Black Sky - Chapter 38

At first, Meng Yilan hadn’t thought that she would use such means to interrogate Shi Lei.

She originally didn’t want to alert the enemy, only planning to secretly investigate this matter after returning to Bei City.

But plans never kept up with changes. Meng Yilan didn’t expect that she would return to the prison for Bai Zi, and even more so, she didn’t expect that she would be reconnected with “Hongya” because of this.

Moreover, she hadn’t expected that after learning what Shi Lei had done to Bai Zi, she would uncontrollably feel murderous intent, and—would force the words “Liao Yu” from Shi Lei’s mouth before he died.

In Meng Yilan’s growth process, those twin sisters hadn’t left too deep of an impression on her.

In her eyes, Liao Yurou and Liao Yuting were just two little cousins from a relative’s family.

One was quiet and introverted, and the other was lively and active. Meng Yilan, who had never liked to make friends since she was a child, didn’t have too deep of an emotional bond with the twin sisters.

But during the time when Meng Yilan decided to sever her relationship with the Meng family, she had a deep relationship with the twin sisters’ mother, who was also Meng Yilan’s aunt, Meng Yue.

In the Meng family, Meng Yue was considered an outlier.

Before graduating from college, Meng Yilan had never met this aunt, only occasionally hearing about her from relatives and elders.

Meng Yue was the most disliked “rebellious woman” in the entire family. She had arbitrarily torn up her engagement with the eldest son of a government official, and had gone to live abroad alone. Until more than ten years later, she returned to Bei City at the persuasion of Meng Yilan’s father, and rejoined the Hongya Group.

Initially, Meng Yue was the only relative who supported Meng Yilan’s decision to leave the Meng family.

But after completely leaving the Meng family, Meng Yilan and her aunt lost contact.

And this time, in order to rescue Bai Zi, Meng Yilan broke the taboo of many years, and the first person she contacted was Meng Yue—while also avoiding direct communication with her father.

But although she didn’t directly contact her father, Meng Yilan still knew that there was no difference in reality.

Despite this, no matter what consequences she would face in the future, she wouldn’t regret her decision now.

“So,” Bai Zi frowned, and intuitively speculated, “The person who instructed Shi Lei to do that thing was Liao Yurou?”

Just as Meng Yilan was about to answer, the sound of messy objects colliding and the extremely panicked screams of a woman came from outside.

Bai Zi immediately pushed Mao Mao off her body, and quickly walked out of the room.

In the darkness, Liao Yuting staggered towards Bai Zi. Bai Zi warily moved to the side, and after the other party ran behind her, she quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, deliberately not letting Liao Yuting hide in the room, in case she was hiding a weapon, and would take the opportunity to harm Meng Yilan.

After all, she and Liao Yurou were twin sisters.

But at this time, Bai Zi heard a familiar panting and roaring sound coming from not far away. She looked in the direction of the sound, and saw Uncle Hong holding a huge dog-catching clamp, gritting his teeth and firmly suppressing a hunched black figure in the corner.

Bai Zi recognized at a glance that the black figure was a mutant—not the ordinary kind, but the mutant that she and You Yuyi had encountered in the subway tunnel, with a thin body and completely naked.

The mutant was grabbing the dog-catching clamp pressing on its body with both hands, shaking it hard. It looked like Uncle Hong was about to lose his grip, and that the dog-catching clamp seemed to be about to be broken in the next second.

“Take out your gun!” Bai Zi shouted at Meng Yilan, who had run to the door, and then released Liao Yuting, lunged towards the mutant.

Although she knew that Bai Zi’s healing ability was extremely strong now, Meng Yilan was still shocked, wanting to stop her but it was already too late.

As Bai Zi rushed over, the mutant suddenly exerted force, and the pole of the dog-catching clamp instantly broke. Uncle Hong was suddenly pulled to the ground.

Before the mutant could pounce on Uncle Hong, Bai Zi leaped to the side of the mutant, stepping on its chest with one foot, pressing it back to the ground. But the mutant grabbed Bai Zi’s leg, and with a twist of its whole body, Bai Zi was immediately knocked to the ground.

But Bai Zi reacted extremely quickly. She immediately reached out with both hands to grab the neck of the mutant in front of her, and used her legs to clamp its waist, firmly restraining it on the ground.

