IRCDM Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Lingering Feelings, I’m Not Good

“The primeval forest is full of mutated plants and animals. That flower was actually eating people,” You Zhao Chen said with a worried frown as he sat on the roof of the vehicle, inspecting his equipment. “Now, this transparent species has appeared. Is the world finally coming to an end?”

“Don’t worry, things aren’t that bad. It’s just that the base has never recorded any transparent heteromorphs before. Plus, this one was discovered near Yin City. The military is probably afraid that the Yin City Research Institute incident will repeat itself, so they’re making such a big deal out of it this time.” Jiang Chuxia leaned against the car door, using fuel to wipe the heteromorph blood from her body. “It’s been over a hundred years since the zombie outbreak and the descent of the heteromorphs. Pollution, radiation, gene mutations…humans are still living well. Even alien heteromorphs haven’t killed us. If we work harder, we might even be able to fight our way into the heteromorph’s lair.”

“I would have believed those words before the Dawn Project, but now?” You Zhao Chen twitched his lips. “Let’s forget it. Humanity’s space exploration plans had already achieved results before the zombie outbreak. But when the apocalypse came, it was all for nothing. Before evacuating, the heteromorphs completely sealed off the coordinates around us. There’s no way we can get out. We’re just a bunch of small insects trapped in a radiation-proof isolation shield.”

Jiang Chuxia looked up at him, “You Team Leader, when did you switch to the stay-behind faction?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” You Zhao Chen said sternly, “I’m a very principled person, always a neutral party.”

Jiang Chuxia raised her eyebrows.

“None of that is important. What is important is where the hell our dear Team Leader Li Yao has gone?” You Zhao Chen gritted his teeth, “Leaving the team without permission for a day and a night, does he think he can do whatever he wants just because he’s capable? He simply doesn’t take me seriously.”

“You Team Leader, keep a level head. He thinks everyone is trash.” Jiang Chuxia grabbed the instrument on the ground and threw it into the car. “Like Li Yao said, we’re probably just here to make up the numbers for the military. We can’t compare to them, our equipment is a world apart. Just get some crystal nuclei or something to exchange for bonuses. The probability of encountering a transparent species is lower than a meteor falling from the sky—”

Before she could finish speaking, Li Yao’s voice suddenly sounded on the public channel in her headset: “Attention everyone! The transparent species is heavily injured and running in your direction. Jiang Chuxia, hurry up and arrange for people to intercept it. Kill it at all costs. I’ll be there soon!”

You Zhao Chen was shocked, “He actually managed to lure it over? How did he do it?”

Jiang Chuxia kicked open the trunk door and shouldered the heavy mortar inside: “Attention everyone, Group One, set up a mental wave interference net. Group Two, take heavy weapons to high ground for ambush. Group Three, intercept the transparent species with me. If we can really get our hands on a transparent species, we can rest for the rest of the year!”

A group of mercenaries immediately cheered and hurriedly began preparing to intercept the heteromorph.

On the other side, Li Yao handed the car over to Liang Huan, carried his heavy weapons to the roof of the vehicle, and shouted into the headset: “Attention, the transparent species is three kilometers away from you. Estimated arrival in one minute and thirty seconds. Have Group One use their mental power to slow it down. Group Two, flank from the left. Leave a few people in front. If the transparent species gets away by chance, circle around and blow it up.”

“Roger.” Jiang Chuxia led her team and lay in ambush behind the interference net, everyone’s face was excited. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to face a special-grade heteromorph, even if it is heavily injured.

All around was silent. A gust of wind suddenly blew through the treetops. The semi-transparent mental interference net began to ripple like water. Jiang Chuxia lowered her voice: “Attention, it’s coming.”

The mental power team members of Group One quickly locked onto the heteromorph’s location: “Sister Jiang, coordinates thirty-one, sixty-two, moving southeast. We have slowed its speed by thirty percent. Estimated time to reach target location, fifty-six seconds.”

Jiang Chuxia held her breath, put down the mortar in her hand, and accurately hit the target point. A heteromorph’s roar instantly sounded in the empty space. The transparent heteromorph revealed its form. Jiang Chuxia led her team to swarm forward. The heteromorph’s mental fluctuations were suppressed, slowing its escape speed. It brutally shook off the humans who were constantly attacking it and ran to the right, but was covered by a capture net fired by the mercenaries ambushing above. Its huge body began to devour everything around it non-stop. After a sharp scream, all the humans present fell to the ground.

