I don't know if this is a backup plan.
Not really. This seems to be the only option. Maybe there are other options, but facing the current situation, Qiu Shi feels that this is the only choice he can make as a corpse collector with little education and little experience of the world.
Lin Sheng was indeed ruthless. Like 249, he could find the opponent's weak spot accurately and quickly without hesitation, no matter if it was the surveillance video that was used to divert attention, or himself who was under his feet and could be shot to death at any time.
Zheng Ting, who was already shaken, couldn't do this.
There is no way Xing Bi and Bai Zhan would ignore his life and launch an attack.
They will choose to talk again, delay time, and look for other opportunities.
But when facing 249, what Qiu Shi was most unwilling to let him control was time and conversation. Even if they had to talk in the end, he would put an impossible-to-unlock lock on Xing Bi.
When letting go of his hand, Qiu Shi did not feel entangled, nor did he leave himself time to feel entangled.
I just sighed once again, it turns out that the human brain can think about so many things at the same time in such a short time. Thinking about it this way, humans are actually still very powerful, but it seems that there are always people who don’t think so, and still hope to be stronger, stronger and stronger... immortal and invincible...
When Xing Bi rushed towards him, Lin Sheng finally lifted the foot that was on his chest. As the ribs he was stepping on shifted, the piercing pain made his vision blurry.
He grabbed Qiu Shi's collar and kicked the bomb that slipped from Qiu Shi's hand toward the path that Lin Sheng would have to take to retreat. At the same time, he turned around and dragged Qiu Shi towards the door of the equipment room.
It seems that Xing Bi has never experienced such a speed in his long career as a biochemical being.
Deng Yeye fell closer to the door than Qiu Shi, and Bai Zhan grabbed her arm as he ran towards the door with him.
Zheng Ting had already opened the door and pulled 249's wheelchair back into the equipment room, and the door was beginning to close.
All the actions take place between the opening and closing of this door.
They were still a short distance away from the door when the thunder exploded behind them.
Zheng Ting suddenly raised his leg to support the door that was about to close and kicked it.
The door reopened, and Xing Bi threw Qiu Shi into the equipment room, avoiding the metal fragments hidden in the homemade mines. Then the air wave suddenly accelerated them into the door.
In this situation, Xing Bi and Bai Zhan could no longer handle the objects with care, and Qiu Shi and Deng Yeye were both thrown to the floor of the equipment room.
The door closed with an explosion behind him and locked with a click.
The sound of the explosion was instantly blocked out outside the door, and the humming sound of the equipment lined up in a row inside the door seemed inaudible against the backdrop of the explosion.
"Ah..." Deng Yeye was half awakened from her coma after being thrown down.
Qiu Shi couldn't make any sound, the pain made him breathe hard.
"Fuck your ancestors!" Xing Bi rushed to Qiu Shi, pressed a hand on the side of his neck, and quickly tore open his clothes to check his injuries.
Zheng Ting withdrew his gaze from the door and fixed it on Xing Bi.
This subtle change was noticed by Bai Zhan, who had already pointed his gun at him and 249.
"Why," Bai Zhan smiled, "have you never heard Xing Bi scold people?"
Zheng Ting looked at him and said, "If we fire a shot here, we will all be killed, including Xu Jie and Ji Sui outside."
"I'm not the only one dying anyway," Bo Zhan said, "If you don't want to die, don't provoke me to shoot."
"They'll get blown up, too," 249 said. "Your friends."
"It doesn't matter," Bai Zhan said, "My friend just wanted to blow us up."
"Is there a medical kit?" Xing Bi asked.
"Yes." Zheng Ting looked at Bai Zhan.
"Is it urgent?" Bai Zhan asked.
"I won't die." Qiu Shi gritted his teeth and said, his voice was almost inaudible even to himself. When Xing Bi pulled him up, he thought he would faint from the pain, but he didn't expect to be awake the whole time.
