In the narrow car, the researcher brought by Professor Tang was a young man with a crew cut, who now looked nervously at the man beside him. Professor Tang hadn’t just randomly sent someone; this researcher had been one of Zhu Yan’s therapists ten years ago, a familiar old acquaintance.
The researcher was very familiar with the past Zhu Yan, talking incessantly about the old days along the way: “Do you remember the first time we fought in the abandoned contaminated area in the southwest?”
The mermaid remained silent, expressionless, drinking water.
Throughout, the mermaid only reacted a little when the researcher introduced himself as “Shu’s assistant therapist.”
The tall mermaid found the voice somewhat familiar. It was probably really one of Zhu Yan’s former therapists. But the mermaid just turned his head to give the researcher a cold look, then turned away.
The researcher gradually relaxed, because the silent mermaid was very much like Zhu Yan, and the researcher knew the former leader well; he might have appeared cold but was actually tolerant and rarely harsh to his subordinates.
When the researcher tried to move closer to the mermaid to attempt a check-up—
The water was gone, the cooling mint candies she had given were also consumed. The mermaid’s patience finally ran out. He casually grabbed the researcher by the neck and pressed him effortlessly against the car wall.
The one-eighty tall researcher was almost lifted with one hand.
What tolerance, what gentleness? The look in the mermaid’s eyes did not seem to be seeing a living being.
The researcher was so terrified that he was shaking all over and couldn’t even speak.
The mermaid slowly withdrew his hand, issuing a cold chuckle. Nostalgia? If he really cared about Zhu Yan in the past, why didn’t he appear at the sanatorium until “he” remembered?
The fierce beast was in a very bad mood, “he” decided, if Shu Tang ever tried to insert other therapists near him, “he” would just throw them all away. If Shu Tang no longer acted as “his” therapist, the mermaid would stop treating his condition.
“He” would rather suffer than agree.
The fierce beast didn’t blame Shu Tang.
Every mistake, it seems, is someone else’s fault. They must have deceived the kitten with their words.
In the eyes of this mermaid, the kitten isn’t very bright, struggling to memorize a few hundred words even after ten tries. Moreover, she often compares her own undergraduate degree unfavorably with the qualifications of other therapists.
Shu Tang thought the mermaid hadn’t understood, but in fact, the mermaid knew all too well.
However, the mermaid believed that Shu Tang was mistaken about one thing: “He” was willing to go to Yan City because of her.
If she were not by his side, why would he go to Yan City?
It started raining halfway through the journey, and the mermaid’s fin pierced the car roof, causing a slight leak.
Feeling the raindrops ticking down, the mermaid remembered the kitten didn’t want him to get wet, but the space was too small for an umbrella.
So, the mermaid looked at the researcher shivering in the corner.
The researcher thought, since the great leader had regained some of his memories, showing up with a familiar face—even if he didn’t immediately gain the leader’s trust—he could stay close to him as Shu Tang’s assistant.
But a minute later, he was thrown to the car roof to serve as a rain cover.
Researcher: “……”
The mermaid and Zhu Yan are completely different. Zhu Yan is a tolerant, nearly perfect leader, whose true thoughts no one knows, and he never shows his likes or dislikes. But the mermaid is different, more straightforward and brutal.
And he had completely lost any semblance of tolerance.
The mermaid remained calm solely because Shu Tang’s car was quickly catching up and was within his sight. Moreover, the distance was slowly closing.
The armored vehicle left South Island City, aiming for the next city. To reach it, they had to cross a vast polluted area.
The vehicle was military-grade, powerful and fast.
But soon, an accident happened. The armored vehicle was hit hard, and the driver slammed on the brakes, crashing towards a wall. Just as the vehicle was about to crash into the abandoned contaminated zone, a pale hand effortlessly supported the wall, pulling the driver out and stabilizing the vehicle.
Moreover, accompanied by the shrill sound of tires, their corner was quickly surrounded.
The mermaid turned his head and released the driver.
Dark pupils slowly slid over their bodies.
However, the mermaid didn’t care about these people; in just a few seconds, the car following closely behind, driven by Shu Tang, disappeared. The mermaid tried to find it using his psychic abilities, but the obstructions in the abandoned contaminated zone were too many. At this moment, a large amount of contamination appeared not far away, densely packed like a black tide.
A researcher crawled over from the wall side, and the driver also looked pale. They both thought it was over. Clearly, this was a premeditated ambush. Just when they thought the scene was frightening enough—
They heard the scream of a malevolent deity.
And then, they saw the most terrifying sight of their lives.
*
The contaminated area used to be a bustling city, only abandoned because the pollutants made it uninhabitable for humans, forcing people to relocate and leaving the city in ruins.
In the pouring rain, Shu Tang lightened her steps and quickly ran towards the nearest abandoned building.
She could clearly hear the rain, her rapid breathing, and her pounding heart.
Just half an hour ago, she had been sitting in the passenger seat of the armored vehicle, thinking about how she would explain herself once she caught up with the mermaid.
