Chapter 40
Be the first pair of saving hands
6:30 am, Central District Evolutionist Specialist Hospital.
With a sudden push, the glass door swung open, and the few staff members in the duty hall looked up in astonishment. They saw a fully armed group swiftly entering, led by a man in a black suit and white shirt with a handsome and resolute face. He was none other than Shen Zhuo, the chief supervisor of Shenhai City.
“What… what is this?”
“This is an A-level defense zone. Supervisor Shen, you cannot go up!”
The duty guards snapped back to attention and immediately surrounded them to block their way. However, Shen Zhuo remained silent, striding purposefully toward the stairs. His accompanying team of operatives pushed aside the guards without hesitation. “Out of the way!” “Executing official duties!”
“This is the Central District, not Shenhai. You cannot barge in like this!”
“Quick! Report to the Central Supervision Office! Hurry!”
The once quiet and spacious duty hall suddenly turned chaotic. One guard lunged toward the alarm phone, but before he could lift the receiver, Shen Zhuo drew his gun without looking back—
Bang!
Shattered phone fragments scattered everywhere, and the chaos momentarily subsided.
“The Ten Chief Supervisors enforce global law. Obstruction of official duties will result in immediate arrest.” Shen Zhuo ascended the stairs in quick steps while instructing his subordinates: “Seal off the hospital. No one is allowed to go in or out. Prepare the helicopter for landing on the rooftop.”
“Yes, sir!”
The once perennially quiet and heavily guarded Evolutionist Hospital was completely breached in an instant.
The Central District Supervision Office, alerted by the air defense alarm, was still speeding toward the scene with sirens blaring. However, the hospital’s various passageways had already been swiftly secured by the armed forces from Shenhai. In the dim pre-dawn sky, the roar grew nearer as a huge helicopter adorned with Shenhai insignia slowly descended onto the hospital rooftop.
A hurried set of footsteps swiftly ascended the fire escape, followed by the door being forcefully pushed open. Shen Zhuo, accompanied by Luo Zhen and Yang Xiaodao, strode through the corridor. At the end of the corridor, the door of Special Ward No. 1 bore a name tag—Su Jiqiao.
Suddenly, Luo Zhen exclaimed, “Isn’t that…”
On the bench in front of the ward door, a figure slowly rose. It was Yue Yang.
“I figured you’d come around this time,” Yue Yang smiled faintly. “No matter how hard Nielsen tries to stop you, you’ll find a way to save Bai Sheng.”
Perhaps due to the harsh overhead lights, Yue Yang’s complexion appeared somewhat sallow, but Shen Zhuo ignored it completely. “Are you going to continue to stop me?”
“…I just don’t want you to take unnecessary risks.” Yue Yang looked at him deeply, with a hint of pain in his gaze. “Shen Zhuo, I’ve known you for five years, and I’ve never seen you so willing to go out of your way for someone…”
Shen Zhuo cut him off coldly, “I have to draw Su Jiqiao’s blood now. What can you do about it?”
Yue Yang fell into silence; the side of his face illuminated by the light seemed sharp and defined like a stone statue.
After a while, he said slowly, “…Then I’ll have no choice but to take action.”
Shen Zhuo didn’t waste any more words with him, turning to command, “Yang Xiaodao.”
Yang Xiaodao remained silent, casually tossing the ridiculously oversized backpack off his shoulder to the ground, causing the cement floor to tremble with a loud bang.
Yue Yang narrowed his eyes slightly, observing the young man’s silent defiance. His physique was lean and agile, typical of adolescence, yet his muscles were sharply defined, and his body fat percentage was alarmingly low. Opening the backpack, he pulled out two heavy objects and dropped them on the ground.
Clang!
Clang!
Under the light, a cold and sharp reflection emerged. It was a pair of half-fingered gloves made of steel.
The young man put on the gloves and flexed his fingers a few times. With a resounding bang that shook the hearts of onlookers, he fiercely punched with both fists, causing a terrifying arc of electricity to crackle between the two gloves!
Shen Zhuo pointed at Yue Yang and said coldly, “Stop him.”
Before the words had fully settled, the young man flew through the air like an arrow. Yue Yang instantly dodged to the side, and a roaring electric current grazed past him, knocking the entire door of the ward flying out.
“Don’t overestimate your abilities,” Yue Yang muttered softly as he braced himself to intercept the second punch coming his way. The ground beneath his feet erupted, creating a massive rift extending all the way to the end of the corridor!
The entire hospital trembled under the fierce close combat of the two powerful A-class individuals. Shen Zhuo strode through the swirling dust and smoke, entering the ward. The life support system by the bedside trembled incessantly on the ground, emitting urgent beeping alarms.
On the hospital bed, Su Jiqiao lay still, eyes closed and devoid of consciousness.
His face exuded a gentle and kind aura, with cheeks like jade and slightly curled black hair. The severe injuries he sustained during the Qinghai explosion three years ago were now completely invisible. Time seemed to have frozen on him for the past three years, as if he hadn’t aged a day.
This person indeed has the face of an A-class evolutionist. Every day, when medical staff come by, they instinctively handle him with extra care. However, Luo Zhen showed no sentimentality whatsoever. He skillfully retrieved the needle from the blood collection bag and asked, “Supervisor, how much should we draw?”
“…”
Shen Zhuo looked down upon the innocent face from a superior position, and after a moment, he spoke softly, “…If I had drawn him dry earlier, none of these things would have happened.”
Luo Zhen sensibly refrained from further questioning. He inserted the needle into Su Jiqiao’s arm vein, and a steady stream of dark red liquid flowed rapidly into the blood bag through the tubing. Soon, the bag swelled to full capacity, and then there was a loud rumble!
Amidst the roar, Yang Xiaodao flew into the room, crashing through half of the wall!
Through the lingering dust, Yue Yang strode in, intercepting Yang Xiaodao, who was charging headlong. He seemed to have been ignited by anger but hesitated instinctively when faced with a minor, unwilling to strike with full force. Yet, within a split second of hesitation, Yang Xiaodao, consumed by rage, landed a fierce punch to Yue Yang’s cheekbone. The bones cracked, and a spray of blood burst from his mouth.
Woo-woo-woo—
Outside the window, the vehicles from the Central Supervision Office approached, honking as they drew nearer. Shen Zhuo swiftly pulled out the blood collection needle and said, “Let’s go!”
Luo Zhen quickly stowed away the blood bag. Yue Yang caught sight of it and reached out to grab it, but his movement was intercepted by Yang Xiaodao. The young man, with his eyes blazing red like a ferocious beast in a sudden outburst of anger, blocked Yue Yang’s path.
—During those three seconds of stalemate, the thunderous sound of an approaching helicopter echoed in the air. With a swift motion, a rope ladder was dropped from the window.
Bang! Shen Zhuo decisively fired a shot, shattering the glass. Luo Zhen, in perfect coordination, slung the blood collection bag over his shoulder and leaped out of the window, grabbing onto the rope ladder and climbing up. Immediately after, Shen Zhuo aimed the gun at Yue Yang and ordered Yang Xiaodao, “Let’s go!”
However, the bloodthirsty beast, tasting blood for the first time, turned a deaf ear to it. His eyes gleamed with ferocity, his neck veins pulsated violently, and he stared fixedly at Yue Yang without moving.
With another bang, Shen Zhuo fired a shot at the ground near the boy’s feet, his voice sharp, “Yang Xiaodao!”
Yang Xiaodao snapped out of his trance, realizing what he was doing. Without a word, he flipped out of the window and quickly climbed onto the helicopter.
In the chaotic hospital room, only Yue Yang and Shen Zhuo remained. The latter, holding the gun, retreated step by step to the window, while Yue Yang showed no intention of pursuing. The promising and esteemed Director of the Central Supervision Office stood amidst the debris, wiping away the blood from his lips with his sleeve. He sighed bitterly, raising his hand in a gesture of surrender.
“Do you really believe you won’t die in the second dream?” he asked wearily. “Or have you forsaken even the risk of sacrificing your life to break the daydream?”
Shen Zhuo holstered his gun, replying calmly, “Why are both you and Nielsen so certain that I will die in the second dream?”
Yue Yang futilely continued, “As one of the Ten Chief Supervisors, your life is much more important than that of an S-class individual. Your importance to the current peace situation…”
“Is that so?” Shen Zhuo interrupted him, seeming to find it somewhat amusing. “So, it turned out your recent obstruction was entirely out of concern for the peace situation, with no personal motives whatsoever?”
