Chapter 4 Mermaid 4
Cheng Shuinan huddled in the corner, his hands folded as he pressed against his abdomen. Blood still oozed from the fresh wound, his movements causing the chains that pierced his wrists to tug. He gritted his teeth in pain, his pale face devoid of any color.
The mermaid's body has the ability to heal itself. New wounds can slowly heal overnight. It was originally a gift given to the mermaid, but it became an eternal nightmare for Cheng Shuinan.
Since wounds can heal, there is no need to worry too much when taking action. As long as you are still alive, no matter how serious the injury is, it will heal in a few days.
However, the pain in his heart had become numb after years of torture. He couldn't explain how he felt now, he only knew that he had been abandoned again.
Those who walk in darkness will never be able to touch the bright sunlight. If they have never seen it, they will not have any expectation or desire. But the stone cracked and the light seeped in. He was so close to it that he could reach out and touch it.
Cheng Shuinan lowered his eyes and stared at the scarred fish tail in disappointment.
I haven't seen Zhang Jingshu since she left.
Maybe she gave up.
What I said that day about wanting to see him again was actually a lie.
He didn't know Zhang Jingshu, and he even bit her.
She shouldn't come here again, and she won't come here again. It's so dangerous here, and there's a dying alien.
Cheng Shuinan hugged himself tightly, the fishy smell of fish and shrimp filled the air wantonly. He sniffed sadly, and in a trance he actually smelled the scent of Zhang Jingshu.
It was a light, iris-like scent.
When Cheng Shuinan heard the footsteps, his body suddenly stiffened. He slowly raised his head, his eyes wide open with surprise and suspicion.
Zhang Jingshu was wearing a pure black sportswear and black sneakers. She ran into the warehouse in the night and almost blended into the dim environment.
Cheng Shuinan forgot what to do and just stared at her.
Zhang Jingshu took out a piece of bread from her pocket and handed it to him. Not knowing whether those people would suddenly come back, she squatted beside him without any delay, looked up, and was caught off guard by the mermaid's wet eyes filled with shock.
Zhang Jingshu smiled slightly: "You don't believe I will come again?"
Cheng Shuinan didn't say anything, his expression said it all.
Zhang Jingshu picked up the hacksaw and explained, "I said I'd come back. I've been around for the past few days. Eat some bread first. You look a lot thinner than when I first saw you."
Cheng Shuinan blinked and picked up the bread she had placed beside him, his eyes still fixed on Zhang Jingshu's face. He slowly sat up straight and noticed the hacksaw in her hand, and an incredible idea jumped into his mind.
His pupils suddenly lit up, as if a warm current was flowing into his cold chest.
Zhang Jingshu carefully examined the chain around his wrist. It was about as thick as her thumb, with two strands intertwined and passing through his wrist. His wrist was slender and fragile, and the chain, where it had touched the wound, was rusty and black, forming a stark contrast to his fair skin.
Zhang Jingshu: "Next I'll try to saw it off, you..."
Because of the prolonged contact, the chain was almost stuck to the flesh on his wrist, and cutting the chain with a hacksaw would inevitably tear his wound.
Zhang Jingshu couldn't bear to look at the mermaid's expression. She was afraid of seeing his moist eyes and pleading expression. She couldn't stand seeing people or animals look at her with such an expression. But the gaze on her cheek was gentle and soft, and she slowly raised her head.
Cheng Shuinan's back was against the wall, his face and body were covered with mud and blood, but strangely, he did not look dirty, as if there was a gentle and clear water circle wrapped around him. There was no despair in his eyes, and he looked at her quietly with a grateful and gentle look.
He raised his wrist, the iron chain made a rattling sound, and his flesh and blood were pulled out by the violent shaking of the iron chain, but a smile spread on his face: "I can, I can hold it in. Thank you... Zhang Jingshu."
Zhang Jingshu was moved by the trust and reliance in his voice, and a surge of determination to protect him surged within her. She donned gloves, picked up the hacksaw, and aimed the teeth away from his wrist. She stepped on the chain and began cutting back and forth with both hands.
The shop owner's assurances weren't empty talk; the hacksaw was indeed effective. The chain holding the mermaid in place wasn't nearly as strong as Zhang Jingshu had imagined; it was just an ordinary chain, and even inferior.
While cutting, Zhang Jingshu tried to distract the mermaid: "How did they catch you?"
