Proofreader: Kleep
Chapter 25: Life at the Base
Wu Yun shook his head with his hands in his pockets, "You have no idea how I felt, seeing you fall right in front of my eyes. If changing my name means that nothing like that will ever happen to you again, then I"ll change it immediately!"
"Forget it," Zhou Yu thought that it would be hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Even if his name was changed, his cursed mouth couldn"t be changed.
Li Qian and the others also rushed over. Li Qian might act awkward, but when he saw Zhou Yu, even his nose turned red.
Han Li directly started crying and Dr. Daniel gave Zhou Yu a hug.
Someone started clapping. Everyone turned to look at Song Zhi.
"Zhou Yu, I almost gave your compensation pay to Professor Zhou," smiled Song Zhi.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I"m not dead," answered Zhou Yu.
"You"re someone I personally invited here, I was very sad when I heard that something happened to you. If you had died, then I would have really been disappointed." Song Zhi extended his hand to Zhou Yu.
The man was truly ice-cold. He could examine everything with absolute calm and disregard anything unrelated. He only had his eyes on the results he wanted.
Zhou Yu was a key component of his plans, losing him was indeed a loss for Song Zhi.
Zhou Yu shook Song Zhi"s hand, "Mr. Song, you know… I have a reason to keep on living."
Song Zhi looked at Zhou Yu, then nodded, "Juli Corp keeps its promises. Professor Zhou has received the best research opportunities here, as well as first-rate medical treatment. I think you should all have a lot of things to say to each other, the cafeteria will be open to you until midnight. I hope you"ll have a pleasant night."
That night, Wu Yun, Zhou Yu and the rest stuffed themselves in the cafeteria. Wu Yun handed Zhou Yu two cans of beer.
"Hey, the supplies here are a little short, beer and cigarettes are considered luxuries."
"What about red wine?" Zhou Yu opened the beer and made a toast with Wu Yun.
"Probably something only someone of Song Zhi"s calibre could indulge in."
"Song Zhi looks young, but he"s already at an important position in Juli Corp. It"s pretty unbelievable."
"Legend has it… And I"m talking about a legend…" whispered Li Qian, "Mr. Song once crossed paths with an S rank organism, and he almost killed it…"
"Kill an S rank organism? That"s an apex predator! I heard the previous based was destroyed because of an S rank organism."
Dr. Daniel was doubtful.
"What shocking news. I"ve never heard of it in all my years working at Juli Corp." Wu Yun smiled, but his eyes told Zhou Yu that not all of it was complete nonsense.
Zhou Qing"s fingertips imperceptibly trembled. He thought of the S rank organism that had once saved him. As for the voice in his head, he had not heard it echo again.
Everyone started to talk about their upcoming plans. Li Qian only had to stay in the base to do system maintenance and related programming designs. Han Li and Dr. Daniel would stay with the medical team. Wu Yun and Zhou Yu were to wait for their a.s.signed missions.
"Is your body still okay?" Zhou Yu asked Zhou Qing.
"Mm, I"m not experiencing any negative reactions right now. A thorough brain examination was done when I got here. It"s strange, the tumor hasn"t grown. Also, I"ve completely stopped taking the medication with negative side-effects that was prescribed to me." Zhou Qing said, smiling.
A heavy weight finally lifted from Zhou Yu"s chest.
It was the most scrumptious dinner Zhou Yu had after arriving in Nibelungen.
After dinner, Wu Yun showed Zhou Yu around the base to familiarize him with the environment. Security guards, as well as field work personnel and researchers, outnumbered the logistics employees 3 to 1. Naturally, the turnover and mortality rates of the security guards and the field workers were the highest. Those who had been at the destroyed base were known to be the best of the best. Song Zhi had come to Nibelungen because of that base.
The area of the base was limited, and everyone had their own small living area.
Wu Yun termed their living quarters the "sleep capsule."
When Zhou Yu opened the door to the room he had been allocated, he couldn"t help but admit that Wu Yun"s comparison had hit the nail on the head.
There was a bed that was only large enough to fit one person, and all his living necessities were placed on a shelf above the bed. Every inch of s.p.a.ce was utilized. It felt constricting, as if the four walls would close in and crush him at any second. Rather than in such an environment, Zhou Yu would have preferred to sleep outside.
After washing, he lay down on the bed.
The quiet there at the base was different from the quiet in the primitive forest. Zhou Yu closed his eyes. The tiny figure of Mo Ye emerged from his thoughts.
How was it doing? Had it found something to eat? Was it resting well? Maybe it was frightened?
Zhou Yu had the fruits Mo Ye brought to him in his hand. He tossed one of them into his mouth. Its sweet, pleasant taste relaxed his mood, but he still could not fall asleep no matter what.
After searching forever, he finally found a spare pillow. Zhou Yu hugged it close and pretended that it was Mo Ye.
