IRCDM Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Silence. How are you feeling?

The gates of the East District base were already in sight.

Bang!

The medical vehicle, speeding through the blizzard, was struck by a shell. The entire vehicle flipped over, sparks flying as the chassis scraped against the highway, before crashing heavily into the barbed wire fence intended to stop zombies.

In the lead vehicle, Huo Jie’s pupils constricted. He slammed on the brakes of the armored vehicle, and rushed towards the medical car with his men. However, before they could get close, the medical vehicle exploded in a raging inferno, instantly charring the approaching zombies.

“Save them! Director Lin and Dawn Star are inside!!” Huo Jie roared, his voice cracking. “First and Second teams, rescue! Third team, perimeter!!”

The shielding device was deactivated, revealing a neat line of heavy armored vehicles and police cars in front of the East Gate of the East District base. Standing at the very front were Wu Qi, the Director of the Guard Department, and Qin Chao, the First Secretary of Yi Yuan.

The Silver Saddle team’s armored vehicles directly blocked the burning medical car.

“Qin Chao, do you know who’s in that medical vehicle?!” Huo Jie’s eyes reflected the flames.

Qin Chao scoffed, adjusting his collar. “The Silver Saddle team of the Mecha I Division privately transported the military’s special-grade medical equipment out of the base, severely violating military regulations. We are simply intercepting them according to the rules.”

Huo Jie gritted his teeth. “The special dispensation for the medical equipment was personally approved by Marshal Xun, and the procedures were completed half an hour ago!”

“Then I wouldn’t know.” Qin Chao lowered his head, slowly brushing imaginary dust off his uniform. “Marshal Yi personally ordered that Lin Chen is suspected of treason, and your Silver Saddle team is not exempt. Lieutenant Huo, take your men and come with us for questioning.”

“Dawn Star is seriously injured and needs to be rushed back to the base for treatment immediately. He almost sacrificed his life for humanity and the military, and this is how you repay him?” Huo Jie demanded, furious.

“What seriously injured Dawn Star? Dawn Star is still doing perfectly well in the Military Headquarters Building.” Qin Chao laughed. “It’s these ignorant Lin Chen’s subordinates who recklessly used special-grade medical equipment, failed to assassinate Marshal Xun and escape, and are now attempting to rebel against the military!”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Huo Jie aimed his gun at him.

The police and soldiers behind Qin Chao all raised their guns. The heavy armor vehicles once again pointed at the medical vehicle.

Qin Chao helplessly shook his head and sighed. “Lieutenant Huo, you were able to point a gun at me before because Marshal Yi didn’t want to make a move in front of Dawn Star. Now you still dare to point a gun at me, aren’t you tired of living? Come on, arrest these rebels!”

“There are high-lethality weapons hidden in the medical car, destroy it on the spot.” He looked at the flustered Huo Jie in front of him, the smile on his face slowly widening.

“Protect Director Lin and Dawn Star!” Huo Jie roared, leading the charge with his gun towards Qin Chao, braving the barrage.

Qin Chao’s expression changed slightly. Wu Qi next to him suddenly said, “Commander Qin, didn’t you say that the entire Silver Saddle team was dispatched? Why does it look like the numbers are off?”

Before their eyes, Huo Jie and the Silver Saddle team charged up excitedly with their diverse weapons, carrying guns, cannons, and capture nets. No one cared about the medical vehicle that was about to be burnt to ashes.

Behind them, a member of the Silver Saddle team, who had somehow climbed onto the East 1 Gate, set up an anti-aircraft gun and shouted, “Hand over all your weapons and equipment!!!”

Qin Chao’s face changed drastically.

However, the Silver Saddle team was known to be a bunch of lunatics. Nuclear cannons and thermal fusion bombs were fired off like they were free. Qin Chao’s men and the Guard Department were beaten back in retreat. Seeing the situation was bad, Wu Qi immediately made a run for it, leading his men into the emergency channels on both sides. Qin Chao hurriedly activated the emergency call: “Marshal Yi—”

Bang.