Cheng Shuinan bit his lip and remained silent for a long time.
Zhang Jingshu said sympathetically, "It's okay. If you don't want to say it, you don't have to. I was just asking casually."
Cheng Shuinan leaned weakly against the wall, raised his head slightly, and looked through the small window at the dark night sky. His eyes were misty, and he bit his lower lip hard to force the tears in. When the shadows of the trees were blown by the wind, he saw a star emitting faint light, and then his eyes moved to Zhang Jingshu. The fish tail fell uncontrollably on her side, and the muddy tail fin touched her clean shoe surface, and then suddenly retracted.
Cheng Shuinan lowered his eyes: "I'm sorry, I, I..."
Zhang Jingshu could understand his feelings. Those past events must have been painful for him, and it was normal for him not to want to open the wounds. She had only casually asked, but she hadn't expected him to react so strongly. The way he stuttered, trying to explain but not knowing how to begin, looked aggrieved and pitiful.
Although they had only been together for a few days, Zhang Jingshu could almost infer his personality from his occasional reactions: he was timid and cowardly, even a little naive. Perhaps he had been abducted by a malicious human while playing at the beach, and then been locked up in a dark warehouse and abused.
Thinking of this possibility, Zhang Jingshu's heart was instantly filled with pity.
Just as I was about to say something to comfort her, I heard the sound of a car roaring outside the warehouse.
Zhang Jingshu and the mermaid looked at each other.
The flickering light in the mermaid's eyes seemed to be shattered in an instant.
"...You, go quickly."
The chain around the mermaid's wrist was only halfway complete. Just a tiny bit more. Zhang Jingshu crouched beside him for a long moment without moving, reaching for the medicine bottle in her pocket, wondering what her chances of success were if she forced the fight.
The two men guarding the warehouse were tall and strong, but they had the inferior character of complacency and arrogance that most men have. When they suddenly saw Zhang Jingshu, they naturally did not think "it's over", but regarded her as a weak woman who overestimated her own abilities. This was the opportunity for Zhang Jingshu to throw the smoke ball.
Zhang Jingshu suddenly felt a push on her ankle. She lowered her head and found that it was the mermaid's tail that landed on her ankle and pushed her towards the boxes stacked next to her.
"They won't get through. You, hide inside and don't make any noise."
Zhang Jingshu crouched down and hid in the gap behind the box, holding a hacksaw in one hand and a smoke ball in the other.
Suddenly, her eyes fixed——
In addition to the two familiar men, three equally tall and mighty men followed in from the warehouse door!
The smoke ball has an effective attack range of half a meter and lasts only a few minutes. To use it, throw the smoke ball at the target, and the smoke will only be effective if the target inhales it during the release process.
Zhang Jingshu only has four, and if she wants to succeed, she must make sure they are clustered together and that she can hit the target.
She felt unprecedented tension and fear. Maintaining a motionless squatting position soon made her legs numb. Her eyes uncontrollably fell on the mermaid's wrists that had broken free from the restraints, and the broken chains next to him.
If someone discovered the neatly broken end of the chain, not only would the mermaid be hurt, but she would also be found hiding behind the box.
Her tense mood prevented her from noticing the mermaid's gentle and soothing eyes.
"The boss has been pushing us for days, how come you can't even handle such a small matter?"
"Brother Huang, we also want to complete the mission quickly, but you know, this thing won't shed tears at all! We've put in a lot of effort, but no matter how hard we hit it, it won't cry. What else can we do?"
"Boss, why did you have to hang yourself on this tree? We've found other mermaids, and we just killed and threw away the ones that couldn't shed pearly tears. Why can't we kill this mermaid? I don't think it has anything special except its pretty face!"
Huang glared at the man who was speaking: "What do you know, kid?"
"Brother Huang, I want to ask you something. I heard that the boss's wife died ten years ago, and this mermaid was imprisoned here right after his wife died. Could it be that he killed the boss's wife? The boss imprisoned it here for revenge!"
Huang pushed him away and said, "Don't ask about the boss's affairs. Just complete the tasks assigned to you! This place is secluded. There are no villages nearby and it's sparsely populated. Do whatever you want to do. Don't worry too much. No one will hear it no matter how loud it screams. If he still can't cry, use more methods: electric shock, fire, mace, whatever hurts!"
Zhang Jingshu gritted her teeth, her chest filled with foul air.
The man who was pushed away by Brother Huang laughed viciously.
