Black Sky - Chapter 8

After going outside, the sudden drop in temperature made Fatty Qiu shiver, while Bai Zi had no reaction.

“This damn weather!” Fatty Qiu cursed, gripped the handgun, and used the small flashlight on the barrel to illuminate the way to the public toilet.

While slowly following behind, Bai Zi looked around at the dense forest, trying to find the source of the sound she had heard earlier, but the sound seemed to be deliberately opposing her, and never appeared again.

The two walked to the public toilet. Fatty Qiu, clutching his stomach, handed the gun to Bai Zi: “Old sister, I really can’t hold it anymore. I’m sorry to trouble you to guard the door first, I’ll be right back.” After saying that, he turned and rushed into the toilet, not noticing that something had fallen out of his pocket.

Bai Zi bent down to pick up the thing, and found that it was a bag of instant corn kernels – this person didn’t forget to bring food even when going to the toilet.

After putting the corn kernels into her pocket, Bai Zi looked at the gun in her hand again.

It was clearly a ruthless tool for killing, but it felt like a warm stove because it had been held in someone’s hand for a long time.

A year ago, firearms were prohibited in Hua Country, but only a year later, the five people Bai Zi had just met were all equipped with these extremely lethal weapons.

Bai Zi had never learned to shoot, nor had she ever touched a gun. Her knowledge of how to use a handgun was limited to pulling the trigger, which she had learned from TV series and movies. Suddenly, she accidentally pressed something, and the handgun’s magazine slid down. Bai Zi frowned – and it was at this moment that she heard a slight “rustling” sound from above her head. She immediately reinserted the magazine and looked up.

On a branch of a tree that was more than ten meters tall, there was a figure squatting there, its long arms holding the tree trunk. Although most of its body was obscured by dense leaves, Bai Zi could clearly feel that it was staring at her.

She couldn’t smell the familiar stench, nor could she hear the familiar gasping sound – it wasn’t a mutant.

At least not the kind of mutant that Bai Zi had seen before.

Bai Zi slowly approached the big tree, and saw the other party’s appearance clearly.

Its hunched body was covered with long, reddish-brown hair, it was thin, and its face was long, making its two round brown eyes look a little small. Its skin was gray-black, its brow bones were protruding, its nose bridge was slightly short, its philtrum was unusually long, and although its mouth was closed, it could be seen that it was large.

A small silver round tag was hanging around its neck, and below its neck was a bulging pouch. Its belly was slightly protruding, and although its legs were shorter than the arms holding the tree trunk, its long feet were curved like hands, firmly grasping the branches under its feet.

This wasn’t a human, but a creature that looked very much like a human.

Moreover, the most interesting thing was that it was also wearing a dirty blanket.

Suddenly, its face bulged, and it made a “goo” sound towards Bai Zi.

It sounded like a frog croaking, and also like a pig squealing. It seemed to be greeting Bai Zi.

Bai Zi approached a little closer.

The furry thing seemed to be responding to Bai Zi, and jumped down, squatting on another shorter branch.

This time, Bai Zi completely saw the other party’s face – it was a sub-adult female orangutan with a missing right arm.

Its body wasn’t small, but it was thin, as if it hadn’t been full for a long time. Yet, it stood steadily on the branches that were more than ten meters high, relying only on one arm and two feet, jumping freely. It was clear that it had gotten used to life without a right arm.

Just like Bai Zi had long been used to the days of being blind in her left eye.

The orangutan leaned down, grabbed the branch with one arm, and dropped its body. After swinging in the air a few times like a swing, it landed in front of Bai Zi.

Its eyes stared at Bai Zi, its face bulged, and it made another “goo” sound.

Bai Zi looked at those clear brown pupils, and secretly hid the hand holding the gun behind her back.

Suddenly, the little furry thing propped itself on the ground with its left arm, took a few steps forward, and leaned close to Bai Zi’s feet, sniffing Bai Zi’s pocket.

“Goo!” Another cry.

Bai Zi took out the instant corn kernels from her pocket.

The orangutan shook its head a little excitedly, but didn’t snatch the food. Instead, it sat on the ground and stretched out its left arm towards Bai Zi – like a little brat begging for food.

Bai Zi shook the corn kernels in her hand in confusion. The orangutan immediately shook its left palm again, opened its mouth, and seemed to be urging the other party to quickly give it the food.

Bai Zi looked embarrassed: “This isn’t mine.”

The orangutan put down its hand, suddenly stood up like a human, and then actually propped itself on the ground with its left arm, performing a backflip, and then stood straight on the ground again, and stretched out its left palm towards Bai Zi again.

Bai Zi was stunned in place for a moment.