"Then wait until Old Deng wakes up," Bai Zhan said, "and let her get it."
"Yeah." Xing Bi responded and stared at Qiu Shi with a frown.
Zheng Ting is also here. It is not safe for them to leave only one biochemical body among the two injured to face Zheng Ting and the unpredictable 249.
Qiu Shi smiled with the corners of his mouth pulled.
"Are you crazy?" Xing Bi yelled, "What's wrong with you?"
"Hey," Bai Zhan took two steps towards Xing Bi, "Don't scold him, he did it for us."
"Don't I know?" Xing Bi turned and looked at him, "Does this conflict with me scolding him?"
Bai Zhan swallowed, took two steps back, stood next to Deng Yeye, and gently touched her with his foot: "Dadao, are you awake?"
"Don't move." Xing Bi looked at Qiu Shi.
"Yeah." Qiu Shi responded.
Xing Bi quickly stood up, squatted beside Deng Yeye, and touched her through her clothes.
Lin Sheng kicked her arm just now, breaking it. The bones in her body were fine, but her head hit the wall and got swollen.
"Ah." Deng Yeye said.
"Does it hurt anywhere?" Xing Bi stretched out his finger and waved it in front of her. "How many?"
"Which one should I answer first?" Deng Yeye asked.
"Whatever." Xing Bi said.
"My arms and head hurt," Deng Yeye struggled to sit up, "Where's Qiu Shi?"
"Not dead." Xing Bi helped her and let her lean against the wall behind her.
"Go get the medical kit," Bai Zhan said, "Can you stand up?"
"Yes." Deng Yeye leaned against the wall and tried to stand up.
"I'll go get it." Zheng Ting said, "Even if she gets up, she won't be able to get it."
Zheng Ting also had injuries on his body. In the previous fight, Bai Zhan injured his shoulder and Zheng Ting was stabbed in the waist by him.
"I can get it!" Deng Yeye raised her voice and stood up suddenly, "Don't move."
"Turn left and there's a cold storage room," Zheng Ting said, "There are medicines in there, take whatever you think is appropriate."
Deng Yeye walked inside holding her left arm that was broken by a kick.
They are now at the entrance of the equipment room, a space of about 40 square meters, which is a changing area. Inside is the huge equipment room. From Xing Bi's perspective, he can see that there are not only ordinary equipment and storage devices, but also some new machines covered with dust cloth and not activated.
"Move him a little further inside," said Xing Bi.
Bai Zhan looked around and took a white board standing by the wall: "Use this. We can't move it directly. It feels like it's broken."
There are words on the whiteboard, which are the time records of routine inspections every day during the week and the signatures of the inspectors.
Xing Bi placed the whiteboard flat next to Qiu Shi, and together with Bai Zhan, they pulled him by his clothes and moved him flat onto the whiteboard.
"Xing Bi!" Deng Yeye's voice came from inside, "Come... and take a look!"
"What are you looking at?" Xing Bi looked at Zheng Ting and asked. Deng Yeye's voice was full of shock.
"These are some personal belongings of my former friends who left them here..." 249 said.
"Friend?" Xing Bi pulled the whiteboard back inside.
Of 249’s friends, the only person Xing Bi could think of was the one who helped him turn off the camera and took away the box containing his data at the end of the video.
That was a human being, dead long ago.
The interior of the equipment room was larger than Xing Bi had expected. The huge space in the middle was filled with various equipment that was in operation and supported the normal functions of the institute, as well as a large number of equipment covered with dustproof cloths. There were also several rooms on the side, also filled with equipment.
In addition to the cold storage room where they were looking for medicine, there were several other rooms. Deng Yeye was standing at the door of one of them, staring at the things inside in a daze.
Xing Bi walked over and took a look inside, and was also stunned.
For a moment, I thought I was back in the warehouse in Yuncheng.