Meng Yilan rushed forward with a gun, aiming nervously at the mutant, but heard Bai Zi stop her: “Don’t shoot, it’s useless!” After saying that, Bai Zi looked at Uncle Hong, “Do you have a knife? Get a knife!”

Uncle Hong quickly stood up, turning around and running towards the room.

At the same time, the mutant suddenly pushed backwards, causing Bai Zi, who was grabbing it, to be knocked back and lie on the ground. The back of her head slammed hard against the ground, making a loud noise.

“Bai Zi!” Meng Yilan was frightened by this scene.

If it had been a normal person, this impact would have caused great damage to the head, but Bai Zi’s face didn’t change, as if she didn’t feel any pain at all. She even didn’t forget to roll over, turning the mutant on top of her, and then grabbed the pole that had just been broken, stabbing the sharp end into the mutant’s neck.

At this time, Uncle Hong ran back with a large machete. After Bai Zi saw it, she didn’t say anything, only gesturing for him to throw the knife over.

After the blade cut into that rotten neck, the mutant struggled even more violently. Bai Zi directly raised her leg, and stepped hard on the back of the knife, severing the mutant’s neck.

The head rolled a few meters away, and the headless body was stepped on by Bai Zi, not moving at all.

Only now did Bai Zi, whose body was tense, relax. She, panting, picked up the machete, and then turned to look at Uncle Hong, pointing to the side of the wall: “Did it run out from there?”

Uncle Hong didn’t answer, he walked closer to Bai Zi with a solemn expression, took the machete from her hand, and said in a deep voice: “Miss Bai, thank you.” Then, he looked at Meng Yilan behind him, “Miss Meng, let’s talk about the other things inside.”

Seeing that the other party had ignored her question, Bai Zi frowned, looking in confusion at the pile of wooden boxes in the center of the field.

Although there was no panting sound coming from the boxes, she couldn’t help but guess if there were other mutants inside?

Thinking this, Bai Zi ignored Uncle Hong and Meng Yilan, who were heading towards the room, and walked towards the pile of wooden boxes on her own.

But before she had walked far, Bai Zi heard someone call her name in a deep voice: “Bai Zi.”

She turned her head, and saw Meng Yilan standing by the door, frowning at her.

Meng Yilan’s face wasn’t good, and even the frightened Mao Mao was huddled at her feet, timidly grabbing Meng Yilan’s pants, its round eyes staring worriedly at Bai Zi.

After hesitating for a long while, Bai Zi pointed to the wooden boxes in front of her: “I want to see what’s in this…”

“Come here.” Meng Yilan spat out two words again in a deep voice, with a tone that didn’t allow for refusal.

Bai Zi, who had wanted to insist on her own opinion, was stopped by Meng Yilan’s eyes staring at her.

It was a gaze with silent deterrence and full of worry, like an invisible rope pulling Bai Zi, forcibly dragging her back to Meng Yilan’s side.

The two were silent for a long while, and Bai Zi finally followed Meng Yilan back into the room helplessly.

Mao Mao climbed onto Bai Zi’s back again, turning back into a clingy travel bag.

As soon as she entered the door, Bai Zi saw Liao Yuting sitting in a corner on a broken armchair with a frightened expression.

Uncle Hong locked the door, and then walked to the window, lifting the wooden board used to seal the window, secretly observing the situation in the parking lot.

“That mutant just now, looked so strange,” Bai Zi said casually, standing by the door, her gaze constantly wandering between the faces of Uncle Hong and Liao Yuting. “Its eyes were all black…”

Uncle Hong interrupted Bai Zi on his own, saying quickly: “There’s no movement outside, I’ll go take a look first. You guys stay here for now, don’t move.”

After saying that, he opened the door that he had just locked, and after walking out of the room, he warily turned his head back and closed the door.

Bai Zi became even more depressed, and just as she was about to say something, she heard Meng Yilan, who was sitting on another sofa, say to her: “Come here.”

Her tone was very firm, similar to her attitude earlier.

But Meng Yilan’s eyes were different from just now, without the oppressive deterrence, but instead revealing a warm emotion.

Bai Zi no longer felt that Meng Yilan’s attitude was “strict.” As if she was used to it, she obediently carried Mao Mao to the side of the sofa.

Meng Yilan patted the space next to her: “Sit.”

Although there were only one word, her tone was much softer.