In the distance, the approaching sirens grew louder, and below the hospital building, vehicles from the Central Supervision Office came to a sudden halt, their red and blue lights flashing intermittently.
The wind blew in through the window, tousling Yue Yang’s hair.
“…If there were no personal motives,” he finally said in a low voice after a long pause, “I wouldn’t have kept it from everyone, waiting here alone for you all night.”
Despite the fact that for years they had been separated only by a thin veil of glass, and despite the unspoken understanding between them, admitting it aloud always carried a different weight, especially in such a bitter and poignant situation.
“…And what about you?” Yue Yang paused, lifting his gaze to meet Shen Zhuo’s eyes. “Risking your life to break the daydream, are you just selflessly sacrificing with no personal motives?”
“—What are your personal motives, Shen Zhuo?”
“There!” “Go up from there!” “Surround all entrances and exits!”…
The footsteps of the pursuers from the Central District closed in from all directions, rushing up to the top floor. They sprinted from the collapsed end of the corridor, only to be stunned by what they saw: “Supervisor Shen?” “Yue-ge?!” “What’s going on—“
In front of everyone’s eyes, Shen Zhuo didn’t answer Yue Yang’s question. He just turned around, grabbed onto the rope ladder outside the window, and said coldly:
“It’s just a daydream. Don’t come after me to your deaths. Don’t judge others by your own standards.”
The Central District inspectors present were all puzzled. They watched as the helicopter in mid-air immediately ascended, raising a howling wind and swiftly pulling Shen Zhuo into the sky.
“Wait—”
However, before the inspectors could rush up, Yue Yang raised his hand wearily and said, “Forget it.”
He didn’t explain what had caused the chaotic situation, nor did he have the energy to deal with the concerns and panic of his subordinates. He didn’t even want to look at Su Jiqiao lying on the hospital bed, not knowing how much blood had been drawn from him. Yue Yang leaned back against a half-collapsed wall, then slid down slowly, burying his face in his hands.
He used to think that Shen Zhuo treated Fu Chen differently.
Shen Zhuo would smile at Fu Chen, look at him with warmth and patience, and remain silent when others teased him. At that time, Yue Yang could console himself. After all, Fu Chen was outstanding, and he was an S-class individual. Standing with Shen Zhuo made sense, if not by fate, at least by reason.
But today, he realized that Shen Zhuo’s true “difference” toward a person was displayed in such a selfless manner.
It had nothing to do with whether they were S-class or outstanding. Even if there was a high possibility that Bai Sheng couldn’t be saved, even if he became a vegetative for the rest of his life, Shen Zhuo was still willing to risk everything for him, without any conditions or calculations.
Yue Yang could no longer deceive himself. He didn’t lose to the S-rank Fu Chen; he lost to Shen Zhuo.
Since their first encounter, he had only dared to secretly gaze at Shen Zhuo from the crowd, never truly allowing himself to stand before him.
“Yue-ge, Yue-ge, you’re injured!” “What happened to your face, Yue-ge?”
…
Yue Yang’s mouth had a large piece of skin torn off at the corner of his mouth, looking somewhat disheveled. He tiredly waved off the frantic subordinates offering to help him with medicine, took out his phone, and opened his email. His fingers hovered over the screen for a moment, but eventually, he typed out two lines:
[Target serum has been taken by Supervisor Shen.]
[I allowed him to take it; it’s my responsibility.]
Recipient: Director-General Nielsen, delayed sending by six hours.
As the Director-General, Nielsen had significant authority. Even if his private jet was still in the air, it would be enough to mobilize ground forces to obstruct Shen Zhuo. Delaying the sending by six hours would buy Shen Zhuo enough time.
Yue Yang casually tossed away his phone, rubbed his face vigorously, and took a deep breath of sour, hot blood.
***
With a heavy echo, Shen Zhuo climbed to the end of the rope ladder and was then pulled into the helicopter cabin by Yang Xiaodao. The cabin door slammed shut behind him.
“Where’s the blood bag?” Shen Zhuo immediately asked as he took his seat.
The inspector beside him quickly helped him fasten his seatbelt, and Luo Zhen handed over the blood collection bag from the front row. Shen Zhuo opened it, looked inside, his expression slightly relaxed, and ordered, “Notify the HRG Laboratory to prepare immediately. Any updates from the hospital?”
The inspector was already well-informed: “Mr. Bai’s condition is stable. His brain scans haven’t worsened since 3 a.m. last night. Although it can’t be explained, the doctor says it’s a good sign.”
Shen Zhuo showed no emotion, simply nodding in acknowledgment.
Then, he turned to Yang Xiaodao and asked, “How are you?”
The young man had already removed his steel knuckle gloves, curled up in the back corner, carrying the lingering smell of iron and blood mixed together. He shook his head silently in response, indicating that he hadn’t been injured.
However, Shen Zhuo lifted his black T-shirt.
Underneath the clothes was a robust waist, and there was a fist-sized bloody abrasion on the side, likely torn by Yue Yang’s punch. Fortunately, it hadn’t reached his internal organs.
“Go back and let the doctor bandage it for you,” Shen Zhuo said, patting the back of his head casually. “It’s not bad, considering it took more than three minutes. Yue Yang actually has a softer heart than the average evolutionist. He’s not someone who’s willing to be heavy-handed with children.”
“…” Yang Xiaodao resembled a small beast with messy hair, and if he had a tail, it would have been drooping by now. After a while, he stubbornly managed to utter, “I’ll be stronger than him in the future!”
Shen Zhuo neither confirmed nor denied, but couldn’t help but smile.
This kid truly lived up to being raised by Bai Sheng. After sitting there like a wilted plant for half the day, it seemed like something suddenly clicked in his mind. He looked up at Shen Zhuo with suspicion:
“So, about Director Yue…”
Shen Zhuo: “?”
“Nielsen, Rong Qi, and Director Yue…”
Shen Zhuo’s expression changed instantly, coldly saying, “Shut up.”
The helicopter whistled across the morning sky, leaving the evolutionist hospital, still shrouded in smoke, far behind. Yang Xiaodao sat sulking next to Shen Zhuo, occasionally casting pure, straightforward, and critical glances at him. However, from his expression, it was clear he only dared to criticize silently instead of voicing his thoughts.
***
Shenhai Airport.
With a huge roar, the International General Administration’s special plane descended toward the runway, and after a few minutes of taxiing, the silver-blue Gulfstream G550 slowly came to a stop on the tarmac.
“I am Shen Zhuo, the chief supervisor of Shenhai City. I cannot answer the call right now. Please leave a message later…”
Nielsen hung up the phone, his face as dark as water. His secretary whispered, “Maybe Supervisor Shen will pick up later. He might still be angry now…”
“Impossible,” Nielsen said coldly. “Shen Zhuo never wastes those useless emotions on me.”
The secretary was speechless for a moment.
“He must be up to something,” Nielsen squinted suspiciously, “but not to the extent… All the top ten supervisors have been issued silence orders; no one would tell him that method…”
The way to crack the daydream was impossible to hide from Shen Zhuo forever, but fortunately, he didn’t need to hide it forever. As long as he could drag out the golden 24-hour treatment period, even if Bai Sheng really died, he would have an excellent excuse to face the UN Security Council; after all, he saved Shen Zhuo’s life—Cameron, that old fox, might even come to thank him.
The only tricky part was Shen Zhuo.
Even the wolf of Odin could not accept the risk of falling out with Shen Zhuo, whether from the perspective of power and status or from the perspective of private feelings that everyone in the world believes he doesn’t have.
The moment Bai Sheng died, the evolutionist named Rong Qi would definitely come to attack. He must personally accompany Shen Zhuo to provide protection, which would be his only chance to regain Shen Zhuo’s affection.
As the door of the special plane opened, Nielsen descended the gangway with his entourage, and at first sight, he saw the car waiting on the tarmac and the young B-class evolutionist with a smile at the car door.
—Nielsen knew him; this person’s name was Chen Miao.
There were hundreds of A-class evolutionists in the International General Administration, and many didn’t even have the opportunity to leave their names in front of the director-general. Yet Nielsen knew Chen Miao’s age, abilities, alma mater, and even the dessert shop he liked to visit most when traveling to Basel. Not only Nielsen, but many high-ranking officials in the International General Administration also treated this young B-class person with great warmth and courtesy. The reason was simple: this person was one of the students personally brought out by Shen Zhuo.
Pleasing him might not please Shen Zhuo, but offending him would definitely offend Shen Zhuo to the core.
