“It’s such a coincidence?” Wolf Dog leaned in, “…But as the saying goes, ‘there’s no such thing as an accident, only a story waiting to be told.’ Could our new companion be him?”
Shen Shanwu shook his head, “He’s the one who blocked me outside the dormitory yesterday. Black and white eyes, pink nails, he couldn’t even chew through a small piece of bark.”
“Then he must be the one who captured our companion.” Milk Tea turned around, “Otherwise, how could he have conveniently blocked you outside? He must have been secretly observing you for a while!”
“He really hangs out near the back door window of the classroom when he has nothing to do, secretly observing the unruly students… I’ve been caught the most times, really unlucky,” Wolf Dog couldn’t help but rub the goosebumps on his arm. “I can totally imagine it! My high school homeroom teacher was like that too!”
“If it’s not related to him, then it’s a different story,” Milk Tea said. “Every night, as you innocently prepare to sleep, just beside you, or even just a hand’s reach away, a disfigured and foul-smelling zombie gives you a salivating gaze. And then, at that very moment, the heavy chain that bound it, strained by immense force for so long, suddenly snaps from the embedded cement…”
“Stop making up stories,” Prophet crouched down and waved to the others. “Since it’s not on the ground, not in the wall, and not in the air, the person must be underground.”
“Have you found a secret door to the basement?” Shen Shanwu asked. Prophet shook his head. “No, but take a look, everyone. Does this patch of cement under the cabinet look different from the rest?”
All four of them gathered around, and Milk Tea frowned. “It does seem a little different. The cement work was done a long time ago, and it’s almost indistinguishable from the surrounding area. Impressive that you noticed, Prophet.”
“Sealing a zombie underground with cement?” Wolf Dog exclaimed in surprise. “If there’s no direct passage from other places to this underground passage, then this behavior is truly insane!”
“There can only be one explanation,” Prophet pressed his fingers against the ground, producing a dull thud, an indistinguishable sound. He stepped back, not looking up, and said, “Milk Tea.”
Immediately, Milk Tea responded. She stood where the Prophet had stood earlier and stomped her foot on the ground. “Give me a piece of your fingernail.”
Wolf Dog immediately pulled out a piece from his pocket and handed it to her. After taking it, Milk Tea bent down, touched the ground with one hand, and with a thought, she vanished from the spot.
The remaining three people in the room exchanged glances, and Prophet took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose with a somewhat tired expression. He said, “Wolf Dog, be prepared.”
Wolf Dog nodded, hesitated for a moment, and couldn’t help but curse, “Is he really so damn twisted?!”
Milk Tea’s ability allows her to pass through any obstacles, with some distance limitations. Since she can pass through the ground of this room, it indicates that there is indeed an underground room beneath, and it’s highly likely to be sealed shut.
Thirty seconds later, Wolf Dog’s left index finger trembled slightly, a signal from Milk Tea. He nodded to the Prophet and Shen Shanwu, and then gradually disappeared from his fingertips.
When he opened his eyes again, Wolf Dog found himself standing in an underground room no larger than ten square meters. It was cramped, foul-smelling, and the only source of light came from a small flashlight in Milk Tea’s hand.
The principle of nighttime vision for mutants is similar to that of feline animals. Their pupils have a strong ability to capture faint light. However, if they are in a pitch-black environment, they are helpless.
Apart from the two of them, there is another person in the underground room, a young boy. His wrists and ankles are bound by heavy chains, deeply embedded in the cement. A muzzle is fastened around his mouth, and the light causes his tightly shut eyes to squint. He emits muffled cries from his throat, and his limbs struggle frantically. The loud scraping sound of the massive chains echoes in the narrow underground room, deafening. For a moment, Wolf Dog is unable to determine whether the other person is a zombie or a mutant.
But then he realizes that this mutant transformed nearly two months ago, which means he has been alone in this pitch-black, soundless, and cramped space for a full two months, bound and imprisoned.
The recently awakened mutant has relatively weak powers, and their body is still in a recovery and adaptation phase. They are unable to rely on their own strength to get out. This is another individual who appears to be only around thirteen or fourteen years old, and it’s likely that his spirit will collapse before his body fully recovers.
“We are your companions,” Wolf Dog says. “You’re safe now, and we’ll take you out of here.”