"Zhang Zheng, what are you laughing at? That's so obscene!"
Zhang Zheng approached the mermaid and said, "I've wanted to do something for a long time. It's not bad looking, and it has long hair. It looks just like a woman, doesn't it? My brother and I spend all day in the middle of nowhere and have never seen a beautiful woman. Isn't it prettier than a woman?"
Brother Huang glanced at Zhang Zheng and did not stop him. He walked to the other side of the warehouse. The lights suddenly came on and a computer screen appeared on the cardboard box. The picture played on the screen was the scene inside the warehouse.
Zhang Jingshu opened her eyes wide, her heart in her throat.
It was all her fault for being too careless. She didn't even notice that there were cameras installed in the warehouse.
Brother Huang opened the past records.
The scene on the screen changed to a mermaid who was forcibly injected with a tranquilizer and had a muzzle put on. He lay dying in a pool of blood and allowed Zhang Zheng and others to punch and kick him. His eyes were fixed on the camera, without hatred or fear, only heartbreaking numbness and confusion.
Zhang Jingshu looked at the mermaid in the video through the screen.
Her heart felt the pain of a blunt knife cutting it again.
This pain was almost overwhelming her fear for her own safety.
At this point, she didn't seem to regret running into the warehouse.
Sure enough, while scanning the video, Huang suddenly shouted, "Someone came in!"
Zhang Zheng immediately retorted: "Impossible!"
Huang Ge suddenly walked up to Zhang Zheng, grabbed him by the collar, and angrily scolded him, "I told you to guard it every step of the way! Tell me the truth, were you drinking secretly? A woman came in here a few days ago! No, she's here now, check the surveillance!"
Zhang Jingshu's hand holding the hacksaw trembled slightly, and sweat soaked her palms. She pressed herself tightly against the wall, her whole body almost curled up into a ball. Through the gaps in the cardboard boxes, her figure could be clearly seen on the screen hiding behind the stacked cardboard boxes.
She swallowed hard, pinched the smoke ball, and stared at Brother Huang who was striding towards where she was hiding without blinking.
"Come out quickly if you want to live! Otherwise I will... ah!"
Huang Ge felt a sharp pain in his leg bones, and he suddenly knelt on the ground, folding his hands on his knees. Just now, as he approached the box, a strong force suddenly hit him hard in the knee.
Brother Huang felt like his leg was broken.
Zhang Zheng opened his eyes wide: "...Help... Why is the chain open?"
Zhang Jingshu looked through the gap.
The light from the computer screen illuminated the corner of the warehouse. Cheng Shuinan sat up against the wall. A completely cut iron chain was passed through the wrist of one of his hands. The iron chain was hanging on his wound, making a rattling sound as he stood up. The iron chain on his other hand, which Zhang Jingshu had not had time to cut, fell to the ground intact.
Zhang Jingshu was suddenly gripped by an unspeakable grief, and big tears fell from her wide eyes.
He actually broke through the chains, even at the cost of tearing his hand bones.
His left wrist was limp, hanging limply at his side. Even from a distance, the broken gap in his wrist could be clearly seen.
Cheng Shuinan stood up slowly, his broad tail fin against the ground. He felt dizzy, but he endured it. The stretched tail caused the wound to tear open suddenly, and there was no part of his body that didn't hurt. He used all his strength to pounce on Zhang Zheng, who was closest to him, and bit his neck with his sharp teeth.
Zhang Zheng let out a shrill scream.
Huang knelt on the ground and shouted angrily, "What are you guys standing there for? Hurry up and help! Inject the sedative!"
"Brother Huang...it, it doesn't have a muzzle. Its teeth are harder than steel knives. If we go forward, it will bite us to death...I don't dare to go!"
Brother Huang: "Then put on your protective suit! Hurry up! If you're any later, Zhang Zheng will be bitten to death!"
Cheng Shuinan's fish tail heavily suppressed Zhang Zheng.
There were hideous teeth marks on Zhang Zheng's neck. He lay on his back, his body twitching uncontrollably due to intense fear and panic.
Cheng Shuinan looked towards the place where Zhang Jingshu was hiding. The fierce expression on his face softened the moment he looked at her. The eyes that showed confusion and despair in the screen video seemed to have been washed by water, clean and bright, with a faint light.
"Zhang...you, leave now."
