Under the cool moonlight, Gu Chen watched as Mu Xiaowan walked away. He paused for a moment, then turned, heading deeper into the alley. Just before leaving, he glanced back. For a fleeting moment, his eyes met Mu Xiaowan's. It was a silent, unspoken exchange, an understanding shared between them.
Mu Xiaowan nodded slightly, her expression still calm, but there was a hint of subtle tension in her eyes. She returned to the house, and the door creaked closed, shutting out the world outside.
The sudden clash earlier had left her heart racing. Not only were there the infected ones, but also Liu Zhenhai and his men who seemed to be investigating the situation.
The scarred men had invaded their home and pushed them into a corner, forcing them to act in self-defense. However, if their actions were discovered, the terrified boy who had just quietly killed four burly men would definitely attract the attention of the authorities.
Even if this matter didn't fall under the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Bureau, the police would still carry out a thorough investigation. Gu Chen had always adhered to a principle of keeping a low profile, living carefully with Mu Xiaowan. Once they were under scrutiny, Mu Xiaowan's true identity could not remain hidden for long.
Taking a deep breath, Mu Xiaowan moved to the four corpses. She began tying them up with ropes, wrapping them in coarse cloth. After a little effort, she bent down and lifted the heavy bundle. But then, something strange happened.
She froze for a moment, staring down at her hands. Somehow, she felt that her strength had increased just a little. Although the bundle was far heavier than her own body, she effortlessly lifted it. The sudden surge of power startled her.
In the dark night, a small figure with the heavy load on her back moved through the alley like a shadow, as agile as a cat, vanishing at the end of the street without a sound.
...
Meanwhile, Gu Chen was walking alongside Liu Zhenhai and Chu Hongxiu, heading towards the scene. The night was still tense, and Gu Chen kept a low profile, walking quietly behind the two. His eyes scanned the surroundings constantly. He knew that things were more complicated than they seemed. If the Enforcement Bureau started looking into it, everything might come to light—especially Mu Xiaowan's situation.
"It should be around here," Gu Chen said, breaking the silence. He didn't give a precise route, only pointed in a general direction, careful not to appear too exact.
Liu Zhenhai and Chu Hongxiu proceeded cautiously, occasionally stopping to check their surroundings. Liu Zhenhai, puffing on a cigarette, grinned and joked, "Be careful, we don't want anyone to spot us."
"Huh?" Chu Hongxiu stopped, her nose twitching slightly. She frowned and looked toward a dilapidated church up ahead.
Gu Chen's eyes had already locked onto it. He saw a body lying on the ground, over three meters tall, in a grotesque shape. It seemed to be some sort of distorted creature. The body had the general outline of a human, but the head was abnormally large, and half of its face was a bloody mess filled with sharp teeth. Its limbs were covered in white barbed spines, still dripping with blood and chunks of flesh.
Liu Zhenhai frowned slightly and instinctively stepped in front of Gu Chen, trying to shield him from seeing the gruesome scene. However, Gu Chen's face remained calm. There was no sign of nausea or distress—he seemed almost unnervingly composed.
"Kid, you've got some good mental fortitude," Liu Zhenhai said, patting Gu Chen on the shoulder, his tone somewhat approving.
"Is this what all infected people look like?" Gu Chen asked, his voice calm as he took a few steps forward.
Chu Hongxiu's face darkened as she whispered, "Be careful."
"It's fine, they're all dead. What's there to be afraid of?" Liu Zhenhai said with a careless laugh. He seemed pleased by Gu Chen's curiosity. "Look at this kid. He's not even scared of infected ones. Some students from the War Academy—when they see corpses—they're scared stiff! How are they supposed to fight like that?"
Gu Chen's heart skipped a beat. The War Academy. It was a prestigious institution where awakened individuals were trained. All the students there had undergone rigorous combat training and faced off against mutated beasts and infected individuals. It was not just a place for warriors, but also for scientific research, dealing with the relationships between awakened ones, infected creatures, and mutated beasts.
Gu Chen knew that with his current energy level, he wasn't even close to meeting the 100-point threshold required to enter the War Academy. But still, the thought of joining such an academy, with its stable assignments and benefits, intrigued him.
While he was lost in thought, Chu Hongxiu and Liu Zhenhai were casually chatting. Liu Zhenhai grinned, "Those are just freshmen. When they first enter, they're a bit soft. But after going through the initiation, they'll toughen up. They'll get used to the blood and violence."
Chu Hongxiu raised an eyebrow, her voice teasing. "So that's why you keep bringing back all these infected bodies?"
Liu Zhenhai waved his hand, chuckling. "We don't just go around killing infected ones. It's all based on careful investigation and precision."
As they continued talking, Liu Zhenhai's walkie-talkie suddenly buzzed. He pulled it out and answered, "What's going on?"
"Boss, we're at the north side of Zone C, by the garbage mound. We've found four bodies. Cause of death seems to be poisoning."
"Poisoning?" Liu Zhenhai frowned. "Did Infected No. 2 do this?"
"No, it looks like they died from gas poisoning."
"Gas poisoning? Well, let the police handle it. Wait for me, I'll come over and take a look."
Liu Zhenhai ended the call, his face becoming more solemn. "Looks like we need to make a trip."
Gu Chen's heart sank when he heard the words "gas poisoning." He immediately realized that the four bodies were most likely those discarded by Mu Xiaowan. The garbage mound in the northern part of the city was an unregulated area, a dumping ground for the surrounding slums. It was far from government jurisdiction, and no one ever bothered to clean it. Over time, it had become a massive heap of garbage. Many children from the slums had seen corpses and body parts there, evidence of criminal activity.
It was no surprise that the Enforcement Bureau had taken notice of the site.
What made Gu Chen uneasy was that the authorities hadn't discovered Mu Xiaowan yet. However, if they started investigating further, everything could point back to them. The gas poisoning would be easy to trace, and they could potentially use the gas meter records to figure out the killer's identity.
The thought of the investigation closing in on them made Gu Chen's skin crawl. He glanced at Liu Zhenhai and Chu Hongxiu, feeling a growing sense of unease as the situation grew more complicated.