Chapter 30: Confrontation

Ahao bent down to pick up Ayong from the ground, but with his lower body made of titanium alloy, it was rather heavy. Failing to control his center of gravity, he nearly stumbled.

“This damned new body, it’s really useless!” Ahao muttered a few curses under his breath.

Ayong, whether he had fainted or was simply too exhausted and had fallen asleep, let himself be carried without moving at all. Ahao threaded his way through the celebrating crowd. He had originally wanted to take Ayong to the hospital, but the research center area was cordoned off, and there was no way through. Left with no other choice, he changed direction and headed back to the residential quarter. There wasn’t even a clinic there, so he had no option but to go home and treat the wounds as best as he could, leaving the rest to fate.

Fortunately, Ayong’s injuries were not too severe; otherwise, the two brothers might have been separated forever.

Ahao cut away Ayong’s tattered clothes, since they simply couldn’t be removed otherwise. Then he brought over a basin of hot water and, with a clean towel, gently washed Ayong from head to toe. The blood mixed with mud; it took several changes of water before the towel finally came out clean.

With the blood wiped away, the wounds became obvious. There were numerous cuts on Ayong’s arm—not deep, but many. Ahao disinfected them with alcohol and iodine, then wrapped them tightly with gauze. There was a particularly nasty gash, a finger’s depth and over ten centimeters long, that looked quite frightening and needed immediate attention. With no other choice, Ahao steeled himself and did his best. Never having stitched clothing before, his sutures were crooked and uneven, but at least the wound was closed, however unsightly it looked. He applied medicine and bandaged it up.

Once Ayong’s wounds were tended to, Ahao cleaned himself as well. He was drenched in sweat and didn’t know whose blood stained his body; the discomfort was unbearable, so he hurried to wash up. After his shower, he prepared some food, then lay down to sleep. Outside, the revelers had yet to disperse, but he was simply too exhausted to care.

The next day, Ayong still had not awakened, though his pale face had taken on a flush, which gave Ahao some relief. But on closer inspection, he realized something was wrong—Ayong was running a fever. He quickly gave him some antibiotics and kept vigil at his bedside.

It was around noon when Ayong finally woke. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Ahao’s face and, overcome with emotion, tried to sit up, but Ahao held him back.

“Lie down! You just had to play the hero, didn’t you? You’d deserve it if you died!” Ahao scolded.

Hearing his older brother’s scolding finally eased the anxiety that had been gripping Ayong’s heart. He smiled happily and said, “Thank you, brother!”

“With wounds like that, you can still smile? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Maybe I should give you a few more scars for good measure.”

“This is nothing! A real man—” Ayong, trying to act tough, accidentally tugged at his wounds and grimaced in pain.

“Just stay put! I’m going out to take a look.” With that, Ahao turned and left.

Stepping out onto the streets of the underground city, Ahao found the crowds had dispersed. Most had probably gone home to rest or tend to their wounds. Only the debris of the battlefield and the cordoned-off residential area and small square still bore silent witness to the fierce battle that had just taken place.

The underground city, which was never lively to begin with—unlike the world above, where one might find old men sipping tea and playing chess by the roadside, chatty women gossiping, and young mothers watching over children—seemed now especially deserted. Only the hurried footsteps of a few people disturbed the silence.

With the calm restored, the committee was very pleased with the outcome. So-called “freedom revolution”—the grand revolutionary force—had come and gone in a flash. A rabble remains a rabble; once the excitement passes, it disperses. In the end, all they really wanted were some small gains, which could be given out later.

However, for the time being, the isolation walls could not be taken down—they needed to observe the situation a while longer. Data backups had to continue as well; although the recent incident hadn’t required their use, there was no telling when they might become necessary. Years of painstakingly accumulated data could not be allowed to go to waste.

The hospital had received word and resumed normal operations. But as both sides remained tense and experimental subjects were lacking, some projects had to be suspended. The influx of patients, however, kept them busy.

The surrendered guards found themselves in the most awkward position. If the two sides reconciled, they would be unwelcome to both. For now, they lay low.

To the south of the industrial district, the explosion had cut power, and factories near the main distribution center suffered minor damages from the blast. In the pitch darkness, there was nothing to be done but wait for the power to be restored.

Zhao Nana and Lin Xiaofeng, with nothing pressing to do, hurried home. Ping’an, recuperating at home, felt his worries finally ease when he saw them return.

“You’re finally back!” Ping’an greeted them with joy.

Seeing Ping’an in good spirits, Lin Xiaofeng and Zhao Nana felt reassured as well. They had managed to pull him back from the brink of death, and after so long recovering, they hadn’t dared let him join this operation. Thankfully, he was all right.

“How did things go? They didn’t give you any trouble, did they?” Ping’an asked with concern.

“It was fine. Over at the hospital, they hadn’t intended to intervene anyway. The talks went smoothly.”

“That’s good. Yesterday, watching the chaos from my window, I was terribly worried. Oh, by the way, where are Brother Damin and Brother Long? Weren’t they with you?” Ping’an was sincere—he had few friends, and these comrades-in-arms were precious to him. He didn’t want to lose them.

“They’re not back yet?” Zhao Nana could hardly believe it. After all this time, could something have happened?

Lin Xiaofeng checked their positions; the coordinates showed Brother Long and Damin still moving within the industrial district. It seemed they were trapped but not in immediate danger, which was some relief.

Since returning from the battlefield, Taoran had shut himself in. Though he had survived yet another close call, he knew his identity had certainly been exposed to the organization. When old and new scores were settled together, there would be no escape for him. He hadn’t avenged his brothers yet—he couldn’t die now.

Meanwhile, Dabing and his group were in high spirits. Since entering the underground city, they had never felt such elation—always suffering losses, but last night they’d finally turned the tables. More importantly, they had learned that the dark organization was not as united as it seemed. This information had to be reported to Special Operations as soon as possible, but for now, contact was lost.

And so, it was as if the Great Wilderness Mountain Underground City had been put on pause, normal operations suspended. The various factions began to maneuver, waiting for the day the city would restart.

Yet, the underground city was hardly at a standstill. The rebel army was regrouping, their recent victory filling them with confidence. They had no intention of compromising—they would resist to the end. A great leader once said: “The people, only the people, are the driving force behind the creation of world history.” They believed they possessed the power to change everything.

Not everyone shared this optimism, however. Ahao and Ayong, for instance, had other ideas. After returning home, Ahao told Ayong about the situation outside and decided they would both stay in for the time being. They still had enough food; if they rationed carefully, it would last quite a while.

Ayong, of course, disagreed. Ever since coming to this wretched place, a rift had grown between the two brothers. Now was a good time to mend their bond. Besides, he was wounded and couldn’t go anywhere anyway.

Unlike the rebels’ hopeful outlook, the committee quickly reached a consensus after the battle. First, they backed up all current achievements in case of need; the ceasefire provided a perfect opportunity to sort out their records.

As for dealing with the rebels, lab rats were still lab rats, only being transferred to a larger cage. Once the commotion blew over, those few troublemakers would be dealt with, and the rest would return obediently to serve the organization.

The true threat, however, came from traitors. They knew too many of the organization’s secrets and had to be found quickly. Professor Wu decided to oversee the matter personally, with his assistant Yan Ze helping. Anyone under suspicion would not be spared.

Yan Ze wasted no time. Outside the quarantine zone, everyone was subjected to meticulous checks—down to noting the appearance of any new mole on a person’s face.

For now, the most miserable were Damin and Brother Long, still trapped in the darkness of the industrial district, searching for a way out…