Zhang Jingshu didn't know if she'd shed too many tears; her face felt cold. She pushed the box aside and stood up, meeting the mermaid's gentle gaze. She quickly took a few steps forward, taking advantage of the time it took the men to put on their protective gear to sling a smoke ball at them. The warehouse was large, and her aim wasn't great, but thankfully the three men were clustered together. Zhang Jingshu managed to throw all four, and the mist released by the smoke ball enveloped the three men.
"Shit! What the hell is this!"
"Why are my legs suddenly weak..."
"Me too."
Zhang Jingshu quickly ran to the mermaid's side and held his arm. "Can you stand up? Come with me!"
The mist released by the smoke ball could only be maintained within a range of half a meter. The three men who had not yet put on protective clothing were wrapped in the white mist and collapsed on the ground. They struggled to grab Zhang Jingshu but could not muster the strength.
The heat released by the smoke caused the temperature to rise in the almost airtight warehouse.
Cheng Shuinan tilted his head and looked at the hand that was tightly holding his arm. He shook his head and laughed: "I'm seriously injured and it hurts a lot. Don't worry about me, just leave."
Zhang Jingshu: "Come with me."
Cheng Shuinan leaned sideways, revealing his left hand.
His arms were slender and weak, with thin flesh covering the bones. Under the overly white skin were blue blood vessels. The blood vessels extended to the wrist and were suddenly severed. His palm and arm were only connected by half of the broken bone and flesh. Blood flowed along his fingers and gathered into a large puddle on the ground.
Zhang Jingshu stared at the bloodstains. The shocking wound made her take a few deep breaths. Only by clenching her palms could she escape from the inexplicable fear and heartache.
He looked so exhausted that he had no energy at all.
Zhang Jingshu is just an ordinary woman, she cannot bear the weight of two people.
Zhang Jingshu came back to her senses and said without question, "Wait for me, I'll be back soon and we'll leave together."
The mist from the smoke ball gradually began to dissipate, and the mist filled the entire warehouse.
Zhang Jingshu ran outside the warehouse. The group's van was parked at the door with the key in the car. Zhang Jingshu started the van and was about to turn the car when she suddenly heard a sound from inside the warehouse, like something was thrown out and hit the wall.
She looked through the car window at the warehouse and could only vaguely see the tall and strong man standing in the middle with a limp.
Oops.
She forgot about Brother Huang.
At that time, she was only concerned about the three men in protective suits and completely forgot about Brother Huang who only injured his leg.
Zhang Jingshu gripped the steering wheel, a crazy idea suddenly forming in her mind. She slowly released the clutch, and the van slowly moved forward. She engaged the gears and steered the van towards the warehouse door. The mist from the warehouse gradually drifted upwards, and the suddenly lit headlights illuminated the warehouse.
The mermaid doubled over in pain, leaning against the corner.
Brother Huang was holding a broken chair in his hand and walking towards the mermaid in the corner. The moment he was illuminated by the car lights, his steps suddenly stopped. He turned around as if he had sensed something and then opened his eyes wide.
"You...you stop!"
The warehouse was a makeshift structure, hardly sturdy. The high-speed car crashed through the door, sending bricks and rocks crashing to the ground. Zhang Jingshu was strapped in tightly by her seatbelt, and the windshield cracked in all directions like spiderwebs. Huang Ge's speed in fleeing was no match for the van's, and he was thrown to the ground.
When she was about to hit the wall, Zhang Jingshu stepped on the brakes to the bottom.
Zhang Jingshu's eyes were red, her brain still reeling from the tension and dizziness from the collision with the warehouse door. She raced to unbuckle her seatbelt, not bothering to check on Huang. She could only hear his faint cries for help. She felt a buzzing sound coming from the van, and the moment the door opened, she rolled to the ground. She quickly steadied herself and ran to the mermaid.
"Come on, do you want to die here with them?"
"Mermaid, I'm here to save you."
"I'm covered in wounds, but I can't take you out. I'll be sad for the rest of my life."
Cheng Shuinan quietly looked at Zhang Jingshu, whose face was covered in tears, with a gentle smile on his lips. He supported himself on the ground with his intact hand, and said apologetically in a slightly hoarse voice: "I'm sorry... Zhang Jingshu, I really don't have the strength anymore."
Zhang Jingshu's knee had scraped against the car body, leaving her with a slight limp. Her face was grim, and she stared expressionlessly at the mermaid, half lying on the ground. He seemed to have lost all his strength, hanging on by his last breath. His gaze darted in all directions, unfocused.
