The base remained under lockdown until evening. During that time, aside from the military distributing food once in the hallway, no one was allowed to leave the dormitory building. Gunshots echoed intermittently in the distance, but no one knew the situation at the base’s main gate.
It was only six o’clock, yet most of the sky had already darkened. The clouds grew heavier and heavier, but the rain hadn’t fallen yet, as if a massive storm was being held back, ready to burst.
Jiang Xinghuai propped his face up with his hands, his eyelids drooping uncontrollably.
“Knock knock—”
Fu Yan was reading a book with one hand, while the knuckles of his other hand tapped against the desk.
Fu Yan: “Hurry up and write.”
Jiang Xinghuai pouted, looking wronged: “I want to sleep.”
Fu Yan glanced at his watch: “Write for ten more minutes, then go take a shower.”
“Ten more minutes?! I’m not writing anymore!” Jiang Xinghuai wailed, burying his head on the desk and refusing to lift it.
“Jiang Xinghuai,” Fu Yan called.
Jiang Xinghuai didn’t raise his head, muffling his voice: “I don’t care. Just hit me if you want.”
“Have I ever hit you?” Fu Yan asked helplessly, reaching out to grab the back of his neck. Jiang Xinghuai huffed but still kept his head down.
Fu Yan took the notebook from him, sighing as he looked at the problems. None were solved, all scribbled over.
He thought seriously for a moment, then pulled his chair closer, shortening the distance between them before speaking: “Xing Xing, Teacher Geng told me that your grades used to be very good.”
“So what.” Jiang Xinghuai shrugged indifferently.
“You’re not unable to learn, you just don’t want to.” Fu Yan said.
“I’m not stupid,” Jiang Xinghuai muttered.
“You’re very smart,” Fu Yan replied.
Jiang Xinghuai froze for a moment, then let out a small, mischievous laugh.
“Stop laughing.” Fu Yan’s expression changed instantly. He glanced at his watch and said sternly, “Finish one problem before 6:10, or I’ll hit your palm.”
Jiang Xinghuai kept chuckling but obediently picked up his pen. Though he didn’t look at the problem, only at Fu Yan.
“If you don’t finish before 6:10…”
Fu Yan hadn’t even finished speaking when another person’s words suddenly flashed through Jiang Xinghuai’s mind.
“Tonight… if you change your mind before seven, come find me…”
Before seven tonight.
Why before seven?
“Why would I go find him? Why is there a time limit?” Jiang Xinghuai suddenly said, completely off-topic.
Fu Yan: “What?”
Jiang Xinghuai didn’t answer, frowning tightly as he grabbed his hair.
“If I’m not treating you as my son, I wouldn’t go find you. If I don’t treat you as my son, I’ll let you be with that old man—”
“Tonight… if you change your mind before seven, come find me…”
“I… I’m your dad, after all. I would never hurt you…”
Jiang Liangyuan’s words flashed through Jiang Xinghuai’s mind one by one. This time, Jiang Xinghuai caught the part that didn’t sit right with him.
That morning, at the base gate, Wang Qinhai, panicking, rushed over from a distance after the explosion.
“That’s not right.” Jiang Xinghuai suddenly stood up.
Connecting Jiang Liangyuan’s words with Wang Qinhai’s appearance at the explosion site, it was clearly suspicious.
“What’s wrong?” Fu Yan grabbed his wrist.
Jiang Xinghuai told him the words Jiang Liangyuan had said and his own suspicion about Wang Qinhai.
Fu Yan’s expression changed.
Because when he traced the information backward…
If the explosion was connected to Wang Qinhai, then Jiang Liangyuan’s words carried a much deeper meaning.
They stared at each other for a few seconds.
“Go find Kang Cheng,” Jiang Xinghuai said.
Before leaving, Jiang Xinghuai checked the time. 6:20.
Outside, the sky was completely dark, heavy clouds pressing down layer upon layer, as if the sky itself was about to crush anyone beneath it.
The car’s headlights pierced through the darkness, speeding toward the gate.
“If the explosion really is connected to Wang Qinhai and the others, what are they trying to do?” Jiang Xinghuai frowned tightly, confused. “Why would they blow up the high-voltage power house? Are they insane?”
