"Hold me tight! Don't let go!" Lu Chen's voice echoed through the narrow pipe, its tone undeniable. With one hand, he held Wen Shifei tightly, while with the other, he groped for the slippery pipe wall. Relying on his heightened senses after awakening, he sprinted forward in the absolute darkness, one foot deep, one foot shallow. Behind him, heavy footsteps and a scanning beam followed him into the pipe!
This is a desperate escape in a dark hell!
Wen Shifei bit her pale lower lip, enduring the piercing pain in her shoulder as she buried her face in Lu Cheneng's violently heaving chest. She could feel the trembling of his muscles as he ran, hear his heavy, bellows-like breathing, and the sound of sweat dripping into the dirty water. Every jolt of explosion from behind tightened her heart. The image of the stranger who had died saving her was etched in her mind like a brand.
I don’t know how long I ran, but finally a faint light appeared in front of me, as well as faint human voices!
"This way! Hurry!" A low, urgent voice sounded in the light.
Lu Cheneng's spirit was lifted, and he burst out with his last strength and rushed towards the light!
The exit! A larger, abandoned underground culvert! Several figures, similarly dressed in tattered clothes but with sharp, alert eyes, were waiting there, holding simple but practical weapons. When they saw Lu Cheneng rushing out, carrying the injured Wen Shifei, someone immediately stepped forward to help, while at the same time looking warily at the dark pipe behind them.
"Blow it up!" The man with a scar on his face gave the order decisively.
Boom!
A dull explosion sounded deep in the pipe, and gravel and sewage gushed out, completely blocking the way.
Safe...for now.
Lu Chen's tense nerves finally relaxed a little, the immense exhaustion and backlash of pain washing over him like a tide. His legs gave way, and he stumbled to one knee, clutching Wen Shifei. Sweat streamed down his forehead, dripping onto the cold ground of the culvert. He gasped for air, each breath sending a ripping pain through his body, especially from his arm, where he'd been forcibly exerting his power, and from the stabbing pain in the chip inside his brain, causing his vision to black out.
"How's he?" The scarred man looked at Lu Chenhang with a complex expression, a scrutiny and a subtle awe. The speed and momentum with which Lu Chenhang had rushed out carrying the man were definitely not those of an ordinary person.
"The power is backlashing... I need to rest..." Lu Cheneng uttered a few words with difficulty, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper rubbing against him.
"Quick! Treat the wound!" Scarface turned to Wen Shifei, and someone who knew first aid immediately came forward and carefully cut open the burnt clothes on her shoulder, revealing the red, swollen, and charred wound underneath that was oozing blood.
"Hiss..." Wen Shifei gasped as the disinfectant touched her wound, her face turning even paler, and a fine layer of cold sweat oozed from her forehead. But she gritted her teeth and didn't cry out. She simply used her other hand to tightly grasp Lu Chenhang's wrist, as if it were her only anchor. Her fingertips were icy cold.
Lu Cheneng grasped her hand with his backhand, transferring his strength (though it was dwindling) and warmth. He looked at her face, stoic with pain, at the hideous wound on her shoulder, his eyes brimming with rage and searing heartache. This wound had been inflicted protecting the spark of hope (the chip and analyzer)! It had been inflicted for him!
"Chip...analyzer..." Wen Shifei endured the pain and the first thing he did was to confirm the most important thing.
"Here." Lu Cheneng took out the lead box warmed by his body temperature from his arms, and pointed to the analyzer that a "Lighthouse" member had helped pick up next to him. The shell of the analyzer was slightly deformed, but the core was intact.
Wen Shifei let out a long sigh of relief, and his tense nerves finally relaxed a little. His body began to tremble slightly uncontrollably, which was a double invasion of fear and severe pain.
"Are you from the 'Lighthouse'?" Lu Chensheng looked at the scarred man, his voice still hoarse, but with the unquestionable questioning sense unique to a superior.
"Yes." Scarface nodded, his eyes fixed on Lu Chenentang. "The 'Messenger' risked his life to send an encrypted signal, instructing us to search this area for the person carrying the 'key'. He..." Scarface pointed to the corner of the culvert, where the body of the sacrificed man lay, covered with a cloth by his companions. "'Mole', he was one of our best stealth operators. He risked his life to confirm your identity and location, and diverted some of the pursuers."
Lu Chenhang and Wen Shifei simultaneously cast their gazes upon the cloth-covered body, their silence filled with heavy respect and deep hatred. Lu Qiming! "Scavenger"!
"Thank you." Lu Chenshang's voice was low and solemn, "And I'm sorry." This apology was for the sacrifice of the "mole".
Scarface waved his hand, his expression grim yet resolute. "In this world of cannibalism, being alive is a matter of luck, dying for hope is a choice. He chose the latter." He then changed the subject. "This place isn't safe. The 'Scavengers' will soon find another route. We need to move immediately."
"Where are you going?" Wen Shifei asked weakly. The wound on her shoulder was still burning with pain even after a simple bandage. The blood loss and shock made her feel dizzy.
"The backup safe point designated by the 'Messenger' is an abandoned old military camp outpost, which is remote enough in the ruins of the steel jungle on the edge of the city." Scarface said quickly, "There are basic supplies there, and our people take turns on duty. You need time to heal your injuries and... study the 'key'." His eyes swept over the lead box in Lu Chenen's hand.
Lu Chenheng and Wen Shifei exchanged a glance, each seeing the determination in the other's eyes. There was no better choice.
With the support and cover of the "Lighthouse" members, the two men struggled to leave the temporary underground culvert and trekked along the long-planned, complex and hidden route towards the forgotten steel cemetery on the edge of the city.
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