The Mechanic [BL]

[107]

Chapter 107 – Twin Cities (5)

By the time Zhang Xun saw Cindy again he barely recognised her. Her skin was covered in boiling blisters, flaking off as if overwhelmed, revealing the bright red muscles beneath. Yellowish mucus spilled from her mouth and nose and as the intestinal mucosa fell away, the sheets beneath her were stained a strange brownish colour, giving off a terrible stench.

Zhang Xun took one look at her from outside and knew she was running out of time.

The genetic deciphering had made some progress, but it was nowhere near enough to decode Eden's design. It was either watch Cindy die, or give her the nanobots.

"If we don't inject her with nanobots in the next three days, her chances of survival for the next month are down to 8%." Pan stood beside him, dutifully giving him the data.

Zhang Xun took a deep breath and decided to ask Cindy himself. He changed into a sterile suit, entered the isolation ward and went to the woman who was struggling to breathe.

"Cindy?"

Every breath felt like a fight to the death, the murmur that emanated from her chest was suffocating.

How much more time did James have before he became like this?

There was no response to any of his calls. Zhang Xun didn't give up calling until her fingers trembled, finally slightly lifting her sticky eyelids.

"Do you remember what I told you about the nanobots when you first entered this ward?" Zhang Xun bent his body, gazing into her tired, pained eyes, "Have you thought of an answer?"

She nodded faintly.

"I...... I want...... to...... live......."

Those few words alone had drained her strength.

"You understand what they can do to your brain, don't you?"

This time she didn't make a sound, but mouthed a "yes".

In the face of death, any cost became less important.

Zhang Xun handed the programmed syringe to her attending physician and left with Pan.

He didn't return to the temple immediately but strolled through the eternally clear and sunny streets, looking at the hibiscus bushes that were blooming to the point of fearing they were about to burn out, people modified to varying degrees were sitting on benches eating lunch, queuing at the hot dog stand, laughing and joking as they sipped coffee and passed by. It was hardly any different from those scenes of everyday life he had seen in the movies.

He got in line too, bought two hot dogs and handed one to Pan.

Seeing Pan's confused look, Zhang Xun laughed, "I know you don't need to eat, but you're human now, so you might as well chew them up and store them in your belly."

Pan said "yes" with pleasure and began to stuff the hot dog into his mouth with extreme concentration.

Zhang Xun sat down on a seat by the flower bed and looked at the peaceful and serene scene before him with some confusion. Just looking at it, no one would have thought that this was a huge prison, a prison that was on the verge of being crushed at any moment by a more powerful force.

What was Adam doing at the moment?

He had heard that the Sixth Chief had a very successful trip to America and had shown them the Cloud of Consciousness. It was said to have caused a stir in the ordinary world.