The transparent species tore apart the capture net and hated these overestimating humans to the bone. It opened its hideous mouth and bit down on Jiang Chuxia on the ground. Just as it was about to swallow her, a pain suddenly struck from behind.

“It really is a transparent species!” Lu Biao shouted excitedly, “Boss!”

“Everyone, disperse, don’t use mental power to resist head-on, take shielding agents!” Yue Hang quickly commanded his subordinates to move and began preparing to hunt the transparent species in front of him.

However, in just an instant, the transparent species pounced in front of Yue Hang. Yue Hang attacked while quickly retreating, also dragging away Mu Bo and Deng Meng, who were lagging behind. The terrifying mental attack made it impossible for them to distinguish directions.

“Retreat—” Yue Hang made the decision almost immediately.

He had fought special-grade heteromorphs before, but never so embarrassingly. Only now did he realize that they had far underestimated this transparent species. This thing’s mental attack far exceeded the special-grade level. His S-Grade mental power was completely powerless.

Unfortunately, his decision came too late. The transparent species swept over the corpses on the ground, its body constantly splitting. It was about to swallow Yue Hang and the others into its belly. At this moment, a dilapidated off-road vehicle fell from the sky. The semi-transparent capture net suddenly expanded in mid-air. Li Yao, carrying a gun, leaped from the roof of the vehicle and jumped onto the heteromorph’s back, deeply inserting the interference device into the transparent species’ spine. He raised his head and roared: “Liang Huan!”

The off-road vehicle landed heavily. Liang Huan stepped on the accelerator to the floor. The car pulled the capture net and sped forward, forcibly dragging the huge transparent species forward hundreds of meters. Liang Huan drifted and turned, pulling the front end of the capture net and wrapping it around an ancient tree several meters thick. The tires rubbed violently against the ground, igniting sparks.

The people on the ground who had been knocked unconscious by the mental attack began to wake up. Li Yao, carrying his gun, woke up several people along the way with kicks: “Hurry up, get up and work!”

Jiang Chuxia led the awakened mercenaries to pick up their weapons and follow. Yue Hang was not to be outdone and led Lu Biao and the others forward. The rioting heteromorph prepared to launch another mental attack. Yue Hang led his team to suppress it in time. Jiang Chuxia and the mercenaries, carrying their special guns and knives, quickly destroyed the heteromorph’s spinal cord, completely immobilizing it. Li Yao stepped on the heteromorph’s head, shot and destroyed its brain core, and reached in to dig out the air sac inside.

The capture net was deeply buried in the ground. Both the mercenaries and the Shenfeng team members were exhausted. Only when they saw Li Yao dig out the burst brain core did they breathe a sigh of relief and collapse to the ground.

Li Yao shook the sticky blood and flesh off his hands and frowned as he looked at Jiang Chuxia and You Zhao Chen: “You bunch of useless people, you can’t even set up an ambush properly, and you even dragged irrelevant people in. What good are you?”

Jiang Chuxia couldn’t help but roll her eyes: “Big Brother, this is a special-grade heteromorph. We managed to hold it for a few tens of seconds, it’s good enough that we didn’t die. Can you have a little conscience?”

You Zhao Chen tentatively opened his mouth: “Actually, everyone—”

“Shut up.” Li Yao stared at him fiercely, “Did I ask you?”

You Zhao Chen was so angry that smoke was coming from the top of his head.

“Stop lying around, hurry up and clean up the spoils!” Li Yao roared.

The mercenaries lying on the ground began to divide up the heteromorph. On the other side, the Shenfeng team members were not to be outdone, got up and began to snatch, naturally sparking a conflict. In a short while, the two sides had a dispute and raised their guns at each other.

The grayish-white body of the dead heteromorph began to gradually darken. Only the friction of firearms and the sound of human breathing remained around.

As everyone knows, there is never a first-come, first-served rule when hunting heteromorphs for spoils in the outer districts. If you really want to snatch them, then whoever is stronger and survives to the end wins. Sometimes, two teams encounter each other after hunting a heteromorph and end up dying together, often benefiting those who come later and pick up the scraps.