Bai Zi sat down very docilely, regardless of Mao Mao behind her being squeezed by herself and the back of the sofa, baring its teeth.

“That mutant just now, probably wasn’t transformed from a person, right?” Bai Zi turned her head to look at Liao Yuting in the corner, “Their wounds heal very quickly. I’ve also seen another similar mutant, it was very tall.” Saying that, Bai Zi turned her head to look at Meng Yilan next to her, wanting to get the other party’s agreement. “Do you remember? We were at that store in the zoo…”

But Meng Yilan didn’t answer, only suddenly raising her hand, and placing her palm on the back of Bai Zi’s head.

Bai Zi stopped speaking because of Meng Yilan’s action, and looked at the other party a little blankly.

Meng Yilan was still silent, and her palm began to gently massage the back of Bai Zi’s head.

Looking at the tenderness that had never appeared in the other party’s eyes before, Bai Zi didn’t know how to react for a moment. She stiffly turned her head, but was stopped by the other party holding her neck: “Don’t move.”

Her usual cool and aloof tone now sounded like a coquettish pout, and Bai Zi dared not move again.

Then, Meng Yilan continued to patiently massage the back of Bai Zi’s head, as if she was worried that if she didn’t massage her properly, Bai Zi would become stupid in a while.

Because the two were too close, the unique fragrance of Meng Yilan was like a gentle embrace, surrounding Bai Zi, making it impossible for Bai Zi to escape. Just as she was getting more and more at a loss, Meng Yilan asked softly: “Did they take your hat?”

“Huh?” Bai Zi was stunned. “What hat?”

She had completely forgotten the fisherman’s hat that Meng Yilan had given her, not even having a trace of an impression.

Meng Yilan’s face cooled down at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the movement of her hands massaging the back of Bai Zi’s head suddenly stopped, but soon, she started moving again, only with much more force.

Bai Zi’s head shook with Meng Yilan’s movements. She was about to open her mouth to explain, but the radio communication machine behind her suddenly made a “crackling” sound.

At this time, Uncle Hong happened to return to the room, with two injured subordinates following behind him.

Uncle Hong didn’t bother to speak, only quickly walked to the corner, using the radio communication machine to talk to the person who had sent the message.

The two subordinates who had followed Uncle Hong into the room seemed a little awkward after seeing Meng Yilan and Bai Zi. They straightened their bodies, and said respectfully to Meng Yilan in a low voice: “Miss Meng.”

Meng Yilan nodded to them, still continuing to massage Bai Zi, without feeling embarrassed at all.

Uncle Hong hung up the radio, and turned his head: “Miss Meng, it’s safe outside for now, but all the tires of the cars have been deliberately damaged.” He sighed, but said with certainty, “But don’t worry, I’ve already contacted the nearest support team, and they’re on their way here. We’ll probably need to wait for about two days.”

After saying that, Uncle Hong walked to the door, and said to one of his subordinates: “Immediately check all personnel. If anyone has been bitten, deal with them immediately.” Then, he instructed another subordinate: “Strengthen the surrounding defenses, and…” He suddenly lowered his voice, but Bai Zi still clearly heard every word. “…Send a few people to move those boxes to the warehouse in the back.”

The two subordinates turned around and left after receiving the instructions. Uncle Hong turned his head back, and told Meng Yilan that he had to go out and clean up the mess, and then left the room again.

Bai Zi couldn’t bother with Meng Yilan, who was still massaging her, and stood up, walked to the window, and imitated Uncle Hong, lifting the board used to seal the window, looking outside.

In the darkness, a long row of trucks remained parked, the spacious parking lot seemingly untouched.

But on the ground, there were seven or eight people lying scattered, their lives uncertain. Some of them were still groaning in pain, probably having suffered serious injuries.

At this time, there were also five or six people with rifles patrolling back and forth in the parking lot, not daring to relax at all.

Bai Zi heard someone walk up behind her. Before she could turn her head, she heard Meng Yilan’s very soft voice in her ear, seemingly deliberately suppressing it so that Liao Yuting wouldn’t hear: “Bai Zi, after returning to Bei City, what are your plans?”

Bai Zi listened, but didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes unconsciously looked at the dark sky. After a long while, Bai Zi raised her hand and stroked her chest, pressing the circular jade under her clothes.

“I want,” Bai Zi said softly, “to find my parents, and my brother.”