Chapter 281

Looking around, there were about a thousand infected people gathered here. Some of them were receiving intravenous drips, as if they were patients receiving treatment.

Hegre quickly spotted Broca as tall as a small mountain, and came over to explain:

"There are too many people here, and I really can't get away. I can only ask them to pass on the message. Please forgive me."

"It's alright, General."

Broca at the face, which, though aged, still exuded a mature air, and sighed:

"Speaking of which, it's been more than twenty years since we last met, hasn't it? The last time we met was probably during the Battle of Bloodpeak in 1075. You made great contributions at that time, but suddenly announced your retirement, which many people found regrettable."

"Let bygones be bygones."

Hegre grinned wryly, not wanting to talk about his past military career, and steered the conversation to the present:

"If I hadn't seen the Shield Guard, I wouldn't have known you were here. I heard a few months ago that you joined the Rhodes Island and should be in Schuratzburg City. Why did you suddenly come here, more than a thousand kilometers away? Are you out of food?"

Broca frank and made no attempt to hide anything, telling the truth as follows:

"Almost. Not only food, but all kinds of strategic materials are in very short supply and cannot be replenished."

"That's right, infected people have to pay a higher price to gain a place to live. To be honest, I'm not optimistic about the Rhodes Island. Although they captured Schuratzburg City, they expelled all non-infected people. It feels like they don't have a clear program, like children playing house."

Broca didn't find Hegre offensive, because that was Rhodes Island. But Talulah wouldn't listen to him, so the issue remained unresolved.

"General, you're right. However, none of that matters anymore. After today, the Rhodes Island will likely face disbandment."

"Oh?"

The attack on Azazel Clinic was mostly led by local infected individuals. Hegre didn't see a single officer throughout the attack, indicating it wasn't closely related to the Patriot.

But he learned from the head of the Gendarmerie that the offensive had turned into a one-sided affair. Could it be that their leader had been dealt with by Mr. Zhong?

The infected organization will only face disbandment when it is leaderless and no new leader emerges.

"You mean the leader of the Rhodes Island..."

At this point, Hegre made a throat-slitting gesture with one hand, the meaning of which was quite clear.

"More or less, most likely she's been sacrificed. I initially joined Rhodes Island because I didn't want Talulah, a city that was otherwise easy to conquer, to be handed over to others. Now that she hasn't shown up yet, and her subordinates are either dead or have fled, this organization will probably have to disband."

"My intelligence network in the city has no information on the presence of your troops. Have you been staying outside the city, keeping an eye on those Ursus Army Group?"

"Yes, as expected of the General. His tactical acumen remains as sharp as ever."

Upon hearing this, Hegre forced a wry smile.

Fortunately, the Patriot's team did not enter the city; it would have been a real pity if Mr. Zhong had dealt with them.

"I'm just an old man, unlike you who will live as long as you, so don't exaggerate like that."

"This is not an exaggeration, it is the truth. I still vividly remember the general reviewing his troops on the battlefield."

Hegre didn't want to reminisce about the glorious past, and instead brought the topic back to the present:

"If the Rhodes Island disbands, what will happen to your unit? Will you continue to fight guerrilla warfare in the snowy mountains?"

Broca did not see any conflict of interest between himself and the general, and therefore told the truth:

"No, I want to go to Lungmen to repay my debt of gratitude first."

"What a coincidence, I'm also going to Lungmen to repay a debt of gratitude."

Hegre's gaze gradually shifted from the large group of infected people who remained in place to the distance:

"Someone helped me a lot three times without asking for anything in return. He even gave me a lot of gold bars so I could exchange them for money to buy medical supplies. He is not only my benefactor, but also the benefactor of all the patients at Azazel Clinic."

I heard that the policies for infected people in the Lungmen Lower City are relatively lenient. I'm thinking of taking these patients there to see if we can help our benefactor in any way.

Broca slightly, Zhongli's image unconsciously appearing in his mind:

"Me too. A Divine Doctor treated me and my subordinates, greatly alleviating the pain and suffering caused by Originium-related illness. He also cured my adopted daughter's hypothermia. I will never forget this great kindness. The Rhodes Island is now defunct and should be disbanded. When that time comes, I will go to my benefactor and see if I can help him in any way."

"Wait a moment."

Mentioning his adopted daughter, Hegre suddenly remembered FrostNova, who had been with Mr. Zhong that time. She had introduced herself and greeted him first.

Hiss...

Hegre gasped. Could it be that his benefactor and the Patriot's benefactor were the same person?

Broca instantly sensed something was amiss, thinking to himself that he had only mentioned relief. Like Originium inhibitor, which have the effect of relieving the pain of infected individuals. He hadn't given a detailed description, so he probably hadn't let anything slip.

"Cough cough..."

Hegre cleared his throat to confirm:

"Is your benefactor surnamed Zhong?"

Now it was Broca's turn to look strange. He stared at the other man's serious face, gradually discerning the underlying meaning:

"Is your benefactor also Zhongli?"

"..."

Upon hearing the word 'also', Hegre instantly understood and nodded solemnly.

Then, the two fell into a brief silence.

"Hehe, what a coincidence. I never expected that our benefactor would be the same person."

"It's because Mister Zhongli is kind-hearted that he can lend a helping hand regardless of the infected person's identity. It's just a coincidence that we two people who want to repay his kindness met."

Broca didn't know how to evaluate it; it felt like it was preordained. Perhaps pledging allegiance to Zhongli was a divine arrangement.

"How about... we repay this debt of gratitude together?"

It feels a bit odd to see two grown men discussing how to repay a debt of gratitude to another man. However, working with Patriot in the future would be a good option.

"Okay, when do we leave?"

