Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Pill

“Get ready to withdraw, Xiao Zhang. Go over to Professor Liu and bring the supplies!” Yang Weiguo paid no heed to Ma Zhanlin’s biting sarcasm and walked straight up to a woman wearing a mask.

Only now did Shen Lie notice the masked woman. She was undoubtedly Du Lili, the so-called “King Du.” Judging by her figure and dress, she couldn’t be very old, and her body bore no signs of unnatural mutations—only her face was hidden behind a striped mask, making it impossible to tell whether she was beautiful or plain.

“Brother Shen, I’m so glad you’re okay!” As Shen Lie’s attention lingered on the masked woman, Li Cheng hurried up to him, an awkward smile flickering across his face.

“Heh, it’s nothing. I have a hard life to kill,” Shen Lie replied coolly with a nod.

From the moment Li Cheng had abandoned him at the Silver Hao Supermarket, their connection was essentially severed. Li Cheng, clearly aware of this, drooped his head and turned away upon sensing Shen Lie’s indifference.

Soon, the soldier called Xiao Zhang came rushing back, lugging a large suitcase, which he handed directly to Yang Weiguo.

“King Du, of all these people, I trust only you. I have just one request in handing over these medicines: do everything in your power to ensure Professor Liu’s safety. He is our country’s foremost expert in genetics and pharmaceuticals. We absolutely cannot afford to lose him!” Yang Weiguo placed the suitcase at Du Lili’s feet, speaking each word with earnest gravity.

Before Du Lili could respond, Ma Zhanlin interjected in his usual sardonic tone. “If you’re so concerned about Professor Liu’s safety, why did you waste so much time at the supermarket entrance? By your logic, a hundred ordinary survivors aren’t worth one Professor Liu, isn’t that right?”

“You’re not wrong. The existence of any individual must be subordinated to the nation. Without a nation, there is no home. But if the circumstances allow us to save more lives, what harm is there? Ma Zhanlin, since you now possess abilities beyond ordinary people, you should shoulder greater responsibility—not just chase after your own interests!”

“Oh, the nation above all? Ha! Without the nation, there’s no home? I don’t even know if the nation still exists, but I do know my home is gone—my home is gone! Yang Weiguo, my family died right under your nose. Why didn’t you show this noble spirit then? Tell me, why didn’t you?” Ma Zhanlin’s voice quivered with emotion, as if dredging up some bitter memory.

“Enough wasting time. Distribute the medicine and get ready. If that two-headed mutant returns, I won’t be able to hold it off again.” Du Lili finally spoke, and it was clear she commanded considerable respect—every group and individual deferred to her. At her words, the entire assembly fell silent.

Throughout, Shen Lie made no comment, simply standing by his car, observing coldly. No one attempted to speak with him either. He felt suddenly transparent, invisible to those around him. He was also startled by Du Lili’s strength—she seemed to have just driven off the mutated two-headed dog that Huang Xiaoxue had become. No wonder the survivors here waited calmly; they had someone formidable to rely on.

Besides himself, Shen Lie noticed that Wang Qingshan likewise stood aside, silent, holding his daughter’s hand tightly, while his wife scanned their surroundings nervously.

“Distribute the medicine!” At Du Lili’s signal, her dozen subordinates opened the suitcase, each taking a convenient plastic box, and began handing out small red pills to the gathered survivors.

“Listen up, everyone, I’ll say this only once: these pills can only neutralize the toxins in this lighter corridor of the red mist zone. To use, hold the pill just under your nostril—the effect will last about a day. Barring terrible luck, that should suffice for us to make it out of the red mist area.”

“But let me make this clear!” Yang Weiguo’s voice rang out. “This passage has only been explored for a short distance. The sudden change of the Red River meant we haven’t fully mapped the dangers within. Once inside, everyone must follow orders. Anyone who acts alone without permission forfeits the protection of the main group and is left to fend for themselves!”

“Understood? If you do, let’s move out. Except for the bus with Professor Liu, everyone else goes on foot. The bus will be our center as we advance!”

With his speech done, someone invited Shen Lie onto the bus, explaining that all the awakeners had the privilege of resting there. Shen Lie saw through Yang Weiguo’s intention—he wanted to gather the powered individuals together, clearly to better protect Professor Liu.

