Chapter 19 The Gray Dome 19 She fired with absolute calm. ...
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three people present all went blank.
Zhao Huai Ren was confused, Zhang Chu Xi was shocked, and as for Lin Su Wen, her eyes suddenly turned to fear.
"...I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Xiao Jue, what are you saying?"
Zhao Huai Ren and Lin Su Wen's voices overlapped.
Nanmen Jue looked at Zhao Huai Ren, "Dad, do you know how the Gray Tower was built?"
"According to records, the Grey Tower was completed in the first year of the end times, and it was built by gathering the strength of the whole world at that time," Zhao Huai-ren said.
"So that means that when the Gray Tower was built, it was already the end of the world, right? At most 278 years later."
“Yes.” Zhao Huai-ren was even more confused. “Because it was established late, many people didn’t survive until it was built and died in the nuclear winter that had just broken out. That’s why there are less than a million people in Gray Tower.”
“In less than a year, the vast majority of them died,” Nanmen Jue said.
"The living conditions back then were too harsh," Zhao Huai-ren said. "Xiao Jue, what exactly are you trying to say?"
“I’ve always found it strange,” Nanmen Jue said. “It’s clearly not at the point of a civilizational break, yet the records in the Gray Tower don’t mention the world before its establishment at all. Technology, medicine, and writing have all been passed down, but the system is chaotic and much backward. This world is too strange. It doesn’t seem like a real world, but rather like a stage or laboratory built from something.”
"Nanmen! What are you saying?!" Zhang Chuxi said anxiously, tugging at her clothes from behind.
Although she still spoke in the manner of a person from this world, every word she uttered was pointing out the main god!
What does she want to do? Does she want to be punished by the Supreme God? Or does she want to be burned at the stake as a heretic?
Nanmen Jue gently squeezed her fingers reassuringly.
“I was really curious, so I did an experiment.” Nanmen Jue opened his bracelet and sent two reports to Zhao Huai Ren and Lin Suwen. Zhao Huai Ren looked down at them, while Lin Suwen remained motionless.
“This is a fragment of the gray tower’s wall, which should belong to a part of it that was not later repaired.” Nanmen Jue smiled. “Judging from this result, wouldn’t it be even more terrifying if it had been repaired?”
Zhao Huai-ren stared blankly at the report in his bracelet, as if his worldview was collapsing.
The report clearly stated that, based on isotope analysis, microstructure grain analysis, and thermal decay period determination, the exposure time of this metal corrosion layer structure was between 350 and 500 years.
"The Gray Tower was built more than three hundred years ago?" Zhao Huai-ren asked incredulously. "Who is lying...? Is this what you've been hiding?"
His last question was to Lin Suwen.
Lin Suwen's gaze was distant and gloomy. Outside the window, shadowy figures moved about, casting a shadow on her face.
Lin Suwen remained silent, but Nanmen Jue had something to say: "The construction techniques of this tower, the outer protective shield that can withstand the beast tide, cannot be replicated with current technology. Is this really something that can be built by human hands? If humans back then possessed such advanced technology, why didn't they leave a single word to their descendants? Why did they let them guard this tower and exploit it to the point of exhaustion?"
Has anyone in the tower thought about this kind of question?
“I never thought of it, Xiao Jue. It all seemed so natural… We were born in the Gray Tower, where the sun never shines. We didn’t yearn for the outside world, nor were we curious about how all this happened. We just lived, that’s all.” Zhao Huai Ren was deeply shocked. He was somewhat dazed, lost in thought that overturned his worldview. “But that’s right… Why? Why did the war break out back then? What happened? Who built the Gray Tower? Why are there no records from before? We know nothing. Why are you looking at me like that?”
Nanmen Jue was scrutinizing him with an extremely serious gaze, a look that terrified him, as if she were not looking at a living human being, but rather... an abnormal instrument or something else.
Nanmen Jue was indeed observing him. If they were just a program, a fictional character, then he should have been thrown into confusion when he realized these issues that involved the essence of the world. But Zhao Huai Ren was not; he was just pale and shocked.
"Dad, how are you feeling now?" Nanmen Jue asked.
