Yan City is the most prosperous and orderly among the eight major bases, almost unlike a civilization built in the post-apocalyptic era.
After ten years, Zhu Yan returned to this city once again.
Fragments of memories belonging to Zhu Yan surfaced.
These chaotic memories, like an upside-down, jumbled dream, emerged amidst the noisy crowds at the train station, where the dawn’s light and the twilight from ten years ago blended together, bringing a sensation of both reality and illusion.
The mermaid forcibly suppressed its feelings because the city was not safe, and the surrounding crowd was enormous. This fierce beast remained alert, unconsciously keeping track of Shu Tang’s position. However, perhaps because of the forceful detachment from the chaotic memories, the neurological pain the mermaid felt intensified.
But between lovers, there might be a sensitive connection.
Shu Tang was nearby buying water when she suddenly felt a strong unease. She stopped her purchase and immediately went to find the mermaid.
Initially, Shu Tang went to buy water thinking that the mermaid was dizzy from the train ride, but she no longer thought so now.
The mermaid appeared normal, just silently sitting with its eyes closed, but in an instant, Shu Tang noticed the mermaid’s pale hand gripping the armrest, which began to deform.
Shu Tang called out, “Little Rose,” and handed over the water. But it took the mermaid at least two or three seconds to open its eyes and take the water.
Shu Tang immediately touched the mermaid’s forehead, finding no fever, but she felt the throbbing veins.
Shu Tang sensed something was off.
She asked, “Little Rose, do you have a headache now?”
The mermaid hissed softly at her.
Shu Tang immediately understood.
During their last quarrel, the mermaid had shown signs of a relapse. She suspected it was a precursor to a psychic outburst.
Shu Tang flagged down a taxi, shoved a stack of money at the driver, and said, “Hurry! To the research institute!”
Upon seeing the money—over five hundred—the driver sped off like a rocket.
At that moment, the fins behind the mermaid’s ears sharply protruded. “He” let out a hoarse hiss, and his tail transformed, his dark eyes suddenly turning ferociously fierce, forcing him to grab the car door to alleviate his intense destructive urge.
The driver almost hit the brake.
Shu Tang stuffed all the money she had on her.
The driver calmed down, “You two sit tight, I’m speeding up.”
Shu Tang could no longer worry about ambushes or exposing tracks.
She hurriedly called Chen Sheng:
“Are you in Yan City yet? Hurry! Contact the Institute!”
The person on the other end wanted to ask something, but was shocked into silence by Shu Tang’s words: “His psychic power is about to erupt.”
It was only two minutes later that Shu Tang heard Chen Sheng’s voice.
Chen Sheng hurriedly said, “Go now, I’ll have a car pick you up at the junction!”
A colossal entity loomed over the entire city from within the morning clouds, sinisterly enveloping it and blocking all light, making the city seem suddenly clouded over.
With a snap, from the Yan City military base to the Federal Building, an entire area’s circuits collapsed in an instant. Shu Tang looked up to see the street lights that dawn had not yet extinguished; all of them snapped off. The street signs also went dark.
…
Shu Tang didn’t know that the person who initially answered the phone was not Chen Sheng.
Chen Sheng’s so-called transfer was actually a complete stripping of all his powers, and upon returning to Yan City, he was placed under house arrest. However, just the second day he was under house arrest at home in Yan City, he hurriedly received a transferred call and was summoned out.
Chen Sheng released his psychic body and saw that cataclysmic psychic body.
The blue, massive, and beautiful psychic body had now turned pitch black, filled with evil and ominous aura, like a disaster descending.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Sheng suddenly said, “I need to speak with the supreme commander of the Freedom Army now.”
Chen Sheng sneered at the people behind him:
“You don’t think the Grand Leader is still the same as ten years ago, do you?”
—Ten years ago, that was the most severe psychic power outbreak.
Zhu Yan chose to inject himself with a lethal dose of medication, controlling himself at the moment that could have destroyed the city. This was also why later, his condition could never be controlled.
Chen Sheng said, “No, he can destroy this city at any moment.”
…
Meanwhile, in the Institute’s affiliated hospital, there was complete chaos.
Temporary power equipment was activated, nurses were running around, and therapists were in a rush.
Ever since the mermaid arrived, all the hospital’s devices started issuing alerts of exceeded psychic power values, peaking and even blowing up several LCD screens.
It was now certain that they were on the verge of a psychic power outbreak.
Shu Tang was very grateful because she found the new drug provided by the Institute to be very effective; she quickly injected the mermaid, and he seemed to be in less pain.