A bullet pierced his arm, along with the military chip inside.

The hot muzzle pressed against his head.

Huo Jie said with a smirk, “The reason I didn’t shoot you earlier was because our Director Lin didn’t want to disturb Dawn Star’s rest. Guess who thinks his life is too long now?”

Qin Chao said in disbelief: “Impossible, Lin Chen is clearly in that medical car. His military chip positioning can’t be wrong!”

Huo Jie scoffed: “Our Director Lin stopped using that thing eight hundred years ago.”

Qin Chao shouted angrily: “Are you trying to rebel!”

“What nonsense are you talking about? There’s no such thing as rebellion in humanity’s New Era,” Huo Jie said airily. “Director Lin said that we’re clearing out the corrupt officials around the emperor.”

Qin Chao roared, “Where is Lin Chen now?”

Huo Jie laughed.

West Gate of the East District Base.

Yue Hang handed a cigarette to the guard soldier and said with a smile, “Just came back from a mission, our District Chief is waiting for it, please be accommodating.”

The other party took the cigarette and frowned: “The lockdown order was just issued today, it’s not that we don’t want to let you through, we really can’t bear this responsibility.”

Yue Hang nodded: “Understood, understood, but my brother is sitting in the front car, he’s seriously injured and needs treatment immediately.”

He handed over another box of cigarettes, with a chip stuck underneath.

The soldier exchanged a glance with the person next to him: “Okay, then one vehicle can go through first, and the other supplies will be checked slowly.”

Lu Biao started the off-road vehicle and rushed straight into the West Gate. Wang Le Ren and Deng Meng sitting in the back breathed a sigh of relief.

The light screen next to the treatment pod displayed various values, each red value indicating that the patient inside the pod was in critical condition.

“Wait—” The soldier suddenly raised his hand and shouted to stop them.

Lu Biao stepped on the accelerator. Yue Hang’s voice came from Liang Huan’s external chip: “You go first.”

Liang Huan said: “Clean it up.”

“Understood,” Yue Hang said.

Wang Le Ren wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: “That Director Liang—no, Director Lin—”

“Liang Huan.” Liang Huan grasped Li Yao’s hand, looked up at him, “Speak.”

“Li Yao’s condition would be better in the Military Headquarters, after all, the Military Headquarters has far superior medical conditions than the Third District.” Wang Le Ren said, “Didn’t you say that Chuan Wu is also being held in the Military Headquarters?”

He couldn’t understand why Liang Huan insisted on taking Li Yao back to the East Third District.

“Someone will bring Chuan Wu over.” Perhaps seeing his medical skills, Liang Huan rarely had the patience to explain: “The Military Headquarters is not safe now.”

Wang Le Ren glanced at the values on the light screen, which had barely stabilized, and cautiously reminded: “Director Liang, your mental instability is very serious right now, continuing the mental link will irreversibly damage your mental source.”

Liang Huan lowered his eyes and looked at Li Yao: “It doesn’t matter.”

“Then if even Chuan Wu has no way…” Wang Le Ren didn’t continue.

The car fell into a long silence, with only the rhythmic ticking of the instruments.

Ten minutes later, the off-road vehicle stopped steadily in front of the East Third District Administrative Court Building.

Su Mu Rong led the people out in a flurry of activity. Doctors, nurses, and laboratory researchers had already received notification and, under Wang Le Ren’s command, took Li Yao into the laboratory of the Administrative Court Building.

Inside the laboratory, Chuan Wu was sitting listlessly in a wheelchair, indifferently watching a group of people pushing Li Yao past him.

The white suit on Twin Towers still had stains from the nutrient solution and black marks from the wheelchair. He stood behind the wheelchair, cracking his knuckles, staring at Chuan Wu’s head, eager to try.

Stealing someone back from the Military Headquarters laboratory was easy for a Heteromorph, but watching a person who couldn’t sleep, couldn’t be killed, and couldn’t even laugh wildly was a challenge to the “Weeping Angel’s” personality.