“—Director-General!” Chen Miao hurriedly approached to greet him and was about to salute. “We are terribly sorry. We only received the news of your visit half an hour ago, and the supervisor immediately sent me to greet you…”
Nielsen quickly pressed down on Chen Miao’s hand that was about to salute, smiling as he shook hands firmly. Anyone seeing the friendly face of the wolf of Odin would doubt that there was something wrong with their own eyes: “Where is your Supervisor Shen?”
Chen Miao sincerely replied, “Our only S-class evolutionist in the jurisdiction met with an accident. The supervisor feels deeply responsible, believing that he did not fulfill his duty to protect the evolutionist adequately.”
Nielsen’s smile slightly faded.
The wind swept across the tarmac, and everyone fell into an indescribable silence.
“So the supervisor went to a meeting,” Chen Miao explained apologetically, “to discuss clear management and detailed regulations, focusing on how to better protect the personal and property safety of evolutionists in the jurisdiction.”
It took Nielsen several seconds to comprehend every word in that translated English sentence. His ice-blue eyes gradually turned stormy gray, then he opened his mouth slowly, emphasizing each word:
“What exactly is your Supervisor Shen doing?!”
The phone buzzed loudly.
The secretary glanced down, her face turning pale. She quickly stepped forward and whispered, “Director-General, it’s a message from Supervisor Yue.”
Nielsen already had the worst premonition in his heart. He picked up the phone and quickly scanned the message, then closed his eyes momentarily.
[The target serum has been taken by Supervisor Shen.]
[I allowed him to take it; it’s my responsibility.]
Chen Miao didn’t need to see the message to know what it was about. He faced the Director-General, who stood above all the evolutionists worldwide, with a polite smile, not even changing the curvature of his lips. Until Nielsen took a deep breath and opened his eyes, almost grinding his teeth:
“Doing this will kill Shen Zhuo, do you understand?!”
“Director-General,” Chen Miao replied calmly, “I am under the guidance of my senior. I unconditionally trust and obey all commands given by my senior.”
Nielsen took a deep breath, finally understanding why he couldn’t get the nail into Shenhai countless times: “Where exactly is Shen Zhuo?”
“In the laboratory,” Chen Miao raised his hand to check the time, raising an eyebrow as he advised, “But you don’t need to rush over. The daydream ability serum should have been cultivated by now.”
“…”
“My senior said he could do it, so he will definitely be able to do it.” The young B-class evolutionist stood in front of Nielsen, his tone very calm, “he will definitely be able to bring Bai Sheng back safely, just as he has always done his best to protect all of us.”
***
With a slight popping sound, a chill rushed out as the incubator was opened, and the research director carefully held out a vial containing serum mixed with faint blue light spots.
It was cultivated using Su Jiqiao’s serum, capable of inducing A-class evolution gene interferon in humans.
“Normal A-class gene interferon can maintain its effect for over 40 minutes, but this serum has a short cultivation time, making it a temporary product at this stage, with an effect of approximately only 30 seconds,” the research director handed it to Shui Ronghua and couldn’t help but sigh, “The serum can only act on the human body. Fortunately, Dr. Shui is currently human; otherwise, we would have to find someone temporarily…”
Shui Ronghua showed no change in expression as she took the serum and once again confirmed with Shen Zhuo, “Are you ready?”
The HRG laboratory in Shenhai City was located underground at the Evolutionist Specialist Hospital. Its scale was incomparable to the one at the research institute years ago. From an industry perspective, it could almost be said to be pitiful.
But it was also thanks to this, this small laboratory didn’t attract too many suspicious eyes from the outside world and managed to survive under the protection of the Shenhai City Supervision Office.
Bai Sheng had been transferred from the special care ward, with his eyes tightly closed, deeply asleep, lying on a bed in the center of the laboratory. Fortunately, his S-class physical qualities were robust enough that the hallucinations tormenting him for over twenty hours hadn’t caused too much impact on his central nervous and cardiopulmonary systems. If he were A-class, even if he could wake up from the dream, the lingering effects on his body would be enough to take half his life away.
Shen Zhuo didn’t answer. Instead, he took off his suit jacket and sat on a chair beside the bed, unbuttoning his white shirt one by one.
The researchers were well-trained, attaching various wires and electrode pads to him and connecting them to life support devices and real-time brain scans. Finally, the director personally inserted a vein infusion needle into the back of his hand, with an unknown blood-colored liquid inside the infusion bag.
Shui Ronghua wondered, “What is this…”
“Neuronal stimulant,” Shen Zhuo said as he buttoned only two buttons of his shirt, his slender neck curving gracefully, his collarbones disappearing into the shadows. “It was one of the derivative products of HRG back then. Once it detects that the brain has entered a certain depth of hallucinatory state, it can start dripping. Within 60 seconds, it provides strong stimulation to the cerebral cortex, thereby alleviating the effects of hallucinations.”
“…Will there be any aftereffects?” Shui Ronghua couldn’t help but ask.
“Yes. 95% of recipients will experience sudden and dramatic changes in mood within three days,” Shen Zhuo said. “If by then I force you to work overtime or unreasonably cancel your quarterly bonuses, I want you to bravely stand up and oppose me.”
The researchers all chuckled.
Shui Ronghua loosened her collar, injected a needle into her own vein on the side of her neck, and cleanly pushed the serum to the bottom. She smiled and replied, “We’ll be waiting to triple our quarterly bonus when you wake up, Supervisor.”
A wave of power belonging to Su Jiqiao quickly enveloped her entire body, and her ability radiation sharply increased. The monitoring device emitted a frantic beeping sound.
Shen Zhuo reached out his hand, the one with the needle, and firmly grasped Bai Sheng’s hand on the hospital bed, calmly gazing at Shui Ronghua .
The next moment, the female doctor’s five fingers spread out toward Shen Zhuo, and a faint blue light suddenly surged in the air, and a powerful, invisible mental force rushed forward!
—A-class ability, Daydream, triggered.
Thousands of lethal shards of light enveloped Shen Zhuo’s entire body. Instantly, he leaned backward, his senses detached, and the snow-white laboratory rapidly receded like a retreating tide.
His consciousness plummeted rapidly downward, sinking into a raging inferno of flames.
From all directions, the sky was covered with terrifying, towering flames.
A little boy lay on the ground, staring blankly at the cracked ground scorched by the fire. Half of his body had been burned to a charred skeleton, and his fingers had burned to a crisp, leaving only bare, charred bones.
“…Help… us…”
“Save us…”
In the distance, calls for help still echoed from the wreckage of a crashed car, and desperate sounds of pounding on the car windows could be heard amidst the flames. However, he couldn’t move.
It was really too painful.
Is there anyone here to help me? He thought hazily.
Is there anyone who can help me? Will anyone come to rescue me?
Death suddenly became a tempting and imminent option. It seemed so comfortable and easy. As long as he plugged his ears and stopped listening, closed his eyes, and stopped seeing, as long as he stopped and sank into a deep sleep, he would no longer feel the pain.
“I’m sorry,” the little boy murmured, his cracked and bleeding eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
I tried so hard to change fate, but I’m too weak. I can’t save you… I’m sorry.
“…We’re still alive! We’re still alive!”
“We’re your mom and dad!”
“Bai Sheng! Bai Sheng! Bai Sheng!!—”
It felt like a red-hot needle piercing his heart, causing his organs to spasm in agony.
Bai Sheng suddenly opened his eyes.
He gasped for hot breath, once again staggering to his feet from the ground and staggering forward. The charred bones of his feet left blackened marks behind him, each step piercing his heart. But his inherent madness, his deep-seated regret, and his ingrained determination all supported him in his spine; even if he were burned to charcoal in the end, he couldn’t stop.
I can’t fall. I can’t fall.
At the age of eight, at the end of the blood-red street, the child swore with his tender voice that he would never stand behind the crowd watching; even if he had to face the fires of hell in the future, he would step forward and extend the first helping hand.
“Move forward!” “Go!” “That’s it!—” Numerous demonic shadows, which had reappeared outside the fire scene at some point, emitted urging, mocking laughter.
“Burn and burn to death!” “Go and burn to ashes!” “Hahaha—”
The demons danced wildly, obscuring the sky, filled with excitement, but Bai Sheng couldn’t hear anymore. Engulfed in flames from head to toe, his small body turned into a figure of fire. Stumbling to the side of the car door, he reached out his hand to the inside with the last of his strength—
At that moment.
A brilliant white light broke through, unstoppable and overwhelming, sweeping away all the demons and shadows, turning them into twisted smoke in screams from all directions.
Then, a familiar figure appeared in the white light.
