If he had not seen the invading undercover guard in Li Datou's video before, and knew that he had contacts with some radical elements in the outer city and claimed to expose the "truth", Qiu Shi would really think that these people who appeared here might be two idle people from the inner city who wanted to take some pictures of the exotic scenery of the outer city.
But now he appeared again with this skinny little shrimp, at the same time and place as the mission...
It's very subtle.
Xing Bi reached out to grab Li Datou's clothes and turn him over, but Qiu Shi got there before him and stood up, holding Li Datou and Xiao Shouxiami by the collar in each hand.
"Two civilians, nothing unusual, probably staying here for accident, let them go to the roadside," Qiu Shi dragged the two people to the roadside, asking them, especially Li Datou, to keep their faces facing downwards, "Can someone from the City Defense Department come to pick them up?"
"Okay." Li Feng responded.
"The mission continues," Qiu Shi clapped his hands and glanced at Xing Bi, "No target was found 300 meters ahead."
"Yeah." Xing Bi responded, with a subtle curl of the corners of his mouth.
Qiu Shi was originally unsure whether Xing Bi, a first-level submersible guard who was infinitely close to a human, understood what he meant, but this smile proved that he should have understood.
There must be more than just Li Feng and his team on the other end of the wiretap. People from the company and the military should be there too, and the real-time footage will probably be transmitted back. This is all he can do.
Although he didn't know who Li Datou was or what use he was, just because Li Datou was still able to move freely, he knew that Li Feng must have a reason for not letting him be exposed. This kind of person would definitely not mind having more bargaining chips in his hands.
As for what he could get with these actions, he was not sure. Maybe he could get nothing. Maybe he would be exposed by Xing Bi, who he didn't know at all. But at least he had left a way out. Even if he messed up, he would not die. He knew that he was the only one who could partner with Xing Bi now.
Qiu Shi had a lot of things on his mind, but his eyes were still fixed on the topographic map in front of him. Because he had not yet adapted to the state of looking at the road through a pile of maps, he walked a little disoriented on the road full of rocky peaks.
There was only one mission objective, and the second-level biochemical body was not a problem for Xing Bi, but after all, it was not a training session, and Qiu Shi was a little nervous. He kicked the tip of the rock twice, and the pain made him jump even through his boots.
"What a fucking crappy road this is." he cursed.
"Bring a box with you next time," said Xing Bi.
Just as Qiu Shi was about to curse, a bright spot appeared at the top of the map in front of him and headed straight towards them.
There was no need to report the coordinates. He quickly moved to the side of the road: "Directly ahead, they are coming towards us, very fast."
As Xing Bi moved forward, he pulled out the dagger from his boot, which was a specially approved weapon.
Neither of them could carry weapons in this mission. I don't know who made this idiotic rule. Maybe it was to make the partner rule of unilaterally suppressing the submerged guards less unfair.
The bend in the mountain blocked the view, and Xing Bi could no longer see anyone after he turned around. However, because he was within the range, his position could not be seen on the topographic map, so Qiu Shi had to run to catch up.
As soon as he turned the corner, he saw a dark shadow rushing towards Xing Bi face to face.
Xing Bi seemed to be running, and after a few steps he suddenly jumped up. This action was similar to the one he used to do when he killed the third-level biochemical body during previous training: jump up, kick, and deliver a fatal blow when he landed.
But to Qiu Shi's surprise, the other party used the exact same posture as Xing Bi.
He jumped up at the same time as Xing Bi, and the two of them collided in the air with a dull thud. When they landed, they were both knocked back two meters. Xing Bi's boots left a long mark on the gravel ground.
If it were two humans, their ribs would have been broken on the spot.
When Xing Bi stood up, the biochemical body on the opposite side did not launch a second attack, but reached for his waist.
The other party has weapons!
This was Qiu Shi’s first reaction.
Very fucked up.
At this distance, the other party could use a water gun to spray Xing Bi before he rushed over.
But the other party didn't touch anything.
The next second Xing Bi raised his hand with a gun in his hand.
The other party turned around and rushed towards the cliff next to him, but before he could jump out, Xing Bi had already fired a shot and hit the other party in the neck.
Qiu Shi saw a splash of black liquid.
The bright spot representing this biochemical entity disappeared.
It took Qiu Shi several seconds to react. At the moment of the collision in the air, Xing Bi grabbed the gun on the waist of the biochemical creature.
"Mission accomplished," he said. "Next time there are no weapons for a mission, I will take Xing Bi to jump off a cliff. What's the difference between this kind of mission with nothing and committing suicide!"
