TL: Moonlit
If not for being forced, who would want to live in the apocalypse?
In times of peace, there might be some arrogant and ignorant individuals who anticipate chaos, thinking they could become protagonists just by entering a different world. However, real life is often more cruel and illogical than any literary work.
In the face of the apocalypse, everyone is equal—except for the wealthy.
Upon learning that Country C had developed an antidote for the zombie virus, the leaders of other countries were shocked and delighted, but mostly filled with endless worries.
Possessing the zombie virus antidote meant holding the lifeline of all nations. If Country C sold the antidote at an exorbitant price, only the wealthy could afford it, leaving the rest of the common people in dire straits. If Country C used the antidote as leverage to demand resources from other nations, what would they do?
No country wanted to become a vassal state of another. Some smaller countries, which previously had relatively good relations, started contacting each other secretly and reached out to major powers to gauge their intentions.
Only Country A, due to the exposure of its actions by Country C, regardless of whether other countries believed it or not, the fact that Country C possessed the zombie virus antidote made it clear: for the sake of the antidote, these countries would no longer have any contact with Country A.
“Country A has started to contact other countries.” In the incredibly spacious conference room, the leader sat at the head and spoke slowly.
This meeting was no different from the one announcing the discovery of the crystal nucleus space. Lin Hanchuan sat on the leader’s right, but the arrangement of the representatives of the noble families had changed.
Lin Hanchuan took a quick look and noticed that the Rong family was seated at the end, and many representatives of other noble families were absent, replaced by several leaders from the voluntary army.
“Do they want to form an alliance with other countries to threaten us?” someone angrily asked.
“Innocent individuals might escape, but the person carrying the jade will be held responsible. As long as we possess the zombie virus antidote, we will become targets of criticism.”
“We can also contact other countries to form an alliance, but the most crucial thing is to strengthen ourselves.”
As Lin Hanchuan listened to the discussions, his gaze stopped on the head of the Rong family, observing him for a while. When Rong’s Father could no longer bear the intense scrutiny and glared back at him, Lin Hanchuan showed a faint smile.
A sense of foreboding washed over Rong’s Father. This foreboding lingered until the end of the meeting. After everyone left in an orderly manner, Rong’s Father approached the door but was stopped by the guards standing there. His heart sank heavily.
“Mr. Rong.” Lin Hanchuan and the leader didn’t move. Lin Hanchuan made a gesture of invitation to Rong’s Father.
Rong’s Father and the guard confronted each other for a few seconds before he slowly walked back and sat across from Lin Hanchuan. “May I know the reason for making me stay?”
“Regarding Arthur Lord’s matter,” Lin Hanchuan cut to the chase, smiling nonchalantly.
Rong’s Father’s heart sank into icy water, devoid of any warmth. He forced a smile and resisted, “I am not familiar with this person.”
Lin Hanchuan glanced at him, then stood up and walked out of the conference room, leaving only the leader and the scar-faced man facing Rong’s Father.
With the conference room’s door closed, Rong’s Father looked around and realized he had nowhere to escape. Even in the comfortable environment, his forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat.
“Resistance will be strictly dealt with, confession will be rewarded,” the scar-faced man smiled, his terrifying scars making it hard to look directly at him. “Mr. Rong, think it over carefully.”
Outside the conference room, a team of people was already waiting for Lin Hanchuan. The bald woman at the forefront approached him and inquired, “Shall we depart now?”
“Let’s go.”
The bald woman led the elite members of the volunteer army behind Lin Hanchuan, and the group moved fiercely in the direction of the Rong family research institute. As they passed, people on the road voluntarily made way for them, and some even cheered and encouraged the members of the volunteer army.
“Comrades of the volunteer army, take care, and stay safe.”
“Wishing you a safe journey.”
“Thank you for your dedication to the people.”
Hearing their words, Lin Hanchuan raised an eyebrow slightly and said to the bald woman, “I remember the first time I went on a mission, no one knew about it. Everyone only knew about the teams of powered individuals.”
The cold expression on the bald woman’s face softened slightly, and she also smiled, “In the past, we did a lot of things without publicity, so nobody knew. Now that we have some spare capacity, we can control public opinion, and people naturally change their attitudes when they know what we’ve done.”
Thinking of those noble families using the nation’s achievements to promote themselves, the bald woman still felt angry. Her anger was never about not receiving false fame for herself, but rather the lack of deserved honor and respect for her fallen comrades.
As they spoke, the group had arrived at the location of the Rong family research institute, and everyone became serious and restrained their emotions.
“Remember, be careful once we break in. Don’t touch any chemicals or equipment. If you have any questions, ask me immediately,” Lin Hanchuan reminded them one last time.
“Yes!”
After getting the response, the bald woman took out a megaphone under Lin Hanchuan’s gaze and said, “People inside, listen up! You are surrounded…”
After shouting three times, there was no response from inside the institute. Lin Hanchuan waved his hand, and the people behind him rushed forward, placing explosives at the entrance and breaking in.
Rong Ziping had lost track of time; his consciousness had long been hazy due to the endless torture. Someone came, as usual, to draw blood from him and check his daily condition.