"Me?" Zhao Huai-ren said in a daze, "I'm fine, I just... suddenly feel like I'm being blinded by a leaf."
That's enough.
A cold, hoarse voice rang out, and the silent president finally spoke. Nanmen Jue looked at her calmly, her gaze sharp and unyielding.
"Why do you want to know all this? Why are you so obsessed with figuring everything out?" Lin Suwen said softly. "Like those ordinary people, even if they know nothing, they can still live peacefully and happily in their limited lives, and then die. Isn't that a blessing?"
"The Plain Questions!" Zhao Huai-ren exclaimed incredulously, "You really know the answers to these questions?"
"I don't understand, why do you have to ask these questions? Are you curious? Are you young people arrogant, thinking you're all-powerful and should be told everything? You don't even know what you're asking!"
Lin Suwen's voice grew louder and louder, even becoming somewhat hysterical. At this moment, more and more people gathered outside, and the noise drowned out her voice. She glared at Nanmen Jue, as if someone had stripped away her disguise, revealing her sharp, manic, and aggressive nature.
“You’re afraid, Your Excellency,” Nanmenjue said calmly. “If you reveal the truth, will that thing punish you? Or will it punish the world?”
Lin Suwen glared at Nanmen Jue, her chest heaving violently, her neatly combed hair disheveled. She looked like a lioness driven to the brink, ready to pounce and tear Nanmen Jue's throat apart at any moment.
"Nanmen!" Zhang Chuxi anxiously grabbed Nanmen Jue. "Stop talking!"
Zhao Huai-ren also snapped out of his daze. "Xiao Jue, you go back first. The speech is about to start. We'll talk about this later."
Nanmen Jue shook off Zhang Chuxi and walked towards Lin Suwen.
"Answer me, will you die if I tell you the answer?"
I refuse to answer any of your questions.
"I want to know."
Why not listen to your teacher's opinion?
"If I don't ask now, I'll go back and face the guards who will imprison me, right?"
"You're crazy, child."
"How about you convict me after you know the truth?"
Nanmen Jue walked up to Lin Suwen, almost nose to nose. She was much taller than Lin Suwen and leaned forward slightly, creating a strong sense of pressure. Lin Suwen stood up straight, and under this pressure, her aura was not suppressed at all. Her gaze was like a sharp knife.
In this standoff, both Zhao Huai-ren and Zhang Chu-xi lost their voices.
“You’re having a fit of hysteria. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lin Suwen said. “Go get some sleep and you’ll be fine.”
Nanmen Jue realized that she was giving him a way out; if he just let it go, she would pretend nothing had happened.
“I mean you no harm, Aunt Lin,” Nanmen Jue said. Lin Suwen’s eyes flickered noticeably. “If you really can’t say, then just say you can’t, okay?”
Lin Suwen fell silent. Just then, someone knocked on the door, reminding her that time was almost up.
"Why do you want to investigate this question?"
"I've already said I want to know."
"I want to hear the truth."
"I want to be sure whether this world is real or not."
Nanmen Jue's words shocked everyone, and Lin Suwen slowly composed herself.
“Nanmen, you’re too arrogant,” she whispered. “You’ve always been arrogant.”
Nanmen Jue's expression shifted, and Lin Suwen suddenly raised her voice, "Come in."
The guards tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside. Zhao Huai-ren turned around and opened the door.
Lin Suwen stared into Nanmen Jue's eyes and said, word by word, "Chief Zhao Huai Ren and Dr. Nanmen Jue have been poisoned and are not quite lucid. Please ask them to go down and rest properly."
The guards looked shocked, and Zhao Huai-ren sighed as if to say, "I knew it."
Nanmen Jue stared at Lin Suwen, "Do you think we two aren't obedient enough? As long as you can '□□', you can avoid any question, and even lie through your teeth?"
Lin Suwen said, "I am saving you."
She raised her voice: "What are you waiting for? Does my word no longer carry weight?"
Although she was strict, she rarely spoke so harshly, and she would never use her status to intimidate people. The guards were startled and immediately swarmed in to take control of Nanmen Jue and Zhao Huai Ren.