She realized that coming to the Institute was the right choice, as she could clearly feel that the effectiveness of the drugs here was three to four times stronger than those at Cape Sanatorium.
In the midst of the chaos, the mermaid emitted a sharp hiss.
Shu Tang stopped the bleeding and leaned over to kiss and comfort him, “Little Rose, I’m here, I’m here…”
The lab-coated scientists at the institute had hurried over early, but dared not approach, as the noise inside was truly frightening. It sounded as if metal was shattering right next to their ears.
The senior academician couldn’t make it back in time, so instead, Director Su from the institute’s affiliated hospital arrived—he was also one of the senior academician’s students.
However, as Director Su rushed over, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, seeming troubled: “That consent form for treatment…”
The noises outside seeped into the hospital room.
The mermaid’s eyes were tightly shut, lost in chaotic fragments of memory.
Director Su’s voice overlapped with one from over a decade ago.
When Zhu Yan first had his psychic outburst and was brought to the institute, no one had considered one thing: no one had signed a consent form.
The great leader had always been someone everyone relied on, like the keystone for all. Thus, people naturally assumed he was capable of anything.
—But it was not until they were about to proceed to surgery that they realized no one was there to take responsibility for him.
The therapists anxiously inquired, “Who will sign the consent form?”
With no family or relatives, the always solitary great leader, at that moment, shockingly found no one to sign the consent form.
Chen Sheng and his subordinates, the secretaries, were frantically worried, but to no avail. They could take care of the sick great leader, but they couldn’t make decisions for him, nor did they have the capability to sign the consent form on his behalf.
Although he was eventually treated, they ironically missed the best opportunity for treatment because of this ridiculous reason.
In the dream, the man on the hospital bed endured severe neural pain.
When he got up to sign, there was a suffocating, hollow feeling.
The ferocious beast wanted to escape this sensation, but a prolonged darkness enveloped him.
The mermaid’s fingers twitched.
In the dream, he sat up to take the pen and sign.
But at that moment, the kitten’s voice rang out:
“I am the patient’s family, his temporary guardian. I’ll sign!”
Thus, in the dream, Zhu Yan’s hand holding the pen paused for a moment.
After many years, the empty heart was refilled by the words “family.”
Shu Tang was anxious; she thought signing the consent form would suffice, but no one came in.
Of course, no one came because they were a bit scared. After all, the mermaid inside was more dangerous and terrifying than all the pollutants combined.
However, at that moment, Shu Tang stepped out; she glanced quickly at Director Su’s badge and grabbed his sleeve.
Shu Tang said, “Director Su, if you come in with me and something happens, I will stand in front of you.”
Director Su clenched his teeth.
Just as Shu Tang was about to say more, Director Su had already followed her inside.
He led the way, and the people behind him looked at each other, hesitated for a while, and then entered as well.
Amid their cautious, low-voiced conversation, Shu Tang heard the term “Founding Hero.”
Suddenly, Shu Tang realized that Zhu Yan’s influence might be greater than she had imagined.
…
Fearing that the arrival of others might agitate the mermaid, as soon as Shu Tang entered, she embraced him.
This beast no longer resembled a human. He didn’t struggle but stared expressionlessly ahead, yet the bulging veins and the surrounding air pulsed with a dangerous aura.
The only reason this beast remained under control was merely because Shu Tang was holding him. In her pheromones, the monster on the brink of losing control was like being bound by a fine chain.
Director Su and the others took this opportunity to activate various devices.
The issue with the mermaid lay not in his psyche but in his mental domain. Although the mermaid had undergone a mutation, the physical mutations couldn’t keep up with those of the psyche. This caused the mermaid’s body and mental domain to be unable to sustain such a vast psyche.
The senior academician’s research pioneered the mental domain. He believed that treatment for psychic outbursts should shift from the psyche to the mental domain. The results were remarkably successful, as evidenced by the newly used medication.
Even so, the researchers were somewhat apprehensive after completing the basic tests, because if the Founder’s bodily evolution accelerated further, human technology and methods would become entirely ineffective.
They were relieved and quickly started the instruments.
Director Su’s assistant couldn’t help but look towards Shu Tang beside the Founder—
They all noticed that the Founder was tightly gripping Shu Tang’s hand.
But Shu Tang seemed unfazed, just holding onto the Founder without letting go.
Just when everyone thought Shu Tang’s hand would be crushed, because getting close during a psychic outburst is extremely dangerous, and the patient could uncontrollably tear them apart—
At that moment, the Founder’s hand loosened.