But Mo Ye was even softer and warmer.
Live well, Mo Ye.
You have to grow up and become strong.
Then you"ll have the freedom to do the things you want to do.
Suddenly, Zhou Yu"s intercom sounded. Song Zhi"s voice came from it.
"I know you need the rest, but I have a few questions that I need answered, or else I won"t be able to sleep."
Zhou Yu knew what Song Zhi wanted to ask.
"Okay."
"I"ll be waiting for you in my office."
Then, the line was cut short.
Zhou Yu quickly got up and left his room. The deepest part of the base was also known to be the safest place—Song Zhi"s office.
The office wasn"t large, it was just big enough to fit a desk and two chairs.
Song Zhi had his hands clasped as if he had been waiting for Zhou Yu for a long time. He was like a hunter lying in wait beneath the shadows; no lies could escape his gaze.
When Zhou Yu sat down, the door to the office automatically locked itself.
A bottle of red wine really was placed down in front of Zhou Yu.
Although Zhou Yu didn"t understand wine, he could tell this was no cheap bottle from the tears of the wine. [1]
"You can ask me the questions," said Zhou Yu.
"I could have added truth serum to the wine, but I did not. I want to hear you tell the truth. Any secrets you hide could be the reason for your companions" and your brother"s deaths," said Song Zhi.
"Then, may I ask you a question first?" asked Zhou Yu.
"You may," nodded Song Zhi.
"Have you really made contact with an S rank organism before?
"Yes. It was beautiful. When I say "beautiful", I don"t mean its appearance. I mean the arrogance of its freedom to look down on all other organisms," Song Zhi replied with no hesitation or ponderance.
"Then, did it entice you?" Zhou Yu questioned again.
Song Zhi looked down and chuckled, "It didn"t need to entice me. Its mere existence was gravity."
"But you"re still alive."
"That was merely my due to my good luck, as well as my misfortune. I angered it and it punished me with the most effective and direct method."
Zhou Yu looked at Song Zhi, his ice-cold gaze was overflowing with sorrow.
"My fiancée had also been a researcher here. She was the one who researched how to manufacture the bullets fatal to the organisms here. The S rank organism took her away and forced her to conceive its child. That child took her life. I"ve been searching for it, but I never saw it again."
Zhou Yu had never expected that Song Zhi had been through such an experience.
"All of my students, researchers, colleagues, and my most significant friends became its source of nourishment. That"s why I know how dangerous they are better than anyone. In one moment, they will make you feel like you"ve ascended to heaven, and in the next, you"re plunged into the abyss of h.e.l.l."
Zhou Yu saw the frost in Song Zhi"s eyes.
"Now it"s my turn to ask you questions. I hope you"ll answer me truthfully, take it as doing it for Professor Zhou."
"Of course."
"Did you really fall from the Angel"s Horns under the attack of a reverse-scaled dragon?"
"Yes."
"Were you attacked by the organisms in the water?"
"I"m not sure if it was an illusion, but I believe I was attacked."
Song Zhi frowned. He pinched the edges of the winegla.s.s, as if turning over the meaning of Zhou Yu"s words in his mind.
"What about the reverse-scaled dragon? It let you go, just like that?"
"I saw the reverse-scaled dragon coming towards me to kill me, but… an organism blocked it in front of me and killed the dragon."
"If an organism killed the reverse scaled dragon, it would at least be A ranked. Is there anything else you"re not sure of or you think was an illusion?"
"Yes. I thought I saw a youth save me. Then I was by the sh.o.r.e when I woke up."
After Zhou Yu spoke, he studied Song Zhi"s expression carefully.
Song Zhi raised his hand to cover his forehead, then he remained silent for a long time.
"Did I come across an S rank organism?" asked Zhou Yu.
"I think, yes."
"It could be a coincidence, it never appeared again," said Zhou Yu.
Song Zhi shook his head and helplessly smiled, "They wouldn"t save a human being for no reason, they"re too proud. They wouldn"t spare a second glance at any creature beneath them. You must be its target, yet we have completely no idea what its standards are in choosing you as its target."
Zhou Yu was not surprised at all when he heard that news.
"Be more careful, I hope to see you alive long enough to return to our world."
"Thank you."
Zhou Yu nodded, then he left Song Zhi"s office.
Song Zhi"s judgement and his sensitivity towards the existence of S rank organisms was exceedingly sharp.
However, life was a one-way trip, and no matter if the S rank organism would appear on this trip again, the destination would never change.
Since the outcome was set, Zhou Yu"s heart was calm.
When he had almost reached his room, he saw a few of the field workers chatting.
"Have you heard? Team alpha brought an A rank organism back from their mission!"
Hey! I"m going to a bit busy this week because of exams.
next [1] I"m pretty sure this is what this weird wine lingo term is referring to. It"s supposed to be the droplets that continuously form and drop back into the wine. [Wikipedia] [go back]