Zhang Chuxi looked anxious, but there was nothing she could do. Nanmen Jue didn't look at her, still staring straight at Lin Suwen, "Why did you say I was arrogant?"
"In such times, it is arrogance for someone to live by insisting on maintaining their individuality."
The guards were about to take Nanmen Jue away when he let out a laugh that was hard to tell whether it was one of pleasure or sarcasm.
"Wait a minute," Lin Suwen called out to them, "Go backstage, so no one can see us."
"Thank you, Your Excellency the President, for considering my teacher's feelings," Nanmenjue said loudly.
“…Xiao Jue.” Zhao Huai Ren glanced at her helplessly in silence.
Nanmen Jue was led out with a smile. Zhang Chuxi hesitated for a moment, but still followed her. There were too many people and she couldn't speak. The whole time, she glared at Nanmen Jue with a look that seemed to say, "What are you thinking?"
Nanmen Jue winked at her.
After walking a few steps, I heard the sound of the speakers. Lin Suwen should be going up on stage to start her speech.
Nanmen Jue turned his head to look at Zhao Huai Ren, "You shouldn't have brought me back in the first place, otherwise there wouldn't be so much trouble."
"Are you going to leave me out there, not knowing if I'll bring you back?" Zhao Huai-ren said. "You'd better come back and cause me trouble."
Nanmen Jue smiled, but before her smile could fully unfold on her face, it was suddenly frozen in place.
A cold gun was thrust out from the crowd, pointed directly at—
"Dad!"
Without a second thought, Nanmen Jue broke free from the guards beside him and lunged at Zhao Huai Ren.
But how could a human move be faster than a gun? Nanmen Jue was already very close to Zhao Huai Ren, so close that he could even hear the sound of bullets piercing flesh. Nanmen Jue slowly lowered his head, and time seemed to stretch out infinitely in his perception. The smile on Zhao Huai Ren's face had not yet disappeared, but his eyes were already filled with astonishment.
A blinding spray of blood exploded on his chest.
Nanmen Jue tackled him to the ground, but the bullet still pierced his chest. Nanmen Jue was stunned. In her nearly twenty years of life, she had never felt such intense fear, more terrifying than when the monster wave was pressing down on her while she was still outside the Gray Tower. She pressed her hands in vain against Zhao Huai Ren's bloody mouth and frantically shouted at the surroundings. After a second or two of ringing in her ears, she could finally hear her own voice.
"...Ambulance!! Hurry!!!"
"South Gate!"
The commotion here affected the podium, and amidst the chaos, Lin Suwen rushed over. Seeing the scene before her, she turned pale with shock.
Nanmen Jue took off her coat and used it to stop Zhao Huai Ren's wound. Blood quickly soaked her clothes. Nanmen Jue looked around in panic. Only a few minutes had passed, but it felt like a long time had gone by. She could feel Zhao Huai Ren's life slipping away, and the blood soaking into her fingers!
She couldn't wait any longer, so she scooped Zhao Huai-ren up in her arms and rushed into the elevator.
"South Gate!"
Someone was calling her, but she couldn't hear anything now; all she could hear was the gurgling sound of Zhao Huai-ren's blood blocking her throat.
"Dad, don't be afraid, I'll save you right now. I'm right here beside you, how could I let you die?" Her voice trembled.
"Little...Little Jue..."
"Yes, talk to me, talk to me a lot, stay conscious, and whatever you do, don't fall asleep!"
"Xiaojue..."
"I am here."
"Put me down..."
Nanmen Jue roared, "What nonsense are you spouting!"
A heavy, blood-stained sigh echoed in Nanmen Jue's ears, "I want to... say a few last words to you. I can't hold on any longer, Xiao Jue."
Nanmen Jue did not listen.
Zhao Huai Ren fell silent, his breath growing weaker and weaker. Nan Men Jue let out a heart-wrenching scream, but her feet didn't stop. She pushed aside everyone blocking her way and rushed straight into the elevator.
The 20th basement level has the best medical facilities in the Gray Tower, but it's too far, too far. The nearest hospital to the 120th floor is... a regular hospital on the 100th floor!
