Chapter 16: The Empty City

While inhaling oxygen, he simultaneously performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Brother Long—a truly challenging feat underwater. Fortunately, Xiaofeng and Nana quickly swam over, grabbing the two of them and dragging them back. The four returned to the ship’s cabin in this strange formation.

After a fit of violent coughing, Brother Long regained consciousness.

“Damn it, Damin, did you just kiss me?” Brother Long shouted to Zhang Xingmin as soon as he came to.

Zhang Xingmin shot him a look of disgust. “What? You don’t like it? I should be the one complaining! You think you’re so clean?”

Brother Long, a little aggrieved, protested, “I brushed my teeth after dinner, okay!”

“That’s still not enough! You’ve got no chest, no curves, and your mouth’s full of scratchy beard. If you weren’t about to die, I wouldn’t have even bothered!”

...

The journey from then on was uneventful. After the sea monster horde retreated, the storm surge quickly abated as well—though whether there was any connection between the two was unclear. Once the storm cleared, the warship resurfaced, and after another two days of smooth sailing, they arrived at the new port of Fuzhou.

Contrary to their expectations, the Fuzhou port wasn’t a scene of chaos nor was it overrun with survivors like other cities. The Falcon Squad saw only emptiness—an utterly deserted pier without a single soul.

Even the ship’s captain found it strange; the last time he’d visited, everything had been normal. How, in just a dozen days, had it become like this? Unable to confirm the area’s safety or contact their reception team, the captain was reluctant to allow the ship to dock. Nearly half the people on board were scientists sent for investigation and research. His mission was not only to escort them safely to Fuzhou, but more importantly, to ensure their safety.

Though the scientists insisted they weren’t afraid to die—indeed, some were more eager to uncover the truth—the captain couldn’t allow them to face unknown risks. That was his responsibility.

As for the Special Investigation Teams, they were all military personnel, and the captain wasn’t responsible for their safety. So, when several teams requested to disembark, he didn’t object; in fact, he was glad to have someone scout ahead.

The Falcon Squad joined the main contingent ashore, then went their separate ways. On Zhang Xingmin’s suggestion, the four decided to check out the port first, hoping to find some clues, and then visit Zhang Xingmin’s family home, adjusting plans as needed.

They were in the new harbor district. Unlike the neighboring old harbor, these buildings had only been completed in recent years—still fresh and well-maintained, with high-end facilities and normally bustling activity.

Now, eleven empty piers lay before Falcon Squad. Not only was there no one around, but not even the robots were at work. The four, sensing something odd, fanned out to investigate.

Lin Xiaofeng found bullet holes in a wall—evidence of a small-scale firefight.

Zhang Xingmin checked the work area. He found no one, but did discover scattered documents—clearly someone had searched through them in a hurry.

Following her doctor’s instincts, Zhao Nana sniffed out a scent of blood. She traced it to a corner, where she found the body of a young man in uniform—likely a port worker. The corpse was cold, and judging by the state of decomposition, he’d died two or three days earlier—around the time they’d encountered the sea monsters.

Zhang Xingmin and Lin Xiaofeng joined her, and the three examined the body, hoping for clues. Though people say the dead speak, none of them were forensic experts or detectives; besides the overwhelming stench, they found little. The blood trail suggested the man had crawled here after being wounded and died from blood loss, but as for who had done it, they were at a loss.

Just as they were getting nowhere, Brother Long shouted for them from afar. They could see him approaching, dragging along a flamboyantly dressed woman who struggled in his grip—clearly, he had no intention of letting go.

“Damn, it’s always women with Brother Long! One day, he’ll die because of a woman,” Zhang Xingmin remarked idly.

“Exactly! Gotta hand it to Brother Long—he can find a girl even in a ghost town. The three of us have been searching all over and only found a male corpse,” Lin Xiaofeng chimed in.

“Wait, that’s not a woman,” said Zhao Nana calmly. “Look, that person’s shoulders aren’t very broad, but the upper body is clearly V-shaped; the face isn’t very angular, but it’s not quite feminine either; and height-wise, Brother Long is about 178 centimeters—this person, even being dragged, looks at least as tall or taller. Also, look at those clothes—what girl would dress so loud? The trend these days is for muted styles…”

Just then, Brother Long arrived with the person in tow. Taking a closer look, the three realized it was indeed a man—despite the makeup, stubble was visible on his chin, and the prominent Adam’s apple moved with every nervous swallow. One of the fake breasts had fallen off, probably lost during Brother Long’s rough handling. The stockings were torn, revealing curly leg hair blowing in the sea breeze. The high heels were likely size 43. Worst of all, the long dress had ridden up as Brother Long carried him, exposing a pair of triangle briefs—front bulge on full display. Zhao Nana quickly covered her eyes.