“Team Leader Yue Hang, isn’t this a bit unkind?” Jiang Chuxia lit a cigarette and bit it in her mouth, and smiled, “Our boss killed the transparent species. You killed it halfway, it’s already benevolent of our mercenary base to give you a small portion.”

Yue Hang said: “Team Leader Jiang, we also lost many people in the capture of the transparent species. Besides, everyone is a hunter. If it weren’t for our mental suppression, how would Team Leader Li have had the opportunity to kill it?”

The atmosphere became tense. You Zhao Chen’s head was about to explode. He looked at Li Yao, signaling him to speak.

Li Yao was wiping the blood on the air sac. Hearing this, he lazily raised his head and looked at Yue Hang: “You’re right, whoever is stronger gets it. Brothers, kill them and all the heteromorphs will be ours.”

The guns that both sides had lowered were instantly raised again.

“Wait wait wait! That’s not what he meant!” You Zhao Chen raised his hand and leaned close to Li Yao’s side, gnashing his teeth, “Boss and Yu Wan Yao signed a friendship agreement, what’s wrong with giving them a little? What good will it do you to have the mercenary base clash with the Black Market?”

Li Yao folded his arms and raised his eyelids: “No good, I just like watching the excitement.”

“Consider it my request, okay.” You Zhao Chen’s teeth were about to be crushed.

“No agreement works in the outer districts.” Li Yao coldly raised his eyes, “Do you think that if we give them the benefits, they will let us go? Don’t be naive, this is not the military.”

On the other side, Yue Hang and Lu Biao exchanged glances and touched their weapons.

They had not planned to bargain with the other side from the beginning. If they wanted to get the transparent species, they had to get rid of Li Yao and the mercenaries first.

The conflict was about to break out. In the second before both sides’ nerves were stretched to the extreme and they were about to make a move, the door of the off-road vehicle parked next to them was suddenly opened. A combat boot covered in blood and mud stepped on the ground, making a slight noise.

Li Yao and Yue Hang turned their heads at the same time.

Yue Hang was stunned: “Liang Huan?”

Lu Biao, Chen Jia and the others behind him were pleasantly surprised: “Brother Liang!”

“Great, Brother Liang! You’re okay!” Deng Meng took a step forward, but stopped again, looking at Li Yao warily.

Xu Yunyan ignored everything and ran directly to Liang Huan’s side: “Brother Liang, are you not injured?”

Liang Huan raised his hand to signal, then, met everyone’s gaze and walked to Yue Hang and Li Yao’s side, smilingly said: “What’s going on? Everyone worked together to finally successfully hunt the transparent species, we are all on the same side, there is no need to make it like this.”

One sentence made Li Yao and Yue Hang frown.

Li Yao looked at him unhappily. Yue Hang said: “Liang Huan, how can you be with these mercenaries? Are you not injured?”

“Why can’t he be with mercenaries?” Li Yao put his arm around Liang Huan’s shoulder, staring at Yue Hang with a smile that was not a smile, arrogantly declaring his sovereignty.

“You—” Yue Hang’s face darkened.

“Hey, don’t get excited.” Liang Huan raised his hand and blocked Yue Hang’s chest.

Li Yao’s face turned black. Liang Huan took the opportunity to put one hand on each of their shoulders. It was common for ministers to not get along with each other. He was more than capable of handling it and smiled: “Team Leader Li, I am a member of the Shenfeng team. This transparent species was lured over by us together. Team Leader Yue, Li Yao and I have always been very good partners. The hunting operation was also finalized by us together. This time, Shenfeng and the mercenary base have contributed greatly to the hunting heteromorph operation. The first cooperation was so effective, you should be happy.”

“Besides, everyone is in harmony, and everyone gets something. If you start fighting, you will inevitably increase casualties. If you make such a big noise, other teams will probably rush over soon. At that time, the snipe and the clam will fight, and the fisherman will benefit. Everyone will lose more than they gain, don’t you think?” Liang Huan turned to look at Yue Hang, “Team Leader, what do you say?”

Yue Hang looked at him, nodded imperceptibly, and looked at Li Yao: “Team Leader Li, Liang Huan is my brother who has been through life and death with me. Since he is vouching for you, I am willing to trust you this time.”

Liang Huan looked at Li Yao. Li Yao frowned and shrugged, “Team Leader Li?”

