Lu Zhaoming carried the unconscious Liu Gang out of the White Robe Base, only to find that the outer perimeter had been sealed off by reinforcements.
The white-robed soldiers surged forward like a tide, their footsteps crunching on the gravel, the sound almost drowning out Lu Zhaoming's rapid breathing.
His heart tightened, but he didn't stop; instead, his steps became even more determined.
The surroundings were pitch black, as if the shadow of death was closing in step by step, making it hard to breathe.
"Blacksmith, are you ready over there?" Lu Zhaoming asked in a low, deep voice.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the blacksmith's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Ready, at your command!"
Lu Zhaoming quickly hid behind some ruins and used the time-delay function to plan an escape route.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and everything around became slow and clear.
He quickly scanned his surroundings, and a best escape route rapidly formed in his mind.
Just then, Liu Gang suddenly let out a soft groan, weakly nuzzling his neck against Lu Zhaoming's neck. Then, a voice, so faint it was almost carried away by the wind, yet as sharp as a poisoned dagger piercing Lu Zhaoming's heart, rang out: "Brother... I'm sorry... I... I might... not be able to hold on..."
Lu Zhaoming stumbled forward, nearly causing both of them to fall flat on their faces. His heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and he gasped in pain.
He didn't turn around, but a stone seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he uttered a single, hoarse word: "...Hold on!"
He resolutely put Liu Gang down and helped him into the passage.
Although Liu Gang was physically weak, his eyes were still full of determination.
He tried to break free several times, seemingly wanting to take the risk alone.
Lu Zhaoming said coldly, "If you continue like this, I'll knock you out and carry you out."
Liu Gang gave a wry smile, his voice weak: "Why are you so persistent?"
Lu Zhaoming's gaze was firm, and his voice was deep: "Because we are brothers."
The two struggled to move forward in the narrow passage, the surrounding walls cold and damp, each step feeling like walking on a knife's edge.
Liu Gang nearly fell several times, and Lu Zhao gritted his teeth and steadied him.
The faint light at the end of the passage grew closer, as if it were a symbol of hope.
Finally, Lu Zhaoming led Liu Gang to successfully escape the encirclement and arrive at a relatively safe location.
He quickly settled Liu Gang on the ground, took out the antidote from his backpack, and injected him without hesitation.
However, a prompt suddenly appeared on the system interface: "The antidote has limited effect; further treatment is required to completely eliminate the hidden danger."
Lu Zhaoming's heart sank, but he didn't show it.
He quickly contacted the blacksmith and requested medical equipment.
The blacksmith's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "It will be delivered as soon as possible. How's the situation on your end?"
“It’s safe for now, but we must hurry. Also, the system has absorbed a lot of experimental data and added the ‘memory repair’ skill.” Lu Zhaoming replied briefly while checking Liu Gang’s vital signs.
As Liu Gang gradually regained consciousness, he looked at the exhausted Lu Zhaoming and said guiltily, "I almost killed everyone... why did you still save me?"
Lu Zhaoming patted him on the shoulder, his tone firm: "Because you are my brother, not their pawn."
After a long silence, Liu Gang finally smiled with relief: "Thank you for giving me a second chance."
Lu Zhaoming smiled slightly, but his heart remained tense.
He suddenly felt uneasy, as if something ominous was about to happen.
Just as he was about to continue checking Liu Gang's injuries, a warning suddenly popped up on the system interface: Good heavens, Lu Zhaoming's heart, which had just been slightly relieved because Liu Gang had regained consciousness, hadn't even had a chance to settle down a few times before his "thoughtful" judgment system interface "whooshed" back up, like a death knell, with a line of bright red, bold characters that almost blinded his 24K titanium alloy eyes: "Warning! Detected that the White Robe Control Center has activated the ultimate defense program!"
"Damn it!" Lu Zhaoming almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Could he even live like this anymore?
We just escaped the wolf's den, and now the feast is already underway in the tiger's lair, right?
He suddenly turned his head, and his eyes, tsk, were like two poisoned ice knives, shooting straight at the blurry outline of the white-robed base in the distance, which was definitely not a gathering place for good birds.
His gaze was both chilling and filled with a manic intensity that seemed to say, "You bunch of bastards won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."
"Heh," Lu Zhaoming's lips curled into a smile that was characteristic of his, a smile that was three parts mockery, three parts disdain, and four parts the roguish air of "I'll play with you guys." His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that made the hearts of the people present skip a beat: "Alright, it seems the real party is just beginning!"
The air seemed to be sucked out by his words, becoming frighteningly still.
Liu Gang's face, which had finally regained some color, turned deathly pale again, looking like a freshly painted wall.
The man next to him, Xiao Dao, was so nervous that he kept swallowing. The "thud" sounded like thunder in the dead silence, and the veins on the back of his hand holding the knife bulged out like earthworms.
The blacksmith's weathered face hadn't changed much, except his brows were furrowed even more tightly, like an unresolved knot: "Ultimate defense program... Goodness, those bastards in white robes are planning to lay down their entire net and fight us to the death!"
Lu Zhaoming didn't immediately respond, but his eyes were as deep as two ancient wells, staring into the distance.
He pondered that this so-called "ultimate defense," judging from its name, was no pushover; it was probably a trump card.
He suddenly felt that this damn apocalypse was really like a Russian nesting doll. You think you've reached the end after peeling off one layer, but hey, there's another layer hidden inside. It's endless, like a game of "surprises" coming one after another!
"Alright," he suddenly grinned, revealing a set of big white teeth. That smile had a sinister, malicious quality to it. "Since they're so hospitable and insist on serving us the best dishes, wouldn't it be too disrespectful of us not to accept them?"
He casually flexed his wrist, the knuckles cracking with a series of crisp popping sounds, which were particularly eerie in the otherwise quiet ruins where you could hear a pin drop.
"Get ready... for an even bigger 'surprise'." He murmured, his voice so soft it seemed a breeze could carry it away, but the certainty and ruthlessness in his voice sent chills down the spines of those who heard it.
As soon as he finished speaking, he frowned almost imperceptibly, and his left hand unconsciously pressed lightly against his chest.
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