God knows how many times he had endured along the way.

The various ridiculously low data on the light screen were thrown in front of Chuan Wu.

Chuan Wu lifted his eyelids and looked at Liang Huan standing behind the light screen: “He’s dying, you want me to save him?”

“Seven years ago, you were the one who formulated the surgical plan for him. You saved his life, but his body also gained the genes of a Heteromorph.” Liang Huan’s voice was hoarse, and the look he gave to Chuan Wu was extremely calm: “You could have chosen other methods.”

Chuan Wu laughed in the wheelchair: “At that time, his rejection reaction was abnormally strong, he was practically half-dead. Of course, I could choose other methods, but he lied to me, do you understand?”

“He tricked me into thinking that I had a black box in my body! He treated me like a monkey!” Chuan Wu clenched the armrest tightly, his smile extremely distorted: “I only helped him because of his mother, but he took advantage of my feelings, making me completely seized by Yi Yuan! Forced me to continue working for the Dawn Laboratory!”

“Your conditions.” Liang Huan said, “As long as you can save him.”

Chuan Wu laughed hoarsely. He was already so thin that he looked like a skeleton covered in human skin. He looked at Liang Huan in confusion: “Anything goes?”

Liang Huan lowered his eyes and looked at him: “Anything goes.”

Chuan Wu stared at him, his breathing suddenly becoming rapid: “Okay, then I want you to continue doing the mental disorder experiment, you go back to the experimental pod, continue to inject the contamination source of high mental power functional disorder, you come out whenever my functional disorder is better, ah? What about it, Director Lin Chen?”

His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Liang Huan, a fiery light bursting out of his eyes.

Twin Towers unhappily twisted his neck behind him.

“Okay.” Liang Huan looked at him calmly: “Go save people now.”

“No, no, you’re too cunning.” Chuan Wu’s body trembled uncontrollably: “What if you’re just pretending to agree with me? You want to go back on your word afterward? Dream on!”

He leaned forward with all his might: “Haha, now you’re begging me to save people, did you ever think of today when you dug out my eye?! Now you dig out your own eyes in front of me, return my eyes! Then I’ll consider whether or not to save Li Yao!”

Liang Huan looked down at him, and fell silent.

The smile on Chuan Wu’s face became more and more distorted: “That’s all there is to it, Li Yao’s life is related to the future of all mankind, and the sincerity of your Military Headquarters is only so much!”

A researcher rushed out of the laboratory: “Commander, Dawn Star’s heart has stopped, we’re trying to save him!”

Chuan Wu turned his head to look at the wide-open laboratory door, then looked up at Liang Huan, his only remaining eye bursting with eager anticipation: “Why aren’t you hurrying—ah ah ah!”

Liang Huan grabbed his neck, dug out his only remaining eye, and hot blood splashed on his chin. He reached out and put the warm eyeball into the plate handed over by the researcher, saying expressionlessly: “Go analyze it.”

Twin Towers was stunned for a moment.

Chuan Wu was wailing hoarsely. Liang Huan glanced at Twin Towers, and Twin Towers immediately understood, reaching out to cover Chuan Wu’s mouth tightly, unable to make any sound.

The researcher next to him took off his mask, revealing Zhou Suiyu’s face: “Okay, Director Yang has stabilized Brother Li’s mental power, he asks you to go over later.”

Liang Huan took out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the scarlet blood from his fingers, looked at Chuan Wu, who was constantly trembling and wailing in the wheelchair, and smiled slightly: “You underestimated my understanding of you, all the data of all the experiments you have done will habitually be saved in your eyes, the pupil chip technology you invented is also very easy to use, live well in the nutrient solution, Chuan Wu.”

Chuan Wu struggled desperately, but was held tightly by the Heteromorph he created, unable to make any sound.

The data in Chuan Wu’s eyeballs was quickly analyzed, including the brain surgery that was specifically performed on Li Yao seven years ago.

