Mist

Chapter 9

The inside of the building was very dark and there was only light at the entrance.

From the location the car stopped at inside the building, they could make out two words on the wall in the centre of the lobby with some difficulty: Runjin Building. On the left was the layout of the building engraved onto a metal panel. They could roughly guess that this was a building for both commercial and residential use.

The smooth marble floor in the lobby was stained with blood and there were some bloody handprints on the walls. The glass from the glass doors broken through by the car and rubbish were scattered across the floor. Apart from that, there was nothing else.

“How is everyone?” Song Qinglan asked inside the car, “Anyone hurt?”

The front of the car was severely damaged making it even more difficult to move in the already crowded back seats.

Song Qinglan’s voice was very close and it sounded right next to Ji Yushi’s ear, much like the first time he heard it on the public channel.

“I’m fine.” Ji Yushi answered.

Except for Ji Yushi, no one knew what happened before and no one seemed to have memories of their last death.

Just now with the spacecar suddenly appearing and death almost seizing him once again, his adrenaline rose to an all-time high and his heart sped up. Even when the car braked and his head hit the back of the driver’s seat, he didn’t feel it.

“I’m also okay.”

“I’m fine.”

...........

Duan Wen’s voice from the passenger seat was painful, “My....my leg seems to be stuck.”

Li Chun let out a curse, “Hurry and help! Brother Wen is stuck!”

“Grrrr.....”

A faint sound travelled over.

The building was deserted and the dark corridors stretched endlessly. It made it hard to tell which direction that sound came from, but it definitely wasn’t far from them.

The car crashed into the building just now and the commotion was too loud so it must have alerted the nearby zombies. This building may appear deserted but there are many zombies hidden within.

Duan Wen’s left leg was firmly trapped. When his teammates tried to move the part trapping his leg, the pain was unbearable.

“You guys go first. Don’t worry about me!”

The zombie’s sounds were getting closer. Duan Wen panted heavily, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat, “Go!”

“How could we leave you!?”

“Hang in there, Brother Wen!”

Song Qinglan inserted Shen Mian into the gap and motioned for Li Chun to protect Duan Wen’s knee.

Even in a situation like this, he remained calm and decisive. He only said quickly, “Less nonsense. Hang in there. Even if your leg is broken, we’re leaving together!”

The absolute trust developed after going through many missions together made Duan Wen willingly accept his captain’s order. Hearing his words, he gritted his teeth and nodded, “......Okay.”

“Hurry!” Zhou Mingxuan urged as he looked around vigilantly with his gun raised.

The footsteps in the corridor grew louder and louder and more and more hasty. There were even growls sounding very close at hand.

“Bang, bang, bang!”@@@@

Someone opened fire and several zombies fell as blood splattered around them.

But this corridor seemed like it led to hell. Very soon, more growls and footsteps could be heard and the number of zombies that appeared were several times more than it was earlier!

“Hurry up!!” Li Chun was so anxious, his eyes were red. He shouted, “Cap Song!”

The pitch black Shen Mian was used as a lever.

Because of the force he was exerting, blue veins appeared on Song Qinglan’s forehead and the muscles on his arm became more defined. The car slowly began to let out a low groan.

“AHH—-”

Along with an uncontrollable cry of agony, Duan Wen’s leg was finally freed. It was completely bloody and the wound was so deep, the bone underneath was visible.

Li Chun’s hand trembled, “Brother Wen!”

Duan Wen face was extremely pale. Li Chun supported him out. Song Qinglan shouted, “Go!”

Five people plus one wounded fought while retreating. When they came, their impact shattered the glass and the corridor on the left was also blocked. Zombies poured in continuously. The squad was like a headless prey thrown into a trap. It could be said that they had just left a tiger’s den only to enter a wolf’s den!

Amidst the gunshots, waves of zombies were shot to death. The building was like a maze with nowhere to escape.

With a thud, someone knocked open the fire door.

Tang Le who had been silent for a long time shouted, “Here!”

Everyone retreated into the emergency staircase. The emergency lights turned on, no one was inside.

But very quickly, there was a commotion below. Everyone’s expression changed. A group of zombies had rushed up from below!

“Grrr——-”

Morning 7:40am.

The bathroom in this high-class beauty salon was spacious and bright with four princess-style washstands arranged in a circle, carpet on the floor and scented candles. You could smell the fragrance as soon as you walked in.

