Chapter 14 The Missing Sister
The red-haired man frowned as he looked at Lin Che. His expression changed from disdain to confusion, and then to vigilance.
He let go of the salt box and quickly reached for his waist, as if there was a weapon hidden there.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
Lin Che took a step back and bumped into Su Wanqing. He didn't know why he recognized this person, but the name just popped out naturally.
The jade bracelet vibrated suddenly, and Su Wanqing lowered her head to check: [SS-level mutant detected: Xiao Ran, strength system].
"You got the wrong person." Su Wanqing grabbed Lin Che's arm, "This box of salt is yours."
Xiao Ran didn't take the salt, but stared at Lin Che's face, frowning more and more tightly: "Which laboratory did you come from?"
Lin Che's pupils suddenly contracted. How did Xiao Ran know that he was from the laboratory?
Could he be the one in the white coat too? Lin Che subconsciously hid behind Su Wanqing, and the suppressor on his wrist made a slight electric sound.
“It’s none of your business.” Su Wanqing put the salt back on the shelf and pulled Lin Che to leave. “Let’s go.”
"Wait!" Xiao Ran stretched out his hand to stop them, "I'm not from the lab. I'm looking for someone. A test subject like him."
Su Wanqing paused. The jade bracelet vibrated even more violently: [Warning: Target's emotions are fluctuating, and his power is about to get out of control].
Veins bulged on Xiao Ran's arms, and a strange red light glowed from the bulging muscles. This was a sign that his power-related abilities were about to explode.
"My sister." Xiao Ran lowered his voice, "She was taken away, numbered X-7. Do you know her?"
Lin Che froze. X-7, he knew this number. Subject No. 7 in the laboratory, the girl who could control fire, was always locked in a special isolation room.
She was different from other experimental subjects. She never participated in daily tests and was only brought out on special occasions.
"I don't--"
“Join us and find your sister.” Su Wanqing suddenly interrupted Lin Che and stretched out her hand to Xiao Ran, “We have a common enemy.”
Xiao Ran looked Su Wanqing up and down, his gaze lingering on the jade bracelet on her wrist for a few seconds.
Instead of shaking hands, he stepped back and asked, "Who are you?"
"Someone who can help you find your sister." Su Wanqing pointed at Lin Che, "He knows X-7, right?"
Lin Che opened his mouth, not knowing how to answer. He had indeed seen X-7, but that was a long time ago.
The red-haired girl always sat alone in the corner of the isolation room, and anyone who approached would be blocked by a wall of fire.
"I have seen her before." Lin Che stammered, "but I am not familiar with her."
“Liar.” Xiao Ran suddenly grabbed Lin Che’s chin and forced him to look up. “What’s the number on your forehead? 0927? You’re from the same batch!”
There was no number on Lin Che's forehead at all, it was branded on his spine.
How did Xiao Ran know his number? He had clearly covered the brand on the back of his neck with his hair.
A terrifying guess flashed through Lin Che’s mind: Xiao Ran was an insider, the guardian or caretaker of X-7.
"That's enough." Su Wanqing took out a gun and pointed it at Xiao Ran's ribs, "Let him go."
The people in the supermarket did not notice the conflict here, everyone was busy buying supplies.
Xiao Ran let go of his hand and took a step back, but his eyes were still fixed on Lin Che, as if he was trying to find some answer from his face.
"Listen," Su Wanqing lowered her voice, "We are also looking for people from the laboratory, but this is not the time to talk about it."
"Why should I believe you?" Xiao Ran's arm muscles tensed, red light flowing under his skin, "She might be nearby!"
At this moment, there was a commotion at the entrance of the supermarket. Several people in black uniforms pushed through the crowd and walked straight to the cashier.
They had guns on their waists, and the badges on their chests gleamed in the light—security personnel of the institute! "We found you, subject 0927." A man in black with sunglasses raised the device on his wrist, "The signal is clear."
Lin Che's face turned pale instantly. He grabbed Su Wanqing's sleeve, his fingers trembling with fear.
Those people were here to capture him, to take him back to the lab to continue the endless testing and torture.
"Let's go." Su Wanqing grabbed Lin Che's wrist, "Back door."
"Wait," Xiao Ran stopped them, "They are also looking for X-7. Follow them."
"Are you crazy?" Su Wanqing glared at Xiao Ran, "They will capture us all."
Xiao Ran hesitated for a moment, then suddenly turned around and pushed down the shelf behind him.
The sound of cans and drinks hitting the ground attracted the attention of the men in black, and they immediately ran in that direction.