The little boy widened his eyes in astonishment, looking up at the person approaching with light, as if a deity, possessing an unimaginable appearance and overwhelming power. Stepping through flames and smoke, the figure approached him step by step, extending a hand down to him from above:
“How long do you want me to wait, Bai Sheng?”
In an instant, it was as if enlightenment had dawned upon his soul, and the pupils of the little boy suddenly dilated.
Trembling, he raised his hand and intertwined his fingers with the deity’s.
At the moment their palms touched, the boy’s horrifyingly disfigured body rapidly grew and elongated, skin covering charred bones, and flesh and blood were restored. Bai Sheng, like a scarred wolf king, embraced Shen Zhuo tightly, emitting a hoarse cry that had been suppressed for nineteen years.
The raging flames quietly extinguished, and all the horrors vanished into nothingness.
The cries for help finally ceased, and the twisted, burning car dispersed like light smoke. The souls of the couple from nineteen years ago found peace, gently caressing their beloved son’s cheek one last time before intertwining and disappearing into the sky.
Time flowed like a winding melody, carrying the lament of that eight-year-old child far into the horizon.
“I wanted so much to save them, but I just couldn’t do it…”
Bai Sheng kneeled halfway to the ground, leaning over Shen Zhuo’s shoulder, as each drop of scalding liquid seeped into his white shirt. “I thought I had become very powerful; I tried so hard, but still couldn’t do it…”
“Do you know why you were able to evolve into an S-class?” Shen Zhuo’s arm wrapped around Bai Sheng’s back, his other hand pressed against his dark hair, as he calmly said, “It’s not about going back nineteen years to change fate, but about being someone in the future who has absolute power, who can be the first to step out from the crowd.”
“It’s this determination that made you undergo such a transformation because you wished to protect every human and evolutionist. Evolution grants you the most powerful weapon of causality because only the strong can hold a compassionate heart for the weak.”
The world turned into a quiet void, vast and boundless.
Bai Sheng’s choked breath gradually subsided, like a lost child, tightly embracing Shen Zhuo.
“…It’s strange,” he murmured dreamily, “Why am I crying in front of you?”
Had the tears and resentment that had ceased since the age of eight not disappeared after all?
As if an indestructible shield suddenly collapsed, the armor that had been polished for years crumbled easily. Though he was the one who most desired conquest and possession, the one who most wanted to display strength before the other, at the moment when the other reached out a hand, he whimpered like a wild animal, eager for shelter in the wind and snow.
It was as if he had known all along that it was acceptable to show weakness in front of this person.
Under the gaze of those beautiful eyes, he could completely retract his claws, spread out his fur, and expose those embarrassing wounds that he had never shown to anyone, as well as the dripping flesh and blood that had never healed.
Bai Sheng held Shen Zhuo tightly in his arms, burying his face in the crook of his neck, and asked softly while kneeling on the ground, “Are you here to take me out?”
He felt Shen Zhuo smile faintly, a smile that was serene:
“No, I’m here to send you out.”
“…”
A terrible guess suddenly surfaced, and Bai Sheng’s pupils widened silently.
The next moment, Shen Zhuo effortlessly pushed away from his embrace, stood up, and leaned down to imprint a cool kiss on Bai Sheng’s forehead.
“Go back; it’s been 24 hours; you have no more time.”
“The next battleground is mine.”
With that kiss, the surroundings rapidly distorted, disintegrated, and collapsed with a resounding crash; the first layer of the dream, under the powerful assault of Shen Zhuo’s formidable mental strength, crumbled like a city trampled by iron hooves, turning into dust that obscured the sky and the sun.
A vast abyss appeared beneath Shen Zhuo’s feet, pulling him into the second layer of the dream; meanwhile, Bai Sheng was uncontrollably propelled into the sky, enveloped by the white light from behind, leading him back to reality.
A scalding dark red “S” reappeared in his chest, signaling that the power of evolution was gradually returning to his body.
“…Shen Zhuo?” Bai Sheng watched in horror as Shen Zhuo made no resistance, arms spread open, allowing himself to plummet into the abyss. Bai Sheng couldn’t contain his trembling.
“Where are you going, Shen Zhuo?!”
***
“—It worked!” “It really worked!”
Cheers erupted by the bedside as they witnessed the brain scan of Bai Sheng. The area controlled by the hallucinations rapidly faded from crimson to pale, the danger index plummeting, and his long-stiffened eyelashes fluttered slightly.
“He’s about to wake up!”
Sui Ronghua glanced at the clock: 1:16 pm.
It had been exactly 23 hours and 59 minutes since Bai Sheng was dragged into the dream, barely clinging to the golden window of survival.
She breathed a sigh of relief, but before she could inhale again, the danger index on the real-time brain scan suddenly paused, freezing without warning.
Immediately afterward, it plummeted like an avalanche, the brain region controlled by hallucinations suddenly turning blood red!
“What’s happening?!”
“What’s going on?!”
“Blood oxygen levels are dropping; the patient has lapsed into a coma again!”
Amidst the chaos, with voices and footsteps overlapping, the life-monitoring device beeped incessantly. Shui Ronghua’s gaze shifted from the brain scan inch by inch to Bai Sheng on the hospital bed, and she finally uttered an incredulous sound:
“He… he jumped down…”
“He followed Shen Zhuo into the second level of the dream…”
Above the abyss, where darkness shrouded the heavens, the dazzling lights of the second dream almost engulfed the universe. But then, a magnificent thunderous dragon roared in anger, a strike of S-class power tearing apart the myriad currents attempting to expel him from the dream realm into countless fragments!
The abyss collapsed entirely, the heavens and earth resonating endlessly. Even the daydream ability itself emitted a perilous tearing sound.
Amidst this world-destroying and magnificent scene, Bai Sheng broke through countless layers of resistance between heaven and earth, swiftly rushing toward the continuously falling Shen Zhuo, reaching out desperately in the raging winds—
This time, let me take you out.
Suddenly, the heavens and the earth turned into a vast expanse of pale white.
It felt like just a moment, yet also as if it had been a long, long time.
Bai Sheng slowly opened his eyes. He saw the blazing sun in the sky above and the scorching wind passing through the sand dunes. As he looked around, he saw the endless desert stretching to the horizon, a magnificent and vast expanse of thousands of miles.
Where was this place?
He sat up abruptly, his brain throbbing with pain as he took in a sharp breath, one hand pinching his forehead.
His mind had been cruelly tortured for too long, making it impossible to fully recover in the blink of an eye. The furious and frenzied strike from earlier must have strained his mental faculties.
But none of that mattered now; he only had one thought: where was Shen Zhuo?
Bai Sheng agilely got up and surveyed his surroundings. Suddenly, he heard the increasing roar of a helicopter approaching overhead. Then, a camouflaged Ka-52 military helicopter descended from the sky, stirring up a boiling sandstorm until it slowly landed on a nearby sand dune.
The doors on both sides opened, and two figures dressed in training uniforms leaped out of the cabin, landing steadily on the sandy ground.
Even from that distance, Bai Sheng recognized the two people immediately.
They turned out to be Fu Chen and Su Jiqiao!
Fu Chen carried a large toolbox in both hands, his gaze alert as he scanned the surroundings before setting down the toolbox and turning around. However, Su Jiqiao was quicker; with a camouflaged equipment bag slung over one shoulder and a PP19-1 submachine gun in his right hand, the first thing he did upon landing was turn around and extend his hand toward the cabin door above, smiling with his face raised.
Following Su Jiqiao’s gaze upward, the third person appeared at the cabin door.
Bai Sheng’s gaze locked onto him.
It was Shen Zhuo, 26 years old.
Shen Zhuo wore a black tactical vest, holding a silver cooler box in one hand. Amidst the desert, he looked dazzlingly fair, the intense sun making his skin translucent and the lines from his cheek to his jaw reflecting light.
The expression in his eyes was unusually indifferent, ignoring Su Jiqiao’s extended hand as he leaped straight down from the cabin door to the ground.
“Professor, we’ve been flying for hours. Are you sure you don’t need any rest?” Su Jiqiao retracted his hand, seemingly unfazed and unembarrassed, as if it were a routine question, and asked behind Shen Zhuo.
Shen Zhuo strode forward, while Fu Chen sighed and said loudly, “Let’s move forward. The Qinghai Base is just one kilometer south!”
The Qinghai Base.
As soon as these words came out, the vague premonition that had been lingering was confirmed. Bai Sheng finally understood the current situation—
Shen Zhuo’s dream was of the explosion at the Qinghai Test Site three years ago, on May 11th.
He had returned to that night when the truth was lost forever.