“Impressive, Brother Long! You managed to catch a live one, even if it’s a flamboyant one!” Lin Xiaofeng joked, barely containing his laughter.

“You looking for trouble? I thought I’d found some romance this time—turns out it’s this thing. Asked him a few questions, got nothing but nonsense, so I just dragged him over. You guys ask him. I need to go wash my hands,” Brother Long said, tossing the person onto the ground and walking away.

“Ow!” the person yelped in pain.

“Man, that fake voice is awful—sounds like a eunuch!” Lin Xiaofeng shuddered.

“You’re the eunuch! Your whole family’s eunuchs! I’m a girl!” snapped the person, dropping the act and speaking in a deep, magnetic male voice.

Zhang Xingmin frowned but, out of habit, kept his composure.

After thorough questioning, they learned little of value. The man’s name was Ping An, thirty-two, a temporary port worker. He’d been drawn to cross-dressing since childhood, but as the only son, his family forbade surgery, leading to a strained relationship and his eventual departure.

He’d arrived in Fuzhou about a year ago, working night shifts at the port. Two nights earlier, as usual, he snuck into a small room to change clothes when no one was watching. By doing so, he escaped disaster.

He heard occasional gunshots outside, the sound of a large crowd, and cries of pain. Terrified and dressed in women’s clothing, he hid inside, not daring to come out. Only after more than a day, when things were quiet, did he emerge—starving.

No sooner had he stepped out than a lecherous thug grabbed him from behind, hands wandering. Realizing he was a man, the thug hoisted him up like a chicken and carried him here.

“You’re not lying, are you?” Lin Xiaofeng pressed, finding the story all too plausible.

“I swear, big bro! Every word is true!” Ping An swore, curled up on the ground.

“Who are you calling ‘big bro’! Do I look that old? Call me that again and I’ll operate on you myself!” Lin Xiaofeng threatened, brandishing his short knife.

Frightened, Ping An covered his groin and stared at Lin Xiaofeng, not daring to make a sound.

“Unbelievable,” Lin Xiaofeng muttered, exasperated. “No wonder you want to dress as a woman—so damn timid.”

When Brother Long returned, the four of them discussed their next move. They decided to look around for more clues. As for the cross-dresser, they’d rather not bring him along—he didn’t exactly fit the Falcon Squad’s image. But he insisted on tagging along, so they reluctantly let him.

The streets of Fuzhou were equally deserted. The Falcon Squad wandered through several blocks, not seeing a single living soul. Reports from other teams were the same—no signs of life. The entire city was like a ghost town. As for clues, no one mentioned any; perhaps even if they found something, they’d keep it to themselves.

At Zhang Xingmin’s insistence, the four decided to visit his family home.

They arrived at an old, classic apartment building. The whole neighborhood was empty, and Apartment 302 in Unit 1—Zhang Xingmin’s home—was no exception. He hadn’t been back in over half a year, and now it was like this.

He paused for a moment, then unlocked the door and went inside. Everything was in order. Leftovers and buns sat in the fridge—but his parents were gone, as if the couple had just stepped out for a stroll.

“Don’t worry, Xingmin. I’m sure your parents are alright,” Zhao Nana tried to comfort him, though awkwardly.

“Yeah, man, don’t be sad. If something had happened to your parents, the house wouldn’t be this tidy,” Lin Xiaofeng added.

“Pull yourself together, Damin! Don’t mope around like some woman, or I’ll lose respect for you!” Brother Long’s approach was, as always, unorthodox—enough to make Zhang Xingmin too embarrassed to sigh.

“Find a place to sit. I’ll cut some fruit,” Zhang Xingmin said, heading to the kitchen.

The others and Ping An were left in the living room. When Zhang Xingmin returned, he found that none of them were just sitting around—they were rummaging through the place. Brother Long, Xiaofeng, and Nana were just flipping through newspapers and magazines, but what Ping An held in his hands made Zhang Xingmin leap to his feet…