Seeing that Bai Zi was unmoved, the orangutan seemed a little annoyed, but still didn’t snatch the food. It just shook its left hand at Bai Zi again, opened its mouth and impatiently made a hoarse and short cry: “Ha!”

Bai Zi, who hadn’t laughed out loud for at least a year, couldn’t help but let out a light laugh that even she herself found unfamiliar.

Then, she handed the corn kernels in her hand to the orangutan, who immediately took it, sat on the ground, and used its teeth to tear open the bag.

At this time, the sound of a door opening came from behind Bai Zi.

In less than two seconds, the little furry thing, with the food in its mouth and its feet grasping the blanket, “swooshed” back up the tree. At the same time, the silver round tag that had been hanging around its neck fell to the ground. Bai Zi picked up the round tag，which had the words “Mao Mao” engraved on it. When she looked up again, the orangutan had long disappeared.

Footsteps came from behind her. Bai Zi turned around and found that the person who came was Meng Yilan. Her expression was indifferent, and she didn’t seem to have seen the scene just now. Meng Yilan slowly walked to Bai Zi’s side, tightened her trench coat, and didn’t speak.

Bai Zi didn’t intend to speak either.

After a long silence, Meng Yilan glanced at the gun in Bai Zi’s hand: “Do you know how to use it?”

Bai Zi shook her head.

A gust of wind blew, and the long hair by Meng Yilan’s ear fluttered: “When pulling the trigger, you have to pinch it lightly, don’t suddenly exert force, it can increase accuracy.”

“Have you used it?” Bai Zi asked.

Meng Yilan squinted at Bai Zi, lowered her head, and after a long while, asked another question: “Do you want to leave secretly?” Although it was a question, Meng Yilan used a declarative tone.

Bai Zi didn’t respond, which was considered a default.

She followed Fatty Qiu out, not to go to the toilet, but to take this opportunity to sneak away. If she hadn’t met a begging orangutan, she would probably have been hundreds of meters away from here.

Meng Yilan looked at Bai Zi, but forced herself not to pay attention to the burn scars around the other party’s left eye, and asked in a deep voice: “Can you give me a chance to repay you? Let me…safely send you back to Bei City, and arrange your life afterwards, okay?”

Bai Zi lowered her head, stroking the gun in her hand: “The goods you’re looking for must be very important, right?”

Meng Yilan’s eyes changed slightly.

“It’s none of my business, I know,” Bai Zi curled the corners of her mouth, her face relaxed, “It’s not you who needs to repay the debt, it’s me.”

Seeing the other party showing a dazed expression, Bai Zi sighed in her heart.

As expected, she had no impression at all.

After all, in the other party’s eyes, I am insignificant.

Bai Zi turned her head and looked at the dense forest behind her: “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

After all, her life was tougher than teeth – she had been weak and sick since birth, but had survived until now; she was surrounded by a raging fire, but only lost sight in one eye; she wanted to jump off a hundred-story building, but gave up the idea because of the woman in front of her; she was bitten on the arm by a mutant, but didn’t lose her mind and bite people when she saw them; her body rotted to the extreme, but she recovered as before, and even stopped stuttering, and gained excellent night vision ability.

Seeing Bai Zi turn sideways, as if she was about to leave, Meng Yilan said a little flusteredly: “Didn’t you say that Shi Lei is not trustworthy?”

Bai Zi was stunned, and said in a low voice: “I thought, you didn’t want me to be involved in this.”

Meng Yilan frowned, as if she had made a major decision: “The goods I’m looking for are to save Lin Quwei.”

And the goods were the “she” that Shi Lei mentioned in the text message – that is, Bai Zi.

Back then, because the evidence was thrown into the sea by Bai Zi, Meng Yilan failed to rescue Lin Quwei from prison.

After the mutants appeared, society was in turmoil, and some prisoners were sent to a research institute specializing in developing vaccines for the mutant virus as experimental subjects, including Lin Quwei.

Meng Yilan contacted people in the research institute, who said that if they could find a normal person with antibodies to the mutant virus within three months, they could exchange it for Lin Quwei’s freedom.

In this year, several people with antibodies to the virus had appeared all over the country. Without exception, they were all “invited” to the research institute to cooperate with the country in conducting vaccine research to resist the virus.

Meng Yilan used the connections she had accumulated over the years and spent two months to learn that a secret laboratory specializing in imprisoning mutants was hiding a normal human with antibodies. But for some reason, the secret laboratory suddenly had an extremely serious explosion, and became ruins overnight, but in order to rescue Lin Quwei, Meng Yilan still decided to go to that place.