"Check," Director Zhang said, "Qiu Shi collected the weapons."
Qiu Shi walked towards the body of the biological body, and Xing Bi was squatting beside him.
"Is there anything unusual?" Qiu Shi asked.
"Symbiote." Xing Bi said.
"Fuck." Qiu Shi stopped immediately. "I'll help with the inspection here."
"You are gifted," Xing Bi said, "Come here."
"Whoever said it should go through." said Qiu Shi.
"Double inspection is a rule," Li Feng's voice sounded, "Qiu Shi, you won't be infected. This contact is far less than your usual cleaning of infected people."
"Shut up." Qiu Shi got angry when he heard this, but he still walked over and stood next to Xing Bi.
"Collect the weapons." Director Zhang emphasized again.
"Symbiote, second-level stealth guard, confirmed," Xing Bi said, handing the gun in his hand to Qiu Shi, "but..."
"But what?" Director Zhang asked.
"He tried to escape," Xing Bi said, "which is against the principles of a Level 2 Undercover."
"Bring it back," said Director Wu, "and be careful to prevent contamination."
Xing Bi lifted the second-level undercover guard halfway up from the ground, tore off his clothes, and then wrapped the clothes around his neck to prevent the black liquid from continuing to flow out.
"Mark the contaminated area." Xing Bi said.
“…How to mark it?” Qiu Shi was stunned.
"Why don't you let Li Feng give you a pen and draw a circle." Xing Bi said.
"Is he out of control?" Qiu Shi asked, "Can I give him a gesture to shut him up?"
"Look at the interface." Xing Bi reminded him.
It was then that Qiu Shi noticed that there were a lot of black spots on the topographic map in front of him. Director Wu's voice came to his ears: "Just circle the contaminated area, use your hands."
Qiu Shi tried to wave his hand in front of his eyes and found that he could control the lines next to the spots. He drew a few times and circled the locations where there were black spots.
The technology in the inner city made Qiu Shi feel the difference between the two worlds again. The people in the outer city even thought it was rare to follow the housekeeper, but his brothers were so happy just by getting a few boxes of weapons...
When they returned to the starting point, Qiu Shi found that Li Datou and Xiaoshou Xiami were no longer lying on the roadside, and the butterfly pet at the stone nest was also taken away. It was dealt with quite quickly.
He brought the "corpse" of the second-level submersible back to the car and felt a little emotional when he saw the "corpse" being put into a sealed box.
Qiu Shi, you are no longer the corpse collector you used to be.
It turns out not to be the case.
You've even started collecting the bodies of the biochemical bodies.
Several people from the City Defense Bureau got out of the car, took the gun from Qiu Shi's hand, and took out some unknown thing and sprayed an unknown mist on him and Xing Bi, which should be disinfectant.
When he finally got into the car, Qiu Shi leaned back in the chair, raised his head and let out a long sigh.
After completing the task and relaxing, he felt extremely tired. His ribs hurt badly, as if they had just been hit by Xing Bi.
What was even more depressing was that his partner, an excellent first-class submersible guard, was sitting opposite him, with a calm and composed look on his face, and he didn't understand his fatigue at all.
"You will feel..." Qiu Shi looked at him.
"No." Xing Bi said.
"Fuck you, Xing Bi," Qiu Shi was speechless. "Don't even think about getting close to humans. No human with a normal brain would talk like that! Do you want to check if you got a certificate of conformity when you left the factory? I suspect there's something missing from your brain."
Xing Bi smiled and said, "You're done."
"Get out." Qiu Shi closed his eyes.
Maybe he was really tired and his chest was aching, or maybe after all this trouble, not only his body but also his brain had no time to rest, so he wanted to say something to divert his attention.
He closed his eyes and asked again: "Do you feel tired? Or tired in your heart?"
"Yes." Xing Bi replied.
"Bullshit." Qiu Shi said.
After returning from this mission, Xing Bi returned to the hood for inspection again, and he was taken into the house for an interview.
However, this time, only Li Feng interviewed him.
"How does it feel?" Li Feng asked.
"My ribs are not properly connected," Qiu Shi said. "It hurts."
"I'll send you back to the bunker later," Li Feng said, "and take a day off, but everything you do in the inner city must be kept strictly confidential."
"One day?" Qiu Shi glared at him. "It will take me half a month or ten days to recover. Just act like a human. Even the biochemical bodies are more human than you."
"One day," Li Feng said, slowly taking two steps back. "You will enter the nest in one day. There is one more thing I want to make clear to you in advance."