But within a mere thirty minutes, everything had drastically changed.
Her knee was still faintly hurting from the scrape she got when the armored vehicle rolled over, but Shu Tang dared not stop because she could faintly hear the screams of the pollutants; she had to keep running.
The common sense taught during military training in college came into play; she didn’t wander aimlessly like a headless fly, but instead kept looking for buildings to hide in.
The buildings in the abandoned city were mostly dilapidated, but Shu Tang found a seemingly sturdy abandoned mall to hide in. She hid behind a wall to catch her breath and slowly sat down.
The afternoon’s schedule was very rushed, and Shu Tang thought it was merely due to a flight delay.
But the developments that followed exceeded her imagination.
Shu Tang was rescued by Old Wu when the car overturned.
While running, Old Wu told her: Today wasn’t poorly planned by Chen Sheng; it’s because if we don’t leave today, we might not be able to leave tomorrow at all.
Under the influence of Yan City, Chen Sheng received a transfer order, compelling him to move to the North Island Base at this time. If Chen Sheng hadn’t hurriedly sent them off today, it’s likely this trip to Yan City would have been aborted.
However, no one expected that the sanatorium would leak the news, and their temporary itinerary still ended up ambushed. Old Wu helped her divert most of the contaminants, directing her towards an area with fewer contaminants. Old Wu, a special forces soldier, found it easy to save himself; Shu Tang knew that staying would only hinder him, so she desperately ran.
A crow fluttered past the window.
Shu Tang caught her breath, clutching the wooden stock Old Wu had given her, her mind buzzing, feeling almost dreamlike.
The most thrilling thing in her life was encountering that group of contaminants at the power station. But now, not only had she encountered contaminants, but she had also bravely ventured into the contaminated area.
Shu Tang felt she had really achieved something; if she survived, she could boast about this until she was 80.
Yet, as Shu Tang calmed her racing heart, she began to think about what to do next.
Shu Tang was very self-aware; she knew she was a terrible fighter and never considered fighting a prolonged battle with the contaminants.
She decided to seek help. The best way, of course, was to find Little Rose’s spirit form. Even though they might have some misunderstandings now, Shu Tang felt that a marital spat wouldn’t prevent Little Rose from rescuing her.
However, the abandoned city once had extremely high property prices, leading developers to build skyscrapers desperately, and the streets were very narrow. Her view was so obstructed she could only see a sliver of sky.
Shu Tang thought: Developers are really unscrupulous.
She had no choice but to release her spiritual form, the big chicken leg.
She needed to reach a higher place to seek help, so the big chicken leg jumped onto the eaves of a shop, heading towards another open street.
But after only a short walk, the orange cat immediately became alert, its ears standing up like airplane wings.
Using the cover of a telephone pole, she saw several hyenas, parasitized by contaminants, lingering not far away. Their behavior was odd, and the sounds they made were not normal animal cries, but rather chilling howls.
The orange cat retracted its paw pads and slowed down. Before the hyenas could look this way, it quickly jumped off the eaves and returned to that block, that abandoned building.
Shu Tang had to abandon the idea of seeking help in the open. By exposing herself among the contaminants, she might be devoured before the mermaid could see her.
Realizing this approach was futile, Shu Tang retracted her spiritual form.
To make matters worse, there were no signals in the contamination zone, and her communicator was useless.
Shu Tang became somewhat disheartened. After observing for a while, she picked up a mop from the mall, and in front of the dusty floor-to-ceiling window, she wrote out “Little Rose” in large letters.
Thus, as long as the mermaid’s spirit passed overhead, he would see the distress signal with a simple glance down.
Shu Tang checked the mall interior for any pollutants and, finding none, she closed the mall doors and curled up in front of the glass window.
At this moment, night fell, and the sky turned pitch black, with not a single light visible throughout the deserted city.
It was eerily quiet around, not even a sound to be heard.
Only then did Shu Tang feel the pain all over her body, especially her left leg, which was scraped when the car flipped over. She didn’t know the condition of her leg and it was difficult to move.
As time passed, Shu Tang grew hungrier.
She hadn’t had a sip of water nor dinner, and her energy had been drained by the afternoon’s escape.
Yet, she dared not sleep. The place wasn’t safe, and Shu Tang feared that if she closed her eyes, she might wake up to find herself being gnawed by pollutants.
So, she took out her communicator, summoned her spirits, and began to tap out her will.
If Shu Tang had any regrets, it would be that she wasn’t brave enough. There were many things she hadn’t managed to say to the mermaid. Plus, she hadn’t seen the mermaid regain his memories.
She even bluffed a bit in a memo to her parents but ended up deleting it all, changing it to a suggestion that they have a second child.
After writing her will, Shu Tang began to think about dividing her assets.
Upon checking her bank messages: her inheritance amounted to 5,000 yuan—money funded by her father.
Shu Tang felt her life was a failure, especially realizing she was still penniless at the moment of her demise.
She decided if rescue didn’t arrive within two hours, she would release her spirit to actively seek help from the mermaid’s spirit as a last resort.