So, she had Shi Lei hire a few “thugs” and set off to find the “goods” that could rescue Lin Quwei.

But she never expected that this “goods” would be Bai Zi, who had been missing for a year – this “lunatic” who had saved her several times.

In the basement, she saw the blood-stained shirt on Bai Zi’s body, and the number vaguely revealed on it was exactly the same as the number that the informant had told her. Almost without thinking, Meng Yilan used the excuse that the clothes were too dirty to have Bai Zi change her clothes, and concealed the fact that she was the “goods” from the others.

Although Shi Lei immediately saw through the clues and asked to “talk alone” with Meng Yilan, Meng Yilan remained tight-lipped no matter how he pressed her.

In order to get Lin Quwei out of prison, Meng Yilan had spent countless days and nights.

She knew that if she let Bai Zi go, she might never find the next “goods”. With only one month left, the current approach was almost completely giving up the opportunity to rescue Lin Quwei. A month later, if she couldn’t successfully deliver the goods, Lin Quwei would be forcibly injected with the mutant virus as an experimental subject.

She should be more ruthless.

Comparing Bai Zi and Lin Quwei, Meng Yilan would naturally choose the latter.

In today’s world, only fools would value “kindness” so much.

But she couldn’t do it.

Really, she couldn’t do it.

On the way to the gas station, whenever Meng Yilan tried to change her decision, the scene of Bai Zi being bitten on the arm a year ago would immediately appear in her mind.

Until Shi Lei suddenly sent a text message – She must be handed over.

The shrewd Shi Lei had long seen through Meng Yilan’s lies.

Then, Shi Lei sent a bunch of text messages, persuading Meng Yilan to hand over Bai Zi, saying that if she let Bai Zi go, she would definitely lose the only chance to rescue Lin Quwei, and that Bai Zi herself was a pervert and was not worth worrying about her fate, and even came up with very tough and extremely reasonable reasons such as “necessary sacrifices made to save humanity”.

Meng Yilan was almost persuaded, but immediately, a certain consciousness hiding in her heart was stopping her – there must be other “goods” in the world, but there was only one Bai Zi.

Only Bai Zi was willing to risk her life to save her again and again. This “unique” cognition made Meng Yilan feel that, in addition to the so-called “repayment of kindness”, there seemed to be other reasons that prompted her to hide the truth and keep Bai Zi.

This feeling made Meng Yilan afraid.

For example, now, if she didn’t plan to “deliver the goods”, Meng Yilan shouldn’t have repeatedly tried to persuade Bai Zi, who wanted to leave, to stay. Perhaps, “letting her go” could also be considered a way to repay her kindness, after all, the other party was still someone she had once hated so much.

Back then, a few days after witnessing Shi Lei being pushed into the sea by Bai Zi, Shi Lei sent another set of photos to Meng Yilan. In the photos, on the wall of Bai Zi’s home, there were photos of Meng Yilan cut out from newspapers and magazines, all of which revealed Bai Zi’s morbidly obsessive feelings for Meng Yilan.

At that time, Meng Yilan, who saw the photos, immediately severed all contact with Bai Zi. She didn’t even ask Bai Zi why she threw the evidence into the sea, only thinking that Bai Zi did this out of a perverted possessiveness.

Bai Zi definitely knew that Lin Quwei was her most cherished person after she left the Meng family.

From the initial isolation and helplessness, to mustering the courage to engage in social journalism, to establishing her own studio, and finally becoming famous and reaching the peak of her career – during this period, Lin Quwei went from an ordinary university senior to her mentor and confidant, guiding and accompanying her step by step forward.

At the same time, the relationship between the two became closer and closer. Lin Quwei began to intentionally or unintentionally convey his love to Meng Yilan, but Meng Yilan, because she had not yet determined her feelings, had not responded.

Just then, the corruption case fell from the sky, and Lin Quwei was sentenced to prison.

Meng Yilan was like a kite with a broken string, running around in a panic, just to find evidence that could prove Lin Quwei’s innocence. She had even imagined that if she successfully rescued Lin Quwei, even if she hadn’t confirmed her feelings, she would immediately respond to the other party’s feelings, and then form an ordinary family with Lin Quwei and return to a peaceful life.

Therefore, Bai Zi, who was overly obsessed with her, certainly didn’t want Lin Quwei to be acquitted.

A year ago, Meng Yilan thought so.

But now, this “lunatic” had become her savior, and also an important opportunity for her to rescue Lin Quwei. But what made Meng Yilan even more entangled was not these, but the reason why she insisted on keeping Bai Zi after deciding not to hand her over – it didn’t seem to be entirely for “repaying kindness”.