Chapter 40
Be the first pair of saving hands
6:30 am, Central District Evolutionist Specialist Hospital.
With a sudden push, the glass door swung open, and the few staff members in the duty hall looked up in astonishment. They saw a fully armed group swiftly entering, led by a man in a black suit and white shirt with a handsome and resolute face. He was none other than Shen Zhuo, the chief supervisor of Shenhai City.
“What… what is this?”
“This is an A-level defense zone. Supervisor Shen, you cannot go up!”
The duty guards snapped back to attention and immediately surrounded them to block their way. However, Shen Zhuo remained silent, striding purposefully toward the stairs. His accompanying team of operatives pushed aside the guards without hesitation. “Out of the way!” “Executing official duties!”
“This is the Central District, not Shenhai. You cannot barge in like this!”
“Quick! Report to the Central Supervision Office! Hurry!”
The once quiet and spacious duty hall suddenly turned chaotic. One guard lunged toward the alarm phone, but before he could lift the receiver, Shen Zhuo drew his gun without looking back—
Bang!
Shattered phone fragments scattered everywhere, and the chaos momentarily subsided.
“The Ten Chief Supervisors enforce global law. Obstruction of official duties will result in immediate arrest.” Shen Zhuo ascended the stairs in quick steps while instructing his subordinates: “Seal off the hospital. No one is allowed to go in or out. Prepare the helicopter for landing on the rooftop.”
“Yes, sir!”
The once perennially quiet and heavily guarded Evolutionist Hospital was completely breached in an instant.
The Central District Supervision Office, alerted by the air defense alarm, was still speeding toward the scene with sirens blaring. However, the hospital’s various passageways had already been swiftly secured by the armed forces from Shenhai. In the dim pre-dawn sky, the roar grew nearer as a huge helicopter adorned with Shenhai insignia slowly descended onto the hospital rooftop.
A hurried set of footsteps swiftly ascended the fire escape, followed by the door being forcefully pushed open. Shen Zhuo, accompanied by Luo Zhen and Yang Xiaodao, strode through the corridor. At the end of the corridor, the door of Special Ward No. 1 bore a name tag—Su Jiqiao.
Suddenly, Luo Zhen exclaimed, “Isn’t that…”
On the bench in front of the ward door, a figure slowly rose. It was Yue Yang.
“I figured you’d come around this time,” Yue Yang smiled faintly. “No matter how hard Nielsen tries to stop you, you’ll find a way to save Bai Sheng.”
Perhaps due to the harsh overhead lights, Yue Yang’s complexion appeared somewhat sallow, but Shen Zhuo ignored it completely. “Are you going to continue to stop me?”
“…I just don’t want you to take unnecessary risks.” Yue Yang looked at him deeply, with a hint of pain in his gaze. “Shen Zhuo, I’ve known you for five years, and I’ve never seen you so willing to go out of your way for someone…”
Shen Zhuo cut him off coldly, “I have to draw Su Jiqiao’s blood now. What can you do about it?”
Yue Yang fell into silence; the side of his face illuminated by the light seemed sharp and defined like a stone statue.
After a while, he said slowly, “…Then I’ll have no choice but to take action.”
Shen Zhuo didn’t waste any more words with him, turning to command, “Yang Xiaodao.”
Yang Xiaodao remained silent, casually tossing the ridiculously oversized backpack off his shoulder to the ground, causing the cement floor to tremble with a loud bang.
Yue Yang narrowed his eyes slightly, observing the young man’s silent defiance. His physique was lean and agile, typical of adolescence, yet his muscles were sharply defined, and his body fat percentage was alarmingly low. Opening the backpack, he pulled out two heavy objects and dropped them on the ground.
Clang!
Clang!
Under the light, a cold and sharp reflection emerged. It was a pair of half-fingered gloves made of steel.
The young man put on the gloves and flexed his fingers a few times. With a resounding bang that shook the hearts of onlookers, he fiercely punched with both fists, causing a terrifying arc of electricity to crackle between the two gloves!
Shen Zhuo pointed at Yue Yang and said coldly, “Stop him.”
Before the words had fully settled, the young man flew through the air like an arrow. Yue Yang instantly dodged to the side, and a roaring electric current grazed past him, knocking the entire door of the ward flying out.
“Don’t overestimate your abilities,” Yue Yang muttered softly as he braced himself to intercept the second punch coming his way. The ground beneath his feet erupted, creating a massive rift extending all the way to the end of the corridor!
The entire hospital trembled under the fierce close combat of the two powerful A-class individuals. Shen Zhuo strode through the swirling dust and smoke, entering the ward. The life support system by the bedside trembled incessantly on the ground, emitting urgent beeping alarms.
On the hospital bed, Su Jiqiao lay still, eyes closed and devoid of consciousness.
His face exuded a gentle and kind aura, with cheeks like jade and slightly curled black hair. The severe injuries he sustained during the Qinghai explosion three years ago were now completely invisible. Time seemed to have frozen on him for the past three years, as if he hadn’t aged a day.
This person indeed has the face of an A-class evolutionist. Every day, when medical staff come by, they instinctively handle him with extra care. However, Luo Zhen showed no sentimentality whatsoever. He skillfully retrieved the needle from the blood collection bag and asked, “Supervisor, how much should we draw?”
“…”
Shen Zhuo looked down upon the innocent face from a superior position, and after a moment, he spoke softly, “…If I had drawn him dry earlier, none of these things would have happened.”
Luo Zhen sensibly refrained from further questioning. He inserted the needle into Su Jiqiao’s arm vein, and a steady stream of dark red liquid flowed rapidly into the blood bag through the tubing. Soon, the bag swelled to full capacity, and then there was a loud rumble!
Amidst the roar, Yang Xiaodao flew into the room, crashing through half of the wall!
Through the lingering dust, Yue Yang strode in, intercepting Yang Xiaodao, who was charging headlong. He seemed to have been ignited by anger but hesitated instinctively when faced with a minor, unwilling to strike with full force. Yet, within a split second of hesitation, Yang Xiaodao, consumed by rage, landed a fierce punch to Yue Yang’s cheekbone. The bones cracked, and a spray of blood burst from his mouth.
Woo-woo-woo—
Outside the window, the vehicles from the Central Supervision Office approached, honking as they drew nearer. Shen Zhuo swiftly pulled out the blood collection needle and said, “Let’s go!”
Luo Zhen quickly stowed away the blood bag. Yue Yang caught sight of it and reached out to grab it, but his movement was intercepted by Yang Xiaodao. The young man, with his eyes blazing red like a ferocious beast in a sudden outburst of anger, blocked Yue Yang’s path.
—During those three seconds of stalemate, the thunderous sound of an approaching helicopter echoed in the air. With a swift motion, a rope ladder was dropped from the window.
Bang! Shen Zhuo decisively fired a shot, shattering the glass. Luo Zhen, in perfect coordination, slung the blood collection bag over his shoulder and leaped out of the window, grabbing onto the rope ladder and climbing up. Immediately after, Shen Zhuo aimed the gun at Yue Yang and ordered Yang Xiaodao, “Let’s go!”
However, the bloodthirsty beast, tasting blood for the first time, turned a deaf ear to it. His eyes gleamed with ferocity, his neck veins pulsated violently, and he stared fixedly at Yue Yang without moving.
With another bang, Shen Zhuo fired a shot at the ground near the boy’s feet, his voice sharp, “Yang Xiaodao!”
Yang Xiaodao snapped out of his trance, realizing what he was doing. Without a word, he flipped out of the window and quickly climbed onto the helicopter.
In the chaotic hospital room, only Yue Yang and Shen Zhuo remained. The latter, holding the gun, retreated step by step to the window, while Yue Yang showed no intention of pursuing. The promising and esteemed Director of the Central Supervision Office stood amidst the debris, wiping away the blood from his lips with his sleeve. He sighed bitterly, raising his hand in a gesture of surrender.
“Do you really believe you won’t die in the second dream?” he asked wearily. “Or have you forsaken even the risk of sacrificing your life to break the daydream?”
Shen Zhuo holstered his gun, replying calmly, “Why are both you and Nielsen so certain that I will die in the second dream?”
Yue Yang futilely continued, “As one of the Ten Chief Supervisors, your life is much more important than that of an S-class individual. Your importance to the current peace situation…”
“Is that so?” Shen Zhuo interrupted him, seeming to find it somewhat amusing. “So, it turned out your recent obstruction was entirely out of concern for the peace situation, with no personal motives whatsoever?”
