As night fell, an eerie silence enveloped the ruins.
Lu Zhaoming's feet trod on the abandoned stones, his steps steady and powerful, his eyes piercing through the night as if they could penetrate all darkness.
Behind him were Xiaodao, Liu Gang, and the blacksmith.
The group trudged through the ruins towards the perimeter of the laboratory where the white-robed figure stood.
"Liu Gang, tonight, we will unravel all the mysteries." Lu Zhaoming's voice was deep and powerful, like a vow.
He was secretly calculating in his heart that he had to be careful on this mission. Liu Gang was acting strangely; the guy seemed to be possessed, and his eyes revealed an unusual coldness.
The team traversed the ruins of the wasteland, the surrounding environment was extremely desolate, and the sound of gravel scraping against each other could be heard from time to time under their feet.
Suddenly, Liu Gang stopped in his tracks, his eyes becoming vacant, as if controlled by some invisible force.
A few seconds later, he suddenly came to his senses.
"Old Liu, what's wrong?" Xiao Dao asked worriedly, rubbing his hands together on his legs as if searching for some kind of support.
"It's nothing, just... I'm a little uneasy." Liu Gang's tone was tinged with unease, but his gaze remained evasive.
Lu Zhaoming felt a chill run down his spine and thought to himself: This is probably the periodic activation of the psychological suggestion device.
On the surface, he pretended to be nonchalant and smiled slightly: "Old Liu, don't worry, all the brothers are here today. We'll face anything together."
Liu Gang nodded, but the unease in his eyes did not disappear.
Lu Zhaoming glanced at the blacksmith out of the corner of his eye, and the blacksmith understood and nodded secretly.
The team continued onward, their destination the secret laboratory of the white-robed figure.
Soon they arrived at a secluded medical station.
The medical station's exterior walls were covered in vines, and the door was half-open, letting in a faint ray of light.
Lu Zhaoming signaled to the team to remain vigilant, and he quietly slipped inside.
The medical station's interior was simply furnished, yet it was filled with a strong sense of technology.
Rows of complex instruments were arranged on the wall, and several unconscious people lay on the operating table in the center.
Lu Zhaoming's heart began to race; this was clearly the place where the white-robed man was conducting his experiments.
He carefully walked around the operating table and came to the door of a room.
Through the half-open door, he glimpsed the Ghost Doctor standing in front of a complex instrument, his fingers flying across the buttons.
Lu Zhaoming quickly activated the time-delay function, slowing down his movements and approaching the Ghost Doctor almost silently.
"The test subject is in good condition. The next step is to conduct the final test." The Ghost Doctor's voice entered Lu Zhaoming's ears, as if he were talking about an ordinary scientific experiment.
Lu Zhaoming suddenly grabbed the Ghost Doctor, covering his mouth with one hand and quickly pressing the Ghost Doctor's pressure points with the other.
The ghost doctor struggled for a few moments, then collapsed helplessly to the ground.
"The test subject is in good condition, next step..." The Ghost Doctor's voice abruptly stopped.
"Where is the antidote formula?" Lu Zhaoming's tone was as cold as ice, and his eyes revealed an unwavering determination.
The Ghost Doctor sneered, "Even if you knew, it wouldn't matter. The antidote requires special ingredients, which you simply cannot find."
Lu Zhaoming analyzed the Ghost Doctor's expression with his Judgment Eye and confirmed that he was lying.
He decisively searched the Ghost Doctor's belongings and, sure enough, found a hidden antidote formula in the Ghost Doctor's pocket.
"It seems you still don't take me seriously." Lu Zhaoming's expression was somewhat mocking, but his tone carried an undeniable threat.
Just then, Liu Gang suddenly rushed in, his eyes bloodshot, as if controlled by some kind of force.
He pointed at Lu Zhaoming and roared, "Why are you stopping me from completing my mission?"
Lu Zhaoming's expression instantly turned cold, and he calmly replied, "You've been controlled. The real enemy is the White Robe!"
Liu Gang's expression grew increasingly fierce, as if he were about to pounce at any moment.
Lu Zhaoming quickly took out the antidote from his pocket, rushed forward, and injected it into Liu Gang's body.
Liu Gang's body jolted violently.
"Old Liu..." Xiao Dao's voice trembled slightly as he lunged towards Liu Gang.
Lu Zhaoming took a deep breath, his gaze fixed firmly on Liu Gang lying on the ground, a cold smile playing on his lips: "This isn't the end, the real show is yet to come." He turned to the blacksmith, his eyes filled with determination: "Old buddy, get ready to leave, we can't stay here much longer."
The blacksmith nodded, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes: "Master Lu, don't worry, I'm here!"
Lu Zhaoming smiled slightly, the antidote in his hand shimmering faintly in the moonlight.
He suddenly waved his hand, signaling everyone to evacuate quickly.
The gates of the medical station gradually disappeared into the night behind them, but a heavy thought weighed on Lu Zhaoming's mind.
Just then, the system interface popped up again, as if reminding him of something.
Lu Zhaoming's lips curled slightly. His words came to an abrupt halt, but his steps became even more resolute as he walked into the unknown darkness.
No modification required
The group had barely left the eerie medical station when, before the semi-transparent system interface in front of Lu Zhaoming had completely faded, a new notification appeared with a "ding," flashing a faint blue light on his retina like a death knell.
[System notification: The antidote has successfully suppressed the target's psychological suggestion.]
Warning: Side effects may cause short-term memory loss in the target. Host should be aware.
"What the heck? Is that true?" Lu Zhaoming's brows furrowed instantly, and he felt a tickle in his back teeth, wanting to curse.
This lousy system is a complete rip-off; even a piece of candy is mixed with shards of glass!
He paused almost imperceptibly, and a night wind suddenly swept by, stirring up the gravel and sand beneath his feet. It carried a strange smell of rust and decay, unique to wasteland, which went straight into his nostrils and made his throat tighten.
He glanced sideways at Liu Gang, who was still unconscious on the blacksmith's back. That face, which was once full of fortitude, was now as white as paper in the pale moonlight, lifeless.
Short-term memory loss... Lu Zhaoming's heart skipped a beat.
If Old Liu wakes up and finds himself completely lost, forgetting who he is and who his brothers who fought alongside him and shared bloodshed are, then he's truly doomed.
"Hopefully... it's not too late." Lu Zhaoming's voice was extremely low, almost squeezed out from between his teeth, it was unclear whether he was speaking to himself or to this desolate wasteland.
He subconsciously touched his chin; his fingertips were icy cold.
The next second, his eyes suddenly sharpened, like a lone wolf enraged in the night, flashing with a cold, eerie light.
That old fox in the white robe will definitely not let this go so easily.
The side effects of this antidote might also have been part of his plan!
Damn it, that old bastard has more tricks up his sleeve than a honeycomb briquette!
A strange chill shot up his spine to the back of his head, making his scalp tingle. It wasn't the cool night breeze, but the terrifying feeling of being stared at by some sinister gaze.
Lu Zhaoming suddenly looked up at the distant outline of ruins swallowed by the thick darkness, a ruthless and roguish smirk curling at the corner of his mouth: "Hey buddy, Little Knife, hurry up. We... need to get back quickly and prepare a 'big surprise' for some blind fools."
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