November 24, 11:45 AM

When Kal'tsit saw more than a dozen Operator gathered at the entrance of the laboratory, she immediately put on a cold face.

Suddenly, a pitch-black Mon3tr appeared behind her, letting out a low roar.

The Operator were startled by the sound and quickly retreated. Warfarin, among them, grinned, revealing two Fangs.

"Doctor Kal'tsit, we've come to visit the Doctor. When will he be able to come out?"

After saying that, she held up the fruit basket in her hand.

Kal'tsit knew that this Bloodfiend definitely wanted to draw the Doctor's blood for research, and her expression became even more serious:

"The Doctor has just woken up and is still a bit weak. He's already asleep in the lab. Don't disturb him, go back to your posts."

The Operator dared not disobey, and after placing the gifts at the laboratory door, they hurriedly left.

Watching the group's departing figures, Kal'tsit suddenly remembered something and called out to one of them.

The other party was involved in this rescue operation; she's Medical Operator from Amiya's E1 Squad. We should be able to get some information from her.

The Medical Operator were somewhat afraid of the head of the Medical Department, keeping their heads down and avoiding eye contact.

"What can I do for you?"

Seeing that no one was around, Kal'tsit asked:

Do you know Zhongli?

"Um, we're not close, but I've seen him before."

Since he was on a business trip to Rhodes Island, most of the Operator had some impression of him.

"I'm asking you, has he had any contact with the Doctor?"

Kal'tsit asked this because she suspected Zhongli had tampered with the Doctor's equipment. Otherwise, how could he have lost his memory as soon as he was awakened when he was lying peacefully in the Stone Coffin?

Currently, this option is the most feasible.

Zhongli didn't want to make more enemies, so she nipped everything in the bud. By causing the Doctor to lose his memory, they wouldn't have to fight to the death in the future.

"No, didn't you say that Doctor Zhongli wasn't allowed to be hired in this Rescue Operation?"

Kal'tsit had indeed said something like that, but that wasn't what she wanted to talk about right now. In her emotional state, she even forgot her usual riddle-like embellishments:

"I mean, in Chernobyl, did Zhongli meet with the Doctor?"

"No."

The Medical Operator gave an affirmative answer. They further explained:

"We were attacked by Rhodes Island cadres in the park in G Sector, and Miss Nian saved us. From the time the Doctor woke up until we escorted him out of the city, we didn't see Doctor Zhongli at all."

Kal'tsit was somewhat skeptical and pressed for an answer:

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. If you don't believe me, you can ask the other members of the E1 Squad. We all traveled together, and we definitely haven't seen Doctor Zhongli."

Hearing such a confident answer, Kal'tsit temporarily dispelled her suspicions about Zhongli. She still didn't understand why the Doctor had lost his memory.

In short, we should try to avoid the two of them meeting, lest Zhongli secretly do something.

The Doctor is the last spark of Pre-Civilization, and as the Knave, she cannot take any risks. She couldn't afford the consequences if something went wrong during a meeting with beings from other planets.

December 24, 11:50 am

Texas, following the address provided, drove Shi Lei and Talulah to the outside of an apartment building.

After waiting for about half an hour, Chen finally arrived late in her car.

The number of infected individuals entering the Lower City has surged. The Lungmen Guard Department is working in three shifts daily to screen them, a task that is extremely demanding.

But compared to that, Talulah's matter is more important. That's why Chen, the notoriously workaholic from the Lungmen Guard Department, put aside her work to come here.

After parking her car, she saw the two people and waved to them. Then she pointed to the apartment with her index finger, indicating that they should go inside to talk.

Shi Lei nodded and used the Rock Constructs to carry the unconscious Talulah upstairs.

This is a Safe House of the Lungmen Guard Department, used to handle emergencies, with a high level of confidentiality and security.

On the En route upstairs, Chen asked the two about everything that had happened in Chernobyl.

Shi Lei answered truthfully, including informing Talulah that she might be possessed by an evil spirit.

Chen is a staunch materialist who doesn't believe in evil spirits. But she absolutely won't believe what others say, and she has no choice but to believe what Shi Lei says.

"Click".

After entering the house, Shi Lei controlled the Rock Constructs to gently place Talulah was wrapped up like a rice dumpling, on the ground and said:

"Officer Chen, I've brought the person to you. How you handle things next is your business. But I still want to know, what do you intend to do?"

Chen frowned as she stared at her peaceful sister, her expression unusually grave.

"Even if I believe in evil spirits, the judge won't believe me. Being possessed by an evil spirit doesn't mean you can escape legal punishment. I want to wait until she wakes up and conduct the trial here first. Afterwards, I'll send her to the Lungmen Court, and the case will be judged according to the law. Don't worry, I won't bend the law for personal gain. If you don't believe me, you can keep an eye on me."

Seeing her expression of putting family aside for the greater good, Shi Lei nodded in approval, quite satisfied with the outcome.

Officer Chen truly lives up to his reputation as a champion of justice in Lungmen; no matter the circumstances, he is utterly opposed to evil.

348 A massive army is pressing in (4K)

Chen had Shi Lei remove the Rock Constructs, then squatted down and vigorously shook Talulah's body.

She was, after all, his half-sister; he couldn't very well throw a bucket of cold water in her face.

"Wake up, wake up!"

Talulah was forcibly awakened, feeling somewhat dazed. She felt dry mouth and a sore throat, and looked around blankly.

Where is this place?

When Talulah saw Chen standing in front of her, she thought she was dreaming. Then she saw Shi Lei and Texas, which made her even more certain that it was a dream.

"Hiss..."

Feeling a sudden sharp pain in her temple, Talulah instinctively reached up to press it. The incredibly realistic sensation told her that what she was seeing wasn't a dream.