In the distance, the approaching sirens grew louder, and below the hospital building, vehicles from the Central Supervision Office came to a sudden halt, their red and blue lights flashing intermittently.
The wind blew in through the window, tousling Yue Yang’s hair.
“…If there were no personal motives,” he finally said in a low voice after a long pause, “I wouldn’t have kept it from everyone, waiting here alone for you all night.”
Despite the fact that for years they had been separated only by a thin veil of glass, and despite the unspoken understanding between them, admitting it aloud always carried a different weight, especially in such a bitter and poignant situation.
“…And what about you?” Yue Yang paused, lifting his gaze to meet Shen Zhuo’s eyes. “Risking your life to break the daydream, are you just selflessly sacrificing with no personal motives?”
“—What are your personal motives, Shen Zhuo?”
“There!” “Go up from there!” “Surround all entrances and exits!”…
The footsteps of the pursuers from the Central District closed in from all directions, rushing up to the top floor. They sprinted from the collapsed end of the corridor, only to be stunned by what they saw: “Supervisor Shen?” “Yue-ge?!” “What’s going on—“
In front of everyone’s eyes, Shen Zhuo didn’t answer Yue Yang’s question. He just turned around, grabbed onto the rope ladder outside the window, and said coldly:
“It’s just a daydream. Don’t come after me to your deaths. Don’t judge others by your own standards.”
The Central District inspectors present were all puzzled. They watched as the helicopter in mid-air immediately ascended, raising a howling wind and swiftly pulling Shen Zhuo into the sky.
“Wait—”
However, before the inspectors could rush up, Yue Yang raised his hand wearily and said, “Forget it.”
He didn’t explain what had caused the chaotic situation, nor did he have the energy to deal with the concerns and panic of his subordinates. He didn’t even want to look at Su Jiqiao lying on the hospital bed, not knowing how much blood had been drawn from him. Yue Yang leaned back against a half-collapsed wall, then slid down slowly, burying his face in his hands.
He used to think that Shen Zhuo treated Fu Chen differently.
Shen Zhuo would smile at Fu Chen, look at him with warmth and patience, and remain silent when others teased him. At that time, Yue Yang could console himself. After all, Fu Chen was outstanding, and he was an S-class individual. Standing with Shen Zhuo made sense, if not by fate, at least by reason.
But today, he realized that Shen Zhuo’s true “difference” toward a person was displayed in such a selfless manner.
It had nothing to do with whether they were S-class or outstanding. Even if there was a high possibility that Bai Sheng couldn’t be saved, even if he became a vegetative for the rest of his life, Shen Zhuo was still willing to risk everything for him, without any conditions or calculations.
Yue Yang could no longer deceive himself. He didn’t lose to the S-rank Fu Chen; he lost to Shen Zhuo.
Since their first encounter, he had only dared to secretly gaze at Shen Zhuo from the crowd, never truly allowing himself to stand before him.
“Yue-ge, Yue-ge, you’re injured!” “What happened to your face, Yue-ge?”
…
Yue Yang’s mouth had a large piece of skin torn off at the corner of his mouth, looking somewhat disheveled. He tiredly waved off the frantic subordinates offering to help him with medicine, took out his phone, and opened his email. His fingers hovered over the screen for a moment, but eventually, he typed out two lines:
[Target serum has been taken by Supervisor Shen.]
[I allowed him to take it; it’s my responsibility.]
Recipient: Director-General Nielsen, delayed sending by six hours.
As the Director-General, Nielsen had significant authority. Even if his private jet was still in the air, it would be enough to mobilize ground forces to obstruct Shen Zhuo. Delaying the sending by six hours would buy Shen Zhuo enough time.
Yue Yang casually tossed away his phone, rubbed his face vigorously, and took a deep breath of sour, hot blood.
***
With a heavy echo, Shen Zhuo climbed to the end of the rope ladder and was then pulled into the helicopter cabin by Yang Xiaodao. The cabin door slammed shut behind him.
“Where’s the blood bag?” Shen Zhuo immediately asked as he took his seat.
The inspector beside him quickly helped him fasten his seatbelt, and Luo Zhen handed over the blood collection bag from the front row. Shen Zhuo opened it, looked inside, his expression slightly relaxed, and ordered, “Notify the HRG Laboratory to prepare immediately. Any updates from the hospital?”
The inspector was already well-informed: “Mr. Bai’s condition is stable. His brain scans haven’t worsened since 3 a.m. last night. Although it can’t be explained, the doctor says it’s a good sign.”
Shen Zhuo showed no emotion, simply nodding in acknowledgment.
Then, he turned to Yang Xiaodao and asked, “How are you?”
The young man had already removed his steel knuckle gloves, curled up in the back corner, carrying the lingering smell of iron and blood mixed together. He shook his head silently in response, indicating that he hadn’t been injured.
However, Shen Zhuo lifted his black T-shirt.
Underneath the clothes was a robust waist, and there was a fist-sized bloody abrasion on the side, likely torn by Yue Yang’s punch. Fortunately, it hadn’t reached his internal organs.
“Go back and let the doctor bandage it for you,” Shen Zhuo said, patting the back of his head casually. “It’s not bad, considering it took more than three minutes. Yue Yang actually has a softer heart than the average evolutionist. He’s not someone who’s willing to be heavy-handed with children.”
“…” Yang Xiaodao resembled a small beast with messy hair, and if he had a tail, it would have been drooping by now. After a while, he stubbornly managed to utter, “I’ll be stronger than him in the future!”
Shen Zhuo neither confirmed nor denied, but couldn’t help but smile.
This kid truly lived up to being raised by Bai Sheng. After sitting there like a wilted plant for half the day, it seemed like something suddenly clicked in his mind. He looked up at Shen Zhuo with suspicion:
“So, about Director Yue…”
Shen Zhuo: “?”
“Nielsen, Rong Qi, and Director Yue…”
Shen Zhuo’s expression changed instantly, coldly saying, “Shut up.”
The helicopter whistled across the morning sky, leaving the evolutionist hospital, still shrouded in smoke, far behind. Yang Xiaodao sat sulking next to Shen Zhuo, occasionally casting pure, straightforward, and critical glances at him. However, from his expression, it was clear he only dared to criticize silently instead of voicing his thoughts.
***
Shenhai Airport.
With a huge roar, the International General Administration’s special plane descended toward the runway, and after a few minutes of taxiing, the silver-blue Gulfstream G550 slowly came to a stop on the tarmac.
“I am Shen Zhuo, the chief supervisor of Shenhai City. I cannot answer the call right now. Please leave a message later…”
Nielsen hung up the phone, his face as dark as water. His secretary whispered, “Maybe Supervisor Shen will pick up later. He might still be angry now…”
“Impossible,” Nielsen said coldly. “Shen Zhuo never wastes those useless emotions on me.”
The secretary was speechless for a moment.
“He must be up to something,” Nielsen squinted suspiciously, “but not to the extent… All the top ten supervisors have been issued silence orders; no one would tell him that method…”
The way to crack the daydream was impossible to hide from Shen Zhuo forever, but fortunately, he didn’t need to hide it forever. As long as he could drag out the golden 24-hour treatment period, even if Bai Sheng really died, he would have an excellent excuse to face the UN Security Council; after all, he saved Shen Zhuo’s life—Cameron, that old fox, might even come to thank him.
The only tricky part was Shen Zhuo.
Even the wolf of Odin could not accept the risk of falling out with Shen Zhuo, whether from the perspective of power and status or from the perspective of private feelings that everyone in the world believes he doesn’t have.
The moment Bai Sheng died, the evolutionist named Rong Qi would definitely come to attack. He must personally accompany Shen Zhuo to provide protection, which would be his only chance to regain Shen Zhuo’s affection.
As the door of the special plane opened, Nielsen descended the gangway with his entourage, and at first sight, he saw the car waiting on the tarmac and the young B-class evolutionist with a smile at the car door.
—Nielsen knew him; this person’s name was Chen Miao.
There were hundreds of A-class evolutionists in the International General Administration, and many didn’t even have the opportunity to leave their names in front of the director-general. Yet Nielsen knew Chen Miao’s age, abilities, alma mater, and even the dessert shop he liked to visit most when traveling to Basel. Not only Nielsen, but many high-ranking officials in the International General Administration also treated this young B-class person with great warmth and courtesy. The reason was simple: this person was one of the students personally brought out by Shen Zhuo.
Pleasing him might not please Shen Zhuo, but offending him would definitely offend Shen Zhuo to the core.