Although the scale was much smaller, the dozen or so hibernation capsules that were slowly rotating were something Xing Bi was very familiar with.
At the innermost part of this small "warehouse", separated by a glass door, is a row of cylindrical tanks containing brains that I had seen in 249's video.
"This is fucking..." Bo Zhan whispered, "What the hell is this?"
Xing Bi didn't say anything. He pulled out his gun, turned around and walked back to the door of the equipment room, pointing the gun at 249.
"Don't kill me." There was a childish tremor in 249's voice.
"Don't shoot. He is integrated into the institute's security system." Zheng Ting slowly walked out from behind 249 and stood in front of 249. "If he or his data is destroyed, the institute will activate self-destruction and no one will be able to escape."
Xing Bi didn't say anything, but tilted his head to look at 249.
There was indeed a wire behind his neck connected to the box, and there were also several wires extending from the box, connecting to somewhere in the room.
"Save your friends first," 249 whispered. "There's a medical cabin inside, shared by humans and cyborgs. It was the latest model back then... It's even newer now... There may not be any more in the future..."
"Bai Zhan." Xing Bi called out.
Bai Zhan came to his senses, looked at the two rooms next door, and found the medical bed.
"Don't negotiate," Qiu Shi whispered as he was carried to the medical bed. "There is no room for negotiation."
"I know," Xing Bi looked at him, "I just want to get the people we brought in out."
"Well," Qiu Shi closed his eyes, "If it doesn't work, then just die. Learn from Li Feng and be ruthless to everyone when necessary."
Xing Bi closed the cover of the medical cabin.
Qiu Shi's treatment time showed that it would take two hours. He walked out of the room and looked at Zheng Ting: "You were the ones who put the water in the examination area, right?"
Zheng Ting looked at him without saying anything.
"Yes," 249 said timidly behind Zheng Ting, "I'm scared."
"Can you change your voice?" Bai Zhan couldn't help but ask, "Why are you pretending to be harmless?"
"I am indeed harmless now," said 249.
"Five people in the inspection area are almost dead!" Bai Zhan said, "You still think you are harmless? How many people have you killed outside? How many people have been infected by you? You are a fucking devil!"
"The water in the inspection area," Xing Bi grasped the current focus, "drain it."
"There's a leak in the inspection area," 249 said. "It will drain very slowly, and it will also refill when it drains..."
"Empty it." Xing Bi said.
"Okay." 249 replied.
"Where is the surveillance camera?" Xing Bi asked again, "Where is the main control console?"
"The surveillance camera is on the east wall." said 249.
"Control panel." Xing Bi stared at his featureless face.
"There is no console," 249 said. "I don't need a console. I am the console."
The headquarters' meeting room was filled with smoke. Li Feng held a cigarette in his mouth and said, "Is the exhaust fan not on? I'm almost dying of the fumes."
"It's turned to the maximum." said Colonel Yu.
"Stop smoking." Li Feng put out his half-smoked cigarette and leaned back in his chair. "It's just the few of us. Are we afraid to say anything?"
There were only Colonel Yu, Minister Liu, Chen Dang and Director Wu in the conference room, and they were all silent.
"You can't get in touch with them, right?" Li Feng asked.
"Yes," Chen Dang said, "The last contact was before they entered the equipment room."
"249 is hidden in the equipment room, right?" Li Feng asked.
"Yes." Chen Dang replied.
"Under normal circumstances, we would just rush in, destroy 249's last storage space, and destroy his data," Li Feng said, "and that would be the end of it, right?"
"Yes, now all external connections of the institute have been cut off," Chen Dang said, "but if Zheng Ting is here, there will be variables. If there is someone else besides Zheng Ting... the variables will be even greater." "When will the large equipment arrive?" Li Feng asked Colonel Yu.
"It should be in place by now," Colonel Yu looked at him, "and the last batch of heavy weapons will arrive in about an hour."
"Where is Lin Sheng?" Li Feng frowned.
