Chapter 76 (1/2)
Chang dragged Pangzi's body to the street, wandering around until he found an abandoned vehicle from which he snapped a section of a tube. He then siphoned the gasoline from the gas tank and poured the liquid onto Pangzi's broken body.
While Pangzi was gradually covered by the gasoline, Qing Shui finally woke the soldiers up, and they walked out from the cla.s.sroom together.
”He is dead?” askedMing Yi, gazing at Pangzi's body and heaving a sigh.
Chang quietly asked for a lighter from Qing Shui, and a small flame was lit on the tip of the lighter. It then quickly fell onto Pangzi's body.
The raging flame melted his body and burned the alien lives lurking in him.
”Let's go,” Qing Shui said, after patiently waiting until the last bit of flame transformed into a stream of dark smoke. ”Fortunately, he didn't die in suffering.”
”You are right, this is the last thing I could feel happy about for him.” Chang turned away from the ashes of his dead friend. ”Where is our next stop?”
”The research inst.i.tute.” Qing Shui gazed toward the northwest. ”I am really curious what human science and technology can do in this new world.”
”Where is the research inst.i.tute?” asked Chang.
”There was a small village within Zhengzhou, called Xu Zhai. It was completely rebuilt seven years ago during an urban transformation project, and then they decided to use the land for the huge research inst.i.tute.” Ming Yi tried hard to recall what he had heard from the captain. ”It was for biology and genetic engineering. I had also heard that for the last seven years the government had built a lot of these research inst.i.tutes in the suburbs. It started when they recorded the red fog for the first time. I think they must have known a lot about its secrets.”
”But they never foresaw that it would become a global phenomenon,” Qing Shui said, looking fixedly at the red sky. ”Let's see what they have in there!”
The sorrowful emotions were deeply buried and covered in Chang's heart. He gently pinched the finger bone in his pocket before picking Jing up and putting her on his back. With Ming Yi's guidance, they headed toward the northwest of the city.
As they went further, the change along the path became clearer. And it was quite different from what was in downtown Kaifeng.
The ecology around Xu Zhai was highly impacted by human activities; the plants seemed sluggish, and the gra.s.s was much shorter. Mutated animals were barely seen in this area; they even saw people wandering on the street to look for food. Apparently, it was much easier to survive in here than anywhere else, and wanderers didn't seem to be worried about not having military protection.
”What a peaceful place!” Chang couldn't help but exclaim.
”It is just different from Kaifeng, though, I feel the harmony here.” Qing Shui also kept observing the surroundings and the wanderers. ”But I don't know what they are living on; if they rely on the plants, malnutrition would soon become a big problem. If I were one of the researchers in the inst.i.tute, I would propose the food problem as the very first thing”
”Well, you will soon become one of them,” Chang said, turning his head.
”I don't think they will listen to a newbie, though.” Qing Shui lightly shook his head. ”More importantly, I don't know how many EMs they have in there.”
”You'll know that when you get there.” Chang also added, ”In my opinion, I don't think there will be many like you. If everyone there was an EM like you, then I would be fearless in this apocalypse. The science and technology would soon overcome the struggle we are having now. Getting back to the top of the food chain would be easy.”
As he spoke, he noticed a human-sized cat walking toward them, but it fled at its fastest speed as soon as it felt danger. ”A clever little cat, perhaps you are an EM as well?” Chang praised the cat.
”What did you just say?” asked Ming Yi. He hadn't seen the cat but only heard Chang talking to himself.
”Nothing, just keep going.”
They were faster than yesterday as they were well-rested now. It took them only one and a half hours to cross the city of Zheng Zhou, and they finally arrived at the research inst.i.tute that Ming Yi kept talking about.
The inst.i.tute was enclosed by high walls, the plaque on top of the gate implying its great vitality. The place was heavily guarded by layers of armed soldiers since several military camps surrounded the building.
It took a while for Ming Yi to negotiate with the guard at the gate until the soldier finally loosened his guard and allowed him into the inst.i.tute. The soldier entered with a quick and steady trot. Soon, a person came out from the red fog, accompanied by Ming Yi; the three stars on the stranger's epaulet hinted at his rank in the military - he was a colonel.
”You must be Qing Shui Li!” The Colonel immediately came closer to Qing Shui to confirm the person he was greeting; his face was painted with ardor. ”Welcome! Welcome!”
”I heard from Ming Yi that you came from Kaifeng. Are you an EM?” the forty-year-old colonel asked, while stepping forward to shake hands with Qing Shui.
”As you said, I am from Kaifeng.” Qing Shui smiled.