Chapter 110
As mentioned earlier, the human body is not strong enough for them to undertake two space crossings, so someone needs to take over from the executors and bring a new batch of survivors back to the real world.
In people's minds, anything related to spatial dimensions involves complex and profound spatial theories or cutting-edge, revolutionary technologies that only highly intelligent scientists can handle.
But in reality, they don't need to master any advanced space technology; they just need to drive the vehicle into the white fog and move forward.
This doesn't make sense. Xie Xubai and the others have walked in the white mist before, but they never ended up back in reality.
Upon hearing the personnel say that these rescue vehicles had been repaired and modified by the Fu Group before departure, Xie Xubai paused, walked to the vehicle, and stared intently, vaguely noticing a problem, but was unsure. He reached out to touch the dark green paint on it.
Before he could even touch him, Pei Yuheng suddenly pulled his hand away, his expression more serious and grim than ever before: "Don't touch it."
"There's something underneath, and the paint job is to cover it up."
Upon hearing this, Xie Xubai casually picked up a twig and scratched it lightly.
The substance was delicate and soft, a thin layer like cloth wrapping around the car body, incredibly resilient, and seemed to exude a lingering smell of blood.
After being left outdoors overnight, the leaves become wrinkled and damp from the cold, damp mist. When a branch presses down on them, sticky oil seeps out along the indentation.
Xie Xubai suddenly felt a chill and quickly withdrew his hand.
He has never hesitated to assume the worst about those who are utterly depraved, but his constant experiences always come back to slap his naiveté in the face.
Xie Xubai and Pei Yuheng turned to look at the oppressive yet restless crowd. The painful truth about vaccine development made the lively atmosphere feel incredibly strange.
Especially those researchers, who were all carefully selected by Xie Xubai, are of good character. Now they are being repeatedly questioned between ethics and morality and the greater good of survival, and not one of them is not frowning in pain.
Just then, Dr. Li walked over.
As a senior and experienced member of the laboratory, and formerly the deputy director of the epidemic prevention center, he changed his irritable temper after entering the laboratory and never competed with Xie Xubai for power, which often made people overlook his presence.
But at this point when everyone is feeling down, the things that have been accumulating in his heart for many years have enabled him to recover faster than young people, showing unwavering perseverance and composure.
He also noticed the oddities that Xie Xubai and his companion discovered about the vehicle's paint job.
Dr. Li said, "If someone absolutely has to bring the message to the present day, then let me go."
He knew Pei Yuheng would definitely stay, because once he left, he couldn't return. Even if the vaccine was successfully developed, the victims would continue to fall into the Otherworld, requiring a clinic—the current survivor base—to house them.
Dr. Li had a premonition that the fake Fu Zong seemed to be after Pei Yuheng. Seeing Pei Yu staying by Pei Yuheng's side every step of the way, it was probably to protect the director.
Pei Yu can't leave either.
However, the information revealed by the fake Fu Zong was too shocking and needed to be reported by someone with a sufficiently powerful identity to be credible and at least to attract the attention of the alliance's political situation.
"Before I leave, I have only one question." Dr. Li looked intently at Pei Yuheng, his gaze deep and sharp, as if dissecting bone. "Director, now that we know how the vaccine was developed, what are you going to do?"
As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at the crowd, and Xie and Pei followed his gaze.
After the agonizing torment of their conscience, some people gradually came to their senses, and subtle changes occurred in their facial expressions, sending chills down one's spine.
The devil smiled slightly and showered the world with a golden rain. People looked up at the sky, dazzled by the golden luster. When they turned back, they raised their hands high, their eyes bloodshot, and saw the whole world as their enemy—the seeds of evil, sown by selfish desires, would take root and sprout in people's hearts.
So Dr. Li asked Pei Yuheng: What would you do? Do you agree with the Fu Group's approach?
Pei Yuheng glanced at Xie Xubai, took a deep breath, and said firmly, "This door cannot be opened."
Perhaps the information revealed by [Fu Zong] is true, and the method of exchanging lives for lives is feasible, but it should never be accepted as truth by the general public, otherwise, it will be impossible to avoid killing each other among humans.
Pei Yuheng: "I will put on a show with Pei Yu to prove that what [Fu Zong] said was just a monster's lie to confuse people. After that, we will find the original data of Fu's Pharmaceutical and destroy it all."