When they were halfway through drawing blood, a commotion suddenly erupted outside. The researcher in charge of the blood draw hastily left the lab.
He left too quickly, and the lab’s door was not properly closed. Rong Ziping heard the noisy voices outside.
“It’s the military.”
“Why did they suddenly come? Hurry up and pack things, hide what needs to be hidden, and destroy everything that can be destroyed…”
“The guards with special abilities are useless. The military only entered after they shouted a warning, and they still can’t beat them.”
“I told you doing these experiments privately is too inhumane. Sooner or later, we will be taken away for investigation.”
“It’s already the apocalypse, there are no laws anymore, who cares about these things… What’s wrong with these soldiers?”
“The one leading them is Tu Ji. Isn’t he a researcher like us? How come his abilities are so powerful…”
“I don’t know…”
Rong Ziping couldn’t hear the rest clearly as his attention was focused on Tu Ji.
“Tu Ji, Tu Ji…” Rong Ziping’s throat, which had been silent for a long time, let out a hoarse cry, but despite using all his strength, it was only a weak moan that didn’t even reach outside the laboratory.
Tu Ji! Rong Ziping’s desolate and dejected expression changed as a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes. He’s here to rescue me! He’s here!
The longer Rong Ziping stayed in the laboratory, the more he regretted it. He didn’t understand why he had rejected Tu Ji in his past life or why he had distanced himself from Tu Ji due to social class prejudices. The only person he truly loved and who loved him unconditionally was Tu Ji.
Regret, overwhelming regret.
Every time he was subjected to various experiments, having his head opened up, his chest cavity exposed, blood drawn, and flesh cut… endless remorse gnawed at Rong Ziping’s heart.
But now, Tu Ji had come! Rong Ziping’s eyes brightened, and a faint flush appeared on his pale cheeks.
He stared at the door, calling out in his heart, “I’m here, Tu Ji, I’m here!”
After what felt like an eternity of waiting, perhaps a few minutes or a few hours, the laboratory door was finally opened again. Rong Ziping’s eyes lit up, but they dimmed as soon as he saw who it was.
The woman with the bald head noticed Rong Ziping and frowned. She spoke into the intercom to someone and not long after, several people walked in, led by none other than Lin Hanchuan.
“Tu Ji.” Rong Ziping’s emotions were complicated, and he looked at Lin Hanchuan like a child seeking solace from an adult. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Do you know each other?” The bald woman asked Lin Hanchuan, tilting her head.
After months of torture, Rong Ziping was now so emaciated that he was unrecognizable. His entire body was bound to an experimental table, covered in wounds with no good skin left, and his head was shaved bald with a terrifying scar from a hole at the top.
Presently, Rong Ziping looked even more miserable than those survivors outside the city whom he had pitied before.
“We don’t,” Lin Hanchuan replied as he glanced over and deftly manipulated some equipment placed in front of the hospital bed. He released the cowhide straps that had restrained Rong Ziping for months. “The Rong family conducted secret human experiments. Remember to preserve the evidence of their crime and protect this witness.”
Rong Ziping’s hopeful gaze gradually faded as he finally remembered that there was someone else by Tu Ji’s side long ago.
“Have you found Arthur Lord?” Lin Hanchuan seemed to ignore Rong Ziping’s gaze.
“Not yet.” The bald woman touched her own head, her eyes showing fierceness. “Don’t worry, I’ll dig up three feet of earth to find him.”
“Keep looking,” Lin Hanchuan said and then left straight away.
The bald woman acknowledged and went to Rong Ziping’s side, speaking gently to him, “What’s your name? Why were you used as an experimental subject by the Rong family? Don’t be afraid; we are military personnel. You’re safe now…”
Rong Ziping’s eyes followed Lin Hanchuan’s departing figure, and then he recalled vaguely that in his previous life, he had never seen Tu Ji’s departing figure.
Rong Ziping knew that he had completely lost the person who had been best to him, and there was no chance of reclaiming it. He let out a mournful sob, like a lone beast that had lost its mate, full of panic and despair.
Lin Hanchuan recognized Rong Ziping, but that was all. He might have put forth half his strength in dealing with everything Rong Ziping had gone through, but he didn’t feel pity or sympathy.
He had once wanted to kill Cheng Jizhou, and if Cheng Jizhou hadn’t been powerful enough, he might have died in a horde of zombies. If it weren’t for Lin Hanchuan introducing the crystal nucleus space technology, Cheng Jizhou would have long been besieged as the Zombie Emperor.
Rong Ziping even wanted to capture Cheng Jizhou and bring him into the research institute… Seeing Rong Ziping’s current miserable state, Lin Hanchuan wasn’t happy; instead, he felt a hidden anger. What Rong Ziping was experiencing now was what he had wanted Cheng Jizhou to go through.
Lin Hanchuan squinted his eyes, suppressing the inner flame. He wouldn’t lay a hand on Rong Ziping again, but if Rong Ziping continued to target Cheng Jizhou, he didn’t mind taking action once more.
“Boss, we found Arthur Lord!” While contemplating, an excited voice came through the intercom. “We caught him!”