With trembling, bloodied fingers, Nanmen Jue pressed the button for the 100th floor. She felt her hand getting heavier and heavier, so heavy that her arm gradually slumped down... On the long 20th floor, Nanmen Jue slowly sat down on the ground with Zhao Huai Ren in her arms.
"Dad?"
There was no response.
Nanmen Jue stared ahead, somewhat blankly, and picked up Zhao Huai Ren's head, pressing his cold face against his own.
"Dad? What do you want to say to me? I'm listening."
bite.
When the elevator reached the 100th floor, the doors opened, and the people waiting at the door were startled by the scene inside and all backed away.
Nanmen Jue was only wearing a tank top, and her outer garment was covering the person in her arms. Blood was everywhere, thick blood filled the entire elevator, and Nanmen Jue was sitting in the blood, her cheek pressed tightly against a dead person.
Another elevator door opened, and Lin Suwen, Zhang Chuxi, and a group of guards rushed out. Upon seeing the scene before them, they all fell into a shocked silence.
In the silence, Lin Suwen slowly stepped forward, but did not go in; she stopped at the elevator door.
"South Gate, the emergency room is ready."
"So, what did Dad finally want to say to me?"
Lin Suwen fell silent, her gaze sweeping over Zhao Huai Ren's ashen face, a deep sadness spreading through her eyes.
Just then, someone arrived and whispered a few words in Lin Suwen's ear. Lin Suwen's eyes sharpened, and she said, "The attacker has been found. Do you want to go see him?"
"No."
Nanmen Jue picked up Zhao Huai Ren, his boots stepping over a pool of blood. Her face and body were covered in blood as he walked out of the elevator.
"I know who did it."
No one dared to stop Nanmen Jue. The crowd parted to make way for him, and Nanmen Jue carried Zhao Huai Ren in front of them. Lin Suwen followed behind, her face pale, filled with confusion and guilt.
"I didn't... I didn't mean to kill you."
"I know."
“Tell me who did it, and I will get justice for you,” Lin Suwen said. “The man fired two shots, the other one was aimed at you, but it missed.”
Nanmen Jue remained silent.
Aside from her outburst on the 120th floor, she showed no emotion. She carried Zhao Huai-ren into the hospital and placed him on a clean bed.
She gently tidied Zhao Huai Ren's messy white hair and said, "Help me get a new set of clothes for the teacher."
Lin Suwen looked at her sadly, "Xiao Jue".
“The teacher has no children, so I am his child. He’s gone, and I need to clean and dress him.” Nanmen Jue didn’t even lift his eyelids. “Please hurry up, I have things to do later.”
Lin Suwen didn't say anything more. Zhang Chuxi looked at Nanmen Jue like this. At first, she was too scared to go forward. But when the clothes were brought over, she went forward to help her change.
Nanmen Jue glanced at her but did not refuse.
After washing himself clean and changing his clothes, Nanmen Jue personally covered Zhao Huai Ren's face with a white cloth.
“Don’t be afraid, Father,” she said. “I’ll go avenge you right now.”
She turned around and strode towards the door. A crowd had gathered outside, and she immediately spotted He Ting, who looked worried.
Nanmen Jue walked over and held out a hand to him. "Give me your sidearm."
He Ting had been recuperating from his injuries recently and wasn't fully armed, but he did carry a gun with him. Upon hearing this, he didn't hesitate to pull out the gun and hand it to her.
“Who are you going to deal with? I’ll go with you,” he said.
Nanmen Jue did not reply, and Lin Suwen hurriedly followed behind him.
"Nanmen, no matter how angry you are, you cannot execute citizens without authorization!"
“They are not your citizens, Your Excellency.” With a click, the gun was chambered, and Nanmen Jue’s tone and aura were extremely cold. “I guarantee that after you kill them, your Gray Tower will be more peaceful.”
“I think that only when those in power who deceive the people and execute people privately disappear will the Gray Tower usher in true peace.”
Nanmen Jue stopped moving, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound. Lin Suwen looked shocked.
"Xu Yang?"
Xu Yang, sitting in a wheelchair, was pushed by Qi Mo as they walked through the crowd to stand before them.