"It's almost here," Chen Dang said, "no more than two hours."
"So fast?" Li Feng raised his eyebrows.
"He didn't rest," Chen Dang said, "He didn't bring any equipment or supplies. He traveled light just for speed. Qi Jian and Jiang Zhuo's people would clear obstacles in advance to ensure that there would be no interference on his route."
"So hard." Li Feng looked at the ashtray in front of him.
"Those people among them are the most important to him in this world," Chen Dang said.
"If he knew my plan," Li Feng said, "he would kill me when he comes back, right?"
"I don't know," Chen Dang said, "It hasn't come to that point yet."
"What if it arrives?" Li Feng said.
"Isn't it a little early to say this now?" Colonel Yu said, "We haven't reached a consensus yet."
"Is there no unity?" Li Feng looked at him, "You just don't express your opinions at all."
"It's difficult for Yuncheng's weapons to destroy such a large underwater structure from the outside in one go," Colonel Yu said. "It may take multiple times... First destroy the outside, then blast at a specific point."
"Yeah." Li Feng nodded.
"There should be a lot of equipment in there," said Director Wu. "We..."
"If they can solve 249 normally, the equipment will be shipped out naturally," Li Feng said, "Now we are discussing what will happen if they die."
Several people fell silent again.
"The problem now is how to confirm that they are dead." Chen Dang finally said what was in Li Feng's mind.
This is also the reason why everyone is silent.
Everyone knows how important these people whose current situations in the research institute are to Yuncheng.
Li Feng, who is always considered ruthless by everyone, is unwilling to make a judgment, and other people will not even open their mouths to do so.
Li Feng was silent for a long time, cleared his throat, and turned to Chen Dang: "Tell Lin Sheng that since we are not sure whether 249 has a way to protect itself or whether there are other ways to transfer, we will directly destroy the existing main part of the institute by force when necessary."
"Okay." Chen Dang responded.
"He can call upon all the equipment and personnel on site," Li Feng said, "Please ask him to minimize the loss of personnel."
"Yeah." Chen Dang nodded.
Li Feng did not say the sentence "regardless of whether the people inside evacuate or not" in the end.
"Have you found Lin Sheng?" Xing Bi asked.
"Not yet," Bai Zhan stood in front of the surveillance screen, searching for Lin Sheng's figure in each surveillance screen. "He must be hiding. He knows where the surveillance is."
"His ultimate goal is to get into the equipment room," Qiu Shi said, "Just start when you're ready."
The medical cabin of the institute was indeed very advanced. Although the injuries on the body could not be cured directly and no major movements were allowed, the broken ribs had been accurately fixed and there was no need for heavy bandages on the body.
Deng Yeye's arm has been repositioned and fixed, and other parts of her body have been checked and no major problems have been found.
However, the injuries of Xing Bi and Bai Zhan were not treated. Not only because they did not have time, but also because they wanted to ensure that there would never be a situation where only one biochemical body was left fighting.
"Where does the self-destruction begin?" Xing Bi looked at 249.
"Don't die," 249 said. "You will die too."
"Where to start?" Xing Bi asked, "Zheng Ting?"
"From outside to inside, from top to bottom." Zheng Ting replied.
Xing Bi took a pen and drew a map on the whiteboard on the ground. Qiu Shi didn't know how he pieced together the approximate structure from the routes he had taken before and the surveillance footage, but he drew it anyway.
"This will be the final location of destruction," Xing Bi said, "The destruction device needs to be controlled from here, but before the actual destruction, it is estimated that large-scale damage will begin to occur."
"It's closer to the tunnel from here," Bai Zhan pointed to a line on the map, "If we can find a chance to go from here..."
"I still have two mines." Deng Yeye said, "But they may not have much effect on the wall here. The previous explosions did not cause much damage to the wall."
"We'll see when the time comes." Xing Bi said, "Don't think too far ahead."
Bai Zhan smiled.