"Don't hide," Qiu Shi said, "No one will stop me here. I promise that you will die without any pain."
"The company and the general have discussed their opinions," Li Feng covered his nose with his hand, "When we enter the lair, in addition to you and Xing Bi, we will also bring three level 2 guards, a total of four guards."
"Shepherding the sheep?" Qiu Shi found it hard to accept. "It's hard enough for me to provide information to Xing Bi. My eyes are almost blind. You want me to assist four people? I remember that I'm very precious. I'm the only one who can clean up the infected by taking some vitamins, right?"
"Those three don't need any assistance, they have assigned tasks." Li Feng said.
"What mission?" Qiu Shi asked immediately. He now knew that these missions were no joke. He had to dig out all the relevant information from Li Feng, this corrupt official.
"Assist in cleaning up the biochemical bodies and attract firepower when necessary." Li Feng said.
"... The Suicide Squad." Qiu Shi said, remembering what Xing Bi had said before, that in principle, Level 2 Undercovers would not allow escape.
"That's fine too," said Li Feng.
"You can call it whatever you want, there's no need to be so smooth," Qiu Shi said, "It's just suicide. You feel at ease when you do it, but you're embarrassed to say it out loud."
"I should also install a control system," Li Feng said, "so that you can shut up at the critical moment."
"Is there such a thing?" Qiu Shi suddenly became alert.
"No," Li Feng said, "If there really were, this world would be a biochemical one."
"Maybe that's better." Qiu Shi said.
Li Feng glanced at him and said, "Qiu Shi, be careful with your words here."
"Got it. I'll be careful when I talk to you next time." Qiu Shi said, and then looked around the room. "Are you the only one asking questions after this official mission is over?"
"I can't take care of you now. I'm with Xing Bi. I'll tell you in detail when I have a chance," Li Feng waved his hand. "I'll take you back to rest. Be careful." Sitting in Li Feng's car and going out of the inner city gate, Qiu Shicai asked again, "Is there anything else you want to tell me about Li Datou?"
Li Feng sighed: "Li Datou's surname is Zhang, and his name is Zhang Sihai."
Qiu Shi was silent for a long time, then turned around and laughed: "When I asked the City Defense Department to get rid of the people today, why didn't the director of the City Defense Department say anything?"
"You won't see him for a while," Li Feng said. "If you run into the girl he was with again, don't mention it. Your mission is highly confidential."
"Yeah." Qiu Shi responded.
The outer city is still as crowded and dilapidated as ever, yet full of hope and despair. Some people look indifferent, while others are smiling. For Qiu Shi, this place is more lively than the inner city.
There is a tunnel in front, and outside the tunnel is his world.
When he passed by Dayan Tavern, he looked out of the window. Everything was the same as before. The word "Dayan" was still there, but there was a new owner and new waiters inside, and the tavern was still filled with new and old customers.
"The new boss is a friend of the old boss. You should have met him," Li Feng said. "The one with the big beard."
"I have an impression." said Qiu Shi.
"It will all pass." said Li Feng.
Qiu Shi didn't say anything.
"In another ten years, no one may know what happened here. First it will become hearsay, then it will become a legend, and finally it will all disappear," Li Feng said. "This is how humans are."
Li Feng's car stopped after exiting the tunnel, and Qiu Shi got out.
Before his feet even touched the ground, he heard Hu Xiaoling's powerful roar: "Brother Shi!"
A group of people jumped out from behind the rocks at the entrance of the tunnel, and Li Feng's car quickly turned around and drove away.
"You're really fast!" Hu Xiaoling pointed at the back of the car, "Otherwise I'd have overturned your car today!"
"Are you crazy?" Qiu Shi looked at Zhao Lu who was standing in front of him.
Zhao Lu said nothing and opened his arms.
"Get lost." Qiu Shi said.
"Hurry up!" Zhao Lu said, "Everyone thought you were dead."
"What nonsense," Qiu Shi went over and hugged Zhao Lu. "It's only been one day. You guys haven't been waiting here all this time, have you?"
"Not that loyal," Zhao Lu said, "Li Feng informed us."
"When we heard that he was sent back not long after he went there," Hu Xiaoling said, "he must have been killed by them! And then the body was sent back! How else can you imagine that something could be done so quickly! He must be dead!"
“… He’s quite thoughtful.” Qiu Shi said.
After getting on the body collection vehicle and driving down the slope, his intuition told him that the surroundings seemed a little different, but upon closer inspection, there was nothing wrong.