The middle school student continues to struggle as if he hasn’t heard, his eyes gradually adjusting to the light, but his thoughts are still entangled in nightmares, and his screams are his only way to release fear. Wolf Dog and Milk Tea exchange a glance, then move forward directly. Each of them restrains one side of his limbs and then with a strong pull, the thick chain breaks.
Wolf Dog’s actions are rough yet gentle, as he grips the middle school student’s wrists with one hand and covers his eyes with the other. Soon, light returns to his vision, and without hesitation, Wolf Dog brings the new mutant back to the surface.
The underground room was too stifling, and Wolf Dog had no intention of staying for even a second longer.
Milk Tea reappeared where she had vanished earlier, biting her lip in distress. “It’s a completely sealed underground room. Someone locked him in and sealed the entrance.”
Shen Shanwu looked down at the person on the ground, disheveled and unclothed, lying weakly under Wolf Dog’s restraint, his chest rising and falling continuously. The Prophet approached the middle school student, crouched down slowly, and reached out to crush the metal clasp of the mouth restraint on his face.
The metal clasp of the mouth restraint had already partially fused with the skin on the middle school student’s face, making it impossible to peel off. The iron shackles above his hands and feet were also covered in blood and flesh, making the skin in that area grotesque and ugly. The Prophet gently stroked his hair with deep sympathy. “I’m sorry, we arrived late.”
“Let’s remove it after we’re out of here,” Wolf Dog suggested. “But after this is over, no matter what happens, don’t ask me for help again. I need to take care of my nails properly. I’ve used up more than a year’s worth in these two months.”
Starting from the middle school student, followed by the Prophet and Milk Tea, one by one, Wolf Dog escorted them away. When it was Shen Shanwu’s turn, he first went outside to find Lu Jingzhi and gave a brief explanation, then hid in a concealed spot and called for Wolf Dog. Together, they returned to the small building where the mutants were staying.
Thus, the elusive ‘assassin’ was instantly exposed by the Shanhai Task Force. Without a chance to resist, he was forcibly pushed into a vehicle and taken back to the headquarters of the Shanhai Unit Task Force for interrogation. The group arrived in a formidable manner and left just as imposingly, sparking rumors that left the school’s teachers, students, and even a large portion of the base in a state of restlessness.
Not to mention Jiang Tong’s morning reflection, the school directly granted a three-day break to all teachers and students. The leadership held emergency meetings, debating issues of negligence and enhancing security measures.
After all, an incident as significant as the ‘assassination attempt on the Major General’ naturally created a big commotion. Fortunately, despite the suddenness of the event, the Shanhai Unit had substantial combat power, and its members were all well-trained elites. The situation was resolved quickly. If the outcome had been that the assassin remained hidden within the school, it would have been truly terrifying.
Everyone had no choice but to suppress their complaints and grievances. Afterward, they had to put their minds to visiting Captain Jiang and perhaps sending some small gifts…
But these follow-up matters were unrelated to the mutants. Although Shen Shanwu was a bit worried about Jiang Huan’s wound from being cut on the abdomen, when compared, the affairs of the new mutants were certainly more important.
After the round trip, the Executioner had forcibly torn off the facial and limb restraints from the middle schooler. Mutants had a low sensitivity to pain, so the middle schooler didn’t suffer much, but the visual effect on others was quite gruesome.
Tibetan, a tall figure standing at 6 feet 5 inches, leaned against the door. The sound of his fingers snapping could be heard, and he seemed ready to confront the person who had imprisoned the middle schooler. Directly across from him, Hugo sat on the sofa, hugging his knees. His unblinking eyes were fixed on the middle schooler. He clenched his teeth and refused to get any closer.
“Is his emotional state stable now?” Shen Shanwu approached and asked. The middle schooler’s face was torn open, with only his eyes and forehead intact. He cautiously looked at the newcomer, fingers tightly clutching onto the fabric of the Prophet’s sleeve, as if holding onto a lifeline.
“Prophet, the eternal god,” the Manager sighed, “We can manage without anyone else among us mutants, but we wouldn’t be complete without him. If there were no Prophet, who knows how much more suffering Hugo and this child would have to endure.”
The Prophet gently stroked the middle schooler’s hair and shoulders, softly introducing him to the basic background of the mutants. The CEO and Milk Tea brought out the food they had prepared earlier for the new companion, piling it onto the coffee table. While mutants didn’t need to eat, the habits of humans were deeply ingrained in their memories. Among the nine original mutants, there wasn’t a single one who didn’t enjoy eating.