Zhang Jingshu would not risk her life for the mermaid, but she had already paid too much to save him, even making a desperate attempt tonight.
When a person puts too much energy into something, it is difficult to stop.
She has invested time and energy in this. Is she willing to give up at the last moment?
Zhang Jingshu couldn't bend down. She must have injured her waist in the collision. She held her waist with one hand and stretched out the other hand in front of him: "Give me your hand."
Cheng Shuinan obediently stretched out his intact hand and gently placed it on her palm. She tightened her fingers and held his hand.
Zhang Jingshu hesitated for a moment, took off her coat, squatted down while enduring the pain in her waist, and wrapped the fishtail with her coat. Half of it was still exposed, but there was no other way, so she tied the two sleeves into a knot at his waist.
Zhang Jingshu: "I'll drag you out. There are debris on the ground, so it might hurt. Just bear with it."
Cheng Shuinan opened his mouth, wanting to tell her not to waste her energy, but his thin hands were wrapped in warm palms, and his scarred fishtail was gently placed in her coat. He felt like he was sinking into a sea of irises, and a faint fragrance came from Zhang Jingshu's body.
Cheng Shuinan remained silent, his eyes fixed on Zhang Jingshu. She must have been struggling. The car had been driving so fast, and the bang against the warehouse door had hurt his eardrums. She must have been affected by the car. Her pants had a large hole at the knee, and the faint smell of blood lingered.
He lowered his eyes in self-blame and relaxed his tense body. The scattered objects and gravel on the ground scratched his fish tail, but he seemed not to feel the pain. The warmth from his palm easily soothed his wound.
Cheng Shuinan saw the night sky. Without the shelter of the warehouse, a pale yellow full moon hung high in the sky. The fresh air outside rushed into his nostrils, diluting the sweet scent of irises. He bent his fingertips and hooked Zhang Jingshu's hand.
The moment they left the warehouse, the van caught fire.
Immediately afterwards, there was the crackling sound of firecrackers.
Zhang Jingshu stumbled in fear: "Why are there firecrackers?"
Cheng Shuinan glanced at the warehouse engulfed in flames and said calmly, "Yes, because of me."
Zhang Jingshu understood without him explaining in detail.
The mermaid has a very sharp hearing. Zhang Jingshu was able to leave in time on the first day he arrived here because of the mermaid's reminder, although he didn't know why he didn't notice those people coming back today.
The deafening sound of firecrackers to her was incredibly painful to the mermaid, just like the panicked little animals who used to feel when firecrackers were set off during the Spring Festival.
Zhang Jingshu was afraid of being affected, so she used all her strength to drag the mermaid at least dozens of meters away from the warehouse before she dared to stop and rest.
The sound of firecrackers rang out for a long time, fanning the burning flames.
Soon, the warehouse collapsed.
Zhang Jingshu watched this scene quietly, with flames dancing in her eyes. She didn't know what mood she should have when facing everything happening in front of her. Generally speaking, it was good for her. Those evil people got the punishment they deserved, and the video recording her and the mermaid's whereabouts in the warehouse also disappeared with the collapse of the warehouse.
Zhang Jingshu took a long time to look away. She looked at the mermaid sitting in the grass.
"Mermaid, where are you going next?"
Cheng Shuinan blinked and looked up: "I have one, the name is... Cheng Shuinan."
He didn't know what he was thinking about, and his expression became sad.
Zhang Jingshu: "Okay, Cheng Shuinan. Do you want to go home? I can take you back."
Cheng Shuinan shook his head: "I don't have a home... I don't know where to go."
Zhang Jingshu had imagined such an answer, but she was still surprised when she heard it.
She had imagined that the mermaid wanted to return to the sea, and she could easily send him there, as the sea was to the east of Qingcheng City.
Cheng Shuinan became nervous, his dark eyes staring uneasily at her suddenly serious face. The coat wrapped around her fishtail loosened during the dragging process. He held it firmly with his hands, his palms pressed against the coat that still had some warmth, as if he wanted to grasp this only warmth.
Zhang Jingshu thought for a moment: "Since you have nowhere to go, why don't you come home with me first?"
Cheng Shuinan's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he was afraid that Zhang Jingshu would regret it, and nodded quickly: "Thank you, you...I will go home with you."
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