They were stunned.
In fact, they all knew the Founder had no family. To everyone, Zhu Yan was like a mythological symbol; everyone knew his merits, knew he was a humanoid nuclear weapon, but no one knew who his family was, whether he had any close friends or loved ones. It seemed as if this man should live only in the news and battlefront reports.
However, at that moment, they began to believe a bit in what Shu Tang called “family.”
Perhaps only a lover would remember to let go at such a time?
…
Shu Tang’s hand was in pain, but she paid it no mind. Instead, she just held the mermaid, continually stroking it and loosening the tightly clenched fingers that were bulging with veins.
She began talking about the little tomatoes at home, Zhen Zhen, and tomorrow’s weather forecast. Although her words were disorganized and rambling, her voice seemed to possess a soothing power.
Not just the mermaid, even the other therapists calmed down at the sound of her voice.
Amidst the beeping of machines, the values that had been at their peak began to significantly decrease.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The experts here were not like those in South Island City. They were of a higher rank, privy to many classified details, and they all knew that the person before them was not some monster, but a former great leader.
Even ten years ago, it was the research institute that had been responsible for the great leader’s illness.
Some of those from those days were still here.
Even though many were afraid, after Shu Tang spoke, the group of researchers still gritted their teeth and entered. People like Professor Tang were rare among researchers. The ivory tower still held a significant number of pure idealists.
Zhu Yan was considered a spiritual leader by many in the federation and an idol and object of adoration for many others. However, upon seeing the pale, ferocious creature before them, no one associated it with that spiritual leader anymore.
The gentle and perfect leader with short hair from over a decade ago simply did not overlap with the person before them now.
They all felt a bit dazed.
If ten years ago, the Zhu Yan treated at the research institute still resembled a human, now, no one could see a trace of humanity in those cold, pitch-black eyes.
The younger assistant to Director Su couldn’t help but show a look of regret and pain. Many others shared this look, a kind of innate sympathy.
But just then—
Shu Tang suddenly stood up, blocking their gaze and swiftly drew the curtain shut.
She could feel the clear sympathy and regret conveyed in their eyes.
But even well-intentioned sympathy can sometimes be a sharp sting. This sting is only felt sharply when it pierces oneself or someone close.
The mermaid was a fierce, proud beast, the sovereign of the sea. Whether among humans or in the ocean, Zhu Yan was a formidable figure.
Shu Tang could not blame anyone, for these looks were all well-intentioned. Even though she knew the mermaid could not see, she still couldn’t help stepping forward to block their view.
She heard them discussing plans to proceed with psychic guidance.
Thus, everyone beheld the cataclysmic spiritual entity.
Utter silence.
This time, Shu Tang did not attempt to alleviate others’ fears.
She did not, like pulling out cat ears or climbing onto the mermaid’s spirit to lessen their fear and dread.
Because Shu Tang thought, Little Rose probably detested anyone showing pity through their eyes.
What must it have been like for Zhu Yan ten years ago, bathed daily in these sympathetic, sorrowful glances? It must have been an ordeal more torturous than the pain itself.
People pity the unfortunate, those who have fallen from grace, whispering about their misfortunes.
But when that person becomes a disaster, a monstrous entity inciting only fear, those looks vanish.
Shu Tang never wanted others to fear him, she wanted the mermaid to return to human society, not to be viewed with abnormal strictness anymore. She wanted to tell the world what a good person he was. She always harbored this hopeful expectation. But at this moment, Shu Tang suddenly realized, there was no going back.
After the mutation, after growing non-human fins, Zhu Yan’s life could not return to what it was.
Yet, Shu Tang did not retreat. After consulting with Director Su and others about their plan, she directly jumped into that terrifying mass of dark clouds.
The giant drumstick vanished into the disaster.
She climbed to the heart of the mermaid’s spirit.
She said, “Little Rose, don’t be afraid, I’m here with you.”
Thus, the fierce behemoth gradually calmed down. Having long grown accustomed to her presence, her spirit and her scent were like parts of his own body, so even in the most extreme circumstances, “he” did not harm his own little cat.
It’s unclear how much time passed, but the dark clouds slowly dispersed, and the behemoth calmed down.
Looking down, he saw her sleeping inside his body.
Then he poked the little cat.
The little cat woke up, climbed to the giant’s head, patted him, and said, “Little Rose, look over there.”
In that twilight, they witnessed a breathtakingly beautiful sunset.