Chapter 118 Packing up and getting ready to go home
It was not yet 8 a.m.
I had expected it to be a cloudy day, but the sun broke through the clouds and painted the vast land and distant mountains with its golden rays.
It took the people on the ground several minutes to fully recover their senses.
They have won; all combat missions of the "Dome" team have been completed, and they can now retreat and go home!
Everyone was naturally pleasantly surprised, some even wept with joy, or laughed and cried at the same time.
This victory was truly a Pyrrhic one.
Qi An withdrew his gaze and attention from that extremely simple yet richly colored "painting," and once again purified Chen Yuezhou.
It only purified Chen Yuezhou.
If Lin Jiaran can no longer purify, then Qi An naturally cannot either.
Everyone retreated nearly a kilometer to the southeast and entered the poplar grove by the river.
This small river is the same one that runs next to the temporary resting place of the Qi'an reconnaissance team, and the poplar grove extends southward along the riverbank.
They entered the woods to find water, to get away from the battlefield where the pollution was too high and the fire was getting bigger, and also for cover.
The 8,000-strong army of fallen insects was still unsure whether another vanguard would emerge, and they simply couldn't withstand another round of battle.
With Qi An's sensory abilities ensuring his protection, the purifier meditated in place for 20 minutes.
Everyone was divided into three levels according to the severity of their injuries and contamination levels.
After those with minor injuries and those whose contamination levels were still manageable rested briefly, Yu Shuang accompanied them to check drivable vehicles and collect all salvageable supplies, especially food and medicine.
Those with moderate injuries are counted for damage or those receiving supplementary care are provided for seriously injured individuals.
All medicines and purification resources were prioritized for the seriously wounded to ensure the highest possible survival rate for the task force.
While the other purifiers were meditating, Qi An simply leaned against a tree and fell asleep.
Sleep is truly her lifesaver.
But what woke her up, besides the noise of the temporary camp and the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves, was Lin Jia Ran's face that was getting incredibly close!
Qi An opened his eyes and was startled, quickly shrinking back: "What are you doing?"
Qi An leaned against the tree, stretching out her legs and tilting her head to sleep. Lin Jia Ran squatted beside her like a kitten, her arms clasped together on the soft pile of fallen leaves, her curved eyes fixed on her.
“My abilities are different from Lin Ran’s,” Lin Jiaran said to Qi An.
Qi An was taken aback before realizing that this was a question she had asked before.
“My special ability is ‘emotion sensing and control,’ while Lin Ran’s special abilities are ‘emotion sensing’ and ‘pain shielding,’” Lin Jia Ran said somewhat urgently.
"I answered your question. You mentioned the 'Little Monster Alliance,' and you always invite me when you go out to eat, right?"
It's me! It can't be anyone else but me!
Her words were a little incoherent, but Qi An thought about it and understood what she meant.
“It’s you.” She nodded. “It’s Lin Jiaran, the purifier who fought alongside us.”
Even if I get to know Lin Ran in the future, I will still be closer to and trust you more, because you saved me, and this has nothing to do with her.” Qi An’s tone was very firm and resolute.
Lin Jiaran froze, a glimmer appearing in her eyes. After a moment of looking down, she stared at Qi An again and asked:
There are many other "me"s in the lab, and I have nothing to do with those other "me"s.
Do you only know me, and only like me?
After asking the question, she held her breath and focused intently, as if the answer would determine her fate.
Seeing this, Qi An felt a pang of sadness and tenderness in his heart, and nodded vigorously, saying:
"Yes, it has nothing to do with them. They are not you, no one is you, you are unique!"
The word "unique" seemed to have triggered something, causing Lin Jiaran's already wide eyes to widen even further.
Then the mist filled her clear, still-childish eyes, and she bit her lip, her face contorting in a frown:
"...I." Her voice trembled, and she couldn't say the next word, but after a moment she lunged forward, almost knocking Qi An to the ground covered in fallen leaves!
"I am unique!" she said.
"The most unique person acknowledges my uniqueness!!" Lin Jiaran jumped up again after letting go of Qi An and yelled at the sky.
Everyone, including Qi An and all the birds in the forest, was startled, wondering what had gotten into them.
But Lin Jiaran was already excitedly and joyfully going to treat the wounded.
She focused on helping You Zi care for the wounded and provided Qin Tianshuo and Sun Yiran with high-quality purification that brought them joy.
However, You Zi asked in advance whether the two people agreed to have their emotions controlled.
Qin Tianshuo was unconscious and unable to answer, so Sun Yiran simply said one word: "Yes!"
We want an extra dose of happiness and joy!
However, many people will actually be conflicted.
They may want it, but they also mind the feeling of being controlled and invaded. Therefore, many people are both hopeful and wary before undergoing Lin Jiaran's purification.
“Because of this, the ‘parents’ in the lab are sometimes nice to me, but sometimes they’re unhappy, they’re suspicious, and they’ll scold me for affecting their mood,” Lin Jiaran said to Qi An during a purification break.
Most of the time, that's not the case. They just have all sorts of worries and need an outlet to vent or an excuse to shift blame.
Human emotions, will, choices, and human nature are truly complex.
An hour later, Chen Yuezhou, Yu Shuang, and the others returned, and Qi An saw Chen Xi getting out of a car riddled with bullet holes.
Does Chen Xi have the same "Who am I?" confusion as Lin Jiaran?
It seems not. Qi An really couldn't see that Chen Xi had the same twisted jealousy and longing for Chen Yuezhou as Lin Jia Ran had for Lin Ran, nor could he see any signs of Chen Xi belittling herself in front of Chen Yuezhou.
So how do Chen Xi and Chen Yuezhou view each other?
Code name: "Dove".
To usurp someone else's place.
Is Chen Yuezhou the one who will eventually be replaced?
The team rested for two hours in the poplar grove.
This time, the "Dome" operation team deployed 12 squads with a total of 102 people, resulting in 30 deaths and 22 serious injuries.
The bullets that came in after the request for help were almost exhausted, and the medicine was almost gone.
There are only 7 cars that can be repaired and are barely drivable.
The seriously wounded could not be delayed, so all seven vehicles were used to transport them back to the Central Plains Base No. 3 for treatment as quickly as possible.
Those who were still able to move had to trek long distances back to base on foot.
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