Song Zhixia revised the plan for entering the Bell-Listening Chamber seven times.
The version they finally settled on was short.
Lu Wenchuan and Xu Zhihan would enter the Lift Shaft at the tower's base together. At the first door, Xu Zhihan would locate the Fragment's shadow, while Lu Wenchuan severed the outer lines. They had three minutes inside. They were to retreat immediately upon hearing the second chime and had to leave before the third sounded.
After reading out these points, Song Zhixia slapped two syringes of medicine onto the table.
"Inject these before you go in."
Xu Zhihan glanced at the medicine.
"I don't need it."
Song Zhixia stared at him. "You do."
Lu Wenchuan obligingly picked one up and plunged it into his own arm first.
Xu Zhihan looked at him.
Lu Wenchuan said quietly, "I'll demonstrate first."
Xu Zhihan sneered. "Do you think I'm a child?"
"No."
"It's written all over your face."
Lu Wenchuan set down the empty syringe, his voice very low. "Then my expression is the problem."
Xu Zhihan ignored him, picked up the other syringe, and injected himself.
Only then did Song Zhixia's expression ease a little.
Beneath the Old TV Tower, the wind was colder than it had been that morning.
The entrance at the tower's base had been cleared, leaving only the Seventh Team, the Medical Team, and the Technical Team. When Xu Zhihan got out of the vehicle, Lu Wenchuan handed him the new Small Talisman.
Xu Zhihan glanced at it.
"What's this?"
Lu Wenchuan said, "You've put one on me twice."
Xu Zhihan raised his eyes.
Lu Wenchuan held the Small Talisman against his own cuff.
"This time, I'll put it on myself."
Xu Zhihan watched him clumsily apply the talisman with his left hand, his movements so slow