Liang Huan smiled slightly, looked at him as if nothing had happened, and squeezed his shoulder with the hand on his shoulder, not too lightly or too heavily.

Li Yao chuckled: “Okay, since you all said so, then I’ll give you this face.”

Yue Hang raised his hand. Li Yao grabbed it. The two people were secretly competing, and neither was willing to show weakness first. Liang Huan put one hand on it and lightly separated the two: “Okay, then hurry up and clean up the battlefield.”

Li Yao hooked his neck and was about to take him into the car. Deng Meng and Xu Yunyan’s faces changed. The Yue Hang next to him grabbed Liang Huan’s arm: “Liang Huan, let’s go.”

Li Yao turned his head and stared at Yue Hang: “What’s your problem?”

Yue Hang said seriously: “Liang Huan is a member of our Shenfeng exploration team. You have no right to take him away.”

Li Yao was amused by him: “Looking for death.”

Before he could finish speaking, his gun was pointed at Yue Hang’s head. Before the surrounding people could react, a hand grabbed Li Yao’s hand. Liang Huan used a little force and pressed Li Yao’s muzzle down. He turned to Yue Hang and said, “Team Leader, you arrange for everyone to distribute the spoils first. I’ll talk to Li Yao for a few words and come back immediately.”

“Be careful.” Yue Hang let go.

The heavy car door was violently closed, making a muffled sound.

Li Yao sat opposite Liang Huan, staring at him with a gloomy expression: “There is no discussion on this matter. Come back to the mercenary base with me.”

Liang Huan picked up the cup and took a sip of water: “Li Yao, I agreed to cooperate with you, but I also have my own things to do.”

“What can you have to do?” Li Yao was a little annoyed, “Our mental power connection rate has finally reached the minimum standard for operating the mecha. If you don’t continue training with me, what are you doing mixing in the Black Market? Do you think that Yue Hang is some good thing? He just looks a little better and makes you lose your mind.”

He was so domineering and had a bad attitude. Liang Huan patiently said: “I know you are worried, but I have already guaranteed Yu Wan Yao. If I go back with you again, he will not trust me anymore. Maybe he will send other people to your side. It is better for us to maintain the current relationship. In the future, I can still visit you under the guise of exploring news.”

Li Yao folded his arms and raised his eyelids: “Do you know where the black box is? You want to dump me after you use me?”

Liang Huan’s face did not change: “I absolutely did not mean that.”

“You were flirting with that Yue Hang. Do you think I didn’t see it?” Li Yao sneered.

Although Liang Huan was good at balancing the relationship between his subordinates, he did not expect that one day he would have a “husband and wife” relationship with one of his subordinates. He was slightly lacking in experience in this regard, especially since Li Yao’s words were so blatant and straightforward that he actually had an illusion – even though he knew that Li Yao did not mean that.

“He is my teammate.” Liang Huan said, “Like you, they are all my friends.”

Li Yao narrowed his eyes unhappily: “Oh, friends.”

Liang Huan said: “But I value you more in my heart.”

The key to controlling subordinates lies in balance. Liang Huan is good at it, so he is naturally not stingy to give Li Yao a sense of crisis appropriately, such as telling the other party in a hidden way that you are not irreplaceable, and then explain your feelings to win him over, and the other party will naturally be grateful.

“Stop it.” Li Yao stepped on the seat next to him, grabbed his collar and forced him to lean over, Hunbuleng said, “I can’t be friends with you. We are either enemies or partners, only have an interest relationship, understand?”

Liang Huan held his wrist: “Understood.”

“Let go.” Li Yao frowned, “Don’t pull me.”

Liang Huan smiled: “I went to the Black Market to get the medicinal materials for you to treat your mental power. But since you want me to go back with you so much, then I will go home once a week to train your mental power with you, okay?”

“Then how do you explain it to Yu Wan Yao?” Li Yao raised his eyebrows.

“Just say you still have lingering feelings for me, and we are still connected.” Liang Huan reached out and took off his coat.

Li Yao was inexplicable: “What are you doing?”

“Do a full set of acting.” Liang Huan unbuttoned the neckline of the protective suit in a leisurely manner, thoughtfully said: “Or you can scream twice?”

Li Yao looked at him in shock: “I scream? Why don’t you scream?”