His neck was wrapped in thick bandages, and there was no trace of the usual fake smile on his face. His eyes were filled with resentment as he stared at Nanmen Jue, and the corners of his mouth were about to turn up uncontrollably, filled with hysterical hatred.
"Aren't you disappointed to see me alive and standing before you?"
Nanmen Jue gazed at him quietly, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Likewise."
"What's going on?" Lin Suwen stepped between Nanmen Jue and Xu Yang. After all, she was a woman who could become president. After seeing Xu Yang, she had already figured it out. She looked at Xu Yang in disbelief, "Did you launch the attack on Zhao Huai Ren and Nanmen Jue?"
"That's right," Xu Yang readily admitted. "It was me."
Lin Suwen gasped, and the people around her erupted in a huge uproar.
“No,” Nanmen Jue said, “there is one more person.”
She raised her gun and calmly pointed it at the person standing behind Xu Yang.
Qi Mo met her gaze, his face showing no remorse or guilt.
"Since our alliance broke down, you shouldn't have expected me to stand by your side. You madman, you don't care about points, but I still do."
Xu Yang and Zhao Huai Ren have no vested interests; the only person who would kill Zhao Huai Ren is Qi Mo.
Xu Yang smiled grimly, "Nanmen Jue, you don't actually think you can fire this shot alive, do you?"
Lin Su asked, "What do you mean? Xu Yang, are you planning a rebellion?"
"Rebellion? No, my esteemed President, I am merely following the will of the people to remove you, this incompetent leader who has repeatedly deceived the public, from office."
Xu Yang spoke with arrogance and contempt. At the same time, many guards surrounded them, turning their guns on Nanmen Jue and his group.
He Ting was shocked. "Who told you to rebel? Where's my dad? He would never rebel!"
“Captain Hehua has fought for the Gray Tower for many years and is a little tired. I have already asked him to go and rest. Young Master Heting, you don’t need to worry.” Xu Yang wore a fake smile that was obvious at a glance. “Now, you shouldn’t be standing with the sinners of the Gray Tower, should you?”
He Ting looked around and saw that everyone was stunned, except for Nanmen Jue and Lin Suwen, whose expressions remained unchanged. He asked, "What crime did they commit?"
"Isn't the crime of deceiving the public and endangering the security of the Grey Tower enough?"
He Ting asked, "What are they hiding? What security risks have they compromised?"
"They concealed the side effects of antiretroviral drugs twice, and also concealed the fact that the radiation levels in everyone's bodies were approaching the critical point. Don't you think these two crimes are enough to warrant the death penalty?"
……What?
The unexpected news shocked everyone. Putting aside the issue of retrograde hormones, what did it mean that everyone's radiation levels were going to reach a critical point? Would they all die?
"Xu Yang!" Lin Suwen, who had been calm and composed all along, roared angrily, "You want to deal with me? Fine, but don't spread alarmist rumors and terror here!"
"Am I spreading terrorist rumors, or have I revealed a secret you've been trying so hard to hide?" Xu Yang laughed hoarsely, his voice even more sinister. "Young Master He Ting, I'm giving you five seconds. If you don't come over here, you're their accomplice. Five, four, three, two—"
The crane stopped moving, and no one heard the last "one" clearly, because it was drowned out by a gunshot.
The chaotic crowd fell silent. Everyone stared blankly at Nanmen Jue, who had fired the shot. She was expressionless, her eyes cold and sharp. She fired that shot with unparalleled calmness, as if she had done nothing at all.
Behind Xu Yang, a huge flower of blood bloomed on Qi Mo's chest. Because of the closer distance, the flower was larger and more vivid than the one on Zhao Huai Ren's body.
Qi Mo's eyes were filled with disbelief. Under Xu Yang's equally incredulous gaze, he opened his mouth and uttered only two words.
“Xu Yang…”
He collapsed, his eyes still open.
"ah--"
A scream rang out, and chaos ensued.
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Author's Note: My darlings, I'll be updating tomorrow at 11 PM. If all goes well, I'll update around that time every day from now on. If anything unexpected happens, I'll have to take a break.
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