"You go first," Xiao Ran gritted his teeth and said, "Tomorrow at midnight, go to the abandoned hospital in the North District and bring the information about X-7."
Before Su Wanqing could answer, Xiao Ran had already rushed towards the man in black, and his tall figure was quickly submerged in the crowd.
There were sounds of fighting and shouting in the chaos, and Xiao Ran seemed to be deliberately diverting their attention.
"The back door of the truck." Su Wanqing pushed the shopping cart and pulled Lin Che towards the back door of the supermarket. "Hurry up."
The crowd became more chaotic after the men in black appeared, and everyone rushed out.
Lin Che was pushed and shoved, and nearly fell down several times. He held Su Wanqing's hand tightly, fearing that he would be separated in the chaos.
"Don't look back." Su Wanqing pulled him through the warehouse area, "Just focus on walking."
Lin Che couldn't help but look back. The supermarket was in a mess. Xiao Ran was wrestling with the man in black. His arms were glowing red, and every punch he threw could smash the shelves.
A man in black took out a stun gun and pointed it at Xiao Ran's back.
“Be careful!” Lin Che blurted out, but Xiao Ran couldn’t possibly hear it.
"Let's go!" Su Wanqing dragged him towards the back door, "Mind your own business."
Pushing open the back door of the supermarket, the sunlight blinded Lin Che. He heard gunshots and the sound of glass breaking behind him, but he didn't dare to look back.
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
Su Wanqing pushed the shopping cart towards the parking lot, and Lin Che followed closely behind.
"Get in the car." Su Wanqing opened the trunk and stuffed the salt and other supplies in. "Hurry."
Lin Che climbed onto the passenger seat, fastening his seatbelt with trembling fingers. He saw from the rearview mirror that several men in black rushed out of the back door of the supermarket and were looking around for their target.
Su Wanqing started the engine and the car rushed out of the parking lot like an arrow.
“That Xiao Ran.” Lin Che whispered, “Will he be okay?”
"Why do you care so much?" Su Wanqing stepped on the accelerator. "He came to us on his own. Let's talk about it after we find X-7."
Lin Che was silent. He thought of X-7 that Xiao Ran mentioned, the red-haired girl who was always alone.
Why did Xiao Ran call her sister? Experimental subjects were not allowed to have family relationships.
Unless Xiao Ran is not an experimental subject, but an ordinary person.
"Do you know that red-haired guy?" Su Wanqing glanced at Lin Che, "How do you know his name?"
“I don’t know.” Lin Che shook her head. “This name suddenly popped into my mind.”
Su Wanqing looked at him thoughtfully, but did not ask any further questions. The jade bracelet showed that Lin Che's ability fluctuated steadily, with no signs of lying.
The car drove into a remote road. The buildings on both sides had been abandoned, and only a few stray dogs were looking for food in the garbage dump.
"Tomorrow," Su Wanqing suddenly said, "you will come with me to meet him."
Lin Che raised his head and looked at Su Wanqing in confusion. He didn't understand why Su Wanqing wanted to meet Xiao Ran, who looked dangerous and seemed to know a lot about the laboratory.
"but."
"Don't ask why." Su Wanqing interrupted him, "You just need to obey."
“Yes, Master.” Lin Che lowered his head and twisted his fingers together.
The car continued to drive on the abandoned street, and the scene outside the window gradually blurred into gray.
Lin Che thought of the place Xiao Ran mentioned: the abandoned hospital in the North District.
It used to be a mental hospital, but was later converted into a branch of the research institute, specifically for detaining out-of-control experimental subjects.
If Xiao Ran knew that place, he must be from the institute or... "Lin Che," Su Wanqing suddenly called his name, "how many times have you seen X-7?"
“Three times.” Lin Che recalled, “She rarely left the isolation room.”
"What is ability?"
“Fire type.” Lin Che said in a low voice, “Very strong, stronger than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Su Wanqing nodded and stopped asking questions. The car turned into a secluded road, away from the chaos in the city center.
Lin Che looked out the window, his mind filled with Xiao Ran’s persistent face and the men in black in the supermarket.
The institute will never give up on hunting down escaped experimental subjects, they will keep searching until every one of them is caught.
Su Wanqing caught Lin Che's expression and raised her lips slightly. X-7, SS-level fire ability, Xiao Ran, Lin Che - all the chess pieces began to gather.
She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, mentally calculating her plan of action for tomorrow.
The crack on the jade bracelet widened a little, but she ignored it. Everything was going in the direction she expected, much more smoothly than in her previous life.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com