“—Director-General!” Chen Miao hurriedly approached to greet him and was about to salute. “We are terribly sorry. We only received the news of your visit half an hour ago, and the supervisor immediately sent me to greet you…”
Nielsen quickly pressed down on Chen Miao’s hand that was about to salute, smiling as he shook hands firmly. Anyone seeing the friendly face of the wolf of Odin would doubt that there was something wrong with their own eyes: “Where is your Supervisor Shen?”
Chen Miao sincerely replied, “Our only S-class evolutionist in the jurisdiction met with an accident. The supervisor feels deeply responsible, believing that he did not fulfill his duty to protect the evolutionist adequately.”
Nielsen’s smile slightly faded.
The wind swept across the tarmac, and everyone fell into an indescribable silence.
“So the supervisor went to a meeting,” Chen Miao explained apologetically, “to discuss clear management and detailed regulations, focusing on how to better protect the personal and property safety of evolutionists in the jurisdiction.”
It took Nielsen several seconds to comprehend every word in that translated English sentence. His ice-blue eyes gradually turned stormy gray, then he opened his mouth slowly, emphasizing each word:
“What exactly is your Supervisor Shen doing?!”
The phone buzzed loudly.
The secretary glanced down, her face turning pale. She quickly stepped forward and whispered, “Director-General, it’s a message from Supervisor Yue.”
Nielsen already had the worst premonition in his heart. He picked up the phone and quickly scanned the message, then closed his eyes momentarily.
[The target serum has been taken by Supervisor Shen.]
[I allowed him to take it; it’s my responsibility.]
Chen Miao didn’t need to see the message to know what it was about. He faced the Director-General, who stood above all the evolutionists worldwide, with a polite smile, not even changing the curvature of his lips. Until Nielsen took a deep breath and opened his eyes, almost grinding his teeth:
“Doing this will kill Shen Zhuo, do you understand?!”
“Director-General,” Chen Miao replied calmly, “I am under the guidance of my senior. I unconditionally trust and obey all commands given by my senior.”
Nielsen took a deep breath, finally understanding why he couldn’t get the nail into Shenhai countless times: “Where exactly is Shen Zhuo?”
“In the laboratory,” Chen Miao raised his hand to check the time, raising an eyebrow as he advised, “But you don’t need to rush over. The daydream ability serum should have been cultivated by now.”
“…”
“My senior said he could do it, so he will definitely be able to do it.” The young B-class evolutionist stood in front of Nielsen, his tone very calm, “he will definitely be able to bring Bai Sheng back safely, just as he has always done his best to protect all of us.”
***
With a slight popping sound, a chill rushed out as the incubator was opened, and the research director carefully held out a vial containing serum mixed with faint blue light spots.
It was cultivated using Su Jiqiao’s serum, capable of inducing A-class evolution gene interferon in humans.
“Normal A-class gene interferon can maintain its effect for over 40 minutes, but this serum has a short cultivation time, making it a temporary product at this stage, with an effect of approximately only 30 seconds,” the research director handed it to Shui Ronghua and couldn’t help but sigh, “The serum can only act on the human body. Fortunately, Dr. Shui is currently human; otherwise, we would have to find someone temporarily…”
Shui Ronghua showed no change in expression as she took the serum and once again confirmed with Shen Zhuo, “Are you ready?”
The HRG laboratory in Shenhai City was located underground at the Evolutionist Specialist Hospital. Its scale was incomparable to the one at the research institute years ago. From an industry perspective, it could almost be said to be pitiful.
But it was also thanks to this, this small laboratory didn’t attract too many suspicious eyes from the outside world and managed to survive under the protection of the Shenhai City Supervision Office.
Bai Sheng had been transferred from the special care ward, with his eyes tightly closed, deeply asleep, lying on a bed in the center of the laboratory. Fortunately, his S-class physical qualities were robust enough that the hallucinations tormenting him for over twenty hours hadn’t caused too much impact on his central nervous and cardiopulmonary systems. If he were A-class, even if he could wake up from the dream, the lingering effects on his body would be enough to take half his life away.
Shen Zhuo didn’t answer. Instead, he took off his suit jacket and sat on a chair beside the bed, unbuttoning his white shirt one by one.
The researchers were well-trained, attaching various wires and electrode pads to him and connecting them to life support devices and real-time brain scans. Finally, the director personally inserted a vein infusion needle into the back of his hand, with an unknown blood-colored liquid inside the infusion bag.
Shui Ronghua wondered, “What is this…”
“Neuronal stimulant,” Shen Zhuo said as he buttoned only two buttons of his shirt, his slender neck curving gracefully, his collarbones disappearing into the shadows. “It was one of the derivative products of HRG back then. Once it detects that the brain has entered a certain depth of hallucinatory state, it can start dripping. Within 60 seconds, it provides strong stimulation to the cerebral cortex, thereby alleviating the effects of hallucinations.”
“…Will there be any aftereffects?” Shui Ronghua couldn’t help but ask.
“Yes. 95% of recipients will experience sudden and dramatic changes in mood within three days,” Shen Zhuo said. “If by then I force you to work overtime or unreasonably cancel your quarterly bonuses, I want you to bravely stand up and oppose me.”
The researchers all chuckled.
Shui Ronghua loosened her collar, injected a needle into her own vein on the side of her neck, and cleanly pushed the serum to the bottom. She smiled and replied, “We’ll be waiting to triple our quarterly bonus when you wake up, Supervisor.”
A wave of power belonging to Su Jiqiao quickly enveloped her entire body, and her ability radiation sharply increased. The monitoring device emitted a frantic beeping sound.
Shen Zhuo reached out his hand, the one with the needle, and firmly grasped Bai Sheng’s hand on the hospital bed, calmly gazing at Shui Ronghua .
The next moment, the female doctor’s five fingers spread out toward Shen Zhuo, and a faint blue light suddenly surged in the air, and a powerful, invisible mental force rushed forward!
—A-class ability, Daydream, triggered.
Thousands of lethal shards of light enveloped Shen Zhuo’s entire body. Instantly, he leaned backward, his senses detached, and the snow-white laboratory rapidly receded like a retreating tide.
His consciousness plummeted rapidly downward, sinking into a raging inferno of flames.
From all directions, the sky was covered with terrifying, towering flames.
A little boy lay on the ground, staring blankly at the cracked ground scorched by the fire. Half of his body had been burned to a charred skeleton, and his fingers had burned to a crisp, leaving only bare, charred bones.
“…Help… us…”
“Save us…”
In the distance, calls for help still echoed from the wreckage of a crashed car, and desperate sounds of pounding on the car windows could be heard amidst the flames. However, he couldn’t move.
It was really too painful.
Is there anyone here to help me? He thought hazily.
Is there anyone who can help me? Will anyone come to rescue me?
Death suddenly became a tempting and imminent option. It seemed so comfortable and easy. As long as he plugged his ears and stopped listening, closed his eyes, and stopped seeing, as long as he stopped and sank into a deep sleep, he would no longer feel the pain.
“I’m sorry,” the little boy murmured, his cracked and bleeding eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
I tried so hard to change fate, but I’m too weak. I can’t save you… I’m sorry.
“…We’re still alive! We’re still alive!”
“We’re your mom and dad!”
“Bai Sheng! Bai Sheng! Bai Sheng!!—”
It felt like a red-hot needle piercing his heart, causing his organs to spasm in agony.
Bai Sheng suddenly opened his eyes.
He gasped for hot breath, once again staggering to his feet from the ground and staggering forward. The charred bones of his feet left blackened marks behind him, each step piercing his heart. But his inherent madness, his deep-seated regret, and his ingrained determination all supported him in his spine; even if he were burned to charcoal in the end, he couldn’t stop.
I can’t fall. I can’t fall.
At the age of eight, at the end of the blood-red street, the child swore with his tender voice that he would never stand behind the crowd watching; even if he had to face the fires of hell in the future, he would step forward and extend the first helping hand.
“Move forward!” “Go!” “That’s it!—” Numerous demonic shadows, which had reappeared outside the fire scene at some point, emitted urging, mocking laughter.
“Burn and burn to death!” “Go and burn to ashes!” “Hahaha—”
The demons danced wildly, obscuring the sky, filled with excitement, but Bai Sheng couldn’t hear anymore. Engulfed in flames from head to toe, his small body turned into a figure of fire. Stumbling to the side of the car door, he reached out his hand to the inside with the last of his strength—
At that moment.
A brilliant white light broke through, unstoppable and overwhelming, sweeping away all the demons and shadows, turning them into twisted smoke in screams from all directions.
Then, a familiar figure appeared in the white light.