“Too indecent.” Liang Huan took a sip of the tea he made with restraint, “Li Yao, a great man does not stick to trivial matters, it does not matter to scream twice, so that Yue Hang and others will believe our relationship more.”

“I scream your uncle.” Li Yao looked at him with anger all over his body, clenched his fist, “Come on, let’s fight, whoever screams is the grandson.”

“You should take a good rest.” Liang Huan held his fist. Li Yao was about to do it. He used his strength to turn that wrist and press it on the backrest. Li Yao broke free and kicked over. He tilted his head to avoid it, grabbed Li Yao’s wrist and flipped him over and pressed him on the seat. Li Yao refused to show weakness and punched his heart with an elbow. Liang Huan turned his body in pain, but did not let go. The car body was constantly shaking because of their movements.

Jiang Chuxia outside was smiling meaningfully, You Zhao Chen could not bear to look at it, Yue Hang frowned, Xu Yunyan clenched his fists, and turned around and left.

Inside the car, Liang Huan pressed the person into the seat, and finally put his pulse on.

It was weaker than before. According to his experience, Li Yao had reached the end of his strength.

“Forcibly improving your mental power is too damaging to your body. There are more disadvantages than advantages.” Liang Huan glanced at the sweat on his nose. Seeing that he was frowning unhappily, he still let go, “It is best not to use those pills and sprays anymore.”

Li YaoSwing the painful arm：“Then it turned into a waste，Let these people hope to come true。”

Liang Huan grabbed his arm and rubbed away the blood clot. The sudden stinging pain made Li Yao groan, he wanted to pull it out, but Liang Huan imprisoned him in place, listening to him say: “It will be fine if you rub it open, you were badly injured this time, if you don’t want to use the treatment instrument, I will find you in two days to give you acupuncture.”

Li Yao said strangely: “Isn’t it already lost?”

“I will.” Liang Huan followed the meridians on his arm and stroked it down, “Is it better?”

Li Yao stared at him meaningfully: “You better do what you say, or you won’t get a drop of special brain marrow.”

“Okay.” Liang Huan stretched out a hand to him, “Happy cooperation?”

Li Yao slapped his hand away: “Cooperate with your Yue Hang captain.”

Liang Huan smiled and followed him out of the car.

The faces of the people outside the car were different. Li Yao was sitting in the passenger seat, with his legs crossed and his head propped up, staring at the pink crystal nucleus in his hand, watching the sunlight being refracted into colorful rays, and suddenly frowned andTsk.

You Zhao Chen sighed: “You have been looking at it all the way, isn’t it just a crystal nucleus of a special zombie? We have obtained the brain nucleus of a special heteromorph, or you can give it to me.”

“Okay, use your brain to exchange it.” Li Yao lazily said.

You Zhao Chen: “…”

“What do you think of Liang Huan?” Li Yao asked.

You Zhao Chen glanced at the rearview mirror and saw that they were all asleep. He put down the soundproof baffle before opening his mouth: “Didn’t Mu Feng check his information?”

“Jiang Mufeng found that he has high mental psychosis and his physical fitness is only E-, but he can break the heteromorph’s tentacles with his bare hands. I can’t even fight him back and forth without using my full strength.” Li Yao played with the crystal nucleus in his hand, “He said he is Yu Wan Yao’s person.”

You Zhao Chen said after a while: “What do you think?”

Li Yao said: “He is the only one so far who can let me enter Kunlun. I want to keep him.”

“What if he is a member of the military?” You Zhao Chen clenched the steering wheel.

The tip of the crystal nucleus was against the soft skin of the fingertip, and there was a fine tingling pain. Li Yao used a little force, and a little blood was seen on the fingertip. The bright red liquid slowlyOpen, dyeing the translucent pink crystal nucleus with a layer of haze.

“If you ask me, it is better to just abolish him. High mental psychosis is most suitable as a puppet of the mecha. As long as he is alive and lying in the combat cabin, you are equivalent to having an extra mental power source.” You Zhao Chen’s eyes flashed a hint of ruthlessness, “Anyway, he is just a spy, he deserves it.”

Li Yao supported his head and looked at the road extending to the sky in front of him as if there was no end. He wiped the crystal nucleus on his clothes and put it in his pocket.

“Let’s talk about it later.”