In the early morning, the moon was bright and the stars were few.
After entering the northern region of the Federation, the temperature became more and more comfortable, and the people returning from the Arctic no longer felt so restricted in their off-road vehicles.
It was already very late, but the Federation was brightly lit, and no one was resting.
The estimated time was not too far off; around 11 o'clock, they arrived in the federal area. Jiang Cheng sat in the car and ran a hand through his hair.
The wind was quite strong, blowing in my face and making me squint.
The surrounding scenery flashed by, birds in the forest were startled as the vehicle passed by, and squirrels scurried among the fallen leaves amidst the roar of the engine, darting from the bottom to the top of the tree.
Two kilometers away, the lake was very still and quiet. Small animals were drinking water on the shore, and sometimes they would raise their heads warily and look around.
The returning people sang folk songs in their native language, their voices hoarse yet melodious, echoing across this fertile land.
Researchers and Commander Tali in the Federation eagerly awaited their arrival; everyone except the students in the dormitories was waiting.
The convoy passed through the checkpoint and drove into the narrow space between the towering buildings, silent and solemn. There were many people around, whose faces were originally full of joy and anticipation.
However, upon seeing the atmosphere within the returning convoy, the overwhelming sorrow caused people's expressions to slowly freeze.
The car stopped outside the building, and someone opened the door for Jiang Cheng, who got out. At the same time, dozens of soldiers carrying stretchers arrived and gathered behind the large truck.
They placed the stretcher on the ground.
A large crowd gathered, eager to know what had happened. A sense of foreboding crept into their hearts, and tense gazes were all focused on the back of the carriage.
Jiang Cheng stepped forward, and Tali stood with his hands behind his back. The two met and immediately began to talk.
No one could hear their voices, but they could see Jiang Cheng shake his head, a glint in his eyes. Then, Tali's face turned ashen, and anyone could see that his mood had plummeted to rock bottom.
The gaslights on top of the building suddenly switched on, illuminating the area below. The truck bed was slowly opened...
······
"What's going on? It's so noisy outside!"
Inside the student dormitory, the sound of dozens of cars passing by woke Zhao Xuerou. She opened her eyes, sat up groggily, and saw that Luo Xiaoli was also awake.
She glanced at the time; it was 11:42 PM.
Why is there such a loud noise in the middle of the night?
She thought for a moment, then looked out the window at the distant buildings illuminated by intense light.
He turned around and looked at Luo Xiaoli again.
The answer immediately came to mind.
Is Jiangcheng back?
The warm dormitory was filled with the sound of even breathing. Ke Bing was still fast asleep, with one long, snow-white leg playfully sticking out from under the covers. Her long hair was loose, and her expression was serene.
Luo Xiaoli sat on the bed, put on her coat, then lifted the covers and put on her slippers.
"Where are you going?"
"Of course, we're going to see what happened."
Luo Xiaoli, whose heart was always with Jiangcheng, did not want to say anything more at the moment and just wanted to go out, so she left after saying those words.
Her beautiful figure disappeared through the door, turning into the corridor, her hair cascading down her shoulders and vanishing in an instant.
Zhao Xuerou bit her lip, hesitated for two seconds, then put on her clothes and got out of bed.
She glanced at Ke Bing before leaving, but ultimately didn't wake her, and followed Luo Xiaoli outside.
When the two of them got outside and ran to the front of the building, they happened to see several soldiers stepping into the dark carriage and bustling around inside.
They dared not get too close and could only watch from a distance, knowing that if the researchers caught them, they would definitely be taken back to their dormitories.
Those around them were also watching the commotion inside the car with bated breath.
Hurried footsteps sounded, and two men came down from inside. Two more soldiers went up, and the men who came down carried a stretcher with a body wrapped in ropes on it.
The body's eyes were wide open but lifeless, as if it had entered a semi-comatose state. The turbid yellow eyes were terrifying in the light, especially the vertical pupils.
The onlookers were all stunned, their minds blank.
An uproar erupted!
And there was a long brown tail that hung down from the person's tail on the stretcher, reaching the ground and casting a shadow as the stretcher swayed.
This creature, resembling a lizard man, had its hands and feet completely bound, yet the psychological impact it had on people was incredibly powerful.
These researchers had only heard of the terror of invaders, but they had never seen it with their own eyes. When they were exposed so completely without any cover, they were stunned!
"What...what is this thing?"
"Commander Jiang brought back the alien creature?"
"It looks like a thick python... or a lizard, strange."
There was much discussion.
Those unaware of much information would have no idea that these are admirable Arctic researchers, brave individuals observing Guling on the front lines.
Those high-ranking officials who knew the truth, those who knew why Jiang Cheng went to the Arctic, must be feeling incredibly depressed right now.
Yu Lixuan stood on the steps, his gaze hidden behind his glasses. He swallowed hard, trying to calm himself down.
How did it turn out like this?
Can humans really mutate into this form? Complete degeneration.
He took off his glasses, rubbed his cheeks, and exhaled a breath of stale air.
Such shock and sorrow filled everyone's hearts. Jiang Cheng's eyes flickered, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
One by one, the bodies on stretchers were carried away and disappeared at the building entrance. They were all transported to the top floor, where Jiang Cheng had instructed his people to prepare a laboratory in advance to properly house them.
Luo Xiaoli and Zhao Xuerou, who were in the distance, were already standing there dumbfounded. They could vaguely see... a tail.
The shock of this night is far from over.
After all the mutated researchers in the carriage had been unloaded and the soldiers who had returned from the Arctic had gone back to rest, Jiang Cheng turned to the people on the steps and gave them orders.
"All officers and department heads, come to the top floor for an emergency meeting!"
The two commanders walked at the front.
The atmosphere around them was extremely cold, and no one dared to approach them.
In this strange atmosphere, everyone rode the elevator up in silence.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