“We have our own vehicle. No need to trouble you, Squad Leader Yang,” Shen Lie declined. He had no wish to play bodyguard for some VIP. Even if they claimed to have found a way out, he wasn’t naive enough to believe it. If even the spider creature and the giant black cat dared not enter the red mist zone, who could predict what fate awaited a human? Awakeners were not invincible.

“Heh, perhaps you’re not aware, Comrade Shen—the red mist zone is nothing like the outside. No ordinary vehicle will start inside, and firearms won’t fire either. The red mist seems to block all chemical reactions. Our bus, however, has been specially modified, powered by over a hundred batteries—it’s an all-electric vehicle.”

Yang Weiguo’s subordinate’s explanation caught Shen Lie off guard. No wonder nobody objected to traveling on foot—they already knew the situation.

“Each awakener may bring two family members aboard—the bus can hold no more, and their relatives will have priority protection.”

Shen Lie had intended to refuse, but after hearing this, he changed his mind. They had clearly prepared for this—he and the other awakeners had no real choice.

He glanced at Zhang Jing and little Tao Tao beside him and nodded silently in agreement. There was no alternative. Zhang Jing could manage the walk, but Tao Tao was still recovering from her injuries and couldn’t possibly make it out of the mist on foot.

The bus was crudely modified. Only the front half had passenger seats; the rear was packed with batteries, all lashed together with tangled wires. In ordinary times, no one would dare ride such a contraption.

“This is Professor Liu. I needn’t introduce you all—you’re all awakened superhumans. I hope we can stick together and make it out. Only then will you have a true chance to show your abilities. Here in this little town, no matter how strong you are, it means nothing.” Yang Weiguo brought the awakeners onto the bus, introduced Professor Liu, and then left as the retreat began in earnest.

The bus rumbled to life. Through the window, Shen Lie gazed at the numb faces of the crowd outside, wondering how many would survive the mist—if any. In just a few months, he’d lived through so much strangeness that it all felt like a dream.

“Ahem, King Shen?” As Shen Lie drifted into thought, a hoarse voice suddenly reached him.

He turned to see, with some surprise, that it was Wang Qingshan who had initiated the conversation. Oddly enough, ever since gathering here, Yang Weiguo had led everyone by the nose; the awakeners hadn’t exchanged a single word, not even with the ever-studious Professor Liu.

“There’s no ‘King’ here. We’re just a few mutated people. Maybe the townsfolk fear us, but outside, we might just be seen as monsters.” Shen Lie wasn’t eager to chat with this hunchback, but Ma Zhanlin picked up the thread self-deprecatingly.

“Heh, monster or not, what does it matter? These days, whoever has the power gets to speak. Why else are we in the bus while everyone else walks?” Wang Qingshan chuckled dryly, unbothered by his own mutation.

“Brother Shen, I was wrong last time—I was swayed by that Xiao Gang fellow. He’s dead now, killed by you, so I was hoping we could put the past behind us.”

“To show my sincerity, I’m willing to offer some compensation.” Wang Qingshan’s attitude was humble. Shen Lie couldn’t bring himself to rebuff him too harshly; after all, they were now in the same boat. In a crisis, an ally was better than an enemy.

“What compensation?” He was willing to reconcile, but compensation was still due.

“Heh, I’m a naturally timid man and haven’t managed to gather much of value in these days. But I do know something nobody else does—an inside scoop about the mutant crows. Interested?”

Wang Qingshan’s words were secretive, barely above a whisper between the two, but Shen Lie did find himself intrigued. Though they had gathered near the edge of the mushroom field, the evacuation route led away from it, so no one had risked collecting phantom mushrooms or provoking the mutant crows.

They hadn’t wanted trouble, but that didn’t mean they weren’t tempted by the phantom mushrooms—especially the awakeners. Shen Lie suspected both Du Lili and Ma Zhanlin harbored the same thought but were wary of the crows. The mushrooms were a local specialty—outside, they’d be impossible to get.

“We’re about to enter the red mist zone. Speak quickly,” Shen Lie said to Wang Qingshan, his face impassive as he took in the man’s hunched form.