"Just an hour ago," Brigade Zhao leaned close to his ear, "four big black cars pulled people out, and Xiaoling led his men to quietly follow them. They deployed defenses on the periphery, and their men are all around the bunkers."
"Really?" Qiu Shi remembered what Li Feng said, "Be careful."
"Did something happen?" Zhao Lu asked. "People in the outer city are saying that a biochemical creature has entered the inner city."
"That's not the case." said Qiu Shi.
Brigade Zhao reacted quickly at the critical moment. He looked at him and thought for a while before nodding: "I see. No wonder so many troops were suddenly sent to the periphery."
"Be careful." said Qiu Shi.
"Yeah." Zhao Lu nodded.
Qiu Shi took out two bottles of medicine from his pocket and gave them to him: "Strong ones."
"Now those soldiers are responsible for clearing out the infected." Brigade Zhao took the medicine.
"Be careful." said Qiu Shi.
"Okay." Zhao Lu put the medicine away.
Qiu Shi felt very unhappy. The crisis was there, but this was all he could do for these brothers.
Everything in the bunker was the same as before, even Xiao Lei, who was waiting at his door, had not changed.
"What are you doing here?" Seeing that he seemed a little helpless, Qiu Shi walked around him and entered the bunker. Did Li Feng still want to get rid of this guy
"Let me tell you about work." Xiao Lei followed in.
"Get out." Qiu Shi said.
"I'm relieved to see that you're okay. Everyone is worried about you." Xiao Lei put a form on the table next to him. "Here are some of the things that happened during the time you were away. I wrote them down according to the time."
"What the hell?" Qiu Shi's eyes narrowed in shock. He picked up the form and glanced at it. The time recorded on it was accurate to the minute, and the content was so detailed that "a soldier passed by the bunker twice and looked inside."
"You can't read?" Xiao Lei asked.
"Are you asking me a normal question or scolding me?" Qiu Shi asked.
"Just asking normally." Xiao Lei said.
"I can read," Qiu Shi said, "thank you, Captain Xiao."
After Xiao Lei left the bunker, no one came in. These people all knew that when he was alone, he should be alone and not come in to ask for a fight.
However, Qiu Shi did not stay alone for too long. He only had one day, and his next mission would be to go to the nest. He was really not sure whether he could come back.
He walked out of the shelter and squatted under a bunch of dead bushes at the door.
"Let's go," he tilted his head towards Zhao Lu, "to the corpse cave. The old man's stuff is still there."
"Here." Zhao Lu stood up and followed him.
"Is there anyone else there?" Qiu Shi asked.
"No, the patrolling gang didn't want to get close," said Zhao. "There's no telling how many bodies there are. It's unlucky."
There was a pile of ashes next to the corpse cave, and Qiu Shi paused.
"It's from Boss Dayan," Zhao Lu said, "I promised him that."
"Is it burned cleanly?" Qiu Shi took a look and saw only ashes.
"Where?" Zhao Lu said, "The remaining bones were thrown into the cave, but his wife is still in the cave. They are reunited."
“…Okay.” Qiu Shi laughed.
The old man's suitcase was well hidden. This was where they hid their things, a camouflaged hole in the ground that ordinary people couldn't find even if they rolled over it.
Zhao Lu took out the suitcase and opened it.
“This box is pretty good,” he said. “I’ve never seen any refugee come here with a box.”
As expected, the box was full of junk, a pile of bottle caps, a few metal boxes which were all empty when opened, some glass beads, and some old pictures that Qiu Shi had collected for him.
Qiu Shi took out a small black box. He knew this thing. He used it when playing games with that old mobile phone. It could randomly connect to some old, erratic signals.
Below that was a bag, and what came out was a pile of papers and a box. He had seen this box before; it was where the old man kept the map fragments.
He first opened the box and took a look. Inside was a map that was almost half completed. It was the railway map that the old man had mentioned. There were no place names or road names, only black dots.
A dot in the upper left corner is circled, and there is a piece missing below.
"What is this?" Zhao Lu asked.
"I don't know." Qiu Shi looked at the map and couldn't understand it at all.
"Another city?" Zhao Lu said.
"Maybe." Qiu Shi could see a railway line marked with a black pen. It seemed to lead to the circled location, but there was a missing piece at the starting point and a missing piece in the middle.
"A treasure map?" Zhao Lu picked up the map and looked at it front and back, then turned it over and looked at the back. "Huh?"
There are some circles on the back of the map, and there are question marks next to the circles, but next to one of the question marks, there is a small word "Qiu".
The author has something to say:
I'll stop for a day tomorrow and continue the day after tomorrow. I love you guys ╰_╯.