A senior researcher wearing glasses looked at the data in front of him, his eyebrows furrowed deeply: “Mr. Liang, although I have not worked in the Dawn Laboratory for a long time, and the time I have been Chuan Wu’s assistant is also very short, I can ensure that this data is real.”

Liang Huan still had bloodstains on his chin, his voice sounded a bit numb, and repeated what he said before again: “No matter what method is used, as long as he can be saved, anything is fine.”

Yang Li Duan was a little hesitant.

He had been ostracized in the Dawn Laboratory, and was temporarily recommended by his assistant Zhou Suiyu to come and save people this time. Although he was very confident in his scientific research level, he couldn’t figure out the temperament of this Deputy Director Liang and dared not speak rashly.

“Lying inside is humanity’s Dawn Star,” Liang Huan paused, “and also my lover.”

Yang Li Duan was slightly relieved, and his expression was serious: “According to the analyzed data, you are also an experimental subject of Chuan Wu’s laboratory, and your gene modification sample source and gene enhancement sample source are both from Li Yao. Now Li Yao’s gene sequence and signal tower… If you don’t understand, I can give you an example…”

In the closed room, the young senior researcher was explaining Li Yao’s current situation to him in detail, as well as the efforts they could do with all their strength.

On the operating table in the laboratory, Li Yao’s eyes were tightly closed, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.

Dozens of researchers and doctors were jointly discussing the rescue plan, everyone looked nervous, and complex and cumbersome data were listed on layers of light screens, they were trying to find a glimmer of life for the person on the operating table from it.

In the East Third District Administrative Court Building, the lights were on all night.

“…Even so, we cannot guarantee the survival rate.”

“What is the survival rate of Plan Two?”

“Thirty percent.”

Liang Huan stood up and made a decision calmly: “Prepare for surgery.”

—

Three days later.

The person sleeping in the hospital bed slowly opened his eyes.

What came into view was a somewhat familiar ceiling, and someone was humming a cheerful little tune next to him. Li Yao took two breaths, frowned and stared at the piece of ceiling that he had pried open before, turned his head to look at the guy humming next to him.

Jinbao was carefully and seriously wiping the bedside table. The program prohibited it from touching the instruments on it. It was a little unhappy that it couldn’t wipe it. Seeing that Li Yao woke up and looked at it, he tilted his head: “Master Li Yao, I want to wipe this instrument on top, can I?”

Li Yao closed his eyes wearily: “Honey, please, I finally had a dream, call your master over.”

Jinbao held the small rag and said seriously: “Master is busy, he won’t even let me into the office.”

Li Yao’s head ached: “Fuck.”

Jinbao lay on the bedside and reached out to carefully touch the pillow next to him: “Master Li Yao, Jinbao is very happy that you woke up.”

Li Yao wanted to reach out and touch its head, but his arm was wrapped in a large circle of inexplicable instruments, and he couldn’t move it. He was slightly shocked: “No, I’m so seriously injured, and you just let a little robot watch me?”

Jinbao said happily: “No, I just come over to clean occasionally, I didn’t watch you.”

Li Yao: “…”

Jinbao wiped the instrument as he wished, and waved at him with the small rag: “Goodbye.”

Then he twisted his little butt and left.

“Ah.” Li Yao looked up at the ceiling and muttered: “It’s really heartbreaking.”

He lay there dryly for a long time, but no one came to visit him, so he had to entertain himself, studying the various instruments on his body for a long time, but he didn’t understand them. Just as he struggled to sit up, the door was suddenly opened.

He snorted and smiled: “Yo, finally know to come and see me?”

The other party was strangely silent for a moment.

Li Yao slowly turned his head and met the gaze of a researcher wearing glasses: “… Who are you? Where’s Liang Huan?”

Fuck, did the Heteromorphs even occupy the Third District Administrative Court?

“My name is Yang Li Duan, and I was a senior researcher at the former Dawn Laboratory and Chuan Wu’s assistant.” Yang Li Duan pushed his glasses, “Uncle Yang, the gatekeeper of the mercenary dormitory building, is my father.”