“I didn’t expect him to be underage. I should have prepared more fruits,” the CEO lamented, feeling a bit regretful that his efforts in making rice wine had gone to waste.
Milk Tea, on the other hand, began peeling the meteor fruit with maternal enthusiasm, even carving it into the shape of a little rabbit. “Oh my, he’s a real little shotacon. Much cuter than that fake Top Student from before.”
“He’s already 1.6 meters tall, where’s the ‘shotacon’? I still think the fake shotacon from the Top Student is cuter,” Wolf Dog said in his usual boisterous manner, grabbing a piece of meteor fruit. However, Milk Tea punched him so hard that he nearly coughed up his lungs.
Using a toothpick, the Prophet offered a piece of the ‘little rabbit’ to the middle schooler’s lips and smiled, saying, “Give it a taste, the flavor is a bit like watermelon and a bit like apple.”
The middle schooler hesitated as he looked at the Prophet, then glanced at the makeup mirror in his hand, generously provided by Milk Tea. His eyes, now black-red in color, his sharp teeth, his completely transformed face, a blurry mess of flesh – yet he only felt a faint sensation of pain, as if he had only received a small scratch.
This was a stage that every mutant would go through, doubting the authenticity of everything, completely overturning and reshaping their perspectives.
After a while, the middle schooler slowly reached out and took the meteor fruit, but he didn’t immediately put it into his mouth. Instead, he stared at it in a daze, lost in thought.
No one rushed him. The Executioner lowered his head to play a game, not even muting the sound. The crisp sound of gunshots echoed in the living room as the Wolf Dog couldn’t resist running over to join him in multiplayer. The Manager finally managed to organize a card game, with himself, Shen Shanwu, the CEO, and Milk Tea. Tibetan walked over with interest and sat nearby to watch. Hugo gradually calmed down as well, sitting alone in the farthest corner, engrossed in reading a hardcover book.
The Prophet sat beside the middle schooler, not speaking anymore. Instead, he leaned back on the couch, closed his eyes, and silently accompanied the middle schooler, providing him with a sense of safety and space for contemplation.
During this time, the middle schooler remained seated until the sun began to set. The meteor fruits in his hand and on the coffee table had all turned slightly yellow due to oxidation, and he hadn’t taken a single bite. Milk Tea poured the food into the trash and prepared a fresh plate for him. As the food was discarded, the middle schooler’s unfocused gaze seemed to shift slightly, but no sound came out.
After two o’clock, the Prophet found it increasingly difficult to sit still. His body became stiff, and he noticed that the middle schooler’s grip on his sleeve had loosened. He stood up to stretch and moved around a bit, taking over for Milk Tea in the card game.
The card table was completely one-sided, with Shen Shanwu winning against everyone mercilessly. If they had been playing with money, he might have ended up owing a couple of his companies to the President.
The Executioner, in the midst of the game, started floating in the air. The frustrated Wolf Dog, who felt he was losing because of his gaming posture, cursed him. Sitting cross-legged in mid-air while playing games seemed to give a better advantage.
After cutting the fruits, Milk Tea didn’t bother taking the long way around. She simply phased through the wall and placed the plate in front of the middle schooler.
After spending the whole day outside, Shen Shanwu satisfied his card-playing urge. As the sky grew darker, he stood up and said, “I have to go back now. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Leaving already? Prioritizing romance over friendship, huh?” Wolf Dog joked, throwing a tissue that he had wiped his hands with at Shen Shanwu. “You can’t leave until our little friend here speaks.”
“But Jiang Huan is injured…”
“What’s a minor injury like that? A little saliva will fix it,” Wolf Dog retorted.
“Get lost! Take me back quickly.”
But just then, the Prophet’s eyes lit up, and he called out, “Top Student, wait a moment, I have an idea.”
Unlike Wolf Dog, when the Prophet asked Shen Shanwu to wait, Shen Shanwu would undoubtedly wait. Everyone turned their attention to him, and the Prophet quickly went over to Shen Shanwu and whispered something to him before both of them entered a room together.
Milk Tea took on the role of the Prophet, sitting beside the middle school student to comfort him, but the middle school student still didn’t show much reaction.
Soon, the Prophet opened the door again and emerged from the room, but following him wasn’t the adult Shen Shanwu from earlier, but a teenage version of Shen Shanwu, appearing to be around thirteen or fourteen years old.