But at this moment, there was a faint smell of blood mixed in and there were a few blood-stained tissues scattered on the carpet.

There was a sound of water.

Song Qinglan circled around the washstands before he found Ji Yushi at the innermost part of the bathroom.

Ji Yushi was washing his face or more exactly, he was rinsing out his entire head.

The water turned pink as it mixed with the blood and it drained out into the basin. The tips of his hair and his eyelashes still dripped with water and his soaked skin looked paler than usual making the raised bump on his forehead appear even more conspicuous —– It was from the impact in the car.

Through the mirror, Ji Yushi also saw him, “Cap Song.”

In that fierce battle, everyone had basically rolled around with the zombies. Unlike the Guardians who are a bunch of unruly men, Ji Yushi liked cleanliness very much. This was something everyone could see.

The strange thing was that even after seeing that Ji Yushi wasn’t actually useless, let alone a flower vase that had joined to easily clear an A-level mission like he had imagined him to be, this appearance of his still made him look weak and vulnerable.

Song Qinglan pointed at his forehead in the mirror and asked casually, “Are you okay?”

Ji Yushi answered, “I’m okay. How is Duan Wen?”

Song Qinglan, “Broke his left leg and damaged his artery. I’m afraid that leg cannot be saved.”

Ji Yushi’s actions stopped.

Song Qinglan, “Push through. We will push through no matter what. It’s better than not returning.”

Too many things had happened, and everything had happened too quickly.

They were caught off-guard and forced into their current situation. First, it was Tang Qi and then it was Duan Wen and now they’re in their current predicament.

But if.......

Probably having thought of the same things, the two fell silent at the same time but no one spoke about that uncertain possibility.

Song Qinglan didn’t come here for small talk. He soon went straight to the point, “Advisor Ji, how did you know that there is a back alley behind the warehouse?”

Ji Yushi put down the towel, “Then how did Cap Song know where the fake wall is?”

“When that woman suddenly changed in front of me, I suddenly remembered.”

“What a coincidence, me too.”

Judging from the current situation, only the two of them remembered what happened last time.

Song Qinglan crossed his arms. He spoke in a casual tone, “If I’m not crazy, I remember you should have escaped with the others in the car.”

Ji Yushi nodded, “Yes but we were unlucky. Not long after escaping, we were hit and killed by the spacecar we just saw.”

It seems that the death from last time was not a good memory for either of them.

Seeing that his sacrifice didn’t help, Song Qinglan let out a low curse, “Looks like we’re both not crazy.”

Song Qinglan opened the faucet and washed away the blood on his hands.

The bones on those large hands of his were distinct and well defined. Blood had even stained his nails. It was unknown if it was Duan Wen’s or someone else’s.

Before going out, Song Qinglan paused. He turned back and his dark eyes were deep, as if he wanted to see through Ji Yushi’s inner thoughts.

“By the way Ji Yushi, do you remember the mission mode?”

“I remember. It’s Ouroboros.”

Ji Yushi suddenly realised something. In western legends, Ouroboros represented cycle.

It was just like their current predicament!

Song Qinglan suddenly brought up this topic and, after seeing Ji Yushi’s reaction, he then gently dropped it and reminded, “We still don’t have any clues. No one knows whether our guess is correct or not. If it is wrong, the outcome may not be salvageable so I hope it can be kept a secret for the time being.”

Song Qinglan’s black combat uniform was covered with dark red blood stains. As if he was annoyed by Ji Yushi’s dawdling, he said, “Anyway, hurry and gather at the hall so that we can discuss what to do next.”

Two minutes later, Ji Yushi returned to the hall and threw something at Song Qinglan.

It was the famous killing weapon that was used as a lever earlier and then used to hold the fire door in place—- Shen Mian.

The fire door was fastened shut with an axe Ji Yushi later found.

In front of everyone, Ji Yushi didn’t act like a subordinate and his tone was serious, “Weapons should be used when they need to be used. It is best that they don’t leave your side.”

Everyone: “........”

He had just asked for him to open a bottle cap earlier and now he dared to boss someone around. Advisor Ji was really getting braver and braver.

Those words entering Song Qinglan’s ears sounded familiar, as if he had said it last time at the park management office.

Ji Yushi this person, really was someone who would not let a single grievance go unreturned.