Li Yao suddenly realized: “So it’s Little Yang, I even held you when you were a kid.”

“… No.” Yang Li Duan twitched the corner of his mouth, “Mr. Li, how are you feeling now?”

Li Yao lay on his back on the bed, with a solemn expression: “Very bad, where’s Liang Huan?”

Yang Li Duan nodded: “Just finished the surgery, pain and dizziness are normal, ordinary people may be in a coma for several months, it’s simply a miracle that you can wake up now.”

In fact, it was a miracle that Li Yao was still alive, they had already prepared for Li Yao’s long sleep, and even formulated several plans for it.

But humanity’s Dawn Star was very competitive.

Li Yao stared at him gloomily: “Researcher Little Yang, please answer my question directly.”

Yang Li Duan said calmly: “It’s like this, Deputy District Chief Liang has been very busy with work recently, and can’t spare time to see you for the time being.”

Li Yao said in disbelief: “I almost died, in the movies, when someone is seriously injured like me, their wives are always taking care of them by their side, hugging each other and crying before giving a kiss when they wake up—”

Yang Li Duan stood awkwardly not far or near in the living room: “Maybe your situation is better.”

Li Yao sighed: “The East Third District Administrative Court is really broke, they didn’t even prepare a decent ward for me, let me stay in the dormitory, they’ll die of poverty.”

“The Military Headquarters just approved a loan of ten billion, the Third District Administrative Court is not that poor.” Someone pushed the door open and walked in.

Yang Li Duan looked at Liang Huan in surprise.

Liang Huan raised his hand, signaling him to avoid him. Yang Li Duan had to leave first.

Li Yao lay on the bed, staring at the person who came in: “Finally got time?”

Liang Huan dragged a chair over and sat by the bed, shaking the stack of chips in his hand: “Not yet, I was just in an emergency meeting, your small mecha climbed out of the seabed an hour ago, claiming that it would never die with me, and almost blew up the Military Headquarters.”

Li Yao couldn’t help but laugh, but he didn’t know where he pulled his wound, and sucked in a cold breath of pain, groaning with a frown.

Liang Huan put down the chips and said: “You have multiple fractures and serious injuries, although the treatment pod has cured them, it will still hurt, don’t get out of bed for a week.”

Li Yao said painfully: “You might as well just kill me.”

Liang Huan said lightly: “You are more valuable to me alive.”

Li Yao was too lazy to argue with him, and raised his hand with difficulty to poke his knee, glancing at his crossed long legs: “Commander, will you die if you don’t show off?”

Liang Huan grabbed his hand and put it back in place, but when he was about to pull it out, he was held tightly.

Li Yao scratched his palm lightly and said with a smile: “After surviving a disaster, aren’t you going to hug me and cry?”

“… Not interested.” Liang Huan smiled.

Li Yao frowned and moved, and breathed out with difficulty: “I should have pretended to be asleep, and listened to you holding my hand and confessing while crying, and then recorded it for you to play repeatedly— hiss ah.”

“Don’t move.” Liang Huan frowned.

“Fuck, you don’t know how much it hurts.” Li Yao gritted his teeth, “Give me a bottle of painkiller, ancestor, I’m dying.”

“I’ve already injected you with a high concentration of painkillers, the most expensive ones.” Liang Huan held his hand and tentatively passed a little internal force to him, “Is this better?”

Li Yao looked at him suspiciously, not sure: “It seems to be a little useful?”

Liang Huan was displeased: “What do you mean seems?”

“I can’t feel it.” Li Yao’s eyes gradually showed horror: “I won’t be paralyzed, will I? Are my legs still there?”

“… Watch fewer chip commercials.” Liang Huan said expressionlessly, “Shut up and rest.”

“I can’t help it when I see you.” Li Yao smiled, “The space for me to play at that time was too small, otherwise I would have prepared a will report for you, enough for you to open a long meeting.”