The little boy widened his eyes in astonishment, looking up at the person approaching with light, as if a deity, possessing an unimaginable appearance and overwhelming power. Stepping through flames and smoke, the figure approached him step by step, extending a hand down to him from above:
“How long do you want me to wait, Bai Sheng?”
In an instant, it was as if enlightenment had dawned upon his soul, and the pupils of the little boy suddenly dilated.
Trembling, he raised his hand and intertwined his fingers with the deity’s.
At the moment their palms touched, the boy’s horrifyingly disfigured body rapidly grew and elongated, skin covering charred bones, and flesh and blood were restored. Bai Sheng, like a scarred wolf king, embraced Shen Zhuo tightly, emitting a hoarse cry that had been suppressed for nineteen years.
The raging flames quietly extinguished, and all the horrors vanished into nothingness.
The cries for help finally ceased, and the twisted, burning car dispersed like light smoke. The souls of the couple from nineteen years ago found peace, gently caressing their beloved son’s cheek one last time before intertwining and disappearing into the sky.
Time flowed like a winding melody, carrying the lament of that eight-year-old child far into the horizon.
“I wanted so much to save them, but I just couldn’t do it…”
Bai Sheng kneeled halfway to the ground, leaning over Shen Zhuo’s shoulder, as each drop of scalding liquid seeped into his white shirt. “I thought I had become very powerful; I tried so hard, but still couldn’t do it…”
“Do you know why you were able to evolve into an S-class?” Shen Zhuo’s arm wrapped around Bai Sheng’s back, his other hand pressed against his dark hair, as he calmly said, “It’s not about going back nineteen years to change fate, but about being someone in the future who has absolute power, who can be the first to step out from the crowd.”
“It’s this determination that made you undergo such a transformation because you wished to protect every human and evolutionist. Evolution grants you the most powerful weapon of causality because only the strong can hold a compassionate heart for the weak.”
The world turned into a quiet void, vast and boundless.
Bai Sheng’s choked breath gradually subsided, like a lost child, tightly embracing Shen Zhuo.
“…It’s strange,” he murmured dreamily, “Why am I crying in front of you?”
Had the tears and resentment that had ceased since the age of eight not disappeared after all?
As if an indestructible shield suddenly collapsed, the armor that had been polished for years crumbled easily. Though he was the one who most desired conquest and possession, the one who most wanted to display strength before the other, at the moment when the other reached out a hand, he whimpered like a wild animal, eager for shelter in the wind and snow.
It was as if he had known all along that it was acceptable to show weakness in front of this person.
Under the gaze of those beautiful eyes, he could completely retract his claws, spread out his fur, and expose those embarrassing wounds that he had never shown to anyone, as well as the dripping flesh and blood that had never healed.
Bai Sheng held Shen Zhuo tightly in his arms, burying his face in the crook of his neck, and asked softly while kneeling on the ground, “Are you here to take me out?”
He felt Shen Zhuo smile faintly, a smile that was serene:
“No, I’m here to send you out.”
“…”
A terrible guess suddenly surfaced, and Bai Sheng’s pupils widened silently.
The next moment, Shen Zhuo effortlessly pushed away from his embrace, stood up, and leaned down to imprint a cool kiss on Bai Sheng’s forehead.
“Go back; it’s been 24 hours; you have no more time.”
“The next battleground is mine.”
With that kiss, the surroundings rapidly distorted, disintegrated, and collapsed with a resounding crash; the first layer of the dream, under the powerful assault of Shen Zhuo’s formidable mental strength, crumbled like a city trampled by iron hooves, turning into dust that obscured the sky and the sun.
A vast abyss appeared beneath Shen Zhuo’s feet, pulling him into the second layer of the dream; meanwhile, Bai Sheng was uncontrollably propelled into the sky, enveloped by the white light from behind, leading him back to reality.
A scalding dark red “S” reappeared in his chest, signaling that the power of evolution was gradually returning to his body.
“…Shen Zhuo?” Bai Sheng watched in horror as Shen Zhuo made no resistance, arms spread open, allowing himself to plummet into the abyss. Bai Sheng couldn’t contain his trembling.
“Where are you going, Shen Zhuo?!”
***
“—It worked!” “It really worked!”
Cheers erupted by the bedside as they witnessed the brain scan of Bai Sheng. The area controlled by the hallucinations rapidly faded from crimson to pale, the danger index plummeting, and his long-stiffened eyelashes fluttered slightly.
“He’s about to wake up!”
Sui Ronghua glanced at the clock: 1:16 pm.
It had been exactly 23 hours and 59 minutes since Bai Sheng was dragged into the dream, barely clinging to the golden window of survival.
She breathed a sigh of relief, but before she could inhale again, the danger index on the real-time brain scan suddenly paused, freezing without warning.
Immediately afterward, it plummeted like an avalanche, the brain region controlled by hallucinations suddenly turning blood red!
“What’s happening?!”
“What’s going on?!”
“Blood oxygen levels are dropping; the patient has lapsed into a coma again!”
Amidst the chaos, with voices and footsteps overlapping, the life-monitoring device beeped incessantly. Shui Ronghua’s gaze shifted from the brain scan inch by inch to Bai Sheng on the hospital bed, and she finally uttered an incredulous sound:
“He… he jumped down…”
“He followed Shen Zhuo into the second level of the dream…”
Above the abyss, where darkness shrouded the heavens, the dazzling lights of the second dream almost engulfed the universe. But then, a magnificent thunderous dragon roared in anger, a strike of S-class power tearing apart the myriad currents attempting to expel him from the dream realm into countless fragments!
The abyss collapsed entirely, the heavens and earth resonating endlessly. Even the daydream ability itself emitted a perilous tearing sound.
Amidst this world-destroying and magnificent scene, Bai Sheng broke through countless layers of resistance between heaven and earth, swiftly rushing toward the continuously falling Shen Zhuo, reaching out desperately in the raging winds—
This time, let me take you out.
Suddenly, the heavens and the earth turned into a vast expanse of pale white.
It felt like just a moment, yet also as if it had been a long, long time.
Bai Sheng slowly opened his eyes. He saw the blazing sun in the sky above and the scorching wind passing through the sand dunes. As he looked around, he saw the endless desert stretching to the horizon, a magnificent and vast expanse of thousands of miles.
Where was this place?
He sat up abruptly, his brain throbbing with pain as he took in a sharp breath, one hand pinching his forehead.
His mind had been cruelly tortured for too long, making it impossible to fully recover in the blink of an eye. The furious and frenzied strike from earlier must have strained his mental faculties.
But none of that mattered now; he only had one thought: where was Shen Zhuo?
Bai Sheng agilely got up and surveyed his surroundings. Suddenly, he heard the increasing roar of a helicopter approaching overhead. Then, a camouflaged Ka-52 military helicopter descended from the sky, stirring up a boiling sandstorm until it slowly landed on a nearby sand dune.
The doors on both sides opened, and two figures dressed in training uniforms leaped out of the cabin, landing steadily on the sandy ground.
Even from that distance, Bai Sheng recognized the two people immediately.
They turned out to be Fu Chen and Su Jiqiao!
Fu Chen carried a large toolbox in both hands, his gaze alert as he scanned the surroundings before setting down the toolbox and turning around. However, Su Jiqiao was quicker; with a camouflaged equipment bag slung over one shoulder and a PP19-1 submachine gun in his right hand, the first thing he did upon landing was turn around and extend his hand toward the cabin door above, smiling with his face raised.
Following Su Jiqiao’s gaze upward, the third person appeared at the cabin door.
Bai Sheng’s gaze locked onto him.
It was Shen Zhuo, 26 years old.
Shen Zhuo wore a black tactical vest, holding a silver cooler box in one hand. Amidst the desert, he looked dazzlingly fair, the intense sun making his skin translucent and the lines from his cheek to his jaw reflecting light.
The expression in his eyes was unusually indifferent, ignoring Su Jiqiao’s extended hand as he leaped straight down from the cabin door to the ground.
“Professor, we’ve been flying for hours. Are you sure you don’t need any rest?” Su Jiqiao retracted his hand, seemingly unfazed and unembarrassed, as if it were a routine question, and asked behind Shen Zhuo.
Shen Zhuo strode forward, while Fu Chen sighed and said loudly, “Let’s move forward. The Qinghai Base is just one kilometer south!”
The Qinghai Base.
As soon as these words came out, the vague premonition that had been lingering was confirmed. Bai Sheng finally understood the current situation—
Shen Zhuo’s dream was of the explosion at the Qinghai Test Site three years ago, on May 11th.
He had returned to that night when the truth was lost forever.
