tapping lightly on the pipes at his feet with his fingertips.
Ding ding ding.
After Heijie came up, he saw Ning Gu following behind him.
"What are you doing here?" Jiuyi's fingertips suddenly extended and poked Ning Gu in front of his nose when he was about to reach the top.
"I'm warning you." Ning Gu looked at the finger.
"Warning me about what?" Jiu Yi laughed, his sharp laughter revealing a hint of happiness, "Your ability is useless to me."
"That may not be the case." Ning Gu raised a finger, and a dark silver light slowly emerged from the fingertips.
Jiu Yi looked at the light on his fingertips, and after a while he said, "This is the first time I've seen the ability to see."
Ning Gu also stared at his fingertips for a long time: "I thought... I didn't expect..."
"What?" Jiuyi looked at him.
Ning Gu didn't say anything else. He shook his fingertips lightly, and three tiny scratches passed through the air. Jiu Yi felt that it was like the light drawn by his fingertips in the air.
Just as he was about to speak, the finger spike he had poked in front of Ning Gu's eyes suddenly broke into several pieces and fell down.
Ning Gu climbed to the top of the pipe.
Jiuyi was still staring at his bald fingertips in a daze.
"You..." Ning Gu bent down and looked at his feet, "I guessed right. When I came up, some parts of the pipe were still very hot, so I knew..."
The nine-winged metal feet had disappeared, and the legs had melted together with the top part of the pipe, as if they had grown out of the pipe, or were welded to the top of the pipe.
Jiu Yi said nothing and just looked at him.
"What should we do?" Ning Gu also looked at him.
Jiuyi raised his other hand, extended his fingertips, and shook them gently twice.
The black ring next to him took out something like a gun and started cutting the pipe under his feet.
"Cut more," Jiuyi instructed, and continued to look at Ning Gu, "I did what I promised Lei Yu, and I also saved those travelers."
"I keep my word." Ning Gu said.
"Then what are you doing here?" Jiu Yi asked.
"Supplies," Ning Gu said, "The cleanup team is going to camp outside the Lost Valley and needs supplies."
"Don't push your luck!" Jiuyi suddenly raised his voice.
"The main city and the travelers," Ning Gu said, "You have to choose a side. There is no neutrality at this time."
"Are the cleanup team travelers?" Jiuyi laughed. "Who drove the travelers out of the main city? How many travelers died in their hands? Young man, don't you know?"
"The cleanup team has joined forces with the travelers," Ning Gu said, "If you don't come over, the other half..."
"Why," Jiu Yi stopped smiling, "Can the agreed deal be increased like this? At the beginning, it was agreed that I would send you out of the Lost Valley in exchange for half of the main city. Now that I have helped you fight, you want to force me to help the cleanup team?"
"Yes, to help me." Ning Gu said.
"Who are you?" Jiu Yi said in a cold voice.
"Savior." Ning Gu said.
Lian Chuan was standing at the entrance of the Lost Valley. Lei Yu had just finished counting the casualties of the cleanup team in this battle. Three cleanup team members were killed and seventeen were injured.
Li Liang brought a medical kit over and handed it to him: "Take care of it. There is no sleeping cabin now, so you have to rely on yourself."
"Is it enough?" Lian Chuan asked.
"Almost enough," Li Liang said, "Let's take care of the seriously injured ones first, the rest of the lightly injured ones will be enough."
"If it's not enough, ask the bats for more." Ning Gu's voice came from the side.
Lian Chuan turned his head and saw a somewhat smug expression on his face.
"Have you reached an agreement with Jiuyi?" Li Liang asked.
"Yes," Ning Gu nodded, "The bats will bring the supplies out in a while."
"We don't need too much. We'll take three to five days to transport it," Lei Yu came over, "We'll see how it works out when the time comes."
"Are three to five days enough?" Ning Gu was stunned. Given the current situation, unless it is destroyed tomorrow, the confrontation with the main city will not be resolved in a few days.
"Under normal mission conditions, the equipment can last ten days," Lian Chuan whispered. "After the last battle, it may only last a week."
Ning Gu looked at him without saying anything.
"I'll take a break." Lian Chuan turned and walked into the entrance.
Ning Gu followed him in: "Aren't you going to meet up with the cleanup team?"
"What are we gathering for?" Lian Chuan asked.
"It's been so long since we met," Ning Gu said, somewhat confused, "and he just helped us fight a battle. Even if we are too familiar with each other to say thank you, we should at least chat, right?"
"The people in the cleanup team didn't know that Betelgeuse was Lianchuan." Lianchuan didn't stop and walked back to the small house that Fulu had found for them.