It sounds simple, but it's actually very difficult. But what problem didn't they encounter that made them go from a clinic with nothing to the survivor base they are today?
Dr. Li had no doubt that Pei Yuheng and his companion were capable of doing it; more precisely, he had no doubt that Pei Yu possessed the ability. This man's power and mystery were evident to all; sometimes, people would rather offend Pei Yuheng than provoke Pei Yu.
But that wasn't Pei Yuheng's main concern. Dr. Li asked in a somber tone, "Then what about the vaccine?"
Unable to develop a vaccine or contain pollution, the alliance's decision to purge itself of political forces was like a sharp sword hanging over their heads, leaving them no room to breathe.
If they were ruthless enough, they could have simply abandoned this group of people and left, including the victims who might later enter the underworld. What would that have to do with them?
But Dr. Li couldn't do it, and neither could Xie and Pei. Those lives weren't just cold, hard numbers in the reports, but rather the daily warm greetings, trusting eyes, unwavering commitment, and every warm smile.
Therefore, Dr. Li knew that Pei Yuheng faced not only the challenge of dispelling people's idea of exchanging lives for lives, but also the heavy pressure of carrying the expectations of countless people.
Pei Yuheng murmured.
Dr. Li called out to him softly, "Director."
Only at this moment, Dr. Li's eyes were unusually clear, scrutinizing him closely, as if even the slightest wicked thought or evil intention could not escape the detection of those eyes.
Pei Yuheng couldn't lie. He sighed softly, showing no sign of guilt or anger from being interrogated. Instead, he smiled reassuringly and said, "I know what you're worried about. I assure you, it won't happen. Your seriousness puts my mind at ease. I no longer have to worry about anyone stopping me if I ever go astray."
“Actually, there’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, A-Yu,” Pei Yuheng said to Xie Xubai. “You told me before that the voices we hear are actually the consciousness of this land, and that the land recognizes its master. So could you help me tell it that I want to transfer some of my authority to Dr. Li?”
The survivor base is growing stronger every day, and has even given birth to the embryonic form of [rules]. Pei Yuheng tossed and turned day and night, realizing that he was like a dictator holding an atomic bomb in his hand. It was alright when Xie Xubai was around, but if he went back to his own era in the future, who would be able to subdue him?
People are fickle. Pei Yuheng does not deny the goodness of human nature, but he also never underestimates the evil of human nature, even if that evil is himself.
So he decided to decentralize power, thus putting shackles on himself.
Xie Xubai was taken aback. Thinking that the power that was being distributed might endanger Pei Yuheng's life in the future, his first reaction was to stop it.
It was at this moment that the [rules] suddenly issued a warning, and Xie Xubai snapped back to reality.
He realized that he was witnessing a crucial part of history, a question that had puzzled him for a long time: why was Director Li able to compete for the position of dean?
The answer is now crystal clear: this power was actually delegated by Pei Yuheng himself.
Considering that Director Li later used this power to make a huge blunder, accidentally injuring Pei Yuheng, it's hard not to feel a bit amused and frustrated. But in retrospect, if Director Li hadn't acted impulsively at the beginning, perhaps "Pei Yuheng," buried in the annals of history, would never have seen the light of day again.
This is the cyclical nature of history.
After listening to Pei Yuheng's brief explanation, Dr. Li suddenly felt flattered and subconsciously declined, saying, "Let me do it? No, no, if you hand over power to me, and I also become corrupted and have those inappropriate thoughts, then—"
“But what about me?” Pei Yuheng laughed and continued, “If I want to do something unjust, you will restrain me; if you have any wicked thoughts, I will advise you. The two will check and balance each other and work together.”
Listening silently to their conversation, Xie Xubai suddenly had a thought: Is it possible that the original purpose of the director's group was this?
However, Director Li was unaware of the entanglement between Pei Yuheng and Fu Zong. Pei Yuheng was bound by a certain rule and could not reveal the truth, which led Director Li to mistakenly believe that he was an enemy and to become increasingly hostile towards Pei Yuheng, who was disguised as Fu Zong.
The original purpose of the supervisory group, which was meant to check and balance each other, has been distorted, with factionalism becoming rampant and turning it into a rotten and foul-smelling root system.