Liang Huan stared at him silently.

Li Yao was a little uncomfortable being stared at by him, and gently rubbed his thumb against his thumb: “Hey, are you scared?”

“No.” Liang Huan smiled slightly, “If you gloriously sacrifice, I will organize the military to hold a memorial service for you.”

Li Yao said with great interest: “And then you will give a speech as a family member?”

“Divorced, not a family member.” Liang Huan changed the subject slightly stiffly, “You can’t eat anything now, endure it if you’re hungry.”

Li Yao was radiant: “I’m not hungry, I want to get up now.”

“No.” Liang Huan refused him coldly.

“Tsk.” Li Yao looked unhappy, “I think I’m already well.”

Liang Huan opened the light screen to show him the values ​​on it: “Your current mental power and physical fitness are all stuck at E-, and this does not mean that your level is E-, it’s just that the lower values ​​cannot be displayed anymore, now walking two more steps will kill you.”

Li Yao said: “I seriously doubt the authenticity of this data.”

Liang Huan twitched the corner of his mouth: “You can try it, I’ll collect your body.”

“…” Li Yao sighed faintly.

Liang Huan stared at him without speaking, and picked up the chip next to him with one hand to process the documents.

The large instruments in the room were quietly running, and a rhythmic beeping sound came from the screen. Li Yao’s arms, chest, and neck were covered with all kinds of wire tubes. He could only lie on his back on the bed, turning his head to watch Liang Huan process the documents.

After about thirty seconds, he hissed.

Liang Huan lifted his eyelids to look at him, and when he saw that he didn’t speak, he lowered his eyes and looked at the documents.

Li Yao frowned painfully.

Liang Huan was silent for a moment, threw the documents aside, and said: “Watch a movie?”

Li Yao turned his head and said with a smile: “No, why didn’t you wear that gaudy shirt today?”

Liang Huan said expressionlessly: “The doctor said you need to rest and not be too excited.”

Li Yao was in pain while laughing, laughing a little distorted: “Looking down on who?”

Liang Huan leaned over and pressed his shoulder, and seeing that he was really uncomfortable, he readjusted the values ​​on the instrument and helped him sit up with his shoulder: “Don’t laugh.”

Li Yao grabbed his arm and leaned against the head of the bed, turned his head and glanced at the complex buttons on it, and worried: “You’re just adjusting it casually, right? Can this thing be adjusted randomly? What if you adjust it to death?”

Liang Huan: “… Shut up.”

He sat back on the chair.

Li Yao was comfortable, and that mouth finally stopped, and he studied the instrument there for a long time, and after confirming that the buttons that Liang Huan adjusted would not endanger his life, he had the leisure to look at Liang Huan.

Liang Huan lowered his eyes to look at the chip, letting him look at it.

“I seem to have seen you on the operating table.” Li Yao suddenly opened his mouth.

“Mental disorder, your current values ​​are still fluctuating.” Liang Huan said lightly.

Li Yao raised his eyebrows: “Is that so?”

“Before, my gene sample source was you, and I had the researchers draw two tubes of blood.” Liang Huan smiled slightly, “What, you want me to operate on you personally?”

Li Yao was caught off guard and thought of the black chip he collected, and couldn’t help but feel a chill: “Let’s forget it.”

Liang Huan pinched his palm: “I hope to have a chance in the future.”

“Fuck.” Li Yao tried to shake off his hand, but it was suddenly clenched tightly.

The hands that had been clasped tightly were still cold and bone-piercing, but they had a little more warmth than the blizzard that day.

The room fell into silence again.

Liang Huan listened to the sound on the instrument and said, “Lie down.”

This time Li Yao didn’t refute, Liang Huan supported his shoulder and let him lie on his back on the bed.

Li Yao raised his hand full of wire tubes, gently touched his hair, and looked at him with a smile: “… It’s really great to be able to see you alive again.”

Liang Huan leaned over to stare at him, held the scarred hand, and lowered his head to place a kiss on it.

“So am I.”