"Once we start," Xing Bi said, "Lin Sheng will definitely come over. Be careful. He is more familiar with this place than we are. And..."
He looked up at Zheng Ting over there.
Zheng Ting is a variable. It is not certain whether he will stop them or help them.
Xing Bi stood up and looked down at the diagram on the whiteboard: "Let's get started."
"Is it worth it?" 249 suddenly asked, "For the sake of humanity, is it worth it? You all know what humanity has done, is it worth it? Is it worth using our stronger, more excellent lives to exchange for humanity's victory?"
"Humanity did not win," Xing Bi said. "The victory was the real world outside."
249 raised her head. Although she had no eyes, she seemed to still be able to feel his gaze. "That is the world that humans want to monopolize."
"That's the world you want to monopolize." Xing Bi said, turned and walked into the room where the hibernation capsule was placed.
"No... I just want to survive..." 249 whispered.
There are seventeen hibernation capsules in total, which is a very small number and cannot be compared with the warehouses in Yuncheng, but every face in them is shocking.
When Xing Bi saw himself in the hibernation capsule, there was an indescribable complex emotion in his eyes.
"The data has not been written yet," Bo Zhan looked at the row of small lights flashing on the hibernation capsule, "If it's a little later, all these biochemical bodies will be activated. I don't know what the scene will be like."
"These biochemical bodies have been here since the base fell," Zheng Ting said as he stood outside the door. "They were transported here directly from the base."
"You still believe this?" Qiu Shi looked at him. "If these are the real them, then have you ever thought about why they have been dormant all this time? Is the world that 249 wants to give you a world where you will be dormant forever?"
Xing Bi opened the first hibernation capsule.
He raised his gun, aimed it at the neck and shot him.
Next is the second hibernation capsule.
At the same time as the shooting, the crying sound of 249 was heard over the radio in the equipment room.
Amid the crying, Xing Bi fired the third shot.
When he opened the fourth hibernation capsule, his hand holding the gun trembled slightly. He had spent a long time alone in the darkness and thought that he might be trapped in the darkness forever.
Now he will personally trap his other self in darkness forever.
"Let me do it." Bai Zhan stretched out his hand.
When his hand was about to touch the gun, Xing Bi pulled the trigger and a gunshot rang out.
Bai Zhan didn't say anything. He opened the hibernation capsule at the back, fired, opened it again, and fired again.
Qiu Shi could hear his breathing becoming increasingly heavier as he cried in pain.
No one spoke, only crying and gunshots.
"Pull." Lin Sheng said.
The steel cable connected to the door of the inspection area, which had been severely squeezed and deformed in the explosion, suddenly tightened. Then the door made a harsh metallic friction sound and was pulled open a crack.
The white light inside shone through the gap.
The machine outside the tunnel roared and the door continued to open.
"Xu Jie!" Lin Sheng shouted, "Ji Sui!"
"Yes, everyone is alive." Xu Jie's voice came out.
There were cheers from behind.
"The medical team is coming in," Lin Sheng pressed the headset, "three stretchers."
After the door was fully opened, the medical team carried three injured soldiers out of the examination area.
Lin Sheng entered the inspection area.
"How is it?" He quickly glanced at Xu Jie and Ji Sui.
"It's a minor injury, no big deal." Ji Sui said.
Lin Sheng walked in; the door leading to the main part was still closed.
"They drained the seawater from here," Xu Jie said, "but we tried to open this door, but it wouldn't open."
"That means they are alive." Lin Sheng pressed the headset and said, "The blasting team, come in and blow up the door."
"There is a possibility that the tunnel will be flooded." said Ji Sui.
"Then swim in." Lin Sheng said.
"Specific plan?" Xu Jie asked.
"Go in and get them out," Lin Sheng said, "They're gone."
The author has something to say:
Continue tomorrow ╰_╯.
Ah, Lin Sheng, you are finally here!