Undead

Chapter 57

Dr. Zheng's eyes were red and filled with tears. He rushed forward, seemingly trying to support him, but Si Nan used his last bit of strength to push him away forcefully.

Si Nan turned and took two staggering steps, and every step felt like walking on clouds. Soon, several hands reached out and grabbed him simultaneously. He didn't have the strength to break free and knelt down on the ground, then slumped to the left.

"Take him away..."

"Be quiet and quick..."

The voices were indistinct, as if he had water in his ears. Si Nan took a few short breaths, mustered the last of his strength to raise his hand, and, by exploiting the blind spot in his vision when he leaned to the left, pressed the locator on his left ear.

But that was his last moment of consciousness before falling into a coma.

Ning Yu approached, half-knelt down, and gently closed Si Nan's eyes with his hand.

Buzz...

Yan Hao raised his head sharply. "Si Nan?"

The sunlight spilled onto the open space in front of the cafeteria, and a few people walked by not far away.

Yan Hao touched the vibrating earpiece, looked around in all directions, and a sense of unease welled up in him. He put down the half-assembled bumper he was working on and quickly headed to the restroom behind the cafeteria.

A black vest, covered in oil and dust, hung on the water pipe, but there was no sign of anyone nearby.

"Si Nan," Yan Hao's voice was unsteady, "Si Nan?"

The early afternoon was eerily quiet, and there was no response from anyone.

Yan Hao's heart started to race, and he dared not shout loudly again. He turned around 360 degrees and stopped. The locator vibrated violently when he faced a certain direction—not far away, behind some trees, was a wall.

How could Si Nan be behind that wall?

Yan Hao took several steps back, then ran and used all his strength to somersault over the wall, which was over two meters high, and landed safely.

He found himself on the edge of the base's dormitory area, with several abandoned concrete buildings not far away. A quiet path led from the front to the cafeteria, winding through these buildings and into the depths of the base.

Yan Hao seemed to have noticed something and stopped abruptly, taking large strides forward.

At the end of the path, there were clear signs of many footsteps trampling on the green belt, and there were fresh traces of grass being overturned and dry branches being broken. Yan Hao's gaze fell on the concrete wall, and he was stunned to see a radiating crack in the wall—the bullet hole!

Yan Hao couldn't help trembling, stood up abruptly, and at that moment, the locator's vibration stopped.

He could hardly believe it and subconsciously touched his earpiece. The tiny ruby-sized gem was intact and silent.

His internal organs suddenly felt extremely cold, and Yan Hao looked around, realizing that Si Nan was missing.

Zhou Rong had told him that Si Nan must never be left alone inside this base.

But now, Si Nan was missing.

"...You promised me that you would not harm him..."

"He protects civilians, has saved many people. Without him, many of us wouldn't be alive..."

"You must not harm him. You promised me, anyway..."

The footsteps and conversation alternated between getting closer and farther away, and his consciousness seemed to float in the deep sea, suddenly surfacing, and then sinking again.