“The entire perimeter of the military district is surrounded by a high-voltage electric fence,” Fu Yan said.
“Hmm…” Jiang Xinghuai didn’t understand.
Fu Yan tilted his head toward him, speaking calmly: “The electric fence blocks things from getting in from outside, but it also blocks people from getting out from inside.”
Jiang Xinghuai froze, finally realizing what Jiang Liangyuan had meant when he came to find him.
Jiang Liangyuan truly wanted to take him away.
“…Then why didn’t they use the main gate?” Jiang Xinghuai asked softly.
Fu Yan didn’t answer, sighing as he reached over to touch his ear: “They must have something in their hands that doesn’t belong to them. We need to move faster.”
“If they destroy the electric fence and leave, the entire military district will be in danger,” Jiang Xinghuai murmured.
The residential area was more than ten minutes from the military district gate. Fu Yan pressed the accelerator and sped all the way there, taking ten minutes to reach the gate.
The time was getting very close to seven, the deadline Jiang Liangyuan had mentioned.
“Who goes there!”
“Stop! Get out of the car!”
As soon as the car stopped, a small squad of soldiers ran up, blocking the front and demanding answers.
Fu Yan opened the door and stepped out: “We’re looking for Kang Cheng. Captain Kang.”
“No! Please get out of the car and return to the residential building immediately, maintain sec—” The soldier didn’t finish his sentence.
“Bang bang—bang—”
Gunfire suddenly rang out!
“Come here!” Fu Yan quickly moved around the front of the car, grabbing Jiang Xinghuai, who had just jumped down from the passenger seat.
“Is it outside the main gate?” Jiang Xinghuai turned his head to look.
Fu Yan nodded gravely: “Yes.”
“You two! Get in the car and go back to the residential area!” The patrolling soldiers pushed them toward the vehicle.
“I know Kang Cheng! I have something important to tell him!” Jiang Xinghuai held onto the doorframe, shouting in explanation.
“Please cooperate with us and get in the car immediately!” the soldier yelled.
Jiang Xinghuai: “We—”
“Who’s over there!”
A harsh shout was followed by blinding yellow headlights sweeping across.
Jiang Xinghuai squinted. It was a truck loaded with weapons. Soldiers in full uniform had jumped out from the passenger side.
The patrolling soldiers quickly lined up and saluted.
“Reporting, Captain! During our patrol, we encountered—”
“Kang Cheng!” Jiang Xinghuai recognized the newcomer, leaping up in surprise and waving.
“How did you get here?” Kang Cheng waved to signal the soldiers surrounding them to disperse, then looked in surprise at Fu Yan standing behind Jiang Xinghuai. “Mr. Fu.”
“Something urgent came up,” Fu Yan said.
“This isn’t the place to talk.” Kang Cheng gestured toward the fine drizzle falling from the sky, then pointed to the tents set up in the temporary work area not far away. “It’s about to pour. Come with me.”
“What’s happening outside the main gate? Why are there gunshots?” Jiang Xinghuai asked hurriedly as he followed.
“A small number of infected, as well as mutants, were drawn here by the explosion.” Kang Cheng opened the tent flap and let them in. “Right now, it’s just a few small infected squads. The real commotion won’t start until around nine. According to our monitoring, over a hundred thousand infected are moving this way, but it shouldn’t be a major problem. We’ve dealt with this kind of zombie surge two or three times already.”
“Why are you coming here at this hour?” Kang Cheng said, handing over two cups of warm tea, one for each of them.
“I suspect this morning’s explosion is connected to Wang Qinhai,” Jiang Xinghuai said.
“What?” Kang Cheng frowned, startled.
Jiang Xinghuai recounted everything he knew to Kang Cheng. Finally, looking at the time, he added, “It’s only 6:40. There’s still time. Even if it’s unrelated to them, we—”
His voice grew quieter as he spoke, because Kang Cheng’s expression darkened more and more. By the time Jiang Xinghuai fell silent, Kang Cheng had already stood from the chair, removed the communicator hanging on his left shoulder, and turned to start issuing orders.