Meng Yilan, who was about to suffocate because of the extremely struggling thoughts, took a deep breath and asked what she should have asked a year ago: “Why did you throw the evidence into the sea?”

Bai Zi was silent for a long time, and said faintly: “A year ago, I sent a letter to your company, it explained it very clearly.”

A year ago, that is, on the day Bai Zi was bitten, she sent a letter to the front desk of Meng Yilan’s company before going to the rooftop. Meng Yilan vaguely remembered that she seemed to have received such a thick letter, but she didn’t pay attention to who wrote the letter, let alone open it to read – the whole world was in chaos, and Meng Yilan had no intention of reading any letters.

“That day at the beach,” Bai Zi said in a low voice, “what Shi Lei sent you wasn’t evidence.”

Meng Yilan’s long hair fluttered in the wind, and then, she heard Bai Zi’s words being blown into her ears by the wind like some kind of alien language: “What he was going to give you was a small homemade bomb.”

Not evidence, but a bomb.

Not some perverted possessiveness, but a protective desire that completely disregarded the consequences.

Meng Yilan’s expression was frozen, and the thoughts that had been constantly fighting in her mind seemed to be blown away by the wind in an instant, leaving a blank.

Bai Zi repeated what she had said: “Shi Lei is not trustworthy.”

The wind was getting stronger and stronger.

“Why should I believe your words?”

“Why do you want me to stay?”

Their eyes met, and compared to Bai Zi, Meng Yilan was obviously unable to control her emotions. She took another deep breath, as if trying to tear off her mask, and confessed in a low voice: “This year, I…I keep dreaming of the scene where you were bitten, I really…”

Looking at the painful expression on Meng Yilan’s face, Bai Zi was finally touched.

She never knew that she had become Meng Yilan’s nightmare.

This woman, whom Bai Zi had vowed to protect with her life, regarded Bai Zi as the source of pain, and the degree of pain was deeper than Bai Zi herself had imagined.

Struggling to suppress the pained expression on her face, Meng Yilan softly pleaded, “I’ll investigate what you said. Until then, let me safely escort you back to Bei City, settle you in a place to stay, and then we’ll call it even, with no further connection between us, okay?”

The wind grew stronger, rapidly scattering every word Meng Yilan spoke, but Bai Zi heard them all clearly, even the tremor in her voice caused by her agitation.

Meng Yilan stared intently at Bai Zi, desperately needing an affirmative answer.

She desperately needed an opportunity to completely sever ties with the other woman.

Then, the two would go their separate ways for good.

Then, she could shake off those inexplicable entanglements and fears, and find another way to rescue Lin Quwei.

She had to, she absolutely had to, rescue Lin Quwei.

“Oh, Miss Meng, you’re out here too?” Fatty Qiu’s voice came from behind them. The man walked out of the public toilet, his belly protruding, looking refreshed.

Meng Yilan stepped away from Bai Zi, tightened her trench coat, and said softly, “Just came out for some fresh air.”

“Yeah, the windows inside are all boarded up, it’s really stuffy,” Fatty Qiu took the gun from Bai Zi’s hand. “Sister, you go on in, sorry, I ate too much just now…”

Bai Zi shook her head. “I just came out for some fresh air too.” As she said this, she looked at Meng Yilan with a calm expression, as if the conversation they’d just had hadn’t happened. “It’s getting colder, let’s go back.”

Meng Yilan was stunned, then her eyes lit up slightly—she understood, Bai Zi had agreed to her request.

“Yeah, Miss Meng, we have to get up early tomorrow.” Fatty Qiu yawned.

Meng Yilan pursed her lips. “Okay, let’s go.”

The cold wind surged from behind the three of them like a giant wave at sea, pushing them forward with force. Bai Zi deliberately slowed her pace, walking behind Meng Yilan, shielding her from some of the wind, while Fatty Qiu consciously walked at the rear, his massive frame like a giant shield, breaking through the wind and waves behind them.

Bai Zi pulled open the iron door, but suddenly stopped—she smelled a strong, bloody scent wafting out from inside the building.

A familiar “desire” extended its tendrils from a corner of Bai Zi’s heart.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing Bai Zi standing motionless in front of the door, the oblivious Meng Yilan asked in confusion.

In the next moment, someone suddenly approached and whispered in her ear with a trembling voice, “D-don’t move…”

It wasn’t Bai Zi’s voice, but Fatty Qiu’s, who was shielding the two of them from the wind—

At this moment, his fat frame was pressed tightly against Meng Yilan’s back, his head close to her ear, and an extremely nervous expression was on his usually good-natured face.

His trembling hand was gripping a gun, pressing it firmly against the back of Meng Yilan’s head.