"So what if you know now?" Ning Gu paused after asking, "I know. According to your classification, those in the cleanup team are all human, right? You are a weapon. Even if you are not Betelgeuse, you are just a precursor experiment, right?"
Lian Chuan glanced at him and said nothing.
"I don't think they will care about this," Ning Gu walked to the mat and sat down, leaning against the wall, "but if you don't want to, forget it."
"How do you feel?" Lian Chuan looked at Ning Gu.
"Me?" Ning Gu raised his head. "I think it doesn't matter whether you are a weapon or a test subject. I..."
"I mean after the poet came." Lian Chuan interrupted him.
"Oh," Ning Gu was stunned for a moment, then he perked up and patted the cushion next to him, "Come here, I was just about to tell you."
Lian Chuan sat next to him.
Ning Gu raised a finger: "Watch."
Lian Chuan looked at him.
A small circle of ripples appeared around Ning Gu's fingers. He waved his hand lightly at the cave wall next to him. Three dark silver scratches passed through the air, and three knife-like grooves appeared on the hard cave wall.
"I suddenly realized that I can use this at will," Ning Gu said, "I can use it whenever I want, but..."
He lowered his voice and said, "Qi Hang's one doesn't work. After using it once in the car, it can't be activated again."
"This is your own ability," Lian Chuan looked at the cave wall, "That... may not work near the Lost Valley."
"Because Qi Hang is here?" Ning Gu asked.
"It could also be a poet." Lian Chuan said, "Anything related to spiritual power might be influenced by the poet, otherwise Jiu Yi wouldn't be like this..."
"Will the poet come again?" Ning Gu looked around. "He just snorted and left. There has been no news since then."
"I'll take a break," Lian Chuan leaned to the side and lay on the mat, "I'll go chant the vertical cave after I recover a little."
"Looking for him?" Ning Gu sat up straight.
"Yes," Lian Chuan responded, "Lost Valley is what was left over from the previous main city. The poet must know something."
"He took you away last time, and you were almost a shell of yourself," Ning Gu looked at him, "Are you still going?"
"You can pull me back," Lian Chuan closed his eyes, "The savior always wins every bet."
Ning Gu didn't say anything.
Win every bet.
Is that considered ability
He looked at Lian Chuan, who must have been very tired. Lian Chuan lay down without even adjusting his posture, and there was nothing to support his head, he just lay there sideways. He felt his neck ache just looking at him.
"Hey," Ning Gu pulled Lian Chuan's arm, "Lian Gou."
"Yeah." Lian Chuan responded.
"Do you want to sleep with something as a pillow?" Ning Gu said, "Doesn't your neck hurt? There's a restrictor poking at the back."
Lian Chuan opened his eyes, looked around, and closed them again.
There was nothing to use as a pillow in the room except some rations and water.
Ning Gu thought about it and pulled his arm again.
When Lian Chuan was pulled to sit up by him, the words "If you bother me again, you will die" appeared in his eyes when he opened them. Ning Gu quickly pulled him around half a circle and pushed him down: "Put your head here."
Lian Chuan fell down and his head fell on his legs.
"Are you comfortable?" Ning Gu said.
Lian Chuan didn't say anything, but he didn't move either.
It is more comfortable to sleep with a pillow, although Lianchuan is not so particular.
However, the rest process was not very comfortable.
He could see Haruzo when he closed his eyes.
When he was a child, Chun San took him to see artificial animals, bought him nutrient solution of various flavors, and had a cold expression but anxious eyes every time he finished training...
Lianchuan, alive!
Lian Chuan suddenly opened his eyes and felt his breathing was a little disordered.
"Awake?" Ning Gu's voice came from above.
Lian Chuan didn't move.
"I slept for quite a long time," Ning Gu looked down at him, "Are you feeling better?"
Has it been quite a long time? Lian Chuan didn’t feel it, he just felt that he had just closed his eyes and then opened them.
"Not bad," he said as he tried to sit up. He saw Ning Gu's hands on his knees, with a small piece of yellowed paper between his fingertips. "What is it?"
"Here," Ning Gu handed him the piece of paper, "I've been putting it away for a while. I just remembered that I still have this thing. I found it in Tongue Bay. It should be handwritten. I don't recognize any of it."
Lian Chuan sat up, took the piece of paper and looked at it.
It was indeed handwritten, with black characters and a bit messy.
The torn part only has three broken lines, and there is no coherent meaning.
But when he saw the last line, Lian Chuan suddenly turned his head and looked at Ning Gu.
-The most incredible
-It's code, only in the brain
-The savior of