Shen Shanwu even went so far as to use human eyes, dressed in sportswear and basketball shoes that boys of that age often favor. Even Tibetan was seeing Top Student using his ability for the first time and exclaimed in surprise in Tibetan, leaving everyone else baffled since no one understood what he said.
“Hello,” Shen Shanwu walked over to the middle school student’s side and extended his hand, “I’m Shen Shanwu, and you?”
The smooth, pale fingernails made the middle school student pause for a moment. He parted his lips and looked up to see a face that belonged to a human. Shen Shanwu smiled at him, but the middle school student suddenly stood up, looking around with a mix of caution and fear.
Shen Shanwu quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry, I’m also a mutant, and I’ve explained before that we mutants don’t eat people. I transformed like this just to make you feel more at ease.”
No matter what, a reaction was a good sign. Shen Shanwu persisted, “Can you tell me your name?”
The middle school student wasn’t unable to sense the goodwill from the group, but he was simply overwhelmed at the moment. The information about mutants was too much for him to process. After being trapped in a confined and dark space for several months, his mental state was on the brink of collapse, and he needed time to adjust.
Facing this boy of similar age and in a human form, a form he was most familiar with, the middle school student finally eased his tense nerves. His eyes welled up with tears, and in a hoarse voice, he said, “My name is Tao Yi… Yi, like the Yi in Houyi.”
Shen Shanwu exchanged a glance with the Wolf Dog and asked, “Who is Tao Han to you?”
Upon hearing that name, Tao Yi immediately exclaimed with excitement, “He’s my younger uncle! Is he still alive?! Where is he?”
Silence followed.
*
During dinner time, Shen Shanwu finally emerged from his room in Jiang Tong’s appearance. Jiang Huan had announced to others that he had been frightened and needed to rest alone in his room, asking not to be disturbed.
At this moment, Jiang Huan sat in his office, reading official documents while nursing his injuries. Outside the door, Gong Wei paced back and forth with a distressed expression, carrying large and small bags, while Lu Jingzhi tried to persuade her to relax and leave.
“Lao Furen (Madam Jiang) was nearly frantic when she heard about the assassination attempt on the Major General. She repeatedly urged and instructed that these items must be delivered, whether he accepts them or not. It would be even better if the Major General could come home for a visit,” Gong Wei said. “Do you believe that if the Major General doesn’t accept, the next day Lao Furen would personally come to the Shanhai Unit headquarters?”
Lu Jingzhi’s headache intensified. “You’re saying that since Brother Shen has come back to life, death was just a misunderstanding, maybe the relationships within Jiang Huan’s family should improve?”
“I also think so, but it just lacks the right opportunity,” Gong Wei nodded. “I think this might be a very good chance.”
“Sister Wei, Lieutenant Lu,” Shen Shanwu greeted as he approached. “What are you doing here?”
“Jiang Tong!” Gong Wei exclaimed with joy, but then she furrowed her brows in concern. “Jiang Tong, please go in and persuade your dad not to overexert himself with work. And also, please accept Grandma’s gifts. It’s a sincere gesture from an elderly person.”
“Work?” Shen Shanwu looked puzzled at the closed office door. “Has the Captain had his meal?”
Gong Wei nodded, “Yes, he just finished eating.”
Shen Shanwu sighed, “I’ll go talk to him then.” He then knocked on the office door and entered to have a conversation with Jiang Huan.
“Still not eaten,” Gong Wei quickly reported.
“It’s already 6:45, why hasn’t he eaten?” Shen Shanwu asked.
“I’ve tried to persuade him multiple times, but he keeps saying he’s not hungry,” Lu Jingzhi chimed in, showing that family dynamics were at play even among the adults.
“Little rascal, you’re really getting bold,” Shen Shanwu muttered, his expression growing serious. He knocked on the door and, without waiting for an invitation, entered the room.
Inside the room, Jiang Huan glanced up with a slightly displeased expression, but all traces of annoyance vanished the moment he saw Shen Shanwu. He put down his pen and stood up, saying, “You’re here.”
Shen Shanwu approached quickly, asking, “How’s the wound?”
Just when Lu Jingzhi and Gong Wei were certain Jiang Huan would dismiss the pain and say it was nothing, they were surprised to see Jiang Huan furrowed his brows slightly. He held one hand near his waist, over the wound, while the other rested on the edge of his desk. He said, “It hurts quite a bit. I’ve been in pain all afternoon…”
The author has something to say:
Huanhuan is feeling weak.
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![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")