Xie Xubai silently took out a camera.
The two who were still pushing each other suddenly turned to him, and Xie Xubai calmly said, "It's okay, you guys continue, I'm just recording a video."
—With the video recording, we can go back and persuade Director Li to reorganize the director team, which will give us a reason. If Director Li is reluctant to take action, then we will force the "rules" to be reformed.
Looking at Xie Xubai's calm, smiling face, Dr. Li felt a chill run down his spine for no apparent reason.
Under Xie Xubai's witness, the vaguely understood "rules" were invoked, completing a partial transfer of power.
The moment he gained access, Dr. Li felt like the whole world had changed.
In this profound and mysterious realization, he felt Pei Yuheng's selflessness and sincerity. He looked at the other thoughtfully, his eyes becoming increasingly deep, engraved with unwavering loyalty: "Thank you for your trust. I will certainly live up to your expectations."
The survivor base's authority was split 50/50, with Pei Yuheng holding one half and Xie Xubai the other. Now that Pei Yuheng has relinquished half of his authority, Xie Xubai now holds the highest level of authority.
When Xie Xubai suggested handing over his authority to Pei Yuheng, he was refused.
Pei Yuheng's original words were: "I feel more at ease leaving the power of decision-making to you."
Fathers often find it difficult to bow down to their children because of their pride as elders, but Xie and Pei do not have this problem. This may be because Pei Yuheng is a little younger than Xie Xubai, but it also stems from the unspoken trust between them.
As Dr. Li prepared to depart and boarded the train, he hesitated for a moment, seemingly making a decision, and reached out to touch the train car.
It wasn't the coldness of metal that it touched, but rather a soft texture. It was slightly bulging and wriggling in Dr. Li's palm, like a resentful creature causing a stir. This made the middle-aged man in his fifties feel a chill run down his spine, and he was so frightened that he almost pulled his hand away.
He gasped for breath, the fear lingering on his face. At the critical moment, Xie Xubai's spiritual power fell upon him, reinforcing his belief.
Amidst the boundless resentment, Dr. Li was able to speak truthfully what was on his mind: "I know, you...you all harbor hatred in your hearts."
Fu Zong said that all the participants in the experiment volunteered, but if they were really willing, how could they have such a big resentment?
In the darkness, he seemed to hear sinister laughter emanating from the car body. The skin touching the car body felt as if its warmth was being drained away, corroded by the cold, and became stiff and numb. Gradually, the car body bulged up, transforming into human features, grinning maliciously at them.
But Dr. Li did not shy away from the issue. He was comforted by Xie Xubai's spirit and also by his own perseverance: "I set off this time to plead your case. Only by reporting this matter to the higher authorities can you be freed and prevent more people from being harmed."
"So, please help us."
Dr. Li is not good at conversation; otherwise, given his expertise in operating high-precision biological experiments, he wouldn't be serving as a powerless deputy director in a small, underdeveloped epidemic prevention center in a remote county.
Faced with vengeful spirits brimming with resentment, he tried everything he could, promising a grand funeral and offering to burn hundreds of millions of yuan (ghost money) from his savings.
Xie Xubai vaguely sensed that the vengeful spirits' obsession wasn't about money. Just as he was about to step forward to help, he saw several faces in the car listening to Dr. Li's plea. Their grotesque features slowly disappeared, and they became quiet and gentle.
Perhaps Dr. Li was clumsy in his speech, but the vengeful spirits could sense his sincerity. It wasn't until Dr. Li got to the point, promising to find their identities and belongings in the future, hand them over to their families, and let them return to reality as humans, their souls returning home, that the menacing human faces finally disappeared completely.
Finally, Dr. Li got into the car, accompanied by several people who shared his views.
The car started, the engine roared, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, it resolutely drove into the vast and bottomless white fog.
Will Fu Zong's accomplices obstruct them? Will the alliance's political situation believe their claims? How can they be persuaded to extend the timeframe for using firearms? The outside world has also changed drastically; the virus has developed into a plague—could it be extremely dangerous? ...
The moment the car started, all their anxieties were forgotten by Dr. Li and the others; their only thought was to move forward.
Their future was uncertain, and they were already aware of this.
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