2 gave a bitter smile. "I'm just a lone wolf, not part of the Shen family. They pay me, and I work for them—that's all there is to it. After I die, what does it matter to me what happens to the Shens? You managed to dodge my three shots while I was in the genetic lock state; that's impressive. But sadly, even if you leave here, you won't live long. The Shens won't let you go, and you won't be able to escape their reach..."
Blood began to seep from 2's nostrils, but his complexion improved. He knew his time was running out. "Let me tell you one more thing: Shen Jinbin is still alive. With the Shen family's medical treatment, he won't die so easily..."
2's lips moved, but Lin Shi couldn't make out the rest of his words.
"Shen Jinbin is still alive?!" Lin Shi's expression finally changed. How could Shen Jinbin be alive when he had clearly pierced his heart? Lin Shi wanted to know more, but 2's head lolled to the side, and he fell silent.
Lin Shi furrowed his brow, crouched down, and checked 2's pulse. He was dead. Searching the body, Lin Shi found a satellite phone, a walkie-talkie, several magazines, and an ID card. "Li Erhao..." That was this man's name. Perhaps knowing he was going to die, Li Erhao didn't let Lin Shi give him the remaining half of the pill.
Li Erhao had said that the Shen family, besides energy, had their hands in many other fields, even in developing people who can unlock the genetic lock. This was the reason for their strength after the apocalypse. In his previous life, Lin Shi had been like a frog in a well, knowing nothing. The fact that Shen Jinbin was still alive was something Lin Shi had never anticipated.
Lin Shi opened his hand, looking at the half-blue pill in his palm. He carefully stored it in his spatial pocket. Even with the Shen family's advanced medical treatments, Shen Jinbin couldn't recover quickly from such severe injuries. The journey would likely exacerbate his condition, meaning he might still be in Shashi!
Lin Shi stood up and walked towards the other bodies. He quickly recovered the arrows from the corpses and collected the loot. Then, he went to find the lifeboat. It was now close to 1 AM, and the countdown on the corner of the treasure basin showed a little over nine hours left. He needed to get back as soon as possible, before the solar storm hit Earth, and find Shen Jinbin to finish him off!
However, when Lin Shi reached the beach, he realized he couldn't leave. The rain was heavy, and the sea was rough. Without moonlight, the dark, turbulent waters made navigation nearly impossible. Launching the small lifeboat in such conditions at night would be suicidal. Lin Shi had no choice but to retreat back into the forest.
By dawn, the rain had stopped. It was now 5 AM, and the countdown showed five hours remaining. Lin Shi changed his clothes. On the way to the beach, he passed the battlefield from the previous day and glanced at Li Erhao's body. To his surprise, Li Erhao's corpse had already started to decompose severely. Just one night, or more accurately, about four hours, and the skin had peeled away, revealing muscle and, in some places, even bone. This was the result of genetic collapse?
Recalling the battle with Li Erhao, Lin Shi thought about the precise anticipation, the accurate marksmanship, and the incredible calculation. Without external assistance, it was nearly impossible for a human to achieve that level. The genetic lock was a double-edged sword, indeed.
Lin Shi headed to the beach. The sea had calmed, and he pushed the lifeboat into the water, starting the engine and heading towards Shashi. After more than three hours, he finally approached the coast of Shashi. The countdown showed a little over an hour until the solar storm hit Earth. Lin Shi took out the satellite phone and called Xu Qin. "Xu Qin, I need your help with something."
...
After hanging up, Lin Shi found a slightly elevated spot and set up a tent, resting for the night. He didn't dare to sleep deeply in such a place. When the first light of dawn appeared, he packed up the tent, took some water and food from his spatial pocket, and ate. The rain had stopped, and it was 5 AM. The countdown on the treasure basin showed five hours remaining.
Lin Shi changed into a new set of clothes. On the way to the beach, he passed by the battlefield from the previous day and glanced at Li Erhao's body again. The body had decomposed significantly. Just one night, or more accurately, about four hours, and the skin had peeled away, revealing muscle and, in some places, even bone. This was the result of genetic collapse.
Recalling the battle with Li Erhao, Lin Shi thought about the precise anticipation, the accurate marksmanship, and the incredible calculation. Without external assistance, it was nearly impossible for a human to achieve that level. The genetic lock was a double-edged sword, indeed.
Lin Shi headed to the beach. The sea had calmed, and he pushed the lifeboat into the water, starting the engine and heading towards Shashi. After more than three hours, he finally approached the coast of Shashi. The countdown showed a little over an hour until the solar storm hit Earth. Lin Shi took out the satellite phone and called Xu Qin. "Xu Qin, have you found him?"
...
Xu Qin yawned, her voice tired. "Found him. He's in the First Hospital of Shashi, in the Intensive Care Unit, Room 801. There are a lot of experts here for a consultation. Who is your friend? He must be quite important."
Xu Qin had actually found him at the first hospital she visited, but she thought if it was too easy, Lin Shi might renege on his promise. "Thank you. I have already transferred the money to you" Lin Shi said, hanging up. He found an unoccupied stretch of the beach, got ashore, and stored the lifeboat in his spatial pocket. The countdown on the treasure basin showed 1 hour and 26 minutes remaining. Lin Shi put on a cap and a mask, walked to the roadside, and hailed a taxi, heading to the First Hospital of Shashi.
...
At the First Hospital of Shashi, outside Room 801, the Intensive Care Unit, a dozen doctors and a middle-aged woman were gathered. Shockingly, these doctors were renowned experts often featured in major newspapers and news. These people should have been in Hai City or the capital, waiting for patients to schedule appointments. Yet, they were all here, discussing strategies for one patient's condition.
Beep, beep, beep. Inside the room, Shen Jinbin lay on the bed, wrapped in bandages and connected to various tubes, his breaths shallow.
"How is my son, doctors? Can he be saved?" The speaker was a middle-aged woman in a high-end tailored suit dress, looking sharp and capable, though her beautiful face was marred by fatigue and a hint of resentment. Last night, Shen Fanren, her ex-husband whom she hadn't spoken to in years, suddenly called her, saying their son was in trouble and that he was busy in Hai City, asking her to come and take care of him. When Hui Lan arrived in Shashi, she found out how severely injured her son was. That unfaithful scoundrel, that beast, had neglected her own son!