“What’s going on…” Jiang Xinghuai looked anxiously at Fu Yan. “Is it serious?”
Fu Yan squeezed his hand: “You did well.”
A clap of thunder struck outside the temporary military tent. Jiang Xinghuai flinched in fright.
“Mr. Fu, I’ll have someone escort you back first.” Kang Cheng issued his orders, his expression urgent. “This situation isn’t easy. I need to report it. There’s no time.”
“We can go back on our own,” Fu Yan said, standing up with Jiang Xinghuai in tow.
“Stay safe. Tonight, make sure you stay in your room. Don’t come out again.” Kang Cheng pulled aside the tent flap.
Outside, pea-sized raindrops fell one by one. The clouds that had pressed down all day finally unleashed their storm.
“I have other things to handle, so I won’t escort you.” Kang Cheng glanced at Jiang Xinghuai, then took a walkie-talkie from the side pocket of his military pants and handed it to him. “Here’s the reward we talked about this morning. Take it.” As soon as he said this, he dashed into the rain, one hand gripping the car’s handle, and jumped onto the patrol vehicle that had just arrived.
“Kang Cheng… Kang—” Jiang Xinghuai couldn’t finish calling out in time.
“Let’s go back first.” Fu Yan took off his suit jacket, draped it over Jiang Xinghuai’s head, and held him close as they ran toward the car.
Dull thunder rumbled, and the rain pounded noisily.
Jiang Xinghuai got into the car, gasping, pulling his jacket down, feeling as if water had gotten into his ears, making it hard to hear clearly.
When he had just shouted Kang Cheng’s name, what he really wanted to ask was what would happen if Jiang Liangyuan was caught.
It wasn’t yet seven. Jiang Liangyuan probably hadn’t had time to leave.
Jiang Xinghuai closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.
He felt a bit dizzy.
On the way back, gunfire outside the main gate grew more frequent, gradually mixed with the explosions of small bombs.
When Jiang Xinghuai and Fu Yan arrived at the residential building, one dormitory door after another, tightly shut, swung open. Noise and unease began to spread as people looked fearfully toward the base gate, obscured behind layers of buildings.
“During lockdown, please stay quiet!”
“Return to your rooms! Stay quiet!”
“Wait for instructions! Quiet!”
The patrolling soldiers went upstairs to calm and control the crowd.
Another crack of thunder split the sky. Before going inside, Jiang Xinghuai looked up at the pitch-black sky outside. His heart skipped a beat.
“What’s wrong?” Fu Yan tapped his face, worried. “Scared you?”
Jiang Xinghuai shook his head, coming back to himself. “It’s nothing.”
“Go lie down on the bed for a while.” Fu Yan unzipped his jacket, took it off him, and grabbed a handful of his hair. “Don’t be afraid.”
Jiang Xinghuai felt a little unwell. His eardrums throbbed painfully, making him feel nauseated.
Obediently, he climbed onto his top bunk and looked back.
Fu Yan was standing with his back to him, loosening his tie and bending over to tidy things on the desk.
Jiang Xinghuai’s vision darkened, and his whole body pitched forward. He used one hand to brace against the wall, resisting the fall, while the other hand touched beneath his nose.
Hot blood was streaming out in spurts.
“Wuu—wuu—”
A sharp warning siren blared at that moment, fast and urgent. It was the evacuation signal.
Soldiers rushed into the hallways, their blinding military flashlights sweeping through every window, making everyone’s hearts race.
“Everyone! Emergency evacuation! Head to the main parade ground!”
“People inside! Did you hear me? Don’t pack anything, leave immediately! Go to the main parade ground!”
Fu Yan’s expression instantly changed. He looked up and shouted at Jiang Xinghuai, who was kneeling on the bed with his back to him: “Xing Xing, get down!”
Jiang Xinghuai wobbled and collapsed onto the bed.
Author’s note:
Xing Xing: No, I want to sleep
Moonlit: Oh no. What’s wrong with Xing Xing?
Check my Carrd for lists of my projects and for the Discord invite link.
![There’s a Beauty [Ancient Wear Modern]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/image_2023-11-22_095131618.png "There’s a Beauty [Ancient Wear Modern]")