…
The mermaid’s vast spirit anxiously searched above the abandoned city.
The polluted area was much larger than South Island City, as safe human zones were far fewer than the polluted ones.
But Shu Tang’s spirit and body were too small, and a heavy rain had washed away any remaining scent, leaving no trace.
Searching for the tiny Shu Tang in such a vast, deserted city was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The restless behemoth, after searching for a long time without success, extended numerous spirit tentacles and began to search inch by inch.
In an instant, the blue spirit spread like the ocean, covering everything.
Finally, the mermaid found the words “Little Rose.”
Shu Tang hit her head when the armored vehicle flipped over, causing a slight concussion. She felt dizzy and was both tired and hungry. She desperately tried to observe her surroundings, but in the pitch-black night where she couldn’t see her hand before her face, fatigue washed over her like a tide.
Finally, Shu Tang fell asleep with her head against the window, and one blurry thought crossed her mind:
It’s over, she was going to be devoured by the contaminants.
After Shu Tang fell asleep, several hyenas appeared outside the doors of the nearby mall, emitting eerie howls and frantically scratching at the doors.
Just as the doors were about to be ripped open by the mad dogs, a fearsome monster appeared at the corner of the street.
The monster stared intently at the hyenas.
…
When the monster found Shu Tang, she had already been summoned by the Duke of Zhou after struggling several times. She was curled up beside the curtains, eyes closed, her body covered in scrapes, even sporting a large bruise on her forehead.
For a moment, the monster thought its kitten had died.
It immediately let out a sharp screech, its eyes turning terrifying. A profound unease nearly obliterated the monster’s reason.
But when the monster rushed over and heard the kitten’s breathing, the cold creature regained a sliver of sanity amidst its rage.
The monster retracted its sharp ear fins and held the kitten tightly in its arms, its cold hand pressed against her cheek. The monster whispered hoarsely in her ear, trying to wake her up.
Shu Tang remained unconscious until she heard the hoarse calling next to her and slowly woke up. She asked groggily, “What time is it, did you water the tomatoes?”
The monster immediately quieted down.
Shu Tang thought it was like the times they slept in the Bastille, but she woke up with a start. She thought she might be eaten by the contaminants, but the mermaid had found her.
In the darkness, Shu Tang felt the mermaid’s embrace and suddenly felt the urge to cry in his arms. But as the mermaid’s embrace tightened, she could no longer cry, feeling as if they were about to be separated by heaven and earth.
She called out, “Little Rose.”
The fierce beast then seemed to awaken, lifting its head.
It then realized something and let go.
Shu Tang felt that something was off with the mermaid, so she immediately hugged him: “Little Rose, I’m fine. It’s just some superficial injuries. I was just asleep, not passed out.”
She patted the mermaid’s back as if soothing a child awoken from a nightmare.
Shu Tang thought, this is what her mother said: Stroke the fur, don’t scare it.
Thinking this, the mermaid calmed down.
Shu Tang thought that when the mermaid found them, the two of them would burst into tears, or that the mermaid would be angry because she didn’t follow him into the car that afternoon. But none of that happened.
The mermaid’s face was ominously dark, scaringly silent as he stared at the blood-stained hem of her pants, his eyes murderous.
Shu Tang said, “It’s just a scrape, it didn’t reach the bone.”
But the mermaid had already torn her pant leg, and underneath the protective gear, one of her legs was covered in severe scrapes, bruised in shades of blue and purple, with some areas still bleeding.
Despite having seen many bloody scenes, and even casually referring to a large gash in his own abdomen as a minor injury, the mermaid usually remained indifferent as long as his arms and legs were intact.
However, when the light from the communicator revealed the injuries on her leg, the mermaid’s veins bulged, and he looked terrifying.
She wanted to say it didn’t hurt much. Mainly because when it was painful, she was running wildly, her adrenaline peaking, not giving her the chance to feel it.
But the mermaid looked so fierce, as if he was about to go out and squeeze some pollutants into juice, that Shu Tang almost didn’t dare to admit she wasn’t in pain.
Yet, after staring intensely for a while, the fearsome mermaid held back, squeezing the nearby handrail until it cracked.
Shu Tang swallowed hard.
Just when Shu Tang thought the mermaid was about to turn on her, he turned his head, looked at her bruised left leg, bent down, and blew on it.
Shu Tang: ?
This kind of trick is often used to deceive children, like saying blowing on it will make the pain go away. It could only fool children under five years old, and since Shu Tang was a precocious child, she couldn’t be fooled from the age of one.
She thought it was very childish, completely a trick for kids.
But when the fearsome mermaid gently blew once.
Shu Tang immediately felt like she had been coaxed.
Footnotes:
In Chinese culture, the Duke of Zhou is also commonly referred to in the idiom “周公解梦,” which means “Duke of Zhou interprets dreams.” This refers to the tradition where he is often invoked in the context of dreaming, as a bringer of dreams or as a metaphorical figure representing sleep itself.